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A year after app’s unveiling questions have been raised about legal grounds on which messages intercepted and warrants used

President calls star’s detention ‘unacceptable’ as Tony Blinken reiterates commitment to bringing Griner home from RussiaThe nine-and-a half-year sentence handed down by a Russian court to WBNA player and US Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner after she was found guilty of drug possession was greeted in America with outrage and condemnation.Joe Biden released a statement following Griner’s sentencing, calling her detainment “unacceptable”. Continue reading...

Nine hundred people have registered to contact their parents or children after landmark adoption legislationAn 81-year-old, adopted as a child, and a 74-year-old mother who had her baby adopted are among 900 people who have registered to trace their parents and children after landmark legislation was passed in Ireland.The public response to the new laws, which came into force on 1 July, is opening decades-old wounds for children and parents who were separated at birth, some sent to the UK or the US, over the past 100 years. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester police make discovery at site where four Vietnamese men believed deadThe remains of a third victim have been recovered from a mill in Oldham where four Vietnamese men are believed to have died in a fire 11 weeks ago.Greater Manchester police (GMP) said specialist officers made the latest discovery two weeks after the men were first reported missing on 21 July. Continue reading...

Four allegations against former BBC Radio 1 DJ date from 1982, 1985, 2010 and 2016, it is understoodThe Metropolitan police are investigating sexual offence allegations against the DJ Tim Westwood, one of which dates back 40 years, it is understood.The force’s central specialist crime unit was looking into four reports of historical offences allegedly committed in London, from 1982, 1985, 2010 and 2016, a spokesperson said. Continue reading...

Beijing fired missiles across north of island as G7 and Asean condemn hostilities and call for calm

Hippo, yet to be named, born on Wednesday night to Bibi, whose first baby Fiona became famous when she was born prematurelyCincinnati zoo is celebrating the birth of a full-term hippopotamus that is a sibling to Fiona, who became a global celebrity when she was born prematurely in 2017.The baby hippo was born on Wednesday night. Continue reading...

Nearly 800,000 UK households ended subscriptions in April-June, with rise in energy prices seen as ‘catalyst’Almost 800,000 UK households cancelled their subscriptions to Netflix or Amazon Prime Video between April and June, as the cost of living crisis forces streaming fans to cut back on the number of services they pay for to just a few favourites.The number of homes with access to at least one subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service fell from 19.57m in the first quarter to 19.19m at the end of the second, a net decrease of 382,000, according to the latest survey by the Broadcast Audience Research Board (Barb). Continue reading...

Castrillo Mota de Judíos, which was officially renamed in 2015, daubed with graffiti and bins set alightJewish groups in Spain are calling for urgent action after a small village synonymous with the country’s medieval persecution of its Jewish population was again defaced with antisemitic graffiti.On Wednesday night Castrillo Mota de Judíos, which means Jews’ Hill Camp, was daubed with a neo-Nazi symbol and bins were set alight. Two pieces of graffiti referenced the village’s old name – Castrillo Matajudíos, or Camp Kill Jews in English – which was changed after a referendum eight years ago. Continue reading...

Cost of living measures include pension rises, a cap on rent increases and a civil service pay riseFrench lawmakers are to definitively adopt a range of new measures to help struggling households cope with rising energy and food prices, as well as an updated budget that will pay for France to renationalise the electricity company EDF.The final vote on Thursday is a formality and follows weeks of heated debate and negotiations at the national assembly, where the French president, Emmanuel Macron, no longer has an absolute majority. Continue reading...

In wealthy North Yorkshire district, increasing numbers are forced to turn to food banks amid cost of living crisisThree miles from Rishi Sunak’s £1.5m manor house in the Yorkshire hamlet of Kirby Sigston, the telephone rings at the local food bank. It is a mother of four teenagers, aged 13 to 18. Little more than a week into the school holidays, they have run out of food.Alison Grainger, the coordinator of Hambleton Foodshare, arranges for the family to be sent a parcel containing three meals for three days. The food bank is open only for emergencies on weekends, so the supplies will have to stretch to at least five days. Continue reading...

Analysis: Senior Tories such as Dominic Raab and Ben Wallace are showing their hand while others are staying schtum

Denial contradicts US officials who say killed al-Qaida leader was staying at home of Taliban leader’s aideThe Taliban have claimed they were unaware that Ayman al-Zawahiri was living in central Kabul, days after a US drone strike in the Afghan capital killed al-Qaida’s leader.The killing of Zawahiri on the balcony of a Kabul safehouse on Sunday has further strained relations between the Taliban and the west, at a time when the rulers of Afghanistan are urgently seeking cash to handle an economic catastrophe after the US withdrawal from the country a year ago. Continue reading...

Broadcaster appeals to archbishop of Canterbury to reverse decision, saying: ‘Let me talk you round’The lives of LGBTQ+ people are at stake, the broadcaster and author Sandi Toksvig has said, after the archbishop of Canterbury affirmed the validity of a 1998 resolution that gay sex is a sin.In a letter to more than 650 bishops attending the once-a-decade Lambeth conference on Tuesday, Justin Welby, who is also leader of the Anglican church, said the resolution, known as Lambeth 1.10, was “not in doubt”. Continue reading...

Northern Ireland’s first minister designate under fire over comments suggesting IRA armed campaign justifiedMichelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin’s first minister designate, has sparked a backlash in Northern Ireland for saying there was “no alternative” to the IRA’s armed campaign during the Troubles.O’Neill suggested the Irish Republican Army, which killed about half of the 3,600 people killed during the 30-year conflict, had no choice but to shoot and bomb until the 1998 Good Friday agreement. Continue reading...

Fifth monthly fall in row prompts industry body to cut 2022 forecast even though chip shortages expected to easeSales of new cars in the UK fell by nearly a 10th in July because of supply chain problems, forcing the industry body to cut its full-year forecast even though it expects chip shortages to ease in the coming months.New car registrations in July fell 9% from a year earlier to 112,162 vehicles, as shortages continued to hamper carmakers’ ability to fulfil orders, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Sales fell for the fifth month in a row, although the decrease was the smallest recorded this year. Continue reading...

Actor speaks after the film, shot entirely in Glasgow on a $90m budget, was dropped from all platformsLeslie Grace, the star of Warner Bros’ Batgirl film, has spoken out following the studio’s decision to cancel the release of the movie across all platforms.“Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie Batgirl, I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland,” Grace wrote on Instagram. Continue reading...

Investment NSW’s Kylie Bell among those to appear before parliamentary inquiry on Friday

Latest high-profile backer of Tory leadership candidate says proposals ‘risky’ but are not inflationarySwingeing tax cuts pledged by Liz Truss will not lead to dramatically increased government borrowing or fuel inflation, her latest high-profile supporter, Sajid Javid, has claimed, in response to accusations the Conservative leadership frontrunner’s “dangerous” plans would exacerbate the cost of living crisis.Taking aim at Rishi Sunak, his former Treasury protege, Javid hit out at the “business-as-usual” approach from the former chancellor and added: “We can’t rely on increasing taxes again and again.” Continue reading...

Greens, Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock indicate support for abolition but inquiry will hear from affected communities

Campaign groups say hyper-militarisation of British policing agencies is ‘deeply troubling’Policing, border control and surveillance have become increasingly militarised in the UK and infiltrated by a “war mentality”, according to a report.It says there is an increasingly blurred line between the police and the military and that key areas including counter-terrorism, anti-protest policing, border control and the policing of gangs have adopted a war mentality.Mobile fingerprint scanners, which many police forces now use and are linked to the Home Office’s immigration and asylum biometric system, which holds the fingerprints of non-UK citizens who have entered the country.The Home Office biometrics programme, a new digital system to allow biometric and other data to be shared seamlessly between police, immigration enforcement and other government departments.Use of military-grade drones to patrol the Channel to carry out surveillance on asylum seekers crossing in small boats.A gangs matrix that profiles people believed to be gang members, whether or not they have committed any crime. A 2016 survey of the matrix by Amnesty International found that 87% of those on it were from BAME backgrounds. Continue reading...

Police say they are still searching the Bogie area and don’t know who was responsible for the shooting

‘Scenario-based exercises’ to be run over coming weeks to identify gaps in efforts to keep out deadly livestock disease

Jab will be prioritised for at-risk groups including gay and bisexual men – especially those who travel

Increase puts the banks’ variable interest rates at highest in three years with Westpac and NAB yet to respond to official cash rate hike

As global demand for monkeypox vaccine surges, health officials say they are stuck in the queue and don’t know when jabs will be availableNew Zealand health officials have revealed they are stuck in the queue to order monkeypox vaccine and are unsure when it will arrive.Monkeypox cases continue to rise globally – more than 23,000 people in at least 75 countries have caught the virus. New Zealand confirmed a third case this week. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Guardian understands sisters attended girls-only queer event and police are investigating if one or both feared being persecuted for their sexuality

Severe weather warnings issued for Snowy Mountains as powerful cold front sweeps across parts of New South Wales and Victoria

Rise in listening hours down to BBC budget cuts and rivals’ investment in marketingRadio fans spent more time listening to commercial stations than the BBC over the first part of the summer – for the first time since the 1990s – as deep-pocketed rivals invest heavily in marketing, poaching talent and launching new services.Continued budget cuts at the BBC have hampered the corporation’s ability to invest in its own services and retain talent with big names from Chris Moyles, Chris Evans, Eddie Mair and, more recently, Andrew Marr, Jon Sopel and Emily Maitlis signing lucrative deals to move to commercial radio rivals. Continue reading...

Scunthorpe neighbourhood rallies to replace £1,000 of chocolate liquified in July’s heatwaveAn online appeal has raised funds for the owners of a corner shop whose entire stock of chocolate worth nearly £1,000 melted after its air conditioning failed to cope during the recent heatwave.More than £630 has been raised to replace the lost sweets after a GoFundMe page was set up by Claire York, the daughter of the store’s owners, Stephen and Linda Ellis. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary tells hustings event that she wants to extend policy ‘to more countries’Rishi Sunak’s proposals to strengthen the government’s anti-terrorism programme risk “straying into thought crimes” and are potentially damaging to national security, a former senior police chief has said.The former chancellor announced measures to beef up the Prevent programme on Tuesday night, as part of a bid to boost his flagging campaign to succeed Boris Johnson as the next prime minister.The widening of Prevent could damage its credibility and reputation. It makes it more about people’s thoughts and opinions.It is straying into thought crimes and political opinions.Political opposition is not where police should be, it is those who pose a serious threat and risk of violence, not those opposed to political systems.You can’t afford to make those sorts of judgmental errors. And I think that’s one of the reasons I think it’s actually going to turn out to be good that the polling is delayed slightly by a week because people have more time to see with both candidates whether they think their judgement is good, whether they think their instincts are good.And that, I think, will favour my candidate. Continue reading...

Goods must be paid for in foreign currency, a practice reminiscent of Soviet-era beryozka stores

Club inadvertently named part of ground after serial killer following sponsorship deal with local estate agentA football club is to change the name of one of its stands after a new sponsorship deal saw it rebranded “the Gilbert & Rose West Stand”, triggering mockery on social media over the association with one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers.Southend United, which plays in the National League which is the fifth tier of English football, signed a commercial partnership with a local estate agent in Leigh-on-Sea. Continue reading...

Jacob Foster reportedly told police it was ‘a bit of fun’ after pushing Charmaine O’Donnell from Helensburgh PierA man has been convicted of killing a stranger by pushing her off a pier in Scotland.Jacob Foster, 29, was found guilty of pushing Charmaine O’Donnell, 25, to her death at Helensburgh Pier, in Argyll and Bute, in April last year. Continue reading...

Payout comes after oil firm reported $11.5bn second-quarter profits amid soaring energy pricesShell is handing nearly all its 82,000 staff a bonus equivalent to 8% of their salary after the oil company reported record profits amid soaring energy prices.The British multinational is making the one-off payment to the vast majority of its employees around the world, only excluding those on its executive committee, executive vice presidents and contractors. Continue reading...

Rescuers located vessel as sun set but rough seas meant they had to wait until morning to help free manA 62-year-old Frenchman survived for 16 hours in an air bubble inside his capsized sailing boat in the Atlantic Ocean before being rescued by Spanish coastguard divers in what they described as an operation “verging on the impossible”.The 12-metre (40ft) Jeanne Solo Sailor sent out a distress signal at 8.23pm on Monday 14 miles from the Sisargas Islands off Spain’s north-western Galicia region, the coastguard said. Tracking data shows it had set sail from the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, on Sunday morning. Continue reading...

UK foreign secretary calls US House speaker’s trip ‘perfectly reasonable’ and urges China to de-escalateLiz Truss has criticised China’s “inflammatory” response to a senior US politician visiting Taiwan and called for a de-escalation ahead of military drills expected over the coming days.Hours after the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, ended a historic trip to the island about 100 miles east of China, the UK foreign secretary said her meetings with human rights activists and others were “perfectly reasonable”. Continue reading...

Civil rights activist led 1963 protests paving the way for passing of UK Race Relations ActThe civil rights activist Roy Hackett, who was one of the lead organisers of the Bristol bus boycott, has died at the age of 93.The 1963 campaign, which lasted four months, mobilised people across the city to stop using Bristol Omnibus Company buses following its refusal to hire black and Asian people. At the time, a “colour bar” in Britain meant that people from minority ethnic backgrounds could legally be banned from housing, employment and public places. Continue reading...

Employability course created by company related to job agency labelled a ‘waste of time, waste of resources’ by one jobseeker

Drivers are paying nearly £9 more for a tank of fuel than they should be, data showsPetrol prices at the pumps are not falling fast enough and in line with wholesale price drops, according to the RAC.Over the last eight weeks, the average price paid for unleaded by drivers across the UK has only dropped by 9p a litre– all of which came off in July – despite wholesale petrol prices falling by 20p in the same time period. Continue reading...

Archbishop indicates he will not seek to punish churches that allow same-sex marriage in balancing act

Victim received leg injury while on organised excursion to swim with blue sharksA swimmer has been bitten by a shark while snorkelling off the coast of Cornwall.The person involved, whose name has not been disclosed, was reportedly bitten by a blue shark on the leg during an excursion near Penzance. Continue reading...

How passengers with flights booked will be affected and whether more flights have been cancelledBritish Airways has suspended ticket sales on short-haul flights out of Heathrow. How will this affect travellers and why have they done it? Continue reading...

YouTube star who helped launch careers of Ed Sheeran, Dave and Skepta died in February aged 31The music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards died from a heart attack after taking cocaine and drinking alcohol, a coroner has concluded.Edwards, a YouTube star who helped launch the careers of Ed Sheeran, Dave and Skepta, died in February aged 31. Continue reading...

Average of 362 abusive tweets sent each day, often about race and sexuality, with Manchester United stars the most targetedMore than 300 abusive tweets are sent to Premier League footballers every day and nearly seven in 10 players receive abuse on Twitter, according to a study.Manchester United stars dominate the list of the 10 most abused players on the platform, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford, although the squad that receives the highest proportion of abusive tweets overall is Tottenham Hotspur. Continue reading...

Tory leadership frontrunner scraps plan for regional pay boards after outcry from Conservatives

Survey finds some British holidaymakers cannot bear to leave behind technology from years pastIt may seem like a blast from holidays past along with printing pages of directions from the AA website or waiting for handwritten airline tickets to arrive by post.But about one in 30 Britons (3%) admit to packing a CD player when going on holiday, a survey has found. Continue reading...

Rules apply to public and large commercial buildings – but Madrid president says she will not complySpain has announced new energy-saving measures, including limits on air conditioning and heating temperatures in public and large commercial buildings, as it becomes the latest European country to seek to reduce its energy consumption and its dependence on Russian oil and gas.Under a decree that comes into effect in seven days’ time and applies to public buildings, shopping centres, cinemas, theatres, rail stations and airports, heating should not be set above 19C and air conditioning should not be set below 27C. Doors will need to be closed so as not to waste energy, and lights in shop windows must be switched off after 10pm. Continue reading...