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Premier, Daniel Andrews, announces a $162m package to fund specialist staff across 12 hospitals as Covid-related absentee rates climb

Chancellor’s £58m property firm used loans to buy commercial and retail premises across the UKThe chancellor Nadhim Zahawi is under pressure to explain the source of £26m of unsecured loans reported by his family property firm in 2018 as he faces questions over his tax affairs.The millions of pounds of loans helped Zahawi and his wife buy properties across Britain, including commercial and retail premises in London, Birmingham, Brighton and Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. Continue reading...

The $750 payment for those who need to isolate due to Covid has been extended through September, following pressure on the government

Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Budapest since parliament approved law change in first protests since PM won fourth termThousands of people protested in Budapest on Saturday for a fifth day against Viktor Orbán’s government as anger deepens over tax changes that critics say will hurt small businesses.Hungarians have taken to the streets since the parliament approved a law change on Tuesday that will affect hundreds of thousands of small-sized business owners. Continue reading...

Campaigners accuse the government of creating an alternative reality to suit its ‘cruel’ deportation agendaThe Home Office is claiming that asylum seekers are “fine” with being sent to Rwanda, even after they have threatened to kill themselves in detention as they wait to be removed to Africa, according to internal documents seen by the Observer.They reveal that Home Office officials described how an individual being held in immigration detention “was fine with going there [Rwanda]” days after he had threatened to commit suicide amid anxiety he would never see his children again. Continue reading...

Senior Conservatives in northern seats warn leadership contenders that they must stand by the government’s investment promisesSenior Tories in “red wall” seats have warned Conservative leadership candidates that the party will lose the next general election unless they re-commit to level up the country and boost investment in the UK’s deprived regions.The warnings come as economists and business figures who are pushing the levelling up agenda in the north of England say the entire project – which was at the heart of the 2019 Conservative manifesto – risks being downgraded as candidates to succeed Boris Johnson compete to offer more generous tax cuts, and money to ease the cost of living crisis. Continue reading...

Observer investigation finds Chinese-owned brand Elf Bar is fuelling the boom in e-cigarettes among young people as social media influencers on TikTok promote its goods in an apparent breach of advertising rulesA leading e-cigarette brand is flouting rules to promote its products to young people in Britain, an Observer investigation has found, as experts warn that brightly coloured, sweet-flavoured vapes are being used by children as young as seven.Elf Bar, a Chinese-owned vaping giant that has seen the use of its products by under-18s soar in the past year, is being promoted by social influencers, who in some cases claim to be paid for the promotions and benefit from free products. Continue reading...

Board expresses ‘profound dismay’ at exhibits German government and Jewish groups say went too farThe director general of Documenta, one of the world’s biggest art fairs, has been forced to resign following outrage over anti-Semitic exhibits upon opening in Germany last month.Documenta, which every five years turns the sleepy German city of Kassel into the centre of the art world, features more than 1,500 participants and – for the first time since its launch in 1955 – had been curated by a collective, Indonesia’s Ruangrupa. Continue reading...

Victorian environment officials said images of the dead humpback proved it was not well-known humpback• Get our free news app, morning email briefing and daily news podcastA white whale that washed up on a Victorian beach is not the well-known albino humpback Migaloo, according to the state’s environment department.The carcass of an albino whale was found at a beach in Mallacoota in the state’s far east this week, sparking concern it could be the beloved Migaloo, who was first spotted off Byron Bay in 1991. Continue reading...

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Government will fund safety measure after 10-year campaign by parents of Oliver King, who died of cardiac arrest during swim raceAll state schools in England will have a defibrillator by the end of the 2022/23 academic year, the government has announced.Department for Education (DfE) officials met campaigners including Mark King, whose 12-year-old son Oliver suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while competing in a swimming race in 2011. Continue reading...

Prince will address late South African leader’s ‘memories and legacy’ in annual celebration at general assemblyPrince Harry will address the UN general assembly at its annual celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day on Monday and is expected to speak about the legacy of the South African anti-apartheid leader who spent 27 years in prison and became his country’s first black leader.The 37-year-old Duke of Sussex will be the keynote speaker at the UN event in New York. Continue reading...

Demonstrations take place outside Brook House and Colnbrook immigration removal centresCampaigners have rallied against the government’s “heinous” policy to send some migrants to Rwanda in a series of protests across the UK.Protests were scheduled to take place in Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford and Sheffield, according to refugee charity Care4Calais. Continue reading...

Duchess of Cornwall poses with home-grown peaches in her Wiltshire garden after guest-editing Country Life magazineAn official picture has been released to mark the Duchess of Cornwall’s 75th birthday.Camilla is pictured looking relaxed and smiling in the image released for her milestone anniversary she celebrates on Sunday, which follows a busy week for the royal. Continue reading...

Ahmad Merhi, who travelled from Sydney to Syria and is accused of joining Islamic State, says he is now stateless as he awaits hanging

Woman from Yorketown in South Australia has been referred to a job agency in Kadina under new Workforce Australia program

Offenders may be kept in prison after serving sentence, but wrongly made order ‘almost always amounts to arbitrary detention', rights group argues

Force urges people not to start fires, including barbecues, and report incidents of arsonPolice have issued a warning ahead of the potentially unprecedented heatwave after a series of wildfires on moorland near Manchester which they now believe were started deliberately.The blaze began last weekend and swept across part of Saddleworth Moor near a car park close to the Dovestone reservoir. Continue reading...

Former prime minister warns era of political and economic dominance by west coming to an endTony Blair has issued a rallying call to western nations to come together to develop a coherent strategy to counter the rise of China as “the world’s second superpower”.Delivering the annual Ditchley lecture on Saturday, the former prime minister called for a policy towards Beijing of “strength plus engagement” as he warned the era of western political and economic dominance was coming to an end. Continue reading...

Kelvin Bilal Fawaz reveals how Farah’s TV interview was a reminder of how his own boxing career was lost to life in immigration limboA prodigious talent with the drive and ambition to make it all the way to the top, when Kelvin Bilal Fawaz got the chance to represent Team GB as a boxer at the 2012 Olympics in London it was a dream come true.Trafficked as a child from Nigeria to the UK and forced into domestic servitude, Fawaz had the opportunity for Olympic glory in the place he now called home. Continue reading...

Jefferson Hack, who co-founded the influential 90s journal, has empowered raft of new designers, says industry“I don’t think there’s been a tougher time in fashion since I’ve been doing this,” says the tastemaker and independent publisher Jefferson Hack, who co-founded Dazed & Confused magazine in 1991. “Brexit has made it incredibly difficult to trade. The lack of visas has meant that all the collaboration between Europe and the UK is gone. And with the tailwind of the pandemic and interest rates, we’ve got this really difficult set of conditions for younger designers.”Hack is given to viewing the world through the lens of young creatives, and the challenges they face. It is this nurturing perspective that has won him a special recognition award from the British Fashion Council (BFC) for cultural curation, due to be announced this week. Continue reading...

Victim pronounced dead at scene in West Melton, while man also left with potentially life-altering injuriesA woman has died after a dog attack in Rotherham which also left a man with potentially life-altering injuries.South Yorkshire police were called to a property on Masefield Road in West Melton at about 10.15pm last night by a member of the public who said a dog had attacked him and a woman. Continue reading...

The island’s plans also include special hotels, hiking trails and a village resort, but not all the locals are in favourSergio Cossu’s nude awakening came in 1972, when, at the age of 16 and needing a getaway from his family, he ventured to Santa Teresa Gallura, whose stretch of wild, pristine coastline in northern Sardinia was a mecca for hippies from across Europe.“It was my first solo holiday away from the traditional family setting,” he said. “There was this feeling of an immense connection with nature; from that point on it was impossible to wear a costume on a beach again. There was less of a taboo about nudity back then but, paradoxically, naturism diminished in the 1990s with the explosion of gyms and this focus on having the perfect body. But over the last 20 years, there has been a revival.” Continue reading...

The former chancellor is campaigning in Teeside following last night’s Tory leadership debateLabour has criticised Boris Johnson after reports said he had failed to attend recent Cobra meetings.Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said:Boris Johnson has gone missing in action again. He’s back to his old tricks of skipping important Cobra meetings. Where’s the plan for the delivery of essential services and how people will be kept safe at work, on transport, in schools, hospitals and care homes?The public will have no confidence in this zombie Conservative government responding swiftly and decisively to this national emergency as this disgraced prime minister prepares to party while Britain boils. If he still can’t take the responsibility of the job, he should leave right now. Continue reading...

Portugal and Spain among countries affected as rescue forces from Greece help battle blazes in southern FranceFirefighters are working tirelessly to tackle wildfires raging in parts of southern Europe as a result of soaring temperatures linked to the climate crisis.France, Portugal and Spain are among the European countries particularly affected, with temperatures of more than 45C (113F) recorded during a heatwave that is also sweeping the UK. Continue reading...

Legislators set to choose within a week after former president flees to Singapore to escape anti-government protestsSri Lanka’s parliament began meeting on Saturday to begin the process of electing a new president, as a shipment of fuel arrived to provide some relief to the crisis-hit nation.The resignation of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was accepted by parliament on Friday, after he fled to Singapore via the Maldives to escape anti-government protesters who had occupied his official residence and offices. Continue reading...

Analysis: US president aiming to convince Jeddah to increase oil supply in order to calm global energy marketsJoe Biden landed in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah to a tepid welcome from the Saudi crown prince whose country he once pledged to make a “pariah” on the world stage.While Saudi Arabia announced it would open its airspace to flights from Israel, making Biden the first US president to fly directly from Tel Aviv to the kingdom, expectations of further gains during his visit remained low. The US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told journalists onboard Air Force One not to expect any bilateral announcements in response to American demands that Saudi Arabia pump more oil to calm global energy markets after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Privileges committee to visit Downing Street in investigation into whether Boris Johnson misled parliamentMPs on the Commons privileges committee will carry out a site visit in Downing Street, and are demanding No 10 hand over evidence, including WhatsApps, photos and diary entries, as they investigate whether Boris Johnson misled parliament over Partygate.The committee, chaired by Harriet Harman, the longstanding Labour MP, but with a majority of Conservative members, has written to Johnson with a list of evidence they would like to examine. Continue reading...

Insiders say outgoing prime minister unlikely to write about personal life but book deal possible this autumnBoris Johnson could be paid more than £1m for his memoir, according to publishing insiders. But anyone expecting a kiss-and-tell may be disappointed, as industry professionals have said he is unlikely to open up about his personal relationships.A publisher, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Guardian that while it was “way too early for anything concrete to happen or be submitted”, they would “be amazed if he doesn’t sign up somewhere for memoirs at some point in the autumn”. Continue reading...

British manufacturer has been unable to generate cash to invest in new models and electric technologyAston Martin Lagonda has received a large investment from Saudi Arabia as part of raising £650m of capital to pay down the luxury sportscar maker’s large debts.The British manufacturer has not been able to generate cash needed to invest in new models and electric technology, and has also struggled with delays to its Valkyrie hypercar and its newest DBX 707 sports utility vehicle. Continue reading...

Former Brexit minister also attacks Penny Mordaunt, accusing her of being ‘absent on parade’ in Brexit talksThe former Brexit minister David Frost has urged Kemi Badenoch to pull out of the Tory leadership contest to bolster Liz Truss’s position in the race.Lord Frost also stepped up his attacks on the second-placed candidate, Penny Mordaunt, saying she was “absent on parade” when he worked with her on post-Brexit negotiations last year. Continue reading...

Exclusive: £1bn scheme beset by problems, with councils struggling to find workable payment methodsVulnerable people are struggling to access food vouchers and cash grants introduced under a government scheme to help with the cost of living crisis.The £1bn household support fund (HSF) has been beset by problems, with councils stuck trying to figure out workable payment methods to help those in acute need of financial support. Continue reading...

Guardian Australia brings together all the latest on daily new Covid-19 cases, as well as stats, charts and live state by state data from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, WA, Tasmania, ACT and NT. We bring together the latest numbers on the vaccine rollout and fourth dose booster vaccination rates.

Antony Butcher reaches San Francisco after pedalling 4,000 miles from New York and raising £25,000A British cyclist has completed a 4,000-mile ride across the US, raising more than £25,000 for charity, a sum that included a donation from Dame Judi Dench.Antony Butcher, 32, completed his three-month-long challenge on Wednesday to raise money for people living with multiple sclerosis. He received a £2,000 donation from Dench, 87, via a cheque posted to his home in June. The cyclist explained at the time that his father was the dentist for the actor’s daughter. Continue reading...

Photograph of Raheem Sterling displayed behind presenter as he spoke of unnamed player accused of sexual offencesBBC News has issued an on-air apology after mistakenly showing a picture of the footballer Raheem Sterling when reporting on a case about another Premier League player arrested over alleged sexual offences.An image of the England international, believed to have been used on an unrelated earlier story about his recent transfer from Manchester City to Chelsea, was shown behind the sports presenter Mike Bushell during an update on the arrest during the Thursday morning sports bulletin on the BBC News channel. Continue reading...

Jonathan Peter Brooks, 58, on trial for attempted murder of Graeme Perks, also ‘doused family home in petrol’A plastic surgeon broke into his colleague’s house at night and tried to set it on fire before stabbing him in the abdomen, a court has heard.Jonathan Peter Brooks, 58, is on trial for the attempted murder of fellow consultant plastic surgeon Graeme Perks, who was a witness in disciplinary proceedings against the defendant which started three days before the incident on 14 January 2021. Continue reading...

Liza Dmitrieva, four, was killed in a strike in the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia on ThursdayThe life and death of four-year-old Liza Dmitrieva in a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia on Thursday is a symbol of a conflict where death often comes without warning and from above.A series of video and still images posted on social media appear to track the last hours of Liza, who turned four in March in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Her mother, Iryna, lost a leg in the strike, which was condemned by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as “an open act of terrorism”. Continue reading...

Ismail Abedi, who fled the UK last year, is considered a key witness into the attack that killed 22The elder brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has been convicted in his absence of failing to give evidence at the public inquiry into the attack.Ismail Abedi, 28, whose whereabouts are unknown, had refused to cooperate with the inquiry but was ordered by the chair, Sir John Saunders, to attend to give evidence. Continue reading...

Internal memo reportedly points to social media as evidence staff at Frasers Group are abusing schemeMike Ashley’s Frasers Group has banned staff from working from home on Fridays after claiming social media posts showed they were relaxing during working time.The retailer, which owns Sports Direct and House of Fraser, has asked staff to be in the office all week, ending a flexible working policy introduced during the pandemic. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. Read our latest full report hereQ: Lord Frost says Penny Mordaunt is not up to the job. You have worked with her. Do you agree with him?Truss says she will not be making any disparaging comments about her opponents. The contest shows a broad range of talent. And the party did not get there through identity politics. Continue reading...

Ruling targets Danish firms that have exported white cheese labelled as ‘feta’Twenty years after feta cheese was recognised as exclusively Greek, the EU’s highest court has gone one step further and announced that Denmark would be breaking the law if it continued to allow dairies to sell counterfeit feta outside the bloc.In Athens the news elicited immediate glee. Continue reading...

Aminata Touré vows to tackle racism in the country as minister for social affairs in the state of Schleswig-HolsteinA woman who spent her childhood years living in German refugee quarters, haunted by uncertainty over how long her family would be allowed to stay in the country, has now become its first black female cabinet minister.Aminata Touré, whose parents arrived from war-torn Mali in 1992 – she was born shortly afterwards – has just taken up her post as minister for social affairs in the Christian Democrat-Green coalition government in Kiel in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein. Continue reading...

Kit Malthouse urges people to look out for vulnerable as NHS absences in England rise amid surging Covid casesMinisters are preparing for a surge in demand on the NHS and other essential services ahead of a heatwave that could result in record-breaking temperatures in Britain.The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning across much of England and Wales from Sunday to Tuesday, with temperatures expected to exceed 35C at their peak in southern, central and eastern areas of England. Continue reading...

Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled country on Wednesday after protesters occupied presidential palaceGotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned as president of Sri Lanka after fleeing on Wednesday following weeks of mass protests over the country’s economic crisis.Rajapaksa’s office said his resignation letter had been received by the country’s parliamentary speaker, after it was flown from Singapore, where the leader had fled to. Continue reading...

PM reportedly has no intention of quitting immediately as he wants to shore up areas at risk from successor

Space allocated to Cardiff woman’s flat is inaccessible, so she uses one reserved for disabled visitorsA disabled woman is reportedly facing fines of more than £1,000 for using a disabled-driver car parking space outside her flat.Cerys Gemma, who lives in Cardiff, told reporters the space allocated to her flat is inaccessible as it has a pillar on one side and another car parking space close on the other. Continue reading...

Strike across Great Britain planned for 27 July as RMT calls latest pay offer of 4% this year, up to 4% the next, ‘paltry’Network Rail’s chief negotiator has urged union leaders back to the negotiating table to avert another rail strike, arguing that the company has met its demands and that its latest offer should be put to members to vote on.On Wednesday, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which has as many as 40,000 members, announced another nationwide strike for 24 hours on 27 July in a dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. Continue reading...

Blanket speed restrictions in south-east expected next week to reduce risk of track and equipment failingRail services around Britain are expected to be severely disrupted next week, with trains running slowly to reduce the risk of track and equipment failing in extreme heat.Blanket speed restrictions are likely to be put in place around the south-east of England with the air temperature forecast to possibly surpass thehighest ever recorded in Britain, which was 38.7 in 2019. Continue reading...

An inquiry was not being ruled out after 54 Afghans were allegedly killed in suspicious circumstances by a single SAS unitA UK defence minister has hinted that the government is considering a further inquiry or review of a pattern of 54 allegedly suspicious killings by SAS soldiers in Afghanistan, reported in a BBC Panorama programme earlier this week.James Heappey told MPs on Thursday morning that defence secretary Ben Wallace “rules nothing out”, and that “he’ll be back in touch with the House very shortly to say how he thinks this might be further reviewed”. Continue reading...