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Firefighters battled flames and smoke to extract Hollywood actor after her car crashed into building in Los Angeles last monthFirst responders could not reach Anne Heche to begin treating the actor as she was trapped, mortally injured, for 45 minutes after her car crashed into a house in Los Angeles last month, according to a report.Amid appalling flames and smoke from the crash, firefighters could not reach the car for 20 minutes and then couldn’t get it out of the building to extract her for at least another 20 minutes, NBC reported, citing fire department documents and radio communications. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson accused of trying to ‘intimidate and bully’ inquiry into claims he misled MPs

Gerry Brownlee says report on human rights violations in Xinjiang recognises China is ‘dealing with a terrorist problem’New Zealand’s shadow foreign affairs spokesperson said a UN report on the human rights abuses of Uyghurs includes recognition that China is “dealing with a terrorist problem essentially”, in remarks criticised by China analysts.“It’s good that it acknowledges that there has been a terrorism problem in the particular part of China that the report is on,” Gerry Brownlee, a lawmaker for the centre-right National party, told Radio New Zealand (RNZ) on Thursday in an interview about the UN findings. Continue reading...

External commissioners to take charge of finances amid ‘grave concerns’ local services could be at riskThe government has launched an urgent investigation into the finances of a Tory-run council amid “grave concerns” that local services are at risk from the authority’s exposure to more than a billion pounds in loans it took out to fund a series of commercial investments.The communities secretary, Greg Clark, said government-appointed commissioners would take full control of Thurrock’s finances because of fears over “the exceptional level of financial risk and debt incurred by the council”. Continue reading...

Hurricane is about 885 miles west of Azores in mid-Atlantic in what has so far been an unusually quiet season for stormsTropical storm Danielle has strengthened into the first hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic Ocean season for such tempests, the US national hurricane center said on Friday.The hurricane, now about 885 miles west of the Azores in the mid-Atlantic, is packing maximum sustained winds of 75mph (120km/h) and was forecast to meander over the open sea during the next couple of days, the Miami-based federal weather forecasting center noted. Continue reading...

Russian energy company had been due to resume gas delivery to Germany on Saturday morningRussian energy giant Gazprom extended the shutdown of gas flows through its key Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany on Friday evening, providing no timeframe for a reopening.The state-owned oil firm said supplies would remain halted through Saturday after a leak was detected. It said the pipeline would not restart until repairs were fully implemented. Continue reading...

Malte C, 25, died in hospital a week after being struck by assailant at parade in MünsterA 25-year-old transgender man has died of his injuries in hospital almost a week after he was assaulted while helping people at a Pride parade in western Germany, police have said.The man, who police have named only as Malte C in accordance with privacy conventions, intervened when the attacker aimed homophobic slurs at other participants during the Christopher Street Day parade in Münster, police said. Continue reading...

European Commission vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, says it is ‘legally and politically inconceivable’The EU has warned the incoming British prime minister, likely to be Liz Truss, that any unilateral action to scrap part of the Brexit deal is legally and politically of “great concern” across the continent.The warning by the European Commission vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, comes just days before the new prime minister is expected to confirm they will press ahead with new laws to dismantle the arrangements for Northern Ireland. Continue reading...

Unison, GMB and Unite suspend industrial action day after Nicola Sturgeon hosted talksA wave of strikes across waste services and schools in Scotland has been called off after a “credible” new pay offer.Hundreds of schools and nurseries were set to close over three days next week as support staff joined industrial action, along with a second wave of strikes by refuse workers that had already seen bins overflowing and piles of accumulated rubbish in Scotland’s major cities. Continue reading...

Charles Michel says bloc must address price caps and has been too late in putting ‘concrete proposals on the table’The EU must “make up for lost time” in finding urgent answers to an energy price spike that is a “catastrophe” for households and businesses, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, has said.Michel, who chairs EU leader summits, said the bloc needed to address the question of price caps, an idea backed by many EU member states. Continue reading...

Former Met chief given support by findings, but London mayor Sadiq Khan’s move against her remains popularAmid the claim and counter-claim, the huffing and puffing and the machinations detailed by Tom Winsor’s report on the ousting of Cressida Dick, one thing is clear: there definitely was a political hit job. The mystery is: who was the target?Winsor’s version has Dick, a hard-working Metropolitan police commissioner, taken out by an ambitious local politician, when the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, had no good reason to. Continue reading...

Union leaders say whoever enters No 10 next week must take issue seriously as two women make allegationsTrade union leaders have called for Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak to “reset the culture” at Westminster and properly tackle abusive behaviour, after two women alleged they had been assaulted by a minister now in the cabinet, and by a Downing Street aide.Mike Clancy, the general secretary of Prospect, a trade union representing civil servants and parliamentary staff, said whoever took over from Boris Johnson as prime minister next week had a duty to take the issue seriously. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed. You can find our latest story hereDame Cressida Dick “felt intimidated” into stepping down as commissioner of the Metropolitan police in February this year following an ultimatum from the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, according to a review by Sir Thomas Winsor which found due process was not followed.Winsor found Dick “felt intimidated” following an ultimatum from Khan.In this case, none of the statutory steps set out in section 48 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and summarised above were followed. The Mayor, through his Chief of Staff, gave the Commissioner an ultimatum on 10 February 2022: if the Commissioner did not attend a meeting and convince the Mayor that her plan of 4 February 2022 would be improved, he would make a statement to the media.That statement would make clear that he no longer had trust and confidence in the Commissioner, and that he intended to start the statutory process for her removal.Londoners will be able to see that this review is clearly biased and ignores the facts.On the former commissioner’s watch, trust in the police fell to record lows following a litany of terrible scandals. What happened was simple – I lost confidence in the former commissioner’s ability to make the changes needed and she then chose to stand aside. Continue reading...

Intercity train operator provoked fury last month after slashing services between London and ManchesterOne of Britain’s major intercity train operators, Avanti West Coast, has parted company with its boss a month after the company admitted it was unable to run its timetabled services.Avanti announced that its managing director, Phil Whittingham, had decided to step down, with effect from 15 September, the date when the next in a series of strikes will further afflict its operations. Continue reading...

Exclusive: PM hopeful criticised over ‘back to basics’ plan and claims about Twitter rows and ‘wokeness’The police chief in charge of boosting crime fighting has criticised Liz Truss’s law and order plans as “unwise” and “meaningless”, accusing her of chasing “soundbite-friendly” but unrealistic targets.Chief constable Richard Lewis, the lead on performance for the National Police Chiefs Council, said he and law enforcement leaders wanted to work with the new government. Continue reading...

Lack of faith in the office of prime minister will be among the most difficult problems Truss will face

Fernández de Kirchner was greeting supporters when man approached her and raised handgun to her faceA man has been arrested after a handgun was aimed at point-blank range at Argentina’s vice-president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, in an apparent assassination attempt.Fernández de Kirchner survived only because the pistol – which was loaded with five bullets – did not fire, President Alberto Fernández said. Continue reading...

Sadiq Khan says Winsor report ‘clearly biased and ignores the facts’ after it says due process not followedCressida Dick “felt intimidated” into stepping down as head of the Metropolitan police after an ultimatum from Sadiq Khan, according to a report the mayor of London has labelled “clearly biased”.Khan responded angrily to the findings, which said due process was not followed, claiming the review into the circumstances of Dick’s resignation “ignores the facts”. Continue reading...

Patricio Maturana fired a teargas canister that permanently blinded Fabiola Campillai as she walked to work during protestsA former Chilean police special forces captain has been found guilty of assault after permanently blinding a woman he shot in the face with a teargas canister during a wave of protests in 2019.The court in the capital Santiago found that Patricio Maturana had committed “unlawful coercion resulting in serious and very serious injuries” to Fabiola Campillai who was walking to a bus stop when she was struck. The public prosecutor has requested a 12-year prison sentence. Continue reading...

Foreign ministry spokesperson says matter is ‘closed’ after Jarosław Kaczyński says Poland will formally request damagesGermany has rejected a Polish parliamentary report claiming it owes its eastern neighbour €1.3tn for damages caused during the second world war, saying the question of wartime reparations is “closed”.“The federal government’s position is unchanged”, a spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said on Friday. “In the view of the government this matter is closed”. Continue reading...

Former Italian prime minister, plotting political comeback, targets youth after lowering of voting ageItaly’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has made his TikTok debut in an attempt to appeal to young people in the run-up to a national election this month after the country dropped the voting age.“Hi guys, here I am,” the 85-year-old said, kicking off his short video on the Chinese-owned social media site, which is more commonly used by teenagers and dominated by dancers and fashion clips. Continue reading...

Proposals involve scaling back the investment bank and reducing more than $1bn in costsCredit Suisse is considering 5,000 job cuts as part of a broader restructuring plan meant to solidify the bank’s pivot towards wealth management after a string of scandals at its investment bank.Speculation over the scale of the job cuts has swirled since Credit Suisse unexpectedly replaced its chief executive Thomas Gottstein in July, after a tumultuous two-year tenure beset by financial losses, controversies and high-profile lawsuits. Continue reading...

Broadcaster pays out income from selling rights to Martin Bashir’s 1995 Panorama episode with the princessThe BBC has given £1.4m to charities associated with Diana, Princess of Wales, as the broadcaster continues to spend millions of pounds atoning for Martin Bashir’s interview with the royal.The payout represents the total sum received by the BBC from selling the rights to the 1995 Panorama interview to other television channels around the world. Continue reading...

Sarah Everard’s killer spoke by video link, facing two alleged incidents of indecent exposure in KentWayne Couzens, the former Metropolitan police officer convicted of killing Sarah Everard, has appeared in court via video link to face two further charges of flashing offences.The alleged incidents of indecent exposure are said to have taken place in Dover, Kent, in June 2015 and Deal, Kent, in November 2020. Continue reading...

Popular Braemar Gathering in Scotland will be attended by Prince CharlesThe Queen will miss the Braemar Gathering in Scotland, the popular Highland Games event that the Prince of Wales is scheduled to attend on Saturday.It is understood the decision has been taken for the comfort of the head of state, who has been suffering from mobility problems since last year. Continue reading...

Vicky Bowman and Htein Lin were arrested last week accused of violating immigration lawsBritain’s former ambassador to Myanmar and her husband, a prominent artist, have been sentenced to one year in prison by the country’s military-controlled courts, reports say.Vicky Bowman, who was the ambassador in Myanmar from 2002 to 2006, and her husband, Htein Lin, a veteran democracy activist, were arrested last week in Yangon and accused of violating immigration laws. Continue reading...

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the policy change will cost around $55m, and the government will do further costs. This blog is now closed

About 100m of rain predicted to drench parts of the NSW mid-north coast, including Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie

Energy firm shortlists four internal candidates to take over as chief executive in 2023Shell’s long-serving chief executive, Ben van Beurden, is preparing to step down next year after almost a decade in the role, according to Reuters.The London-headquartered energy company has shortlisted four internal candidates to take his place after months of succession planning efforts that were accelerated once Sir Andrew Mackenzie became Shell’s chair in May 2021. Continue reading...

Strongest tropical storm of the year also forecast to hit China’s mainland this weekend after winds reach 160mphDestruction is imminent across southern Japan and South Korea as super typhoon Hinnamnor barrels northwards through the East China Sea this weekend.The typhoon is so far the strongest tropical storm of the 2022 hurricane season and developed gradually this week out in the Pacific, edging towards the Philippines and Taiwan. By Thursday, maximum sustained winds had reached 160mph, leading to classification as a category 5 tropical cyclone, or a super typhoon. Continue reading...

Opponents say it is ‘surprising’ for Judith Kelly to claim that ‘on the whole, modern Australian society is not racist’, in speech on Indigenous domestic violence

Rightwing voters in Australia less concerned about climate than those in most other comparable nations, Pew survey finds

Robert Tsao, a microchip entrepreneur, pledges $32m to train and equip civil defence force to combat threat of Chinese attackA Taiwanese tycoon has announced his plan to train 3.3 million “civilian warriors” and marksmen to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion, using one billion Taiwan dollars ($32m) of his own money.The announcement by Robert Tsao, a well-known Taiwanese businessman and founder of United Microelectronics Corp, a major microchip producer, comes amid increasing military activity between Taiwan and China. On Thursday Taiwan’s defence ministry announced its soldiers had shot down a Chinese drone over Taiwan’s Kinmen islands. Continue reading...

Exclusive: TUC tells director general merging UK-focused channel with BBC World News would damage democracyThe BBC’s centenary celebrations season could be hit by strike action from corporation journalists concerned about plans to close the BBC News channel.Scrutiny has intensified over the proposal announced earlier this year to merge the UK rolling news TV channel and its global commercial stablemate BBC World News into a new, combined service called BBC News. Continue reading...

Ex-chancellor was leading frontrunner in the race to succeed Boris Johnson but his dreams soon unravelledOne of the most familiar refrains of the Conservative leadership contest was candidates earnestly inviting comparisons to Margaret Thatcher.But after his resignation as chancellor brought down Boris Johnson’s wobbling house of cards, a Tory insider said Rishi Sunak found himself with “the curse of Heseltine hanging round his neck”. Continue reading...

Annual income survey finds national minimum wage will often fail to cover even a ‘no frills’ lifestyleSoaring inflation and energy costs will leave millions of people on low incomes thousands of pounds short of what the public say is the minimum amount needed to live with basic dignity in the UK this winter, according to an annual survey.The annual Minimum Income Standard study is based on intensive deliberations by groups of socially representative UK residents, who agreed what a normal, no-frills lifestyle would cost and look like in 2022, taking into account housing, food, clothing, household goods, transport and social participation. Continue reading...

Organisers say spirits remain high as thousands arrive at the remote town, with clear skies forecast for the weekend

US state department rejects what Iran characterised as a bid to ‘finalise the negotiations’ in latest efforts to agree a dealHopes of a rapid conclusion to negotiations on a revived nuclear deal with Iran have receded after the US quickly rejected the latest Iranian proposal as “not constructive”.Washington’s rapid reaction to the Iranian text, which had been delivered shortly before 3am on Friday Tehran time, directly contradicted Tehran’s claims that its proposals presented “a constructive approach” aimed at “finalising the negotiations”. Continue reading...

US folk and rock musician, 81, will now play concerts in Manchester, Oxford and BournemouthBob Dylan has added three new shows to the end of his sell-out UK tour, his first in more than five years, due to “popular demand”.The US folk and rock legend has added concerts in Manchester, Oxford and Bournemouth and will now play 12 dates in October and November. Continue reading...

One claim of sexual assault allegedly dismissed on the grounds that the man ‘had women throwing themselves at him’A cabinet minister and a high-ranking aide at No 10 Downing Street continued to work in Boris Johnson’s government despite allegations of sexual misconduct against them, according to reports.Two women have given first-hand accounts of what they claim happened to them when one was assaulted and the other groped by political figures, both now in senior roles. Continue reading...

Damien Hardwick says system that denied Tigers a match-winning goal in dying minutes of elimination final is ‘not good enough’

Blazes erupted in rural areas north of Los Angeles county and east of San Diego as temperatures are set to reach 115F in coming daysFirefighters in California are battling several new blazes that ignited as the state is sweltering under a grueling heatwave.Flames burned through bone-dry brush in rural areas north of Los Angeles and east of San Diego on Thursday, forcing the closure of a major interstate and prompting evacuations of schools and care facilities. Continue reading...

Sir Geoffrey Nice QC says outgoing human rights chief’s report on China makes it easier for international community to do nothingThe UN’s failure to mention the word genocide in its report alleging serious human rights violations by China against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province is an “astonishing” lapse, according to a leading British human rights lawyer.The 45-page report from the outgoing UN human rights commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, landed minutes before her term ended on Wednesday, outlining allegations of torture, including forced medical procedures, as well as sexual violence against Uyghur Muslims. Continue reading...

Employees at Reach titles yet to be informed of expansion entailing dozens of journalists hired for American websitesThe Daily Express and Daily Mirror are planning to launch online editions in the US, even though their British journalists are currently on strike over low pay.Staff at the UK news titles have yet to be informed of the proposals to expand across the Atlantic, which have been the subject of internal discussion for some time. Continue reading...

Exclusive: former Foreign Office press secretary to split role with Adam Jones if Truss wins Tory leadership raceBoris Johnson’s former Foreign Office press secretary Simon McGee will be appointed a top spinner for Liz Truss if she makes it to Downing Street next week, according to sources.The Guardian understands that the powerful job of No 10 director of communications will be split in two, with McGee taking on a civil service role and Truss’s existing senior media adviser, Adam Jones, running the political side of the operation. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the war hereThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head, Rafael Grossi, has said the agency would consider establishing a continued presence at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.“There has been increased military activity including this morning, until very recently, a few minutes ago … but weighing the pros and cons and having come so far, we are not stopping,” Reuters reports he told journalists before setting out for the nuclear power plant.Today, at about 6am Moscow time, Ukrainian troops landed on the coast of the Kakhovka Reservoir, 3 km northeast of the ZNPP plant in two sabotage groups of up to 60 people in seven boats and attempted to seize the power plant. Measures have been taken to destroy the enemy, including with the use of army aviation.In addition, from 8am Moscow time, the armed forces of Ukraine have been shelling the meeting point of the IAEA mission in the area of ​​​​the settlement of Vasylivka and the ZNPP. Four shells exploded at a distance of 400m from the first power unit.This is Martin Belam in London taking over the live blog from my colleague Samantha Lock. You can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com Continue reading...

Harwich memorial commemorates rescue of 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children from Nazi regimeThe last time Dame Stephanie Shirley, 88, stood on the quayside in Harwich, she was a frightened five-year-old called Vera Buchtal.The girl had just stepped off a boat that brought her and hundreds of other Jewish children to the UK from the horrors of Nazi Europe. Shirley was back at the Essex port on Thursday to unveil a Kindertransport memorial statue commemorating the rescue of 10,000 unaccompanied children. Continue reading...

PPE Medpro was awarded £203m contracts by UK government after Michelle Mone approached Michael GoveA company linked to the Conservative peer Michelle Mone that was awarded £203m government PPE contracts during the pandemic has been issued with a winding up petition, apparently for unpaid taxes.PPE Medpro Ltd was awarded two contracts via the government’s “VIP lane” after Baroness Mone first approached Michael Gove in May 2020 with an offer to supply PPE. It is already under investigation by the National Crime Agency for potential fraud. Continue reading...

Home Office announces applications for children of those forcibly evicted by the British in 1970s will open in NovemberDescendants of Chagos Islanders forcibly evicted by the British in the 1970s will soon be able to apply to become British citizens, the Home Office has said.After legal challenges by Chagossians, the government has also waived fees for applicants who descend from former inhabitants of the Indian Ocean archipelago. Continue reading...