World news | The Guardian

Two male senior constables suspended and charged after alleged assault of 23-year-old at Mareeba watch house in far north Queensland

British papers hone in on push for criminal charges after inquiry blames 2017 disaster on government failures and dishonesty of companiesUK papers on Thursday focused on the seven-year public inquiry into the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, which concluded that the deaths of 72 people were avoidable and blamed decades of failure" by central government to stop the spread of combustible cladding combined with the systematic dishonesty" of the multimillion-dollar companies producing it.The Guardian headlined its story Grenfell: a disaster caused by dishonesty and greed'". It reported that police are now under pressure to accelerate the criminal investigation" into the blaze, although it could be another 12 to 18 months before police can send files to prosecutors to consider charges. Continue reading...

Ex-union leader, who led ALP to two election defeats in 2016 and 2019, has announced upcoming retirement

Only daughter and youngest child of the former Mori king Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII ascends to the throne in emotional ceremonyThe second ever Mori queen in the eight-dynasty reign of the Kiingitanga movement in New Zealand has ascended to the throne in an emotional ceremony attended by thousands at Turangawaewae marae.On Thursday morning Mori leaders hailed her as the new dawn". Continue reading...

Bids to join ballot for 27 and 28 September gigs will go first to fans unsuccessful in initial Ticketmaster sales windowOasis have announced two additional shows at Wembley and promised a staggered invitation-only ballot", days after many fans were left angry and disappointed after waiting for hours without being able to buy tickets for the band's other gigs.Extra dates at the London stadium were announced due to phenomenal demand" after Oasis were heavily criticised over the use of dynamic pricing for their first wave of tickets. Continue reading...

Some say they have been robbed of justice' as others accuse companies involved of having blood on their hands'

With possible election looming, Jagmeet Singh calls end to confidence and supply arrangement with weak, selfish' partyCanada's New Democratic party says it has ripped up" a key agreement with prime minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, sowing uncertainty into the country's politics as party leaders brace for a possible election.NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made the surprise announcement on social media on Wednesday afternoon, accusing Trudeau of caving" to corporate greed. The Liberals have let people down. They don't deserve another chance from Canadians," he said. Continue reading...

Relatives say Bhim Kohli was loving, caring person' and the joker of the family' as boy, 14, continues to be questionedRelatives of a pensioner who died after he was allegedly attacked while walking his dog in a park yards from his home in Leicester have said their hearts have been completely broken" by the loss of a loving, caring person whose life centred around his family".Bhim Kohli, 80, was attacked in Franklin Park close to his home in Braunstone Town on Sunday evening and died in hospital on Monday, police said. Continue reading...

Prime minister says country failed its most fundamental duty to protect those affected by fire as he apologises to families affected. This live blog is closed

Advocates say profiling characterized many arrests' as judge awards millions in damages in class-action lawsuitRacial profiling is a systemic problem in the Montreal police force, a Quebec judge has ruled, as she awarded damages in a class action lawsuit that advocates call a decision that meets with reality".Justice Dominique Poulin found that the city bore responsibility for racial profiling committed by its police officers and was obliged to compensate those affected. Continue reading...

Former home secretary's exit from race to replace Rishi Sunak was a surprise for many in Westminster

Final report calls for a series of measures, while the CPS has said any charging decisions are unlikely until end of 2026Seven years after the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people, the public inquiry convened in its aftermath has blamed the disaster on failures by a wide cast of individuals and companies. With the conclusion of the inquiry, attention will turn to what happens next. Here we explore possible next steps. Continue reading...

Carmaker defends plan to close German plants as Volvo ditches target to sell only electric cars by 2030

Residents tell of apocalyptic scenes' after more than 60mm of rainfall falls on Italian capital in less than an hourLightning has struck the Constantine Arch near the Colosseum in Rome during a violent thunderstorm, breaking off fragments from the ancient structure, officials have said.

Researchers discover how to use olfactory misinformation' to protect native animals and farmers' crops

Prison governors' leader urges ministers to consider further measures to cut jail population or build new cellsThe UK government's plan to free up prison spaces for at least 18 months with next week's launch of the early release scheme is doomed to fail because cells are being filled by rioters, the prison governors' leader has said.Tom Wheatley, the president of the Prison Governors' Association, said the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, will be lucky to get 12 months before we are full again" after charges against hundreds of people for their role in the recent disorder. Continue reading...

Cost of living crisis, higher mortgage rates and weak consumer confidence weigh on housing market in past yearBarratt Developments has suffered a 75% drop in annual profit and a double-digit decline in home completions after a challenging" year for Britain's biggest housebuilder.The company said the past year had proved tough for the housebuilding industry and potential buyers, as cost of living pressures, much higher mortgage rates and weak consumer confidence weighed on the housing market. Continue reading...

Picnic at Hanging Rock, Happy Days and aged care musical Bloom also on next year's STC program, which will be the last from outgoing artistic director Kip Williams

TGA recently approved importation and supply of overseas-registered tablets to help ease the shortage

Report on 2017 disaster is expected to spotlight serious failings among politicians, builders and manufacturersCompanies and public authorities involved in the Grenfell Tower refurbishment are braced for wide-ranging criticisms when the final public inquiry report on the 2017 disaster is released at 11am on Wednesday.The 1,700-page report is expected to spotlight serious failings among national and local politicians, builders, material manufacturers and sales people, fire-testing experts and the London fire brigade. The inquiry chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, and his inquiry panel colleagues, the architect Thouria Istephan and housing expert Ali Akbor, will also make recommendations to the government to ensure such a disaster is not repeated. Continue reading...

Research shows alarming' rise in essential living costs during retirement, with low-paid workers worst affectedThe average pension pot needed for a basic" retirement has risen by almost 60% in three years, according to research that highlights how the UK cost of living crisis has left many workers fearing they will never be able to retire.The study from the Resolution Foundation thinktank and the Living Wage Foundation found that a number of price rises across housing, energy, food and transport had helped significantly" increase the cost of securing an adequate income in retirement. Continue reading...

Bhim Kohli died in hospital after alleged attack while walking his dog in Franklin Park 20 metres from his homeA 14-year-old boy is being held on suspicion of murdering an 80-year-old man, named by police as Bhim Kohli, who died on Sunday after being allegedly attacked while walking his dog 20 metres from his home.Leicestershire police said Kohli was found having been assaulted at about 6.30pm in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town. Four other children who had been arrested have been released by police. Continue reading...

Kate Washington tells hearing accredited providers' will continue with hotel and motel placements for children removed from families

Volodymyr Zelenskiy says more than 206 people injured as unconfirmed reports say strike targeted military ceremonyUkraine has experienced one of the deadliest attacks of the war after a Russian missile strike on the central city of Poltava hit a military training institute and a nearby hospital, killing at least 51 people and injuring more than 200 others.The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in a video address that, according to preliminary information, two ballistic missiles had partially destroyed" one of the buildings of the Poltava Military Institute of Communications, leaving people under the rubble. Continue reading...

First salvage expedition in years captures more than 2m high-resolution images of 1912 shipwreckA bronze statue from the Titanic - not seen in decades and feared to be lost for good - is among the discoveries made by the company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years.RMS Titanic Inc, a Georgia-based company that holds the legal rights to the 112-year-old wreck, has completed its first trip since 2010 and released images from the expedition on Monday. The pictures show a site that continues to change more than a century later. Continue reading...

Pregnant woman among those killed in horrifying' incident as charities call on government to establish safe routesSix children and a pregnant woman are among at least 12 people who died after a boat carrying dozens of asylum seekers to the UK was ripped open" in one of the worst Channel tragedies since the small boats crisis began.In a major test for Keir Starmer's government, which is facing demands from charities to open up safe routes for those wanting to come to the UK, the French authorities said that 10 of those who had lost their lives were female and many are believed to be from Eritrea. Continue reading...

Increased coastline security and restriction of viable routes is only pushing asylum seekers to take riskier journeysThe grimly familiar sight of body bags being unloaded from search and rescue boats was witnessed again by the reporters on the shores of Northern France on Tuesday. And again, ministers from both the UK and French governments expressed their horror at another mass drowning of people trying to reach the UK.The charities that work closely with asylum seekers say thatthe policies of both governments may be inadvertently increasing the number of deaths of people seeking safety in the UK. Continue reading...

Authoritarian president moves up holiday celebrations yet again to apparently distract from political crisisWhatever happened to Christmas?" Frank Sinatra once asked. In Venezuela, the answer is that it has been brought forward to October.The country's strongman president, Nicolas Maduro, made the curious announcement that this year's festivities would begin in October on Monday, in the midst of a political bleak midwinter for his crisis-stricken land. Continue reading...

Caroline Darian overwhelmed as details are revealed during trial of father, Dominique Pelicot, and 50 other menHarrowing details have emerged at the trial of a French man charged with enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his drugged wife, with their daughter temporarily leaving the courtroom as she became overwhelmed by emotion.The case against Dominique Pelicot, 71, has horrified France after the allegations were only exposed by chance when he was caught filming up women's skirts in a supermarket. Continue reading...

Department store chain aims to build 215 homes as part of push to diversify beyond retailThe owner of John Lewis has submitted plans for the 80m development of 215 rental flats on the site of its unused Reading distribution centre - a tenth of which will be affordable.The John Lewis Partnership (JLP), which owns Waitrose supermarkets as well as its eponymous department stores, said the site would feature two garden spaces, including one for children, and shared communal spaces for fitness, home working and socialising. Continue reading...

Surrey police opened investigation after man, 31, found dead alongside three sonsThe mother of three young boys found dead in a house in Surrey has paid tribute to her sons who were full of life and happiness".On Saturday, police discovered the bodies of Dominik, three, Nikodem, two, and Kacper Swiderski, also two, with their father, Piotr Swiderski, 31, at a property in Staines-upon-Thames at about 1.15pm. Continue reading...

Provisional PSNI figures show 409 additional incidents in last 12 months compared with year beforeRace hate crimes in Northern Ireland have risen by a third in the last 12 months, according to provisional police figures.The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) operational statistics show 409 additional incidents were reported between September 2023 and September 2024 compared with the previous 12 months. Continue reading...

180 more people have been wounded after two ballistic missiles hit Ukrainian city, says president Volodymyr ZelenskiyA Moscow court sentenced a prominent physicist to 15 years in a penal colony on Tuesday after finding him guilty of treason" - the latest prison term for a scientist accused of sharing state secrets.Several high-profile scientists have been arrested in recent years, with at least three detained since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022. Continue reading...

Israel's justice ministry cautiously optimistic' court will decide against issuing warrants, Haaretz reportsJulian Borger is the Guardian's world affairs editorThe mass protests in Tel Aviv over the past two nights, and the smaller ones every Saturday night for the past few months, have been almost entirely about a deal with Hamas so that Israeli hostages are freed and come home. Continue reading...

Engagement of 21-year-old Nomcebo Zuma to King Mswati III confirmed at the annual Umhlanga reed danceA daughter of the former South African president Jacob Zuma is engaged to the king of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, with the 21-year-old confirmed as the monarch's fiancee during a traditional ceremony in which she was among hundreds of women and girls dancing for him.Nomcebo Zuma appeared on Monday night at the annual reed dance as the liphovela - the royal fiancee or concubine - and will become King Mswati III's 16th wife. Continue reading...

Sentencing of Alexander Shiplyuk is latest prison term for scientists working on military programmes

Netanyahu has made control of the strip between Gaza and Egypt a condition in ceasefire negotiations

Sailors enjoy meat pie and dry land after being saved following 19-hour ordealThe two people rescued from a yacht off Sydney's coast have said they are very glad to be back on dry land and were treated to a meat pie and cup of coffee after spending 19 hours clinging to their stricken yacht.But one of the pair - 48-year-old Lisa - has said she will be back out on the ocean as soon as Thursday. Continue reading...

Lawyer for Linda Reynolds tells defamation trial Credlin was told completely rework wherever you see fit'

Tributes paid to writer, actor and presenter, who also worked on Chorlton and the Wheelies and The Wind in the WillowsThe Danger Mouse writer Brian Trueman has died aged 92, his representative confirmed to the PA news agency.His son Jonathan Trueman announced the death of his father in a Facebook post, saying said he died in Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport on Sunday night after a short illness". Continue reading...

Pontiff lands in Jakarta before travelling on to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore over 12 daysPope Francis arrived in Muslim-majority Indonesia on Tuesday to kick off a four-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific that will be the longest and farthest of the 87-year-old's papacy.The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics touched down in the capital, Jakarta, for a three-day visit devoted to inter-religious ties, and will then travel to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore. Continue reading...

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Criticism of decision comes from across political spectrum, with some saying ban does not go far enoughThe decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel was facing a growing backlash from all sides, with Boris Johnson accusing Labour of abandoning Israel and asking if it wanted Hamas to win the war in Gaza.The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the decision sent the wrong message at the wrong time, while on the left there was growing anger at the loophole that would allow the UK to continue to supply parts to the F-35 fighter jet programme. Continue reading...

Committee will be appointed for 10 months and the NSW Liberals have until next Thursday to comply

The Oasis frontman will front campaign alongside DJ Peggy Gou, actor Russell Tovey and skateboarder Sage ElsesserBarely a week after ending a bitter feud with his brother, Liam Gallagher is going solo yet again.Oasis fans need not panic, however. The frontman has been announced as the new face of the fashion brand Stone Island, fronting its autumn and winter campaign. Continue reading...

Employee was found lying across two chairs with blanket covering them after working 10 night shifts in 12 days

The six-bedroom Wave House in Malibu was designed by Harry Gesner, whose son says it inspired Jorn Utzon's Sydney landmark

Pair saved by maritime police and HMAS Canberra off Nowra but abandoned yacht could end up in New Zealand with authorities prioritising saving lives not boats'

LSE report suggests chancellor should downgrade projects such as Lower Thames Crossing in favour of servicesSpending extra cash on mental health services would boost economic growth and improve the nation's wellbeing more than building new roads, according to an academic analysis.The report from the London School of Economics (LSE) argues that a rethink is needed inside Whitehall about how to approach spending decisions, with more focus on how the money actually improves people's lives, particularly in terms of wellbeing. Continue reading...

Victoria may see more severe weather warnings for wind later in the week, while emergency services continue to battle bushfires during Queensland heatwave