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The Reform UK leader will not be present at vote count in byelection he has tried to frame as the people versus the establishment'

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Former 2UE and 2GB radio broadcaster is facing 22 indecent assault and sexual touching charges. Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty

Cernavoda shutdown poses immediate problems for Moldova, which relies on Romanian power to cover its own electricity shortagesRomania has been forced to shut down the last working reactor at its only nuclear plant after drought caused the Danube river to fall to record lows - a rare move that will immediately affect power supplies in neighbouring Moldova.Drought and record-low water levels have deepened fears of an energy crisis across Europe, which is facing a new summer heatwave. Continue reading...

Shizuoka Crown melons are part of an important cultural gifting practice in Japan, where they are hand-patted by growers to achieve an even shape and textureThe melons at the centre of a national imbroglio involving the Australian prime minister have the sweetness of a watermelon, the snap of a honeydew and the perfume of a peach, according to fruit sellers.Anthony Albanese maintains he has nothing to apologise for, after a joke he made regarding a gift he received from Japan's prime minister. Continue reading...

Stephen Parkinson says court should have been told that sex offender was being investigated for even more serious offencesThe director of the Crown Prosecution Service has apologised and vowed to increase staff numbers after conceding that the court deciding whether to release Simon Levy on bail should have known the serial sex offender was being investigated for rape and murder.Levy, 40, was this week given a rare whole-life sentence for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, and the rape of another woman. Continue reading...

Leader of Reform UK on course to defeat Count Binface and an assortment of fringe candidates as polls close in EssexVoting has closed in one of the UK's more unusual and least tense byelections, with Nigel Farage set for a decisive if arguably empty victory against dozens of independent, fringe, extreme or otherwise oddball opponents.The Reform UK leader sought re-election to his Clacton seat in early July in an attempt to regain the political initiative following weeks of scrutiny over gifts he received and other aspects of his financial affairs. Continue reading...

Longest ballot in UK voting history features likes of Count Binface and Howling Laud Hope alongside Reform leaderPolls have closed in Clacton, where thousands of residents in the Essex seat voted in a ballot featuring Nigel Farage and a range of novelty and fringe candidates led by Count Binface.The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection in an attempt to address complaints over a deepening scandal about gifts he received. Continue reading...

Additional nine passengers sustain less serious injuries and major disruption to services reportedTwo people have been seriously injured after a passenger train derailed between Haywards Heath and Lewes in East Sussex on Thursday.The South East Coast ambulance service said two people were taken to major trauma centres with severe injuries. Continue reading...

CEO announces steps after reports that system is used to target immigrants or people seeking out-of-state abortionsFor nearly a decade, the company Flock Safety has gradually built out a network of cameras across the US that allows law enforcement officials to conduct about 20bn license plate scans every month.In that time, the company had largely left the decision to turn on safety measures up to its customers. Many of those organizations did not turn them on. Continue reading...

About 60 crew responding to blaze covering about 16 hectares near Stourbridge golf courseFour people have been taken to hospital and several homes burned after a grassfire spread into a residential neighbourhood in the West Midlands.The region's fire service was alerted to an extensive grassfire near Stourbridge golf course just before 1.30pm on Thursday. More than 60 firefighters responded to the blaze covering about 16 hectares (40 acres). Continue reading...

Donald Tusk says it is first time someone on the order of Russia' has sought to attack US citizen in Nato countryA Russian plan to kill a Ukrainian American citizen in Warsaw was thwarted by Poland before it could be carried out, the Polish prime minister has said.Donald Tusk said it was the first time that someone on the order of Russia" had sought to attack a US citizen on the territory of another Nato country. Continue reading...

Former PM of Israel calls events concerted and meticulous attempt at ethnic cleansing' against PalestiniansIsraeli troops have forced two Palestinian families to leave their besieged West Bank homes, the day after a top Israeli commander personally promised he would end a violent settler campaign to drive them out.Israeli soldiers also took over eight other homes in Qusra early on Thursday, telling the village's mayor, Abdul Azim Wadi, that the buildings were needed for a days-long operation to remove the settlers. They later relinquished six. Settlers still roam the village. Continue reading...

Need for Burnham to tackle regional inequality could not be clearer as London becomes educational outlier'Andy Burnham has put regional inequality at the top of his agenda as prime minister, and nowhere is the need for doing so clearer than in education.As England's A-level results were published on Thursday morning, students across the country were pictured celebrating a bumper crop of results, with record rates of As and A*s. Continue reading...

Randall Lane left his job last month after accepting money from founder of firm that does business with magazineThe top editor of Forbes left his job last month and was reportedly dismissed for accepting $6m from the founder of a firm that does business with the magazine.The New York Times reported this week that Randall Lane was paid by RJ Shook, whose company, Shook Research, worked with Forbes since 2016 to publish rankings of wealth advisers. The payment was made after Shook sold a majority stake in the company to a private equity firm a year ago. Continue reading...

Kyiv said to have suggested agreement in apparent attempt to reopen crucial grain corridor, according to ReutersUkraine has proposed a deal with Russia that would see both sides halt their attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, Reuters has reported, in an apparent attempt to reopen a crucial grain corridor.Kyiv is said to have made the offer via a third party. Moscow has yet to respond, the news agency added. The busy waterway is a key export route for both Russia and Ukraine, used to transport grain and other vital foodstuffs worldwide. Continue reading...

This year's festival is superpowered by a strong year for Scottish cinema, showing it can thrive under the four dimensional perpetual catch-22' of global ambitions Borges, ballet and BDSM: Peter Bradshaw's 10 must-see movies at Edinburgh international film festivalNow that its disastrous collapse and speedy rebirth is a trauma slowly receding in the rear-view mirror, the Edinburgh international film festival can set its sights on bigger things. Apart from its traditional role providing a showcase for the best of current world cinema, the festival has an ace up its sleeve for 2026: the undeniable confidence and conspicuous achievement of its home film industry in Scotland. Just as Cannes likes to give a decent amount of houseroom to favoured French directors, and Sundance sees at least part of its job to talk up US independent cinema, Edinburgh acts as a vector for Scottish film-makers to gain valuable exposure and get their work in front of significant festival audiences. Inevitably, some years are harder than others, but Edinburgh's 2026 edition feels stronger than it has been for years.The festival's opening gala slot, traditionally a local film, has been given to The Incomer, a surreal comedy starring Domhnall Gleeson and set Scotland's far north, and which picked up a major award at the Sundance festival earlier this year. Among a clutch of strong films are Borges and Me, based on Jay Parini's memoir of escorting author Jorge Luis Borges on a trip around the Highlands; Sunny Dancer, a chemo camp" comedy filmed in Loch Lomond, starring Bella Ramsay as a teenager dealing with the aftermath of cancer; and The Education of Jane Cumming, the extraordinary true life story of the 19th-century Edinburgh schoolkeeper who inspired The Children's Hour. Scottish artist Douglas Gordon is the focus of a new documentary, Douglas Gordon by Douglas Gordon, while Scottish Ballet perform in These Violent Delights, a film rendering their dance version of Romeo and Juliet. Past glories are due to live again with a 30th anniversary screening of junkie classic Trainspotting (with the added bonus of a live club night featuring a DJ set from Irvine Welsh). Continue reading...

Figures emerge in critical letter to Home Office from organisation appointed to scrutinise detention facilitiesNearly 100 children have been wrongly identified and detained as adults under Shabana Mahmood's one in, one out" deal with France, the Guardian can disclose.Home Office staff said that of 304 age-disputed cases arising from the scheme over nine months, 94 - or 31% - were ultimately found to be minors. Children are supposed to be excluded from the scheme, while government policy limits immigration detention of unaccompanied children to 24 hours.had been awaiting deportation for more than six months, despite being supposed be held for up to 28 days only in exceptional cases".were being readied for removal to France despite having TB or requiring hospital treatment.faced removal after being separated from family members with whom they had travelled, which she said had a particularly damaging impact". Continue reading...

Undercover officers working for West Midlands' special projects team' planted evidence to convict men, lawyers claimLawyers representing four men convicted of terror offences are increasingly hopeful that revelations from the undercover policing inquiry could boost the chances of their case being reopened.Ten years ago, Khobaib Hussain, Naweed Ali, Mohibur Rahman and Tahir Aziz were arrested and later convicted of plotting a terrorist attack in the UK after an elaborate covert police operation. Continue reading...

Kew Gardens in London hits 38.1C and 40C-plus expected in parts of Europe with continent trapped under heat dome

Readers recall the breathtaking sight and community spirit of the rare celestial treat - and the handmade contraptions they saw it throughOn Wednesday evening, millions of people in Europe watched a rare solar eclipse. We asked some of them to share their photographs and experiences of this celestial treat.

Man dies in Bas-Uele after travelling from Haut-Uele, as head of WHO says outbreak on track to be deadliest everThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to a sixth province, officials have said, a day after the head of the World Health Organization said the outbreak was on track to surpass the deadliest in history, which erupted more than a decade ago and killed more than 11,000 people.Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa CDC, said a death had been recorded in the previously unaffected Bas-Uele province. Kaseya said the man had travelled from Isiro, in Haut-Uele province, to Buta, the capital of Bas-Uele, where he died. Continue reading...

Republican lawmakers express concern after US defense secretary repeatedly excluded Democrats from briefings

Phillip Ormerod was taken to hospital after the incident in the Crow's Nest in Cwmbran and later died of his injuriesA 102-year-old man has died of his injuries after allegedly being assaulted at a pub in south Wales.Phillip Ormerod of Cwmbran in the Welsh valleys, was taken to hospital after the incident at the Crow's Nest pub on 1 August. Gwent police said on Thursday that he had since died. Continue reading...

Sports Direct owner acquires majority of upmarket retailer's sites from the administrators

The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelectionThe number of patients in England being cared for in hospital corridors or makeshift areas has remained above 3,000 a day for the second month in a row, as the NHS experiences a summer surge", the Press Association reports.This was happening as A&E attendance numbers reached 2.5m in July - higher than any other single month on record. May and June were also record months for A&E attendance, in part because of the extreme heat.Yvette Cooper, the health secretary, warned yesterday the health service must start planning for summer pressures in the same way as winter.However, the data shows overall waiting times for treatment fell slightly in June after rising for two months in a row.The NHS normally experiences spikes in demand during the summer months, as the public spends more time outside which can lead to a rise in accidents. But this summer has seen unprecedented pressure, with the heat contributing to an increase in admissions caused by more outdoor activity and respiratory issues linked to dry weather, as well as worsening of underlying medical conditions.The first minister is right to ask about this. This is 1,500 jobs in the north of Scotland. It's also an area that is being transformed by that move towards offshore renewables, Scotland continuing to contribute.It's an area which is, in general terms, important for security. Scotland is contributing to European energy security, which is a concern across Europe when you speak to leaders there. Continue reading...

South American fish with razor-toothed jaws was probably released by someone who owned it as a pet, officials sayAn eight-year-old boy fishing for bass in Pennsylvania was stunned to catch something more associated with the Amazon - and countless horror movies - than the rolling landscape of the eastern US.Seamus Coffey, who was fishing with his father Michael in a lake near Philadelphia, hauled in a large red-bellied piranha, complete with the razor-toothed jaws that the fearsome breed is so famous for. Continue reading...

Two planes came close to collision on the runway on Sunday - hours after another near miss - making a total of three in recent weeks

Indiana faced most outages at 267,000, about 8% of its customers, with severe thunderstorms and wind aheadPower supply was cut on Thursday to about 540,000 homes and businesses across the US midwest as severe storms battered the region, data from PowerOutage.us showed.Indiana was the hardest-hit state, with more than 267,000 outages, representing about 8% of its roughly 3.3 million customers, the data showed. Continue reading...

Weaker growth, rising energy costs and persistent inflation mean Britain could face tougher times in the autumn

Dineth Fernando - who moved to Australia with his family in February - says he just needed to find the word and play - that's all'

Incheon airport had 38.39m international passengers in first half of 2026, as traffic diverted from Middle East hubsSouth Korea's Incheon airport has become the world's busiest airport for international passengers, in part owing to disruption in the Middle East caused by the Iran war.The airport, South Korea's main gateway, about 30 miles (48km) west of Seoul, handled 38.39 million international passengers in the first half of 2026, according to preliminary figures compiled by the Airports Council International (ACI), the global trade body for airports. Continue reading...

Christopher Alan Saunders found guilty of 13 sex offences in West Australian district court on Thursday. He was acquitted of six other charges

Mina Smallman, whose daughters were killed in north London park in 2020, says force decides who matters'The Metropolitan police does not take all cases of violence against women seriously and instead decides who matters", the mother of two murdered women has said.Mina Smallman, whose daughters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were killed in a north London park in 2020, also said Britain's biggest police force was incapable of change. Two police officers were jailed in 2021 after taking photographs of the dead bodies of her daughters and sharing the images in WhatsApp groups, referring to them as dead birds". Continue reading...

Elbridge Colby, a US under secretary of war, says he is very pleased' with the nuclear submarine program's progress

Biological factors mean a child's core temperature rises faster than an adult's - and that can result in a medical emergencyChildren and babies are more vulnerable in heatwaves than healthy adults. As temperatures rise again, how do we keep children safe? Continue reading...

Firms in England and Wales seek to fund measures including supporting new homes and datacentres

Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney denies ever asking federal opposition leader for money for Liberal power brokers

High schoolers join university walkouts in major cities and several smaller locations amid urge to fight against racism

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Angus Taylor cautions NSW senator for diverging from policy in National Press Club speech as Nationals warn against changes to working holiday visas

GDP expanded by 0.4% in three months to June, but analysts warn growth is likely to fade'

The three teenagers are students at Scots College, one of Sydney's oldest boys' private schools

Settlers and soldiers cut off water and electricity to homes, and block medical care in campaign of terrorIsraeli militants have besieged two Palestinian families in their homes since the weekend, aiming to take over their properties in the West Bank village of Qusra through a campaign of terror.A group of settlers and soldiers set up a tent outside the home of Yousef Hassan on Sunday afternoon, trapping him inside with his wife and two young daughters. Continue reading...

Judge rejects intimidation claim as high profile trial continues with complainant J's ex-girlfriend cross-examined by shock jock's defence team

Health secretary praises more collegiate style under Andy Burnham and says previous No 10 sidelined her from key policy launchYvette Cooper admits Labour has not done government very well" in the last couple of years, and accused Keir Starmer's No 10 of sidelining her during the launch of a key immigration policy when she was home secretary.Speaking on the Political Currency podcast with the former Conservative chancellor George Osborne, Cooper highlighted some of the difficulties ministers faced with Starmer's leadership, which she summarised as bring me solutions, not problems". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ministers explore diverting male prisoners serving short terms or on remand away from tougher jailsMinisters are examining a possible upgrade of security at men's category C and women's prisons to deal with an overcrowding crisis across the England and Wales estate, the Guardian understands.Officials have explored diverting prisoners on remand or serving short sentences away from category B reception" prisons such as HMPs Liverpool, Manchester and Pentonville in north London. Continue reading...

Rio Tinto makes power supply deal with federal and NSW government to cut emissions and decarbonise, preventing potential closure

Hakainde Hichilema is bidding for second term, but feud between him and family of Edgar Lungu, who died in 2025, continuesAs Zambians go to the polls, the ghost of the current president's predecessor hangs over the elections.Hakainde Hichilema, 64, is bidding for a second term leading the southern African country after defeating his arch-rival Edgar Lungu by a landslide in 2021. Continue reading...

Rise in new mine proposals, mainly in states of Odisha and Jharkhand, comes despite plateau in global demandEnough new coalmining projects were proposed last year to increase global supplies by 2.5bn tonnes a year, an increase of 11% from the year before, even as demand for coal plateaus, according to a new report.Global Energy Monitor, an NGO, found that India ignited a rise in new coalmine proposals in 2025 despite a global slowdown in the number of mine openings because of falling demand for the fossil fuel. Continue reading...