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The highest UK temperatures are expected across the east and southeastern England while heatwave-related deaths climbed across EuropeFarryn StockOver in the UK, South East Water has announced a temporary hosepipe ban in Kent amid growing strain from the ongoing heatwave (31C today, 33C tomorrow).To safeguard that shared supply and prevent any homes from facing a sudden loss of water, we sadly need to ask our communities to not use their hosepipes immediately. We are deeply sorry for the disruption this causes, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone helping us protect Kent's water." Continue reading...

Trump suddenly scrapped the signing of a pivotal bipartisan housing bill yesterday, demanding the Senate pass his voter ID billPer our last post, House speaker Mike Johnson is meeting with the president at 2pm ET to try to find a way through the gridlock after a rebellion from GOP hardliners effectively shut down the floor yesterday.The group of Maga loyalists, led by representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, is insisting that no other legislation can pass until the Senate clears the so-called Save America Act. She posted on X after the upper chamber abruptly went into recess last night:It is 10pm and Thune just got unanimous consent (meaning not one senator objected) for the Senate to adjourn 19 days (July 13th) meaning the Senate is going home after tonight's votes.I will not be voting to re-open the floor until the Senate gets back to Washington. The Senate is literally running and not ONE senator objected to going on vacation before 4th of July.Maryland's Democratic US Senator Chris Van Hollen is endorsing the progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's Senate primary, a split with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, the Associated Press reports as an exclusive.The US supreme court is expected to issue opinions at 10am ET and most of the big cases have not yet been ruled upon. We await immigration and finance-related opinions in particular.Huge focus on the Hill where the House speaker, Mike Johnson, meets with Trump at 2pm, with both hoping the House will be persuaded to take a vote and end a rebellion from within the right wing of the Republican caucus over the Save Act to tighten up on who can vote in US elections.Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana got into a shouting match with Trump at the Senate lunch on Wednesday after Trump admonished four senators, including him, for backing a resolution to rein in the war in the Middle East. Kennedy reportedly responded: You have not told the American people what's going on" with the war, adding afterwards to reporters: It was supposed to last four weeks. It's lasted four months," according to Politico. Continue reading...

Debate in Labour and union movement over climate commitments as many call for Burnham not to allow drilling in North Sea

Delcy Rodriguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to the hardest-hit La Guaira area

PM says: I love this country, I want this country to thrive, and I shall do everything I can to make sure it's a success and thrives'In her Q&A this morning Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, confirmed that she wants the government to approve the licences for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in the North Sea.She said:I've been very clear that I think that the North Sea is a crucial asset for the UK, and that oil and gas will be an important part of our energy mix for years to come. And I'm very keen to make sure that we use that resource, to ensure our energy security.There are decisions to be made shortly on both Rosebank and Jackdaw. Those are quasi-judicial decisions. But in our manifesto two years ago, we committed to honour existing licences, and I hope that we do. Continue reading...

Burnham is coming under pressure from some to ditch net zero targets but this could be highly damaging on many levels

Estate agent is offering 30% share in former Russian spy's house for 114,000, with the rest owned by councilThe house in Salisbury where the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was poisoned with the nerve agent novichok is up for sale.A 30% shared ownership of the house on Christie Miller Road is being offered for 114,000, with the rest being held by Wiltshire council. Continue reading...

Second quake, at magnitude 7.5, was most powerful to strike the country since 1900, collapsing buildings in capital

Officers looking into reports the man had been aggressive and disruptive' and that passengers had restrained himA police investigation has been launched after a man on a Jet2 flight died after reportedly being restrained by passengers.A spokesperson for Greater Manchester police confirmed the death of the man, who was in his 30s. Continue reading...

Thermometer 23.5C overnight in Welsh capital as climate crisis makes such extreme temperatures more severe and more likely

Extreme weather breaks MRI scanners and cooling units, as workload rises for sleep-deprived staff on sweltering wardsDoctors have sounded the alarm over the disastrous impact of extreme heat on the NHS in England, with radiotherapy machines and MRI scanners failing, critical IT systems stalling and cooling units that serve entire hospitals breaking down.The hot weather has also prompted a surge in admissions and people arriving at A&E, causing severe overcrowding in some places and exacerbating heat-related pressures on infrastructure. Continue reading...

Human Tissue Authority says bodies not transferred to freezer in time due to insufficient storage needsBodies in the mortuary at the NHS trust at the centre of the health services biggest ever maternity care scandal were found in a state of advanced deterioration" due to not being transferred to a freezer in time, inspectors have said.Human Tissue Authority (HTA) inspectors who visited Nottingham university hospitals NHS trust in March discovered eight bodies in a state of advanced decomposition due to not being transferred to a freezer within a sufficient timeframe. Continue reading...

Duty on imports outside new quota will double in move echoed by similar changes in EU limits

A blooming new wave of musical theatre is exploring the plight of the planet with a playful and hopeful approachEarth is a single woman with a lot to give; Humanity is a charismatic bad boy who turns out to be an inveterate taker. Their toxic relationship is told in Hot Mess, a musical created by Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote, which works both as an eccentric romcom with broad commercial appeal and a serious analogy for our abuse of the once fecund, now depleted planet. A hot ticket at the Edinburgh fringe last summer and now on in London, it is at the vanguard of a newly blooming genre of musicals about the environmental crisis.The RSC's The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind uses exuberant song and dance for the true story of a teenager who builds a wind turbine from an old bicycle in drought-ridden Malawi. Bryony Kimmings' Bog Witch is a one-woman show with music and standup about the plight of the planet, while in New York the folk-pop musical Dear Everything was a response to climate emergency co-written by V (formerly Eve Ensler) and narrated by Jane Fonda. Meanwhile, in the West End hit Hadestown, hell is strewn with empty oil drums. Continue reading...

Content creation and online safety among new topics for 14- to 18-year-olds - but tweaks may be needed when social media ban comes inScouts are introducing badges in content creation, digital communication and online safety after consulting nearly 3,000 teenagers who said they wanted skills to help them navigate a world increasingly shaped by AI, social media and digital technology.The new Explorer Scout badges, part of the Scout movement's first major overhaul in almost 25 years, will require 14- to 18-year olds to explore how digital communities shape opinion, create online campaigns, investigate digital footprints and design toolkits to help others stay safe online. Continue reading...

Fears of long-lasting energy crunch slinking away' as vessel traffic doubled in 24 hours to highest level since late February

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Australian woman Leah Stewart no longer in critical condition but doesn't yet have use of her hand

Pupils say LPS Hybrid's combination of remote and in-person classes has transformed their school experienceTwo years ago, Ellie Ball could barely bring herself to attend school. Today, the 16-year-old is planning to take four A-levels and hopes to study astrolaw - It's basically space law," she explains - at university.The transformation happened largely through a screen. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: Amid rising antiimmigration rhetoric across Europe, the decision to engage with the Taliban signals a profound shift in how the EU balances security and human rightsGood morning. It's a slap in the face. That's the phrase I kept hearing - in furious overnight messages, in blazing opinion columns - as Afghan women responded to the meeting between EU officials and the Taliban that took place in Brussels on Tuesday.The talks, to discuss how to scale up the deportation of Afghan migrants, were met with widespread outrage, and disbelief that Europe would countenance offering legitimacy to a regime that affords a bird better protections than a woman.World news | Venezuela's interim leader has declared a state of emergency after the country was struck by two powerful earthquakes that collapsed dozens of buildings and killed at least 32 people, with experts warning the death toll could rise significantly.Heatwave | The UK has broken its all-time temperature record for June and France has recorded its hottest day ever for the second day running, as a heatwave affecting more than 90 million people sweeps across swathes of Europe.UK politics | Donald Trump has labelled Andy Burnham extremely liberal", in his first public comments about the former Greater Manchester mayor since he emerged as the frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer.Europe news | The first case of Ebola has been confirmed in France, the country's health ministry has said, in a doctor who had returned from a humanitarian mission to an area affected by the outbreak in the DRC.UK news | A little-known system in which US military personnel are tried through a court martial for alleged crimes committed in the UK is under growing scrutiny. Continue reading...

Police confirm they are investigating as sources close to Guy say he vehemently denies the allegations and is considering legal action

One woman says she found man in her room at WA fly-in, fly-out accommodation while another states she was howled' at, federal court told

Even sexual assault or paedophilia cases are heard by US courts martial, using an obscure 1951 agreement

Oxfam predicts PNG will be worst-hit country in Pacific from the weather pattern, with up to 3 million people affected nationwideFamilies across Papua New Guinea's Highlands are facing depleted harvests and the threat of hunger after the El Nino weather pattern brought frost and prolonged dry conditions that have destroyed food gardens providing sustenance and income for thousands of households.The effects of El Nino emerged in recent weeks, bringing drought conditions, falling water levels and frost that are threatening food security in some of the country's most agriculturally productive regions. Continue reading...

Home affairs minister Tony Burke says return permit has to be issued' following advice from agencies and lawyers

Queensland boy, now aged 17, wrote of autistic interest in bombs' alongside notes speaking to his troubled state of mind, court told

Experts say law not enough to stop children accessing harmful content online and more convincing strategy is required'More than 80% of under-16s in Australia said they were still using social media three months after legislation banning them from it came into force, research shows.Australia is the first country to ban social media for children. Since December 2025, under-16s have been prohibited from having accounts with many social media platforms including TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. Continue reading...

Defence minister says troops not withdrawing though Tehran sees end to war in Lebanon as part of deal with USThe Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, has said that Israeli troops would not withdraw from southern Lebanon, further complicating Iran peace talks as fighting in Lebanon continues to be an obstacle to permanent peace.Speaking on stage in an interview in Tel Aviv, Katz said Israeli troops would remain in south Lebanon - echoing sentiments from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue reading...

New party dubbed Community Strong Australia follows secret talks about future of community independents

A 41-year-old man has been arrested after Isaac Clare-Watts, 26, found at Nine Ladies monument on MondayA 26-year-old man who died in a suspected murder during a summer solstice event at a Bronze Age stone circle has been named by police.Isaac Clare-Watts, from Nottingham, was found at the Nine Ladies stone circle in Stanton Lees in the Peak District in Derbyshire at about 1.38pm on Monday. Continue reading...

Report uncovers biggest childbirth scandal in NHS history in which 520 mothers and babies suffered potentially avoidable' harm or diedHorrific failings led to 520 mothers and babies in Nottingham suffering harm or dying, sparking calls for a public inquiry into maternity care across England.In all, 444 women and 76 newborn babies suffered potentially avoidable" outcomes, a damning three-year long review of the biggest childbirth scandal in NHS history concluded.A bullying and toxic culture" persisted at NUH over many years and impeded moves to improve care.Maternity service managers and the trust's senior leaders were repeatedly warned about a host of serious problems in the maternity units at both hospitals but did not take effective action.Maternity staff displayed a culture of not admitting women who were seeking admission in labour", despite the risks this posed to them and their babies.Both maternity units were consistently seriously short-staffed and could not cope with the number of births and complexity of cases they had to handle.One baby girl who died early in gestation was inadvertently disposed of as clinical waste by laboratory staff after her postmortem examination", compounding her parents' distress. Continue reading...

Refugee charities fear controversial changes, including on forced removals and age checks, are being rushed throughShabana Mahmood's controversial plans to increase the forced removal of people refused asylum, introduce stringent age checks for people claiming to be children and limit applications under human rights laws are scheduled to be placed before MPs within days.The immigration and asylum bill is expected to be put before parliament next Tuesday and will face opposition from some Labour, Lib Dem and independent MPs. Andy Burnham's team, widely expected to be in No 10 within weeks, is understood to be aware of the bill and its contents. Continue reading...

Senior figures plan to convince Burnham to revive war bonds' when he becomes prime ministerSenior government officials are planning to lobby Andy Burnham during access talks to revive the idea of war bonds" to pay for higher defence spending when he becomes prime minister, the Guardian understands.Senior figures want the Treasury to be allowed to borrow more for military spending and will try to convince Burnham to invest beyond the 13.5bn earmarked for the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (Dip). Continue reading...

President's promise of photo and video evidence of vandalism at Washington landmark yet to be fulfilledDonald Trump and the Department of the Interior are facing growing pressure to release photo and video evidence substantiating their claims of sabotage at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington.The $14.7m renovation of the landmark has descended into a farce of algae blooms, peeling paint and dead ducks just days before the US's 250th anniversary celebrations. Crews have been seen erecting fencing near the area. Continue reading...

Some worry choosing James Purnell, former Demon Eyes teammate, would show Labour struggling for new talentThe most powerful football team in the country is getting back together.Andy Burnham's decision to appoint James Purnell as his chief of staff should he become prime minister will reunite not only two old friends and former Labour ministers but two of the linchpins of the famous Demon Eyes team set up in the late 1990s. Continue reading...

Husband arrested after Sylvie Yasmina, 54, and five children found at home in north-western provincePakistan police say they have rescued a French woman and her five children after she told authorities she had been held captive by her husband for more than a decade and subjected to years of domestic abuse in the country's north-west.The woman, identified as 54-year-old Sylvie Yasmina, was rescued earlier this week from a mud-brick home in Bara, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, the district police chief, Waqar Ahmad, said. Continue reading...

British Chamber of Commerce boss Shevaun Haviland says transition to clean energy could be handled betterAndy Burnham should be ready to exploit the UK's remaining North Sea oil and gas resources to avoid mass job losses in Scotland and the north-east, the director of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), Shevaun Haviland, has said.The decision about whether to allow extraction at the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields now appears likely to fall to a Burnham administration. Continue reading...

Plan warns climate crisis will lead to food price shocks and shortages but farmers say it fails to adequately fund responseThe climate crisis will lead to food price shocks and shortages, the government has warned in its new plan for British farming.But farmers criticised the plan, which outlines for the first time the government's vision for the long-term direction of farming, for failing to adequately fund a response to this threat to the UK's food security. Continue reading...

Deutsche Bahn widely criticised after hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded in operator's latest setbackGermany's rail network ground to a halt late on Tuesday as a result of maintenance work that went wrong, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers unable to get home as the national operator faced widespread criticism over the chaos.The Deutsche Bahn (DB) meltdown was initially thought to have been caused by a cyber-attack, but it later emerged that it was likely to have been triggered by a scheduled attempt to replace an ageing component in the railway's internal communication network, without which the trains are unable to run. Continue reading...

Tory leader said Labour MPs were cheering, even though there are 400 knives' in Starmer's backBen Quinn is a Guardian political correspondent.Nigel Farage has made an explicit pitch for support from an international gathering of thousands of social conservatives and hard-right activists, likening family breakdown" to community breakdown" as populations grew more diverse.

West Sussex reports temperature of 35.8C, beating previous record from 1976; red weather alert extended to 72 of France's 96 mainland departments

President is demanding Senate approve Save America Act, which would dramatically change voting regulations

Leftist Ivan Cepeda conceded to far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella who won by razor-thin marginThe defeated leftwing candidate in Colombia's presidential runoff has conceded to the far-right, Trump-admiring millionaire lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella.Since Sunday night, the preliminary count had already pointed to a De la Espriella victory by a razor-thin margin of less than 1% of the vote. Continue reading...

Spokesperson says departing PM will serve out remainder of his term representing Holborn and St Pancras

In this week's newsletter: As the EU consolidates, the UK faces renewed debate over the longterm shape of its relationship with the continent Don't get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThe morning of 24 June 2016, the day after Britain voted to leave the EU, dawned grey and overcast in Brussels, after a stormy night. As the Guardian's correspondent in the city, after a few hours' sleep, I hurried to a breakfast briefing with Conservative MEPs at a smart hotel in the EU quarter. Large trays of eggs, sausages and beans were barely touched, as MEPs fielded questions they couldn't answer: What happens now? When would the UK leave? Would David Cameron resign? A few hours later he did.In the EU institutions officials broke down in tears. A few top British EU civil servants prepared to resign. Anti-EU populists were jubilant. European leaders feared a domino effect of withdrawals. Sadness, shock and anger swirled on that humid day. The then-president of the European parliament, Martin Schulz, told me that EU lawyers were studying whether it was possible to speed up the triggering of article 50, the then-obscure and untested EU exit clause. Then European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker declared he would like to get Brexit negotiations started immediately". The idea of hurrying Britain out the door was soon dropped, but those statements reflected the febrile mood. Continue reading...

Jonathan Anderson's golden touch is on display in Paris with mix of metallics, brooches and ripped jeansFashion brands were tuned to the weather forecast in Paris in the run-up to the menswear shows this week - and aware temperatures would reach 40C on Wednesday. This weekend a decision was made - the Christian Dior show, originally scheduled for the afternoon, would be moved to 9am, to avoid the heat of the day.The change in time certainly made the experience more palatable - as did (in possibly a fashion-week first) the cool towels handed to guests on arrival, umbrellas to block out the sun and personalised fans on seats. In the grounds of the grand Musee Nissim de Camondo, which is under renovation to reopen in 2030, those in the garden even had the benefit of the occasional breeze. Continue reading...

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Pharrell Williams's menswear collection had a surf theme, while Saint Laurent models wore skinny suitsIn temperatures close to 40C, most of Paris would have loved to go to the beach this week. Guests at the Louis Vuitton show got the look at least - the ground was covered with sand and there was a huge artificial wave as a backdrop.The menswear collection, designed by Pharrell Williams, had a surf theme. There were branded wetsuits, Ugg-style boots and the chunky knits surfers wear at the end of a day. There were some jumpers and slouchy suiting, but the active lifestyle idea took centre stage with board shorts, caps, skate-style sneakers and a gilet. Some models carried surfboards branded with the Louis Vuitton logo and the final look was a model in a monogram wetsuit carrying a bike on his shoulder. Continue reading...

Woman posed as sex worker and drugged men in order to steal from them with accompliceA woman posed as a sex worker and administered a deadly amount of sedative to two men so that she and an accomplice could steal from them.Adina Mihai, 31, and Madalin Dumitru, 30, admitted the manslaughter of an 80-year-old Gloucestershire man and a 37-year-old from Oxfordshire. Continue reading...