World news | The Guardian

‘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...

Protests follow appearance of ‘tortured’ writer on state television, while human rights group warn forced confessions on the rise as hijab laws hardenedThere were protests and condemnation last week after an Iranian woman who was arrested for defying newly hardened hijab laws appeared on state television to give what observers claimed was a forced confession as a result of torture.Sepideh Rashno, 28, was arrested in July soon after footage of her being harassed on a bus over “improper clothing”, was circulated online. Continue reading...

Anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia reported by schools, suggesting education still not back to normal after the pandemicPupils who sat GCSEs this year were so nervous about their exams that they suffered from anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia, according to headteachers.The heads also said they had never seen a year group face so much uncertainty over grades and progression to sixth-form. Continue reading...

BMA reports six in 10 are going without food, clothing and heating, raising fears some will drop out and worsen NHS staffing crisisMedical students are having to stop spending on essentials such as food, clothing and heating because of “astronomical” debts, a “broken” student finance system and a spiralling cost of living crisis, a survey has suggested.Six in 10 UK medical students report cutting or ceasing spending on necessities, according to a British Medical Association (BMA) poll. Many are questioning their decision to go into medicine and some are considering quitting before they qualify. Continue reading...

The last public holiday of summer comes during a weekend of sport events and festivals such as Reading and LeedsAn amber traffic warning has been issued for this weekend, when an estimated 15m bank holiday leisure trips are scheduled.The AA published the alert, which is only the second such warning to be issued by the motoring association, because it expects 45% of UK drivers to embark on at least one noncommuting journey between Friday and Monday. Continue reading...

Money laundering will play central role in review into Star’s suitability to hold licences in Queensland as public hearings begin

Abdulfatah Awow threatened to have woman deported unless she performed sex acts on him

Police forces in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Vietnam have launched major operations to rescue their citizens and shut down trafficking syndicatesHundreds of Taiwanese are among unknown numbers of victims being held captive and forced to work in telecom scam networks by human trafficking operations in south-east Asia, authorities have said.Police forces in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Vietnam have launched major operations to rescue their citizens and shut down the trafficking syndicates. Continue reading...

Solicitor general says former PM’s appointment to five additional portfolios was legally valid, as Anthony Albanese pledges to fix loopholes

Lawyer says tennis star spends ‘very little time in the ACT’ in requesting adjournment over charge of assaulting his ex-girlfriend

PM Jacinda Ardern said caucus voted to expel Sharma over ‘repeated and calculated’ breaches of its rulesJacinda Ardern and her Labour colleagues have expelled MP Gaurav Sharma from caucus, the first time in more than a decade that the party has taken such action.The expulsion of Sharma, who was elected as the member for Hamilton West in 2020, came after nearly two weeks of the MP making public allegations of bullying and misconduct against his own party. Continue reading...

Minister fires head of National Meteorological Service after storms it predicted would hit Budapest missed the capitalThe Hungarian government fired the head of the national weather service and her deputy, two days after a fireworks display to celebrate a national holiday was delayed for fear of storms.Technology minister Lazlo Palkovics, under whose remit the National Meteorological Service (NMS) falls, relieved president Kornelia Radics and her deputy Gyula Horvath from their duties on Monday, but did not provide a reason. The ministry did not immediately return AFP’s call for further details. Continue reading...

Crowd cheers as rock music-loving PM performs prime ministerial tradition of public beer-chugging during concert in Sydney

TBI recommends English schools focus on aspects such as critical thinking and creativity to ready pupils for jobs in digital worldGCSEs and A-levels should be scrapped in favour of a system that better prepares school-leavers for the workplace, a report has suggested.The study conducted by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) has recommended that the education system in England be radically changed so that students can thrive in a work environment that is becoming increasingly shaped by automation and artificial intelligence. Continue reading...

Deputy PM Richard Marles says whatever the legal advice from the solicitor general, former prime minister should pay the price for ‘flouting’ Westminster cabinet system

The 73-year-old singer says he is grateful for having ‘the very best specialist healthcare professionals’

Pedro I declared independence from Portugal in 1822, and relic is now at the centre of politically charged election year celebrationsNearly two centuries after it was cut from his corpse and preserved in formaldehyde, the heart of Emperor Pedro I, who declared Brazil’s independence from Portugal, has returned for politically charged commemorations of the South American country’s 200th birthday.Dom Pedro, a beloved figure in both Brazilian and Portuguese history, has been divided between the two countries in death – his heart enshrined in a church in Porto, Portugal, and the rest of his remains in an independence monument in São Paulo, Brazil. Continue reading...

Tributes were paid to council worker Ashley Dale, 28, who police believe was killed in a mistaken identity attackTributes have been paid to a 28-year-old woman who was shot dead in her home in Liverpool in the early hours of Sunday, seven years after her brother was also fatally shot.Ashley Dale was shot in the back garden of her home in what is believed by police to have been a mistaken identity attack. Her younger brother, Lewis Dunne, was killed in 2015 at age 16 after a gang mistook him for a rival gang member. Their deaths are not believed to be connected. Continue reading...

Population then exploded in what researches say was ‘the fastest colonisation rate for an introduced mammal ever recorded’

Pause in crossings recorded between Friday and Sunday as almost 5,000 made journey to Dover in AugustBabies and young children are among some of the people who have crossed the Channel in small boats to the UK in the last 24 hours after a three-day hiatus in arrivals.

Met hurriedly apologised and withdrew images that it initially said showed missing woman in a shopThe Metropolitan police issued pictures of the wrong black woman in an early appeal for information about the missing student nurse Owami Davies, it has emerged.As the force’s handling of the case faces increased scrutiny, it has come to light that Scotland Yard issued CCTV images on 3 August that it said showed Davies in a shop in Croydon, but in fact showed another woman. Continue reading...