World news | The Guardian

Cheap labour no longer enough to win over firms as other countries invest in improving their workforcesBritain risks being left behind in the increasingly intense battle for investment from overseas unless it can improve the level of skills on offer to foreign firms, according to a hard-hitting report.A taskforce headed by the former CBI director general John Cridland has warned that it is no longer enough to base the UK’s appeal on cheap labour, as other countries increasingly use well-trained workers as a magnet to attract companies. Continue reading...

Data must be provided on the experience of children undergoing care, says health secretaryA review of the long-term outcomes for children treated for gender dysphoria is being drawn up by ministers, following warnings over how little is known about children who later regret the treatment.Sajid Javid, the health secretary, wants to hand new legal powers to an existing review into NHS gender identity services for children, granting it greater access to crucial data on the experiences of patients who have undergone treatment. Continue reading...

Health secretary announces plan to tackle lack of products that has led to menopausal women turning to black marketUK ministers are planning to appoint a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) tsar to help solve acute shortages that campaigners say are leaving menopausal women unable to sleep or work.Shortages of HRT products have led to some women buying them on the black market or asking friends to buy medicines abroad for them. Continue reading...

Notes from a 1533 book put Sir Thomas North in the frame for one of the bard’s later playsA rare 16th-century book offers “compelling evidence” that William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline was inspired by a now-lost play by Sir Thomas North, an Elizabethan courtier and writer, new research claims.A 1533 edition of Fabyan’s Chronicle, a compendium of British and French history from Roman times to Henry VII, bears notes in the margin in North’s hand that has been linked to the plot and other details of Shakespeare’s tragicomedy, set in Roman Britain. Continue reading...

TV presenter is forced to change name of campaign website after it clashed with the title of a gynaecologist’s bookA fierce battle for campaign territory has forced TV presenters Mariella Frostrup and Davina McCall into a tactical retreat.After a tussle with a bestselling author, Frostrup has reluctantly changed the name of a website she set up with McCall, Labour MP Carolyn Harris, model Penny Lancaster, journalist Kate Muir and medical experts, to campaign for greater awareness of the impact of the menopause. Continue reading...

Warnings of cost-of-caring crisis as state allowance is cut by £170 a year in real termsUnpaid carers face a real-terms cut of 4.5% in their weekly allowance, amid continued warnings about a major erosion in the value of state benefits.The decision not to make an emergency increase in benefits in response to ballooning inflation has this month seen some benefits fall by the largest amount in 50 years. It comes after chancellor Rishi Sunak resisted calls to increase welfare payments in his spring statement to help address the rising cost of living. Continue reading...

Decision decried as ‘morally bankrupt ploy to reduce our obligations to the most desperate people’It has been described as Guantánamo-on-Ouse: a giant one-stop reception centre for asylum seekers due to open within weeks slap bang in the middle of a quiet, bucolic North Yorkshire village.“When we first heard about it they said 500 people and we thought that’s just about manageable,” said 67-year-old Taff Morgan. “Then last night we heard 1,500 and that might not be the maximum. It depends on how many they can fit in.” Continue reading...

Definitive study will include early versions of the revered 20th-century artist’s most famous creationsPreviously unseen etchings that Lucian Freud rejected or reworked are to be published for the first time as part of a definitive study that will document every print he ever created.The etchings offer fresh insights into one of the most revered artists of the 20th century, revealing his thinking process and attention to detail. Continue reading...

Of the 750,000 hospitalised, many still report fatigue, muscle pain, insomnia and breathlessness, with women worst affected

Coalition and Labor to focus on Northern Territory as week three of the federal election campaign begins. Follow all the developments live

Opposition ads say Chisholm MP ‘spread fake news on Chinese messaging apps’ and had to return $300,000 in donations over national security concerns

US-based lab documents destruction of churches and theatresSatellite scrutiny of Ukraine is not just focused on military hardware. Thousands of miles away from the fighting, an international group of archaeologists, historians and technicians are quietly coordinating another high-stakes monitoring effort: the tracking of the mounting losses to Ukraine’s cultural landscape.Now an impact summary, released this month from their lab at a museum in the US state of Virginia, has revealed the bleak truth. Continue reading...

Several guests told media they did not hear alarm sounding during blaze which injured seven people

Research by UCL finds cash-strapped local authorities in the south-west, Midlands and north less likely to challenge developersHousebuilders are churning out substandard housing schemes with poor living conditions despite councils having the power to block them, according to new research.The National Planning Policy Framework was amended in July to allow councils to refuse “development that is not well designed”. A study by University College London found that the Planning Inspectorate, which hears housebuilders’ appeals, is now three times as likely to back councils who reject developments on design grounds. But it also found that the vast majority of those blocked were in the south-east, suggesting that elsewhere councils were not using the new powers. Continue reading...

On paper it was eighth plays ninth, both teams flawed and prone to imploding. But the Mariners and Jets’ rivalry is exactly what the ALM needsTo ape Bill Hader’s famous Saturday Night Live character Stefon, the A-League Men’s hottest rivalry is the F3 Derby. Located on a sodden field in Newcastle, the latest edition of this regional rivalry had everything. Twists and turns, emotions bubbling over, VAR disallowing goals, dramatic comebacksand Matt Simon almost coming to blows with a red-carded Daniel Penha.After serving as the unexpected highlight of ALM’s opening round of the 2021-22 season, overshadowing the greater ballyhooed Sydney Derby, punters were incredulous they were forced to wait 153 days for Saturday evening’s rematch between the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets, a fixture ready to resume its place amongst the pantheon of box office ALM fixtures. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. You can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogUkrainian artists are finally able to speak to the world for the whole nation and create values that will be passed down for many years to come. The horrific events that Ukrainians have encountered, through art, are now taking shape.”Lorenzo Tondo speaks to the Ukrainians resisting through art: Continue reading...

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin will join secretary of state in Sunday’s meeting as Russia continues attacks in south and east Ukraine

With the return of full services after two Covid-disrupted years, officials advise caution despite easing of restrictions

Twenty-six people were on board vessel before crew reported it sinking off island of Hokkaidō and authorities lost contactNine people, most of them unresponsive, have been found by rescuers after a tour boat sank off Japan’s northern coast with 26 people on board a day earlier.“As of 11am (0200GMT), coastguard aircraft have rescued four people, local police aircraft rescued four people and a Self Defence Force aircraft rescued one person from waters or rocky coastal areas,” Japan’s coastguard said in a press release on Sunday. Continue reading...

President tells press conference he will meet with US secretary of state and defence secretary on Sunday

Ministers are among 56 MPs said to be accused of sexual misconduct after being referred to parliamentary watchdogThree cabinet ministers are among more than 50 MPs reportedly facing allegations of sexual misconduct after being referred to a parliamentary watchdog.A total of 56 MPs – including two shadow cabinet ministers – have been reported to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), according to the Sunday Times. Continue reading...

Lebanese Red Cross says about 60 people were onboard boat that departed from Qalamoun areaOne child has died but more than 40 people have been saved after the sinking of a boat off the coast of Lebanon’s northern port city of Tripoli on Saturday, transport minister Ali Hamie told Reuters.The Lebanese Red Cross said in a tweet that there were about 60 people onboard. Continue reading...

Analysis: With debate over the candidate for Warringah continuing, party divisions pave way for difficult year ahead

Brereton report recommended swift payments to victims as ‘the morally right thing to do’ instead of waiting for court rulings

Worker claims confused staff are ‘making up response’ to applications and visas are withheld to keep numbers down

Attack claimed by Islamic State triggered fierce gun battle in Kogi state on SaturdayThree policemen have been killed in central Nigeria’s Kogi state after gunmen stormed a police station in an attack claimed by Islamic State.State police spokesperson William Ovye Aya said a fierce gun battle took place after “hoodlums” entered the station in Adavi town on Saturday. Continue reading...

Veteran leftist is courting allies to help make him prime minister in June, handing him power to disrupt the winner of Sunday’s voteWhoever wins the presidential election in France, one man is determined to sideline them and restrict their powers.Even before the result is known tomorrow, the radical left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who has emerged as a surprise kingmaker, has called on voters to make him prime minister in the legislative elections in June. Continue reading...

Colonisation appears to have superseded ‘denazification’ in Putin’s military goals for eastern Ukraine

Plea comes after ‘Voices of April’ spreads on social media as users get creative to bypass China’s censorsThe author of a viral video about Shanghai’s Covid-19 lockdown that sparked a rare show of defiance on China’s social media has urged users to stop sharing it, saying he worried about his work being taken in directions he did not wish to see.The creator, who goes by his online moniker Strawberry Fields Forever, said in a post on Saturday that the quick spread of the video, titled Voices of April, was “unexpected” to him, and he was “touched” by messages received from fellow internet users. Continue reading...

Cabinet minister accused of ‘crass’ behaviour in his campaign to get staff back in the office

The Tories have held Wandsworth for more than four decades, but Boris Johnson’s lockdown woes and the cost of living crisis threaten to tip the balance towards LabourIn many ways, the London borough of Wandsworth is a paradigm of the modern city. On one hand, it is a place where a teenager recently fainted from hunger in a food bank queue. And on the other, it is home to the “sky pool”, a spectacular transparent swimming pool suspended 10 storeys above ground in Nine Elms, and reserved exclusively for the development’s richest residents.The borough is also known for its comparatively low council tax – which, its Conservative-run council boasts, is the lowest average council tax in the country. Wandsworth also claims to be the only local authority in London that is cutting its share of council tax bills. Continue reading...

Prominent backbencher Steve Baker says party will ‘reap the whirlwind on polling day’Boris Johnson has been told public fury at lockdown-breaking Downing Street parties will result in the Conservatives suffering substantial losses at next month’s local elections, with the possibility that the prime minister may receive further police fines ahead of polling day.Steve Baker, a prominent backbench Tory MP, said voters were repeatedly mentioning the Partygate scandal on the campaign trail and the Conservatives should prepare to “reap the whirlwind” of standing by Johnson. Continue reading...

Court ruling reveals unpublished parts of policy saying tactic would not be used against asylum seekersThe home secretary has been accused of misleading parliament after a high court ruling revealed that unpublished parts of a controversial policy to push back migrant dinghies in the Channel said the tactic would not be used against asylum seekers.The pushbacks policy was finalised in autumn 2021, yet in January this year Priti Patel said pushing back migrant boats was “absolutely still policy” when she gave evidence to the Lords justice and home affairs committee. She has been accused of giving that evidence even though she knew about the unpublished clauses in the policy not to use pushbacks against asylum seekers. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. You can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogUkraine’s parliament has issued updated figures for child casualties of the war on Twitter. They say the total number of children affected by the Russian invasion is 594. There have been 208 deaths and 386 injuries among the nation’s children.The numbers have not been independently verified, and do not include casualty or deaths in besieged areas of the country such as Mariupol. Continue reading...

The canine is an intermediary between wolves and domestic dog breeds, research shows

Former shadow chancellor says he has ‘no intention’ of putting himself forward to stand for the West Yorkshire seatEd Balls has ruled out a return to politics as a Labour candidate in the upcoming Wakefield byelection.The former shadow chancellor, who lost his Morley and Outwood seat at the 2015 general election, wrote on Twitter that he had “no intention of putting myself forward” for the contest. Continue reading...

Liberal MP labels teal independents’ digital advertising outlay ‘immoral’ as it surpasses party’s candidates by tens of thousands of dollars

Victorian government wants extension of commonwealth funding arrangement to combat pandemic

Five officers try to get inside property after they arrive to look for suspected arsonistA man fell to his death from a burning block of flats after police arrived to look for a suspected arsonist.Five officers tried to get inside the property to rescue the man, in his 50s, but were overcome by the flames, police said. Continue reading...

No 10 denies PM fined again as source says at least one new fine issued for 20 May party and Tory MPs reconsider his survivabilityBoris Johnson is facing deepening peril over the Partygate scandal after a source said a fine had been issued for a second event attended by the prime minister, while senior Conservatives warned he could face a leadership challenge within weeks.On Friday evening, No 10 was forced to deny Johnson had received another fixed penalty notice (FPN) for a “bring your own booze” Downing Street garden party on 20 May 2020. Continue reading...

Senior social worker calls for action in the only country of the UK that has not had a recent reviewA root and branch review of children’s social care in Wales is needed after the case of five-year-old Logan Mwangi, who was killed by his mother and stepfather after being removed from the child protection register, a leading social work expert has said.Prof Donald Forrester said the case highlighted critical issues affecting many children’s social services in Wales, ranging from social worker capacity and staffing shortages to high and increasing numbers of children being taken into care. Continue reading...

Violence breaks out between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters as United Nations voice deep concern at unrestIsraeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters on Friday in the latest violence at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, as the United Nations voiced deep concern at spiralling unrest.The Palestinian Red Crescent said that 57 people were wounded, including 14 Palestinians taken to hospital, one of them in a serious condition, after police stormed the compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem’s Old City. Continue reading...

Portuguese police tell Christian Brückner, in prison for rape in Germany, he is ‘formal suspect’A German investigation into the 2007 disappearance of the British toddler Madeleine McCann could continue until next year, according to the state prosecutor in the city of Braunschweig.Officials in Faro, Portugal, said on Thursday that the convicted rapist Christian Brückner, 44, is an arguido, or “formal suspect” – the first time Portuguese authorities have officially identified a suspect in the case since Kate and Gerry McCann, the toddler’s parents, were declared such in 2007. They were formally cleared of suspicion in 2008. Continue reading...

Macron accuses Le Pen of ‘living off fear’ as both try to get Mélenchon voters to turn out for themFrance’s two presidential contenders have traded their last blows before Sunday’s deciding runoff, with polls suggesting fear of a Marine Le Pen victory was outweighing dislike of Emmanuel Macron and his record.Hours before a media blackout was due to begin at midnight, the incumbent and his far-right challenger made their final pitches to undecided voters in radio interviews and on walkabouts, with Le Pen insisting Macron’s polling lead would be proved misleading. Continue reading...

Army says it filmed mercenaries burying bodies to falsely accuse France of leaving behind mass gravesRussian mercenaries buried bodies near a Malian military base to falsely accuse France’s departing forces of leaving behind mass graves, the French military has claimed.The French army said it used a drone to film what appeared to be white soldiers covering bodies with sand near the Gossi base in northern Mali. Continue reading...

PM says he will still be leading the country by Diwali after being asked questions over Partygate scandal while on India trip

Animal welfare officers have ‘no idea’ how the cat, whose real name is Dexter, ended up on offshore rigA cat that was missing for five years has been reunited with its owner after being found on an offshore oil rig.Workers at the oil rig contacted the Scottish SPCA on Thursday after they found the animal in a shipping container originally from Peterhead. Continue reading...

Analysis: The PM travelled 4,000 miles to not get very far, on a trip fraught with tensions about Partygate and UkraineAs Boris Johnson met Narendra Modi on Friday morning, he joked of the enthusiastic welcome he received in the Indian prime minister’s home state of Gujarat featuring giant posters of the British leader’s face, and flag-waving crowds: “I wouldn’t get that necessarily everywhere in the world.”It was a characteristically self-deprecating reference to the fact that even 4,000 miles from home, he was unable to escape Partygate. Continue reading...

ONS study reveals only one in three people had been infected until emergence of Omnicron variant