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Alan from England speaks of difficult fighting from the trenches, while Steve from the US hasn't registered with his embassyStanding on a steep grassy hill, a figure in uniform took aim with a rifle. Several shots pinged into a pile of tyres. Nearby, policemen took turns firing from a DShK heavy machine gun, mounted on a green-painted military vehicle. The rounds echoed around a rustic shooting range, scattering swallows. Down a track was a farmstead with cows.The sniper was not a Ukrainian soldier but a 58-year-old British former marine called Alan, from Plymouth in south-west England. He is one of a small group of foreign volunteers currently fighting in Ukraine, more than sixteen months after Russia's full-scale invasion. Alan declined to give his second name. He arrived last September. Soon he will go back to the frontline. Continue reading...

Commons speaker intervenes as MPs and unions challenge government plans to close offices across EnglandThe government has been challenged in the Commons over plans to close railway ticket offices, including by the speaker, who told the rail minister that he was being misinformed by train operators.Labour described the consultation over the proposals to close most ticket offices in England as a sham" and Conservative MPs also raised concerns, as unions staged demonstrations around the country. Continue reading...

Kevin Bakhurst says actions taken to rebuild trust after public misled over Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy's payThe scandal around the pay of Ireland's top TV presenter is one of the most shameful and damaging episodes" in RTE's history, the new director general of the Irish public broadcaster has told a parliamentary committee.Just four days into his new job, Kevin Bakhurst, a former BBC and Ofcom executive, has found himself at the centre of a storm over under-declared pay for the Late Late Show host, Ryan Tubridy. Continue reading...

Bodies of those allegedly killed by Sudanese paramilitary and allied militia found in shallow grave in West DarfurAt least 87 people including ethnic Masalits have been found buried in a mass grave in Sudan's West Darfur, the UN human rights office has said, adding that it had credible information that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were responsible.RSF officials denied any involvement, saying the paramilitary group was not a party to the conflict in West Darfur. Continue reading...

Protests feared after Pita Limjaroenrat of Move Forward fails to get parliamentary backing required to take officeThe leader of Thailand's pro-reform party, which won the most seats in May's election, has been blocked from taking power by a parliamentary vote that includes military-appointed senators, a move likely to provoke street protests.Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of Move Forward, a progressive party that has a strong youth support base, won the most votes and most seats in May's election. But Thailand's election rules, rewritten after a military coup in 2014, required him to have majority support from parliament to become prime minister - which meant he needed to win the backing of some military-appointed senators. Continue reading...

Co-chair of BMA junior doctor committee condemns government's obstinate approach' as five-day strike begins in England

President of American Medical Association says doctors must balance ethical obligation' to patients in face of restrictive lawsAs doctors struggle to comply with new state laws criminalizing certain kinds of medical care, Dr Jesse Ehrenfeld, the new president of the American Medical Association (AMA), says the organization will support doctors who feel ethically compelled to disobey.I expect there may be a moment where a physician is charged," he said in an interview last week. If that happens, we will certainly stand with them, as an association, to stand up for what's right for our patients." Continue reading...

Biden labels Putin craven' as Nato summit ends and Zelenskiy welcomes good result'; at least four injured in overnight attack on Kyiv

Indigenous leader says vote will lead to a more unified country, in rebuke to the no campaign, which claims voice will be divisive'

Boy, 16, said he felt threatened and fearful' after being approached by police while waiting with his girlfriend at a bus stop

Commonwealth Bank head Matt Comyn said people who bought their first home during the pandemic had also reduced spending by around 30%

Pair say decision to live apart will have no impact on their shared business interests and philanthropy

Pita Limjaroenrat of Thailand's Move Forward is facing legal hurdles in the lead up to a vital vote in parliamentThe leader of Thailand's most popular party has warned of a high cost if he is blocked from taking power, after he was dealt a series of blows on the eve of a parliamentary vote to decide the next prime minister.Pita Limjaroenrat's progressive Move Forward party won the most seats in May's election after promising major reforms to remove the military from politics, break up powerful monopolies and change Thailand's lese-majesty law. Continue reading...

Women's Budget Group says changes have disproportionately affected women and cut critical lifeline in England and WalesVulnerable women in England and Wales, including survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, are being denied justice because of cuts to the civil legal aid budget, a thinktank has said.The Women's Budget Group says a decade on from major changes to legal aid, women have been disproportionately affected, leaving them without essential support to fight discrimination, violence and housing insecurity.Ineligibility, for example some employment discrimination not being included in legal aid.Inaccessibility due to insufficient legal aid providers.Lack of awareness and signposting of what qualifies for legal aid. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sultan Al Jaber calls on world to up its renewable energy capacity and says oil and gas companies must be involvedThe phase down of fossil fuels is inevitable", the president of the next UN climate summit has said, but can only happen when the world has ramped up its renewable energy capacity.Sultan Al Jaber will host crucial climate talks, called Cop28, in the United Arab Emirates in November, while retaining his role as chief of UAE's national oil company Adnoc, which is increasing its production capacity. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Standards system reform would ban ex-ministers from taking lobbying jobs related to former brief for up to five yearsLabour would ban ministers from taking lobbying jobs related to their former brief for up to five years, in order to fix the broken standards system and clean up politics".If the rules were breached, the former ministers would face fines decided by a commission in line with proposals outlined by the committee on standards in public life, which also include the possibility of losing a proportion of their pension or the severance payment that is paid once they leave office. Continue reading...

New carrier says lack of demand for flights to some destinations and range of misfortunes - including 10 bird strikes - have forced it to act

Tourists were told there was nothing to worry about', Annie Yongan Lu tells New Zealand courtGuides never mentioned any potential dangers regarding a possible volcanic eruption until tourists were on New Zealand's Whakaari/White Island, the first Australian witness has told a court hearing a landmark case on the deadly 2019 disaster.Annie Yongan Lu, of Sydney, who was badly burned in the eruption, described how her nails were cracked and her skin bubbled in the aftermath of the eruption, as she gave evidence at the trial via video link from Australia. Continue reading...

Archbishop of Canterbury among peers behind amendments to illegal migration legislation as standoff with government continuesA standoff over the Conservative government's controversial plans to tackle the small boats crisis has continued at Westminster as the Lords overnight inflicted a string of defeats backed by the archbishop of Canterbury.Justin Welby warned against immigration and asylum being used as a wedge issue to divide things" as peers pressed their demand for further changes to the illegal migration bill. Continue reading...

Alex Hawke to be the subject of backlash at state council over claims he harmed Coalition's chances at 2022 election

Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch says care often falls below expectations'End-of-life care across the NHS in England is variable and inequitable" and often falls below expectations", according to a patient safety watchdog.The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) found care for patients who are dying is inconsistent" across England, despite a national strategy for proceedings being in place since 2008. Continue reading...

Thinktank says nearly 19bn cost of scheme would have been better spent on raising value of benefitsBillions of pounds of taxpayer cash spent on one-off cost of living support has proved an expensive and ineffective sticking plaster" that would have been better used to raise the value of benefits, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said.Britain's foremost economics thinktank said the government's cost of living payments scheme, introduced by Rishi Sunak while he was chancellor, had cost the exchequer almost 19bn over two years. Continue reading...

The erstwhile anchor repeatedly called former marine Ray Epps an undercover FBI agent who planned the January 6 US Capitol attackFox News was hit with a defamation lawsuit on Wednesday by Trump supporter Ray Epps after former host Tucker Carlson repeatedly called Epps an undercover FBI agent who orchestrated the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.Carlson said Epps, an Arizona resident and former marine, helped stage-manage the insurrection" - a conspiracy he broadcast in nearly 20 episodes. Continue reading...

Twenty-two-year-old accused of killing Marvin Oraiha, who was shot outside his Elizabeth Hills home

Newsreader's wife, Vicky Flind, has identified him as the BBC presenter alleged to have paid for explicit images

News comes shortly after Met says there is no evidence suspended presenter committed criminal offence

Institution that reopened in 2022 after renovation hailed as extraordinary and world class as it takes 120,000 prizeThe Burrell Collection in Glasgow has been named as the 2023 museum of the year after judges described it as a world-class treasure trove of objects.It topped a shortlist of five museums around the UK to secure the 120,000 award, the largest museum prize in the world. Continue reading...

The 32-year-old allegedly posted an image of himself holding a severed head on Twitter while visiting SyriaFormer British rapper and notorious Islamic State suspect Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, who was arrested in Spain in 2020, went on trial in Madrid on Wednesday.The 32-year-old former rapper from west London, who allegedly posted an image of himself holding a severed head on Twitter, went on trial at Spain's Audiencia Nacional criminal court for joining the Islamic State (IS) group while visiting Syria between 2013 and 2015. Continue reading...

Fairness of disciplinary process questioned as all appeals by expelled members dealt with to date have failedLabour has so far rejected all appeals it has dealt with by members expelled for breaking party rules, its governing body has revealed, prompting questions over the fairness of the disciplinary process.Party officials told the national executive committee (NEC) that 62 applications for appeal had been judged to have failed by the independent law firm that advises on complaints. Continue reading...

Shane Nash, who has been jailed for life, was spotted by officer who recognised gait from CCTVA child rapist was caught after a passing police officer noticed his distinctive walk.Shane Nash, 39, was with two friends in Nottingham in January when he was spotted by an officer travelling in a marked patrol car. The officer recognised his gait from CCTV footage that captured part of the attack he was being sought in connection with. Continue reading...

Mark Thurston to leave government-owned company as construction moves into an exciting new stage'

The acclaimed business drama leads the pack with The Last of Us, The White Lotus and Ted Lasso followingThe final season of Succession has dominated this year's Emmy nominations with 27 nods.The acclaimed HBO series picked up 14 acting nominations including recognition for Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook. It marks the first time in Emmys history that three performers from the same show have scored lead actor nominations in the same category. Continue reading...

Hungerford founded the charity Elizabeth's Smile for children who lose a parent to terminal illness after his diagnosisOne of Britain's most successful entrepreneurs has died aged 43 as a result of bone cancer.Nick Hungerford, the founder of the personal investment site Nutmeg, was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing's sarcoma in 2020 after feeling pain in his right thigh. An X-ray confirmed that he had a 5-inch tumour, which could also affect tissue around the bones. Continue reading...

Murals at Manston and Kent Intake Unit understood to have been painted over last week by MoJ estates teamThe Home Office ordered the removal of child-friendly murals from the controversial Manston detention camp near Ramsgate, as well as a separate reception centre, the Guardian has learned.The i newspaper revealed last week that the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, had ordered the removal of colourful murals of Disney cartoon characters including Mickey Mouse and Baloo the bear painted on the walls at the Kent Intake Unit (KIU) at Dover. Continue reading...

Michael Foggo to help oversee the delayed pilot program, now expected to begin before November

The no camp employs lobbyists that specialise in conservative Christian campaigning, Guardian Australia can reveal

Acsi says earnings at 100 largest listed firms show more restraint' but everyone wins a prize' attitude still prevails

Longest trial so far of supplement derived from red seaweed produced 28% less of the greenhouse gas - much lower than previous studiesOne of the world's longest commercial trials of a seaweed supplement that the global meat industry hopes could slash methane from beef cattle has recorded much lower reductions in the potent greenhouse gas than previous studies.Putting the supplement into the diets of 40 wagyu cattle in an Australian feedlot for 300 days cut the methane they produced by 28%. Continue reading...

WA EPA dismisses most grounds of appeal against extension of operation licence for gas processing facility in the Pilbara

Drumsheds, a venture from Printworks company Broadwick, will preserve industrial elements of the 608,000 sq ft spaceIt once played host to the sound of staff announcements, bored children and tense couples arguing over wardrobes with semi-pronounceable names. Now, a 608,000 sq ft Tottenham warehouse that was home to an Ikea for 17 years is to vibrate to sub bass and repetitive beats, as it becomes a leading new cultural venue for London.Entitled Drumsheds, it will host a carefully curated programme of music, arts, culture and community" according to its owners Broadwick, who are best known for turning a disused printing press in Rotherhithe into the atmospheric clubbing destination Printworks. Continue reading...

Kevin Bakhurst says all options on the table as he takes charge of Irish national broadcaster at difficult timeThe new director general of Ireland's national broadcaster has raised the prospect of selling off its headquarters in south Dublin in response to a furore over the pay of its leading television presenter.Kevin Bakhurst, a former BBC and Ofcom executive, took up his role at RTE on Monday and began work by standing down the broadcaster's executive board in a move to restore confidence. Continue reading...

Progress expected at Nato summit thanks to attendance of Japan's PM but no mention made in latest talksNato appears to have shelved plans to open a liaison office in Tokyo, a proposal that had been discussed as part of the western military alliance's plans to deepen cooperation with partners in the Asia-Pacific but which was strongly opposed by China.The idea to open an office was first discussed after Nato's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, visited Japan earlier this year. It reportedly involved opening a civilian office in Tokyo in 2024, as a means of facilitating Nato's dialogues in the Asia-Pacific. It was expected progress would be made at the Nato summit thanks to the attendance of Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, for the second year in a row. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese announces aid after meeting Volodomyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Lithuania

Members of NASUWT give largest mandate in a decade' for action over pay, workload and working hoursMembers of the NASUWT teachers' union have voted in favour of industrial action over pay and workload, raising the prospect of mass strikes and widespread disruption across schools in England this autumn.After months of stalemate with no progress over teachers' pay, NASUWT members voted decisively for industrial action, with 88.5% of eligible members voting to support strike action and 94.3% supporting action short of strike. Continue reading...

Country's censors give green light for film to be shown amid South China Sea controversyPhilippine censors have allowed the Barbie film to be shown in the country's cinemas after asking its Hollywood distributor to blur lines on a brightly coloured drawing of a world map allegedly showing China's claims to the disputed South China Sea.The fantasy comedy film about the famous doll, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is to open in the south-east Asian nation on 19 July. Continue reading...

Second flu death recorded in past week after student died on NSW Central Coast

The Czech novelist found himself silenced by the communist regime at home, but achieved international fame with playfully philosophical fictionCzech writer Milan Kundera, who explored being and betrayal over half a century in poems, plays, essays and novels including The Unbearable Lightness of Being, has died aged 94 after a prolonged illness, Anna Mrazova, spokeswoman for the Milan Kundera Library has confirmed.Famously leaving his homeland for France in 1975 after being expelled from the Czechoslovakian Communist party for anti-communist activities", Kundera spent 40 years living in exile in Paris after his Czech citizenship was revoked in 1979. There he wrote his most famous works, including Nesnesitelna lehkost byti (The Unbearable Lightness of Being) and later left behind his mother tongue to write novels in French, beginning with 1993's La lenteur (Slowness) and his final novel, 2014's The Festival of Insignificance. He was often cited as a contender for the Nobel prize in literature. Continue reading...

Edwin Flay brings his one-man drama, in which he plays the GP and serial killer, to the Edinburgh fringeHe was a big man with a bushy beard and a bowl of sweets on his desk for good boys and girls.This is all Edwin Flay remembers about Harold Shipman, whose surgery in Hyde he visited as a small child in the 1970s. The GP later became the UK's most persistent serial killer, ending the life of about 250 of his patients. Continue reading...

Latest allegations in Sun will result in more vitriol thrown at innocent colleagues and BBC, tweets VineJeremy Vine has urged his fellow BBC presenter at the heart of a scandal engulfing the broadcaster to come forward to protect his colleagues.The crisis began last Friday after the Sun newspaper accused an anonymous male presenter of paying a young person more than 35,000 in return for sordid images". Continue reading...

Germany promises more Patriot supplies to Ukraine; Zelenskiy sets out his agenda for second day of Nato summit in Vilnius