Some stations in Spain recorded temperatures of up to 44C after western Europe experienced the warmest June on recordA high temperature warning has also been issued for a dozen counties in the Republic of Ireland, PA reported.Irish national forecaster Met Eireann said temperatures could exceed 27C during the day with overnight temperatures staying above 15C. The agency warned of water safety issues, heat stress, and uncomfortable sleeping conditions as a result. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now); Taz Ali and Jonathan Yerushalmy on (#76W24)
Sides exchange strikes with Iranian media saying attacks reported near facility in BushehrKuwait's foreign ministry has issued a statement condemning the Iranian attacks against the country. It reads almost identical to the statement issued yesterday, although emphasises Kuwait's sovereignty is a red line".The state of Kuwait reserves its full rights to take all necessary measures to protect its security and preserve its sovereignty," it said. Continue reading...
Versatile Essex-born hitmaker known for Rhinestone Cowboy, It Only Takes a Minute and many more had been living with Alzheimer's diseaseBrian Potter, one of the most versatile and successful British producers and songwriters of his generation, has died aged 87. He had been living with Alzheimer's disease in recent years, his daughter told Billboard.Working with American songwriting partner Dennis Lambert, the Essex-born Potter was behind an astounding array of 1970s hits spanning pop, soul, soft rock, country and beyond. The best-known include Glen Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy, a US No 1 in 1975; It Only Takes a Minute, a barnstorming disco hit for Tavares and later Take That; Player's super-smooth Baby Come Back, another US No 1; and Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got), one of the biggest hits for soul-poppers the Four Tops. Continue reading...
Demonstrations at 18 sites set up as radical transformation plan put to board of Europe's biggest carmakerVolkswagen's proposal to slash up to 100,000 jobs and close factories faces a major test on Thursday as formal proposals are put to the supervisory board at Europe's biggest carmaker, with protests planned at all plants in Germany.IG Metall, the influential staff union, has organised demonstrations involving shop stewards and union council members at 18 sites, including the company's headquarters. It warned the chief executive, Oliver Blume, that he cannot pass the buck for failures of recent years on to the workforce". Continue reading...
Welsh singer and Eurovision entrant's other hits included Footloose soundtrack smash Holding Out for a Hero Alexis Petridis on Bonnie Tyler: She totally eclipsed her power-ballad peers, and created an astonishingly wide variety of pop
Local media in Hengzhou report king ratsnakes and cobras among hundreds in flood waters caused by typhoon MaysakHundreds of snakes, including cobras, have escaped from flooded breeding farms in southern China as severe storms continue to batter parts of the country.State media reported that a snake farm in Hengzhou, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was hit by flood waters after days of heavy rainfall caused by typhoon Maysak, prompting warnings for nearby residents. Continue reading...
Neso asks for extra supplies from electricity generators to cope with added demand on Thursday nightGreat Britain's energy system operator has warned that extreme temperatures" could hit power supplies on Thursday night, as the UK entered its third heatwave of the year.The National Energy System Operator (Neso) issued a notice overnight asking for extra supplies from power generators to cope with the added demand from households turning on fans and air conditioners to cope with the high temperatures. Continue reading...
Reputation for frumpiness is over as M&S wins over younger audience with shows at Silverstone, Ibiza and now LFWThis autumn's London fashion week boasts plenty of familiar labels, from Burberry to Alexander McQueen, ready to show off their wares. But on Wednesday there was an unexpected addition: Marks & Spencer is joining the luxury lineup.The British high-street retailer will celebrate its 100th anniversary in the fashion industry by staging a catwalk show in September highlighting its latest women's and menswear collections. Continue reading...
by Emine Sinmaz, Rob Evans and Harry Davies on (#76VZW)
Two women who alleged they were raped by Tyrion Davis in Suffolk had to testify at an invasive court martial on a US baseMinutes after fleeing the home of an American airman, Rebecca called 999 in tears to report that he had raped her. She recalls vomiting at a police station in Suffolk as she described being repeatedly and violently attacked.Officers took her to a sexual assault referral centre for an intimate examination. There, a nurse measured and photographed her injuries, including bruises and bite marks on her neck. Continue reading...
Author argues symbols such as daisy wheels are no more than the working marks of stonemasonsOver the years, English Heritage and Historic England have claimed to have identified large numbers of witches' marks" or ritual protection symbols" on the walls of historic buildings, including medieval churches and houses.Now a leading architectural historian has said there is absolutely no evidence" that these marks have anything to do with witches or any mystical meanings". Continue reading...
Attacks on three locations across Iran came after three tankers in the strait of Hormuz were targeted on TuesdayThe US military carried out strikes on Iran for a second day, hours after president Donald Trump said that an interim agreement to end the war was over".Late on Wednesday Iranian state media reported explosions in the port city of Bandar Abbas in the strait of Hormuz; in Sirik, another southern coastal city; and the south-western Bushehr province, home to Iran's nuclear-power-plant complex. Continue reading...
Ministers also considering licence requirement and regulator to try to cut bills and increase choiceUK vets may have to have a licence and cap prescriptions for pet medicine at 21 under plans being considered by the government.Ministers are also considering establishing a regulator for the veterinary sector, including inspections, a mandatory licensing system and published compliance reports to improve accountability and choice. Every vet practice could need an official operating licence - similar to GP surgeries and care homes - under proposals in a white paper. Continue reading...
Foreign affairs select committee says Peter Mandelson episode was nothing short of disastrous' for governmentPolitical selections for ambassador posts should be subject to a veto by MPs, a parliamentary committee has recommended, as it made damning criticisms of how Peter Mandelson became Britain's top diplomat in Washington.The foreign affairs select committee concluded that Mandelson's appointment was nothing short of disastrous", highly damaging" for the British government and painful and offensive to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein". Continue reading...
by Patrick Butlerand Rosie Peters-McDonald on (#76VW8)
Interim report into Pip found process had systematic and deep-rooted problems and required bold and radical overhaulA landmark government review of disability benefits has warned challenging discussions" remain on how to overhaul and pay for a system it concludes is unfit for purpose and too often leaves vulnerable claimants dehumanised and degraded.The Timms review of the personal independence payment (Pip) concluded the benefit, claimed by nearly 4 million people in England and Wales, suffered from systematic and deep-rooted problems that had undermined public trust in the benefits system. Continue reading...
Ethics and integrity commission chief says overhaul is crucial to help restore trust in standardsAll lobbying of government ministers, aides and senior officials should be publicly declared - from WhatsApp chats to party conference meetings - in a fundamental shake-up of transparency laws, the government's ethics watchdog has said.A review led by Doug Chalmers, the head of the ethics and integrity commission, has called for a new register to highlight who is lobbying, which policies they are seeking to influence and who in government they are meeting. Continue reading...
The 1970s soap parody made a household name of Lasser, who was also known for her collaborations with ex-husband Allen and later films including Requiem for a DreamLouise Lasser, star of cult 70s sitcom Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and early films by Woody Allen (to whom she was married for four years), has died aged 87. The New York Times reported she died at home in Manhattan".Lasser's role as a satirically conceived housewife in suburban Ohio in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, designed as a parody of daytime soap operas, made her a national star, landing her on the cover of People magazine and Rolling Stone. The series lasted a year and a half, between January 1976 and July 1977, but due to its five-days-a-week schedule squeezed more than 300 episodes out of its two season run. Lasser's Hartman, with her signature pigtails, was preoccupied with domestic minutiae but found herself in unsettling and disturbing situations, including bizarre deaths. The show was intended to explore the changes sweeping ordinary life in the US in the 1970s. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#76VRV)
Prime minister in waiting looks to address frustrations backbenchers had with Keir Starmer's style of party managementAndy Burnham has promised MPs that he will never use party discipline to stifle debate" and says they should raise problems and policy ideas without fear or favour".Nominations for the Labour leadership will open on Thursday, and Burnham is expected to be the only candidate. On Wednesday night the former armed forces minister Al Carns confirmed he would not seek to enter the race to replace Keir Starmer. Continue reading...
Home secretary expected to amend Immigration Act but hurdles remain if Pakistan continues to refuse to take Shabir Ahmed backShabana Mahmood is planning to change the law so the government can move towards deporting the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang.The home secretary is expected to amend the 1971 Immigration Act, which prevents Shabir Ahmed from being removed from Britain. Continue reading...
Met confirms inquiry after elections watchdog referred allegations that donations in 2024 were from foreign sourcePolice have launched an investigation into 37,500 of donations to Robert Jenrick's campaign to become Conservative leader in 2024 after a referral from the elections watchdog.The Metropolitan police confirmed on Wednesday they were undertaking an inquiry after the Guardian revealed in April that they were assessing the evidence about donations to Jenrick, who has since joined Reform UK. Continue reading...
MPs demand publication of full report that outlines catastrophic consequences amid concerns for food securityMembers of parliament have demanded full publication of an explosive report by the UK's spy leaders that found the collapse of ecosystems overseas would have catastrophic consequences for the UK's national security, warning that the UK has no future" if the findings are not urgently acted on.Despite growing concerns for the UK's food security, likely to be worsened by the third heatwave this summer currently afflicting the UK and swathes of the northern hemisphere, the government has refused to publish the full report, which has circulated among defence officials for more than a year. Continue reading...
From high-profile influencers to live ticket-queue tracking, some fear aggressive marketing is ruining championshipsFrom photos of influencers in crisp white linen dresses posing in front of floral displays at Centre Court to videos promising hacks to beat the queues and secure tickets, the hype around Wimbledon has never been bigger on Instagram and TikTok.The social media frenzy has caused concerns that Wimbledon is increasingly becoming a tourist event rather than a tennis tournament, overrun with influencers using the championship's iconic aesthetic to build their profiles and attracting attenders more interested in dressing up and taking photos than watching the games. Continue reading...
World is witnessing a turning point, says ministry spokesperson, as Iran seeks to assert independence amid rising tensionsBefore a foreign ministry press briefing at the Grand Hotel Tehran, the assembled reporters were asked to stand for the national anthem that duly blared from fuzzy speakers.At the podium, the ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, claimed the world was witnessing a turning point in the history of Shia Islam. A century from now, he claimed, the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be revered as a second Imam Hussain, the martyred grandson of the prophet Muhammad. Donald Trump, meanwhile, would be seen as a latterday Yazid, the tyrannical 7th century caliph. Continue reading...
Italian designer brings sculptural silhouettes and playful palettes to storied house, while it is hats off to Giorgio's niece at her second Armani Prive showThe house of Balenciaga takes haute couture very seriously indeed. Cristobal Balenciaga was so horrified by the rise of mass-produced clothes that in 1968 he abruptly shuttered his brand and retired to his native Spain, announcing that high fashion is mortally wounded".So Pierpaolo Piccioli, who now helms the house, approached the brief of his first Balenciaga couture collection conscientiously, despite having 25 years of experience at Valentino. At a preview, the haute couture war room where he worked on the show for nine months was plastered with images that ranged from a 1961 Balenciaga dress to Spanish golden age art - Zurbaran's chic saints, Velazquez's doll-like infantas - and a monumental Hepworth pierced megalith. Continue reading...
Hannah Dugan was fined $5,000 for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade ICE agentsA former Wisconsin judge who was convicted of felony obstruction for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has been spared prison.A federal judge on Wednesday instead fined Judge Hannah Dugan $5,000, citing her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence. Continue reading...
Parody candidate, expected to be Reform leader's only challenger for seat, suggests perhaps it's all a fever dream'Count Binface had been looking forward to a relaxing journey back to his home planet of Sigma IX when Nigel Farage dropped a political bombshell on Tuesday.Instead, Britain's hottest new political property said he was left with no choice but to perform a swift intergalactic handbrake turn when news broke that Farage had resigned as MP for Clacton, triggering the possibility of a byelection in the English coastal constituency he has represented since 2024. Continue reading...
by Seham Tantesh in Gaza and Julian Borger in Jerusal on (#76VN7)
Mohamed al-Wahidi died when a missile struck his taxi shortly before Egypt played Argentina in their last 16 matchA Palestinian aid worker who had organised screenings of World Cup matches in Gaza was killed by an Israeli missile strike just before the game between Egypt and Argentina on Tuesday evening.Two brothers aged eight and 10 and another man who was in the street near the site of the attack were also killed. Continue reading...
by Leyland Cecco in Toronto and agencies on (#76V42)
Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in prison in India, is accused of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023US and Canadian authorities say they have dismantled" the leadership of a notorious Indian criminal group, charging dozens of operatives who have inflicted pain and cruelty on people, victims around the globe", including a high-profile murder in Canada that strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India.At a press conference on Tuesday, members of the FBI and Canada's Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said as part of Operation Hard Ball - a multiyear federal investigation into murder-for-hire plots, shootings, extortion and drug trafficking - they had charged 37 people, some of whom were already in custody. Authorities are still searching for seven fugitives in the US, two in India and one in Europe. Continue reading...
FCA clashes with Consumer Voice, alleging lack of transparency and conflict of interestThe City regulator is trying to get the only consumer group arguing for higher motor finance scandal payouts thrown out of court, alleging that its co-founders have not been transparent about their funding and potential conflicts of interest.The accusations, laid out in legal filings on Wednesday, are the latest controversy in the long-running saga surrounding mis-sold car loans, with fears of large payouts having resulted in heavy lobbying by banks and a controversial intervention by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Continue reading...
Count Binface to be one of few challengers to Nigel Farage as major parties boycott contestFor anyone involved in British politics, an invitation to be interviewed on Radio 4's Today programme is the ultimate badge of seriousness. There are probably hundreds of MPs who have never made it onto the programme because they have not been deemed important enough.But, as if to prove the point that the Clacton byelection really is a farce" (see 7.59am), this morning Today had an interview with Count Binface, the serial joke byelection candidate who may turn out to be Nigel Farage's main opposition in Clacton.Probably not, but then you know my job is to celebrate and defend the wonders of British democracy.And look at this, eh? The fact that you are interviewing me on the Today Programme, because all the other parties aren't standing, says more about them than it does about me.I don't believe that single-handedly will tackle homophobia, racism or indeed any hate crime. But I do strongly believe that returning power back to people's hands is a huge part of the role we should all be playing as elected public servants - and it's how we build trust again. Continue reading...
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, is believed to have left UK for Zimbabwe before bodies of his family were discoveredA man suspected of murdering his wife and two daughters near Bedford has been urged by police to hand himself in after fleeing to Zimbabwe.Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, known as Zandile, and Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found dead in their 1.3m detached house in Carnoustie Drive, Great Denham. Police forced entry to the house on Monday after receiving reports that the family had not been seen for days. Continue reading...
HBO and Apple shows head up this year's nominations while Richard Gadd's Baby Reindeer follow-up Half-Man only receives one nodThe second season of hit hospital drama The Pitt and the final season of Hacks dominate this year's Emmy nominations, announced on Wednesday.The Pitt leads with 25 nominations while Hacks has 24, both scoring a big win for HBO, the latter series also breaking an Emmy record for most nods ever received by a comedy in a single year. Continue reading...
John Edwards resigned in June after independent investigation following claims of sexual harassment and bullyingThe UK information commissioner who resigned over sexual harassment and bullying claims is understood to be taking legal action against a woman who flagged his conduct.The science and technology secretary, Liz Kendall, said she was appalled" by the fact that John Edwards was preparing to serve legal papers on one of the incredibly brave" women at the ICO who raised concerns about his behaviour. Edwards resigned from his post as the UK's data regulator in June after an independent investigation. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian