Figure fell from 1.15 in 2021 to 1.09, the lowest of any country with a population over 100 millionChina's fertility rate dropped to an estimated record low of 1.09 in 2022, the lowest of any country with a population over 100 million, according to government data.Demographers from the China Population and Development Research Centre, a Chinese government research institution, released data indicating that last year's fertility rate fell to 1.09 from 1.15 in 2021, below Japan's rate for the same time period and only slightly higher than South Korea's, which was estimated to be 0.8. Continue reading...
Government confirms ticket price rises will be delayed until March and will be below retail prices indexRail fare rises in England will not exceed 9% next year and will be delayed until March, the government has said.Ticket costs used to increase in January in line with inflation as measured by the retail prices index over the 12 months to the previous July. On Wednesday the Office for National Statistics revealed last month's RPI rate was 9%. Continue reading...
Christian family accused of desecrating copy of Qur'an, setting off rampage in FaisalabadA Muslim crowd has attacked a Christian community in eastern Pakistan, vandalising several churches and setting scores of houses on fire, after accusing its members of desecrating a copy of the Qur'an.Hundreds of people armed with sticks and rocks stormed a predominantly Christian area in Faisalabad on Wednesday. Images on social media showed smoke rising from church buildings and people setting fire to furniture. Continue reading...
Three killed in Russian strikes on Volyn; Russia raises interest rates to 12%Three people were killed, several people were wounded and buildings were damaged in a large-scale air-attack on Ukraine's western region of Lviv and the north-western region of Volyn. Many missiles were shot down, but there were also hits in Lviv," city mayor Andriy Sadovyi said, adding that orders were given to evacuate at least one burning apartment building. The barrage came just hours before top Russian military officials and their counterparts from allied countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa gathered outside Moscow for a security conference.The Bank of Russia raised its key rate to 12% from 8.5%. The statement announcing the increase did not mention the rouble, which dropped to its lowest level in nearly 17 months on Monday. The Russian currency was boosted by the central bank's move.Russia fined social media site Reddit for the first time for not deleting banned content" that it said contained fake" information about Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, RIA reported, citing a Moscow court. Reddit joins a list of sites under scrutiny in Russia for failing to remove content that Moscow deems illegal, including Wikimedia, streaming service Twitch, and Google.Three Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying for Russia while living in the UK have been arrested and charged, police have said. The defendants were among five people detained in February after a long-running counter-terrorism investigation. Three of those were then charged with possession of false identity documents, according to the Metropolitan police, which is responsible for espionage cases.Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the president of Ukraine, said Russian athletes should be banned from participating in international competitions after Russian strikes destroyed a sports facility in Dnipro. Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian MP and the leader of the liberal Golos party, also said Ukraine will boycott the Olympic Games if Russia and Belarus participate in the competition.Mali's military leader Assimi Goita said on Tuesday that he had spoken on the phone to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, about the coup in Niger. Putin stressed the importance of a peaceful resolution of the situation for a more stable Sahel," Mali's interim president, Assimi Goita, said on Twitter. The Kremlin said the call was initiated by Mali. The statement added: The parties specifically focused on the current situation in the Sahara-Sahel region and emphasised, in particular, the importance of settling the situation in the Republic of Niger solely through peaceful political and diplomatic means."The US said that Russia would be violating UN resolutions if it reaches an arms deal with North Korea, after the two countries' leaders called for greater cooperation. State department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters: Any kind of security cooperation or arms deal between North Korea and Russia would certainly violate a series of UN security council resolutions."Sweden's government said Tuesday that it would donate to Ukraine ammunition and spare parts for previously donated weapon systems worth over $300m (240m). Speaking at press conference, defence minister Pal Jonson said the military aid package, Sweden's 13th to Ukraine, would include ammunition and spare parts valued at about 3.4bn kronor ($313m/250m).The Ukrainian government is to build new fortifications and military infrastructure in northeast regions that border Russia and Belarus at a cost of nearly $35m, prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday.Ukrainian president Zelenskiy visited the south-eastern region of Zaporizhzhia and met troops fighting in the counteroffensive against Russian forces, the president's office said on Tuesday. Zelenskiy was shown in a video with senior Ukrainian soldiers examining a battlefield map at what the president's office said was the frontline command point of the 46th separate airmobile brigade, near the town of Orikhiv.Russia and North Korea on Tuesday advocated closer collaboration including in the defence sector. Moscow and Pyongyang have drawn closer since the Kremlin deployed troops to Ukraine and commenced large-scale hostilities last year, according to AFP. Continue reading...
Joint statement from UN agencies lays bare the effect of violence on the country's food and healthcare systemsMore than 1 million people have fled Sudan to neighbouring states, as people inside the country are running out of food and dying due to a lack of healthcare after four months of war, the United Nations has said.Fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the capital Khartoum and sparked ethnically driven attacks in Darfur, threatening to plunge Sudan into a protracted civil war and destabilise the region. Continue reading...
Thousands of images from second world war include bomb damage to Old Trafford and troops at leisureBlack-and-white aerial photographs offering a bird's eye view of England as it changed during the second world war are being made available to the public for the first time.The 3,600 images include pictures of bomb damage to Old Trafford in Greater Manchester, as well as other towns and cities. They also show ancient monuments surrounded by anti-tank defences in West Sussex, and troops at play at a US army camp in Wiltshire. Continue reading...
Health secretary suggested patients could go directly to diagnostic test or clinician to ease bottleneck' in NHS systemPatients with cancer symptoms could bypass their GP in the future and go straight for a scan, the health secretary has suggested, in the latest radical" attempt by the government to cut huge NHS waiting lists.The suggestion, which comes as the government is expected to reduce the number of NHS cancer waiting time targets, could form part of proposals to design out bottlenecks" in the NHS system, Steve Barclay said in an interview. Continue reading...
Republican says no one has produced evidence of fraud in court of law despite ex-president's vow to present irrefutable' proofGeorgia's Republican governor, Brian Kemp, insisted on Tuesday that the 2020 presidential election in his state was not stolen" in an apparent defense of the latest criminal indictment of Donald Trump.Kemp, who has clashed frequently with the former president over his false claim the election was rigged, responded on Twitter to an earlier post on Truth Social from Trump announcing a press conference next week at which he promised to present irrefutable" evidence of fraud. Continue reading...
Event celebrates Afghan culture and protests against restrictions on women and girls two years after Taliban offensiveHordes of colourful kites soared into the sky over London in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan on the second anniversary of the fall of their homeland to the Taliban.Participants said the event, at a park in north London, was intended to demonstrate how colourful" the culture of Afghanistan once was and to provide a voice, far from our home" for all the Afghans, especially women and girls, living under the Taliban's oppressive regime. Continue reading...
Legal case against Deja Taylor seeks accountability for January shooting, including teacher's $40m lawsuit against the schoolThe mother of a six-year-old boy who shot his teacher in Virginia pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of felony child neglect, seven months after her son used her handgun to critically wound the educator in a classroom full of students.Prosecutors agreed to drop a misdemeanor charge of reckless storage of a firearm against Deja Taylor. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors said they will not seek a sentence that is longer than state sentencing guidelines, which call for six months in jail or prison. Continue reading...
Tyler Massengill admitted to using homemade explosive to set fire in January, after governor signed law with abortion protectionsA man who set a fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Illinois was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison.Tyler Massengill has admitted using a homemade explosive to set a fire at the Peoria clinic in January, a few days after the Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, signed a law with additional legal protections for abortion procedures. No one was inside the clinic when the fire happened. Continue reading...
by Presented by Nosheen Iqbal with Daniel Trilling an on (#6DVFE)
After removing asylum seekers from the Bibby Stockholm barge on Friday, the government says they will be returned as soon as possible'. Daniel Trilling and Sammy Gecsoyler reportThe government plans to house up to 500 asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm, a barge docked in the Port of Portland, Dorset. However, due to concerns over the potentially deadly legionella bacteria being found onboard, the first 39 people to be housed on the vessel were evacuated on Friday.Dr Sapna Mawkin, a GP working on the barge, conducted health screenings on board last week. She tells Nosheen Iqbal what health concerns asylum seekers have when they arrive in the UK. Continue reading...
Mayor of Portland says buck stops with Suella Braverman' after it took three days to inform ministers about outbreakThe Home Office should accept responsibility for failing to immediately remove asylum seekers from a giant barge after the detection of a dangerous bacteria, the mayor of Portland has said.Carralyn Parkes said the the buck stops with Suella [Braverman]" after Whitehall briefings over the weekend claimed that contractors on the Bibby Stockholm were to blame for delays as it took three days to inform ministers about the outbreak of legionella. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6DV1B)
Inquiry aims to find out extent of denial of banking services to politically exposed persons such as politicians and army leadersThe City watchdog is to write to politicians and civil servants asking whether they have been denied banking or other financial services, following the scandal that erupted after Nigel Farage's accounts were threatened with closure.The Financial Conduct Authority plans to send letters on Tuesday to politically exposed persons (PEPs) - who include MPs, peers, leaders of UK political parties and senior ranking military officers - to ascertain whether individuals are struggling to secure services and how widespread the problem may be. Continue reading...
The World Cup clash with England's Lionesses has pushed aside restaurant bookings, trivia nights, movies - and football trainingGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastCaught up in Matildas mania, Australians are abandoning everything from live gigs to restaurant bookings to watch the World Cup semi-final against England on Wednesday night.For some it's an economic boon but even many who have given up a night's earnings have said they were happy to do so.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
Activist Mikaela Loach staged protest over investment firm's bankrolling' of the climate crisisA leading climate crisis author has staged a walkout at the Edinburgh international book festival in protest at its sponsor's links to fossil fuel companies.The author and climate activist Mikaela Loach interrupted a discussion about changing the climate narrative on Saturday evening to lead a demonstration about the festival's main sponsor, the investment company Baillie Gifford. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6DT6T)
Met Office issues yellow warning until 9pm on Monday, after which conditions should become drier and much warmerA yellow weather warning of heavy, persistent rain and possible flooding has been issued for parts of Wales and northern England on Monday.After the downpours, however, there should be sunshine with temperatures expected to reach 30C (86F) in southern England by the weekend, the Met Office said. Continue reading...
Tim Loughton criticises announcement as hostage to fortune' after more than 500 people cross Channel on SaturdayA senior Conservative MP has questioned the government's immigration strategy, after 509 people were found to have crossed the Channel on the same day six people lost their lives off the French coast.Tim Loughton, the MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, said it was not a good idea" for the Tories to boast of a week dedicated to immigration announcements, which they billed as small boats week", as it was a hostage to fortune". Continue reading...
Asylum seekers were evacuated from vessel following detection of bacteria that can cause legionnaires' diseaseThe clean-up of legionella bacteria on the Bibby Stockholm barge could take around a week, a leading expert has said, after asylum seekers were evacuated from the vessel following the detection of the health hazard.Legionella bacteria can cause legionnaires' disease, a type of severe pneumonia, if small droplets of water containing the bacteria are inhaled. In some cases, legionnaires' disease can be fatal. Continue reading...
Fred Thomas has been selected as the Labour candidate to run against the veteran's minister at the next electionA former Royal Marines captain is aiming to neutralise Johnny Mercer's electoral trump card" of having a military service record, after being selected by Labour to stand against the veterans' minister at the next general election.Fred Thomas, 31, who spent seven years in the elite commando force, will be attempting to overturn a nearly 13,000 Conservative majority in Plymouth Moor View. Continue reading...
Officials say 900 homes were left without power following disaster, which struck after unusually high rainfall and two typhoonsA mudslide in China's north-western city of Xi'an has killed 21 people, with six still missing, officials said on Sunday.The city's emergency management authority released an update on the number of casualties from Friday's disaster as China grapples with unusually high summer rainfall. Continue reading...
by Constance Malleret in Rio de Janeiro on (#6DT1Q)
Thaigo Menezes Flausino, who dreamed of becoming a footballer, is the ninth child in a shooting this year in RioThose who knew Thiago Menezes Flausino described him as a boy with dreams. These were brutally shattered by several police bullets this week, when the 13-year-old became the latest victim of state violence in a Rio de Janeiro favela.He dreamed of becoming a professional footballer. He'd passed tryouts for a bigger team and was going to start playing on the day he was killed," said his aunt Nataly Bezerra Flausino, standing outside the evangelical church where her nephew's funeral was being held on Tuesday - mere months after his baptism. Continue reading...
England's health secretary says devolved administrations have worse backlogs, which they robustly disputeWelsh and Scottish patients who are waiting for treatment on lengthy NHS lists could request care on the health service in England, Steve Barclay has said.The health secretary invited ministers from the devolved administrations to discuss different approaches taken to address the record backlogs. Continue reading...
Hollywood action has broad support in UK but is hitting livelihoods decimated by pandemic and arts cutsUK film and TV workers have spoken about the devastating effects of the Hollywood strikes on their jobs and livelihoods, with many saying they are struggling to keep afloat.The industrial action by members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Sag-Aftra union which began on 14 July have disrupted the film and television industries for the past month, bringing global production to a standstill and delaying the release of a number of high-profile movies. The focus has been on residuals - the payments that performers receive for repeat showings of films and TV shows - as well as issues over actors' likenesses being reproduced by artificial intelligence. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6DSZF)
Man arrested after teenager suffers fatal injuries in fall from bonnet of moving car in AltrinchamPolice have appealed for witnesses after an 18-year-old man sustained fatal injuries when he fell from the bonnet of a moving car.Greater Manchester police (GMP) said another 18-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Continue reading...
Stephen Chitty, 70, from Watford raised about 2,000 for Mercy Ships on tiring but rewarding' journeyA 70-year-old man has raised almost 2,000 for charity by completing a 40-day challenge to travel the length and breadth of England entirely by bus.Stephen Chitty, from Watford, Hertfordshire, travelled 1,650 miles on 117 buses. He started and finished his ambitious journey in Watford and travelled to English cities including Newcastle and Norwich. Continue reading...
Charities call for an end to the outsourcing of public debt as firms' turnover rises nearly 50% in a yearBailiffs hired by councils to recover unpaid debts have seen their profits rise to record levels during the cost of living crisis, company filings show.Newlyn Group, which is hired by councils to recover unpaid traffic fines and council tax, saw its turnover from debt collection increase by 43.8% to 25.8m in the year to December 2022, while its gross profit rose to 15.5m. Company documents describe the figures as Newlyn's best ever results". Continue reading...
Financial anxieties and fear of backlash weigh on those who have just started in roles as they take part in action over payAs junior doctors in England take to the picket line on Friday morning, thousands of them will have been in their roles since only last week after finishing medical school. Now in their first year of foundation training, they will be ending their working week by hanging up their stethoscopes and picking up a placard.The strike is the fifth round of industrial action organised by the British Medical Association (BMA) and is scheduled to run for four full days from 7am amid the bitter dispute with the government over pay. Continue reading...
On Monday, a three-masted schooner will set sail from Plymouth with a crew of young naturalists on a two-year educational trip. Crew members still needed ...On Monday 14 August, when the tide is right, an antique sailing ship will manoeuvre through the lock of Plymouth's historic Sutton harbour and point herself south-west towards the Canary Islands. It will be the start of a two-year voyage around the world taking in 32 ports and involving thousands of people in a groundbreaking geographical project, Darwin200, which aims, among other things, to inspire the environmental leaders and scientists of the future.Not only that, adventurous souls can apply to be part of the crew on epic voyages between, for example, Tahiti and the Cook Islands, or Cape Town and the Falklands. Continue reading...
State media urges citizens to focus on ensuring the safety' of propaganda relating to the Kim dynastyNorth Koreans have been told to do everything possible to protect portraits of the Kim dynasty, as the country braces for heavy rain and strong winds caused by tropical storm Khanun.The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Korean Workers' party, said people's foremost focus" should be on ensuring the safety" of propaganda portraits of its current leader, Kim Jong-un, his father, Kim Jong-il, and his grandfather and North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung. Continue reading...
The pandemic, cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency are influencing responses to the largest-ever survey of young peopleGetting a good education and a job are the top priorities for 10 to 24-year-olds, according to the preliminary results of the largest-ever global survey of young people.More than 700,000 were asked what would improve their wellbeing. About 40% cited education and work, while 21% said safety and 16% good health and nutrition. Continue reading...
Cutting ties with green charity is part of culture war campaign to associate Labour with lefty lawyers' and eco mobs' Sunak will go down in history as failing UK on climate, Greenpeace says
Exclusive: Joint chiefs of charity accuse ministers of pursuing culture wars as extreme weather becomes the normRishi Sunak's government will go down in history" as the administration that failed the UK on the climate crisis while ministers pursued a dangerous culture war, the heads of Greenpeace have said.The charity's joint executive directors described government briefings against the organisation in the wake of its oil protest at the prime minister's Yorkshire home as really dark stuff", which revealed a worrying trend towards exploiting environmental protests as a wedge issue. Continue reading...
Open letter criticises government for stonewalling environmental group after protest at prime minister's houseThe co-executive directors of Greenpeace, Areeba Hamid and Will McCallum, have written an open letter to the prime minister expressing their concern over the government's reluctance to engage' with Greenpeace.Here is their letter in full: Continue reading...
Deal will create a US luxury fashion conglomerate that will rival major competitors in Europe, including LVMHTapestry, the parent company of Coach, announced it is purchasing Capri Holdings, owner of Michael Kors and other luxury fashion brands for $8.5bn.The deal will create an American luxury fashion conglomerate that will rival major competitors in Europe, including fashion behemoth LVMH and Gucci owner Kering. Continue reading...
Leaflet is latest example of Tory MP's hostile comments about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities over 25 yearsLast week, the Welsh secretary, David TC Davies, insisted he meant no criticism with a leaflet that warned voters: Gypsy and Traveller site coming to your area soon!" before asking them: Would you like to see a Traveller site next to your house?"Despite being accused of creating a hostile environment", Davies was defended by the deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, who said his colleague was merely highlighting the failings of the local Labour council.This article was amended on 10 August 2023. An earlier version said that in 1999, David TC Davies was a district councillor in Monmouth and quoted him as telling a meeting that Travellers who had set up camp on football fields near Jersey Marine had made it absolutely stinking there". This was a different David Davies and not David TC Davies. Continue reading...
by Dan Collyns in Lima and Carla Valdiviezo in Quito on (#6DQ2Q)
Fernando Villavicencio killed less than two weeks before election amid surge in violent and organised crime in South American countryEcuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been shot dead as he left a campaign event in Quito, just days before an election where the central issue is the country's slide into violence and crime.Videos on social media show Villavicencio, a former journalist who has worked for the Guardian and was outspoken about alleged links between organised crime and politics, surrounded by supporters and being escorted by security guards to a waiting vehicle when gunshots ring out as people start to scream and take cover. Continue reading...
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