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Saturday's 10-hour concert will reunite original lineup of Black Sabbath and feature a multitude of metal bandsHe is considered to be the godfather of heavy metal, but after more than five decades in the game, the prince of darkness", Ozzy Osbourne, brings his blistering performing career to an end with a highly anticipated final concert this weekend.Thousands of metal fans will descend on Birmingham's Villa Park on Saturday to see the original Black Sabbath lineup reunite for the first time in 20 years, in what has been billed as the greatest heavy metal show ever". Continue reading...

Insurers may be failing in their duty to offer fair value when 40% of motorists do not make a fuss over often big hikesIt is a familiar scene: you open the renewal letter from your insurer, and the quote is much higher than last year, even though nothing has changed. So you phone up and complain, and maybe suggest you will take your business elsewhere. Suddenly and miraculously, you are offered a much better price.Most of us would chalk that down as a serious win - but what if you hadn't called? Continue reading...

Amy Hawkins visits one of the many bars popping up across Chinese cities offering drinks, snacks and a vision of the futureIn the age of self-help, self-improvement and self-obsession, there have never been more places to look to for guidance. Where the anxious and the uncertain might have once consulted a search engine for answers, now we can engage in a seemingly meaningful discussion about our problems with ChatGPT. Or, if you're in China, DeepSeek.To some, though, it feels as if our ancestors knew more about life than we do. Or at least, they knew how to look for them. And so it is that scores of young Chinese are turning to ancient forms of divination to find out what the future holds. In the past couple of years, fortune-telling bars have been popping up in China's cities, offering drinks and snacks alongside xuanxue, or spiritualism. The trend makes sense: China's economy is struggling, and although consumers are saving their pennies, going out for a drink is cheaper than other forms of retail therapy or an actual therapist. With a deep-rooted culture of mysticism that blends Daoist, Buddhist and folk practices, which have defied decades of the government trying to stamp out superstitious beliefs, for many Chinese people, turning to the unseen makes perfect sense. Continue reading...

Justice department says the men - including nationals from Vietnam, South Korea, Mexico, Laos, Cuba and Myanmar - will be flown to South SudanEight migrants lost their last-ditch effort to halt their deportation to South Sudan by the Trump administration on Friday, clearing the way for their imminent transfer after a judge in Massachusetts denied their request.Lawyers for the justice department said the men were scheduled to be flown to South Sudan on Friday at 7pm Eastern Time after two courts considered the request on an emergency basis on 4 July, when courts were otherwise closed for the Independence Day holiday. Continue reading...

Lobbying effort by independent delegation follows Jamaica's move to ask King Charles to request legal adviceGlobal campaigning for slavery reparations gathered pace this week with lobbying in Westminster and Brussels, days after the Jamaican government revealed it will ask King Charles to request legal advice on the issue.On Tuesday, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Afrikan Reparations, a group of UK MPs and peers calling for an apology and reparative justice for the historical and ongoing impact of slavery and colonialism, hosted an independent delegation of Caribbean researchers and activists who are lobbying for reparations. Continue reading...

Hamas says it is reviewing US truce proposal, but it is unclear what terms Israel has agreed toDonald Trump has claimed that Israel is ready to agree to a peace deal with Hamas as he seeks to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza war that has claimed almost 60,000 lives, but it is unclear what conditions specifically Israel has agreed to.In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday night, the US president wrote: Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War." Continue reading...

Comments from Simon Case come as UK defence review highlights military exercises around Taiwan as driver of global instabilityThe former head of the UK's civil service has described the Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator" and said Donald Trump had put helpful pressure" on Europe to increase defence spending.Simon Case, who served as cabinet secretary until December when he stepped down on health grounds, said China had sent a clear message to prepare for serious conflict" in Taiwan. Continue reading...

Family of Avtar Singh Khanda, who was thought to be on Indian authorities' radar and died in 2023, call for inquestThe family of a Sikh activist who died suddenly in 2023 have made new calls for an inquest after a pathologist found the result of the postmortem exam does not mean that a poisoning can be completely excluded".Avtar Singh Khanda, 35, died in June 2023, four days after being admitted to a hospital in Birmingham feeling unwell. The official cause of death was acute myeloid leukaemia, a blood cancer. Continue reading...

Shares fall almost 13% after bakery chain's profit warning over heatwave hit to salesThe UK's biggest bakery chain, Greggs, has said last month's heatwave harmed its sales and profits as customers went off the idea of hot pastries in the unusually high temperatures.Shares in Greggs slumped almost 13% as investors reacted to the profit warning a day after the UK experienced the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching as high as 35C. Continue reading...

Miriam Margolyes, Alexei Sayle and Mike Leigh among signatories to letter criticising Jewish Chronicle tiesMore than 400 stars and media figures including Miriam Margolyes, Alexei Sayle, Juliet Stevenson and Mike Leigh have signed a letter to BBC management calling for the removal of a board member, Robbie Gibb, over claims of conflict of interest regarding the Middle East.The signatories also include 111 BBC journalists and Zawe Ashton, Khalid Abdalla, Shola Mos-Shogbamimu and the historian William Dalrymple, who express concerns over opaque editorial decisions and censorship at the BBC on the reporting of Israel/Palestine". Continue reading...

Ofgem opens investigation into National Grid as report finds incident that cut airport power was preventable

Home affairs minister says decision to revoke rapper's visa came after widely condemned track released in May

Purchase would be third major change of ownership for high street lender in 13 yearsThe Spanish bank Santander is buying the British high street lender TSB for 2.65bn, raising fears of job cuts and branch closures across the combined group.The proposed deal, announced on Tuesday evening, is the result of a takeover tussle in Santander's home base of Spain, with the lender Sabadell having decided to sell TSB as it faces an 11bn (9.4bn) hostile approach from a rival, BBVA. Continue reading...

Philip Urquhart tells the inquest into the 16-year-old's fatal self-harming that the state justice department failed in its duty of care

Turkey police face demonstrators after prosecutor orders arrests at LeMan magazine, whose editor-in-chief denies allegation and says image has been deliberately misinterpretedClashes erupted in Istanbul with police firing rubber bullets and teargas to disperse a mob on Monday after allegations that a satirical magazine had published a cartoon of the prophet Muhammad.The clashes occurred after Istanbul's chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of the editors at LeMan magazine on grounds it had published a cartoon that publicly insulted religious values". Continue reading...

Jacqui Smith says live broadcast should have been pulled, but rapper stands by performance calling for change in foreign policy'

Former PM's claim - which relates to the super contribution rate increasing to 12% - goes further than other critics of the policy

Modella Capital negotiates price downwards after weaker trading in recent weeks

Critical incident investigation declared into arrest of former Greens candidate who says she could lose sight in right eye

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Watchdog says woman's conduct was serious because of her seniority, as well as concern over nepotism, cronyism and undeclared conflicts' in recruitment

Parliamentary watchdog will invite people to citizens' forum to debate what democracy is worth'The thorny topic of MPs' pay and funding will be debated by randomly selected members of the public at a new citizens' forum, as parliament's watchdog said it was launching an open and honest conversation" about what democracy is worth.Invitations are being sent out by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), which this year set the basic annual salary for an MP from 1 April 2025 at 93,904. It is also responsible for approving MPs' expenses, which it prefers to call business costs. Continue reading...

Christopher Moore reported missing on Friday after failing to return from solo camping trip at Jerrawangala near Nowra

Jurors retire to consider verdicts in triple murder trial over beef wellington lunch that contained death cap mushrooms

Queues also expected for shuttle buses to railway station as 200,000 music fans depart festival on MondayThe tents are drooping, the heads are throbbing, the ears buzzing; Glastonbury festival is over for another year.Most of the 200,000-plus ticket holders at the performing arts and music bonanza in Somerset will be leaving the site on Monday in gruelling 30C heat. Continue reading...

Premier hits back at Queensland treasurer, saying sunshine state's budget black hole' has nothing to do with Victoria

Report finds more than a third have considered leaving their job due to the physical and emotional strainPeople undergoing fertility treatment should have the legal right to take time off for their appointments, according to research that finds over a third have considered leaving their job due to the physical and emotional strain.The campaign group Fertility Matters At Work is calling for IVF to be recategorised as a medical procedure, rather than an elective treatment equivalent to cosmetic surgery, in guidance for employers under the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) code of practice. Continue reading...

Newly restored material from vast archive destroyed in civil war takes in Anglo-Norman conquest and 1798 rebellionSeven centuries of lost historical records covering espionage, political corruption and the lives of ordinary people in Ireland have been recovered and are being released.A pioneering project to fill gaps in Irish history is making 175,000 more records and millions more words of searchable content freely available to researchers and members of the public. Continue reading...

Tolo Thakeli had long campaigned on youth joblessness, but a post questioning Sam Maketane's promises on work creation landed him in prisonIt took a single video complaining about Lesotho's unemployment rate to turn Tolo Thakeli into the prime minister's enemy. Within a day of posting there were armed police at his door.It was Father's Day, and the 31-year-old father of two was in his pyjamas when they arrived. He had no idea his post would land him in trouble; after all, he had campaigned for a long time, under different governments, for action on jobs for young people. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Vicky Foxcroft, who resigned as whip over welfare bill, urges ministers to work with affected people on changesThe Labour whip who resigned in protest against disability benefit cuts has said Keir Starmer's concessions do not yet go far enough to win her over, as No 10 launched a fresh attempt to stem the revolt against its welfare bill.Vicky Foxcroft, who quit her frontbench role over the welfare bill a little more than a week ago, urged the government to work jointly on the changes with disabled people and to publish the review of the system before bringing in cuts. Continue reading...

Sites will accommodate 4,000 children as part of ministers' plan to improve childcare, Bridget Phillipson to announceAbout 200 school-based nurseries will open in England this September as part of the government's plan to improve access to childcare for working parents.The milestone will be announced on Monday by Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, who will say that the sites will accommodate 4,000 children under school age. Continue reading...

Estimate by disability charity published on eve of MPs' vote on restricting welfare payments for new claimantsThe extra cost of being disabled is on course to rise by almost 12% to 14,688 in five years, according to a new estimate published on the eve of a controversial vote to restrict welfare payments for new claimants.A threatened rebellion by more than 120 Labour MPs forced the government into a last-minute climbdown on its welfare bill, by exempting claimants to planned cuts in personal independence payments (Pip), England's main disability payment. Continue reading...

Calculation mistake by state-owned gambling operator, Norsk Tipping, prompts CEO to resignThousands of Norwegians were mistakenly told they had won life-changing sums in the country's Eurojackpot draw after an error by the state-owned gambling operator, Norsk Tipping.In a statement on Friday, Norsk Tipping said several thousand customers were notified of incorrectly high prizes". The mistake has prompted the resignation of the company's chief executive. Continue reading...

Statement condemns comments made by London punk duo while police confirm investigation is under way

As poverty deepens across Britain, the Guardian visited some of the hardest-hit places where leaders are aiming to shift healthcare from hospitals to communities

Despite the evidence health prevention works, successive governments have done little in this area until nowIn Lancaster the community nurse Lizzie Holmes knocks on doors to talk to people who are unwell but reluctant to accept NHS help. In Blackpool, community connectors" help low-income families get their children into healthy habits early in life. Both do necessary, vital, proactive work known as health prevention - stopping illness occurring in the first place and spotting it early when it does. The idea is that this will create a virtuous circle of a healthier population and thus less need for NHS care.But while the initiatives described in a Guardian investigation are imaginative and effective, they are also atypical of the way the NHS works. Over recent decades governments of different political colours have talked about turning the NHS from a service primarily focused on treating illness to one that does far more to prevent disease in the first place. A number of expert reports over those years have urged ministers to make exactly that transformational change. It has never happened. Continue reading...

National Anti-Scam Centre warns that fraudsters posing as Mandarin-speaking law enforcement officers are becoming more threatening

Exclusive: Health department secretary Blair Comley tells minister Mark Bultler to stop commissioning costly and time-consuming inquiries

Exclusive: Leon Australia calls itself Australia's #1 Interactive Gaming and Sportsbook since 2008' but is licensed in a tiny island off AfricaSocial media influencers have been inadvertently promoting a gambling company that poses as an Australian outfit but is instead licensed and regulated in a tiny island off the east coast of Africa.The influencers, including someone claiming to be Australia's #1 biological male" and a duo called DegenerateAngelss, have also shared financial inducements from the bookmaker that encourage Australians into opening accounts with it.Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...

Iran's armed forces chief of staff says it is ready to respond with force' if attacked again; Iran says airstrikes on Evin prison killed at least 71Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli attacks have killed at least 14 people, including three children, so far on Sunday.Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency that 13 people were killed in airstrikes at four locations around the Gaza Strip, and another from Israeli gunfire near an aid distribution centre. Continue reading...

As temperatures climb, London fire brigade highlights severe' risk of wildfiresThe latest heatwave is expected to push temperatures close to record levels for June and result in the hottest ever start to Wimbledon.Amber heat alerts remain in place until Tuesday evening for all of southern, western and eastern England with a warning of excess deaths particularly among those over 65, and increased demand on health and social care services. Continue reading...

PSNI says man, 28, being held on suspicion of murder of Sarah Montgomery, 27, in DonaghadeeA murder investigation is under way after a pregnant woman was found dead in County Down, Northern Ireland, say police.The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has named her as Sarah Montgomery, 27, a mother of two. Police have arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of murder. Continue reading...

Rafael Grossi says some of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile could have been moved before US attacks

Exclusive: Directors of To Kill a War Machine take legal advice as Home Office plans to proscribe protest groupThe makers of an award-winning documentary about Palestine Action say they fear they will be criminalised if they continue distributing the work after the group is banned under anti-terror laws.The online release of To Kill a War Machine was brought forward to this week after it emerged that the Home Office was going to proscribe the protest group, which takes direct action against Israeli arms companies in the UK. Continue reading...

Prime minister says he would have liked to get to a better position with colleagues sooner than we did'Keir Starmer has said he did not get a grip on the Labour rebellion over disability benefits earlier because he was focused on foreign affairs.The prime minister acknowledged he had not got it right, and said he would have wanted to make the concessions earlier. I'd have liked to get to a better position with colleagues sooner than we did," Starmer said in an interview with the Sunday Times. I'm putting this as context rather than an excuse. Continue reading...

As controversy still swirls over Gaza documentaries, corporation braces for further criticism from all sides, including insideWhen the BBC's director general, Tim Davie, held a virtual town hall meeting with staff this month, most assumed it would be dominated by disputes over pay and redundancies.When the questions came in, however, the top query to the boss was clear: why was the corporation refusing to show a long-awaited documentary about medics in Gaza? Continue reading...

Government sources say umbrella' structure now more likely after plans for independent body found to be too complexKeir Starmer's flagship new ethics and integrity commission may be a rebrand of existing watchdogs brought together under a new umbrella" rather than creating an entirely fresh regulator, government sources have said.A year after Labour made its manifesto promise, ministers are mulling the idea of a new oversight structure above current regulators to avoid the need for starting from scratch. Continue reading...

Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire vow to hold authorities accountable as repression intensifies before October electionsTwo east African activists say they plan to sue Tanzania's government for illegal detention and torture during a visit in support of an opposition politician in May.Boniface Mwangi, from Kenya, and Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan, sent shock waves around the region earlier this month when they gave an emotional press conference in which they alleged they had been sexually assaulted and, in Atuhaire's case, smeared in excrement after their detention in Dar es Salaam. [The authorities] take you through sexual torture," Mwangi said at the time. Continue reading...

Under new rules anyone who lights up on a beach or in a public park from Sunday will be breaking the lawAnyone who lights up on a beach or in a public park in France will be breaking the law from Sunday under new rules aimed at protecting children from the dangers of passive smoking.Bus shelters and areas in the immediate vicinity of libraries, swimming pools and schools will also be affected by the ban, which is coming into force one day after its publication in the official government gazette on Saturday. Continue reading...

Jonathan Reynolds to hold talks with carmaker after reports suggested its UK factory could closeThe business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, will hold talks with Lotus after the carmaker appeared to shelve plans to shut its UK operations.After reports that Chinese owner Geely was planning to stop manufacturing at the Hethel plant in Norfolk, putting 1,300 jobs at risk, Lotus issued a statement saying it had no plans" to close the factory. Continue reading...