World news | The Guardian

Analysis of 17th-century masterpiece by Dulux scientists revealed several ways of creating the perfect impastoThe secrets of Rembrandt’s painting technique on The Night Watch remain lost to time for now. But researchers tasked with solving the mystery believe they may at least have gleaned some clues as to the perfect recipe for wall filler.Scientists at AkzoNobel, the Dutch owners of Dulux paints, have been working since 2019 with conservators at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum on the restoration of Rembrandt’s masterpiece, building a better picture of how the 17th-century painter worked. Continue reading...

Lawyers lodging a defamation claim for Murdoch say an ad in the New York Times sought to ‘humiliate’ the Fox Corporation chief executive

The Victorian court’s decision had been sought before a civil case brought against Cardinal George Pell and the church could proceedA Victorian judge has dismissed a claim by lawyers for the Catholic church that they were not liable to pay compensation to the father of a choirboy who alleged he had been sexually abused by Cardinal George Pell.The father of a deceased former choirboy is suing Pell and the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, claiming he suffered psychological injury after learning his son had allegedly been sexually abused by Pell. Continue reading...

The production changed lyrics, added a ‘repentance’ scene and was followed by a sermon saying God would save homosexualsA church in Texas has apologised to Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and agreed to pay legal damages after staging an unauthorised production of the hit Broadway musical whose songs and dialogue had been changed to include Christian themes.Produced by nondenominational church The Door McAllen, the production was followed by a sermon stating that God could help people struggling with homosexuality. Continue reading...

About 900 education staff across the state could see their weekly pay docked by between $25 and $90

Milton Dick found there was not enough evidence to suggest former PM deliberately misled parliament

Travellers had to leave their vehicles and walk through the emergency tunnelEurotunnel passengers were stranded for nearly five hours at subsea level after the train broke down beneath the Channel, leaving hundreds of passengers to be ushered to a service tunnel.The incident happened late on Tuesday, affecting the 3.50pm Eurotunnel Le Shuttle service from Calais to Folkestone. Continue reading...

Association of School and College Leaders predicts grades will be uneven across England and Wales due to Covid disruptionGCSE results will be uneven across the country due to the varying impact of the pandemic, according to the headteachers union, which described the government’s Covid recovery programme as “lacklustre and chaotic”.The number of top grades at A-level fell sharply this year and a similar decline is anticipated for GCSE grades as the government seeks to reverse the grade inflation caused by teacher-assessment during the pandemic. Continue reading...

Move opens new policy gap between unions and Labour party, which is reluctant to commit to specific figure under Keir Starmer

Tory leadership hopeful says there is no need for independent body as she has ‘always acted with integrity’Liz Truss has refused to commit to appointing an ethics adviser if she became prime minister, saying she has “always acted with integrity”.At the Conservative leadership hustings in Birmingham on Tuesday night, Truss declined to directly answer whether she would appoint someone to the role, instead saying she would “ensure the correct apparatus is in place so that people are able to whistle-blow”. Continue reading...

The vessel was seized in March under sanctions imposed on Moscow over the war in UkraineA $75m superyacht linked to a sanctioned Russian steel billionaire has been auctioned in Gibraltar, in what is understood to be the first sale of its kind since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.The 72.5-metre Axioma was seized in March under sanctions imposed on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Analysis: as city reels from fatal shootings and stabbings, focus will now fall on its organised crime gangsA week of shootings, stabbings, sorrow and anger has left people in Liverpool wondering whether it is safe to leave their homes.On the same night that nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed by a masked gunman who had forced his way into her home in Dovecot, five miles away, a woman in her 50s was found with a fatal stab wound in her chest in a pub car park in Kirkby. Continue reading...

Britain’s only Black police commissioner urges Conservatives to engage with African-Caribbean communitiesBlack communities are more aligned with the values of the Conservative party than Labour, according to Britain’s only Black police and crime commissioner.Speaking to the Guardian, Festus Akinbusoye, who recently co-founded an organisation aimed at improving the Conservative party’s “toxic” brand and its relations with the UK’s African-Caribbean communities, said the party was doing “nowhere near enough” to tap into the Black British electorate. Continue reading...

Marin Eugen Sabau granted right to assisted death due to chronic pain he felt after shootout with policeSpanish prison authorities have euthanised a man who had shot and wounded four people in December and was subsequently wounded in a shootout with the police, rendering him paralysed and begging to be allowed to die while awaiting trial.Courts allowed the man’s assisted death after rejecting several appeals by his victims, who argued that he should face justice. The case reached the constitutional court, which refused to deliberate on it, saying there had been no violation of fundamental rights. Continue reading...

Exclusive: former ballet student Joe Powell-Main will take part in a duet at Greenwich and Docklands festivalThe Royal Ballet is staging a performance in which one of its dancers performs a duet with a disabled dancer, recognising that being inclusive is “not just about diversity of race, but also about diversity of physical ability”.Joe Powell-Main, who uses a wheelchair and crutches to perform and describes himself as a “differently abled dancer”, will appear with the Royal Ballet dancer Isabel Lubach in a lyrical piece created for the Greenwich and Docklands festival next month. Continue reading...

Liam O’Prey, 21, arrested after Rico Burton was stabbed to death in Goose Green area of Altrincham on SundayA man has been charged with murder in relation to the death of a cousin of the heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.Liam O’Prey, 21, was arrested after 31-year-old Rico Burton was stabbed to death outside a bar in the Goose Green area of Altrincham, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Continue reading...

Student nurse found in Hampshire after being last seen on 7 July in Croydon, south London

Attempt to stop union from voting has prompted the soft left to threaten to divide the faction

NSW court found there had been a miscarriage of justice when evidence from the man’s former partners was not heard

‘Temple of Boom’ will be covered in murals, and host performances and music through Melbourne’s summer

An employee at the Château Laurier in Ottawa spotted something amiss with ‘Roaring Lion’ portrait by photographer Yousuf KarshPolice in Canada are investigating the “brazen” heist of a famed Sir Winston Churchill portrait after the original photograph was mysteriously swapped for a fake.Last week, an employee at the Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa, noticed something amiss with a portrait known as the “Roaring Lion” which was taken after the wartime leader addressed the Canadian parliament in 1941 . Continue reading...

American was allegedly driving car that fatally struck 15-year-old boy near Italian airbaseThe mother of a 15-year-old boy killed when he was struck by a car allegedly driven by a US servicewoman in northern Italy has called for the accused to be tried in Italy and not the US.The 20-year-old woman was allegedly behind the wheel of a car that crashed into the curb at the edge of a roundabout about 2.30am on Sunday in the town of Porcia, about nine miles from Aviano airbase, in northern Italy, local media said. Continue reading...

Higher figure fuelled by Omicron subvariants and contrasts with lower figure for year to date but death rates are now decliningTwice as many deaths involving Covid occurred this summer compared with last summer, according to analysis of new data but rates have fallen in recent weeks as the latest wave decreases in severity.Although the overall number of deaths of people with Covid in 2022 remains far below last year, the summer months have bucked that trend. Continue reading...

Jon Scriven suspended by party after apparently posing with rifle in social media post saying he was checking for ‘English people’Police are investigating a social media post from a Plaid Cymru councillor apparently posing with a rifle near a Welsh beach and commenting that he was checking “there wasn’t any English people trying to cross.”Jon Scriven, a Plaid councillor in Caerphilly, south Wales, has apologised and deleted the Facebook post. He has been suspended from the party pending an investigation. Continue reading...

Production opening in October portrays US evangelical star who challenged views on Aids and HIVThe colourful life story of an American Christian superstar who became a gay icon because of her empathy for people with Aids/HIV is the subject of a new stage musical with a score by Elton John.Rehearsals began this week for the world premiere of Tammy Faye at the Almeida theatre in north London in October. As well as Elton John’s music, the show’s script was written by James Graham, the author of the television dramas Sherwood and Brexit: The Uncivil War, and the play Ink. Continue reading...

Kate McKenzie from Northampton receives letter opposing name of device created for people with dyslexiaIt is one of the biggest companies in the world, valued at more than $1tn (£840bn) and feted for completely changing the face of technology in the office and the home.But that has not stopped Microsoft from getting flustered over a small plastic reading tool created by a teacher from Northampton. Continue reading...

Fredid Román, who ran an online outlet focused on state-level politics, gunned down in his car in state capitalA local journalist who ran an online news program has been shot to death in southern Mexico, making him the 15th media worker killed so far this year nationwide.Prosecutors in the southern state of Guerrero said on Monday that Fredid Román was gunned down in the state capital, Chilpancingo. Continue reading...

Judge rules Lewis Haines killed Lily Sullivan, 18, to silence her and left her body in a pond in PembrokeA 31-year-old man murdered an 18-year-old woman to silence her after she rejected his sexual advances and left her partially naked body in a town millpond, a judge has ruled.Lewis Haines, an oil refinery worker, punched and strangled Lily Sullivan before pushing her into the water in Pembroke, south-west Wales, hours after meeting her in a nightclub. Continue reading...

Jurors have begun deliberating their verdicts over claims of domestic abuse and assault against ex-footballerJurors in the Ryan Giggs trial have been told they are not overseeing “a court of morals” as they began deliberating their verdicts over claims of domestic abuse and assault.The former Manchester United and Wales footballer is charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville and her younger sister at his home on 1 November 2020. He is also accused of using coercive and controlling behaviour against Greville over a three-year period from October 2017 to November 2020. Continue reading...

Lawyers for Jagtar Singh Johal say he was given electric shocks after unlawful arrest in Punjab in 2017A British Sikh campaigner is facing a possible death sentence after the UK intelligence services passed on information about him to the Indian authorities, according to a high court complaint.Lawyers for Jagtar Singh Johal from Dumbarton, Scotland, say he was tortured, including being given electric shocks, after his unlawful arrest in the Punjab in 2017 where he had travelled for his wedding. Continue reading...

ONS says deaths peaked on day of record 40C temperatures, and Covid deaths were also higher on hot daysThe daily number of deaths in England was higher during the July heatwave than in the rest of the month, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show.On average there were 1,224 deaths a day during July’s three “heat periods”, as labelled by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which was 7% higher than the daily average across the rest of the month. Continue reading...

Strike over pay leaves city centre bins overflowing, disrupting arts festivals and providing food for verminHeritage leaders have warned that Edinburgh faces a surge in rat infestations after a refuse workers’ strike resulted in mountains of food waste, overflowing bins and rubbish accumulating in the city centre.The city’s refuse workers started a 12-day strike last week in an attempt to force Scottish council leaders to improve on a “derisory” 3% pay offer, with the industrial action timed to hit Edinburgh’s fringe and arts festivals, when visitor numbers peak in the city centre. Continue reading...

Abortion Act to be amended from 30 August after ministers forced to ditch plans to scrap ‘pills by post’ serviceWomen in England and Wales will be able to permanently access early medical abortions at home from next week after ministers were forced to abandon plans to scrap the “pills by post” service.The move will benefit thousands of women who wish to take the tablets needed to end a pregnancy in the privacy of their own home, rather than having to take the first pill at a clinic or hospital. Continue reading...

Calls for victory in Ukraine at service for daughter of ultra-nationalist killed in car bomb

Lord Harrington makes recommendation as councils warn homelessness could rise if placements end

US embassy urges its citizens to leave as Ukraine prepares to mark 31 years of independence

Airport says it will not extend capacity restraints next month, before cancelling easyJet flights owing to staff absenceGatwick airport has said it will not need to extend its capacity restraints beyond the end of the month, hailing a return to “business as usual” – before promptly cancelling another 26 flights.The company said on Tuesday that normal operations had resumed after months of strain on airports and airlines across Europe amid a surge in demand and staff shortages as pandemic restrictions eased. Continue reading...

Monday’s figure surpasses previous record from last November and brings total this year to 22,600A record 1,295 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Monday, heightening concern that the Home Office’s aggressive policies have failed to curb the numbers making dangerous journeys to the UK.It was the highest number in a single day since records began in 2018, surpassing 1,185 on a day in November last year. The Ministry of Defence said 27 boats made the crossing on Monday. Continue reading...

Messages to mark six months since Russian invasion to be shared in Save the Children welcome packs

Half of UK households could be in fuel poverty by January unless government steps in, says managing director for customersThe UK faces a “dramatic and catastrophic winter for customers” as energy prices soar, according to a stark warning from the head of EDF Energy’s retail business.Philippe Commaret, the energy firm’s managing director for customers, called for extra government intervention, including help for households to insulate their homes and a VAT cut for small businesses as prices jump to record levels. Continue reading...

Discontent grows over Finland’s visa policy as country becomes key transit route for Russian travellers

Merseyside police searching for gunman after ‘abhorrent crime’ at property in Knotty AshPolice in Liverpool are hunting for a gunman who entered a house and fatally shot a nine-year-old girl in the chest.Two other people were taken to hospital with gunshot injuries after the incident on Monday evening, the latest in a number of killings involving guns and knives on Merseyside over the last week. Continue reading...

New viral infection detected in dozens of children in Kerala, and now also in Tamil Nadu and OdishaAn outbreak of a new viral infection referred to as tomato flu that was first detected in children in the southern Indian state of Kerala in May has spread to two other states.According to an article in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 82 children aged under five had been diagnosed with the virus in Kerala as of 26 July. Continue reading...

Leadership now says celebratory events ‘contribute to our inclusive culture’ by acknowledging diverse workforce

Democracy activist and Apple Daily founder will stand trial without jury and could face up to life in prisonThe founder of Apple Daily, Jimmy Lai, will stand trial without a jury in Hong Kong, after he told a court he would plead not guilty to national security charges.On Monday, prosecutors told a case management hearing that Lai would challenge the accusations but six fellow executives and manager from the now defunct Apple Daily or its parent company, Next Digital, intended to plead guilty. Continue reading...

Entrepreneur prompted government investigation in May after raising stake in UK telecoms company to 18%The billionaire Patrick Drahi will not be forced to cut his stake in BT after the UK government ruled the investment did not pose any national security implications.The entrepreneur, who moved to France as a teenager and holds Israeli, French and Portuguese citizenships, is BT’s biggest shareholder and has previously pursued debt-fuelled deals to buy assets in France, the US, Portugal and Israel. Continue reading...

Save Our Songlines accuses environment minister of ‘false conclusions’ and ‘faulty reasoning’ about support for development and says it risks ‘another Juukan Gorge’

Kehinde Andrews calls for ‘national memorial’ to mark history of atrocities that has legacy of poorer economic and health outcomesOne of the UK’s leading experts on race has described the government as “the most racist” in his lifetime, and called for a public holiday to remember the horrors of the slave trade.Speaking on Slavery Remembrance Day, Prof Kehinde Andrews said one day was “not even close to enough” to acknowledge the UK’s links to the historical transatlantic slave trade. Continue reading...