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The latest variants are masters at evading immunity – meaning previous infection and vaccines are unlikely to provide much protection against catching it

Campaigners wearing T-shirts with name of Chinese tennis player say they were told not to approach anyoneActivists wearing “Where is Peng Shuai?” T-shirts claim they were confronted by Wimbledon security staff who warned them against approaching spectators and political messaging at SW19.

Two unions say political parties cannot be trusted to deal with sexual misbehaviour by their own MPsParliament must act to stop the “seemingly endless” allegations of sexual misconduct by MPs as political parties cannot be trusted to make it a safe place to work, two leading unions have warned.As No 10 admitted Boris Johnson had known about allegations against Chris Pincher before making him deputy chief whip, the FDA and Prospect said politicians were time and again failing to “deal properly with sexual misconduct by one of their own”. Continue reading...

Family of Alaa Abd El Fattah join wife of Karim Ennarah, under travel ban, in demanding more action from foreign secretaryThe family of a British national jailed in Egypt and the British wife of an Egyptian rights defender under a travel ban are demanding that Liz Truss do more to pressure her Egyptian counterpart when they meet this week.The foreign secretary is expected to meet Egypt’s foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, in London after telling parliament in June that she would seek a meeting with him and raise the case of detained British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El Fattah. “We’re working very hard to secure his release,” she said. Continue reading...

Cash rate predicted to rise again in August as the RBA attempts to bring down rising inflation

Book burning has become a tradition for students finishing exams and it has prompted fires in PrestonTo the dismay of local firefighters the act of book burning has been taken up by GCSE students in Lancashire to celebrate the end of their exams.Happy pupils have been burning their textbooks, prompting three fires in one night in Preston last week. Continue reading...

Number of cases delayed by strike hits 2,000 as barristers in England and Wales join picket lines againDominic Raab has been accused of failing to take the concerns of criminal barristers in England and Wales seriously as the estimated number of cases delayed by their strike hit 2,000.Barristers once again joined picket lines across the country on Monday as the walkout over legal aid fees entered its second week. Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice in central London, Jo Sidhu QC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), said they would continue “until we get the justice that we deserve and the public is entitled to”. Continue reading...

Prime minister’s commitment to defence spending questioned by Tory MP after statement last week

Region’s governor says loss was painful and he expects Sloviansk and Bakhmut now to face heavy attack

Volodymyr Zelenskiy says process of recovery will allow his country to deepen its links with Europe

Alleged social media posts by a British national prompted the Spanish Civil Guard to escort the plane to MenorcaAn easyJet flight was intercepted by a Spanish fighter plane after a bomb threat was allegedly made by a British teenager onboard.Video footage taken by a passenger on the commercial flight appears to show an F18 fighter warplane flying closely beside the easyJet flight from London Gatwick to Menorca on Sunday. Continue reading...

Effect of cost of living crisis also felt by canteens struggling to provide beef and chicken, finds trade body surveySchool caterers warn that more children are “falling through the cracks” because of the cost of living crisis, with many reporting a steep fall in the number of pupils able to pay for school meals amid rising food costs and shortages.A survey by Laca, the school caterers trade body, revealed that beef and chicken were disappearing from school lunch menus because of rising prices, with many companies reporting that even staples such as potatoes and pasta were increasingly expensive and difficult to source. Continue reading...

Analysis: Labour leader plans to focus on practicalities instead of reopening old political wounds

The vessels would have allowed traffickers to smuggle 200kg of drugs across strait of Gibraltar, police sayPolice in Spain have broken up a gang that was allegedly building semi-submersible drones each capable of ferrying up to 200kg of drugs across the strait of Gibraltar.The Policía Nacional arrested eight people in Cádiz, Málaga and Barcelona, and said it was the first time they had come across underwater drones being used to smuggle drugs. Continue reading...

Suspected organiser of shooting of Peter R de Vries is held, reportedly on suspicion of another murderDutch police have arrested a man suspected of organising the murder last year of a leading crime reporter.Peter R de Vries, 64, died nine days after he was shot in the head outside an Amsterdam TV studio last July, a crime that prosecutors say was linked to his role in the trial of a Dutch drugs mafia kingpin. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer to insist on no return to single market, saying it would be recipe for further division

The makers of Frosties and Coco Pops claimed new restrictions that banned the promotion of sugary cereals were ‘unfair’Kellogg’s has failed in a legal challenge against new regulations that ban it from promoting sugar-filled cereals with buy-one-get-one-free offers.The cereal company, whose brands include Corn Flakes, Coco Pops and Frosties, had argued the government’s inclusion of its cereals among “less healthy” foods was unfair because it did not take into account the milk that is usually added at breakfast time. Continue reading...

Gunman acted alone and appears to have selected his victims at random, officials in Denmark sayA shooting at a Copenhagen shopping centre in which three people were killed and four others seriously wounded was not terror-related, Danish police have said.Søren Thomassen, Copenhagen’s chief police inspector, said the gunman, a 22-year-old Danish man who confessed to the shooting on Sunday night, had apparently picked his victims at random when he opened fire at the Field’s shopping centre on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading...

Analysis: Effects of climate change already affecting mountaineering beyond deadly glacier collapse on Marmolada

The poet and children’s author, who takes over from Cressida Cowell, was praised as an ‘extraordinary advocate for making poetry accessible to all’Poet, playwright and author Joseph Coelho has been named the new Waterstones children’s laureate, and will look to celebrate the power of poetry during his two-year tenure.Coelho takes over the role from How to Train Your Dragon author Cressida Cowell, who served three years instead of the usual two because of the coronavirus pandemic. He was announced as laureate at an event today at the Unicorn theatre, London, where he was given his bespoke laureate medal by Cowell. At the ceremony, Coelho performed a new poem he had written to mark the occasion, titled The Power of a Poem. Continue reading...

Ex-health minister Olivier Véran becomes French government spokesperson in second shake-up in six weeksEmmanuel Macron has reshuffled his government for the second time in six weeks after losing his parliamentary majority in elections in June.The shake-up brought the former health minister Olivier Véran, who nursed France through the Covid crisis, back into the French president’s inner circle in the high-profile role of government spokesperson. Continue reading...

Temperatures will simultaneously fall in parts of Europe, bringing relief to Norway, Sweden, Italy and the BalkansThere will be a big change in temperature across parts of Europe this week. Northern Scandinavia experienced unprecedented heat last week with Tana Bru and Banak in Norway reaching 32.5C on Wednesday, the hottest June day ever recorded within the Arctic Circle. Other areas recorded temperatures of 30C to 32C on Saturday.Meanwhile, although temperatures have eased slightly over the last week, Italy and much of the Balkans have been in the grip of a heatwave for some time, which has resulted in sea surface temperatures in the Black Sea and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea rising to and remaining more than 5C above average in places. Continue reading...

Technical and legal details remain to be worked out before approval can be given, International Atomic Energy Agency head says

Covid-19 and soaring costs result in drop to below 40,000 during first half of this yearThere are fewer pubs in England and Wales than ever before, according to analysis that sheds light on the ruinous impact of the coronavirus pandemic and soaring business costs.The total number of pubs dropped below 40,000 during the first half of 2022, a fall of more than 7,000 compared with a decade ago. Continue reading...

Fifteen climbers could still be missing, say authorities, after fall of ice, snow and rock on popular trail on Marmolada mountain in DolomitesThe search for survivors of a glacier collapse in which at least six people have died has resumed in Italy’s Dolomites region.Authorities believe as many as 15 people may still be missing after a large chunk of alpine glacier broke loose on Sunday afternoon and sent ice, snow and rock slamming into hikers on a popular trail on the Marmolada peak. Nine people were injured in the slide. Continue reading...

WorkSafe Victoria alleges the home, where 45 people died, failed to require workers to wear PPE or train them in how to don and remove it properly

Witness unable to remember woman’s name as judge separately dismisses evidence that Chris Dawson sought to hire someone to ‘get rid of’ his wife

Team to sing in local Indigenous language in recognition of Naidoc week and in tribute to Uncle Lloyd McDermott at Suncorp Stadium in BrisbaneThe Wallabies will sing the Australian national anthem in local Indigenous language when the rugby union Test series against England continues in Brisbane this weekend.Dave Rennie’s side, who won the opening encounter with their old foes in Perth on Saturday, will also run out on to the Suncorp Stadium pitch wearing their First Nations jersey, in recognition of Naidoc week. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereA Ukrainian defence ministry spokesperson has denied Moscow’s claims that the southern city of Lysychansk is under “full control” of Russian forces.Speaking to the BBC, Yuriy Sak admitted, however, that the situation in the area had been “very intense for quite a while now”, with Russian forces attacking “non-stop”. Continue reading...

Twenty-two-year-old Danish man charged with manslaughter and will face court on MondayDanish police have said three people were shot dead and three critically injured after a gunman opened fire at a busy Copenhagen shopping centre on Sunday evening.A 22-year-old Danish man was arrested after the shooting, Copenhagen police inspector Søren Thomassen said. The suspect has been charged with manslaughter and will face questioning in front of a judge on Monday. Continue reading...

East coast low weakening, but up to 100mm of rain expected to lash Sydney on Monday morning

Anthony Albanese pledges more military aid on visit to Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin

Author of Manon Bradshaw detective series was diagnosed with a brain tumour three years agoThe novelist and former Guardian journalist Susie Steiner, known for the Manon Bradshaw detective series, has died aged 51.A tweet posted from her account on Sunday said: “Susie died yesterday after being diagnosed with a brain tumour three years ago. She lived with her illness with courage and good humour. She was much loved and will be much missed.” Continue reading...

A Romanian and an Austrian die within 600 metres of each other south of city of HurghadaTwo women have been killed in shark attacks in Egypt’s Red Sea, south of the city of Hurghada, the Egyptian environment ministry has said.Two sources told Reuters that the body of a Romanian tourist in her late forties was discovered hours after an attack that left a 68-year-old Austrian woman dead. Both attacks happened within 600 metres of each other, off the coast of Sahl Hasheesh, according to the sources. Continue reading...

Exclusive: submissions by women to inquiry describe sexist behaviour, affecting responses to domestic violenceCurrent and former female police officers in Queensland have detailed widespread misogynistic behaviour, sexist comments and sexual harassment by male colleagues, in submissions to a state inquiry focusing on problems with police culture.The commission of inquiry was recommended by the state’s women’s safety and justice taskforce, which found “widespread cultural issues” affecting police responses to domestic and family violence.References by male police officers to an area where female detectives sat as “cunt corner”A male officer questioning “is this a real rape or is she looking for a free pap smear?”

One win all year and 11 straight losses by 40+, the latest an 18 goal flogging. North Melbourne’s David Noble is coaching a club under siegeIn November last year, the greats of the North Melbourne Football Club gathered at Arden Street. Legends of the club mingled with former captains, coaches, presidents, and sponsors. The mood was buoyant. The club’s debt had been wiped. Dani Laidley had been welcomed back. The number one draft pick looked ready made. “You can feel the energy, and feel the excitement in the air,” the outgoing chairman said.But little has gone right since. The signs were there in the first practice match. North have since regressed in every area worth measuring. Their only win came against the Covid-ravaged Eagles. They’re the first team in VFL/AFL history to lose 11 straight games by more than 40 points. On Saturday night, they lost by 18 goals. Continue reading...

Grattan Institute paper recommends allowing trading of carbon credits and a firm limit on emissions for country’s largest polluters

Ukrainian military command confirms withdrawal of troops from city of Lysychansk to avoid ‘fatal consequences’

Billie Jean King, Roger Federer, Björn Borg and Venus Williams among 26 tennis legends to mark occasionWimbledon spectators were treated to appearances by some of the tournament’s legends, including Billie Jean King, Roger Federer and Venus Williams, on Sunday as Centre Court celebrated its 100th anniversary.The ceremony featured 26 previous champions as well as a singalong led by Cliff Richard, recreating when he memorably entertained the Centre Court crowd in similar fashion during a lengthy rain delay in 1996. Continue reading...

Exclusive: shadow health secretary says service in England would be brought in over several parliamentsLabour will aim to bring in a national care service in England free at the point of use, just as the 1945 government brought in the NHS, the shadow health secretary has said, launching a review of how it would work.In an interview with the Guardian, Wes Streeting said he had asked the Fabian Society to look at how the service would be funded and structured, with a view to bringing it in over the course of several parliaments. Continue reading...

Police say 14-year-old has been bailed pending further investigation following incident on WednesdayA 14-year-old boy has been arrested after a report of a rape at a nightclub in Manchester.Police said officers were called to a premises on Bloom Street in the city just after 5am on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Government sources confirm move to curb the sole installation of gender-neutral facilitiesNew offices, schools, hospitals and entertainment venues will be expected to have separate male and female lavatories, government sources have confirmed, in a move to curb the sole installation of gender-neutral facilities.Ministers will formally announce this week that it is acting to prevent non-residential buildings from being built solely with “universal” lavatories. The move will involve changes to building regulations and planning guidance. Continue reading...

Welsh-English anthology about Welsh equivalent of Route 66 republished twice since release on St David’s DayIt is variously described as a snake, a zip, a ribbon, a scar, a Welsh version of Route 66. Memories, myths and moments of love and grief are woven into a collection of poems celebrating an unusual subject – the A470 road that links north and south Wales.Though the subject matter may seem unpromising, the collection A470: Poems for the Road / Cerddi’r Ffordd, has proved popular with critics and readers and has already been reprinted twice since it was launched on St David’s Day in March. Continue reading...

PM spent weekend before Tiverton and Honiton byelection in south-west and flew back on government planeBoris Johnson used a government private jet to fly home from a weekend with his family in Cornwall, prompting questions about use of taxpayer-funded resources.The prime minister was in Cornwall and Devon on the weekend before the Tiverton and Honiton byelection, in which his party lost to the Liberal Democrats. Continue reading...

EU approval of slogan deepens rift between rival Nato members as Greeks claim their culture is being usurpedA Turkish effort to lure tourists with a “TurkAegean” promotional campaign – against a backdrop of historic Greek sites and the sound of the bouzouki – has elicited anger and embarrassment in Athens.With its western shores that straddle the Aegean, Turkey says the time has come to stop associating the region exclusively with Greece. Last December, it lodged a request with the EU’s intellectual property office to trademark the term TurkAegean. Continue reading...

Dozen fire engines attend 17-storey tower in Bromley where a flat and part of roof are on fireAbout 80 firefighters are tackling a fire at a 17-storey block of flats in south-east London.A dozen fire engines were at the scene of the fire in St Mark’s Square, Bromley, London fire brigade (LFB) said. Continue reading...

Tripoli sees biggest rallies in years on weekend of demonstrations over political deadlock and living conditionsThe UN secretary general, António Guterres, has appealed for calm as street demonstrations spread across Libya in protest over power cuts and the failure to hold national elections.Talks between the Libyan factions in Geneva convened by the UN special adviser Stephanie Williams made progress last week but without agreement on a constitution for the elections. Continue reading...

Gas Safe Register finds almost one in three not booking annual gas safety checks due to cost of living crisis