Temperatures expected to soar to 35C, making some competitions more challenging for athletesThe Paris Olympics had a soggy start but conditions improved over the weekend. Meteorologists now expect temperatures to soar early this week, prompting several warnings.The weather in the French capital has been forecast to climb to 35C (95F) on Tuesday, about 8C above average for the time of year, making some competitions more challenging for the athletes. Southern parts of France are likely to experience the hottest weather, reaching the high 30s celsius, nearly 10C above average. Continue reading...
Fifty potential cases in first three months of this year as rising costs lead to increase in parallel marketThe EU had a record number of potential olive oil fraud and mislabelling cases in the first quarter of this year as inflationary pressures fuelled an increase in the hidden market for the kitchen staple.The cost of olive oil has more than doubled since 2018 with production hit by extreme weather caused by the climate crisis and other factors. Continue reading...
Airwars says move is first step in effort to identify every civilian killed during Israeli military campaignA conflict monitor has named nearly 3,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza in almost 350 separate incidents during the first 17 days of the war - the first step in an exercise aimed at identifying every civilian killed during the Israeli military campaign.Though the 2,993 victims named are a fraction of the overall death total of 39,000 cited by the Palestinian ministry of health in Gaza, Airwars, the group involved, says the effort shows it is possible to name those killed while a war is ongoing. Continue reading...
US defence secretary says China is 'engaging in coercive behaviour, trying to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas'Japanese and US defense chiefs, as well as top diplomats, agreed to further bolster their military cooperation by upgrading the command and control of US forces in the east Asian country and strengthening American-licensed missile production there, describing the rising threat from China as the greatest strategic challenge."US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, joined their Japanese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara, at the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee in Tokyo - known as 2+2" security talks - where they reaffirmed their bilateral alliance in the wake of President Joe Biden 's withdrawal from the November presidential race. Continue reading...
by Mark Townsend and Mahika Ravi Shankar on (#6PJBG)
RSF militia, mired in civil war for 15 months, accused of sexual violence, including rape and torture, in KhartoumGunmen from a notorious militia roamed Sudan's capital gang-raping countless" women and girls, some as young as nine, according to an investigation documenting the shocking prevalence of sexual violence in Khartoum during the country's civil war.Some of the attacks by members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were so brutal that women and girls died due to the violence associated with the act of rape", according to the research by Human Rights Watch (HRW). Continue reading...
The famous costume, worn by Carrie Fisher in Return of the Jedi, was sold alongside a miniature aircraft used in A New Hope that fetched $1.6mPrincess Leia's famous gold bikini worn by the late Carrie Fisher in Star Wars has sold at auction for $175,000 (136,000, A$266,000).The costume, made famous from the 1983 film Return of the Jedi when Fisher's character wore it while chained to Jabba the Hutt's throne, was bought at a sale by Heritage Auctions on Friday in the US. Continue reading...
Far-right activist detained by police at Channel tunnel in Folkestone and later released on bailTommy Robinson has been arrested a day after organising a major demonstration in central London, according to his X account.Thousands of people marched in the city on Saturday as part of an event organised by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, while many others took part in a counterprotest. Continue reading...
The Glaswegian, who became famous in the 1990s, was also an eminent track and field coach of OlympiansJohn Anderson, the referee on the television programme Gladiators, has died at the age of 92.Tributes have been paid to the Glaswegian, who became famous in the 1990s for his officiating on the show. His catchphrases included Contender, ready! Gladiator, ready!" Continue reading...
Ministers settle case and agree to reconsider decision to refuse temporary leave to those in need of treatmentThousands of trafficking victims at risk of being forcibly removed from the country will now have their right to recover in the UK from the effects of exploitation considered after the Home Office settled a major case.The Home Office had argued that people could access treatment in their home countries or that they could be removed because they were not midway through treatment in the UK. Continue reading...
British Ports Association reportedly warns government it faces huge losses after investing in border control postsUK port operators have reportedly said they must be compensated by the government if it negotiates a deal to lower trade barriers with the EU, having been forced to invest millions in building post-Brexit border control facilities under the Conservatives.The British Ports Association (BPA) is said to have written to the Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs warning of huge losses after operators built sophisticated control points to enforce strict checks on animal and plant imports. Continue reading...
Masoud Pezeshkian says the Iranian people voted for change and promises constructive engagement with westIran's new president has been formally inaugurated by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, opening up the slim hope of improved relations with the west, less internal censorship and a fresh approach to the economy.In a ceremony on Sunday marking the start of his four-year presidency, Masoud Pezeshkian said the Iranian people had voted for change and promised constructive engagement with the west, a step he regards as a precondition for Tehran curbing inflation and securing growth. Continue reading...
Carer's allowance cliff edge' means it has to be paid back if a penny is earned over threshold. Carers tell their storiesA report by Carers UK has found teachers, NHS staff and other key workers who balance part-time work with caring for loved ones are quitting their jobs to avoid being hit with huge cash penalties for breaching carer's allowance rules. We speak to people affected by the crisis. Continue reading...
An extra 40-50 tonnes a week' could be heading to shop shelves because of perfect conditions, says fruit growerThe recent spell of warm weather after a rainy and cloudy start to the summer has provided perfect growing conditions in Britain for as much as 200 tonnes of surprise big, juicy, luscious" strawberries heading to shop shelves, a leading supplier has said.The cold and wet spell earlier in the year, plus the recent mini heatwave, have resulted in pushing more of our predicted crop volume into late July and early August," said Lee Port, the chief executive of the Kent-based fruit grower Mansfields. Continue reading...
by Ruth Michaelson, Quique Kierszenbaum and Sufian Ta on (#6PJ1V)
Majdal Shams residents tell of scenes of horror after children who had gathered to play football were struckThe funeral lament rang out across Majdal Shams, from the centre of the town, from balconies and from rooftops. Thousands of mourners packed the narrow streets and squares, carrying small coffins covered in white shrouds to their final resting place.Men from the town in the occupied Golan Heights, some wearing traditional white hats topped with red, linked arms and sung a mourners' chant. The mother cries: Where is my son? Don't say he is among the victims,'" they intoned. Oh, children, tears are pouring from the eyes of girls and young men." Continue reading...
Threatened with eternal damnation' and told he was akin to a paedophile, Seth Pinnock says he has finally found acceptance and hopes to help change the trajectory of someone's life'The declaration by a highly influential black Christian gospel star that he is gay has exposed a generational divide in attitudes towards sexuality that could signal a transformation within evangelical churches.Seth Pinnock, who founded a gospel choir and youth orchestra and was hailed by the Tony Blair Foundation as a young leader to watch", experienced depression, anxiety, self-hatred and drug addiction as a result of believing his sexuality was sinful. Continue reading...
Israel warplanes carry out strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, in apparent retaliation for attack on occupied Golan HeightsThe Lebanese government has asked the US to urge restraint from Israel, Lebanon's foreign minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, has told Reuters.Bou Habib said the US had asked the Lebanese government to pass on a message to Hezbollah to show restraint as well. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said on Sunday he does not want to see an escalation of conflict. Continue reading...
Highway that consolidated Roman empire joins modernist Romanian sculptures as latest sites added to listItaly's Via Appia Antica, or Appian Way, the earliest and most important road built by the ancient Romans, has been named a Unesco world heritage site, making Italy the country with the world's highest number of locations on the coveted list.Known as the Regina Viarum, or Queen of Roads, it connected Rome with the port of Brindisi in the south and marked a revolution in the construction of roads. Continue reading...
Toxic forever chemicals' linked to low birth weight, reduced sperm counts and infertilitySeveral brands of condoms and lubricants contain alarming levels of toxic PFAS forever chemicals", including styles of Trojan and K-Y Jelly, new research finds.The testing conducted by the Mamavation consumer advocacy blog comes just as researchers found human skin absorbs the chemicals at much higher levels than previously thought. Continue reading...
A group of Muslim men put themselves in danger to calm unrest in Harehills over children being taken into careNadsy Qurban bent his neck to show how the crown of his head was covered in a number of burns, each the size of coins. The smell was like I'm burning some goat or something, like I'm cooking some goat. That's how bad it was," he said.Needless to say, it hurt. But a week on, the burns he gained while putting out fires during unrest in the Harehills area of Leeds are starting to heal. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins, Senior China Correspondent on (#6PHVN)
Swift response by Renmin University to student's post creates shockwave in a country where accusers are often ignored or suedPublic allegations of sexual harassment are rare in China. Swift responses to punish the accused are rarer still. So a recent case at one of China's top universities, in which a student posted a video online accusing her supervisor of sexually harassing her, leading to his sacking, has created shockwaves.On 21 July, a woman who identified herself as Wang Di posted an hour-long video on Weibo, in which she accused her PhD supervisor at Renmin University in Beijing, Wang Guiyuan, of physically and verbally abusing her for more than two years. The professor, a former Chinese Communist party representative at the university, threatened to block her graduation prospects, Wang Di said. Continue reading...
The legacy of the activist, ANC politician and wife of Nelson Mandela has growing appeal, despite her refusal to apologise for crimesAs votes from South Africa's elections were being counted last month, a senior African National Congress politician, Nomvula Mokonyane, held court wearing a yellow long-sleeved top with the face of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela emblazoned on the back.Across the room at the national vote counting centre, far left Economic Freedom Fighters official Poppy Mailola wore a black T-shirt with an image of Winnie plastered across repetitions of her name. Continue reading...
by Ruth Michaelson, Quique Kierszenbaum and Andrew Ro on (#6PHNN)
Israeli PM blames Hezbollah for deadly strike on football pitch amid daylong barrage from LebanonIsrael's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah would pay a hefty price" after a strike on a football pitch in a remote town in the occupied Golan Heights killed 12 people and a daylong barrage of rocket fire from Lebanon targeted Israeli territory.Israel's Magen David Adom emergency services said large numbers" of ambulances were dispatched to the scene to treat the casualties, all aged between 10 and 20 years old. Video and imagery showed young casualties strewn across the grass, some wearing sports shirts. Continue reading...
The former home secretary joins the contest with Kemi Badenoch expected to confirm she will run and Suella Braverman at risk of insufficient supportThe former home secretary Priti Patel entered the Tory leadership contest last night, accusing potential rivals of waging personal vendettas" and indulging in a soap opera of finger-pointing and self-indulgence".Kemi Badenoch, the shadow housing and communities secretary, is also expected to confirm she will run this weekend, before nominations close tomorrow. But another ex-home secretary, the firebrand rightwinger Suella Braverman, was said to be in danger of falling short of gaining the support of the 10 MPs needed to get through to the next stage. Continue reading...
Advance Australia boasted about its success in defeating the voice referendum last year but says it will take a different approach against toxic' Greens
Cyclist Anna Henderson squeezes out rival to come second as divers Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen make a splashTeam GB was celebrating its best start to an Olympic Games in over four decades as Anna Henderson claimed silver in the women's road race time trial and divers Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen took bronze in the aquatics centre in Paris.A British team had not won a medal on the first official day of an Olympics since 2004 and had last taken two of them back in the Moscow Games of 1980 but gutsy performances and a little luck delivered early success and raised fresh hopes of a record haul this summer. Continue reading...
The melody for the first live performance since 2020 by the singer, who has suffered with ill-health, was suitably tragicIt was a very public triumph, both for Paris and for Celine Dion. It received plaudits around the world as one of the highlights of the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Yet the soundtrack was a tragic one.The Canadian diva had chosen to celebrate the great French chansonnier Edith Piaf in a live, high-stakes comeback performance delivered from the iron shoulders of the Eiffel Tower amid showers of rain and fireworks. Continue reading...
Temperatures reach 45C in parts of the country and 225 people seek treatment for heatstrokeA heatwave blanketing Iran has forced authorities to cut operating hours at various facilities on Saturday and order all government and commercial institutions to close on Sunday, as hospitals received more than 200 people for heatstroke treatment.Temperatures ranged from 37C (98.6F) to 42C (107F) in the capital, Tehran, according to weather reports. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereThe Russian defence ministry said that Russian forces had taken control of the settlement of Lozuvatske in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported.The Ukrainian maritime corridor transported 60 million tonnes of cargo, mainly from the Greater Odesa ports, in the last 11 months, the Ukrainian sea ports authority said, despite attacks on port infrastructure. 40.6 million tonnes of this total amount were grain exports delivered to 46 countries.India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, is scheduled to travel to Kyiv in August, marking his first visit to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion two years ago.The air force of the armed forces of Ukraine said Russia has increased the number of ballistic" strikes over the past few months, forcing Ukrainian forces to think more about passive defence" tactics such as camouflage and using false positions".The governor of the Bryansk region in southern Russia, Alexander Bogomaz, reported a massive" drone attack on the region yesterday evening and overnight. No casualties were reported. 22 unmanned aircraft-type aerial vehicles have been intercepted and destroyed," Bogomaz wrote on Telegram.Thank you for following today's latest news. This blog is closing now but you can read all our Ukraine coverage here. Continue reading...
An academic paper says the show creates ideal conditions for cognitive overload' and demonstrates how to avoid itBBC Radio 4's Just a Minute may be wonderfully entertaining for listeners but it is often excruciating for players as they attempt to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, hesitation or deviation.An academic paper jointly produced by a university linguist and one of the greatest exponents of Just a Minute has suggested the game is so devious that the best way to succeed is to let go of any ambition to win. Continue reading...
With Bank of England meeting on 1 August, people are advised to take advantage of top-paying accounts nowExperts are split on whether there will be a UK interest rate cut on Thursday but most agree on one thing: savers should act now" to lock into the best rates while they are still available.All eyes will be on the Bank of England's monetary policy committee when it meets on 1 August, although while some believe we could see it announce the first base rate cut in more than four years, others reckon we will have to wait until at least September. Continue reading...
Former politicians pay tribute after files show Labour's most successful leader' was forced to consider selling legacy to pay for his dementia careMargaret Thatcher described him as the most skilful of politicians" and Tony Blair thought him Labour's most successful leader ever".Such elegies on the death in 1995 of Harold Wilson, 79, the twice Labour prime minister who had Alzheimer's and colon cancer, betray nothing of the reality of his later years - spent in the unforgiving grip of dementia and, it has emerged, forced to consider selling his personal and political papers to meet the heavy and increasing costs of care. Continue reading...
by Malak A Tantesh in Gaza and Ruth Michaelson in Jer on (#6PHAW)
Given barely any warning, many people fled with nothing as bombs fell and bullets flew around themThe evacuation order jolted Munadil Abu Younes one morning earlier this week as he scrolled on his phone reading the news. Israeli forces ordered thousands to flee, including from the area where he was sheltering. His eighth displacement was like nothing that had come before.Israeli forces told us about the evacuation order as they entered the area," he said. We barely had time to collect our things, most people fled without taking anything. During previous evacuation orders they gave us a day or two, but this time we didn't even have half an hour." Continue reading...
Arsonists used crude methods but disruption to opening of the Olympic Games in Paris was severeIt was about 1.15am when the SNCF maintenance workers, carrying out repairs by moonlight, spotted the group of people a little further down the railway line near a signal box outside the sleepy village of Vergigny, in the northern French department of Yonne.They were concerned enough by the unlikely sight at such an hour to approach the intruders, and then to make a call to the local police as those they had interrupted ran off into the dark. Continue reading...
by Léonie Chao-Fong (now); Maya Yang, Vicky Graham ( on (#6PGPH)
This blog is now closed. You can read our full report on Kamala Harris closing the gap in polling hereDon Davis, a North Carolina Democratic representative, has issued a statement endorsing Kamala Harris, just a day after he broke party rank and joined House Republicans in condemning Harris's border policies.In a statement, Davis said:Today, I announce my endorsement and support of Vice-President Kamala Harris for president. I also believe governor Roy Cooper, an eastern NC native, would be an excellent choice for vice-president. The stakes of this presidential election are incredibly high, with far reaching implications.At the same time, the administration and Congress must address the concerns of the southern border. These issues cannot be overlooked ...Yesterday, the department of justice arrested Ismael Zambada Garcia (AKA El Mayo') and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, two of the most notorious leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the deadliest enterprises in the world.They are being charged for leading the Cartel's deadly drug manufacturing and trafficking networks. I commend the work of our law enforcement officials who made this arrest for their ongoing work to bring Sinaloa cartel leaders to justice. Continue reading...
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