by Camille RodrÃguez Montilla in Caracas and Tom Phi on (#6P7BC)
Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who never before ran for office, hopes for a more democratic and peaceful country'The soft-spoken septuagenarian who could be on the brink of leading Venezuela into a new political era has promised to build a country of prosperity, democracy and peace if he is elected president, and vowed to govern for all citizens - including supporters of his authoritarian rival Nicolas Maduro.Retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia is leading the polls ahead of the South American country's 28 July presidential election, despite never having sought elected office and, until recently, being unknown to voters. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: On Saturday, the former president was shot at during a campaign rally leaving two dead, and two others with serious injuries - here's what we know about that day and what might happen next Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. On Saturday night, the United States came within a couple of inches of an unthinkable democratic crisis. The assassination attempt against Donald Trump - which left a spectator and the gunman dead, two others critically injured, and the former president with a wound to his right ear - felt like a moment of what Trump once darkly called American carnage". And it is likely to have far-reaching ramifications for the US election that we can't yet predict.Authorities have discovered bomb-making materials in the suspect's home and car, while Joe Biden last night delivered a primetime address from the Oval Office calling for national unity". Meanwhile, Trump said that his speech at the Republican convention on Thursday - which will take place amid tightened security - would bring the whole country, even the whole world, together".Euro 2024 | Mikel Oyarzabal scored a late winner to leave England heartbroken after Cole Palmer's equaliser had given them hope in Berlin, with Spain clinching a record fourth European championship 2-1. See more below.Israel-Gaza war | At least 17 Palestinians have been killed and 50 wounded in a fresh Israeli assault on Gaza City, rescuers and health officials have said, as Hamas was reported to have withdrawn from ceasefire talks. The strike followed an attempt to kill the Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, on Saturday that reportedly killed more than 90 people.Conservatives | The Tories should not spend too long on a protracted leadership debate that would be a waste of time" and could risk appearing self-indulgent, the Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen, has said. Houchen, who is now the most senior Conservative in office, said he could not see why a contest would need to run much past party conference in October.NHS | Thousands of children's lives are being blighted by shocking delays of up to three years, according to a report from NHS Providers that warns a forgotten generation" will suffer long-term harm as a result.US news | Shannen Doherty, star of Beverly Hills 90210 and Heathers, has died at the age of 53. She had been first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6P73E)
As 16,000 devotees piled into the AO Arena for England v Spain, the tide turned for Southgate and supporters dared to dreamFor all the questions that surrounded Gareth Southgate's England team this summer, there was only one that mattered come kick-off in Berlin: did you dare to dream?Despite the negativity aimed at the Three Lions over the last six weeks - at times, it felt like kicking the manager became its own national sport - there were good reasons to believe. Continue reading...
Duke of Cambridge, Keir Starmer and London mayor Sadiq Khan also among those sending commiserationsKing Charles has urged the England team to hold your heads high" in a message to Gareth Southgate where he praised their really great achievement".England fans were commiserating after Spain pulled ahead 2-1 in the 86th minute after Mikel Oyarzabal managed to meet Marc Cucurella's low cross into the box and put the ball past Jordan Pickford. Continue reading...
The actor, also known for roles in Charmed and Little House on the Prairie, has died of cancerShannen Doherty, star of Beverly Hills 90210 and Heathers, has died at the age of 53.A statement from her publicist Leslie Sloane, cited by People magazine, said: It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease." Continue reading...
Catalogue of errors by government and health officials includes the deliberate winding down of PPE stockpilesThe first official report by the UK Covid inquiry is set to expose a catalogue of failures by the last Conservative government and health officials in the run-up to the pandemic.Lady Heather Hallett, the inquiry's chair, will issue the report on Thursday and make recommendations to ensure that the UK is better prepared for any future outbreak. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker, Pippa Crerar and Rowena Mason on (#6P598)
PM tells unions to prepare for disappointment despite warnings of a crisis in staffing and recruitmentKeir Starmer is on a collision course with unions after playing down the chance of real-terms pay increases for public sector staff in negotiations, prompting widespread warnings of a crisis in recruitment and staffing.While Downing Street is not ruling out some above-inflation settlements, as could happen for junior doctors, Starmer warned unions to be prepared for disappointment ahead of the imminent findings of a series of pay review bodies. Continue reading...
Campaigners say figure is shameful and that Tory policy is single biggest driver of child povertyThe Labour government has come under fresh pressure to abolish the two-child benefit limit after the latest official figures showed a record 1.6 million children were living in families affected by the controversial policy.Campaigners, charities and MPs across the political spectrum described the figures as shameful and renewed calls for the benefit limit to be scrapped, saying the much-criticised policy introduced by the Conservative government seven years ago had become the UK's biggest single driver of child poverty. Continue reading...
by Zoe Wood , Sarah Marsh and Rob Davies on (#6P53S)
Flights to Berlin are fully booked and Tesco thinks it will shift 1m pizzas in massive boost to the economyPreparations for Sunday's Euro 2024 final are reaching fever pitch with retailers, pubs and airlines scrambling to meet England fans' demand for everything from beer and burgers to replica shirts and flights.On Thursday supporters with deep pockets were scouring the web for flights to Berlin or nearby cities and trying to secure a ticket for the final, the latter said to be changing hands for 2,500. Continue reading...
World's oldest grand slam breaks with tradition to host eChamps' as part of efforts to attract younger audienceFrom Hawk-Eye to AI, Wimbledon traditionalists have spent 20 years railing against the introduction of computer technology on the hallowed turf. But now the oldest grand slam in tennis is experimenting with hosting a whole tournament in a virtual world.The 147-year-old championship is holding its first esports competition in an attempt to build a fanbase among young people. Continue reading...
City authorities say blaze in spire contained after plume of smoke seen rising from 12th-century gothic buildingFirefighters in the Normandy city of Rouen have managed to bring a fire in its world-famous gothic cathedral under control, calming fears of another disaster at one of France's architectural jewels five years after the devastation of Notre Dame.Initial television images showed a dark plume of smoke rising from the cathedral spire and people in the streets below looking up in horror. Continue reading...
Eight of nine finfluencers' plead not guilty to promoting unauthorised content to 4.5m followersA group of influencers and former reality TV stars from shows including Love Island and Geordie Shore have pleaded not guilty to promoting an unauthorised investment scheme on Instagram, but will not be tried until 2027.Lauren Goodger, an ex-cast member of The Only Way is Essex (Towie), Love Island's Jamie Clayton and Scott Timlin, the former Geordie Shore star known as Scotty T, appeared at Southwark crown court in London on Thursday on charges relating to plugging an unsanctioned financial venture to their followers on the social media site. Continue reading...
by Jamie Grierson, Mabel Banfield-Nwachi and Vikram D on (#6P4N1)
Kyle Clifford, a British Army veteran, found in north London and taken to major trauma centre following manhuntA British army veteran wanted in connection with the death of three women in a suspected crossbow attack has been captured after being found with injuries, police have said.Kyle Clifford, 26, who is understood to have served in the British army for about a year, was named as a suspect by Hertfordshire police after the deaths of Carol Hunt, 61, and two of her daughters, Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, at a property in Bushey. Continue reading...
Health minister says it's clear NHS is broken and government is going to be honest about challenges'An independent investigation will be held into the performance of the NHS, the health secretary has announced.Writing in the Sun, Wes Streeting said the investigation would be aimed at diagnosing the problem" so the government can write the prescription". Continue reading...
In first international trip since entering No 10, PM visits Washington for alliance's 75th-anniversary summitKeir Starmer will call on Nato countries to increase defence spending in response to rising global threats as he launches a major review setting out UK plans to spend tens of billions of pounds extra on the military.The prime minister will use Nato's 75th-anniversary summit in Washington, his first international trip since winning power, to underline Britain's cast-iron" commitment to the defence alliance. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6P3AJ)
Nandy says her department will prioritise celebrating British culture and a less divisive vision of the UKThe era of culture wars is over", Lisa Nandy has promised in her first speech as culture secretary, saying her department will be at the heart of efforts to reflect a more positive and less divisive vision of the UK.For too long, for too many people, the story we tell ourselves, about ourselves as a nation, has not reflected them, their communities or their lives," Nandy told staff at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Continue reading...
Officials say 43-year-old man left his vehicle to take pictures of a breeding herd at Pilanesberg national parkA Spanish tourist has been trampled to death by elephants in a South African national park after apparently trying to take pictures of a breeding herd that included three calves.The 43-year-old man was killed on Sunday morning at Pilanesberg national park about 130 miles (210km) north-west of Johannesburg. Continue reading...
MoD accepts death of Sqn Ldr Kai Macnaughton, who was exposed to toxic fumes as helicopter pilot, was service related', Times reportsThe Ministry of Defence has reportedly conceded that the death of an RAF pilot who lost his life to cancer was related to his service as it awarded his widow a pension.Sqn Ldr Kai Macnaughton was 52 and still serving in the military when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of blood vessel cancer and died three weeks later aged 53, the Times reported. Continue reading...
One ex-employee describes Nursing and Midwifery Council as hotbed of bullying, racism and toxic behaviour'A dysfunctional" culture at the UK nursing regulator is threatening public safety, according to a damning report that found the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) took seven years to strike off a nurse who had been accused of rape and sexual assault.Staff at the regulator broke down in tears as they recounted their frustrations over safeguarding decisions that put the public at risk", according to the authors of an independent review of the regulator. Continue reading...
The archbishop of Canterbury urged traditionalists not to abandon the church over the moveSpecial church services to bless same-sex couples have inched closer after the Church of England's ruling body backed a proposal by bishops that could see a three-year trial starting in 2025.The General Synod, meeting in York, voted by 216 to 191 to back the move, which is the latest incremental step in the C of E's long journey towards welcoming the civil marriages of same-sex couples. Continue reading...
Refuge raises concerns over measures to ease overcrowding in England and Wales after mistakes made under ToriesKeir Starmer's plan to ease the overcrowding crisis in prisons must not allow high-risk offenders to walk free again, a domestic abuse charity has warned.Labour's new government is expected to authorise emergency measures this week under which criminals could be automatically freed after serving between 40% and 45% of their sentence. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker, Ben Quinn and Rowena Mason on (#6P2EW)
Doubt raised about election hopefuls who stood without providing photos, biographies or contact detailsReform UK are coming under pressure to provide evidence its candidates at the general election were all real people after doubts were raised about a series of hopefuls who stood without providing any photos, biographies or contact details.Reform insists every one of its 609 candidates on 4 July were real, while accepting that some were in effect paper candidates" who did no campaigning, and were there simply to help increase the party's vote share. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6P2EX)
Oasis St Martin's Village will offer mentoring and other help for at-risk young people and is intended to be first of manyOne of the UK's first girls' schools is to reopen in September as the first of a series of youth hubs for young people at risk of falling out of education and into crime.St Martin-in-the-Fields high school for girls in Tulse Hill, south London, will be reinvented as Oasis St Martin's Village, offering mentoring and one-to-one therapeutic care for vulnerable young people who are in danger of being excluded. Continue reading...
Andreas Wuchner suffered traumatic brain injury after hurrying to his flight from Heathrow to Zurich in 2017A passenger who suffered a traumatic brain injury after slipping in a puddle of Baileys while heading for a flight could receive up to 4m in compensation.Andreas Wuchner, who was 35 at the time of the incident at Heathrow airport in November 2017, was due to fly home to Zurich after he and his business partner had to rebook flights as a result of missing a previous plane due to traffic. Continue reading...
by Pjotr Sauer and Artem Mazhulin in Kyiv on (#6P2EZ)
Rescuers search through rubble of country's largest children's hospital, as Zelenskiy vows to retaliateWestern and UN leaders have condemned a daylight Russian missile barrage that hit Ukraine's largest children's hospital, leaving an unknown number trapped under the rubble, as strikes across the country killed 36 people in one of the deadliest attacks this year.Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed retaliation as he said Kyiv's Okhmatdyt hospital, the main treatment centre in the country for children with cancer, had taken a direct missile hit. The strike was part of one of the heaviest attacks on the capital since Russia's February 2022 invasion. Continue reading...
Surprise result restores hope' but politicians urged to heed warning after far-right National Rally falls shortAgainst the backdrop of Lyon's emblematic Bartholdi fountain, much of which was sculpted by the artist behind New York's Statue of Liberty, the same word was on seemingly everyone's lips on Monday after the French election result: soulagement, or relief.It's great that the far right didn't win," said Stephane, 47. But he, like everyone else the Guardian spoke to, was swift to add a caveat given the political uncertainty that now looms over the nation. It's going to be a mess. They're not going to agree on a lot of things." Continue reading...
Exclusive: Whitehall warns firm's deteriorating infrastructure and 15.6bn debt pose urgent problemThe prime minister and chancellor have been briefed by Whitehall officials that the poor state of Thames Water presents a critical risk" to the country, the Guardian understands.Fears about the company go beyond its precarious financial position and include the management of sites that provide drinking water and sewage treatment for millions of customers across the capital and the Thames valley. Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo and Quique Kierszenbaum in Jerusalem on (#6P28X)
Civil emergency service says dozens killed in strikes launched after Israeli military issued evacuation ordersPeople in Gaza City have reported one of the heaviest attacks by Israeli forces since 7 October, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing from an area already ravaged in the early weeks of the nine-month-old war.The latest Israeli incursion into the eastern sector of Gaza City came as Israel's far-right coalition parties threatened again to stop ongoing negotiations in Qatar for a ceasefire, arguing that halting the fighting now would be a huge mistake. Continue reading...
Scarlett Vickers, daughter of Simon Vickers and Sarah Hall, was killed by a single knife wound to the chest, court toldA mother and father have appeared in court accused of murdering their 14-year-old daughter who, the court heard, was fatally stabbed.Simon Vickers, 49, and Sarah Hall, 44, of Darlington, who have been charged with murder, appeared at Newton Aycliffe magistrates court in County Durham on Monday. Continue reading...
Downgraded hurricane strengthens, bringing torrential rain, strong winds and floodingAfter Tropical Storm Beryl broke records last week for being the earliest recorded category 5 Atlantic hurricane, the system has been barrelling towards the Texas coast where it made landfall on Monday.Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm crossing the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico on Friday, but was forecast to restructure and intensify as it moved into favourable conditions. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian