by Vivian Ho (now); Martin Belam and Helen Sullivan ( on (#6F3G0)
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereGermany has welcomed a decision by Switzerland to open the way to sell back some of its German-made Leopard II tanks to help rebuild stocks depleted by aid to Ukraine.Germany had asked Switzerland in February to sell back some of the 96 Leopard II tanks it has in storage to manufacturer Rheinmetall, Reuters reports. Continue reading...
South Oxfordshire council gives green light to former PM's swimming plans, as long as he mitigates risk to protected speciesHe's been ousted from the job he had spent a lifetime yearning for and left parliament under a cloud in June, yet Boris Johnson can finally savour some good news.In a move paving the way for a post-Downing Street life befitting a former prime minister, Johnson has been given permission to construct a swimming pool at his Oxfordshire home. Continue reading...
Report urges changes in the law to make it easier to take down abusive content and prosecute its makersAs much as 90% of pornographic content online features verbal, physical and sexual violence towards women, and a significant amount of violence shown is punishable under existing laws in France, a report by the government-nominated equality watchdog has found.France's high council for equality between women and men on Wednesday handed the government a damning report on illegal porn-industry practices, urging changes to the law to prosecute makers of pornography and to take down content in order to protect those who have been filmed. Continue reading...
World's most beautiful avenue' in French capital will undergo urgent cosmetic changes after years of declineOn paper and in urban legend, the Champs-Elysees is the most beautiful avenue in the world. For the last 30 years, however, Parisians have lamented the slow decline of the capital's famous street.The pavements flanking what is now an eight-lane highway used by an average 3,000 vehicles an hour have become an obstacle course of uneven paving stones and electricity cables and a hotchpotch of restaurant, bar, cafe and brasserie terraces of all shapes, sizes and colours. Continue reading...
The German conductor will take over from Daniel Barenboim who announced his resignation in JanuaryThe German conductor Christian Thielemann is to pick up the baton from the world renowned maestro and pianist Daniel Barenboim as general music director of Berlin's State Opera.In a move that shocked the classical music world, Barenboim, 80, resigned from the job in January after 30 years at the helm, citing a long-term neurological illness. On Wednesday, as the identity of his successor was revealed, he heaped praise on Thielemann, calling him an extraordinary musical talent". Continue reading...
Rightwing channel has ridden out dozens of controversies and built a fiercely loyal followingGB News' decision to suspend presenters Laurence Fox and Dan Wootton is a rare example of a channel that calls itself the home of free speech" backing down in the face of a backlash from critics and its own employees.The news channel, which continues to grow its audience by promoting rightwing culture war talking points, has ridden out dozens of controversies during its two years on air, including anti-vaccine broadcasts, allusions to antisemitic conspiracy theories, and challenges to its policy of employing serving Tory MPs as presenters. Continue reading...
Speaking of Ukraine war, Clinton said too bad Vladimir, you brought it on yourself', to which Kremlin pointed out 2009 mistakeHillary Clinton needled Vladimir Putin over Nato enlargement as she returned to the state department for the unveiling of her official portrait on Tuesday night.By early Wednesday morning, the Kremlin had fired back, reminding Clinton of an old gaffe about US-Russian relations. Continue reading...
Founder of Citadel hedge fund Ken Griffin linked to group of investors including Sir Paul MarshallThe American billionaire Ken Griffin, the founder of the Citadel hedge fund, is in discussions to join a group of investors led by Sir Paul Marshall, the co-owner of GB News, that is preparing a bid to buy the Telegraph.Marshall, the founder of the London-based hedge fund Marshall Wace, is planning a bid through his UnHerd Ventures media group before an auction of the Telegraph and Spectator titles that is expected to begin in the coming weeks. Continue reading...
Singer says his eight offspring don't need $500m to live well' in interview that addresses how Rolling Stones brand will continueYou can't always get what you want, according to the Rolling Stones song, and it seems frontman Mick Jagger has taken the lyrics to heart after hinting the band's back catalogue might go to charity instead of leaving it to his children who don't need it".Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Jagger said he had no plans to sell the band's post-1971 catalogue, suggesting it may go to charity instead. He said: The children don't need $500m to live well. Come on." Continue reading...
Regional leaders express dismay at prospect of ditching high-speed rail project's northern legFive Labour mayors have urged Rishi Sunak not to scrap, delay or scale back HS2 as it would leave swathes of the north with Victorian transport infrastructure that is unfit for purpose".Sadiq Khan, Andy Burnham, Tracy Brabin, Oliver Coppard and Steve Rotheram say they have been inundated" with concerns from constituents about the potential economic damage that will result from any decision not to proceed with HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) in full". Continue reading...
Another missed bond payment raises doubts over future of world's most indebted property developerThe chair of China's Evergrande Group has reportedly been put under police surveillance as another missed bond payment casts further doubt over the future of the world's most indebted property developer.Hui Ka Yan, who founded Evergrande in 1996, was taken away earlier this month and is being monitored at a designated location, according to Bloomberg. Continue reading...
Videos on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram show prisoners interviewing peers, cooking and doing stuntsPrisoners are using secretly held phones to broadcast their lives on social media, with some interviewing cellmates like jailhouse Paxmans and others performing Jackass-style stunts. Some show off their rapping skills and a few give Jamie Oliver a run for his money by showcasing just what can be cooked in a prison kettle.There are thousands of prison videos on TikTok - often with the hashtag #prisontok - as well as on YouTube and Instagram, with what appears to be complete disregard for the victims of inmates' crimes. Continue reading...
by Elias Visontay and Sarah Basford Canales on (#6F3HH)
Qatar Airways executives earlier told the inquiry they were surprised and shocked' by the government unfairly' rejecting its request to expand in Australia
Former BBC journalist who has a gift for persuasion has reportedly always been 100% opposed to rail projectIf I could sum up my philosophy in a sentence," Andrew Gilligan told a journalist after his stint as Boris Johnson's cycling adviser, it's do something properly or not at all."Gilligan, who is now back in No 10 advising Rishi Sunak and widely thought to be instrumental in convincing the prime minister that he should cut HS2, was often the focal point for controversy over the delivery of London's first European-style cycle lanes. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6F3G2)
Advinia has failed to return more than 7,000 in unused fees despite repeated demands and promises to do soA grieving family have hired lawyers after one of the UK's largest care home operators withheld thousands of pounds in unused fees after their loved one died.Clara Willetts, 95, died on 19 June in the 186-a-day Netherton Green care home in Dudley run by Advinia. The firm failed to return more than 7,000 after her death despite repeated demands and promises to do so. The money is needed to pay for her funeral. Continue reading...
Imperial War Museum exhibition will tell story of Noor Inayat Khan as it recounts tales of courage, ingenuity and deceptionBrought up as a Sufi, a follower of a mystical form of Islam that has non-violence at its centre, Noor Inayat Khan did not hesitate when she signed up to fight the Nazis as a British agent in the second world war.She was the first female radio operator the Special Operations Executive (SOE) sent into Nazi-occupied France, with the code name Madeleine. Within months she had been betrayed, arrested, imprisoned, tortured and shot dead. Continue reading...
Increased frequency of Chinese drills has raised the risk of events getting out of hand', the island's defence minister saidChina's government has said that recent drills near Taiwan were aimed at combating the arrogance" of separatist forces, after Taipei reported a rise in military activity in recent weeks, including exercises on land facing the island.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory - a claim Taipei rejects - has said this month that it had observed dozens of fighters, drones, bombers and other aircraft, as well as warships and the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, operating nearby. Continue reading...
Right-leaning channel apologises after Fox made a series of derogatory comments about the journalist on Dan Wootton's showGB News has issued an apology and launched an investigation after it aired totally inappropriate" comments by actor and Reclaim Party founder Laurence Fox about journalist Ava Evans.Fox made a series of derogatory comments about Evans, a political correspondent for online news site Joe, during an interview with presenter Dan Wootton on Tuesday night. Continue reading...
Russia releases video of Black Sea fleet commander Ukraine claimed to have killed; new details revealed about Nord Stream pipeline explosionsRussia's defence ministry released footage showing Viktor Sokolov, the commander of the Black Sea fleet, attending a defence board meeting via video call, a day after Ukraine claimed that Sokolov was killed in an attack on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol.Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, reported that Ukraine's special forces were currently clarifying information regarding the possible death" of Sokolov.Scientists investigating the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines have revealed key new details of explosions linked to the event, which remains unsolved on its first anniversary. Researchers in Norway shared with the Guardian seismic evidence of the four explosions, becoming the first national body to publicly confirm the second two detonations, as well as revealing a detailed timeline of events.The European Union must begin a major wave of change to prepare for the arrival of Ukraine as a member state, the leader of its parliament has said. Roberta Metsola told the Guardian said she expected member states to begin formal negotiations with Ukraine as soon as December.Turkey's parliament will keep its promise to ratify Sweden's Nato bid if US president Joe Biden's administration paves the way for F-16 jet sales to Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoan said, according to Turkish media.An overnight Russian airstrike on the key Ukrainian grain exporting port of Izmail injured two people and damaged infrastructure, the governor of the Odesa region said on Tuesday. A port building, storage facilities and more than 30 trucks and cars were damaged in the attack, which lasted more than two hours, Oleh Kiper said, while the ferry service with Romania was also closed.The Ukrainian military reported shooting down 26 of the 38 Iranian-made attack drones it said were launched by Russia. Separately on Tuesday, a Russian missile strike also damaged a local enterprise in the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, its mayor, Oleksandr Vilkul, said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.Ukrainian troops have enjoyed success" by villages near Bakhmut, a key city seized by Russian forces in May, Ilia Yevlash, spokesperson for forces in the east, told national television. A spokesperson for troops in the south, Oleksandr Shtupun, meanwhile told the news site Espreso TV that Ukrainian troops were digging in and poised to move on the village of Verbove as part of their advance to the Sea of Azov. Russian troops were bringing in reserves. I believe we will soon have good news," Shtupun said.A cargo vessel left a Ukrainian Black Sea port on Tuesday, an industry source told Reuters, without giving any further details. Kyiv has tried to establish a temporary humanitarian corridor" hugging the coastline, and two bulk carriers left the port of Chornomorsk last week using it. In July the UN and Turkey-brokered deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain via the Black Sea collapsed after Russia withdrew. Continue reading...
Writers Guild of America said its members could return to work while a ratification vote takes place for fresh three-year contractHollywood writers are officially ending their five-month strike, after union leaders approved an agreement made with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and sent the full details of the new contract to union members for ratification.The Writers Guild of America (WGA) said in a statement on Tuesday evening that writers would be free to work starting after midnight local time, while a ratification vote takes place on a new three-year contract with Hollywood studios that won concessions on writers' payment, terms with streaming shows, and the use of artificial intelligence. Continue reading...
Death toll from fuel depot explosion on Monday rises to 68 as ethnic Armenians raise concerns about reprisals from AzerbaijanAlmost a quarter of Nagorno-Karabakh's population have fled into Armenia since Azerbaijan launched an attack on the breakaway region last week, according to Armenia's government.Some 28,000 people - about 23% of the region's population - scrambled to flee as soon as Azerbaijan lifted a 10-month blockade on the region's only road to Armenia. That blockade had caused severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel. While Azerbaijan has pledged to respect the rights of Armenians, many residents feared reprisals. Continue reading...
Fire started after fireworks were lit during the celebration in Nineveh province, according to local mediaAt least 100 people have been killed and 150 people injured in a fire at a wedding celebration in the district of Hamdaniya in Iraq's Nineveh province, Iraqi state media have reported, with local sources saying the toll was expected to rise.The fire ripped through a large events hall in the north-eastern region after fireworks were lit during the celebration, state media said. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6F3BV)
Councils, police and hospitals endangering women by accidentally revealing details such as addresses, says ICOCouncils, police forces and hospitals are putting women's lives at risk by accidentally disclosing domestic abuse victims' addresses to perpetrators, the UK's information watchdog has said.John Edwards, the information commissioner, who has reprimanded seven organisations in just over a year for data breaches affecting victims of abuse, said: This is a pattern that must stop." Continue reading...
Researchers in Norway reveal further analysis of 2022 explosions as well as a detailed timeline of eventsScientists investigating the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines have revealed key new details of explosions linked to the event, which remains unsolved on its first anniversary.Researchers in Norway shared with the Guardian seismic evidence of the four explosions, becoming the first national body to publicly confirm the second two detonations, as well as revealing a detailed timeline of events. Continue reading...
In a trial that started Tuesday in Toronto five women accuse Nygard of similar sexual assaults and confinement over 25 yearsFashion mogul Peter Nygard used his power and status to lure five women separately into a private bedroom suite attached to his company headquarters where he sexually assaulted them, a court in Toronto has heard.In opening arguments on Tuesday, prosecutors said that Nygard, 82, met the women in social settings and invited them to the headquarters of his clothing empire in Toronto. All of the tours" ended in his bedroom suite. The room had a bed, televisions and a jacuzzi. Prosectors say the doors didn't have handles and the locks were controlled by Nygard. Continue reading...
by Andrew Roth in Goris, and Sam Jones on (#6F2E7)
Medical centres in Stepanakert at capacity after explosion, the cause of which remains unknownDozens of people are feared dead and hundreds more injured after a powerful explosion at a fuel storage depot in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, as thousands of ethnic Armenians streamed out of the breakaway territory after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed full control of it in a lightning offensive last week.Most of those wounded were in a severe or extremely severe" condition after the blast at the facility near the regional capital of Stepanakert on Monday evening, according to the Armenian health ministry. The death toll from the blast is expected to rise significantly, with more than 100 still listed as missing. Continue reading...
UNHCR takes unusual step of defending 1951 convention after UK home secretary's speech on uncontrolled and illegal migration'Suella Braverman has been rebuked by the United Nations' refugee agency after claiming that world leaders have failed to make wholesale reform of human rights laws because of fears of being branded racist or illiberal".The UNHCR on Tuesday issued a highly unusual statement defending the 1951 refugee convention and highlighting the UK's record asylum claim backlog. Continue reading...
Former Cop26 president announces he will not stand in Reading West seat he has held since 2010The former Cop26 president Sir Alok Sharma has announced he will not stand at the next general election.The Tory MP for Reading West since 2010 wrote on Twitter, now known as X: "I have this evening informed my local Conservative Association that I have decided not to stand at the next general election and therefore do not seek to be adopted as the Conservative candidate for the revised seat of Reading West & Mid Berkshire. This has not been an easy decision for me. Continue reading...
Gay rights groups laud fashion designer for speech in which she said minority voices' were under attackGay rights groups in Italy have praised Donatella Versace for speaking out against the government's anti-gay policies in a heartfelt and personal speech while receiving a fashion award.Our government is trying to take away people's rights to live as they wish," Versace said in a speech on Sunday night, citing in particular a government policy that allows only the biological parent in same-sex couples to be officially recognised as the parent. They are restricting our freedoms," she said. Continue reading...
NEC approves rule stipulating that only motions deemed contemporary' can be debated, it is understoodDebates sought by local Labour parties on issues like Brexit and electoral reform at the annual conference starting this weekend could be quashed by the leadership, after a series of rule changes passed on Tuesday.The national executive committee, Labour's governing body, voted on Tuesday to approve a series of rule changes, including one that requires motions for debate at the conference in Liverpool to be deemed contemporary", it is understood. Continue reading...
Anthony Rota steps down after meeting with party leaders in Ottawa having invited Yaroslav Hunka to special sessionThe speaker of Canada's parliament has resigned after inviting a Ukrainian Nazi veteran to attend a special session of parliament, and then calling the man a hero" amid two standing ovations.Anthony Rota stepped down as speaker on Tuesday after meeting with party leaders in Ottawa amid growing cross-party calls for his resignation. Continue reading...
Biden becomes the first visit US president to visit a union picket line in modern timesIn a major blow to Bob Menendez's support, Cory Booker, his fellow Democratic senator from New Jersey, says he should resign following his indictment on corruption charges last week.I believe stepping down is best for those Senator Menendez has spent his life serving," said Booker, who supported Menendez when he previously faced corruption charges in 2015. Continue reading...
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