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Jake Richard acknowledges unimaginable pain' of Harper's family but says government faces an unenviable position'Justice minister Jake Richards said the government cannot carve out every single offence people might want us to" amid claims a loophole means historical child sex abusers will still be eligible for early release from prison.Asked about The Times reporting that the rules will not apply to child sex offences that took place before the law changed in 2003, Richards told Sky News:Well, we've set out and published all the offences which have been now carved out of the new scheme that begins in October.Those are all online, several pages. But what we have been very clear is that we cannot carve out every single offence that people might want us to do so.They weren't thought through. There was no preparatory work at all done by the government because they were essentially running a system which was out of control, and that this is fundamentally different.This is something I certainly would consider. But like I said, I urge the government now.I do think that the public opinion is overwhelming in this matter, but I think it's unfair and I do believe confidence in the criminal justice system risks being damaged. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president tells allies that anti-ballistic measures could have saved lives as at least 17 die and more than 40 are injured in huge attackUkraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha responded to the latest overnight attacks on Kyiv, saying that Russian strikes take no summer vacation."Support for Ukraine and pressure on the aggressor must not pause either. Every interceptor counts," he said.They are life-saving tools, and I urge all partners to expedite all relevant decisions. Russia's ability to produce these tools of ballistic terror must be disrupted. Additional, tough sanctions are critical and urgent." Continue reading...

Energy minister says Australian households and energy reliability will be protected by new federal legislationEnergy minister Chris Bowen says the federal government will override state governments that oppose new national rules on datacentres, with commonwealth legislation forcing new AI datacentres to be powered by renewable energy and banning those fuelled by gas.Bowen said he expected his counterparts in Queensland and the Northern Territory - who had protested the new federal rules at a meeting last week - to be unhappy with the move, but said the Albanese government was committed to powering the AI revolution with renewable energy. Continue reading...

UN forecasters warn of worsening conditions in 45 countries currently experiencing severe food insecurityAbout 50 million people are likely to be pushed into acute hunger before the end of next year by the rapidly developing El Nino weather system, according to forecasting.This is in addition to the hundreds of millions of people already facing dangerous levels of hunger, owing to years of drought in parts of Africa and pressure on food prices from the war in Iran. Continue reading...

Ukraine was unable to shoot down any of Russia's missiles in assault that left 27 people injured

Sarah Henderson says bill ignores gambling inducements, uniting parties and independents against controversial legislation

In a Choice test of 48 products, the Aldi powder also came out on top for top loaders

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Company acquired in deal involving Affinity Partners, a firm run by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared KushnerElectronic Arts, the maker of video games such as The Sims, Madden NFL and Battlefield, has been bought by Saudi Arabia's wealth fund and a group of investors for $55bn (41bn).The company announced the completion of the deal on Tuesday evening, only days after the EU gave its approval, the final regulatory green light needed. Continue reading...

Emergency services were seen outside Hilton's home in Miami on Tuesday night after members of the public reported seeing Hilton harm himselfThe celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has been hospitalised after livestreaming footage of himself self-harming on TikTok.Emergency services were seen outside Hilton's home in Miami on Tuesday night after concerned members of the public reported seeing Hilton harm himself in a graphic video streamed live on TikTok. Hilton's TikTok account was suspended minutes later. Continue reading...

Flurry of articles has raised eyebrows and drawn response from Kemi Badenoch defending stance on net zeroNobody can deny that the UK is getting warmer and high temperatures are becoming a clear threat to homes, nature and food security," read the lengthy news report, which explored the devastating effect of British wildfires on families in recent years.The article's conclusions, written after the wildfires in Suffolk last week, were no surprise given the UK's changing climate. However, the fact that the piece appeared in the Telegraph, the rightwing title that has been a leading critic of green policies, did raise eyebrows among some readers. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: The past week shows how quickly images, rumours and right-wing political opportunism can eclipse the facts on the groundGood morning. Last week, an estimated 72,000 migrants began crossing into a tiny Spanish enclave on the tip of Morocco. Within 24 hours, most of them had headed home. At least 88 people died after attempting the crossing, according to local officials. This isn't the whole story of what happened over the last week, but the facts are worth remembering.At an emergency meeting yesterday, EU interior ministers sought to draw a line under Ceuta, insisting that the passport-free Schengen area had never been at risk from the arrival of migrants at this scale. Despite this, much of the media coverage has suggested that events in Ceuta represent a territorial threat to Europe, sparking calls for greater security across the region's borders.Environment | Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $90bn (67bn) in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves.UK politics | Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an ideal birth", the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals.Middle East | Jordan is convening an emergency meeting over an imminent" threat of an Israeli takeover of the most important Muslim site in Jerusalem, with the potential to trigger a religious conflict".Ukraine | Russian strikes in and around Kyiv killed at least 14 people, injured 27 and damaged warehouses, emergency service officials said. Some reports put the death toll at 15.Ceuta | Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain's Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down. Continue reading...

Kellie Sloane says leaking a report is never good' as Reformer Jean-Claude Perrottet tells inquiry group signed up members to dodgy' branches

Victorian corruption watchdog finds serious and concerning' conduct by senior Andrews government members in dealings with union boss

Airline says struggling to find room in overhead lockers on planes a stressful part of the airport experience'

Increasingly erratic weather patterns due to climate change mean people are losing homes, crops and livestockAs rain lashed the Pir Panjal mountains before dawn on 19 July, Haji Mohammad Latief stepped outside his home in Murrah, a remote mountain village in Indian-administered Kashmir. His daughter had asked him to move the family's car to a safer place as the rain got heavier.I had only just parked it," Latief recalled. When I turned around, I saw the water coming." Minutes later, a cloudburst sent mud, boulders and water crashing down the hillside. Continue reading...

Spin Time provides homes, food banks and after-school clubs but the authorities have locked out residentsHundreds of people have spent a week sleeping in tents in the Rome heat amid a standoff between Giorgia Meloni's far-right government and local politicians over the future of Italy's most high-profile centre for housing and social assistance.A minor fire last week forced the evacuation of the building, occupied by grassroots groups since 2013, and it has remained closed as the Meloni government attempts to crack down on such squatted properties. Continue reading...

People hope to see friends or relatives among those still returning as death toll from mass crossing nears 100Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain's Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down.Their perch was the same small tranche of land that made headlines around the world last week as extraordinary scenes emerged of about 72,000 people making their way into Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory in north Africa. Continue reading...

Video from group claiming responsibility for arson attack raised prospect of further vandalism or targeted action and said Stop arming Israel or else'

Exclusive: Warren Pickering told 2025 podcast mass deportations not a reality' in Australia and suggested politicians over 55 should handball it to the next generation'

As home affairs minister's National Press Club address is postponed, refugee advocates lament missed opportunity to bring Australians together'

WTA event win earns 21-year-old a presidential reception in the Philippines as interest in tennis surges in home countryThe Philippines has been swept up in tennis fever after 21-year-old rising star Alex Eala delivered a historic win, drawing praise from the president who hosted a reception in her honour.On Monday, Eala became the first player from the Philippines to win a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour-level singles title. Continue reading...

The former Liberal finance minister was questioned by Icac counsel assisting, Peggy Dwyer, on Tuesday

Dogs Trust points to hundreds of incidents over recent years, some involving deaths of pets or peopleWith its gentle rippling water, tall purple flowers and rustling trees, Earlswood Lakes near Solihull in the West Midlands seems the perfect spot for dogs to paddle. But their owners have been warned that the otherwise idyllic open water could prove perilous to pets.We've had all this hot weather and millions of families are now spending time around open bodies of water, and it's easy to not realise the dangers," said Emma-Jane Thomas, rehoming manager at Dogs Trust Kenilworth during a walk around Earlswood. Continue reading...

Official action by regulator for England and Wales comes after formal complaint made by Labour MP about the fundsAn official investigation has been launched into charities in England and Wales donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.The Charity Commission will aim to establish the amount of charitable funds going to illegal settlements, whether the spending was in furtherance of their purposes and any regulatory action that may be necessary. Continue reading...

Louise Haigh says taxpayer money must benefit local communities amid backlash from environmental groupsMinisters will scrap the requirement for companies to prove their green and progressive values before they are awarded government contracts, and instead ask firms to prove they will help young people back into work.As part of a government push to reduce the number of people not in education, employment or training (Neets) in the UK and boost regional growth, public sector buyers will double the consideration they give to whether companies will get more people into jobs, rather than if they can show they are improving social and environmental wellbeing. Government procurement contracts account for about 90bn of taxpayers' money spent each year. Continue reading...

US secretary of state comments come after treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said Washington could reach a deal by tomorrow'

Incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a moderate who owns an auto repair shop, hopes to retain congressional seatThe two-term Democratic congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is heading into one of the country's most closely watched contests on Tuesday after national recognition for flipping a Republican seat in 2022.Representing Washington state's third district, Gluesenkamp Perez finds herself squeezed between Democrat and progressive Brent Hennrich and Republican state senator John Braun on her right. There are six other candidates on a single crowded ballot and the top two finishers will advance to the November general election regardless of party. Continue reading...

Masoud Pezeshkian dismisses talk of internal rift as hardline Assembly of Experts call US negotiations futile'

Restaurant chain pulls peppers out of an abundance of caution' as salmonella outbreak sickens 100 peopleChipotle said on Tuesday it had removed jalapenos from some of the chain's restaurants after identifying the peppers as a potential ingredient tied to a salmonella outbreak, replacing them with supplies from different growers.The company said it began tracing ingredients through its supply chain after learning of a potential outbreak and identified jalapenos from a common lot as a possible source. Continue reading...

Opposition parties say nationwide protests that forced resignation of education secretary are beginning to dent BJP supportIndia's ruling Bharatiya Janata party has lost a byelection in a seat it had held for three decades, after the Cockroach movement student protests that have shaken Narendra Modi's government.Prashant Kishor, a high-profile electoral strategist turned politician, scored a breakthrough win for his fledgling Jan Suraaj (Good Governance) party in the Bankipur constituency in Patna, the capital of the eastern state of Bihar. Continue reading...

Meg O'Neill says where we generate jobs, we generate tax revenue', as company's profits more than double

All passengers thought to have been taken to Boulogne after large air and sea rescue operation by France and UKA dinghy carrying 173 people has capsized after its engine caught fire as it attempted to cross the Channel from France.The people onboard were rescued from the water after a large air and sea operation was launched using UK border security and French vessels along with an RNLI boat. Continue reading...

Migration commissioner says scheme regularising undocumented people not a good signal' for Europe

BBC actor Sera Cracroft says if disgraced former newsreader had won it would be hurtful to abuse survivorsThe disgraced former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been criticised after entering a Welsh poetry competition under a pseudonym.Actor Sera Cracroft, best known for her role in the long-running BBC Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm, told the BBC it would have been catastrophic" if Edwards had won the prize, and that the image of him being crowned in front of the nation" would be hurtful to survivors". Continue reading...

Optimism echoes Trump's claims on Monday that deal is close as mediators say they are exchanging proposals

Winner called waste management team after she realised stub showing she had hit the jackpot had been thrown awayA 1m lottery ticket has been recovered from the rubbish in Italy after the frantic winner called on refuse collectors to help her retrieve it, according to the waste management company.The instant win ticket was miraculously still in one piece" after garbage workers combed through mounds of rubbish on their truck, said Roberto Nicola Toscano, the administrator of the SANB company in Italy's southern Puglia region. Continue reading...

Minister tells reporters least 75 people died after EU ministers meet to discuss response to the crisisMeanwhile, the European Commission said it was monitoring very closely" the situation in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania as the region faces an energy crunch caused by the ongoing heatwave and drought.Energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said the low Danube levels will clearly have an impact on nuclear generation along the route," and this concerns several member states." Continue reading...

Poetry sales surpassed 8m in the first 30 weeks of 2026 and are expected to reach a record high this year thanks to blockbuster adaptation of Homer's 2,700-year-old poemUK poetry sales are on course to reach a record high this year, buoyed by the success of Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey.Poetry sales surpassed 8m during the first 30 weeks of 2026, an increase of 13.3% on the same period last year, according to data from market researchers NielsenIQ. Continue reading...

Education minister Jason Clare says the results showed real challenges' but numeracy scores were heartening

Comparisons of live and archived pages show more than 20 mentions have been removed, including in reference to the gender pay gap

Conservative leader tells press she stands by decision to select Joshua Bonehill-Paine as a candidate for local election in Somerset

Country convenes emergency meeting of ministers from Arab and Islamic world, fearing such a move could trigger a religious conflict'

Justice secretary says he could not have gone further without causing system to break' but acknowledges impact on grieving relatives such as those of PC Andrew Harper

Special rapporteurs say transnational repression by Indian authorities' has put Moninder Singh in dangerUN rights experts have urged Canada to take all feasible measures to protect the Sikh activist Moninder Singh, who has been repeatedly warned by the Canadian authorities of credible threats to his life.In a letter to the Canadian government, the five UN experts raised concerning allegations of foreign intimidation and reprisals" against Singh, a Canadian national. Continue reading...

2.2bn project will allow about 100,000 more flights a year to use Britain's second busiest airport

After a blitz of small wins, PM is finding that like Keir Starmer there is only so much he can control on the big calls

This evening service from London to Crewe is hot, sweaty and heaving with people, many having to stand or sit in the gangwaysThe 5.46pm train from London Euston to Crewe is the low point of Nikhil Patel's week. I've never gotten a seat. I always stand up even when I get here early," says the 22-year-old, struggling to keep his balance while the gangway underneath sways from side to side.Painfully for Patel, who is commuting back and forth to the capital for a computer science internship, it's the first leg of a three-hour journey home to Walsall. He grabs the back of a chair to remain steady but says he's just thankful that the train has left on time - and that it's even on the move at all. Continue reading...

Levy could raise 19bn to help pay for Andy Burnham's support for those struggling with bills, say campaigners

Progressive Abdul El-Sayed leads in polls against centrist Haley Stevens as party looks to regain control of US SenateThe Democratic party faces a crucial test of its direction today as voters in the midwestern swing state of Michigan decide whether to nominate for US Senate a progressive candidate advocating for universal healthcare or an-establishment-backed moderate.The state's Democratic primary is the latest high-profile battle over the party's future, as it seeks to chart a course back to power in Washington following Donald Trump's victory in 2024. Continue reading...