Category: 5. Entertainment

Morning everyone. Although he could still face years in prison for two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, Sean “Diddy” Combs fell to his knees in relief and his supporters celebrated wildly outside after a jury in New York found the music mogul not guilty of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. A Guardian Australia analysis shows the big four banks are not making it easy for customers to get bonus interest despite watchdog recommendations, auditors have condemned the navy’s handling of bribery allegations, and a Victorian city is bidding to be the “capital of big things”.

Australia

• Storm eases | The damaging weather system that has brought widespread havoc to much of coastal New South Wales is expected to ease today. But heavy conditions will continue along parts of the coast and thousands remain without power.

• ‘Factional hacks’ | Newly elected Liberal senator Jess Collins has hit out at “factional hacks” in the party’s NSW branch, insisting a push for quotas to boost female representation is the wrong approach for trying to beat Labor at the next election.

• All at sea | Defence officials failed to properly document and investigate bribery allegations made against navy contractor officials, a scathing audit report on the multibillion-dollar commissioning and maintenance of two military ships has found.

• Bank blank | More than 18 months after regulatory advice that Australia’s major banks should help customers qualify for bonus interest rates on savings products, several of the recommendations have not been implemented by the big four, an analysis by Guardian Australia has found.

• Pear share | The regional Victorian city of Shepparton is in the running to be the “capital of big things” with a $1.3m plan to build a giant pear to go alongside the world’s largest Murray cod.

World

• Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ | The House of Representatives is at a standstill as Republican leaders continue to try to rally holdouts against Donald Trump’s sweeping tax cut and spending legislation, after it cleared the Senate with the narrowest of margins. And after last-minute negotiations, the US and Vietnam struck a trade agreement that sets 20% tariffs on many of the south-east Asian country’s exports.

• Exclusive | The Israeli military used a 230kg bomb – a powerful and indiscriminate weapon that generates a massive blast wave and scatters shrapnel over a wide area – when it attacked a target in a crowded beachfront cafe in Gaza on Monday, evidence seen by the Guardian has revealed.

• Combs guilty | A New York Jury has found Sean “Diddy” Combs guilty of two counts of engaging women in prostitution but was cleared of the more serious offences of sex trafficking and racketeering, after a closely watched seven-week federal trial marked by emotional and graphic testimony. Outside the court, supporters danced and celebrated the verdict. Here are some key moments from the court drama.

• Reeves’ tears | The UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves, appeared to be left in tears at prime minister’s questions as the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, attacked the government over its U-turn on welfare cuts. That climbdown leaves the government with its authority shredded and a £5bn hole to plug.

• Drought threat | As Europe’s heatwave moved eastwards, a new report says that drought is pushing tens of millions of people around the world to the edge of starvation.

Full Story

Bougainville’s rocky path to independence

Nour Haydar speaks to Ben Doherty about the road to independence for Australia’s Pacific neighbour and the risk of repeating mistakes from the past.

In-depth

It’s been miserable being a fan of North Melbourne in recent years. But the AFL club’s centenary celebrations are a chance for everyone involved to show that their investment in top-end picks and highly talented youth might just be about to pay off, writes Martin Pegan.

Not the news

After years of fighting with her sister, Lucinda Price writes today about how it took their father’s cancer diagnosis for them “to form a truce after 26 years of full-pelt warfare … Our hatred just silently slipped away. I guess I felt as though my parents finally deserved to experience having children who didn’t hate each other”.

Sport

• Rugby union | Queensland Reds put up a good fight but the British & Irish Lions had too much class as the second tour match ended in a 52-12 defeat for the local side in Brisbane last night.

• Tennis | British No 1 Emma Raducanu set up a huge third-round match against Aryna Sabalenka after beating 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon, while defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz breezed through against plucky Ollie Tarvet. British tennis player Jodie Burrage has said she has had to stop herself looking at her phone due to online abuse – some from gamblers, some from about her appearance – after her first-round Wimbledon exit.

• Cricket | India’s captain, Shubman Gill, made an unbeaten century as he dug in to steady his team and hold off England’s bowlers on the first day of the second test at Edgbaston.

• Women’s football | Euro 2025 hosts Switzerland were defeated by Norway 2-1 this morning after Finland secured a narrow win against 10-player Iceland in the opening match. And Matildas star Ellie Carpenter has joined Sam Kerr at Chelsea with a big move from Lyon.

The Australian claims the public service has grown to a record size under the Albanese government. The management of Victoria’s water would be reshaped to enshrine traditional owners as rights holders under a proposal from the truth-telling inquiry, the Age reports. The Courier Mail looks at how the Brisbane-based beauty product business Lucas Papaw went from near-bust to boom in five years. And residents on the south coast of NSW might not have seen many in the past couple of rain-drenched days but this season’s whale sightings are at a record high, the Mercury reports.

What’s happening today

• Economy | New vehicle sales figures for June released at 11am and international trade data from the ABS at 11.30am.

• Brisbane | The Queensland deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, gives an Olympics update.

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.

HIDIVE KICKS-OFF “SUMMER OF DUBS” FOR FANS WITH SLICE OF LIFE DRAMA “FLOWER AND ASURA” PREMIERE ON JULY 16

Anime Streaming Service to Release Fresh Batch of Popular English Dubs of New and Recent Exclusive Simulcast Series Alongside Ongoing Titles Throughout This Summer

Following Flower and Asura, the “Summer of Dubs” continues with the August premieres of the supernatural romance drama Call of the Night Season 2 and the coming-of-age music drama Rock is a Lady’s Modesty followed by the second part (Cour 2) of the supernatural historical fantasy series Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho in September.

In addition to the “Summer of Dubs” series, fan can also watch new weekly episodes from a trio of currently ongoing English dubs, the fan-favorite rom-com series 2.5 Dimensional Seduction and I’m Living with an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!?, and the first part (Cour 1) of the supernatural historical fantasy series Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho Cour 1.

Together in all, including new simulcast episodes of Call of the Night Season 2, Bad Girl and Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho Cour 2, HIDIVE offers fan nearly a dozen new episodes to enjoy each week all this summer.

New & Upcoming Summer 2025 English Dub Releases

Flower and Asura		Call of the Night Season 2
English Dub Premiere July 16		English Dub Premiere in August
SLICE OF LIFE		SUPERNATURAL ROMANCE
On the picturesque island of Tonakijima with a population of only 600, Hana’s favorite pastime is reading literature to the island’s children. Her narration skills are second to none, and Mizuki, the president of the school’s broadcasting club immediately recognizes Hana’s ability to engage with others and draw them into her recitations. Invited by Mizuki to join the club, Hana embarks on a journey to discover her true love of reading — and maybe even change the course of her life along the way.		Ko overcomes his confusion about becoming a vampire and decides to “like” Nazuna, while Nazuna resolves to make Ko “fall in love” with her. Without understanding what “love” even is, the two of them spend their nights together in a frenzy. Meanwhile, Detective Uguisu Anko is closing in with her plot to kill vampires, not just Nazuna.  A vampire’s weakness is “anything they were attached to when they were human” and so they all try to get rid of this weakness before it’s too late. But, Nazuna has no memory of her human life. What is Nazuna’s hidden past? Why did Anko start killing vampires? And what is the “secret” that Nazuna and Anko share? For Ko, Nazuna, Anko, a fun “late night” doesn’t end here… a new “night” begins!

Rock is a Lady’s Modesty		Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho  Cour 2
English Dub Premiere in August		English Dub Premiere in September
COMING OF AGE		HISTORICAL FANTASY
At an elite all-girls’ academy where refined young ladies gather, Lilisa Suzunomiya, now the daughter of a real estate tycoon after her mother remarried, is forced to abandon her guitar and rock music to fit in. However, her passion is reignited by sounds from the old school building, where she meets a skilled drummer who shares her love for rock. Together, they embrace their inner rockstars, elegantly clashing and shouting their way through the academy in this captivating tale of grace and rebellion.		In the Edo period, there was a shrine maiden called “Itskihime” in the mountain village of Kadono. Jinta, a wandering orphan who, along with his younger sister Suzune, drifted into the village and grew up to become the shrine maiden’s guardian, ventures into the forest to defeat a mysterious demon who speaks to him of the far future and the threat of a Demon God. So begins this epic supernatural historical fantasy series that follows a demon hunter through his century-spanning journey from the Edo to Heisei periods—all-the-while questioning his wielding of a sword.

Current Ongoing English Dub Releases

2.5 Dimensional Seduction		I’m Living with an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!?		Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho Cour 1
ROM-COM		ROM-COM		HISTORICAL FANTASY
New dub episodes every Wednesday		New dub episodes every Wednesday		New dub episodes every Wednesday

ABOUT HIDIVE

Prince William is infuriated as Meghan Markle launches her latest ‘As Ever’ product.

The Prince of Wales is upset as his sister-in-law in California drops her alcohol brand and sells out within an hour.

Royal expert Kinsey Schofield told The Sun: “It’s not lost on Prince William that Meghan has launched an alcohol brand on his mother’s birthday, the very mum he lost in a drink driving tragedy.”

Ms Schofield said: “Timing an alcohol launch to Diana’s birthday wasn’t just a misstep, it was borderline cruel.” 

She added: “To claim ignorance here doesn’t hold up—it wasn’t just insensitive. It felt like a betrayal of the very narrative she’s working so hard to craft.”

Prince Harry left the Royal Family back in 2020 alongside wife Meghan Markle and son, Prince Archie. The couple later accused the Royal Family of showcasing racism towards their son and publicly shared their grievances on television. Harry and Meghan now live in California, where they also welcomed their daughter, Princess Lilibet.

COLCHESTER, England — Princess Kate is sharing new details about her recovery from cancer, describing the experience as a “roller coaster.”

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism, through treatment. Treatment’s done, and it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal again,’ but actually that phase afterwards is a really difficult time,” Kate said Wednesday during a visit to Colchester Hospital in Colchester, England, according to the Press Association.

“You’re not able to function normally at home as you were perhaps once used to,” added Kate, who shares three young children with her husband Prince William.

Kate, 43, announced in January that she is in remission from cancer.

She first announced her cancer diagnosis publicly in March 2024. Kate has not shared the type of cancer with which she was diagnosed or any details of her treatment beyond sharing that she underwent chemotherapy.

Kate’s visit to the hospital Wednesday is part of her gradual return to work that began late last year.

In speaking with cancer patients, Kate reflected on the recovery process, saying it’s not as straightforward as people expect.

“It’s a roller coaster. It’s not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be, but the reality is it’s not. You go through hard times, and to have a place like this, to have the support network, whether its through creativity and singing or gardening, whatever it might be, is so valuable, and it’s great that this community has it,” she said. “It would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support.”

While at the hospital, Kate visited the RHS Wellbeing Garden, where she took time to plant some roses.

In addition to meeting with cancer patients at the hospital, Kate also met with staff and volunteers, to whom she spoke more about the “life-changing” experience of a cancer diagnosis.

“It’s life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post-treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the individual patient but also for the families as well,” she said. “And actually, it sometimes goes unrecognized, you don’t necessarily, particularly when it’s the first time, you don’t appreciate how much impact it is going to have. You have to find your new normal, and that takes time.”

The video in the player above is from an earlier report.

Kris Jenner has come under fire for an alleged ‘Photoshop fail’ that appeared to distort one of her legs in a recently shared sultry photo. 

The 69-year-old momager, who recently showcased the results of her $100k facelift, channelled daughter Kim Kardashian’s style by wearing the same Dolce & Gabbana dress and a diamond pendant necklace at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding in Venice over the weekend. 

While Kris looked glamorous in the purple outfit, fans quickly took to social media to call out what they described as a glaring editing error in the images. 

One viewer zoomed in on her leg and suggested it resembled a Photoshopped replica of Kim’s, while another jokingly compared the limb to that of a ‘skeleton Barbie.’ 

‘I am sorry- what? This may be the worst Photoshop I’ve ever witnessed,’ someone wrote on Reddit. ‘The front leg looks like Kim’s with airbrush turned up to 100 and the back one looks like a skeleton Barbie leg. 

‘Saw photos of her natural legs the other days-while they show her age, that’s NORMAL and wasn’t remotely as horrified as I was when I saw this,’ they added. 

The controversy comes on the heels of another viral moment involving the reality TV star. 

Kris was spotted having a seemingly tense exchange with longtime boyfriend Corey Gamble during the lavish wedding celebrations in Venice. 

According to lip reader Nicola Hickling, who spoke to DailyMail, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star appeared to insist on travelling alone in a water taxi, refusing to share the ride with other guests.