World news | The Guardian

Andrews government unveils plan for 20-bed Collingwood facility as public drunkenness is decriminalised

Emergency services were called to the fire at a Teviotville property in the Scenic Rim region during the early hours of Friday morning

Defence minister launches first security strategy warning New Zealand faces greatest geostrategic challenges in decadesNew Zealand needs to spend more on its military and strengthen ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific to help meet the challenges of great power rivalry and climate change, the government said amid an ongoing defence review.Launching the country's first ever national security strategy, defence minister Andrew Little said New Zealand faced more geostrategic challenges than it had in decades. Continue reading...

Health secretary says every available resource' must be used to help patients access diagnosis and treatment fasterMore private and third sector providers should be used by the NHS to help cut post-Covid waiting lists, Steve Barclay, the health secretary, will say after a review of capacity in the health service.Barclay will draw on the work of his elective recovery taskforce" - a group convened by ministers to look at how to bring down waiting times. Continue reading...

Buenos Aires records hottest start to August in 117 years, Chile sees highs towards 40C and Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil also bakeNow should be South America's bleak midwinter, but several parts of the continent are experiencing an extraordinary unseasonal heatwave that scientists believe offers a disturbing glimpse of a future of extreme weather.Argentina's riverside capital, Buenos Aires, this week recorded its hottest 1 August in 117 years. Continue reading...

Some legal experts are concerned changes to the law could curtail freedom of speech

Police in remote Welsh town appeal to anyone who may have seen someone have sudden influx of beehives'Police in a remote Welsh town are on the hunt for a thief who stole 14 beehives.Witnesses have been urged to come forward after the hives disappeared from Blackwood Road near Llangollen, North Wales, over the weekend. Continue reading...

Chancellor wants Financial Conduct Authority to investigate whether practice is widespread'Jeremy Hunt has asked the financial regulator to urgently investigate whether banks are barring politicians from accounts on a widespread" basis, after Nigel Farage had his account shut down by private bank Coutts.The chancellor said everyone must be able to express their opinions and people must have access to banking. Continue reading...

Deputy PM suggested FBU's Labour affiliation influenced its decision to raise concerns about the Bibby StockholmThe deputy prime minister has been accused of making disgraceful" comments after claiming that the firefighters' union had raised safety concerns over a barge due to house asylum seekers because of close links to Labour.Oliver Dowden suggested that the Fire Brigades Union's affiliation and donations to the opposition were a motivating factor behind fire and overcrowding concerns raised about the Bibby Stockholm in Portland, Dorset. Continue reading...

Opponents of Eritrean government tore down tents and set cars on fire, with around 100' people arrestedMore than 50 people have been injured and dozens detained in Stockholm after opponents of the Eritrean government stormed an event in the Swedish capital organised by regime supporters.About 1,000 anti-government demonstrators who had been authorised to hold a protest nearby broke through a police barrier, tearing down festival tents and setting booths and vehicles on fire. Continue reading...

PC Luke Christopher Horner admits offence, which he recorded on victim's phone, at Northampton crown courtA police officer has admitted to penetrative sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl in Northamptonshire after recording the act on the victim's phone.PC Luke Christopher Horner of Thames Valley police travelled to Rushden, a town about 18 miles east of Northampton, while off duty to commit the offence on 11 June. Continue reading...

Harry Vaughan, convicted of 14 terror offences in 2020, admitted further crimes including possession of indecent images of childrenA convicted satanist and far-right extremist who was given a suspended sentence as a teenager has now been imprisoned after admitting further crimes including making an indecent photograph of a child.Harry Vaughan, from Twickenham, south-west London, was 18 when he admitted 14 terror offences and two of possessing indecent images of children during his first trial at the Old Bailey. Continue reading...

Brussels' foreign policy chief calls on nations to speak with a unified voice to help people most in need'The EU's foreign policy chief has written to G20 ministers urging them to help Brussels persuade Vladimir Putin to reopen the main export route for Ukraine grain to countries in Africa and the Middle East.In a letter seen by the Guardian, Josep Borrell warned that Russia's decision to walk out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) last month was risking the lives of children and others in war-torn countries and conflict zones. Continue reading...

Calls for overhaul of defamation laws in Italy after legal action brought against Brian MolkoThe Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is suing Placebo frontman, Brian Molko, for defamation after publicly calling her racist" and fascist", according to local media reports.Molko made the comments during a performance by the band at the Sonic Park festival in Stupinigi outside Turin in July. Giorgia Meloni, piece of shit, fascist, racist," he appeared to shout in Italian in footage posted on social media by fans who attended the gig. Continue reading...

Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, is close ally of Vladimir Putin and EU says regime is accomplice in Russia's unprovoked war'

Pair have cases to answer in death of black man who died shortly after being restrained by up to nine officers, says watchdogTwo Metropolitan police constables will face a gross misconduct hearing after the Independent Office for Police Conduct's reinvestigation into the death of Kevin Clarke, who died shortly after being restrained by up to nine officers.The watchdog said the constables should be subject to misconduct proceedings over their alleged failure to provide an appropriate level of care to Clarke, a mentally ill black man, who could be heard saying the words I can't breathe" while being restrained, and for alleged dishonesty and lack of integrity. Continue reading...

Singer calls claims of harassment and a hostile work environment sensationalized stories'Lizzo has spoken out in response to several of her tour dancers levelling allegations of sexual harassment against her, calling their claims sensationalized stories".Earlier this week, a lawsuit filed by three of the singer's tour dancers alleged that Lizzo had sexually harassed them and created a hostile work environment through sexual, racial and religious harassment in various incidents between 2021 and 2023. Continue reading...

Remaining 11 members of jury will continue to deliberate in case against nurse charged with murdering seven babiesA member of the jury in the Lucy Letby trial has been discharged for good personal reasons", a judge has told Manchester crown court.The nurse, 33, has been on trial for almost 10 months charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another 10 on the hospital neonatal unit where she worked. Continue reading...

Lords standards commissioners to investigate Lord Chadlington over alleged rule-breaking in relation to 50m PPE contractsThe House of Lords conduct watchdog has opened an investigation into the Conservative peer Lord Chadlington after new details about his introduction of a firm that was awarded 50m in PPE contracts were reported by the Guardian.The inquiry by the standards commissioners into Chadlington, whose real name is Peter Gummer, follows a request sent by the Labour peer George Foulkes. Continue reading...

The FBU had said the Bibby Stockholm could be a floating death trap' for asylum seekersThe Greenpeace campaigner Philip Evans says the four activists who have been on the roof of Rishi Sunak's house since around 6am are holding firm for now".Speaking from outside the house, Evans told the PA Media news agency they had made sure the prime minister's family were on holiday and not going to be at home before carrying out the protest, which is a response to Sunak saying he would max out" oil and gas in the North Sea.It's an incredibly dangerous thing to be saying and in general there's been an attack on the climate since the Uxbridge byelection.Rishi Sunak's government has been the worst government we've had on climate.This is the prime minister. He is the one that was standing in Scotland going to drill for every last drop of oil while the world is burning. He is personally responsible for that decision and we're all going to be paying a high price if he goes through with it. It is personal. Continue reading...

Work and pensions secretary said working for Deliveroo could be good option for older people, despite low pay and job insecurityThe TUC has accused the work and pensions secretary, Mel Stride, of glorifying the gig economy" instead of tackling the real challenges facing older workers, after he suggested unemployed over-50s consider becoming delivery riders.On a visit to the London headquarters of food delivery firm Deliveroo, Stride said it was good for people to consider options they might not have otherwise thought of", including those traditionally seen as being for younger workers. Continue reading...

Wet weather fails to dampen demand as retailer raises profit guidance againStrong trading at Next's summer sale as shoppers continue to spend more on clothing than expected has prompted a second profits upgrade at the retailer in just over six weeks.Next, which has about 550 stores in the UK and Ireland and is considered a good barometer of British consumer spending, said it expected to make 845m in annual profit, 10m more than previously forecast, as last month's exceptionally wet weather dampened, but did not snuff out, shopper demand. Continue reading...

Sixty-eight organisations sign letter amid fears Lu Siwei could be deported at request of Chinese authoritiesSixty-eight human rights groups have signed an open letter calling on the Laos government to release Lu Siwei, a Chinese former human rights lawyer detained by Laotian police near Vientiane last week.Lu was seized by police on Friday as he attempted to board a train from Laos to Thailand, where he planned to catch a flight to the US to join his wife and daughter. Nearly one week later, he appears to still be held in Laotian immigration detention, despite reportedly being told that he would be deported to China. Continue reading...

Video has been released in appeal to find Aidan Roche, last in contact on 22 June from the EigerThe family of a British hiker last seen on a Swiss mountain six weeks ago said they were hoping for a crazy survival story" as they released the last video footage he had shared.Aidan Roche, 29, an offshore chemical engineer from Middlesbrough, was last heard from on 22 June on the Eiger, in the Grindelwald area, about 50 miles from the Swiss capital, Berne. Continue reading...

Musician best known for BBC's Pride and Prejudice and 1981's The French Lieutenant's Woman also composed for silent film, stage and concert hallBafta-winning composer and conductor Carl Davis has died at the age of 86, his family has announced today.Davis, whose work included the music for the BBC's 1995 drama Pride and Prejudice, won a Bafta and an Ivor Novello award for his score to 1981 film classic The French Lieutenant's Woman. Continue reading...

Gusts of up to 65mph forecast to hit English and Welsh coasts on Saturday along with prolonged rainFerry and rail passengers have been warned of cancellations and delays as gusts of up to 65mph (105km/h) are forecast to batter the English and Welsh coasts at the weekend.The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind in parts of England and Wales from 6am on Saturday until 9pm the same day, and prolonged rain was forecast. Continue reading...

Walter Sofronoff KC provided copies under embargo to ABC and the Australian, but ACT spokesperson said release affected the inquiry process'

UN Refugee Agency and IOM urge steps - including more legal pathways for migrants - to curb humanitarian crisisInternational bodies have called for urgent intervention in the Darien Gap to prevent a further escalation of a humanitarian crisis as new figures showed that record numbers of people are risking their lives to cross the lawless 100-mile stretch of rainforest between Panama and Colombia.The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) also called for the creation of more legal pathways to migrate to the US in order to help reduce irregular migration. Continue reading...

Deputy PM confident' asylum barge will soon be used and that fire safety concerns will be taken into account

Staffing levels reduced as US says White House is committed to restoring president after last week's coupThe US and UK have ordered the evacuation of some staff from their embassies in Niger after last week's coup, as the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said the White House was committed to restoring the stricken country's government.Niger is a key western ally in the fight against Islamist insurgents in the region. Foreign powers have condemned the takeover, fearing it could allow the militants to gain ground. Continue reading...

Move by new CEO to hike prices for servicing jet engines pays off with 673m profit and surge in share priceRolls-Royce increased its profits fivefold in the first half of this year after its new chief executive, Tufan Erginbilgic, raised prices for servicing jet engines.The FTSE 100 engineering company made an underlying operating profit of 673m between January and June, up from 125m in the same period last year, it said in a statement to the stock market on Thursday. Continue reading...

The Bannockburn P12 College student was taken to Geelong hospital in a stable condition by paramedics

Kyiv defended itself against eighth consecutive nightly drone attack; Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territory being forced to assume Russian citizenship, study finds

In today's newsletter: From overcrowding to fire safety concerns, the government's floating facility in Dorset has been plagued with problems, and now faces a delay. What's behind the Home Office's latest debacle? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.So it seems this will not, after all, be the week the first - reluctant - residents are transported to the Bibby Stockholm barge at Portland docks in Dorset.Niger | European countries continued with their evacuation of foreign nationals from Niger, as defence officials from west Africa's regional political and security bloc were poised to meet in Abuja to discuss last week's coup against the country's democratically elected president.Media | The influential documentary producer Jess Search, who co-founded the non-profit Doc Society organisation, has died of brain cancer at the age of 54. She was involved in hundreds of projects including the overfishing documentary The End of the Line, the gorilla protection film Virunga, and the Oscar-nominated Citizenfour, about the whistleblower Edward Snowden.Scotland | A rape suspect accused of faking his own death to avoid prosecution can be extradited from the UK to the US to face charges, a court has ruled. Nicholas Rossi, 35, is wanted by authorities in Utah for allegedly raping a woman in 2008. He also faces multiple complaints against him in Rhode Island for alleged domestic violence.Education | The head of the body that awards the Rhodes scholarship - the oldest and most prestigious international graduate award - has refused to back calls for the removal of controversial monuments to its original benefactor, Cecil Rhodes, despite insisting the organisation was in listening mode".Pollution | British triathletes preparing for next month's world championships have been forced to abandon open water swim training because of sewage in the sea off the coast of Lancashire. Continue reading...

Government considers appeal after Sikh woman wins landmark case arguing ban that stopped her carrying ceremonial sword, the kirpan, was discriminatory

Punishment for heroin trafficking comes just days after city executes first woman in nearly 20 yearsSingapore has executed a 39-year-old man who was convicted of trafficking heroin in the city-state's third hanging in just over a week, authorities say.Mohamed Shalleh Adul Latiff was sentenced to death for possessing about 55g of heroin for the purpose of trafficking" in 2019. Continue reading...

Australian defence force found debris about 40m underwater following MRH-90 crash off Whitsunday Islands

The missionary, who was taken by an al-Qaida-linked group in Burkina Faso in 2016, tells how God and meditating on scripture sustained him

Transport safety bureau investigation into January QF144 flight reveals mechanical problem to blame for outage of one engine

Tech firms permit ads for potentially harmful products including vaginal cleanse' balls and useless herbs for infertility, according to an investigationMeta, YouTube and Google are profiting from posts promoting harmful and useless health products to women in Kenya, according to an investigation.Researchers from the media collective Fumbua have accused big tech firms of amplifying content that promises unproven cures for infertility and herbs that can stave off cancers on their networks. Continue reading...

Disrupt Burrup Hub's Jesse Noakes says there was no intent to enter Meg O'Neill's house

Liberal senator issues a writ against former staffer in Western Australian supreme court

Ukrainians in occupied territories who refuse Russian passports face threats, intimidation and possible detention or deportation, Yale study saysUkrainians living in Russian-occupied territory are being forced to assume Russian citizenship or face retaliation, including possible deportation or detention, a new US report has said.Yale University researchers found that residents of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions were being targeted by a systematic effort to strip them of Ukrainian identity. Continue reading...

Chris Minns asked for Tim Crakanthorp's resignation on Wednesday after becoming aware of a breach of the ministerial code

The report, which the ACT government has not yet released publicly, found Shane Drumgold breached his duties on multiple occasions

Labor defends decision to reject request for additional 21 services as international air fares remain high

Independent MPs Monique Ryan and Sophie Scamps say the Labor bill to allow permits for storing carbon dioxide in international waters would encourage more gas projects

Regional mayors say they expect the state government to provide details on infrastructure projects in coming months

Court's sentence over posts denouncing country's ties with Israel is harsh and incomprehensible', says lawyerA Moroccan internet user has been sentenced to five years' jail for criticising the king on Facebook over the country's normalisation of ties with Israel, his lawyer has said.Said Boukioud, 48, was jailed on Monday for posts denouncing the normalisation in a way that could be interpreted as criticism of the king", lawyer El Hassan Essouni said on Wednesday, adding that he had appealed. Continue reading...

More than 850,000 made repayments while their income was too low in 2021-22 , according to an investigationHundreds of thousands of UK graduates made unnecessary repayments on their student loans last year, worth more than 100m, while earning below the repayment threshold, according to an investigation.More than 850,000 graduates made payments they should not have done in 2021-22 because their income was too low, according to data obtained through a freedom of information request to the Student Loans Company (SLC). Continue reading...