Watchdog alleges US-based site misled consumers about pricing, renewal and duration of memberships

Campaigners tell MPs more than 1m households missed out on government support for billsThe number of excess winter deaths in Great Britain caused by living in a cold, damp home climbed by about a half last winter after more than 1 million vulnerable households missed out on government energy bill support, MPs have heard.Fuel poverty campaigners told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that despite relatively mild weather, the number of excess winter deaths had climbed to 4,706, up from 3,186 a year earlier, as a result of the energy cost crisis. Continue reading...

More than 60 cities battered by storm since Monday night as more heavy rains expected but sparing worst-hit areasAn extratropical cyclone in southern Brazil has caused floods in several cities, killing at least 31 people and leaving more than 1,600 homeless.More than 60 cities have been battered by the storm since Monday night, and Rio Grande do Sul's governor, Eduardo Leite, said the death toll was the state's highest due to a climate event. Continue reading...

Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, escapes HMP Wandsworth where he awaited trial for alleged terrorism and Official Secrets Act offencesA suspect accused of terrorism offences has escaped Wandsworth prison in south London and is on the run, sparking a police appeal for the public to help find him.Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, a serving member of the British army, is believed to have absconded from the Victorian-era prison at around 7.50am on Wednesday wearing a white T-shirt, red and white checked trousers and brown steel-toecap boots. Continue reading...

Couple had a daughter, Willa, in 2020, and last year had another daughter whose name they have not made publicJoe Jonas filed for divorce from Sophie Turner on Tuesday after four years of marriage and two children.The 34-year-old Jonas Brothers singer filed to end his marriage with the 27-year-old star of Game of Thrones in Florida's Miami-Dade county court. Continue reading...

Facing questions from Coalition, transport minister also says she spoke to Qantas before ruling but to her recollection it was on an unrelated matter

Rumors and fake posts about an Ebola outbreak posted on TikTok and Twitter led to a rapid spread of misinformationRumors of an Ebola outbreak at the Burning Man festival spread like wildfire over the weekend with social media users posting fake health advisories, flight data and conspiracy theories to TikTok and Twitter, Forbes reported. Though the rumors have been debunked, their rapid spread is another example of the dangers of online misinformation, particularly on Twitter.The rumor mill got up and running on Saturday when two Twitter users - one with a verified" account - posted a fake screenshot from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Twitter account that said that an outbreak had been confirmed at the festival and that Burning Man attendees should shelter in place. Tweeted and Deleted; Apparently there's a fucking Ebola outbreak at Burning Man right now," the verified user captioned the screenshot. Continue reading...

US senate leaders express support for Ukraine; Russia closes airport amid Ukraine drone attack Continue reading...

Carlton, Essendon, Richmond and St Kilda continue to profit from pokies, drawing criticism from fans and gambling reform advocates

Anthony Albanese will launch strategy amid intense debate over decision to block Qatar Airways' request for further flights to Australia

Woman and two children died in collision involving two cars and a doubledecker bus on SundayA woman and two children who died in a collision involving two cars and a doubledecker bus have been identified as members of a Ukrainian family living in North Yorkshire.Daria Bartienieva, 35, her son, Ihor Bartienieva, six, and stepdaughter, Anastasiia Bartienieva, 15, were killed in the collision on the A61 on Sunday, police said. Continue reading...

Those with history of self-harm could face penalties if they do not seek work after change in categorisationPeople deemed unable to work - including those with a history of self-harm or at risk of killing themselves - could have their benefits reduced and face penalties under new government plans.Under the proposals, which aim to make it harder for people who are long-term sick to claim benefits, ministers are hoping to reduce the number of people deemed unable to work at all as part of wider plans announced in the spring back to work" budget. Continue reading...

FoI documents show Michael Cassel was on first-name terms with Walker Corp CEO and pushed for meetings on his behalf

Matthew Rycroft had been drinking all day before crashing car and trying to cross motorway with autistic son, CallumA father has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after his 12-year-old son was killed by a car on the motorway last month.Callum Rycroft paid the ultimate price" on 5 August when attempting to cross the motorway after a crash caused by his father Matthew Rycroft, 36, who had been drinking all day. Continue reading...

Hollywood strikes have deprived festival of glamour but not debate, while focus switched to varyingly controversial directorsFrom Elizabeth Taylor lounging barefoot on the beach and Marlon Brando catching a water taxi to Brigitte Bardot frolicking on a green lawn, the Venice film festival has always been synonymous with celebrity and glamour.But with dual strikes by the writers and actors guilds forcing a Hollywood shutdown, and actors prohibited from promoting studio films during labour action, this year's edition of the world's oldest film festival was always going to be different. Venice without the stars, the Italians can contend, is like a spritz without the fizz. Continue reading...

Judges call for alternative framework to marriage in partial victory for city's LGBTQ+ communityHong Kong must provide an alternative to marriage in order to legally recognise the rights of same-sex couples, the city's highest court has declared, opening the way for civil unions.However, it rejected appeals against current laws that restrict marriage to heterosexual couples and refuse to recognise overseas same-sex marriages, despite majority support among the population. Continue reading...

Poundland, Home Bargains and The Range also in talks to snap up some of stricken retailer's outletsThe discount chain B&M has struck a deal to buy 51 Wilko stores for up to 13m as the stricken retailer's administrators rush to seal last-minute deals with the fate of thousands of jobs hanging in the balance.B&M, one of the UK's most successful discount retailers with a market value of 5bn and 1,100 outlets nationwide and in France, said it will acquire up to 51" Wilko sites for a maximum aggregate consideration" of 13m. Continue reading...

Kim Jong-un's grandfather founded North Korea with the backing of the Soviet Union, and was heavily reliant on its aid for decadesAfter years of backing UN sanctions targeting North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, Russia is now reaching out to its neighbour for help. The war in Ukraine has forced the Kremlin to reassess its relationship with Pyongyang as it seeks to secure weapons to replace its own depleted stocks.A possible meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un later this month in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok would add geopolitical substance to the symbolic meeting of minds that has unfolded between the leaders of the pariah states over 18 months of fighting in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Terry Gou, who entered the race last week, said the island's demographic crisis could be solved by giving expectant parents a cat or dogA billionaire presidential hopeful in Taiwan has proposed boosting the plummeting birthrate by offering couples free pets if they have a baby.Terry Gou, the founder of Apple-supplier Foxconn, announced his intention to seek the presidency as an independent candidate last week. Continue reading...

The Murdoch broadsheet breached three standards in the article, which caused unnecessary distress and was not in the public interest, body says

Mother of girl who died after hospital failed to admit her to intensive care says policy would make it easier for patients and families to seek advice from senior doctorMinisters are considering introducing Martha's rule in England to make it easier for patients and their families who believe their concerns are not being taken seriously by medical staff to get a second medical opinion.Steve Barclay, the health secretary, said a similar measure enforced in Australia had been shown to have saved lives. He said officials had been tasked with looking into such initiatives could improve patient safety here in the UK". Continue reading...

PM accused of cutting back repair efforts when he was chancellor, as education secretary apologises for claim colleagues failed to actThe school buildings crisis is threatening to engulf Downing Street, with Rishi Sunak accused of slashing the budget for repairs while his education secretary was caught claiming colleagues had done nothing to stop it.As pupils began returning to schools around England on Monday - or in some cases took lessons from home or in temporary classrooms - the prime minister faced claims he failed to grasp the gravity of the situation as chancellor. Continue reading...

Opposition politicians claim that voters faced widespread intimidation in election won by Zimbabwe's presidentEmmerson Mnangagwa has promised to give Zimbabweans a better life after he was sworn in as the country's president for a second term following a vote that the opposition has claimed was stolen.The lives of our people should be improved, nothing less," Mnangagwa told thousands of supporters at the National Sports stadium in Harare, and called for peace and tolerance from political opponents. Continue reading...

Simon Byrne resigns as head of PSNI after data breaches and unlawful disciplining of two junior officers

Exclusive: Commission including former ministers voices concern at lack of urgency from two main parties over scale of povertyThe collapse of the UK's social contract is leaving millions of low-income families surviving not living" and forced to endure unacceptable levels of poverty, according to an independent cross-party report.The Poverty Strategy Commission, which seeks to forge a new national political consensus on reducing poverty, and which includes former ministers from the three main parties, says poverty levels are too high and hardship is becoming more extreme. It warns a more of the same" approach to poverty in the future will fail. Continue reading...

Education secretary caught on camera claiming government has gone over and above' in addressing concerns about Raac in schools

Ministers have not yet published a list of affected schools but PA Media has listed a number of those thought to have been told to fully or partly close

Open letter backs student-led campaign for vegan catering to fight climate crisisMore than 650 academics have called on British universities to commit to 100% plant-based catering to fight the climate crisis, saying that the institutions have for centuries, been shining lights of intellectual, moral, and scientific progress".The open letter, organised by the student-led Plant-Based Universities campaign, likened the move to meat-free food to the fossil fuel divestment to which 101 UK universities have already committed. Continue reading...

More than 5,500 trains due to serve West Yorkshire town in 2023 were cancelled, BBC research findsRail passengers travelling to and from Huddersfield station have been the most likely to see their plans thwarted by cancellations, according to an analysis of Great Britain's trains.More than 5,500 trains due to serve the West Yorkshire town in 2023 were cancelled, about one in eight services, research for the BBC has found. Continue reading...

All Star singer also suffered from heart and neurological conditions in recent years, and retired in 2021Steve Harwell, the US singer with late-90s pop successes Smash Mouth, has been transferred to hospice care amid a struggle with liver disease.His manager Robert Hayes told various US news outlets of the news, saying: Although Steve is here with us still, sadly it will only be for a short time." He told USA Today that Harwell is resting at home" and being cared for by his fiancee and hospice care". Continue reading...

In an exclusive interview, a leading Ukrainian general says his forces have made a vital breakthrough near ZaporizhzhiaUkrainian forces have decisively breached Russia's first defensive line near Zaporizhzhia after weeks of painstaking mine clearance, and expect faster gains as they press the weaker second line, the general leading the southern counteroffensive has said.Brig Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskiy estimated Russia had devoted 60% of its time and resources into building the first defensive line and only 20% each into the second and third lines because Moscow had not expected Ukrainian forces to get through. Continue reading...

Scheme launching in east and West Midlands is expected to be rolled out across England and Wales next yearDomestic abusers leaving prison will have to wear electronic monitoring tags in a move that the government says will offer better protection to victims.Under a pilot scheme launching in the east and West Midlands, and expected to be rolled out across England and Wales next year, any offender who poses a threat to a former partner or their children will be banned from going within a certain distance of a victim's home and/or subject to a curfew. Continue reading...

Electric scooter rental experiment in French capital ends after 5 years of controversyParis will become the first European capital to ban rented electric scooters on Friday, as the city hall vowed to calm down" the streets.Five years after Paris became the first city in Europe to open up to the free-floating" shared e-scooter market in 2018, the last of the city's 15,000 e-scooters were loaded into vans on Thursday afternoon, marking the end of an era. Continue reading...

Fintech company still made second-quarter operating loss of 62m as calls grow for sector to be regulatedKlarna, a buy now, pay later firm, has reported a profitable month for the first time in three years.The Swedish company, which allows shoppers to defer and split the cost of items but has been accused of tipping people into debt, has struggled to make money in recent years amid rising bad debts and weak consumer confidence. Continue reading...

Energy secretary appointed defence secretary in mini-reshuffle, with Claire Coutinho taking the energy security briefGrant Shapps said he is honoured" to become defence secretary and praised Ben Wallace for his time in the role.Shapps tweeted:I'm honoured to be appointed as Defence Secretary by Rishi Sunak. I'd like to pay tribute to the enormous contribution Ben Wallace has made to UK defence & global security over the last 4 years.As I get to work at DefenceHQ I am looking forward to working with the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who defend our nation's security. And continuing the UK's support for Ukraine in their fight against Putin's barbaric invasion. Continue reading...

A week before start of term, DfE says buildings should be taken out of use regardless of assessed riskThe government has told schools in England to immediately shut buildings made with aerated concrete until safety work is undertaken, the Guardian understands, in a move threatening plans to reopen next week for the start of the new school year.In an escalation of the schools building safety crisis, the Department of Education has issued new advice - believed to have happened as recently as Thursday - stating that regardless of the assessed risk of a building made using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) blocks, such buildings should be taken out of use and mitigations should be implemented immediately". Continue reading...

Ex-chancellor said to be brokering deal between UAE investors and Barclay family as latter attempt to regain control of media groupThe former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi is in line to become chair of the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph after brokering a deal between Middle Eastern investors and the Barclay family, according to reports.The Barclays are thought to be attempting to regain control of the media group with financial support from investors in the United Arab Emirates, months after surrendering the debt-laden business to Lloyds Banking Group. Continue reading...

Australian National Audit Office says nearly one in five payments to recipients are wrong despite Services Australia giving itself close to full marks

Boy band singer denies allegations made by woman known as AR, as well as those in two other sexual assault lawsuits currently filed against himNick Carter, singer with pop group Backstreet Boys, has been sued by a woman who alleges he sexually assaulted her, in the third such lawsuit he is currently facing.The woman, identified as AR", alleges that Carter assaulted her across three separate incidents in 2003 when she was 15 and he was 23, and that Carter gave her the sexually transmitted infection HPV. She is seeking $15,000 in damages. Continue reading...

Decision taken over claims that meetings were unfairly organised to support a particular factionLabour has suspended one of its most troubled constituency parties after allegations of rule-breaking in the run-up to the next general election, the Guardian can reveal.Leicester East constituency Labour party (CLP), which has been represented by the disgraced parliamentarians Keith Vaz and Claudia Webbe, is the subject of an internal investigation by the party's headquarters, senior sources have confirmed. Continue reading...

Mayor of northern town of Brandizzo speaks of chilling scene' after accident near TurinFive railway workers have been killed in northern Italy after being hit by a train while carrying out overnight maintenance work, Italian media reported on Thursday.Paolo Bodoni, the mayor of Brandizzo, told the AGI news agency an emergency worker had described to him a chilling scene, with human remains across 300 metres". Continue reading...

Seven children among dozens dead after blaze tears through building in South Africa's largest cityAt least 73 people, including seven children, have died in a fire in a multi-storey building in Johannesburg, South Africa's biggest city, emergency services have said.In one of the country's worst such tragedies in living memory, Emergency Management Services said a further 52 people were injured in the blaze, which broke out early on Thursday. Continue reading...

Kwasi Kwarteng will not be allowed to lobby British government in paid role as a senior adviser at Australian iron ore minerFormer British chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng is due to start advising Fortescue on its clean energy ambitions from October - one year after his disastrous mini-budget crashed the pound.Kwarteng, who was sacked last year by then prime minister Liz Truss after only 38 days as chancellor, will provide advice in a part-time capacity to Fortescue's emerging clean energy division. Continue reading...

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Workplace relations minister says the minimal impact on consumers is a small price to pay for improving rider safety

Mini reshuffle expected as Wallace tells PM he is quitting to invest in the parts of life I have neglected'

Israeli paramedics treat three people, one critically wounded, after attack at busy checkpointA Palestinian motorist has driven a truck into pedestrians at a busy checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, wounding three people.The violence on Thursday comes a day after Israeli police shot and killed a 14-year-old Palestinian boy who stabbed a man in a Jerusalem light railway station, and after Palestinian militants detonated a bomb near a convoy of Israeli troops escorting Jewish worshippers to a holy site in the occupied West Bank, wounding four soldiers. Continue reading...

Johnson & Johnson's year-long deal on life-saving drug bedaquiline is seen as critical move in campaign against diseaseThe cost of a crucial tuberculosis treatment has been halved after an agreement was made to allow the sale of generic versions of the drug.Johnson & Johnson's price for bedaquiline, considered the backbone of treatment for drug-resistant TB will drop from $289 (227) to $130 for a six-month course until December 2024. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: James Cleverly met senior Chinese officials for talks in Beijing - was there anything to gain? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning, or perhaps (n ho). Hopefully James Cleverly got at least that far on Duolingo before the UK foreign secretary's plane touched down in Beijing this week on a trip aimed at resetting ties after a long period of tension over security, investment and human rights concerns at home and abroad.It was the first visit to China by a UK foreign secretary for five years. Remember the last time, when Jeremy Hunt somehow ended up announcing that his Chinese wife was Japanese? Very odd. Continue reading...

Police investigate fatal accident at Chiltern intersection and traffic has been diverted away from the area