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Brokers hope Nationwide's mortgage deal is sign of summer of savings' for homebuyersFixed-rate mortgages priced below 4% are back on sale for homebuyers for the first time since February, with brokers hoping it is a sign of things to come".Nationwide Building Society said from Wednesday it would be cutting rates by up to 0.25 percentage points across its two-, three- and five-year fixed mortgage products. Continue reading...

Wegovy wins approvals from MHRA as drug to help reduce risk of heart problems in people who are overweightHealth officials in the UK have given the green light for a weight-loss jab to be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes in overweight people.Semaglutide, sold under the brand name Wegovy, has already been approved for weight management in people with obesity. Continue reading...

ME expert said he wrote to hospital chief executive after Maeve Boothby O'Neill's deathA leading ME expert has told an inquest there is still no hospital ward in England capable of managing patients with the illness, and said it was a travesty" that some medical professionals did not believe it was a real physical condition.Speaking at the inquest of a woman who died with ME in 2021, Dr David Strain also expressed concern at aspects of the treatment Maeve Boothby O'Neill received at the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital. Continue reading...

Cheatle steps down a day after House hearing where members of both parties called for her to quit

Expected to be the only candidate to lead Welsh Labour, she will have to use her experience to unite her party

The owners of Kanaan have said that wine glasses were smashed and the space was defiled by disgusting acts' in the attackVandals ransacked an Israeli-Palestinian restaurant in Berlin, smashing wine glasses and defiling the space with disgusting acts" a week after it hosted a queer Jewish-Muslim brunch, its owners have said.Kanaan, a casual eatery in the Prenzlauer Berg district of the city, has attracted national attention since the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas, for its message of unity over hate". Its owners, Oz Ben David, an Israeli, and Jalil Dabit, a Palestinian, have called it an island of peace". Continue reading...

High court hears case brought by claimants who say rights have been breached as result of adaptation planIn December, council officials ordered Kevin Jordan to leave his home, warning him it was at risk of falling into the sea at any moment.On Tuesday he had his day in court, accusing the government of failing to do enough to adapt to the changes the UK is facing as a result of climate breakdown. Continue reading...

Ayaan Waeys, who had Somali heritage, had shown symptoms of pre-eclampsia and died at St Thomas' hospital after giving birth to stillborn girl

Lady Neville-Rolfe says she had road to Damascus' moment when MPs raised flaws in prosecutions with executives

Statistics raise concerns that rise in demand for data processing driven by AI could derail climate targetsIreland's energy-hungry datacentres consumed more electricity last year than all of its urban homes combined, according to official figures.The country's growing fleet of datacentres used 21% of its electricity, an increase of a fifth on 2022, according to the Central Statistics Office. Continue reading...

Officer stabbed in chest at Frankland prison is conscious and talking' in hospital, police sayA police officer is conscious and talking" in hospital after being stabbed in the chest at Frankland prison, Durham Constabulary have said.A force spokesperson said officers were called to HMP Frankland in Durham city shortly after 11am. A police officer, who was visiting the facility from an outside force, suffered a stab wound to the chest during the incident. Continue reading...

Tim Davie said that fun and entertainment should prevail amid recent accusations about the behaviour of some of the show's professionalsThe BBC wants to make Strictly Come Dancing more fun and less competitive, its director general, Tim Davie, has said as he confirmed the next series of the show will definitely go ahead this autumn.Davie added he was worried that the Saturday night show had lost track of its purpose, with dancers too focused on winning the top prize. Continue reading...

Choudary convicted of having caretaker role' in Al-Muhajiroun and drumming up support onlineThe Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary has been found guilty of directing the terrorist group Al-Muhajiroun (ALM) and drumming up cross-border support for the banned organisation online.After a trial at Woolwich crown court in south London, Choudary was convicted on Tuesday of having a caretaker role" in directing ALM. Continue reading...

Corporation faces stark challenge as it struggles to reach younger audiences who are watching Netflix and YouTubeHalf a million households cancelled their licence fee last year as the BBC struggled to connect with younger audiences drifting away to Netflix and YouTube.The stark extent of the BBC's challenges are set out in the corporation's annual report, which shows the total number of British households paying the 169.50 licence fee fell to 23.9 million, suggesting a growing number of people feel able to go without BBC services. Continue reading...

Labor unions who back Harris are keen to see continuation of Biden administration's strong record of union supportUS unions have begun to rally round Vice-President Kamala Harris as Democrats and Republicans gear up for a fight over the labor vote in November.The unions who have rallied to Harris so far are keen to see a continuation of the Biden administration's strong record of union support. Biden has been touted as the most pro-union president ever, and became the first sitting president to walk a picket line during the United Auto Workers strike last year. Continue reading...

Women who sorted frankincense told to change their story or face consequences' in doTERRA's investigationAn investigation into the abuse of women working to supply frankincense to a leading US essential oils brand built on ethical sourcing has left workers unpaid and frightened, with some saying they were told to change their stories or face the consequences".Last year doTERRA, which sells essential oils and other wellness products to a mostly female customer base, launched an investigation into its frankincense supplier in Somaliland after reporting by the Fuller Project uncovered allegations of serious abuses, including sexual harassment and assault. Many women hired as frankincense sorters said they were routinely underpaid and faced harsh working conditions that had impacted their health. Continue reading...

Research shows forever chemicals' increasingly found in products as agency claims the chemicals aren't being usedToxic PFAS forever chemicals" are widely added to pesticides, and are increasingly used in the products in recent years, new research finds, a practice that creates a health threat by spreading the dangerous compounds directly into the US's food and water supply.The analysis of active and inert ingredients that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved for use in pesticides proves recent agency claims that the chemicals aren't used in pesticides are false. Continue reading...

Bob Dean Jr gets probation after pleading no contest to counts of cruelty to infirmed people and healthcare fraudA Louisiana nursing home magnate who left 800 elderly residents to endure a potent hurricane inside a fetid warehouse has avoided jail time after choosing not to dispute the cruelty charges facing him.Bob Dean Jr on Monday received three years of probation - along with about $2m in penalties, court costs and restitution - after pleading no contest to eight counts of cruelty to infirmed people, five of healthcare fraud and two of obstruction of justice. Continue reading...

Australian federal police say Arncliffe man is accused of facilitating travel of a 17-year-old as part of an alleged trafficking ring

Australian chef de mission Anna Meares says athletes have been advised to take care outside Olympic village after reports of assault

Exclusive: Senior Australian government source says ICJ ruling the continued Israeli occupation of territory seized in 1967 was illegal can't be ignored'

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Haley Terei likely to be charged with perverting the course of justice, judge says

Nearly 700 beverages with almost double the allowed maximum caffeine content seized from South Australian retailers

Tasmanian Labradoodles agrees to close to avoid charges laid for alleged overbreeding

Kerrie Struhs was scheduled to meet a parole officer before her daughter died from diabetes medicine being allegedly withheld, a Queensland trial has been told

Harris insiders say she is more likely to engage in public criticism of the Israeli prime minister than Joe Biden and to focus attention on the civilian toll in GazaOne of the key intrigues hanging over Benjamin Netanyahu's contentious visit to Washington this week is what kind of reception he will receive from the White House, and how he will be received by Joe Biden and his vice-president - and the likely Democratic party nominee - Kamala Harris.For much of Monday, no meetings between Netanyahu and either Biden or Harris had been confirmed, even though the Israeli PM had already departed for the US and was scheduled on Wednesday to address a joint session of Congress at the request of the House leader, Mike Johnson, a Republican. Continue reading...

Sakina Muhammad Jan, 48, to be sentenced on Monday after becoming first person found guilty of forced marriage

Detective in charge of investigating Haigh's disappearance told the court he regarded the case as a potential murder almost from the outset'

Man, 34, arrested as investigators search property in Wildwood, north-west of Melbourne, over disappearance of 43-year-old Adrian Romeo

Personalised pre-NHS' could stop onset of disease and offer health checks in places people live, work and socialise

The right-wing government had told Pharmac that it no longer needed to consider the Treaty of Waitangi in its funding decisionsA director of New Zealand's medicine funding agency Pharmac has resigned in protest of a government directive telling the agency that it no longer needed to consider the Treaty of Waitangi, the country's founding document which upholds Mori rights, in its funding decisions.In a letter to Pharmac, the associate health minister and leader of the libertarian Act party David Seymour set out his expectations of the government agency, including his thoughts on how the principles of Treaty of Waitangi, or Te Tiriti o Waitangi, should be applied. Continue reading...

RoyMorgan report says stage-three tax cuts should ease burden unless jobs market falters or Reserve Bank raises interest rates again

Toymaker created the doll, which carries a cane, to create a sense of belonging' for children with vision impairmentSix decades after the original Barbie hit shelves, Mattel is launching its first blind Barbie doll in an effort to make its range more inclusive.The US toymaker said the doll, which is now available online and instore, has been created in a bid to make blind and low-vision children more represented within society. Continue reading...

Endorsements for Harris to be the new Democratic presidential nominee have come thick and fast. But without Joe Biden can the Democrats win the US election? Mehdi Hasan explainsIt's been a rollercoaster couple of weeks in the US election campaign. On Sunday Joe Biden announced he would not stand for re-election, before endorsing his vice-president, Kamala Harris, as the presidential candidate for the Democrats. On Monday endorsements - and money - rolled in from donors and political luminaries.Mehdi Hasan, a columnist for the Guardian US and a co-founder of the media organisation Zeteo, tells Michael Safi why despite criticising Kamala Harris in the past he is now an enthusiastic supporter of her campaign to be the next president. Continue reading...

Duke - and perhaps Duchess - of Sussex expected to attend event in 2027, held in UK for first time since inaugural gamesThe Duke of Sussex has congratulated the city of Birmingham on winning the bid to host the Invictus Games in 2027.It will be the first time the games, founded by Prince Harry for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans, are staged in the UK since the inaugural event in London in 2014. Continue reading...

National Archives files show officials were troubled by idea of institution enriching widow of Cambridge Five agentThe British Library wanted to acquire the personal archive of the notorious double agent Kim Philby in a deal worth tens of thousands of pounds to his widow, according to newly released government files.Papers released by the National Archives in Kew show that officials in the mid-1990s were horrified by the prospect of such an institution being party to an arrangement that would enrich the family of a man whose treachery was blamed for countless agent deaths. Continue reading...

National Police Chiefs' Council analysis reveals 2m women a year estimated to be victims of male violenceTwo million women are estimated to be victims of violence perpetrated by men each year in an epidemic so serious it amounts to a national emergency", police chiefs have warned.Crimes including stalking, harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence affect one in 12 women in England and Wales, with the number of recorded offences growing by 37% in the past five years and the perpetrators getting younger. Continue reading...

Tensions over Palestinian death toll have eerie parallels to western concerns about current Israeli operationsTony Blair's government accused Israeli forces of acting more like the Russian army than that of a civilised country" during a major military incursion into the occupied West Bank, newly released official files show.The tensions, which have eerie parallels to western concerns over current Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip, are laid bare in papers released by the National Archives. Continue reading...

Wildfire near Salt Lake City quickly grew to more than 200 acres as flames level homes in southern CaliforniaFirefighters across the US west were battling to contain multiple blazes on Monday amid blisteringly high temperatures, including a wildfire that forced evacuations near Salt Lake City, over the weekend and another that destroyed several homes in southern California.The Sandhurst fire broke out on Saturday afternoon near the Utah capital and quickly grew to more than 200 acres (81 hectares). Authorities said more than 100 firefighters responded to the scene, with helicopters and planes dropping buckets over the flames as ground crews tried to douse the fire, which was only 10% contained as of Monday. Continue reading...

PM endorses earlier comments by Bridget Phillipson amid brewing rebellion on policy among Labour MPsKeir Starmer has indicated for the first time that he will consider scrapping the two-child benefit cap, amid a brewing rebellion by Labour MPs.The prime minister endorsed comments by Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, who said that removing the cap was among measures the government would look at as part of a review into child poverty. Continue reading...

Former leader rallies pro-EU MPs who German ambassador says now vastly outnumber ERG group of Eurosceptic ToriesNeil Kinnock has delivered a rallying cry to pro-EU Labour MPs, telling them that fortune favours the brave" when it comes to forging closer ties with Europe.The tide is shifting", the former party leader told a reception of the Labour Movement for Europe (LME), where there was applause when Germany's ambassador told of his delight that the grouping's more than 100 MPs now vastly outnumbered the Conservatives' European Research Group of Eurosceptic MPs. Continue reading...

Four MPs will be shortlisted before party conference, with Badenoch, Cleverly, Tugendhat and Patel current favouritesThe Conservatives will elect their new leader in November after the party agreed to an extended timetable to replace Rishi Sunak.Four Conservative MPs will be shortlisted by the parliamentary party to make their pitch to colleagues and members at party conference in October. Sunak will remain acting leader until his successor is agreed. Continue reading...

Independent candidate said to have discussed potential role if Trump were to win White House in NovemberThe independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr reportedly held recent talks with Donald Trump about endorsing his campaign for a second presidency and - if successful - taking a job in his administration.The talks, first reported Monday by the Washington Post, come days after Kennedy publicly apologized for a video posted online that showed part of a private phone call between him and Trump. The clip included Trump sharing his thoughts about childhood vaccines and being in broad agreement with Kennedy, a noted vaccine sceptic. In the video, Trump seemingly invited Kennedy to endorse his campaign. Continue reading...

Civil group Liberty has adjourned legal hearing over contentious legislation to allow talks with ministers to openYvette Cooper could abandon a law that has seen hundreds of people criminalised for carrying out peaceful protests.An attempt to overturn a high court judgment that the previous Conservative home secretary acted unlawfully has been adjourned to allow the civil liberties group Liberty and ministers to open talks about the future of the contentious legislation. Continue reading...

Experts warn recruiting one GP for every 24 hospital consultants will not help increase out-of-hospital careThe NHS's landmark plan to tackle understaffing will recruit just one GP for every 24 hospital consultants, experts have warned, leaving England needing thousands more family doctors.The Royal College of GPs has written to Wes Streeting protesting against what it says is a stark imbalance that threatens one of the government's key NHS goals. Continue reading...

The president damaged his party, but finally made the right decision. We must hope Democrats don't repeat their mistakesJoe Biden has never been the greatest orator or had the strongest political backbone, but he has always displayed one important skill throughout his decades in office: representing the center of the Democratic party, wherever that center may be at any given time.It explains why he followed his party's ideological journey and went from liberal Democrat in the 1980s to conservative austerian in the 1990s to Iraq war proponent in the 2000s to mildly progressive economic populist in this era. It also explains his announcement on Sunday that he is withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race. Continue reading...

President could help his VP win race, issue executive orders to cut student debt, or he could pardon his son HunterWhen Joe Biden finally ends his self-imposed seclusion at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, this week he will emerge into a very different world than the one from which he isolated when diagnosed with Covid last Wednesday.He will still be president of the United States, and as such the most powerful person on Earth. But it may not feel like that to him. His hopes of carrying on in that office died at 1.46pm ET on Sunday when he announced that he was standing down from the 2024 race. Continue reading...

Brazilian leader says he was frightened' by counterpart's warnings of bloodbath' if he loses to Edmundo GonzalezBrazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has urged Venezuela's government to respect the result of next Sunday's election, saying he had been frightened" by Nicolas Maduro's warnings of a bloodbath" if he loses the vote.After 11 years in power, Venezuela's authoritarian leader is currently trailing in opinion polls to the opposition candidate, the retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez, and in recent weeks, Maduro and his allies have stepped up their predictions of post-election violence following what they say will be a victory for the ruling party. Continue reading...

Obscure statute grants reproduction of drugs in shortages - creating $1bn market of unbranded weight-loss drugsAn obscure federal statute is allowing US pharmacies to flood the market with unvetted knockoffs of Ozempic, the pricey weight-loss drug that is reducing and transforming the weight and silhouettes of millions of Americans.According to a Bloomberg investigation published Monday, a blind spot" in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations that allows pharmacies and compounders to reproduce drugs that are in short supply has helped to create a market of unbranded weight-loss drugs worth $1bn annually. Continue reading...