World news | The Guardian

Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary reached record temperatures of more than 40C on SundayRecord-high temperatures were also recorded in Germany over the weekend, with reports of wildfires and Berlin police resorting to using water cannons to cool down the crowds.In Gohrischheide, in eastern Germany, a fire broke out in a large forest that's still contaminated with ammunition from the second world war, complicating efforts by firefighters, AP reported. Continue reading...

Makerfield MP and hopeful prime minister to pledge growth in every postcode'Good morning. When Keir Starmer became PM, he had published his missions and his first steps, Labour was awash with policy, but some people still felt it was hard to know what his driving motivation was, what was the single big goal he wanted to achieve in politics. Andy Burnham is set to become PM three weeks today and in his case it is easy to answer this question because he published a book about it in early 2024 with Steve Rotheram, the Liverpool city region mayor, called Head North. They argue that the north of England has lost out because power in the UK is hoarded in the south and they propose a huge rebalancing, achieved by the devolution of decision making and spending away from London, building on some of the work they had been able to achieve as metro mayors.Anyone curious as to what Burnham will do in Downing Street has to start here. The book even includes a 10 point plan, some elements of which will almost certainly be dropped but some of which will be at the core of the Burnham project. Continue reading...

Report says once-in-a-generation changes needed to tackle why such children are lowest-performing large demographic

This blog has now closed

Subsidiary of FTSE 250 company says Coffee Studio's phrase too similar to its Eat Drink Meet' trademarkWhen Tahir Mehmet, the owner of an independent coffee shop, tried to register three simple words", Eat Drink Work, as its slogan, he had little idea it would pitch him into a legal battle with one of the UK's largest hospitality groups.The application in relation to the Coffee Studio, which has two London cafes, has been opposed by a subsidiary of Mitchells & Butlers, whose brands include Toby Carvery, Harvester, All Bar One and O'Neill's, which says it is too similar to its Eat Drink Meet trademark. Continue reading...

Dozens of civilians reported dead by Taliban after strikes launched following militant attack in KarachiPakistani airstrikes in three eastern provinces of Afghanistan killed 36 civilians and wounded 163 others, the Taliban government's deputy spokesperson has said as attacks between the two countries showed no sign of abating.Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the operations on Sunday night were aimed at a terrorist group his country blamed for a deadly militant attack in Karachi that killed three security personnel over the weekend. Continue reading...

Melissa McIntosh's comment comes after Angus Taylor's claim Morrison government breached trust'

Judge says no legitimate forensic purpose' to former Liberal staffer's subpoena requesting footage, ahead of his Queensland trial

Jacinta Allan resists calls for royal commission into state's $100bn Big Build infrastructure project as pressure mounts following new reports

British-born, older men among those most likely to have disease found only postmortem, say researchersOne person a week dies with undiagnosed and therefore untreated tuberculosis in England, a study has found.British-born, older men were among those most likely to have TB diagnosed only after death, researchers said, suggesting healthcare workers could be overlooking the possibility of the disease in these patients. Continue reading...

Show at Martin Gropius Bau gallery in Berlin is biggest ever celebration of an East German female artist in a state museumGabriele Stotzer remembers the days when she had to decide: Am I buying a sausage, or film for my Super 8 camera?"Stotzer was one of the most radical artists in communist East Germany, and her desire to create was born in defiance of and in spite of the material conditions and oppressive restrictions of the GDR regime. Continue reading...

NAO inquiry follows suspension of payments after erroneous records that claimants had emigratedAn HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) anti-fraud crackdown that stripped 23,000 families of their child benefit failed to adequately consider" the policy's impact on claimants, an official report has found.The report by the National Audit Office followed HMRC's decision to suspend payments after flight records provided by the Home Office purportedly showed thousands of parents had emigrated. Continue reading...

Mallorie Jane Roberts, 23, found with gunshot wounds on Sunday evening with her partner arrested at the home

Greens and David Pocock accuse industry of using programs and sponsorships to build social licence', push for parliamentary inquiry

At least seven people have died in water-related incidents during record-breaking June temperaturesThe body of a 15-year-old boy has been recovered from a reservoir near Manchester, as police renewed warnings about the dangers of swimming in open water during soaring temperatures.Greater Manchester police said officers had been called to reports of a boy getting into difficulty in the water near Cowbury reservoir in Stalybridge at about 6.30pm on Saturday. A body was recovered later that evening, and was identified as the missing teenager. Continue reading...

The Australian Electoral Commission is examining if party breached laws in its $6m public funding claim after the last election, documents show

Simon Peter Carman, 46, has denied the charges against him

Sussexes trip to Britain in balance after government declines request for taxpayer-funded securityThe Duke of Sussex is understood to be reconsidering plans to bring his wife and children to the UK next month after his request for taxpayer-funded police protection was rejected.Prince Harry and Meghan were planning their first trip to Britain as a family in four years for events related to the Invictus Games, due to be held in Birmingham in July. Continue reading...

Vice-president appeared on Bill Maher's show hours before more military strikes were exchanged in strait of HormuzJD Vance said on Friday that the US wins either way" regarding negotiations with Iran, pointing to what he called the destruction of its nuclear program and diminishment as a country.If we make the final deal, then great," the US vice-president told HBO's Bill Maher. If we don't make the final deal, their nuclear program is still destroyed. They're still much weaker as a country, so my attitude is America wins either way." Continue reading...

Denmark experiences highest temperature on record on Saturday as weather system spreads eastward

Passengers report being stuck on grounded planes in sweltering conditions as severe weather causes travel disruption across Europe

Leader of local authority in Oxfordshire faces backlash over injunction to maintain neutral, safe space for residents'While Londoners scurried from building to building seeking shade on another baking hot day this week, one man paused in the shadow of the Royal Courts of Justice.The leader of Oxfordshire county council, Tim Bearder, was not only happy in the shade of the court's gothic towers. He had just won a landmark legal victory. Continue reading...

Activists aim to repeat disruption of Jeff Bezos's wedding when billionaire Tilman Fertitta drops anchorProtesters in Venice are planning to disrupt a visit by the billionaire US ambassador to Italy in his 117-metre superyacht, which they fear he plans to dock in the lagoon city.We ruined the party for Jeff Bezos's wedding last year - this year let's ruin the ambassador's tour!" said Stella Faye, a 28-year-old researcher and activist, at a meeting of about 40 demonstrators on Thursday. Continue reading...

Accumulation on Switzerland's glaciers from last winter expected to all be gone by Monday amid enormous' melt rates across AlpsSwiss glaciers are set to lose an enormous amount of ice due to the heatwave battering Europe, according to the head of Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (Glamos).The snow and ice accumulated last winter by Switzerland's glaciers is expected to have all melted away by Monday, marking the alarming second-earliest arrival on record of the tipping point known as glacier loss day. Continue reading...

Strikes against military facilities were in response to drone attack a day earlier on a cargo vessel

Row between Shabana Mahmood and Mike Tapp broke out after he wrote unauthorised article about immigrationA rift between Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood has deepened after it emerged the home secretary wanted to deny the migration minister, Mike Tapp, access to sensitive documents without her approval as she called for him to be sacked.Downing Street said Tapp - who has been a loyal supporter of Keir Starmer - remained a minister but that the prime minister was taking advice on whether he broke the ministerial code on collective responsibility. Continue reading...

Various issues - including a rodent infestation and mold - have left the historic, sprawling Ottawa estate empty10 Downing Street has two things: mice and a chief mouser. For more than a decade, an officially recognized feline has kept the residence's rodent infestation to a minimum.Over a similar period, the official residence of Canada's prime minister has seen an unchecked explosion of rodents. Continue reading...

Worst incident of its kind in country for more than 125 years leaves many searching for multiple family members - and pleading for international help

Neso asks generators to provide extra electricity on Friday evening to meet demand from fans and air conditioning

Plans to protect people fall far short of what is needed', government told, as MP warns of heatwave deaths

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...

King Charles's property management firm rakes in 1.2bn as it continues to benefit from offshore windfarm boom

We know the monarch paid 24.6m in tax over the last two years, but we still don't know how wealthy he actually is

Accuser declines to testify in fourth trial after May mistrial with prosecutors citing her extraordinarily taxing ordeal'Manhattan prosecutors on Thursday moved to drop a third-degree rape charge against Harvey Weinstein after the woman accusing the disgraced movie mogul of assaulting her said she did not want to testify in what would have been a fourth trial.Weinstein's third trial in New York state court over an allegation that he raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann ended in a mistrial in May after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Continue reading...

Heatwave-related deaths climb in Spain, Italy and France as continent battles another day of extreme temperaturesFarryn 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...

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

Extreme weather breaks MRI scanners and cooling units, as workload rises for sleep-deprived staff on sweltering wards

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

Latin American and European counties also among those offering solidarity and help for country already facing a humanitarian crisis

Rescue efforts under way after buildings reduced to rubble in capital and along northern coastHundreds of people are feared to have died and thousands have been injured in Venezuela's largest earthquake in more than a century.Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 hit 39 seconds apart near the town of Moron. Continue reading...

Officers looking into reports Callum Kerr was behaving aggressively' and that passengers restrained himTwo investigations have been launched after a man died following an incident in which he was restrained by passengers and crew on a Jet2 flight.Callum Kerrallegedly began behaving aggressively" during a flight from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Manchester, UK, on Sunday. The aircraft landed in the early hours of Monday. Continue reading...

Temperature of 36.1C (97F) recorded in Hampshire, while two-thirds of Europe's population experience temperatures above 30CThe 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.As the UK and France registered record-breaking temperatures, the World Health Organization warned that the extreme temperatures are putting lives at risk". Continue reading...

Woman detained at airport after allegedly making racist remarks directed at workers unloading baggage, police sayBrazil's federal police have detained a Spanish citizen in Sao Paulo's international Guarulhos airport for racism, in the latest of a series of high-profile arrests of foreign tourists on similar grounds.Brazil has some of the strictest anti-racism laws in Latin America. Insulting a person on the basis of race carries a penalty of imprisonment from two to five years and a fine. Continue reading...

Transcript of body-worn camera footage reveals moment officers realised handcuffed Nowak was seriously injuredPolice officers who arrested Henry Nowak took about eight minutes to discover his stab wound, newly released evidence shows.Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for Nowak's murder after falsely claiming the 18-year-old had racially abused him in Southampton. Nowak was stabbed multiple times while walking back to his student accommodation alone after a night out. Continue reading...

Appointment of James Purnell, former chief executive of Flint Global, described by one Labour MP as very bad sign'The advisory firm led by Andy Burnham's incoming chief of staff counted BP, Amazon, Jaguar Land Rover and Uber among its clients, transparency records reveal.Burnham is facing unease within Labour over the lobbying links of James Purnell, a longstanding friend and former cabinet minister who was most recently chief executive of Flint Global. Continue reading...

Interim report says other train it hit had halted on line because warning system wrongly caused it to brakeThe train whose driver died in the Bedford rail crash passed a danger signal without stopping - while the train it hit had halted on the line because a fault in its warning system had caused it to brake, investigators believe.An initial report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) into the crash, which also injured more than 100 people, said it was not yet clear whether the train's automatic warning system (AWS) had alerted the driver of the southbound Luton airport express from Corby that he had passed a red signal. Continue reading...

Inquiry will compel individuals and institutions to explain what they did or did not do to protect children from sexual abuseLondon, Oldham, Bradford and Keighley will be the first towns and cities investigated by an independent grooming gangs inquiry, it was announced on Wednesday.The independent inquiry into grooming gangs has confirmed that its three-part hearings will investigate Whitehall departments and politicians alongside local councils, the NHS and national police institutions. Continue reading...