theguardian

Authorities in Spain, Portugal, Greece and France issue extreme heat, wildfire and health warnings

Authorities acrossEuropeare on alert as the first heatwave of the summer pushes temperatures up to 42C (107.6F), as the fastest-warming continent continues to suffer the effects of the climate emergency.

Spain’s state meteorological office, Aemet,issueda special heat warning on Friday, saying temperatures could reach 42C in some southern areas of the country over the coming days.

“Very high and persistent temperatures are expected, both during the day and at night, which could pose a risk to exposed and/or vulnerable people,” Aemet said.

Madrid’s health ministry alsowarnedpeople to take extra care in the heat, reminding them to stay out of the sun, keep hydrated and pay close attention to those who are older, pregnant or who have chronic health conditions.

Two-thirds ofPortugalwill be on high alert on Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires as temperatures of up to 42C are expected in Lisbon.

As temperatures in Marseille approach 40C, authorities in France’s second-largest city have ordered public swimming pools to be made free of charge to help residents beat the Mediterranean heat.

With peaks of 39C expected in Naples and Palermo, Sicily has ordered a ban on outdoor work in the hottest hours of the day, as has the Liguria region in northern Italy. The country’s trade unions are campaigning to extend the measure to other regions.

In Venice – which has played host to thelavish three-day wedding celebrationsof Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, guests, visitors and protesters are feeling the heat.

“I try not to think about it, but I drink a lot of water and never stay still, because that’s when you get sunstroke,” Sriane Mina, an Italian student, told Agence France-Presse in the city.

As temperatures inGreeceapproached 40C, a large wildfire broke out south of Athens on Thursday, leading authorities to issue evacuation orders and shut down parts of the coastal road linking the Greek capital to Sounion, location of the ancient Temple of Poseidon, a major tourist attraction.

The heatwave follows a series of broken extreme-heat records, including Europe’s hottest March ever, according to the EU’sCopernicusclimate monitor. As a result of the planet’s warming, extreme weather events, including hurricanes, droughts, floods and heatwaves, have become more frequent and intense, scientists warn.

The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news – the good, the bad and the essential

Last year was the hottest in recorded history so far and led to worldwide disasters, costing more than $300bn (£219bn). A Lancet Public Health study published last year found that heat deaths in Europecould triple by the end of the century, with the numbers rising disproportionately in southern countries such as Italy, Greece and Spain.

Deaths from warm weather could kill 129,000 people a year if temperatures rise to 3C above preindustrial levels. Today, heat-related deaths in Europe stand at 44,000.

But the yearly death toll from cold and heat in Europe may rise from 407,000 people today to 450,000 in 2100, even if world leaders meet their global heating target of 1.5C, the study found.

Agence France-Presse and Associated Press contributed to this report

Crackdown on Pride is part of effort to curb democratic freedoms ahead of a hotly-contested election next year

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Budapest in defiance of the Hungarian government’s ban onPride, heeding a call by the city’s mayor to “come calmly and boldly to stand together for freedom, dignity and equal rights”.

Jubilant crowds packed into the city’s streets on Saturday, waving Pride flags and signs that mocked the country’s prime minister,Viktor Orbán, as their peaceful procession inched forward at a snail’s pace.

Organisers estimated that a record number of people turned up, far outstripping the expected turnout of 35,000-40,000 people.“We believe there are 180,000 to 200,000 people attending,” the president of Pride, Viktória Radványi told AFP. “It is hard to estimate because there have never been so many people at Budapest Pride.”

Themass demonstrationagainst the government was a bittersweet marking of Budapest Pride’s 30th anniversary; while the turnout on Saturday was expected to reach record levels, it had come after the government had doubled down on its targeting of the country’s LGBTQ+ community.

“We came because they tried to ban it,” said Timi, 49. The Hungarian national was marching with her daughter, Zsófi, 23, who had travelled from her home in Barcelona to join the rally.

After the ruling Fidesz party, led by the rightwing populist Orbán,fast-trackeda law that made it an offence to hold or attend events that involve the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to minors, many Hungarians vowed to show their disapproval by attending Pride for the first time.

Viki Márton was among those who had made good on the promise, turning up with her nine-year-old daughter.

The pair had come equipped with hats, water spray, and a swimsuit, more worried about heat than rightwing protesters. “I want her to see the reality,” said Márton. “And I’m so excited to be here!”

Earlier this month, police announced theywould follow the government’s ordersand ban the march. The progressive mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, was swift to respond, saying that the march would instead go ahead as a separate municipal event, with Karácsony describing it as a way to circumvent the need for official authorisation.

On Saturday, the mayor reiterated why the city had decided to host the event, hinting at how the march had become a symbol of discontent against a government that haslong faced criticismfor weakening democratic institutions and gradually undermining the rule of law.

“The government is always fighting against an enemy against which they have to protect Hungarian people,” said Karácsony.

“This time, it is sexual minorities that are the target … we believe there should be no first and second class citizens, so we decided to stand by this event.”

Akos Horvath, 18, who had travelled two hours from his city in southernHungaryto take part in the march, described it as an event of “symbolic importance”.

Speaking to news agency AFP, he added: “It’s not just about representing gay people, but about standing up for the rights of the Hungarian people.”

The sentiment was echoed by fellow marcher Eszter Rein-Bódi. “This is about much more, not just about homosexuality,” Rein-Bódi told Reuters “This is the last moment to stand up for our rights.”

Tens of thousands of Hungarians, including senior citizens and parents with their children, plus politicians and campaigners from 30 countries, took to the streets on Saturday, despite Orbán’s warning on Friday that those who attend or organise the march will face “legal consequences”.

The Hungarian prime minister sought to minimise concerns over violence, however, saying that Hungary was a “civilised country” and police would not “break it up … It cannot reach the level of physical abuse”.

Still, in a video posted to social media this week, the country’s justice minister, Bence Tuzson, warned the Budapest mayor that organising a banned event or encouraging people to attend is punishable by up to a year in prison.

The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the mayor brushed off the threat and downplayed concerns that police would later impose heavy fines on attende s. “Police have only one task tomorrow: to guarantee the safety and security of those gathered at the event,” said Karácsony.

The potential for violence had been amplified after three groups with ties to the extreme right said they were planning counter-marches. As the Pride march got under way, local news site Telexreported that the routeof the march had to be changed after one of these groups blocked off a bridge.

Analysts had described the government’s bid to crackdown on Pride as part of a wider effort to curb democratic freedoms ahead of a hotly contested national election next year.

Orbán is facing an unprecedented challenge from a former member of the Fidesz party’s elite, Péter Magyar, leading Pride organisers to suggest they arebeing scapegoatedas Orbán scrambles toshore up supportamong conservative voters.

Orbán’s government had also prompted concerns across Hungary and beyond after itsaid it would usefacial recognition software to identify people attending any banned events, potentially fining them up to €500 (£425).

Ahead of the march, as campaigners scrambled for clarity on whether or how this technology would be used, AFP reported that newly installed cameras had appeared on the lamp-posts that dotted the planned route.

The threat had been enough to rattle some. Elton, 30, a Brazilian living in Hungary wore a hat and sunglasses as he took part on Saturday, explaining that he had been worried about jeopardising his job and immigration status, but that his Hungarian boyfriend had persuaded him to attend.

“This is my second time at Pride, but the first time I feel insecure about it,” he said.

Mici, a 21-year-old Budapest resident, said she had attended Pride marches in the past but this time had weighed whether to join in after she was spooked by reports of the facial recognition system.

“At first, I was scared to come out because of the news, but I feel safe with so many people.”

She hoped that the massive turnout for the march would be enough to push the Orbán government to change its stance.

“I think the crowd that has come from acrossEurope, the record numbers, will make Hungarian people see that this cause is well-supported.”

Saturday evening’s bash set to take place in Arsenale, a former medieval shipyard in eastern district of city

Newlyweds Amazon founderJeff Bezosand journalist Lauren Sánchez left their luxury hotel on Venice’s Grand canal on Saturday for a final night of partying, crowning a three-day star-studded wedding extravaganza.

Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged rings on Friday evening on the small island of San Giorgio, across the water from St Mark’s Square, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Jordan’s Queen Rania, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloé Kardashian, as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, were among the A-listers present.

Saturday’s evening bash – wrapping up celebrations for 200-250 guests estimated to have cost $50m (£37m) – was due to take place in the Arsenale, a former medieval shipyard in an eastern district of the lagoon city.

About 1,000 people marched against the event on Saturday, groups of activists and residents who objected to the wedding and to seeingVenicebeing gift-wrapped for the uber-wealthy.

Some guests were seen leaving the Gritti Palace hotel in central Venice wearing their pyjamas, sometimes beneath colourful dressing gowns, before boarding small boats to reach the party.

Bezos and Sánchez had a more sober style. He was sporting a black shirt and suit, while she wore a soft-pink off-the-shoulder dress. They kissed on the boat while greeting those around them.

At the ceremony the bride wore a high-necked silhouette dress and a tulle and lace veil by Dolce & Gabbana, which she told Vogue magazine was based on Sophia Loren’s dress to marry Cary Grant in the 1958 film, Houseboat.

Sánchez was also wearing a pair of diamond earrings by Dolce & Gabbana, which, according to Vogue, was lent to her in keeping with the tradition that it brings good luck for a bride to wear something borrowed.

Bezos, who is No 4 on Forbes’ global billionaires list, donned a black tuxedo and bow tie over a white shirt.

Friday’s ceremony had no legal status under Italian law, a senior city hall official told Reuters, suggesting the couple may have previously wed legally in the United States to avoid the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage.

While some residents and activists raged against Bezos as a symbol of inequality and arrogance, Venetian businesses and political leaders welcomed the luxury nuptials, hailing them as a major boost for the local economy.

“Those who protest are in contradiction with the history of Venice, which is a history of relations, contacts and business,” mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Reuters.

“Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality. He is more Venetian than the protesters,” said the centre-right mayor, adding that he hoped Bezos, who donated €3m (£2.5m) to local institutions, would return to the city to do business.

Brugnaro said Bezos had attached no conditions to holding his wedding celebrations in Venice, and city hall had only learned about his donations after they had been made.

Bezos, Amazon’s executive chair, got engaged to Sánchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Work to upgrade facilities at Bunnings and Officeworks sites is expected to be completed by the end of this year

Get ourbreaking news email,free appordaily news podcast

Wesfarmers has secured a $100m loan with the government’sClean Energy Finance Corporationto install more solar panels, batteries and EV chargers at its Bunnings and Officeworks stores.

The chief executive of the CEFC, Ian Learmonth, said he hoped the financing package at the high-profile stores would help create a “ripple effect” through the commercial sector, where the uptake of rooftop solar has been slower than across residential properties.

The financing package, to be paid back by Wesfarmers over seven years at a competitive interest rate, would help accelerate the group’s decarbonisation plans, Learmonth said.

“As a leading Australian company with these household brand names, we can provide them with competitive finance that’s allowing them to meet a business case to deliver roof top solar, battery storage, various energy efficiency initiatives and putting EV chargers in,” he said.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

“There is potential growth in the commercial and industrial sectors. When people see Bunnings and Officeworks doing this, it adds a ripple effect where other large companies can be influenced by seeing what these companies are doing, and seeing their car parks with EV chargers.”

He said large industrial roof spaces had not been as well utilised with solar panels as households, sometimes because either structurally the roofs were not strong enough, or agreements were complicated between tenants and building owners.

He said: “This is a great opportunity where we have the owner and operator – Wesfarmers – that we can work with.”

The CEFC, with access to $32bn of government money, is a green bank that provides financing and loans to accelerate decarbonisation.

Sign up toBreaking News Australia

Get the most important news as it breaks

Australia’s retail sector accounts for half of the energy use of all commercial properties and 5% of the country’s emissions.

CEFC said the solar and battery installations could also help to stabilise the country’s electricity grid.

Storing solar electricity in batteries to use in evening peaks, for example, can help even out power demand at times of higher electricity use.

The executive director at the CEFC, Richard Lovell, said: “By focusing on using its existing building assets to support renewable energy generation and energy storage, which are crucial for energy demand management, Wesfarmers continues to execute its active decarbonisation strategy to reduce its direct emissions.”

Bunnings, Officeworks and WesCEF all have targets to reach net zero direct emissions by 2030, and to use 100% renewable electricity by the end of 2025.

Wesfarmers will also use part of the CEFC finance to fund a study at its chemicals, energy and fertiliser business, WesCEF, into decarbonising the production of sodium cyanide – a chemical used in gold production.

Work to install and upgrade facilities at Bunnings and Officeworks sites is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Wesfarmers chief financial officer, Anthony Gianotti, said the company welcomed the backing of the CEFC. “We have long managed our businesses with climate and carbon awareness and we are committed to continuing to take action to reduce our impact on the environment.”

Exclusive:New ANU research reveals those liable for extra earnings levy have 12 times wealth of other Australians

Get ourbreaking news email,free appordaily news podcast

Fewer than 1% of households with multimillion-dollar super balances could struggle to pay for Labor’s additional tax on retirement balances above $3m.

New ANU research also reveals that households liable for the extra earnings levy have 12 times the wealth of other households, including an average of $3.2m outside super and the family home. They also have more than two-and-a-half times the disposable income.

Ben Phillips, an associate professor from the ANU’s Centre for Social Policy Research, said the analysis undermined claims thatmany individuals would struggleto find the cash to pay for the proposed 15% earnings tax on balances over $3m, which is applied to notional gains rather than realised profits.

Phillips said he had done the research to inform what he calledthe “unprecedented” public debateof a relatively minor policy change that affected a very small proportion of wealthy Australians.

“These arevery wealthy peoplewith a lot of other assets, and also with a lot of income. It would be very, very surprising if all but a small handful of people would struggle to pay this tax,” he said.

In particular, Phillips and his colleague Richard Webster, a senior research officer, wanted to test claims that taxing unrealised gains could force some to sell big assets – most notably farms – to pay the impost.

With the farming lobby group mounting a campaign against the super tax, the research estimated about 2,400 people with large super balances are farmers.

The farming lobby has claimed that cash-strapped but asset-rich farmers could be forced to sell farm land to raise money to pay the tax, which is calculated on the annual notional change in the value of their super balances.

The modelling of ABS survey data showed that only 0.6% of the estimated 87,000 individuals with large balances, or 500 people, could struggle to find the cash to pay for the extra earnings tax.

“They are sort of ‘unicorn’ cases, and even then we don’t know what’s in their super accounts,” Phillips said, which he reckoned were likely to include enough liquid assets to pay the tax.

“That’s not to say it’s necessarily a good tax, but we are not seeing any barriers to these people paying a bit of extra tax on their super.”

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

The paper models a scenario where an individual with $4m in super records a 10% gain, which – assuming for simplicity no contributions or withdrawals – incurs an extra tax of about $19,000.

If that extra tax is more than 10% of the household’s disposable income and other wealth (that is, wealth not in super or in the home), then that household fails the stress test.

In this case, the household could struggle to pay the tax if they are also unable to easily pay the tax from their super savings.

The modelling suggests the median high super balance household has annual disposable income of nearly $250,000, versus $95,000 for all households, and nearly eight in 10 own their own home outright.

Two-thirds of the estimated 87,000 people with high super balances are men, three in four live in a capital city, and over half don’t work.

“We really need to question why people have so much money in super for a start, when you only need enough to give you a comfortable retirement,” Phillips said.

“You also have to question – given the nature of super, where it’s about getting money when you need it – why would you have large amounts of illiquid assets[assets not easily converted to cash]? That’s not really what super is about. That seems to be more about a tax haven, rather than a saving vehicle for your retirement”

But Queensland premier is not in contempt of parliament over the payments, ethics committee finds

Get ourbreaking news email,free appordaily news podcast

The Queensland premier,David Crisafulli, was “careless” in not declaring $200,000 in payments he made after a company he had run became insolvent, the state’s parliamentary ethics committee has found.

Crisafulli became sole director and chief executive of Southern Edge Training Solutions after losing his northQueenslandseat at the 2015 election.

The company had been financially stressed before he took over on 1 December 2015 and went into liquidation months after he left on 1 April 2016.

After being re-elected in 2017, Crisafulli made three payments as a result of a claim of insolvent trading by liquidators: $80,000 on 12 March 2020, $60,000 on 30 July 2020 and $60,000 on 19 July 2021.

He did not declare them on parliament’s register of interests, though parliamentary rulesrequired MPs to declare any liability worth over a threshold of $19,000 at the time. From October 2020 onwards, the threshold for declaration was $19,399.

A report by the parliament’sethics committee, which is made up of three Labor and three Liberal National party MPs, was tabled on Friday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

The committee ruled the premier was “careless in the discharge of his obligations as a member by not including the liability on the register of interests”.

But it found that “on balance, it did not have evidence to meet the threshold required to prove that the premier knowingly did not disclose the liability”. As a result, it found his non-disclosure was not a contempt of parliament.

Crisafulli argued to the committee that he did not have a liability because no claim had been litigated, and asked for the complaint to be dismissed.

But the committee determined that there was a liability as a result of an agreement “which created a legally binding obligation to settle a debt”.

It noted that he had not approached the clerk of the parliament for clarification of the rules.

“While I did receive legal counsel, in hindsight, it is clear to me I should have consulted with the clerk on this matter,” Crisafulli told the committee.

“If the committee decides I should have declared a liability, I can only apologise and assure the committee it was an honest mistake and by no means deliberate or knowing.”

On Friday, the premier said he had “acted in good faith”.

Sign up toBreaking News Australia

Get the most important news as it breaks

“The report is very definitive. It has cleared me. There was no further actions,” he said.

Crisafulli did not answer a series of questions about how he made the $200,000 payments and whether anyone had assisted him.

“This was subject to this analysis, and I have met my obligations. And a bipartisan committee has shown that,” he said.

The deputy Labor leader, Cameron Dick, referred Crisafulli to the ethics committee on 22 October last year, four days before the state election.

On Friday, Dick said: “David Crisafulli has been saying over and over that he has complied with his obligations. Well, he did not, and that is in black and white in this report today.”

The report says that the payments did not create any conflict of interest or the perception of any on the part of the premier, and that assessing the matter was a “novel issue” involving “ambiguity in the definition of liability”.

Crisafulli was the subject of an earlier ethics inquiry, in April 2020, between the first and second payments. He was late to disclose interests as director and secretary of Revalot Pty Ltd. The committee “determined these failures were not undertaken knowingly”.

Southern Edge Training Solutions, which traded as SET Solutions, taught a range of training courses. Based in Melbourne, it went into voluntary liquidation on 30 June 2016. Crisafulli has repeatedly said he only joined the company after being assured that there would be an imminent capital injection to keep it afloat.

The committee recommended that no further action be taken.

Bureau of Meteorology warns of damaging winds and possible flooding on Tuesday and Wednesday as potential east coast low develops

Get ourbreaking news email,free appordaily news podcast

Sydney and parts of the New South Wales coast should brace themselves for a fast-developing weather system expected to bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flooding early next week, the Bureau of Meteorology has said.

Some areas could see flash and river flooding on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Sydney metro area “in the firing line”, the bureau said.

The system that is expected to develop on Sunday has the potential to be classified in the coming days as an east coast low – aweathersystem known for its damaging potential.

“It is looking like a significant weather system off the east coast and will start to pick up steam on Monday and intensify on Tuesday,” said Angus Hines, a senior meteorologist at the weather bureau.

The source of the weather threat is an area of spiralling wind and cloud that will develop off the southern Queensland coast on Sunday night.

Hines said as the pressure in the centre of the system drops, this will cause it to intensify and, as it travels south, could unleash damaging coastal conditions, high winds and torrential rain by Tuesday.

This article includes content provided byFacebook. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content,click 'Allow and continue'.

Hines said people on the east coast should watch their forecasts closely in the coming days, but areas expected to be hit on Tuesday and Wednesday include Sydney and the Hunter Valley, as well as elevated areas on the Great Dividing Range.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Wind gusts of up to 100 km/h in coastal parts are expected with rainfall of between 100mm and 200mm over 48 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, with some areas potentially seeing higher totals.

“That is enough rainfall to give us some concerns about flooding – both riverine and flash flooding could pop up, including around the Sydney area,” Hines said.

“When you combine the winds with persistent rainfall, you are starting to look at the potential for trees coming down with those softer soils. It is plausible we see extensive tree damage.”

Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters

He said the system is known as a “bombing low” because of the speed at which it develops.

“It means over a short period of time, as the pressure drops, the spiral of winds ratchets up very fast, the wind speed picks up quickly and the rainfall becomes more intense. That rain then gets driven on to the coast at a greater rate of knots.”

As of Saturday morning, the system was forecast to start drifting east by Thursday.

Elsewhere, cooler than average morning temperatures that affected much of the country in recent days are expected to continue until early next week.

A band of cloud is forecast to bring rainfall from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Queensland’s south-east this weekend, with falls reaching the Brisbane and Gold Coast areas by late Sunday.

Sue Higginson demands critical incident be declared after Hannah Thomas taken for surgery, but acting police minister says matter does not ‘meet the threshold’

Get ourbreaking news email,free appordaily news podcast

A Greens MP has called for an independent investigation intoNew South Walespolice arrests at a protest that resulted in a former Greens candidate being taken to hospital with serious facial injuries.

Sue Higginson says a critical incident should be declared after Hannah Thomas, who ran against Anthony Albanese in the Sydney electorate of Grayndler, sustained facial injuries during arrest at a protest on Friday. Theprotest was outside a business in Belmoreaccused of “supplying electroplating and surface coating services for a variety of applications including aerospace and defence technology” to Israel.

In a letter sent to the state’s police watchdog, police commissioner and police minister on Saturday, Higginson labelled the policing of the protest “excessive, unnecessary, and potentially constitute an unlawful exercise of authority to intimidate”.

“Having witnessed the grievous injuries caused by the police to Hannah Thomas, spoken to on ground witnesses who witnessed what occurred, and with the knowledge that Hannah has experienced serious injuries and hospitalisation, I am calling for a critical incident to be declared urgently,” Higginson said in the letter, seen by Guardian Australia.

The acting police minister, Tara Moriarty, told Guardian Australia late on Saturday that such a declaration was “an operational matter” for NSW police.

“A critical incident is specifically defined and the declaration is based on medical advice,” Moriarty said.

“I am advised that based on the medical advice the NSW Police has received, this matter does not currently meet the threshold.

“This decision can be reviewed by the Region Commander based on further medical advice that may be provided.”

NSW police said in a statement late on Saturday: “The matter remains under review and police are seeking further information. If and when a critical incident is declared, that will be a decision of the Region Commander.”

Higginson called for an investigation “to avoid further horrific instances of innocent people being seriously injured”.

Police on Fridaysaid Thomas, 35, sustained facial injuries during the arrest and was taken to Bankstown hospital for treatment.

A photo of Thomas online showed her eye swollen shut and with blood on her face before she was taken for surgery. Video of the incident, which Higginson sharedon social media, showed multiple police dragging one of the protesters, as onlookers repeatedly shouted “get off her” and “let go of her”.

In a statement on Friday, police said: “As police attempted to arrest the protesters who were not complying with the directions, a scuffle ensued between police and protesters, during which a police body worn camera was taken by an unknown protester.”

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Higginson had on Friday said the protest was peaceful and claimed Thomas was the “victim of brutal excessive force by the police”.

“The prognosis provided to family earlier was that they could not tell the extent of her injuries until there was a full examination because the swelling was too severe and that it was possible she may lose vision in that eye.

“That she may have sustained injuries to the bones of her face, but nothing has been confirmed at this point.”

According to NSW police, officers issued a move-on direction to the protesters at 5.30am on Friday. The force alleged the protest, which attracted between 50 and 60 people, was “unauthorised”, as those involved had not given advanced notice nor submitted a form that protected them from being charged under anti-protest laws.

Thomas allegedly declined to comply with the order and was forcibly removed and arrested.

In NSW, people who wish to stage a protest are encouraged to lodge a “notice of intention to hold a public assembly” with the police commissioner in advance of the demonstration.The state’s permit system haspreviously come under fire for being “undemocratic”, with the Minns Labor government urged to scrap it for a human rights charter like those that exist in Victoria and Queensland.

Higginson’s Saturday letter suggested the incident occurred “due to the political decisions taken by the Minns Government, in continuing to pass unnecessary laws that target and vilify peaceful protest and non-violent civil disobedience”.

“This has caused officers of the NSW police to feel empowered and protected to go beyond the powers that the law bestows on them,” she wrote.

All five people arrested on Friday were granted conditional bail to appear before Bankstown local court on 15 July.

The NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (Lecc) was contacted for comment.

Earlier this year an international campaign urgednations that produce F-35 fighter jets to stop supplying Israel.

SEC Plating told Guardian Australia on Friday that: “We have no involvement in providing plating services for various parts used in the F-35 Jet program.”“We do not have any business servicing F-35 components,” the business added. “We do have business servicing some Australian defence manufactures however F-35 components are not part of this.”

The execution of Takahiro Shiraishi would be the first instance of capital punishment in Japan since 2022

Japan has executed a man dubbed the “Twitter killer” who murdered and dismembered nine people he met online, in the nation’s first enactment of the death penalty since 2022.

Takahiro Shiraishiwas sentenced to death formurdering and dismembering nine peoplehe met on the social media platform, now called X, in 2017. He was hanged on Friday.

Shiraishi is said to have lured his mostly female victims, aged between 15 and 26, to his apartment near Tokyo, where he killed them and cut up their bodies.

Headmitted murdering all nine, having made contact with suicidal victims on Twitter and offering to help them die, before stashing bits of bodies in coolers around his small apartment, according to media reports.

Justice minister Keisuke Suzuki said Shiraishi’s crimes included “robbery, rape, murder … destruction of a corpse and abandonment of a corpse”.

“Nine victims were beaten and strangled, killed, robbed, and then mutilated with parts of their bodies concealed in boxes, and parts discarded in a garbage dump,” Suzuki told reporters in Tokyo on Friday.

“After much careful consideration, I ordered the execution,” he said.

Japan and the United States are the only two members of the Group of Seven industrialised economies to retain the death penalty.

There is overwhelming public support for the practice, and a 2024 Japanese government survey of 1,800 respondents showed 83%saw the death penalty as “unavoidable”.

In 2022, Tomohiro Kato washanged for an attack in 2008in which he rammed a rented two-tonne truck into a crowd in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, before getting out and going on a stabbing spree, in an attack that killed seven people.

As of December 2023, 107 prisoners were waiting for their death sentences to be carried out, the Justice Ministry told the AFP news agency. It is always done by hanging.

The law stipulates that executions must be carried out within six months of a final verdict after appeals are exhausted.

In reality, however, most inmates are left on tenterhooks in solitary confinement for years – and sometimes decades – causing severe consequences for their mental health.

There is widespread criticism of the system and the government’s lack of transparency over the practice. Inmates are often informed of their impending death at the last minute, typically in the early morning before it happens.

The high-profile executions of theShoko Asaharaand 12 former members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult took place in 2018. Aum Shinrikyo orchestrated the 1995 sarin gas attacks on Tokyo’s subway system, killing 14 people and making thousands more ill.

In the UK and Ireland,Samaritanscan be contacted on freephone 116 123, or emailjo@samaritans.orgorjo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineon 988, chat on988lifeline.org, ortext HOMEto 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support serviceLifelineis 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found atbefrienders.org