World news | The Guardian

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

Warning comes amid falling revenue and parcel volumes and fear it is facing the biggest strike of summerRoyal Mail has reported it is losing £1m a day and has threatened to split if it cannot achieve “significant operational change”, as it faces what could be the biggest strike of the summer.The day after thousands of its staff in the Communications Workers Union voted in favour of industrial action, the company said it was considering “all options”, including separating its domestic and international businesses under a rebranded holding company called International Distributions Services. Continue reading...

Turkish president cites Kurdish forces in north-west Syria as justification for extending zone of controlThe Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has used trilateral talks with his Iranian and Russian counterparts in Tehran to make the case for a further Turkish incursion into north-western Syria.Erdoğan cited Kurdish forces in Tel Rifaat and Manbij, two towns in north-west Syria where Russian and Iranian forces are present, as justification for Turkey extending its zone of control in the country. “What we expect from Iran and Russia is to support Turkey in its fight against terrorist organisations,” he told a press conference following the meeting. Continue reading...

Former Liberal minister tried to ‘improperly influence’ councillors in his electorate, corruption watchdog says

Lawyer for Queenslander Maria Pau says ‘she believed she had the power’ to issue more than 1,200 bogus certificates

Agriculture minister says disinfectant mats will be installed to prevent arrival of the disease, which is spreading in Indonesia

Philip Lowe says reserve bank looking for its ‘neutral rate’ which could see cash rate almost double in coming months

Book prize judges have praised ‘ethical precision’ of Melburnian’s second novel, a poised unpacking of the horrors of institutional failure

A cache of emails and documents sheds light on the would-be ruler’s activities at a time when he was entering public lifeThe organiser said it would be “the most amazing party ever done in Punta del Este”, a glamorous seaside resort in Uruguay. He offered his client a sound system, a DJ, decorators, fireworks and “naked models swimming in the pool”. The client – a fixer with close ties to the rulers of Libya – turned down the fireworks.It appears the fixer wired the organiser $34,300 – and asked him for a whole roast lamb to be delivered every day to the party villa between 30 December 2006 and 6 January 2007. He would be joined there by fellow Libyans and his boss, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who was due to fly in from South Africa. Continue reading...

Indie productions struggling to compete with well-financed, studio-backed projects, research showsThere are serious questions about the long-term viability of independent film-making in Britain, the British Film Institute (BFI) has said.Making Oscar-winning films such as The King’s Speech and Slumdog Millionaire has become all the more difficult, with “significant challenges” putting the sector on a downward trend, research shows. Continue reading...

Forecast for heavy rain, damaging winds and hazardous swells comes as a cold snap grips south-east Australia

After temperatures reached 40C, scientists warn of such episodes every three years if emissions are not loweredHundreds of firefighters battled blazes across England on Tuesday as temperatures surged to a historic high of 40.3C, capping two days of extreme heat that scientists warn is “a wake up call” for the climate emergency.The temperature is set to drop by up to 10C in some areas on Wednesday, with heavy showers and thunderstorms predicted in parts of northern England and southern Scotland, with the potential for localised flooding, lightning strikes, transport disruption and power cuts. Continue reading...

President Sergio Mattarella rejects the prime minister’s resignation while pro-Draghi sentiment growsThe fate of the Italian government hangs in the balance amid growing pressure on Mario Draghi to remain prime minister as he prepares for a crucial speech in parliament on Wednesday.The former European Central Bank chief’s resignation last week was rejected by President Sergio Mattarella, who instead asked him to address parliament in an attempt to avert what would be Italy’s third government collapse in three years. Continue reading...

As supply chains fray around the globe, branches of industry are choosing Germany’s east to return to EuropeIn over 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, eastern Germans have been told several reasons why they lag behind the west: an uncompetitive industry, a lack of jobs, a shortage of young workers.But Germany’s new government believes the formerly socialist “workers’ and peasants’ state” is missing something else: trade unions. Continue reading...

Packed lunches and secondary school food contain most calories as rising food costs begin to bitePublic health experts have called for an urgent cap on ultra-processed food at schools after research found the products made up nearly two-thirds of the average UK school lunch.Across primary and secondary schools, ultra-processed food accounted for 64% of calories provided by lunchtime meals, the study found, with packed lunches typically containing more of the foods than meals provided by schools themselves. Continue reading...

Women’s safety minister hails ‘landmark reforms’ but there are concerns a six-week consultation process is insufficient

The company founded by Ron Pattenden’s collapsed owing millions in unpaid policies to thousands of low-income Aboriginal families

There is not enough proof Adem Somyurek and Marlene Kairouz committed criminal offences to recommend prosecution, investigators say

Mark Connell tells inquiry in letter that former NSW deputy premier had spoken about wanting NY trade role in 2019 ‘when I get the fuck out of this place’

Officials in Guangzhou apologise for ‘violent’ behaviour after 84 homes broken into during search for possible close contacts

Strategic lawsuits against public participation have been used by rich to try to stifle free speechCourts in England and Wales are to be granted new powers to dismiss lawsuits employed by wealthy claimants to stifle free speech, the government has said.The justice secretary, Dominic Raab, announced proposals on Wednesday for a three-stage test to tackle at an early stage intimidatory legal actions against reporters and publishers, known as strategic lawsuits against public participation, or Slapps. Continue reading...

Among proposals to ‘reset the dial’ on women’s health are training for doctors and hubs across the NHS

Fire services came under immense pressure dealing with multiple blazes that left homes and fields destroyedMajor incidents have been declared by fire services across the country as services endured immense pressure dealing with multiple blazes on the hottest day in the UK since records began.In London, South Yorkshire and Leicestershire major incidents were declared due to the number of incidents with people advised against having barbecues in parks, private gardens, patios and balconies due to the fire risk. Continue reading...

Tehran meeting saw discord over Erdoğan’s plan to intervene in Syria but ‘progress’ on shipping Ukrainian grainVladimir Putin ended his first major summit outside Russia since the invasion of Ukraine with an endorsement from Iran for its response to Nato, a clash with Turkey over Syria and signs of progress over the lifting of the Russian blockade of Ukrainian grain.The White House said the Tehran summit held between Putin, the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, and the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, showed how isolated the Russian leader had become – which was not an observation shared by Moscow, who claimed it showed Russia remained respected in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Only 15 UK players have ever won more than £100m, with this scoop the biggest National Lottery win of all timeA UK ticket-holder has scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195m – the biggest National Lottery win of all time, Camelot has said.The winning EuroMillions numbers on Tuesday were 06, 23, 27, 40, 41 – plus the Lucky Star numbers 02 and 12. One ticket matched all seven numbers to win £195,707,000, making them the biggest jackpot winner of all time. Continue reading...

Laura and Philip Borrell benefited from Frances Noble, 66, defrauding council of £624,000 by faking illnessA couple who enjoyed holidays abroad with money from a relative who faked being bedridden to scam a local authority out of more than £624,000 have been jailed.Earlier this year, Frances Noble, 66, was sentenced at St Albans crown court to four years and nine months in jail for defrauding Hertfordshire county council of £624,047.50 by pretending she was bedridden, unable to feed herself and needed round-the-clock care between 15 January 2007 and 26 November 2018. Continue reading...

Russian president makes comments in Tehran, where he had a meeting with leaders from Turkey and Iran

Confirmed cases no longer required to isolate at home if they do not have symptomsPublic health officials have ordered 100,000 more doses of vaccine to help curb the spread of monkeypox as the number of UK cases rose to more than 2,000 in the months-long outbreak.According to figures released by the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on Tuesday, confirmed cases have risen to 2,137 in the UK, with 2,050 recorded in England. The majority of infections are in London and among men who have sex with men. Continue reading...

Rather than focusing on pay the dispute is more about working conditions and long hoursProduction of British television dramas could be disrupted as part of a union dispute, after crew members objected to long hours and having to undertake unpaid work on sets.The Bectu trade union says its members – who work behind the scenes on some of Britain’s biggest shows – are suffering burn out, low morale, and in many cases are unable to sustain a family life due to the industry’s expectation of long hours. Continue reading...

Drugs for diabetes, hormone replacement, depression, nausea and stroke among those listed by the TGA as in short supply

‘I don’t know how far they [politicians] can let the numbers go while still saying we don’t need mask mandates’, says Dr Omar Khorshid

Guardian analysis of ONS data shows public sector earnings have fallen in real terms by 4.3% since the financial crisisTeachers, doctors, nurses, police officers and civil servants are among the public sector workers set to receive below-inflation pay rises this year, with unions warning staff will quit as the cost of living crisis bites.Guardian analysis of ONS data shows that public sector earnings have fallen in real terms by 4.3% since the financial crisis, with some professions seeing falls of as much as 13%. Continue reading...

Judgment questioned over years spent as director of east London free school later criticised for ‘improper’ practicesRishi Sunak, the frontrunner for the Conservative leadership, was the director of a free school with close links to rightwing libertarian founders, which was found to have multiple financial and safeguarding failings years after his departure.Labour said there were questions to answer about Sunak’s time as a director of the The East London Science school (ELSS), where the former chancellor served from its founding in 2013 until he ran for office in 2015. Continue reading...

Blaze continues to ravage pine forest in France as heatwave breaks temperature records across Europe

Papers from 1970s and 1980s warn practice of sealing wills was ‘haphazard’ with ‘slender’ legal basisSenior government officials privately believed that the practice of keeping secret the wills of the royal family was legally questionable and even warned ministers not to discuss it in parliament, according to official documents.Over the past century, high court judges have issued secret legal orders allowing the wills of 33 members of the royal family to be kept confidential after hearings that were held behind closed doors. Continue reading...

Cause of death of 21 young people at Enyobeni tavern last month still yet to be determinedInvestigators have found traces of the toxic chemical methanol in the bodies of 21 teenagers who died in a nightclub in South Africa last month.The tragedy at the Enyobeni tavern in the poor Scenery Park township in the coastal city of East London on 26 June caused shock and grief in a nation used to seeing casualties from a widespread culture of heavy drinking. Continue reading...

Analysis: as heat records break across the UK, the north of England and Scotland are reassessing the effects of climate crisis thereNewspaper readers in the UK’s northern half were used to scowling at the front pages every time they declared a sizzling summer. “It may well be sizzling in the south but it’s chucking it down in Hull/freezing in Wrexham/blowing a hoolie in Aberdeen” they grumbled, as they put on another cardigan or rescued the washing from a downpour.Not this time. With a few exceptions (it’s still coat weather for those living in the Shetland islands) much of the UK really has been outrageously hot this week. Whether it is asphalt melting, schools shutting or allotments withering, all but the most hardcore of climate crisis deniers now accept people are experiencing the effects of global heating in their own communities. Continue reading...

Carabinieri allege dealers fraudulently exported €2m work by 17th-century baroque artist for auction in ViennaItalian police have prevented the potential illegal sale by a Viennese auction house of a 17th-century painting by the baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi.The carabinieri art squad said dealers had allegedly described the work as being painted by a follower of Gentileschi, and not the artist herself, in order to fraudulently obtain export permission from Italian authorities. Continue reading...

Data says more than 11% of women who give birth behind bars do so before 37 weeks, compared with 6.5% in communityFemale prisoners are almost twice as likely to give birth prematurely as women in the general population, leaving them and their babies at risk, new research reveals.More than one in 10 (11%) women who have a child while behind bars do so before 37 weeks of their pregnancy, compared with 6.5% of mothers in the community, the Nuffield Trust found. Continue reading...

Man in 50s emerges from blaze with clothes burned to rags and flames flickering around him

Moves to question integrity of voting system comes amid poor polling results for far-right leader facing October electionElectoral officials and senior politicians have criticised the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, after the far-right leader called foreign diplomats to the presidential palace and made unfounded allegations about the integrity of the upcoming election.Bolsonaro told them the electronic voting system in Brazil, which has been used without controversy since 1996, was vulnerable. The remarks raised concerns that the populist politician – facing poor polling results – might attempt to discredit the democratic process if he loses in October. Continue reading...

Vladislav Buryak was kept for 90 days and describes people screaming and a room with bloodstains and soaked bandagesA 16-year-old Ukrainian boy has described how he was held hostage by Russian soldiers for 90 days as he heard other prisoners being tortured in a nearby cell.Vladislav Buryak, who was separated from his family on 8 April at a checkpoint while attempting to flee the city of Melitopol, was released after a months-long negotiation between his father, Oleg – a local Ukrainian official – and Russian soldiers, who wanted to exchange Vladislav for an individual of interest to the Russian military. Continue reading...

Fund says GDP in Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic would fall by up to 6%, with Italy, Germany and Austria also hit hardA total shutdown of Russian gas supply would reduce GDP in the most vulnerable EU countries by as much as 6% and send them plunging into recession, the International Monetary Fund has warned.Amid speculation that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will keep the Nord Stream 1 pipeline closed when routine annual maintenance ends later this week, the IMF said Europe lacked a comprehensive plan to cope with shortages, further increases in energy prices and the impact on growth. Continue reading...

Analysis: Tory leader contender was first woman to hold post and is hoping trade and equalities experience will also play in favour

Furniture retailer issues third profit warning, as Hotel Chocolat’s share price tumbles as it predicts lossMade.com has cut its revenue and profit forecasts and warned of job cuts as costs rise and customers reduce spending on “big ticket” home improvement purchases because of the cost of living crisis.Shares in the online furniture retailer, which have lost almost 90% of their value since the company floated at 200p last June, plunged 38% to 24p on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

Outspoken critic of Boris Johnson sanctioned by PM for refusing to support government

Analysis: worsening meltdown in the country’s debt-laden property market is at the heart of a problem that comes at a precarious time for the Communist partyThe alarm bells are ringing louder. Last week, hundreds of depositors gathered in front of the Zhengzhou branch of the People’s Bank of China in the provincial capital of Henan, demanding their frozen life savings held in rural banks. A day later, tens of thousands of homeowners threatened to stop paying mortgages on scores of unfinished housing projects they had purchased. All of this happened in a week where the officials reported lacklustre second-quarter economic performance.China’s economy is facing a dangerous cocktail of stalling growth, high unemployment, spreading mortgage payment strikes and continued Covid shutdowns that threaten to explode with serious social and political consequences. Continue reading...

Revelation among number of stories thrown up by latest batch of released documents from Kew recordsA story involving an alleged coup attempt in 1968 against the then prime minister, Harold Wilson, is just one of the subjects covered by the latest release of classified files from the National Archives at Kew in London. Continue reading...

Senior figures expect increase of between 4% and 5% but fear they will have to cover costs of anything over the previously agreed 3%NHS staff look set to get a pay rise of barely half the rate of inflation, a move that will force the health service to make more than £1bn of cuts and could trigger a wave of strikes.Senior NHS figures expect ministers to award staff an increase of between 4% and 5% when they announce on Tuesday how much the public sector workers will receive in 2022-23. Continue reading...