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Suspects suspended from senior posts at firm providing digital services for all of British law enforcementTwo senior leaders of the Police Digital Service (PDS) have been arrested on suspicion of fraud and bribery and suspended from their posts.The company provides digital services for all of British law enforcement and has an annual turnover of more than 70m. It is owned by police and crime commissioners and funded by the Home Office and police forces. Continue reading...

Family members and eyewitnesses say they had to dig in mud to find survivors and some of the more than 120 killedRelatives of victims of the deadly crowd crush during a Hindu religious gathering in northern India have accused the authorities of leaving their loved ones to die in the mud and on hospital floors due to a lack of medical staff and ambulances.More than 120 people died at the religious gathering of about 250,000 people held on Tuesday as devotees surged forward, causing panic, with many falling over in the wet conditions. Continue reading...

Mediators including Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying for months to secure a ceasefire and the release of 120 remaining hostages

Digital campaigning gets round media blackout rule restricting broadcasters' coverage while polls are open

Virginia McCullough, 36, poisoned father, John, 70, with prescription medication and stabbed mother, Lois, 71A woman has pleaded guilty to murdering her parents after their bodies were found at the family home last year.Virginia McCullough, 36, appeared by prison video link before Chelmsford crown court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to murdering Lois McCullough, 71, and John McCullough, 70, between 17 and 20 June 2019. Continue reading...

Diplomat urged to explain gesture by Turkey footballer Merih Demiral and take measures to prevent a repeatTurkey's ambassador to Germany has been summoned to the foreign ministry in Berlin over the rightwing extremist wolf salute" displayed by the Turkish footballer Merih Demiral, as his goal celebration at the European Championship became the subject of diplomatic exchange.Ahmet Baar en was urged to explain the gesture and take measures to prevent its further use, a ministry spokesperson said, the day after Germany's ambassador to Turkey was summoned to the foreign ministry in Ankara as Turkey's government accused Berlin of xenophobia" over its criticism of the symbol associated with the Grey Wolves group. Continue reading...

Gabriel Attal said candidate Prisca Thevenot and members of her campaign team were attacked by four individualsThe Ecologists' Marine Tondelier has criticised the far right National Rally's Jordan Bardella, arguing that his party is allowing some candidates who made racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic comments to remain on the ballot.The French prosecutor's office said it opened an investigation into an assault with a weapon against a public official, after government spokesperson and candidate Prisca Thevenot and her team were attacked yesterday, the Associated Press reported. Continue reading...

Angelica Liddell, who describes herself as an irresponsible artist', read out a bad review by Stephane Capron and called him a bastard'A Spanish theatre-maker is being sued for defamation by a French theatre critic after she read out one of his reviews on stage, flashed her bare bottom at the audience and called him a bastard".In a stunt that has sparked a debate about the limits of artistic freedom in politically divisive times, Angelica Liddell, a director and performer, read out a list of negative reviews of her past work from French critics, many of whom were in attendance at her opening show of the Avignon performing arts festival on Saturday. Continue reading...

Newcastle surgeons remove Archie Routledge's pancreas while transplanting insulin-producing cells into his liverA nine-year-old boy is settling back into family life after becoming the youngest person in the UK to undergo a marathon, life-saving surgical procedure that involves removing the pancreas and injecting its insulin-producing cells into the liver.Archie Routledge, from Workington, in Cumbria, has a rare genetic condition that causes hereditary pancreatitis. It inflames the pancreas causing debilitating abdominal pain and significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer in later life. Continue reading...

The campaign group Best for Britain has launched its guide on how to vote to have the best chance of ousting the Tories. We look at what tactical voting involves and what the group is recommending

Hopes rise that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia can beat Nicolas Maduro on 28 July and lead the country out of a wretched decadeThe road from Caracas to Guatire is lined with propaganda billboards glorifying President Nicolas Maduro and likening his political rivals to gangsters from the country's most infamous criminal group. They won't defeat us," the slogan declares.But with less than a month until the economically fractured South American country holds its long-awaited presidential election on 28 July, some people are not persuaded. Continue reading...

Government MPs express disappointment over WA senator's decision as Greens and crossbench praise move

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Boy, 17, charged over driving an allegedly stolen car in a fatal crash that killed a 28-year-old man in Burwood

Figures are a relief for the recovering industry but the growth is almost entirely business and fleet buyersCarmakers have sold more than a million cars in the UK in the first half of the year for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic as the sector gradually recovers from years of turmoil.Sales in the first six months of 2024 rose by 6% to just over 1m, compared with 949,000 in the same period last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the UK industry's lobby group. Continue reading...

Families of two girls killed say there are unanswered questions about last year's incident in south-west LondonThe Metropolitan police have launched a review of the investigation into a car crash at a school which killed two eight-year-old girls.According to the force, the review was opened after concerns were raised by the families of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both eight, who died after the crash at the Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, on 6 July last year. Continue reading...

Post-election honeymoon will be brief unless Keir Starmer holds summit with unions within days, says TUC president

In today's newsletter: From Rishi Sunak's Drowning Street' announcement to Ed Davey's many stunts, we chart the memorable moments of each party's campaign with senior political correspondent Peter Walker Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.We've finally come to the end of the road.UK election | Keir Starmer has hailed a new age of hope and opportunity" as millions of people prepare to vote in a general election that could deliver the biggest shake-up of British politics in a generation.Israel-Gaza war | About 90% of the population of the Gaza Strip have been displaced at least once since the war between Israel and Hamas began, according to the UN's humanitarian agency.US politics | A group of leading Democratic governors offered words of support for Joe Biden on Wednesday as pressure mounted on the president to leave the race. The governors, including Tim Walz of Minnesota, Wes Moore of Maryland, Gavin Newsom of California and Kathy Hochul of New York, held a closed-door meeting with Biden in Washington as he sought to reassure his party - and the public - that he is up to the job after a shaky debate performance.Labour | Undercover police officers compiled numerous secret reports on Diane Abbott while she was campaigning against racism, a public inquiry has heard. Abbott, who has been an MP for 37 years, has criticised the activities of the undercover officers as racist and unjustified.Military | An 18-year-old Royal Marines recruit who believed training staff had called him a failure" took his own life, a coroner has concluded. Connor MacKenzie Clark was 19 days into a preliminary training course at a commando training centre in Devon when he was struck by a train. Continue reading...

The 12-metre high machine has coke bottle eyes and a crude Wall-E-like head, as well as large arms that can be fitted with blades or paint brushesIt resembles an enormous, malevolent robot from 1980s sci-fi but West Japan Railway's new humanoid employee was designed with nothing more sinister than a spot of painting and gardening in mind.Starting this month, the large machine with enormous arms, a crude, disproportionately small Wall-E-like head and coke-bottle eyes mounted on a truck - which can drive on rails - will be put to use for maintenance work on the company's network. Continue reading...

Pippa White's parents will spend the rest of our lives advocating to stop this from ever happening again', coroner's court hears

WA senator tells press conference she was deeply torn' amid disagreement with the Albanese government on Palestine

Children's experiences form basis of play that weaves 150 years of care system history into narrativeWhen theatre-makers Matt Woodhead and Helen Monks gathered with a small group of children in a theatre in Essex five years ago, the plan was simple: discuss the care system.Woodhead and Monks are co-directors of Lung Theatre, a company that has made a name for itself by tackling weighty subjects, such as the Chilcot inquiry, housing evictions and, most recently, the spate of self-inflicted deaths at Woodhill HMP, that are often investigative verbatim pieces.The Children's Inquiry runs 8 July to 3 August at the Southwark Playhouse Continue reading...

Exclusive: NHS Providers head says joining with private health firms and developers would help care backlog

Police say 7,500 charges laid, including against a man, 42, who allegedly stabbed a woman and assaulted a teenager in front of two younger children

Jamaican PM says worst is yet to come as category 4 storm hits southern coast after causing at least seven deaths in region

Greyhound Racing NSW allegedly breached licence that stipulates it must immediately disclose anything that brings industry into disrepute

Reducing press conferences, interviews and meetings with Congress members exposed as damage control measuresFor three and a half years, Joe Biden was wrapped in a metaphorical ball of cotton wool by an anxious White House staff eager to protect him from the worst of himself.Worried about signs of ageing and an increasing propensity for verbal missteps, they cut press conferences and media interviews to a minimum. Continue reading...

After years of critical coverage, tabloid backs Labour for first election since 2005, saying: It is time for a change'The Sun newspaper has made an abrupt volte-face on the eve of the general election, putting its support behind the Labour party for the first election since 2005.The Times, which is also a News UK paper, also offered cautious support for Starmer and his party, albeit seemingly as a result of the newspaper accepting Labour will win anyway. Continue reading...

Governor says tight schedule to blame for withdrawing proposal to crack down on theft and drug possessionThe California governor and top Democrats in the state have abandoned a last-minute plan to ask voters whether a landmark criminal justice bill should be reformed.California Democrats over the weekend had outlined plans to put a measure on the November ballot that would ask voters to approve major reforms to Proposition 47, a 2014 ballot measure that changed some theft and drug possession felonies to misdemeanors. Continue reading...

Military doctor should have flagged that 18-year-old Connor MacKenzie Clark had self-harmed, coroner says

Reform UK leader claims rise of misogynist influencer has been due to a society that creates feelings of emasculation'

Coco Gauff wears a Serena Williams-style dress while Naomi Osaka's ruffles divide fansForget stuffy traditions, Wimbledon's women tennis players have been pushing the boundaries this year with their imaginative on-court outfits.Coco Gauff, the world No 2, has worn a custom-made, cut-out dress that fans have said is reminiscent of Serena Williams' 2019 Wimbledon outfit. The 20-year-old US Open champion said she asked New Balance for a design featuring cut-outs, which gave her dress the appearance of being a two-piece. Continue reading...

Experts say cases could go to high court after thousands of voters complain of not receiving ballotsClose results in constituencies at the election could be challenged in the high court because of delayed postal votes, experts have said.Caroline Morris, a barrister and reader in public law at Queen Mary University of London, said people could get a hearing if four constituents petition the high court arguing their vote could have had a material impact on the result. Continue reading...

Marcus La-Croix, 36, and Michael Clarke, 34, accused of fatal shooting of Tanesha Melbourne-BlakeTwo men have been charged with the murder of a 17-year-old girl who was shot dead in north London seven years ago.Tanesha Melbourne-Blake died after being shot from a moving vehicle in Chalgrove Road, Tottenham. The gun was fired at a group of people she was with. Continue reading...

Company blames delay on weak demand and confusion over government policies on tariffs, timings, and taxation'Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos has delayed the launch of its Fusilier electric SUV, blaming weak consumer demand and uncertainty about government policies.Ratcliffe only unveiled plans to produce the low-emission vehicles in February, with production expected to begin in 2027. Continue reading...

Roger Hallam and Daniel Shaw ignore cross-examination to speak about dangers of climate breakdownTwo climate activists on trial for conspiring to block the M25 have defied a court and attempted to address jurors about the perilous consequences of climate breakdown.Roger Hallam, who spoke extensively in the witness box on Tuesday and Daniel Shaw, who began his evidence on Wednesday, ignored attempts at cross-examination and directions from the judge, and spoke about the dangers the world faces. Continue reading...

Court of appeal reduces sentences of Finnegan Lee Elder, 24, and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, 23 over killing of Mario Cerciello RegaAn Italian court of appeal has upheld the murder convictions of two American men over the death of an Italian plainclothes police officer during a botched sting operation but reduced their sentences. The new trial was ordered after Italy's highest court threw out their original convictions.The court convicted Finnegan Lee Elder and sentenced him to 15 years and two months in prison and gave a sentence of 11 years to Gabriele Natale-Hjorth. Continue reading...

Senior field commander killed in Israeli strike outside southern Lebanese city of Tyre, Reuters reportsAl Jazeera is reporting that at least four people have been killed and 17 injured in Israeli bombardment in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighbourhood".More details soon ... Continue reading...

Hongchi Xiao accused of manslaughter of woman who died 18 months after boy with diabetes in AustraliaAn alternative healer accused of the manslaughter of a woman with diabetes who died after stopping taking insulin at his slapping therapy retreat should have learned a cruel lesson" from the death of a six-year-old boy who lost his life after a previous workshop, a jury has heard.Hongchi Xiao, 61, of Cloudbreak, California, is on trial at Winchester crown court accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, from Lewes, East Sussex. Continue reading...

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Broadcaster who hosted BBC's election night coverage for 40 years says increasing accuracy of exit polls takes the fun away'

Actors Isild Le Besco and Julia Roy filed complaints for alleged attacks dating back to the late 90sFrench prosecutors have requested film director Benoit Jacquot be charged with raping actors Isild Le Besco and Julia Roy, the Paris prosecutor's office told AFP on Wednesday.Jacquot, 77, was held for questioning on Monday after actor Judith Godreche, 52, filed a complaint against him this year for allegedly raping her during a relationship of several years that started when she was 14. Continue reading...

Black MP Bernie Grant also spied on, with secret Met reports claiming he made inflammatory' speechesUndercover police officers compiled numerous secret reports on Diane Abbott while she was campaigning against racism, a public inquiry has heard.Abbott, who has been an MP for 37 years, has criticised the activities of the undercover officers as being racist and unjustified. Continue reading...

Activists forecast margins of less than 2,000 votes separating them from Farage's party - or even a shock defeat How boundary changes may affect key constituenciesLabour candidates and activists are privately braced for a surge in support for Nigel Farage's hard-right Reform UK in north-west England and the Midlands, with some forecasting a margin of less than 2,000 votes between the two parties in some seats in Thursday's general election.In certain Conservative-held seats, campaigners told the Guardian that the Tories were likely to be pushed into third place by Reform, with one citing the phenomenon of shy Reformers" affecting the results. Continue reading...

Next government urged to have a proper plan for food security, as UK's climate becomes more unpredictableUK fruit and vegetable production has plummeted as farms have been hit by extreme weather.The country suffered the wettest 18 months since records began across the 2023-24 growing year, leaving soil waterlogged and some farms totally underwater. The impact on harvests has been disastrous. Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shows that year-on-year vegetable yields decreased by 4.9% to 2.2m tonnes in 2023, and the production volumes of fruit decreased by 12% to 585,000 tonnes. Continue reading...

Homes flattened, apocalyptic scenes and at least four dead as St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada try to recoverThis should have been a week of celebration in the Caribbean country of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). The annual Vincy Mas carnival, which attracts thousands of tourists, had advertised a packed schedule of costume parades, soca competitions, and beauty pageants.Instead, the Vincentian population is reeling from what the country's prime minister has described as the utter devastation" wrought by Hurricane Beryl, which ravaged the multi-island country and its eastern Caribbean neighbour Grenada. Continue reading...

Games allow players to rack up points for Portillo moments' and D:Ream plays as Labour landslide projectedEyes down for a full house on Thursday night: a Portillo moment" at this election could cause viewers across the country to leap out of their seats crying Bingo!" as a range of games and wallcharts have been released designed to celebrate a potential Conservative wipeout.Merchandise available on Etsy includes a Tory 2024 Meltdown Wallchart, which gives bonus points for any losing MP who has been previously made a sir or dame by their party. It has several lines of Conservative candidates ranked from the inevitable", including Jonathan Gullis, to there is a God", including Suella Braverman and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg. Continue reading...

Boundary changes mean the 2024 British general election will be fought in altered seats. Enter your postcode to see a map of your constituency and how these seats would have voted in 2019

Exclusive: Activist claims she was threatened with release of the footage in order to silence her, amid multiple reports of sexual violence inflicted upon imprisoned Afghan womenThe Guardian has seen video evidence of a female Afghan human rights activist being gang-raped and tortured in a Taliban jail by armed men.There have been mounting reports that sexual violence is being inflicted on women and girls being held in detention in Afghanistan, but this video is believed to be the first direct evidence of these crimes occurring. Continue reading...

Insolvency advisers are assessing the business while options for its sale or recapitalisation are explored