World news | The Guardian

TUC says lender can easily afford to pay more tax' as it increases bonus pool by nearly 30%

Co-presenter of former BBC motoring show given penalty after being caught twice in three weeksThe former Top Gear host Richard Hammond has been fined 999 by a court after being caught speeding twice in three weeks while driving his luxury cars.The 56-year-old was in a Porsche when he broke the speed limit on 2 December last year, and was caught out again 20 days later while driving a Bentley. Continue reading...

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Cockroach Janta party says government has broken promise, with detentions in Delhi, Assam, West Bengal and BiharIndia's youth-led Cockroach" movement, whose nationwide protests forced the resignation of the education minister, has accused the government of backtracking on its promise not to act against student protesters and has threatened to restart demonstrations.The Cockroach Janta party (CJP), which organised mass protests over exam paper leaks and other irregularities, said it had received reports of hundreds of students being detained or harassed" by police. Continue reading...

Federal opposition leader, who is not accused of wrongdoing, says he won't provide running commentary on matters before commission'

Chief executive, Frank Calabria, apologises and advises customers to look out for suspicious activity amid heightened scam riskOrigin Energy has admitted it was warned of the hack that accessed 900,000 current and former customers' personal data three weeks before it first made the data breach public.Australia's largest energy retailer said a significant" proportion of the 900,000 had been former customers, with those affected to be notified in the coming days. Continue reading...

Funding crisis could lead to an exodus that would be a blow for British science and national growthOn a chilly day in December 1945, Bernard Lovell, a physicist at the University of Manchester, struck out for the Cheshire countryside to study cosmic rays, the streams of high-energy particles that crisscross the universe. Peering at the signals from his army surplus radar, he made an unexpected discovery: radio reflections from the ionised trails of shooting stars.The work marked the birth of radio astronomy at Jodrell Bank. A year later, engineers at the site mounted a radar on the base of a searchlight, providing sweeping access to speeding meteors. When Sputnik launched in 1957, they had just completed the Lovell telescope, the largest radio telescope in the world, the only one capable of tracking the Soviet satellite. Continue reading...

Average 25% increase for letters such as marketing, bills and medical appointment notices from 5 OctoberRoyal Mail will increase the price of its wholesale postal service by as much as a third, in a multimillion-pound blow to the NHS and other large organisations.The postal company has warned customers who use its wholesale postal service for mail including marketing letters, household bills and medical appointment notices that it is raising prices by an average of 25% from 5 October. Continue reading...

Suffolk police ceded investigation into James Loubeau to the US military, leading to court martial acquittalA US airman accused of a spree" of rapes and sexual assaults in England, drugging some women and breaking into the homes of others, was able to avoid British justice after local police handed over part of the case to the American military.Two British women went to Suffolk police in August 2019 to allege that James Loubeau and another US airman had drugged and raped them after they met in a nightclub in Bury St Edmunds, a local market town. Continue reading...

Nostalgic foods like toad-in-the-hole also in demand at Waitrose as people pivot towards familiarity amid climatic and political upheavalForget a crisp salad and glass of chilled rose. Enervated Britons are seemingly more likely to crave a rich cottage pie and a robust red in heatwaves.In a trend termed reverse comfort eating", Waitrose's cottage pie sales have soared 110% in the last month and South African red wine is up 68% compared with the same period last year. The surprise spike in demand for winter comfort foods also includes retro chicken, bacon and leek pie (up 41%), chicken korma (up 67%) and chicken and ham gratin (68%). Continue reading...

Unions say basic needs still not being met a year after regulator told operators to improve facilitiesTrain drivers are considering strike action over a lack of toilets, with unions saying basic needs are still not addressed a year after the rail regulator told operators to provide more facilities and breaks.Aslef said it was putting the industry on notice". The train drivers' union added that companies had failed to deliver adequate toilets and reduce maximum driving times without a toilet break. Continue reading...

In normal times the Mashala shelter founder takes in strays, but in wartime, he is the only lifeline for animals in the areaDuring Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah, Houssein Hamze woke up one night to the sound of barking. Alarmed, he got up to check on the dog - his first rescue pet. Moments later, a bomb dropped next to his home and a piece of shrapnel landed right where he had been sleeping.I swear to God, he really saved me from death. Animals always possess a sixth sense we don't have," Hamze said. Continue reading...

Coming days are absolutely critical' for firefighters before temperatures rise again this week, officials sayFirefighters in France and Spain are racing to bring huge wildfires under control before another heatwave this week that will complicate efforts to tame the flames.Spain's interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said Monday and Tuesday were absolutely crucial days" before temperatures rise again from Wednesday, prompting prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, to warn: We face difficult hours, complex hours" ahead. Continue reading...

Jury finds that the man, who cannot be named, assaulted the woman at his home in March 2023

In opening statements, state argued Meta's own research showed it harmed teens while firm's attorneys pointed to transparencyThe long-awaited trial between the social media company Meta and the state of Tennessee began proceedings on Monday. Attorneys for Tennessee told a jury in Nashville that Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, disregarded internal research about its platform's impact on teenagers, while the company sought to maximize profit from those young users.During opening statements in a seven-week trial in state court, the state's lawyers said Meta researchers repeatedly flagged teenagers' compulsive use of the platform - leading to eating disorders, depression and self-harm. But despite those warnings, Meta did not disable features such as autoplay, notifications and infinite scroll which, the lawyers said, were designed to keep teens on Instagram as long as possible and increase the number of ads they viewed. Continue reading...

Washington and Tehran issue conflicting messages over the status of talks to end Middle East crisisDonald Trump has once again warned that the US will return to strong military action" against Iran if diplomatic efforts do not bring a rapid resolution to the crisis in the Middle East.We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action," the US president told Axios on Monday. Asked for how long he would allow the talks to proceed, he answered: Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all." Continue reading...

PM wants curriculums for students aged 14 and above to be more responsive to local jobs marketAndy Burnham will tell schools across England to adapt their curriculums to the needs of local businesses as part of a devolution drive aimed at tackling the jobs crisis for young people.By moving decision-making to local areas, the PM hopes the plan will make technical and vocational skills as valued as academic qualifications - and help cut the benefits bill. Continue reading...

Green party leader shared picture of man wearing T-shirt with words we're only making plans for Nigel' alongside a guillotinePolice are conducting inquiries" into an image shared by Green party leader Zack Polanski on Instagram after Reform UK reported it for inciting murder".The image showed a man wearing a black T-shirt with the words we're only making plans for Nigel", alongside a photograph of a guillotine. Continue reading...

Former education secretary will take up influential role that puts her at vanguard of Labour's battle to win next general electionBridget Phillipson has been appointed Labour party chair, putting her at the vanguard of Labour's battle to win the next general election.The former education secretary and architect of a landmark overhaul in special education needs (Send) provision in England will follow in the footsteps of other Labour big beasts who have held the position, including Harriet Harman, Angela Rayner and Tom Watson. Continue reading...

Social media influencers fighting against extradition to UK where they face rape, sexual assault and other allegationsSocial media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will remain in jail at least two more weeks until their next hearing as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking, a federal judge said on Monday.US magistrate Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for 13 August to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released during what could be a months-long extradition process. Continue reading...

New prime minister wants to focus at home, but his first week already suggests the world has other plansIt took just seven days in office for Andy Burnham to meet his first world leader. As he welcomed Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a naval base in Portsmouth on Monday, the new prime minister told the Ukrainian president it was no accident" he was his first international visitor since entering No 10.It is intended to send a very clear message," Burnham told him. We are with Ukraine 100%, I am personally with you 100%, and I will honour every commitment this country has made to Ukraine in full." In short, the UK's support for Kyiv would continue despite the change in leadership. Continue reading...

Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, left bodies rotting away', family members sayA fraudulent funeral director broke the trust of families on an almost industrial scale" as their loved ones' bodies were left rotting away", a court has heard.Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, appeared at Hull crown court on Monday for a five-day sentencing hearing. He previously pleaded guilty to 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing lawful and decent burial. Continue reading...

PM promises lasting solution for England but Tories rule out backing changes funded by tax rises or borrowingAndy Burnham has pledged to work collaboratively with other parties to find a lasting solution on social care, though the Conservatives have ruled out backing changes funded by tax rises or borrowing.Senior Labour and Liberal Democrat figures have privately cast doubt on Burnham's ability to find a cross-party consensus on social care reform in England, given the terms of the Tories' participation. Continue reading...

Canadian-born British operator, president of the British Puppet Guild, died after a short illness'Ronnie Le Drew, best known for operating the puppet Zippy on the classic children's television programme Rainbow, has died aged 78 after a short illness. The news was confirmed by the British Puppet Guild, of which Le Drew was president.The Canadian-born British puppeteer was also known for working on 1986's Labyrinth alongside David Bowie as well as 1986's Little Shop of Horrors and various Muppet movies including in 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol. He worked on various iterations of Sooty, alongside Harry and Matthew Corbett, usually as Sweep, Sooty's sidekick. Continue reading...

Judge quashes Enfield council's decision to grant planning permission for new women's and girls' football academyA council's decision to allow Tottenham Hotspur Football Club to build a new training facility in a park in north London has been quashed by a judge at the high court.The campaign group Guardians of Whitewebbs told a hearing in June that Enfield council's decision to grant planning permission for a new women's and girls' football academy on 6.5 hectares (16 acres) of land in Whitewebbs Park was unlawful. Continue reading...

Women aged 19, 24 and 36 taken to hospital after assault in Porte de Clichy area in north of capitalFrench police have detained a man after he attacked three women with knives before bystanders pinned him to the ground and an off-duty police officer detained him, the interior minister, Laurent Nunez, told reporters.In the incident near Porte de Clichy on Monday, the man attacked the three women, aged 19, 24 and 36, with two kitchen knives, severely wounding two of them, Nunez said. Continue reading...

New PM says he wouldn't get carried away' by latest polling but says he is pleased if he has connected with people'I have already posted lines from Andy Burnham's BBC interview on reforming social care (see 9.03am), making council tax fairer (see 10.03am), and ruling out an early election (see 11.56am). And yesterday Peter Walker wrote up the lines in the interview from Burnham saying he would disagree with Donald Trump if necessary.Here are some of the other comments worth flagging up.Burnham suggested care workers should be exempt from Shabana Mahmood's plan to make foreign workers wait much longer until they can apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Currently workers normally have to wait five years until they qualify for settlement. Under Mahmood's plans, the norm will become 10 years, and care workers could even have to wait 15 years (because working in a low-pay sector means they contribute less to the exchequer, the Home Office argues). Last week Kiran Stacey and Patrick Butler reported that Burnham may order a rethink. Continue reading...

Nelson Haase Mazzei was sentenced for murdering Jara in 2023, but fled from authorities in ChileMore than 50 years after the murder of the Chilean folk singer Victor Jara, the last man wanted in connection with his death has been tracked down and brought to justice.Nelson Haase Mazzei, a retired colonel, fled from authorities in 2023 after he and six other retired soldiers were sentenced in absentia for murdering Jara and another man. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Two children taken to hospital during heatwaves after residents told units in glass-fronted block not offered as amenity'Homeless families placed in temporary accommodation in London were told they could not use the in-built air conditioning as it had not been offered as an amenity" for them, leading to two children being hospitalised during recent heatwaves.Other families placed in Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, south-west London, also experienced such stifling conditions that young children became ill. The company managing some of the tenancies involved told the Guardian households in temporary accommodation had now been told they could use the air conditioning. Continue reading...

No one was injured and no suspects have been identified in connection to shooting near Toronto compound, police sayShots were fired near the US consulate in Toronto early on Monday but no one was injured in the second shooting near the diplomatic compound in four months.Officers heard a firearm being discharged in the area," and a white sedan was seen fleeing the scene", Toronto police said on X. Continue reading...

Residents describe their fear as they were forced to leave their homes because of the extremely intense' blazeSitting in their suburban apartment in Merignac on the outskirts of Bordeaux, Krishma, an interpreter, and her husband, Nassir, first felt a sense of dread when a strange black cloud turned the sky dark in the middle of the day. Then a bitter burning smell filled the air outside.The sky changed colour. It seemed like a cloud but it was smoke covering the sun - it wasn't a natural phenomenon. It didn't seem real," said Nassir, an English literature graduate from Kabul who has been living in France for seven years. We couldn't breathe easily, you could feel it in your lungs." Continue reading...

Labour up four points to 28% while Reform falls to 24% as Andy Burnham apparently wins favour for cost of living focus

Kai Sato used PVC pipes and kayak paddles to try to repair his boat, and a plastic bag to collect condensation to drinkA California man was rescued alive drifting in his sailboat off Hawaii after spending 30 days stranded at sea.Kai Sato, 39, set sail from California's Catalina Islands on 7 June hoping to complete his first solo sail across the Pacific Ocean, he told Hawaii News Now. But his journeytook a disastrous turn when his mast snapped, and the phone he was using for navigation died. Continue reading...

The NSW anti-corruption watchdog has begun a public inquiry into allegations of branch stacking, illegal donations, and interference with preselections

Exclusive: Resurfaced comments by the One Nation leader underline her criticism of paid family violence leave and domestic violence support groupsPauline Hanson told a podcast last year she believed your employer should not be responsible" for providing paid domestic violence leave, while her colleague Malcolm Roberts recently referred to the family court as the slaughterhouse of the nation", in the latest One Nation comments critical of the family law system to emerge.Hanson claimed on a 2021 podcast that domestic violence was being used as a weapon" in court proceedings, and criticised domestic violence groups for focusing on support for women. Continue reading...

Gibraltar-based Ros Astengo inspired four men to report sexual assaults carried out by Allan Grimson in 1990sRos Astengo, a journalist based in Gibraltar who usually focuses on politics and social issues, had qualms when she began investigating the case of the suspected serial killer Allan Grimson as he neared release from prison after serving more than 20 years.She worried that she might reopen the scars of survivors of Grimson - but also that she could be putting herself in the crosshairs" of a dangerous man who had sexually assaulted and battered two young men to death in the late 1990s when he was a Royal Navy petty officer. Continue reading...

Culture Club singer sings I stand with the Jews / I don't feel brave, I just need to behave like a human', in song defending Israel's response to Hamas attackBoy George has released a new song entitled We Will Dance Again, which voices support for Israel's military action in Palestine.Posted on X and Instagram with the Hebrew title alongside its English translation, the song features a pop-reggae backing. The opening lyrics are: You say genocide, I say war / When you're attacked, that's what the army's for / Does it get ugly? You bet it does / When I know you wanna kill every last one of us." Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsThe UK's financial watchdog has launched a 2m advertising campaign aimed at curbing use of claims management companies (CMCs), and encouraging drivers hit by the car finance scandal to file their own complaints.The Financial Conduct Authority's 30-second video advert features a series of pedestrians jumping over car bonnets in slow-motion, action film style, while text flashes across the screen to encourage their peers to Feel Claim Confident."Many people who may be owed compensation aren't sure where to start or don't realise they don't have to pay someone to make a complaint. Our free tools are there to help people feel claim confident - so they can get any money owed back without it costing them a penny." Continue reading...

David Cifaldi slipped and his pole pierced him in the side, then walked back hours along the route he had climbedA Montana man walked 10 miles to safety with a trekking pole speared through his torso after a fall during a hiking expedition on the state's highest mountain.David Cifaldi slipped on rocks close to the summit of the 12,803ft (3,902 meters) Granite Peak during the hike on 20 July with two friends. He fell on one of his two poles, and by the time I rolled over, I kind of knew something wasn't right", he told CBS news affiliate KVTQ. Continue reading...

Alternative fur Deutschland, topping polls ahead of state elections, accuses government of failing to tackle Islamist radicalism

Commonwealth and Western Australia to fund study into construction of large-scale petrol refinery as buffer against fuel vulnerability

Refugee family reunions in limbo, despite Foreign Office saying it is ready get people out of war-torn territoryThe Home Office is blocking the evacuation of dozens of women and children from Gaza, despite the Foreign Office saying it is ready to get people out of the war-torn region.Last September, the Home Office announced it was suspending refugee family reunion applications and that new, more restrictive rules would be announced in the spring. So far there has been no announcement and the process remains suspended. Continue reading...

KKR and Energy Capital Partners poised to buy firm despite misgivings from founder and biggest shareholders

Eighteen American troops have been killed and 624 wounded since White House launched war on Tehran. Plus, International Cowboy Day in Kenya

Experts who helped Burnham draw up Manchester carbon neutral pledge say backtracking would send wrong message amid wildfires and heatwaves

Astronauts for America liken effort to instill trust and faith back in constitution's principles and democratic institutions to making a course correction'Orbiting 250 miles above the US in the international space station, astronaut Cady Coleman did not look down and see red or blue states, sanctuary cities or communities occupied by thousands of federal immigration enforcement agents in camouflage uniforms and automatic weapons.What she saw was a single land, from Pacific to Atlantic, no borders or partitions, just a united America, and a population valuing its equality while convinced that what brought them together was far greater than anything that divided them. Continue reading...

Shahin Ahmed praises relatives Shelina Rahman and her daughter Sameeha, who died trying to help his seven-year-old son in waterThe teenage girl and woman who died in the waters off an Essex beach were trying to help a seven-year-old boy who had got into difficulty, police believe.Family members identified the pair as Shelina Rahman, a 42-year-old British-Bangladeshi teacher who is married to a Bangladeshi politician, and her 15-year-old daughter, Sameeha. A seven-year-old boy, Musa Ahmed, is on life support in a hospital in London. Continue reading...

Performer on trial on six charges of sexually penetrating a 20-year-old woman without consentA British YouTuber and musician accused of violently raping a fan after a gig never asked his alleged victim if she wanted sex, a court has been told.Rapper Yung Filly, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, is fighting six charges of sexually penetrating a 20-year-old woman without consent in a Perth hotel room in September 2024. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Judge intends to consider terrorist connection' after convicting five for damage to Barclays in BurnleyFive Palestine Action activists face being sentenced as terrorists for breaking windows and throwing red paint at a branch of Barclays Bank in Lancashire.Brendon O'Hagan, 28; Amanda Kelly, 31; Hmeera Atiqnisar, 31; Mohammed Malik, 28; and Alma Yaniv, 70, were found guilty of causing 212,000 of damage during a direct action protest in Burnley in August 2024. They targeted the bank because it held shares in the Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems. Continue reading...

The royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion is this week examining security arrangements for the Jewish community