World news | The Guardian

Exclusive: Former News Corp CEO says Murdoch company's obsession with the public broadcaster is fairly unhinged' and should largely be ignored

FOI documents reveal the cost of Operation Bourglinster, which was criticised for encouraging a child's fixation on the Islamic State

Labour minister says she removed social media platform's app from her mobile phone when Elon Musk took overA government minister said she has scaled back her use of social media platform X, arguing it had become a bit despotic" and was a place of misery now".Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said although she had previously been massively addicted to Twitter", referencing the former name of X, she had removed the app from her phone after Elon Musk took over the company in October 2022. Continue reading...

More than 120 groups take part in demonstration organised by United Against RacismUp to 15,000 people have taken part in an anti-racism rally in Belfast, after a week of rioting and disorder in the city.A huge crowd assembled on Saturday, many holding placards with anti-racism and pro-migrant messages. Continue reading...

Brighton organisation is inviting UK public to hand write notes of solidarity' after far-right violenceA Brighton-based organisation has promised to deliver handwritten messages welcoming refugees and asylum seekers who have recently arrived in the UK in the wake of far-right violence and anti-immigrant unrest.Conversation Over Borders has invited the public to submit messages of solidarity" online, which they plan to write by hand and deliver to people in accommodation hotels across the country. Continue reading...

Veteran Conservatives on the party's liberal wing have criticised the rightwards shift by some senior figures Tim Kirkhope: The Conservative party has shifted too far to the right. We must fight for the centre groundTory grandees have accused senior figures in their own party of using divisive language that inflamed anger over immigration before the recent rioting, amid warnings that too many Conservatives have turned a blind eye" to a shift to the right.The criticisms come as fears grow on the party's liberal wing that the leadership election risks pulling the party further into populist polices designed to take on Reform UK. Continue reading...

Faultlines in Germany's response to Gaza war exposed by artists pulling out of gigs at renowned venuePeople create guides on how to get into Berghain and films about its doorman. But the world-famous nightclub now faces a boycott by some DJs over its stance on the war in Gaza.A group calling itself Ravers for Palestine first announced a boycott of the Berlin venue, along with several other clubs, in January, saying that remaining silent on Israel's attacks in Gaza made it complicit. Continue reading...

Committee rejects student denaming proposal despite role of Sackler-owned Purdue Pharma in US opioid epidemicHarvard University has decided that it will not remove the name of the Sackler family from two of its buildings, despite years of protests from families of opioid overdose victims and anti-opioid groups.In its recent denaming proposal update, a Harvard review committee rebuffed a 23-page proposal filed in October 2022 by Harvard College Overdose Prevention and Education Students to dename the Arthur M Sackler Museum, part of the Harvard Art Museums, and the Arthur M Sackler Building, a campus building. Continue reading...

Coffee and bakery chain says devices to be worn by managers will only be turned on in specific circumstances'Pret a Manger has become the latest high street staple to deploy body-worn cameras for some of its staff.The coffee and bakery chain began trialling body-worn cameras in a select number of shops in London last month. A Pret spokesperson said this was done as a new safety measure. These are only being worn by team leaders or managers, and are only turned on in specific circumstances," the spokesperson said. Continue reading...

Javon Reily, 32, charged with four counts of attempted murder over Dalston shooting in which girl, nine, and three men were hurtA man has been charged in connection with a shooting that left a nine-year-old girl seriously injured.The girl was eating dinner with her family at a restaurant in Kingsland High Street, in Dalston, east London, on 29 May when a lone motorcyclist fired shots towards the building. Continue reading...

Fighting said to be continuing, with reports of power outages near nuclear power station, despite Moscow's claimRussia's defence ministry claimed it prevented Ukraine from advancing further on the fifth day of the unprecedented attack into the province of Kursk, though there were reports of regional power outages after an electricity substation was hit.Fighting was said to be taking place in three villages between seven and 11 miles from the international border - Ivashkovskoye, Malaya Loknya and Olgovka - similar locations to where Ukraine is estimated to have advanced previously. Continue reading...

Observer reveals potentially millions of people had data shared with Facebook for use in targeted advertisingA hidden tracking tool in the website for Reform UK collected private browsing data about potentially millions of people, often without consent, and shared it with Facebook for use in targeted advertising.An Observer investigation has found that people visiting the website for Nigel Farage's anti-immigration party had details of their activity captured by a digital surveillance tool known as a Meta pixel. Continue reading...

Non-alcoholic beer sales up fivefold in some airports, as gut health products grow in popularityA breakfast pint at the airport is as much a part of the typical British holiday as third-degree sunburn and overindulging on the all-inclusive.But soaring sales of alcohol-free beer, gut health shots and smoothies suggest a growing proportion of holidaymakers are eschewing pre-flight booze. Continue reading...

Australian foreign minister joins UK, Germany and France in condemning comments made by Bezalel Smotrich and repeats calls for ceasefire

Where are you Tommy and Elon? Marina Hyde finds that those provoking the race riots are far, far away; the dead hang delight - how this quick, surprisingly simple exercise can change your life; and A bolt of lightning struck my plane' - one woman's incredible story of survival Continue reading...

Police allege officers were threatened by man with a knife at Kingaroy hospital before Friday night's shooting

Federal court judge in last year's defamation case found Roberts-Smith tried to evade surveillance after Keelty alerted him to pending war crimes investigation in 2018

The monarch held calls with Keir Starmer and senior officers and paid tribute to the emergency servicesKing Charles has sent his heartfelt thanks" to the police for restoring order after speaking to Keir Starmer and senior officers following the week of unrest across the UK.The king and the prime minister held a phone call on Friday evening, Buckingham Palace said. Gavin Stephens, a chief constable and chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, and the UK gold commander Ben Harrington, chief constable of Essex police, held a separate joint call with the king. Continue reading...

Utah is first in the US to outlaw titles statewide they deem indecent' as free speech advocates worry about impactLibrary associations, free speech groups and advocates are expressing outrage and concern after the state of Utah ordered 13 books to be removed from public school classrooms and libraries in accordance with a new state law that passed earlier this year.It's a tragedy," said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. Continue reading...

Concerns have caused fractures to appear inside Trumpworld, with some Maga allies criticizing advisersDonald Trump's campaign recognizes that it could lose in November if the election is decided on vibes" and energy", according to people close to the former president, as Kamala Harris continues to ride waves of momentum with her newly announced running mate Tim Walz.The concern has also started to open fractures inside Trumpworld, with some Maga allies criticizing Trump's political advisers for running a campaign that may be too structurally deficient to stand up a ground game in swing states. Continue reading...

Compensation order comes five months after founder Sam Bankman-Fried was jailed for role in collapseA US court has ordered the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX to shell out $12.7bn (9.9bn) to compensate customers and fraud victims, five months after its founder was jailed for his role in the collapse of the company.The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said it was the largest such recovery" in the regulator's history and would help return funds to those affected by the massive fraudulent scheme orchestrated by Sam Bankman-Fried, his now-bankrupt FTX group of companies, and a core group of FTX insiders". Continue reading...

Spokesperson says losses will be revealed in next month's financials and the festival has access to reserves to fund next year's program

As private investors circle, Transport Workers Union urges federal government to take equity stake in airline to secure at-risk jobs and shore up routes

Big payday for founders after offer by private equity consortium that means London stock market exitHargreaves Lansdown has agreed a 5.4bn takeover by private equity suitors that will give hundreds of millions of pounds to its billionaire founders and result in the investment supermarket becoming the latest company to leave the London stock market.Board members of the FTSE 100 company recommended the 11.40-a-share offer, which requires shareholder approval. Continue reading...

Bima, which represents about 7,000 staff, says some have been left in unprecedented' fear by intimidatory behaviourThe head of an association representing Muslim health workers has said it has recorded an increase in racist abuse since the beginning of the far-right riots last week, with unprecedented" fear among NHS staff.Dr Salman Waqar, the president of the British Islamic Medical Association (Bima), which represents about 7,000 healthcare staff, said health workers had been left in fear and affected personally and professionally. Continue reading...

President accuses social network's owner of using it to incite hatred' after country's disputed electionPresident Nicolas Maduro said he had ordered a 10-day block on access to X in Venezuela, accusing the owner, Elon Musk, of using the social network to promote hatred after the country's disputed presidential election.Associated Press (AP) journalists in Caracas found that by Thursday night posts had stopped loading on X on two private telephone services and the state-owned Movilnet. Continue reading...

Temperatures could reach high 20s and low 30s celsius in England and Wales with thunderstorms possibleA short-lived but intense spell of hot weather is expected to hit the UK this weekend, with temperatures likely to reach 33C (91.4F) in parts of the country as forecasters warn severe thunderstorms may also be on the way.Warm air would move up from Europe on Saturday and through Sunday and Monday, before temperatures dipped again on Tuesday to average levels for this time of year, the Met Office said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Onward said cap has resulted in increased child poverty, adding to pressure on government to rethink its stanceA leading rightwing thinktank has called for an end to the two-child limit on benefits in a move that will put further pressure on the Labour government to rethink its stance.Onward, which describes itself as a thinktank for mainstream Conservatism", said both the wider two-child limit and the higher earner threshold applying specifically to child benefit should be abandoned in order to support parents. Continue reading...

Lawyer for former Coalition staffer confirms searches occurred, but says he denies any wrongdoing

Deeming's lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou, says her client should take the stand in case against state opposition leader John Pesutto

Police allege the man assaulted a female at a correctional facility in Wellington in June and July

Foxtel has struggled to compete in the Netflix-led streaming era and faces further challenges as households cut back on discretionary spendingThe Rupert Murdoch-backed media conglomerate, News Corp, will consider offers for its Australian pay television platform Foxtel, as it looks to reorganise its business in a volatile trading period for news outlets.News Corp chief executive, Robert Thomson, said in an earnings release that potential buyers had emerged for the Foxtel business during a review of the company's assets. Continue reading...

Woman arrested on suspicion of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred as police warn of misinformationA 55-year-old woman has been arrested in relation to a social media post containing inaccurate information about the identity of the suspect in the Southport murders.The woman, from near Chester, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred and false communications. She is being held in custody by Cheshire police. Continue reading...

The ex-model was apprehended on return from Turkey after no-show at hearing relating to her bankruptciesThe former model Katie Price has been arrested at Heathrow airport after failing to appear at court.Price, 46, from Surrey, has been remanded in custody at a west London police station after returning from Turkey and is due to appear at the Royal Courts of Justice on Friday. Continue reading...

PM emphasises there is no doubt' targeted policing and rapid sentencing are acting as deterrents to further unrestKeir Starmer has told a Cobra meeting of cabinet ministers and police chiefs of the need to maintain high alert", despite the absence of expected disorder on Wednesday night.A government source said the prime minister emphasised there was no doubt" that high levels of targeted policing alongside the rapid sentencing of rioters - including a three-year sentence - was acting as a deterrent to further unrest. Continue reading...

Beijing website asks for information about supposed crimes' of secessionist' current and past Taiwan officialsChina's government has called for people to denounce die-hard secessionists" and give information about their criminal activities" as it intensifies its legal and rhetorical intimidation of Taiwan.The Taiwan affairs office and ministry of public security this week launched new webpages with lists of 10 current and former officials in Taiwan who have been named as die-hard" separatists. Continue reading...

At Edinburgh fringe event, former first minister uses colourful language in recalling events that led to his resignation from HolyroodThe former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf has admitted that he fucked up" by sacking the Greens from his government.Earlier this year, the Greens forced a vote on the Bute House agreement - the alliance of the Scottish National party and the Greens - over the ditching of a key climate pledge. Continue reading...

Lawrence Hecker will face court on kidnapping and rape charges in September pending a final competency rulingA doctor's report says that Lawrence Hecker, the retired New Orleans priest who faces charges of raping a teenager after strangling him unconscious in 1975, has dementia - but it says nothing about Hecker's competency to stand trial.On Thursday, after seven hearings and still no definitive determination on Hecker's competency, his trial on rape and kidnapping charges has been set for 24 September. Continue reading...

Exclusive: London mayor warns law must be revisited very, very quickly' due to falsehoods that contributed to unrest

Retired welder William Morgan thought to be oldest person charged as a result of recent unrestA man thought to be the oldest person charged for taking part in the far-right-led riots, and two brothers who looted a library, were among those jailed on Thursday for their part in a crime committed against the whole community".William Nelson Morgan, 69, was sentenced to 32 months in prison, having previously admitted violent disorder and carrying a cosh during a riot on County Road in Liverpool on Saturday. Continue reading...

Latest housing data show 151,630 children in temporary accommodation - the most since records beganMore than 150,000 children in England are living in temporary accommodation, prompting calls for the government to address what it calls a national scandal".Living in temporary accommodation is considered a form of homelessness and can involve people staying in hostel or bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation. Continue reading...

The Conservative leadership candidate has been described as missing in action', despite role as shadow communities secretaryKemi Badenoch, one of the candidates for the Conservative leadership, has been criticised by fellow Tories for adopting a submarine" strategy by keeping a low national profile during the riots that have spread across England over the past week.While rivals James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel and Mel Stride have been appearing across broadcast TV channels and social media, Badenoch has not been prominent during the unrest. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereLabour's policing minister Diana Johnson has said that MPs have a responsibility for being moderate in their language" after being asked about Robert Jenrick's comments yesterday.Jenrick, who is one of those contesting the leadership of the Conservative party sparked criticism when he said I thought it was quite wrong, that somebody could shout about Allahu Akbar out on the streets of London and not be immediately arrested". While the phrase has been associated with Islamist terrorism, it is simply the Arabic for God is great", and is used every day by Muslims in prayers.I think all politicians at this stage need to be very careful about the language that they use. The country over the last few days, you know, the terrible events in Southport, I think the country has been very shocked by that tragic event and then the public disorder that we've seen.So I think all politicians have a role in being moderate in their language, supporting the police, and speaking on behalf of the law abiding majority in this country. That's what I would say all politicians should be doing at this stage. Continue reading...

Former prime minister argues Australia has made itself a target by aligning with American aggression' towards China

Dropping the EU-imposed measure allows for staff to receive payouts worth up to 10 times their salariesBarclays has become the first UK bank to formally lift the cap on bankers' bonuses originally imposed by the EU, opening the door for staff to receive 10 times their salaries in payouts.The announcement was made through an internal memo to staff on Thursday, four months after shareholders at Barclays' AGM approved the move to drop the measure, which previously limited bonuses to two times bankers' salaries. Continue reading...

Ricky Jones arrested after video emerged in which he appeared to call for violence against Nazi fascists'A suspended Labour councillor has been arrested on suspicion of encouraging murder after a video emerged where he appeared to call for far-right protesters' throats to be cut.Ricky Jones, who was a councillor in Dartford, Kent, was filmed making the call at a counter-demonstration in Walthamstow on Wednesday evening. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy aide says root cause of any escalation', including into Kursk, is Moscow's unequivocal aggression'Ukraine has publicly justified its attack into Russian territory for the first time, amid reports that its forces are advancing towards a village 13 miles (20km) inside the Kursk region.Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the root cause of any escalation", including into Kursk, was unequivocal aggression" on the part of Russia in believing it could invade Ukraine with impunity. Continue reading...

National government is investigating Chidimma Adetshina, who had faced a public furore over her citizenshipA South African beauty pageant contestant has withdrawn from the competition after the government accused her mother of fraud and identity theft, following questions over the contestant's citizenship.Chidimma Adetshina, 23, said she had made the difficult decision" to protect herself and her family before the Miss South Africa final on Saturday, and a day after the home affairs ministry said her mother may have stolen a South African woman's identity. Continue reading...

Warner Bros Discovery this week wrote down $9bn as it - and others - play catch-up with streaming and video servicesWarner Bros Discovery's announcement this week of a $9bn (7bn) writedown in the value of its TV networks is a stark acknowledgment of the damage the streaming wars are inflicting on traditional broadcasting models.The astonishing figure, which pushed the US entertainment group to a quarterly net loss of $10bn (7.9bn) and sent shares sliding 12% in early trading on Thursday, lays bare how channels such as CNN, TLC and the Food Network can no longer rely on a captive cable subscriber base. Continue reading...