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Progressive Francesca Hong says her campaign was not about getting one person into office'; David Crowley takes on Trump-backed Tom Tiffany in November

PM warns extreme heat conditions could be with us fo some time yet'Just 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the part of government tasked with protecting the environment and maintaining food security, a freedom of information request has revealed. Sandra Laville has the story.On his visit to Stevenage, Andy Burnham also said he would visit the town on Remembrance Day to mark its 80th birthday.I'm going to come back to Stevenage on 11 November. We will pay our respects for Remembrance Day around that time, but I'll be here because if I'm right, that will be 80 years to the day that the post-war Labour government created the first new town right here in Stevenage. Continue reading...

Eclipse to be witnessed by tens of millions across western Europe as enthusiasts gather along path of totalityin Land's End, CornwallThe roads and car parks of west and north Cornwall are clogged as people gather to watch the solar eclipse. Continue reading...

Family, friends and colleagues attend service at Buckfast Abbey in Buckfastleigh, which former MP described as her safe haven'About 100 family, friends and colleagues of Ann Widdecombe have attended a funeral service for the former Conservative minister, who was killed in her home in Devon last month.Politicians and broadcasters were among the mourners at Buckfast Abbey in Buckfastleigh, a Catholic abbey in Devon where Widdecombe regularly worshipped and which she described as her safe haven". Continue reading...

Errors by police and prosecutors left serial sex offender free to murder Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl WilkinsSimon Levy, the prolific sexual predator left free by police and prosecution errors to murder two women, will never leave prison after being sentenced to a rare whole-life tariff.Judge Lucraft KC said Levy, 40, ruthlessly" exploited women for his sexual pleasure, and had a proven history of sexual offending dating back to 2018. Continue reading...

Crowley pulls off last-minute victory in tight race after polls had shown Hong as the clear Democratic frontrunnerDavid Crowley, the Milwaukee county executive, won the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor after beating the democratic socialist Francesca Hong in a tight contest.Crowley pulled off a last-minute victory in the critical swing state after re-entering the campaign and snagging an endorsement from Tony Evers, the outgoing governor. Continue reading...

Family extremely grateful' to four-month-old Goosey' who ran out of fire-billowing building and repeatedly squawkedA pet goose is being credited with helping save a Texas family's animals after sounding a honking alarm as a fire tore through their barn.The dramatic moment unfolded on the morning of 4 August in Fort Bend county, where four-month-old Goosey repeatedly squawked outside the burning barn, alerting his owners, the Gerber family, to the danger. Continue reading...

Rumors of plea deal in federal case have been circulating since June for suspect accused of killing Brian ThompsonAn unexpected hearing in the federal stalking case against Luigi Mangione has been scheduled, leading to speculation that the alleged United Healthcare CEO assassin was seeking a plea deal that would in turn end a murder prosecution in New York state court beginning next month.Prosecutors and Mangione's lawyers filed a joint letter requesting the hearing at 11am on Friday in Manhattan federal court. Continue reading...

Aircraft carrier's crew in ninth month at sea and has spent record 250 days consecutively without making landMilitary families and Congress members are sounding the alarm about an intensifying mental health crisis onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, as its 5,000 sailors and marines endure a record-breaking deployment at sea tied to the war with Iran.Two leading specialist military papers, the Navy Times and the Stars and Stripes, are reporting that there have been multiple attempts by sailors to jump overboard as poor conditions and mental stresses on the Lincoln reach breaking point. The crew is in its ninth month at sea, and has spent 250 days consecutively without making land - a record for an aircraft carrier in modern times. Continue reading...

PM to look at imposing restriction on devices in public spaces, though campaigners fear it does not go far enoughThe government will look at banning disposable barbecues as wildfires continue to rage across the UK, Andy Burnham has said.Disposable barbecues have been the cause of a number of serious fires over the last few years, but campaigners were critical of the prime minister's failure to link those fires more broadly to the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice says she recognises the difficult case' has damaged the universityCambridge University's leadership has bowed to internal pressure for an independent investigation into its appointment of Jason Arday as a professor, with its vice-chancellor admitting the affair has damaged the institution.Prof Deborah Prentice said she recognised the anger and anxiety around this damaging and difficult case" but described it as an aberration that should not be used to cast aspersions on the abilities of its staff of colour. Continue reading...

Managing director says guidelines will ensure no individual will be the subject of comedy that is violent in its description in our programming'

Exclusive: Peaceful community rally' of more than 150 people was walking in Broadmeadows when car travelling in same direction allegedly approached

Thanks to the drought, these black-and-white beauties are struggling to catch worms in the rock-hard earth. But there's still good foraging on well-watered fairways and greensName: Badgers.Age: European badgers live for five to eight years in the wild. They have been in the UK, where this story is set, for half to three-quarters of a million years. Continue reading...

Incident marks second familicide in midwest in two weeks, with the children who died ranging in age from three to nineA father killed his four young children and their mother before turning the gun on himself, said authorities in Wichita, Kansas - marking the second incident of familicide in the midwest in two weeks.The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Winfield police department said a man identified as 53-year-old Ronald Williams Sr called police at 8.50am on Tuesday to say he had killed his entire family and was about to take his own life. Continue reading...

Prime minister suggests possible measure as he prepares to chair emergency Cobra meeting in response to extreme heatHere's today's latest Met Office forecast for UK cities:Aberdeen 22CBelfast 24CBirmingham 32CCardiff 33CGlasgow 25CLiverpool 32CLondon 32CNewcastle 29CPlymouth 31CSheffield 31C Continue reading...

Winds of more than 80mph, severe flooding and tornadoes swept through Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and KentuckyPowerful storms swept across the midwest on Tuesday, leaving three dead and more than 800,000 without power in four states as winds gusts of more than 80mph (130km/h) tore down trees and power lines.In Indiana, a four-year-old child died after a tree fell on his home in Geneva Township and a person died in a suspected weather-related house explosion in Portage, a city about 30 miles south-east of Chicago. Continue reading...

Investigators believe Vikings and Hells Angels members involved in violence that preceded death of Brecon manA man was killed in what is believed to have been a violent brawl between rival motorcycle gangs in the south Wales valleys, police have said.Anthony Tony" Jones, 56, of Brecon, died of his injuries in hospital after the violence in Pontnewynydd, near Pontypool, last Thursday evening, which reportedly involved knives and hammers. Continue reading...

As London restaurants say wild birds are smaller and fewer this year, experts say countryside should not be playground for bloodsports'Every year on 12 August, fans of traditional British cuisine flock to plush restaurants in Mayfair to dine on grouse served with bread sauce and game chips.But those hoping to find the small wild birds, sourced from the UK's moorlands, may be disappointed. Wildfires have been raging on moors across the UK, burning habitats and incinerating wildlife after record-breaking heat has turned the landscape into a tinderbox. Continue reading...

Operation under way to rescue dozens missing after boat overturned by waves at world's largest manmade lakeAt least 15 people have died and 27 are missing after an overcrowded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.The boat had a capacity of 90 people, but was carrying 114 adult passengers, five crew members and an unknown number of children, Zimbabwe's civil protection unit (CPU) said, citing ticket sales. Continue reading...

One Nation MP says failed WA candidate's comments describing same-sex attraction as a mental illness are highly offensive'

Geopolitics and cost of living crisis have cost Europe's largest travel company 60m so farHolidaymakers are waiting until the last minute to book their trips because of the continuing uncertainty caused by the war in Iran and the cost of living crisis, according to Tui, Europe's largest travel company, which said the war had cost it 60m (51m) so far.In the weeks after the outbreak of war at the end of February, Tui recorded a temporary drop-off in customers wanting to travel to Cyprus or Turkey, in what the company called a volatile market". Continue reading...

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Coalition demands police investigate apparent leaking of diplomatic cable to newspaper but Labor calls it a silly political stunt'

Lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood gives evidence about allegations linked to Reformers at Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing

Angus Taylor and other Coalition members not supporting shadow housing minister's target migration numbers, which would be the lowest figures since the mid-2000s

Al-Ahmed, who maintains his innocence, was accused of putting his father in a headlock in March

High temperatures continue across UK with 38C forecast on Thursday and wildfires stretching emergency servicesAndy Burnham will chair an emergency Cobra meeting in response to extreme heat, which has caused wildfires and plunged many parts of Britain into drought.The prime minister will meet ministers, officials and agencies on Wednesday as high temperatures continue across the UK, with temperatures of 33C forecast and up to 38C on Thursday. Continue reading...

Voters will be required to number at least five parties above the line in order of preference after bill passed upper house 33 votes to four

Exclusive: Pay increases to two weeks in England and Wales after Guardian revealed officers mocked' for taking time offPaid paternity leave for police in England and Wales is to double, after the Guardian revealed last year that officers were mocked and ostracised" for taking time off to spend with their babies.The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has increased the amount of paid parental and adoption leave for officers from one week to two across all forces, with fathers' leave upped to be in line with mothers'. Continue reading...

Exhibition in Port Talbot is part of project exploring how communities experience endings and transitionsMargaret Heggett, 95, does not remember a time when Port Talbot was ever quiet. Born and raised in the shadow of the steelworks, with a father, brother and husband who worked there, she never imagined what the town could look or sound like without its blast furnaces.I'm not saying it was beautiful, but there were jobs. We did know the closure was coming and we have to move with the times but it's affected the town a lot and it's very sad," she said. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: As ministers scramble to resolve overcrowding in prisons, experts say the crisis demands a rethink of who we lock up - and what happens when they're set freeGood morning. On his family holiday last week, the prime minister, Andy Burnham, was reported to be taking daily calls from Ministry of Justice officials about his government's early release scheme. A furious public outcry has gathered pace since it emerged that the plan - brought in by his predecessor, Keir Starmer, to alleviate overcrowding in prisons across England and Wales - might include two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper and other serious sexual offenders, including grooming gang perpetrators.After several weeks of system says no" briefings, which Harper's mother Debbie Adlam has described as a rollercoaster ... really draining", yesterday Burnham endeavoured to put a pin in it until September.UK news | Repeated debilitating heatwaves this summer are likely to have cost the UK economy more than 4bn in lost economic output by the end of July, new analysis shows.Meta | Courts in England and Wales have joined a number of restaurants, theatres and pubs in banning the controversial Meta glasses, which can record video footage while being worn.Middle East | Firefighters and residents of south Lebanon have accused the Israeli military of lighting wildfires in the region, as forested areas burned down in blazes sparked by Israeli bombing.UK politics | Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice has been accused of using nasty tactics" in an attempt to intimidate journalists and deflect attention from his own financial affairs after issuing a legal threat to the Guardian.US news | Democrats called on Tuesday for a congressional briefing over a stunning charade in which Donald Trump was secretly spirited to a different plane than the one the public and press believed he was travelling on. Continue reading...

Prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul calls for tighter gun controls and decisive penalties' after nine dead in school shootingThailand has suspended firearms licences after the deadly Nonthaburi school shooting, as the bodies of the teenage attacker and the grandparents he killed were cremated.The prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, said he had ordered the interior ministry and police to stop issuing licences to possess, purchase and carry firearms, and called for tighter controls and decisive penalties". The measures are temporary until a new gun control law is in place, according to government operated news-channel NBT World. Continue reading...

Master's student made first bar with 100% UK ingredients since 1932 to highlight affect of climate crisis on cocoa plantsThe late queen was the only person in history to have ever eaten a chocolate bar made with 100% British ingredients, after she was given one as a six-year-old in 1932 by the confectioner Rowntree's.The bar was created from a glasshouse-grown cocoa plant, at Rowntree's headquarters in York. Continue reading...

Forecasters warned the Chinese capital could receive more than one-third of its average annual rainfall over 24 hoursThousands of people have been evacuated from areas at risk of flooding and landslides in Beijing, as the remnants of Typhoon Dolphin continue to bring torrential rain to northern and central China.Forecasters warned on Tuesday that the Chinese capital could receive more than 150mm of rain over the following 24 hours, with some districts forecast to exceed 200mm - more than one-third of Beijing's average annual rainfall of 528mm. Continue reading...

Rio Tinto said in December it may cease operations at the Tomago aluminium smelter at the end of its current electricity supply contract

The Comac C919 will fly from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, although experts say it could take generations for it to challenge the west's dominance of the industryChina hopes to break into the world of commercial aviation with the first international flight of a Chinese-made passenger jet scheduled for Wednesday.The Comac C919 will take off from Beijing capital international airport at 3pm, landing in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, just over two hours later. Continue reading...

Officers - correctly - may not have fully unzipped the bag containing the lifelike doll to avoid destroying evidence, one expert says

New research sheds light on the genetic basis of the venomous arachnid's weird mating behaviour'

Letter signed by every chief constable in England and Wales warns freeing pair could weaken trust in justice systemAndy Burnham is facing an unprecedented mass call from police chiefs to block the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers, as unions warned his emergency plan to create more space in jails risked causing confusion or leading to prisoners being freed by mistake.A letter signed by 50 police leaders across the UK, including every chief constable in England and Wales, called on the prime minister to do everything in his power to stop the killers benefiting from a programme designed to free up prison space, saying there was a profound strength of feeling across policing" that this should not happen. Continue reading...

Justice department is asked to weigh new charges against David Hearn after US attorney dropped vandalism chargesThe White House has asked the Department of Justice to weigh new charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, according to a person familiar with the matter, pushing to revive a case Donald Trump has fumed about ever since an ally dropped the case citing insufficient evidence.Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, dropped the charges against the man, David Hearn, on 31 July, blaming a contractor for a flawed installation. In a 20-page filing dismissing the charges, Pirro's office said it had received evidence that damage to the pool occurred before Hearn visited it, and that it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt." Hearn has maintained that he reached in the water to touch a piece of already detached lining while he was on a bike ride in June. Continue reading...

Reform deputy leader condemned for seeking disclosure of documents that could reveal reporter's sourcesReform's deputy leader Richard Tice has been accused of using nasty tactics" in an attempt to intimidate journalists and deflect attention from his own financial affairs after issuing a legal threat to the Guardian.In a letter sent from his lawyers, a Guardian correspondent was singled out for her reporting on a series of Tice's financial transactions that were referred to the National Crime Agency. Continue reading...

Star, 53, says disease has metastasised to her bones and it is too late for chemotherapyLucy Davis, the actor best known for playing Dawn Tinsley in The Office, has said she has incurable stage four breast cancer.The 53-year-old said she was diagnosed a year and a half ago and the disease had metastasised to her bones including her spine, right hip and ribs. She said it was too late for chemotherapy. Continue reading...

British driver Andy Green reached 406.320 mph in car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion enginesThe only person to break the sound barrier in a car earned another world record on Tuesday in a show of force for hydrogen power.British driver Andy Green reached 406.320mph (653.908km/h) in a car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined 1,600 horsepower, setting the record for that vehicle category, according to the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, the international governing body of motor sports. Continue reading...

Clifford Wilby, 63, blocked the Walthamstow MP from leaving, filmed her and talked about her failings as a member of parliament'A 63-year-old man has been found guilty of harassing the Labour MP Stella Creasy after he was abusive and aggressive" to her on a tube train.Clifford Wilby, of east London, saw the MP for Walthamstow in July 2025 on a Victoria Line train, Westminster magistrates court heard. Continue reading...

Mike Heard used his paddle to strike gator that had latched on to swimmer in Silver River after hearing yells of Gator!'A Florida paddleboarder rescued a woman from an alligator attack in Marion county over the weekend.On Saturday, an alligator bit the woman on the arm while she was swimming in the Silver River, according to local reports citing Marion county authorities. Continue reading...

School said it is pivoting away from letter-grading system to curb the mental health crisis' among college studentsThe University of Michigan will pivot to a pass-or-fail-style grading system, instead of letter grades, for first-semester students in an effort to curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals".The school said in a notice on Tuesday that its goal was to help first-year students acclimate to the demands of college and allow intrinsic motivations to guide personally meaningful academic journeys" and foster a culture of connection and collaboration - rather than competition". Continue reading...

Prediction comes amid warning of extreme heat' this week with temperatures of 38C possibleThe Guardian's environment editor, Fiona Harvey, has written a useful explainer about the UK public services that are struggling in the extreme weather. You can read it in full here:There's only one solution in the end to the drought now declared across most of England and that's rain, says Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading.An important consequence of drought is that very dry soils can become less able to absorb rainfall when it does arrive. This can increase surface runoff and can even contribute to localised flash flooding, particularly if rain falls intensely over a short period.The current situation highlights the need to improve long-term resilience to both drought and flood risk as climate variability increases, and shows one more damaging impact of the burning of fossil fuels. Continue reading...

Union chief says vote is about staff warning they cannot protect the public properly'In his pooled TV interview, Andy Burnham repeated the point he made in his Facebook post earlier (see 9.58am), saying he was confident that more could be done to free up space in the prison system (which would allow the early release system to be changed so that PC Andrew Harper's killers are excluded). Burnham said that since becoming PM he had been pushing the system every single day" to go further.Explaining how extra space could be found (see 9.19am), he particularly singled out the more than 2,000 prisoners on indeterminate IPP (imprisonment for public protection) sentences. He said:[The] plan will include issues like returning more foreign national offenders to their country of origin, and looking at the injustice of IPP sentences, which have led to young people, or young when they were imprisoned, being imprisoned indeterminately, and that clearly is unfair.My office was in touch with the family last night [see 10.04am], and I know the justice secretary is in regular touch as well.So, we will keep close to the family through this whole process because we understand how difficult this process has been for them. Continue reading...

Critics argue US high court justice should recuse himself from upcoming fossil fuel firms' climate accountability caseThe supreme court justice Samuel Alito gained up to $2.9m from his fossil fuel interests between 2005 and 2024, a new review of financial disclosures shows.The analysis from the non-profit advocacy group and judicial watchdog Court Accountability, shared exclusively with the Guardian, found that even at the lowest range of estimates, Alito gained almost $400,000 from his oil and gas interests since being tapped for the high court by George W Bush in 2005. Continue reading...