University of Melbourne law professor’s allegedly racist emails were protected ‘political opinion’, court hears

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Lawyer argues university’s move to fire Dr Eric Descheemaeker breached Fair Work Act and freedom of academic expression policy

A law professor at the centre of a leaked email controversy says the University of Melbourne attempted to expel him over his political expression after it unearthed allegedly racist emails which included references to First Nations people.

Dr Eric Descheemaeker launched legal action against Australia’s top-ranked university over his proposed dismissal earlier this year, alleging he was suspended over his political opinion.

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‘Shock’ in store for 350,000 UK households on low-interest fixed-rate mortgages

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Those on typical £200,000 mortgages taken out between October 2020 and February 2023 may see costs jump by £3,996 a year this winter

More than 350,000 households who locked in to low-interest fixed-rate mortgages five years ago are expected to see their costs jump this winter as they reach the end of their deals.

Analysis by the bill management app Nous found almost half of mortgages taken out between October 2020 – as the housing market revived after an initial Covid shock – and February 2023 were five-year fixed-rate deals.

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Phillipson, Thornberry and Ribeiro-Addy enter Labour deputy race

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Education secretary Bridget Phillipson favourite to win as she is most likely to meet the threshold of MP nominations

Bridget Phillipson, Emily Thornberry and Bell Ribeiro-Addy have thrown their hats in the ring for the Labour deputy leadership contest.

Phillipson, the education secretary, immediately became the favourite to win as she is most likely to meet the threshold of MP nominations.

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Flotilla boat carrying aid to Gaza struck by flaming object, video shows

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Global Sumud Flotilla says one of its vessels was hit by drone at Sidi Bou Said port in Tunisia, sustaining fire damage

A flotilla carrying aid for Gaza and pro-Palestinian activists has published a video showing one of its boats being struck by a flaming object at Sidi Bou Said port in Tunisia.

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said the boat had been hit by a drone and that it sustained fire damage to its main deck and below-deck storage, though all six passengers and crew were safe.

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Israel orders full evacuation of Gaza City as Netanyahu warns ‘this is only the beginning’ – CNN

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  1. Israel orders full evacuation of Gaza City as Netanyahu warns ‘this is only the beginning’  CNN
  2. Israel Orders Total Evacuation of Gaza City, Threatening Full Invasion  The New York Times
  3. ‘Get out of there!’ Israel warns Gaza City to evacuate  Los Angeles Times
  4. Netanyahu tells Gaza City residents to leave as he pledges retaliation for Jerusalem attack  NBC News
  5. Israeli military issues full evacuation order for all of Gaza City  ABC News
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Emmanuel Macron appoints his third prime minister in a year

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Sébastien Lecornu, a presidential ally, is tasked with bringing France’s divided parties together to pass a budget

Sébastien Lecornu, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, has been appointed prime minister, tasked with consulting France’s divided political parties to try to find a consensus on the budget.

The 39-year-old began his political career in the traditional rightwing party of Nicolas Sarkozy before moving to Macron’s centre in 2017 and is seen as fiercely loyal to the president.

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Thaksin Shinawatra jailed by Thailand supreme court for one year in major blow to former prime minister

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Case centred on claims that he had not properly served a sentence for corruption and abuse of power, which was handed down in 2023

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve one year in jail, the country’s supreme court has ruled, in a major blow to one of the country’s most prominent and polarising politicians.

The court ruled that Thaksin had not properly served an eight-year sentence for corruption and abuse of power, which was handed down when he returned to the country from self-imposed exile in 2023. After arriving back in the country, Thaksin spent less than 24 hours in jail, but was moved to the VIP wing of a hospital on health grounds, where he stayed for six months before he was released on parole.

In its judgment, the supreme court found that the arrangement allowing Thaksin to stay at hospital was unlawful. “The defendant knows his sickness was not an urgent matter, and staying in hospital cannot count as a prison term,” said the ruling read out by a judge.

“The court will issue a jail warrant and an official from Bangkok Remand Prison will take him,” the judge said.

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