‘Grubby’ treaty principles bill voted down in New Zealand parliament

Bill which sought to radically reinterpret New Zealand’s founding treaty between Māori tribes and the British Crown fails by 11 votes to 112

It was the bill that launched 300,000 public submissions, sparked New Zealand’s largest ever protest on Māori rights and prompted a haka in parliament that quickly went viral.

And now the treaty principles bill, which sought to radically reinterpret New Zealand’s founding treaty between Māori tribes and the British Crown, is dead.

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Gordon Brown calls for ‘economic coalition of the willing’ to tackle Trump tariffs

Former PM says it is also the moment for the UK to go even further in renewing ties with the EU

Gordon Brown has called for an “economic coalition of the willing” to respond to Donald Trump’s tariffs with coordinated economic policies, including a reduction of interest rates.

The former prime minister also said it was a moment for the UK to go even further in renewing ties with the EU, suggesting it should mean “collaboration that is even more extensive than removing post-Brexit trade barriers”.

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England’s ‘complex’ health and care system harming patients, report says

Investigators find coordination failures between NHS and care bodies causing delays, distress and burnout

Navigating England’s “complex” health and care system is “extremely difficult” and carers and patients are experiencing burnout, distress and harm as a result, a damning report says.

There were frequent failures by NHS and care organisations in coordinating care for people with long-term health conditions, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) found. Figures show 41% of adults and 17% of children have at least one long-term health issue.

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Gas boiler fittings outnumbered heat pumps by 15 to one in UK last year – report

Poorer households shut out of heat pump market and grants should be increased to speed up rollout, thinktank says

Gas boiler fittings outnumbered new heat pump installations by more than 15 to one last year, and only one in eight new homes were equipped with the low-carbon alternative despite the government’s clean energy targets.

Poorer households are also being shut out of the heat pump market as the grants available are inadequate and should be increased, according to a report by the Resolution Foundation thinktank.

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NSW government considering buying back Northern Beaches hospital amid Healthscope debt crisis

Recent incidents, including the death of a newborn, have heightened concerns about the level of care at the hospital

The New South Wales government is considering buying back the public hospital component of Northern Beaches hospital, as its private owner, Healthscope, faces a looming financial crisis.

The government said on Thursday it had been notified of a proposal by Healthscope seeking to have the hospital returned to the NSW public system.

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Dutton ducks question on Liberal party vetting amid concerns over charge against Melbourne candidate

Opposition leader remains quiet on how Coalition will achieve promise to save $7bn through public service cuts

Peter Dutton has ducked questions about the quality of the Liberal party’s vetting processes after concerns were raised about a 2024 charge against a Melbourne candidate in the latest saga surrounding the party’s candidates.

The opposition leader, who visited a metalworks factory in the Labor-held seat of Aston in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs on Thursday, would also not divulge details about how his promise to achieve $7bn in savings by cutting 41,000 public service jobs by 2030 could match Labor’s plans to dramatically lift bulk-billing rates.

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Dominican Republic ends search for survivors after nightclub roof collapse

An official statement said “all reasonable possibilities of finding more survivors” had been exhausted in a disaster that has killed at least 184 people.

Rescue workers in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday ended the search for survivors of a nightclub roof collapse as the death toll surpassed 180 in the Caribbean nation’s worst disaster in decades.

Emergency personnel late Wednesday reported 60 more deaths compared to the morning’s count, with the total confirmed tally reaching 184.

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Price of parking rises steeply due to English councils’ clean-air surcharges

AA says ‘cash-guzzling’ councils are adding clean-air levies to parking tariffs and resident parking permits

Drivers are being caught out by hefty price rises to park their cars, as councils across England impose parking surcharges on petrol and diesel vehicles.

An estimated one in five councils now add clean-air levies to parking tariffs and resident parking permits to deter polluting vehicles.

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More than 90% of schools in England ban mobile phone use, survey shows

Head of National Education Union calls for statutory ban on phones in schools and social media ban for under-16s

Almost all schools in England have banned mobile phone use by pupils, according to the first national survey conducted, as the leader of the largest teaching union called for a statutory ban owing to the “damaging impact” on young people.

The national survey, ordered by Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, showed that headteachers have swiftly instituted bans on smartphone use during school hours. The survey of more than 15,000 schools found that 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools have some form of ban.

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Israel and Turkey hold Syria deconfliction talks to avoid military clash – The Times of Israel

  1. Israel and Turkey hold Syria deconfliction talks to avoid military clash  The Times of Israel
  2. Turkey, Israel have begun talks to avoid clashes in Syria, sources say  Reuters
  3. Israel to Turkey: Change in troop deployment in Syria is a red line  The Jerusalem Post
  4. Turkish FM says Ankara and Jerusalem holding technical talks on Syria deconfliction  The Times of Israel
  5. Could Israel-Turkey war of words escalate to actual war?  DW
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Sacked Melbourne lawyer who chucked sickie to go to the AFL loses bid to get his job back

Fair Work Commission finds Mitchell Fuller was not unfairly dismissed for taking a sick day while at the AFL Gather Round in Adelaide

A Melbourne lawyer who pulled a sickie so he could attend the AFL Gather Round in South Australia has failed in a bid to get his job back after his own social media posts proved he was fit for work.

The Fair Work Commission found this week that Mitchell Fuller, who was fired as a solicitor with Madison Branson Lawyers in August last year, was not unfairly dismissed.

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Virgin Australia offers refunds to 61,000 passengers after charging incorrect itinerary change fees

The airline has apologised and begun informing passengers who are eligible for a refund, with an average value of $55

Virgin Australia is offering refunds to more than 60,000 passengers, after an internal error led to inflated itinerary change fees being charged over the past five years.

The airline has apologised and launched an itinerary change claim program, as it begins informing passengers who are eligible for refunds over the incorrect fees charged to customers making changes to their bookings between 21 April 2020 and 31 March this year.

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Anjelica Huston reveals cancer diagnosis – but says she is now ‘in the clear’

The 73-year-old actor was diagnosed after her role in the John Wick franchise, and chose to keep it private – but is now speaking out in case it helps others

Anjelica Huston has revealed she was diagnosed with cancer six years ago, saying she is now “in the clear”.

The 73-year-old actor declined to tell People magazine what kind of cancer she had, saying she wanted to keep that private, but did reveal she was diagnosed after the release of her 2019 film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

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Weezer bassist’s wife shot by LA police and booked for attempted murder

Jillian Lauren treated for non-life-threatening wound after incident where officers searched for hit-and-run suspects

Weezer bassist Scott Shriner’s wife was shot by police on Monday as officers searched for hit-and-run suspects in her Los Angeles neighborhood.

Jillian Lauren, 51, was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound at a local hospital after the incident, but later booked for attempted murder, according to Los Angeles police.

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