World news | The Guardian

This blog is now closed

Pat McFadden says U-turn will change calculations, as IFS says tax rises in autumn look increasingly likely

Artist says Creative Australia's decision renews his confidence in integrity of body's selection process

Moreton Bay council agrees to supreme court injunction against evicting residents who had previously been evicted from another park

Journalist tells the podcast We Used To Be Journos she wanted to make public information uncovered by her legal team

Tesla CEO's feud with US president dominates Chinese social media, with many praising his tech-driven mindset'Few break-ups have as many gossiping observers as the fallout between the once inseparable Donald Trump and Elon Musk.The ill-fated bromance between the US president and the world's richest man, which once raised questions about American oligarchy, is now being pored over by social media users in China, many of whom are Team Musk. Continue reading...

Premier says short and sharp' review will consider whether Victoria can go even further and act faster' on any federal measures

Police allege Michael Simon Wilson is known to former childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, who was charged with more than 70 offences

Exclusive: Experts say higher figure than past estimates should be wake-up call for ministers to tackle obesityThe cost of the UK's epidemic of overweight and obesity has soared to 126bn a year, far higher than previous estimates, according to a study.The bill includes the costs of NHS care (12.6bn), the years people spend in poor health because of their weight (71.4bn) and the damage to the economy (31bn). Continue reading...

Teresa Ribera says effects of crisis are becoming increasingly obvious but not translating into proper actionPolitical cowardice is hindering European efforts to face up to the effects of the climate crisis, even as the continent is pummelled by a record-breaking heatwave, the EU's green transition chief has warned.In an interview with the Guardian, Teresa Ribera said that although the effects of the climate emergency were becoming increasingly obvious, they were still not translating into proper action. Continue reading...

Peak arts bodies urge review of decision that jeopardises institutions which are the lifeblood' of regional Australian cultural life

Review into man dubbed Australia's worst paedophile also warns of false sense of security' from working with children check

After meeting Marco Rubio at Quad gathering in Washington, foreign affairs minister says Australia could benefit from demand for critical minerals

MPs vote through welfare bill by 335 votes to 260 after rebel amendment to kill off bill defeated easily after concession over planned Pip cutsCompass, the leftwing group urging Labour to be more pluralistic, has put out a statement condemning the UC and Pip bill. Its director, Neal Lawson, said:If your own friends are telling you to put the brakes on, then something has clearly gone wrong. Despite the government's line, this legislation does not advance Labour values. It is fundamentally at odds with them, and with the views of the mainstream of the party and civil society."MPs from across the House, and especially the Labour side, must back Rachael Maskell's reasoned amendment. This bill's creation of a three-tiered social security system would condemn thousands to poverty and could lose Labour the next election.A bill of this magnitude should have been co-produced with disabled people and our organisations from the very start.Now, ministers scramble to promise consultation' as one small part of the process. That is too little, too late. Co-production is not a rushed tick-box exercise tagged onto legislation already steaming through Parliament. It means disabled people shaping the system at every step - not just commenting on the detail of changes already baked in. Continue reading...

Cases of cervical cancer among older people rising globally as research finds over-65s more likely to have HPV infections than younger womenRoutine cervical screening should be offered to women aged 65 and over as they are still at heightened risk of cancer from human papillomavirus (HPV), according to research.Despite it being a preventable disease, there were about 660,000 cases of cervical cancer and 350,000 deaths from it worldwide in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...

Final season of the smash series scores a new record for the streaming platform in the first three daysThe third and final season of the hit Korean series Squid Game has broken records to become the biggest-ever TV launch for Netflix.Over its first three days, the series racked up more than 60.1m views, a new high for the streamer, with more than 368.4m hours viewed. The second season launched with 68m views but over a four-day period last December. Continue reading...

Rebel Labour MP finally won over by late promise to shelve plans for deep cuts to personal independence payments

Emergency services minister says situation is going to worsen' overnight with damaging rain and winds

Tumultuous 24 hours capped by last-minute climbdown on cuts to Pips could define rest of Starmer's time as PM

Operations director says security absolutely critical' after Yulia Putintseva asks for man to be ejected over fears he had knifeSecurity at Wimbledon is absolutely critical", the tournament's operations director has said, after a player raised concerns about a spectator during the championship's first day.During her match on Monday, the world No 33, Yulia Putintseva, raised security concerns to the umpire about a spectator whom she described as crazy" and dangerous" and asked for them to be ejected. Continue reading...

Ryland Headley sentenced to minimum of 20 years after what is thought to be oldest cold case solved in modern English policing historyA 92-year-old man has been jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years after being convicted of the rape and murder of a woman in Bristol 58 years ago.The sentencing judge, Mr Justice Sweeting, told Ryland Headley that he would spend the rest of his life in prison for killing Louisa Dunne at her home in 1967. Continue reading...

Helen Hough says her husband was traumatised by horrific' death of patient and later killed himselfA woman whose husband killed himself amid the pressure of running a care home during the pandemic has told the Covid inquiry that staff were absolutely terrified" owing to the lack of testing in its early stages.Helen Louise Hough owned and managed a nursing home in Wrexham with her husband, Vernon, which housed up to 40 residents whom she described as like their extended family".In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

PM to make final attempt to get bill over the line with dozens of backbenchers still planning to vote against it

Jury spent more than five hours deliberating on Monday in case of music mogul charged with racketeering conspiracyThe jury in the high-profile federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean Diddy" Combs resumed deliberations on Tuesday morning, after spending more than five hours weighing the charges on Monday without reaching a verdict.Combs, 55, was arrested in September and faces five felony counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and denies all of the accusations against him. Continue reading...

Duchess of Sussex expands As Ever product line in latest foray into lifestyle brandingMeghan Markle has announced her latest foray into lifestyle branding, with the Duchess of Sussex expanding As Ever product line now set to feature a thoughtful" collection of wines.A press release on Tuesday described the first wine to become available as a light, fresh, and effortlessly celebratory 2023 Napa Valley Rose, thoughtfully curated by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex". Continue reading...

Judge orders Nottinghamshire police to pay Despine Green 24,000 for arrest and taking DNA swabPolice acted in an oppressive and unconstitutional manner" by arresting and detaining a protester for antisemitic chanting without making any inquiries as to what they allegedly said, a judge has found.Despine Green, who was 22 at the time, was handcuffed, photographed, fingerprinted, had a DNA swab taken from the inside of their cheek and an officer mentioned that a strip search might be necessary. Continue reading...

Two-week-old Brendon suffered injuries akin to falling from a high building while at special care baby unit with his parents, Bristol court toldThe parents of a two-week-old boy found in his cot at a special care baby unit with catastrophic injuries" walked out to have a cigarette as medics attempted to resuscitate him, a court has heard.Brendon Staddon had suffered a shattered skull and broken neck, his injuries so severe they were compared to those of someone who had fallen from a high building, a jury at Bristol crown court was told. Continue reading...

Temporary rules for Germany and Lithuania come as far-right activists initiate border patrolsPoland will introduce temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania from Monday amid growing tensions over irregular migration, the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, has said.The decision, made after a government meeting with the Polish border guard on Tuesday, comes in response to growing domestic political pressure and far-right backed protests at Poland's border crossings with Germany over the weekend. Continue reading...

Survey reveals only 3% of people back government's plans, with 56% wanting to limit number of life appointments

Footage of three-a-side game shows humanoids struggling to kick the ball or stay uprightThey think it's all over ... for human footballers at least.The pitch wasn't the only artificial element on display at a football match in China on Saturday. Four teams of humanoid robots took on each other in Beijing, in games of three-a-side powered by artificial intelligence. Continue reading...

Women, children and elderly people among at least 24 killed by attack that turned beach spot into scene of carnageWitnesses have described the bloody aftermath of an Israeli strike on a crowded seaside cafe in Gaza, which left at least 24 dead and many more injured on Tuesday.Al-Baqa cafe, close to the harbour in Gaza City, was almost full in the early afternoon when it was hit by a missile, immediately transforming a scene of relative calm amid the biggest urban centre in Gaza into one of carnage. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed

Supermarket reports strong growth as hot weather lifts demand for fans, shorts and swimsuits

Court considers petition by 36 senators calling for dismissal of Shinawatra for dishonesty and breaching ethical standardsThailand's constitutional court has suspended the prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, while it investigates alleged ethical violations relating to a leaked phone call.The court announced on Tuesday that it would consider a petition filed by 36 senators calling for the dismissal of the prime minister, accusing her of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards in violation of the constitution. Continue reading...

You can always find an intersection to Shakespeare's world in such situations as we have,' says translator, as Shakespeare productions boom across UkraineThe Ukrainian Shakespeare festival in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk did not open with a play. Another kind of performance was staged on the steps of the theatre, one that did not deal with sad stories of the death of kings but with tragedy unfolding in real life.This was theatre in a different sense: a rally involving several hundred people demonstrating on behalf of Ukrainian prisoners of war, thousands of whom are estimated to remain in Russian captivity. Continue reading...

Increase in stamp duty has helped weaken demand, as average price drops by 0.8% in June, says Nationwide

Less than half taking foreign languages GCSEs compared with 69% in most prosperous state schoolsMinisters must make access to language learning a national priority, experts have said, after research showed that children from more deprived areas of England are disproportionately denied the chance to learn a foreign tongue.This year's Language Trends report by the British Council surveyed 1,000 primary, secondary and independent schools and found that the proportion of pupils studying a modern language GCSE in less affluent English state schools was 38% lower than in the most affluent and 12% lower than the average. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: With its nuclear capabilities down but not out and domestic support strong, the question is where Iran goes nextGood morning. The term cakeism" - the false belief that one can simultaneously enjoy the benefits of two mutually exclusive choices - may forever be associated with the Brexit negotiations, when keeping the advantages of EU membership while also shedding its costs became the UK's official bargaining position.But the appeal of cakeism endures, and over the last week the US president's approach to the conflict with Iran has started to look distinctly gateau-shaped. Donald Trump wants the glory of a decisive victory on the battlefield but is not so keen on the long-term repercussions that come with it: tit-for-tat retaliations, unforeseeable conflict spillage, focused diplomacy, or even regime change - the kind of talk the Maga movement associates with Trump's predecessors.Welfare | Downing Street's plans to see off a major Labour welfare rebellion were in chaos on Monday night, amid continued brinkmanship between MPs and the government over the scale of the concessions. There was significant division between government departments over how to respond to rebels' demands ahead of the knife-edge vote on Tuesday.UK news | Police have formally opened a criminal investigation into comments made by Bob Vylan and Kneecap at Glastonbury after reviewing video and audio footage of the performances. Meanwhile on Monday, the BBC said that it should not have allowed chants of Death to the IDF" at Bob Vylan's performance to be broadcast.Crown Estate | King Charles is set to receive official annual income of 132m next year, after his portfolio of land and property made more than 1bn in profits thanks to a boom in the offshore wind sector.Arms trade | Britain's decision to allow the export of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel, despite accepting they could be used in breach of international humanitarian law in Gaza, was lawful, London's high court has ruled. The judges ruled that the acutely sensitive and political issue" was a matter for the executive ... not for the courts".Crime | A 92-year-old man who evaded justice for almost 60 years has been convicted of raping and murdering a woman in Bristol, after a review by a cold case police team and scientists. Officers believe the 58-year gap between the crime and the conviction may be the biggest in modern English policing history. Continue reading...

Wissam Haddad was sued by two members of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry over lectures in 2023 recorded in Bankstown

Georgian city is not shy of milking its links with the author, but actually she was not happy during her time thereThe city of Bath does not fight shy of promoting its Jane Austen connections, tempting in visitors from around the world by organising tours, balls, afternoon teas and writing and embroidery workshops inspired by the author. If you have the inclination, you can buy souvenirs ranging from Jane Austen Top Trumps to a Mr Darcy rubber duck.But in this, the 250th anniversary year of her birth, an exhibition is being launched daring to point out that in truth Austen wasn't terribly happy during the five years she lived in the city. Continue reading...

Fellow Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May say Geldoff told Mercury: Just play the hits - you have 17 minutes'Freddie Mercury's performance with Queen at Live Aid in 1985 is often seen as the crowning glory of one of the greatest showmen the world has ever seen.But he still needed some very clear instructions from Bob Geldof, the festival's organiser, before going out on stage. Don't get clever," the Boomtown Rats frontman told him, according to fellow Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May. Just play the hits - you have 17 minutes." Continue reading...

Families report horrific' conditions in jails and fear executions may be hastened as part of broader crackdownLife for Reza Khandan has only got worse since Tehran's Evin prison, where he was an inmate, was hit by an Israeli airstrike on 23 June. The next night, the 60-year-old human rights activist - who was arrested in 2024 for his support of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement - was moved to another jail in the south of the capital, where he has told family conditions are hard to endure.My father and others do not have beds and are forced to sleep on the floor. He once found six or seven bedbugs in his blanket when he woke up," said his daughter Mehraveh Khandan, who described horrific" sanitary conditions in the prison. Continue reading...

Health ombudsman says number of last-resort investigations into care in England up two-thirds in four yearsThe NHS has repeatedly failed in its diagnosis and care of stroke patients, England's health ombudsman has said.According to the World Stroke Association, more than 12 million people worldwide will have their first stroke this year and 6.5 million will die as a result. Strokes are one of the UK's biggest killers, causing about 34,000 deaths a year, and the single biggest cause of severe disability. Continue reading...

Victoria police allege Point Cook man Joshua Brown sexually assaulted infants and children in his care at a western suburbs childcare centre

Tesla CEO also threatened forming an America Party' if the bill, which would increase US deficit to $3.3tn, is passedElon Musk has vowed to unseat lawmakers who support Donald Trump's sweeping budget bill, which he has criticized because it would increase the country's deficit by $3.3tn.Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth," he wrote on his social media platform, X. Continue reading...

The Oscar winner will appear alongside Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough when they play the same character at different ages in Tracy Letts' play Mary Page MarloweSusan Sarandon is to make her UK theatre debut alongside Andrea Riseborough, when the pair portray the same woman at different ages, in Tracy Letts' drama Mary Page Marlowe.The play will be staged this autumn at the Old Vic in London by Matthew Warchus, in his final season as artistic director. Several actors portray the title character, which is described as a time-jumping mosaic" spanning 70 years in the life of an accountant and mother of two in Ohio. Continue reading...

Survey reveals 69% of women have seen or experienced sexual harassment, domestic abuse, violence, stalking or other offencesA majority of women have direct experience of violence or harassment, or know someone who has suffered it, in the last year, a poll has found.The poll finds little faith in the police or government to stem the tide of male violence, and most believe the problem has got worse. Continue reading...

Twelve-member jury in New York starts to deliberate following closing arguments from both sidesAfter seven weeks of testimony from more than 30 witnesses, jurors in the high-profile federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean Diddy" Combs have begun deliberations, but ended their day with no verdict.The 12-member jury -made up of eight men and four women-began deliberating on Monday, following closing arguments from both sides that concluded on Friday and lengthy instructions from the judge. Continue reading...

Dealing with very serious blazes means fire and rescue service has limited ability to respond to other emergenciesFirefighters battled wildfires in the Scottish Highlands for a third day on Monday in a situation the first minister has called extremely serious".The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA), which has helped tackle the blazes, warned the fires are becoming a danger to human life" that are leaving stretched" firefighters unable to attend other incidents. Continue reading...

Palace accounts show Treasury finding to remain at 86.3m, while duchy of Cornwall will waive some charity rentsThe royal family's private royal train" will be decommissioned as part of King Charles's drive to modernise the monarchy and reduce costs.The train has been used to transport members of the royal family around Britain's railway network since 1840, but it has become increasingly costly to maintain and store. Rolling stock from the 1980s would need to be updated for modern railway networks, and two new more fuel-efficient helicopters offer a suitable alternative. Continue reading...