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Researchers fear spread of invasive disease could be disastrous for Australia’s diverse plant life and are calling for urgent national responseAn invasive fungus attacking some of Australia’s most ecologically important tree species has spread to Western Australia while also flourishing in damp conditions along the country’s east, driving a “silent extinction” and prompting urgent calls for a national response.Experts warn if the myrtle rust fungus detected in the east Kimberley reaches the state’s biodiversity-rich south-west, the consequences could be disastrous for those ecosystems.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...

Suspect already in custody is likely leader of illegal fishing mafia based in Amazon region, police sayBrazilian police arrested another five people in connection with the murders of British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian Indigenous activist Bruno Pereira on Saturday, and said one of the suspects already in custody was likely the leader of an illegal fishing mafia based in the Amazon region.Although they gave few details, police said three of those detained in operations near Brazil’s borders with Peru and Colombia were wanted for helping bury the bodies of Phillips and Pereira. Continue reading...

Former PM has warned of a financial timebomb awaiting families as Labour plans a major intervention to address crisisBoris Johnson and the Tory leadership candidates should agree an immediate emergency budget tackling the spiralling cost of living, Gordon Brown has said, or risk “condemning millions of vulnerable and blameless children and pensioners to a winter of dire poverty”.The intervention by the former prime minister comes as new figures seen by the Observer show that more than 4 million households are on course to spend a quarter of their net income on energy. Continue reading...

ONS estimates suggest 2,585,400 people in the UK were infected in the week to 26 JulyThe UK’s latest wave of Covid continued to subside at the end of last month, with infections falling by more than half a million for the second week running, according to the Office for National Statistics.Estimates from the ONS, based on swabs collected from households around the country, suggest that 2,585,400 people in the UK were infected in the week to 26 July, down 588,400 on the week before. Continue reading...

Changing public attitudes have made issues of repatriation and decolonisation harder to ignore“Stolen goods”; “Looted by the Brits”; “Did you steal this like the Parthenon marbles?”A glance at the social media channels of the British Museum underlines why, when it comes to the long-disputed Acropolis sculptures, it is so eager to “change the temperature of the debate”. Continue reading...

Sculpture will stay in city centre until September as search begins for permanent homeThe 10-metre high raging bull from the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will remain in Birmingham city centre until the end of September, the city council has announced, as the public campaigns for it to be found a permanent home.Since being put on display in Centenary Square last week, people have flocked to see it, and more than 8,000 have signed a petition calling for it to stay after its creators said it was expected to be dismantled after the Games. Continue reading...

Quarterly statement on monetary policy suggests RBA may need to hoist interest rates higher for longer

Australia’s climate policy, reset with France and tough stance on Ukraine invasion cited as reasons for ‘renewed sense of urgency’

Drones used to track mammal in ‘worrying’ health amid struggle to guide it back to ChannelA beluga whale that swam up the River Seine in France appears to be underweight and officials are worried about its health, regional authorities say.The protected species, usually found in cold Arctic waters, had made its way up the waterway and reached a lock about 70km (44 miles) from Paris. Continue reading...

Police name four Vietnamese nationals who died in Greater Manchester in MayA 21-year-old man who arrived in Britain only eight months ago is believed to be among four Vietnamese nationals who died in a mill fire in Greater Manchester in May.Greater Manchester police (GMP) have released the identities of the four men for the first time after the remains of three victims were recovered from the building in Oldham. Continue reading...

Lawyers had requested that 12-year-old be moved from Royal London hospital to spend his last moments in privateA ruling on whether 12-year-old Archie Battersbee can be moved from hospital to a hospice to die is expected at the high court on Friday morning.

Tory leadership rivals disagree on how to turn economy around and avoid predicted downturn in Sky news debate

Tory hopefuls face questions from party members and are interviewed by Kay Burley as interest rates go up sharply. This blog is now closed.

Hungary’s prime minister delivers opening address to American conservatives at CPAC in TexasViktor Orbán, the autocratic leader of Hungary, has urged Christian nationalists in Europe and the US to “unite our forces” during a speech to American conservatives in Texas.The prime minister met the former US president Donald Trump in New Jersey earlier this week and, on Thursday, delivered the opening address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas. Continue reading...

Labour leader was late in declaring eight interests but watchdog called breaches ‘minor and/or inadvertent’Keir Starmer has been found to have breached the MPs’ code of conduct by failing to register on time eight interests, including gifts from football teams and the sale of a plot of land.An inquiry into the Labour leader was opened in June by the parliamentary standards commissioner, Kathryn Stone, relating to claims about late declaration of earnings and gifts, benefits or hospitality from UK sources. Continue reading...

Kyiv hits back after charity says Russia’s attacks ‘unjustifiable’ but Ukraine’s tactics are endangering civilians. This live blog is closed.

Internal review finds corporation received several reports in 2012 about alleged misconduct of former Radio 1 DJThe BBC may have missed chances to explore concerns raised over the conduct of the former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood, an internal review has concluded.It found that the corporation received several reports about Westwood in 2012, including two allegations of inappropriate behaviour and sexual misconduct, and an accusation that the radio presenter “created a toxic atmosphere amongst those he worked with at the BBC”. Continue reading...

Renters express shock as property managers told to provide tenants with notice to leave at same time as new leases

Stuart Ayres’ replacement, David Elliott, urged to broaden scope of his portfolio beyond ‘roads and sports’

Exclusive: Complaint lodged with human rights commission after man turned away at gate of Sydney airport flight

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