Counter-protesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA; police arrested dozens of demonstrators at Columbia and City College of New York

• Violence erupts at UCLA campus between rival Gaza protest groups
• Dozens arrested at Columbia University as New York police disperse Gaza protest

The occupation of Hamilton Hall came after protestersa defied a 2pm Monday deadline to abandon their camp at Columbia or face suspension. The university promptly began suspending participating students.

Posts on an Instagram page for protest organisers shortly after midnight urged people to protect the encampment on campus and join them at Hamilton Hall. Those signs of supports surfaced as the UN human rights chief said he was atroubleda by how law enforcement has dealt with the recent wave of campus demonstrations.

A little after 9 p.m. this evening, the NYPD arrived on campus at the Universityas request. This decision was made to restore safety and order to our community.

After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice. Columbia public safety personnel were forced out of the building, and a member of our facilities team was threatened. We will not risk the safety of our community or the potential for further escalation.

The decision to reach out to the NYPD was in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause they are championing. We have made it clear that the life of campus cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules and the law.a

Riyadh seeks more modest agreement with Washington in absence of Gaza ceasefire and Netanyahu resistance to Palestinian state

The US and Saudi Arabia have drafted a set of agreements on security and technology-sharing which were intended to be linked to a broader Middle East settlement involving Israel and the Palestinians.

However, in the absence of a ceasefire in Gaza and in the face of adamant resistance from Benjamin Netanyahuas Israeli government to the creation of a Palestinian state a and its apparent determination to launch an offensive on Rafah a the Saudis are pushing for a more modest plan B, which excludes the Israelis.

Republican senator says Noemas story of killing her 14-month-old hunting dog makes her unlikely to be Trumpas running mate

• US politics a latest updates

Mitt Romney may have infamously tied a dog in a kennel to the roof of his car for a cross-country trip but at least he didnat shoot it, the Utah Republican senator said, as outrage over the South Dakota governor, Kristi Noem, telling her story of killing a 14-month-old hunting dog continued to ripple through US politics.

aI didnat eat my dog. I didnat shoot my dog. I loved my dog, and my dog loved me,a Romney said, on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, as reported by HuffPost.

Harry Potter star reveals in interview that he has had no contact with Rowling since the authoras gender-critical statements on trans women

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has described his rupture with JK Rowling over trans rights as areally sada, and that despite her role in his life as the creator of Potter a[it] doesnat mean that you owe the things you truly believe to someone else for your entire lifea.

Radcliffeas comments came in an interview in the Atlantic, and marks the first published remarks by one of the principal cast in the Potter series since the publication of the Cass review of gender identity services, and Rowlingas subsequent suggestion on social media that he and co-star Emma Watson were acelebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding womenas hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minorsa.

Far-right Republican congresswoman says she is aabsolutelya calling vote on motion next week and thinks vulnerable Democrats could be hurt by supporting Mike Johnson

Greene wrapped up the press conference by demanding, essentially, that Mike Johnson resign or be fired:

What Iam calling on is, like my colleague here said, Mike Johnson a| can pray about it, think about it all weekend, do the right thing and resign, giving our conference time to elect a new leader, a new speaker of the house. He should reject the endorsement of Hakeem Jeffries and the entire Democrat leadership team. That is not an endorsement that any Republican speaker should ever want or embrace. And this vote will be called next week, and I would just want to urge all our colleagues to prepare for it. Itas the right thing to do for America. Itas time to clean house and get our conference in order and get ready to support President Trumpas agenda. God willing, he wins in November and we take back full power here in Washington in January.

I fight for his agenda every single day, and thatas why Iam fighting here against my own Republican conference, to fight harder against the Democrats.

State supreme court last month cleared the way for the aawfula ban, but also allowed November ballot measure for abortion

A six-week abortion ban went into effect on Wednesday in Florida, cutting off access to the procedure before many people know they are pregnant and leveling the south-eastern United Statesa last stronghold for abortion rights.

The ban went into force weeks after Floridaas state supreme court issued a decision clearing the way for it to take effect. Strict bans now blanket all of the American deep south, increasing the strain on the countryas remaining clinics. The closest clinic for most Floridians past six weeks of pregnancy is now several states away in North Carolina, which outlaws abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Deal would resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging companyas baby powder causes ovarian cancer

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is moving forward with a $6.475bn proposed settlement of tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other talcum-powder products were contaminated with asbestos and caused ovarian cancer, the company said Wednesday in a statement.

The company discontinued sales of its iconic baby powder in North America in 2020, and worldwide in 2023. The company now sells a cornstarch-based formula, though it continues to insist on the safety of talc products.

CBP One app offers far too few appointments, meaning asylum seekers must wait or pay human trafficking groups, report reveals

A US government smartphone app that tightly limits asylum appointments at the US-Mexico border is stranding vulnerable migrants in Mexico and enriching organised crime groups, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The report, which draws on interviews with more than 100 migrants, as well as officials and activists, documents how the CBP One app a which is all but mandatory for asylum seekers a offers 1,450 appointments a day, when arrivals at the border averaged 7,240 a day between May 2023 and January 2024.

Ofcom looks into whether website for adult performers failed to properly implement age-verification checks

The UK communications watchdog has opened an investigation into whether OnlyFans allowed children to view pornography on its website after an age-checking error.

The regulator Ofcom is investigating the platform, which has a minimum user age of 18 and hosts mostly adult content for paying subscribers, over claims of inadequate age-verification measures. It is also investigating whether OnlyFans gave acomplete and accuratea responses to information requests.

Eighth-grader Acie Holland from Wisconsin hailed as hero for quick thinking after he noticed driver had become unresponsive

An eighth-grade student recently averted a tragedy when he brought a careening school bus carrying him and his fellow students to a stop after its driver fell ill from a medical emergency, according to officials who are praising the boyas actions.

Acie Holland III was taking a bus ride home when he realized the woman driving had become unresponsive, his principal, Anna Young, wrote in a letter to the campus community. The bus veered into the oncoming traffic lane, prompting Acie to rush up to the driver, move her foot off the gas pedal and apply the brake.

Thousands of students have rallied for Palestine, after hundreds of thousands of Democrats declined to vote for Biden in the primary

The policies of Joe Biden and Democrats towards Israel, which have prompted thousands of students across the country to protest, could affect the youth vote for Biden and hurt his re-election chances, experts have warned, in what is already expected to be a tight election.

Thousands of students at universities across the US have joined with pro-Palestine rallies and, most recently, encampments, as Israelas war in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 people.

New York police moved on to the campus to clear out Hamilton Hall, an academic building that had been taken over as part of pro-Palestine protests. Police arrested nearly 100 people as they cleared Columbia University of demonstrators who were issued a notice to disband their encampment after negotiations failed to come to a resolution

The South Dakota governoras proud dog murder tells a lot about how posturing Trumpists like she and Greg Gianforte think

After South Dakotaas Republican governor, Kristi Noem, proudly admitted in a forthcoming memoir to marching her young puppy Cricket to a gravel pit to kill her with a shotgun, she rationalized the despicable act by arguing that Cricket had been aggressive.

She also said that she used the same gravel pit to shoot a adisgusting, musky, rancida unnamed goat a but botched the job, leaving the goat to suffer unnecessarily while she rushed to her truck to get a second shell. (Itas unclear why Noem, supposedly a shrewd outdoorswoman, didnat think to carry more shells on her.)

The viral Glasgow event made children cry and adults seethe. Could a California tribute provide some measure of absolution?

She was the sad Oompa Loompa seen around the world. Inside a bleak warehouse in Glasgow, a supposed celebration of Wonkaas delectable world of chocolate left children crying and parents calling the police. Attendees paid APS35 to visit a bleak warehouse with a handful of props and posters; inside, they were treated to two jellybeans each and a few poorly costumed actors. Images of the event went extremely viral, making international news and inspiring a horror film and an hour-long documentary.

Two months later, I found myself walking toward another grim-looking warehouse, this time in downtown Los Angeles. I was here for Willyas Chocolate Experience LA, a tribute to the Glasgow disaster promising live entertainment, a red carpet-style photo op and a rare chance to meet the celebrity Oompa Loompa herself.

The average cost of a wedding in 2023 was $35,000 in the US and APS20,700 in the UK a how are people spending that money?

Weddings are expensive. That much we know.

The average cost of a wedding in the US in 2023 was $35,000, according to industry website The Knot. In the UK, the average cost of a wedding was APS20,700.

For the wedding: $38,000

For the sangeet, a pre-wedding ceremony focused on song and dance: $6,400

Haldi, a pre-wedding purification ceremony: $285 a Indian-style pizza.

Sangeet: $2,500 a catered by an Indian restaurant in Manassas.

Wedding day: included in venue cost

For the sangeet: table centerpieces, a backdrop for dance performances and a mehendi station.

For the wedding: mandap (wedding canopy) for the wedding ceremony, table centerpieces and decoration for the stage at the reception.

Bride: three lehenga cholis (a formal South Asian three-piece outfit consisting of a long skirt known as a lehenga, a fitted top known as a choli and a dupatta or scarf) for the sangeet, wedding ceremony and reception.

Groom: a kurta set (a long, loose tunic and pants) for the sangeet, a sherwani (a fitted, knee length coat) for the wedding ceremony and a rental tuxedo for the reception.

Bridesmaids: five lehenga cholis.

Groomsmen: five kurta sets.

Mother of the bride: three outfits for the sangeet, wedding ceremony and reception.

Father of the bride: three outfits for the sangeet, wedding ceremony and reception.

Groomas family: clothing was purchased by them and not included in the cost.

Church + vicar fee (including drinks after the service): APS1,400

Reception venue: APS9,000

The long-awaited rebuttal to Drake has arrived: Euphoria, a track in which Lamar dismantles Drakeas street credibility. But why use misogyny and homophobia to do it?

Haymakers were thrown yesterday by Kendrick Lamar towards Drake as rapas top bout enters another round, following duels involving undercards such as J Cole, Rick Ross, Future and A$AP Rocky.

Lamar initially rang the bell a month ago with Like That, slagging off Drake as a mere pop star. Drake came back with Push Ups, featuring the allegation that Lamaras wife was cheating on him (among various other barbs). Before Lamar could respond, Drake released Taylor Made Freestyle, which used AI to cheekily have 2Pac and Snoop Dogg a two of Lamaras west coast forebears a chide Lamar for not following up soon enough.

More than half of the countryas forestry is in community and Indigenous hands a and from CO₂ absorption to reducing poverty the results are impressive

Dexter Melchor MatAas works in the Zapotec Indigenous town of IxtlA!n de JuA!rez, about 1,600ft (490 metres) above the wide Oaxaca valley in Mexico, where community forestry has become a way of life. Like him, about 10 million people across the country live in and make a living from forests, with half of that population identifying as Indigenous.

As average temperatures soar around the world and wildfires rage across the Americas, in Mexico, where more than a quarter of the country suffers from drought, the number of wildfires has remained steady since 2012.

Elene Naverianias film tells the story of a middle-aged single woman in a remote Georgian village whose life is changed for ever after a near-death experience

Here is a marvellously tender story of loneliness and love which starts with a bigger bang than most thrillers. Etero, played by Eka Chavleishvili, is a middle-aged single woman in a remote Georgian village who is out walking near a steep ravine, collecting blackberries for the cakes she likes to bake. She looks up, transfixed by the beauty of a blackbird a having been, we are perhaps invited to assume, only waiting for this moment to arrive a when she loses her footing and disappears from the frame; film-maker Elene Naveriani switches the viewpoint to something terrifying and vertiginous: straight down to a near death experience.

Etero sees her own corpse in a parallel universe of her own stricken imagining, but this heartstopping near-miss, together with the unwelcome new symptoms of what appear to be menopause, coincide with what could be a whole new lease of life. While listlessly minding the family shop, Etero receives some stock from flirtatious new delivery driver Murman, played by Temiko Chichinadze, and soon she is having a gloriously passionate, sensual and thrillingly secret affair with this man. And in the long stretches of solitude while he is away, now filled with gorgeous wondering instead of dullness, the film shows how Etero must now absorb the paradox a what has ended is not her life, but her 48 long years of virginity. Her life has not been easy. She has desperately missed her late mother, who died of cancer when she was just three months old. But now life has repaid her with a miracle.

The British brand has entered the booming market in luxury acar-chitecturea, opening a themed tower in Miami boasting ballroom, helipad and infinity pool a all offering millionaires a perfect view of our choking, collapsing world

Move over, James Bond a a new Aston Martin has rolled into town, brimming with more flashy features than Q could ever dream of. Parked ostentatiously on the Miami waterfront, overlooking a private marina brimming with superyachts, its streamlined flanks glisten in the Florida sunshine, housing an interior trimmed with the finest leathers and exotic wood veneers. Thereas no ejector seat or rocket-launcher, but it is the biggest Aston Martin ever made a housing Jacuzzi, bar, cinema, golf simulator, art gallery, ballroom and infinity pool, all crowned with a 66th-storey helipad.

Unveiled in the week of the Miami Grand Prix, the latest exclusive model from the timeless British automotive brand is not a high-performance sports car, but an ultra-luxury apartment building a the tallest residential tower in the US, south of New York. After Aston Martinas years of financial woes, following a disastrous stock market performance since the companyas 2018 listing, it seems that the boutique car-
maker is seeking salvation in property development.

On the centenary of his death, a new English translation of the great writeras journals reveals some surprising details

After his death on 3 June 1924, a letter was found in Franz Kafkaas office in Prague addressed to Max Brod. aDear Max, My last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and othersa), sketches and so on, to be burned unread.a

His friend did not honour Kafkaas wishes. aBrod was unshakably convinced of their immeasurable value to contemporary and future humanity, and he was right,a says Ross Benjamin, whose new translation of the Czech writeras diaries is published in this centenary year of Kafkaas death.

New figures show nearly 14% of all houses in Japan are empty a but this real estate glut is attracting growing interest from foreigners

As the declining population continues to impact Japanas society and economy, the number of vacant houses has topped nine million a enough to accommodate the entire population of Australia at three people per dwelling.

Government figures released on Tuesday show the number of empty houses, known as akiya, as of October 2023 was up by more than half a million since the previous survey in 2018.

Housing costs and homelessness are on the rise in California. In the Austrian capital, people of all income levels live in subsidised housing a and more is being built

Imagine a beautiful city where a centrally located two-bedroom apartment can cost you as little as $600 a month. For many US policymakers, itas a pipe dream. And yet in Vienna, itas a reality.

In the past two years, at least four delegations of housing experts and political leaders from California have visited the Austrian capital, hoping to unlock the secrets of why Vienna regularly comes top in surveys of the worldas most livable cities.

Three of the striped African mammals recaptured but one remains at large after escaping from trailer en route to Montana

Three zebras were successfully recaptured by state police and rodeo professionals after wandering on to a major interstate in Washington state, though one remains on the lam.

On Sunday, four zebras escaped from their trailer while being transported to Montana via Interstate 90, the Seattle Times reported.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, who are five and four, have a trip planned to southern California as part of partnership between US and China

A pair of giant pandas will soon make the journey from China to the US, where they will be cared for at the San Diego zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said on Monday.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its caretakers recently visited China to meet the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, ahead of their planned trip to southern California. An exact date for the handoff has not been set.

The university has said it wonat give in to studentsa demands a but it has budged before

Rows of tents line the steps at Sproul Hall, the grand neoclassical administration building that soars up six stories near the main entrance to the University of California, Berkeley.

Thursday marked the fourth day of the Free Palestine camp, one of dozens of sit-ins that have sprung up on campuses across the US as symbols of protests for a student-led pro-Palestinian movement.

We chose Yale and it chose us, but one party was betrayed

aOliver was arrested this morning. 13 students arrested,a Ella texted me at 8.27am, aNo, 45.a

aAre you awake? Should we go? Iam feeling paralyzed right now.a

Grey Battle studies political science at Yale University. She grew up in Birmingham, Alabama

The European hospital is crammed with severely injured and dying children a a military offensive here will be catastrophic

• James Elder is Unicefas global spokesperson

The war against Gazaas children is forcing many to close their eyes. Nine-year-old Mohamedas eyes were forced shut, first by the bandages that covered a gaping hole in the back of his head, and second by the coma caused by the blast that hit his family home. He is nine. Sorry, he was nine. Mohamed is now dead.

Over three visits to the European hospitalas ICU in Rafah, Gaza, I saw multiple children occupy the same bed. Each one arriving after a bomb had ripped through their home. Each one dying despite doctorsa immense efforts.

James Elder is Unicefas global spokesperson

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Symptoms include paranoia, anxiety and a compulsion to snoop on your neighbours. Iam not judging a Iave had a brush with it myself

One of my many guilty pleasures is lurking on my former homeas Facebook group. The New York apartment complex, which houses the population of a small town, is classified as a naturally occurring retirement community, which means there are a lot of people in the group with time and energy to devote to petty feuds. The gossip is unrivalled and often a little unhinged. At one point there was a heated debate about birth control for pigeons that resulted in at least one person getting banned.

Recently, a mania of sorts has swept the group. An influential neighbour rather belatedly learned about video doorbells. When he bought one it set off a spate of other people buying the devices a and obsessively monitoring them to check for package thieves. Every other Facebook post now seems to be a photo of some hapless stranger taken by a video doorbell with a panicked caption along the lines of astranger dangera.