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Exclusive: open letter sent to Liz Truss after removal of commitment to repeal laws threatening women and girls’ bodily autonomy from international pactThe UK government is coming under growing pressure from European countries and human rights groups to explain why commitments to abortion and sexual health rights have been removed from an official statement on gender equality.Norway and Denmark have approached the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) “to protest against the substantive changes” that were made to a paper that resulted from a UK-hosted conference on freedom of religion and belief, opened by Liz Truss earlier this month, the Guardian has learned. Continue reading...

Douglas ‘Mootijah’ Shillingsworth’s ear problems would have been picked up by proper procedures, coroner Joan Baptie finds

More senators and MPs due to meet Anthony Albanese next week after crossbenchers warned cuts could slow Labor’s legislative agenda

Deaths prompt renewed calls for attention on First Nations domestic violence victims and needs-based funding

Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN have agreed a deal to allow ships out of Odesa, says Erdoğan, amid global food crisis

Rebecca Burden was visiting her brain-injured dad for the first time in six months when she says he asked her to kill him

Former soldier’s barrister says newspapers accusing him of murders while part of SAS ‘failed to establish any motive’ and the case is ‘an embarrassment’

Warning comes after 18 people allegedly killed in gruesome attack in Highlands regionDozens of people have been killed in Papua New Guinea during a tense few weeks of voting during the country’s elections, along with reports of sexual abuse, including of children, and 3,000 people displaced due to conflict, the UN has warned.The warning comes after 18 people were allegedly killed in a gruesome attack on Wednesday by warring tribes in Porgera, Enga Province, in the north of the Highlands region. Continue reading...

Reforms allow case reviews to be opened to prisoners’ victims and the press for greater scrutiny of processCharles Bronson, one of the UK’s longest serving and most notorious prisoners, has become the first inmate to formally ask for his next Parole Board hearing to be heard in public after new rules came into force on Thursday in an attempt to remove the secrecy behind the process.The Parole Board said a request for the 70-year-old’s case to be heard in public has been received and will be considered. It is understood the application was made on his behalf. Continue reading...

Data shows average age of mothers has increased, though stillborn and neonatal death rates remain unchanged

Experts say data could help convince public to get booster shots as state’s Covid hospitalisations reach record levels

Relatives of Ann Hamilton voice frustration as coroner reaches conclusions over deaths of five victims in 1974Relatives of one of the five victims of the IRA’s 1974 Guildford pub bombings have criticised the scope of the inquest into the deaths and said they have “unanswered questions” after a coroner delivered a verdict of unlawful killing.At the conclusion of the inquest, coroner Richard Travers said the victims were killed by a “violent, intense and devastating” explosion caused by a remotely-detonated bomb planted by “a young man and woman often referred to as a ‘courting couple’”. Continue reading...

Graham Mansfield from Greater Manchester guilty of manslaughter over death of Dyanne Mansfield, 71A man who slit his wife’s throat “in an act of love” and tried to kill himself has been found not guilty of murder after a judge accepted the couple had made a suicide pact.Graham Mansfield, 73, from Hale in Greater Manchester, was given a suspended sentence of two years after being found guilty of manslaughter at Manchester crown court. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss will appear in several TV debates and go head to head at 12 hustings across the UKRishi Sunak and Liz Truss will face off in front of the public as they compete to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister. They will appear in several TV debates and go head to head at 12 hustings across the country. A new leader will be announced on 5 September after the approximately 200,000 members of the Conservative party have cast their votes.The dates and locations of Conservative leadership hustings and debates are:

High-profile signatories issue a letter asking ViiV to make Cabotegravir affordable to low- and middle-income countriesNobel laureates, business leaders, former premiers and celebrities have urged a UK pharmaceutical company to lower the price of its groundbreaking HIV prevention drug and ensure it is not kept “out of reach” of the world’s poor.In a letter signed by dozens of high-profile figures, including Sir Richard Branson, the singer Olly Alexander, the economist Joseph Stiglitz and Helen Clark, the former prime minister of New Zealand, the pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare is praised for having developed the first of a new kind of HIV prevention drug. Continue reading...

Police say several types of offence at 20-year high, as Home Office data shows 5.6% of reports led to charge or summons last yearRecorded crime in England and Wales hit a 20-year high as the proportion of offences leading to court action fell to a new low, the latest official figures show.Just 5.6% of offences reported to police led to a suspect being charged or summonsed in 2021-22, down from 7.1% the previous year and from 16% in 2014-2015, Home Office figures reveal. Continue reading...

The Light We Carry, to be published in November, compiles the former first lady’s best strategies for surviving in the face of a ‘rising tide of bigotry and intolerance’A new book by former first lady Michelle Obama will offer readers “fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge and power”, according to her publisher.The Light We Carry, which will be published in November, is Obama’s second book, after her bestselling memoir Becoming, which was released in November 2018. Continue reading...

Police referred 14% more cases to CPS in 2021-22 than in previous year, and more suspects were chargedPolice and prosecutors are driving up the number of rape cases reaching courts in England and Wales in a reversal to previous trends, after a landmark government review promised sweeping reform of how the crime is treated.Referrals, charges and prosecutions of rape increased in the year ending March 2022, up from a series of record lows in 2019, 2020 and 2021, according to figures from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Continue reading...

David Strang condemns underfunding of services and says ‘you can’t punish people out of addiction’The head of Scotland’s drugs deaths taskforce has rejected an approach that seeks to punish “people out of addiction” as he called for the justice system to adopt a public health approach to spiralling fatalities.Launching a hard-hitting report condemning “woefully inadequate” underfunding of services David Strang said: “Addiction itself is not a crime and you can’t punish people out of addiction” Continue reading...

Former chancellor has said he would delay cuts until inflation under control, while rival has pledged immediate cutsRishi Sunak would not cut personal taxes until at least next autumn to avoid fuelling inflation, the Guardian understands.The position is expected to be a clear dividing line between Sunak and his rival, Liz Truss, who has pledged an emergency budget to cut taxes immediately. Continue reading...

In closing submissions newspapers’ counsel claims alleged actions are forceful indicators of Roberts-Smith’s ‘consciousness of guilt’

Tory leadership candidate details her proposals to cut taxes that she voted for as part of Johnson’s cabinet

After narrow victory, Satoko Kishimoto talks of ‘potential to bring about radical change’The first female mayor of a district in Tokyo has vowed to challenge Japan’s male-dominated politics, weeks after she became one of only two women leading municipalities in the Japanese capital.Satoko Kishimoto was elected mayor of Suginami ward last month to become the district’s first female leader in its 90-year history. The progressive candidate beat the conservative incumbent – by just 187 votes – despite having only just returned to Japan after a decade living in Belgium. Continue reading...

Decision to stop trial of trans-inclusive language at three hospitals condemned by LGBTQ+ advocates and praised by Katherine Deves

Body cam footage played in court shows constable saying ‘fuck this little cunt’ during initial search for Gordon Copeland, who drowned in NSW river

‘Bizarre’ pink lights seen in the sky above Victorian town were not an alien invasion after all

Analysis: missteps mean he trails Liz Truss in polls, and he will need to sell himself as a safer electoral betRishi Sunak may have won the leadership ballot among Tory MPs but he will now face a different audience, who have so far seemed largely immune to his charms – 160,000-odd grassroots Conservative members.Sunak has consistently struggled in polling among party activists. The latest ConservativeHome survey last weekend showed him losing a head-to-head battle with Truss by 42% to her 49%. YouGov polling of Conservative members showed him trailing the foreign secretary by an even wider margin, 54% to 35%. Continue reading...

Oil and gas companies’ record sales figures come as Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz calls for windfall profits tax

There were more than 26,000 asylum seekers living in hotels by end of 2021 according to Refugee CouncilThe use of hotel accommodation for people seeking asylum almost trebled in 2021 despite pledges from the Home Office to end its use.By the end of last year 26,380 asylum seekers were living in temporary hotel accommodation according to a report from the Refugee Council entitled: Lives on Hold: The Experiences of People in Hotel Asylum Accommodation. Continue reading...

Trent Evans had pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death, after he lost control of his friend’s car last year

Bill Burns says China ‘unsettled’ by Russia’s war in Ukraine and it may influence decisions on the possible use of force against TaiwanRussia’s experience in Ukraine is affecting China’s calculations on how and when it may decide to invade Taiwan, the head of the CIA said on Wednesday.Appearing at the Aspen Security Forum, Central Intelligence Agency director Bill Burns played down speculation that Chinese president Xi Jinping could move on Taiwan after a key Communist party meeting later this year. Continue reading...

Joseph Brayford tells inquiry former NSW deputy premier wanted to turn trade roles into ministerial appointments ‘ASAP’

Health expert says health videos contain key messages but it’s difficult to find and share them

Tourists will no longer face having cameras confiscated, but law forbids pictures of children or those that can ‘damage country’s image’Visitors and residents no longer have to sneak their photos of Egypt’s streets, after the tourism ministry announced that amateur photography in the country’s public spaces is now allowed.Foreign vloggers and social media influencers have in recent months brought attention to Egyptian authorities’ practice of stopping people taking photos and videos, even at tourist sites, and confiscating camera equipment. Continue reading...

Qantas chief pilot says plane landed safely in Perth with 40 minutes’ fuel left as regulator investigates

Labor won’t let lack of agreement at September summit be an excuse for inaction, minister says

Fire in North Woolwich comes after record-breaking heatwave saw a number of fires break out on Tuesday15 fire engines and 125 firefighters were called to extinguish a large blaze in a top-floor flat in a tower block in North Woolwich, east London, after a record-breaking heatwave saw a number of fires break out on Tuesday.Smoke was billowing out of the four-room apartment as a fire raged across the entire flat and balcony, which appears to be located on the top floor of a 17-storey block, according to footage shared on Twitter by the London fire brigade. Continue reading...

Analysis: in the most unpredictable leadership race in years, Tory MPs’ vote was closer than final two would have liked

Change removes need for single women and same-sex couples to privately fund artificial inseminationThe government’s decision to remove additional barriers some LGBTQ couples face in accessing NHS-funded fertility treatments has been welcomed by charities and equalities organisations.Under current rules, heterosexual couples can access NHS-funded fertility treatments once they demonstrate that they have been trying to conceive naturally for a period of time. Continue reading...

Hina Bashir’s body found in suitcase in east London ditch after student was reported missing last weekThe boyfriend of an international student whose body was found in a suitcase left in a ditch has appeared at the Old Bailey accused of her murder.Hina Bashir, 21, was reported missing from Ilford, east London, on 14 July, having last been seen alive on 11 July. Continue reading...

Analysis: Mordaunt was subjected to relentless criticism by rightwing outlets while rival Liz Truss got favourable treatmentPenny Mordaunt’s exit from the Tory leadership race has left her pondering a familiar question: do the UK’s rightwing newspapers still shape political debate, or do they simply have a knack for spotting which way the wind is blowing?One Mordaunt-supporting Conservative MP was in no doubt that she had narrowly missed out on her chance to be prime minister due to relentless criticism from rightwing outlets. “The nasty personal attacks in the Mail and Telegraph cut through,” they said. Continue reading...

MPs pick ex-PM seen as close to ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a move likely to frustrate protestersSri Lanka’s prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been elected as president to replace the ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a result that is likely to provoke turmoil among protesters who have been calling for weeks for him to resign.Wickremesinghe, who has been prime minister six times but never president, won a comfortable victory in parliament on Wednesday morning, where MPs voted for the new president in an unprecedented secret ballot. The vote came after protesters forced Rajapaksa from office amid anger over a spiralling economic crisis. Continue reading...

Claim will undergo series of checks before lucky winner, who has not yet gone public, receives prize moneyA EuroMillions ticket-holder from the UK has claimed a record jackpot of £195m, the biggest British lottery win of all time.The claim will undergo a series of checks before the lucky winner, who has not yet gone public, receives their prize money. Continue reading...

Penny Mordaunt supporter was disciplined on Tuesday after missing no-confidence vote

The Labour leader told The Rest is Politics podcast that the aid department was a ‘massive asset’ with the power to unlock promise globallyKeir Starmer has pledged to bring back the Department for International Development (DfID) if Labour win the next election, saying that its merger with the Foreign Office was “totally misguided”.DfID was subsumed into the Foreign Office in 2020 under Boris Johnson’s government, which then proceeded to slash overseas aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income. Continue reading...

Move to provide HRT is ‘huge step forward’ for menopausal women’s health, experts sayHormone replacement therapy is to be offered over the counter for the first time in the UK after the medicines watchdog gave the green light.Millions of women go through the menopause every year, with the majority experiencing some symptoms that can be severe and have a negative impact on everyday life. Continue reading...

Labour leader says candidates ‘can’t find a single decent thing to say’ about PM, each other or party’s record

Mario Draghi addresses MPs in bid to avert what would be Italy’s third government collapse in three yearsItaly’s prime minister, Mario Draghi, has said his government’s survival hinges on “rebuilding the pact of trust” as he weighed a groundswell of support for him to remain in the post before a vote of confidence scheduled for Wednesday evening.The former European Central Bank president offered his resignation last week in response to the Five Star Movement (M5S), a key component of his broad coalition, snubbing a vote on a €26bn cost of living package. Continue reading...

‘Expert thieves’ tracked down to Montenegro-Croatia border after nine-month police operationDetectives hunting for a pair of “expert thieves” accused of stealing 45 bottles of wine worth more than €1.6m (£1.4m) from a Spanish restaurant last year have arrested two people after a nine-month international police operation that ended in Croatia.In October 2021, a man and a woman staying at the Atrio hotel and restaurant in Cáceres, south-west Spain, stole dozens of bottles of expensive French wine, including an 1806 Château D’Yquem, in a heist that made headlines around the world. Continue reading...

Unfolding Landscapes on show in Brussels before possible tour of member states and return to Kyiv