Frontrunner to be new PM next week is ‘clear further support may be required’, says campaign teamRefuse workers in Scotland have been presented with a new offer in an attempt to end ongoing strike action.Scottish council cleansing staff across much of the country are striking over pay disputes with local authorities. Continue reading...

Security service claims without evidence that man helped assemble car bomb that exploded near Moscow

Exclusive: findings of UK survey come as charity warns early exposure risks creating a pathway to addictionChildren whose parents are problem gamblers are more likely to have been bought scratchcards, according to research from the GamCare charity, which is warning that early exposure risks setting young people on a pathway to addiction in later life.More than a third (38%) of Britons who were problem gamblers had bought scratchcards for their children, compared with 22% of those who had a low-level problem, 8% of non-problem gamblers and 5% of non-gamblers, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by GamCare, which runs the National Gambling Helpline. Continue reading...

Videos show several tents set on fire on Sunday, and police say about 50 people ejected from site after disorderThe end of this weekend’s Reading music festival was marred by violence and the burning of tents, prompting complaints to police and organisers about lax security.A number of videos were shared online showing several tents being set on fire on Sunday evening, the final night of the three-day festival. Festivalgoers also complained of objects being thrown as fights broke out. Continue reading...

Aeolian Offshore and CWind, both of which usually serve offshore wind industry, providing boats and crewThe Home Office has paid private companies more than £2.5m this year to charter boats and crew to pick up people trying to cross the Channel, amid tension with the Royal Navy over its role in the home secretary Priti Patel’s plans to deter asylum seekers.Contract disclosures published on a government portal show that Aeolian Offshore, which is based on the Isle of Wight and usually serves the offshore wind industry, is the largest beneficiary. Continue reading...

Incident in Tangshan sparked outrage over gender-based violence when video went viralChinese authorities said they have charged 28 people and were investigating 15 officials including police for corruption more than two months after a shocking incident in which a group of men assaulted four women at a barbecue restaurant in Tangshan, in the east of the capital, Beijing.The men carried out the assault after the women rejected their apparent sexual advances on 10 June. CCTV footage circulated online showed a man placing his hand on a woman’s back as she shared a meal with two companions. After the woman pushed him away, the man struck her before others dragged her outside and dealt a barrage of blows as she lay on the ground. Another woman was knocked to the floor. Continue reading...

Cult LA theatre show Cages uses holographic avatars that blend seamlessly with real actorsAvatars of human beings that are indistinguishable from the real thing have been created for a new “rock musical” with groundbreaking technology that could revolutionise live theatre.The show, titled Cages, uses “mind-bending” special effects that can now achieve a theatre director’s wildest dreams. Digital characters will interact with an ensemble of seven live actors, appearing and disappearing instantaneously, suddenly filling the stage with a cast of hundreds or stretching a giant arm 20ft across the stage. Continue reading...

Little help is on offer from Ukrainian authorities five months after Russians’ retreat

Man attacked and fatally injured after scaling security fence in Accra, wildlife officials sayA lion in a Ghana zoo has killed a man who scaled the fence and landed in its enclosure, wildlife officials said.The man was attacked by the lion after jumping over the security fences of the zoo in the capital, Accra, on Sunday, said the Forestry Commission, the state agency in charge of wildlife in Ghana. Continue reading...

Critics say it would be wrong for town council to pay for installing and maintaining statue amid cost of living crisisA proposal for a bronze sculpture of a surfer overlooking the Atlantic breakers in Cornwall has been criticised because a cash-strapped local authority is being asked to pay for setting up and maintaining the artwork.Critics say it is wrong for Newquay town council to be landed with the bill when so many taxpayers are struggling with the cost of living crisis. Continue reading...

Pensioner tells royal commission he had to go weeks without shower in unsuitable accommodation after NSW emergency

Singer says the ‘extent of my madness’ was ‘playing chase with paparazzi’ and claims the conservatorship was ‘all premeditated’Britney Spears has shared – and subsequently deleted – a 22-minute voice note revealing new allegations about the 13 years she spent under a conservatorship that governed almost every aspect of her life. “They threw me away – that’s what I felt like, my family threw me away,” she said.On 1 February 2008, Spears was involuntarily placed under a conservatorship by her father, Jamie Spears and lawyer Andrew M Wallet after the singer had displayed erratic behaviour in public for several months. Spears claimed that the action that prompted the arrangement was simply speaking “in a British accent to a doctor to prescribe my medication … three days later there was a Swat team in my home, three helicopters”. Continue reading...

Christie Lee Kennedy has pleaded not guilty to two counts of unlawful striking causing grievous bodily harm after 2021 incident involving BMW

Estimated 4.3 million people using e-cigarettes, up from about 800,000 a decade ago in ‘vaping revolution’Vaping has risen rapidly over the past decade to reach record levels in Great Britain with an estimated 4.3 million people who are regular vapers, according to a report.

Parts of the Mullumbimby site were ‘too flood-prone’ for temporary housing but others could be raised, inquiry hears

At inquest William Hollaway tells parents of Aishwarya Aswath he was ‘heartbroken’ he couldn’t save her

Advocates blast state government for opting out of parts of the updated national building code

Sir Joseph Hotung’s gift is ‘one of the most generous ever received’ by museumAn outstanding collection of Chinese porcelain and jades has been left to the British Museum in “one of the most significant bequests” of its history.The artworks come from the collections of Sir Joseph Hotung, a businessman, philanthropist and art collector, who died last year. Continue reading...

Alleged victim taken to Orange hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being stabbed in chest and arm, NSW police say

Rain gauge topped 2 metres for year on Friday in NSW capital – the earliest date on record, while week of wet weather forecast for large parts of country

Move comes 30 years after Aboriginal deaths in custody royal commission called for such offences to be scrapped

Prime minister tells National Press Club government could ‘potentially take further action’ if no consensus reached at jobs and skills summit

State of Queensland tells tribunal the arrest was lawful, reasonable and proportionate and there is no evidence to support a claim of unlawful discrimination

Former Tory rival says outgoing PM aims to return to No 10 in style of other deposed populists

The 32-year-old singer used her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards to reveal her 10th studio album is on the wayTaylor Swift has announced she is releasing a new album, Midnights, in October.While receiving the top honour at MTV’s annual Video Music Awards, the 32-year-old singer used her acceptance speech to announce her 10th studio album would come out on 21 October. Continue reading...

Police say teenager may have taken ‘particular type’ of ecstasy or MDMA tablet, grey or black and oblong-shapedA 16-year-old boy has died after falling ill at Leeds festival, according to police who have launched an investigation into whether he had taken an ecstasy tablet.The teenager fell ill on Saturday at the music event at the city’s Bramham Park and was taken to hospital, but died on Sunday. West Yorkshire police said they were looking into whether he had taken a particular type of MDMA. Continue reading...

NSW government should also consider having additional desalination plants and plan for new ‘rainfall-independent’ water sources, report saysA new water strategy for the Sydney basin says the New South Wales government needs to look urgently at investing in alternative sources of water, including more desalination plants and large-scale recycling of wastewater.But the state’s minister for water, Kevin Anderson, skirted around the most contentious part of the report: the consideration of large-scale recycling into the drinking-water system.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...

Thomas Mark Rickard, who served in ADF, avoids conviction but is ordered to pay $1,000 good behaviour bond for leaving reporter abusive and threatening voicemail

Tactical police fired bean bag rounds into Tarek Zahed’s black BMW on Edgecliff street

With the global economy also at a crossroads, Beijing’s leadership faces a perilous test of nerve on its lending crackdown and zero-Covid strategyChina has reached a point of no return in its battle to contain what could be the biggest property crash the world has ever seen, experts believe, creating a perilous moment for the country’s Communist leadership and the global economy.As western countries stand on the edge of a potentially ruinous recession in the coming year, China is also facing a slump thanks to “total collapse” of confidence among ordinary people in the once-buoyant housing market, the continued ravages of Beijing’s draconian zero-Covid strategy and an extreme heatwave that is affecting the supply of power and food. Continue reading...

Flights found to run more than 14 minutes late on average as UK plans to reduce compensationThe budget airline Wizz Air was the worst performer for UK flight delays among its peers last year, according to analysis that has raised fresh concerns about government plans to slash customer compensation schemes.The Hungarian carrier – which operates short-haul flights from 10 UK airports including Belfast International, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Gatwick and Luton – was found to have flights running an average of 14 minutes and 24 second behind schedule in 2021, months before the latest travel chaos took hold. Continue reading...

UK’s biggest warship suffers propeller shaft damage off south coast after setting sail for USThe £3bn Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has broken down just one day after departing from Portsmouth to begin a four-month deployment to the US.The 65,000-tonne warship remained in the south coast exercise area near the Isle of Wight as the Royal Navy conducts “investigations into an emerging mechanical issue,” a spokesperson said on Sunday. They declined to comment further. Continue reading...

Research to update record of cities in UK and overseas territories reveals Gibraltar was awarded status in 1842 but omitted from listResidents of Gibraltar smarting at missing out on gaining city status in a recent competition have been handed an unexpected surprise: it has been one for the last 180 years.Gibraltar was among 39 places across the UK and British overseas territories vying to win city status as part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations in a competition last year, up against sites ranging from Alcester to Wrexham, via the Cayman Islands. Continue reading...

Labor hopes together business, unions and the community sector will be able to find ways to lift wages, spur productivity and ease skills shortages

Exclusive: Ministers encouraged to stay at Westminster to devise emergency plans to address cost of living crisisThe next Conservative leader has been urged to scrap MPs’ four-week break for party conference season and told it would be “immoral and insulting” to go “missing in action” during the worsening cost of living crisis.With the Commons due to go into recess for a month in mid-September for the parties’ annual conventions, ministers were encouraged to remain in Westminster to devise and debate emergency plans for supporting struggling people through the winter. Continue reading...

When Covid struck and BAME patients died disproportionately, students of heath inequalities were not surprisedAs the first Covid wave hit, it quickly became clear that people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds were dying in disproportionate numbers.The immediacy and visibility of these deaths was shocking and revealed a disparity so clear-cut that some wondered if the explanation could be genetic. But those who have spent a lifetime studying health inequalities were less surprised. People from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds do worse across a wide range of health outcomes. Continue reading...

Merseyside police say anyone withholding information in case is ‘protecting the killers’Police have urged anyone with information on the killing of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel to come forward, saying “silence is not an option”.In a video released on social media, Merseyside police said anyone withholding information was “protecting the killers”. Continue reading...

Man resisted all attempts to contact him, laying traps and firing arrows at anyone who came too closeAn unidentified and charismatic Indigenous man thought to have been the last of his tribe has died in the Brazilian Amazon, causing consternation among activists lamenting the loss of another ethnic language and culture.The solitary and mysterious man was known only as the Índio do Buraco, or the “Indigenous man of the hole”, because he spent much of his existence hiding or sheltering in pits he dug in the ground. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Open letter puts pressure on party’s stance on strikes amid talk of coordinated autumn actionMore than 600 Labour councillors have declared their full backing for all rail, postal, dock and other workers on picket lines, as the party comes under continuing pressure over its stance on strikes.Amid a wave of strikes over pay and increasing talk of coordinated industrial action this autumn, the councillors signed an open letter saying they offered “full solidarity and support” to the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union (RMT), the Communication Workers Union (CWU), Unite and others. Continue reading...

Head of children’s services says cash-strapped authority had no choice but to pay up to provide care

Exclusive: Concerns raised as cost of providing specialist care for vulnerable children soars

Teachers and charities say free meals needed for all state pupils as 800,000 children in poverty do not qualifyHunger will be the “single biggest challenge” schools face as children return to classrooms in the coming weeks, sparking calls for the government to introduce universal free school meals to help tackle the crisis.Already, 800,000 children living in poverty in England do not qualify for free school meals, according to the Child Poverty Action Group, and now headteachers are bracing for rising numbers from homes that cannot afford to feed them properly. Continue reading...

Surveys reveal that up to 12% of the country supports unification with China, including five of its citizens in a Taipei restaurantAt a Cantonese restaurant in Taipei, Harry Chen and four old friends are shouting at each other over a Lazy Susan, stopping occasionally to toast each other with Canadian whisky or translate their argument into English.All are retired men in their 70s – the sons of Chinese nationalist soldiers – and were born or grew up in Taiwan during its brutal decades of martial law. Continue reading...

No new support packages offered to Homes for Ukraine sponsors as the first group of six-month placements is set to come to an end

Famous names list their unwanted items on Depop and eBay as Gen Z shuns fast fashion in favour of pre-owned purchasesWould you buy a pair of Christian Dior trainers previously worn by Lily Allen? What about a playsuit sported by Olivia Rodrigo or cropped jeans from Maisie Williams?The chance to buy clothes directly from a celebrity has become a new shopping option, thanks to a slew of famous names teaming up with websites that sell secondhand clothes. Continue reading...

Young professionals seeking private rental property tell of ‘hundreds’ applying for the same letBeth Holloway seems like the ideal tenant. The civil servant, 23, has a stable job, good references and earns a decent salary. And she doesn’t smoke or have pets – factors that are often a disadvantage in a fiercely competitive market.But after three months of flat-hunting in London, involving hundreds of enquiries to agencies, two dozen viewings and 10 offers on properties, she says she cannot take it any more. Each time she and the friend she had planned to live with put in an offer on a property, they were outbid by someone else. “We’ve offered £200 over [the listed price] and not got it because someone else offered six months upfront. I’ve heard of people offering £500 or £600 over or offering to pay a year upfront in cash,” she said. Continue reading...

Traffic deaths dropped by only 4.7% in last decade, compared with a 31% fall worldwideWhen Islamic Jihad, the second largest militant group in the Gaza Strip, fired about 1,000 rockets at Israel during an unexpected flare-up of violence earlier this month, most were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system, and no Israelis were seriously hurt or killed.On the country’s roads, however, it was a different story. In the same week, 19 people were killed in traffic incidents during a wave of particularly serious crashes. Continue reading...

More than 33 million people have been displaced as destructive monsoon rains continue to wreak havocFlash floods triggered by destructive monsoon rains across much of Pakistan have killed more than 1,000 people and injured and displaced thousands more since June, officials have said.The new death toll came a day after the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, asked for international help in battling deadly flood damage. More than 33 million people have been displaced. Continue reading...