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...

Secret schools formed as girls banned from classes languish with no accredited route to universityThe Taliban’s ban on girls studying at high schools will become a de facto ban on university degrees for women if it stays in place, a Taliban spokesperson and university officials have said.Girls will not have the documents needed to enrol in higher education, or the academic capacity to start university courses after nearly a year out of school. Continue reading...

Critics warn of loopholes as UK government tries to stop ‘oligarchs attempting to hide ill-gotten gains’The business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, has promised that legislation coming into force on Monday will have an “immediate dissuasive effect on oligarchs attempting to hide their ill-gotten gains, ensuring that the UK is a place for legitimate business only”.However, a string of lawyers, tax experts, MPs, accountants and transparency campaigners are warning that the long-awaited register of overseas entities, which was sped through parliament after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is “riddled with flaws and loopholes” and will have no impact on forcing corrupt oligarchs to reveal which UK mansions they own. Continue reading...

Breaking down the data: which demographic groups have suffered the most and the least Continue reading...

Cruise ships, international students and visitors from China and India among those who will be able to once again travel to New ZealandNew Zealand’s borders are fully open for the first time since they abruptly snapped shut to keep Covid-19 out in March 2020.The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said the nation was “open for business” after the final stage of the phased reopening, which began in April, was completed on Sunday night. Continue reading...

Despite their differences the nations have shared interests, Jacinda Ardern says as she plans trip to ChinaNew Zealand will continue to cooperate on “shared interests” with China, even as tensions increase in the region and China grows “more assertive in the pursuit of its interests”, Jacinda Ardern has said.Speaking to the China Business Summit in Auckland on Monday, the prime minister said she was planning a trip to China “to seize new opportunities for dialogue,” support the trade relationship, and further cooperate on the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Protesters set up roadblocks and shots were fired after Pristina brought in rules that would mean Serbs in Kosovo must use Kosovo licence platesThe Kosovo government postponed implementation of a decision that would oblige Serbs in the north of the country to apply for car license plates issued by Pristina institutions after tensions rose between police and local communities.Late on Sunday protesters parked trucks filled with gravel and other heavy machinery on roads leading to two border crossings, Jarinje and Bernjak, in a territory where Serbs form a majority. Kosovo police said they had to close the border crossings. Continue reading...

Huge blaze burns out of control as crews were also battling fires in Montana, Idaho and HawaiiA wildfire in California grew to the largest the state has seen yet this year, as firefighting crews braced for thunderstorms and hot, windy conditions.The McKinney Fire was burning out of control in northern California’s Klamath national forest, near the Oregon border, with expected thunderstorms a big concern, said US Forest Service spokesperson Adrienne Freeman. Continue reading...

Winner took 25% of the vote, with Doctor Who in second place and Line of Duty and Sherlock tying in thirdCall the Midwife has been voted the best show of the last 25 years in a poll.The BBC period drama, which is loosely based on real events, follows a group of midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s as they cope with the pressures of their everyday lives as well as the changing times they are living through. Continue reading...

Event in London to include a Q&A with the victorious players and their manager, and will also be broadcastThousands of Lioness fans will have the opportunity to join the team for a daytime event to celebrate England’s Women’s Euro success in Trafalgar Square on Monday.The event, hosted by the former England player Alex Scott, will be free. However, entry will be gained on a first come, first served basis from 11am. Continue reading...

England women’s team’s 2-1 victory over Germany at Wembley widely celebrated as a historic achievementSport stars, politicians and even the Queen have taken to Twitter to celebrate the England women’s team’s success in the final of the women’s Euros after a 2-1 victory over Germany in extra time.Following a video posted to Twitter by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge showing Prince William and Princess Charlotte offering their support to the Lionesses before the match, the monarch heaped praise on the victors, saying their “success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned”. Continue reading...

After stunning run ends with defeat at Wembley, German team receives praise for inspiring nation and winning new fansGermany reacted with disappointment after being beaten by England in a nail-biting and historic final at Wembley.“A hundred and twenty minutes of pure passion and pure struggle weren’t enough today,” tweeted the official account of the German team, after their 2-1 defeat. “Respect and congratulations to the Lionesses.” Continue reading...

More than 2,000 people in the city’s fan zone watched England’s historic 2-1 triumph in the Women’s EurosThere were wild celebrations in Manchester’s fan zone at the final whistle on Sunday evening as more than 2,000 people, some of whom had arrived three hours before kick-off to queue for a seat, celebrated England’s Euros victory.Fans, including the former Lioness Stacey Copeland, gathered in the Piccadilly Gardens venue at the end of a watershed tournament that began against Austria just a few miles east, at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium. . Continue reading...

UN body wants 12-year-old in a coma to continue getting life-preserving treatment while it considers Barts’ decision to switch it offMinisters have asked the high court to “urgently consider” a request by the UN to stop life-support treatment being ended for 12-year-old Archie Battersbee.The letter, seen by PA Media, is from the government’s legal department and written on behalf of Steve Barclay, the health secretary. It states that the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities has asked the UK government to refrain from withdrawing treatment until the case has been considered by the committee. Continue reading...

Sian Green-Lord says use and alteration of her image without her knowledge in government poster was ‘beyond wrong’A British model has been left “literally shaking” with anger after Spain’s summer campaign encouraging women of all shapes and sizes to hit the beach used her image without permission and edited out her prosthetic leg.Sian Green-Lord is the second model to complain that her picture was used without her knowledge in a body-positivity promotion called “Summer is ours too”, which was launched on Wednesday by the Women’s Institute – part of Spain’s equality ministry. Continue reading...

Mick Whelan denied transport secretary’s claim of unofficial strikes on Avanti West Coast trainsThe leader of the rail drivers’ union has called Grant Shapps a liar over allegations the union was pushing an “unofficial strike” relating to overtime shifts.The transport secretary tweeted that passengers using Avanti West Coast services should expect disruption on Sunday because of unofficial strikes. Aslef said that it had not pushed any industrial action on Sunday and said the shortage of services was because of the shortage of drivers. Continue reading...

Campaigners want government action to save Velintonia, where the Spanish poet received writers including Federico García LorcaThe cedar-dwarfed, pale yellow house at 3 Vicente Aleixandre Street in north-west Madrid wasn’t always the damp, silent and neglected place it is now. Nor was it always 3 Vicente Aleixandre Street.For almost half a century, it was known as Velintonia, the semi-mythical house where the Nobel-prize winning Spanish poet Vicente Aleixandre wrote and received poets and writers including Federico García Lorca, who used to read his works aloud there and play the living room piano. Continue reading...