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Stories from ripped off' customers lead Which? to call for meaningful action' against firms that fall short

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...

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...

Opposition leader receives hero's welcome at Victorian Liberal state council, talking up Coalition's prospects for upcoming federal election

Police allege the man used an encrypted messaging service to deal drugs and coordinate a network of runners outside the Sydney facility

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...

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...

Nakash, 13, Aayat, 11, and Muhammad Hanan, 7, missed beyond measure', say Khurram Malik and Naumana Gul KhanThe parents of three children who died in an east London house fire have paid tribute to them, saying they were loved beyond words and missed beyond measure".The children who died after the blaze in East Ham on 13 July were named by police on Friday as 13-year-old Nakash Malik, 11-year-old Aayat Malik and seven-year-old Muhammad Hanan Malik. Continue reading...

Former US president criticises vice-president after she said she would not be silent' about suffering of PalestiniansDonald Trump has called Kamala Harris's statement on the Gaza war disrespectful" before a meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Florida to discuss the conflict.Harris, the US vice-president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, had seemed to mark a change of tone on the Israel-Gaza war on Thursday after her own meeting with Netanyahu, when she declared she would not be silent" about the suffering of Palestinians. Continue reading...

Scotland Yard considers legal challenge after decision, saying commanders are expected to lead by example'The sacking of a senior police officer who failed to provide a sample for a drugs test when he was accused of smoking cannabis has been overturned.Former Metropolitan police commander Julian Bennett, who served in the force from 1976, was found to have committed gross misconduct by failing to provide a urine sample for a drugs test on 21 July 2020. Continue reading...

Court rejects claims from restaurant patron who suffered medical complications from getting bone stuck in throatConsumers cannot expect boneless chicken wings to actually be free of bones, a divided Ohio state supreme court ruled Thursday, rejecting claims by a restaurant patron who suffered serious medical complications from getting a bone stuck in his throat.Michael Berkheimer was dining with his wife and friends at a wing joint in Hamilton, Ohio, and had ordered the usual - boneless wings with parmesan garlic sauce - when he felt a bite-sized piece of meat go down the wrong way. Three days later, feverish and unable to keep food down, Berkeimer went to the emergency room, where a doctor discovered a long, thin bone that had torn his esophagus and caused an infection. Continue reading...

US announces arrest of two leaders of organised crime group as Mexican authorities say they were in the darkThe Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has called for transparency" after the sudden and secretive arrests by US authorities of two top leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful organised crime groups.Ismael El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, 76, founded the Sinaloa cartel with Joaquin El Chapo" Guzman Loera, and has been a top target of US law enforcement for decades, with a $15m bounty on his head. Continue reading...

Single-pilot plane was delivering aid to crews battling Falls fire in eastern Oregon when it went missing on ThursdayA single-pilot tanker plane disappeared in eastern Oregon while fighting the Falls fire, authorities said on Friday.The plane - used to deliver gallons of fire retardant or water - had been contracted by the US Bureau of Land Management to aid firefighters near the town of Seneca, on the edge of the Malheur national forest. Continue reading...

Judge dismisses challenge over removal of woman's name and warns against risks of informal conception arrangementsA woman has lost a court of appeal challenge over her name being removed from a child's birth certificate after her ex-wife admitted she secretly had sex with their sperm donor.The unprecedented" and unusual" case centred on the question of who were the legal parents of a girl, now aged six. Continue reading...

Mass suicide attempt reported among extremely vulnerable' adults and children on British overseas territoryThe home secretary, Yvette Cooper, is under mounting pressure to airlift a group of more than 60 Tamil asylum seekersfrom a remote Indian Ocean island to the UK.The Tamils, a mix of single adults and children who are part of family units, have been stranded on Diego Garcia, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), since October 2021. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Higher limit reflects longer race, while cash-strapped party seeks 50,000 from candidates to cover costsThe Conservatives have set the spending limit in their leadership contest at 400,000, as the beaten and skint opposition party tries to use the race to cover costs.Robert Jenrick, a frontrunner who has been preparing for the contest for some time, had pressed for a higher cap. The 400,000 limit is 100,000 more than it was in the last contest, two years ago. Continue reading...

The film-maker has been accused of acting inappropriately on the set of his self-funded sci-fi epic MegalopolisVideos have emerged of director Francis Ford Coppola trying to kiss female extras on the set of his new film Megalopolis.Variety obtained footage of the film-maker taken by a crew member during a nightclub scene on set last year. The Guardian had originally reported that the 85-year-old was seen as old school" in his behaviour around women while shooting, pulling women to sit on his lap and kissing extras to get them in the mood". Continue reading...

Judith Monarrez says she never stopped looking for her chihuahua after he escaped from the backyard in 2015Judith Monarrez crumpled onto her kitchen floor and wept when the news arrived in an email: Gizmo, her pet dog missing for nine years, had been found alive.Monarrez was 28 and living with her parents in 2015 when Gizmo, then two years old, slipped past a faulty gate in the backyard of their home in Las Vegas. Continue reading...

Hundreds of staff at the fashion chain reportedly told they will lose their jobsTed Baker could disappear from British high streets as the struggling fashion chain plans to shut all its stores within weeks.The business behind the fashion brand's UK shops, No Ordinary Designer Label Limited (NODL), entered administration in March. Continue reading...

Draconian' expulsions including of two local councillors follow original candidate's withdrawal at behest of local partyThe Green party has been accused of acting in a draconian and authoritarian way after a number of members were expelled for allegedly trying to support tactical voting to defeat Jeremy Hunt at the general election.At least three members, two of them councillors, have been summarily banned from the party until 2029. One of those expelled said it seemed to go directly against the Green values of internal party democracy and tolerance. Continue reading...

Disgraced actor said he is millions of dollars in debt from legal bills for sexual misconduct allegationsKevin Spacey's $5.6m waterfront condominium in Baltimore has been sold at auction amid the disgraced actor's financial struggles following a slew of sexual misconduct allegations.Last summer, a London jury acquitted Spacey on sexual assault charges stemming from allegations by four men dating back 20 years. That was his second court victory since he saw off a $40m lawsuit in 2022 in New York brought by actor Anthony Rapp, best known for the series Star Trek: Discovery. Continue reading...

There will never be mining' at Northern Territory site, Albanese says as area becomes part of Kakadu national park

Unnamed official says comments should not be interpreted by Hamas that there is a gap between the US and its allyA spokeswoman for No 10 added - regarding Labour dropping the Tories' plan to challenge the ICC - that the Government believes very strongly in the separation of powers and the rule of law domestically and internationally.I think you would note that the courts have already received a number of submissions on either side, so they are well seized of the arguments to make their independent determinations," she said. Continue reading...

Martha Louise is not allowed to use her title commercially after renouncing her royal duties two years agoA letter has claimed that the Norwegian princess Martha Louise was more deeply involved with a gin launched to mark her forthcoming wedding than previous stated, amid growing questions over the use of her name on the bottle.The royal, who will marry the American businessman Durek Verrett in a four-day fjord-side wedding in Geiranger, Norway, next month, is not permitted to use her princess title in commercial contexts. Continue reading...

Calls follow Guardian undercover investigation as chancellor poised to reveal 20bn hole in UK financesRachel Reeves is facing calls to crack down on the super-rich using offshore pension schemes to avoid multimillion pound inheritance and capital gains tax bills, following a Guardian investigation.On Thursday, undercover filming revealed how ultra-wealthy individuals are being advised how to use a loophole in pensions investments to shelter their wealth from Labour's clampdown on large-scale tax dodging. Continue reading...

Disruption will continue all weekend and long diversions are in place as passengers are offered refundsEurostar passengers travelling from London to Paris on Friday were asked to postpone trips if possible as the rail operator cancelled one in four trains over the weekend after arson attacks caused widespread disruption to France's high-speed rail network hours before the start of the Olympics.Most cross-Channel services were leaving St Pancras International station on time but journeys were expected to be prolonged by at least an hour in France. Continue reading...

Labour government says it will not pursue questions on court's jurisdiction over Netanyahu and Gallant

Blaze on Thursday night at warehouse in Elin Pelin near Sofia set off series of dramatic fireballsOne person was killed and another seriously injured when a blaze at a firework factory in Bulgaria set off a series of dramatic explosions on Thursday, local officials and medical staff said.The blasts began at about 6.30pm in the town of Elin Pelin near the capital, Sofia, sending mushroom clouds into the evening sky, some flecked with the reds and whites of exploding fireworks. Continue reading...

Former president's endorsement means US vice-president has won backing of all the party's high-profile figuresBarack Obama has endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for US president, meaning the vice-president has now won the backing of all the party's politically active high-profile figures for her White House bid.The former president had conspicuously withheld his endorsement in the immediate aftermath of Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the campaign, and was initially believed to favour an open nominating contest at next month's Democratic national convention in Chicago. Continue reading...

Union tells inquiry consumer watchdog should investigate and accuses Live Nation and competitor TEG of anti-competitive behaviour

This blog is now closed

Delegates expect event to pass only what insiders consider the bare minimum' on recognition motions

More than 30 councils relied on reports during development approval process for 135 sites but EPA says no immediate risks to public health identified

NT government opts not to grant 10-year lease after considering wishes of Indigenous people and federal government advice

Victoria police charge 18-year-old woman and 17-year-old boy after MP's St Kilda office was defaced with slogans including Zionism is fascism'

In today's newsletter: As Paris gears up for the Games, the excitement is palpable, but concern about performance-enhancing drugs threatens the reputation of one of its sports Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.The Olympics is here! Get ready for some truly awe-inspiring displays of athleticism. But there is also a scandal hovering over the Games in Paris that threatens to move focus away from the athletes.Health | Wes Streeting has called England's healthcare watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), not fit for purpose" after an interim report found significant failings were hampering its ability to identify poor performance at hospitals, care homes and GP practices.Budget | Rachel Reeves is expected to reveal a 20bn hole in government spending for essential public services on Monday, paving the way for potential tax rises in the autumn budget.Israel-Gaza war | Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has pressed Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu on the dire" humanitarian situation in Gaza in talks that she described as frank, adding I will not be silent."Assisted dying | Keir Starmer is under pressure to fulfil a promise to allow a parliamentary vote on legalising assisted dying, as a bill is to be introduced into the House of Lords on Friday.Police | A teenager who was kicked in the face by an armed police officer while lying prone on the ground is traumatised" and receiving hospital treatment after the barbaric" assault, his solicitor has said. Akhmed Yakoob said 19-year-old Muhammed Fahir was a victim of police brutality" after footage showed an officer stamping on his head during an arrest at Manchester airport on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Health secretary's comments follow finding that Care Quality Commission struggling to identify performance issues in hospitals and care homesWes Streeting has called England's healthcare watchdog not fit for purpose" after an interim report found significant failings were hampering its ability to identify poor performance at hospitals, care homes and GP practices.The health and social care secretary promised to grip the crisis" at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) by taking immediate action to increase oversight of the body and giving patients more confidence in their care. Continue reading...

Study predicts overall economic cost of cancer, heart disease, dementia and stroke will rise by 61%The cost of England's four biggest killer diseases could rise to 86bn a year by 2050, prompting calls for a crackdown on alcohol, junk food and smoking.The ageing population means the annual cost of cancer, heart disease, dementia and stroke combined will go from the 51.9bn recorded in 2018 to 85.6bn in 2050 - a rise of 61%. Continue reading...

Akhmed Yakoob claims Muhammed Fahir, 19, is victim of police brutality after video shows arrest at airportA teenager who was kicked in the face by an armed police officer while lying prone on the ground is traumatised" and receiving hospital treatment after the barbaric" assault, his solicitor has said.Akhmed Yakoob said 19-year-old Muhammed Fahir was a victim of police brutality" after footage showed an officer stamping on his head during an arrest at Manchester airport on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Ross Davidson, who was in band between 2017 and 2019 as Ross Wild, also guilty of sexual assault against two womenA sadistic and manipulative" former Spandau Ballet singer has been found guilty of rape and sexual assault.Ross Davidson, 36, was convicted of assaults against three women at Wood Green crown court on Thursday. The former singer, who fronted the band between 2017 and 2019 under the stage name Ross Wild, expressed no emotion when the verdict was read out. Continue reading...

Internal inquiry into decision to drive police car into escaped calf has received 250 video clips of incidentA police decision to ram an escaped cow with a patrol car is being investigated as a criminal and internal misconduct matter.Surrey police were heavily criticised after footage was posted online of a 10-month-old calf being rammed by a police car in the early hours of 15 June after reports of an animal on the loose in Staines-upon-Thames. Continue reading...

Police confirm first case since dogs banned, after Esther Martin, 68, died of injuriesA man has been charged over the death of a woman who was fatally injured by two XL bully dogs, in the first case of its kind since the dogs were banned.Esther Martin, 68, died after being attacked on 3 February at a house in Jaywick, Essex. Continue reading...

Judge lifts threat for the time being' after ex-minister withholds names from inquiry into misconduct claimsJohnny Mercer no longer faces the threat of jail for refusing to cooperate with a public inquiry examining allegations of unlawful killings by the SAS in Afghanistan, after its presiding judge said he would back down for now.The former Conservative MP and minister had repeatedly refused to provide the names of two military sources in confidence to the inquiry judge, Charles Haddon-Cave, and had a final deadline of 4pm on Thursday to comply. Continue reading...

Coastguard reports 4km oil slick as strong winds hamper cleanup efforts after 25 die in the Philippines and Taiwan

Burney, a Wiradjuri woman and the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to federal House of Representatives, has a record of profound firsts', PM says

Lawyers criticise what they consider inconsistencies in the handling of individual foreign nationals' casesThe UK government scheme allowing EU citizens to remain post-Brexit is in danger of being upended, legal experts have warned, after a series of conflicting court rulings over social welfare payments to French and Slovenian citizens and the relative of a Spanish woman living in Britain.In May, one county court judge found against Islington council, which had rescinded a Slovenian software engineer's right to emergency housing after he lost work during the pandemic. Continue reading...

Tony Mack claims party leader cannot keep promises' and went back on pledge to pay back costs