Payout comes after oil firm reported $11.5bn second-quarter profits amid soaring energy pricesShell is handing nearly all its 82,000 staff a bonus equivalent to 8% of their salary after the oil company reported record profits amid soaring energy prices.The British multinational is making the one-off payment to the vast majority of its employees around the world, only excluding those on its executive committee, executive vice presidents and contractors. Continue reading...

Rescuers located vessel as sun set but rough seas meant they had to wait until morning to help free manA 62-year-old Frenchman survived for 16 hours in an air bubble inside his capsized sailing boat in the Atlantic Ocean before being rescued by Spanish coastguard divers in what they described as an operation “verging on the impossible”.The 12-metre (40ft) Jeanne Solo Sailor sent out a distress signal at 8.23pm on Monday 14 miles from the Sisargas Islands off Spain’s north-western Galicia region, the coastguard said. Tracking data shows it had set sail from the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, on Sunday morning. Continue reading...

UK foreign secretary calls US House speaker’s trip ‘perfectly reasonable’ and urges China to de-escalateLiz Truss has criticised China’s “inflammatory” response to a senior US politician visiting Taiwan and called for a de-escalation ahead of military drills expected over the coming days.Hours after the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, ended a historic trip to the island about 100 miles east of China, the UK foreign secretary said her meetings with human rights activists and others were “perfectly reasonable”. Continue reading...

Civil rights activist led 1963 protests paving the way for passing of UK Race Relations ActThe civil rights activist Roy Hackett, who was one of the lead organisers of the Bristol bus boycott, has died at the age of 93.The 1963 campaign, which lasted four months, mobilised people across the city to stop using Bristol Omnibus Company buses following its refusal to hire black and Asian people. At the time, a “colour bar” in Britain meant that people from minority ethnic backgrounds could legally be banned from housing, employment and public places. Continue reading...

Employability course created by company related to job agency labelled a ‘waste of time, waste of resources’ by one jobseeker

Drivers are paying nearly £9 more for a tank of fuel than they should be, data showsPetrol prices at the pumps are not falling fast enough and in line with wholesale price drops, according to the RAC.Over the last eight weeks, the average price paid for unleaded by drivers across the UK has only dropped by 9p a litre– all of which came off in July – despite wholesale petrol prices falling by 20p in the same time period. Continue reading...

Archbishop indicates he will not seek to punish churches that allow same-sex marriage in balancing act

Victim received leg injury while on organised excursion to swim with blue sharksA swimmer has been bitten by a shark while snorkelling off the coast of Cornwall.The person involved, whose name has not been disclosed, was reportedly bitten by a blue shark on the leg during an excursion near Penzance. Continue reading...

How passengers with flights booked will be affected and whether more flights have been cancelledBritish Airways has suspended ticket sales on short-haul flights out of Heathrow. How will this affect travellers and why have they done it? Continue reading...

YouTube star who helped launch careers of Ed Sheeran, Dave and Skepta died in February aged 31The music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards died from a heart attack after taking cocaine and drinking alcohol, a coroner has concluded.Edwards, a YouTube star who helped launch the careers of Ed Sheeran, Dave and Skepta, died in February aged 31. Continue reading...

Average of 362 abusive tweets sent each day, often about race and sexuality, with Manchester United stars the most targetedMore than 300 abusive tweets are sent to Premier League footballers every day and nearly seven in 10 players receive abuse on Twitter, according to a study.Manchester United stars dominate the list of the 10 most abused players on the platform, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford, although the squad that receives the highest proportion of abusive tweets overall is Tottenham Hotspur. Continue reading...

Tory leadership frontrunner scraps plan for regional pay boards after outcry from Conservatives

Survey finds some British holidaymakers cannot bear to leave behind technology from years pastIt may seem like a blast from holidays past along with printing pages of directions from the AA website or waiting for handwritten airline tickets to arrive by post.But about one in 30 Britons (3%) admit to packing a CD player when going on holiday, a survey has found. Continue reading...

Rules apply to public and large commercial buildings – but Madrid president says she will not complySpain has announced new energy-saving measures, including limits on air conditioning and heating temperatures in public and large commercial buildings, as it becomes the latest European country to seek to reduce its energy consumption and its dependence on Russian oil and gas.Under a decree that comes into effect in seven days’ time and applies to public buildings, shopping centres, cinemas, theatres, rail stations and airports, heating should not be set above 19C and air conditioning should not be set below 27C. Doors will need to be closed so as not to waste energy, and lights in shop windows must be switched off after 10pm. Continue reading...

Ex-Labour leader also tells Beirut-based TV channel he was criticised over antisemitism because of stance on PalestineJeremy Corbyn has urged western countries to stop arming Ukraine, and claimed he was criticised over antisemitism because of his stance on Palestine, in a TV interview likely to underscore Keir Starmer’s determination not to readmit him to the Labour party.“Pouring arms in isn’t going to bring about a solution, it’s only going to prolong and exaggerate this war,” Corbyn said. We might be in for years and years of a war in Ukraine.” Continue reading...

Former supreme court president takes role as victims press claims against council and cladding makerDavid Neuberger, the former president of the supreme court, has agreed to mediate between the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster and the organisations accused of responsibility as part of a civil litigation process set to conclude next spring.The 74-year-old judge has taken the key role as more than 1,100 members of the Grenfell community, estates of the 72 people who died as a result of the 14 June tower fire, and emergency responders all press claims against defendants ranging from the landlord, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council, to Arconic, the cladding manufacturer. The actions could result in multimillion-pound payouts, admissions of responsibility and other remedies. Continue reading...

President ordered strike on Kabul safe house last month during a high-level meeting, administration saysA US drone strike in Afghanistan has killed the top al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, Joe Biden announced on Monday.The US president described the death of Zawahiri, who was Osama bin Laden’s deputy and successor, as a major blow to the terrorist network behind the September 11 2001 attacks. Continue reading...

Bakery chain reports 27% rise in sales after shoppers returned to high streets as Covid restrictions easedGreggs customers could face further price rises after the bakery chain warned that its costs would rise by 9% this year – four percentage points more than predicted at the start of 2022.The company said cost inflation increased significantly in the first half of the year led by pricier food and packaging. Continue reading...

Calls grow to save ‘the beating heart of the Aboriginal community in Redfern’ following shock announcement

Upper house MP says program would make animal healthcare more accessible for pet owners and help tackle national vet shortage

Cold weather and Covid disruptions have contributed to supply chain issues, causing some supermarkets to implement two-carton limits

Successive rate hikes to cost average homeowner an extra $610 a month in mortgage repayments compared to what they were paying in April

Senior police boss also did not rule out having Chinese police officers embedded within the force, after signing of controversial security dealChinese police will be invited to Solomon Islands to provide training in management and leadership to senior officers, under the new security deal signed between the two countries.Michael Aluvolomo, the transnational crime unit inspector for the Royal Solomon Islands police force, also did not rule out having Chinese police officers embedded within the force, saying it was up to the government to determine whether that was appropriate. Continue reading...

Animal that halted services for more than an hour had a damaged shell and was apparently escaped from local wildlife centreA large tortoise on the track caused trains to come to a halt in south-eastern England, a rail company informed travellers on Monday.Greater Anglia rail tweeted that trains between Norwich and Stansted airport were stopped for more than an hour due to a “giant tortoise”. Continue reading...

Measure would stop prisoners from being let out automatically part-way through sentences if deemed a threat to publicCharities have warned against new powers that would allow ministers to block the automatic release of dangerous prisoners and potentially make them serve their full sentence.The rule change is part of measures introduced to protect the public and would allow ministers to override judges’ fixed-term sentences that set automatic release dates at halfway or two-thirds through offenders’ jail terms. Continue reading...

Chickens’ diet cuts emissions linked to soya feed, while retailer’s food waste will fuel ‘bug farms’Morrisons will offer consumers the first “carbon-neutral” eggs to be produced by feeding hens insects raised on food waste from the company’s supermarkets.Chickens laying the eggs will have a soya-free diet including insects fed on food scraps from the retailer’s bakery, fruit and vegetable sites. Continue reading...

National security council says speaker has ‘right to visit’ after China warns its military would ‘not sit idly by’The US national security council (NSC) has insisted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “has the right to visit Taiwan”, amid reports that she will be landing on the island on Tuesday – a move that China has vowed to respond to forcefully.Speaking at a press conference in Washington on Monday, NSC spokesman John Kirby said Pelosi has visited Taiwan before “without any incident”. Continue reading...

Judge in Lecce rules no grounds to pursue investigation against Canadian director, 69, who spent 16 days under house arrestOscar-winning director Paul Haggis has had a sexual assault charge dropped by an Italian court six weeks after he was accused by a 28-year-old British woman of forcing her to have “non-consensual” sex with him.A judge in the southern Italian city of Lecce ruled on Friday that there were no grounds to further pursue an investigation. Continue reading...

High court rules he gave ‘false evidence’ when he sued blogger for alleging his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto was fraudulentFor years Craig Wright has claimed that he is the mythical figure who created bitcoin. But a legal bid by the Australian computer scientist to defend his assertion that he is Satoshi Nakamoto resulted in a pyrrhic victory and a tarnished reputation on Monday.A high court judge ruled Wright had given “deliberately false evidence” in a libel case and awarded him £1 in damages after he sued a blogger for alleging that his claim to be the elusive Nakamoto was fraudulent. Continue reading...

Experts predict RBA will lift cash rate from to 1.85%, marking a 175-basis point increase since May

Judges say termination should not be suspended beyond midday on Tuesday as UN considers case of 12-year-oldThe court of appeal has refused to postpone the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from 12-year-old Archie Battersbee beyond midday on Tuesday, rejecting an application by his parents.Hollie Dance, 46, and Paul Battersbee, 57, from Southend-on-Sea in Essex, had asked the court to extend a legal stay on the decision by a high court judge allowing treatment of Archie, who suffered a catastrophic brain injury on 7 April, to be stopped. The couple have been fighting a legal battle against Barts NHS trust since May, asking that their son be allowed to die as “natural” a death as possible. Continue reading...

The justice department is seeking to block the $2.2bn merger between Penguin Random House and Simon & SchusterThe government and publishing titan Penguin Random House exchanged opening salvos in a federal antitrust trial Monday as the US seeks to block the biggest US book publisher from absorbing rival Simon & Schuster. The case will be a pivotal test of the Biden administration’s antitrust policy.The justice department has sued to block the $2.2bn merger, which would reduce the Big Five US publishers to four. Continue reading...

Finding Freedom author, recently revealed to have been informed by a briefing from a senior aide, promises follow-up boasting ‘deep access’Journalist Omid Scobie will publish a follow-up to his bestselling book Finding Freedom, an unofficial biography of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.Scobie, who co-authored Finding Freedom with journalist Carolyn Durand, has yet to reveal the title of the second book, which is due out next year. Continue reading...

Deividas Skebas, 22, appears before judge in Lincoln over stabbing of girl in Boston on ThursdayA man has appeared in court charged with the murder of nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte, who was found in the street with a stab wound in Boston last week.Deividas Skebas, 22, spoke only to confirm his name at Lincoln crown court on Monday. He will return to court on 19 September, when a trial date is likely to be set, and was remanded in custody. Continue reading...

First grain ship departs from Odesa as part of Turkey-brokered export deal; Russia says five injured in Black Sea drone attack

Attack on Odesa port had cast doubt on deal negotiated by Turkey and UN to avoid widespread famineA ship carrying Ukrainian grain has left the port of Odesa for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion under an internationally brokered deal to unblock Ukraine’s agricultural exports and ease a growing global food crisis.The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, carrying 26,000 tonnes of corn, finally set sail for Lebanon on Monday morning, according to Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry, following weeks of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, led by Turkey and the United Nations. Continue reading...

Olaf Scholz travels to London to watch Germany lose at Wembley, but Downing Street hints at honours for England women’s squadBoris Johnson’s spokesperson has denied he snubbed the Lionesses by not watching their Euros victory from Wembley, despite the German chancellor doing so.While no extra bank holiday is expected to be created to mark the achievement of the England women’s football team, Downing Street did hint the squad could be lined up for honours in recognition of their success. Continue reading...

Audience peaked at 17.4 million viewers, making it the biggest UK television event of the year to dateA peak TV audience of more than 17 million tuned in to watch England’s historic win over Germany in the Euro 2022 final, making it the most-watched women’s football game in UK television history and the most-watched TV event of the year.The Lionesses’ dramatic 2-1 victory ended England’s 56-year wait for a major football trophy and 80% of all TV viewers were watching as the extra-time winner went in at a sold-out Wembley on Sunday night. Continue reading...

Yacht reportedly crashed into rocks when swerving in attempt to avoid collision with another vesselA British man has reportedly died and six people were injured after a yacht sailing near a resort in Sardinia crashed into rocks on Sunday.The 63-year-old man reported to be the owner of the 21-metre yacht was unconscious but still alive when he was rescued by the Italian coastguard of Olbia and Porto Cervo. However, first responders said he died immediately after. Continue reading...

About 2,000 homes remain uninhabitable, with evaluations set to begin for buyback program

Advocates say proposed laws are an ‘extraordinary overreach’ but minister says they are needed for safety

‘Traumatic day’ for workers as social enterprise hub suddenly shuts one month after land divestment

Former chancellor says he finds his successor’s accusation ‘amusing’ as he vows to cut income tax by 20%The Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak has rejected accusations from his successor as chancellor of being a “doomster” on the economy, as he pushed his plan to cut income tax by 20% by the end of the decade.“As chancellor I was very keen to make sure that I started cutting taxes,” Sunak told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “What I’ve announced today builds on that, and that’s because I believe in rewarding work and the best way for the government to signal that is to cut people’s income tax.” Continue reading...

Employees of contractor questioned over alleged vandalism after colourful murals painted overA popular cultural attraction and one of Taiwan’s most “Instagrammable” sites has allegedly been defaced by the operators contracted to run it, after they were told to move out for six months while restoration work was conducted.It was discovered on Friday that many of the walls of the Rainbow Village had been covered with paint overnight. Police detained 14 employees of the Rainbow Creative Co for questioning over the alleged vandalism, including the company’s head, Wei Pi-Jen, who defended their actions as a protest rather than “malicious destruction”. They were released on Sunday. Continue reading...

Indigenous senator Lidia Thorpe forced to redo oath of allegiance after Senate president interjects and others voice criticism

Virus has taken hold amid ragged system ravaged by years of underfunding, messy bureaucracy and CovidA “slow and bureaucratic” response that has seen monkeypox spread rapidly across the US – with more than a thousand cases in New York City alone – reveals just how badly battered local health agencies have been since the Covid pandemic, advocates have said.Once a rare African virus, monkeypox has taken hold amid the ragged patchwork of city, county, state and federal agencies that make up the US public health infrastructure. Continue reading...

As many firms are now planning to cut investment as to increase it, latest polls findUK business leaders are slashing investment plans as soaring prices, Brexit trading difficulties and political uncertainty all leave bosses pessimistic about the economic outlook.As many firms are now planning to cut investment as to increase it, according to the Institute of Directors’ latest poll of business chiefs. That is the weakest reading since October 2020, as nervous firms rein in spending. Continue reading...

Dominic Perrottet says he acted out of concern that public servants could be exposed to an unsafe workplace

Polls suggest leadership race may be going further than even Conservatives might want on immigration, economy and climateIt is a thread running through the Conservative leadership campaign, as shown through the apparent desire to be toughest on asylum seekers, the biggest advocate of tax cuts, sceptical about net zero measures: this is a party that feels like it has shifted decisively to the right.Some argue the arms race of populist policies from Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak exemplifies a new Conservatism, one fundamentally altered by Brexit and Boris Johnson, which has gradually absorbed the priorities of those who used to support Ukip. Continue reading...