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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...

Spokesperson says government considering the advice' of Australian Electoral Commission on regulating AI use

Admissions officers report rise in number of inquiries from international students since general election

Removal of popular cabinet member Silvio Almedia comes as a blow to Lula's administrationBrazil's president has sacked one of his most popular cabinet members after claims Silvio Almeida sexually harassed at least two women - one of whom is another prominent figure, the racial equality minister Anielle Franco.Almeida, the human rights minister, has denied the allegations, while Franco thanked President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for his decisive action." But the scandal has dealt a major blow to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's administration and has been greeted with deep dismay by the Black rights movement. Continue reading...

Freddie Owens, who will now die by lethal injection, said it would be akin to suicide' to participate in decisionA lawyer representing the first death row inmate likely to be executed in South Carolina since 2011 has decided that he should die by lethal injection after the prisoner refused to choose between three different killing methods, saying that to do so would be akin to suicide".Freddie Owens is now set to be executed using a fatal dose of the sedative pentobarbital. The prisoner had been given until Friday to decide between the three execution methods: lethal injection, the electric chair and the firing squad. Continue reading...

Family of Paula Leeson sued Donald McPherson after criminal prosecution over fatal drowning collapsedA man who stood to claim a 4.4m estate from his wealthy wife has had his inheritance blocked by a judge who ruled he killed her.The family of Paula Leeson, 47, who was found dead in a swimming pool in a Denmark holiday home in 2017, sued her husband, Donald McPherson, 51, for unlawful killing after a criminal prosecution collapsed when there was not enough evidence. Continue reading...

Bodies of Dominik, 3, Nikodem and Kacper, both 2, and their father, Piotr Swiderski, 31, were found last weekThe deaths of three young boys whose bodies were found next to their father's at a house in Surrey last week are being investigated as murder, police have said.Last Saturday, police discovered the bodies of Dominik, three, and Nikodem and Kacper Swiderski, both two, with their father, Piotr Swiderski, 31, at a property in Staines-upon-Thames at about 1.15pm. Continue reading...

Inquiry follows investigation into governance of charity linked to community housing cooperative near city centreThe Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a charity that was set up to help improve the lives of residents in Kirkdale, one of the poorest areas of Liverpool.The commission announced the decision to open the statutory inquiry, its most serious form of investigation, into the Eldonian Community Trust Limited on Friday following an 18-month investigation into concerns over the governance of the charity. Continue reading...

Government and paramilitary forces responsible for rape, violence and torture, according to civilian interviewsPeacekeepers should be deployed to Sudan immediately and an existing international arms embargo should be expanded to protect civilians from harrowing" rights abuses committed by the warring parties in the country's civil war, UN experts said on Friday.Sudan's army (SAF) and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces [RSF], have raped and attacked civilians, used torture and made arbitrary arrests, according to a UN-mandated fact-finding mission based on 182 interviews with survivors, relatives and witnesses. The violations may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity", its report said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: renters' rights bill including ban on section 21 evictions to have its first Commons reading next weekLandlords will soon be banned from removing tenants without cause as the government prepares to launch a long-delayed package of measures for renters including stopping no-fault evictions within months.Ministers will bring the renters' rights bill for its first reading in the Commons next week, sources have told the Guardian, as they look to rush through key parts of its housing changes. Continue reading...

Row may signal that newly elected Tehran government is willing to take tougher line with MoscowIran's new reformist government has warned Russia against siding with Azerbaijan in a border dispute as concerns in Tehran persist over its relations with Moscow.The Iranian foreign minister, Sayeed Abbas Araghchi, took the unusual step of upbraiding Russia after Moscow sided with Azerbaijan over its calls for a land corridor along the Armenia-Iran border that Tehran fears could limit its access to Europe and the wider world. Continue reading...

Ricky Jones pleads not guilty after video emerged in which he appeared to call for far-right protesters' throats to be cut'A suspended Labour councillor has pleaded not guilty to encouraging violent disorder while addressing a crowd during an anti-racism demonstration in east London.Ricky Jones, 57, allegedly committed the offence during a speech to a gathering that was organised in response to the nationwide violent disorder, in Hoe Street, Walthamstow, on 7 August. Continue reading...

Emma Dent Coad, who was Kensington MP at time of fire, says former housing secretary should have grace to resign'Eric Pickles, the former housing secretary, is facing calls to quit as a Tory peer over the Grenfell inquiry, but he has blamed middle-ranking officials" for failing to act on a coroner's warning about fire safety.Emma Dent Coad, who was Kensington MP when the fire killed 72 people, said Pickles should have the grace to resign" from the House of Lords and as a government ethics adviser after criticism in the Grenfell report. Matt Wrack, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, also said Pickles should be stripped of his peerage. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Campaigners accuse ministers of making misleading promises about protecting green belt sitesHuge expanses of green belt land in England could be built on to meet government housing targets, it has emerged, with guidelines saying that councils lacking enough brownfield sites will be expected to offer untouched plots for construction.The proposals, set out in consultation documents for the revised planning rules across England, prompted condemnation from campaigners, who accused ministers of making misleading promises about protecting the green belt. Continue reading...

NSW, Victoria, south-western Queensland and parts of central Australia had temperatures climb by 6C to 12C above average, BoM says

Abdelmadjid Tebboune set for second term as president after changed poll date is expected to favour himAlgeria goes to the polls on Saturday in a presidential election being held in the context of what rights groups have called a steady erosion of human rights" under the president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who is expected to win a second five-year term.As many as 24 million people are eligible to vote in the north African country in a process moved forward by three months. Continue reading...

Lehrmann's lawyer says he was exempt from $117,00 in court costs because he was on Centrelink'

Arrest warrant was issued for Guo, who is accused of having links to Chinese criminal syndicates, after she failed to appear before a Senate inquiryAlice Guo, a fugitive former mayor of a town in the Philippines accused of having links to Chinese criminal syndicates, has arrived back in the Philippines after she was deported from Indonesia.Guo, whose case has gripped the Philippines, was the subject of an arrest warrant after she failed to appear before a Senate inquiry investigating financial scams and human trafficking found to be taking place at a sprawling compound in her town, Bamban, in Tarlac province. Continue reading...

Dusky sea snake was placed on threatened species list this week and is known only to exist on a small number of reefs off the Kimberley coastlineConservation scientists advising the federal government have called for fossil fuel activity in the location of Woodside's proposed multibillion gas project to be urgently reviewed to protect the stronghold of an endangered sea snake.The dusky sea snake, Aipysurus fuscus, was placed on the country's threatened species list this week and is known only to exist on a small number of reefs off the Western Australia Kimberley coastline.Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...

Police still searching for more than a dozen antique handguns after charging trio over Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum robbery

Health charities call for taxes on salty products and bans on junk food sponsorship of sport to help cut deaths from heart diseaseHard-hitting cigarette-style warning labels should be put on everyday foodstuffs, new taxes imposed on salty products and junk food sponsorship of sport banned to cut rising deaths from heart disease, health campaigners have said.These bold" measures should be imposed as part of a determined drive to reduce the number of people dying prematurely from heart attacks and strokes, they said. Continue reading...

Ministers, intelligence officers, Border Force and CPS staff to attend meeting at NCA headquartersYvette Cooper will chair a summit aimed at apprehending criminal gangs involved in smuggling people across the Channel in small boats, as the Home Office disclosed that MI5 officers had been given a key role in operations.Intelligence officers, Border Force staff and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) representatives will be present at the meeting on Friday at the National Crime Agency's headquarters. Continue reading...

Cabin crew member's sacking has been overturned by the Fair Work Commission but experts say case raises questions about workplace surveillance

Jenny Hastings, who loved the water', failed to return from Wardie Bay in EdinburghThe wife of Scott Hastings, the former Scottish international rugby player, has gone missing after going swimming in a Scottish estuary. Jenny Hastings, who loved the water", failed to return from Wardie Bay in Edinburgh on Tuesday after going for a swim in the Firth of Forth.Emergency services were alerted a report of concern" at about 2.45pm on Tuesday, and a helicopter, coastguard rescue teams, lifeboats and other nearby vessels all took part in a search. Continue reading...

Accounting firm tells its 26,000 workers move is to ensure workers spend minimum of three days a week' in officeThe consultancy PwC has told its employees it is going to begin tracking their working locations to ensure that all workers spend a minimum of three days a week" in the office or at client sites.In a memo sent to its 26,000 UK employees, the big four accounting firm announced that it will start monitoring how often employees work from home in the same way it monitors how many chargeable hours they work. Continue reading...

Dimitri Simes, 76, charged with working for sanctioned Russian state television network and laundering proceedsThe US government has charged a Russian-born US citizen and former adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign with working for a sanctioned Russian state television network and laundering the proceeds.Indictments announced Thursday by the US Department of Justice allege that Dimitri Simes and his wife received over $1m and a personal car and driver in exchange for work they did for Russia's Channel One since June 2022. The network was sanctioned by the US in 2022 over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Lord MacDonald warns of likely delays in criminal justice system as survivors denounce arrogant' building firms

A councillor at 22, now country's oldest premier in modern history, the former Brexit negotiator must win over a divided parliamentHe calmly but firmly negotiated the UK's departure from the EU after years of British squabbling over Brexit, and he prefers consensus to political punch-ups. But Michel Barnier faces his toughest challenge yet as France's new prime minister amid the country's biggest political crisis in decades.The discreet rightwinger, 73, known for his sensible anoraks, love of spreadsheets and his ever-present briefing dossiers wedged under his arm, is facing a baptism of fire in a deeply divided French political landscape. Continue reading...

Findings on 2017 fire at London tower block raise wide-ranging questions over prevailing attitudes and practicesAfter the damning findings of the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire and with the threat of criminal proceedings hanging over key players, the construction industry is facing a moment of reckoning.The 2017 fire that killed 72 people stemmed from a rotten culture in the construction industry", where multiple failures occurred across the supply chain, according to Dame Judith Hackitt, an engineer who led a review on building safety after Grenfell. Continue reading...