British UN security council chair fears lack of monitoring will hand control' of aid to AssadSyria will let humanitarian aid flow through its main border crossing into rebel-held areas, reopening a conduit that had closed after a stalemate on the United Nations security council, the country's UN ambassador has said.Damascus had made a sovereign decision" to let aid move overland from Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa crossing in north-west Syria for six months starting on Thursday, ambassador Bassam Sabbagh told reporters. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese says when it comes to the next leader of the Reserve Bank we will make that decision as a cabinet'

Exclusive: Advance lobby group runs multiple Facebook pages that target different demographics, including one that purports to be a neutral news source

Shooting for House of the Dragon, Andor and Gladiator 2 will be delayed and many award shows and premieres will be postponedAfter negotiations between studio representatives the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the US actors' union Sag-Aftra (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) failed to make a breakthrough, Hollywood actors are going on strike.The decision means that actors will be joining writers on the picket lines, marking the first time in over six decades that both unions have taken simultaneous strike action. Continue reading...

Questions continue to be raised about 38,500 for travel to Tory events, now declared to be from millionaire Akhil TripathiRishi Sunak has changed his expenses declaration over the funding of private jet travel to Tory events after questions were raised about why they were recorded as coming from a small company linked to a multimillionaire businessman.Sunak's latest declaration now names the donor of 38,500 to pay for air travel by the prime minister and staff as Akhil Tripathi, a British-Indian medical tech entrepreneur who made a fortune from an anti-snoring device. Continue reading...

Pacific nation plagued by environmental effects of 67 bomb tests between 1946 and 1958, including Castle Bravo detonation in 1954The foreign minister of the Marshall Islands has called for more US compensation over the legacy of massive US nuclear testing to enable the renewal of a strategic agreement governing bilateral relations.Marshall Islanders are still plagued by health and environmental effects of 67 nuclear bomb tests from 1946 to 1958, which included Castle Bravo at Bikini Atoll in 1954 - the largest US bomb ever detonated. Continue reading...

Public service workers in England offered 5%-7% rises but departments must fund them from existing budgetsHealth union leaders have reacted furiously to a warning from Rishi Sunak that his offer of a 6% pay rise this year was final and that no amount of strikes" would change his mind, as they began their longest walkout yet in England.The British Medical Association said the government was driving doctors away" from the health service and had missed an opportunity to put a credible pay offer on the table to end strikes when it accepted all the recommendations of the pay review bodies. Continue reading...

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman was on shelves for young people and did not have closed packaging as required by controversial lawA government office in Hungary has levied a hefty fine against a national bookseller over a LGBTQ+ graphic novel series, saying it violated a contentious law that prohibits the depiction of homosexuality to minors.The bookseller, Lira Konyv, is Hungary's second-largest bookstore chain. It was fined 12m forints ($36,000 or 27,400) for placing Heartstopper by the British author Alice Oseman in its youth literature section, and for failing to place it in closed packaging as required by a 2021 law. Continue reading...

Tearful actor says there was a rush to judgment' in Hollywood after allegations were made against him in 2017Kevin Spacey broke down in tears on Thursday as he said his world exploded" when sexual abuse allegations against him first emerged in 2017, saying: I lost everything."The two-time Oscar winner tried to compose himself as he told jurors his acting work dried up and his fortune dwindled in the face of mounting legal bills. Continue reading...

Levelling up minister strongly denied work to leave EU hindered readiness for crisis at Covid inquiryMichael Gove strongly denied planning for a no-deal Brexit weakened pandemic readiness and claimed it actually helped in evidence to the UK Covid-19 public inquiry.Senior officials in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have previously told the investigation that as scores of civil servants were switched to planning for the UK to crash out of the EU, work to update and develop pandemic plans was sidelined. Continue reading...

Interview with couple understood to have been recorded for broadcast on sister TV station of the SunRupert Murdoch's News UK has offered tens of thousands of pounds to the parents who made allegations about Huw Edwards, in return for a television interview, according to sources at the media company.The Guardian understands that an interview with the couple has been recorded and is being edited for broadcast on TalkTV, the sister station of the Sun. Sources said the parents have been offered a significant sum for this. Continue reading...

BBC presenter would not have a strong claim around identification by tabloid, Godwin Busuttil believesA lawyer who helped Cliff Richard recover damages from the BBC has cast doubt over whether Huw Edwards would be able to successfully sue the Sun, despite growing criticism of its reporting.After days of speculation, Edwards was named on Wednesday by his wife, Vicky Flind, as the subject of Sun allegations that an unnamed BBC presenter had paid a 17-year-old for explicit photos. Continue reading...

Prosecutor suspends Movimiento Semilla after Bernardo Arevalo unexpectedly reached second roundGuatemala's presidential election has been thrown into confusion after the country's top prosecutor moved to suspend the party of a centre-left anti-corruption candidate who unexpectedly made it to the second round and officials from the attorney general's office raided the headquarters of the electoral authority.Observers had voiced fears that the Central American country's political establishment might try to force Bernardo Arevalo from August's runoff after he unexpectedly came second in last month's vote. Continue reading...

Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill given minimum terms of 18 and 16 years for killing Ronan Kanda, 16Two teenage boys have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 16-year-old in a case of mistaken identity.Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill, who are both 17 and can be named for the first time, were involved in a stabbing attack on Ronan Kanda. They set upon him from behind as he walked to a friend's house to buy a PlayStation controller in Wolverhampton last year. Continue reading...

Oleksiy Danilov says UK defence secretary misspoke when calling for more gratitude as he was emotional'

Spokesperson says ex-PM wants to hand over WhatsApp messages but experts describe latest development as pretty lame excuse'Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages are yet to be received by the Covid inquiry because he is said to have forgotten the passcode for his old phone.The former prime minister's spokesperson said Johnson still wants to cooperate with the inquiry and did not deny being unable to recall the code. Continue reading...

The Liberal National party's David Crisafulli has ruled out compensation, reparations, sovereignty, right of veto', described as key components of a treaty

Parents' secular education group wants chaplains scrapped and student wellbeing officers employed instead

Canberra has to listen to locals, minister tells a community meeting in WA, as Richard Marles says Indigenous affairs is an offence to the fair go'

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'