Victorian cults inquiry accidentally shares email address of anonymous survivors with group members

Committee apologises for not concealing email addresses when alerting witnesses to final report

A Victorian parliamentary committee investigating the harmful impact of cults accidentally sent the email addresses of anonymous survivors who made submissions to current members of such groups and to journalists.

The committee, which had its report into “cults and organised fringe groups” tabled in parliament on Wednesday, emailed hundreds of recipients shortly after midday to inform them it had been published, but erroneously left their addresses visible.

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Saudi Arabia, US carry out strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq – Al Jazeera

  1. Saudi Arabia, US carry out strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq  Al Jazeera
  2. US thwarts ‘surprise’ Iran missile attack, and joins forces with Saudis to hit targets in Iraq  The Guardian
  3. Iran war live: US, Saudi forces attack Iraq; IRGC fires missiles at Jordan  Al Jazeera
  4. Saudi Arabia joins U.S. military strikes on Iranian proxies  The Washington Post
  5. U.S., Saudi Forces Strike Iran-Backed Terrorist Sites in Iraq  centcom.mil
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Daniel Andrews says Ben Carroll ‘can win’ Victoria election in rare public statement

Former leader shows support for new Victorian premier while paying tribute to Jacinta Allan

Daniel Andrews has thrown his support behind Victoria’s new premier, Ben Carroll, saying he has what it takes to win November’s state election.

In a rare public statement on Wednesday, the former premier also paid tribute to Jacinta Allan, whom he handpicked to replace him as Labor leader when he resigned in September 2023.

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Parsing Trump’s Decision to (Maybe) Give Uranium Enrichment to Saudi Arabia – War on the Rocks

  1. Parsing Trump’s Decision to (Maybe) Give Uranium Enrichment to Saudi Arabia  War on the Rocks
  2. Trump-Netanyahu meeting: Why Trump’s Saudi nuclear deal is making Israel uneasy  vox.com
  3. Republican Lawmaker Breaks Ranks With Trump Over U.S.-Saudi Arabia Nuclear Deal  Time Magazine
  4. Transcript: Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," July 26, 2026  CBS News
  5. The Saudi Nuclear Deal Would Set a Dangerous New Proliferation Precedent  Council on Foreign Relations
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Japan earthquake kills at least 13 as rescuers search for people trapped in damaged mall and factory – CBS News

  1. Japan earthquake kills at least 13 as rescuers search for people trapped in damaged mall and factory  CBS News
  2. Earthquake rocks southern Japanese island of Kyushu – in pictures  The Guardian
  3. Murakami eager to aid hometown after devastating earthquake  MLB.com
  4. After the quake came the blast: Inside Japan's shopping mall disaster  Reuters
  5. Japan: Rescuers 'race against time' after deadly earthquake  DW.com
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Wednesday briefing: Will Zelenskyy’s domestic struggles harm his reputation on the global stage?

In today’s newsletter: A recent government reshuffle has exposed deep fractures within Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s wartime cabinet

Good morning. Another week, another diplomatic success for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Monday, his first meeting with Andy Burnham as PM confirmed continuity in the UK’s steadfast support for Ukraine. “We’ve got your back,” Burnham said as the pair spoke in Portsmouth. Yesterday, in Washington DC, after attending the funeral of Lindsey Graham – a once supportive Republican senator – Zelenskyy and Trump held a “positive and productive” meeting, as per the White House. Overnight, the US Senate advanced a sweeping Russian sanctions bill.

Save for that somewhat shaky start in the early days of Donald 2.0, these well-executed global stage set-pieces have come to define Zelenskyy’s wartime leadership. The hundreds of billions he has secured in military, financial and humanitarian aid from the US, Europe, the UK and beyond during a period of global economic unease is remarkable.

UK news | Young people will be expected to engage with new support to find work, Pat McFadden has said.

World news | At least 13 people have been killed after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan, injuring hundreds and knocking out power and water to tens of thousands.

Europe news | Nearly 4,000 people have been evacuated from tourist sites on France’s Atlantic coast as the return of winds and extreme heat jeopardises firefighters’ battles to contain wildfires raging in France and Spain.

US news | Donald Trump hosted back-to-back White House meetings with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, as Ukraine seeks more firepower for its air defences and the Israeli prime minister tries to repair his strained relationship with the US president.

UK news | Led By Donkeys has received compensation after a giant banner it displayed in Parliament Square saying “Yes It’s A Genocide” was seized by officials and destroyed.

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A 2:47 a.m. alert, a rabbit and 220,000 evacuees as France’s wildfire rages on – AP News

  1. A 2:47 a.m. alert, a rabbit and 220,000 evacuees as France’s wildfire rages on  AP News
  2. ‘A Wake-Up Call’: Massive Wildfires Pierce Madrid’s Bubble  The New York Times
  3. France evacuates thousands as fires displace a third of a million in southwest Europe  NPR
  4. Fire crews keep blazes near Bordeaux under control as heatwave picks up  Reuters
  5. Europe wildfires live: Thousands evacuated in Bordeaux as France braces for heatwave  The Independent
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Iran rules out Omani proposal to manage Strait of Hormuz – Reuters

  1. Iran rules out Omani proposal to manage Strait of Hormuz  Reuters
  2. Iran Rejects Omani Proposal to Share Strait of Hormuz, Demands More Control  WSJ
  3. Tehran official confirms Omani strait proposal dead in the water  The Times of Israel
  4. Iran hosts Hormuz calls with Saudi Arabia, Oman as Trump hails ‘good talks’  CNBC
  5. Iran and Oman exchange proposals to manage Strait of Hormuz  Al Jazeera
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Trump, Netanyahu tout “productive” meeting after weeks of tensions – Axios

  1. Trump, Netanyahu tout "productive" meeting after weeks of tensions  Axios
  2. Netanyahu Finds Diminished Welcome From Trump as Iran War Drags On  WSJ
  3. Netanyahu’s strained visit to Washington  NBC News
  4. A diminished Bibi arrives for his moment with Trump  Axios
  5. ‘A disaster for America First’: Trump allies fear Netanyahu meeting will pull US deeper into war with Iran  Politico
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Ukraine war briefing: Wildberries attacks shake Russian economy and banking – The Guardian

  1. Ukraine war briefing: Wildberries attacks shake Russian economy and banking  The Guardian
  2. Russia's Wildberries says it paid out compensation to victims of Ukrainian attacks on its warehouses  Reuters
  3. Hundreds of Ukrainian Drones Target Moscow in Overnight Blitz  The Moscow Times
  4. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 24, 2026  Institute for the Study of War
  5. Ukraine-Russia war live: Wildberries attacks leave Kremlin scrambling  The Independent
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Kenya investigating unexpected deaths of 15 elephants in national park

Potential toxic substance detected in several of 15 elephants found dead in Kenya’s Amboseli national park

Officials are investigating the deaths of 15 elephants over the past month in Kenya’s Amboseli national park.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said 10 of the elephants showed signs of partial paralysis before dying within two days.

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