The IPC's findings that a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza are starving should mark an urgent turning point in this warThe declaration on Friday of widespread famine in Gaza by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) should mark a turning point in the war. The IPC, which represents a fastidious survey of available data, is regarded as the international gold standard in nutritional crises.Long-criticised by humanitarians in other emergencies for its overabundance of caution, the IPC's declaration of Level 5 - catastrophic" hunger - in Gaza is a significant moment. Famine, under the IPC's exacting criteria, requires three critical thresholds to be passed: extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition and starvation-related deaths, all of which are now visible in Gaza. Continue reading...

Miriam Payne and Jess Rowe are rowing across the Pacific Ocean, from Peru to Australia, to raise money for charityThe physical and mental challenges have been immense, the setbacks numerous. The pair have endured searingly hot days and chilly nights and dealt with debilitating blisters and salt sores.They have been faced with a series of equipment failures (using a pair of underpants to fix one crucial bit of kit) and there was a pretty tense moment when they feared a pair of curious marlins swimming under their boat might pierce their hull. Continue reading...

Commuters could get from Woollahra to city in eight minutes on eastern suburbs line with rezoning of area to include a dedicated portion of affordable housing'

Hopes the 16-hectare garden and gallery site near Halls Gap will be a green shoot of recovery' in the bushfire-affected region

Anna Dixon accuses fellow West Yorkshire MP Robbie Moore of spreading misinformationA Labour MP has said she has been subjected to death threats and online misogynistic abuse after a video was shared by a Conservative MP about her position on a national inquiry into grooming gangs.Anna Dixon, the MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire, said police were investigating the threats and accused the MP for Keighley and Ilkley, Robbie Moore, of disseminating misinformation" about her stance on the issue. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Final draft' social media document says staff should report concerns about their colleagues' social media use to their manager

Vice-chancellors say they've been forced to restructure but critics point finger at unaccountable' university management

Former Labour leader says Francesca Albanese to take part in event seeking answers over UK's role in war crimes'A UN special rapporteur will contribute to a two-day tribunal" being held by Jeremy Corbyn into Britain's role in war crimes perpetrated in Gaza", the former Labour leader has said.Corbyn, who is campaigning for a new political entity with the working title Your Party, said the event would take place in early September. His private member's bill for an official inquiry into UK involvement in the Israel-Gaza war was blocked by the government at its second reading in July. Continue reading...

Ranil Wickremesinghe, who faces charges of using public funds for private travel, treated for acute dehydrationSri Lanka's former president was admitted to hospital on Saturday, a day after he was charged with using public funds to finance private international travel, as the government intensified its crackdown on corruption.Ranil Wickremesinghe, 76, was remanded in custody on Friday after being accused of using taxpayers' money to pay for a two-day visit to the UK in September 2023 to attend a ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton granting an honorary professorship to his wife. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for an urgent scale-up of evacuations from Gaza, warning that more than 15,600 patients remain in need of specialised care.In a post on X, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked the UAE for supporting the latest evacuation of critically injured and sick patients but stressed that far more action is needed. Continue reading...

Date pushed back to October amid concerns over redacted drawings in plans for 20,000-sq-metre complexMinisters have delayed a decision on whether to grant planning permission to a proposed Chinese super-embassy" in London amid concerns about redacted drawings in the building's plans.The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, was expected to make a decision on 9 September but has pushed the date back to 21 October, saying more time was needed to consider the plans for the development, which would occupy 20,000 square metres (five acres) at Royal Mint Court in east London. Continue reading...

Nearly 11% of the workforce now report doing four days across full- and part-time work, analysis findsMore than 100,000 workers in the UK have switched to a full-time four-day week since the pandemic, in a further sign of the revolution in the world of work inspired by Covid, according to an analysis.Nearly 1.4 million people said they worked full-time on four days of the week between October and December 2024, an increase of more than 100,000 compared with the same period in 2019, when 1.29 million reported this work schedule, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Continue reading...

Activists from Homeland party, which split from Patriotic Alternative, set up groups to spread protests beyond EppingMembers of a far-right nationalist party are helping to organise protests outside hotels used to house asylum seekers across the UK, according to a series of Facebook posts and groups created in recent weeks.Activists for the Homeland party, which was formed as a splinter organisation from Patriotic Alternative, Britain's biggest far-right group, have set up a number of online groups in an attempt to spread the protests that recently engulfed a hotel in Epping. Continue reading...

Former coalminers join fellow museum staff in strike over pay which is due to last until mid-SeptemberWho'd have thought we'd be doing this again?" Arthur Scargill said earlier this week, raising a laugh from the ex-miners standing in the picket line outside the National Coal Mining Museum.Staff at the Wakefield museum, many of them former coalminers, have walked out in a dispute over pay, and were joined on Thursday by the now 87-year-old former leader of the National Union of Mineworkers. Continue reading...

Seoul says military fired warning shots on Tuesday after troops from the North briefly crossed borderSouth Korea fired warning shots at North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the heavily fortified border earlier this week, Seoul said on Saturday, after Pyongyang accused it of a deliberate provocation" that risks uncontrollable" tensions.South Korea's new leader Lee Jae Myung has sought warmer ties with the nuclear-armed North and vowed to build military trust", but Pyongyang has said it has no interest in improving relations with Seoul. Continue reading...

Group in Kilteely pooled savings to buy bar and licence and everybody brought something to the table'A century ago, the County Limerick village of Kilteely had seven pubs but one by one they shut. This year, it braced to lose the last.The economic and social trends that have shuttered family-run pubs across Ireland appear remorseless, leaving many communities with nowhere to meet, have a drink and share stories. Continue reading...

The state's corruption watchdog is up against the age-old dynamic of cosy relationships: no one on the inside of politics wants to change

Manager of zipline facility detained for alleged religious discrimination after group of eight- to 18-year-olds turned awayThe manager of a leisure park in southern France has been detained for alleged religious discrimination after a group of Israeli children were refused access.The children, aged eight to 16, were on holiday in Spain and had made a reservation for Thursday to use the Tyrovol zipline adventure park in Porte-Puymorens, near the Spanish border in the Pyrenees mountains, the Perpignan prosecutor's office said. Continue reading...

GYG shares plummet by more than 20% on ASX despite global sales in the Sydney-based restaurant chain passing $1bn, as co-CEOs say we are seeing momentum' in American market

Drugmakers reject health secretary's latest offer, meaning unsustainable' rebate scheme will stay in place

Country suspends catch-and-keep' plan for strays in favour of a more holistic' approachIndia's top court has scaled back an order to clear Delhi's streets of stray dogs, in a decision that was cheered by animal rights supporters.Earlier this month, the supreme court ruled that all strays picked up in Delhi's capital region would be confined to shelters after sterilisation and vaccination, and not returned to the streets. The goal was to protect people - particularly children - from dog attacks and rabies, which remains endemic in India. Continue reading...

IPC says famine is entirely man-made' and immediate response is needed or avoidable deaths will soar

This blog is now closed.Coalition says if Labor tries to raise taxes after roundtable it would be major breach of faith' with Australian peopleJames Paterson, the shadow minister for finance, says if the government moves to increase taxes it would be a major breach of faith with the Australian people". Paterson spoke to RN Breakfast after the conclusion of yesterday's roundtable, where Chalmers said there was a longer-term process to consider major reform on the matter.No Australian voted for higher taxes at the election, and so it seems that Jim Chalmers isn't on the same page as the prime minister because he was unwilling to repeat that commitment at his press conference yesterday. And he is leaving open the door to higher taxes, and particularly on people's retirement savings, on family trusts, on a whole range of other things.When those questions were raised during the election campaign, Jim Chalmers and the Labor party said that was a Liberal Party scare campaign. So, if they go ahead and try and increase taxes, that'll be a major breach of faith with the Australian people. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: After Israeli officials announced a stepped-up military operation in the city, Palestinians and the world wait to see what happens nextGood morning. Israel claims to have launched the first stages of a sweeping military operation to conquer Gaza City - the administrative heart of the strip - warning that a million people could be forced from their homes, sparking a wave of fear among residents.In the past few nights Palestinians have described relentless bombardments, with thousands already scrambling to escape, while others are too starved or frail to evacuate.UK news | Protesters at the next mass demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action will withhold their details from officers to force en-masse processing at police stations in an effort to make it practically impossible" to arrest everyone.Ukraine | Moscow threw Donald Trump's Ukraine peace initiative into disarray on Thursday, insisting it must have a veto over any postwar support for the country as its forces carried out a large-scale overnight missile barrage.Immigration | Refugee support organisations have been forced to install safe rooms in their premises, relocate to less visible sites and in some cases close their offices in response to the threat of far-right violence, the Guardian can reveal.US news | A federal judge in Miami late on Thursday ordered the closure of the Trump administration's notorious Alligator Alcatraz" immigration jail within 60 days and ruled that no more detainees were to be brought to the facility while it was being wound down.Health | Baby food manufacturers have been given 18 months to improve the quality of their products in England amid mounting concerns that leading brands are nutritionally poor. Continue reading...

Minister's announcement has created further uncertainty', advocates say and they are collectively disappointed' by the lack of engagement

Defend Our Juries says trick of using street bail' will not work if participants insist on being taken to a police stationProtesters at the next mass demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action will withhold their details from officers to force en-masse processing at police stations in an effort to make it practically impossible" to arrest everyone.On Friday, Defend Our Juries, the pressure group behind the protests, will open sign-ups for its next demonstration to be held in London on 6 September. The group said it would only go ahead if 1,000 people agreed to take part, making it the largest protest opposing the proscription of Palestine Action since it was banned in June. More than 2,500 people have already expressed interest in taking part. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lib Dem leader says giving Tesla a foothold in Britain's energy market could be national security riskElon Musk's company, Tesla, should have its application to supply energy to UK homes blocked on national security grounds, Ed Davey has told ministers.The Liberal Democrat leader argued that giving the electric car manufacturer a foothold in the British energy market would be a gravely concerning move considering Elon Musk's repeated interference in UK politics". Continue reading...

Lese-majesty case against Thaksin Shinawatra is dismissed, but his daughter Paetongtarn will hear next week if she will be removed as prime minsterA criminal court in Thailand has dismissed a case accusing former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of defaming the monarchy, the first of three court cases that could decide the fate of one of the country's prominent political families.Thaksin was accused of insulting the monarchy during an interview with South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo in 2015. Continue reading...

Rap trio will face intense scrutiny from French authorities when they play Rock en Seine festival on SundayThe Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap are ploughing ahead with their European tour despite a ban on entering Hungary, the cancellation of a string of concerts in Austria and Germany, and the intense scrutiny of authorities in France.The Irish-language group will this Sunday play in front an expected 40,000 spectators at the Rock en Seine festival west of Paris, one of France's biggest live music events of the year, just days after one of their members appeared at a London court on a terrorism charge. Continue reading...

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners letter to health regulator cites growing number' of complaints

What began in 1945 as a way to promote reading has turned into a highlight of the school year, with children dressing up in outfits inspired by their favourite books

Government issues voluntary guidance calling for less sugar and salt amid concerns over nutritional valueBaby food manufacturers have been given 18 months to improve the quality of their products in England, amid mounting concerns that leading brands are nutritionally poor.The new voluntary guidance from the government calls for a reduction in sugar and salt levels in food for infants and toddlers. Continue reading...

Zaher Zaarour, 26, to appear in court after death of 41-year-old Shazad Khan in north-west LondonA man has been charged with murder after an ice-cream seller died in London, police said.Shazad Khan, 41, was pronounced dead at the scene after officers responded to reports of an altercation in Monks Park, Wembley, at 6.10pm on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Netanyahu is latest to approve' plan that has had daily announcements and that Israel knows will have serious consequencesHas Israel begun its expanded offensive in Gaza City, or is it hype?After several weeks of threats of a new large-scale offensive, strongly opposed by most of the international community, Israeli officials have made announcements daily saying the plan to occupy Gaza City has been approved"; it has been approved by the Israel Defense Forces, by the security cabinet, by the defence minister. Continue reading...

Met Office says thundery showers possible next week along with very large waves' off Western Isles in ScotlandThe last days of August in the UK could be hit by heavy wind, rain and very large waves" if the tail end of Hurricane Erin lashes the country, the Met Office has warned.Forecasters are tracking the potential impact of Erin, which is now a category 2 storm moving eastwards across the North Atlantic, but say any effect on the UK would not happen until at least the middle of next week. Continue reading...

UK Lawyers for Israel accused of sending vexatious and legally baseless' letters to silence support for PalestineAn organisation of pro-Israel lawyers in the UK is under investigation after a complaint that it threatened people with legal action to suppress support for Palestine.UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has been accused of sending eight letters to individuals and organisations between January 2022 and May 2025 that demonstrate a seeming pattern of vexatious and legally baseless correspondence aimed at silencing and intimidating Palestine solidarity efforts", according to the complainants. Continue reading...

Cranes hoisted statues from depths of submerged site that authorities say may be extension of ancient city of CanopusEgypt has unveiled parts of a sunken city submerged beneath waters off the coast of Alexandria, including buildings, artefacts and an ancient dock that date back more than 2,000 years.Egyptian authorities said the site, located in the waters of Abu Qir bay, may be an extension of the ancient city of Canopus, a prominent centre during the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years, and the Roman empire, which governed for about 600 years. Continue reading...

Eisenhuttenstadt offered spacious central flats rent-free for two weeks in effort to attract valuable professionalsAn innovative contest by a city in formerly communist east Germany to curb depopulation by offering a fortnight of free housing has stunned local officials with its success.The competition drew more than 1,700 applications from around the world to try living in Eisenhuttenstadt, a Soviet-style planned city on the Polish border, near Berlin, which was built around a steel plant in the aftermath of the second world war. Continue reading...

Government expected to step in to take control of Speciality Steel UK plants in South Yorkshire to try to protect 1,450 jobsThe UK's third-largest steelworks has collapsed into administration, ending the control of metals tycoon Sanjeev Gupta over his main Liberty Steel operations in South Yorkshire, which employs 1,450 people.The high court in London said on Thursday that Speciality Steel UK (SSUK), which has plants in Rotherham and Stocksbridge, would be put into administration. Continue reading...

Governments scramble to establish national register of workers after allegations of abuse of children in early education, but states and territories yet to agree on personal device ban

Despite premier David Crisafulli's wish for his party to maintain a moderate outlook, members have presented a number of divisive social issues for debate this weekend

Boy, 17, had intended to set fire to Islamic centre in Greenock, Inverclyde, after befriending imamA teenager who listed Hitler, Mussolini and the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik as his inspirations and who planned a terrorist attack on a mosque has been sentenced to 10 years in custody.The 17-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, had intended to set fire to an Islamic centre in Greenock, Inverclyde, after befriending the imam and mapping out the building's interior on his phone. Continue reading...

Speaking to Sky News, Israel's prime minister ratchets up diplomatic row by saying Albanese has shown weakness' in the face of Hamas terrorist monsters'

Aimee Betro, 45, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder earlier this month after a two-week trialAn American hitwoman" who attempted to murder a business owner before going on the run in Armenia has been jailed for 30 years at Birmingham crown court.Earlier this month, Aimee Betro, 45, from Wisconsin was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and an offence relating to the importation of ammunition into the UK, after a three-week trial. Continue reading...

Lucy Connolly served 10 months of her sentence after calling for followers on X to set fire to hotelsLucy Connolly, who was jailed in the aftermath of last summer's riots for an expletive-ridden social media post calling for followers to set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers, has been released from prison.The former childminder who is married to the Conservative councillor Raymond Connolly, left HMP Peterborough on Thursday morning in a taxi, after serving 10 months of her sentence. Continue reading...

When an influencer mocked the makeup of Turkish German women, the ensuing debate reopened old woundsIt all began when Meri, a TikTok influencer from Turkey, mocked the makeup of Turkish women living in Germany. They were, she claimed, instantly recognisable by their bronzer, thick blush, false eyelashes and plumped lips. And the look favoured by the diaspora, she added, waspishly, had nothing to do with how real Turkish women look".Reaction from the diaspora was swift and stinging. You're just jealous because we live in Germany," one said. If we stop coming (to Turkey from Germany), your economy will collapse." Soon a full-blown social media feud had erupted, with insults and mutual mockery flowing. And, although it started with makeup, the row has gone far deeper, exposing old and bitter rifts over gender, class, politics, nationalism and economic power. Continue reading...

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Weather and flood warnings stretch from Sydney's south to the state's north-west, as elevated river levels, full dams and more rainfall pose risks to communities

Lemi Limbu, who was convicted of murdering her daughter, has severe intellectual disabilities and absolutely should not be in prison', say campaignersPressure is mounting on the Tanzanian government to release a woman with severe intellectual disabilities who has been in prison awaiting execution for 13 years.Lemi Limbu, who is now in her early 30s, was convicted of the murder of her daughter in 2015. A survivor of brutal and repeated sexual and domestic violence, she has the developmental age of a child. Continue reading...

Brazil's former president is accused of allegedly plotting a military coup, but he denies the chargesBrazilian police have claimed in court documents that they have found a document on the mobile phone of former president Jair Bolsonaro suggesting he had planned to flee to Argentina ahead of his judgment for allegedly plotting a military coup.The far-right populist is facing a jail term of over 40 years when Brazil's supreme court convenes next month to decide whether he is guilty of conspiring to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election, which Bolsonaro lost to his leftwing opponent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Continue reading...