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Experts say the next head of the Office for Students must oversee a programme that will protect higher educationThe new head of the Office for Students (OfS) will have to oversee rescue plans to avoid a domino effect" with a number of universities going under, experts have warned.The new government's Department for Education (DfE) announced on Tuesday that it had accepted the resignation of the OfS's controversial chair, James Wharton, a former Tory MP who ran Boris Johnson's leadership campaign. Lord Wharton, who was given the job of running the independent regulator in 2021 despite having no experience of higher education, did not give up the Tory whip in the Lords and was widely criticised for being too close to the Conservative government. Continue reading...

As the Conservatives lick their wounds, a new generation of activists fear an extended period in the political wildernessWhen Jayde Tanisha Edwards saw the exit poll on 4 July, she was shocked. I think everybody came to the conclusion that the Conservatives were going to lose, but I don't think we realised how badly we were going to lose," she says.Edwards is an unlikely Tory activist. She is 25 years old, and when she got involved with the party some years ago - standing as a councillor in 2019 - she was a teenage mother living in temporary accommodation. Although everyone in her family and community supported Labour, she was attracted by the Conservative message of aspiration. It was that fundamental belief in prosperity and being able to build yourself up, and just do whatever you want to do," she says. Most people in her age group do not share this view: just 8% of people under 25 voted Conservative on 4 July. In 2019, it was 21%. With so few in their age group supporting the party, young Conservative members are a vanishingly small number. Even Edwards, a committed activist who is out knocking on doors in every local and general election, is uncertain. During this campaign, that fire and that passion for young voters just wasn't there," she says. So how can I convince people on the doorstep?" Continue reading...

Supporters of former Pakistan PM, who is serving seven years in prison, hope acquittal paves way for releaseA court in Pakistan has acquitted the former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife on charges of unlawful marriage, just a day after his party won the majority of reserved seats in the supreme court.Syed Zulfi Bukhari, an adviser to Imran Khan on international affairs and media, said: The court has not only thrown out the case but the judge has ordered for the immediate release of Imran Khan and his wife." Continue reading...

The new national assembly meets this week, but what will happen if the three almost equal political blocs cannot agree on a prime minister?One week after a snap general election that nobody won, and two weeks before it welcomes the world for the Olympic Games, France is still without a new prime minister or government and in political chaos.As the French celebrate Bastille Day, the national 14 July holiday, the squabbling and stalemate between the three groupings that took the most seats but failed to secure a parliamentary majority continued with warnings that it could be two months before a solution is found. Continue reading...

The two big channels prepare to slug it out for viewers for the climax of the tournament

Health officials say at least 71 people killed and 289 injured by strike on camp for displaced people in Khan Younis

With Labour plan not coming into effect until September, ex-prison governor says emergency measures can only keep a lid on things'Prisons could still hit full capacity within weeks despite new emergency measures announced by Labour to release some prisoners early.An unprecedented move to cut the time served in custody for most sentences to 40% will not come into effect until September, and officials fear that capacity will be overwhelmed by the end of August. The justice secretary has described the situation as a ticking timebomb". Continue reading...

Man, 34, arrested at Bristol Temple Meads early on Saturday while another man arrested in Greenwich released without chargeA man has been arrested in connection with an investigation into the discovery of human remains on Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol and in west London, police have said.A 34-year-old man was arrested at Bristol Temple Meads railway station in the early hours of Saturday and taken into custody. He will be taken to London for questioning. Continue reading...

Coveted post at London arts institution tainted by process widened to include the Cabinet Office and Downing StreetThe V&A in London's South Kensington is Britain's go-to museum for fashionistas and the one with the most social cachet thanks to grand opening parties. Exhibitions this year have featured Coco Chanel, Elton John, Naomi Campbell, and, this month, a Taylor Swift songbook trail with 16 stage looks on display. Yet the selection for the coveted post of a new chair has been mired in a lengthy and politically charged process for more than a year after Nicholas Coleridge's departure to chair Historic Royal Palaces and become provost-elect of Eton College.Like all posts for trustees, board members or chairs in the arts, media and sport, the starting point is a panel run by the Department of Culture. But under the last Conservative government, the process was widened to include special advisers and the Cabinet Office, before, finally, Downing Street. Critics said this led to more Tory donors and allies getting top jobs. These included Richard Sharp at the BBC, Michael Grade at Ofcom, John Booth at the National Gallery, and David Ross at the National Portrait Gallery. Continue reading...

As a terrorist attack, a harsh response and an ensuing invasion strike familiar chords, analysts look for lessons from the war of 42 years agoIt started with a terrorist attack, which triggered massive military retaliation, the siege of a city, the deaths of thousands of civilians and devastation and global outrage. If the military operation was a success in tactical terms, it led to strategic failures that scarred the nation and the region for decades to come.Sounds familiar? Forty-two years later, as a new conflict looms on Israel's northern borders, historians, analysts and veterans of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon are looking to that now-distant war for lessons and warnings. Continue reading...

Catherine to make second public appearance since cancer diagnosis, at final on Sunday between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak DjokovicThe Princess of Wales will award the Wimbledon men's trophy to the winner of the final on Sunday, in a rare public appearance since her cancer diagnosis.It will be the second time she has appeared in public after undergoing abdominal surgery in January, which led to the discovery of the cancer and the beginning of chemotherapy treatment in late February. Last month, she attended the trooping the colour ceremony for King Charles's official birthday before which she released a statement saying she was making good progress" but was not out of the woods yet". Continue reading...

Former colleagues and interviewees of presenter invited on to programme to commemorate her news careerThe BBC presenter Kirsty Wark has said goodnight and good luck" to the BBC's Newsnight after 30 years on the programme.In her last show on Friday night, former colleagues and interviewees were invited to commemorate the career of the 67-year-old, who is the longest-serving Newsnight presenter. She joined the news and current affairs programme in 1993. Continue reading...

BBC racing commentator John Hunt and his daughter thank people for support after his wife and two daughters killedJohn Hunt, the BBC racing commentator whose wife and two daughters were killed in a crossbow attack, has spoken of the devastation" his family is suffering.Carol Hunt and her two daughters, Hannah Hunt, 28, and Louise Hunt, 25, were found injured at a home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on Tuesday and died shortly after at the scene. Continue reading...

Surveys consistently showed a landslide for Starmer's party, but predictions were wide of the markA low turnout, difficulties in polling ethnic minority voters, a surge in tactical voting and a late swing to the Greens are being examined by pollsters, after an election campaign in which Labour's vote share was widely overstated in the polls.It was perhaps the most polled election in British political history, with surveys consistently showing a Labour landslide and devastating losses for the Conservatives. While that is the overall result voters delivered on 4 July, Labour secured a lower vote share than polls had predicted. Continue reading...

Last Monday's strike brought terror to the Ukrainian capital, but also a renewed sense of solidarity in the face of tragedyIt was Monday lunchtime and Eka Grbich was waiting to see her doctor at a private maternity clinic in Kyiv. The news that morning was terrible. Ukraine was under a massive Russian attack. One cruise missile hit the capital's main Okhmatdyt children's hospital. Another destroyed a block of flats, killing and entombing many of those inside.Grbich posted distressing images from the hospital on her Instagram account. She made a couple of work calls. And then, suddenly, her own world went dark. There was a very loud noise. It happened in one second. There was smoke and I couldn't breathe. I didn't feel pain. I was thinking: Am I alive?'. Somebody helped me to stand up." Continue reading...

People in Manchester and Stockport fondly remember players when they were talented young boysThe entire country will be on tenterhooks on Sunday to see if the Three Lions can fight their way to victory in the men's Euros final. But one small area south of Manchester will be rooting for its very own trio, some of England's brightest young stars: Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo, who all grew up here within a few miles of each other.Their home towns form a triangle: Palmer, 22, is from Wythenshawe in Manchester and the other two come from Stockport; Mainoo, 19, from the quiet suburb of Cheadle Hulme, and Foden, 24, from Edgeley. Continue reading...

Party's strategist already planning how to secure second term, bolstered by former MP's appointment to thinktankLabour has already begun preparing for its 2029 election campaign, with the party's political strategist Morgan McSweeney telling associates that he wants to build a new coalition of voters and fight it like an insurgent" party.Keir Starmer has only been prime minister for a week, making a slick start in his first days in government, but his team has already started putting in place the structures to win a second term. Continue reading...

University of Vermont research suggests singer has positive impact because of willingness to discuss personal strugglesTaylor Swift's willingness to openly talk about struggles with body image and disordered eating have aided the pop superstar's fans in grappling with those issues themselves, according to new scientific research.The authors of a University of Vermont (UVM) study published in the July issue of the Social Science & Medicine journal reached that conclusion after analyzing the top 200 TikTok and Reddit social media posts containing more than 8,300 comments pertaining to Swift, eating disorders and body image. Continue reading...

Anyone repeating lines from sitcom episode encouraged to pay donation to help with conservation costsIf your job involves caring for chandeliers, one of the hazards is repeatedly being reminded of the classic scene from Only Fools and Horses when the hapless Trotters smash one in spectacular fashion.Conservators cleaning the chandeliers at the Bath Assembly Rooms have heard the jokes so often that they have imposed a tax" on any visitor who reminds them of the moment - or admits to thinking about it. Continue reading...

Scams underline risks of banking on mobile, with not all lenders prepared to refund victimsThe risks of doing banking on your mobile handset have been underlined by the stories of Guardian Money readers who had their mobiles taken over by fraudsters, who then emptied their bank accounts.In recent months, Guardian Money has become increasingly alarmed at how often people are reporting that their mobile phone account has been taken over - with O2 our most complained-about provider. Continue reading...

FA has supplied Oura health trackers popularised by stars including Prince Harry to Gareth Southgate and teamAdored by royalty and celebrities across the globe, the a 300 smart ring has found itself centre stage at the Euros, adorning the fingers of England players and staff, who are hopeful it can give them the edge over Spain on Sunday.Bought in bulk in March by the FA - and previously described as addictive" by defender John Stones - the hi-tech piece of titanium monitors the players' heart rate, sleep and stress levels, calculating their readiness to train and seize victory on the pitch. Continue reading...

Firefighters called to Donvale home at about 3.46am Saturday found the house fully engulfed in flames

More than 154 people were initially reported trapped under the rubble but police say 132 have been rescued and treated for injuriesA school in north-central Nigeria collapsed during morning classes on Friday, initially trapping about 154 students and setting off a frantic search for those in the rubble. Authorities say 22 died.The two-storey Saints Academy college in Plateau state's Busa Buji community caved in shortly after students, many of whom were 15 or younger, arrived for classes. Continue reading...

Controversial figure will step down from role as Victorian branch secretary after 12 years

Villavicencio was killed last year and a man and woman, described as instigators, have each been sentenced to more than 34 years in prisonFive people have been jailed over the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was killed by gunmen on motorcycles last year.Villavicencio, 59, was a former journalist and killed on 9 August as he left a school in Ecuador's capital, Quito, after a campaign rally. Thirteen people were injured. Continue reading...

BoM says most severe impacts expected on Sunday and Monday, with warnings of flash flooding in Tasmania

Exclusive: Talks at Blenheim Palace will centre on Ukraine, security and democracyVolodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to travel to the UK next week to address European leaders at Blenheim Palace who are meeting to discuss Ukraine, European security and democracy.He will also make his first visit to Ireland on Saturday morning when he touches down in Shannon airport, Co Clare, for a meeting with the Irish taoiseach, Simon Harris. Continue reading...

Crime scene in place in west London's Shepherd's Bush as hunt for another suspect continuesHuman remains were found at a house in west London as police investigated the discovery of the body parts of two men in a pair of suitcases near the Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol, Scotland Yard has said.A Met police statement said: While searching a flat in Scotts Road, W12 on Friday, 12 July, officers found human remains which are in the process of being sensitively removed. Additional postmortem examinations will be arranged as soon as possible. Continue reading...

Broadcaster suffered severe cuts under Conservatives, which reneged on inflation-linked dealLabour will support the BBC licence fee, Keir Starmer has pledged, in stark contrast to the years of Conservative opposition to the funding model.The levy of 159 a year on households with a television used to receive live broadcasts (or watch BBC iPlayer) raises 3.2bn annually for the BBC and the Welsh channel S4C. Continue reading...

IOC signs deal with kingdom to host gaming Olympics over 12-year period amid criticism of Saudi human rights recordSaudi Arabia and the International Olympic Committee have announced a 12-year agreement to host the new esports Olympics in the oil-rich kingdom starting next year.The partnership promises Olympic Esports Games held regularly", the International Olympic Committee said in a statement on Friday, beginning with the Esports Olympics in 2025. Saudi Arabia did not disclose how much it planned to spend on the competition. Continue reading...

Rapper is one of several Dutch The Voice stars accused of sexual misconduct, in high-profile case that gripped the countryA Dutch court has sentenced a former coach on talent show The Voice of Holland to two years in prison for rape, in a high-profile case that gripped the country.Ali B, 42, was found guilty of raping a woman known as Naomi" during a writer's room in 2018 - allegations he has denied.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Officials in Mendoza say players met the victim at a nightclub and violently assaulted her in a hotel roomProsecutors in Argentina have charged two French rugby players with aggravated rape, in the grisly case of a woman who said she was repeatedly assaulted by the athletes after they took her back to their hotel room and prevented her from leaving.

Shabana Mahmood says Tories left country threatened with total breakdown of law and order

On his US visit, Keir Starmer took advantage of a well-timed chance to meet other Nato leaders - not all natural alliesAs Keir Starmer arrived at the Oval Office, Joe Biden was at the door to meet him. Come on in, man," the US president told him. The invitation was not simply to enter the heart of the White House, but also the major league of world leaders.The day before, on the flight to Washington DC for the Nato summit on Tuesday, Starmer admitted that the days since the Labour party pulled off its landslide election victory the week before had been a bit of a whirlwind. Continue reading...

Boy, 17, arrested after reports male attempted to attack people with bladed weapon at Sikh temple in GravesendA 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and a religiously aggravated public order offence after a sword attack near a gurdwara in Kent left two young females with injuries.Police are investigating the state of the teenager's mental health, the Guardian understands. The incident started inside the Guru Nanak Darbar gurdwara in Gravesend at 8.10pm on Thursday, Kent police said. Continue reading...

Party leadership is staying in campaign mode to make sure public is aware how much ex-government has tied its handsWhere the Conservatives had there is no money", Labour now has the things we shamefully left undone".The government has spent much of its first week in power pinning the blame for its politically sensitive decisions on the previous incumbents, much as the Conservatives did after 2010. Continue reading...

Michael McDaid pleaded guilty to murder of Rachel McDaid, 53, at her Nottinghamshire home in AprilA man who strangled his estranged wife with a bootlace has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 23 years and four months.Michael McDaid, 60, pleaded guilty to the murder of Rachel McDaid, 53, whose body was found by their son at her home in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire on 19 April. Continue reading...

Spanish PM hails a great day for Spain after party pulls out of coalitions with conservative People's partySpain's socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has hailed a great day for the country after the far-right Vox party relinquished its grip on power by abandoning its coalition governments with the conservative People's party (PP) in five key regions after disagreements over migration policy.Vox's leader, Santiago Abascal, announced the withdrawal on Thursday night, after days of arguments with the PP over its decision to support the central government's plans to bring about 400 unaccompanied minors from the Canary Islands and redistribute them around the mainland. Continue reading...

Independent inquiry into death of Ruth Perry after Ofsted inspection says public excoriation of individuals' must stopAn independent inquiry into the death of the Reading headteacher Ruth Perry has called for an end to England's macho culture" of inspections and school accountability.The review, commissioned by Reading borough council after Perry's suicide last year, said the tragedy should highlight the folly of the macho culture of high-stakes accountability" inflicted on England's schools. Continue reading...

Justice secretary's plan includes extra recruitment but head of service queries timings, with moves to bring forward releases starting in SeptemberRobert Buckland, the former secretary of state for justice and former MP, has appeared on Sky News to talk about the prison crisis.He said that only 6,000 of the 20,000 new places the Tories promised by the end of this year have been created, and that the prison building programme which I started with Rishi Sunak is coming forward, but not at a pace that is quick enough I think to meet demand".My advice to the new Justice Secretary - and I wish her well, she's just come into post - is to make sure that we aren't releasing people who could pose a risk, particularly domestic abusers, stalkers, those types of offenders. I think it would be wholly inappropriate to release them.I think we do need to be absolutely iron on our commitment to protect the public. And the new government would be best advised to make that clear from the outset. Because sending mixed messages about punishment is not a good way, frankly, to start a penal policy when you've just taken office. Continue reading...

Flooring retailer files notice of intention to appoint administrators as it works to secure fresh investmentCarpetright, one of the UK's biggest flooring retailers, has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, putting 1,800 jobs at risk as it races to secure extra funding.The company filed the notice with the high court to appoint administrators while it works to finalise new investment to protect its long-term future. Continue reading...

Ukraine has been pushing its western allies to allow use of their weapons further into RussiaDonald Trump will make peace" in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said after visiting the former president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.Orban posted photos of himself and Trump, who is running for re-election in November, each giving a thumbs up in a room at the resort. Continue reading...

218 MPs reject bill while 215 vote for draft law that would have decriminalised act of facilitating abortionsHungary's presidency of the Council of the EU has already caused damage, the German foreign ministry said today, Reuters reported.Budapest took over the rotating presidency on July 1. The Hungarian far right prime minister, Viktor Orban, fuelled controversy over the past days by travelling to Russia and China without backing from his EU counterparts. Continue reading...

In his Nato news conference, the US president acknowledged concerns about Israeli actions despite his overall support

Remarkable survival of structure triggers debate in religious St Vincent and the Grenadines about how it is still standingOn the island of Union in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where the category 4 Hurricane Beryl caused Armageddon-like" destruction, demolishing more than 90% of the buildings, there is a solitary wooden house standing defiantly among the wreckage.A picture of the quaint yellow building with a mauve roof, bafflingly out of place among an array of debris and roofless structures, has been shared more than 500 times on Facebook. In a deeply religious country where more than 80% of the population are Christians, it has triggered a debate about whether its survival is a miraculous message from God. Continue reading...

Claim part of inquiry into conduct of secretive undercover Met unit that spied on political groups over decadesAn undercover police officer has accused a colleague of fathering a child with a campaigner who was part of a leftwing group, a public inquiry has heard.Malcolm Shearing, an undercover officer who infiltrated revolutionary communist groups, has blown the whistle on his colleague, saying he is certain" that he is telling the truth. Continue reading...

New justice secretary is preparing to announce further emergency measures to ease overcrowding crisis in jails

After UK justice minister praised the system in the Netherlands, experts there say the reality is more complexEarlier this year, before he became the UK justice minister, James Timpson described how Britain should follow the Dutch example of mild sentencing to help solve the prisons crisis.They have shut half their prisons not because people are less naughty in Holland," he told Channel 4. It's because they have a different way of sentencing, which is community sentencing so people can stay at home, keep their jobs, keep their homes, keep reading their children bedtime stories, and it means they are far less likely to commit crime again. A custodial sentence is not always the right thing." Continue reading...

Network Rail route directors will also attend next week as UK government aims to reform railways quicklyLabour has summoned the bosses of some of the worst-performing train operators, including Avanti West Coast and TransPennine, for meetings next week as it seeks to rapidly reform the railways and reset industrial relations.The transport secretary, Louise Haigh, will bring in Network Rail route directors to attend all talks with the train companies, signalling the move towards an integrated railway. Continue reading...

International Committee of the Red Cross takes between 500 and 2,500 calls a week, mostly from family members