Bereaved parents to give evidence at independent review of Sussex maternity services

Rightwing NSW powerbrokers are alleged to have received illegal political donations from fugitive developerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo Liberal operatives traded photos and messages about whether to buy a Porsche or a Ferrari with payments they received for Toplace projects they got approved via a New South Wales government fast-track development process.The Independent Commission Against Corruption on Monday heard more evidence from lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood, a principal of Beckington Consulting, who is alleged to have shared in $2m in payments from the fugitive developer Jean Nassif, owner of the now collapsed Toplace. Continue reading...

Firms are more likely to use technology as ‘the intern in the office’ than as a replacement for skilled staffProfessional designers should not feel “threatened” by the rapid growth of generative AI, according to business leaders, despite fears over job losses in the sector.With design and film production companies and manufacturers all adopting AI at an accelerating pace, industry bodies said the technology would be used to enhance the work of designers rather than replace them. Continue reading...

Exclusive: UN special rapporteur on occupied territories says ban on goods from settlements ‘important’ but must go further if it is to amount to more than a ‘press release’The UK’s planned ban on trade with unlawful Israeli settlements is a welcome, if overdue, first step and must be judged according to its practical impact, a UN expert has told the Guardian.The UK foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, has vowed to act more decisively against Israeli settlements, as well as continued restrictions of aid into Gaza, prompting the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, to claim on Saturday that Downing Street was motivated by “Jew hatred”. Continue reading...

Row centres on stake held by Patarkatsishvili family in bottled water firm it jointly owns with Russian oligarchA British theatre impresario and her billionaire family are embroiled in a bitter dispute with Ukrainian authorities seeking to seize a water company they jointly own with a Russian oligarch.The row centres on a 34% stake held in the producer of Ukraine’s biggest bottled water brands by the Patarkatsishvili family, including Liana Patarkatsishvili, who recently worked on an immersive show with Toby Jones and Meera Syal. Continue reading...

Ashlyn Nassif, daughter of Toplace boss who fled Australia in 2022, has pleaded guilty to providing false or misleading information to obtain loan from WestpacFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe daughter of a fugitive property developer succumbed to pressure from her father when she falsified documents for a $150m construction loan, a Sydney court has heard.Ashlyn Nassif, the daughter of Jean Nassif, pleaded guilty in June to providing false or misleading information to obtain the loan from Westpac, which was used to construct three apartment towers in Sydney’s north-west in 2021. Continue reading...

Sydney-headquartered group suspends work on some of its 45 construction sites impacting 60% of workforceMore than 200 workers at Sydney-headquartered Bathla Group have been stood down as administrators of the embattled property developer seek emergency funds to stave off a company-wide collapse.The insolvency advisory Teneo said on Monday that new short-term funding arrangements would only allow Bathla to continue construction on some of its 45 construction sites, though it did not identify which projects were being prioritised. Continue reading...

Lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt welcomes further ‘strong’ cooperation with Musk as French minister says ‘We cannot forget our history’The candidate who led the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party to a historic state election victory in Germany has thanked Elon Musk for his support, as one French minister warned that this was a “serious moment” for Europe.The AfD more than doubled its support in the Saxony-Anhalt region and appears to be on the brink of becoming the first far-right party to gain power in Germany at state level since the second world war. Continue reading...

Oscar-winning actor says she and other outspoken critics of Israel have found it ‘impossible’ to get hired by major studiosThe Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon has said she is still losing work because of her outspoken support for Palestinians, despite what she ⁠described as a broader shift ⁠in public opinion against ​US support for Israel.Speaking at the Venice film festival, where she is promoting her latest movie The Echo Chamber, Sarandon said some parts of the film industry continued to ⁠shun her over her activism. Continue reading...

Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus near to station will make it easier for students and staff to commuteNot so long ago, the first impression for visitors arriving by train to Bristol’s main railway station was a derelict building described by David Cameron as looking like the entrance to a war zone.On Monday, a shiny new University of Bristol campus on the site of that crumbling Royal Mail sorting office next door to Temple Meads is opening its doors to students, teachers and members of the public. Continue reading...

Team says armed suspect attacked Amy Acton during a campaign stop at the Canfield Fair, injuring several peopleAmy Acton, Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, was the target of an attack on Sunday during a campaign stop at the Canfield Fair, campaign officials said. Several people were injured when the armed assailant lunged at Acton.The suspect knocked volunteers to the ground before he was arrested and was “discovered to have weapons”, Mahoning county Democratic party chairperson Chris Anderson said in a statement. Continue reading...

Coastguard brings asylum seekers to shore as far-right influencer livestreams event calling for men to travel to portFar-right activists have descended on Portsmouth, where a small boat with 140 asylum seekers on board was intercepted heading towards the Portsmouth coast. It sparked a major response with a helicopter, an aeroplane and lifeboats sent to the scene. It is thought to be the first time such a large boat containing asylum seekers has been brought to Portsmouth.The boat’s occupants have been brought to shore in the maritime city and are being taken by coach to Manston, outside Ramsgate in Kent where small boat arrivals are processed. Continue reading...