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Israeli settlers attack European diplomats and French mayor in West Bank, Belgium says
Israeli settlers have allegedly attacked Palestinian civilians, European diplomats and a French mayor in the West Bank, sparking international condemnation.

Belgium's foreign minister Maxime Prevot said the country's consul general to the Palestinians, French and Polish diplomats, and Catholic representatives were targeted by the masked settlers along with a Belgian vehicle in the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh.

Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, said he was "thrown to the ground" near the village while harvesting olives in solidarity with the local community.

Mr Prevot posted on X: "Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack.

"As the occupying power, Israeli authorities must ‌protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice. Impunity for violent settlers must end."

He added that Belgium would continue to push for EU sanctions against settlers responsible for the violence.

Polish foreign ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewior posted on X that a convoy carrying diplomats had been targeted - saying that "attacks on members ⁠of the diplomatic corps are absolutely unacceptable".

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar confirmed that a police investigation has been opened and called the attackers "rioters" on X.

He said it was "unfortunate that the visit was not coordinated with the IDF in advance".

Palestinian ‌vice president Hussein al-Sheikh said its citizens were subjected to "daily terrorism" and called for a "firm international stance".

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Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have previously claimed that settler violence is carried out by a ‌small minority - which is disputed by Palestinians and human rights groups.

The attacks have risen sharply in recent years and also affected journalists, activists and foreign observers.

On Friday, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was ⁠hospitalised after being assaulted by masked settlers who targeted Palestinians harvesting olives in the West Bank.


Man and woman charged with assault and criminal damage after fatal house fire
A man and a woman have been charged with assault and criminal damage after a fatal house fire in Waterford that killed four members of the same family.

Cian Stacey, 21, and Jessica Dalton, 31, have appeared at a special sitting of Clonmel District Court charged with one count of criminal damage and two counts of assault causing serious harm.

Philip and Kim English and their sons Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died in the attack on their home on Tuesday.

Two other children remain in a critical condition in hospital.

Dalton appeared at the sitting wearing a black sports top and leggings, while Stacey wore a grey tracksuit top.

Dalton was remanded in custody until Tuesday at Waterford District Court.

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Her barrister Ciaran Murphy applied for legal aid, saying she was a lone parent and not in employment.

Stacey was remanded to appear by videolink on Tuesday at Waterfront District Court, and the lawyer made a separate application for legal aid.

The funeral for the four victims will be held on Monday.


Crush at religious festival kills at least 17 and injures dozens in India
At least 17 people have died and dozens more are injured after a crush at a religious festival in India, local media reports.

The incident occurred at the exit gate ​in Kolkata's Girish Park area during ​Durga Puja, a multi-day annual ​Hindu festival in the state of ⁠West Bengal.

During the celebrations, huge crowds ​gather around temporary structures known as pandals ​which house idols of the goddess Durga.

Heavy rain resulted in overcrowding in Kolkata, as significant numbers ⁠of worshippers tried to leave the venue.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office announced a compensation scheme for the victims on X.

He said the West Bengal government is "providing all possible help to the affected families".

The families of those who died will receive 200,000 ​rupees (£1,583), while the injured will be given 50,000 rupees (£395) each.

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India's president Droupadi Murmu called the deaths "extremely heartbreaking" in a statement posted on X and expressed her "deepest condolences to all the bereaved families".

Durga Puja is typically held for 10 days in the seventh month of the Hindu calendar, Ashvin.

It is a special offering festival which celebrates Durga's victory over the demon king Mahishasura.


More NHS staff sacked after accessing medical records of Nottingham attack victims
A total of 15 NHS staff have now been sacked after accessing medical records belonging to the victims of the 2023 Nottingham attack.

Valdo Calocane - who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020 - killed University of Nottingham students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, as well as 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates, and attempted to kill three more people.

Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust said in May that 11 members of staff had been dismissed and a further 14 had actions taken against them.

On Friday, the trust confirmed that 15 employees including doctors and nurses have now been dismissed in connection with the investigation.

It has also issued 15 final written warnings and two first written warnings.

The trust contacted the families of the victims this week to update them on the latest development, along with the Information Commissioner's Office and Nottinghamshire Police.

Dr Manjeet Shehmar, medical director at NUH, said: "There is simply no excuse for accessing the records of a patient without a legitimate reason, and I hope this sends a really clear message - we will investigate and we will take action.

"To lose a loved one in the way that the families of Ian, Grace and Barnaby have is heartbreaking enough. I am so sorry that they have had this further compounded by the actions of these staff members.

"We will continue to investigate inappropriate access to these records and take action as and where necessary. Alongside this, we are doing all we can to educate our staff on appropriate access and how to keep the records of our patients safe. We are also introducing a new system which acts to detect possible data breaches."

The trust is cooperating with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the General Medical Council (GMC), both of which have powers to strike staff off medical registers.

It is also introducing a new system to better protect patient records by continually monitoring access, identify suspicious behaviour, and generate automated alerts.

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Barnaby's mother, Emma Webber, reacted to the initial dismissals in May in an interview with Sky News.

She said: "This was just gross voyeurism at the worst possible level. This wasn't uncovered by any due diligence, this was uncovered because we insisted upon it.

"It's horrifying. It's so intrusive and traumatising. At least some action has been taken, but not all."


Two dead after light aircraft crash
An 80-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy have died after a light aircraft crashed in Scotland, police have said.

Emergency services were called to reports of a collision north-east of Drymen, Stirling, at roughly 4.45pm on Friday.

Police Scotland said the man and the boy were pronounced dead at the scene.

Their next of kin have been informed.

The plane, reportedly a Piper Tomahawk II, took off from Glasgow Airport shortly after 4.15pm and stopped transmitting around 20 minutes later.

Gavin Birch-Williams, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: "We are aware of an incident involving a light aircraft that departed from Glasgow Airport.

"This is a deeply tragic event, and the thoughts and heartfelt sympathies from all at Glasgow Airport are with the friends and families affected."

Temporary airspace restrictions, including drones, are in place over the Drymen area, following the crash.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is investigating the incident.

"A team has travelled to the accident site near Drymen, north of Glasgow, to make enquiries and gather evidence as part of the process of conducting a safety investigation," an AAIB statement said.

Officers have warned it is a criminal offence to fly in restricted airspace.


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