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Judge rules in case of Saudi diplomat who allegedly forced Filipino worker to wear a bell 24 hours a dayThe UK’s highest court has ruled that diplomats who exploit domestic workers in conditions of modern slavery cannot rely on diplomatic immunity to prevent compensation claims.Describing exploitation of migrant domestic workers by foreign diplomats as a “significant problem”, the supreme court ruled by a majority of three to two that exploitation of a domestic worker for profit falls within the “commercial activity” exemption to immunity under the diplomatic convention. Continue reading...

Labour leader says Conservative MPs backing Boris Johnson do not have ‘a shred of integrity’Keir Starmer has accused Conservative MPs and ministers of complicity in propping up a prime minister with a history of indefensible behaviour, as he condemned and mocked what he called the “dying spectacle” of Boris Johnson’s political career.Focusing in particular on Johnson’s decision earlier this year to promote Chris Pincher to be deputy chief whip, despite a known history of sexually predatory behaviour, Starmer said any Tory MPs still backing Johnson did not have “a shred of integrity”. Continue reading...

Atagi will brief the health minister, Mark Butler, on Thursday after agreeing to recommend the expansion of Australia’s Covid vaccine program

Country hails ‘monumental step’ towards expanding reproductive rights at a time when the US has overturned themMinisters in Sierra Leone have taken a major step towards decriminalising abortion and overturning the country’s colonial-era law, in a move hailed by campaigners and women’s rights activists.President Julius Maada Bio said his cabinet had unanimously backed a bill on risk-free motherhood, which would expand access to abortion in a country where terminations are only permitted when a mother’s life is at risk. Continue reading...

Prime minister’s next steps hard to call due to unreliability of his logic and desire to act in interest of Tory partyBy any normal metric it is fair to say Boris Johnson is doomed, given the scale of ministerial resignations and the number of backbench MPs publicly withdrawing their support. While Johnson has often defied normal political rules, it does seem a matter of when he is ousted from No 10 rather than if. But how? Here are some scenarios. Continue reading...

Children’s minister Will Quince and parliamentary aide Laura Trott resign as support for PM drains away

NSW has confirmed 11 cases and health authorities are urging people to be aware of symptoms

Complex in Alicante, sanctioned for breaking competition rules, to begin productions later this yearOne of Spain’s most notorious and costly white elephants, the Ciudad de la Luz (City of Light) film studios in Alicante, is to get a new lease of life 10 years after it was forced to shut by the European Union on grounds of unfair competition.The Valencian regional government has announced that the studios will reopen with productions expected to begin later this year. Brussels had banned it from operating until 2027 after production companies, including Pinewood Studios in London, complained that government subsidies broke EU competition rules. Continue reading...

Defence minister announces move as ‘we have no reason to think Russia will change its behaviour’

Director rejects fears that the sequel to record-breaking 2009 blockbuster will be met with apathy, since ‘people binge-watch TV for eight hours!’James Cameron has pre-empted fears that his forthcoming sequel to 2009’s Avatar will be met with apathy when it’s released in December.Speaking to Empire, Cameron addressed the frequent criticism of the original film that few can remember the name – Jake Sully – of its protagonist, played by Sam Worthington. Continue reading...

Girl, 16, had been taken into care by Blackpool council, which has made an official complaintLancashire police threatened to shoot a suicidal 16-year-old girl on a motorway bridge with a Taser and then accused her of wasting police time, a court has heard.The girl, identified as HT, had “highly complex needs” and was living in an unregistered private children’s home at the time, where staff referred to her as a “wild animal”. Continue reading...

Foreign minister confirms Australia’s willingness to engage with China but insists ‘coercive’ trade sanctions must be scrapped

Norwegian government intervenes in pay row because of ‘great social consequences for whole of Europe’The Norwegian government has stepped in to end a strike that had threatened supplies of gas to Britain.The labour dispute had shut down oil and gasfields and was expected to cut Norway’s gas supplies by almost 60% by the weekend. Continue reading...

74-year-old guitarist says he ‘forgot to eat and drink water so dehydrated and passed out’The US guitarist Carlos Santana has recovered after collapsing on stage during a concert in suburban Detroit on Tuesday.The audience was reportedly initially told of a serious medical issue and asked to pray for the 74-year-old musician, but Santana was treated swiftly and was seen waving to fans as he was wheeled off stage. He was taken to a local hospital for observation. Continue reading...

UK media react to the resignations of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, and where that leaves the PM

BookTrust which ran the awards said its limited resources would now be directed to disadvantaged familiesThe decision to axe the Blue Peter book awards has been labelled by authors and agents as “devastating” and a “horrible loss” for the books industry, in particular for children’s publishing.The prize, which was awarded to both fiction and non-fiction books for children and promoted through the eponymous children’s TV show, had been running for 22 years. It was announced on Tuesday that the 2022 awards, the winners of which were announced in March, were the last. Continue reading...

Detector dogs will operate at some airports and biosecurity officers will begin boarding flights from Indonesia to try to stop the livestock virus arriving here

The TGA’s ‘provisional determination’ for two vaccines comes as BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants drive new wave of Covid cases

Landlords seeking to recoup rising borrowing costs, more households being formed and fewer homes being built, experts sayRents have risen at the fastest rate for 14 years as Australia’s landlords seek to recoup costs in the face of rising interest rates and higher inflation.According research firm CoreLogic’s quarterly rental review, the national rental index increased 0.9% in the month to June and 2.9% over the June quarter. Continue reading...

Police in five European countries uncover criminal network believed to have smuggled 10,000 people in last 18 monthsA smuggling operation that police believe illegally sent 10,000 people across the Channel over the last 18 months has been uncovered after a coordinated operation across five European countries.In what is believed to be the biggest investigation ever launched to stop small boat crossings, hundreds of officers from the UK, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany staged dawn raids, resulting in dozens of arrests. Continue reading...

Firefighters trained in movement minimisation since 1980s but method can be time consuming and cost lives

Traditional owners urge Geneva panel to hold Western Australia and business accountable for cultural damage and fostering ‘chaos’ in Burrup Peninsula

Plans for Surrey stately home will allow visitors to see ‘raw power and poetic beauty’ of damaged buildingClandon Park, an elegant 18th-century stately home that was gutted in a fire in 2015, is to be mainly conserved as a ruin rather than restored to its former Palladian glory.Plans by the National Trust, which has owned the Grade I-listed house since 1956, will allow visitors to see the “raw power and poetic beauty” of the building after the flames stripped away panelling and plasterwork and brought down floors, said Kent Rawlinson, the project director. Continue reading...

Officials investigate irregularities in poultry and pig waste exports to Ireland, as ammonia risks turning soil into a ‘wasteland’Ireland has become a “toilet” for cross-border pollution, say campaigners, as officials investigate allegations around the movement of animal manure from Northern Ireland.Northern Ireland has the highest stocking density of livestock in the UK, with 25 million poultry birds, and intensive pig numbers at a 10-year high. But the disposal of animal waste and increasing levels of pollution may now halt the expansion of its multi-billion pound export-driven industry. Continue reading...

One Auckland school has taken dozens of pupils off its register amid fears some are forced to find work as cost of living crisis hitsNew Zealand school principals are raising the alarm that students are falling off the rolls, as a wave of absenteeism follows the disruption of Covid-19.In 2021, schools in Auckland and parts of the North Island were shut down for weeks or months as the country went into lockdown. Since then, however, principals say a worrying number of students have not made it back to school, or are not attending regularly. Vulnerable students are falling through the gaps and disappearing, despite schools visiting homes and contacting families and neighbours to find them. Continue reading...

Former Labor frontbencher Greg Combet says group will examine viability of infrastructure investment opportunities as Australia tries to move past its reliance on China

Queensland police allege Elizabeth died at home after being denied life-saving medication in the belief songs and prayers would heal her

Lawyer tells court it would have been extraordinary if Dawson planned to kill his wife without even packing a suitcase to make it appear she had left

People are buying less, costs are up, and profits are dwindling for traders at Kaneshi market in AccraOn a quiet stretch amid the sprawling buzz of Kaneshie market in Accra, a group of traders sheltering under canopies from the blazing sun sell yams stacked along the roadside.Rita Oboh, 32, has worked the spot, or one nearby, since she was six, following in the footsteps of her mother who also traded yams. “My mother lived good, really good,” Oboh says with pride. “She built houses, she looked after everybody, her family, people who relied on her. She was successful.” Continue reading...

At the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, the magistrate said that while the charge was serious, the musicians’ circumstances were exceptional

PM defends his response to NSW floods crisis, saying federal Coalition didn’t ‘get the memo about the new politics’

Kevin Bugmy, who spent his life in state institutions and 36 years in prison, received inadequate care for solvent abuse problem that affected his ability to get parole

The prime minister’s son was arrested by police but released without charge, after police allegedly found a suitcase with AU$650,000 on another travellerPapua New Guinea’s prime minister James Marape has denied any connection to a suitcase containing PGK1.56m (AU$650,000) in cash that police found in Hela province, just as voting in the country’s election was about to start.Mospal Marape, the son of the prime minister, James Marape, was arrested after being found allegedly travelling with a man carrying a suitcase full of cash totalling PGK1.56m (AU$650,000) to Hela province, where voting in the country’s election kicked off this week. Continue reading...

The front pages are almost unanimous in declaring that the prime minister’s time in No 10 could be up soonAfter limping along in the wake of the Partygate investigation, multiple sex scandals and successive policy failures, Boris Johnson is approaching the endgame of his time in Downing Street, according to the papers.“On the brink”, “hanging by a thread” and “Last chance saloon” are just some of the metaphors employed by the headline writers to describe the prime minister’s predicament on Wednesday morning after he was deserted by two of his most senior cabinet ministers. Continue reading...

Education secretary replaces Sunak with Steve Barclay becoming the new health secretaryNicola Sturgeon asked Boris Johnson to discuss a fresh referendum on independence when the two spoke by phone on Monday evening. According to a Scottish government readout of their conversation, she warned him she would not be deterred if he refused to grant one.Downing Street has not yet issued a readout of the conversation – lobby reporters should get one at their morning briefing later. We do not know what the prime minister said in reply to Sturgeon’s request for permission to stage a referendum, under a section 30 order granted by the UK government. Johnson has yet to reply in writing to Sturgeon’s demand by letter that Holyrood gets that section 30 order.The two leaders agreed that a heads of government meeting will take place in the near future to discuss the current cost of living crisis. Both governments will work together to develop proposals ahead of that meeting to help those most in need of support.In discussing Scotland’s future the first minister again made clear that the Scottish government is ready and willing to negotiate a section 30 order to secure a referendum on independence but reiterated that the absence of a section 30 order will not mean Scotland is refused the democratic right to choose. Continue reading...

Mette Frederiksen calls for unity as country mourns three people, including two teenagers, killed after gunman opened fire at Field’s shopping centreThousands have gathered in Copenhagen to pay tribute to the victims of a weekend shopping centre shooting that left three people dead, including two teenagers.“Cruel, unjust and senseless. Tonight, we all mourn,” the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, told the massive crowd that gathered on Tuesday outside the Field’s shopping complex, where the attack occurred. Frederiksen called for unity in the face of the tragedy. Continue reading...

Fifteen test positive while Fawkner facility faces charges over 2020 outbreak that left 45 residents dead

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereUkraine’s governor of Luhansk, Serhai Haidai, has posted an update to Telegram casting aspersions on the ability of pro-Russian proxies to restore stability in the newly occupied areas of Ukraine. He writes:In the recently occupied territories, the Russians establish their own rules, talk nonsense about the opening of schools from 1 September, the rapid restoration of communications. This is all a lie, the same thing happened in Mariupol. The only thing the Rashists [a term for Russian fascists] are capable of is terrorising the local population. Orcs [derogatory slang for Russians/pro-Russian forces] are already looking for activists and military families, collaborators are helping with this.Over these few months, more than 800 saboteurs were detained and handed over to the SBU [Ukrainian security service] for further procedural actions. And often, they are “sold for thirty pieces of silver”: the price for treason to the motherland reaches no more than 300 dollars. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Investigation by group of prominent human rights lawyers also criticises Syria and IraqTurkey should face charges in front of the international court of justice for being complicit in acts of genocide against the Yazidi people, while Syria and Iraq failed in their duty to prevent the killings, an investigation endorsed by British human rights lawyer Helena Kennedy has said.The groundbreaking report, compiled by a group of prominent human rights lawyers, is seeking to highlight the binding responsibility states have to prevent genocide on their territories, even if they are carried out by a third party such as Islamic State (IS). Continue reading...

Soaring costs mean rising number of people defaulting on mortgage, rent or bill payments, Which? findsMore than 2m households have missed a bill payment every month this year as people struggle to keep their heads above water in a “relentless cost of living crisis”, according to new research from consumer group Which?.In June an estimated 2.1m households missed or defaulted on at least one mortgage, rent, loan, credit card or bill, according to the consumer champion’s monthly insight tracker. This figure has been above 2 million every month so far this year, it said. Continue reading...

UK charity says 150 people an hour contacting it over backlog in processing personal independence payment claimsHundreds of thousands of disabled and chronically ill people in the UK are missing out on cash payments worth up to £157 a week because bureaucratic delays have driven up processing times for disability benefit claims to an average of five months.The Citizens Advice charity said the backlog in personal independence payment (Pip) claims processing was causing widespread stress and hardship. Roughly 150 people an hour were contacting its advisers for one-to-one help with the delays. Continue reading...

Facility intended for tennis fans to find ‘a moment of private meditation, prayer or reflection’It is supposed to be a space where guests can escape Wimbledon’s bustling crowds and packed courts.But some amorous couple are said to be misusing a new dedicated quiet room at SW19. Continue reading...

Wednesday: NSW set for temporary reprieve from storms, but the long-term forecast isn’t as bright. Plus: bombshell resignations in Boris Johnson’s party

Crystals, velvet, lamé, sequins and statement sparkly earrings feature in high-end couture catwalkGiorgio Armani’s Privé show in Paris was formed around the core tenets of classic cocktail dressing. The fashion veteran, who celebrates his 88th birthday this month, presented crystals, velvet, lamé, sequins and statement sparkly earrings. The colour palette shifted from silver and black to pinks and lilac with Armani’s trademark midnight blue dominating.With over 90 outfits, most of the collection felt familiar, part of the Armani wheelhouse since his heyday in the 1980s. The first four looks featured trousers, something that the designer has made a signature when it comes to after-dark dressing. Tailoring was strong – evening jackets featured in various different silhouettes, from a boxy sequined design to a longline jacquard version with geometric motifs. There were also classic gowns that would no doubt appeal to women with a diary full of black tie events – and a bank balance to fund a new frock. See a strapless black velvet dress with a slash of pink down the bodice or a mid-length dress in midnight blue silk organza, embroidered with tiny crystals. Continue reading...

The resignations of Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak are not events the PM can easily wriggle free from

Complaint says Unilever sale of Israeli business to local licensee undermines its values to sell its ice-cream in occupied West BankBen & Jerry’s has sued its parent Unilever plc to block the sale of its Israeli business to a local licensee, saying it was inconsistent with its values to sell its ice-cream in the occupied West Bank.The complaint filed in the US district court in Manhattan said the sale announced on 29 June threatened to undermine the integrity of the Ben & Jerry’s brand, which Ben & Jerry’s board retained independence to protect when Unilever acquired the company in 2000. Continue reading...

At least £450m of taxpayers’ money has been spent on facilities to handle post-Brexit checks, now delayedNext to the container terminal at Portsmouth International Port, just a few hundred metres from the water’s edge, stands a new hi-tech border control post.Built over the past 18 months at a cost of £25m, a cost shared by the taxpayer and the port’s owner, Portsmouth city council, the high-specification facility should be in its inaugural week of use, handling post-Brexit checks on imports of animal, plant and forestry products arriving from the EU. Continue reading...

The extremist group said the white Toyota, which belonged to Mullah Mohammad Omar, should be displayedThe Taliban have dug up a white Toyota used by their founding leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, to escape into hiding in southern Afghanistan after the US invasion.Senior officials have called for the vehicle to be put on display at the national museum in Kabul. It already houses the cars and coaches of former kings and prime ministers, including one with bulletproof glass fragmented by an assassination attempt. Continue reading...

How does Sunak, once seen as Johnson’s most likely replacement, measure up against Javid?Politics latest – liveThe chancellor, until recently seen as the most likely successor should Boris Johnson be ousted, has been tipped several times to resign on issues of principle or honour in recent months, but never did – until now. Continue reading...