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Report raises concerns that money allocated to combat fires not reaching areas where it could make biggest differenceEuropean funds to prevent forest fires have been poorly targeted and sometimes distributed in a hurry, according to a report from the EU's spending watchdog.The number of forest fires in EU countries has increased dramatically over the last two decades as the climate crisis fuels ever bigger conflagrations. An area twice the size of Luxembourg has been consumed by flames in an average recent year, killing people, destroying homes and wildlife and sending megatonnes of planet-heating emissions into the air. Continue reading...

Consumer group tested 20 popular SPF 50 and 50+ brands and found 16 didn't meet the claims, while some companies dispute the findings

Only 8% of the top 10,000 artists streamed in Australia in 2024 were Australian, an analysis in a Creative Australia report finds

Department of Health wants refund of 122m spent on unused surgical gowns, but PPE Medpro says it went into contract with eyes wide open'Personal protective equipment supplied by a company linked to the Conservative peer Michelle Mone did not meet required safety standards and could seriously harm or kill patients" if used, the UK government has argued in court.Opening a high court trial for the Department of Health and Social Care, Paul Stanley KC said that the company, PPE Medpro, had not complied with technical manufacturing processes to ensure that the 25m surgical gowns it provided were sterile. Continue reading...

Chancellor pledges to end spending on asylum hotels, as she contrasts Labour investment with Tory austerity

Community groups say people who attended cultural events have faced questioning when visiting TurkeyMembers of the Turkish and Kurdish community in the UK have accused the Turkish government of intimidating and interrogating them for holding arts and cultural events in London parks.They claim that about 150 people who have participated in activities organised by Gik-Der - Refugee Workers' Cultural Organisation have been detained by Turkish authorities when visiting Turkey and questioned about their involvement with the organisation. Continue reading...

Payment of $2.3m in defamation costs Pesutto owes would have been delayed until 2027 under deal, which was not accepted by Liberal party

Beatle wrote in 1962 letter to Cynthia Powell that he wished he was on his way to her flat with chocies and a throbber'John Lennon is considered by many to be a poet. But the Beatle revealed his more prosaic side in a letter penned in 1962 to his future wife Cynthia Powell, in which he declared: I wish I was on the way to your flat with the Sunday papers and chocies and a throbber."The intimate missive, which includes a complaint about his bandmate Paul McCartney's snoring, is now being sold at auction by Christie's with a 30,000 to 40,000 estimate. Continue reading...

Andrew Gwynne and Paul Foster express concerns about safeguards as growing number of MPs change stance on bill

Paris Match agrees to pay 40,000 to two charities after publishing photos of Pelicot and companionGisele Pelicot, who survived almost a decade of rape by dozens of men after she was drugged by her ex-husband, has settled an invasion of privacy case with the French magazine Paris Match.Pelicot, who became a feminist hero after she decided to waive her right to anonymity in the trial of her ex-husband and 50 other men last year, took legal action against Paris Match in April. Continue reading...

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Senator who defected to Labor says Greens have toxic culture' and have failed First Nations people

Triple-murder accused also denies foraging death caps hours before buying food dehydrator as trial continues

LNP moves to allow police to detain and search people with metal detecting wand in any public place and remove sunset clause

Head of NHS England to say robot-assisted surgery will become the default' for 90% of keyhole operations by 2035Millions more people will have robotic surgery over the next decade under NHS plans to slash the huge waiting list for hospital treatment.The move will mean a significant expansion in how often surgeons use robots when treating people for cancer, hysterectomies and joint replacements, as well as in medical emergencies. Continue reading...

Militia led by Yasser abu Shabab says Israeli troops stepped in to defend the militia gang backed by its forcesHamas has killed 50 fighters in recent months from a Palestinian gang armed by Israel in Gaza, according to a statement released amid reports that Israeli troops directly intervened this week to protect the faction.According to media reports in Israel, clashes between Hamas fighters and members of a militia led by Yasser abu Shabab, known locally for his involvement in criminal activity, erupted early on Tuesday in Rafah. Continue reading...

Debating SA says callers have been ringing up screaming', accusing it of undoing centuries of female advancement

Australian reporters for Nine, the ABC and the New York Times have been affected while covering protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles

Political and current affairs discussion program being cut alongside the ABC's Innovation Lab

Who is Alaa Abd el-Fattah and why are British diplomats trying to obtain his release? Patrick Wintour reportsLaila Soueif, 69, has been on hunger strike in London for more than 250 days in an effort to secure the release of her son, the activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, from jail in Egypt. As diplomatic pressure mounts, she is now in a critical condition.Alaa's sister Mona Seif describes to Michael Safi the toll that imprisonment has taken on her brother, her mother's determination to do whatever she can to secure his release, and the difficulty of coming to terms with her mother's decision to risk her life. Continue reading...

Ex-Brazilian president admits in court that after Lula's win, we studied other alternatives within the constitution'Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has denied masterminding a far-right coup plot at his trial in the supreme court, but he admitted to taking part in meetings to discuss alternative ways" of staying in power after his defeat in the 2022 election.In just over two hours of questioning, the 70-year-old said that after the electoral court confirmed Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's election victory, we studied other alternatives within the constitution." Continue reading...

Grocers turning to Australia, Poland and Uruguay for meat, prompting claim they are undermining British farmersCheap chicken and beef from Australia, Poland and Uruguay is on the rise on UK supermarket shelves, according to the National Farmers' Union, as supermarkets look for money-saving options.The NFU regularly monitors supermarket shelves and notes that Morrisons is now selling raw chicken from Poland in its poultry aisle. Chicken in Poland is generally produced to different standards from those in the UK, and is cheaper as a result. Morrisons requires that for its UK chicken, poultry must be kept at a maximum stocking density of 30kg/m, giving the chickens more space to roam. In Poland, this is up to 39kg/m. Continue reading...

Palestinians reportedly killed while trying to reach food sites, while Israel accused of war crime in targeting schoolsIsraeli troops killed at least 17 Palestinians trying to reach food distribution sites on Tuesday, health authorities in Gaza said, as UN experts accused Israel's military of committing war crimes including the obliteration" of Gaza's education system.More than 130 people have been shot dead over the past two weeks in a series of brutally repetitive attacks on desperate crowds trying to access food handouts. Hundreds of others have been injured. Continue reading...

Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were convicted last week of their role in the anti-corruption journalist's murder in 2017Two men have been sentenced to life in prison for supplying the car bomb that killed the anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta eight years ago.The sentencing on Tuesday of Robert Agius and Jamie Vella, reported to be members of the island's criminal underworld, marked a significant step in the long campaign to bring those charged with Caruana Galizia's murder to justice. Continue reading...

Campaigners including Arlene Phillips and Mathew Bourne welcome funding for National Dance CATs they say keeps art form from being preserve of eliteCampaigners from the world of dance including Arlene Phillips and Matthew Bourne have been celebrating after a training scheme for children was saved that they say stops the art form becoming the preserve of the elite.The National Centres for Advanced Training in Dance, or National Dance CATs, work with 10- to 18-years-olds to provide them with multiple sessions of training each week, which is combined with their mainstream education. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Trade secretary to meet US counterpart with aim of implementing first parts of deal in coming daysUK officials are hopeful the US will begin lifting tariffs on British cars as soon as this week after the British trade secretary meets his US counterpart in London.Jonathan Reynolds is due to meet Howard Lutnick, the US commerce secretary, on Tuesday evening to discuss the deal to lower US tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium. Continue reading...

Swedish activist says 12 peaceful volunteers' did not break laws during attempt to bring symbolic aid shipment to Gaza

Officers questioned woman but not the alleged rapist, bringing force into disrepute, rules watchdogScotland Yard has paid a five-figure sum to a woman after officers brought the service into disrepute" for failing to investigate her report of rape by her ex-husband, the Guardian has learned.The Metropolitan police's directorate of professional standards - known as the Line of Duty unit" - criticised officers involved in the woman's case, saying they had damaged the reputation of the force at a time when we are working hard to build bridges with the public and re-build the trust we have lost". Continue reading...

Unemployment at highest level in nearly four years, with increase blamed on chancellor's hike to businesses' NICs

Peak Jewish groups accuse ANU of making campus unsafe' after board declines to adopt definition endorsed by Universities Australia

Fifteen-year-old suspect arrested and Emmanuel Macron condemns senseless violence' after stabbing in NogentEmmanuel Macron has condemned what he called a senseless wave of violence" after a 15-year-old pupil fatally stabbed a teaching assistant at a school.The 31-year-old woman died in hospital after she was stabbed during a bag search at the start of the school day outside a middle school in Nogent, in the Haute-Marne department in north-east France. Continue reading...

Managing director Hugh Marks to unveil changes at public broadcaster on Wednesday

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Department's top officials respond to last month's letter from more than 300 civil servants who raised concerns

Retailer estimated to have lost about 25m a week after it was forced to pause online shopping

Independents and Greens say national leadership needed after Guardian investigation reveals death toll from hanging points known to authorities

National Autistic Society says guidance risks stigmatising traits amid concern over number of autistic children referred to PreventOfsted, the body responsible for safeguarding in education in England, has been accused of offensive" and clumsy" discrimination after telling inspectors that children with autism are at increased risk of being susceptible to extremism".A training manual used to teach hundreds of school inspectors also claims that children who are autistic are more likely to develop special interests" and can be drawn into extremism" as a result. Continue reading...

SS troops killed inmates for target practice, according to account given in documentary Ghosts of AlderneyGuards at a prison camp on one of the Channel Islands entertained themselves at weekends by using prisoners for target practice, according to new evidence of Nazi atrocities committed there in the second world war.On Sundays, the SS would regularly pick about a dozen men incarcerated in Sylt, the camp they ran on Alderney, transporting them to a nearby light-gauge railway, where they tied them to tipper trucks and amused themselves by shooting them. Continue reading...

Regulator Ofwat concerned that plans do not write off enough debt to secure investment-grade credit rating

About 150,000 under-16s will benefit across West of England combined authority and North SomersetChildren under the age of 16 will be able to travel for free on buses in the west of England during the school summer holidays in a move benefiting about 150,000 young people.The West of England combined authority (Weca) - covering Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire - plus North Somerset will allow children aged from five to 15 to travel for free with no bus pass or registration required. Continue reading...

American songwriter lit up generations of dancefloors with his group Sly and the Family StoneSly Stone, the American musician who lit up generations of dancefloors with his gloriously funky and often socially conscious songwriting, has died aged 82.After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend and his extended family," a family statement reads. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come." Continue reading...

In speech in London Mark Rutte says he expects alliance members to agree to raise military spending to 5% of GDPRussia could be ready to attack Nato within five years" and leaders of the western alliance are expected to agree to increase military spending to 5% of GDP later this month to contain the threat, the alliance's secretary general has said.Mark Rutte said in a speech in London on Monday that Nato needed a quantum leap in our collective defence", which would include significant rearmament to deter an increasingly militarised Russia. Continue reading...

Carney says Canada will hit Nato target of 2% of GDP five years ahead of schedule amid dangerous and divided world'Mark Carney has promised to boost defence spending to its highest level in decades warning that in a dangerous and divided world", Canada must reduce its dependence on the US for defence.Speaking at the University of Toronto on Monday, Carney said Canada would reach Nato's 2% military expenditure target this fiscal year - five years ahead of his previously announced schedule. For years, Canada has been viewed as a defence loafer and successive prime ministers have failed to bring the country's commitments in line with allies. A recent Nato report found that Canada spent an estimated 1.45% of its GDP on defence last year. Continue reading...

Treasury says move to restore the funding for most pensioners will cost around 1.25bn

Habibur Masum, 26, is accused of murdering Kulsuma Akter, 27, after tracking her down to a women's refugeA man who killed his estranged wife in a ferocious attack in Bradford while she was pushing a pram stabbed her numerous times in the head, neck and body, a court has heard.Habibur Masum, 26, killed Kulsuma Akter after tracking her down to a women's refuge where she was living. She had moved out after suffering threats and attacks from him at their home in Oldham, a jury at Bradford crown court was told. Continue reading...

Jury seems far apart on a verdict as they returned to court for a third day of deliberationsJurors in Harvey Weinstein's #MeToo retrial appeared far apart on a verdict as they returned to court on Monday for a third day of deliberations.The jury asked to be reminded of the definition of reasonable doubt and rules about avoiding a hung jury, and the foreperson sent a note saying he wanted to speak to the judge about a situation that isn't very good". Continue reading...

The government is reinstating the winter fuel payment to most pensioners in England and Wales. We explain how it will work based on individual and household incomes

Shares jump 9% before market open as cable operations to be separated from movie studiosWarner Bros Discovery, the mega media conglomerate behind Hollywood movie studios and a string of TV networks, from HBO to CNN, has announced plans to break into two companies in a bid to revive its fortunes.The group will separate Warner Bros, the DC Studios comic book franchise, its Max streaming service and HBO, the premium cable network behind hit series including The Last Of Us, Game of Thrones and Succession, away from its other linear TV networks, which include CNN, Discovery Continue reading...

Florence in Italy could hit 39C as hot weather sweeps continent, while parts of South Africa braces for snowThe severe thunderstorms that have been lashing parts of Europe over recent days are expected to give way to high temperatures this week. Several regions could climb to 10C (50F) above seasonal norms, with Italy braced for the full force of the heat. Florence in Tuscany is forecast to soar to a sweltering 39C on Thursday and across the weekend.Germany, France and Belgium will also face hot weather from Wednesday, with widespread highs at least 9C above the June average. Many other parts of Europe are forecast to experience temperatures 5-7C above normal. This is the result of a high-pressure system creating a heat dome over the region, whereby sinking air compresses and warms as it descends, trapping heat near the surface. Continue reading...

Frederick Ashton's La Fille mal gardee to be performed for first time, replacing classics by Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky after fundraising in LondonOne of the most English of ballets" will be performed for the first time at the National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv after a boycott of the classic Russian repertoire, including Swan Lake and the Nutcracker.Sir Frederick Ashton's La Fille mal gardee, a celebrated romantic comedy, will be performed to a sell-out audience on Thursday after Ukraine turned away from the works of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Prokofiev. Continue reading...