Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright found guilty on two charges after fatal helicopter crash but jury deadlocked on third

Reality TV star accused of trying to cover up evidence following the February 2022 crash that killed co-star Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson

Reality TV star Matt Wright has been found guilty of two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice after a deadly helicopter crash.

But a supreme court jury in Darwin on Friday failed to reach agreement on a third count after a four-week trial held before acting justice Allan Blow.

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Giorgia Meloni ‘disgusted’ at posting of photos of her and other women on porn site

Italian platform Phica closes after sharing altered images of PM, her sister, opposition leader and others

The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has said she is “disgusted” that photos of her and other women were posted on a pornographic website, and called for the perpetrators to be swiftly identified and “punished with the utmost firmness”.

Images of Meloni’s sister, Arianna, and the opposition leader, Elly Schlein, were also discovered on the Italian platform Phica, which had more than 700,000 subscribers before its managers closed the site on Thursday, blaming users for “using the platform incorrectly”.

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UK bank shares tumble after call for windfall tax on lenders in budget

Investor jitters follow report by IPPR, with stock market value of sector cut by almost £8bn in morning trading

UK bank shares tumbled on Friday, cutting the stock market value of the sector by almost £8bn in morning trading, as fresh calls for a windfall tax on large lenders in the autumn budget spooked investors.

Calls for a tax grab, in a paper written by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) thinktank, took a toll on some of the UK’s biggest high street banks. NatWest Group suffered the biggest drop on Friday morning, registering a decline of as much as 5% in its share price, while Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays followed close behind, falling 4.5% and 3.6% respectively. HSBC dropped more than 1%.

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Minister orders immigration centre to remove ‘balloon craft’ job ads

Outsourcing firm Mitie listed several roles aimed at providing ‘safe and productive’ environment for detainees

Jobs aimed at improving the wellbeing of people at an immigration detention centre, including holding workshops in floristry and balloon craft, are unnecessary and should be removed, a government minister has said.

The outsourcing firm Mitie, which manages the Heathrow immigration removal centre (IRC) in west London, listed several roles online, including a painting and decorating tutor and gym manager, for salaries ranging between £31,000 and £38,000.

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Thai court dismisses prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Daughter of former PM Thaksin accused of failing to protect country’s interests over leaked phone call with Cambodia’s leader

Thailand’s constitutional court has dismissed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her position as prime minister, ruling that as the country’s leader she violated ethical rules during a phone call with Cambodia’s senate president, Hun Sen.

The ruling, which threatens to usher in a fresh period of instability in the country, means she immediately loses her job, which she had held for about a year. The 39-year-old had already been suspended from her duties on 1 July after a recording was leaked of the phone conversation, in which they discussed a simmering border dispute between the neighbouring countries.

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Iran-backed Houthi PM killed in Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s capital – Euronews.com

  1. Iran-backed Houthi PM killed in Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's capital  Euronews.com
  2. IDF said to believe entire Houthi cabinet was likely killed in yesterday’s strike  The Times of Israel
  3. Israeli airstrikes hit Yemeni capital, but no casualties reported  AP News
  4. Israel strikes Sanaa amid continuing Houthi missile launches against Israel  The Long War Journal
  5. Israel targets Houthi chief of staff and defence minister in Sanaa, awaits outcome  Reuters
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Indonesia’s president calls for calm as protests mount – Financial Times

  1. Indonesia’s president calls for calm as protests mount  Financial Times
  2. Police killing sparks Indonesia unrest in first major test for Prabowo presidency  Reuters
  3. Protesters and police clash after death of taxi driver in Indonesia  BBC
  4. Why are antigovernment protests taking place in Indonesia?  Al Jazeera
  5. Prabowo Criticizes Police as Protest Death Fuels Jakarta Unrest  Bloomberg.com
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UK bans Israeli officials from flagship defence show

Israel says Britain’s decision to exclude it from military weapons showcase is a ‘regrettable act of discrimination’

The UK has banned Israeli officials from attending the country’s flagship defence event next month.

Israeli industry, including UK subsidiaries of Israeli companies, will be able to attend London’s Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) show in September but the UK government will not invite representatives of the Israeli government to the major industry event.

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Thailand’s prime minister removed from office over leaked phone call scandal with Cambodian strongman – CNN

  1. Thailand’s prime minister removed from office over leaked phone call scandal with Cambodian strongman  CNN
  2. Ex-Thai PM accepts court verdict after being removed from office over leaked phone call  BBC
  3. Thai court dismisses prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra  The Guardian
  4. Thai Court to Rule on Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s Future in Office  The New York Times
  5. Who could be Thailand's next PM?  Reuters
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IDF: Gaza ceasefire does not apply to Gaza City – The Jerusalem Post

  1. IDF: Gaza ceasefire does not apply to Gaza City  The Jerusalem Post
  2. IDF declares famine-hit Gaza City a combat zone, ending ‘tactical pauses’ that allowed limited food delivery – Middle East crisis live  The Guardian
  3. Israel declares Gaza’s largest city a combat zone and halts humanitarian pauses  AP News
  4. Israel begins 'initial stages' of Gaza City attack, recovers 2 hostage bodies  NBC News
  5. Live Updates: IDF targets Houthi leaders in Sanaa strikes  The Jerusalem Post
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Germany tells nationals to leave Iran, fearing retaliation over sanctions – Reuters

  1. Germany tells nationals to leave Iran, fearing retaliation over sanctions  Reuters
  2. The Path to a Good-Enough Iran Deal  Foreign Affairs
  3. The United States Welcomes the Initiation of Snapback  U.S. Department of State (.gov)
  4. Iran faces ‘snapback’ of sanctions over its nuclear program. Here’s what that means  AP News
  5. Acting on behalf of Israel and the U.S., the E3 have decided to maliciously pursue pressure on the Iranian people. This folly—which Iran has sternly warned against—is immoral, unjustified, and unlawful. Iran has cautioned that having been left out by the U.S. o  x.com
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