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Liberal insists he will govern for four years but authority to be tested within weeks when parliament returns

Thirty rallies held across Queensland after more than 50,000 union members vote to strike for first time since 2009

Magistrate Evan Hughes said trainer Liandra Gray had already experienced a form of punishment from unwanted media attention' over the case

On 80th anniversary of atomic bombing, Kazumi Matsui urges younger people to recognise inhumane' consequences of nuclear weapons as a deterrentThe mayor of Hiroshima has led calls for the world's most powerful countries to abandon nuclear deterrence, at a ceremony to mark 80 years since the city was destroyed by an American atomic bomb.As residents, survivors and representatives from 120 countries gathered at the city's peace memorial park on Wednesday morning, Kazumi Matsui warned that the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East had contributed to a growing acceptance of nuclear weapons. Continue reading...

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Watchdog says all parties, including trustees, patrons and chair Sophie Chandauka, should not have had row in publicThe Charity Commission has criticised Prince Harry for allowing a row with the chair of his African charity to play out publicly", as the watchdog cleared him of racism.The prince was engaged in a public war of words earlier this year with the chair of the Sentebale charity, Dr Sophie Chandauka, after his resignation as a patron. Continue reading...

Analysis suggests long-term damage to wellbeing can be worse than for children experiencing physical abuseParents who ridicule, threaten or humiliate their children risk leaving them with a 64% higher chance of having poor mental health as an adult, a study has found.The research also found physical abuse experienced among the research participants reduced over time, while verbal abuse increased. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer says 88m package will help tackle trend of young people becoming disconnected from their communities'Youth clubs and after-school activities in England will receive a funding injection of 88m as ministers try to get more children away from smartphones and computer screens.The package, which Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday, is intended to give pupils access to sport, outdoor activities, art, music, debating and volunteering. Continue reading...

Prospectus lists opportunities for businesses to meet MPs and ministers and shape the discussion', says reportA Labour thinktank has been offering sponsorship packages where businesses can meet and influence MPs and ministers, according to a report.The Labour Infrastructure Forum (LIF) has been offering companies the chance to sponsor events at which they can meet key policymakers" in private and shape the discussion", the Times said. Continue reading...

Poor safety practices, lack of oversight and toxic workplace blamed for implosion in which five people diedInadequate safety practices, deliberate efforts to avoid oversight and a toxic workplace culture" were among the factors that led to the 2023 implosion of the Titan submersible, the US Coast Guard has said in a damning report that described the disaster as a preventable tragedy".The submersible was on a commercial voyage to explore the wreck of the Titanic when it disappeared in the Atlantic, leading to the deaths of all five people on board. The ensuing search captured headlines around the world for days as it evolved from a potential rescue mission to a recovery operation. Continue reading...

Lee Claydon, who died after reportedly falling from upper tier at Wembley Stadium, remembered as lovely bloke'The father of a lifelong" Oasis fan who fell to his death at the band's concert at Wembley Stadium has said his whole family is devastated.Lee Claydon, 45, a landscape gardener from Bournemouth, Dorset, died on Saturday after reportedly falling from an upper tier at the stadium. Continue reading...

Israeli PM to convene security cabinet as local media reports he is inclining towards expanding the offensive and even seizing entire territoryHere are some of the latest images sent to us over the newswires from Gaza:Reuters is reporting that Israeli tanks pushed into central Gaza this morning but it was not clear if the move was part of a larger ground assault. Continue reading...

Man, who had a false identity and had never worked in a hospital before, left Ruth Szymankiewicz unwatched despite her vulnerabilityA support worker with a false identity who left a vulnerable 14-year-old girl unwatched in a secure psychiatric ward during his first shift had never worked in a hospital before, the teenager's inquest has heard.Following the death of Ruth Szymankiewicz, police found the support worker had stolen" the false identity, had a fake passport and was able to get the shift at the hospital through an agency after brief training.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Experts say the relics at Piazza Venezia appear to resemble a multistorey complex of homes and shopsThe remains of homes believed to have been lived in by working-class people around the time of the early Roman empire have been found by workers building an underground station in the city's historic centre.The relics are the first to emerge from beneath the bustling Piazza Venezia since work began in 2023 on the station that will form part of the Italian capital's Metro C underground line. Continue reading...

Resignation of rising star of People's party prompts others to revise entries about educational qualificationsIt began as a confession by a rising star in Spain's conservative People's party that her CV was not quite all it seemed. Last month Noelia Nunez, 33, a member of the PP's steering committee, was forced to admit that she had never in fact completed her double degree in law and public administration. She apologised, and stood down - a move rarely seen in the country.Since then, however, Nunez's contrition seems to have launched a trend, with a wave of mea culpas from politicians of various parties rushing to revise - downwards - their educational achievements. Some have even resigned, emulating Nunez, who said: I apologise to anyone who feels disappointed but I also believe it's not enough to say sorry". Continue reading...

Gagauzia governor Yevgenia Gutsul funnelled undeclared funds to now-banned political party, prosecutors said

Amid weaker consumer confidence and rising wage costs, fast-food firm says market has become tougherDomino's Pizza said the takeaway market had become tougher" as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the run-up to the autumn budget and rising wage costs for lower-than-expected sales and a slump in profits.After a drop of nearly 15% in half-year profits, the company now expected full-year underlying profits of between 130m and 140m, about 6m below analysts' expectations. Continue reading...

Officials said prime minister was planning offensive to fully occupy Gaza, but resistance reveals splits in government

Far-right activist was detained at Luton airport on Monday a week after incident at St Pancras station in LondonThe far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson has been released on bail by police after being arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.Robinson, 42, was detained on Monday evening at Luton airport after a man was allegedly assaulted at a London railway station a week earlier. Continue reading...

Sales of eight allotment sites approved since Labour took power as councils seek to fund day-to-day spending

CEO Sall Grover challenges earlier court finding and claims she did not know Roxanne Tickle was transgender

Gregory Vaughan, 72, and his partner Kim Worner, 66, were flying with their pet dog in the aircraft that departed George Town on Saturday

Airline tries to soften blow by releasing 400,000 new Classic Reward seats across its international and domestic flights

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Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has begun a tour that will take in every Welsh constituency before May's Senedd electionsIt is fair to say that Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru, was on safe ground at the national Eisteddfod in Wrexham this week. More than once, festivalgoers interrupted his interview with the Guardian to shake his hand or take a selfie.Ap Iorwerth has just embarked on a nationwide listening tour" during which he will visit every Welsh constituency, beginning in Wrexham, before the Senedd elections next May. Continue reading...

Emergency measures bailed out jails at last minute as No 10 refused to cut prisoner numbers until cliff edge' reached, former watchdog reportsThe criminal justice system was within days of collapse on three occasions before being bailed out by last-minute emergency measures", an independent review by a former prisons watchdog has found.Dame Anne Owers said the prison system, under pressure from overcrowding, was in crisis" between autumn 2023 and the summer of 2024, but No 10 under Rishi Sunak refused to cut the numbers in jail until the next predictable cliff edge". Continue reading...

Draft backed by over a dozen Democrats says Palestinian rights as a people and nation' must be urgently upheldMore than a dozen Democratic members of Congress have signed on to a letter that urges the Trump administration to recognise Palestinian statehood, in a draft copy shared with the Guardian.Congressman Ro Khanna of California is leading the letter addressed to the president and secretary of state Marco Rubio, and is joined by several House progressives, including Greg Casar of Texas, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, and Maxwell Frost of Florida. Continue reading...

Bolsonaro accused of breaching ban imposed amid fears he may abscond ahead of trial, while US says judge attempting to silence opposition'In a move immediately condemned by the US, a Brazilian supreme court judge has ordered the house arrest of former president Jair Bolsonaro for breaching preventative measures" that were imposed ahead of his trial for an alleged coup attempt.According to the ruling on Monday by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the far-right leader breached a ban on using social media which was imposed last month, when he was also ordered to wear an electronic ankle tag. Continue reading...

Some asylum seekers will be sent back across Channel for first time under treaty agreed with French presidentThe UK will begin detaining people who arrive on small boats and returning some to France within days" after the EU gave the green light to a deal agreed with the French president, Emmanuel Macron.The treaty between France and the UK will allow the Home Office to return some asylum seekers back across the Channel for the first time in exchange for accepting others directly from France via a safe route. Continue reading...

Hundreds could join weekend rally in support of proscribed group as 300 UK Jewish figures urge PM to lift ban

Murdoch family's News Corp will bring a version of the NYC paper to LA with daily newspaper called the California PostNews Corp, part of the Murdoch family media empire, has announced it will bring a version of the brash rightwing New York City tabloid the New York Post to California in early 2026 with the launch of a daily Los Angeles-based newspaper called the California Post.According to New York Post Media Group - a News Corp subsidiary and home of New York's biggest tabloid, as well as Page Six, and Decider - the California Post will look and feel similar to its New York counterpart, delivering reporting, sports coverage and celebrity gossip from a California perspective. Continue reading...

Former general secretary was one of the main party figures during the New Labour eraKeir Starmer has led tributes after the death of former Labour party general secretary Tom Sawyer.He said the former trade unionist's place in our party's history is assured" as one of the leading figures in the build-up to the 1997 general election success. Continue reading...

Downing Street indicates that further hostage releases are not required for move to go ahead next monthGeorge Finch, the Reform UK leader of Warwickshire county council, goes next. (Aged 19, he is the youngest council leader in the country.)He claims the police have opposed his attempts to expose the immigration status of someone arrested in connection with an alleged crime.It was dirty, run down and had major drug issues. My attitude to the task was assertive and no nonsense. That's the approach that I will take for my role within Reform UK [advising on crime]. Continue reading...

Sums awarded to Nicola Shaw being assessed to ensure they comply with rules banning bonuses to chief executivesThe water regulator is scrutinising payments worth 1.3m made to the boss of Yorkshire Water via an offshore parent company, after the Guardian revealed the existence of the extra money.A government spokesperson said that Ofwat, the watchdog for England and Wales, would assess" the payments to the utility's chief executive, Nicola Shaw, to ensure they complied with rules banning bonuses for water company bosses. Continue reading...

Obituary read on air as tribute paid to TV and radio broadcaster who had stage four kidney cancerThe TV and radio presenter James Whale has died at the age of 74, TalkTV has announced.His colleague and friend Mike Graham read an obituary on air and paid tribute to Whale, who had stage four kidney cancer. Continue reading...

London demonstration organised by Defend Our Juries to protest proscription of group under terrorism laws

Weather warnings issued in northern England and Scotland as heavy rain and strong gusts lash Britain

KPMG says higher savings rates are fuelling move to challenger banks, specialist lenders and building societiesHigh street banks across the UK have lost the equivalent of 100bn in savings as more customers turned from traditional lenders towards online banks and building societies, figures show.Experts at KPMG said rival banks - including new challenger banks, specialist lenders and building societies - had lured customers away from incumbent banking groups with higher savings rates. The traditional banks' market share in deposits dropped from 84% in 2019 to 80% in 2024, it added. Continue reading...

Soap star wins as her 32-year run playing Irene Roberts ends, while streamers go home mostly empty-handed and Magda Szubanski gives emotional speech as she is inducted into the Hall of Fame

Protests continue against default lower limit in urban areas that supporters say is working exactly as intended'A few weeks ago, two groups of protesters gathered on the steps of the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. One demonstration was against the war in Gaza, the other against the Welsh government's two-year-old default 20mph speed limit in urban areas.The change from 30mph was brought in by the Welsh Labour government across about 35% of the country's roads in September 2023, at a cost of 34m. The reduced speed limit applied to any built-up area, defined as roads where lamp-posts were no more than about 180 metres apart. Continue reading...

Pontiff presides over culmination of Catholic Woodstock' that drew young people from 146 countriesPope Leo XIV presided over a mass in Rome for more than a million young people on Sunday, the culmination of a pilgrimage that has drawn Catholics from across the world.Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less," the pope told the crowd. Continue reading...

Labour minister calls Michael Croft's behaviour despicable' and says at least one other friend was targeted sexuallyThe MP Chris Bryant has said he was sexually abused as a teenager by the head of the National Youth Theatre, Michael Croft.The Labour MP, who is an arts and telecoms minister, said he was 16 when he was abused by Croft, who was around 40 years his senior and died in 1986.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Film tourists, market traders and residents react as council imposes traffic control measures on famous London streetIf Richard Curtis had shot his romcom classic Notting Hill over the past month, things might have turned out very differently.Julia Roberts would have had to stumble past huge concrete blocks while losing the hand of her British sweetheart and Hugh Grant might have missed his departing lover as he struggled to exit the area in an overstuffed Peugeot 406. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Data reveals invisible crisis' with millions yet to have first specialist appointment or diagnostic testAlmost half of the 6 million people needing treatment from the NHS in England have had no further care at all since joining a hospital waiting list, new data reveals.Previously unseen NHS England figures show that 2.99 million of the 6.23 million patients (48%) awaiting care have not had either their first appointment with a specialist or a diagnostic test since being referred by a GP. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Letter to water company sets out demands, including resolving most severe cases of pollutionThames Water should claw back 2.5m in bonuses that were paid to executives in April, 27 Labour MPs representing constituencies served by the utility have urged.The MPs said it was disgusting" that the company was hiking water bills to pay for executives' failings when those same executives were receiving multimillion-pound bonuses". Continue reading...

Torrential rain batters Beijing and surrounding areas, while intense heat lingers in parts of ScandinaviaAt least 70 people have died in northern China after another bout of torrential rain triggered flooding, the latest in a series of extreme rainfall events in recent months. Between 23 and 29 July, Beijing and its surrounding areas recorded an average of 166mm, equivalent to the monthly norm.The suburban district of Miyun received the highest amount of rainfall, with 543mm recorded, equivalent to the region's annual average. The death toll included 31 people in a Miyun care home, 10 who were swept away in a minibus in Shangxi province, and eight people in a landslide in the city of Chengde. Continue reading...

Architects of Uluru Statement criticise government over lack of progress on Closing the Gap in the absence of a voice to parliament

The execution of Edward Zakrzewski is the ninth death sentence carried out in the state this year, a new recordA Florida man convicted of killing his wife and two children in 1994 became the ninth person to be put to death on Thursday in Florida this year, marking a state record for a single-year execution total since the restoration of the death penalty in the US decades ago.Edward Zakrzewski was pronounced dead at 6.12pm local time following a three-drug injection at Florida state prison near Starke. Continue reading...

Packaging mixup resulted in drinks labeled as Celsius energy drinks actually containing High Noon vodka seltzersAmericans have been advised that some packages of a brand of vodka seltzers have been mistakenly mislabeled as a non-alcoholic high energy drink, triggering a recall announcement from High Noon, the alcoholic beverage brand, that was posted by the the US Food and Drug Administration.In a statement, High Noon said two lots of High Noon Beach Variety 12-packs contain cans mislabeled as CELSIUS(R) ASTRO VIBE Energy Drink, Sparkling Blue Razz Edition". Continue reading...

Acclaimed playwright, director and artist was known for his opera Einstein on the Beach and many A-list collaborationsRobert Wilson, renowned theatre director, playwright and artist, has died at the age of 83.His death was confirmed by the Watermill Center, an arts hub Wilson founded in Water Mill, New York. He died peacefully after a brief but acute illness". Continue reading...