Chris Heaton-Harris makes first visit to Northern Ireland to say UK aims to get Stormont running and ‘solve problems of protocol’Sinn Féin has urged the new Northern Ireland secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, to lean on the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) to restore the power-sharing executive at Stormont.Michelle O’Neill, the party’s first minister-designate, told Heaton-Harris on Thursday that the British government should stop “pandering” to the DUP, which has paralysed power-sharing in protest against the Northern Ireland protocol. Continue reading...

Crisis at debt-laden Chinese property developer deepens in wake of default last year and failure to sell buildingLenders to the struggling Chinese developer Evergrande Group have appointed a receiver to seize its Hong Kong headquarters, two sources have said, as the world’s most indebted developer struggles to emerge from its debt crisis.Evergrande is saddled with more than $300bn (£260bn) in liabilities and has been kept alive by a government-run rescue operation since it defaulted on $22.7bn of overseas debts in December last year. Continue reading...

Insurance market warns of financial fallout from conflict and tough year of natural catastrophes

Exclusive: In her first interview since being targeted on social media, Valentino argues for trans inclusionIt was the game that triggered a backlash and compelled Ireland’s Gaelic sports authorities to review whether transgender women can compete in female teams.Ireland’s first openly LGBTQ+ club, Na Gaeil Aeracha, was playing Na Fianna’s ladies E team in a minor championship at the end of July. Continue reading...

Greens leader Adam Bandt’s wife, Claudia Perkins, and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young wear dresses with slogans calling for end of fossil fuels

Myles Sanderson had been taken into custody in Saskatchewan shortly after his parents issued an emotional plea for their son to turn himself inThe fugitive wanted over a mass stabbing in Canada that killed 10 people and injured 18 has died in hospital after his arrest, police have confirmed, with sources saying it was from self-inflicted wounds.Myles Sanderson went into “medical distress” after his arrest and he was taken to hospital where he died, Royal Canadian Mounted police assistant commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said. Police found a knife in the truck, which police had rammed off the road into a ditch, but Blackmore would not comment on the cause of his death. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy reports ‘good news’ from northern front as Donetsk People’s Republic says Balakliia ‘encircled’

Cap says mobile and broadband users must get clear information about inflation-busting bill increasesThe UK advertising watchdog has launched an investigation into whether telecoms companies are misleading consumers about inflation-busting bill increases when promoting deals in their marketing campaigns.Telecoms companies make billions of pounds annually by instituting price rises to mobile and broadband bills midway through contract periods – increases that will add to the biggest squeeze on the cost of living facing households in generations. Continue reading...

Health department had denied Covid testing priority lane but new disclosure lists firms including lab behind false negativesThe government has admitted that 50 firms were put in a “priority” lane for securing test and trace contracts worth billions, including Immensa, the company involved in a scandal over 43,000 false negative results.The UK Health and Security Agency revealed the names of the 50 companies to the Good Law Project, the campaigning organisation that successfully challenged the government’s VIP lane for personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts in the courts. Continue reading...

Minister for Indigenous Australians lays out plan to win referendum as Peter Dutton criticises corporates willing to sign up ‘sight unseen’

Under parliamentary rules, government had six months to respond to recommendations

The ‘culture standard’ will trial family friendly hours, dedicated spaces for women and address pay gaps at two government sites

Monument commemorates desecration of Jewish cemeteries under former communist regimeThe desecration of Jewish cemeteries under the communist regime of the former Czechoslovakia has been given official recognition with a new memorial fashioned from headstones that were carved up and used for paving stones in Prague.The Return of the Stones monument, consisting of 7 tonnes of broken tombstones, was unveiled on Wednesday in the Czech capital’s old Jewish cemetery, which itself was partly desecrated to make a public park before becoming the site of the city’s soaring television tower. Continue reading...

Trevalga estate was put in trust in 1950s to preserve its future but trustees believe it can be sold because of archaic ‘royal lives clause’Perched above the jagged cliffs of the north Cornwall coast, the manor of Trevalga is dramatic, isolated and beautiful.The site of six let farms and 17 further houses and cottages, it is a peaceful place, much loved by its current residents. But their utopia is under threat as the trustees of the land have put the estate up for sale with a guide price of £15.75m, triggering a dispute that some are calling the “Battle of Trevalga”. Continue reading...

Felicity Cornelius-Mercer criticised cabinet system after Johnny Mercer replaced as veterans ministerThe wife of a sacked minister has said she has “no regrets” about an online outburst in which she likened the UK’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, to a muppet.In the wake of Johnny Mercer’s dismissal from government as veterans’ affairs minister on Tuesday, Felicity Cornelius-Mercer launched into a tirade on Twitter, branding Truss an “imbecile” and slamming a cabinet system that “stinks” and “treats people appallingly”. Continue reading...

New PM tells cabinet she will rethink how to deliver agenda, as source describes bill as ‘complete mess’

Books depicted sheep fleeing from invading wolves, which judge found aimed to incite hatred against ChinaA court in Hong Kong has convicted five speech therapists of producing “seditious publications” in the form of a series of illustrated children’s books that depicted sheep trying to defend their village from wolves.The convictions are the latest using a colonial-era sedition offence that authorities have deployed alongside a new national security law to stamp out dissent. Continue reading...

Liz Truss has retained Jacob Rees-Mogg in cabinet, but how did the MP for North East Somerset go from anachronistic caricature to business secretary?For all the furore over Jacob Rees-Mogg’s “Sorry you were out” notes, used to shame civil servants who were working at home, he only printed and left three on unoccupied desks.“It was a PR stunt, pure and simple, and that’s Jacob all over,” says one Whitehall source with knowledge of the episode. Continue reading...

Victory for couple shows continuing role of European nature conservation laws in post-Brexit BritainThe high court has ordered the Environment Agency to reduce water abstraction and protect England’s rare wetland habitats, in a landmark case that confirms that European nature conservation laws remain enforceable despite Britain having left the EU.The victory for Tim and Geli Harris means the Environment Agency will be forced to tackle the damage caused by the removal of water from the internationally important wetlands of the Norfolk Broads, home to rare species including the Norfolk hawker dragonfly and the swallowtail butterfly. Continue reading...

Dutch multinational buys 51% of company it did not own after taking minority stake in 2018Beavertown has become the latest craft brewer to be swallowed up by a global drinks corporation, after Heineken bought the 51% of the company it did not already own, in a deal likely to net its founder tens of millions of pounds.The Dutch multinational bought a minority stake in Beavertown in 2018, with the £40m proceeds used to fund expansion, including the construction of a new brewery in Enfield, London. Continue reading...

The prime minister has appointed ministers for the great offices of state. Here are some of the other members of her new governmentLiz Truss has started to assemble her government, with the top posts going to Kwasi Kwarteng (the chancellor), Suella Braverman (home secretary), James Cleverly (foreign secretary) and Thérèse Coffey (health). Here are some of the other members of the new cabinet. Continue reading...

Deputy PM says newly appointed ministers will show ‘they’ve been considered, they’ve been competent’The new health secretary and deputy prime minister, Thérèse Coffey, has defended Liz Truss from criticism that she has appointed a “cabinet of chums”.The prime minister is accused of making appointments to reward longstanding friendships and loyalty in the leadership contest, rather than competence. Continue reading...

David Hurley had discussions with Scott Morrison about leadership program that later received one-off funding before it was operational

Spain’s El País greets new PM saying ‘lack of charisma can be a political advantage in times of uncertainty’

Fans upset after Foxtel and Kayo awarded exclusive rights to Saturday games for first eight rounds in Melbourne

Bureau of Meteorology expects to issue further flood warnings as rain falls in already saturated areas

How MPs’ earning potential varies after leaving different ministerial ranks and briefsPity the ambitious young Tory MP. The top jobs in Liz Truss’s government have been briefed and decided. Short of any huge upsets, the great offices of state have been filled, cutting off the possibility of significant advancement for some backbench Truss supporters.As they are left in the cold, standing outside the cabinet revolving door, the chance of becoming a household name and a significantly higher earner is vanishing. So too is the hope of the post-ministerial earnings that sometimes follow such high-profile gigs. Continue reading...

Albanese government looks forward to military cooperation as Jose Ramos-Horta calls for help to develop Greater Sunrise gas fields

One in seven calls to workers’ rights service JobWatch relate to pregnancy or breastfeeding according to research

Prime minister says Sweden Democrats entering government would change tone of politicsSweden’s Social Democratic prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, has said the country is at a pivotal moment as it prepares for its most critical election in years, in which rightwing populists with neo-Nazi roots are likely to become the second biggest party.Andersson, who took from Stefan Löfven in November to become Sweden’s first female leader, told the Guardian in an interview while campaigning near Stockholm that the repercussions would be considerable if the right-leaning parties win Sunday’s vote. Continue reading...

All national parks in the cape are now in the hands of First Nations people after Wednesday’s ceremony

WA beer company rebrands to ‘reflect who we are today’ two years after its products were dropped from Blackhearts and Sparrows stores

National accounts figures show GDP expanded by 3.6% compared with a year earlier as households drew down on savings to keep spending

Third Gwent officer resigned before he could be dismissed over incident involving junior colleague during a night outTwo senior Welsh police officers have been dismissed for gross misconduct after an investigation into a night out to mark the retirement of their chief constable.A third man, who was found culpable of “inappropriate touching”, would also have been sacked had he not retired from Gwent police just before the end of the disciplinary hearing. Continue reading...

In a shattering blow to the leftist leader Gabriel Boric, 62% voted against the progressive new document on SundayTwo days after Chileans emphatically rejected a new constitution, president Gabriel Boric has reshuffled his cabinet as he attempts to ride out a fresh period of uncertainty.On Sunday, 62% of Chileans voted against a progressive new constitution which would have replaced the current document drafted under Gen Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in a historic plebiscite. Continue reading...

Leonard Francis, contractor in US navy’s biggest scandal, was able not only to escape but also rented vans to load up his possessionsThe US Marshals Service and other law enforcement agencies are facing questions over their competence after the central figure in the biggest scandal in US naval history was able not only to escape house arrest but also rented vans to load up his possessions.When marshals arrived at Leonard Francis’s home in San Diego on Sunday, they found he had cut off his GPS ankle bracelet and fled, two weeks before his sentencing hearing. The whereabouts of the Malaysian contractor’s three sons, who had been living with him, was unclear. Continue reading...

Felicity Cornelius-Mercer said system ‘stinks’ after husband Johnny was removed as veterans affairs ministerThe wife of former minister Johnny Mercer has called Liz Truss an “imbecile” in an outburst on Twitter after her husband’s sacking.Felicity Cornelius-Mercer said the cabinet system “stinks” and “treats people appallingly” after her husband was removed as veterans affairs minister by the new prime minister. Continue reading...

Mother of nine-year-old fatally shot in her home urges those responsible for her death to come forwardThe mother of Olivia Pratt-Korbel has said those responsible for her death “know [they’ve] done wrong” and “need to own up” as she issued an emotional appeal.Cheryl Korbel, whose nine-year-old daughter was fatally shot at their home in Dovecot, Liverpool, paid tribute to her “little shadow” in the video, which was filmed and released by Merseyside police. Continue reading...

High-profile names relegated to backbenches as punishment for failing to back new PMPolitics live: latest updatesIt’s not just Boris Johnson who is yesterday’s man: a throng of his administration’s most memorable faces are now on the ministerial scrapheap. Some jumped, some were pushed, but most have probably performed their final spell in government.As Liz Truss swept into power, brushed away to the backbenches were Dominic Raab, Steve Barclay, Grant Shapps, Priti Patel, Nigel Adams and Nadine Dorries. Continue reading...

Woman says job agency administering program also asked her to attend face-to-face meeting after major surgery

Social services minister says ‘thousands’ of older Australians should benefit from changePensioners will be given more support and financial incentive to downsize their homes in a bid to boost housing stock for families, as the Labor government moves to legislate an election commitment first proposed by the Coalition.The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, said she hoped “thousands” of older Australians would benefit from the change, which will reduce the impact on pension payments if homeowners make a windfall from their property sale. Continue reading...

Campaign for new movie rating launched after affirmative consent laws passed in NSW and Victoria

First minister sets out programme for government with measures focused on cost of living crisisNicola Sturgeon has announced a rent freeze for public and private properties and a ban on winter evictions in a package of measures “deliberately focused” on the cost of living crisis.Describing pressures on household budgets as a “humanitarian emergency”, Scotland’s first minister set out the annual programme for government as the Holyrood parliament met for the first time after the summer recess.ScotRail fares will be frozen until at least March 2023.Extending free school meals to primary 6 and 7 pupils.The creation in law of a national care service.A £25m Clyde mission decarbonisation fund to support zero emission heat projects and communal heating systems.A criminal justice bill to abolish the controversial not proven verdict and introduce statutory anonymity to victims of sexual offences. Continue reading...

Ousted PM makes reference to Roman dictator Cincinnatus while pledging support for Liz Truss

Curator of site says several walls built 4,500 years ago have collapsed and repairs are under wayIn flood-stricken Pakistan, where an unprecedented monsoon season has killed hundreds of people, the rains now threaten a famed archaeological site dating back 4,500 years.The ruins of Mohenjo-daro, located in southern Sindh province near the Indus River, and a Unesco world heritage site, are considered among the best preserved urban settlements in south Asia. They were discovered in 1922, and mystery still surrounds the disappearance of its civilisation, which coincided with those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Continue reading...

In podcast interview, Duchess of Sussex discusses stereotypes and stigma surrounding single womenThe Duchess of Sussex has dismissed comments she was lucky Prince Harry chose her as his bride as “gendered, archetyped and stereotyped” in a new podcast, released as the couple arrived in Germany to promote the Invictus Games.Meghan said that when she and Harry got engaged, “everyone was just like: ‘Oh, my God, you’re so lucky, he chose you’. At a certain point, after you hear it a million times over, you’re like: ‘Well, I chose him, too.’ Continue reading...

Chairman Richard Sharp tells MPs that former Newsnight presenter was ‘completely wrong’The BBC’s chairman has rejected claims by the former Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis that a former Downing Street director of communications is acting as an agent of the Conservative party inside the corporation.Richard Sharp told MPs that Maitlis was “completely wrong” in categorising Robbie Gibb as an “active agent of the Conservative party” on the BBC’s board. Continue reading...

Earl of Shrewsbury failed to register as a lobbyist before contacting ministers about healthcare firmA Conservative hereditary peer breached lobbying rules by failing to register as a consultant lobbyist before contacting ministers on behalf of his client, a Whitehall watchdog has found.The Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (ORCL) announced on Friday the outcome of its investigation into the Earl of Shrewsbury – whose full name is Charles Henry John Benedict Crofton Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot – and his company Talbot Consulting Ltd. Continue reading...

Hollywood actors included on Russia’s list of 25 new names excluded from countryBen Stiller and Sean Penn have been banned from entering Russia following their outspoken support of Ukraine during the ongoing invasion.Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs released a list on Monday of 25 new names that will be excluded from the country in response to “the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the … Biden Administration against Russian citizens”. Stiller and Penn are both included, along with political figures such as senators Mark Kelly, Rick Scott and Kyrsten Sinema. Continue reading...