by Angus Thomson (now); Lucy Campbell and Tom Ambrose on (#77K2E)
More than a dozen buildings collapsed in aftermath of earthquake, which has also prompted evacuationsPeople remain trapped in Cali, one of Colombia's largest cities, after more than two dozen structures collapsed, mayor Alejandro Eder said.He added that the city had asked authorities in Bogota and Medellin to send disaster teams to support rescue efforts. Continue reading...
Prosecutors allege Duane Keffe D' Davis ordered killing and provided gun in Las Vegas drive-by shooting 30 years agoJury selection began on Monday in Las Vegas as the murder trial of a former gang leader finally got under way decades after the shooting of the rapper Tupac Shakur, one of the most high-profile unsolved killings in the US.It was thought likely to take at least the rest of the week to seat a jury for the trial of Duane Keffe D" Davis, in which prosecutors aim to show that Davis, 63, the one-time leader of the South Side Compton Crips gang in California, ordered the killing and provided the gun for the fatal attack on Shakur. Continue reading...
by Angus Thomson, Yohannes Lowe and Tom Ambrose on (#77JVZ)
The upgraded alerts will be in place from 9am on Tuesday until 9pm on FridayAn 18-year-old died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Camber Sands beach, East Sussex, yesterday, bringing the number of deaths in open-water incidents over the hot, dry summer to over 40, according to estimates compiled by the Press Association.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has updated heat-health alerts for nine regions in England, warning that rising temperatures this week may increase health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups.It's important that everyone is aware of the simple steps they can take to stay safe during periods of hot weather. Drinking plenty of water, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day and keeping indoor spaces cool are all things you can do to keep yourself and others safe.For vulnerable groups including older adults and those with existing health conditions, warmer weather than result in serious health outcomes. Continue reading...
Luciana Berger, who was subject to abuse from Joshua Bonehill-Paine, said Tory leader should listen to victims'The Labour peer Luciana Berger has urged Kemi Badenoch to listen to victims" and reverse her decision to give a national advisory role to a former neo-Nazi.Joshua Bonehill-Paine was jailed in 2015 for more than three years after posting antisemitic material online before a planned neo-Nazi rally. In 2016, he was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment for abuse directed at Berger, an MP at the time. He was also the founder and leader of the National British Resistance, a far-right group. Continue reading...
Progressive US senator urges Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic to stop building machines that humans cannot control'Senator Bernie Sanders has called on Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic executives to halt their development of artificial intelligence, warning that the US Senate will implement regulation if the companies continue deploying AI at their current pace.In a new letter addressed to the CEOs of three of the country's leading AI companies, Sanders said the capabilities of these AI models have reached a critical risk threshold and that the companies are losing control over the technology. Continue reading...
Israeli prime minister's unexpected comments blindsided IDF commanders and could alienate Trump, his main allyBenjamin Netanyahu's public rejection of a US-backed deal for Gaza drew scepticism in Israel, amid reports he was personally hammering out details of a pilot military withdrawal days earlier.The Israeli prime minister is struggling to balance incompatible demands on Gaza policy from his key domestic and international allies. Continue reading...
The former US president will host six episodes of A Great Book for Audible, discussing work from Toni Morrison and John le Carre to James BaldwinBarack Obama is set to host a podcast about books that have profoundly shaped his worldview and our society", from Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre.The podcast, called A Great Book with Barack Obama, will launch on Audible on 24 September. Continue reading...
Four more regions given drought status, with 27 million people now living with restrictions on water useAlmost three-quarters of England is now in drought, as much of Europe braces for its fifth climate crisis-driven heatwave this summer.Four more regions of England have officially been declared to be in drought: the east Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and Solent and the South Downs. Continue reading...
Industry body says use of private investigators against reporters is attack on our democracy' after Banks apparently admitted doing soThe businessman and Reform UK donor Arron Banks is facing calls to lay out the extent of his surveillance of journalists, described by an industry body as an attack on our democracy".The News Media Association (NMA), which represents regional and national media, raised concerns after Banks appeared to admit over the weekend to hiring private investigators to spy on a Sunday Times journalist. Continue reading...
Attack hundreds of miles from border would be among deadliest of war as Kyiv aims to strangle Russian economyA Ukrainian drone strike on an industrial city deep inside Russia has killed at least 13 people, according to the local mayor, as Kyiv steps up its campaign of long-range strikes on targets far from the frontline.Kyiv said it hit the Taneco refinery in the city of Nizhnekamsk, about 750 miles (1,200km) from the Ukrainian border. Footage circulating online appeared to show smoke rising from the refinery. Continue reading...
A spokesperson for the human rights group likened the proposal to financial brutality with British taxpayers' money'Farage and Yusuf are now taking questions.Q: [From Jack Fenwick from the BBC] Are there other countries where you might send foreign offenders? And how much would this cost?We have to admit that there might not be too many colour TVs.It's not going to be a summer camp. It's not going to be particularly fun. But it won't be cruel and it won't be unreasonable.We will rapidly build capacity. We will take advantage of new prefabricated modular technology and build 12,000 prison places in the form of Nightingale prisons on Ministry of Defence land. And the army will be called in to assist.Together, these measures will create an additional 22,000 prison places compared to Andy Burnham's plans. Continue reading...
Researchers analysed activity in regions of brain when dogs were shown images of different facial expressionsWhile dogs are known to turn the puppy eyes on their owners, it seems our pets are keeping a close eye on us too: research has revealed dog brains can distinguish different types of unhappy human faces.Dr Laura Cuaya, a co-author of the study from the University of Vienna, said previous behavioural studies had shown dogs could tell apart some human facial expressions, but such studies tended to only test two at a time, one positive and one negative. As a result, it was not clear if dogs could distinguish different types of happy or unhappy faces. Continue reading...
by Martin Belam (now) and Jakub Krupa (earlier) on (#77JT7)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that strikes on such facilities were directly linked with putting more pressure on MoscowA fire broke out at an industrial facility in Russia's Tyumen region in Siberia after several drones fell on it, Tyumen region governor Alexander Moor said on his Telegram channel.This is reported by Reuters. Continue reading...
Northern Spain will be one of the best places in world to view phenomenon with 460,000 extra visitors expectedAuthorities in Spain have warned of an increased risk of fires when hundreds of thousands of people head to the hills and beaches to get a better view of Wednesday's total solar eclipse.The vegetation is extraordinarily dry and the smallest spark or carelessness could lead to devastating forest fires," the environment minister, Sara Aagesen, said on a visit to Niebla in the south of the country, the site of Spain's latest fire. Continue reading...
Ninety vehicles confiscated in weekend operation including rare Ferrari Monza SP2, driven by someone without insurance or full licenceA police officer got the opportunity to drive an open-top limited edition Ferrari in Mayfair, London, after the car was seized as part of a record-breaking crackdown on uninsured vehicles and dangerous driving.The Dubai-registered supercar, worth 3.7m, had been in the UK for just a day when it was confiscated by the police because it was being driven by someone with a provisional licence and no insurance. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Film-maker Gabar Choli describes how he endured coercive treatment over eight months in detention in TexasA Kurdish man who was force fed over the course of eight months while on hunger strike in US immigration detention has spoken out about it for the first time, describing how much the process harmed him physically and psychologically.Gabar Choli, a film-maker and activist now living in Canada after being deported, described how he endured the coercive treatment - a practice widely considered torture by international human rights groups - often twice a day after being detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when his asylum application was denied. Continue reading...
Power cable linking UK and Ireland now passes near Bronze Age human burial remains instead of fictional grave on Welsh beachHarry Potter fans have forced a new multimillion-pound power cable between the UK and Ireland to be relocated after complaining it would desecrate the grave" of Dobby, a fictional elf.The character was laid to rest on Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Fans of the wizard series come to leave stones reading Here Lies Dobby" despite being asked not to by the land owner, the National Trust, because the beach is an ecologically sensitive site. Continue reading...
Transport minister says improved staff rostering will be in place from next month after unacceptable' delays and incident involving Qatar Airways and Jetstar planes
In today's newsletter: Jerusalem's most volatile site has again become a flashpoint, with Arab states and former Israeli officials sounding the alarm over Benjamin Netanyahu's complicityGood morning. In late July, Itamar Ben-Gvir, West Bank settler and far-right extremist minister of security in Benjamin Netanyahu's government, joined a group of more than 2,000 Jewish extremists to storm al-Aqsa mosque compound, Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site. The far-right group has been doing this for years. Ben-Gvir has made series of visits to the site over the last three years, eroding norms and inflaming tensions. Jordanian officials have recently warned that it could be at risk of an imminent" Israeli takeover.With national elections scheduled in October, and many eyes still firmly on Gaza (this weekend, Netanyahu rejected a US-backed 15 point plan for peace), the Israeli government appears to be racing to expand Israeli settlements and accelerate ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem before its mandate expires.UK politics | Sadiq Khan has called on the government to commit to revamped climate action and to reduce the UK's reliance on oil and gas, as the UK endures a summer of drought, wildfires and heatwaves.US politics | The US Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general in a win for Donald Trump, who will now have his one-time personal attorney sitting atop the nation's law enforcement apparatus.US-Israel war on Iran | Iran has issued tough new demands for reopening the strait of Hormuz, as a deal to open the strategic waterway remained out of reach on Saturday.Russia-Ukraine | Up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers will be deployed in Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. On Saturday, Turkey called for a moratorium" on attacks by Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea after a series of strikes on civilian ships thereWorld news | The alleged leader of the Kinahan organised crime group was extradited from Dubai on Sunday and met by a huge security operation in Dublin, marking the end of a global game of cat and mouse with European, US and Gulf authorities.Wednesday | A partial solar eclipse will be visible across the whole of the UK, with the south-west of England getting the best of British views. Parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain will experience a total eclipse.Thursday | Clacton-on-sea residents will vote in the byelection Nigel Farage triggered last month, with the Reform leader taking on 33 mostly novelty candidates. Results are expected early Friday.Thursday | The Office for National Statistics will publish UK GDP figures for the second quarter of 2026. Continue reading...
Mohammad Akhtar, 50, from Peterborough killed during clashes between authorities and protestersA British national was shot dead in Pakistan-administered Kashmir during clashes between security forces and protesters, the Guardian can reveal.Another Briton has been held in a regional prison for more than two months despite his family's efforts to secure his release through the Foreign Office. Continue reading...
Authorities warn that days of intense rain could trigger widespread flooding and landslides as storm moves north and further inlandMore than a million people were moved to safety across eastern China by Sunday evening as powerful Typhoon Dolphin made landfall amid fears torrential rain would cause flooding and landslides.Wenzhou, a coastal city in Zhejiang province, said it relocated more than 900,000 people and opened more than 1,500 emergency shelters. In neighbouring Fujian, 98,900 people were moved from high-risk areas. Continue reading...
Average sea surface temperature outside polar regions was highest on record for July, beating previous high in 2023The world's seas were hotter last month than in any July on record, scientists have said, as devastating heat struck western Europe.Sea surface temperatures hit record highs for July on the Atlantic coast and western Mediterranean, the EU's Copernicus climate change service found, with severe marine heatwaves roiling Europe's seas. Globally, the average sea surface temperature outside the cold polar regions was the highest on record for the month, beating the previous July record set in 2023. Continue reading...
Observatory says 36.9C posted on Sunday is city's highest official temperature since its records began 142 years ago, with storm driving intense heat in regionHong Kong has officially recorded its highest ever temperature as Typhoon Dolphin swept warm air over the city, the meteorological service said.The city's weather observatory posted a temperature of 36.9C on Sunday, the highest recorded since records began in 1884, the Hong Kong Observatory said in the afternoon. Continue reading...
Israeli PM says IDF will not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed and rebukes US pressure to end wars without his country's buy-inIsrael's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has rejected a US-backed 15-point peace plan for Gaza in a rare public break with Donald Trump.In a statement on Sunday, Netanyahu said that he was confronting a wave of rumours about Israeli weakness and Israeli withdrawals on all fronts" and rebuked US pressure to end wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran without Israel's buy-in. Continue reading...
Astronomers say viewing conditions promising for this year's shower, and 50 to 100 meteors an hour may be visibleThe Perseid summer light show is back, and viewing conditions are especially promising across the northern hemisphere.The meteor shower's is expected to peak on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, and coincides with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland and Greenland and a six-planet parade - though the best time to view the fireballs will come after totality. Continue reading...
British Columbia battling 102 fires day and night across province, as breakneck speed hampers firefighters' effortsCanada's federal government has announced it will provide urgent assistance to British Columbia after an onslaught of unprecedented fast-moving wildfires forced about 22,000 people to flee their homes in frantic evacuations.A total of 102 wildfires were raging across the province on Sunday, of which nearly half were categorised as out of control", according to the BC Wildfire Service. Of those fires, 78 ignited during the past week. Continue reading...
Tropical cyclone brings torrential rain and high winds to east coast after hitting Japan's southern Okinawa provinceTyphoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, has made landfall on the country's east coast, bringing torrential rain and strong winds and triggering warnings of flooding and landslides.The storm has already swept through Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Sadiq Khan urges Westminster council to adopt positive vision of economic growth' of nightlifeSadiq Khan has ordered Westminster council to scrap a policy that would ban new pubs and bars from opening in Soho and the West End of London.This comes after the Guardian revealed the council's new licensing policy asks pubs to stop customers from standing up while consuming beverages, which it calls vertical drinking". The policy is under consultation and also asks pubs to have table service rather than allowing orders at the bar. Continue reading...
Rukhsar Ahmed was recently elected an MP in Pakistan while on bail over alleged child rape in 1990s ManchesterA grooming gang suspect released on bail in the UK and then re-elected as an MP in Pakistan has reportedly declined to say when he would return to face rape charges.The Guardian disclosed that Rukhsar Ahmed, a former Pakistan state minister, was arrested at Manchester airport in July 2024 on suspicion of raping and trafficking at least two underage girls from care homes in the city's Rusholme area during the 1990s. Continue reading...
Travellers caught up in migration row as Madrid introduces checks on visitors from Italy in retaliation for Rome's moveItaly's foreign minister has called Spain's decision to impose retaliatory checks on travellers from Italy incomprehensible and completely unacceptable" as people making their way between the two EU countries were left grappling with the effects of the escalating feud.Spain started carrying out spot checks on visitors from Italy at midnight on Saturday. The tit-for-tat move came after Rome infuriated Madrid by launching checks on 1 August for travellers from Spain in response to the recent influx of about 72,000 people into Ceuta, a Spanish territory in north Africa. Continue reading...
Imports this year now account for 14% of the market amid claims vehicles are being dumped in the EU and UKChinese electric car sales have risen across Europe to a record high driven by strong demand and low tariffs in the UK and a surge in buyers in Italy.Against a backdrop of claims that Chinese carmakers are dumping" state-subsidised vehicles in the EU and UK to gain market share, the figures will give impetus to calls for quotas and higher tariffs to protect European manufacturers. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian