World news | The Guardian

Latest reading on Wednesday likely to frame scale of challenge for new PM to ease pressures on households amid Iran war falloutBritish households are facing a renewed cost of living squeeze, with official figures expected to show this week that soaring energy bills drove up inflation in July to close to 3%.As the Iran war continues to send shock waves through global energy markets, economists predict the surge in UK gas and electricity bills last month will push Britain's headline inflation rate to 2.9%. Continue reading...

Jared Cooney Horvath argues that educational technology undermines how children learn and developJared Cooney Horvath is on a mission. In the wake of global campaigns for smartphone bans in schools and social media restrictions for under-16s, the neuroscientist wants to raise the alarm about educational technology in classrooms.A former teacher, Horvath believes the use of screens and digital tools in schools is undermining how children learn and develop. This might be one of the hardest truths our generation has to face," he writes in his book, The Digital Delusion. Continue reading...

Ahead of Fat Bear Week, avid fans are glued to the spectacle of brown bears devouring salmon at Brooks Falls in AlaskaOne of this summer's biggest onscreen hits has had big beasts, great escapes and choppy waters, but it's not Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey - it's a livestream of Alaskan brown bears catching salmon.The Brooks Falls bearcam at Katmai national park in the US was watched 7.3m times between 22 June and 4 August - up 70% from the same period last year and more than double the views it attracted in 2024. Continue reading...

Fraudsters use pictures posted on Instagram or Facebook to create emails seeking bank account detailsYou are on a short break in Porto and post some pictures of your family on Instagram or Facebook. With a small section of the Douro river in the background, you think it could have been taken anywhere.A few days later, you get a text saying that your card was compromised. We detected unusual activity while you were travelling in Porto - please verify immediately," says the message. Continue reading...

Discussions to focus on Australia's acquisition of Mogami-class frigates as Japan plays down Albanese's podcast commentsJapan's defence minister will visit Canberra this week, the highest level engagement with Australia after controversy over Anthony Albanese's comments about a gift of melons from prime minister Sanae Takaichi.The defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, will meet his counterpart and deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, on Tuesday, with discussions focused on Australia's acquisition of Japan's Mogami-class frigates and enhanced security cooperation. Continue reading...

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The Guardian travelled 100 miles along the EU's longest river, where some residents are struggling to secure drinking waterFor centuries, the rock was seen as a warning. When it began to emerge from the Danube, beneath Gellert Hill in Budapest, it meant the river had fallen so low that floating mills could no longer operate, crops were probably failing, and hunger would almost certainly follow. That is why, in the Hungarian capital, where over time the boulder became little more than a legend, it was named Inseg-szikla - the Rock of Starvation.Today, amid record-low water levels on the Danube, the rock has not only emerged from the water, but surfaced almost in its entirety, along with the sandy riverbed on which it rests, astonishing geologists and government scientists sent to examine it. And, much as the rock was said to warn, Hungary is now facing an unprecedented energy crisis that has forced the country to shut down all but one of its Danube-cooled nuclear reactors for the first time in 44 years. Continue reading...

Searchers dig through collapsed buildings and debris after 7.7 magnitude quake killed at least 51 peopleRescue crews dug through collapsed buildings and landslide debris in eastern Indonesia on Sunday as they searched for bodies and possible survivors a day after a powerful earthquake killed at least 51 people, injured more than 100 and displaced thousands.At least 24 people died in Manggarai regency and 17 in neighbouring East Manggarai, with additional fatalities reported in Sikka, Ngada and Ende regencies, the national disaster management agency said. Rescuers were still searching for people feared buried beneath landslides triggered by the quake across six regencies on Flores, a predominantly Catholic island in Muslim-majority Indonesia. Continue reading...

There's male, there's female, and then there's mental illness,' Tyron Whitten says on YouTube show

Eighteen children among the people killed after ferry capsized on Lake KaribaTwenty-two more bodies have been recovered after a boat accident in Zimbabwe, taking the death toll to 68, police said on Saturday.The ferry capsized on Tuesday on Lake Kariba, on the border with Zambia. An investigation has suggested it was overloaded when it turned over during heavy winds. Continue reading...

Fans line streets, singing Total Eclipse of the Heart ahead of Welsh singer's Swansea funeralThousands of Bonnie Tyler fans lined the streets of her home town in south Wales to pay respects to the singer as her coffin was brought back to her former home.The singer, whose real name was Gaynor Sullivan, died unexpectedly on 8 July in Portugal at the age of 75. Continue reading...

Border security tightened after social media posts call for another mass crossing into Spain's north African territoryMoroccan police have arrested 111 people as they tried to enter Spain's north African territory of Ceuta, amid tightened security on both sides after social media posts called for another mass crossing.The attempted crossing on Saturday came two weeks after more than 72,000 migrants surged into Ceuta, causing tensions within the EU and prompting anti-immigration rhetoric among far-right parties worldwide. At least 96 people died trying to reach European soil. Continue reading...

Family paid tribute to Bristol University geology student, 18, after being notified by Avon and Somerset policeA body has been found in the search for an 18-year-old British man who went missing last year while hiking in Romania, UK police said.George Smyth, a geology student at the University of Bristol, went missing in November. Continue reading...

Exclusive: More than 100 homes on King Charles and Prince William's inherited estates have EPC ratings of F or G It's archaic': the struggle to heat poorly insulated homes let by royal estatesMore than 100 homes on the inherited royal estates of King Charles and Prince William fail to meet the legal minimum energy standards for landlords, the Guardian can reveal.An analysis of a large sample of domestic lets on the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and the Sandringham estate found that one in five have Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of F or G. Continue reading...

Many complained online that piercingly loud tone was overreach' while others lamented lack of action on decarbonisationOn Friday at 7pm, Therese Coffey was nine miles away from a nuclear power station when her phone made a loud, piercing and very worrying sound: it was a severe" emergency alert. Was expecting [a] much more specific alert, not a generic message on wildfires," the former Conservative cabinet minister said on X.She wasn't alone in being alarmed by the alarm sent to phones in England and Wales. In the aftermath, thousands of social media users expressed their shock at alert. Some shared funny memes and others lamented what they viewed as lack of government action on decarbonisation. Academic John Ritzema called it a massive overreach" and said the alert system should be be for drop everything and prepare for something terrible' situations", something Coffey echoed, saying alerts should not become commonplace to avoid Peter cries wolf situations". Continue reading...

Quake struck Flores region early on Saturday, prompting thousands to seek higher ground for fear of a tsunamiA 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia has killed at least 47 people, causing widespread panic and collapsing buildings and homes in a region prone to deadly seismic events.Rescuers have yet to reach Nagekeo, the area closest to the epicentre, because roads were blocked by landslides and communications disrupted. Continue reading...

One person killed and hundreds evacuated in Croatia as blazes also hit Germany, Greece and SpainAlmost 500 people have been arrested on suspicion of starting wildfires in France since the start of the summer, authorities have said, as firefighters in half a dozen European countries tackle ferocious blazes amid a record-breaking heatwave.A fire engulfed homes in a Croatian holiday resort on Friday, killing one person, injuring 40 and forcing 1,200 to evacuate, officials said, as the EU warned that pockets of very extreme" wildfire conditions stretched across the continent. Continue reading...

Heathrow says airport operating as normal after passengers told not to travel by road and use rail and tube insteadDisruptions caused by flooding from a burst water main on a ring road at Heathrow airport restricted access to Terminals 2 and 3 on Saturday morning. The leak has been contained and the affected areas are operating as normal.Water in the central terminal area prevented anyone trying to travel by road to or from Terminals 2 and 3. Passengers had to travel by rail and tube instead. Access to the carparks was also impeded, leaving people with parked cars unable to access them. Continue reading...

Duane Keffe D' Davis faces trial on Monday over rap star's death that marked notorious chapter in hip-hop's historyIn September 1996, rap star Tupac Shakur was gunned down in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas strip, succumbing days later to his injuries. His killing, which remained unsolved for decades, gave rise to fervent conspiracy theories and conjecture.Thirty years later, one man is facing trial for the ambush: Duane Keffe D" Davis. Continue reading...

Alex McKee died when picking up showerhead in outdoor and rudimentary' bathroom on KimolosThe death of an Irish teenager, electrocuted while taking a shower in a holiday home in Greece, has led to calls for tighter checks on appliances at tourist accommodation.Alex McKee, 17, is said to have died instantly when picking up the showerhead in a bathroom described as outdoor and rudimentary" on Kimolos. Continue reading...

Proud Widjabul Wieybal woman of the Bundjalung nation recognised posthumously with the lifetime achievement award

Rescue services search for survivors and bodies after airstrikes hit homes in Ansar and Deir al-ZahraniEleven people have been killed, including three children, and 19 injured in two Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, the worst toll since deals in June brought a lull in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.Israeli warplanes bombed a home on the outskirts of the village of Ansar, killing seven people and flattening the building early on Saturday morning. Rescue services were working at the site to try to find survivors and locate bodies. Continue reading...

British Museum's 33 tickets sold out in a day but some slots have been reserved for guests at five-star One AldwychThose hoping to snare a glimpse of the Bayeux tapestry when it comes to the British Museum this September faced nine-hour online queues, with the 33 tickets sold out within a day.But the monied guests of a five-star hotel in Covent Garden have not had to go to such arduous lengths to get a view of the nearly 1,000-year-old depiction of William the Conqueror's victory over King Harold II of England at Hastings in 1066. Continue reading...

Andy Burnham calls for reflection after a tragedy on so many levels' in comments echoed by London mayor Sadiq KhanAndy Burnham has called the death of Jason Arday, who was found dead at his home in south London on Friday, a tragedy on so many levels".Arday resigned as a professor at the University of Cambridge last week after allegations of plagiarism, which he denied. He was pronounced dead just after 3pm on Friday. Continue reading...

London police force tells Telegraph incident was result of human error' and it is conducting an investigationThe Metropolitan police have apologised for accidentally exposing the email addresses of more than 140 victims of Mohamed Al Fayed.In a group update about its investigation into the former Harrods owner, the force copied the email addresses of 143 victims of Fayed in a message that included about 12 other recipients, the Telegraph reported. Continue reading...

Boats carrying hundreds of people are a clear and alarming trend. But where do such large vessels come from?Providing a large dinghy for use in the choppy seas of western Europe was not a problem, as long as the order was for more than 20 vessels, they said. The sales manager at the Chinese company even had an online brochure for an undercover Guardian reporter, posing as a prospective client, to peruse.They had a production capacity of 500 boats a month and, yes, it was possible to get even bigger ones for the right price. They could do a seven or even an eight-metre military-style dinghy for $1,678 (1,238) a boat, without the engines, but that would be lacking CE certification, the mandatory mark that shows a product meets EU health and safety requirements.Additional reporting by Lyndon Li Continue reading...

Chinese-owned AESC has pushed back plans in sign of slowing transition from petrol and diesel to electric cars

With questions over Farage's finances and a new face in No 10, could Barnsley council be a bellwether for changing Labour fortunes?Labour marked its worst performance in more than 50 years when voters went to the polls in Barnsley in May, but 100 days on from those seismic local elections, the political landscape has shifted drastically.Could the South Yorkshire town, where Reform UK reaped the benefits of dissatisfaction with Labour, prove to be a test case for whether the governing party has turned the tide? Continue reading...

Academic was pronounced dead at his home in south London after police called to address after 3pm on FridayJason Arday, the academic who resigned last week as a professor at the University of Cambridge, has been found dead at his home in south London.The Metropolitan police said officers were called to Arday's address by the London ambulance service after 3pm on Friday. Continue reading...

Apparent high level of removal orders suggests Sweden is rejecting reasonable grounds' for failing to apply to stayBack in October 2020, the UK immigration minister stood up in parliament to reassure campaigners concerned about EU citizens who weren't aware they had to ask the Home Office to stay in the country after Brexit.Using an example of a child in foster care who might not know they were an EU citizen until they applied for their first job, the Conservative Kevin Foster said the UK would take a generous approach as to what reasonable grounds [for failing to apply] were". Continue reading...

Figures disclosed by 33 NHS trusts show temperatures on wards during July rose above 28C limit set by NHS EnglandHospitals in England have recorded temperatures of almost 42C this summer, with surgeries being cancelled because operating theatres' cooling units stopped working in the intense heat.The Northern Care Alliance NHS foundation trust, which runs four hospitals in Greater Manchester, recorded a temperature of 41.8C during last month's heatwave - 14C above the recommended safe maximum.Some patients are also cancelling their own surgery because it is too hot for them to travel.

Authorities confirm first Australian death of species found with virus near where it attracts crowds to a penguin parade'

Users need discretionary income of nearly 100,000 a year to make savings on their grocery spend after paying 1,200 for GLP-1s, analysis findsThe high cost of weight-loss medication is a regressive tax on being thin" because the outlay outweighs any saving on food costs for all but the highest earners.Someone needs to have discretionary income of nearly 100,000 a year to actually save money after covering the 1,200 annual cost of GLP-1 medication, according to an analysis by the consultancy Baringa. Continue reading...

Conservative authority says site is not safe for vulnerable people charity serves or general publicWestminster council is making it impossible" for soup kitchens to operate by complaining about the crowds of vulnerable people" who turn up to be fed, a charity has said.Steven Stuart, who founded Friends of Essex & London Homeless (FOELH) with his wife, Cheryl, a decade ago, said constant complaints from the council could force the soup kitchen to shut down. Continue reading...

Corporation was told of claims by Christopher Berry-Dee that he had clothing, which was lost while in its possession

The New York congresswoman's power is in the spotlight as people wonder if the stars are finally aligning for her to run for US president in 2028They assume that my ambition is positional. They assume that my ambition is a title or a seat. And my ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country."The words were delivered slowly, deliberately and with some steeliness by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Her audience, crammed into the pews of Rockefeller Memorial chapel at the University of Chicago, burst into spontaneous applause. That was in May. In the three months since, the speculation around Ocasio-Cortez's ambitions - for herself and for America - has only grown louder. Continue reading...

Campaigners fear deeper diplomatic contacts are undermining demands for improvements in human rightsThe Taliban in Afghanistan have launched a diplomatic effort to end their isolation as major regional and international powers show a readiness to engage more closely with the repressive regime despite its systematic human rights abuses.Five years after the Taliban took power, an increasing number of countries are renewing ties or scaling up diplomatic contacts with the hardline Islamists, who seized power in Kabul in 2021 after 20 years of brutal insurgent warfare. Continue reading...

Hundreds gathered with flashes of pink to farewell the five-year-old girl, who was allegedly murdered in April

Senior colleagues dismiss Bragg's migration figures as personal views' while others say critical response is an overreaction'

Fresh search teams to scour Nattai national park for Lily Hooper, 18, who failed to return home from a bushwalk

PM steps up climate response with measures including better water access and support for building farm reservoirsFarmers must not carry the risks of the climate crisis alone, Andy Burnham has said, as he announced 65m of funding to help them manage the devastating drought.The prime minister is stepping up his response to the immediate climate crisis after facing a backlash from his own MPs and Labour's grassroots for not addressing the climate crisis despite wildfires tearing through Britain and a drought affecting food producers. Labour MPs argued Burnham had taken too long to talk about the climate crisis and had not made it a priority. Continue reading...

Network wants to serve Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr after president sues over January 6 documentaryThe BBC is trying to subpoena Donald Trump's children as it builds its defense against the president's defamation lawsuit centered on a documentary on the January 6 insurrection.In a motion filed on Friday, the BBC sought authorization to serve Trump's two eldest children, Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, with subpoenas for testimony and their records on the events of 6 January 2021. Continue reading...

Win is significant for region's premier, Doug Ford, who blames protected zones for city's traffic illsThe Ontario government is now free to rip out Toronto's bike lanes on its busiest streets after the region's top court ruled in favour of the province on Friday, overturning a lower court's decision that decreed removal would violate constitutional rights.The win is significant for Ontario's premier, Doug Ford, and his government, who have long railed against Toronto's bike lanes, blaming the protected zones for the city's traffic ills. Continue reading...

People urged not to light barbecues, campfires or anything else that could spark fire during period of extreme heatMillions of people across England and Wales have received an emergency alert to their phones as the government warns against activities that could start fires.The deputy prime minister, Louise Haigh, said it was the most extensive use to date of the emergency alert system, with phones beaming a siren noise about 7pm, with the warning there is a serious risk of wildfires nationally". Continue reading...

Festival organiser says she has booked next year's headliners but would not say if Taylor Swift is among themMadonna will not be performing at next year's Glastonbury, the festival's organiser, Emily Eavis, has said.The singer, who has the most top 10 singles in UK chart history of any female artist, has never featured at Britain's biggest music festival. Continue reading...

Palestine's vice-president calls plan flagrant violation of international law' and a step towards full Israeli annexationIsrael's defence minister wants to transfer law enforcement powers for Israelis in the occupied West Bank over to the police, a plan that Palestine's vice-president described as a flagrant violation of international law" and step towards full Israeli annexation.Israel Katz announced that he had ordered the military to draw up plans for the handover of responsibility for policing Israeli settlers amid domestic and international criticism of the army's failure to tackle militants besieging three Palestinian families. Continue reading...

Plea comes weeks before separate case is scheduled to start in New York, and could throw proceedings into disarray

Defense team file motion to dismiss state murder case on double jeopardy rules after Mangione tells Manhattan court I shot Mr Thompson and he died'

Reform UK leader says he stayed away from vote count in Clacton to avoid being humiliated by nobodies'Nigel Farage's attempt to draw the sting from inquiries into his financial affairs appeared to have backfired on Friday as the standards watchdog reopened its investigation and MPs from all sides condemned the needless byelection.The Reform UK leader declared victory in the Clacton vote as he was returned with an increased majority and gained more votes than in 2024, saying he had stuck two fingers up at the entire political establishment". Continue reading...

Group backs Elijah Manley in primary election in bid to unseat veteran Democrat in newly drawn districtA progressive group has endorsed a 27-year-old substitute teacher who overcame childhood homelessness in his bid to unseat the veteran Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida.The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) said it is backing Elijah Manley in next week's primary election in Florida's newly drawn 20th congressional district, casting the race as a contest between a young economic populist and a stalwart of the Democratic party establishment. Continue reading...