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...

Earnings from mining the fossil fuel set to increase to $6.9bn over financial year, up from $4.8bn, with budget deficit to reach $6.2bn

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...

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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...

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Police fear Waleed Saeed may have up to 70 more victims after campaign of entrapment, threat and extortionA sexual predator who targeted mostly Muslim males online for blackmail has been jailed for 16 years, with detectives fearing he may have up to 70 more victims.Waleed Saeed's campaign of entrapment, threat and extortion started in 2018 and left one victim feeling suicidal because of the humiliation they felt.Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting 5335/18JUNE2026. Continue reading...

Experts cast doubt on conclusion of government-funded study of factory emitting forever chemicals near BlackpoolConcerns have been raised about the conclusions drawn by a government-funded study that looked at rates of kidney cancer in the vicinity of a factory using forever chemicals near Blackpool.Pfoa, which is a known carcinogenic forever chemical that was globally banned in 2020, was emitted from the AGC Chemicals Europe factory in Thornton-Cleveleys, a town north of Blackpool, between the 1950s and 2012. During this period, approximately 49 tonnes of Pfoa were emitted into the air. The factory, which AGC Chemicals Europe bought in 1999, stopped using Pfoa in 2012. Continue reading...

Andy Burnham will return to Westminster as an MP, and potential challenger to Keir Starmer, after decisively beating Reform UK to win the Makerfield byelection. Kiran Stacey and Jessica Elgot chat through what happens nextWhat would change' look like if Andy Burnham becomes prime minister?Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/politicspod Continue reading...

Agriculture minister says no evidence of mass mortality or infection in poultry as WA authorities say a second bird is sick and being tested

Strong winds and heavy rain batter Slovenia, while France experiences atypical heatwave in its north and westSevere thunderstorms swept across the Balkans last week bringing widespread destruction to many areas. The storms developed as unstable hot air sat over the Adriatic Sea while a cold front plunged south-eastward.The cold front began its journey southwards on 10 June in Slovenia where the Slovenian Environment Agency recorded wind gusts of 65mph at Ljubljana airport. Heavy rain also fell widely across the region with 23mm reported in Kranj. Continue reading...

People in Nabatieh mourn the recent dead in religious ceremony held amid empty streets and shattered buildingsAs the procession wound its way through mounds of rubble, the crowd chanted and beat their chests, their lamentations echoed by the dull thud of shelling in the foothills just beyond the city.This is the tragedy of Karbala, O Imam Hussein, look. This is the tragedy of Karbala," the crowd cried in the opening procession of Ashura, in the city of Nabatieh, southern Lebanon. Continue reading...

He lambasted Jimmy Carter during the 1980 hostage crisis; now Trump's presidency could be similarly blemishedIt began with the fate of hostages.Donald Trump's first recorded foray into politics was sparked by the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran, which saw 52 American diplomats held incommunicado for 444 days. Continue reading...

Tehran says fees to cover cost of managing waterway will come into effect at end of 60-day negotiation periodIran has announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz in two months, after the 60-day period of negotiation that has been triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding.Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the strait would not be welcome. Continue reading...

Labour's Greater Manchester mayor predicted to beat Reform but Keir Starmer is unlikely to easily step aside

Andrew Bailey says inflationary pressure in pipeline' despite US and Iran signing initial peace deal as interest rates kept on hold

PeopleCert had been planning to cut about 400 jobs in 22m savings drive at training body it bought last yearThe vocational training body City & Guilds has guaranteed that plans for mass compulsory redundancies and the offshoring of hundreds of UK jobs to Greece will no longer go ahead.The proposal to remove about 400 UK roles was first reported by the Guardian in December as part of a 22m cost-cutting drive after the acquisition of the charity's training and awards business by the Greek-owned PeopleCert in October. Continue reading...

Parents and their kids, new and old fans and a few celebrities gathered to honor the team's NBA ChampionshipThousands of Knicks fans - decked out in blue and orange jerseys, shorts, hats, necklaces and more - gathered in downtown New York City on Thursday to celebrate the team's NBA championship in a lively ticker-tape parade.All along Church Street, the street running parallel to the parade route, fans lit joints, threw back shots of Fireball whiskey and drank Coronas, within view of bemused and outnumbered New York City police officers. Some fans climbed atop police cruisers and posed for photos. Continue reading...

Labour and Tories claimed Green party leader breached London assembly ethics code over non-payment of taxZack Polanski has been cleared by an ethics inquiry looking into complaints that he did not pay council tax while living on a houseboat.A report by the Greater London authority's monitoring officer found that the circumstances of the Green party leader's living arrangements were beyond its scope and he had therefore not breached the code of conduct for London assembly members. Continue reading...

Show features characters and sets from likes of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep and celebrates roots in cityAardman's most famous characters, Wallace and Gromit, may be denizens of northern England but the studio's deep-rooted connection to the south-west of the UK is being celebrated in a new show on Bristol's harbourside.The exhibition at the M Shed, just around the corner from the Aardman base on Gas Ferry Road (a name that would not be out of place in a Wallace and Gromit adventure), shines a light on the studio's 50 years in Bristol. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Event co-founded by Jordan Peterson will bring together global populist-right figures, US state officials and Eton teachersThe Reform UK MPs Sarah Pochin and Andrew Rosindell will be there. As will a plethora of Reform advisers, backroom staff and figures such as Ben Delo, a British crypto billionaire who has given 4m to Nigel Farage's party.Yet as populist-right politicians from across the globe and their multimillionaire backers prepare for this year's Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) - a rightwing London summit labelled an anti-woke" Davos - others whose expected attendance has not been publicised potentially raises more questions. Continue reading...