Blaze caused by fermenting grains had been smouldering for weeks, with people told to stay indoorsA section of the huge grain silos at Beirut’s port, shredded in the 2020 explosion in the Lebanese capital, collapsed on Sunday after a weeks-long fire triggered by grains that had fermented and ignited in the summer heat.The northern block of the silos fell in a huge cloud of dust after what sounded like an explosion. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured. Continue reading...

Deputy director says institution seeks ‘dynamic and positive conversation’ over sculptures taken from Athens in 19th centuryThe deputy director of the British Museum has proposed a “Parthenon partnership” with Greece that could see the marbles returned to Athens after more than 200 years.The sculptures – 17 figures and part of a frieze that decorated the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple on the Acropolis – were taken by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century when he was the British ambassador to the Ottoman empire, and have since been the subject of a long-running dispute over where they should be displayed. Continue reading...

MP and peers urge party to reconsider decision to reject request from Labour Women’s Declaration groupLabour MPs have expressed support for a group campaigning for sex-based rights that has been barred from having a presence inside the party’s autumn conference.The Labour Women’s Declaration group has been handed a definitive rejection after its request for a stand at the conference in Liverpool. The “gender-critical” group argues that sex-based rights should not be eroded by those based on gender identity. Continue reading...

Family accommodated in a Midlands hotel were sick after eating meal provided by SercoChildren at a Home Office hotel unwittingly ate worms that were in food provided to them by government contractors, the Guardian has learned.A four-year-old boy, not realising that his meal of fish and chips contained worms, began vomiting soon after he started to eat it. Paramedics were called and the boy was taken to hospital. Continue reading...

Ukraine does not confirm involvement in Sevastopol attack, while Russia cancels Navy Day events

Observer victory after judge rules in transparency battle in family courts in England and WalesA judge has ruled that a court-appointed expert can be named after their qualifications and conduct were challenged by a mother who claimed key evidence they provided led her children to be removed from her care against their wishes.The case raises questions about the regulation and use of psychological experts appointed to the family courts, in particular when allegations of “parental alienation” are made – meaning a child has unjustly rejected one parent due to manipulation by the other. The Observer won an application to name the expert in the case after making a series of submissions to the family court. Continue reading...

Russian embassy call for Ukrainian executions condemned; strikes hit Kharkiv school; Gazprom halts gas to Latvia; Moscow bars NZ officials

Retired Australian grand slam winner posts a picture from her wedding day online with the caption ‘husband & wife’

Leader’s comments seek to defuse row with unions after sacking of minister who gave interviews from picket lineKeir Starmer has said Labour must move from being a “party of protest” to one that can win an election in order to help working people.The party’s leader said he supports the right to strike, pointing to his pro-bono work as a lawyer representing striking miners instead of “just sentiment and a photo op”. Continue reading...

Future king allegedly accepted donation for his charity in 2013 but Clarence House disputes the claimsThe Prince of Wales received a £1m donation for his charity from relatives of Osama bin Laden, according to a report.The Sunday Times alleged that the future king accepted the payment from Bakr bin Laden, the patriarch of the Saudi family, and his brother Shafiq. Continue reading...

Sione Lavalu lost his health insurance after Covid stranded him in Australia and now owes $79,000 after suffering major burns

Melanie Stephens is caught up in Administrative Appeals Tribunal case after being denied funding for a device to help Ella communicate

‘Special shuttle’ one of few services running in Birmingham after the latest industrial action on the networkRail strikes brought fresh misery for millions across the country on Saturday, including major disruption to Birmingham as it hosted one of the busiest days of the Commonwealth Games.The latest round of strikes during a summer of chaos for passengers prompted bitter exchanges between union leaders and ministers. Continue reading...

Outgoing PM and his wife celebrate nuptials with wider circle after scaling back wedding last yearGuests are arriving for Boris and Carrie Johnson’s wedding bash at the grand Cotswolds estate of a major Tory donor.The outgoing prime minister and his wife are hosting family and friends at 18th-century Daylesford House to celebrate their nuptials with a wider circle, after the pandemic forced them to scale back festivities last year. Continue reading...

Employment conditions can tie staff to roles for up to five years and impose fees of £14,000 for an early return home• Trapped and destitute: how foreign nurses’ dreams turned sourThe NHS must halt the use of “repayment clauses” in contracts for international healthcare workers, MPs have said.Members of the Commons health and social care committee came to this finding after an Observer investigation in March revealed how some workers were being forced to pay thousands of pounds if they wish to quit their jobs before their agreed contract ends. Widely used in both the private health and social care sector and in the NHS, the clauses are designed to help with retention of workers and recouping costs associated with overseas recruitment. Continue reading...

The popularity of ‘boy-love’ series sends fans from home and abroad flocking to filming locations across the countryThere is a table in Soontaree Thiprat’s Phuket cafe that is always fully booked. Most of her customers at the Dibuk restaurant want to sit in the corner, at the spot with the red tablecloth and purple flower.It is the table where the male student characters Teh and Oh-aew, played by the actors Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul and Krit “PP” Amnuaydechkorn, would sit together and flirt in I Told Sunset About You and its sequel, I Promised You the Moon, a romantic Thai series that has proved hugely popular in its home country and abroad. Continue reading...

Beating in broad daylight of Alika Ogorchukwu in Civitanova Marche sparks outrage and protestsAn Italian man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a Nigerian street seller, whose beating in broad daylight was reportedly filmed by onlookers and which has sparked outrage and protests.Alika Ogorchukwu, 39, was killed in the centre of Civitanova Marche on Friday afternoon. Continue reading...

Ukraine says comments from Russian embassy Twitter account shows Russia ‘is a state sponsor of terrorism’

PLA carries out ‘live-fire exercises’ after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told not to visit the island democracyChina said it was conducting military exercises off its coast opposite Taiwan after warning Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, to scrap possible plans to visit the island democracy.The ruling Communist party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), was conducting “live-fire exercises” near the Pingtan islands off Fujian province from 8am to 9pm, the official Xinhua news agency said. The Maritime Safety Administration warned ships to avoid the area. Continue reading...

Head of Aslef says transport secretary ‘misrepresenting’ the truth after claim the union was ‘dragging its feet’ in pay talksMary Kelly Foy, the Labour MP for City of Durham, has expressed solidarity with Aslef union members as they strike.LNER, which runs trains between London and Scotland, is warning customers of its “extremely limited services” today. Continue reading...

Supermarket brands of the tipple, made with added water and sugar, are ‘giving cider a bad name’From the crab apples pressed during the Roman conquest to the Kent orchards planted during the reign of Henry VIII, the making of British cider is one of the country’s finest heritage assets. So much so that craft producers are now demanding protection from modern commercial ciders with added water and fruit flavourings which they say are undermining the reputation of the traditional products.They say leading supermarket brands such as Strongbow, Frosty Jack’s and Kopparberg cider may contain more added water than apple juice. They are calling for new regulations as part of the government’s review of alcohol duty. Continue reading...

Application refused after concerns store could become ‘hotspot for late-night disturbances and antisocial behaviour’The bakery chain Greggs has been refused an overnight licence for a large new store in central London amid claims it could become a “hotspot for late-night disturbances and antisocial behaviour”.The company applied to extend the opening hours of its new Leicester Square branch, which operates between 6am and 11pm from Monday to Saturday, from 11pm to 5am. Continue reading...

Comedian doesn’t directly address apology onstage but says: ‘Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith ... I went to work the next day’Comedian Chris Rock did not directly address Will Smith’s recent apology video to him when onstage in Atlanta on Friday but he did continue to make jokes about the notorious incident at the Oscars when he was slapped by the actor while presenting the awards show.“If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims,” Rock said. “Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith ... I went to work the next day, I got kids,” he joked, according to CNN. Continue reading...

Attorney general reportedly tells lawyers to stop rejecting unlawful policies without assessing chance of successThe attorney general is to order government lawyers to provide “solutions-based advice” when assessing the legal risk of policies in updated guidance.Suella Braverman’s office said the new recommendations, which come amid a row over the government’s highly controversial policy to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, will mean that when “a substantial legal challenge to a policy is likely, it does not automatically mean the policy cannot be pursued”. Continue reading...

Health ministry says 4,298 cases confirmed in Spain, as it records what is thought to be Europe’s second death in outbreakSpain reported its second monkeypox-related death on Saturday, in what is thought to be Europe’s second death from the disease in the current outbreak.Spain reported its first death on Friday, shortly after Brazil reported the first monkeypox-related death outside the African continent in the current wave of the disease. Continue reading...

Stars including Stephen Fry and Joe Lycett join forces to help campaigners fundraise for UK’s first community-run queer venueComedians Stephen Fry and Joe Lycett and actor Mawaan Rizwan have joined in a race to raise tens of thousands of pounds to open the UK’s first community-run queer venue.Campaigners need to raise nearly £30,000 in the next four days to hit their £100,000 target and keep alive hopes of reviving the Joiners Arms, a famous east London gay institution. Continue reading...

Lawyer says client ‘glad it’s over’ as Rebekah Vardy faces considerable bill after high court judgmentColeen Rooney does not want any compensation or retribution following the “Wagatha Christie” libel trial, according to her lawyer, who said she is “just glad that it’s over and that she can get on with her life”.On Friday, Rebekah Vardy lost her libel case against Rooney after a scathing high court judgment described her as an “untrustworthy witness” who was likely to have purposely destroyed potentially vital evidence. Continue reading...

Johnson under pressure from former health secretaries to pay interim amounts to victims and familiesPressure is growing for government to compensate victims of the contaminated blood scandal immediately.The chair of the contaminated blood inquiry on Friday called for the victims and their families to be paid “without delay” after he recommended the level of interim compensation payments. Sir Brian Langstaff said infected people and bereaved partners should be given “payments of no less than £100,000”. Continue reading...

Tony Danker says thousands of companies are ‘rethinking their supply chains’ in shift that could exacerbate cost of living crisisBritish businesses are scrambling to sever economic ties with China in the wake of increased political and security tensions between Beijing and the west, an industry leader has said.The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) director general, Tony Danker, warned that the sudden restructuring of supply chains from China could also exacerbate the cost of living crisis. Continue reading...

Police officers came across the boy’s unresponsive body during an early morning welfare check at the home in RockhamptonA woman has been charged with murder after an eight-year-old boy was found dead in a central Queensland home.Police officers came across the boy’s unresponsive body during an early morning welfare check at the home in Rockhampton on Saturday. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese announces draft wording of referendum question in Garma festival speech. This blog is now closed

Uluru Statement from the Heart advocates praise Anthony Albanese’s Garma festival speech but Coalition wants more details

Relatives of 12-year-old boy in comatose state allowed more time after judge ruled life support treatment should endAn NHS trust boss says staff are giving relatives of a 12-year-old boy left in a comatose state after suffering brain damage time to “come to terms” with a judge’s ruling that life support treatment should end.But Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer for Barts Health NHS trust, said on Friday that “further delay” in starting to provide “palliative care” to Archie Battersbee would “not be appropriate” without a court order. Continue reading...

Ukraine’s president says Black Sea ports ready to export grain; Kyiv calls on world leaders to condemn Russia over attack that led to death of 40 PoWs

Retail bonanza predicted as England’s Lionesses take on Germany at Wembley on SundayFootball fans are expected to spend more than £138m on beer, snacks and other sustenance as the Lionesses take on Germany in the Euro 2022 final on Sunday.The game, likely to be the most-watched broadcast of the year so far, is forecast to draw 4.6 million fans to pubs, bars and restaurants where they will down about 8.7m pints, according to research by GlobalData for VoucherCodes. Continue reading...

Footage shows soldier with knife and surgical gloves mutilating prisoner as he lies down with hands bound

California city’s mayor warns ‘We are at a very scary place’, while New York accounts for a quarter of US casesSan Francisco officials announced a state of emergency on Thursday in response to an escalating number of monkeypox cases in the city and a national shortage of vaccines.“We are at a very scary place. And we don’t want to be ignored by the federal government in our need. So many leaders of the LGBT community have also, weeks ago, asked for additional help and support and assistance,” said San Francisco’s mayor, London Breed, who added that the city was in “desperate need of vaccines”. Continue reading...

Loser in case will never be in more demand while ‘villified girl next door’ Coleen Rooney can expect ‘many offers’The “Wagatha Christie” trial saw the profiles of Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney rocket, with both able to capitalise going forward – although in very different ways and for markedly different reasons, reputation experts have claimed.Vardy’s spectacular own goal in suing Rooney may have seen her openly mocked, her reputation trashed and facing a potential £3m legal bill – but she will never be in more demand and could bounce back against the odds, they said. Continue reading...

Actor releases video answering questions about the incident at this year’s Oscars where he slapped Chris Rock onstageWill Smith has posted an emotional video to his social channels expressing remorse over the Oscars slap.The 53-year-old actor caused controversy at this year’s ceremony after he slapped Chris Rock onstage after a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and her appearance. Smith released a statement on Instagram to apologise but has been silent since. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Gordon Brown warns plans to flood upper chamber with dozens of Tory peers proves urgent need for reform

Sheffield, Glasgow and others tell why they should play host after decision not to hold event in UkraineIn 1956 Sheffield became, it is believed, the first UK city to officially twin with one behind the iron curtain, partnering with a similar steel and mining-rich place then called Stalino, but later Donetsk.It is the reason that there is a Shefield Square on the banks of the River Kalmius. In Sheffield there’s a long, busy road called Donetsk Way. And it those links that are one reason the Yorkshire city is now bidding to host next year’s Eurovision song contest, which is coming to the UK but, everyone agrees, should really be in Ukraine. Continue reading...

ONS data shows rates nevertheless ‘still remain among the highest seen during the course of the pandemic’The UK’s latest wave of Covid appears to have passed its peak, with infections falling by more than half a million in a week, according to the Office for National Statistics.The ONS estimates, based on swabs collected from randomly selected households, suggest the number of people infected in the UK fell by 586,400 in the week ending 20 July. Covid rates remain close to an all-time high, however, with an estimated 3,173,800 people, about 1 in 19, testing positive across the country in the most recent week surveyed. Continue reading...

BBC in talks to revive the show, which sees contestants battle professionals, three decades after it first airedLycra, perms and pugil sticks could once again become a mainstay of Saturday night television as Gladiators is set to return to screens.The BBC is hoping to revive the show, which was a massive hit in the 90s, as early as next year. Continue reading...

Sam Tarry again joins picket line after being removed from Labour frontbench earlier in week

Ex PC joked about raping a female colleague, court hears, but says ‘nothing in the training gives you a specific word that is offensive’A former police officer who shared what are alleged to be “grossly offensive” messages in a WhatsApp group that included Wayne Couzens has told a court that his training failed to account for diversity and educate him in what words are offensive.“It seems like almost every week there is a word that is offensive. How are you supposed to know what is offensive?” said Joel Borders, who had joked with other officers about raping and beating a colleague and using Tasers on people with Down’s syndrome, who he referred to as “downys”. Continue reading...

Ukraine’s 74-person ensemble, most of whom have spent war at home, begin European tour to rousing reception in WarsawWith a stirring rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem, the first concert of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra came to an end in Warsaw late on Thursday evening amid thunderous applause from a packed house at the Polish National Opera. It was hard to believe that two weeks ago this orchestra did not exist and that these musicians had never played together.The 74 musicians, all Ukrainian, come from many different orchestras inside the country and elsewhere across the world. They assembled in Warsaw 10 days before the concert for intensive rehearsals. More than half have spent the war in Ukraine, and only left to join the tour. Continue reading...

Weekend trip was discussed in 2013 at Moscow dinner with London mayor’s chief of staff and Lebedev’s ex-KGB agent fatherThe Evening Standard owner, Evgeny Lebedev, sought to organise a private weekend trip in Russia in June 2014 for Boris Johnson when he was London mayor, according to emails newly disclosed under freedom of information laws.The unusual excursion, at one point discussed over dinner in Moscow by Johnson’s then chief of staff Edward Lister and Evgeny’s father, Alexander, would have been tacked on to the end of an official visit to Moscow and St Petersburg. Continue reading...

Announcement of 16 bridge-layer tanks adds to news of howitzer sale authorisation

Analysis: The way Coleen Rooney controlled her public persona made Rebekah Vardy’s approach seem dated