City officials say they have reversed the tide of history' thanks to completion of 1.4bn sewerage systemFrench city officials have hailed a historic day" after the Olympic triathlon competitions were held in the River Seine just a day after it was deemed unsafe for swimming.Tests on the water showed the men's and women's competitions could go ahead on Wednesday morning, resulting in victory - against all odds - for the city as well as for French athletes who took medals in the women's and men's events. Continue reading...

Digital ad revenues return to growth, driven in part by articles about pop superstar, Euro 2024 and electionTaylor Swift's Eras tour, the Euro 2024 football tournament and the UK general election - as well as a deep round of cost-cutting and job losses - helped the publisher of the Mirror and Express newspapers to its best quarterly performance in almost two years.Reach reported a 23% increase in operating profit to 44.5m in the first half and recorded a return to growth in digital revenues, which it is banking on to secure a future for its newspaper titles, for the first time since the third quarter of 2022. Continue reading...

Government announces $371m package but says the call for a new disability rights act is still under consideration

Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd and co-founder of Greenpeace, has been arrested on an international warrant and is facing charges including accomplice to assault and ship trespassAnti-whaling activist Paul Watson could face up to 15 years in prison in Japan, after the founder of US-based group Sea Shepherd was arrested on an international warrant in Greenland earlier this month.According to the Japan Coast Guard, Watson, who is also a co-founder of Greenpeace, is facing charges including accomplice to assault and ship trespass, after he was arrested on an international warrant in Greenland. Continue reading...

Far-right protesters threw bricks at officers, set vehicles on fire and attacked mosqueKeir Starmer has said those who rioted in Southport on Tuesday night will feel the full force of the law" after police vehicles were set alight and missiles hurled at officers.It came after far-right protesters pelted police with glass bottles and bricks and attacked a mosque following a knife attack that killed three children. Continue reading...

Limit on welfare support, introduced in 2013, leaves some with just 4 a day for each family memberLow-income families affected by the benefit cap are living on as little as 4 for each person a day, often in overcrowded, rat-infested and damp homes with little prospect of escape, according to a new study.The cap puts a ceiling on the amount a working-age family can receive in welfare support if no one in the household is working or they are on very low wages. Families affected by it in many parts of the country are, in effect, trapped in poor quality, private rented properties they cannot afford, even though these are often already the cheapest homes available in their local area, the London School of Economics study said. Continue reading...

Violent clashes at street protest, hours after police released names of three children who were killed

Lebanon foreign minister says attack came as shock after assurances of limited response' from IsraelIsrael has claimed it killed Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukur, in an airstrike on a south Beirut suburb launched in retaliation for a rocket attack that killed 12 children at the weekend.Shukur, also known as Hajj Mohsin, served as right hand man to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israel's military spokesperson R Adm Daniel Hagari said in a late night briefing. Continue reading...

Investigation ordered by US interior secretary found graves at schools established to force Indigenous kids to assimilateAt least 973 Native American children died in the US government's abusive boarding school system, according to the results of an investigation released Tuesday by officials who called on the government to apologize for the schools.The investigation commissioned by the US interior secretary, Deb Haaland, found marked and unmarked graves at 65 of the more than 400 US boarding schools that were established to forcibly assimilate Native American children into white society. The findings don't specify how each child died, but the causes of death included sickness and abuse during a 150-year period that ended in 1969, officials said. Continue reading...

PC Christopher Gudgeon charged after a report of sexual assault alleged to have taken place off-dutyA serving Metropolitan police officer has been charged with sexual assault.PC Christopher Gudgeon, who is attached to the Met's Central South Basic Command Unit, was charged by postal requisition on 9 July, the force said. Continue reading...

People say the community has been shaken to the core after three children were killed at a dance workshop

Officials have mixed accounts around arrest of Sinaloa co-founder El Mayo after Guzman Lopez turned himself inJoaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquin El Chapo" Guzman Loera, has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in federal court in Chicago, days after his arrest in a dramatic operation in which he may have delivered his father's former business partner to US authorities.Guzman Lopez, 38, was detained on Thursday alongside Ismael El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, the other co-founder of one of Mexico's most powerful organised crime groups, after touching down in a small plane in El Paso, Texas. Continue reading...

Indictment comes as nine other soldiers appear in Israeli military court over allegations of sexual abuse of detaineeIsrael's military has charged a reservist with aggravated abuse of Palestinian prisoners, a spokesperson said on Tuesday, as nine other soldiers appeared in military court for an initial hearing over allegations they had sexually abused a detainee from Gaza.The new indictment alleges that the unnamed soldier, assigned to escort handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinians, used a baton and his assault rifle to attack prisoners on multiple occasions. Continue reading...

Good Vibes Festival organizer seeks $2.4m after band's violation of behavior code led to a shutdown last JulyThe organizer of Malaysia's Good Vibes Festival has sued the 1975 and all of the British pop-rock band's members individually, following lead singer Matty Healy's purported protest against the country's anti-LGBTQ+ law on stage.Future Sound Asia, the music festival's organizers, are seeking $2.4m (1.9m after the band's violation of the event's behavior code resulted in the festival being shut down last July. Continue reading...

Coroner's court told that Hannah Hunt, 28, messaged a friend to say she had been tied up' before calling 999Hannah Hunt, a daughter of the BBC racing commentator John Hunt, who died after an attack at her home, was still alive and had a crossbow bolt in her chest when police arrived, the opening of an inquest has heard.Hannah, 28, was able to text someone pleading for help, telling them she had been tied up" at the family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on 9 July. Continue reading...

Chancellor rules out raising national insurance, VAT or income tax but says difficult decisions to come' amid 22bn public finance shortfallTaxes are likely to rise in the Labour government's first budget, the chancellor Rachel Reeves, has said.Speaking on the News Agent podcast, Reeves declined to rule out increases in inheritance tax, capital gains tax or pensions changes. Continue reading...

Rico Krieger, 30, had been found guilty on terrorism charges in case held behind closed doorsA German man sentenced to death in Belarus has been pardoned by the country's president, just a few days after news of the case became public. Rico Krieger, 30, was found guilty on terrorism charges in a case that was held behind closed doors and only became public last week.Krieger, who formerly worked for the German Red Cross, was accused of placing explosives on a rail track in the country on the orders of Ukrainian intelligence. Nobody was killed or injured in the explosion that supposedly ensued. Earlier this week, Krieger appeared, handcuffed, in a staged television interview broadcast on Belarusian state media. Crying, he begged the German authorities to intervene in his case. Continue reading...

Police address falsehoods including incorrect' name as far-right activists and conspiracy theorists share contentA flood of misinformation about the Southport attack is being spread on numerous social media platforms by sources ranging from far-right activists to fake news websites and conspiracy theorists.Such was the impact in the last 24 hours of some of that misinformation that Merseyside police on Tuesday directly addressed the sharing of a name on social media in connection with the suspect. Continue reading...

Rayner says housing target system will raise number of homes planned to 370,000 and confirmed targets will be mandatoryBalls, who, of course, is a former Labour cabinet minister, and a former shadow chancellor, questions whether Reeves is right to suggest that Jeremy Hunt is wholly to blame for the black hole. He says that other cabinet ministers and departments drew up the spending plans that she says were unfunded.Reeves repeats the point she has been making all morning about how the public were misled. (See 8.06am.) Continue reading...

Inquiry into 1998 attack will ask whether state authorities' could have acted to prevent mass killingThe chair of the public inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing by the Real IRA, the single worst atrocity in Northern Ireland's Troubles, has said on its first day that its task would be undertaken rigorously and fearlessly".Twenty-nine people including a woman expecting twins were killed in the dissident republican attack and more than 200 were injured. Continue reading...

Five children and two adults remain in critical condition in hospital, as police question 17-year-old over stabbings

Authorities allege members of two different gangs were involved in the killing, with one suspect still at largePolice investigating the June shooting death of Julio Foolio have arrested four suspects in the popular Florida rapper's slaying and are searching for a fifth, according to investigators.Authorities said on Monday that members of two different gangs - ATK and 1200 - carried out the ambush which killed the 26-year-old musician, whose legal name was Charles Jones, while he was out celebrating his birthday in Tampa. Continue reading...

Versailles banquet among lavish spending in 2023 that has plunged president's office 8m into redThe French president's office spent nearly 475,000 (400,100) on a dinner for King Charles last year, the country's top audit court said in a report cautioning about high spending.In September 2023, King Charles attended a lavish state banquet at the Palace of Versailles attended by more than 150 people, part of a soft power" visit aimed at improving ties between London and Paris. Continue reading...

An Israeli civilian has been killed by rocket fired from Lebanon, Israel's N12 news channel is reporting.David Lammy has reiterated a warning to British citizens in Lebanon.My message to British nationals in Lebanon is clear - leave," he said. Continue reading...

US diplomatic efforts to constrain Israel's reaction continue as Benjamin Netanyahu vows a harsh' response

Author's long-running high school book series sold more than 200m copies and led to a hit TV showFrancine Pascal, creator of the long-running Sweet Valley High book series, has died at the age of 92.According to the New York Times, the author died in New York City as as result of lymphoma. The news was confirmed by her daughter Laurie Wenk-Pascal. Continue reading...

Singer speaks out after three children were killed in attack at workshop in English town

Angela Rayner announces draft policy billed as first step in Labour's delivery of 1.5m new homes

Federal government says Rex will have a future' with minister suggesting Labor will step in to save troubled company

Mulaney had been tipped as a successor after his supporting turn this year, when Kimmel presented the awards show for a fourth timeA host for next year's Academy Awards is being headhunted, after the role was declined by chatshow host Jimmy Kimmel - whose stint in March marked his fourth time in the role - and comedian John Mulaney.Mulaney had been tipped by many, after praise for his stint as a presenter in the March ceremony, in which he delivered an extended riff on the Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams. He also hosted the Governors Awards in January, which award honorary Oscars. Continue reading...

Calls for reigning AFL premiers to be stripped of points as the club faces fresh racism allegations in courtCollingwood will defend themselves against serious allegations of racism filed in court, insisting the club has acted lawfully.The AFL has been urged to strip the Magpies of premiership points should explosive claims be proven. Continue reading...

Chiapas, once haven for Guatemalans fleeing genocide, sees citizens crossing border to escape tyranny of crime groupsThe Mexican state of Chiapas was once a haven for Guatemalans fleeing genocide at home, but this historical relationship has recently flipped, with hundreds of Mexicans crossing the border to escape the violent tyranny of organised crime groups.Entire communities emptied out last week as more than 500 men, women, children and the elderly fled with what they could carry and walked across the border, citing food shortages and the conflicts between criminal groups pressing in ever closer on their homes. Continue reading...

Eudine had been reported missing from Thamesmead estate in south-east London at 10.40pm on MondayA six-year-old girl who went missing in Greenwich, south-east London, has been found safe and well", police said.Overnight, the Metropolitan Police had said they were extremely concerned" about Eudine, who was reported missing from Thamesmead estate at 10.40pm on Monday. Continue reading...

Chancellor says her predecessor at No 11 covered up true state of the public finances but Hunt rejects claim

Approved dwellings drop 6.5% in June amid high interest rates and building costs as CoreLogic rues dismal result'

The carrier's shares are suspended and Bloomberg reports Ernst & Young are set to be appointed as administrators

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's John Hart says it's absurd' to see travellers handing around pens to fill in the card

Just 11 days after he was let out of jail, frightening' serial sex offender Wayne Wilmot was locked up again for breaching his strict court conditions

Murder trial hears that Haigh promised in exchange not to allow her extended family anywhere near' the baby

LGBTQ+ and human rights campaigner delighted and honoured' to have painting by Sarah Jane Moon on displayA vibrant portrait of the LGBTQ+ and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has been hung in the National Portrait Gallery's History Makers gallery as part of a drive to better reflect the diversity of the UK.The painting by Sarah Jane Moon shows Tatchell in a casual pose, seated with his hands clasping his left calf. The 72-year-old activist is sporting a rainbow tie to celebrate almost six decades of fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. Continue reading...

Fundamental rights body warns of flawed approach to credible accounts of ill-treatment and loss of lifeAuthorities in EU member states are not doing enough to investigate credible reports of violations of human rights, including deaths, on their borders, an EU human rights body has said.The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said human rights agencies and NGOs were reporting serious, recurrent and widespread rights violations against migrants and refugees during border management" but despite credible" reports many were not investigated. Continue reading...

Report finds 13 member states generated more energy from wind and solar power than coal and gas for first time in 2024Wind turbines and solar panels have overtaken fossil fuels to generate 30% of the European Union's electricity in the first half of the year, a report has found.Power generation from burning coal, oil and gas fell 17% in the first six months of 2024 compared with the same period the year before, according to climate thinktank Ember. It found the continued shift away from polluting fuels has led to a one-third drop in the sector's emissions since the first half of 2022. Continue reading...

Deepening military and trade links between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are making western powers uneasyGen Roly Walker, the head of the British army, has described it as the axis of upheaval". George Robertson, the new head of the UK's defence review, has called the countries the deadly quartet". Either way, less than a month into a Labour government, an emerging geopolitical alignment is being highlighted as a threat.The concerns centre on the growing military and trade links between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. Though the four are some way from a cold war-style bloc acting in concert, they have enhanced bilateral ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in a manner that has fuelled anxiety among defence officials and policymakers. Continue reading...

Liberal senator James Paterson suggested new home affairs minister could be compromised in his role due to pressure from grassroots Muslim groups

Nusantara scheduled to host Independence Day celebrations instead of Jakarta next month but relocation plan has come into questionIndonesian President Joko Widodo has begun working from the presidential palace in the country's ambitious new administrative capital, the flagship project of his two terms in office but which has been plagued by delays.The capital is due to move from traffic-clogged and sinking Jakarta to the planned city of Nusantara in East Kalimantan province on Borneo, but the $33bn project announced in 2019 is months - even years - behind schedule. Continue reading...

Maria Corina Machado tells Guardian that Nicolas Maduro should understand he lost presidential election, amid widespread international doubts over victory claimThe opposition leader battling to bring the curtains down on Nicolas Maduro's authoritarian regime has urged the Venezuelan strongman to accept that his exit from power is inevitable. The call came as thousands of protesters hit the streets to repudiate Maduro's disputed claim to have won a third term in power.Venezuela's incumbent president was officially proclaimed the victor of Sunday's election by the government-controlled electoral authority on Monday morning. Maduro called his supposed victory irreversible" despite widespread international doubts over the veracity of his claim to have won. Continue reading...

Presenter and criminal barrister argues a greater focus has to be placed on rehabilitation and the causes of crimeThe television personality and criminal barrister Rob Rinder has launched a blistering attack on the UK prison system, saying it fails prisoners, victims and society.Rinder, who has hosted courtroom reality TV shows and presented documentaries about British justice, said the prison system was repeating the same mistakes over and over. Repeating patterns and expecting a different result is the definition of madness," he told the Radio Times. Continue reading...

Protests seen around country after results appear to dash opposition hopes of ending quarter century of chavista rule

Merseyside chief constable says nine other children were injured, including six left in a critical condition

Boy, 17, arrested following absolutely abhorrent' incident at children's dance classTwo children have died and nine have been injured, six critically, after a series of stabbings at a children's dance class in Southport on Monday.Two adults are also in critical condition after what police described as a ferocious attack". Continue reading...