Anera says four men who died in Gaza were locals who asked to serve as escort for convoy, but IDF describes them as armed assailants'

Officials say it is too dangerous to send in divers to look for the Indian woman who has now been missing for eight daysThe search for an Indian tourist who was swallowed by a sinkhole in Malaysia's capital has stalled after being deemed too risky".Vijaya Lakshmi Gali was walking along a road in Kuala Lumpur on 23 August when the pavement beneath her suddenly collapsed. She plunged into an 8-metre-deep (26ft) sinkhole and disappeared. Rescuers have found no trace of her so far except for her slippers. Continue reading...

The family watched the rare 3,500-year-old jar, believed used for wine or oil, being restored at the Hecht MuseumSmashing a rare museum artefact dating back thousands of years would probably earn you a lifetime ban at the very least.But a four-year-old who accidentally toppled a jar from the bronze age, leaving it broken into pieces, was welcomed back to the Hecht Museum in Haifa, Israel, a week after the unfortunate incident. Continue reading...

New figures reveal that public bodies paid out at least 60% more to consultancies in 2023-24 than it did pre-pandemicPrivate consultants were paid a scandalous" 3.4bn by public bodies last year, new figures reveal.The statistics, from outsourcing data company Tussell, show that government spending on private consultants was 1.3bn (62%) higher in 2023-24 than 2019-20. They also reveal that the surge in consultant spending seen during Covid has failed to come back down to pre-pandemic levels. Continue reading...

After battling endometriosis herself, a British entrepreneur backs 1m study hoping to improve understanding of the diseaseMarie Macklin was on a Christmas shopping trip in Glasgow in 1997 when she collapsed in a store and was taken to hospital in severe pain. My dad arrived and I told him, I'm dying'," recalled the businesswoman and entrepreneur.Macklin, then 32, turned out to be suffering from endometriosis, a disease in which cells similar to those that line the womb grow elsewhere in the body and can cause severe, chronic pain. The type affecting Macklin was ovarian endometriosis (sometimes referred to as chocolate cysts'). Macklin's cysts were bursting inside her. Continue reading...

She completed 2012 London Marathon in 17 days and raised nearly 1m after being paralysed in a riding fallA charity campaigner who completed a marathon in a bionic suit after being paralysed in a riding accident has died, aged 44.Claire Lomas, who raised nearly 1m competing in events across the country, died following an accident in Jordan on 22 August, her family said. Continue reading...

One person still missing after aircraft that was returning from a firefighting mission crashed into riverPortugal has declared a day of mourning after a firefighting helicopter crashed in the Douro River leaving at least four dead and one missing.The pilot survived the accident, which happened in Lamego a little after 12.30pm on Friday afternoon while the helicopter was returning from fighting a fire near Baiao, just inland from the city of Porto. Continue reading...

Bus was heading to festival in Siegen near Cologne when incident took place on Friday eveningA 32-year-old woman has been arrested after six people were hurt in a knife attack on a bus headed to a festival in western Germany. Authorities said there was no evidence of a political or religious motive.Three of those attacked are in life-threatening condition, police said on Friday evening. Continue reading...

Unseasonably strong winds and record-breaking warm weather has been forecast to continue through the weekend

Experts say sprawling' system, negative attitudes and lack of staff support makes equal access hard to ensure

Prime minister defends government's backflip on census and says single question on sexuality will not limit scope of data

Founding chair Graeme Innes launches petition and accuses service provider of hypocrisy over recruitment for top job

China's representative demanded the scrapping of language about Taiwan in the final communique; Pacific countries will get a new multinational police unitPacific leaders gathered in Tonga this week to discuss the most pressing issues in the region. The group backed a Pacific-wide police training and rapid-response plan championed by Australia, and also reached agreement with France to allow a fact-finding mission to travel to New Caledonia to investigate the recent unrest. But the final day of the talks on Friday was overshadowed by a dispute over language about Taiwan.Here are the key takeaways from the Pacific Islands Forum (Pif) summit, the region's most important annual political gathering, bringing together Australia, New Zealand and 16 Pacific island countries or territories. Continue reading...

Opinion differs only over whether leadership is merely incompetent or actively working with NetanyahuIsrael said on Friday it had killed three militants including a senior Hamas official in an airstrike on a car outside Jenin on the third day of extensive military operations across the West Bank.Israeli leaders say the campaign is designed to pre-empt attacks on Israelis after a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv this month, the first for eight years. Continue reading...

Announcement follows questions over exceptional appointments of Labour donor and former thinktank stafferThe civil service appointments watchdog has launched a review of exceptional appointments to official jobs after a row about alleged cronyism, following a Labour donor and a former thinktank staffer being given roles.Gisela Stuart, the first civil service commissioner, has written to the heads of all government departments asking for details of any appointments since 1 July that were made without going through the normal civil service recruitment processes. Continue reading...

Animal was put down in 2021 after what breeder Helen Macdonald claims was flawed testing for bovine TBA woman who believes her alpaca was unlawfully executed by the state in a miscarriage of justice has said the prime minister should re-examine the case.Alpaca breeder Helen Macdonald said she urgently wanted to meet the newly appointed Labour government to discuss the fate of Geronimo, who was euthanised by the government in August 2021 after twice testing positive for contagious bovine tuberculosis. Continue reading...

Opponents of Labour proposal - including non-smokers - say smoking areas have brought together countless lovers and friendsWhen Lara Bose heard about Labour's proposed ban on outdoor smoking areas, she was shocked. Literally living with the person I got with in the smoking area three years ago. Keir hates love!" she posted on X.Bose, 21, met her partner, Ben, in the outdoor smoking section of a venue in London three years ago, where they shared a cigarette and their first kiss. Describing their fateful encounter at the Under the Bridge venue at Stamford Bridge stadium in 2021, Bose said she spotted Ben, a student at the same university, and found him attractive and charming. Continue reading...

Other private schools say they will absorb some of the cost of the removal of VAT exemptionEton college has sent a letter to parents saying it will raise its fees by a fifth in response to the government's removal of the VAT exemption on private schools. The annual fees will increase from 52,749 to about 63,000.In the letter, the school said: The provost and fellows regret that the government has chosen to tax education in this way. Continue reading...

Police called to house in Oldbury but teenager could not be savedA murder investigation has been launched into the death of a 13-year-old boy after he was stabbed in Oldbury, West Midlands police have said.The force said officers were called to a property in Oldbury, a town west of Birmingham, at about 4pm on Thursday by the ambulance service. A boy was found with stab wounds and treated by paramedics but could not be saved. Continue reading...

Judge tells Hinkley Point worker Gavin Pinder his part in violence is difficult to reconcile' with highly responsible' jobA highly paid" nuclear power plant worker who laughed as he took part in mob violence outside a mosque in Southport has been jailed for two years and four months.Liverpool crown court heard that Gavin Pinder, 47, had a highly paid, responsible" job at Hinkley Point in Somerset. Continue reading...

Wassem Hazem, commander in Jenin, killed in car Israel says container weapons and cashThere is more coming to us on reports from the Israeli military of the death of local Hamas commander in Jenin, Wassem Hazem (see 9.48am post) and two Hamas gunmen.Hamas has not yet commented on the incident.In the village of Zababdeh, just outside Jenin, a burnt-out car riddled with bullet holes stood against a wall where the driver crashed the vehicle after being pursued by an Israeli special forces unit, residents said.Villager Saif Ghannam, 25, said one of the two other men who escaped from the vehicle was killed just outside his house by a small drone strike that shattered the windows, while a second man was killed a short distance away. Continue reading...

With 500,000 households a year cancelling their TV licence, the corporation may have to do less with less to surviveWithin days of her appointment as culture secretary, Lisa Nandy met one of the few prominent BBC presenters who is not currently embroiled in a scandal: Hacker T Dog, the puppet star of CBBC.Hacker, I don't know if you remember but you once met my little boy and made him cry," Nandy told the troublesome terrier at the BBC's Salford studios last month. So I'm afraid I am announcing today that I am shutting the BBC down." Continue reading...

More electricity demand and lower than usual generation from two renewable sources raises questions about climate targets

Sahra Wagenknecht attacked while about to speak on stage in run-up to Thuringia and Saxony state electionsThe leader of a breakaway populist leftwing party in Germany, Sahra Wagenknecht, has been sprayed with pink paint while campaigning in elections in the eastern state of Thuringia.Wagenknecht, a former high-profile member of the far-left party Die Linke who this year founded the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), was attacked on stage on Thursday as she prepared to address crowds in Erfurt. She ducked as a man approached the stage and spattered paint in her direction, which hit her dress and face. Continue reading...

Sales up more than 500%, while streaming of band's music on Spotify has also surgedSales of Oasis music have soared since the band announced it was reforming for a series of live gigs next summer, with vinyl and CD sales up more than 500% in the past week at HMV.The music chain, which operates almost 130 high street stores under the HMV and Fopp brands in the UK as well as an online shop, said that sales across the Manchester band's full catalogue have increased by 526% after the reunion tour announcement compared with last week. Continue reading...

Rough weather forces flight from Mexico to Chicago to make emergency landing in MemphisSevere turbulence caused injuries to seven people on a United Airlines flight from Cancun in Mexico to Chicago and forced an emergency landing in Memphis, according to the airline.The Boeing 737 was hit by the rough weather and forced to land on Wednesday in the latest such incident to hit the industry. One person was taken to hospital. Continue reading...

In sit-down with CNN's Dana Bash, vice-president defends shifts on policy issues and her support for BidenKamala Harris sat for her first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee with CNN's Dana Bash alongside her running mate, Tim Walz, on Thursday, and defended her shifts on certain policy issues over the years and her support for Joe Biden.In the interview, which was taped from Savannah, Georgia, earlier on Thursday, the vice-president said her highest priority upon taking office would be to support and strengthen the middle class" through policies including increasing the child tax credit, curtailing price gouging on everyday goods and increasing access to affordable housing - all policies that she has announced since she started campaigning for the presidency. Continue reading...

Employees could work longer hours over fewer days under government proposals for flexible working

Prime minister says there will be a question in the census' on sexuality after testing by the Australian Bureau of Statistics

Police continue hunt for man alleged to have thrown coffee on nine-month-old in Hanlon Park in Stones Corner on Tuesday

Wendy Hansen was last seen near Bundaberg in February before her remains were discovered at Coffs Harbour in June. Police say her death is suspicious

An alleged murder victim had a broken heart both literally and figuratively, defence barrister Michael Bonasia tells Brisbane supreme court

Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, from a prominent Spanish acting family, sentenced to life in prison after admitting dismembering the victim's body and disposing of itA court in Thailand has found Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, a member of a famous Spanish acting family and a YouTube chef, guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced him to life in prison, in a lurid case that has gripped Spain.The 30-year-old was convicted of the murder of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, a 44-year-old plastic surgeon from Colombia, when both were vacationing on the Thai holiday island of Koh Pha-ngan in August 2023. Continue reading...

Victorian coroner finds baby's death was entirely preventable after inquest hears Covid lockdowns also affected care

Meteorological agency says over a metre of rain could fall in 48 hours as tens of thousands are advised to evacuate from storm's path in southern island of KyushuJapan's strongest typhoon of the year has made landfall in the country's south-west, bringing torrential rain and winds of up to 252 km/h (157 mph), strong enough to destroy homes.The meteorological agency said Typhoon Shanshan, referred to in Japan as Typhoon No 10, made landfall on the island of Kyushu at around 8am. The power company said 254,610 houses were already without electricity. Continue reading...

Government discusses measures after criticism over cuts to winter fuel paymentsMinisters have committed to help households struggling with their gas and electricity bills this winter after energy industry bosses warned that consumer debt had climbed to more than 3bn.With Labour under fire for scrapping universal winter fuel payments to pensioners, ministers met energy industry bosses on Wednesday to discuss ways of supporting struggling households through the coming colder months. Continue reading...

Police Scotland arrest 52-year-old after decision made to open murder inquiry based on postmortem resultsA 52-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of a woman in Scotland, police said.Brodie MacGregor, 23, was pronounced dead inside a flat after emergency crews were called to an address in the Springburn area of Glasgow at about 10.15am on Monday. Continue reading...

Police appeal for witnesses and advise people to stay away from scene of crash on seafront in BeaumarisThree people have died in a road collision in Anglesey (Ynys Mon), police have said.North Wales police said officers responded to reports of a collision in Beaumaris shortly after 2.45pm on Wednesday. Three people were pronounced dead at the scene in Alma Street, on the seafront near Beaumaris pier. Continue reading...

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The man, who cannot be named, denies he raped the woman or asked her to watch sex tapes

Liquidators to recoup millions sent to blackmailer who threatened to expose Plutus Payroll tax fraud scheme

Nearly nine in 10 users said they had positive experience, with 7m tests now provided across network in EnglandPatients are having important tests such as X-rays and scans more quickly thanks to the NHS's rollout of a network of community diagnostic centres (CDCs), the health service's patient champion has found.The 160 CDCs now in operation across England have been opened over recent years to help patients get tested and diagnosed faster than by going to their GP or local hospital. Continue reading...

Group including neonatal experts and statistics professors question its setup amid concerns about convictionA group including some of the UK's leading neonatal experts and professors of statistics is calling on the government to postpone or change the terms of a public inquiry over concerns about the conviction of the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby.In a private letter to ministers, seen by the Guardian, the 24 experts said they were concerned that the inquiry's narrow terms could prevent lessons being learned about possible negligent deaths that were presumed to be murders" in the neonatal ward of the Countess of Chester hospital (CoC). Continue reading...

Event in September will include tours of Curtis's home town, which have already sold out, and a tribute band gigMacclesfield will hold its first ever Joy Division Day next month, to celebrate the town's links to the band.The lead singer Ian Curtis grew up in the Cheshire town, and after his death in 1980 aged 23 his ashes were buried in Macclesfield cemetery. Continue reading...

Warren is given suspended prison sentence as lawyer says former Interpol target one' now wants peace'The notorious gangster Curtis Cocky" Warren has been handed a 14-month jail term, suspended for 18 months, after he pleaded guilty at Liverpool crown court to failing to comply with a serious crime prevention order.Warren, 61, pleaded guilty to six breaches of the order, said to have been committed after his release from prison in 2022. He had previously pleaded not guilty at the same court to 18 counts of failing to comply with an SCPO. Continue reading...

Two killed as Kryvyi Rih hotel hit, and Zaporizhzhia drone attack kills another two, a day after assault on power grid

Grammy winner asks for privacy as she mourns Patricia and Alison, saying: My heart is broken'Mariah Carey's mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison, both died on the same day, the singer said Monday.My heart is broken that I've lost my mother this past weekend," the Grammy-winning singer said. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day. Continue reading...

Authorities look into what happened to Kendra Frazer, 39, who was found unresponsive at the Black Rock desert eventAuthorities are investigating the death of a woman identified as 39-year-old Kendra Frazer who was found unresponsive on the opening day of Burning Man, the event held annually in Nevada's Black Rock desert, about 100 miles (160km) north of Reno.Hours after the festival officially began on 25 August, emergency personnel were called according to officials with the Pershing county sheriff's office, after teams affiliated with the non-profit that runs the event attempted life-saving measures and were unable to revive the woman. Continue reading...

More talks to take place on Tuesday as president attempts to find a PM who can command cross-party supportFrance has been plunged into further political chaos after Emmanuel Macron refused to name a prime minister from the leftwing coalition that won the most parliamentary seats in the snap election last month.The president had hoped consultations would break the political deadlock caused by the election that left the Assemblee Nationale divided into three roughly equal blocks - left, centre and far right - none of which has a majority of seats. Continue reading...

Vallejo police retrieved snake in car after 10-mile chase in crackdown of sideshow involving roughly 500 vehiclesA 10ft-long python was discovered in a vehicle during a bust of an illegal sideshow in the San Francisco Bay Area that attracted hundreds of people, authorities say.The Vallejo police department said officials received multiple calls around 11.12pm on Friday of a sideshow involving roughly 500 vehicles in the Bay Area city. Drivers were blocking traffic, beaming lasers into the eyes of other motorists and spinning their vehicles, according to a police statement. Continue reading...