by Angus Thomson (now) and Jakub Krupa (earlier) on (#77N90)
A former UK government scientific adviser warned amid the shattering' heat that worse is still to comeMet Office has just offered an update on temperatures across the UK, with several stations already reporting temperatures above 30C - and it's not even 11am.It's 30.4C in Wych Cross, 30.3C in Charlwood, 30.2C at Kenly Airfield. Continue reading...
Federal court rules administration failed to plausibly show ongoing violation of civil rights lawA US federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit that claimed Harvard University failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment in the aftermath of the war in Gaza.In a ruling on Thursday morning, US district judge Richard Stearns in Boston said the administration's lawsuit - filed in March - failed to plausibly show an ongoing violation of federal civil rights law on Harvard's campus. Continue reading...
by Luke Harding, Andrew Roth in Washington and agenci on (#77NND)
Kyiv said to have suggested agreement in apparent attempt to reopen crucial grain corridor, according to ReutersUkraine has proposed a deal with Russia that would see both sides halt their attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, Reuters has reported, in an apparent attempt to reopen a crucial grain corridor.Kyiv is said to have made the offer via a third party. Moscow has yet to respond, the news agency added. The busy waterway is a key export route for both Russia and Ukraine, used to transport grain and other vital foodstuffs worldwide. Continue reading...
by Shrai Popat (now); Lucy Campbell and Mabel Banfiel on (#77NC2)
US defense secretary says conditions misrepresented' on military vessel as 5,000 sailors and marines endure record-breaking deployment at sea tied to war in Iran
No deaths or serious injuries reported after train from London Victoria to Eastbourne came off tracksA passenger train has derailed between Haywards Heath and Lewes in East Sussex, prompting a rapid emergency response in the area.Images of the aftermath show at least two carriages on their side. They appeared to show passengers standing on top of the toppled carriages while others could be seen in an area of heathland alongside emergency workers. Continue reading...
This year's festival is superpowered by a strong year for Scottish cinema, showing it can thrive under the four dimensional perpetual catch-22' of global ambitions Borges, ballet and BDSM: Peter Bradshaw's 10 must-see movies at Edinburgh international film festivalNow that its disastrous collapse and speedy rebirth is a trauma slowly receding in the rear-view mirror, the Edinburgh international film festival can set its sights on bigger things. Apart from its traditional role providing a showcase for the best of current world cinema, the festival has an ace up its sleeve for 2026: the undeniable confidence and conspicuous achievement of its home film industry in Scotland. Just as Cannes likes to give a decent amount of houseroom to favoured French directors, and Sundance sees at least part of its job to talk up US independent cinema, Edinburgh acts as a vector for Scottish film-makers to gain valuable exposure and get their work in front of significant festival audiences. Inevitably, some years are harder than others, but Edinburgh's 2026 edition feels stronger than it has been for years.The festival's opening gala slot, traditionally a local film, has been given to The Incomer, a surreal comedy starring Domhnall Gleeson and set Scotland's far north, and which picked up a major award at the Sundance festival earlier this year. Among a clutch of strong films are Borges and Me, based on Jay Parini's memoir of escorting author Jorge Luis Borges on a trip around the Highlands; Sunny Dancer, a chemo camp" comedy filmed in Loch Lomond, starring Bella Ramsay as a teenager dealing with the aftermath of cancer; and The Education of Jane Cumming, the extraordinary true life story of the 19th-century Edinburgh schoolkeeper who inspired The Children's Hour. Scottish artist Douglas Gordon is the focus of a new documentary, Douglas Gordon by Douglas Gordon, while Scottish Ballet perform in These Violent Delights, a film rendering their dance version of Romeo and Juliet. Past glories are due to live again with a 30th anniversary screening of junkie classic Trainspotting (with the added bonus of a live club night featuring a DJ set from Irvine Welsh). Continue reading...
Defense secretary said conditions on aircraft carrier deployed in support of Iran war have been completely misrepresented'The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, insisted a wave of reports describing deteriorating conditions and mental health struggles onboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln have been completely misrepresented", pushing back against growing congressional pressure over the ship's record-breaking, nearly nine-month deployment.We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment," Hegseth told reporters during a visit to Panama, adding that some deployments are longer than others" and praising sailors enduring high seas" and austere conditions with less port calls". Continue reading...
Figures emerge in critical letter to Home Office from organisation appointed to scrutinise detention facilitiesNearly 100 children have been wrongly identified and detained as adults under Shabana Mahmood's one in, one out" deal with France, the Guardian can disclose.Home Office staff said that of 304 age-disputed cases arising from the scheme over nine months, 94 - or 31% - were ultimately found to be minors. Children are supposed to be excluded from the scheme, while government policy limits immigration detention of unaccompanied children to 24 hours.had been awaiting deportation for more than six months, despite being supposed be held for up to 28 days only in exceptional cases".were being readied for removal to France despite having TB or requiring hospital treatment.faced removal after being separated from family members with whom they had travelled, which she said had a particularly damaging impact". Continue reading...
Undercover officers working for West Midlands' special projects team' planted evidence to convict men, lawyers claimLawyers representing four men convicted of terror offences are increasingly hopeful that revelations from the undercover policing inquiry could boost the chances of their case being reopened.Ten years ago, Khobaib Hussain, Naweed Ali, Mohibur Rahman and Tahir Aziz were arrested and later convicted of plotting a terrorist attack in the UK after an elaborate covert police operation. Continue reading...
Readers recall the breathtaking sight and community spirit of the rare celestial treat - and the handmade contraptions they saw it throughOn Wednesday evening, millions of people in Europe watched a rare solar eclipse. We asked some of them to share their photographs and experiences of this celestial treat.
Man dies in Bas-Uele after travelling from Haut-Uele, as head of WHO says outbreak on track to be deadliest everThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to a sixth province, officials have said, a day after the head of the World Health Organization said the outbreak was on track to surpass the deadliest in history, which erupted more than a decade ago and killed more than 11,000 people.Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa CDC, said a death had been recorded in the previously unaffected Bas-Uele province. Kaseya said the man had travelled from Isiro, in Haut-Uele province, to Buta, the capital of Bas-Uele, where he died. Continue reading...
Phillip Ormerod was taken to hospital after the incident in the Crow's Nest in Cwmbran and later died of his injuriesA 102-year-old man has died of his injuries after allegedly being assaulted at a pub in south Wales.Phillip Ormerod of Cwmbran in the Welsh valleys, was taken to hospital after the incident at the Crow's Nest pub on 1 August. Gwent police said on Thursday that he had since died. Continue reading...
The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelectionThe number of patients in England being cared for in hospital corridors or makeshift areas has remained above 3,000 a day for the second month in a row, as the NHS experiences a summer surge", the Press Association reports.This was happening as A&E attendance numbers reached 2.5m in July - higher than any other single month on record. May and June were also record months for A&E attendance, in part because of the extreme heat.Yvette Cooper, the health secretary, warned yesterday the health service must start planning for summer pressures in the same way as winter.However, the data shows overall waiting times for treatment fell slightly in June after rising for two months in a row.The NHS normally experiences spikes in demand during the summer months, as the public spends more time outside which can lead to a rise in accidents. But this summer has seen unprecedented pressure, with the heat contributing to an increase in admissions caused by more outdoor activity and respiratory issues linked to dry weather, as well as worsening of underlying medical conditions.The first minister is right to ask about this. This is 1,500 jobs in the north of Scotland. It's also an area that is being transformed by that move towards offshore renewables, Scotland continuing to contribute.It's an area which is, in general terms, important for security. Scotland is contributing to European energy security, which is a concern across Europe when you speak to leaders there. Continue reading...
South American fish with razor-toothed jaws was probably released by someone who owned it as a pet, officials sayAn eight-year-old boy fishing for bass in Pennsylvania was stunned to catch something more associated with the Amazon - and countless horror movies - than the rolling landscape of the eastern US.Seamus Coffey, who was fishing with his father Michael in a lake near Philadelphia, hauled in a large red-bellied piranha, complete with the razor-toothed jaws that the fearsome breed is so famous for. Continue reading...
Indiana faced most outages at 267,000, about 8% of its customers, with severe thunderstorms and wind aheadPower supply was cut on Thursday to about 540,000 homes and businesses across the US midwest as severe storms battered the region, data from PowerOutage.us showed.Indiana was the hardest-hit state, with more than 267,000 outages, representing about 8% of its roughly 3.3 million customers, the data showed. Continue reading...
Incheon airport had 38.39m international passengers in first half of 2026, as traffic diverted from Middle East hubsSouth Korea's Incheon airport has become the world's busiest airport for international passengers, in part owing to disruption in the Middle East caused by the Iran war.The airport, South Korea's main gateway, about 30 miles (48km) west of Seoul, handled 38.39 million international passengers in the first half of 2026, according to preliminary figures compiled by the Airports Council International (ACI), the global trade body for airports. Continue reading...
Mina Smallman, whose daughters were killed in north London park in 2020, says force decides who matters'The Metropolitan police does not take all cases of violence against women seriously and instead decides who matters", the mother of two murdered women has said.Mina Smallman, whose daughters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were killed in a north London park in 2020, also said Britain's biggest police force was incapable of change. Two police officers were jailed in 2021 after taking photographs of the dead bodies of her daughters and sharing the images in WhatsApp groups, referring to them as dead birds". Continue reading...
by Damien Gayle Environment correspondent on (#77N91)
Biological factors mean a child's core temperature rises faster than an adult's - and that can result in a medical emergencyChildren and babies are more vulnerable in heatwaves than healthy adults. As temperatures rise again, how do we keep children safe? Continue reading...
Settlers and soldiers cut off water and electricity to homes, and block medical care in campaign of terrorIsraeli militants have besieged two Palestinian families in their homes since the weekend, aiming to take over their properties in the West Bank village of Qusra through a campaign of terror.A group of settlers and soldiers set up a tent outside the home of Yousef Hassan on Sunday afternoon, trapping him inside with his wife and two young daughters. Continue reading...
by Alexandra Topping Political correspondent on (#77N7G)
Longest ballot in UK voting history features likes of Count Binface and Howling Laud Hope alongside Reform leaderPolls have opened in Clacton, with thousands of residents in the Essex seat to vote in a ballot featuring Nigel Farage and a range of novelty and fringe candidates led by Count Binface.The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection in an attempt to address complaints over a deepening scandal about gifts he received. Continue reading...
Health secretary praises more collegiate style under Andy Burnham and says previous No 10 sidelined her from key policy launchYvette Cooper admits Labour has not done government very well" in the last couple of years, and accused Keir Starmer's No 10 of sidelining her during the launch of a key immigration policy when she was home secretary.Speaking on the Political Currency podcast with the former Conservative chancellor George Osborne, Cooper highlighted some of the difficulties ministers faced with Starmer's leadership, which she summarised as bring me solutions, not problems". Continue reading...
Exclusive: Ministers explore diverting male prisoners serving short terms or on remand away from tougher jailsMinisters are examining a possible upgrade of security at men's category C and women's prisons to deal with an overcrowding crisis across the England and Wales estate, the Guardian understands.Officials have explored diverting prisoners on remand or serving short sentences away from category B reception" prisons such as HMPs Liverpool, Manchester and Pentonville in north London. Continue reading...
Hakainde Hichilema is bidding for second term, but feud between him and family of Edgar Lungu, who died in 2025, continuesAs Zambians go to the polls, the ghost of the current president's predecessor hangs over the elections.Hakainde Hichilema, 64, is bidding for a second term leading the southern African country after defeating his arch-rival Edgar Lungu by a landslide in 2021. Continue reading...
by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on (#77N7C)
Rise in new mine proposals, mainly in states of Odisha and Jharkhand, comes despite plateau in global demandEnough new coalmining projects were proposed last year to increase global supplies by 2.5bn tonnes a year, an increase of 11% from the year before, even as demand for coal plateaus, according to a new report.Global Energy Monitor, an NGO, found that India ignited a rise in new coalmine proposals in 2025 despite a global slowdown in the number of mine openings because of falling demand for the fossil fuel. Continue reading...
by Nino Bucci Justice and courts reporter on (#77N5W)
Victorian corruption watchdog alleges weapon was used to hit man's head, with another officer accused of kneeing him in same incident last yearTwo Victorian police officers have been charged with assault after allegedly using a Taser and knee to repeatedly strike a man in the head during an arrest last year.But the officers remain on duty, police have confirmed. Continue reading...
Kelce's remarks on his marriage to Swift at Madison Square Garden comes weeks after the event, which remains shrouded in mysteryAmerican football star Travis Kelce has described his secretive early July wedding to pop sensation Taylor Swift as the best night of my life."I appreciate everybody who came out and celebrated and, you know, had fun with us," the Kansas City Chiefs player told a briefing. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker, Tobi Thomas and Aletha Adu on (#77N45)
RCN calls for more air conditioners as Burnham faces pressure to recognise urgency of adaptation to climate crisisNurses are collapsing during shifts amid inhumane and impossible" conditions caused by extreme heat, their union has warned, as Andy Burnham promised to grapple with the bigger questions" of climate adaptation.Amid growing pressure from Labour backbenches to fully acknowledge the urgency of adaptation measures as the climate crisis bites, Burnham said he was for now focusing on the immediate crises caused by an ongoing summer of extreme heat. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam in Madrid, Miranda Bryant and Chris on (#77MZK)
Beginning in Russia's remote Arctic north, the eclipse traced an arc over much of western Europe - with the best views in Spain, Iceland and GreenlandIt was a moment of awe shared by millions across Europe: an eclipse that blocked out the sun, plunging parts of the continent into a daytime darkness in which temperatures dropped and birds suddenly went quiet.Wednesday's eclipse began in Russia's remote Arctic north, going on to trace an arc over much of western Europe. From the UK to northern Italy, tens of millions of people turned to the sky as the light of the setting sun was almost completley blocked out. Continue reading...
People came from far and wide to witness phenomenon that has thrilled humans for thousands of yearsAt 6pm the beach and village began to empty, and those in the know headed up the hill towards the old granite coastguard station on the headland.This is the best spot," said Sennen Cove resident Lisa Redfern, who had built a pinhole camera for the eclipse out of an old Ryvita Thins box. Continue reading...
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