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David Buttress, former CEO of takeaway delivery app, to assist in developing schemes that help people struggling with rising prices

Witnesses at Monday hearing describe devastation from 2018 attack in which Alek Minassian ploughed rented van into sidewalkA self-described “incel” who killed 11 people when he plowed a rented van into a busy Toronto sidewalk in 2018 has been sentenced to life in prison.Alek Minassian – who was motivated by a hatred of women – was convicted in March of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder, after a judge found that he drove a white rental van on to the sidewalk with the intent to kill. Continue reading...

With fish and cooking oil prices soaring and consumers spending less, industry is facing a big challenge“If I were a panicker, I’d be very scared.” Andrew Crook is putting on a brave face but he’s worried. The owner of Skippers of Euxton, a fish and chip shop near Chorley in Lancashire, has already had to put his prices up four times this year, and he fears yet another increase is just around the corner as he battles a tidal wave of rising costs and pressures.The UK’s fish and chip industry is facing its biggest challenge in its 160-year history, according to Crook, who speaks for the nation’s beloved chippies as president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF). Continue reading...

Thameslink operator’s board unanimously recommends consortium’s bid to shareholdersOne of Britain’s biggest transport companies, the Go-Ahead Group, has accepted a £650m takeover bid from a consortium of the Australian bus operator Kinetic and the infrastructure specialists Globalvia.Go-Ahead, a leading provider of UK bus services and the operator of the UK’s biggest commuter rail network, Govia Thameslink Railway, said its board unanimously recommended the offer to shareholders, after receiving two approaches from buyers. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Hesta rejects accusation it was trying to link brand to School Strike 4 Climate group, but says it pulled the ad after hearing concerns

The minister for early childhood education and youth says filling an ‘urgent need’ for families is as much about productivity as it is about gender equity

Penny Wong says dialogue is in the interests of both countries but government will ‘always stand up for Australia’s values’

Collin Reeves tells court security light flashing on reminded him of war zone flares and he could not remember attacking coupleA former commando who stabbed his neighbours to death after a long-running parking dispute has claimed his military training kicked in when a bright white security light flashed on, reminding him of flares in a war zone.Collin Reeves told a murder jury he dived on to his front, instinctively taking cover, and accepted that he must then have gone into the home of Jennifer and Stephen Chapple and killed them with his ceremonial commando dagger, though he insisted he could not remember the actual attack. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy adviser says far more hardware is needed to reach ‘heavy weapons parity’ with Russia and drive out its forces

Analysis: Ruling bucks trend for wealthy individuals to suppress public interest reporting via courtsThe decision by a high court judge to dismiss a libel claim brought against the Observer and Guardian journalist Carole Cadwalladr by the multimillionaire Brexit backer Arron Banks is a timely shot in the arm for public interest journalism.Concerns have long been mounting that the legal landscape in England and Wales places excessive restrictions on reporting, with London – where the high court is situated – often described as the libel capital of the world. Continue reading...

Move could add to Europe’s travel problems, although airline does not expect widespread disruptionCabin crew working for Ryanair in Spain have voted to hold six days of strikes at the end of June and early July, potentially adding to the disruption affecting air travel across Europe.The Spanish-based staff in the USO and SITCPLA unions will walk out for two three-day strikes from 24 June to 26 June and 30 June to 2 July. Continue reading...

Composer penned a letter read out at the final performance, praising ‘superb’ team but prompting criticism from some audience membersA letter from Andrew Lloyd Webber, read on stage at the closing night of Cinderella, suggested that opening his new musical during the pandemic “might have been a costly mistake”.The musical finished its run at the Gillian Lynne theatre in London on Sunday after heavy criticism for the way in which some of its workforce had learned of its closure on social media. Boos could be heard in the audience when Lord Lloyd-Webber’s letter was read out by the show’s director, Laurence Connor. In the letter, the composer praised a “fabulous cast, crew and musicians” and “the superb creative team” and repeated his previous assertion that he had “kept the government’s feet to the flame” during the Covid crisis in which the theatre industry weathered shutdowns, restricted capacities and severe financial difficulties. Continue reading...

Michelle Bachelet has been strongly criticised since her visit to Uyghur minority region of XinjiangThe United Nations’ human rights chief has signalled her intention to step down, amid weeks of speculation following her recent China trip that drew fierce criticism from activists and western politicians.Michelle Bachelet, who assumed the office of the UN high commissioner for human rights in 2018, said on Monday she would not seek a second term in office. “As my term as high commissioner draws to a close, this council’s milestone 50th session will be the last which I brief,” she said. Continue reading...

Strategy described as ‘missed opportunity’ as final wording merely commits to ‘considering’ animal welfareAnimal welfare campaigners, food policy experts and farmers have reacted with fury after the government watered down post-Brexit trade deal standards in its food strategy, released on Monday.In a version of the strategy leaked to the Guardian on Friday, the government committed to making it easier for countries to import goods if they have high animal welfare standards. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sir Michael Marmot criticises focus on personal responsibility over official actionThe focus on personal responsibility rather than official action in the government’s national food strategy is unlikely to tackle the UK’s obesity crisis, a leading authority on public health has said.Sir Michael Marmot, who has led pioneering research into health disparities, said the approach was not supported by evidence, and that he was disappointed the strategy had dropped many of the recommendations of Henry Dimbleby, the government’s lead adviser on food. Continue reading...

Figure for 12 June marks biggest uptick yet in cases, with UKHSA stressing anyone can get virusThe number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in England has risen by 104, official figures reveal, the largest reported increase so far.According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the new cases bring the total identified in the UK, as of 12 June, to 470, with 452 in England, 12 in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and four in Wales. Continue reading...

Police working to identify deceased, believed to be male, after being called to incident in Belvue ParkA police investigation has been launched after the body of a man was found on fire in a suburban park in west London.Police were called to Belvue Park in Northolt just after 4.37am on Monday by the London fire brigade following calls from the public. Continue reading...

Families reach ‘significant’ settlement over British army killings of nine people in Belfast in 1971The relatives of nine people killed by the British army in the Ballymurphy neighbourhood of Belfast in 1971 are to receive significant damages.Disclosure of the settlement at the Belfast high court on Monday follows a 51-year quest for truth and justice by families who lost loved ones during a blood-soaked army operation at the height of Northern Ireland’s Troubles. Continue reading...

Judge says doctors at London hospital can lawfully stop treating boy, who had accident at home in AprilA judge has ruled that a 12-year-old boy with catastrophic brain damage is dead and that his treatment could stop.Archie Battersbee has not regained consciousness since an accident at his home on 7 April, when he was discovered with a ligature over his head. Continue reading...

It is alleged girl was playing with friends when she was dragged into deeper water and attacked last JulyAn 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of raping a teenage girl in the sea off Bournemouth beach last summer.The 15-year-old girl was playing in the sea with friends when she was allegedly dragged into deeper water and attacked at about 4pm on 18 July 2021. Continue reading...

President’s Ensemble alliance is projected to take 25.2% of the vote with Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s Nupes slightly ahead on 25.6%Emmanuel Macron’s centrist grouping was neck and neck with a new leftwing alliance led by the hard-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the vote share of the first round of parliamentary elections.A frantic final week of campaigning will begin on Monday before the second round, as Macron’s centrists still hope to edge ahead but face uncertainty over whether they can win a crucial majority of seats in parliament. Continue reading...

Retailers accused of profiteering amid concerns they have not passed on recent cut to fuel dutyThe increase in petrol prices could “grind to a halt” this week – despite the fuel reaching a record 185p a litre over the weekend – as wholesale prices fall.The price of petrol reached 185.04p for the first time on Sunday, while diesel reached a record of 191.03p on Saturday. Continue reading...

Duke of York will not take part in ceremonious Garter Day walk from Windsor Castle to St George’s chapelThe Duke of York will not take part in the traditional Garter Day procession at Windsor Castle after a “family decision”, which will keep him once more from public view.While Prince Andrew, as a garter knight, will attend the investiture of new members of the ancient order of chivalry, and the annual lunch, he will not walk with others from Windsor Castle down to St George’s chapel, it has been confirmed. Continue reading...

Trees and grass are emitting more pollen than usual, scientists say – and it’s likely to stay that way in the coming yearsFirst, he had the symptoms. Then he saw the yellow fog. A thin layer of gold-coloured dust coated the patio furniture, the patio, his children’s swing set – everything in the garden of Ubaka Ogbogu’s home in the Canadian city of Edmonton.“The mist was everywhere. Even my kids – who are not typically observant about these things – remarked about this yellow everywhere,” he said. Continue reading...

Barcelona exhibition to showcase tattoo art from Japan and Polynesia to Thailand and Los AngelesAfter decades of negative associations with marginal or even criminal lifestyles, tattoos are having a cultural revival in the west. But for centuries, they were a mark of prestige in the east and among the peoples of the Pacific.Now the history of this ancient art is on display in the exhibition Tattoo: Art Under the Skin at the CaixaForum in Barcelona. Continue reading...

Email sent to all reporters states ‘our newsroom has become the story’ but editor Bevan Shields insists ‘we are a great masthead’

Labour leader says allegations are not a surprise and he is ‘absolutely confident’ he has not broken rulesKeir Starmer is being investigated by parliament’s standards commissioner over alleged breaches of the rules on declaring financial interests.The inquiry into the claim against the Labour leader was opened last week, and relates to earnings and gifts, benefits or hospitality from UK sources. Continue reading...

Move to unilaterally amend post-Brexit protocol could prove ‘deeply damaging’, says Irish foreign minister

Europe’s largest paper packaging producer hit by blaze in which 8,000 tonnes of cardboard caught fireSmurfit Kappa has resumed some operations at a packaging plant in central England after a large fire ripped through the facility overnight, according to the local fire service.West Midlands Fire Service said more than 100 firefighters from across the region around Birmingham had made progress containing the blaze that they were alerted to on Sunday evening. It said there were no reports of any casualties. Continue reading...

Singer-songwriter says he has had six months of treatment involving ‘chemo, radiation and surgery’Country music star Toby Keith has announced he is being treated for stomach cancer.In a statement on social media, he wrote: “Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.” Continue reading...

Police ‘stonewalled’ questions from podcast host Hedley Thomas on Lynette Dawson case until Ben Fordham intervened, judgement reveals

Airport says it is proud of its service and no more flights were cancelled at short notice than on a typical dayHeathrow has insisted its check-in process “generally worked well” in May” despite chaos at UK airports during the half-term holidays, after recording its busiest month since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.The UK’s biggest airport said on Monday that with more air travellers checking-in online, 90% of passengers went through security in less than 10 minutes in May. Continue reading...

Wife Sharon Osbourne announces procedure, as rock star continues to experience difficulties after 2019 fallOzzy Osbourne is to undergo major surgery that is “really going to determine the rest of his life”, according to his wife Sharon Osbourne.Speaking on Talk TV, Osbourne said she was travelling to Los Angeles to support her 73-year-old husband, who has suffered mobility issues as well as a form of Parkinson’s in recent years. Continue reading...

Chance of blackouts in Queensland tonight as NSW faces energy supply issues on Tuesday; weather alerts for WA, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania; nation records at least 11 Covid deaths with ACT yet to report. Follow the latest news

Cluster comes week after city eased restrictions, raising fresh concerns over ‘zero Covid’ policy and economyAuthorities in Beijing are racing to contain a Covid-19 outbreak traced to a 24-hour bar known for cheap liquor and big crowds, with millions of people facing mandatory testing and thousands under targeted lockdowns.The outbreak of nearly 200 cases linked to the Heaven Supermarket bar, which had just reopened as curbs in the Chinese capital eased last week, highlights how difficult it will be for China to make a success of its “zero Covid” policy as much of the rest of the world tries to live with the virus. Continue reading...

Under NSW proposal, buyers will reportedly be able to choose to pay an annual land tax instead of a lump sum on purchase

Newtown property where three died in a fire is listed for sale but Inner West council says Albert Wong did not make it safe for public

Annual photography festival takes over Madrid with exhibitions displaying work of hundreds of photographersPhotoEspaña is celebrating its 25th anniversary with 118 exhibitions in Madrid and participating cities, featuring the work of 268 photographers and visual artists until 28 August.From Sculpting Reality: above, New York, c1940, by Helen Levitt; right, The San Trance Dance, 1959, by Jürgen Schadeberg. Far right, Rodeo Drive, 1984, by Anthony Hernandez. Continue reading...

Children’s and refugees charities raise concerns after detention of three children misjudged as adults in offshoring programmeConcerns are mounting that children wrongly assessed as adults by the Home Office could end up being offshored to Rwanda.The Guardian understands that three age-disputed children who the Home Office declared to be adults and detained in preparation for offshoring to Rwanda have now been released. It is understood that concerns have been raised about whether at least three more detainees threatened with removal to the east African country are children rather than adults. Continue reading...

Winds of up to 150km/h have battered Tasmania, with the wild weather leaving thousands without power

Research was funded by Boohoo amid effort to clean up sector after complaints about supply chain practicesMore than half of the Leicester garment workers involved in a new study say they are paid below the minimum wage and receive no holiday pay, almost two years on from revelations about poor standards in the city’s factories.The study was commissioned by a new body, the Garment and Textile Workers Trust, which is funded by online fashion retailer Boohoo, as part of efforts to clean up its act after revelations about poor practice in the group’s Leicester supply chain. Continue reading...

Myth of affordable housing believed by all age groups, but split likely as young and old move further apart physicallyAlmost half all UK adults believe the collapse in home-buying among young people is caused by them spending too much on takeaway food and coffees, mobile phones, holidays and Netflix, a study on generational divides has shown.The research by academics at King’s College London found that while such opinions often crossed age bands, the increasing tendency for younger people to live in cities and older ones elsewhere risked exacerbating splits between age bands. Continue reading...

Analysis shows average nursery fees for children under two have risen by £185 month since Tories took officeThe cost of childcare has soared over the past decade and is now more than £2,000 a year higher than it was in 2010, according to analysis from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).As people in the UK struggle with the cost of living crisis, parents face some of the highest childcare costs among leading economies, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Continue reading...

Exclusive: some who worked on pandemic frontline may have to sell their house after claims rejectedDoctors who worked on the frontline during the pandemic and have been left with long Covid say they have been denied financial support by the UK government, with some left with little option but to sell their house.Months or even years after an initial Covid infection some people continue to have symptoms, from fatigue to brain fog. According to the Office for National Statistics, as of 1 May an estimated 2 million people in the UK reported having long Covid, as the condition is known. Continue reading...

Analysis: the ex-prime minister is eager to exploit the weakness in the fraying coalition that replaced himOn 13 June 2021, Benjamin Netanyahu made his final address to the Knesset as prime minister. In a proud and bitter half-hour speech, he recounted his successes during 12 years in power and warned of existential threats facing Israel under the incoming coalition government. He also stressed that his conservative Likud party would be back in office soon.“I will lead you in a daily battle against this bad, dangerous, leftwing government to topple it,” Netanyahu cried, amid heckling and jeers from the plenum. “With God’s help, that will happen much sooner than you think.” Continue reading...

Curators who left the UK after the referendum took with them experience that is reshaping their cities’ art scenesOne of the things Stephanie Rosenthal acquired during her 10-year stint in London’s gallery world is an appreciation of the British art of queueing with a smile on your face.After the German art historian quit her job as chief curator at the Hayward Gallery in the wake of Britain’s referendum on leaving the European Union, she exported her specialist skills back to her country of birth. Continue reading...

Broadway transfers of West End shows were out in front at this year’s celebration of the best of New York theatreBroadway transfers of West End adaptations of The Lehman Trilogy and Company have dominated this year’s Tony awards, which were seen as a return to relative normal after Covid-impacted ceremonies.It was a big night for British talent in New York, with the Broadway transfer of The Lehman Trilogy winning best play, best director and best actor in a play. “This play was written as a hymn to the city of New York but, like the Lehman brothers themselves, our show started thousands of miles away,” said playwright Ben Power, who adapted the show from Italian novelist and playwright Stefano Massini. His version made its debut at London’s National Theatre in 2018. Continue reading...

Clothing and backpack belonging to the missing British journalist and Indigenous expert found by small but determined search team

Warramunga man’s elevation to bench hailed as ‘important step in a much longer process’ in Queensland