World news | The Guardian

Met police called to help enforcement officers get past crowd of demonstrators after Nigerian man detained for overstaying visaA man arrested for immigration offences was released on bail after protesters gathered in south-east London on Saturday for hours to block a van he was being transported in from leaving.

Jakub Szymanski was attacked during a domestic incident in Miles Platting, reportedly as he attempted to protect his motherA 15-year-old boy who died after he was stabbed in Miles Platting has been named by Greater Manchester police as Jakub Szymanski.A 44-year-old man was arrested in Kent on Friday night on suspicion of murder after the teenage boy was stabbed to death and his mother was injured at a Manchester home, police confirmed. Continue reading...

Defence secretary says US does not support Taiwan independence, which China says would prompt it to take island backThe US has warned of “especially stark” stakes in the Taiwan Strait if the status quo was unilaterally altered, as China reiterated its resolve to take the island back if it declares independence.Speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington does not support Taiwan independence, and the Joe Biden administration “categorically” opposes any change of the status quo. Continue reading...

Sir Lindsay Hoyle unveils plans to ‘break the taboo’, and agrees to sign the Menopause Workplace PledgeThe House of Commons is to become a “menopause-friendly” employer, with Sir Lindsay Hoyle unveiling plans to “break the taboo” and offer practical adjustments for those affected.The Commons Speaker will sign the Wellbeing of Women charity’s Menopause Workplace Pledge, which will commit the House of Commons Service to supporting employees going through the menopause. Continue reading...

Transport secretary says Covid has ‘changed travel habits’ but Aslef cites data showing use above 90% of pre-pandemic levelsRail unions have dismissed the government’s claim that big savings are needed because of a permanent decline in use since the pandemic, citing official data that showed demand creeping above 90% of pre-pandemic levels during some days late last month.Aslef, the train drivers’ union, is demanding a meeting with transport secretary Grant Shapps to discuss the future of the industry, stating that ministers are opting for “grandstanding” over an acceptable, gradual plan to modernising the railways. Continue reading...

Tory tensions high over risk of illegality in imminent bill to improve trade between Northern Ireland and rest of UKBoris Johnson is being warned that he will repeat the mistakes of Partygate by backing “rule-breaking over the rule of law”, when he publishes plans on Monday that are expected to prompt a new Tory rebellion over Brexit.Frantic legal and political negotiations have been taking place this week among Johnson, his cabinet and MPs in advance of the government’s bill designed to improve trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The legislation will be published on Monday. Continue reading...

Babis Anagnostopoulos claims he is living in fear from those he initially blamed for Caroline Crouch’s deathThe Greek helicopter pilot given a life sentence for the brutal murder of his British wife in Athens last year claims to be living in fear of those he initially blamed for the crime.Weeks after being found guilty of suffocating Caroline Crouch, Babis Anagnostopoulos has said his own life is in danger because he has become the target of a “contract killing”. Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been pushing for rapid admission, and says the decision will determine the future of Europe

Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips went missing in the western Amazon, but the search has been called inefficientIndigenous leaders in the area where a British journalist and Brazilian explorer went missing last Sunday have expressed increasing frustration at the lack of coordination in the search for the two men.Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips, a longtime contributor to the Guardian, were last seen on Sunday morning while traveling by boat on the Itaquaí River in the western Amazon. Continue reading...

Campaigners decry failure to extend free meals and budget of £250 per state school to teach healthy eatingThe government’s new food strategy offers a “paltry” budget of £250 for each English state school to teach healthy eating, and ignores most of Henry Dimbleby’s plans to improve child nutrition, campaigners say.They say that with children being fed microwaved and cold meals by schools struggling with the cost of living crisis, a stronger response is needed. Continue reading...

Shaun Pinner’s loved ones ‘devastated’ after he received verdict alongside Aiden Aslin in what UK calls a ‘sham’ sentence

Postal Museum show celebrates the Queen singer’s youthful passion for philatelyAll Queen fans know how much Freddie Mercury liked to ride his bicycle but fewer are aware of the flamboyant frontman’s other great childhood hobby: collecting stamps.Now, for the first time, the Postal Museum is to put one of Mercury’s “priceless” collector’s albums on show – its value enhanced by the fact that it is one of the late rock star’s rare personal possessions in museum ownership. Continue reading...

More than 2,400 barristers in England and Wales to be balloted amid warnings of crisis in justice systemBarristers are to be balloted this weekend on escalating industrial action over legal aid rates as figures reveal the number of crown court cases adjourned because of a shortage of lawyers has increased nearly fivefold over the decade.The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) is balloting more than 2,400 criminal barristers in England and Wales on options for action, including refusing new defence instructions and possible walkouts. A vote for further action is likely to increase the backlog of 58,271 cases in the crown courts. Continue reading...

Community health workers, cab drivers, couriers and van drivers are ‘paying to go to work’The record increase in fuel prices could spark a mass exodus of staff who rely on their vehicles for work, trade unions and drivers have warned.On Thursday, the price of a litre of unleaded petrol hit 182.31p, meaning the cost of filling an average family car hit £100 for the first time. Some employees who need to drive for their jobs are spending as much as £350 a week on fuel and others are “paying to go to work”. Continue reading...

UAE has become haven for superyachts, private jets and ‘dirty money’ since invasion of Ukraine, but has taken no actionCampaigners and politicians are calling for the United Arab Emirates to be blacklisted over its failures to combat the flow of “dirty money” and to enforce sanctions imposed on Russian oligarchs.The Gulf state has emerged as a key refuge for the Russian super-rich fleeing the impact of global sanctions, with private jets and superyachts linked to oligarchs heading to the UAE after the invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Tap & Run in Nottinghamshire, of which Broad is a co-owner, has closed after damage to the roofA pub part-owned by the England cricketer Stuart Broad has had to close after being badly damaged by a “significant fire”.Firefighters were called to the award-winning Tap & Run country pub in Upper Broughton, halfway between Nottingham and Melton Mowbray, at about 3.20am on Saturday. The blaze left the first floor and roof of the pub, co-owned by Broad and former cricketer Harry Gurney, destroyed. Continue reading...

After the half-term travel chaos, stranded families are refused redress while many online applications are left unresolvedSome of the thousands of people whose flights were cancelled or delayed during the half-term travel chaos have been told they will receive no compensation, leading to calls for a change to the way passengers are reimbursed ahead of what looks to be a chaotic summer for airlines.Others have spoken of claims being lost and having to resubmit forms as many as seven times, while passengers caught up in earlier disruption said they have waited months for airlines to talk to them. Continue reading...

One runway closed after ‘operational disruption’ on Friday afternoon and evening, but has now reopenedFlights at East Midlands airport were diverted and a runaway was closed on Friday night after drones were sighted nearby.Eight services were diverted on Friday evening, after disruption earlier that day as passenger flights were rerouted to other airports. Drones had previously been spotted on Friday afternoon near Donington Park in Leicestershire, about one mile (1.6km) from the airport, where the three-day Download festival is taking place. Continue reading...

US president says there was ‘no doubt’ Putin was planning to ‘go in’, while former British army head says leaders have no long-term plan

Heather Wheeler reportedly said she had been ‘at a conference in Blackpool or Birmingham or somewhere godawful’A Tory minister has been forced to apologise for describing Birmingham and Blackpool as “godawful”.Speaking at the launch of the government’s new digital strategy on Thursday, Heather Wheeler, a junior minister in the Cabinet Office, was reported to have said: “I was just at a conference in Blackpool or Birmingham or somewhere godawful.” Continue reading...

Health secretary says service has enough resources but admits waiting lists will grow before they shrinkThe NHS needs reform rather than more money, the health secretary has said, while admitting that record-high waiting lists will continue to rise before they fall.Sajid Javid said the health service already had the resources it needed and did not require more to care for patients effectively. “The NHS now has locked in the resources it needs. It doesn’t need any more money. What it needs to deliver for more people is not money. It needs reform,” he said. Continue reading...

Ministers intervene to stop interest rate in England and Wales reaching 12% with inflation by SeptemberMinisters have intervened to reduce a sharp rise in interest rates charged on student loans, after the recent increase in inflation which meant rates would treble for many graduates by the autumn.The Department for Education said the maximum rate from September is to be fixed at 7.3% rather than the 12% it would have reached by September, based on earlier inflation figures plus 3%. Continue reading...

Many in the opposition fear their leader is not sufficiently punishing the government’s weaknessAt Tuesday’s shadow cabinet meeting, less than 24 hours after Boris Johnson’s humiliating confidence vote, Keir Starmer gave his troops what one called “a bit of cold reality” about how much work remains to be done in developing Labour’s policies and message in the months ahead.Many could not agree more. Conversations with shadow cabinet members, party aides and other senior Labour figures this week revealed deep disquiet about whether Starmer and his team are ready to capitalise on the Tories’ weakness. Continue reading...

Footage shows man striking and dragging woman outside after she pushes him awayEight people have been arrested over a vicious attack on a group of women at a restaurant in China, police said on Saturday, in a case that has prompted outrage over predatory sexual behaviour.Footage of the incident widely circulated online shows a man placing his hand on a woman’s back as she shares a meal with two companions at a barbecue restaurant in northern China’s Hebei province. Continue reading...

French defence minister welcomes Australia’s payment to Naval Group over submarine cancellation; 70 Covid deaths across the country. This blog is now closed

Parents and teachers say some students predicted to gain A* grades are being rejected after a surge in applicationsThe first post-Covid cohort of school leavers face a summer of uncertainty that “threatens to hold back a generation”, as students compete for fewer places on popular university courses.After A-level grade inflation during the pandemic forced universities to take on more students, institutions are now retrenching in popular subjects despite a surge in applications. Continue reading...

The actor has been coy about returning to movies after his blockbuster defamation case – but PR moves are being madeJohnny Depp can probably thank his lawyers and PR for suddenly having a shot at a dramatic public image resurrection, but the question remains whether Hollywood will soon restore him to the big screen he used to dominate.In the wake of his dramatic win in the defamation case against his ex-wife and fellow star Amber Heard – though Heard herself also won on one count against her former husband’s agent – speculation is now rife that Depp may go back to movies, despite his own claims that he has no interest in returning to the franchise blockbusters that supplied his fortune. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese pledges to reset Australia’s strained relationship with France after settling cancelled contract with Naval Group

Richard Marles outlines vision of economic cooperation and military deterrence but warns lack of transparency can upset balance

Prices have spiralled out control since invasion of Ukraine as market struggles to adaptEldar Gadzhiev’s heart sank when he heard the sputtering from the engine of his Skoda one day in April. Gadzhiev, who owns a fleet of four cars that he leases as taxicabs in Moscow, knew it was a terrible and expensive time for a breakdown.Prices for spare parts, if you even could find them, had spiralled out of control since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine two months earlier. “I understood that I was in a bad situation,” he said. “I thought: the repairs are going to cost as much as the car.” Continue reading...

Surge in incidents comes as the cost of filling a family car passes £100 for the first timeRising petrol prices have led to an increase in the number of drivers trying to drive off without paying, with forecourts facing up to three attempted thefts a day on average, figures from industry experts show.As the cost of filling up has soared in recent weeks, so has the number of incidents where motorists have either driven away without paying or claimed to have no means of payment. Continue reading...

State to work with federal government on $1bn upgrade that could slash travel time between Sydney and Gosford to 25 minutes

Australian research shows six in 10 have sought professional help for their mental health

Court finds rightwinger defied constitution during chaotic exit of Evo Morales, from whom she took over presidencyA Bolivian court has found former president Jeanine Áñez guilty of orchestrating a coup that brought her to power during a 2019 political crisis.She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Continue reading...

‘Poison in every puff’ message proposed amid government concern photo warnings on tobacco packages have lost impactCanada is poised to become the first country in the world to require that a warning be printed on every cigarette.The move builds on Canada’s mandate to include graphic photo warnings on tobacco products’ packaging, a policy that started an international trend when it was introduced two decades ago. Continue reading...

Indigenous funeral fund creditors told of preliminary investigations into whether payments to founder’s company were illegal

Cholera warning as Russia accused of razing high-rises in Mariupol without removing bodies; Serbia rejects call to impose Russia sanctions; fighting rages in Sievierodonetsk

This blog is closed. You can catch up on the week in Ukraine here. Live coverage will resume later.The UK’s foreign secretary Liz Truss will raise the case of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, the two British men sentenced to death by a pro-Russian court in occupied Ukraine, when she speaks to Ukraine’s foreign secretary Dmytro Kuleba later today, PA Media reports.Truss has already called it a “sham judgement” and insisted it has “absolutely no legitimacy”. Continue reading...

Man arrested in Kent after teenager was killed and his mother injured on Thursday nightA 44-year-old man has been arrested in Kent on suspicion of murder after a teenage boy was stabbed to death and his mother was injured at a Manchester home, Greater Manchester police said.Police said the man, from Manchester, is believed to be known to the victims. Officers were called by colleagues from North West ambulance service at about 9.30pm on Thursday after the domestic incident in Miles Platting. Continue reading...

Popstar posted video showing inability to move his face muscles due to Ramsay Hunt syndromeJustin Bieber has cancelled a series of shows on his latest tour after a virus caused “full paralysis” on one side of his face.The Canadian popstar said he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome after a virus had damaged the nerves in his ear. He said he was suffering a “pretty serious” case in a video he posted to his Instagram page. Continue reading...

Source says Prince of Wales was ‘more than disappointed’ with deportation plansPrince Charles has privately criticised the government’s policy of deporting migrants to Rwanda, calling the practice “appalling”.The heir to the throne has been heard opposing the policy behind closed doors, a source has told the Times and the Daily Mail. Continue reading...

Heather Wheeler, a minister in the Cabinet Office, made comments at technology event in LondonA UK government minister has apologised after calling England’s second city and one of the country’s best-known seaside resorts as “godawful”.Heather Wheeler referred to Birmingham and Blackpool during a launch of the government’s new digital strategy on Thursday. According to Chris Middleton, a technology journalist who was at the launch, the junior minister in the Cabinet Office said: “I was just at a conference in Blackpool or Birmingham or somewhere godawful.” Continue reading...

Federal ministers Mark Butler and Anika Wells warn providers with low vaccination rates will have to explain themselves

New party hopes to win up to 10 seats in November’s state election, but political insiders and observers have doubts

Minister say he’s not aware of any specific allegations but ‘would not tolerate’ inappropriate behaviour

A lot has changed since the fraught trans-Tasman exchanges of the Morrison government with the two countries now hitting reset

Gas shortages, reported delays to major projects and coal-fired power woes are among the gifts handed to the new energy minister

Almost 99% of people infected are men and the average age is 38 according to UK Health Security Agency dataFour-fifths of the people in England who have been infected with monkeypox live in London, an investigation by the UK Health Security Agency has found.Of the cases interviewed, 99% of those infected are men and their average age is 38, the agency added after analysing 336 of the 366 confirmed cases found in the UK since the outbreak began last month. Continue reading...

After nine years on the run in Spain, Panitzke has been jailed for eight years for her ‘pivotal role’ in a £1bn mobile phone tax scamA woman once described as “one of Britain’s most-wanted” fugitives has been jailed for eight years for her part in a £1bn money laundering scam.Sarah Panitzke spent nine years on the run when she fled during her trial in May 2013 for a £1bn mobile phone tax scam. She became the only woman on the National Crime Agency’s list of most-wanted fugitives after fleeing the country to Spain. Continue reading...