Political leaders condemn ‘vicious’ alleged baseball bat attack on One Nation volunteer at his Victorian home

Police confirm arrest of 37-year-old and 14-year-old boy over alleged assault in Torquay on Sunday night

Leaders from across the political spectrum have condemned the alleged assault of a One Nation volunteer with a baseball bat outside his home on Victoria’s Surf Coast.

Police on Tuesday confirmed they arrested a 37-year-old Hampton Park man and a 14-year-old boy over the incident, which occurred at a Torquay home on Sunday night.

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US reportedly strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island as Vance voices optimism about a deal

Iranian state media reported the sound of explosions on the island in the strait of Hormuz, coming on the eve of crucial US midterms

The ⁠US launched limited strikes on ​Iran’s Qeshm Island late on Monday, ⁠according to reports in US media, hours after US vice-president JD Vance said he was optimistic diplomatic efforts to end the war were moving in the right direction.

The strikes were reported as being “defensive”, and not thought to be a signal of a return to full hostilities, but came on the eve of crucial midterm elections in which Donald Trump’s Republican party is expected to be punished by voters for the cascading effect the war has had on the US cost of living.

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Tennessee national guard trained guns on dying man after guard member shot him, video shows

Footage from prosecutors shows aftermath of shooting of Tyrin Johnson, 20, shot and killed by national guard in July

Tennessee national guard troops in Memphis last summer trained their handguns on a man as he lay dying on a sidewalk after a guard member shot him in the back, video released Monday by county prosecutors shows.

A Memphis police officer can be heard in the footage from an officer’s body camera calling for an ambulance and then asking the troops: “Hey, you guys got a medical kit or anything?”

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Russian bombing of Ukrainian aid centre kills at least 26, Kyiv says

Ukrainian president Zelenskyy says attack on aid hub was ‘vile’ and shows Russia does not want to de-escalate

Russia on Monday bombed an aid distribution centre and neighbouring shelter in southern Ukraine, killing at least 26 ​people, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the country’s emergency services said.

Emergency services said two members of a rescue crew and four police officers were among the dead in the village ⁠of Komyshuvakha, in south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region. Five people were being treated in hospital, including two rescue workers.

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Supreme court rules against Trump over bid to force California to set aside ballots

Justice department had ordered state to segregate and not count 20,000 ballots from people it claims are non-citizens

The supreme court on Monday ruled against the Trump administration and its attempts to force California election officials to segregate and not count ballots from people that the justice department claims are non-citizens. The ruling follows several lower courts siding with California officials, who argued the federal government was seeking to interfere in state elections.

The court did not issue an explanation for its ruling, which is customary in cases that come to it on an emergency basis. There were no noted dissents from the justices.

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AI-powered malware ‘highly likely’ to be used to hack UK infrastructure by 2028

National Cyber Security Centre expects attacks on critical facilities such as power stations, airports and hospitals

AI-powered malicious software is “highly likely” to be used in hacking attacks against the UK’s power stations, airports and hospitals by 2028, according to the state cybersecurity body.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said AI will probably enable a ransomware attack against critical national infrastructure [CNI] between now and 2028. The UK’s definition of CNI covers a range of facilities and services across sectors including energy, transport, defence, food, health and finance.

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Trump’s DoJ charges six more people in ‘voter fraud’ crackdown in California

Latest arrests come after DoJ unsuccessfully fought to force state election officials to set aside about 20,000 ballots

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) in California has charged six more people with alleged voter fraud crimes, an escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign against the state’s election processes on the eve of the midterms.

Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles and a close ally of the president, announced on Monday that his office was prosecuting six lawful permanent residents accused of unlawfully registering to vote and casting fraudulent ballots. The DoJ filed similar charges against 28 people across California last month and arranged for a dramatic on-camera arrest of one 72-year-old defendant, editing the footage into a DoJ promotional video.

Sam Levine contributed reporting

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PM to ask countries affected by UK’s role in slavery to help shape formal apology

Andy Burnham to launch ‘structured dialogue’ on issue at Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda

Andy Burnham will ask countries affected by Britain’s role in slavery to help shape an expected formal apology, Downing Street has indicated, arguing that their input is indispensable in crafting an enduring message.

The prime minister was en route to the Commonwealth heads of government summit (Chogm) in Antigua and Barbuda, which begins on Tuesday. No 10 said he would use the event to launch a “structured dialogue” into what form an apology might take.

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