Long-running legal battle began in 2016 after bloc's competition chief said iPhone maker had benefited from unfair tax breaks in IrelandThe EU's top court will rule whether the European Commission was right to demand that 13bn in illegal" tax breaks for Apple should be repaid, in a judgment likely to have far-reaching effects on sweetheart deals for large multinationals.A ruling due on Tuesday from the European court of justice (ECJ) may bring an end to a bitter legal saga that began in 2016 when the EU competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, concluded the iPhone maker had benefited from billions worth of unfair tax breaks from the Irish government. Continue reading...
Steve Dymond, 63, was distraught after being heckled and accused of cheating during 2019 filming, says landladyA man who is believed to have killed himself after appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show was broken" and wasn't a well man", his landlady has told the inquest into his death.Steve Dymond, 63, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, is thought to have ended his life seven days after filming for the ITV show in May 2019.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...
Songwriter wrote No 1 hits for Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow, as well as iconic ballads such as Up Where We Belong and Tears in HeavenWill Jennings, the Oscar-winning US lyricist behind hit songs such as My Heart Will Go On, Tears in Heaven and Up Where We Belong, has died aged 80. His agent said Jennings died at home in Tyler, Texas, and did not give a cause of death.Born Wilbur Jennings in 1944, he was raised in Tyler and initially went into academia, teaching at the University of Wisconsin. But in 1971 he headed to Nashville and became a lyricist in the city's country music scene, earning his first country No 1 in 1975 with Feelins' by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent on (#6QJV6)
Apollo Quiboloy, who is also wanted in US on child trafficking charges, hands himself over to police after ultimatumAn influential pastor wanted in the US on child trafficking charges has been arrested in the Philippines, after a 16-day manhunt across a vast compound that included a network of underground tunnels and dozens of buildings.Apollo Quiboloy, the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church, who claims to be the appointed son of God", and was a spiritual adviser of the former president Rodrigo Duterte, is facing various charges, including in the US where he is wanted over alleged trafficking of women and girls as young as 12. According to the FBI wanted list, victims were allegedly recruited to work as personal assistants, or pastorals", and were required to have sex with Quiboloy in what was called night duty". Continue reading...
As the Disney blockbuster ends its three-year run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, actor Samantha Barks pays tribute to its devoted audienceSometimes it has been a flurry and at others a blizzard. For three years theatregoers dressed in shades of Elsa blue have descended on Covent Garden for Disney's blockbuster stage musical Frozen. On Sunday, it finally came to an end as the guards opened up the gates of London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane for two final performances, at 1pm and 5.30pm.There are going to be tears," actor Samantha Barks admitted before the shows. Barks plays Elsa, the princess with icy powers, and is one of many in the cast and crew who have been with the production since 2021. When I got this job I was in my 20s," she said. Then we had the pandemic [which delayed the opening], I got married, I had a baby ... Personally, this time has been so special." Although incredibly sad" that Frozen was finishing, Barks added: I don't feel I'll ever really say goodbye to this character because it's such a part of me now ... I'm so proud of us all - it's a huge achievement." Continue reading...
Follow today's news liveUnion call for 12-day nationwide standard for reproductive leaveThe Health Services Union is pushing for 12 days of reproductive leave to be made standard nationwide.Making 12 days' reproductive leave part of the minimum entitlements for all workers will have incredible benefits across the entire economy.Women will be able to stay in the workforce longer, build more superannuation and help us close the gender pay gap. Continue reading...
An area of low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico is moving landward, and is expected to bring intense rainfallFrancine could soon be the next to be ticked off the list of Atlantic hurricane storm names this week. On Friday, a broad area of low pressure emerged in the Gulf of Mexico, designated as Invest 91L. An invest" - a shorthand for investigative area" - refers to a region of atmospheric disturbance, characterised by low pressure and thunderstorms, and is closely monitored for its potential to evolve into a tropical cyclone.Invest 91L is anticipated to encounter more favourable environmental conditions as it progresses northward over the coming days, meandering along the eastern coasts of Mexico and Texas. The National Hurricane Center has now labelled this as a potential tropical cyclone, and it is expected to reach hurricane status before reaching the Gulf coast of the US. It advises that hurricane and storm surge watches will probably be issued on Monday for coastal parts of Texas and Louisiana, with the impacts expected to be felt from Tuesday night. Continue reading...
Six months after coming to power, president and PM locked in stand-off with parliamentWithin a week of being inaugurated in April as Senegal's youngest president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye named his political mentor, Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister and announced his 25 cabinet appointments.Faye had swept to power on a leftist, anti-establishment and pan-African agenda promising radical reform, and said in his victory speech that his administration would focus on national reconciliation, easing the cost of living crisis and fighting corruption. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6QJYV)
Legislation will be put before MPs on Monday that extends right to all councils to set routes and timetablesLocal transport authorities across England will be able to run and control bus services under a Labour overhaul designed to save vital routes", parliament will hear on Monday.The transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said the bus revolution" would empower local communities as the government prepares formally to announce measures to make services more reliable. Continue reading...
by Neha Gohil Community affairs correspondent on (#6QJYW)
Exclusive: Home Office rejects application from family who were separated from son in chaotic 2021 evacuationThe Home Office has rejected a visa application from a family trapped in Afghanistan, whose son was evacuated to the UK during the fall of Kabul.Ahmad (not his real name) was brought to the UK at the age of 10 with his uncle and aunt during Operation Pitting in 2021, when about 15,000 British nationals and eligible Afghans were evacuated from Afghanistan during a Taliban offensive. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6QJYX)
Move will help leader consolidate power over party before challenges of government dent his popularityKeir Starmer's allies are planning to use their moment of maximum power" to speedily appoint a new Labour general secretary in the next fortnight, the Guardian has learned.Insiders said party figures were planning to install a Starmer ally in the top party job in time for the appointment to be ratified by conference in late September. Continue reading...
by Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro, Jon Henley in Pari on (#6QJYA)
Edmundo Gonzalez pledges to push for freedom and democracy for Venezuela after going into exile in Spain amid fears for his safetyThe US secretary of state has said Edmundo Gonzalez remains the best hope for democracy" in Venezuela after the former presidential candidate went into exile in Spain.Antony Blinken said on X on Sunday that Gonzalez's departure from Venezuela is the direct result of the anti-democratic measures that [President] Nicolas Maduro has unleashed on the Venezuelan people". Continue reading...
by Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro and Jon Henley in P on (#6QJB2)
Opponent of Nicolas Maduro - widely seen as legitimate election winner - seeks asylum in Spain after being accused of a series of crimesThe Venezuelan opposition leader and former presidential candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, has gone into exile in Spain, dealing a bitter blow to opponents of the country's authoritarian president, Nicolas Maduro.The Spanish government said on Sunday that a Spanish air force plane carrying Gonzalez and his wife had landed at the Torrejon de Ardoz military base outside Madrid Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6QJTB)
Conservative MPs' ratings trail behind Starmer's as second round of voting for contest to come on TuesdayVoters believe James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat are the Conservative leadership candidates most likely to make a good prime minister, although both are still trailing behind Keir Starmer, polling has shown as another crunch week in the campaign begins.A series of party sources have predicted that Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, could pick up support among MPs in Tuesday's second round of voting, when the five remaining candidates will be whittled down to four. Continue reading...
Findings by Transparency International UK point to more than coincidence or incompetence', says chief executiveA landmark study has uncovered corruption red flags" in government Covid contracts worth more than 15bn - representing nearly one in every three pounds awarded by the Conservative administration during the pandemic.The analysis, billed as the most in-depth look yet at public procurement during the crisis, warns that systemic bias, opaque accounting and uncontrolled pricing resulted in vast waste of public funds on testing and personal protective equipment (PPE).At least 28 contracts, worth 4.1bn, went to those with known political connections to the Conservative party. This amounts to almost a tenth of the money spent on the pandemic response.Fifty-one contracts, worth 4bn, went through the VIP lane", a vehicle through which certain suppliers were given priority, of which 24, worth 1.7bn, were referred by politicians from the Conservative party or their offices.1bn was spent on personal protective equipment from 25 VIP-lane suppliers that was later deemed unfit for use. The VIP lane was found to unlawful by a high court judge in a 2022 ruling.Eight contracts, worth 500m, went to suppliers that were no more than 100 days old.The UK government awarded more than 30.7bn in high- value contracts without competition - equivalent to almost two-thirds of all Covid contracts by value.The Department of Health and Social Care wrote off 14.9bn in public money over a two-year period - equivalent to the government's total spend on personal protective equipment. Continue reading...
Assistant commissioner says force hasn't got everything right' in past year in its handling of large demonstrations over Gaza and the environmentArrests at large protests, including those organised by pro-Palestine and environmental groups, will probably be made more quickly in the future, the Metropolitan police's assistant commissioner has said. Matt Twist also suggested that the force had not got everything right" in handling demonstrations over the past year.The capital has seen a number of large-scale protests since October last year, some of which have drawn hundreds of thousands of people to central London. Among them were demonstrations held by Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which is calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Continue reading...
by Angelique Chrisafis at the Stade de France on (#6QJRR)
Stade de France transformed into huge electronica dance party with world's elite para athletes doing farewell congaWith an explosion of fireworks, laser beams, breakdance and a thumping set by the giants of French electronica, France bid goodbye to the Paralympic Games on Sunday night with the biggest party it had ever thrown.The feelgood summer of athletic achievement in Paris had turned crowds hoarse from so much cheering and for ever changed the nation's attitude to sport and disability, and now Parisians were desperately sad to say goodbye to it all. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6QJRS)
Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime will involve campaigners, young people and victims' families in England and WalesKeir Starmer will host the actor and campaigner Idris Elba along with police, officials and charities on Monday to launch a project intended to tackle knife crime among young people.Officially titled the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, the organisation will involve campaign groups, young people and community leaders, and the families of people affected by knife crime. Continue reading...
Police believe suspect in Barbara Nomakhosi's death died later same evening in collision on M65The family of a carer who died with multiple injuries have paid tribute to her thoughtful" nature, saying she was always checking up" on loved ones.Barbara Nomakhosi, 35, was discovered when officers were called to an address in Bury, Greater Manchester, at about 10.30pm on Friday. Continue reading...
Official says dead given mass burial after after collision in Agaie area of north-central Niger stateA fuel tanker has collided head on with another truck in Nigeria, causing an explosion that killed at least 48 people, the country's emergency response agency has said.
Big exhibition will reflect life and loves of artist, from his first professional print in 1904 to 1960s masterpiecesThe British Museum is putting on a big exhibition of the print works of Pablo Picasso, one of the finest graphic artists of the 20th century, it will announce on Monday.About 100 prints will reflect the life and loves of the artist with an extraordinary vision, best known for masterpieces include Guernica, one of the most powerful anti-war paintings. Continue reading...
About 1,000 of those affected work in London and 4,500 at the bank's new Milton Keynes headquartersSantander has joined the ranks of employers herding reluctant British workers back to the coalface, telling office staff they must turn up in person for at least three days a week on average.While the bank's back-office staff will still be able to work from home more regularly than before the pandemic, the minimum requirement now tips the balance in favour of the traditional workplace rather than home. Continue reading...
Fresh chance for eligible' fans to buy reunion tour tickets after many people's transactions failed last SaturdayA select number of Oasis fans who missed out on tickets for the band's reunion concerts in a disastrous sales launch last week have been invited to try their luck again in a second ballot.The band said they would send invitations out to eligible fans we have been able to identify", including some of those who were signed in to the Ticketmaster website last Saturday but were unable to complete their transactions. Continue reading...
Deputy director of Gaza Civil Emergency Service and four family members killed in Jabalia, say Gaza health officials; three Israeli civilians killed in shooting near Jordan border crossing, says IDFHere is more on the earlier incident (see 9.08am post) in which three Israelis were killed.Reuters reports that Israeli authorities said a gunman crossing from Jordan killed the three civilians at the Allenby Bridge border in the occupied West Bank on Sunday before being shot dead by security forces.A terrorist approached the area of the Allenby Bridge from Jordan in a truck, exited the truck, and opened fire at the Israeli security forces operating at the bridge.The terrorist was eliminated by the security forces, three Israeli civilians were pronounced dead as a result of the attack. Continue reading...
Australia's only female prime minister marks 30th anniversary of ALP's affirmative action rule by advocating for its adoption across federal parliament
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6QJHN)
Report into state of health service in England expresses fears that 50 years of progress is beginning to reverse'Decades of progress in tackling heart disease and strokes risks unravelling in part because of NHS failures under the last government, a report into the state of the health service in Englandwill argue.The statistics on cardiovascular disease from the report by the eminent surgeon and Labour peer Ara Darzi, were released by the health department before its launch on Thursday. Continue reading...
Following proposed reduction in deliveries, households would go online to find out when post is dueRoyal Mail is considering launching a bin collection"-type website for households to track which day they will receive mail, if the company is given the green light by the regulator to water down services.The company is pushing to cut its services to save costs, and has proposed a reduction in second-class letter deliveries to alternate weekdays. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#6QJH1)
Sources fear meeting with Ursula von der Leyen postponed due to Labour's doubts about reinstating EU student exchange schemesKeir Starmer's anticipated summit with the president of the European Commission has been postponed over what some see as the British government's caution about reinstating programmes such as the youth mobility and Erasmus university exchange schemes.The prime minister was expected to meet Ursula von der Leyen in the first or second week of September, but sources have said a meeting may now not happen until the end of October at the earliest. Continue reading...
by Toby Helm, Political editor, and James Tapper on (#6QJ4E)
Britain's pandemic response was among the worst and the NHS had been seriously weakened', says leading surgeon Three reports lay bare scale of NHS malaise, but will Reeves fund a remedy?Britain was hit far harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than other developed countries because the NHS had been seriously weakened" by disastrous government policies over the preceding decade, a wide-ranging report will conclude this week.An assessment of the NHS by the world-renowned surgeon Prof Ara Darzi, commissioned in July by the health secretary, Wes Streeting, will find that the health service reduced its routine healthcare activity by a far greater percentage than other health systems" in many key areas during the Covid crisis. Continue reading...
As the Thirwall hearings approach, the Guardian has discovered concerns were repeatedly raised about alarming shortcomings at Countess of ChesterAt Liverpool town hall on Tuesday, a public inquiry will begin into the tragic deaths and collapses of babies eight years ago at the Countess of Chester (CoC) hospital for which the former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder.One of the inquiry's principal aims is to give the babies' bereaved families a sense that lessons will be learned. Led by the senior court of appeal judge Lady Justice Thirlwall, it will consider the experiences of the parents of Letby's victims, examine whether management at the hospital was too slow to identify a serial killer, and whether Letby should have been suspended earlier and the police called in sooner. Continue reading...
Extremist groups are latching on to ex-president's xenophobic messages to recruit people and spread ideologyNeo-Nazi groups and the online far right are latching on to the anti-immigration rhetoric coming from Donald Trump's campaign for the White House in an effort to recruit new supporters and spread their extremism to broader audiences.After the Republican national convention in July, where supporters waved MASS DEPORTATION NOW!" placards, it became clear that Trump's xenophobia has become part of the Republican establishment. Upon his return to X, formerly known as Twitter, Trump released a stream of images targeting Vice-President Kamala Harris's stance on the border and immigration. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6QJDW)
Refurbishing Newcastle's Bolbec Hall could be first step in a mission to build up region's creative industriesThis will be the cafe and bar," said Claire Malcolm on the ground floor of a grand, deserted building in Newcastle she hopes will become an international powerhouse of writing creativity. We're thinking of making it a wifi dead zone. You'll have to pick up a book or a newspaper. Or talk to someone."Malcolm is giving the Guardian an exclusive tour of a forgotten 100-year-old building that is a key part of a bold project to propel north-east England to becoming a centre for writing and publishing. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6QJDX)
PM refuses to say if MPs who rebel will be stripped of the whip - but makes clear he expects their support in key voteKeir Starmer has urged Labour MPs to support his unpopular" plan to remove the winter fuel allowance for all but the poorest pensioners, saying the government could not run away from difficult choices.Speaking in his first major TV interview since taking office, the prime minister also hinted at increased support for Ukraine, saying his visit to the White House next week to see President Biden would be focused on the strategic" situation there, and in the Middle East. Continue reading...
Hundreds of millions of litres were wasted every day, with Thames Water revealed as the worst offenderWater companies in England and Wales lost more than one trillion litres of water last year in leaks, the Observer can reveal.The figures, based on the companies' 2023-24 annual performance reports, show that millions of litres of water were leaked every day. Continue reading...
Opponents holed up for months in the Argentine ambassador's residence say the building has been surrounded by security forcesVenezuela's government has said that Brazil can no longer represent Argentina's diplomatic interests in the country, putting several anti-government opponents holed up for months in the Argentine ambassador's residence seeking asylum at risk, as reports emerge that the embassy has been surrounded by security forces.
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