World news | The Guardian

Bremen says symbol, used to call for silence in class, in danger of being mistaken' for Turkish extremist wolf salute'A city in northern Germany has become the first to issue an all-out ban on the use of a hand gesture used to encourage silence in the classroom because of its close resemblance to a far-right Turkish gesture.The silent fox" gesture - where the hand is posed to resemble an animal with upright ears (the little and forefinger) and a closed mouth (the middle fingers pressed against the thumb) - has long been seen as a useful teaching tool by educators in Germany and elsewhere. It signals to children that they should stop talking and listen to their teacher. Continue reading...

From familiar remarks to solemn exits, attendees reflect on how the event turned to chaos

Prime minister doesn't want to see interaction with public reduced but admits he is concerned about escalation of rhetoric in some of our political debate'

Tony Foulds, who maintains shrine to airmen he saw die in 1944, to have kit replaced after TV's Dan Walker steps inTony Foulds and his friends had gone to the local field to fight some kids from a rival primary school when he heard a noise overhead.It was 1944 and he was used to the sound of German aircraft over the skies near Sheffield. But this was an aircraft he'd never seen before. It was a B-17 Flying Fortress, an American heavy bomber, and it was on fire. Continue reading...

Presidents and prime ministers denounce shooting at Trump rally in Pennsylvania and wish him a quick recovery

Exclusive: John Woodcock, who has written to home secretary about election violence, says Trump shooting highlights danger

Nine other victims wounded after two separate shootings in Birmingham, at a nightclub and outside a homeFour people died in a shooting with multiple victims at a Birmingham nightclub late Saturday, while an earlier shooting outside a home in the city killed three people including a young child, police in Alabama said.Officers responded shortly after 11pm to a report of multiple people shot outside a nightclub on the 3400 Block of 27th Street North, Birmingham police department officer Truman Fitzgerald said in a video posted on social media. Continue reading...

As the music genre's popularity rises, dance classes are springing up. The Guardian goes along to give it a tryWhen Xingxi Wang started running K-pop dance classes in Birmingham, she rented a small room in Chinatown. Within a few years, demand had grown so much that she was able to open her own studio where she now runs up to 10 classes a week.Like many K-pop fans, Wang, 25, has been teaching herself dance routines at home since she was a teenager at school. Slick, synchronised choreography is a key component of K-pop, along with the fashionable outfits and synthesised music that define the genre. Continue reading...

More than 50,000 England fans expected in German capital as men's side hope to make history against Spain

Despite her activism during the golden age of cinema, Mary C McCall Jr was all but forgotten. Now a new book is about to set the record straightTo screenwriters in the 1950s, she was a major power player, fighting for pay rises and striking rights. To the Hollywood studio heads, she was the meanest bitch in town".Now, a new book aims to restore Mary C McCall Jr's reputation as one of the film industry's most important figures, a trailblazer who was airbrushed from history after getting on the wrong side of movie moguls. Continue reading...

Social movement is a potential tool in solving UK prison crisis by helping ex-convicts learn new skills and readjustGood beer, said Thomas Jefferson, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health".It may also be a potential tool for helping solve the crisis in British prisons. A craft brewery set up to employ ex-convicts and train them in the art of ale-making has proved a success in cutting reoffending rates - and is now being hailed as a possible template for ways to ease the unprecedented overcrowding in UK jails. Continue reading...

More fans are embracing nolo' booze and canned mocktails' while watching the game to be sure of a clear head the next dayFor some England fans it would be unthinkable to watch the Euro 2024 final without a beer in hand, but with the prospect of work in the morning, many will be dodging a hangover by switching to alcohol-free booze.Retailers have seen huge sales of no- or low-alcohol (nolo) beer, cider, wine and canned mocktails" in the past few days, as hosts get ready for Sunday night's viewing parties. Continue reading...

Suspected shooter and one rally attendee dead, says Butler county district attorney - here's what else we know about the situation

Researchers say standups' contribution is unsung, and hope findings will help to bolster the industry's credibilityThe live comedy industry in the UK contributes more than 1bn to the economy every year, according to a study by Brunel University London.In the first project of its kind, researchers calculated the industry's annual value at 1bn, based on an estimated 3,000 workers in the sector, surveying more than 350 comedians, promoters, producers, venue managers and agents. Continue reading...

Britain's new PM and his team are genuinely excited to have seized the reins of power in Westminster - but are under no illusion about the size of the task aheadWhen the new British prime minister, Keir Starmer, invited Wes Streeting into Downing Street to appoint him health secretary on Friday 5 July, the exchanges behind closed doors were entirely cordial.But things rarely run 100% smoothly in the first days of a new administration as a complete government jigsaw is put together, piece by piece. Continue reading...

Lack of radiologists blamed for waiting list for diagnostic tests more than doubling in 10 years in EnglandThe waiting lists for diagnostic tests, including cancer scans, is at a record high in NHS England, with doctors warning of a staggering shortfall" of clinical radiologists.Figures published on Thursday reveal the diagnostic waiting list stands at 1,658,221 - twice what it was 10 years ago. Nearly 500,000 patients are waiting for CT scans and MRIs. Continue reading...

Prime minister wants to foster a new spirit of cooperation and partnership to confront the crises facing the continentKeir Starmer has promised a new era of closer relations with Europe to ensure future generations can look back on what our continent achieved together" before a key meeting of European leaders this week.Starmer said Europe as a whole faced security crises and linked problems over migration, and that Britain should be at the heart of the continent's efforts to confront them. Continue reading...

Federal workplace minister Tony Burke has asked for advice on the extent of powers following claims of criminal links within construction division of union

Research shows more Americans support violence to stop a second Trump presidency than back violence in his favor

President says no place for this kind of violence' while George W Bush calls attack cowardly'

Anthony Albanese says he is relieved to hear Donald Trump is safe after shooting at campaign rally in Pennsylvania

Blake Marnell, 59, from San Diego was sitting with friends watching Trump speak when he heard shots

Health officials say at least 90 people killed and 289 injured by strike on camp for displaced people in Khan YounisIsraeli forces say the Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, the mastermind of the 7 October attack, was the target of a strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, which, according to the territory's emergency services, has killed 90 people and injured hundreds more.Deif, 58, who has been on Israel's most-wanted list since 1995 and escaped multiple Israeli assassination attempts, is believed to be the chief architect of the attack that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and triggered the Israel-Hamas war. Continue reading...

Boy, 17, faces charges including assault, threats to kill and threatening with bladed weaponA 17-year-old boy has been charged with multiple offences after an attack involving a bladed weapon at a Sikh place of worship in Kent, police said.Kent police were called to the Sri Guru Nanak Darbar gurdwara in Gravesend at 8.10pm on Thursday after reports of a disturbance inside the premises and two women being assaulted outside. Continue reading...

Police have been scouring site in Mukuru since mutilated corpses of at least six women were found on FridayKenyan police said that they had found more bags filled with dismembered female body parts on Saturday, the latest macabre discovery at a rubbish dump that has horrified and angered the country.Detectives have been scouring the site in the Nairobi slum of Mukuru since the mutilated corpses of at least six women were found on Friday in sacks floating in a sea of garbage. Continue reading...

Supporters pour into Berlin for Sunday's showdown against Spain, and Starmer writes letter to Southgate and squadIt's the night before the European Championship final and at the Olympiastadion two worlds are colliding. Outside the security cordon a delegation of suits and some obvious muscle are discussing provisions for the arrival of a dignitary, described euphemistically as a member of the FA board" (ie its president, Prince William). Twenty yards away, meanwhile, stands a removal van plastered in massive pictures of Kieran Trippier and the message Bury boys on Tour". It contains seven lads who are scoping out the arena but also bemoaning the fact they slept in the van the night before: It stank like anything in the morning."Everybody wants to be in Berlin for the game - be they Prince, punter, or prime minister. After a hectic first week in office which featured transatlantic diplomacy at the Nato summit in Washington, Keir Starmer will begin week two watching England's men's team play for glory as they take on Spain in their first ever overseas final. Continue reading...

Simmons, beloved TV personality who soared to fame in 1980s with energetic fitness videos, had birthday on FridayThe fitness instructor Richard Simmons, who rocketed to fame in the 1980s with up-tempo neon-colored exercise videos such as Sweatin' to the Oldies, has died.Simmons had just thanked fans on social media for birthday wishes after he turned 76 on Friday. I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!" Simmons wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday." Continue reading...

Israeli Defense Forces say one of masterminds of 7 October attack was struck' in Gaza strike targeting himMohammed Deif is the head of the military wing of Hamas and one of the masterminds of the group's bloody surprise attack on 7 October which triggered the latest war in Gaza.Israeli officials said Deif - whose real name is Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri - was the target of Saturday's airstrike, which levelled several buildings in Khan Younis and killed 90 people, according to local health authorities. Continue reading...

Hamas says 90 people killed and almost 300 injured in attack - but it is unclear if Mohammed Deif is among themThe Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, who it has been reported was the target of an Israeli strike in Gaza, has previously been described as the mastermind" of Hamas's 7 October attack.In this piece from November, the international security correspondent of the Guardian, Jason Burke wrote of Deif:The exact role of different Hamas leaders in the attack is yet to be established, but it is clear that Sinwar and Deif were central to its planning.Deif means guest", a reference to the 58-year-old's constant relocation to avoid detection by Israel. A member of Hamas since his early 20s, the former science student oversaw a wave of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians in the early 1990s, and another a decade later. Deif may have been crippled by one of many Israeli assassination attempts, and his wife and young family were killed in an airstrike in 2014. Israeli officials have described Deif, whose real name is Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, as a dead man walking". Continue reading...

Ruth Westheimer encouraged frank dialogue when it came to sex, a subject, she said, we must talk about'The legendarily frank sex therapist and cultural icon Dr Ruth Westheimer, known simply as Dr Ruth, has died at the age of 96, according to her publicist.Westheimer died on Friday at her home in New York City, surrounded by her family. Continue reading...

International authorities work to foil thieves as they steal hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of the toysA black market for highly valuable Lego sets is being built brick by brick, and authorities are trying to knock it down.Lego sets are highly sought after, by kids and their parents as well as adult collectors. Continue reading...

Police trying to trace next of kin after blaze in East Ham on Saturday morningA child has died and five people have been taken to hospital after a house fire in east London.Six fire engines and about 40 firefighters were called to the blaze in Napier Road, East Ham, at just before 8.30am on Saturday, the London fire brigade (LFB) said. Continue reading...

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...