Apple Macbook 13-inch prices jumps from $1,799 to $2,099 while the cost of iPads surge by 25%Australians woke up on Friday to higher prices for Macbooks and iPads after Apple hiked worldwide, blaming an AI-driven cost crunch for computer parts.The iPhone range was unaffected but experts predict Apple will raise prices for its flagship product later this year. Microsoft also lifted its Xbox prices overnight amid a wave of increases for phones and devices. Continue reading...
Conservationists emphasise importance of protecting nesting sites used by strongly faithful' red-listed speciesMigratory swifts loyally return every year to their nests in buildings, according to a study, underlining the importance of providing the endangered birds with hollow nesting bricks if traditional nest sites are lost to renovations.The swift, which is on the red list of conservation concern, is one of Britain's most threatened species, having declined in number by 70% since 1995 because of the loss of nesting sites, often when old buildings are re-roofed or given better insulation. While Scotland this year made the installation of swift bricks - a simple hollow brick - a legal requirement in new buildings, the government in England has repeatedly refused to oblige builders to include a 35 swift brick in every new home. Continue reading...
Plans by Wolfgang Porsche to bore private 500-metre road link through Austrian hill caused anger among localsWolfgang Porsche, the Austrian-German automotive magnate, appears to have abandoned plans to build a private 500-metre tunnel for his cars through the Salzburg hills after a public uproar over the tunnel for one".In 2020, Porsche bought a storied 17th-century villa on the outskirts of Salzburg for 8.4m (7.2m), and last autumn he secured permission from the city authorities for an estimated 10m private access road through the rugged limestone hill. Continue reading...
High temperatures make some workplaces dangerous, with economists warning disruption will dent growthMonique Mosley is used to sweltering conditions at the food factory in Yorkshire where she works, but June's record-breaking heatwave has made conditions unbearable. We make hot filled food products and it's common that we see temperatures in the high 30s," she said. Thanks to our union, our employer is offering extra breaks, but not every workplace is the same."The latest heatwave to grip the UK and much of western Europe has presented significant challenges to employers and their employees, from sweltering offices, disrupted commutes and school closures to dangerous construction sites where workers are at risk of dehydration, heatstroke and other injury. Continue reading...
Gwent police say accused will face court in Newport following arrest over discovery of teenage girl's body in Duffryn Park area of BlainaA 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder after the discovery of a missing 14-year-old girl's body, Gwent police said.The boy, from the Blaenau Gwent area, was arrested after the discovery of the body in the Duffryn Park area of Blaina in Wales on 22 June. Continue reading...
International Maritime Organization says safety guarantees must be confirmed before ships can move againA United Nations agency has paused the evacuation of ships through the strait of Hormuz after the British military said a vessel was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman following the passage of several tankers that used a route backed by the UN.The head of the UN's International Maritime Organization said on Thursday that the plan to move stranded ships out of the Persian Gulf through the strait would be on hold until the agency could confirm safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region. Continue reading...
by Presented by Annie Kelly with Harry Davies; produc on (#76JRJ)
When the academic Sarah Steele was assaulted in England, she had no idea her case would end up in front of a US military court. Harry Davies explains why military judges and juries are ruling on crimes committed in the UKA 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. One person who has been through that system is the academic Sarah Steele.Steele told the Guardian investigations correspondent Harry Davies that after she was strangled one night by Jacob Wulfson, a US fighter pilot who lived in a flat in Cambridge, her case was taken up by the US military justice system. The members of the jury at her trial were all men from the air force. It's been really difficult having to literally sit in a room full of people in uniform, overwhelmingly older men, and have those individuals who haven't any semblance of life experience similar to my own; they were culturally different," she said. Continue reading...
by Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro, Camille Rodríguez on (#76JRM)
US among countries sending help to search for survivors on north coast, where dozens of buildings flattened, as official death toll reaches 235Rescue teams are racing to Venezuela's shattered northern coast after almost simultaneous earthquakes reduced dozens of buildings to rubble, killing at least 235 people but with thousands more fatalities feared. Officials said at least 4,300 people were injured as rescue missions continue.The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the defence department would help search and rescue teams deploy to the affected region after Venezuela's main gateway, the Simon Bolivar international airport, near the capital, Caracas, was badly damaged by 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes less than 40 seconds apart, late on Wednesday afternoon. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins in Beijing and Alastair McCready in Ta on (#76JRB)
China's leader wants to promote his alternative to the current world order, and his efforts are being assisted by a capricious USXi Jinping meets Bangladesh's new prime minister on Friday, the latest in a wave of world leaders to visit Beijing this year as the Chinese leader builds his influence and economic ties, and seeks to shift the balance of power" away from the west.Xi's meeting with Tarique Rahman comes less than two weeks after the Chinese leader welcomed Myanmar's military chief-turned-president, Min Aung Hlaing, in Beijing. Continue reading...
Blaze on Tintwistle Moor, Glossop, has burned more than 500 square metres, forcing road closures and smoke warningA major wildfire close to Greater Manchester has torn through large areas of moorland for more than 24 hours, forcing road closures and smoke warnings as fire crews battle to bring it under control.The blaze, on Tintwistle Moor, near Glossop, has burned an area of more than 500 square metres of moorland and woodland, with thick plumes of smoke directly affecting the villages of Tintwistle, Hollingworth and Woolley Bridge. Continue reading...
Planning permission has been sought for three additional military sitesHome Office plans to use three more former military sites to house thousands of asylum seekers have been condemned as arrogant", costly" and a political fix" by refugee charities and local stakeholders.Planning permission is being sought to build basic" accommodation at MOD Bicester in Oxfordshire, RAF Barnham in Suffolk and RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, a statement said. These new sites could house 3,750 claimants, the government has claimed. Continue reading...
Network says it was no longer possible' for Stefanovic to host Today, days after he interviewed far-right activist Tommy Robinson on independent podcast
Mike Tapp wrote unauthorised article saying new settlement rules should not cover overseas care workersShabana Mahmood is locked in an extraordinary standoff with Keir Starmer after Downing Street refused to immediately sack her junior minister for breaching the ministerial code.The home secretary has demanded that Mike Tapp, the immigration minister, should be sacked for writing an unauthorised article calling for overseas care workers to be exempt from hardline immigration changes. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#76JGD)
Ambitious and welcoming' venue that opened in 2020 praised for reimagining what being a museum can mean'The Box in Plymouth has won the prestigious Art Fund museum of the year award, the largest such prize in the world, for its ambitious and welcoming approach".Awarding it the 120,000 prize, judges called the Box a revelation in so many ways" and a true jewel in the crown of the south-west". Continue reading...
Jury clears 16-year-old of murder and manslaughter over the death of Aria, who died from a single stab woundA 16-year-old boy has been found not guilty of the murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe, who died after being stabbed with a kitchen knife.Aria sustained a deep wound to her chest at her home in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, on 15 December last year. Continue reading...
Civil service high-flyer caught up in Mandelson vetting row thought to be discussing comeback with Burnham's teamThe Foreign Office chief who lost his job over the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal is in discussions with Andy Burnham's team about taking on a security-related role under the likely new prime minister, the Guardian understands.Olly Robbins has had early exploratory talks" with senior advisers to the newly elected Makerfield MP over a post in his putative Downing Street operation, and insiders suggested he could be appointed national security adviser. Continue reading...
Reform MP appears to contradict party leader's claim money from crypto billionaire is none of your business'Robert Jenrick has said it is legitimate" for the media to ask questions about Nigel Farage's 5m personal donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire, just days after the Reform UK leader told an interviewer it was none of your business".Jenrick, who is Reform's shadow chancellor, said voters on the doorstep were not asking about the money given to Farage by the Thailand-based British crypto investor Christopher Harborne. Continue reading...
by Patrick Wintour and William Christou on (#76JDK)
Blocking of proposal backed by Oman signals new threat to free passage through strait vital to world economyIran has rejected UN-backed plans for the mass evacuation of ships through the strait of Hormuz , creating a new threat to the free passage of commercial ships through the strait.The proposal, backed by Oman, was potentially the first phase of a broader Omani proposal to consult on setting up a new management of the strait based on voluntary fees and modelled on the Malacca and Singapore strait mechanism. Continue reading...
The former Manchester mayor could be installed as prime minister in weeks if no other MP puts themselves forwardIn 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...
French capital hails landmark decision' against oil firm relating to disclosure of emissions from oil and gas productsA Paris court has ruled that the French oil company TotalEnergies must disclose the climate risks linked to emissions from its oil and gas products and set out plans to address them in a high-stakes case brought by NGOs and the city of Paris.The ruling on Thursday is a partial victory for climate change NGOs seeking to apply France's 2017 corporate duty of vigilance law to the climate crisis. However, the court stopped short of ordering specific measures such as limiting overseas exploration and production or setting binding emissions reduction targets. Continue reading...
Dr Mazen Al-Rantisi, a 71-year-old physician well known for providing care to low-income Palestinians, was arrested in the occupied West BankIsraeli forces on Sunday arrested a prominent 71-year-old Palestinian physician known as the doctor of the poor" in a pre-dawn raid on his home in the occupied West Bank, prompting widespread condemnation.Dr Mazen Al-Rantisi, a physician widely known for providing care to low-income Palestinians, was arrested before dawn at his home in the al-Tira neighbourhood of Ramallah. Continue reading...
From Cameron's Brexit exit to Starmer's Burnham bow-out, half a dozen PMs have gone. So who's the best of the bunch?The UK has had six prime ministers in the last 10 years - with a seventh likely to be in place by as early as mid-July.John Crace ranks those who have been booted out of Downing Street between 2016 and 2026. Continue reading...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
by Anna Bawden Health and social affairs corresponden on (#76HV2)
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...
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