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Dominic Raab condemns decision to free mother of child who died in 2007 after months of abuseThe mother of Baby P, who died after months of abuse in 2007, has been freed from jail.Tracey Connelly was jailed at the Old Bailey in 2009 for causing or allowing the death of her 17-month-old son Peter at their home in Tottenham, north London, on 3 August 2007. Continue reading...

Gove and Raab have ruled themselves out, but many others from different wings of Tory party are mulling their chancesBoris Johnson’s resignation has triggered fevered speculation about who might take over in Downing Street, with early momentum among MPs swinging towards Rishi Sunak, and Ben Wallace emerging as a favourite among Conservative party members.As a huge number of candidates weigh up whether to make a challenge, current and former cabinet ministers known to be drumming up support include Liz Truss, Suella Braverman, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt and Nadhim Zahawi. Continue reading...

Mary-Sophie Harvey says a ‘four-to-six hour window where I can’t recall a single thing’ left her with a concussion and rib sprainA Canadian swimmer has said she was drugged at a recent world championship event in Budapest, leaving her with a concussion and rib sprain.Mary-Sophie Harvey said on her Instagram account that she was drugged on the final night while celebrating in the Hungarian capital and that there was a “four-to-six-hour window where I can’t recall a single thing”. Continue reading...

Unlikely north-east setting for Salvador Dalí’s Christ of St John of the Cross and El Greco paintingTwo towering examples of Spanish religious art, separated by 350 years but with as many parallels as contrasts, have been brought together in the unlikely setting of a “left behind” post-industrial market town in north-east England.The Spanish Gallery in Bishop Auckland is fast becoming something of a “Prado of the north”, some say, and while that might be a slight exaggeration there is certainly art on display there the likes of which cannot be seen anywhere else but the Madrid gallery. Continue reading...

But most in the know say the soon-to-be former PM is unlikely to fall on hard times

Readers react to the prime minister’s resignation as Tory leader and give their view on what will happen next

Analysis: after Johnson’s resignation, how does he compare with his four predecessors as PM?Was Boris Johnson the worst prime minister of recent times? He squandered one of the strongest political positions held by an occupant of No 10 in record time. The authority gained after winning an 80-seat majority in December 2019 dissipated at extraordinary speed as he dealt with a series of scandals with a ham-fisted mixture of denial, disorganisation and even outright lying.The high point was the election victory, secured on the back of the “get Brexit done” pledge. After securing an exit from the European Union, Johnson struggled with the coronavirus pandemic, was late imposing the first lockdown in March 2020 and was forced to cancel at the last minute a plan to loosen restrictions the following Christmas. Continue reading...

Imbalance between supply and demand continues to drive up prices despite cost of living crisisHouse prices in the UK rose at the fastest annual rate in 18 years last month as demand – especially for larger homes – continued to outstrip the number of properties on the market.Halifax, one of the country’s biggest mortgage lenders and part of Lloyds Banking Group, said the market “defied any expectations of a slowdown”, with prices rising year on year in June by 13%, the highest since late 2004. Prices rose 1.8% compared with May, which was the biggest monthly rise since early 2007. Continue reading...

Analysis: who runs the UK immediately after Boris Johnson officially resigns and the next steps in choosing a prime minister

Kremlin gloats as oligarch Oleg Deripaska welcomes end of ‘stupid clown’ but Zelenskiy pays tribute to ‘true friend’

Former PM says it is ‘unwise, and may be unsustainable’ for Johnson to stay in office for up to three months

New era of tensions requires sturdier barriers than current wooden livestock fences, parliament decidesFinland’s parliament has passed legislation to build stronger fences on its border with Russia, as the country seeks to join Nato after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.Finland reversed decades of military non-alignment by seeking membership of the military alliance in May, formally starting the process to join this week. Continue reading...

Yvette Cooper requests more details about Boris Johnson’s meeting with Alexander Lebedev in Italy in 2018Yvette Cooper has used an urgent question in the Commons to ask if Alexander Lebedev sought to arrange a private phone call between Boris Johnson and the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, during a weekend party in April 2018.A day after Johnson admitted for the first time that he had met Lebedev, a former KGB agent, the shadow home secretary told the Commons there were further questions raised by the trip to the party at an Italian palazzo owned by Lebedev’s son. Continue reading...

Families who lost loved ones welcome PM’s exit but worry his handling of pandemic will be overlookedFamilies bereaved by Covid insisted Boris Johnson must still face justice at the public inquiry into the pandemic as they voiced concern that his resignation would see him make a fortune from writing and speeches while they remained scarred by grief.Johnson’s departure was greeted by relief by people who lost loved ones to the virus over the last two and half years, but the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, which represents more than 4,000 affected families, said: “Johnson will always be the man that wanted to ‘let the bodies pile high’ while our loved ones desperately fought for their lives and that partied whilst we had to say goodbye to our loved ones over a screen.” Continue reading...

Changes come after Labor criticised Porter for not declaring who contributed to fund he used to pay for ABC defamation case

New roles for Greg Clark, James Cleverly and Kit Malthouse as PM stays in No 10 until successor chosen

Johnson succumbs to pressure to quit as party leader but pledges to stay on as prime minister until successor is chosen

Trial of 59 defendants over fatal collapse of Morandi Bridge in 2018 will continue in SeptemberA trial of 59 defendants accused of manslaughter and undermining transport safety after dozens of people were killed when Genoa’s Morandi Bridge collapsed almost four years ago has been postponed until September after the first hearing on Thursday lasted less than two hours.Judge Paolo Lepri said the first hearing had ended “resoundingly prematurely” and that the second one was scheduled for 12 September, during which judges would decide on requests made by the civil claimants. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary’s retreat from Indonesia summit and potential showdown with Russia may concern allies

Authorities arrest suspected gang leader who allegedly lured women with false job offers then forced them into prostitutionInvestigators in Ukraine said they had foiled a criminal gang who forced women into sex work abroad after luring them with false adverts for legitimate employment.Authorities in Kyiv arrested the suspected leader of the gang after months of surveillance resulted in them stopping a woman as she was about to cross the border. They were then able to confirm the suspect’s involvement. Continue reading...

Following days of speculation China’s foreign ministry confirmed the meeting after Wong signalled she was open to a direct conversation

Michelle Donelan, Brandon Lewis, Damian Hinds, George Freeman, Helen Whately, Guy Opperman, Chris Philp and James Cartlidge hand in notices

From suggesting ministers are replaced with agency staff to Nish Kumar saying what he really thinks, nothing energies Twitter more

Johnson facing intense pressure from Tory colleagues who say he has to go now

Nadhim Zahawi calls on PM to resign after freshly-appointed education secretary steps down

Document shows Stuart Ayres signed briefing confirming appointment of Jenny West to New York trade commissioner role

Simba the goat’s owner says kid’s ears are record-breaking and has contacted Guinness World RecordsA kid goat with extraordinarily long ears has become a media star in Pakistan, with its owner claiming a world record that may or may not exist.Simba is now living a pampered existence in Karachi, where he was born last month with ears that were strikingly long – and have grown to reach 54cm (21 inches). Continue reading...

Mark Dreyfus ordered the commonwealth DPP to discontinue case over alleged unlawful disclosure of classified information

Extra paperwork, veterinary checks and expenses could mean thousands have to give up pastimeCross-Channel pigeon racing is “hugely at threat” owing to post-Brexit red tape that threatens to drive thousands out of the sport, the head of its governing body has said.British pigeon fanciers have been racing their birds home from destinations in Europe for more than a century without bureaucratic hurdles. But new EU regulations put in place after Brexit mean any bird entering continental Europe must be treated as if it is being imported, even if the pigeon will fly directly back over the Channel as soon as it is released. Continue reading...

Lee Archer and Shane Dowsett used an inflatable dinghy to reach the freezing infant at home in Bulga in flooded Hunter regionA baby who was having breathing problems on a New South Wales property cut off by flood waters has been rescued by two NSW lifesavers who used an inflatable dinghy to reach the freezing infant.Paramedics were called about 4.30pm on Wednesday about a baby boy who was struggling to breathe at a home in Bulga in the flooded Hunter region. Continue reading...

The inside story of Rajapaksa family infighting that toppled a country into violence and bankruptcyDilith Jayaweera can still recall the moment he realised Sri Lanka was hurtling, unstoppably, towards financial ruin.It was around October 2021 and Jayaweera, a Sri Lankan media magnate and close friend of the Sri Lankan president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had invited Basil Rajapaksa, the president’s younger brother, who was also the finance minister, to join him for dinner. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson is clinging on to his leadership by a thread as the number of resignations from his government continues to rise. The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by columnists Gaby Hinsliff and Rafael Behr, to discuss the future for the PM Continue reading...

Word from No 10 bunker goes out to the Tory trenches but even the diehards know that the party’s one-time hero has to goA blood-curdling vow to fight to the death, despair among Tory grandees at the impending loss of their champion, and incredulity that Boris Johnson is still hanging on – it is all part of the mix as the UK newspapers feast on another day of high drama at Westminster.In what it calls an “exclusive” on “Defiant Boris’s message to Tory rebels”, the Sun splashes with the headline “You’ll have to dip your hands in blood to get rid of me”. A “key ally” of the prime minister repeats the No 10 briefing line that the rebels will have to overturn the “will of the people” if they want to oust Johnson. Continue reading...

Investigation recommends the state creates dedicated social housing ombudsman and makes law changes

Levelling up secretary had told PM to step down in face-to-face meeting as Simon Hart says it is too late to ‘turn the ship around’

Fight in front of fans was reportedly broken up by police with the men taken into custody and later bailedThree of Wimbledon’s security guards have been arrested after an alleged fight between them within the grounds of the grand slam tennis tournament.The altercation on Friday took place between guards working for Knights Group Security, the company contracted to provide security services to Wimbledon. Continue reading...

A number of senior Tory MPs are preparing leadership bids as Johnson’s hold on power weakens

Prime minister confirms meeting with Alexander Lebedev in Italy in 2018 when he was foreign secretary

Wimbledon player refuses to address accusation saying he had been gagged by lawyersThe tennis player Nick Kyrgios has admitted to struggling to focus after being accused of domestic abuse.But the 27-year-old Australian refused to address the allegation in more detail, saying he had been gagged by his lawyers. Continue reading...

Regulators say ‘scientific issues’ warrant further review of its decision to bar products from sale in USThe Food and Drug Administration will continue to allow Juul to sell its products while the vaping company appeals a recent ban, the agency said on Tuesday.The FDA wrote on Twitter that there were “scientific issues” warranting additional review of the agency’s ruling last month, which ordered the company to remove its e-cigarettes from the US marketplace. Continue reading...

In speech to divided parliament, Élisabeth Borne tries to court opposition parties to avoid deadlockFrance is to renationalise its indebted electricity giant EDF in response to the energy crisis aggravated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country’s prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, has said.Borne vowed to limit the impact of rising energy prices despite the political turmoil of Emmanuel Macron losing control of parliament in recent legislative elections. Continue reading...

Increases reported in countries including Greece, Spain, France and Germany as Omicron variant BA.5 spreadsHolidaymakers heading to and from the European mainland are being warned of a growing incidence of coronavirus, especially in tourist hotspots, which risks hampering travel plans.Health officials are calling in some cases for a reintroduction of face masks and other measures, and are urging travellers to exercise personal responsibility, warning that an escalation of the virus could lead to the swift return of restrictions. Continue reading...

UK pharmaceutical to spin off brands such as Sensodyne, Voltaren and Panadol into Haleon in largest listing since 2011Investors in the British pharmaceuticals giant GSK have voted to approve a demerger of its consumer brands into a new company, Haleon, firing the starting gun on the largest London stock market listing in a decade.Shares in Haleon are scheduled to start trading on Monday 18 July, after investors in GSK – previously GlaxoSmithKline – voted to approve the demerger. The FTSE 100 company won 99.8% of the votes cast at a general meeting on Wednesday at a hotel by London’s Heathrow airport. Continue reading...

CMA looks into whether firm gives own sellers unfair advantage over third-party rivalsThe UK competition watchdog has launched an investigation into whether Amazon has been giving its own brands and those using its logistics services unfair advantage over third-party rivals on its online marketplace.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it opened an investigation on Tuesday amid concerns the US tech corporation’s practices on its UK marketplace may be anti-competitive and could result in a worse deal for customers. Continue reading...

IOPC tells force to apologise to family of teenager who was found dead two weeks after going missingThe family of a vulnerable black teenager who went missing and then was found dead were failed by the Metropolitan police when they most needed them, the police watchdog has found.The desperate family of Richard Okorogheye, 19, were told by one call handler: “If you can’t find your son, how do you expect us to?” which the Met has accepted was insensitive. Continue reading...

MPs write letter expressing fear that policy advisers may be opposing regulation of gambling industryMPs will this week write to the prime minister to voice concern that No 10 policy advisers with past ties to the gambling industry may be opposing tougher regulation designed to protect vulnerable people and addicts.It comes as Guardian analysis reveals that the industry lavished £280,000 on MPs in the run-up to an overhaul of gambling laws, which were expected to be published next week. Continue reading...

Refugee agency releases figure as Donetsk governor urges people to leave after more civilian deaths

Could Michael Gove strike again as he did in 2016? And who is positioning to be the PM’s possible successor?Latest politics news – liveBoris Johnson has lost Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak, but where do some of his other key ministers stand on the loyalty spectrum? And who is most likely to walk next? Continue reading...

Rocco Morabito is part of the ’Ndrangheta organized crime syndicate, which does billions of euros in cocaine businessA convicted mobster who was one of Italy’s most-wanted fugitives and reputedly one of the world’s most powerful drug brokers, has arrived in Rome, following his extradition from Brazil after 28 years on the lam.Rocco Morabito held the No 2 position on the list of Italy’s most wanted and dangerous mobsters. He was convicted two decades ago in absentia of drug trafficking as part of the ’Ndrangheta organized crime syndicate, which does billions of euros in cocaine business. Continue reading...