Election will determine balance of power in New Caledonia before fresh negotiations with France on the territory's statusPolls opened in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia on Sunday for the archipelago's first provincial elections since 2019, after the vote was delayed as talks stalled over its political future.The election, initially planned for 2024, will determine the balance of power in New Caledonia ahead of fresh negotiations with France on the territory's status, with independence remaining the defining political issue. Continue reading...
Floods caused by thunderstorms that have dumped inches of rain on Kentucky and Indiana, with more possibleAndy Beshear, the Kentucky governor, says four people have died as a result of flash floods from thunderstorms that have brought as much as 7in (18cm) of rain to the state.Beshear confirmed the four deaths in a social media post, noting three people were from Madison county and one was from Jackson county. Please join Britainy and me as we pray for their families during this difficult time," Beshear said. Continue reading...
Speaking on Desert Island Discs, the Grammy-nominated musician referred to his alcoholism as a parasiteFatboy Slim has said he felt paralysed and rigid with fear" at the prospect of DJing sober after spending time in rehab to deal with his alcohol addiction.The artist, whose real name is Norman Cook, referred to his alcoholism as a parasite and said getting sober was probably the hardest thing I've ever done" during an appearance on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs with Lauren Laverne. Continue reading...
Strikes come after retaliatory attacks on Friday following a drone strike on cargo ship in strait of HormuzThe US military has launched further strikes on multiple targets in Iran, the US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed, a day after it had struck Iran in retaliation for a drone attack on a cargo ship in the strait of Hormuz.Centcom said its strikes on Saturday were in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping". The US strikes targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities", Centcom said in a statement. Continue reading...
Schroyer, whom Trump calls a patriot', led deportation campaign in Oklahoma under ICE-partnered programDonald Trump said on Saturday that he will nominate Lance Schroyer as the next director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), succeeding David Venturella, who had been performing the duties of the director.Trump said in a Truth Social post that Schroyer has over 29 YEARS of Law Enforcement experience in Oklahoma - A State where I WON all 77 Counties in 2016, 2020, and 2024! Lance is a former Oklahoma State Trooper, and United States Marine". Continue reading...
Suspect held after five people injured, including three who were taken to hospital, in Ealing on Saturday afternoonA man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a vehicle hit multiple pedestrians on a busy London road before driving away, police have said.Five people were injured, including three who were later taken to hospital, during the incident in Ealing Broadway, Ealing, west London, at about 2.30pm on Saturday. 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Jakub Krupa (earlier) on (#76J17)
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...
by Camille RodrÃguez Montilla in Caracas, Tom Philli on (#76JB5)
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...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#76J57)
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...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#76H9B)
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...
by Esther Addley. Interviews by Pippa Crerar, Rowena on (#76G52)
How five months in 2016 that encompassed Boris Johnson siding with Vote Leave, Jo Cox's murder and David Cameron's resignation shaped the UK's futureDavid Cameron, having promised in 2013 that a future Conservative government would offer a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU, announces the date of the vote: 23 June 2016. The next day, Boris Johnson, then the mayor of London, says he will campaign for leave. Continue reading...
Prison officers' union calls for immediate end to practice at HMYOI Wetherby over fears for child and animal welfarePet ferrets kept as therapy animals at the UK's largest children's prison have been co-opted by managers to kill rats, resulting in a bloody incident and concerns over child and animal welfare.The unorthodox method of vermin control was waved through last month at HMYOI Wetherby in West Yorkshire following a surge in rat numbers in prison offices and grounds. Continue reading...
Guardian investigation also finds same areas experienced relative decline over same periodLeave-voting areas have seen faster relative growth in foreign workers since the Brexit referendum, a Guardian investigation has found.Data analysis suggests that the decade since the Brexit vote may not have matched the expectations of many Leave supporters, showing their local areas have also become relatively more deprived over the same period. Continue reading...
Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds are experiencing after-hours boom as a result of more lenient rulesLondon has the earliest council-mandated bedtime of any other city in the UK as a result of policies in nightlife districts that oppose any new bar or restaurant opening past 11pm.These strict restrictions on pubs and bars are killing off nightlife" in the capital, experts have said, while other cities including Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds are experiencing an after-hours boom because they have more lenient rules. Continue reading...
Officials expand safety measures as French capital prepares for huge annual street celebrationParis is preparing for a street party of unprecedented scale on Sunday, as more than 2 million people are expected to gather for the Fete de la Musique amid a huge influx of music fans from the UK and warnings of record temperatures.France's annual free street music festival, which has been running for more than 40 years, has grown into the country's largest cultural event. What was previously a nationwide showcase for local and amateur talent - from village choirs to classical ensembles and techno acts in the capital - has evolved into a vast international open-air celebration. Continue reading...
Exclusive: European Commission planning to rewrite key law to allow water-intensive mines in regions suffering from droughtThe European Commission plans to rewrite the EU's flagship water protection law to speed up the development of critical minerals mines, despite many being located in drying and water-stressed regions, analysis has found.Mining is a water-intensive industry, requiring large volumes of water for ore processing, dust suppression, waste management and mine dewatering. While modern projects recycle water, they still require significant amounts, and in water-stressed regions those demands can add to pressure on already stretched rivers, aquifers and water supplies. Continue reading...
Eleven people suffer very serious' injuries, with emergency services still at the scene into the nightA train driver has died and 89 people have been injured after two trains collided in the Bedford area, with emergency services working into the night.Of those injured, 11 people suffered very serious" injuries and 22 were seriously injured, East of England ambulance service said, while a further 56 people had minor injuries and were treated at the scene or taken to hospital. Continue reading...