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Yair Lapid says far-right ministers dragged Benjamin Netanyahu into exactly what Hamas wanted' after security cabinet approves take over planThe UK's ambassador to Israel has said extending the war in Gaza would only lead to more deaths and that occupying Gaza would be a huge mistake".Simon Walters was quoted by Israel's Haaretz newspaper as saying on Thursday:The IDF has achieved all that it can achieve in Gaza, and extending the war any further will simply lead to more deaths. Deaths of soldiers, deaths of Palestinians, deaths of hostages.If you want to defeat Hamas, you cannot achieve that through military force. You need to use politics and diplomacy and you need to give the people of Gaza an alternative to Hamas.We are working with friends, allies in Europe and in the Middle East to generate a real plan for what happens after the fighting stops, after the war.It needs to be a description of what the governments will be for Gaza. That has to be governance by Palestinians who are not members of Hamas with a role for the Palestinian Authority. Continue reading...

A protest group plans to march in Brisbane on Sunday as part of nationwide rallies for the people of Gaza. Follow today's news live

Exclusive: Five Ukraine clubs failed to win similar payments due to allegedly being located in zone of military operations'Uefa has paid more than 10.8m (9.4m) in solidarity" funds to Russian football clubs since they were banned from taking part in European tournaments after the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, the Guardian can reveal.The payments were made despite five Ukrainian clubs failing to receive similar such funds allegedly due to their locations being in a zone of military operations". Continue reading...

Video shows triple murderer telling police her estranged husband hated that I still had a relationship with his parents, but I loved them'

Australia's foreign minister says two-state solution the only pathway to peace as Israel's security cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City

Brandon Russell, founder of neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, was convicted of plotting to blow up Baltimore power gridThe founder of a Florida-based neo-Nazi group has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring with his girlfriend to plan an attack on Maryland's power grid in furtherance of their shared racist beliefs.Brandon Russell, 30, was convicted by a jury earlier this year. Prosecutors presented evidence detailing his longstanding affiliation with white supremacist causes and his recent efforts to organize sniper attacks" on electrical substations around Baltimore. Continue reading...

Countess of Chester receives urgent warning notice over visibly dirty equipment' and routine corridor careEmergency care at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked is falling far short of legal standards, the healthcare watchdog has found, with routine corridor care and critical gaps" in sepsis treatment.The Countess of Chester hospital, in north-west England, was issued with an urgent warning notice after inspectors found repeated breaches" of regulations in its emergency care unit. Continue reading...

Patrick Hodge, supreme court's deputy president, wants judges to improve their scientific and technical literacyJudges need to be on their guard" about expert witness evidence, according to a leading supreme court judge, who urged the legal profession to improve their scientific and technical literacy" to help prevent miscarriages of justice.Patrick Hodge, who is deputy president of the supreme court and president of the Expert Witness Institute, said the increasing complexity of legal cases in modern society means expert witnesses are playing a bigger role than ever before. Continue reading...

Women's safety campaigners welcome plan to switch from exclusion zones that have made victims feel trapped'Restriction zones aimed at locking" violent offenders - rather than their victims - into specific areas when they are released from prison are to be introduced by the government in England and Wales.At the moment, exclusion zones are often used to keep an offender away from their victim's home but many campaigners for women's safety have long called for this to be flipped.Increased tagging for domestic perpetrators.Requiring judges to flag domestic abuse at sentencing so prisons, probation and police can better identify and manage abusers.Expanding specialist domestic abuse courts.Bolstering transparency for victims at sentencing - including the provision of free copies of judges' sentencing remarks for victims of rape and other sexual offences. Continue reading...

Michael Burbidge gives evidence he told police Chris Wilson's wife doesn't need to see what's on the phone'

Shadow housing minister tells Guardian Australia it was a mistake not to put forward a homelessness policy before election and criticises Labor for falling behind new home targets

Rushanara Ali was accused of hypocrisy after claims she removed tenants before rent rise of almost 700 a monthRushanara Ali has resigned as homelessness minister after it emerged she evicted four tenants from a property she owns then re-let it weeks later for 700 more a month.The tenants were told in November last year their fixed-term contract would not be renewed because Ali's east London home was being placed on the market for sale. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Education secretary told sponsored resources misrepresent evidence about diets, alcohol and bettingHealth experts have urged Bridget Phillipson to stop schools using educational materials funded by the food, drink and gambling industries, in order to protect children from harmful" influences.Dozens of doctors, health charities and public health specialists have written to the education secretary warning her that such firms are sponsoring resources used in lessons with pupils, despite them misrepresenting the evidence about diets, alcohol and betting. Continue reading...

People will be chosen via three-stage process, with government expected to accept around 50 migrants a week when scheme startsRushanara Ali, the homelessness minister, is facing criticism for hiking rent on a property she owns by hundreds of pounds, reportedly just weeks after the previous tenants' contract ended, PA Media reports. PA says:Four tenants who rented a house in east London from Ali were sent an email last November saying their lease would not be renewed, which also gave them four months' notice to leave, the i newspaper reported.Ali's property was then re-listed with a 700 rent increase within weeks, the newspaper said. Continue reading...

Canadian property prices fell by C$150,000 over three years as Australia's rose by about A$85,000

Rights group warns freedom of expression could be violated, as first people are charged with showing support for banned organisationAmnesty International has warned the Met police against arresting participants protesting this Saturday in London in support of Palestine Action, as the first people were charged for showing support for the banned group.Two women and a man were arrested in Westminster after a protest in central London on 5 July, the Crown Prosecution Service said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Humans face three existential threats, from super-intelligence, nuclear weapons and the climate crisis, says blockbuster director as he announces new Hiroshima projectThe director James Cameron has warned that the use of artificial intelligence in a global arms race could lead to the kind of dystopia fictionalised in his Terminator franchise.Speaking to Rolling Stone to promote the publication of Ghosts of Hiroshima, an account of the first atomic bombing by bestselling author Charles Pellegrino which Cameron intends to adapt for the big screen, the film-maker behind three of the four highest-grossing films of all time (Titanic and the first two Avatar films), said that although he relies on AI professionally, he remains concerned about what might happen if it was leveraged with nihilistic intent. Continue reading...

Censorship order accuses books of promoting false narrative and secessionism' in disputed territoryThe government in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir has banned 25 books, including works by the Booker-prize winning author Arundhati Roy, accusing them of promoting a false narrative and secessionism" in the disputed territory.The censorship order was issued by Manoj Sinha, the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, who was appointed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) under the prime minister, Narendra Modi. Sinha was previously a minister in Modi's BJP government. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Concerns Australia is gutting its research capability coincide with Trump's deep cuts into US science agencies

Study finds Wiltshire ham products sold by retailers such as Tesco and M&S contain highest level of nitritesHam and bacon sold by supermarkets including Tesco, and Marks and Spencer still contain cancer-causing chemicals almost 10 years after the World Health Organization warned about the dangers of their use in processed meats.Wiltshire ham is the product with the highest concentrations of nitrites, according to analysis that compared it to cooked ham and unsmoked bacon. Continue reading...

250th celebrations renew interest in searching for organ that disappeared from college in RomeOn his deathbed Daniel O'Connell, the man known in his time as the Liberator" of Ireland, made a request: My body to Ireland, my heart to Rome and my soul to heaven."On Wednesday Ireland marked the 250th anniversary of his birth with speeches and pomp and a nagging question: where is the heart? Continue reading...

Guardian investigation finds number killed in April attack by Rapid Support Forces far greater than current estimatesMore than 1,500 civilians may have been massacred during an attack on Sudan's largest displacement camp in April, in what would be the second-biggest war crime of the country's catastrophic conflict.A Guardian investigation into the 72-hour attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on North Darfur's Zamzam camp, the country's largest for people displaced by the war, found repeated testimony of mass executions and large-scale abductions. Hundreds of civilians remain unaccounted for. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Foreign affairs minister used July meeting on Asean sidelines to elevate criticism of targeting of Adelaide-based Ted Hui and Melbourne-based Kevin Yam

Medical groups subpoenaed for US abortion records in lawsuit over narrow exceptions to Tennessee's near-total banThe Tennessee attorney general's office has subpoenaed four medical groups in the state for records of abortions performed over the last several years as part of a lawsuit over the exceptions to the state's near-total abortion ban, court documents obtained by the Guardian show.The four subpoenas were issued this spring to Vanderbilt University medical center and a Tennessee hospital run by the national Catholic chain Ascension, as well as two smaller medical practices in Tennessee, Heritage Medical Associates and the Women's Group of Franklin. Continue reading...

Stanley Burkhardt accused of leaving suggestive comments on social media pictures in violation of paroleA former child sexual abuse crimes detective who for years has been incarcerated on and off after admitting that he molested minors during his Louisiana policing career - and has been investigated as a possible serial killer - is back behind bars again.Stanley Burkhardt, 74, was jailed in New Orleans on 15 July on allegations that he illegally used social media in 2019 to leave suggestive comments under young men's pictures, according to court records reviewed by WWL Louisiana reporting partner the Guardian on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Annual figures released Tuesday reflect a 4.5% year-on-year decrease in all violent crime nationally in 2024When Donald Trump fought for and won the 2024 presidential election, his victory was built partly on the false assertion that Democrats were responsible for an out-of-control crime wave in the US, with murders and rapes at record highs.Figures released by the FBI on Tuesday, however, confirm that the nation was as safe as it ever had been during the final full year of the Biden administration. Every category of crime decreased in frequency, and violent crime in particular dropped to levels not seen since the 1960s, per the report. Continue reading...

Culture secretary says she won't watch last episodes with Gregg Wallace and John Torode, but that it's not for me' to tell BBC what it can airThe UK culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has said she won't be watching the latest series of MasterChef on BBC because of the controversy over the conduct of its sacked presenters, but stopped short of saying the broadcaster should not show it.The first three episodes of the 21st series of the cookery show were released on iPlayer early on Wednesday morning, ahead of the first episode airing on BBC One at 8pm. The BBC website was highlighting the show under the category of new and trending". Continue reading...

Definition of sex at centre of proceedings as woman-only app seeks to overturn gender discrimination finding

The Productivity Commission appears to have bought into tech companies' brazen arguments - and caught the Australian government off-guard

Former Match of the Day presenter, who left BBC in May, reported to have signed deal to host The BoxGary Lineker is to host a new gameshow on ITV, under a deal that will bring him back to screens after his departure from the BBC, according to reports.The former Match of the Day presenter and former England football captain, who was the highest-paid on-air star at the BBC, parted ways with the broadcaster in May, days after apologising for amplifying online material with antisemitic connotations. Continue reading...

Victorian government defends redevelopment, saying towers are outdated and unsafe as inquiry continues

NIESR suggests a rise of 5p in the pound on basic and higher rate of income tax would fill the budget gapRachel Reeves will need to raise taxes to close a government spending gap that is on course to reach more than 40bn after a slowdown in economic growth and higher-than-expected inflation, according to a leading thinktank.In a blow to Labour's hopes of balancing the books without breaking manifesto commitments ruling out personal tax rises, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said a number of factors would knock off course the chancellor's plans to stay within Whitehall spending limits. Continue reading...

Treaty can be ended by either side at a month's notice and France can refuse returns on certain groundsThe UK will pay the costs of transporting asylum seekers to and from France under Keir Starmer's one in, one out" deal with Emmanuel Macron, it has emerged.The deal will have to be renewed by 11 June next year, and can be ended at a month's notice by either side, documents made public by the government indicate. Continue reading...

Principle of medical neutrality threatened as doctors and hospitals deliberately attacked, particularly in GazaTargeting medics and hospitals in acts of war should be called healthocide", academics have urged, amid an increase in such attacks in recent years.Health services are increasingly deliberately under attack and medics are facing violence and abuse in conflict zones around the world - in particular in Gaza, but also in Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan, Syria and El Salvador. Continue reading...

Joe Bennett says Lindsay Foreman sounded in good spirits despite her and husband being charged with espionageThe son of a British woman being held in Iran on espionage charges has said speaking to her on the phone for the first time in 213 days felt like five birthdays and 10 Christmases at once".Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 52, were arrested on 3 January in Kerman, southern Iran, while travelling through the country from Armenia to Pakistan on a round-the-world motorbike trip. Continue reading...

Video of man lighting cigarette from Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris was widely shared on social mediaA French minister has said she is taking legal action against an unidentified man who was filmed lighting a cigarette from a memorial flame at a major Paris war monument.The video of a man stooping to light a cigarette from the fire at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe, before walking calmly away watched by tourists, caused indignation when it was widely shared on social media. Continue reading...

Launch to mark 30 years of Clubcard has 42% of an adult's recommended daily intake of saturated fat and 35% of sugarTesco has launched a birthday cake sandwich, complete with strawberry jam, soft cheese, vanilla frosting and sprinkles - but the candle isn't included.The limited-edition sandwich, between slices of brioche-style white bread, contains 31.g of sugar - 35% of an adult's recommended daily intake - and will be on sale for 3 at 1,000 stores for four weeks. Continue reading...

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve among those criticising politicians for risking contempt of court

Regulator is set for abolition after a government decision last month and overhaul of the heavily criticised industryThe chief executive of Ofwat is to step down at the end of the month, after the government announced the abolition of the water regulator for England and Wales.David Black has been in the role for four years, and will leave amid intense scrutiny of water companies and their regulators. Continue reading...

House oversight committee also issued subpoenas to several former attorneys general and FBI directorsThe House oversight committee on Tuesday issued subpoenas to Bill and Hillary Clinton as well as several former attorneys general and directors of the FBI, demanding testimony related to horrific crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein".The investigative committee's Republican chair, James Comer, sent the subpoenas in response to two motions lawmakers approved on a bipartisan basis last month, as Congress navigated outrage among Donald Trump's supporters over the justice department's announcement that it would not release further details about Epstein, a disgraced financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. Continue reading...

Hundreds of fires across Canada and parts of the US prompt alerts in 14 states from Great Lakes region to the northeastHundreds of wildfires continued to burn across Canada and parts of the US on Tuesday sending smoke from the blazes across the region and reducing air quality in both countries.US air quality tanked from the Great Lakes region to the northeast, making skies hazy from Minneapolis to New York City and even prompting a ground stop at Boston's Logan international airport due to low visibility" on Monday. Detroit, New York City and Chicago continued to record some of the worst air quality in the world on Tuesday, according to IQAir, ranking fourth, 10th and 11th respectively. Continue reading...

Lithuanian foreign minister Kstutis Budrys says drone, which authorities say was carrying explosives, shows incidents crossing onto Nato territory'On Ukraine, the EU spokespeople were asked about the bloc's expectations as to Donald Trump's deadline for Russia to end its invasion on Ukraine by Friday.The commission's foreign policy spokesperson, Anitta Hipper, said:Russia is not interested in peace. Ukraine is, the EU is. Nobody wants peace more than Ukraine and the EU. ...We welcome any pressure, and in particular US pressure on Russia to accept a ceasefire through any means necessary."I believe that for what we have been able to verify ... there has been some improvement compared to the situation before this agreement was reached.Is this sufficient? Absolutely not. Continue reading...

Almost half of voters either strongly or somewhat support admitting no more new migrants and requiring large numbers who came in recent years to leave', says YouGovPlaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, is celebrating its centenary today. In a statement to mark the occasion, Rhun ap Iorwerth, the party leader, says Plaid has remained true to its values whilst other parties have compromised on theirs in the pursuit of power" - in which could be seen as a reference to the fact that, while Plaid has held power at local government level, it has never led a government in Cardiff.As Bethan McKernan, the Guardian's Wales correspondent, explains in an interview with ap Iorwerth, that could change in next year's Senedd elections. Ap Iorwerth tells her:Wales gave Keir Starmer his big majority but I don't think [voters] expected this barrage of bad policy, passing on the cost of the failures of successive governments to the most vulnerable.There is an appetite for breaking that cycle like never before and Plaid Cymru is ready to deliver.Next year's Senedd election offers an opportunity to bring about real change. That change of leadership for Wales is essential if we are to safeguard our nation's future from years of failure under Labour or self-serving chaos with Reform.Plaid Cymru is focused on offering the people of Wales the kind of leadership they need and deserve. An ambitious government with fresh ideas on how to cut waiting lists, help households with the cost-of-living, support businesses and ensure that Wales's voice is not ignored by Westminster. Continue reading...

Large crowds gather in city of Jiangyou in Sichuan province after case causes outrage onlineA large protest erupted in the south-western Chinese city of Jiangyou, videos on social media have shown, after the beating of a young girl by three other teenagers caused public outrage.Protests are rare in China, where opposition to the ruling Communist party and anything seen as a threat to civil order is swiftly quashed. Continue reading...

State department condemns judge's decision to place former Brazil president under house arrest as trial proceedsThe United States has intensified its campaign to help Jair Bolsonaro avoid punishment for allegedly masterminding a failed coup, with the state department denouncing the decision to place Brazil's former president under house arrest.Let Bolsonaro speak!" the department's bureau of western hemisphere affairs tweeted on Monday night after the far-right populist was confined to his mansion in the capital, Brasilia, and had his mobile phone seized by police. Continue reading...

Attainment gap between pupils from wealthy and deprived areas only closes slightly, despite being SNP's core missionMinisters in Scotland are facing intense criticism over the sluggish increase in exam passes by teenagers from deprived areas despite repeated promises to greatly improve performance.Opposition parties and Scotland's largest teaching union said progress in closing the attainment gap - the difference between exam passes for pupils from the wealthiest areas with the most deprived - was too slow and too patchy. Continue reading...

Oil and gas group trying to fend off activist investors says it can and will do better' for its shareholders

Genie 3 world model's ability to simulate real environments means it can be used to train robotsGoogle has outlined its latest step towards artificial general intelligence (AGI) with a new model that allows AI systems to interact with a convincing simulation of the real world.The Genie 3 world model" could be used to train robots and autonomous vehicles as they engage with realistic recreations of environments such as warehouses, according to Google. Continue reading...

Emergency services called on Monday night after member of host family in Hunter region heard a commotion and found older girl with stab wounds

Interim report on digital economy also mulls changes to privacy rules and copyright collections to help harness AI's benefits