World news | The Guardian

Immediate issues for the agency will include bird flu, immunisation and misinformation, as well as the challenges of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. But there's a lot we don't know yet - and can we ensure it's apolitical?Australia is a step closer to having its own national agency to inform and coordinate public health responses - a permanent Australian Centre for Disease Control.Long-awaited draft legislation was tabled in parliament last week to create this permanent CDC, which is to start from 1 January 2026.1987Epidemiologist Prof Bob Douglas asks in the Medical Journal of Australia Does Australia need a centre for disease control? Continue reading...

Stalling house prices and shift back to office working are affecting people's ability to move out of city, say expertsLondoners are buying the lowest share of houses outside the capital in more than a decade as their moving plans are curtailed by a stalling local market and the shift back to office working.They were behind just 5.3% of house purchases elsewhere in the country in the first seven months of this year, the lowest proportion since 2013, research has found. Continue reading...

Prime minister faces criticism from Emily Thornberry, who highlights risk of handing country to Farage'Keir Starmer has been warned by senior Labour figures to stop making mistakes, before a battle over the party's deputy leadership and amid fears the government could row back on workers' rights.As candidates began to jostle to replace Angela Rayner, the prime minister faced public criticism from Emily Thornberry, a potential contender, who said further mistakes from Starmer could lead to having to hand our country to [Nigel] Farage". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Andy Burnham-backed Mainstream group will inevitably influence looming deputy leadership contestKeir Starmer is facing fresh pressure from Labour insiders, days after a sweeping government reshuffle, as party figures from the left and centre mobilise through a network, backed by Andy Burnham, designed to change Labour's direction.The network, called Mainstream, will inevitably influence Labour's looming deputy leadership contest, with Burnham already throwing his weight behind former cabinet minister Louise Haigh as well as Lucy Powell, the former Commons leader. Continue reading...

New home secretary will be joined in London by counterparts from US, Australia, Canada and New ZealandShabana Mahmood, the new home secretary, will host a meeting of the Five Eyes security alliance to discuss how to stop people-smuggling as it emerged that ministers were looking at housing those who entered the UK by small boat in military barracks.Mahmood is to be joined in London by Kristi Noem, the US secretary of state for homeland security, as well as interior ministers from Australia, Canada and New Zealand - the other member countries of the intelligence-sharing pact. Continue reading...

Criminal Cases Review Commission faces criticism over its handling of several high-profile casesThe miscarriage of justice watchdog is failing prisoners appealing against wrongful convictions because it does not have forensic expertise and will not engage with third parties who do, experts have claimed.Advisers to Inside Justice, a miscarriage of justice charity, say that the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) relies on legal professionals without a proper understanding of the science that underpins many convictions and appeals. Continue reading...

Seyyed Abbas Araghchi says European nations should engage constructively and not facilitate America's excesses'

London-born Italian, who died in 2006, built websites to spread Catholic teaching and is credited with two miraclesA London-born Italian teenage computer whiz who died in 2006 age 15, has been declared the Catholic church's first millennial saint during an open-air mass in a packed St Peter's Square.Carlo Acutis, who died of leukaemia, built multilingual websites to spread Catholic teaching, later earning him the nickname God's influencer". He was canonised by Pope Leo XIV alongside Pier Giorgio Frassati, another young Catholic activist, who died a century ago. Continue reading...

Demonstration in central London on Saturday led to 857 arrests under Terrorism ActA total of 890 arrests were made at a demonstration in central London on Saturday against the banning of the protest group Palestine Action.Police arrested 857 people under the Terrorism Act for showing support for a proscribed group, while 33 people were arrested for other offences, including 17 for assaults on police officers, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Thousands of workers told to stay home this week as car manufacturer deals with digital systems outageProduction at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and dozens of its suppliers is to remain on hold for at least this week, with disruption from a crippling cyber-attack at the carmaker expected to last until October.The UK's biggest car manufacturer, owned by India's Tata group, halted production at the sites after discovering hackers had infiltrated its systems a week ago. Continue reading...

British couple feared the worst after kittens were left in hold after flight to Paris and returned to GreeceA newlywed couple who married in Greece said they feared the worst when three kittens they had rescued from Crete went missing after being left in the hold of an aeroplane.They first travelled to the island in September 2023 and found the mother cat, who had a very distinctive bulging eye that needed to be removed", Bethany Mulcahy-Stephenson, a veterinary nurse, said. Continue reading...

Devices will vibrate and make a siren sound for 10 seconds at 3pm, with message confirming alert is a testMillions of mobile phones will vibrate and make a siren sound across the UK on Sunday afternoon during a test of a nationwide emergency alert system.Handset users will also receive a message on their screens reminding them the 10-second alert, which will happen at 3pm, is a test. There are about 87m mobile phones in the UK. Continue reading...

Once a singular voice on the airwaves and satellite radio, the King of All Media' has seen his audience shrink markedlyHoward Stern was once one of the most powerful figures in American media: a controversial shock jock" who thrived on controversy proclaimed himself the King of All Media" and once commanded a contract worth half a billion dollars.But now Stern's career could be winding down from its heyday in the 1990s and 2000s when he revolutionized American listening habits and wielded huge cultural power. Continue reading...

Action will bring services to early finish on Sunday and close underground entirely for four days from MondayTube users have been urged to check before travelling this week as strikes by staff escalate, bringing services to an early finish on Sunday evening and closing the London Underground entirely for four days from Monday.The RMT union has batted back pleas to call off the industrial action, involving about 10,000 workers, as it attempts to secure a shorter working week as part of pay negotiations. Continue reading...

Co-leader of nascent leftwing party says more than 750,000 people have registered their interestLabour is dead" after failing to deliver for working people, Zarah Sultana said as she urged supporters of a new leftwing party she is creating to be patient and watch this space".Sultana, the independent MP for Coventry South who quit Labour after losing the whip for backing a move to scrap the two-child benefit cap, is co-leader of a nascent party with Jeremy Corbyn. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester mayor also suggests the cabinet needs to more pluralistic' and less London-centricThe Labour government needs a reset to become more decisive and listen more to its MPs, Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor and former cabinet minister, has said.Burnham, who is touted as a potential future leader, said he was concerned about the balance of the cabinet after the reshuffle and wanted the government to be more pluralistic". Continue reading...

Reform UK leader clarifies that, if he wins election, he will have to wait until law passed to deport people more quickly, which could take months. This live blog is closed

Nine attorneys tell Guardian they have not been contacted by justice department - state of affairs they call atrocious'For more than six months, Donald Trump and his justice department have insisted they would get to the bottom of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, but nine attorneys - who have represented approximately 50 Epstein survivors - told the Guardian they have not been recently contacted by the justice department.The revelation casts doubt on the effort by the Trump administration to fully investigate Epstein's crimes and activities and reveal everything that the government knows about him. It comes as Trump faces intense political pressure, including from his own base, over his social ties to Epstein, who was famed for courting rich and powerful figures into his circle. Continue reading...

Public will never forgive' ex-PM for immigration policies, claims Reform leader after Nadine Dorries called for unity

British ambassador to Washington says US president has sounded wake-up call to the international old guard'Donald Trump is a risk-taker sounding a necessary wake-up call to a stale status quo, Peter Mandelson has told the Ditchley Foundation in a speech before Trump's second state visit to the UK this month.The UK's ambassador to Washington portrayed Trump as a harbinger of a new force in politics at a time when business as usual no longer works for fed-up voters. Continue reading...

Public broadcaster says prime minister has made decision to avoid divide within his Liberal Democratic partyJapan's prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, has said he is to step down following calls from his party to take responsibility for a disastrous defeat in July's upper house election.The public broadcaster NHK said Ishiba made the decision to avoid a divide within the party, while the Asahi Shimbun newspaper said he was unable to withstand the mounting calls for his resignation. Continue reading...

Metroteka aims to encourage people to read more in country that lost majority of libraries in second world warAn express" library has opened in a new metro station in Warsaw, aiming to provide an appealing cultural space to encourage residents and commuters to forgo smartphones in favour of books and, thanks to fresh herbs growing in a vertical garden, a dash of subterranean greenery too.The stylish Metroteka, which opened this week in the Kondratowicza M2 line metro station in the Polish capital's Targowek district, offers two reading areas for adults and children, as well as a space for public readings and events. Continue reading...

Perceval Parsons' plans for station put on sale to mark 200th anniversary of first public passenger railwayThe vaulted arches of New York's Grand Central station are recognisable even to those who have never taken a train into the Big Apple. But they could very easily have been a sight visible in central London.Shelved 172-year-old architectural drawings by Perceval Parsons show how he envisioned a new London railway connecting the growing number of lines coming into the city to a huge main terminal by the Thames. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Activist spoke while onboard aid flotilla aiming to deliver food, baby formula and medical supplies to territoryKeir Starmer must obey his legal duty to act to prevent a genocide", Greta Thunberg has told the Guardian while travelling aboard an aid flotilla heading for Gaza.The Swedish activist said there was a huge absence of those whose legal responsibility it is to step up" under international law, and called out the UK prime minister before a potential meeting this week with Israel's president, Isaac Herzog. Continue reading...

Inspectorate issues summons after water supply infected 140 people with diarrhoea-type disease in Brixham last yearSouth West Water is being taken to court over a parasite that infected the water supply in parts of Devon last summer and left dozens sick.More than 140 people were confirmed to have the diarrhoea-type disease, which also causes stomach pains and vomiting, typically lasting for about two weeks. Four people were hospitalised at the time. Continue reading...

Expert says self-testing kits are clinically useless and can be a distraction from evidence-based treatmentExpensive, over-the-counter hormone tests for menopause are clinically useless and risk undermining women's healthcare, senior doctors have warned.The testing kits, offered by private clinics and available to buy for self-testing, claim to offer tailored insights through measuring hormone levels. But they have been described by experts as misleading and medically unnecessary. Continue reading...

Swiss bank account data to be disclosed to island's chief legal adviser who is looking at source of former Chelsea FC owner's Sibneft billionsThe former Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Jersey authorities over allegations of corruption and money laundering in connection with the original source of his billions, according to court documents.The information has emerged from the federal criminal court in Switzerland, where judges ordered the release of documents, relating to multiple Swiss bank accounts, that had been requested by the Jersey attorney general. Continue reading...

Fatal stabbing attack on two boys in Cobblebank had the hallmarks of a youth gang crime', Victoria police say

Strait is considered an international waterway by countries including the US, Canada, Britain and TaiwanAustralian and Canadian warships sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait have been followed and warned by China's military, with Beijing describing the incident as a provocation.The People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command said the Australian guided-missile destroyer Brisbane and the Canadian frigate Ville de Quebec were engaged in trouble-making and provocation". Continue reading...

New home secretary is expected to unveil plans to use military sites as Labour seeks to harden immigration policyShabana Mahmood is expected to unveil plans to move asylum seekers from hotels into military barracks as Labour seeks to harden its immigration policy amid rising numbers of crossings in the channel.The new home secretary is reportedly set to announce the use of Ministry of Defence sites to house people after a wave of protests outside migrant accommodation over the summer. Continue reading...

Some believe fight is looming over sweeping reforms after employment rights minister Justin Madders sacked and union allies sidelinedKeir Starmer has sought to tighten his grip on his government with a wave of junior ministerial changes that has sidelined allies of the unions, raising questions over the future of Labour's workers' rights package.The reshuffle has been used by Downing Street to signal a tougher stance on immigration in an apparent bid to take on Reform UK, with Shabana Mahmood - a self-described social conservative rising star - now in charge of the Home Office, supported by Sarah Jones who returns to her former policing brief. Continue reading...

Investigators say it had not been possible to visually inspect section of cable that separated before incidentA cable linking two carriages snapped shortly before Wednesday's funicular crash in Lisbon that killed 16 people, accident inspectors have said in a report.An operator tried to apply emergency brakes but failed to prevent the derailment, investigators added. Continue reading...

Police say offences include assault and support for a proscribed group as 1,500 oppose ban in Parliament SquareMore than 425 people have been arrested at the largest demonstration yet opposing the proscription of Palestine Action.Defend Our Juries, who organised the demonstrations, said there were 1,500 sign-holders in Parliament Square on Saturday at a fresh protest in London against the ban. At the previous major demonstration last month, 532 people were arrested for taking part. Participants gathered in Parliament Square by 1pm, many holding signs that read: I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action." Continue reading...

But the lack of a well-reasoned migration plan from Labor is not helping at a time when extremist views are flourishing

Angela Rayner resignation brought forward' reshuffle, says chief secretary Darren Jones, but he insists there is no split within Labour partyFire services are using a drone to help tackle the blaze at White City, with around a dozen crew still visible on the roof working to bring it under controlLi Mei, 36, who lives in a luxury apartment block across the road, told the PA news agency: I got up this morning and my partner told me to look out of the window. Continue reading...

Aseem Malhotra claimed eminent oncologist' said jab was significant factor in the cancer of members of royal family'A controversial doctor given top billing at the Reform party conference has used his main-stage speech to air a claim the Covid vaccine caused cancer in the royal family.The speech by Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist who was appointed as a senior adviser to the US health secretary and vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy, drew sharp intakes of breath in the Birmingham auditorium where he was handed a prime speaking slot. Continue reading...

Relatives pay tribute to Kayleigh Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, who died when the Elevador da Gloria derailedThe families of a British couple killed in Lisbon after a funicular streetcar derailed have paid tribute to them and have said they are heartbroken".Kayleigh Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, died alongside 14 other people after the Elevador da Gloria hurtled down a hill and careered into a building on Wednesday night. Continue reading...

Unicef expects August malnutrition cases to top 15,000, as famine declared in Gaza City spreads southMore than 7,000 children under the age of five were put on recovery programmes for acute malnutrition at clinics run by Unicef in Gaza in just two weeks last month, figures reveal.The overall total for August is being compiled by Unicef but is expected to exceed 15,000 new patients, more than seven times the total in February. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader says he should not have claimed he was buyer of property that was really bought by his partner

Chef and host of BBC One's Saturday Kitchen to join 18th series as judge after Wallace dropped from programmeThe television host and chef Matt Tebbutt will replace Gregg Wallace as a judge on the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals after a turbulent period for the show.Tebbutt, best known for hosting BBC One's Saturday Kitchen, will join chefs Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti for the 18th series of the cooking competition programme, along with a range of guest judges who will appear in the first stage of the competition. Continue reading...

Darren Jones says Keir Starmer showed leadership by acting decisively after his deputy resigned

Speculation that swirled on social media offered an insight into conspiracy theories online, liberal fantasies and the attention economyThe death of Joseph Stalin took days to become public and remains fodder for conspiracy theories. The death of Donald Trump has spawned countless tweets, TikToks and memes long before it even happens.How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead?" asked Fox News's Peter Doocy with tongue in cheek. Did you see that?"

Michele Bourda's husband says police and coastguard were criminally slow' in responding to her disappearance in AugustA body found on a barren Greek island has been identified as that of Michele Bourda, the British tourist who vanished from a beach more than a month ago.Greece's coastguard confirmed that the 59-year-old, whose disappearance sparked a big rescue operation, had been discovered by a passing yacht on the islet of Fidonisi. Continue reading...

Hollywood actor helps out at the Swan at Enford in Wiltshire as he and his neighbours fight to save their localIt was a pleasant surprise when a visitor to the Swan at Enford, a thatched pub tucked away in the folds of the Wiltshire countryside, found themselves being served a pint by one of the UK's most famous actors.They had come in off the main road and asked if it was my pub," said Rupert Everett, the star of films such as Another Country, My Best Friend's Wedding and The Madness of King George. Continue reading...

Fast-fashion retailer rejects accusations as Fair Tax Foundation questions its tax arrangementsShein's UK arm has been accused of transferring the vast bulk of income" to its Singaporean parent in order to cut its British tax bill.The company, which had been considering a 50bn float on the London Stock Exchange but is expected to list in Hong Kong, paid just 9.6m in corporation tax despite taking 2bn in sales last year. Continue reading...

Rayner has quit not only as deputy prime minister but also deputy leader of her party. We examine the potential candidates for that roleAngela Rayner's resignation not only as deputy prime minister but also as deputy Labour leader has triggered a fierce internal election battle to find her successor, and potentially a simultaneous battle for the soul of the party ... again.Rayner, who was seen by many across the party as a future leader, dramatically quit her two government positions and the party's deputy leadership on Friday after the independent adviser on ministerial interests concluded she had breached the code by underpaying stamp duty on her seaside flat in Hove. Continue reading...

Teenage Prince Hisahito's elaborate ceremony overshadowed by questions over royal family's male-only succession rulesJapan has heralded the coming of age of Prince Hisahito with an elaborate ceremony at the Imperial Palace, where a succession crisis is brewing.The nephew of Emperor Naruhito, Hisahito received a black silk and lacquer crown at Saturday's ceremony in Tokyo, which marks the beginning of his royal adult life. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Companies considering use of kill switches' to disable stolen devices after 967% increase in theft incidentsMobile phone retailers are locking their doors during trading hours and considering using kill switches" to disable stolen devices, as incidents of theft increase more than ninefold in some high streets due to organised crime.VodafoneThree, which operates the largest retail network with 650 stores across the UK, has experienced a 967% increase in theft incidents in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2024. Continue reading...

Alliance of global autocrats has been accelerated by Donald Trump's use of political and economic pressure against friends and foes alikeWaving beatifically over the crowd of 50,000 spectators assembled in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, Xi Jinping exuded an aura of confidence that many leaders in the west could only envy. To his left stood North Korea's Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of an increasingly strident hermit kingdom. To his right was the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, Xi's old friend" and China's biggest ally in opposing the US-led world order. The last time that the leaders of these three countries were together in public was at the height of the cold war.Humanity once again faces the choice between peace or war, dialogue or confrontation," the Chinese president told the gathered crowds. His insistence that China would adhere to the path of peaceful development" was punctured somewhat by the country's biggest ever military parade that marched through the square beneath his rostrum atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the entrance to the Forbidden City that has - on and off - been the seat of Chinese power since the 15th century. Continue reading...

Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 and built websites to spread Catholic message, to become first millennial saintIn a see-through safe carved into a wall behind the altar of a chapel in northern Rome lies a collection of relics of Carlo Acutis. These include a splinter from his wooden bed, a fragment of a jumper and a piece of the sheet used to cover him after his death. Locks of his hair are on display in other churches in the Italian capital and beyond.Acutis, the London-born Italian who on Sunday will become the Catholic church's first millennial saint, built websites to spread Catholic teaching, earning him the nickname God's Influencer" after his death, aged 15, from leukaemia. Continue reading...