World news | The Guardian

Report points to health risks of ultra-processing and calls for regulation to catch up with other countriesNearly a third of baby and toddler foods sold in the UK are ultra-processed, risking children’s long-term health and development, according to research.The report for First Steps Nutrition Trust found that ultra-processed products dominate the diets of British babies and preschool children. Continue reading...

France’s interior minister says attack took place in a square in the town of AnnecyFour children and an adult have been injured in a knife attack in the picturesque town of Annecy in the French Alps.At least three of the victims are in a critical condition in hospital. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy visits flood-affected region of Kherson after destruction of dam; at five people dead in occupied Kherson due to floods

The federal court will consider the audio and text messages of Higgins and her partner David Sharaz published by several media outlets

Oversight committee to investigate allegations that US has possession of ‘intact or partially intact’ alien vehiclesThe House of Representatives plans to investigate claims that the US government is harboring UFOs after a whistleblower former intelligence official said the US has possession of “intact and partially intact” alien vehicles.James Comer, the Republican chair of the House oversight committee, said the committee would hold a hearing into claims by David Grusch, who led analysis of unexplained anomalous phenomena (UAP) within a US Department of Defense agency, that the government had been collecting non-human craft for “decades”. Continue reading...

Ukraine president says it is impossible to predict death toll in Russian-occupied areas as he appeals for assistance

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Federal court dismisses appeal from broadcaster that argued it was still using the mark, ending two-year legal spat

Labour shortage at 97% of centres has led to longer waiting times and delays in treatment, survey suggestsCancer patients face lethal hospital delays and the prospect of more gruelling treatment due to NHS staff shortages, senior radiologists have warned.A poll of all 60 directors of the UK’s cancer centres by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) found staff shortages at 97% of the centres were leading to longer waiting times and delays in treatment. Continue reading...

Party-commissioned report sets out roadmap for a national care service to tackle inadequate state provisionSignificant reform of England’s beleaguered adult social care sector could be ushered in by the next Labour government under plans that include boosting pay for care workers, expanding the scope of free support, and a £50 weekly contribution towards costs for those who need it.A report by the Fabian Society thinktank, requested by the shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, and commissioned by the trade union Unison, sets out a roadmap for a national care service (NCS) that is hoped would address the existing patchy, impersonal and inadequate state provision. Continue reading...

Secret service decided backstory of purported Russian security service officer was not crediblePoland has deported a purported former Russian FSB officer who sought asylum in the country back to Russia, accusing him of lying about his past and background.Emran Navruzbekov claimed to have been a senior officer in Russia’s FSB security service in the southern region of Dagestan, and had recently given numerous media interviews about FSB operations and alleged misdeeds. He was handed over to Russia at Poland’s land border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on Tuesday. Continue reading...

The former country singer was arrested and charged on Thursday over the alleged murder in 2018

‘Every element’ of the facility is failing, with young people confined to cells for long periods of time due to staffing shortages, the report says

Britain also ranks low in 30-country poll on support for access to public facilities matching gender identityLess than half of people in Great Britain agree that transgender teenagers should be allowed to receive counselling and hormone treatment, polling suggests.Britain placed 28th out of 30 countries for the proportion of people agreeing that teenagers with parental consent should be able to access “gender-affirming” care. Only Hungary, which banned transgender people from legally changing their gender in 2020, and the US recorded lower levels of support than Britain’s 47%. Continue reading...

High court of Australia is considering a NSW court’s permanent stay in a case brought by a woman who alleges she was abused as a 14-year-old

Scott Phillip White will be eligible for release in 2026, having already served part of his sentence

Report demands accountability for war crimes and singles out Russia for ‘mind-boggling’ targeting of hospitals in UkraineRussian attacks on medical facilities in Ukraine made 2022 the most violent year in a decade for hospitals and health workers operating in conflict zones, according to a new report by a coalition of humanitarian organisations.With 750 reported attacks in 2022, Russia set a 10-year record, according to the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, which includes Human Rights Watch and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health. Continue reading...

Last week we ran a piece by Rowan Atkinson casting doubt on the environmental benefits of electric vehicles. Here Simon Evans of Carbon Brief offers his responseIn a widely shared comment piece for the Guardian, comedian Rowan Atkinson said he felt “duped” by the green claims about electric vehicles (EVs).In support of his contention, however, Atkinson repeats a series of repeatedly debunked talking points, often used by those seeking to delay action on the climate crisis.He says EV batteries only last “about 10 years”. Yet “most modern lithium-ion units are likely to last the lifetime of the car”, according to Autocar. Tesla’s batteries are “designed to outlast the vehicle”.He complains that new cars are only kept for three years before being sold. Yet he does not reference the secondhand market, and the fact that British people are keeping their cars for longer than ever.He claims that it is better to keep running old petrol cars than to replace them with EVs. Yet a new EV would start benefiting the climate in less than four years, relative to an old combustion engine.He claims that lithium-ion batteries contain rare earth elements. They do not. Continue reading...

Executives urge audiences to ‘fill yer boots’ and watch as many shows as possible amid Covid fightback

Anthony Albanese says integrity body will be independent of MPs as opposition calls for scrutiny of settlement with former staffer

The 32-year-old has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent, a court has heard

Of the nearly 58,000 cases recorded across the country, 30% occurred over the last fortnightly reporting period

Performers still reeling from the pandemic aren’t ruling out a strike, as the company refuses to guarantee their pay will keep pace with inflation

Over 40% of suburbs recorded rental increases of 10% or more in the past year, according to CoreLogic

Eastern US states including New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut issue alerts as hundreds of wildfires burn in Canada

Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed star, who has terminal cancer, announces a scan in January revealed metastasis in her brainShannen Doherty has revealed that the terminal breast cancer she has been receiving treatment for over several years has now spread to her brain.In an emotional post on Instagram, Doherty shared a video of herself receiving radiation treatment, writing in the caption that a scan in early January had revealed “Mets”, or metastasis, in her brain. Continue reading...

City-state is to close its only turf club in order to redevelop 120-hectare site for public housing amid declining popularity of the sportMore than 180 years of horse racing in Singapore will soon come to an end, as the “land scarce” city state closes its only race course to make space for public housing.The chairman of the Singapore Turf Club, Niam Chiang Meng, said the club was saddened by the decision, but that it also understood the “land needs” of Singapore. The 120-hectare site was a valuable resource, he said, adding: “This transition will serve to optimise land use for the greater good of the local community and future generations.” Continue reading...

Queensland premier tells Today show she will be personally involved in review of Nikkole Southwell’s harrowing experience

More than $122bn worth of houses and residential land were cash funded last year

Community hub project in Albert Park, Victoria is part of Morrison-era grants that are currently being reviewed after the Albanese government’s election

Equipment that could be exploited by Chinese intelligence will be taken down, with CCTV brands Hikvision and Dahua among those flagged by MPsBritain has announced the removal of Chinese-made surveillance equipment from sensitive government sites as part of plans to address concerns they could be used for spying by China.The government told its departments last year to stop installing Chinese-linked CCTV cameras in sensitive buildings. Continue reading...

As Western Australia police officers attempted to arrest three people in a car in Ascot, one officer was hit and dragged and left in a critical condition

US media has reported that the White House was briefed about a Ukrainian plot to blow up the pipeline months before it occurred

Moving retelling of Sancho’s life by actor Paterson Joseph awarded prestigious Christopher Bland prizeIf anyone’s life is worthy of a book, it’s that of Charles Ignatius Sancho. The acclaimed writer and composer was born on a slave ship crossing the Atlantic in 1729, where both his parents died; arrived in London, where he suffered hardship and danger; found love; met the king; and became the first black person to vote in Britain.Now, a moving retelling of Sancho’s life by the actor Paterson Joseph has won the Royal Society of Literature’s prestigious Christopher Bland prize – awarded to a debut writer who has published their first book over the age of 50. Continue reading...

Vanya, adapted by Simon Stephens, will see Scott tackle all of the characters in Chekhov’s playAndrew Scott is to return to London’s West End to play every character in Uncle Vanya. The star of Sherlock, Fleabag and His Dark Materials will appear for a five-week run at the Duke of York’s theatre from 15 September in a one-man staging of Anton Chekhov’s 1898 classic.It means Scott will appear not only as Vanya, the morose manager of a rural Russian estate, but also as the landowner Professor Serebryakov, his daughter Sonya and glamorous young wife Yelena. He will also play Vanya’s widowed mother, his romantic rival Astrov, the tenant Telegin and the nurse Maria. Continue reading...

Investigation shows Home Office funds ‘return and reintegration assistance’ and provides equipment and training to Turkish policeThe Home Office has provided more than £3m in funding to Turkish border forces in the last year to prevent migrants reaching the UK, an investigation for the Guardian has found.Funding to Turkey’s border force operations has increased substantially from 2019, when £14,000 was given to Turkish police and coastguard for maritime border security training, according to documents obtained through freedom of information (FOI) requests. That figure rose to £425,000 in 2021-22 for training and equipment and up to £3m this year for “return and reintegration assistance”, training and personnel. Continue reading...

Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council dismisses claim counteroffensive has begun; Rishi Sunak says UK ‘can’t say definitively’ whether Russia was responsible

Actor was helped off stage from her one-woman show Prima Facie after city’s poor air quality prompted breathing issuesJodie Comer stopped her one-woman show Prima Facie on Broadway because of breathing difficulties owing to New York’s air crisis.According to eyewitnesses, the award-winning star of Killing Eve, tipped to win a Tony award this weekend, was 10 minutes late for the matinee performance. After three minutes of the show, she announced that she couldn’t proceed. Continue reading...

Exclusive: friend ‘helped the couple plan their wedding’ in May 2021 when restrictions on indoor gatherings in placeBoris and Carrie Johnson hosted a close friend, who helped plan their wedding, overnight at Chequers when a number of Covid restrictions were in place, the Guardian has been told.Dixie Maloney, a corporate events organiser, stayed at the former prime minister’s grace-and-favour country mansion on 7 May 2021 when indoor gatherings between different households were banned except when “reasonably necessary” for reasons such as work or childcare. Continue reading...

Agriculture ministry warns of greater disaster next year, with global implications, from loss of Kakhovka reservoir

Losing Telegraph newspapers will not turn remaining twin Frederick Barclay into a pauper, but it’s a bitter end to brothers’ empire-building

Oxfam International apologised and re-edited cartoon alleged to include racial stereotyping and JK Rowling attackThe UK charities watchdog is assessing whether it will take action against Oxfam after receiving complaints about a cartoon published by the charity that ignited a row about transgender issues.Oxfam International put the cartoon out on Twitter last week to mark pride month, but took it down on Tuesday after a backlash against its use of the term Terf (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) in an image depicting anti-trans “hate groups”. Continue reading...

Nurse accused of murdering seven babies and attempted murder of 10 more at Chester hospital in 2015-16Lucy Letby was texting about a doctor on whom she allegedly “had a crush” hours before she attempted to murder a vulnerable baby boy, a court has heard.The nurse, 33, denied the doctor was her boyfriend or that she was “sweet” on him, as she gave evidence for a 12th day at Manchester crown court. Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands of mines and debris are flowing into towns downstream, while lack of water upstream will hit food production

The Duke of Sussex forced back tears on his second day giving evidence in his case against Mirror Group NewspapersPrince Harry has concluded his high-profile appearance in the high court, where he became the first senior royal to be cross-examined since the 19th century.The Duke of Sussex forced back tears as his barrister asked how he felt after being in court for two days, giving evidence in support of his claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).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, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Contentious plans to be discussed in Luxembourg aimed at making distribution of responsibility fairerEU countries that refuse to host migrants or asylum seekers could be charged up to €20,000 (£17,000) a head under radical proposals aimed at easing the pressure on frontline countries including Italy and Greece.Home affairs ministers from the 27 member states will attend a crunch meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday to discuss two key proposals including a relocation scheme for more than 100,000 migrants a year. Continue reading...

Latest updates: prime minister explicitly accepts formal post-Brexit trade deal with US is not on horizon, implying this is no longer a goalPMQs is starting soon. It will be the second encounter between Oliver Dowden, the deputy PM who is standing in while Rishi Sunak is in Washington, and Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.That the UK will have the highest inflation in the developed world is a mark of government failure.Inflation has remained so high in Britain – and hit families so hard – because our economy has been badly weakened by 13 years of Tory economic mismanagement. Continue reading...

Roderick Sinclair claims he has faced intimidation and mayor says he has had death threats in row with farmer in MontjoiA retired British stockbroker claims he has been subjected to a sustained campaign of harassment and intimidation in a row over a bridle path running through his property in an idyllic corner of south-west France.“It has been hell. In the beginning we all thought it was the traditional sort of spat between neighbours that happens all the time in France,” Roderick Sinclair said of the dispute at his French second home, a stone farmhouse his family have spent thousands renovating in Montjoi, in the Tarn-et-Garonne. Continue reading...

Starmer’s party is 12% ahead of Sunak’s Tories, survey based on new constituency boundaries suggests

Court rules that Giuseppe Conte and Roberto Speranza not at fault over 6,000 excess deaths in Bergamo at start of pandemicItaly’s former prime minister Giuseppe Conte and the former health minister Roberto Speranza were not responsible for the alleged mismanagement of the country’s first phase of the Covid pandemic, a court ruled on Wednesday.Last March, prosecutors in Bergamo, the Lombardy province worst hit during the first wave of the virus in 2020, had placed Conte and Speranza under investigation on suspicion of “aggravated culpable epidemic” and manslaughter in connection with the government’s response at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading...