Exclusive: People who took out insurance with collapsed insurer at 1 April 2020 to receive payout equal to original promised amount

With 96% of the ballots counted, the rejection camp has 62% and the approve team accept defeat in bid to replace Pinochet-era settlementChileans have voted comprehensively against a new, progressive constitution that had been drafted to replace the 1980 document written under Gen Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship.With 96% of the votes counted in Sunday’s plebiscite, the rejection camp had 61.9% support compared with 38.1% for approval amid what appeared to be a heavy turnout with long lines at polling states. Voting was mandatory. Continue reading...

Police extend search for two suspects over three provinces after attacks at 13 different locations

Ousted leader’s estranged brother has won a court case allowing villa, considered a symbol of democracy in Myanmar, to be soldThe future of the lakeside villa in which Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest is feared to be in jeopardy, after a court ruled in favour of her estranged brother, allowing the property to be sold.The colonial-style house at 54-56 University Avenue, which stands besides Yangon’s Inya Lake, is – for many in Myanmar – a symbol of the country’s struggle for democracy. Continue reading...

Deaths confirmed by Siskiyou sheriff on Sunday as high temperatures add to challenge for firefightersTwo people have died in a wildfire that ripped through a Northern California town, a local official has said, as firefighters in the far north of the state on Sunday battled blazes that forced evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes.“There’s no easy way of putting it,” said Siskiyou county sheriff Jeremiah LaRue as he shared the news of the fatalities on Sunday afternoon during a community meeting held at an elementary school north of the rural community of Weed. He did not immediately provide names or other details including age or gender of the two people who died. Continue reading...

Fighter jets scrambled to make contact ‘saw no one’ in plane carrying family of three from Spain to CologneA private jet carrying four people that was due to land in Germany but which continued to fly across Europe as air traffic controllers tried unsuccessfully to make contact crashed off the Latvian coast, authorities said.The jet “was flying between Spain and Cologne but when it changed course, air traffic controllers were not able to make contact”, the Latvian civil aviation agency said in a statement. Continue reading...

Party warns of further income squeeze as analysis suggests five-day cost is more than weekly food shopLabour has warned that families with young children face another potential income squeeze this autumn after data suggested the cost of after-school clubs had risen one-and-a-half times faster than consumer inflation since 2010.Citing analysis that says families using after-school provision five days a week are spending £800 a year more than in 2010, Labour called for ministers to do more to address what it said was another significant cost of living pressure. Continue reading...

Tennis-playing publishing force also represented Ken Kesey, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Amiri BarakaSterling Lord, a literary agent who among other triumphs worked for years to find a publisher for Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, has died. He had just turned 102.Lord died on Saturday in a nursing home in Ocala, Florida, according to his daughter, Rebecca Lord. Continue reading...

Visitors in London for birthday trip were in bed when Adam Lockwood waved to them on way to top of 72-floor landmarkA couple staying on the 40th floor of the Shard have spoken about spotting a barefoot climber ascending the London skyscraper on Sunday morning.Paul Curphey spotted Adam Lockwood scaling the 72-floor building, which hosts flats, a hotel and offices, at 6am when they saw him waving and climbing past Curphey and his partner Treasaidh’s window. Continue reading...

Man aged 34 held on suspicion of murder after fatal shooting of nine-year-old in Dovecot area of LiverpoolThree men have been arrested over the killing of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Merseyside police have said.The force said earlier on Sunday that a 34-year-old man from Liverpool had been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Continue reading...

A Guardian investigation reveals the firm has been accused of ‘gross negligence’ that allegedly led to gang rape, murder and mistaken solitary confinement in its US facilitiesThe US private prisons operator likely to take over Australia’s offshore processing regime on Nauru has previously been accused of “gross negligence” and “egregious” security failures that allegedly led to the gang-rape of a woman in detention, the murder of two retirees by escaped prisoners, and the months-long solitary confinement of a US citizen wrongfully held in immigration detention.The Department of Home Affairs is finalising negotiations with the US-based Management and Training Corporation, which the department has announced as its preferred tenderer to provide “facilities, garrison, transferee arrivals and reception services” for Australia’s offshore regime on Nauru from next month. No contracts have yet been signed. Continue reading...

Matt Bach has written to UN subcommittee about the ‘systematic’ isolation of youth detainees he says contravenes international law​​Get our free news app, morning email briefing and daily news podcastVictorian Liberal MP Matt Bach has written to the United Nations subcommittee on the prevention of torture, urging them to investigate the “systematic” use of isolation in the state’s youth justice facilities during an upcoming visit.The subcommittee is set to visit Australia from 16-27 October to inspect places of detention and examine the treatment of detainees. Continue reading...

Fears grow of energy rationing in Europe over shutdown of Nord Stream 1 because of ‘fault’Analysts are expecting gas prices to surge to record highs this week after Russia shut down a key pipeline to Europe.At the same time, a growing number of UK manufacturers have warned that they are already cutting production or making job cuts as a direct result of “out of control” energy bills. Continue reading...

Downing Street’s ‘chief mouser’ has apparently thrown his collar in the ring to replace Boris JohnsonTwitter users were delighted to see billboards across London announcing that Larry the cat, No 10’s “chief mouser”, has thrown his collar into the ring to become the country’s next prime minister.Either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will be declared as the new leader of the Conservative party on Monday, but the campaign team behind Larry4Leader has gone to extra lengths to ensure the tabby’s stance is known. Continue reading...

Lisa Cash, 18, and twins Christy and Chelsea Cawley, eight, killed in incident at house in Tallaght as man in his 20s arrestedIrish police have named the three young siblings who died after a violent incident at a house in Dublin.They said that Lisa Cash, 18, and eight-year-old twins Chelsea and Christy Cawley died at a property in the Rossfield estate in Tallaght. Police were called there at about 12.30am on Sunday. Continue reading...

18-year-old also in critical condition after disturbance in Bow but police cast doubt on reports of armed throngsA 17-year-old boy has been stabbed to death and another teenager is in hospital after a brawl in east London.Police were called to Bow just after midnight on Sunday to reports of a disturbance involving about 100 people, some armed with machetes. Continue reading...

Ivan Safronov could be handed record sentence after being tried on secret evidence behind closed doorsMoments before the journalist Ivan Safronov was told he would be facing 24 years in prison, a Russian prosecutor offered him a deal.Sign a confession, she said during a final courtroom break, and she would recommend a 12-year sentence instead. Safronov answered immediately. Continue reading...

Change to registration process will pave way for thousands of staff trained overseas to come to UK, says governmentMinisters will introduce legislation as soon as parliament returns on Monday to tackle the NHS’s worsening staffing crisis by making it easier for overseas nurses and dentists to work in the UK.The move is part of a drive by the health secretary, Steve Barclay, to increase overseas recruitment to help plug workforce gaps in health and social care. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy urges EU to prepare fresh sanctions; Russia hits multiple residential targets in Mykolaiv

Denys Shmyhal’s comments on visit to Berlin show easing of tensions over response to Russian invasion

Mykolaiv governor says Russian forces damaged homes and three hospitals in strike; UK intelligence says Russian troops hampered by problems

First minister hits out amid reports of plan to make it more difficult to secure yes vote for independenceNicola Sturgeon has warned Liz Truss against any attempt to “gerrymander the rules” on Scottish independence amid reports that ministers are planning measures to make securing a yes vote more difficult.An unnamed supporter of Truss, who is expected to become prime minister this week, suggested her government would introduce a requirement to demonstrate 60% support for another referendum before a new independence vote could be held. Continue reading...

Escalation of action follows ministers’ refusal to agree to 25% increase in fees as backlog grows to 60,000 cases

Inequality and national identity are high on the agenda as the country votes. But few want to heed Covid’s lessonsIn the Stockholm neighbourhood of Tensta, the pandemic has left many feeling hopeless and disenfranchised, says Fatuma Mohamed.While much of Sweden – including politicians – appear to have forgotten all about Covid, the health communicator and longtime resident said that many in the area are still grappling with its impact. Continue reading...

Artist who painted Melbourne mural of soldiers hugging has apologised and said his intention was ‘to promote peace’

Approval would replace Pinochet-era document, recognizing Chile’s Indigenous peoples and requiring action on the climate crisisChileans head to the polls today to either approve or reject what has been described as the world’s most progressive constitution, which would replace the 1980 document drawn up during Gen Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship.The referendum marks the culmination of three tumultuous years of protest and political upheaval, in which a protest over subway prices grew into a broad uprising against deeply rooted inequalities and a disconnected political class. Continue reading...

The Old Dairy Brewery, named in a government video, has seen sales slump because of excessive paperworkA Kent brewery chosen to help champion export opportunities for the government after Brexit has revealed that burdensome customs checks and paperwork have left it with just one remaining customer in the EU.The Old Dairy Brewery in Kent – a Department for International Trade export champion for the south-east – appeared in a government video last year promoting the potential to boost Brexit export sales. Continue reading...

Greens senator Nick McKim says homeowners took on massive debt believing rates wouldn’t rise before 2024 and are now getting ‘smashed’

Federal Coalition also takes aim at Tony Burke, who last week said he wanted to change law that has become central to Sydney train strike dispute

New figures raise further questions about failure of government fund to reach the poorest areas of UKThe south-east of England, the most affluent region in Britain outside London, last year received almost twice as much money as the north-east from the government’s levelling up fund aimed at boosting deprived areas.Projects in the south-east benefited from £9.2m from the fund in the year to 31 March 2022. By comparison, the north-east only received £4.9m, despite being the poorest region in Britain by disposable household income. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Constable argues host of issues are ‘beyond the scope of the coroner’s power’ during examination of 2019 shooting death in Yuendumu

Pressure mounts for independent investigation into alleged smuggling of British schoolgirl into Syria by Canadian agent in 2015Senior Canadian intelligence officials would support an inquiry into their organisation’s deeply contentious role in the smuggling of British schoolgirl Shamima Begum into Syria, the Observer has been told.Sources have told Tasnime Akunjee, the lawyer representing Begum’s family, that there is significant concern within its ranks that a people smuggler working for Canadian intelligence helped Begum and two friends from Bethnal Green, east London, to join Islamic State in Syria. Until now, sources within the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) have kept their counsel over the scandal since it was revealed last week that the Metropolitan police in London allegedly knew that a people smuggler linked to western security services trafficked the then 15-year-old. Continue reading...

Labour leader says new Conservative PM will not bring ‘new dawn’ and neither candidate has the answers to Britain’s problemsKeir Starmer has warned that the arrival of a new Conservative prime minister on Tuesday is not a “new dawn”, as he made a fresh pitch to voters to back Labour.The Labour leader wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that he backed “common-sense, practical solutions over ideological purity” and that “as summer turns to autumn, the shadows of crisis are lengthening, looming over the whole country”. Continue reading...

Office of ex-Tory minister received £20,000 from SureScreen Diagnostics two years after he recommended firmTory MP Liam Fox has hit out at a report regarding a £20,000 donation from a Covid firm he recommended to the government during the pandemic, calling it a “baseless smear”.In an email seen by the BBC and Sky News, sent by Fox to the then health secretary Matt Hancock and dated 22 June 2020, the MP recommends the Derbyshire-based firm SureScreen Diagnostics. Continue reading...

The killings come two weeks after group besieged a hotel in Mogadishu for 30 hours, leaving 21 deadFighters from the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab have killed at least 19 civilians in a night-time attack in central Somalia, clan chiefs and local officials said on Saturday.The attack comes two weeks after al-Shabaab, which has waged a long insurgency against the Somali state, besieged a hotel in the capital Mogadishu for 30 hours, leaving 21 people dead and 117 injured. Continue reading...

Celebration of drummer who died in March included performances by Nile Rodgers, the Pretenders and SupergrassDave Grohl paid an emotional tribute to his late friend and Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins at a star-studded tribute concert at Wembley Stadium.Speaking at the event in London on Saturday, he said: “Taylor loved to jam and record with anybody and everybody. He loved to play music every day. And there aren’t too many people that he’s never jammed with. Continue reading...

Mahmood Mattan, a British Somali, was hanged in 1952 after he was found guilty of a murder in CardiffThe family of a man wrongly convicted of murder has been given a police apology for the “terrible suffering” the miscarriage of justice caused, 70 years after he was executed in a British prison.Mahmood Mattan, a British Somali father of three, was hanged aged 28 in September 1952 after he was convicted of killing Lily Volpert in her Cardiff clothes store. He protested his innocence to the end. Continue reading...

Book also includes comments about the government’s approach to dealing with China and discussions around Australia’s defence posture

More than 80% of the country’s Covid deaths occurred in 2022, likely in part due to success of early control measures but questions remain

Leadership frontrunner is now seen by many party supporters as

Nuclear energy facility now linked to grid with a reserve line; former leader buried without state honours. This blog is now closed.

Comments at Venice film festival come after recent failed assassination attempt on Argentina’s vice-president

Meeting of Conor Burns and Maroš Šefčovič a promising sign as taoiseach says dispute is ‘testing and fraying’ Anglo-Irish relationsHopes that Brexit talks between the EU and the UK could restart after nine months of paralysis were raised over the weekend after Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns held talks with the European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič.He spoke as the Irish prime minister, Micheál Martin, said the deepening row over the Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland was “testing and fraying” Anglo-Irish relations, but that the arrival of a new prime minister offered a chance for a fresh approach to break the impasse. Continue reading...

Brexit campaign group fronted by Nigel Farage leaves thousands in unpaid fines for data law breachesThe Brexit campaign group Leave.EU has gone into liquidation with its controversial co-founder Arron Banks appearing to write off a loan worth more than £7m.Documents submitted to Companies House also reveal that the anti-EU lobbying group, which was fronted by Nigel Farage during the 2016 EU referendum campaign, has failed to pay tens of thousands in fines owed to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for breaches of data law. Continue reading...

Government guidance on rodents angers conservationists who say animals are a help not a hindrance to agricultureFarmers in England will be allowed to shoot beavers if they threaten their crops, the government has revealed.Conservationists have opposed the move, saying the animals are an “ally to farmers”, helping conserve water in times of drought, and are an endangered species that should be treasured. The rodents became extinct in the UK 400 years ago after they were hunted for their pelts, but in recent years they have been reintroduced to England and Scotland. Continue reading...

Shadow health secretary says Conservative plans to cap NHS recruitment are shortsightedLabour’s shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, has accused the Conservatives of planning to lose the next general election.Streeting said he was confident Labour would win when the country next goes to the polls. Continue reading...

Comments come after Gazprom extends shutdown of gas supply through Nord Stream 1 to Germany

Hundreds of mourners pay tribute in Russian capital to former Soviet leader credited with helping to end cold warRussians paid their final respects to the last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, in a ceremony held in Moscow without much fanfare and with President Vladimir Putin notably absent.Several thousand mourners queued up to quietly file past Gorbachev’s open casket as it was flanked by honour guards under the Russian flag in the historic Hall of Columns. Continue reading...

Chronic underfunding of the Send system in England blamed for failure to offer children adequate supportThe number of complaints from parents about special needs education has risen by three-quarters in the past four years – with more than one complaint a day filed last year, according to figures from the local government ombudsman.The increase reflects the crisis in the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system, with rising demand, chronic underfunding, lengthy delays and enduring gaps in provision. Continue reading...