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People gathered at dusk under the fig tree canopy of Sydney’s Hyde Park to pay tribute to 32-year-old, who laid undiscovered for up to a weekFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNo one should be left to die in the middle of Sydney, alone and unseen.That was the powerful message delivered by homelessness support worker Erin Longbottom to a crowd gathered in Hyde Park to honour Bikram Lama. Continue reading...

Sabine Mairey, who was arrested on Thursday over social media posts, pictured with party activists in ClaphamA Green council candidate arrested this week over alleged antisemitic social media posts has been seen canvassing subsequently alongside other party members, with Labour saying it showed the issue was not being taken seriously by Zack Polanski’s party.Sabine Mairey was among two Green candidates in Lambeth, south London, arrested by the Metropolitan police on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

IDF says sledgehammer photo circulating online is authentic and is being viewed with ‘great severity’The Israeli army has said it is investigating a soldier who was seen apparently striking a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon.The Israel Defense Forces said they had determined that an image circulating on social media showing the incident was authentic. The image appears to show an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross. Continue reading...

Extension of three-year lifespan for bronze coincides with 25th anniversary rerelease of original romcomA record 149 days have now passed without alcohol, cigarettes or ice-cream for Bridget Jones’s statue in Leicester Square in London – and her fast is set to be extended indefinitely.Originally conceived to be in situ for three years, the bronze statue, which was unveiled in November, has now been granted permanent residence opposite the Empire Casino and adjacent to the toilets, where she joins the likes of Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Batman as part of Westminster council’s Scenes in the Square initiative. Continue reading...

Bibby Boys photo exhibition documents experiences of the men who lived on the former asylum seeker vessel in Dorset and the local community that rallied around them The Bibby Stockholm barge, which was moored off Portland, Dorset, to accommodate asylum seekers, attracted many negative headlines – from evacuation after the discovery of legionella bacteria, to the suicide of Albanian asylum seeker Leonard Farruku and angry far-right protests.But an exhibition launching this week reveals a less reported side of life on the barge, where enduring connections between asylum seekers and members of the local community were forged and continue long after the last group of asylum seekers left the vessel in November 2024. Continue reading...

Passenger on Flight VA 328 alerted the crew who responded by ‘containing the device’ before plane landedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Melbourne was met by firefighters after smoke was seen coming from a vape on board.Flight VA 328 landed safely and all passengers disembarked normally after a vape “activated” in the cabin shortly before landing at about 4pm on Sunday afternoon in Melbourne, Melbourne airport said. Continue reading...

Ballots in 35,000 villages, towns and cities will be closely watched for signals about party strategies and alliancesFrance has begun voting in the first round of municipal elections, seen as crucial a test of the political temperature before next year’s presidential election.The vote for mayors and councillors in 35,000 villages, towns and cities across France is focused on local issues including security, housing and refuse collection and is very different from national elections. Continue reading...