World news | The Guardian

University of Sydney and University of Melbourne's 2025 caps both reduced by 7%, to 11,900 and 9,300 international students respectively

Police working with international partners to try to find foreign national, 33, who allegedly poured scalding liquid on nine-month-old boy

Six months after coming to power, president and PM locked in stand-off with parliamentWithin a week of being inaugurated in April as Senegal's youngest president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye named his political mentor, Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister and announced his 25 cabinet appointments.Faye had swept to power on a leftist, anti-establishment and pan-African agenda promising radical reform, and said in his victory speech that his administration would focus on national reconciliation, easing the cost of living crisis and fighting corruption. Continue reading...

Police described the shooting as an organised assassination' of a man linked to bikies and other crime groups

Crews completed repair work to the rail by 10am but delays persisted into Monday afternoon

Legislation will be put before MPs on Monday that extends right to all councils to set routes and timetablesLocal transport authorities across England will be able to run and control bus services under a Labour overhaul designed to save vital routes", parliament will hear on Monday.The transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said the bus revolution" would empower local communities as the government prepares formally to announce measures to make services more reliable. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Home Office rejects application from family who were separated from son in chaotic 2021 evacuationThe Home Office has rejected a visa application from a family trapped in Afghanistan, whose son was evacuated to the UK during the fall of Kabul.Ahmad (not his real name) was brought to the UK at the age of 10 with his uncle and aunt during Operation Pitting in 2021, when about 15,000 British nationals and eligible Afghans were evacuated from Afghanistan during a Taliban offensive. Continue reading...

Move will help leader consolidate power over party before challenges of government dent his popularityKeir Starmer's allies are planning to use their moment of maximum power" to speedily appoint a new Labour general secretary in the next fortnight, the Guardian has learned.Insiders said party figures were planning to install a Starmer ally in the top party job in time for the appointment to be ratified by conference in late September. Continue reading...

Edmundo Gonzalez pledges to push for freedom and democracy for Venezuela after going into exile in Spain amid fears for his safetyThe US secretary of state has said Edmundo Gonzalez remains the best hope for democracy" in Venezuela after the former presidential candidate went into exile in Spain.Antony Blinken said on X on Sunday that Gonzalez's departure from Venezuela is the direct result of the anti-democratic measures that [President] Nicolas Maduro has unleashed on the Venezuelan people". Continue reading...

Driver Brett Button faces lengthy jail term as accountability, deterrence and punishment', NSW judge says

Triple shooting on mostly quiet border with Jordan may be indicative of Gaza war spreading violence across region

Reports of loud bang before blaze in Sydenham on Sunday night, with detectives and an arson chemist investigating

Opponent of Nicolas Maduro - widely seen as legitimate election winner - seeks asylum in Spain after being accused of a series of crimesThe Venezuelan opposition leader and former presidential candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, has gone into exile in Spain, dealing a bitter blow to opponents of the country's authoritarian president, Nicolas Maduro.The Spanish government said on Sunday that a Spanish air force plane carrying Gonzalez and his wife had landed at the Torrejon de Ardoz military base outside Madrid Continue reading...

Conservative MPs' ratings trail behind Starmer's as second round of voting for contest to come on TuesdayVoters believe James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat are the Conservative leadership candidates most likely to make a good prime minister, although both are still trailing behind Keir Starmer, polling has shown as another crunch week in the campaign begins.A series of party sources have predicted that Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, could pick up support among MPs in Tuesday's second round of voting, when the five remaining candidates will be whittled down to four. Continue reading...

Findings by Transparency International UK point to more than coincidence or incompetence', says chief executiveA landmark study has uncovered corruption red flags" in government Covid contracts worth more than 15bn - representing nearly one in every three pounds awarded by the Conservative administration during the pandemic.The analysis, billed as the most in-depth look yet at public procurement during the crisis, warns that systemic bias, opaque accounting and uncontrolled pricing resulted in vast waste of public funds on testing and personal protective equipment (PPE).At least 28 contracts, worth 4.1bn, went to those with known political connections to the Conservative party. This amounts to almost a tenth of the money spent on the pandemic response.Fifty-one contracts, worth 4bn, went through the VIP lane", a vehicle through which certain suppliers were given priority, of which 24, worth 1.7bn, were referred by politicians from the Conservative party or their offices.1bn was spent on personal protective equipment from 25 VIP-lane suppliers that was later deemed unfit for use. The VIP lane was found to unlawful by a high court judge in a 2022 ruling.Eight contracts, worth 500m, went to suppliers that were no more than 100 days old.The UK government awarded more than 30.7bn in high- value contracts without competition - equivalent to almost two-thirds of all Covid contracts by value.The Department of Health and Social Care wrote off 14.9bn in public money over a two-year period - equivalent to the government's total spend on personal protective equipment. Continue reading...

Assistant commissioner says force hasn't got everything right' in past year in its handling of large demonstrations over Gaza and the environmentArrests at large protests, including those organised by pro-Palestine and environmental groups, will probably be made more quickly in the future, the Metropolitan police's assistant commissioner has said. Matt Twist also suggested that the force had not got everything right" in handling demonstrations over the past year.The capital has seen a number of large-scale protests since October last year, some of which have drawn hundreds of thousands of people to central London. Among them were demonstrations held by Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which is calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Continue reading...

Stade de France transformed into huge electronica dance party with world's elite para athletes doing farewell congaWith an explosion of fireworks, laser beams, breakdance and a thumping set by the giants of French electronica, France bid goodbye to the Paralympic Games on Sunday night with the biggest party it had ever thrown.The feelgood summer of athletic achievement in Paris had turned crowds hoarse from so much cheering and for ever changed the nation's attitude to sport and disability, and now Parisians were desperately sad to say goodbye to it all. Continue reading...

Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime will involve campaigners, young people and victims' families in England and WalesKeir Starmer will host the actor and campaigner Idris Elba along with police, officials and charities on Monday to launch a project intended to tackle knife crime among young people.Officially titled the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, the organisation will involve campaign groups, young people and community leaders, and the families of people affected by knife crime. Continue reading...

Police believe suspect in Barbara Nomakhosi's death died later same evening in collision on M65The family of a carer who died with multiple injuries have paid tribute to her thoughtful" nature, saying she was always checking up" on loved ones.Barbara Nomakhosi, 35, was discovered when officers were called to an address in Bury, Greater Manchester, at about 10.30pm on Friday. Continue reading...

Official says dead given mass burial after after collision in Agaie area of north-central Niger stateA fuel tanker has collided head on with another truck in Nigeria, causing an explosion that killed at least 48 people, the country's emergency response agency has said.

Big exhibition will reflect life and loves of artist, from his first professional print in 1904 to 1960s masterpiecesThe British Museum is putting on a big exhibition of the print works of Pablo Picasso, one of the finest graphic artists of the 20th century, it will announce on Monday.About 100 prints will reflect the life and loves of the artist with an extraordinary vision, best known for masterpieces include Guernica, one of the most powerful anti-war paintings. Continue reading...

About 1,000 of those affected work in London and 4,500 at the bank's new Milton Keynes headquartersSantander has joined the ranks of employers herding reluctant British workers back to the coalface, telling office staff they must turn up in person for at least three days a week on average.While the bank's back-office staff will still be able to work from home more regularly than before the pandemic, the minimum requirement now tips the balance in favour of the traditional workplace rather than home. Continue reading...

Fresh chance for eligible' fans to buy reunion tour tickets after many people's transactions failed last SaturdayA select number of Oasis fans who missed out on tickets for the band's reunion concerts in a disastrous sales launch last week have been invited to try their luck again in a second ballot.The band said they would send invitations out to eligible fans we have been able to identify", including some of those who were signed in to the Ticketmaster website last Saturday but were unable to complete their transactions. Continue reading...

Deputy director of Gaza Civil Emergency Service and four family members killed in Jabalia, say Gaza health officials; three Israeli civilians killed in shooting near Jordan border crossing, says IDFHere is more on the earlier incident (see 9.08am post) in which three Israelis were killed.Reuters reports that Israeli authorities said a gunman crossing from Jordan killed the three civilians at the Allenby Bridge border in the occupied West Bank on Sunday before being shot dead by security forces.A terrorist approached the area of the Allenby Bridge from Jordan in a truck, exited the truck, and opened fire at the Israeli security forces operating at the bridge.The terrorist was eliminated by the security forces, three Israeli civilians were pronounced dead as a result of the attack. Continue reading...

Australia's only female prime minister marks 30th anniversary of ALP's affirmative action rule by advocating for its adoption across federal parliament

Report into state of health service in England expresses fears that 50 years of progress is beginning to reverse'Decades of progress in tackling heart disease and strokes risks unravelling in part because of NHS failures under the last government, a report into the state of the health service in Englandwill argue.The statistics on cardiovascular disease from the report by the eminent surgeon and Labour peer Ara Darzi, were released by the health department before its launch on Thursday. Continue reading...

Following proposed reduction in deliveries, households would go online to find out when post is dueRoyal Mail is considering launching a bin collection"-type website for households to track which day they will receive mail, if the company is given the green light by the regulator to water down services.The company is pushing to cut its services to save costs, and has proposed a reduction in second-class letter deliveries to alternate weekdays. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Government warned unobtainable targets' being used to dismiss migrant fruit pickers at short notice

Sources fear meeting with Ursula von der Leyen postponed due to Labour's doubts about reinstating EU student exchange schemesKeir Starmer's anticipated summit with the president of the European Commission has been postponed over what some see as the British government's caution about reinstating programmes such as the youth mobility and Erasmus university exchange schemes.The prime minister was expected to meet Ursula von der Leyen in the first or second week of September, but sources have said a meeting may now not happen until the end of October at the earliest. Continue reading...

PM reveals why he removed painting of late Tory leader from No 10 study, along with name of family's new Siberian kitten - Prince

Britain's pandemic response was among the worst and the NHS had been seriously weakened', says leading surgeon Three reports lay bare scale of NHS malaise, but will Reeves fund a remedy?Britain was hit far harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than other developed countries because the NHS had been seriously weakened" by disastrous government policies over the preceding decade, a wide-ranging report will conclude this week.An assessment of the NHS by the world-renowned surgeon Prof Ara Darzi, commissioned in July by the health secretary, Wes Streeting, will find that the health service reduced its routine healthcare activity by a far greater percentage than other health systems" in many key areas during the Covid crisis. Continue reading...

As the Thirwall hearings approach, the Guardian has discovered concerns were repeatedly raised about alarming shortcomings at Countess of ChesterAt Liverpool town hall on Tuesday, a public inquiry will begin into the tragic deaths and collapses of babies eight years ago at the Countess of Chester (CoC) hospital for which the former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder.One of the inquiry's principal aims is to give the babies' bereaved families a sense that lessons will be learned. Led by the senior court of appeal judge Lady Justice Thirlwall, it will consider the experiences of the parents of Letby's victims, examine whether management at the hospital was too slow to identify a serial killer, and whether Letby should have been suspended earlier and the police called in sooner. Continue reading...

Extremist groups are latching on to ex-president's xenophobic messages to recruit people and spread ideologyNeo-Nazi groups and the online far right are latching on to the anti-immigration rhetoric coming from Donald Trump's campaign for the White House in an effort to recruit new supporters and spread their extremism to broader audiences.After the Republican national convention in July, where supporters waved MASS DEPORTATION NOW!" placards, it became clear that Trump's xenophobia has become part of the Republican establishment. Upon his return to X, formerly known as Twitter, Trump released a stream of images targeting Vice-President Kamala Harris's stance on the border and immigration. Continue reading...

Refurbishing Newcastle's Bolbec Hall could be first step in a mission to build up region's creative industriesThis will be the cafe and bar," said Claire Malcolm on the ground floor of a grand, deserted building in Newcastle she hopes will become an international powerhouse of writing creativity. We're thinking of making it a wifi dead zone. You'll have to pick up a book or a newspaper. Or talk to someone."Malcolm is giving the Guardian an exclusive tour of a forgotten 100-year-old building that is a key part of a bold project to propel north-east England to becoming a centre for writing and publishing. Continue reading...

PM refuses to say if MPs who rebel will be stripped of the whip - but makes clear he expects their support in key voteKeir Starmer has urged Labour MPs to support his unpopular" plan to remove the winter fuel allowance for all but the poorest pensioners, saying the government could not run away from difficult choices.Speaking in his first major TV interview since taking office, the prime minister also hinted at increased support for Ukraine, saying his visit to the White House next week to see President Biden would be focused on the strategic" situation there, and in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Victoria police erect ring of steel around event, which is expected to attract up to 25,000 activists

Hundreds of millions of litres were wasted every day, with Thames Water revealed as the worst offenderWater companies in England and Wales lost more than one trillion litres of water last year in leaks, the Observer can reveal.The figures, based on the companies' 2023-24 annual performance reports, show that millions of litres of water were leaked every day. Continue reading...

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Treasurer Jim Chalmers says LGBTQ+ community will count' in survey with new topic covering sexual orientation and gender to be included

Opponents holed up for months in the Argentine ambassador's residence say the building has been surrounded by security forcesVenezuela's government has said that Brazil can no longer represent Argentina's diplomatic interests in the country, putting several anti-government opponents holed up for months in the Argentine ambassador's residence seeking asylum at risk, as reports emerge that the embassy has been surrounded by security forces.

MS for Cardiff South and Penarth, who stood down after 140 days as first minister, will not seek re-election in 2026Vaughan Gething, the Labour former first minister of Wales who stood down after a series of scandals, has announced he will not seek re-election for the Senedd.Gething, the MS for Cardiff South and Penarth, said it had been an immense honour" to serve his constituents, and in the Welsh government, as he made the announcement. Continue reading...

Potential class action against private prison operator raised after 175 inmates at Clarence correctional centre locked in their cells for days after assault by a single prisoner

Jenny Hastings had been missing since she failed to return from swim at Wardie Bay in Edinburgh on TuesdayA body has been found in the search for the wife of Scott Hastings, the former Scotland rugby player, who went missing after swimming in an estuary in Edinburgh, police have said.Jenny Hastings has been missing since Tuesday after failing to return from Wardie Bay after going for a swim in the Firth of Forth, according to her family.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Demonstrators accuse Emmanuel Macron of perpetrating denial of democracy' by choosing conservative politicianThousands of angry leftwing protesters took to French streets on Saturday two days after Emmanuel Macron appointed a conservative prime minister.Demonstrators accused the president of a denial of democracy" after his decision to name the former EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, 73, as leader of the government. Continue reading...

Phenomenal show' of solidarity in city's George Square overshadows smaller anti-immigration demonstrationAnti-racism campaigners have welcomed a phenomenal show" of solidarity after an anti-immigration rally initially promoted by Tommy Robinson was overshadowed by protesters in Glasgow's George Square.The opposing rallies were separated by lines of police and metal barriers, with a Stand Up to Racism Scotland event, in coalition with trade unions and leading refugee rights organisations, taking over most of the square as speakers addressed a swelling crowd of several thousand. Continue reading...

A tenants' rights group is fighting for justice for residents of university halls who claim health affected by conditionsStudents across the country are demanding rent refunds from the UK's biggest university hall owner, claiming they have endured infestations of rats, mice and bed bugs, and had their health affected by mould and damp.Flat Justice, a not-for-profit tenants' rights group, has shared details with the Observer of group legal actions it is leading against Unite Students on behalf of hundreds of students who have lived in the company's halls in Liverpool, London, Coventry and Birmingham. Continue reading...

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested near US border after allegedly planning attack with undercover agentsA Pakistani man living in Canada is facing federal criminal charges for allegedly planning to carry out a mass shooting in New York against Jewish people on the anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack in Israel, the US justice department announced on Friday.Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested Wednesday in Canada and charged with attempting to provide material support as well as resources to a foreign terrorist organization: in this case, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. Continue reading...

Officials believe victims were swept away in flash flood amid heavy storms, after body of British woman was also found on island on WednesdayPolice searching for a British man believed to have been swept away by heavy flooding in Mallorca have found a body.It comes after the body of a British woman was found on the Spanish tourist island on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Political veterans say Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves installing trusted allies in Whitehall roles par for the courseOf course we were always going to get our people' in! It's what you do," says one bemused veteran of the 1997 Labour government.Old political hands regard the furore over Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves installing cronies" into government jobs as par for the course - and certainly no worse than what the Tories have done for more than a decade. Continue reading...

Met Office says band of heavy and thundery rain' to sweep north through southern and central England and WalesHeavy rain is due to sweep across large parts of the UK this weekend, with many at risk of flooding.A new band of heavy and thundery rain" will arrive on the south coast on Saturday and move northwards overnight, affecting central and southern England and Wales, the Met Office said. Continue reading...