World news | The Guardian

US specialist on invasive species says the densities of the destructive pest are approaching what he has seen in Texas

We are moving into a pretty active week,' meteorologist says, with a number of weather systems moving across the south

Retailers like Temple & Webster have slashed their pricing and tweaked their product range to lure gen Z and millennials - and it's working

Emergency services visited a Darkwood property, about 67km west of Coffs Harbour, after reports a dead body had been found

Landmark federal court judgment could trigger proceedings against three other energy retailers

Ex-footballer, 41, says I let myself down, my family, friends and colleagues down' in interviewJermaine Jenas has apologised to the women with whom I was messaging" after he was sacked from the BBC.I am ashamed, and I am deeply sorry," the 41-year-old former footballer said in an interview with the Sun. I have let myself down, my family, friends and colleagues down, and I owe everyone an apology - especially the women with whom I was messaging. I am so, so sorry. Continue reading...

US government study finds association between high levels of fluoride exposure and potential neurological riskA US government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in children.The report, based on an analysis of previously published research, marks the first time a federal agency has determined - with moderate confidence" - that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children. While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride. Continue reading...

Traditional, old-school grandstands' of Jay Littleton Ball Park in Ontario, California, dated to 1937A historic southern California baseball field that appeared in A League of Their Own and other films has been destroyed in a fire.Firefighters responded at 11.25pm on Thursday to a report of a fire at Jay Littleton Ball Park in the city of Ontario, about 35 miles (56km) east of Los Angeles. Continue reading...

Company wants investors' permission to buy billionaire's shares in private deal at market price at the timeMike Ashley's Frasers Group is seeking approval for the billionaire entrepreneur to cash in 585m of shares which could be bought back by the company in a private deal.Under the plan, the stock market-listed retail group said it wanted permission from shareholders to buy back the shares privately from Ashley - in one or several transactions - at the market price at the time. Continue reading...

I have no doubt this election has been stolen,' says Chile's leftwing president after Venezuelan supreme court rulingTen Latin American governments and the US have said they categorically reject" the Venezuelan supreme court's decision to confirm Nicolas Maduro's widely contested claim to have won re-election, with Chile's president declaring: I have no doubt this election has been stolen."Thursday's verdict from Venezuela's top court, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, has been widely questioned internationally from across the political spectrum. Continue reading...

Review also highlights racial profiling in police practices, and failure to address legacies of colonialism and slaveryThe UK must act to curb a sharp increase in the use of racist hate speech by British politicians and high-profile public figures, a UN body has said.Ministers must adopt comprehensive measures to discourage and combat racist hate speech and xenophobic discourse by political and public figures" and ensure that such cases are effectively investigated and sanctioned", the UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination recommended in a report. Continue reading...

As the winter fuel allowance is scrapped for many pensioners, we outline some other key benefits Millions facing cruel winter' without fuel payments, Labour MPs warnLabour backbenchers are warning that millions of vulnerable people will face a cruel winter" amid rising energy prices and a reduction in benefits, including the removal of winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.Keir Starmer's government has promised to improve conditions for those most in need, with a commitment to reduce and alleviate" child poverty and end the moral scar" of food banks. And while Labour sees economic growth and creating more reliable and well-paid jobs as crucial to achieving these aims, it cannot ignore a number of pressing and often interrelated problems in the social security and benefits system. Continue reading...

Backbenchers say end to support schemes would be wrong measure' that ignores struggle of poorest households Which benefits are available to vulnerable people?Millions of vulnerable people face a cruel winter" owing to a combination of rising energy costs and government cuts to welfare schemes, Labour MPs and campaigners have warned, as Keir Starmer comes under pressure to extend key financial support programmes.Labour backbenchers are calling on the prime minister to reverse or mitigate the government's decision to end winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners and to extend the household support fund (HSF), which is due to run out in September. Continue reading...

Indian PM says he respects and supports sovereignty and territorial integrity' of Ukraine during historic visitIndia's prime minister, Narendra Modi, made a historic visit to Kyiv on Friday and told Volodymyr Zelenskiy he was ready to work as a friend" to bring about a peace deal that would end Russia's war in Ukraine.Modi said he respected and supported Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity". It is our highest priority," he said, adding that he had told Vladimir Putin during their meeting in July that problems cannot be resolved on the battlefield". The war could only end through dialogue and diplomacy", he stressed. Continue reading...

Paul and Luke Sissons among those sentenced over disorder earlier this month in English towns and citiesTwo brothers have each been jailed for three years after being convicted of being at the forefront of a riot outside a hotel housing more than 200 asylum seekers in Rotherham.Sheffield crown court heard that Luke and Paul Sissons were involved in several violent incidents at the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, on 4 August, including confrontations with riot police and an attack on a police dog van. Continue reading...

WHO says infant in stable condition as it prepares to vaccinate more than 640,000 children amid warA Palestinian baby in Gaza has been partly paralysed from polio in the first case there for 25 years, amid preparations for a difficult and dangerous vaccination campaign in the midst of war.The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that the affected infant had lost movement in his lower left leg, but was in a stable condition. Continue reading...

Prisoners who carried out attack that left several guards dead at high-security jail liquidated', says national guard

Eighteen-year-old daughter of tech tycoon Mike Lynch was one of seven people to die when the Bayesian sank off SicilyThe 18-year-old daughter of the British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, whose body was recovered on Friday from the wreck of her father's yacht, was fiercely intelligent and genuinely kind" and had a promising future, friends and teachers said in tributes.Hannah Lynch was described as one of the best English students in the country". She was one of seven people, including her father, who died after his yacht Bayesian sank during a storm off the coast of Sicily on Monday. Continue reading...

Force ends investigation into bets on 4 July election date and says bar to prove misconduct in public office has not been metNewly released figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that UK households cut their real-terms spending on food and non-alcoholic drinks in the year to March 2023.While nominal spending on the category increased over the period, there was a 7.5% real-terms drop when accounting for inflation, making it the area where households made the biggest cutbacks, the ONS said.Puberty blockers work by suppressing the release of hormones and are often prescribed to children questioning their gender.In May, the Conservative government tightened rules on the drugs, introducing an emergency ban on them being prescribed by private and European prescribers. Continue reading...

Those at the funeral in Derry paid tribute to the trailblazing civil rights activist whose influence on modern Ireland is still keenly feltNell McCafferty, the leading Irish feminist campaigner and outspoken writer who changed Ireland for the better", has been buried after a funeral mass in St Columba's church in Derry.Friday's service in the Bogside church was attended by Northern Ireland's first minister, Michelle O'Neill, along with representatives of Ireland's president and taoiseach, Michael D Higgins and Simon Harris. Continue reading...

Pressure increases on managers at the company whose poor performance is already under investigation by OfcomRoyal Mail delivered less than 80% of first-class post on time in recent months, increasing the pressure on managers at the company, which is already being investigated for poor service.The company said 79.1% of first-class mail arrived within one working day in the three months to 30 June. It also delivered only 94.1% of second-class post on time. Continue reading...

Broadcaster blames television snobbery for shift to social media and says it is partly responsible for UK riotsWorking class people are shunning TV and turning to social media, a move which is decimating the traditional television industry, according to Carol Vorderman who gave this year's alternative MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh TV festival.The former Countdown presenter delivered a scathing assessment of the contemporary TV landscape, arguing that working class people no longer felt represented by what was on offer and were looking elsewhere. Continue reading...

Deluxe wooden play kitchen, Barbie sets and pretend record player included in predictionYou may still be on your summer holiday, and it is weeks until the clocks change, but - Grinches look away - the countdown to Christmas has begun.With 124 sleeps to go, gift catalogues are landing on doormats, tickets to winter wonderlands and skating rinks are being booked and heaven help you if you haven't joined a waiting list for a posh beauty Advent calendar.Squish-a-Longs 14-pack - 14.99Play-Doh Rainbow Swirl Ice Cream Set - 20.99VTech My 1st Record Player - 27.99Gecko Hexbug - 29.99Bonnie Bear - 32.99Lego Sleigh - 39.99Connetix Magnetic Tiles Rainbow Motion Pack - 45Ultimate Barbie Stables - 69.99Melissa & Doug Vending Machine - 79.99Wooden Deluxe Play Kitchen - 250 Continue reading...

IDF says it has killed Muhammad Mahmoud Najam in attack in southern LebanonThe Lebanon Health Ministry said one adult and one child were killed in an Israeli strike on southern Lebanon, Haaretz is reporting.Lufthansa will resume flights to Amman in Jordan and Erbil in Iraq starting 27 August, Reuters is reporting. Continue reading...

Indian PM calls on Ukraine and Russia to open dialogue as soon as possible to find way out of conflictMykhailo Podolyak, an adviser in the Ukrainian president's office, has told Reuters that Narendra Modi's visit to Kyiv is significant because New Delhi really has a certain influence" over Moscow.It's extremely important for us to effectively build relations with such countries, to explain to them what the correct end to the war is - and that it is also in their interests," he said. Continue reading...

Search for woman continues after pavement she was walking on collapsed beneath her in Malaysian capitalA woman is missing after falling into an eight metre (26ft) deep sinkhole in the Kuala Lumpur city centre on Friday after the pavement caved in, burying her, Malaysian authorities said.It happened in the Dang Wangi area of the Malaysian capital. The local police chief, Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, said that based on witness accounts, the woman was walking along the pavement when the earth suddenly collapsed beneath her. Continue reading...

Coffin of Elsie Dot Stancombe travelled on horse-drawn carriage and carried up pink carpet towards balloon archThe life of seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, who was killed in the Southport knife attack, was celebrated with balloons, bubbles and her favourite Taylor Swift music at her funeral service.

Italian prosecutors investigate potential manslaughter charges over sinking as final body reportedly retrievedProsecutors in Italy are investigating potential manslaughter charges relating to the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian as a body believed to be Mike Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, was recovered.The Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily early on Monday morning when the area was hit by violent storms. Seven people, including the British tech entrepreneur Lynch, were killed. Continue reading...

Several departures from Heathrow and Leeds Bradford cancelled and hundreds of homes hit by power cutsFlights have been grounded and the Leeds festival has been forced to shut down some of its stages amid severe weather warnings over Storm Lilian.High winds led to disruption across the north of England, with yellow warnings for wind in place on Friday morning and expectations of gusts of up to 80mph. Continue reading...

Three of five stages of Junior Tour of Wales changed as support vehicles would not have kept up with cyclistsOrganisers of a cycle race in Wales have been forced to change and shorten its route because of the introduction of the 20mph speed limit in parts of the country.Three of the five stages of the Junior Tour of Wales, which starts on Friday, have been changed because support vehicles would not have been able to keep up with the riders without breaking the limit. Continue reading...

Report finds that during trial Judge Robert Newlinds repeatedly called crown case hopeless' and vilified the alleged sexual assault victim

Mark Ross to appear before magistrates in connection with death on Tuesday of Claudiu-Carol KondorA man has been charged with the murder of a delivery driver who was killed while out on his rounds in Leeds this week.Mark Ross, 32, was due to appear at Leeds magistrates court on Friday over the death of 42-year-old Claudiu-Carol Kondor. Continue reading...

President accused of dragging his feet over appointing new prime minister and failing to accept results of electionLeaders of France's leftwing coalition will demand Emmanuel Macron agree to let them form the country's new government as the president holds a series of meetings to break the six-week political deadlock.Macron has already rejected the New Popular Front's (NFP) candidate to be appointed prime minister, saying he wants a government leader with broad and stable" support to avoid a parliamentary vote of no confidence that would cause further political chaos. Continue reading...

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High-profile Sydney bar and restaurant group issues public apology as award-winning bartender comes forward alleging workplace sexual assault

Rail freight workers to return to work and trains expected to start running within days after ministers interveneWorkers at Canadian National Railway will begin returning to work, the Teamsters union said, hours after the government moved to end an unprecedented rail stoppage.The union said the stoppage at Canadian Pacific Kansas City would continue pending an order from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). The union and company officials were scheduled to meet with the board on Friday morning. Continue reading...

As the group prepare for Act 1.5, a Bristol festival aiming to have the lowest emissions of any big music event, Robert Del Naja says decarbonised touring is possibleAs pop stars fly on private jets and haul stage sets around the world, with their fans collectively generating significant emissions via their own travel to gigs, Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja has said it's time to act" and address the environmental damage wreaked by live music.A home town Bristol show on Sunday, titled Act 1.5 - a reference to the 2015 UN climate treaty that asked countries to keep global heating to under a 1.5C threshold - will be 100% powered by renewable energy, in what the band say is a world first" for an event of its scale. Thirty thousand fans will attend the one-day festival, which also features the US rapper Killer Mike, the Irish folk group Lankum and the actor Samantha Morton's solo music. Continue reading...

Merri-Bek, Darebin and Moonee Valley mayors back e-scooter hire schemes after Melbourne city council ejects the vehicles from the CBD

More than 2,000 people reported feeling the quake, which struck 120km northwest of Newcastle, causing windows to blow in and a chimney to topple

Single Mother Families Australia CEO asked why magistrates and courts don't share information live, saying the technology already exists

Prisoners including Nobel prize winner Narges Mohammadi were reportedly beaten for protesting against a recent executionThere are fears for the fates of women's rights activists imprisoned in Iran after a surge in executions since the election of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, in July.

Billionaire mining magnate reveals her defence and economic blueprint for Australia at News Corp's bush summit in Townsville

About 19.2 million people likely to hit road for leisure trips and more than 2 million expected to fly overseasTravellers are being told to expect widespread disruption this bank holiday as delays and congestion are predicted across key roads and rail routes, and airports are expecting more than 2 million people through their doors.On what is expected to be the busiest weekend for travel this year, the transport analytics company Inrix said the heaviest road traffic was likely on Friday between 10am and 6pm, and Saturday between 10am and 1pm. Continue reading...

Campaigners warn against false sense of security' and say asylum seekers in Scotland are fearful of the far rightAnti-racism campaigners have vowed to show the far right they are not welcome in Scotland after an anti-immigration rally was organised in Glasgow.But they warned against a false sense of security" as the disorder witnessed across England and Northern Ireland earlier in the month has not been seen in Scotland. Continue reading...

Victorian watchdog says betting agency repeatedly failed to take its harm minimisation obligations seriously

Report into prevalence of condition reveals stark north/south divide with the highest rates in north-westOne in five patients registered to a pair of GP surgeries in the north of England have long Covid, according to a report that lays bare stark regional inequalities.The north-west of England had higher than average numbers of people reporting long Covid symptoms, with just over one in 20 people (5.5%), followed by the north-east and Yorkshire (5.1%). Continue reading...

Shaan Karim, Thierry Robinson and Ashirie Smith have been remanded into custody after death at HMP Fosse WayThree men have been charged with murder after the death of a man at a prison in Leicester on Tuesday morning.Police were called to HMP Fosse Way after a 31-year-old inmate was found unresponsive in his cell. Continue reading...

Former England footballer removed from presenting lineup after workplace conduct complaintsJermaine Jenas, a presenter on The One Show and who appears on Match of the Day, has been sacked by the BBC after complaints about his workplace conduct.The former footballer, 41, said he was seeking legal advice after being taken off the air from both shows. Continue reading...

Relatives of Bryonie Gawith and her son and two daughters say they are still trying to comprehend what has happened'The family of a woman and her three children who were killed in a house fire in Bradford have spoken of their profound loss".Bryonie Gawith, 29, died along with Denisty, nine, Oscar, five, and 22-month-old Aubree after a fire at their home at about 2am on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Chile's leftwing president accuses supreme court of consolidating the fraud' after Brazil and Colombia stop short of supporting resultVenezuela's president Nicolas Maduro is facing a growing chorus of international outrage after the government-controlled supreme court endorsed his disputed claim to have won the presidential election.Venezuela's opposition has claimed Maduro tried to steal the 28 July election and has produced compelling evidence that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was the winner. Continue reading...