World news | The Guardian

Shallow quake hit Indonesia's Flores region early on Saturday, prompting thousands to seek higher groundA powerful 7.7-magnitude quake struck eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, killing at least 38 people, causing widespread panic and collapsing buildings and homes in a region prone to deadly earthquakes.Authorities had issued a tsunami warning, which has since been lifted, but there have been dozens of aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 6.1. Indonesian authorities said that monitoring showed no significant sea level changes that could indicate a tsunami. Continue reading...

US tax policy deprives the government of revenue and overwhelmingly serves the interests of the richAfter the House passed its version of Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last year - the one that paired a $5tn-plus tax cut with $1tn-plus of cuts from food stamps and Medicaid - the House speaker, Mike Johnson, explained that this is not giving tax cuts to the millionaires". The beneficiaries, he said, were small business owners" that provide the jobs in every community in America".Johnson was playing to the myth of the modest, sturdy Main Street job creator. It is an appealing story. It's also the most consequential piece of BS distorting American policy that deprives the government of tax revenue, stunts American capitalism, twists regulations, thwarts competition and overwhelmingly serves millionaires' interests. Continue reading...

With questions over Farage's finances and a new face in No 10, could Barnsley council be a bellwether for changing Labour fortunes?Labour marked its worst performance in more than 50 years when voters went to the polls in Barnsley in May, but 100 days on from those seismic local elections, the political landscape has shifted drastically.Could the South Yorkshire town, where Reform UK reaped the benefits of dissatisfaction with Labour, prove to be a test case for whether the governing party has turned the tide? Continue reading...

Academic was pronounced dead at his home in south London after police called to address after 3pm on FridayJason Arday, the academic who resigned last week as a professor at the University of Cambridge, has been found dead at his home in south London.The Metropolitan police said officers were called to Arday's address by the London ambulance service after 3pm on Friday. Continue reading...

Apparent high level of removal orders suggests Sweden is rejecting reasonable grounds' for failing to apply to stayBack in October 2020, the UK immigration minister stood up in parliament to reassure campaigners concerned about EU citizens who weren't aware they had to ask the Home Office to stay in the country after Brexit.Using an example of a child in foster care who might not know they were an EU citizen until they applied for their first job, the Conservative Kevin Foster said the UK would take a generous approach as to what reasonable grounds [for failing to apply] were". Continue reading...

Figures disclosed by 33 NHS trusts show temperatures on wards during July rose above 28C limit set by NHS EnglandHospitals in England have recorded temperatures of almost 42C this summer, with surgeries being cancelled because operating theatres' cooling units stopped working in the intense heat.The Northern Care Alliance NHS foundation trust, which runs four hospitals in Greater Manchester, recorded a temperature of 41.8C during last month's heatwave - 14C above the recommended safe maximum.Some patients are also cancelling their own surgery because it is too hot for them to travel.

Authorities confirm first Australian death of species found with virus near where it attracts crowds to a penguin parade'

Users need discretionary income of nearly 100,000 a year to make savings on their grocery spend after paying 1,200 for GLP-1s, analysis findsThe high cost of weight-loss medication is a regressive tax on being thin" because the outlay outweighs any saving on food costs for all but the highest earners.Someone needs to have discretionary income of nearly 100,000 a year to actually save money after covering the 1,200 annual cost of GLP-1 medication, according to an analysis by the consultancy Baringa. Continue reading...

Conservative authority says site is not safe for vulnerable people charity serves or general publicWestminster council is making it impossible" for soup kitchens to operate by complaining about the crowds of vulnerable people" who turn up to be fed, a charity has said.Steven Stuart, who founded Friends of Essex & London Homeless (FOELH) with his wife, Cheryl, a decade ago, said constant complaints from the council could force the soup kitchen to shut down. Continue reading...

Corporation was told of claims by Christopher Berry-Dee that he had clothing, which was lost while in its possession

The New York congresswoman's power is in the spotlight as people wonder if the stars are finally aligning for her to run for US president in 2028They assume that my ambition is positional. They assume that my ambition is a title or a seat. And my ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country."The words were delivered slowly, deliberately and with some steeliness by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Her audience, crammed into the pews of Rockefeller Memorial chapel at the University of Chicago, burst into spontaneous applause. That was in May. In the three months since, the speculation around Ocasio-Cortez's ambitions - for herself and for America - has only grown louder. Continue reading...

Campaigners fear deeper diplomatic contacts are undermining demands for improvements in human rightsThe Taliban in Afghanistan have launched a diplomatic effort to end their isolation as major regional and international powers show a readiness to engage more closely with the repressive regime despite its systematic human rights abuses.Five years after the Taliban took power, an increasing number of countries are renewing ties or scaling up diplomatic contacts with the hardline Islamists, who seized power in Kabul in 2021 after 20 years of brutal insurgent warfare. Continue reading...

Hundreds gathered with flashes of pink to farewell the five-year-old girl, who was allegedly murdered in April

Senior colleagues dismiss Bragg's migration figures as personal views' while others say critical response is an overreaction'

Fresh search teams to scour Nattai national park for Lily Hooper, 18, who failed to return home from a bushwalk

PM steps up climate response with measures including better water access and support for building farm reservoirsFarmers must not carry the risks of the climate crisis alone, Andy Burnham has said, as he announced 65m of funding to help them manage the devastating drought.The prime minister is stepping up his response to the immediate climate crisis after facing a backlash from his own MPs and Labour's grassroots for not addressing the climate crisis despite wildfires tearing through Britain and a drought affecting food producers. Labour MPs argued Burnham had taken too long to talk about the climate crisis and had not made it a priority. Continue reading...

Network wants to serve Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr after president sues over January 6 documentaryThe BBC is trying to subpoena Donald Trump's children as it builds its defense against the president's defamation lawsuit centered on a documentary on the January 6 insurrection.In a motion filed on Friday, the BBC sought authorization to serve Trump's two eldest children, Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, with subpoenas for testimony and their records on the events of 6 January 2021. Continue reading...

Win is significant for region's premier, Doug Ford, who blames protected zones for city's traffic illsThe Ontario government is now free to rip out Toronto's bike lanes on its busiest streets after the region's top court ruled in favour of the province on Friday, overturning a lower court's decision that decreed removal would violate constitutional rights.The win is significant for Ontario's premier, Doug Ford, and his government, who have long railed against Toronto's bike lanes, blaming the protected zones for the city's traffic ills. Continue reading...

People urged not to light barbecues, campfires or anything else that could spark fire during period of extreme heatMillions of people across England and Wales have received an emergency alert to their phones as the government warns against activities that could start fires.The deputy prime minister, Louise Haigh, said it was the most extensive use to date of the emergency alert system, with phones beaming a siren noise about 7pm, with the warning there is a serious risk of wildfires nationally". Continue reading...

Festival organiser says she has booked next year's headliners but would not say if Taylor Swift is among themMadonna will not be performing at next year's Glastonbury, the festival's organiser, Emily Eavis, has said.The singer, who has the most top 10 singles in UK chart history of any female artist, has never featured at Britain's biggest music festival. Continue reading...

Palestine's vice-president calls plan flagrant violation of international law' and a step towards full Israeli annexationIsrael's defence minister wants to transfer law enforcement powers for Israelis in the occupied West Bank over to the police, a plan that Palestine's vice-president described as a flagrant violation of international law" and step towards full Israeli annexation.Israel Katz announced that he had ordered the military to draw up plans for the handover of responsibility for policing Israeli settlers amid domestic and international criticism of the army's failure to tackle militants besieging three Palestinian families. Continue reading...

Plea comes weeks before separate case is scheduled to start in New York, and could throw proceedings into disarray

Defense team file motion to dismiss state murder case on double jeopardy rules after Mangione tells Manhattan court I shot Mr Thompson and he died'

Reform UK leader says he stayed away from vote count in Clacton to avoid being humiliated by nobodies'Nigel Farage's attempt to draw the sting from inquiries into his financial affairs appeared to have backfired on Friday as the standards watchdog reopened its investigation and MPs from all sides condemned the needless byelection.The Reform UK leader declared victory in the Clacton vote as he was returned with an increased majority and gained more votes than in 2024, saying he had stuck two fingers up at the entire political establishment". Continue reading...

One person killed and hundreds evacuated in Croatia as blazes also hit Germany, Greece and SpainAlmost 500 people have been arrested on suspicion of starting wildfires in France since the start of the summer, authorities have said, as firefighters in half a dozen European countries tackle ferocious blazes amid a record-breaking heatwave.A fire engulfed homes in a Croatian holiday resort on Friday, killing one person, injuring 40 and forcing 1,200 to evacuate, officials said, as the EU warned that pockets of very extreme" wildfire conditions stretched across the continent. Continue reading...

Group backs Elijah Manley in primary election in bid to unseat veteran Democrat in newly drawn districtA progressive group has endorsed a 27-year-old substitute teacher who overcame childhood homelessness in his bid to unseat the veteran Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida.The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) said it is backing Elijah Manley in next week's primary election in Florida's newly drawn 20th congressional district, casting the race as a contest between a young economic populist and a stalwart of the Democratic party establishment. Continue reading...

Constitutional council says curbs infringe freedom of expression and privacy as president vows to rework legislationFrance's top court has blocked a ban on social media access for under-15s, ruling that it infringed freedom of expression and privacy.The decision is a blow to President Emmanuel Macron as momentum builds around the world for Australian-style restrictions on children's use of social media. Continue reading...

Grifols, which runs private chain of clinics, to temporarily stop taking donations after new government investigationA chain of private plasma donation clinics in Canada has said it is pausing collections after the deaths of two donors and a new government investigation into potential unsafe practices.Grifols, a Spanish healthcare company which runs 17 clinics in Canada and is the country's only private clinic for plasma donation, said it informed Health Canada of its decision to temporarily pause collections on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Firefighters discover body and say more than 40 people hurt in the Lokva Rogoznica and Omi areasEngland has received just 4mm of rain so far in August, or 6% of the long-term average for the month, the Environment Agency said on Friday, as reported by PA.It follows the driest July on record for the country, when only 7mm of rain was measured, or 10% of the average. Continue reading...

PM also says fire and rescue services will be given more cashThis election is a novelty with a record 34 candidates, including Howling Laud Hope of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party and Marcus White from the Everyone is God Party.They have pounded the streets of Clacton over the past few weeks as they seek to win the support of about 80,000 voters. Continue reading...

Artworks valued at total of more than $10m were stolen from Magnani Rocca Foundation near Parma in MarchItalian police have recovered three paintings by the French masters Paul Cezanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse that were stolen earlier this year from a private museum near the northern city of Parma, authorities have said.The raid took place overnight on 22-23 March at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, about 12 miles (19km) from Parma, after a series of high-profile thefts from other European museums. Continue reading...

Evacuation orders issued for 400,000 after flooding, landslide warnings and power outages in Chiba prefectureAt least five people have died in eastern Japan after unprecedented" heavy rain that left nearly 7,000 stranded at Tokyo's Narita airport and forced thousands to take refuge in government buildings.The torrential rains hit Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, on Thursday night, triggering landslide warnings and power outages. Evacuation orders were issued for more than 400,000 people in Chiba and other areas, and about 45,000 homes lost power, as 115mm of rain fell hourly, approximately the same amount usually recorded for the whole month of August. Continue reading...

Steven Sansom and Adam Watson accused of trying to kill Urfan Sharif, who murdered his daughter, in prisonTwo men have been charged over what is understood to be the attempted murder in prison of Urfan Sharif, who is serving a life sentence for murdering his 10-year-old daughter Sara.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced the charges against Steven Sansom, 47, and Adam Watson, 39, after an incident at Belmarsh prison in London. Continue reading...

Full investigation under way by authorities after incident on Thursday left two passengers with severe injuriesTwo people were seriously injured when a passenger train derailed between Haywards Heath and Lewes in East Sussex on Thursday.The South East Coast ambulance service said two people had been taken to major trauma centres with severe injuries. Continue reading...

Plus, heartbreakingly brilliant Cats: the Jellicle Ball, summer reads and Taylor Swift's low-key weddingI've been in New York for two weeks, where the unthinkable has happened: even for a city accustomed to extremes, it is so hot, so humid, so reminiscent of Mobile, Alabama, or Mumbai, that all over the city, New Yorkers have been forced to break persona to talk about the weather. Was it always like this?" (No.) Can you believe this?" (No.) Are you having a stroke?" (Possibly.) Continue reading...

Israeli PM criticised by political rival for attacking an international ally and overseeing horrific diplomatic failure'The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called the UK the Islamic republic of Britain" in a podcast interview, where he also described the country as the first Islamic republic to get a nuclear weapon".His comments, made during an interview for Israel's army radio, played into a common far-right Islamophobic trope about Britain's small Muslim population. Continue reading...

Kevin Rideout, who was abducted by unknown assailants in Niamey, said to be in good health and in care of US officialsAn American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger in October has been released, his organisation has said.Kevin Rideout is in good health in the care of US officials" and would soon be reunited with his extended family, SIM International said in a statement. Continue reading...

England received only 10% of its average July rainfall and some areas may just get the odd shower for rest of AugustEngland has experienced its driest July since records began in 1836, receiving only 6.5mm of rainfall - 10% of the country's long-term meteorological average for the month. Wales also experienced its driest-ever July, while Northern Ireland recorded its eighth driest. Scotland was the only country in the UK not to set new records but still received only 69% of its average rainfall for July compared with the long-term average. Southern England faced the worst of the dry conditions with some areas, including the Sussex coast, receiving less than 0.2mm of rain in July. This resulted in widespread low moisture content within the soil, enabling temperatures to reach the high 30s celsius.Looking ahead, despite notable spells of rain in the north, parts of southern England may receive only the odd shower for the rest of August. Throughout the summer, forecast models have hinted at more unsettled weather reaching the south-east of England at a 10-day range. However, as time edged closer the rain was largely confined to north-western parts of Britain, failing to reach the south-east with any significance. With much uncertainty within forecast models, the risk of this dry period persisting is not out of the question. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Uran Ferizi says arrivals fell sharply after short-lived influx, but country continues to be stigmatisedThe number of Albanians who travelled to Britain in small boats four years ago remains the focus of unhinged" and hysterical" criticisms from rightwing politicians and the media, according to the country's UK ambassador.Uran Ferizi said the influx of more than 12,000 people from the Balkan state in 2022 was real", exceptional" and short-lived", but the Albanian community in the UK was still being framed by those events by Reform UK and the Daily Telegraph. Continue reading...

The Reform UK leader forced a vote that failed to make financial questions disappear, only the man himself Clacton byelection - UK politics liveDawn had long broken in the Essex town of Clacton-on-Sea when the results for the byelection came in. After a gruelling count, an atmosphere of deep exhaustion had settled over the room. Even the man with a dustbin on his head looked weary.As it was declared that Nigel Farage had, as expected, won, there was no cheering in the room, which had been boycotted by the Reform UK leader and his supporters; instead there was only an overwhelming sense of futility. Continue reading...

ABS data shows an almost 9% slump in new lending to investors after three interest rate hikes this year

Twenty-one birds released on Bodmin Moor where it is hoped they will one day return to produce their own youngThey took a little coaxing at first - after all, they had got used to a safe, comfortable aviary tucked away in woodland on the edge of Bodmin Moor. But after a few minutes, the birds stepped out into freedom and the bolder ones were soon soaring into the blue, the first white storks to be released into the wilds of Cornwall.Yan Swiderski, the founder of the Cornwall Stork Project, had tears in his eyes. I do feel a bit emotional," he said. He sounded a little like a proud father wanting to play down the achievements of his offspring - and failing. They're a little bit clumsy at the moment. They aren't used to flying free ... but they do look majestic, don't they?" Continue reading...

Former 2GB and 2UE radio broadcaster is facing 22 indecent assault and sexual touching charges. Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty

Follow today's news live

Second world war paintings and sketches show novelist engaging with her world in a new light'For decades, they lay in a secret room in her attic gathering dust. Now, newly discovered artworks by the Booker prize-winning author Iris Murdoch - including the only self-portrait she is known to have painted, four surrealist landscape paintings and three sketches of female nudes - will go on display for the first time on Friday.The artworks were created at the start of the second world war when Murdoch was a student at Oxford. They expose her early interest in surrealism and fascination with the naked female form. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader does not appear for the result, despite beating nearest challenger, Count Binface, in byelection he caused amid deepening scandal over 5m gift

Extreme heat is harming the wellbeing of the ordinary people the PM champions, yet he has ignored the subjectFrom the first day Andy Burnham came into office, climate scientists, campaigners and some of the ordinary people surviving through this summer of extreme heat began to wonder when he would start to talk about the climate crisis.Up until this week, many held back from criticism. After all, he had only been in power for a couple weeks; it felt far too early to start to judge and call him out on it. Continue reading...

Most owners would consider installing aircon as heatwaves lead buyers to focus on ability to stay cool, Rightmove saysSearches for homes for sale in the UK with air conditioning have more than doubled this summer as heatwaves push staying cool up the list of priorities for homebuyers, alongside nearness to good schools and transport links.In the week of the UK's fifth heatwave, in which temperatures in parts of England hit 38C, the property website Rightmove said the heat was influencing how Britons thought about their homes, with more people paying attention to how comfortable a property would be during hotter weather. Continue reading...

From chefs to paramedics, workers tell the Guardian how they are coping and unions outline the changes needed in the workplaceIn the sweltering kitchen of the Plimsoll pub in north London, the head chef, Joshua Swinney, has a frozen tea towel wrapped around his neck to combat the heat.As temperatures exceeded 35C (95F) in the capital, workers who were not lucky enough to be in air-conditioned offices sweltered in the heat. Continue reading...

Cernavoda shutdown poses immediate problems for Moldova, which relies on Romanian power to cover its own electricity shortagesRomania has been forced to shut down the last working reactor at its only nuclear plant after drought caused the Danube river to fall to record lows - a rare move that will immediately affect power supplies in neighbouring Moldova.Drought and record-low water levels have deepened fears of an energy crisis across Europe, which is facing a new summer heatwave. Continue reading...