Appeal court sets aside ruling that gold could not be released to Nicolás Maduro-backing bankA battle for the control of more than $1.8bn worth of Venezuelan gold stored at the Bank of England has swung in favour of the government of Nicolás Maduro after an appeals court in London overturned an earlier high court ruling concerning whom the UK recognised as Venezuela’s president.The court of appeal granted an appeal by the Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV) and set aside July’s high court judgment, which had found that Britain’s recognition of the opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the “constitutional interim president of Venezuela” meant the gold could not be released for the Maduro-backing bank. Continue reading...

Labour says ‘lives at risk’ because of government’s testing data ‘shambles’; 12,594 new cases recorded in UK on Monday

Videos of magpie attacks abound on social media during swooping season from August to October. But magpies are generally not aggressive and have many qualities that endear them to their many human friends. Cheyne Anderson tells Gabrielle Jackson why there’s more to love than fear from Australia’s most accomplished songbird Continue reading...

Andrew Jones murdered Michael O’Leary after luring him with phone message from wife’s mobileA businessman has been found guilty of luring his wife’s secret lover to a remote farm in south-west Wales before “executing” him.Andrew Jones shot dead his old friend, Michael O’Leary, at a farm in Carmarthenshire after finding out he was having an affair with his wife, Rhianon. Continue reading...

As protests continue in response to the widely contested re-election of Alexander Lukashenko, three filmmakers capture their own stories and those of the people around themOur latest Guardian Documentary is an unusual collaboration. Three independent Belarusian film-makers reacted to the country-wide protests by turning their cameras on themselves and their communities. Taken together, these three portraits offer a rare glimpse into life in a country in the throes of political upheaval.Belarus has only ever had one president, and Alexander Lukashenko, who has held the position since 1994, declared victory again in elections on 9 August with a contested 80% of the vote. The widespread protests that followed have been ruthlessly suppressed by security forces. Continue reading...

Fear of mass civilian casualties as Nagorno-Karabakh conflict escalates

Exclusive: lawyers for Patel’s former permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam push forward constructive dismissal claimPriti Patel is facing the possibility of being questioned before a 10-day employment tribunal hearing next September after lawyers for her former permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam pushed forward with a claim for constructive dismissal.The home secretary, her department, and Downing Street are also being asked to disclose all correspondence related to Rutnam’s departure following claims that he was forced out of his job for intervening in her alleged bullying of fellow civil servants. Continue reading...

Quarter of fakes were stolen with some eggs tracked from thief to trafficker to consumerDecoy eggs made by a 3D-printer and fitted with satellite tags have been placed in sea turtle nests on beaches in Costa Rica to track the illegal trade of their eggs.A quarter of the fake eggs put among 101 turtle nests on four beaches in Costa Rica were stolen, with some eggs successfully tracked as they moved from thief to trafficker to consumer. Continue reading...

Having been postponed in 2018, last year’s return drew heavy fire for the selection of Peter Handke, so experts expect a cautious choice this week

Ambulances called to La Sainte Union Catholic girls’ secondary in Highgate

The late fashion designer was the first from Japan to break into Paris’s exclusive fashion milieu in the 1970s. His colours and prints were a far cry from the traditional Parisian style of the time Continue reading...

Ankara’s assertive foreign policy is an increasing factor in broad geopolitical disputePlans for a durable Libyan ceasefire are to be endorsed by diplomats from 15 countries on Monday, but the value of the commitments made in the virtual meeting are belied by signs that deepening involvement in the country by rival external powers including Russia and Turkey could complicate efforts to form an interim government of national unity.The Libya conflict has to be seen as not only a long-running power struggle in the country itself but also part of a wider geopolitical dispute in which Turkey’s assertive foreign policy – ranging from the eastern Mediterranean to Azerbaijan – is an increasing factor. Continue reading...

Saman Mir Sacharvi, who died last week with Vian Mangrio, 14, will be greatly missed, says colleague

Juan Romero was among 7,500 compatriots imprisoned at Mauthausen camp in Austria

French capital on ‘maximum alert’ with restrictions on public gatherings

Family of Chris Williams-Ellis say he was left in agony as he waited for ambulance to arriveThe family of a man who is in a coma in hospital with severe burns has strongly criticised an ambulance service for taking an hour and a half to reach him.Company director Chris Williams-Ellis, 40, suffered 45% burns to his body in the blaze at his home near Corwen, Denbighshire, north Wales. Continue reading...

Man, 26, was wearing kippah when he was assaulted by 29-year-old in camouflage clothingA young Jewish man has sustained severe head injuries after he was assaulted with a spade outside a synagogue in the northern German city of Hamburg on Sunday afternoon, in what politicians have condemned as a “disgusting” antisemitic attack.The student, 26, was about to enter the Hohe Weide synagogue in the centre of Germany’s second-largest city when he was attacked by a man in camouflage gear. Continue reading...

Tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh region have caused one of Europe’s ‘frozen conflicts’ to erupt

Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the widely disputed election that put President Alexander Lukashenko in office for a sixth term. Three Belarusian filmmakers have documented personal stories of those caught up in the political turmoil.Maksim Shved was arrested, imprisoned and then released as the protests around him swelled. Ekaterina Markavets observes the psychological burden of her fellow citizens – she worked with professional psychologists who set up a volunteer support service for people affected by current events. Andrei Kutsila follows a celebrated Belarusian broadcast journalist who worked for state TV for nearly 40 years and who is now in hospital recovering from injuries sustained at a protest. All three filmmakers wonder what the future holds for their country and fellow citizens Continue reading...

Lack of job security and lower salaries than in other countries among reasons for shortfall

An acute shortage of sanitiser, PPE and clean water is putting pupils and school staff at risk of Covid-19, say unions

Italian newspapers report Pell rival Cardinal Giovanni Becciu is suspected of paying $1.1m to Australian witnessThe barrister who led the defence of Cardinal George Pell says an international investigation should be launched into extraordinary claims that bribes were paid to influence the sexual assault case involving the senior Australian cleric.Italian newspapers have claimed that Cardinal Giovanni Becciu, a rival of Pell, was suspected of paying €700,000 (A$1.1m) to an Australian witness in the case. Continue reading...

Yuru-kyara competition ‘lost original purpose’ after aggressive campaigning by prefecturesA cuddly fairy on a mission to “deliver happiness” to her disaster-hit hometown has been crowned Japan’s most popular mascot, but unseemly rivalry among competitors has forced organisers to announce that this year’s contest would be the last.Takata-no-Yumechan defeated almost 400 other yuru-kyara – “gentle characters” – to take the title at the mascot grand prix in the north-eastern prefecture of Iwate on Sunday, narrowly beating Yurunakin, a dog mascot from Osaka prefecture, and Tsurugon, a dragon-like character from Saitama prefecture. Continue reading...

Victoria to return to staged face-to-face teaching next week; treasurer Josh Frydenberg promises a jobs-focused budget. Follow live

Flooding from record rains in a mountainous region of France and Italy has killed two people and left at least nine missing. Storm Alex ravaged villages around the city of Nice on the French Riviera, sweeping away roads and damaging homes. The storm moved across south-eastern France before hitting northern Italy Continue reading...

Currency collapse has families turning to black market to get essential foodstuffThe Syrian government has introduced rules limiting the amount of subsidised bread available per person at bakeries, putting larger families at risk of starvation as the country’s crippling economic crisis deepens.Under a recent government order, a household of two is entitled to just one packet of bread a day; a family of four two packets; and a family of six to three packets. Families of seven or more people, however, are limited to four packets of bread, no matter how many are in the house. Continue reading...

Cyberstalking, body shaming and being sent explicit content among issues highlighted by Plan InternationalMost girls and young women using social media have experienced abuse that has driven them offline and left them traumatised, according to a new global survey.More than half of the 14,000 15- to 25-year-olds interviewed by Plan International said they had been cyberstalked, sent explicit messages and images, or abused online. Continue reading...

Continue reading...

Critics and models voice heartbreak over death of Japanese designer who was ahead of his time when it came to women’s fashionThe fashion world has paid tribute to the Japanese designer Kenzo Takada, who has died aged 81 after contracting Covid-19 in France, describing him as a man of “energy, kindness and talent” whose international outlook and attitude towards women’s clothes were ahead of their time.Models and designers took to social media to pay tributes to Takada, who was commonly referred to by his given name, Kenzo. Continue reading...

Revelation contradicts official assurance that no UK-made equipment was used to repress peaceful demonstrationsUS law enforcement officers used British anti-riot gear to strike protesters during their controversial policing of Black Lives Matter demonstrations, despite assurances from the Conservative government that no UK-made equipment was used to repress peaceful protest.Officers deployed at demonstrations in Washington DC hit protesters and in one case a journalist using shields made by the British-based firm DMS Plastics. Video and photographs suggest, and a lawsuit alleges, that officers charged at protesters, rather than acting in self-defence. US forces deny the allegations. Continue reading...

A brutal childhood, a traumatic marriage, decades of racism: the singer has overcome it all on her way to the top. She lets rip about the people who have wronged her and the self-belief that sustains her

New Zealand’s largest city to move to level 1 as Jacinda Ardern says there is 95% probability Auckland cluster is eliminatedCoronavirus restrictions in New Zealand’s largest city will be lifted this week, prime minister Jacinda Ardern said, as she expressed confidence a second wave of Covid-19 infections in Auckland has been almost eliminated.The city will move to alert level 1 from 11.59pm on Wednesday, joining the rest of the country, after reporting no new cases in the Auckland cluster for 10 consecutive days. Continue reading...

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says in interview that people can no longer live under dictatorship, as more 100,000 protest on Sunday

At least one person killed in Ganja incident, as former Soviet republics move closer to warFighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh has escalated dramatically after Baku accused Armenian forces of firing rockets at Ganja, which lies outside the contested territory.At least one civilian was killed and four more injured in the attack on Sunday on Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second largest city, 100km (60 miles) north of the Karabakh capital, Stepanakert. Continue reading...

A tongue-in-cheek campaign is urging eligible overseas New Zealanders to vote in this month’s general election. Here’s how easy – and important – it is

The South Pacific nation went to a referendum for the second time in two years on Sunday. The ‘non’ vote prevailed – 53.3% to 46.7%. But an increased ‘oui’ vote in support of independence has laid the foundations for a third referendum in two years’ time Continue reading...

Queen Elizabeth says national and local journalism is ‘important public service’The Queen has issued a message of support to the British newspaper industry, praising traditional media outlets.The monarch said that “having trusted, reliable sources of information, particularly at a time when there are so many sources competing for our attention, is vital”. Continue reading...

Men, aged 51 and 56, arrested on suspicion of rape, arson and murder in case of Dr Saman Mir Sacharvi and Vian MangrioPolice have arrested two men on suspicion of rape and murder in connection with the deaths of a doctor and her teenage daughter.The men, from Burnley, aged 51 and 56, were detained at about 7pm on Sunday, both on suspicion of two counts of murder, two counts of rape and one of arson with intent to endanger life. Continue reading...

Female officer wounded in abdomen but injuries not thought to be life-threateningA police officer has been stabbed as she attempted to detain two teenagers who were trying to rob a grocery shop in central London.Two officers were in Chapter Street, Westminster, when they saw two males armed with knives attempting to rob the shop at around 3.42pm on Sunday, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Monday: President may return to White House tomorrow despite two oxygen dips. Plus: the health golden rules doctors followGood morning, this is Imogen Dewey bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 5 October. Continue reading...

Takada was the first Japanese designer to make a mark on the Paris fashion scene

Exclusive: government documents suggest potential pub closures and stricter social contact rules

Trio from Northern Ireland reportedly found unconscious in apartment in BodrumA Northern Irish man has died and two of his friends were left critically ill after a dental treatment trip to Turkey, it is understood.The trio, who are believed to be in their late 20s or early 30s and were described by their MP as “three fit and healthy young lads”, were found in the Turkish resort city of Bodrum on Saturday. Continue reading...

French and Italian rescue services have stepped up search efforts after floods cut off several villages near the two countries’ border, causing widespread damage. Eight people were unaccounted for on the French side of the border after storms, torrential rain and flash floods washed away homes and roads

Human rights groups decry home secretary’s plan to stop ‘endless legal claims’Priti Patel has called the asylum system “fundamentally broken” and promised new laws to deny asylum to those using illegal routes to enter the UK, causing dismay among human rights groups.Speaking at the Conservative party conference, the home secretary said she would bring in legislation next year to stop “endless legal claims” from refused asylum seekers and was willing to face “being unpopular on Twitter” in order to bring claims down. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson rejects idea UK will be locked into rolling lockdowns for years to come; 210 people in hospital in Scotland with coronavirus

Thousands of jobs at risk as cinema chain warns Covid-19 crisis has made sector ‘unviable’Britain’s biggest cinema chain is considering shutting all its UK and US venues temporarily, after the release of the latest James Bond film was put back to next year.Cineworld, which owns the Regal cinema and Picturehouse chains, said in a statement on Sunday: “We can confirm we are considering the temporary closure of our UK and US cinemas, but a final decision has not yet been reached. Once a decision has been made we will update all staff and customers as soon as we can.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: Royal College of GPs is seeking assurances that enough doses are available

Coronavirus key workers and volunteers also to be included in 2020 list, say reports