World news | The Guardian

Counter-terrorism police say that they are still working to establish the motive for the killing of the former government ministerIn response to a question from Alec Shelbrooke (Con), Campbell said he was totally unaware" not just of the wording of the Tory opposition day motion planned for tomorrow (see 1.04pm), but of the topic that it was going to cover. In a bid to convince MPs that this was not a lie, he said that he was standing at the despatch box and that MPs knew the importance of a minister telling the absolute truth when they stand here".In the Commons, Alan Campbell, the leader of the house, has just announced there will be a change in parliamentary business tomorrow. Wednesday was set aside for an opposition day debate - a debate on a motion tabled by the Tories. Instead, there will be a general debate on the situation in Iran. There will also be a vote on the regulations banning support for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.The government has a majority of more than 150 and it could not trust its MPs to vote the right way on that motion [delaying the recess], and it could not bear the idea of a new prime minister facing any scrutiny before September.A prime minister, let me remind us all, who has been chosen by a coronation not a contest, with no known platform, almost no known policies, and no idea of his priorities or indeed his cabinet team. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Experts fear rise in education cold spots' and social immobility as 4,000 academic posts lost in one yearThousands of university job cuts in humanities and social sciences are creating widespread cold spots for languages, classics and theology degrees, the British Academy has warned.Universities' finances are so precarious that redundancies are also occurring in business studies, law and English - subjects considered strategically important and traditionally popular courses. Continue reading...

US president claims shipping route is open for all except Iranian ships after another night of strikes on Iran

Chair criticises use of VIP lane' to prioritise PPE contracts for companies with Tory connections in damning report

Firework displays cancelled as Paris military parade asserts France's rearmament ... and Europe's strategic awakening'Emmanuel Macron has presided over his final Bastille Day parade in Paris amid a searing heatwave and wildfires that forced authorities around the country to cancel traditional firework displays and balls celebrating France's national day.The French president was joined for the annual military procession and flypast by his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and two dozen other national leaders. Continue reading...

Witnesses and officials have offered differing accounts of the shooting as questions remainThe man killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Maine on Monday has been identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, according to local news outlets.An immigration agent shot and killed the 26-year-old Colombian man on Monday morning in Biddeford, Maine, after reportedly ramming into his car. Continue reading...

Gates has denied any ties to Epstein's crimes and has not been accused of any wrongdoingBillionaire Warren Buffett omitted Bill Gates' foundation from his annual donations this year after disclosures of the Microsoft co-founder's ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Buffett will donate about $6bn to four foundations connected to his own family, but did not mention Gates in his announcement Tuesday.Buffett also said in his statement that he wants all of his remaining Berkshire Hathaway stock worth more than $140bn donated to charity by the end of 2034. Previously the plan was for his three children to distribute his remaining fortune within 10 years of the 95-year-old investor's death. Continue reading...

Documents show the FBI director's gift was displayed proudly' by the AFP before new commissioner ordered it be destroyed

Legal action by the Daylesford small business owner has forced councillors to stand down - leaving only two able to serve

No unruly behaviour will be tolerated' after the match, according to France's interior ministerHere is the first big moment of the day as the Garde republicaine plays the French national anthem, La Marseillaise".Macron is not singing, but Lecornu behind him - very much is. Continue reading...

Defendant pleads guilty to crimes over the course of 12 years, some of which also involved a person unknown'A man has been told he faces a possible life sentence after pleading guilty to 32 sexual offences against his girlfriend while she was allegedly drugged or asleep, including some attacks he recorded.The defendant, aged in his 40s, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Northampton crown court on Tuesday where he admitted the offences which happened over more than a decade between January 2014 and September last year. Continue reading...

Campaigners feel vindicated by some of report's conclusions but are unconvinced by its verdict on VIP lane'

86-year-old from West Midlands taken to hospital after eight-day event in which 57 people were injuredAn 86-year-old British man is among 57 people injured while taking part in the running of the bulls festival in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona.The man, from Halesowen in the West Midlands, was taken to hospital on Tuesday - the last morning of the eight-day annual event - after suffering injuries to his right hand, left elbow and right eyebrow. A spokesperson for the festival said the man, who has not been named, was being assessed by doctors but not thought to be badly hurt. Continue reading...

Court ruled last week against policy to reduce protections for asylum seekers facing removal under one in, one out schemeThe Home Office is set to ignore a high court ruling and continue sending asylum seekers to France without looking into claims they have been trafficked, which last week was found to be unlawful.On Friday Mr Justice Sheldon ruled against the home secretary's policy to reduce protections for trafficking victims earmarked for forced removal to France. Home Office sources told the Guardian that operational activity could continue despite the ruling. Home Office removed certain protections for this group because they could delay removals to France by at least 30 days. Continue reading...

Bar owner offers deepest apologies' as police investigate whether exits were either blocked or hard to accessThe Bangkok pub that became the scene of the city's deadliest blaze in 17 years has said it will cooperate with an investigation into alleged negligence, as the death toll rose to 30.The local district office said on Tuesday that three more people had died after the devastating fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday. An initial assessment by disaster officials found an electrical short circuit in an air conditioner located in the ceiling had caused the fire. Continue reading...

US hits targets in port cities of Bushehr and Bandar Abbas while Iran attacks two tankers in strait of Hormuz

Ofwat says repeated errors led to real disruption and hardship for residents and businesses across many years'

Director general Matt Brittin says funding model ties corporation to the past as number of licences falls by 539,000The number of people paying the BBC's licence fee has fallen faster than expected in the last year, with half a million more households opting out of the payment.Matt Brittin, the BBC's director general, said the broadcaster faced a moment of real jeopardy", as the licence fee funding model ties us to the past". Continue reading...

Rebecca Slaughter, who was fired by Trump from the FTC in 2025, worries agencies will be undermined by threat of removal if a decision is contrary to president's favorFederal officials fired by the Trump administration are calling the recent supreme court decision a dagger in the heart" of the civil service that will open independent federal government agencies to corruption and manipulation at the whim of the president.Since Donald Trump took office again in January 2025, he has fired more than 50 officials from federal agencies as the Trump administration openly sought to have the supreme court overturn a landmark 1935 ruling that limited the president's power over independent agencies, known as Humphrey's Executor. Continue reading...

Plane bringing Houthi delegation home from Tehran had to divert after Yemeni government bombed Sana'a airport

BBPA wants content definition for beer to be considered non-alcoholic to be changed from 0.05% to 0.5%Pubs and brewers are being prevented from capitalising on Britons' record-breaking thirst for alcohol-free beer because of over-strict regulation, a trade body has warned.More than 64m pints of low- and no-alcohol beer is forecast to be sold over the summer, an increase of 8m compared with 2025, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said, citing the figures as proof that the category is not just a fad". Continue reading...

Threat of social unrest rises as public indignation at lack of disaster aid comes on top of fallout from US military intervention A revolution in ruins: fury amid the rubble of a housing project in quake-hit VenezuelaPublic anger at what many perceive as the Venezuelan government's botched response to twin earthquakes that killed nearly 4,500 people is growing, with one grieving mother caught on camera berating the son of former president Nicolas Maduro.Maduro's politician son received a hostile reception while visiting a semi-destroyed social housing project named after his father's late mentor Hugo Chavez. Continue reading...

Reform's Treasury spokesperson says talks on party leader's protection only happening as a result' of Ann Widdecombe's death

Kyiv's decision to honour second world war fighters who killed about 100,000 Poles has revived simmering tensionsIn the aftermath of Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022, Polish-Ukrainian solidarity emerged as one of the most heartwarming subplots of the Kremlin's brutal war. Millions of Poles, remembering their country's own tragic history with Russia, mobilised to help Ukrainian refugees with food, shelter and support as they crossed the border in huge numbers to flee the conflict.Four years later, that outpouring of generosity and solidarity is a distant memory, as the two countries find themselves locked in a bitter dispute over history that has led to angry rhetoric, mutual mud-slinging and a threat from Poland to block Ukraine's EU accession until it gets its historical house in order. Continue reading...

Prof Steven Prawer tells commission University of Melbourne needs to show it tolerates dissent, but not misbehaviour

Economists warn continued conflict could push oil prices beyond US$100 a barrel, increasing chance of further RBA rate hikeResurgent oil and fuel prices could cement a fourth interest rate rise this year if Donald Trump's renewed conflict with Iran is not resolved within a week, economists warn.US missile strikes on Iran and Trump's announcement overnight of a new maritime blockade has lifted oil prices to their highest point in the month since the two countries agreed to a peace deal. Continue reading...

As general election looms, survey shows twice as many men as women support far-right Sweden DemocratsOne is led by Sweden's first female prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, and has promised smaller school-class sizes, more housing and free dental care for young people. The other, led by Jimmie Akesson, has neo-Nazi roots and has pledged to lower taxes, improve public safety and treat anti-Swedishness" as a hate crime.In the run-up to Sweden's general election in September, the Social Democrats and the Sweden Democrats are placed first and second respectively in the polls, and between them are expected to scoop up more than 50% of the vote. Continue reading...

This blog is closed - our live coverage continues hereBahrain's military has accused Iran of targeting civilians with its latest attacks on the country, after Tehran said it had struck US military facilities and infrastructure there earlier.Iran continues its systematic hostile approach through its heinous attacks with missiles and drones that target civilians in the Kingdom of Bahrain," the general command of Bahrain's military said, adding that air defences intercepted and destroyed a number of Iranian aerial attacks" this morning. Continue reading...

Analysis of 12 indicators including asthma, obesity and vaccination finds child health is national embarrassment'Children in the UK will grow up to be one of the unhealthiest generations in decades, with child health outcomes having declined or stalled completely across all areas, a group of leading paediatricians has said.Reduced vaccination rates alongside rising hospital admissions for asthma and mental health disorders are all contributing factors to the UK's record on children's health, which should be seen as a national embarrassment", their analysis has found. Continue reading...

Despite spending increase in June, Barclays says most people still pessimistic about economyRelentless sunshine and the World Cup coaxed consumers to spend more on beer and online shopping last month, with purse strings expected to remain loose as England fans gear up for Wednesday's semi-final.Most people remain pessimistic about the UK economy, according to data from Barclays Bank based on debit and credit card transactions. Continue reading...

French president Emmanuel Macron has been hosting leaders amid hopes that Ukraine's recent advances could force Putin towards negotiationsin KyivMeanwhile, Russia has been forced to suspend shipping in the Sea of Azov after 90 vessels were targeted by Ukrainian drones in less than a week. Continue reading...

Andy Burnham expected to vote in favour of home secretary's changes to legal loophole and asylum system

After a wild attack on the media, Reform's deputy leader joins other MPs in the Commons offering tributes rather than speculationThis is the third murder of either a sitting or former MP that I've covered in the last 10 years. It doesn't get any easier or less shocking. Every death diminishes us all. The least you would hope is for politicians to behave with dignity. To set an example. For those who knew Ann Widdecombe to express their personal loss, for party leaders and ministers to convey the horror of her death and offer their condolences to her family and friends. Probably best for everyone else to say as little as possible for now.The police have asked for everyone to refrain from speculating about the motives of the suspect, who, as of Monday lunchtime, was still being questioned by counter-terrorism officers, and not to politicise the murder if possible. A time for our political class to behave like grownups. And the overwhelming majority have done that. Just for now, even Nigel Farage has stopped acting as if he were the detective leading the investigation by offering his insights to every passing TV crew, and has fallen silent. Continue reading...

Home secretary insists all MPs treated equally but that security of former MPs and non-Westminster politicians is a concernShabana Mahmood has offered Nigel Farage a personal meeting with the Home Office unit that works on security for high-profile politicians, insisting all MPs are treated equally in how they are offered protection.Addressing the Commons after the death of Ann Widdecombe, the Reform spokesperson whose body was found with serious injuries by the ambulance service at her home in Devon, the home secretary said the incident raised questions about the security of former MPs and politicians from smaller parties, including those not in parliament. Continue reading...

Vote will allow Israelis to pass judgment on Benjamin Netanyahu and his handling of conflicts in Gaza and Iran

More than 90 residents have expressed interest in contamination claim against AGC Chemicals EuropeA Pfas factory in Lancashire has announced plans to close down, just days after the Guardian revealed that more than 90 residents have signed up to be involved in a potential legal claim over contamination of the local area.AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd is consulting with employees and their union representatives about plans to cease operations at its manufacturing plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire. The consultation is expected to last for at least 45 days. Continue reading...

Three of those arrested were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, say counter-terrorism policeTwelve people have been arrested, including three on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, over a suspected far-right threat against an Islamic event held over the weekend, police have said.Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation, which they said was related to extreme rightwing terrorism" targeting an event held at Shrubland Hall in Suffolk. Continue reading...

The pilot, who had taken up the Piper Tomahawk to test a replacement part, wrote the message at around 1,100 feetA mischievous airline pilot spelled out his tedium by skywriting I'm bored" over an estuary in north-west England.The message was captured on the airline tracking website Flight Radar 24. Continue reading...

A bipartisan group argue in lawsuit that $110bn merger would hurt competition and lead to thousands of job lossesA bipartisan group of US state attorneys general are seeking to block the $110bn merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery, arguing in a lawsuit filed on Monday that it would hurt competition and lead to higher prices for consumers.The coalition behind the lawsuit is led by the California attorney general, Rob Bonta, who has been a staunch critic of the merger since it was agreed to in February after a bidding war between David Ellison's Paramount Skydance and Netflix. Continue reading...

As of Monday afternoon, the National Fire Chiefs Council said emergency services were dealing with 19 wildfiresThe UK is in the grip of a firewave", with this summer's extreme heat producing the ideal conditions for wildfires, scientists and environmentalists have warned.A particular danger was that more blazes seem to be taking place closer to urban areas rather than in remote countryside, causing hazards to homes and health, they said. Continue reading...

Authorities ask for DNA to help identify victims as local government leader says we are in a state of climate chaos'A British couple have been named as two victims of the wildfires in Spain that have killed 13 people, as authorities race to use DNA to identify those who did not manage to escape the blaze.Pete and Fran Gillam, who lived in Bedar, the village that bore the brunt of the wildfires on Thursday, are believed not to have survived. Continue reading...

US president declares strait open and demands tariff as both sides engage in heavy drone and missile exchanges

Exclusive: Three men killed in incidents over past year allegedly involving G4S guards, who replaced in-house team after previous deathsBereaved families and politicians have raised alarm about continued killings on Del Monte's pineapple farm in Kenya despite the company hiring G4S to replace its in-house security team after previous deaths were exposed by the Guardian.Del Monte appointed G4S to guard the farm, which is estimated to cover at least 40 sq km, the area of a small city, after the Guardian detailed allegations of brutal assaults and killings of people suspected of trespassing on its land. Kenyan police have been working with G4S to guard the site. Continue reading...

Officials say blaze in Fontainebleau forest is of exceptional scale', with 900 homes evacuated and road and rail links hit

The fire is one of the deadliest such incidents in the popular tourist destination in recent yearsAn explosive fire at a popular pub in Thailand's capital, Bangkok, has killed 27 people and left another 22 in critical condition, in one of the deadliest such incidents in the tourism hub in recent years.Officials said they were investigating whether emergency exits may have been obstructed, hindering people from escaping the burning Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub. Continue reading...

Critics accuse ministers of failing to take control of nature crisis and leaving it to private landowners to act voluntarilyThe government's plan to protect and restore nature in England by 2030 has been condemned as pathetic" and completely insufficient" in the face of the spiralling environmental crisis.The long-awaited plan published on Monday calls for landowners to voluntarily opt to protect and enhance nature, rather than creating legal protections for nature across more of the country's land, critics say. Continue reading...

Initiative with Derbyshire Libraries aims to boost access to cultural experiences and champion reading for pleasure'When Kate, a 47-year-old contract worker came face to face with Charlotte Bronte's handwriting while visiting Chatsworth House, the avid reader, who counts Jane Eyre as her favourite book, struggled to contain her excitement.I had a little bit of a moment," she said. I just thought: Wow, that was actually Charlotte Bronte's writing there on that page.' That was pretty special." Continue reading...

High temperatures and below average rainfall put pressure on waterways used to cool reactorsAbove average temperatures combined with below average rainfall across much of western and central Europe during June and the first half of July have placed increasing pressure on rivers, ecosystems and energy infrastructure. Persistent high pressure brought prolonged sunshine, suppressed rainfall and enhanced evaporation, causing river levels to fall and water temperatures to increase.These unusually warm rivers are affecting electricity generation in France, as several nuclear power stations rely on river water for cooling. Under French environmental regulations, operators must limit the amount of heat discharged back into rivers, meaning electricity output may need to be reduced when water temperatures become too high. Continue reading...

The star of more than 100 films is remembered as a champion of New Zealand's arts, culture and environment, and a generous collaborator and friend

From harvests dampened by El Nino to wage and tax rises, getting coffee beans from crop to cup costs more than everDrinkers across the UK were shocked when a pint in some London bars hit 10, and now a cup of coffee is facing a similar inflationary rate. Some baristas are now charging 6.50 for a flat white.Higher energy bills, inflated by the war in the Middle East, as well as government policies which have increased tax and wages, are filtering through into coffee prices, experts said. Continue reading...