World news | The Guardian

Series of events include exhibition of portraits by Welsh artist Dan Llywelyn Hall, poetry and vigilsIt was the summer storm that roared without warning into the Celtic Sea, unleashing monster waves that ambushed a fleet of 303 boats competing in the Fastnet race.Instead of skimming along the south coast of the UK to the Fastnet Rock off south-west Ireland, sailors found themselves battling for life against howling winds and walls of water. Dozens of yachts capsized, trapping crews in their cabins and tossing others into the foam. Continue reading...

Couch surfing 50-year-old says welfare agency told her she wasn’t in financial hardshipA Melbourne woman battling homelessness says her entire $3,500 tax return was swiped by Centrelink last month, despite the fact she disputes the alleged robodebt.But when Sue Prgic, 50, complained to the agency that the money had been taken without her knowledge, she said staff had asked to know what she would do with the cash if it were returned. Continue reading...

Victim, aged 49, died at the scene in Widnes, say policeA man has died after being stabbed in an attack outside a Cheshire pub.Police were called to reports of a serious assault near the Hammer and Pincers pub in Widnes at 3.20pm on Sunday. A 49-year-old man was found with serious stab wounds and died at the scene, police said. Continue reading...

John Boaler wonders why infantry numbers must be raised, another reader says the medical criteria for Sandhurst are unrealistic, and Michael Attwood believes the army isn’t an attractive career any moreYou report that the number of soldiers in infantry regiments has fallen to “17% below the target strength” (Army’s frontline in crisis as recruitment collapses, 10 August). One explanation given for this drop is that “soldiers were being required to undertake repetitive training exercises with no other purpose than to keep them busy”. If there is not enough for the infantry to do, why recruit more?The major threats facing our country appear to be from cyber-attacks and terrorism. There is little role for the infantry in defending us from these. Perhaps it’s time to scale down the size of our infantry while putting more resources into the detective work that goes into countering terrorism and into enhancing cybersecurity and defending us from cyberwarfare. There is no point keeping up infantry numbers if their role within our armed forces is diminishing.

Far-right Vox leader shows support while animal welfare activists protest

David Lammy MP says ‘chilling’ figures reveal abuse of power by authorities

Strike in Murzuq last week, blamed on Haftar forces, killed at least 45 peopleAn air war in Libya is intensifying as rival forces in the divided country try to break a military stalemate, heightening significantly the risk of civilian casualties.At least 45 people were killed and dozens wounded in an airstrike last Sunday that targeted a town hall meeting in south-western Libya. The forces of Khalifa Haftar, the 75-year-old military strongman who controls much of the east of the country, have been blamed. Continue reading...

One of China’s best-known actors, Yang Mi, ends contract over controversyThe luxury fashion label Versace and its artistic director, Donatella Versace, apologised to China on Sunday after one of its T-shirts was criticised for identifying the semi-autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macau as countries.Versace said on its Weibo account that it had made a mistake and had stopped selling and destroyed the T-shirts on 24 July. Continue reading...

Riot police fired teargas at protesters in the central bar district of Wan Chai on Sunday evening. There have been 10 consecutive weekends of pro-democracy demonstrations in the city

Man injured by falling tree in London as wind and rain bring delays and disruptionsRail passengers had a narrow escape after their train struck a tree that had fallen on to a line near Lincoln.The Lincoln to Nottingham hit the tree shortly before 9am on Sunday, Network Rail said. Continue reading...

The Nobel prize-winning novelist, arguably the greatest American writer of her time, has died at the age of 88. Here, leading contemporaries pay tribute to her

More than 70mm of rain falls in Cumbria on Saturday and rail services disruptedMore than 70mm of rain fell in Cumbria on Saturday as the country was struck by unseasonable heavy rain and strong winds.The Met Office said the wettest part of the country was Spadeadam where 71.4mm fell on Saturday. This compares with an August average of 82.4mm in the region. Continue reading...

We Brits are happy to assimilate French words, so why do they find it so hard to reciprocate?There’s nothing quite so guffaw-making to an Anglo-Saxon sensibility in need of its funny bone being tickled than a French worthy having a fit of the vapours.Last week didn’t disappoint. And all over the delightful word “love”. Apparently, French online advertisers prefer it to “l’amour”, which has got the culture minister, Franck Riester, in a right royal Gallic tizzy. “In this linguistic globalisation, our duty is to refuse any tendency to move towards a single [world] language [and] any weakening of the diversity, as of cultures, in France and elsewhere.” Continue reading...

One of the world’s busiest cities has grown unusually quiet as more and more people stay at homeIt was the third night in a row that Biyanca Chu’s neighbourhood, Wong Tai Sin, a working-class residential district in Hong Kong, had been taken over by police and protesters. The ground was littered with plastic bottles, broken umbrellas and teargas canisters as the two sides faced off.Chu, 22, slight in an all-black outfit, climbed over a road barrier, took off her baseball cap and slipped a gas mask on. “Are you ready to go to the frontline?” she asked her companions and they disappeared. Within half an hour, the police began firing rounds of teargas and rubber bullets, charging and making arrests, until the group dispersed. Continue reading...

Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, underlines ‘one country, two systems’ in call to Carrie Lam, the Hong Kong chief executiveChina has lashed out at the British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, after he spoke to Hong Kong’s leader about protests that have morphed from a campaign against a controversial extradition bill into rolling street demonstrations demanding electoral reforms.Raab spoke to Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, and stressed the need for “meaningful political dialogue and a fully independent investigation into recent events as a way to build trust” in the territory, the UK Foreign Office said. Continue reading...

Prime minister also announced creation of 10,000 more prison places at a cost of £2.5bnBoris Johnson has said he is determined to tackle rising levels of knife crime by announcing an extension of police stop-and-search powers.At the same time, the prime minister announced the government would be investing £2.5bn in creating 10,000 new prison places to ensure serious violent and sexual offenders got the sentence they deserved. Continue reading...

Explosion shattered Libyan conflict ceasefire agreed during Muslim holiday of Eid al-AdhaA car bomb explosion in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi killed three UN staff members and two other mission members on Saturday, the United Nations said.The UN is trying to broker a truce in the capital Tripoli, where the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) launched a surprise attack in April. A Reuters reporter at a Benghazi hospital where casualties of the blast were taken saw a list of names of those killed identifying them as part of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Continue reading...

With Dominic Cummings at his side, the prime minister crashes through the constitution•You can buy your own print of this cartoon Continue reading...

Demonstrators break into multiple fronts in attempt to outrun police across city

Some say a second-class mind makes for a first-class leader, others that madness is an essential feature of the role. From Trump and Obama, to Blair and Boris Johnson, which personalities are born to rule?There is a story that often gets told about modern presidents and prime ministers, and sometimes gets told by them as well. The politician spends half a lifetime working tirelessly towards the top job, with the goal of making a real difference once he or she gets there. They issue their instructions. Dutiful officials nod along encouragingly. But nothing really changes. Once the door to the Oval Office or No 10 closes behind them, and they settle their feet under the desk, the new president or prime minister finds out that it’s just another room and just another desk. It feels as if true power is still somewhere out of reach.In politics you should never assume that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s better to know how little is waiting for you, like a weird inversion of the parable of The Wizard of Oz. In place of the Yellow Brick Road is the greasy pole, which has to be ascended to reach the Emerald City. Yet the successful climber finds that his or her fate is not to encounter a shrunken wizard at the end of it. Instead it is to become that person: the impostor behind the curtain. Continue reading...

Despite poverty, lack of refrigeration and a constant battle for cleanliness, the residents of Kibera are resourceful with the food they eat and sell. Fried fish, samosas, and bean dishes are all on the menu, reflecting the cultural mix of those who call the area home Continue reading...

Victorian justice department says prisoners are not allowed to post on social media or ask others to post on their behalfAuthorities are investigating whether a letter circulating online, apparently written by disgraced Cardinal George Pell to supporters breaks prison rules.The letter, dated 1 August, was posted on Twitter by an account called “Cardinal George Pell Supporters” on Friday night. Continue reading...

Event billed as rally to ‘guard our children’s future’ given permit by authorities, unlike others planned for weekendArmed with balloons and strollers, several hundred families took to the streets in Hong Kong on Saturday to show support for pro-democracy protests that are now in their third month.The colourful and calm atmosphere at the rally was a far cry from the increasingly violent confrontations that have marked recent demonstrations by activists calling for greater freedoms in the city. Continue reading...

Craig Kelly tells conference Tony Abbott helped Coalition win election by attracting ‘all the crazies’ to WarringahNigel Farage has labelled Malcolm Turnbull a snake and celebrated Australia and Britain’s shift from “trendy, metro” leaders to “real” conservative leaders.Introduced as “quite possibly” the next British prime minister, the Eurosceptic and rightwing figure on Saturday addressed a crowd of about 500 at the Conservative Political Action Conference Australia in Sydney. Continue reading...

‘Spoiler’ festivals are being held in Russia to try to keep young protesters off the streetsOnce there were bread and circuses. Now there are DJ sets and kebabs.As thousands of Russians prepare for opposition protests for the third straight weekend in Moscow, the city government is laying on festivals that it hopes will lure young people away from political activity. Continue reading...

One woman dies in Victoria’s Yarra Ranges and four-year-old fighting for his life after tree falls on family’s carStrong winds have continued to lash parts of New South Wales on Saturday, with snow hitting the Blue Mountains and stranding some drivers on the Great Western highway before it was reopened.And in Victoria, where one woman died on Friday after a tree fell on a car, the cold, rain and strong winds were forecast to stick around this weekend. Continue reading...

Projectiles fired at dawn on Saturday from area around north-eastern city of Hamhung, South Korea’s military saysNorth Korea fired two unidentified projectiles into the sea off its eastern coast on Saturday, South Korea’s military said.The latest launch comes shortly after the US president, Donald Trump, said he had received a “very beautiful letter” from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Continue reading...

German capital’s oldest musical institution violated constitution by refusing girl’s application, court to hearA nine-year-old girl is taking Berlin’s oldest boys’ choir to court, claiming the state-run institution’s admissions criteria are gender-biased and violate Germany’s constitution.Next week, Berlin’s administrative court will hear that the decision of the State and Cathedral Choir Berlin (SDB) to reject the girl after an audition in April this year was discriminatory because it infringed on her right to equal opportunities in state support. Continue reading...

Malika Shamas, 14, died after three people were pulled from the sea in Clacton, EssexEssex police have named the 14-year-old girl who died after being pulled from the sea in Clacton on Thursday as Malika Shamas.A statement said: “We can provisionally name a teenage girl who died after getting into difficulty at sea near to Clacton Pier yesterday, Thursday 8 August. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson’s chief of staff tells advisers not to book holidays before 31 OctoberBoris Johnson’s chief of staff cancelled all leave for government advisers until 31 October in a missive on Thursday night, raising further speculation the government is planning for a forced snap election in the aftermath of the UK leaving the EU with no deal.Special advisers were emailed by Johnson’s senior adviser Edward Lister on Thursday night, saying there was “some confusion about taking holiday”. They were told none should be booked until 31 October, with compensation considered “on a case by case basis” for those who had already booked leave, though the email said advisers were free to spend their weekends “as you wish”. Continue reading...

City’s leader rules out political concessions as demonstrations continue with sit-in at airportThe Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, has said her priority is to “stop the violence” rather than make political concessions, as the city’s two- month-long protest movement pressed on with a demonstration at the airport.Lam said traffic disruptions and confrontations between police and protesters had hurt the economy, particularly the retail and food and beverage sectors. The demonstrations, however, are not abating and more are planned for this weekend, including at the airport, where protesters holding signs staged a sit-in at the arrival and departure halls on Friday. Continue reading...

Accused initially face lesser charge of sexual abuse over incident in Spanish resortFive French men accused of gang-raping a Norwegian woman in a holiday apartment in the Spanish resort of Benidorm have been charged with sexual abuse.The men, all aged 18 or 19, were arrested on Wednesday, Spanish police said, after a medical centre the 20-year-old woman visited had alerted authorities in the early hours of the morning. Continue reading...

Matteo Salvini reiterates call for snap vote as his party plans motion to dismantle coalitionItaly appears set for fresh elections that could push the country further toward the far right.Matteo Salvini, the deputy prime minister, reiterated his calls for a snap vote on Friday, adding that any attempt to block his wishes and install a new ruling coalition would be unacceptable. His League party said it would present a no-confidence motion in the senate in its push to dismantle the tempestuous coalition with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S). Continue reading...

Weakest growth since 2008’s financial crisis reported as anxiety over US-China trade war growsThe world’s demand for oil is growing at the slowest rate since the financial crisis over fears of a global economic slowdown, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.The agency said fears about the economic impact of the US trade war with China have caused oil prices to slide despite flaring tensions in the Middle East which would typically cause markets to spike. Continue reading...

Artist fears Britain will take no responsibility and is seen by China as ‘nothing’

‘Extremely broad’ measures could increase suffering in the country, says Michelle BacheletThe UN rights chief has intensified criticism of US sanctions targeting Venezuela, condemning the latest measures as “extremely broad” with the potential to exacerbate suffering among an already vulnerable population.The UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, has raised concern about previous sanctions imposed by Washington against the government of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro. Continue reading...

A 0.2% contraction between April and June is first fall in GDP in six and a half years

Ceiling ‘every bit as wonderful’ as the Sistine Chapel in Rome, says the Rev Andy BryantA cathedral has installed a 55ft-tall helter skelter in its nave so that visitors can enjoy a better view of its ornate roof.The Rev Canon Andy Bryant, of Norwich Cathedral, said the idea came to him when he was visiting the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Continue reading...

Strongest storm in five years has already cancelled 300 flights and cut power to 40,000 homes in TaiwanChina’s weather bureau issued a red alert as super typhoon Lekima approaches Zhejiang province on the eastern coast, after forcing flight cancellations in Taiwan and shutting markets and businesses.The National Meteorological Centre said the typhoon, the strongest since 2014, was expected to hit the mainland in early on Saturday and then turn north. It has issued gale warnings for the Yangtze river delta region, which includes China’s financial hub of Shanghai, a city of 26 million people. Continue reading...

Major telecoms company bans access to far-right site in wake of El Paso shooting manifesto that praised Christchurch attackOne of New Zealand’s largest telecommunications providers, Spark, has banned the far-right site 8chan after the country’s chief censor offered his backing for any internet service provider who did so in the wake of the El Paso mass shooting.Censor David Shanks applauded Spark’s “brave and meaningful” decision, describing the message board as “the white supremacist killer’s platform of choice”. Continue reading...

Japan’s capital has had temperatures above 31C for two weeks, prompting fears for 2020 Games’ athletesHeatstroke is suspected in the death of a worker at a Tokyo Olympics construction site, NHK national television has said, as the Japanese capital swelters through a scorching weather that has killed dozens of people.Soaring temperatures have killed at least 57 people across Japan from 29 July to 4 August, highlighting the health threat to athletes and fans that is one of the biggest challenges for Olympics planners. Continue reading...

Rupert Murdoch’s Australian mastheads and Foxtel suffer drop in revenue although global profits increase after huge loss in 2018Revenue at the Australian mastheads run by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp fell by 6% last year, and the company’s pay TV operation, Foxtel, has also been hit by falling subscriber numbers.But results released on Friday show that overall the globe-spanning media empire returned to the black in the year to the end of June, declaring a profit of US$155m (A$228m). Continue reading...

Repeal of law was key part of Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s election campaignGreece’s newly elected, centre-right government has ignored leftists’ protests to overturn a law that had prohibited police from entering universities.In a stormy debate preceding Thursday’s vote, the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, insisted the old law – regarded as sacrosanct in a country that had once known military rule – had turned campuses into dens of criminality and no-go zones for police. Continue reading...

Portion of White Sea closed to civilian ships for a month after explosion in ArkhangelskTwo people have been killed and radiation levels reportedly spiked after a rocket engine exploded during a test in northern Russia, prompting authorities to close a portion of the White Sea to civilian ships for a month.The reports of a sudden rise in radiation levels in the nearby city of Severodvinsk after the explosion contradicted official statements by Russia’s defence ministry that all radiation levels in the area remained stable. The surge in radiation levels lasted less than one hour, local officials said. Continue reading...

19-year-old killed by ex-boyfriend was fined for ‘wasting officers’ time’ after reporting harassmentPolice officers have been told not to hand out fixed penalty notices in stalking and harassment cases after the teenager Shana Grice was fined for wasting police time before she was murdered.The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) issued the recommendation to chief constables of all forces in England and Wales in the wake of the 19-year-old’s killing at the hands of her ex-boyfriend after he spent months stalking and harassing her. Continue reading...

Far-right linked fan leader Fabrizio Piscitelli reportedly victim of ‘hit’ in Rome parkProsecutors in Rome have launched a murder investigation after a leading member of Lazio Ultras, hardcore football fans often associated with the extreme right, was shot dead in a park in Rome.Fabrizio Piscitelli, 53, was shot in the back of the neck in broad daylight on Wednesday in Acqueduct park, in the Cinecittà area of the capital. Continue reading...

Previous attempt to arrest Almazbek Atambayev led to fighting between soldiers and his supportersPolice in Kyrgyzstan have detained the former presidentafter an outbreak of violence during a botched raid on his compound left a police officer dead and nearly 80 people injured.The violence has raised the threat of fresh turmoil in the former Soviet country, which borders China and hosts a Russian military airbase. There have been two revolutions in Kyrgyzstan since 2005. Continue reading...

Several colleagues walked out of parliament after Zuleikha Hassan was forced to leaveSome Kenyan lawmakers are protesting against a decision by the temporary speaker of parliament’s lower house to eject their colleague who was holding her young child during a session of the legislature.Zuleikha Hassan was ejected from the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday with her five-month-old baby. Continue reading...

NGO director appeals directly to France, Germany and Spain after Italy and Malta spurn boatA rescue ship carrying 121 migrants in the Mediterranean has called on the French, German and Spanish governments to intervene after Italy and Malta denied it access to their ports.The Open Arms boat, which is operated by the Spanish-based NGO Proactiva Open Arms, has been in international waters for eight days. Among those on board are 32 children, including nine-month-old twins. Continue reading...