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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...

Analysis: while Javid and Sunak resignations did not lead to deluge of other departures, many in party believe end is nigh for PM

As Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid announce their resignations minutes apart, could further departures follow?Two of Boris Johnson’s most senior cabinet minsters have quit, raising doubts over the prime minister’s future and questions over whether other members of his team will support him or turn their backs. Here is the state of play among key figures: Continue reading...

Health secretary and chancellor resign in what appears to be coordinated move

Analysis: PM is stubborn but if Tory MPs believe he is a liability that may prove decisive

Households struggling with loan repayments are ‘looking at a deep hole - incomes are not rising but costs are’

Australia is proceeding with trade disputes in WTO but Don Farrell says other options may emerge in talks between two countries

Brian Knowles admitted to denigrating colleagues but claimed to be victim of ‘witch-hunt’ in appeal to Industrial Relations Commission

Staff at homeless shelters required to be ‘clean-shaven’ to ensure N95 masks fit but for Sikh facial hair is key expression of faithMore than one hundred Sikh security guards in Toronto have lost their jobs or been demoted after refusing to cut their beards in order to wear a face mask, highlighting a city policy that critics describe as discriminatory “humiliating”.Under Toronto’s current rules, staff at homeless shelters and other congregate settings must wear a N95 respirators when exposed to people with Covid-19 or during suspected outbreaks. Continue reading...

Dorothy Bain QC releases her letter to the UK supreme court seeking its ruling on Nicola Sturgeon’s plans for a second referendumScotland’s lord advocate has confirmed she fears Nicola Sturgeon’s plans for a fresh independence referendum may be unlawful.Dorothy Bain QC has now released the letter she wrote to the UK supreme court last week seeking its ruling on whether Sturgeon has the legal powers to stage a referendum without the UK government’s authority. Continue reading...

UK’s second-biggest supermarket says it will invest £500m to keep prices low as Marks & Spencer echoes outlook for coming monthsThe inflationary pressure on households will “only intensify” through the rest of this year, the boss of Sainsbury’s has warned as he said the supermarket would invest £500m in attempting to keep prices low.The dour sentiment was echoed by the chair of Marks & Spencer, Archie Norman, who told shareholders at the retailer’s annual general meeting on Tuesday that there was a “coming winter in consumer demand”. Continue reading...

As high summer approaches, visitors to the country no longer need to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to be allowed inPortugal has become the latest country to drop all Covid travel restrictions, so British tourists no longer need to show proof of vaccination or take a test. The country previously required all travellers to show either proof of vaccination or a negative PCR/antigen test, but this has changed with the new rules coming into effect immediately.The Visit Portugal website said the rules applied to all “national territory”, including the Azores and Madeira, but that the measures could be reviewed “in accordance to the evolution of the pandemic”. Face coverings remain mandatory on public transport, in taxis and when visiting care homes, nursing homes and health facilities. Social distancing and frequent hand washing are still advised. Continue reading...

Inquiry examines causes of death, starting with eight people who died sheltering in two 23rd floor flatsWith friends to support them and boxes of tissues at hand, families whose loved ones died at Grenfell Tower gathered on Tuesday to finally hear in public the harrowing detail of how they perished.Five years and 21 days since fire engulfed the west London block, killing 72, public inquiry hearings recording the causes of death, last words and movements of the deceased began with an account of eight people who died after sheltering in two flats on the 23rd floor. Continue reading...

Euro slumps to 20-year low against US dollar as jump in natural gas prices intensifies economic strainRising worries about a European recession hit stock markets on Tuesday as the euro slumped to a two-decade low and the pound fell to its lowest since the start of the pandemic.Shares tumbled in London and across Europe as a jump in natural gas prices intensified the strain on the European economy. Continue reading...

George Degiorgio says he would have asked for bigger payment for murder had he known more about victimOne of the men accused of detonating the car bomb that killed the anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has confessed to the crime and said he would have asked for a bigger fee for the murder had he known more about her.George Degiorgio, who along with his brother Alfred and an associate, Vince Muscat, has been charged with murdering Caruana Galizia in Malta in October 2017, also said he would implicate others in the plot to kill her. Continue reading...

Tennis player who has reached Wimbledon quarter-finals is due to appear in court in Canberra next monthThe tennis player Nick Kyrgios is due to face a court in Australia after being summonsed to face a charge of assaulting a former girlfriend.The 27-year-old Australian, who reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon on Monday, will appear in court in Canberra next month. Continue reading...

Belgian justice minister tells MPs if bill not approved threat to Belgian interests will increaseBelgian politicians who support a treaty that would permit the swap of an Iranian diplomat jailed in Belgium for Belgians held prisoner in Tehran have told the treaty’s opponents that “lives are at stake”.MPs were told during a debate on Tuesday that there were serious risks to Belgians being kept in Iran if they voted against ratifying the treaty, which is set to be a first of its kind among European countries. Continue reading...

German logistics firm will invest £482m across its UK e-commerce operation amid online shopping boomThe logistics firm DHL is to expand in the UK in response to the growth in home deliveries, setting up new depots and enlarging others, which will create more than 4,000 jobs.The German company said it would invest £482m across its UK e-commerce operation, DHL Parcel UK, following a 40% rise in volumes since the start of 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic led to a surge in online shopping. Continue reading...

Just 59% of 10- and 11-year-olds reach expected standards in literacy, writing and maths in this year’s assessmentThe Covid pandemic and disruption has undone many of the improvements in primary school test results within the last five years, according to this year’s Sats assessments taken by pupils in England.Just 59% of 10 and 11 year olds reached the Department for Education’s expected standards in literacy, writing and maths, the lowest rate since 2017 and below the 65% recorded in 2019 before the pandemic. Continue reading...

Isyaka Mamman, thought to be 85, admitted causing death of Shahida Parveen, 48, in bone marrow biopsyA doctor who carried out a botched procedure that led to the death of a woman has been jailed for three years.Dr Isyaka Mamman, who is believed to be 85, had already been suspended for lying about his age and colleagues thought he should be retired after botching similar procedures before the fatal incident. Continue reading...

PM forgot he had been told about investigation that upheld complaint about Pincher’s behaviour, minister says

Concerns that take-up of government scheme has fallen far short of £800m in promised coverThe Wimbledon tennis tournament has received by far the largest amount of government support from a Covid-19 insurance scheme set up to help live events organisers.Organisers of live events ranging from music festivals to business conferences and car shows found it impossible last year to find commercial insurance, as insurers balked at the high risk of coronavirus restrictions being reimposed. After months of pleas for help from the events sector, the government intervened in August 2021 to provide reinsurance, in a move the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said would allow events organisers to “plan with confidence”. Continue reading...

Unarmed 28-year-old killed by police marksman in 2015 when part of a gang trying to free a prisonerA Metropolitan police firearms officer lawfully shot Jermaine Baker dead in December 2015, an official inquiry has found.Baker was part of a criminal gang trying to spring a prisoner from custody when he was killed by a Metropolitan police marksman on 11 December 2015. Continue reading...

President says violating property rights would set dangerous precedent and needed legal justification

Unite members will work to rule over plan to cut 700 jobs and slash pay by up to £7,000Royal Mail managers across the UK are poised to take industrial action in the next two weeks in a dispute over jobs and pay.Unite, the union that represents the workers, said 2,400 managers would work to rule between 15 and 19 July, followed by strike action between 20 and 22 July over Royal Mail’s plan to cut 700 jobs and slash pay by up to £7,000. Continue reading...

Five areas have experienced unusually early heatwave and lack of rainfall, particularly in the Po valleyItaly has declared a state of emergency in five northern regions and announced emergency funds over a worsening drought that has plagued the Po valley in recent weeks.The cabinet approved a state of emergency in five regions – Friuli-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto – until 31 December, the government said in a statement that also announced a €36.5m (£33.8m) fund to help those affected. Continue reading...

Advocacy groups and BNO passport holders say not enough is being done to help them after arriving in BritainThe UK is not doing enough to provide mental health support to thousands of Hongkongers who have fled China’s increasingly authoritarian grip, according to advocacy groups and those politically displaced.Following China’s introduction of a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong and swift clampdown on dissent, tens of thousands of residents with British national (overseas) (BNO) passports and their dependants were granted the right to live and work in the UK in 2021. Continue reading...

Services to holiday destinations including Málaga, Palma and Faro to be affectedBritish Airways is to cancel more than 1,000 additional flights this summer from Heathrow and Gatwick as staff shortages continue to affect its operations.More than 100,000 travellers planning to visit popular holiday destinations including Málaga, Palma and Faro will be affected, although BA will primarily cut back routes with multiple daily departures. Continue reading...

MV Portland Bay anchored in a sheltered position after wind and torrential rain prevented towing the ship to safety

Boris Johnson briefed in person about 2019 complaint of alleged groping by ex-deputy chief whip, says Simon McDonaldBoris Johnson’s claim that he was not aware of prior specific allegations against Chris Pincher is falling apart, after a former top civil servant wrote a formal letter to allege that Downing Street’s version of events was untrue.In a highly unusual move, Simon McDonald, who had been the most senior official in the Foreign Office and is now a crossbench peer, told the parliamentary standards commissioner that the prime minister was briefed in person about a 2019 complaint of alleged groping by the former Conservative deputy chief whip. Continue reading...

Federal MPs claim PM more concerned about his global reputation than flooding victims but NSW premier praises Labor’s support

Arrests of members of ‘The Saints’ come after girl’s parents were charged with murder over death in family’s Toowoomba home

AI system identifies currents and bathers, and sends a warning to lifeguards via a smart watchEarly July is the cue for Japanese surfers and sun seekers to descend on beaches across the country – and one beach on the Pacific coast is turning to artificial intelligence to ensure that their time in the water is without incident.Officials in Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo, have introduced an AI system to identify rip currents – which cause 60% of drowning deaths – and send a warning to bathers and lifeguards, according to the Mainichi Shimbun. Continue reading...

Some state premiers and chief health officers are calling on people to use masks in public indoor spaces

Ukraine officials clarify initial confusion as to whether the flag has been raised, saying it is there but will be hoisted only once troops arrive

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereUkrainian media reports an ammunition depot was destroyed in occupied Snizhne in the eastern Donetsk region. Nexta TV has this unverified footage of what it claims to be the incident.Russian forces hit a secondary school in the Kharkiv district at 4am this morning, according to a report from Oleh Synyehubov, governor of the region. There were no reported casualties. Continue reading...

The latest variants are masters at evading immunity – meaning previous infection and vaccines are unlikely to provide much protection against catching it

Campaigners wearing T-shirts with name of Chinese tennis player say they were told not to approach anyoneActivists wearing “Where is Peng Shuai?” T-shirts claim they were confronted by Wimbledon security staff who warned them against approaching spectators and political messaging at SW19.

Two unions say political parties cannot be trusted to deal with sexual misbehaviour by their own MPsParliament must act to stop the “seemingly endless” allegations of sexual misconduct by MPs as political parties cannot be trusted to make it a safe place to work, two leading unions have warned.As No 10 admitted Boris Johnson had known about allegations against Chris Pincher before making him deputy chief whip, the FDA and Prospect said politicians were time and again failing to “deal properly with sexual misconduct by one of their own”. Continue reading...

Family of Alaa Abd El Fattah join wife of Karim Ennarah, under travel ban, in demanding more action from foreign secretaryThe family of a British national jailed in Egypt and the British wife of an Egyptian rights defender under a travel ban are demanding that Liz Truss do more to pressure her Egyptian counterpart when they meet this week.The foreign secretary is expected to meet Egypt’s foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, in London after telling parliament in June that she would seek a meeting with him and raise the case of detained British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El Fattah. “We’re working very hard to secure his release,” she said. Continue reading...

Cash rate predicted to rise again in August as the RBA attempts to bring down rising inflation

Book burning has become a tradition for students finishing exams and it has prompted fires in PrestonTo the dismay of local firefighters the act of book burning has been taken up by GCSE students in Lancashire to celebrate the end of their exams.Happy pupils have been burning their textbooks, prompting three fires in one night in Preston last week. Continue reading...