Ryan Wardwell was rappelling down Seven Teacups falls when extreme hydraulics' trapped him behind a cascadeA California man who recently became trapped behind a waterfall for two days while climbing was dramatically rescued by police utilizing a helicopter.Ryan Wardwell, 46, of Long Beach, went to waterfalls known as the Seven Teacups on 10 August with plans to rappel down, the sheriff's office of Tulare country said in a social media post. But the extreme hydraulics" of the waterfalls pushed Wardwell off his rappelling lines and trapped him behind a cascade of the Kern river, according to the sheriff's office. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6ZC8B)
Exclusive: Growing sense that eco-populist' could win after mounting what one opponent called a hostile takeover'Zack Polanski, the insurgent candidate for Green party leader whose eco-populism" and social media savvy have upended the race, is starting to pull away from his more-established rivals, senior figures believe.There is a growing expectation that the election will be won by the 42-year-old former Liberal Democrat, who appears to have seized the initiative from his opponents. One likened it to a hostile takeover". Continue reading...
Bookshop chain says people are keen to escape their screens and says rise in sales is partly down to BookTokTimes may be tough on the high street but the bookseller Waterstones is enjoying strong sales as younger adults embrace reading as an escape from their screens and as online competition eases.People have come back to reading and buying books in bookshops as we have made a place which is an enjoyable and effective way to buy books," says James Daunt, the CEO of the British retailer, which has 320 UK bookshops and owns the Foyles, Hatchards and Blackwell's names, and whose parent group also owns Barnes & Noble, the US's largest bookstore chain. Continue reading...
A biotech firm has announced trials for a dog implant that mimics the drugs taken by humans to help tackle obesityWhere humans lead, their dogs tend to follow - now it seems that might even apply to weight-loss wonder drugs.Medications such as Wegovy have become ubiquitous among people hoping to shed pounds quickly. But businesses keen to cash in on the science behind the weight-loss jabs are now investigating other applications for the drugs, and our four-legged friends could be the next in line for a slimming solution. Continue reading...
This blog is now closedTim Wilson sidesteps question about whether Coalition will dump support for net zeroFinally, Wilson was asked about internal pressure within the Coalition to abandon support for any policies that might help Australia achieve net zero and to address the climate crisis.We should make sure that we have net zero outages, net zero price increases, and net zero emissions, because you need to have things in a position of balance of policy to make sure that we can grow the future of the Australian economy, because that's also the basis of social licence to cut emissions as well. If you don't have net zero outages and net zero price increases, public support for net zero emissions reduction is also going to fray.I'm going to work with my colleagues to make sure we drive them forward as part of a policy package to take to the next election. I'm absolutely committed to making sure we have simplification, to make it easier to employ more Australians, and to raise standards of living, and improve the number of Australians [getting jobs] and well-paid jobs.We've got big challenges coming ahead around [things] like artificial intelligence and making sure we make workplaces more productive, but also building out the capacity for small businesses to be successful as part of a dynamic economy. Continue reading...
by Agence France-Press and Guardian staff on (#6ZC5M)
Exiled former lawmaker with $200,000 bounty for his arrest, who now works as a solicitor in Adelaide, says he and his family granted protection visas this week
Former Labour leader says rising UK poverty would make Dickens furious' and calls for wealth tax to help reverse itLabour must scrap the two-child cap on benefits to lift children out of poverty, the party's former leader Neil Kinnock has urged.Rising levels of poverty would make Charles Dickens furious", Lord Kinnock said in an interview with the Sunday Mirror, in which he also called on ministers to introduce a wealth tax. Continue reading...
Move comes after claims earlier this month that two stars of the TV dance show used cocaineThe BBC has asked the police to investigate Strictly Come Dancing amid fresh allegations, according to reports, after claims two of its stars used cocaine.The Sun on Sunday reported that the corporation has alerted the Metropolitan police to new allegations about the dance competition show, the details of which it does not specify. Continue reading...
Afzal Khan had said visit to Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus was in personal capacity but resigned after furoreCyprus has welcomed the resignation of the UK's trade envoy to Turkey, Afzal Khan, saying it sends a resounding message" amid widespread criticism of the Labour MP's recent visit to the island's breakaway Turkish-occupied north.Khan had defended his trip on 8 August in a letter to the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, claiming it was conducted in a personal capacity during the parliamentary recess". Continue reading...
Erin not expected to make landfall, though nearby islands, including Puerto Rico, brace for floodingHurricane Erin has intensified into a category 5 storm as it churns its way over the Atlantic, brushing past islands in the north-east Caribbean.The National Hurricane Center (NHC), in Miami, said on Saturday that Erin - which it described as catastrophic" - was still not expected to hit land in the US and would swerve away, but forecasters have warned that strong winds and heavy rain could cause flooding and landslides on nearby islands. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6ZC0Y)
Exclusive: Jack Anderton says UK may regain' former colonies in future and suggests end to support for UkraineAn adviser used by Nigel Farage and others in Reform UK to boost their social media popularity has suggested that Britain would be better off had it stayed neutral in the second world war instead of fighting Nazi Germany.Jack Anderton, who ran Farage's hugely successful TikTok account before helping Luke Campbell become the Reform mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, also said the UK should not support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Continue reading...
by Kyriakos Petrakos (now); Emily Mackay (earlier) on (#6ZBVQ)
This blog is now closed. You can read all our Middle East coverage here.The Metropolitan police has said that 60 more people will be prosecuted for showing support for Palestine Action, which was proscribed by the UK government last month.More than 700 people have been arrested for supporting the group since its proscription on 5 July.We are deeply concerned about the unimaginable crisis in Gaza, which is having a terrible impact on civilians and especially the children.Starvation is deepening. Water scarcity is increasing very much each day. Colleagues on the ground are reporting that people are now basically rationing between either using water for drinking or for hygiene. Continue reading...
Police accused of brutality against demonstrators as unrest continues across cities for fourth nightAnti-government protests in Serbia escalated on Friday night amid reports of police brutality and excessive use of force. It was the fourth day of unrest in cities across the Balkan country, including in the capital, Belgrade, where police fired teargas at demonstrators and tried to separate rival groups of protesters.Dozens of people have been injured in the violent clashes, while hundreds have been detained over the past week, as nine months of largely peaceful anti-corruption and pro-democracy protests have reached boiling point. Continue reading...
Meteorologist says while there is disagreement over how much rain will fall, the general consensus is NSW and Queensland will have another wet weekFor Australia's east coast, the wet weeks are dragging on with no immediate reprieve in sight.I know people in Sydney and other parts of New South Wales will be sick of hearing this," the Bureau of Meteorology's Angus Hines told the ABC on Saturday. But it will be another wet week across the eastern coastline, all the way from the Illawarra through New South Wales, through Sydney, Newcastle, through Brisbane up to the Wide Bay in Queensland". Continue reading...
Most of the dead were reported in the mountainous province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with more rain forecastThe death toll from heavy monsoon rains that have triggered flash floods across northern Pakistan has risen to at least 321 people in the past 48 hours, the country's disaster authority said on Saturday.The majority of the deaths, 307, were recorded in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Continue reading...
Buckland Abbey recreates music telling of medieval life in extraordinary discoveryAlmost five centuries ago a community of monks in the West Country of England gathered to sing, imploring their God to help them endure the challenges of medieval life.Thanks to an extraordinary discovery of music that survived Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in the early 16th century, the songs created by the Buckland Abbey monks were ringing out again across the hills and woods of the Tavy valley in Devon this weekend. Continue reading...
Russian president argues root causes' of war must be addressed, but Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko says Putin has ambition of destroying democracy next door'
Liam and Noel used to be taken for summer holidays with relatives in Mayo and kept returning after finding fameEmigration ripped the heart out of Charlestown: generations of young people took the boat to England and left behind derelict homes and shuttered shops, a hollowing chronicled in a landmark 1968 book, The Death of an Irish Town.Some returned to this corner of County Mayo for summer holidays - with children who were growing up with English accents and city ways - before vanishing back across the Irish Sea and leaving Charlestown to its decay. Continue reading...
US president says Chinese counterpart told him I am very patient and China is very patient'The US president, Donald Trump, has said that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, told him China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office.Trump made the comments in an interview with Fox News on Friday, ahead of talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Prime minister Feletei Teo says Tuvalu may withdraw from crucial meeting after key countries such as Taiwan were barred from attendingTuvalu's prime minister Feletei Teo said his country may pull out of the region's top political meeting next month, after host nation Solomon Islands moved to block all external partners - including China, US and Taiwan - from attending.The Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting will be held in Honiara in September. On 7 August, Solomon Islands prime minister Jeremiah Manele told parliament that no dialogue partners would be invited to the annual gathering. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6ZB9Q)
EHRC calls for clearer guidance for officers to avoid a chilling effect' on freedom of expressionThe UK's official human rights watchdog has written to ministers and police expressing concern at a potentially heavy-handed" approach to protests about Gaza and urging clearer guidance for officers in enforcing the law.In the letter to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, and Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan police, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the perception that peaceful protest could attract disproportionate police attention undermines confidence in our human rights protections". Continue reading...
Exclusive: Contenders teed up for future contest, which MP says seems to pre-empt results of investigation'Moves to find a successor to Diane Abbott in the parliamentary seat she has represented since 1987 are under way, prompting concern that her fate has been decided before an investigation into her latest suspension has concluded.Figures on Labour's national executive committee (NEC) have spoken to potential contenders, teeing them up for a future contest in her constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington, and giving them informal advice on how to prepare, according to a party source. Continue reading...
Israeli-Palestinian magazine says IDF legitimisation cell' set up to blunt global outrage over killing of media staffA special unit in Israel's military was tasked with identifying reporters it could smear as undercover Hamas fighters, to target them and to blunt international outrage over the killing of media workers, the Israeli-Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine reports.The legitimisation cell" was set up after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack to gather information that could bolster Israel's image and shore up diplomatic and military support from key allies, the report said, citing three intelligence sources. Continue reading...
Queen, Keir Starmer and veterans of second world war in Asia hear testimonies at remembrance serviceKing Charles led VJ Day commemorations in the UK as a national service of remembrance and two-minute silence marked the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in the second world war and the end of the six-year-long conflict.He was joined by the queen, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and veterans who served in the far east theatres of war as wreaths were laid at the National Memorial Arboretum service in Staffordshire. Continue reading...
Itamar Ben-Gvir posts video footage showing him making threatening remarks to a gaunt Marwan BarghoutiIsrael's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has posted video footage in which he is seen taunting the imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti in jail, prompting strong condemnation from Barghouti's family and Palestinian leaders.The 13-second clip shows Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician on whom the UK and several other countries imposed sanctions this year for incitement to violence against Palestinians, making threatening remarks to Barghouti while Israel's prisons minister, Kobi Yaakobi, an ally of Ben-Gvir stands nearby. Continue reading...
French president responds to felling of olive planted in memory of young Jewish man tortured to death in 2006The felling of an olive tree planted in memory of a young French Jewish man tortured to death in 2006 caused outrage in France on Friday, with Emmanuel Macron promising to punish an act of antisemitic hatred".Politicians across the political spectrum condemned the act as an attack against the memory of Ilan Halimi, who was kidnapped by a gang of around 20 youths in January 2006 and tortured on a low-income housing estate in the southern Paris suburb of Bagneux. Continue reading...
Development comes as the military continues to crack down on dissent after a pro-democracy rally in MayMali's military rulers say they have arrested a group of military personnel and civilians, including two Malian generals and a suspected French agent, accusing them of attempting to destabilise the country.The security minister, Gen Daouda Aly Mohammedine, who announced the arrests on the local evening news on Thursday, told viewers an investigation was under way and that the situation was completely under control". Continue reading...
by Pjotr Sauer Russian affairs reporter on (#6ZB8N)
Foreign minister's attire and inflight menu for Russian media are latest in series of provocations towards UkraineIn a not-so-subtle act of trolling, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, arrived in Alaska on the eve of the US-Russia summit wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with USSR".Once seen in western capitals as a pragmatic and skilled diplomat, the 75-year-old has in recent years mirrored the Kremlin's radicalised politics, adopting an increasingly combative tone and resorting to trolling and mockery. Continue reading...
One person dies after storm whips up waves, while temperatures approach 50C as heatwave grips Middle EastTyphoon Podul crossed southern Taiwan on Wednesday with wind speeds of up to 110mph (177km/h), equivalent to a category 2 hurricane.Podul had developed a week earlier, near the Northern Mariana Islands, and tracked west across the Philippine Sea, achieving typhoon status on Tuesday before making landfall in south-east Taiwan the following day. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6ZB74)
Two aircraft clipped wings as they taxied to runway for takeoff, with no reports of injuriesFlights were briefly suspended at Manchester airport on Friday morning after two easyJet planes collided, clipping wings as they taxied to the runway for takeoff.The aircraft, which were flying to Paris and Gibraltar, came into contact at about 6.30am but were able to return to a stand where all the passengers disembarked. There are no reports of injuries. Continue reading...
Party leader calls on PM to address democratic disparity', claiming it is unfair that parties with fewer MPs are representedNigel Farage has called for the right to nominate Reform UK supporters to the House of Lords, claiming this would address a democratic disparity".In a letter to Keir Starmer, the Reform leader said it was unfair that other smaller parties, including the Greens, had peers in the upper chamber but his party did not, despite attracting more votes in the general election last year. Continue reading...
by Benita Kolovos, Sarah Basford Canales and Josh But on (#6ZB2Z)
Michelle Rowland says consistency' across jurisdictions will ensure workers banned in one state or territory are banned in all', but rules out national scheme
In today's newsletter: From peaceful demonstrations to political strategy, recent arrests reveal how the battle for key voters seems to be the biggest influence on the way the law is enforcedGood morning. An award-winning poet, a decorated army officer, and a retired head teacher are handcuffed together in the back of a police van ... It's not the start of a terrible joke, but a representation of just some of the eyebrow-raising arrests the police have made in recent weeks.These eminently establishment figures are just a few of the 700 arrested for showing support for Palestine Action after it was proscribed as a terrorist organisation. Many were in their seventies or older, and video footage made one of the mass arrests look like a giant garden party gone sour.Ukraine | Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have hailed a visible chance for peace" in Ukraine, as long as Vladimir Putin proves he is serious about ending the war when he meets Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.Education | Students in England gained record levels of top grades in this year's A-level exams, driven by young men producing their strongest performances outside the pandemic years.Gaza | More than 100 aid organisations working in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have accused Israel of weaponising aid" in its application of rules for groups involved in delivering humanitarian assistance.Climate crisis | UK firefighters have warned that 2025 is on track to beat the national record for wildfires, with frontline staff pushed to their limits".US news | Donald Trump cold-called Norway's finance minister last month to ask about a nomination for the Nobel peace prize, Norwegian press reported. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian