by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on (#6QG8C)
Labour expected to roll back Conservatives' 5p duty cut in the autumn statement in first increase since 2011Petrol and diesel pump prices in the UK have fallen to their lowest levels in nearly three years, but motorists should expect a first rise in fuel duty for 14 years in next month's autumn statement.According to the AA, the average price at petrol pumps dropped to 139.5p a litre on Wednesday for the first time since October 2021, four months before Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered a global oil market rise. Continue reading...
Lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda, died by confinement' after boat sank off Sicily and did not have water in lungsTwo of the people who died on British tech tycoon Mike Lynch's yacht, which capsized and sank off the coast of Sicily on 19 August, allegedly died from asphyxiation when they ran out of oxygen in the cabins, a source close to the investigation told the Guardian.According to the source, Chris Morvillo, a Clifford Chance lawyer, and his wife, Neda, did not have water in their lungs, trachea, and stomach". Continue reading...
South Korea's intelligence service says it has detected signs' Kim Jong-un ordered executions of 20 to 30 officialsNorth Korea may have executed multiple officials over damage from devastating floods in July that wrecked thousands of homes and left up to 1,500 people dead or missing, according to South Korean intelligence.South Korea's national intelligence service said it was closely monitoring signs that the regime had carried out the executions after the North's leader, Kim Jong-un, told an emergency meeting of the ruling party's politburo that he would strictly punish" those responsible for the damage, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported. Continue reading...
Event in 2017 was axed over inadequate accommodation, food and water - and landed its co-founder in jail for fraudIt was the festival disaster that gripped the world. A modern-day Lord of the Flies with Instagram influencers instead of schoolchildren.But the return of the infamous Fyre festival is still on, its organiser has announced, but it remains uncertain when or where it is - or who may be performing is still not known a year on. Continue reading...
This blog is now closed, you can read our report on the story hereGermany's interior minister, Nancy Faeser, said there was a serious incident" in Munich and that protection of Israeli institutions is of the highest priority, Reuters reported.Benedikt Frank, the deputy director and CEO of the annual Munich Security Conference (MSC), which is hosted in the city, has said that his office, located in the area where the police operation is taking place, is currently sealed off. Continue reading...
Books by Richard Flanagan, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Rachel Cockerell and Jonathan Blitzer also in running for 50,000 nonfiction awardSalman Rushdie's memoir about surviving being stabbed is among the books longlisted for the 2024 Baillie Gifford prize for nonfiction.Rushdie's book, titled Knife, recounts the August 2022 attack, which happened on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state, as well as the author's recovery. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Sir Martin Moore-Bick's report lays out how to avoid a similar disaster from happening again. But the bereaved want to more than recommendations - they want prosecutions Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. More than seven years after the deaths of 72 people in the Grenfell Tower fire, the report of the public inquiry into the causes was finally published yesterday - and it forms a devastating verdict on the incompetence, dishonesty and greed that made the disaster possible.Sir Martin Moore-Bick's report paints a horrifying picture of failures in the construction industry, the council, regulators and central government. It prompted apologies from Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak on behalf of consecutive governments, and demands from the families of the victims for changes that they say are already three decades too late".UK politics | Robert Jenrick is leading the race to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative party leader after a first round of MP voting that placed the former migration minister top and eliminated Priti Patel. Jenrick won the support of 28 of his parliamentary colleagues, ahead of Kemi Badenoch, who won 22 votes.Education | Suspensions and exclusions from schools in England went up by more than a fifth in the past year, according to analysis of live attendance data. A new report detailing the change raises concerns about children being shifted out of mainstream education into alternative provision.Ukraine | Dmytro Kuleba has resigned as Ukraine's foreign minister as part of a wide-ranging government reshuffle designed to give what Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called new strength" to the government and the country.Israel-Gaza war | The UN children's agency has said that a polio vaccination campaign to inoculate more than 640,000 children in Gaza is surpassing expectations at the end of the first phase of the programme. Describing the campaign as a rare bright spot" in the war, Unicef said 189,000 children had been reached so far.Social media | YouTube is to stop recommending videos to teenagers that idealise specific fitness levels, body weights or physical features, after experts warned such content could be harmful if viewed repeatedly. The platform will still allow 13- to 17-year-olds to view the videos, but its algorithms will not push young users down related content rabbit holes" afterwards. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent on (#6QG1M)
Analysts warn that the dispute over Sabina Shoal could lead to an even more drawn-out struggle between Manila and BeijingHopes that tensions in the South China Sea might ease have been short lived. Just weeks after the Philippines and China struck a deal to try to stop dangerous confrontations at Second Thomas Shoal, a new flashpoint has emerged.Over recent weeks, Manila has accused Chinese personnel of ramming its boats, blasting them with water canon and firing flares at its aircraft, with incidents often centred on a new location, an atoll called Sabina Shoal. It comes as tensions in the South China Sea, a strategically important waterway that links the Indian and Pacific Oceans, were already at their highest in a decade. Continue reading...
British papers hone in on push for criminal charges after inquiry blames 2017 disaster on government failures and dishonesty of companiesUK papers on Thursday focused on the seven-year public inquiry into the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, which concluded that the deaths of 72 people were avoidable and blamed decades of failure" by central government to stop the spread of combustible cladding combined with the systematic dishonesty" of the multimillion-dollar companies producing it.The Guardian headlined its story Grenfell: a disaster caused by dishonesty and greed'". It reported that police are now under pressure to accelerate the criminal investigation" into the blaze, although it could be another 12 to 18 months before police can send files to prosecutors to consider charges. Continue reading...
Only daughter and youngest child of the former Mori king Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII ascends to the throne in emotional ceremonyThe second ever Mori queen in the eight-dynasty reign of the Kiingitanga movement in New Zealand has ascended to the throne in an emotional ceremony attended by thousands at Turangawaewae marae.On Thursday morning Mori leaders hailed her as the new dawn". Continue reading...
Bids to join ballot for 27 and 28 September gigs will go first to fans unsuccessful in initial Ticketmaster sales windowOasis have announced two additional shows at Wembley and promised a staggered invitation-only ballot", days after many fans were left angry and disappointed after waiting for hours without being able to buy tickets for the band's other gigs.Extra dates at the London stadium were announced due to phenomenal demand" after Oasis were heavily criticised over the use of dynamic pricing for their first wave of tickets. Continue reading...
With possible election looming, Jagmeet Singh calls end to confidence and supply arrangement with weak, selfish' partyCanada's New Democratic party says it has ripped up" a key agreement with prime minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, sowing uncertainty into the country's politics as party leaders brace for a possible election.NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made the surprise announcement on social media on Wednesday afternoon, accusing Trudeau of caving" to corporate greed. The Liberals have let people down. They don't deserve another chance from Canadians," he said. Continue reading...
Relatives say Bhim Kohli was loving, caring person' and the joker of the family' as boy, 14, continues to be questionedRelatives of a pensioner who died after he was allegedly attacked while walking his dog in a park yards from his home in Leicester have said their hearts have been completely broken" by the loss of a loving, caring person whose life centred around his family".Bhim Kohli, 80, was attacked in Franklin Park close to his home in Braunstone Town on Sunday evening and died in hospital on Monday, police said. Continue reading...
Prime minister says country failed its most fundamental duty to protect those affected by fire as he apologises to families affected. This live blog is closed
Advocates say profiling characterized many arrests' as judge awards millions in damages in class-action lawsuitRacial profiling is a systemic problem in the Montreal police force, a Quebec judge has ruled, as she awarded damages in a class action lawsuit that advocates call a decision that meets with reality".Justice Dominique Poulin found that the city bore responsibility for racial profiling committed by its police officers and was obliged to compensate those affected. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6QFCA)
Final report calls for a series of measures, while the CPS has said any charging decisions are unlikely until end of 2026Seven years after the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people, the public inquiry convened in its aftermath has blamed the disaster on failures by a wide cast of individuals and companies. With the conclusion of the inquiry, attention will turn to what happens next. Here we explore possible next steps. Continue reading...
Residents tell of apocalyptic scenes' after more than 60mm of rainfall falls on Italian capital in less than an hourLightning has struck the Constantine Arch near the Colosseum in Rome during a violent thunderstorm, breaking off fragments from the ancient structure, officials have said.
Prison governors' leader urges ministers to consider further measures to cut jail population or build new cellsThe UK government's plan to free up prison spaces for at least 18 months with next week's launch of the early release scheme is doomed to fail because cells are being filled by rioters, the prison governors' leader has said.Tom Wheatley, the president of the Prison Governors' Association, said the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, will be lucky to get 12 months before we are full again" after charges against hundreds of people for their role in the recent disorder. Continue reading...
Cost of living crisis, higher mortgage rates and weak consumer confidence weigh on housing market in past yearBarratt Developments has suffered a 75% drop in annual profit and a double-digit decline in home completions after a challenging" year for Britain's biggest housebuilder.The company said the past year had proved tough for the housebuilding industry and potential buyers, as cost of living pressures, much higher mortgage rates and weak consumer confidence weighed on the housing market. Continue reading...
Picnic at Hanging Rock, Happy Days and aged care musical Bloom also on next year's STC program, which will be the last from outgoing artistic director Kip Williams
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6QF2Y)
Report on 2017 disaster is expected to spotlight serious failings among politicians, builders and manufacturersCompanies and public authorities involved in the Grenfell Tower refurbishment are braced for wide-ranging criticisms when the final public inquiry report on the 2017 disaster is released at 11am on Wednesday.The 1,700-page report is expected to spotlight serious failings among national and local politicians, builders, material manufacturers and sales people, fire-testing experts and the London fire brigade. The inquiry chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, and his inquiry panel colleagues, the architect Thouria Istephan and housing expert Ali Akbor, will also make recommendations to the government to ensure such a disaster is not repeated. Continue reading...
Research shows alarming' rise in essential living costs during retirement, with low-paid workers worst affectedThe average pension pot needed for a basic" retirement has risen by almost 60% in three years, according to research that highlights how the UK cost of living crisis has left many workers fearing they will never be able to retire.The study from the Resolution Foundation thinktank and the Living Wage Foundation found that a number of price rises across housing, energy, food and transport had helped significantly" increase the cost of securing an adequate income in retirement. Continue reading...
Bhim Kohli died in hospital after alleged attack while walking his dog in Franklin Park 20 metres from his homeA 14-year-old boy is being held on suspicion of murdering an 80-year-old man, named by police as Bhim Kohli, who died on Sunday after being allegedly attacked while walking his dog 20 metres from his home.Leicestershire police said Kohli was found having been assaulted at about 6.30pm in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town. Four other children who had been arrested have been released by police. Continue reading...
by Shaun Walker in Kyiv, and Peter Beaumont on (#6QEEN)
Volodymyr Zelenskiy says more than 206 people injured as unconfirmed reports say strike targeted military ceremonyUkraine has experienced one of the deadliest attacks of the war after a Russian missile strike on the central city of Poltava hit a military training institute and a nearby hospital, killing at least 51 people and injuring more than 200 others.The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in a video address that, according to preliminary information, two ballistic missiles had partially destroyed" one of the buildings of the Poltava Military Institute of Communications, leaving people under the rubble. Continue reading...
First salvage expedition in years captures more than 2m high-resolution images of 1912 shipwreckA bronze statue from the Titanic - not seen in decades and feared to be lost for good - is among the discoveries made by the company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years.RMS Titanic Inc, a Georgia-based company that holds the legal rights to the 112-year-old wreck, has completed its first trip since 2010 and released images from the expedition on Monday. The pictures show a site that continues to change more than a century later. Continue reading...
by Rajeev Syal and Diane Taylor, and Angelique Chrisa on (#6QEJA)
Pregnant woman among those killed in horrifying' incident as charities call on government to establish safe routesSix children and a pregnant woman are among at least 12 people who died after a boat carrying dozens of asylum seekers to the UK was ripped open" in one of the worst Channel tragedies since the small boats crisis began.In a major test for Keir Starmer's government, which is facing demands from charities to open up safe routes for those wanting to come to the UK, the French authorities said that 10 of those who had lost their lives were female and many are believed to be from Eritrea. Continue reading...
Increased coastline security and restriction of viable routes is only pushing asylum seekers to take riskier journeysThe grimly familiar sight of body bags being unloaded from search and rescue boats was witnessed again by the reporters on the shores of Northern France on Tuesday. And again, ministers from both the UK and French governments expressed their horror at another mass drowning of people trying to reach the UK.The charities that work closely with asylum seekers say thatthe policies of both governments may be inadvertently increasing the number of deaths of people seeking safety in the UK. Continue reading...
by Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent on (#6QENR)
Authoritarian president moves up holiday celebrations yet again to apparently distract from political crisisWhatever happened to Christmas?" Frank Sinatra once asked. In Venezuela, the answer is that it has been brought forward to October.The country's strongman president, Nicolas Maduro, made the curious announcement that this year's festivities would begin in October on Monday, in the midst of a political bleak midwinter for his crisis-stricken land. Continue reading...
Caroline Darian overwhelmed as details are revealed during trial of father, Dominique Pelicot, and 50 other menHarrowing details have emerged at the trial of a French man charged with enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his drugged wife, with their daughter temporarily leaving the courtroom as she became overwhelmed by emotion.The case against Dominique Pelicot, 71, has horrified France after the allegations were only exposed by chance when he was caught filming up women's skirts in a supermarket. Continue reading...
Department store chain aims to build 215 homes as part of push to diversify beyond retailThe owner of John Lewis has submitted plans for the 80m development of 215 rental flats on the site of its unused Reading distribution centre - a tenth of which will be affordable.The John Lewis Partnership (JLP), which owns Waitrose supermarkets as well as its eponymous department stores, said the site would feature two garden spaces, including one for children, and shared communal spaces for fitness, home working and socialising. Continue reading...
Surrey police opened investigation after man, 31, found dead alongside three sonsThe mother of three young boys found dead in a house in Surrey has paid tribute to her sons who were full of life and happiness".On Saturday, police discovered the bodies of Dominik, three, Nikodem, two, and Kacper Swiderski, also two, with their father, Piotr Swiderski, 31, at a property in Staines-upon-Thames at about 1.15pm. Continue reading...
Provisional PSNI figures show 409 additional incidents in last 12 months compared with year beforeRace hate crimes in Northern Ireland have risen by a third in the last 12 months, according to provisional police figures.The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) operational statistics show 409 additional incidents were reported between September 2023 and September 2024 compared with the previous 12 months. Continue reading...
by Charlie Moloney (now) and Sammy Gecsoyler (earlier on (#6QE8Z)
180 more people have been wounded after two ballistic missiles hit Ukrainian city, says president Volodymyr ZelenskiyA Moscow court sentenced a prominent physicist to 15 years in a penal colony on Tuesday after finding him guilty of treason" - the latest prison term for a scientist accused of sharing state secrets.Several high-profile scientists have been arrested in recent years, with at least three detained since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022. Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now) and Jamie Grierson (earlier) on (#6QE89)
Israel's justice ministry cautiously optimistic' court will decide against issuing warrants, Haaretz reportsJulian Borger is the Guardian's world affairs editorThe mass protests in Tel Aviv over the past two nights, and the smaller ones every Saturday night for the past few months, have been almost entirely about a deal with Hamas so that Israeli hostages are freed and come home. Continue reading...
Engagement of 21-year-old Nomcebo Zuma to King Mswati III confirmed at the annual Umhlanga reed danceA daughter of the former South African president Jacob Zuma is engaged to the king of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, with the 21-year-old confirmed as the monarch's fiancee during a traditional ceremony in which she was among hundreds of women and girls dancing for him.Nomcebo Zuma appeared on Monday night at the annual reed dance as the liphovela - the royal fiancee or concubine - and will become King Mswati III's 16th wife. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian