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UK's largest council issues section 114 notice, signalling it cannot balance its budget without help

UK upgrades heat health warning from yellow to amber as hottest day of year predictedUK health officials have upgraded their warning for the escalating heat as southern England will experience an official heatwave this week, forecasters have confirmed.Temperatures are on the rise for much of the UK, most likely peaking on Wednesday and Thursday with 32C expected across parts of the south and south-east, the Met Office said. Continue reading...

Kyiv's counteroffensive slog means war is far from over - and Moscow still has chance of succeeding in its revised aims

Launch of weight-loss drug in UK helps Danish firm to market value of $428bnThe success of the weightloss drug Wegovy has helped its Danish manufacturer to overtake the French luxury group LVMH as Europe's most valuable company.After Novo Nordisk, which specialises in diabetes and weight loss treatments, launched Wegovy in the UK on Monday, its share price rose 0.7% to Danish kronor 1,310.80 ($190). Continue reading...

Ofcom consults on universal service obligation, which requires deliveries to all UK addresses six days a weekRoyal Mail is hoping to end Saturday letter deliveries after the postal regulator called for evidence on how its services might change as the popularity of paper post continues to fall.Ofcom, which has previously estimated Royal Mail could save up to 225m annually by dropping Saturday delivery and conducted research that found consumers were largely indifferent" to the idea, is beginning a process to establish how services might need to evolve to better reflect the changing needs of postal users". Continue reading...

Officers and civilian staff in Northern Ireland feeling frightened' and betrayed', Commons committee toldCatholic officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have been asking if they should bring their personal firearms to mass, such is their concern in the wake of a disastrous data breach, MPs have been told.PSNI officers and civilian staff felt frightened" and betrayed" by their employer, members of representative bodies told the House of Commons' Northern Ireland affairs committee, and were looking towards the UK government to provide large-scale funding to help. Continue reading...

Inquiry recommends national strategy and binding return-to-play rules to protect against head trauma

Republicans showcase range of hawkish policies designed to counter perceived threat amid diplomatic push by BidenThe United States' tangled and increasingly fraught relationship with China is emerging centre stage in the 2024 presidential campaign in a rare case of foreign policy capturing the limelight in the race for the White House.Half-a-century since a Republican president, Richard Nixon, made a historic visit to communist China to carve out a lauded strategic opening in the election year of 1972, Republican candidates vying to succeed him in the Oval Office are showcasing a range of hawkish policies designed to counter the perceived threat from Beijing. Continue reading...

Report says homelessness is worsening across EU and UK, with only Denmark and Finland making progressAlmost 1 million people are homeless on any given night across Europe, a new report has estimated. Continue reading...

The NSW moderate urges parliament to respond to the housing affordability crisis in her first Senate speech

Items include an archive from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1969 peace protest and a curious birthday card sent by George HarrisonAn archive of material from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1969 peace protest is among the items to be sold this month at one of the most expensive Beatles auctions ever held.Memorabilia will go under an online hammer with an upper estimated value of $8m (6.3m). It includes a section of TV set wall that formed the backdrop to the Beatles' breakthrough Ed Sullivan show appearance, clothes, speakers, signed contracts and a curious birthday card from George Harrison to his caretaker signed Adolf Schinkengruber". Continue reading...

Parliamentary committee will investigate after Labor blocked Qatar from almost doubling flights to Australia

Ten-year-old spent eight hours in a tree to escape flash floods that have left at least five people deadA 10-year-old Spanish boy has been rescued after clinging to a tree for eight hours to escape the flood waters that have claimed at least five lives as much of the country was lashed by record heavy rains over the weekend.The boy's family were staying at their holiday home in Aldea del Fresno, to the west of Madrid, when the storm hit on Sunday. Alarmed by the flash flooding, they climbed into their car late on Sunday night but soon found themselves swept away. The boy was found, dirty and bruised but still alive, the following morning - as were his mother and sister. His father is still missing. Continue reading...

Organisers of the event in the Nevada desert have asked people to stagger their exits after thousands were stranded over the weekendBurning Man festivalgoers began their slow exodus from the campsite in the northern Nevada desert after muddy roads that left tens of thousands of people stranded for days dried up enough to make travel possible.Festival organisers said they started to let traffic flow out of the main road about 2pm local time (2200 BST) on Monday - even as they continued to ask revellers to delay their exit to Tuesday to ease traffic. As of Monday afternoon, they said about 64,000 people remained at the festival site. Continue reading...

The Flying Kangaroo head likely never imagined he would eventually be seen as a liability requiring an earlier than scheduled retirement

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Prosecutors say ex-chair and CEO were complicit in atrocities by Sudanese army and militiasThe former CEO and the chair of a Swedish oil firm go on trial in Sweden on Tuesday, accused of complicity in war crimes in Sudan between 1999 and 2003.Prosecutors say the then-Lundin Oil - which has since changed name several times and in 2022 sold most of its business - asked Khartoum to secure a potential oilfield in what is now South Sudan, knowing this would mean seizing the area by force. Continue reading...

Suspects admit using excavator to smash hole in Ming-era section in Shanxi province, state media sayTwo people have been detained after using an excavator to dig a hole in the Great Wall of China, said the state broadcaster CCTV.Police in Shanxi province followed tracks made by machinery used to dig a shortcut through a segment of the wall - remains of the immense structure built by China's emperors to deter foreign invaders. Continue reading...

Cross-party delegation of Australian politicians to travel to US in attempt to build momentum against extraditing WikiLeaks founder

Gunshots were heard around the time of Frank Foley's disappearance from a fossicking area near Rubyvale in central Queensland

Police searching for those who allegedly grabbed a 14-year-old later found with life-threatening injuries in Glen Huntly

In today's newsletter: After 18 months of brutal fighting, the country has stunned the world with its warcraft, even as our foreign correspondent details the mood among citizens, reports of corruption and prospects for peace talks Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Today marks 559 days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with no sign of resolution in sight.First Edition today is for those of you who, like me, need a recap on where the conflict is at. Maybe you are feeling a bit guilty for taking your eye off this relentless battle and want to understand why Volodymyr Zelenskiy sacked his defence minister on the weekend. Perhaps you were wondering whether Ukrainian defiance is waning after 18 months of brutal warfare, or whether the Ukrainians in your spare room are likely to be able to return home any time soon.Conservatives | The school buildings crisis is threatening to engulf Downing Street, with Rishi Sunak accused of slashing the budget for repairs while his education secretary was caught claiming colleagues had done nothing to stop it. Rishi Sunak faces the prospect of a byelection after the former Tory MP Chris Pincher lost an appeal against an eight-week suspension from parliament.North Korea | Kim Jong-un will reportedly travel to Russia this month to meet Vladimir Putin and discuss the possibility of supplying weapons to the Kremlin for the war in Ukraine.Labour | Angela Rayner will become deputy prime minister if Labour wins the next election and has been named shadow levelling up secretary during Keir Starmer's long-awaited shadow cabinet reshuffle. MPs on the Blairite right made significant gains at the expense of the centre-left. Lisa Nandy is taking on the international development brief, her second demotion in two years.Crime | Two people have been charged with murder after the discovery of partial human remains in Boscombe, Dorset police have confirmed. The force said the victim had been identified as 49-year-old Simon Shotton from Bournemouth. His family have been informed.Healthcare | Ministers are considering introducing Martha's rule in England to make it easier for patients and their families to get a second medical opinion. Martha Mills, who would have been 16 on Monday, died after developing sepsis while under the care of King's College hospital NHS foundation trust in south London. Continue reading...

Starting salaries will rise from $75,791 to $85,000 under agreement expected to be finalised this week

The final rates decision under outgoing RBA governor Philip Lowe was widely expected

Sato Kilman also hits back at reports on his political alignments as western nations grapple with China for influence in PacificVanuatu's new prime minister says the Pacific island nation will likely need to rethink a security agreement signed with Australia.Less than a day into his tenure, Sato Kilman said the parliament was unlikely to ratify the agreement, with questions raised about it being in Vanuatu's best interests. Continue reading...

Traders close shops, electricity bills are set alight and utility firm staff are attacked as anger rises over living costs and political strifeProtests against rising electricity and petrol prices have rocked Pakistan over the past week, with thousands taking to city streets and setting their electricity bills alight.The cost of electricity has doubled in the last three months to about 50 rupees (12p) a kilowatt. Petrol prices have shot up from 262 rupees a litre in June to 305 rupees this month. Continue reading...

Court in Karlsruhe decides against extradition of Albanian man in view of the state of the British prison system'A German court has refused to extradite to the UK a man accused of drug trafficking because of concerns about prison conditions in Britain, in what is thought to be the first case of its kind.The decision has been described as a severe rebuke" and an embarrassment for the UK" by a member of the Law Society. Continue reading...

Leader of a secondary school in Essex warns upheaval could have similar negative impact to that caused by Covid lockdownsA headteacher whose 830 pupils must learn semi-remotely for at least a term because of the schools concrete crisis has warned that the upheaval could cause a recurrence of the negative mental health impact of Covid lockdowns.James Saunders, the leader of Honywood school in Coggeshall, Essex, fears that year-seven students entering their first term at secondary school could face future struggles after the Department for Education last week ordered the closure of 22 classrooms as part of a nationwide safety alert. Continue reading...

Frequent collaborator of George Harrison and synthesiser pioneer was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementiaGary Wright, the singer of pop hits Dream Weaver and Love is Alive, has died aged 80.His son Dorian confirmed the news to the Guardian. His other son Justin told TMZ his father died on Monday at home in California, and had been diagnosed with both Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. Continue reading...

Disability royal commission finds state should have done more to protect pair, who were found malnourished in house with dead father

Former foster mother, 58, pleaded guilty to assaulting the child on two occasions in 2021

Individual charges against Andrew, James and Peter Buttle dropped, though their company still faces charges over deadly eruptionThe three brothers who owned Whakaari/White Island at the time of its deadly eruption had the individual charges against them thrown out by a New Zealand judge on Tuesday, two months into their trial.The sudden eruption in December 2019 came as tour groups were visiting the island volcano. The explosion killed 22 people, 17 of them Australians, and seriously injured 25 others. Continue reading...

Campaigners says case of child who may have lost consciousness while restrained in spit hood highlights need to legislate ban

Unverified image purportedly shows Surovikin with his wife for the first time since his removal as Ukraine war chief following Wagner rebellionA photo has emerged that appears to show Russian general Sergei Surovikin, who is regarded as an ally of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner and has not been seen in public since the militia's brief rebellion in June.General Sergei Surovikin is out. Alive, healthy, at home, with his family, in Moscow. Photo taken today," Ksenia Sobchak, a Russian journalist and the daughter of Vladimir Putin's one-time boss, said on Telegram. Continue reading...

Beleaguered airline chief executive brings forward retirement by two months stating the company needs to move ahead with its renewal as a priority'

The nomination for Adi, the first British person of African heritage to become a professor of history in the UK, is a vindication for the academic who was made redundant a week agoHakim Adi, the first British person of African heritage to become a professor of history in the UK, has been shortlisted for a prestigious history writing prize. This comes after Adi was made redundant by the University of Chichester when it cut a course he founded.Adi has made the shortlist for the Wolfson history prize for his 2022 book, African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History. The winner of the prize, announced in November, will receive 50,000. Continue reading...

Sales of health and beauty products help high street stores bounce back after a disappointing start to the summerBritain's retailers have received a boost from consumers making themselves beach-ready by increasing their spending on skincare and makeup before their summer holidays, despite the cost of living crisis.The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said sales of health and beauty products helped drive up spending on the high street as shoppers made the most of brief spells of sunshine in August, although squeezed consumers were holding back elsewhere. Continue reading...

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood to be interviewed about upcoming LP Hackney Diamonds on WednesdayThe Rolling Stones are set to release details of their first studio album of original material since 2005, an LP called Hackney Diamonds.The surviving members of the band, now in their 70s and 80s, teased the new music online and in the form of a cryptic advert in the local newspaper the Hackney Gazette. Continue reading...

Man and woman from Bournemouth taken into custody over death of man identified as Simon ShottonTwo people have been charged with murder after the discovery of partial human remains in Boscombe, Dorset police have confirmed. The force said the victim had been identified as 49-year-old Simon Shotton from Bournemouth. His family have been informed.Debbie Ann Pereira, 38, and Benjamin Lee Atkins, 48, both from Bournemouth, were arrested after the remains were discovered by a member of the public near the Manor Steps Zig Zag, off Boscombe Overcliff Drive, on 26 August. They are due to appear at Poole magistrates court on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Desert begins to dry as organizers ask burners' stuck in mud to delay their exit until Tuesday to alleviate congestionThousands trapped at Nevada's Burning Man festival may have a chance of escape on Monday as improving weather conditions give the Black Rock desert a chance to dry out from torrential rains that hit the festival with heavy mud.Around 70,000 festival-goers, known as burners", were ordered to shelter in place" and conserve water and food over the weekend after festival organizers said roads were impassable because of mud and not officially open. Continue reading...

Alleged victim says she was sexually assaulted by a group of Israeli men while on holiday in Ayia NapaA group of young Israeli men have been detained in Cyprus after local police said they needed time to investigate accusations of gang-rape from a British woman on holiday in Ayia Napa.The five men, all aged 19 or 20, were remanded on order of a district court magistrate in Famagusta for a further eight days after their arrest late on Sunday. The Briton, who is 20 and cannot legally be identified, told police she had been sexually assaulted by the Israelis after being taken by force" from the pool area of her hotel to her room. Continue reading...

Big suppliers want debts paid upfront in order to guarantee supplying shops

Joel Carreido, 47, was one of two people killed in separate collisions involving same car on SundayA cyclist who was one of two people killed in a series of hit-and-runs in Coventry has been named as Joel Carreido, a healthcare assistant who was 47.His family said he was a loving husband and father of two" and would be missed dearly by all that knew him". Continue reading...

The reshuffle, thought to have been deftly managed by Sue Gray, made a shadow cabinet heavy with stalwarts from the Blair-Brown eraWhen Keir Starmer put the final touches to his shadow cabinet reshuffle over the summer recess, his thoughts were not just on who would help propel Labour into government at the next election, but who could run the country if they are successful.His top team now includes three MPs who served in the last Labour cabinet - Ed Miliband, Yvette Cooper and Hilary Benn - at least four who were ministers under Tony Blair or Gordon Brown and three, including self-proclaimed Blairites Peter Kyle and Liz Kendall, who were special advisers. Continue reading...

Ex-minister says he regrets using inappropriate language in text messages sent to Wendy MortonGavin Williamson has apologised in the Commons for bullying the Conservatives' former chief whip Wendy Morton in a series of text messages in 2022.The former cabinet minister was found to have abused his power when he sent Morton the messages in September 2022 complaining about not getting a seat at Elizabeth II's funeral. The messages included Williamson telling Morton: Well let's see how many more times you fuck us all over. There is a price for everything." Continue reading...

Deputy leader to take over brief from Lisa Nandy as Keir Starmer makes long-awaited changes to top team

Row over high court ruling undermined chief constable's position after he had appeared to weather data leak crisis

Education secretary gives statement to Commons on Raac after being caught on camera swearing about lack of credit for her workLisa Nandy has been made shadow cabinet minister for international development. She was shadow levelling up secretary.Lisa Nandy MP @LisaNandy has been appointed Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development. Continue reading...

Turkish and Russian leaders hold talks as Moscow continues to attack Ukrainian grain-exporting ports

Russian president says the Black Sea grain deal will not be restored until restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products are lifted