Wildfire thought to be largest in Belgium's history creeps closer to German border prompting evacuationsBack to Belgium, a Monday morning update from the local governor's office said the fire's spread remained limited thanks to more favourable winds and rainfall recorded late overnight."Major aerial resources are due to reinforce crews on the ground throughout the day," it said, with helicopters from Norway and Germany joining the fleet of aircraft hauling water to hard-to-reach areas. Continue reading...
Party's welfare to work' policy would force long-term claimants to do community work or face losing benefitsRobert Jenrick went on to say that long-term benefits claimants will be made to clean up their local high street and do charity work or face having their benefits taken away.He said as part of the party's welfare to work" policy, long-term claimants, who are fit to work, will be forced to do 20-hours of work a week in the community.They'll work to clean up high streets and parks, to beautify neglected places, to carry out minor repairs, to staff libraries and community centres to perform many other tasks from the list that we've published today.We'll also embrace local charities and community groups and ask them to help us and take part. If claimants refuse to participate or fail to show up, they'll face penalties. Continue reading...
President orders Pentagon to scale back inappropriate and hostile' exercises with South KoreaRepublican senator Bill Cassidy - a medical doctor who voted to confirm anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy as federal health secretary in early 2025 - on Sunday denounced Donald Trump's crazy, stupid" claims about the safety of the combined MMR vaccine for undermining faith in immunization.When Trump recently ordered changes to the recommended childhood vaccination schedule, with Kennedy by his side, the president called for two shots of the combined Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine to be scrapped in favor of two doses of three separate vaccines, claiming that the MMR shots are sort of like a nuclear weapon" that could be quite lethal". Continue reading...
Kemp's ridley sea turtle, near death on Welsh beach in 2023, is thriving in Houston despite lingering pneumoniaA Kemp's ridley sea turtle native to the Gulf of Mexico is largely thriving after he was found nearly dead on a beach in Wales in late 2023, nursed back to health and then flown to Houston recently to continue recovering - though scans revealed signs that the creature has been grappling with lingering pneumonia, according to his caretakers.Rhossi's condition was detailed in a blogpost on Friday from the Houston zoo, whose veterinary team was tasked with caring for the creature - believed to be no older than age four - and giving him the best chance possible at an eventual, successful return to the wild. Continue reading...
Temperatures could drop by more than 15C compared with last Thursday as cold front moves arrives from MondayRelief from the unrelenting heat is finally arriving this week across western Europe, with more unsettled conditions bringing the chance of rain. Temperatures are expected to fall back towards the seasonal norm, with some parts of the UK even falling about 3C below normal by Thursday. After such a scorching summer, and with a temperature drop of more than 15C compared with last Thursday's heat, it may feel surprisingly chilly.There are signs that some substantial rain could be on the cards for the south of the UK this week as a cold front moves in from the Atlantic on Monday night into Tuesday. As of Monday, parts of southern England had endured 62 consecutive days of no rainfall - this is observed at a Met Office weather station in Wisley, Surrey. Even the last recorded rainfall here on 16 June amounted to just 0.4mm. Continue reading...
At least 2,325 people have died from the virus, according to official data, with outbreak on track to be biggest in historyThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now the deadliest in the country's history with at least 2,325 people dead, according to government data, surpassing the toll from the 2018-20 outbreak.The DRC's public health institute said confirmed cases had risen to 4,945, including 101 detected in the previous 24 hours. Continue reading...
Billionaire CEO of world's biggest bank says any windfall tax on sector's bumper profits could harm jobs in CityJamie Dimon, the boss of the US bank JP Morgan, has urged John Healey not to use his first budget as chancellor to increase taxes on banks' bumper profits.Speculation has been growing that a windfall tax could be imposed on UK lenders to fund Andy Burnham's cost of living agenda, with campaigners estimating such a move could raise 19bn. Continue reading...
The leftwing commentator has been invited to appear on the Planet America program on Monday nightThe ABC is set to air the return of its Planet America program on Monday night as the US midterm elections gain steam, with a new episode featuring the leftwing commentator Hasan Piker.Host John Barron said the episode will focus on the rise of Democratic socialists and the populist left", with Piker speaking about what it's like in the eye of a political storm". But the appearance quickly sparked the ire of conservatives in Australia. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The Spanish prime minister has remade himself as Europe's leading leftwing standard-bearer. Could his success offer the UK's PM a route forward?Good morning. To international onlookers, Pedro Sanchez appears to have achieved the impossible. Where other European leftist and left-ish premiers have flopped and flailed, the Spanish PM has endured.Since June 2018, Sanchez has ruled from Madrid, implementing a raft of progressive policies. More recently, he has emerged as a leading, and often lone, left-wing European voice on the global stage, striking a defiant tone on everything from the Trump administration's war in Iran (the smokescreen of war to hide their failure") to Israel's actions in Gaza (exterminating a defenceless people"). The fact that the international press has nicknamed him El Guapo (the handsome one) can't hurt.UK economy | The UK should expect to see a new cost of living crisis, with official figures released this week by the ONS expected to show how soaring energy bills drove up inflation close to 3% in July.Ceuta | Moroccan police arrested 111 people this weekend, who were trying to enter Spain's north African territory of Ceuta, amid tightened security on both sides after social media posts called for another mass crossing.Jason Arday | The University of Cambridge has defended its mental health support for the academic Jason Arday.UK politics | Andy Burnham is being urged to protect 4 million gig economy workers, who thinktanks warn miss out on key statutory rights including: parental leave, redundancy pay and protection against unfair dismissal.Indonesia | Rescue crews dug through collapsed buildings and landslide debris in eastern Indonesia on Sunday, searching for bodies after a powerful earthquake killed at least 51 people, and injured more than 100.Sanchez understands that anchoring his party to the left ... is where he can govern.Monday | Nominations close for candidates seeking to replace Anas Sarwar as Scottish Labour leader.Tuesday | Opening arguments expected to begin in a lawsuit brought by multiple US states against Meta about social media addiction.Thursday | Students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will receive their GCSE results. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#77QSW)
Parents of Michaela Hall, whose partner killed her after he left prison in 2021, say Probation Service cannot cope with mass releaseMore women will die if ministers include domestic abusers in the early prison release scheme, the parents of a woman murdered by her partner shortly after he was freed have warned.Michaela Hall, a 49-year-old charity worker, was killed in her home in Cornwall, by Lee Kendall in 2021 two weeks after he was released from prison, where he had been serving a sentence for assaulting her. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#77QSX)
Research from King's College London finds that Reform voters' perceptions were furthest from the truthThe public overestimate how many minority ethnic people are killers, as well as how many foreign national offenders there are, a new study has found.The research from King's College London tested knowledge and perceptions of crime at a time when radical right parties are trying to link offending to ethnicity and nationality to gain votes. Continue reading...
Panettiere's death was announced by her father, who called her an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy'Hayden Panettiere, the actor known for her roles in television shows such as Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36.Panettiere's death was confirmed in a statement from her representative to the Guardian on Sunday night, after it was first reported on US network ABC News. No cause of death was given. Continue reading...
President says move is based on very good relationship with Kim Jong-un' but US military officials have said Ukraine war is boosting regime's combat capabilitiesDonald Trump has said he is scaling back joint US military drills with South Korea aimed at deterring North Korea, despite military officials from both countries warning that Kim Jong-un's regime was learning new battlefield tactics from the Ukraine war.The drills under Ulchi Freedom Shield, one of two major annual exercises held by South Korea and the US, start on Monday and run until 27 August. Continue reading...
Fierce competition in some areas of London means landlord purchasers are making successful lowball offersThe average price of a home coming up for sale in Britain's richest borough has dropped by almost 100,000 in a month as fierce competition among sellers in many areas prompts some to slash their price expectations, data shows.The property website Rightmove said that for Britain as a whole, average newly listed asking prices for homes had fallen by 2% over the past month, the largest August price drop in eight years. Continue reading...
Angela Rayner to launch guidance for default yes' on developments near transport hubs, including on green belt sitesThousands more homes could be built within 10 minutes of transport hubs, including on green belt sites, under a loosening of planning policy announced by Angela Rayner on Monday.The housing secretary will set out changes to national planning guidance for England that will include an order for councils to have a default yes" approach to housing developments that are within a reasonable walking distance of well-connected train and tram stations.Stronger support in principle for development, meaning a more explicit presumption in favour of building in sustainable locations.Pubs will get protection from being turned into housing or offices with developers having to prove there is no reasonable prospect of keeping a pub as a going concern, including evidence that it was marketed for sale for at least a year.A requirement for at least 40% of homes to be accessible on bigger developments and stronger protections for community facilities.Stronger support for growth and infrastructure including support for AI growth zones and datacentres. Continue reading...
Hurricane Lala downgraded after skirting Big Island as one person dies and more than 200,000 homes and businesses without powerHurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday after skirting Hawaii without making landfall, but it wasn't done punishing the Big Island with hurricane-force gusts. Total rainfall of nearly 3ft (1 meter) was expected on the higher windward slopes, turning rivers into raging torrents and threatening mudslides.The Hawaii governor, Josh Green, said at least one person died in a car accident in the South Point area of the Big Island, where more than 100 homes were destroyed. More than 200,000 homes and businesses were without power on Sunday afternoon across Hawaii's three largest islands, according to the utility tracker PowerOutage.us. At least three hospitals were operating on generator power, and 19 roofs were lost, Green said. Continue reading...
Head-on collision between two vehicles on M9 in County Kildare also injured four other people, say policeFive teenagers have died and four other people have been seriously injured in a crash involving a car driving in the wrong direction on a motorway in the Republic of Ireland, police said.Gardai confirmed the bodies of the youths, all male, had been removed from the scene of the two-vehicle collision, which happened at about 3am on Sunday on the M9 in County Kildare. Continue reading...
Couple die in Salamis, while multinational forces and local farmers tackle Belgium's biggest fire in a century near LiegeAn elderly couple died in fires on the Greek island of Salamis on Sunday and Belgium is battling its largest modern-day wildfire at an inaccessible area near Germany, in the latest wave of European wildfires.The couple died outside their home in the Peristeria beach area of Salamis, Greece's coastguard said. More than 500 people were ordered to evacuate. Continue reading...
Robert Jenrick takes aim at disabled people and foreign nationals after saying UK guilty of suicidal empathy'Reform UK has been accused of excluding the most vulnerable from society and punishing non-Britons living in the UK as it prepared to outline 50bn of cuts to benefits for disabled people and foreign nationals.Robert Jenrick, Reform's finance spokesperson, will detail the plans for 20bn of cuts to disability benefits overall, as well as another 21bn from stopping foreign nationals - including EU citizens with settled status - claiming almost any benefits, among other cuts. Continue reading...
by Tom Phillips in São Bernardo do Campo on (#77QKQ)
President, 80, vows to keep far-right from power as Flavio Bolsonaro tells supporters he will fight this system'Brazil's leftwing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has launched his campaign for a historic fourth term and vowed that as long as he lived he would not allow the shameless" right to return to power.Addressing a sea of supporters in Sao Bernardo do Campo, the industrial city where his political career began nearly half a century ago, the 80-year-old politician reminded voters of the chaos and violence that unfolded during the 2018-22 presidency of his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, whose son Flavio Bolsonaro will face Lula in October's presidential election. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan Wales correspondent on (#77QKR)
Efforts of emergency services and military in Blaenavon appear to be working but there are fears for the futureMore than three weeks after it began burning and two days after the military deployed to the area, there is hope that the huge wildfire on the hillside above the Ebbw valley village of Blaenavon may finally be coming under control.Emergency workers and soldiers described a gruelling battle against the deep-seated peat fire that has spread over 4,000 hectares (9,800 acres), putting lives, farmland and property at risk. Continue reading...
Suppliers could factor water scarcity into charges as part of Ofwat proposal to reduce consumptionWater companies could be allowed to raise bills for customers during periods of drought under proposals being considered by the sector's regulator for England and Wales.Suppliers would be permitted to factor water scarcity" into bills as part of efforts to reduce consumption under Ofwat's plans, which are being likened to surge pricing - the practice where private hire firms raise taxi fares at times of higher demand. Continue reading...
Kyiv launches what may be its largest attack wave of war, with fire breaking out at warehouse near Russian capitalUkraine has launched one of its largest drone attacks since the start of the war, causing a fire at a distribution warehouse near Moscow and killing at least six people overnight, according to Russian authorities.The defence ministry in Moscow said it had shot down 1,478 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours - the highest ever total claimed - in an escalating air war in which seven Ukrainians were also killed as Russia bombed 13 locations inside the country. Continue reading...
Revelation comes after it was disclosed that Reform UK backer had paid for spying on prominent journalistThe businessman and Reform UK backer Arron Banks commissioned a private intelligence firm to dig into the Conservative party chair, in addition to having paid for an investigation into a prominent journalist.Banks, a former Reform UK candidate and leave campaign donor, appeared to confirm on Sunday that he was behind an investigation into Kevin Hollinrake. Continue reading...
University says it continued to provide support after resignation of academic, who was found dead this weekThe University of Cambridge has defended its mental health support for the academic Jason Arday.The university said it had continued to provide Arday with extensive mental health support and security measures, including installing panic alarms and screening racist emails and post, after he resigned from his post as professor of sociology of education this month. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#77QFK)
Force has seen busiest month in its history, with heatwaves putting added strain on criminal justice systemOn England's hottest day of the year so far, Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester was thronging with pedestrians, many clutching ice-creams or cold drinks as they passed through the town centre.Officers from Greater Manchester police were also out in force, some in plainclothes, some stationed by a facial-recognition van, apprehending wanted suspects and stopping persons of interest. In total, officers made 54 arrests across the borough of Tameside as part of Operation Avro, GMP's blitz on local crime which runs in a different district each month. Continue reading...
Four works were taken during public holiday, the day after Italian police recovered paintings by Cezanne, Renoir and MatisseFour of the most important works of art by the 15th-century Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen during a national holiday from a museum in the Sicilian port city of Messina.Thieves gained access to the Regional Museum of Messina, or MuMe, on Saturday evening, possibly capitalising on attention being focused on La Vara, a huge religious festival that takes place in the city on 15 August, when Italy marks the ferragosto national holiday. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#77QFN)
Detectives say 55-year-old man arrested and appeal for anyone who witnessed altercation in WakefieldPolice in West Yorkshire have launched a murder investigation into the death of a man after he was bitten by a dog.Officers were dispatched to Wakefield just after 1.30pm on Saturday, after receiving reports of an altercation a short time earlier on an old trainline footpath. Continue reading...
Loggerhead turtles abound this season but rollback of Endangered Species Act protections could threaten futureWildlife groups in Florida are celebrating record numbers of sea turtle nests this season, but experts warn Donald Trump's recent gutting of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) could reverse decades of their recovery from the edge of extinction.With more than two months of the summer nesting season still to run, loggerhead turtles have already laid 13,770 nests, hundreds more than recorded in any previous year, along an 8.5-mile stretch of shoreline monitored by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, on Florida's Atlantic coast. Continue reading...
James Green's oyster company owns a chunk of Whitstable's shoreline but success has not brought affection from residentsThe clink of glasses and the lapping of the tide was punctuated by giggling toddlers and the slurp of oysters at tables populated by people gently sizzling on a baking day on the Kent seaside.But James Green, of the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company, had the demeanour of a man who had found grit in his mollusc. I don't like to use the term but it is nimbyism," he said. Why did it become personal? I don't know really. Because we're a family business, it's a relatively small town?" Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent on (#77QE4)
Exclusive: Campaigners say millions are missing out on key rights including sick pay and protection against unfair dismissalAndy Burnham is being urged to protect 4 million gig economy workers by prosecuting companies that use widespread bogus" self-employment practices to deny people their rights.As the prime minister fleshes out his agenda, the Fabian Society and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have warned that millions of workers are missing out on key statutory rights including parental leave, redundancy pay and protection against unfair dismissal. Continue reading...
Mark Nelson released from immigration detention on bail after lawyers challenge decision to remove himA Jamaican man who has lived more than half his life in the UK and was facing imminent deportation has been allowed to reunite with his British family after a legal challenge.Mark Nelson, 47, came to the UK in 2000 and later set up his own car-mechanic business. He has five British children and a British partner. He faced deportation in 2022 after serving a four-year prison sentence for possession with intent to supply a class B drug, abstracting electricity and two offences of racially aggravated intentional harassment. He had not committed any further offences. Continue reading...
Another 10 people in serious condition after bus veers off motorway and overturnsTwelve people have died after a bus carrying a group of Polish tourists overturned on the M3 motorway in Hungary on the way back from Bosnia and Herzegovina.Local police said the bus crashed near the town of Mezkeresztes after it went off the straight road into a ditch and overturned" at 1am local time. Early reports suggested the driver had probably fallen asleep. He survived the crash and was taken into custody. Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo in Hungary. Photographs by David Lev on (#77Q9J)
The Guardian travelled 100 miles along the EU's longest river, where some residents are struggling to secure drinking waterFor centuries, the rock was seen as a warning. When it began to emerge from the Danube, beneath Gellert Hill in Budapest, it meant the river had fallen so low that floating mills could no longer operate, crops were probably failing, and hunger would almost certainly follow. That is why, in the Hungarian capital, where over time the boulder became little more than a legend, it was named Inseg-szikla - the Rock of Starvation.Today, amid record-low water levels on the Danube, the rock has not only emerged from the water, but surfaced almost in its entirety, along with the sandy riverbed on which it rests, astonishing geologists and government scientists sent to examine it. And, much as the rock was said to warn, Hungary is now facing an unprecedented energy crisis that has forced the country to shut down all but one of its Danube-cooled nuclear reactors for the first time in 44 years. Continue reading...
Housing secretary says developers will have to prove there's no way to save pub, as she prepares planning shakeupAll pubs will get protection from being turned into housing or offices under a shakeup of planning laws in England to be presented by Angela Rayner this week.The housing secretary will publish a new national planning policy framework aimed at loosening planning laws even further to help build 3m homes by the end of the parliament. Continue reading...
New rules could affect nine in 10 rental properties in duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster and at SandringhamKing Charles and Prince William could be forced to spend up to 10m upgrading hundreds of rental properties on their private estates to meet planned energy-efficiency rules.The government has announced that landlords will need to ensure their properties have energy performance certificate (EPC) ratings of C or higher by 2030 - up from the current requirement of an E. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent on (#77Q9G)
Latest reading on Wednesday likely to frame scale of challenge for new PM to ease pressures on households amid Iran war falloutBritish households are facing a renewed cost of living squeeze, with official figures expected to show this week that soaring energy bills drove up inflation in July to close to 3%.As the Iran war continues to send shock waves through global energy markets, economists predict the surge in UK gas and electricity bills last month will push Britain's headline inflation rate to 2.9%. Continue reading...
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