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Result with 80% of votes counted goes against opinion polls that suggested incumbent was facing defeatNicolas Maduro has been declared the winner of Venezuela's presidential election by the government-controlled electoral authority - a result that appeared to dash opposition hopes of ending 25 years of socialist rule and was immediately contested by his rivals and several governments in the region.After a six-hour delay in releasing the results of Sunday's election sparked an outpouring of concern from South American governments, the national electoral council claimed Maduro had won with 51.21% of votes compared with 44.2% for his rival, the former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. Continue reading...

Use of the motorised luggage which is popular in parts of Asia, require safety equipment and a driver's licence, according to Japanese lawAs record numbers of tourists flock to Japan to take advantage of the weakness of the Japanese yen, some are running into trouble with authorities thanks to the growing popularity of motorised, rideable suitcases.Two major Japanese airports have already asked travellers not to ride motorised suitcases within their facilities, according to Kyodo news agency, while police are urging domestic retailers to warn customers of the strict laws concerning their use. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Philippe Sands KC says non-binding opinion will nevertheless be seen as authoritative statement of law'The UK should stop arming Israel in order to comply with the historic advisory opinion by the UN's top court that member states should not render aid or assistance" to the occupation of the Palestinian territories, a lawyer who represented Palestine has said.In a broad and damning ruling published this month, the international court of justice (ICJ), found that Israel's settlement policies and occupation of the territories were in breach of international law. It also said UN member states were under an obligation to neither recognise the occupation as lawful nor abet it. Continue reading...

Philip Davies was among those who hedged their bets as they faced up to life after politics, analysis revealsAs the Conservative party hurtled towards electoral defeat, Philip Davies MP appeared to be weighing up his next career move already.On 20 June, the veteran backbencher incorporated a new company, Nessen Ltd, describing the nature of its business as management consultancy" in a filing to Companies House. Continue reading...

Green energy executives say plans for new power projects need to be more ambitious to achieve net zero grid by 2030Labour's clean energy targets may already be in jeopardy just weeks after the party came to power with the promise to quadruple Britain's offshore wind power, according to senior industry executives.The offshore wind industry has said there will not be enough time to develop the projects needed to create a net zero electricity system by the end of the decade unless ministers increase the ambition and funding of the government's upcoming make or break" subsidy auctions. Continue reading...

Liberal democrat MP Steve Darling's guide dog has her own press officer after becoming a social media sensationMeet Jennie the golden retriever - honorary 73rd Liberal Democrat MP, who has her own press officer and may need extra security after becoming a social media sensation.Always by the side of her owner, the new MP for Torbay, Steve Darling, guide dog Jennie has taken to House of Commons life swimmingly and is quickly attracting legions of fans. Her account on X already has more than 18,000 followers and she is often recognised around parliament and on the tube. Continue reading...

Nationals MP apologised after telling anti-renewables protesters to load that magazine' and that the bullet you have is that little piece of paper'

Kai McKenzie was critically injured in the attack but on Monday posted a lighthearted photo of himself in hospital flanked by supporters

Sakina Muhammad Jan to serve at least 12 months in prison in Australia's first forced marriage conviction

Experts say policy changes that include scrapping Mori-led programs will harm communities and put New Zealand's great reputation' at risk

Jonny Clothier was refused graduation at Bristol University over unpaid bill relating to flatmate's birdA man who was denied his graduation for 41 years because of an unpaid bill of 64.80 relating to a parrot has finally donned his cap and gown on the same day as his son.Jonny Clothier studied architecture at the University of Bristol and was meant to graduate with his peers in 1983. But his old flatmate had a parrot which, after being left unsupervised, had free run of their university accommodation and was said to have wrecked the place. Continue reading...

Experts warn women are making significant life changes' based on the anti-Mullerian hormone test, which they say is not reliable for many of its advertised uses

Man, 45, has been arrested on suspicion of murder following early-morning assault on Anita Rose in BranthamA 57-year-old woman has died in hospital four days after she was attacked while walking her dog in Suffolk, police have said.Anita Rose was found unconscious with a serious head injury by a member of the public at about 6.25am on Wednesday in the village of Brantham. She had left her house at about 5am to take her springer spaniel, Bruce, for a walk and was discovered on a track near Rectory Lane. Continue reading...

US backed Israel in blaming Hezbollah for strike on Golan Heights but is working on a diplomatic solution'Global leaders were engaged in intensive diplomacy on Sunday to dissuade Israel from increasing attacks on Lebanon, amid fears that a wider regional war could erupt in response to a rocket strike that killed 12 children playing football in the occupied Golan Heights.As the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, convened a meeting of his national security cabinet, the White House backed Israeli statements that blamed Saturday's attack on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, saying: It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control. It should be universally condemned." Continue reading...

The Park fire has more than doubled in size in 24-hour span to burn 350,000 acres and stretches over four countiesThousands of firefighters continued to battle the Park fire in northern California which, propelled by extreme fire weather conditions, has become the state's seventh-largest on record after burning for less than a week.The Park fire, about 90 miles (144km) north of the state capital of Sacramento, had more than doubled in size in a 24-hour span to burn upwards of 350,000 acres (141640 hectares) - an area about the size of Los Angeles - and stretched over four counties: Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama, according to the California department of forestry and fire protection, or Cal Fire. Continue reading...

Swimmer narrowly misses third successive Olympic gold, as Andy Murray keeps tennis alive in doubles comebackWorld record-holding swimmer Adam Peaty was left in tears after being beaten to gold by the smallest of margins on a day of disappointment for Team GB at the Paris Games.The 29-year-old had been seeking to join American legend Michael Phelps as only the second man to win three successive Olympic golds in the same discipline, but trailed Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi by just 0.02 of a second in the men's 100m breaststroke. Continue reading...

Shadow minister, the bookies' favourite, says if elected she will focus on renewing the party to serve the British peopleKemi Badenoch, the shadow housing and communities secretary, has entered the Conservative leadership race with a pledge to get the Tories back into government by 2030.Badenoch, the bookmakers' favourite to succeed Rishi Sunak, said she would focus on renewing the Conservative brand around the notions that above all else, [the government] has to serve its own citizens" and we can't control immigration until we reconfirm our belief in the nation state". Continue reading...

The Glaswegian, who became famous in the 1990s, was also an eminent track and field coach of OlympiansJohn Anderson, the referee on the television programme Gladiators, has died at the age of 92.Tributes have been paid to the Glaswegian, who became famous in the 1990s for his officiating on the show. His catchphrases included Contender, ready! Gladiator, ready!" Continue reading...

Chancellor expected to announce cuts and delays to some projects as Labour tries to fill 20bn shortfall in financesRachel Reeves will on Monday detail the results of an audit of the country's finances, setting out plans to start filling a 20bn black hole she says her party has discovered since arriving in government. The chancellor will insist the true state of Labour's economic inheritance was covered up" by her predecessors, necessitating unexpectedly difficult decisions now.Reeves is expected to announce delays to certain infrastructure projects, as well as measures to cut spending elsewhere in Whitehall. Labour insiders insist infrastructure remains a huge priority for the government, but it will face criticism that Britain's long-term economic growth outcomes were dependent on such schemes. Continue reading...

New video apparently shows violent build-up to incident in which officer allegedly stamped on man during arrestThe mayor of Greater Manchester urged people not to rush to judgment" over the Manchester airport incident after new footage appeared to show a violent and frenetic lead-up.Protests erupted in Rochdale and Manchester city centre after a video circulated of an officer allegedly kicking and stamping on a man as he lay face-down during an arrest at the airport on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Film's opening is eighth biggest ever in win for Marvel as Robert Downey Jr announces return to studio as Dr DoomMarvel is back on top with Deadpool & Wolverine. The comic-book movie made a staggering $205m in its first weekend in North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It shattered the opening record for R-rated films previously held by the first Deadpool ($132m) and notched a spot in the top 10 openings of all time.Including international showings, where it's racked up an additional $233.3m from 52 markets, Deadpool & Wolverine is looking at a global opening of more than $438.3m. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Concerns that 3m appointments a month in England will disappear if industrial action goes aheadIndustrial action by GPs could have a catastrophic" impact on A&E units, the 111 telephone advice service and mental healthcare, a senior NHS leader has told the Guardian.Family doctors who run GP surgeries across England are about to finish voting on whether to reduce the care they provide - including limiting the number of patients they see to 25 a day - in protest at the previous government increasing their budget by only 1.9% this year. Continue reading...

Former officer alleges colleague John Dines inflicted injuries on himself in bid to be seen as high-performingA former undercover police officer has accused a colleague of lying about being beaten up by police while he was infiltrating leftwing protest groups in the UK, a public inquiry has heard.The officer alleged that his fellow undercover officer, John Dines, inflicted injuries on himself after he was arrested under his fake identity at a demonstration. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Chief executive says government's promise of UK-wide 5G by 2030 needs investment unlocked' by dealThe chief executive of Vodafone has said Labour will fail to achieve its promise of nationwide access to 5G, which is essential for next-generation technology such as artificial intelligence, by 2030 if the telecom company's 15bn merger with the rival Three UK is blocked.In its election manifesto, the government said nationwide coverage was needed by the end of the decade because the UK was falling behind other countries in terms of the investment and rollout of advanced mobile networks. Continue reading...

French authorities say they received call for help from overcrowded dinghy in early hours of SundayA woman has died trying to cross the Channel in an overcrowded dinghy, as a number of small boats made the dangerous journey over the weekend.Thirty-four others were rescued from what was described as a migrant boat" off the northern French port of Calais, after a call for help was made in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to French authorities. Continue reading...

Teenager is a two-time British national champion who took up the sport after being bulliedAs the Olympic Games get under way in Paris, teenagers all over the world will be dreaming of one day representing their country on the medal podium. But for one 13-year-old girl in Oldham, Greater Manchester, that dream could become reality.Ikrah Hussain is a two-time British national champion in Taekwondo, a martial art she took up aged seven after being bullied at school. Continue reading...

Apology follows anger among Catholics and other groups at opening ceremony segment that resembled biblical sceneParis 2024 organisers have apologised to Catholics and other Christian groups angered by a kitsch tableau in the Olympic Games opening ceremony that parodied Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper painting.The segment, which resembled the biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his apostles sharing a last meal before his crucifixion and featured drag queens and a singer made up as the Greek god of wine, Dionysus, drew dismay from the Catholic church and the religious right in US. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Centre for Crime and Justice Studies says rules result in overcriminalisation and discriminatory outcomesLabour is being urged to fulfil its pledge, made in opposition, to reform the law on joint enterprise in England and Wales, which is causing systemic injustice".A report by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (CCJS) says that the law on joint enterprise - where two or more defendants are accused of the same crime in relation to the same incident - has led to overcriminalisation, over punishment, discriminatory outcomes and convictions where there is no compelling evidence of intent. Continue reading...

Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia could upset Nicolas Maduro's run for a third term - but several obstacles can prevent a regime changeVenezuelans go to the polls on Sunday against a backdrop of hope and fear in a presidential election that could end 25 years of socialist rule - if a free and fair vote is allowed.Opinion polls suggest that the president Nicolas Maduro, 61, who is seeking his third term, could be defeated by the opposition coalition candidate, retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, 74. Continue reading...

Kit Harington hails decision to stage performances of his new play for black-only audiences as incredibly positive'It is a topic that has been weaponised in the culture wars including by the previous prime minister, but now one of Britain's leading actors has defended black out" nights at theatres.The Game of Thrones star Kit Harington has said the initiative of his new play to stage some performances for black-identifying audiences only was an incredibly positive thing" and denied the claim it discriminated against white people. Continue reading...

Delivery of first medical aid since Covid raises hopes that country could open up again to UN agencies and NGOsMore than 4 million vaccine doses have been flown toPyongyang, raising hopes that North Korea could open up again to UN agencies and NGOs amid reports of a worsening health situation in the authoritarian state.The return of essential vaccines marks a significant milestone towards safeguarding children's health and survival in this country," Roland Kupka, Unicef's acting representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, said in a statement. Continue reading...

Russian leader says Washington risks triggering cold war-style missile crisis and promises to respond in kindVladimir Putin has warned the US that if Washington deploys long-range missiles in Germany from 2026, Russia will station similar missiles within striking distance of the west.The US would start deploying long-range fire capabilities in Germany in 2026 in an effort to demonstrate its commitment to Nato and European defence, the Washington and Germany said earlier this month. Continue reading...

Critics argued laws were rushed through parliament' and will result in more Aboriginal children becoming incarcerated

Eleven Premier League teams start season with major bookmaker backing as industry watchdog report says stats can mask' scale of problem bettingOfficial figures on rates of problem gambling in Britain - which have been put as low as 0.3% - can mask" the scale of harms by including people who never bet, a report published by the industry regulator has warned.Various surveys suggest a problem gambling rate in Britain in a range of between 0.3% to 2.5%. But in the new report that figure rose sharply when non-gamblers were excluded - and was even higher among those who gambled on online casinos. Continue reading...

In 2023 John Pesutto was booed at the Victorian Liberal state council. This year, most rose to give him a standing ovation

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Alongside prosperity in Holborn and St Pancras are thousands of households for whom lifting the two-child benefit cap could mean an end to hunger The two-child benefit cap: what is it, does it work and how much would it cost to scrap it?It's been one of Cat Onyac's better days. Her two children are concentrating on their crochet project, sitting in the sunshine at HvH Arts in north London. And they've eaten. All the children get a hot meal," she says.The family is at a summer scheme for children in Camden on the edge of Keir Starmer's constituency, and food is just as important as learning photography, painting or music. Continue reading...

Reforms to inheritance and capital gains taxes could reduce 20bn shortfall and combat UK's widening wealth gapRachel Reeves could quickly find around 10bn a year to plug half of the fiscal hole left by the Conservatives if she were to raise taxes on soaring levels of unearned wealth, according to leading economists.New research by the independent Resolution Foundation published today finds that Britain is a country of booming wealth" but busted wealth taxes", leaving ample potential for the chancellor of the exchequer to raise desperately needed funds by raising taxes on the richest. Continue reading...

Military officials aim to strengthen war efficiency by following any attack order by Kim Jong-un anytime and without delay'North Korea has vowed to totally destroy" its enemies in case of war when leader Kim Jong-un gives an order, state media KCNA reported on Sunday, as the regime marked the end of hostilities in the Korean war.Senior military officials including Col Ri Un-ryong and Lt Cdr Yu Kyong-song made the comments out of surging hatred" towards the US and South Korea at a meeting on Saturday attended by Kim, marking the 71st anniversary of the Korean war armistice, according to KCNA. Continue reading...

One in three Australians live in an area where there is just one childcare spot for every three or more children, study finds

As the Park fire rages near Chico, residents who were evacuated from the deadly Camp fire in 2018 are evacuated againAs the biggest fire of the season raged through northern California on Saturday, Stephen Murray wasn't taking any chances.The Paradise resident loaded up his vehicle and prepared to flee with his wife and children. Almost six years after the Camp fire destroyed his hometown and killed 85 people, the community was under an evacuation warning due to the Park fire, which had scorched nearly 350,000 acres. Continue reading...

Far-right activist accused of contempt of court for making documentary, in which he repeats false claimsThe far-right activist Tommy Robinson could face jail" after screening a documentary against high court orders at a demonstration in central London on Saturday, according to the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate.The film, Silenced, repeated false claims he made about a Syrian refugee that led to him losing a libel case in 2021. Robinson is due to appear at a high court hearing on Monday accused of contempt of court for making the documentary. Continue reading...

Double-digit increases in insurance costs and rising petrol prices contributing to significant' spike in supply of repossessed vehicles

The deputy PM is to announce new rules to boost affordable homes as a 20bn shortfall in UK public finances is revealed Angela Rayner: Labour's radical housing plan will be smart, tailored and strategicA sweeping overhaul of planning rules to trigger the building of many more affordable homes will be announced by the government this week as it confronts the economic and social legacy of 14 years of Conservative rule.Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner will unveil a new National Planning Policy Framework to MPs on Tuesday before they depart for the summer recess in a move that will strengthen requirements for far higher numbers of affordable homes to be built in areas of need, starting this autumn. Continue reading...

Far-right leader talks of new Asia-oriented world order and throws support behind Donald TrumpHungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, said on Saturday that the EU was sliding toward oblivion, in a rambling anti-west speech in which he warned of a new, Asia-oriented world order" while throwing his support behind Donald Trump's US presidential bid.Europe has given up defending its own interests," Orban said in Bile Tunad, a majority ethnic Hungarian town in central Romania. All Europe is doing today is following the US's pro-Democrat foreign policy unconditionally ... even at the cost of self-destruction. Continue reading...

As Jude Law's ripe and revolting portrayal of the Tudor monarch opens in cinemas, we look at the film and TV stars who have played him - as comedian, tyrant or heart-throbGreasy, hairy, large and smelly are not words that instantly summon up the image of Jude Law. Until now. Because the actor's latest role, Henry VIII in the film Firebrand, will show him in an almost entirely unflattering light. And the effect will be topped off in later scenes by the pustulant ulcers shown on his legs.Law is, perhaps unfairly, still best known for his line in clean-shaven leading men, from the inconstant Alfie to the suave Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr Ripley. He has clearly relished the chance to look so unappealing on the big screen. Continue reading...

Palestinian officials say at least 30 killed in strike on school in Deir al-Balah where thousands were seeking shelterA wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting central and southern Gaza have killed at least 50 people and injured an estimated 200, with one strike hitting a school where thousands were seeking shelter.Palestinian health ministry officials said at least 30 people were killed in an airstrike on the Khadija school in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Continue reading...

Chancellor attempts to plug 20bn hole in spending but will commit to above-inflation public sector pay riseRachel Reeves is to delay a number of unfunded" road and hospital projects on Monday as part of the Treasury's anticipated plans to plug an apparent 20bn hole in spending left by the Conservatives, while committing to an above-inflation public sector pay rise.The chancellor is expected to argue she has inherited capital projects that are unfunded with unfeasible timelines" as part of her Treasury audit report to the Commons. The audit will be seen as an indication of the government's early commitments and priorities. Continue reading...