World news | The Guardian

Specialist creative college on model of Croydon institution that nurtured Adele and Amy Winehouse to be sited in BradfordThe Department for Education has approved plans for a northern version of the Brit school, which has nurtured performers such as Adele and Amy Winehouse.The BPI - the representative voice of record labels across the UK - plans to open a new specialist creative college in Bradford, West Yorkshire, in around 2026-27 to allow students aged 16-19 to study performance, production and digital subjects. Continue reading...

With courses in shopping centres offering cocktails and DJs, mini golf is booming in the UK like never beforeThere's nothing mini about crazy golf these days. The number of miniature or adventure golf courses in the UK has jumped by about 25% since the pandemic, according to figures compiled by the curator of the Crazy Golf Museum.The UK is now home to more than 1,200 courses, according to Richard Gottfried, with 320 opening or announced since May 2020. In 2006, there were only about 600. Continue reading...

Labor to lay out new economic growth plans in response including focus on digital technologies and aiming to become a renewable energy super power'

Patients turned down care they needed after demands for advance payments amid complaints of government's hostile environment'Hundreds of migrants have declined NHS treatment after being presented with upfront charges over the past two years, amid complaints the government's hostile environment" on immigration remains firmly in place.Data compiled by the Observer under the Freedom of Information Act shows that, since January 2021, 3,545 patients across 68 hospital trusts in England have been told they must pay upfront charges totalling 7.1m. Of those, 905 patients across 58 trusts did not proceed with treatment. Continue reading...

100,000 more girls are playing football in England than they did in 2017. At a training session near Ipswich, we meet the under-12s who love the gameWooh! Good finish," calls out coach Ian Westlake as 10-year-old TJ Spurling fires a shot at goal. Set it," he shouts to the next player in line, and then run. You want to come off your left foot."It's halfway through the Kesgrave Kestrels' regular 90-minute Thursday evening training session - somewhere between the opening drills and the finishing game - and a brisk southwesterly wind is blowing in from the Suffolk coast nine miles away, gusting across the pitch of blue artificial turf. Continue reading...

Unions say members could take industrial action as early as 2 September if next round of bargaining is unsuccessful

This blog is now closed.

Campaigners say rape and trafficking victims have been betrayed by the Tories' failure to appoint commissioners to defend themGovernment ministers have heartlessly" betrayed rape and trafficking victims after failing to fill two key independent watchdog roles designed to defend human rights, campaigners have said.Next month, the role of the victims' commissioner for England and Wales will have been left vacant for a year, at a time when vital legislation is passing through parliament. Continue reading...

New figures undermine Rishi Sunak's claims to boost PE ahead of Women's World Cup finalThe number of hours young people spend doing PE and sport in secondary schools in England has fallen by more than 12% since the 2012 London Olympics, despite promises by ministers that the games would inspire a generation" and kickstart a massive expansion of sport in the state sector.The fall is recorded in the latest figures released by the government, which show a drop from 326,277 hours in 2011/12 to 285,957 in 2022/3. Although the total went back up after the pandemic, it then fell again over the last year by more than 4,000 hours. Continue reading...

Tony Chambers says he was not aware of serious concerns being raised until June 2016 - a year after the nurse was linked to a series of unusual infant deathsThe former chief executive of the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered seven babies said he first heard serious concerns" about the nurse in June 2016 - a year after she was linked to a series of unusual infant deaths.However, Tony Chambers, who left the Countess of Chester hospital shortly after Letby's arrest, said he was told at the time that she was an enthusiastic, capable and committed nurse", despite the fears of senior doctors. Continue reading...

Drowning reported in Baja California peninsula ahead of storm's arrival on Saturday night before hitting southern California on SundayHurricane Hilary was downgraded to a category 1 storm as it moved towards the Baja California region on Saturday evening, amid warnings of deadly flooding.The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory on Saturday night that catastrophic and life-threatening flooding" was still likely and that the storm had maximum sustained winds of 90mph (145km/h). Continue reading...

Minister says it is a matter of life and death for residents near city of Kelowna, as drone operators warned against irresponsible' activity in fire areasOfficials in the Canadian province of British Columbia have implored tens of thousands of residents to heed warnings and evacuate from areas threatened by severe and fast-changing" wildfires, and urged irresponsible" wildfire tourists to stop flying drones in the area.We cannot stress strongly enough how critical it is to follow evacuation orders when they are issued," Bowinn Ma, the province's minister of emergency management, said on Saturday. They are a matter of life and death not only for the people in those properties, but also for the first responders who will often go back to try to implore people to leave." Continue reading...

32-year-old North Melbourne player left with facial injuries just hours after retirement match at MCG

Two women suffered back injuries and a man suffered facial injuries on Saturday afternoon

Russian missile attack on Chernihiv's central square kills seven and injures 144 as Zelensky vows notable response'

Zelenskiy vows to respond after attack on centre of northern city, reportedly involving drones, that killed six-year-old girl and injured 144At least seven people were killed and 144 injured in a vile" Russian missile strike that hit a theatre and a central square in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said.I am sure our soldiers will give a response to Russia for this terrorist attack," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, delivered early on Sunday at the end of a visit to Sweden. A notable response." Continue reading...

Number of evangelical chaplains has increased in recent years despite majority of Australian defence force personnel not being religious

News of death of Anne and David Spencer confirmed by co-presenter of long-running Channel 4 series, Kirsty AllsoppThe parents of TV presenter Phil Spencer have been killed in a car accident near their home, his co-star, Kirstie Allsopp, has confirmed.Location, Location, Location presenter Allsopp told fans to join her in sending so much love" to costar Spencer, following the death of his mother, Anne, and father, David, on Friday. Continue reading...

A lower price cap will still mean unaffordable bills for many. Yet a fairer alternative has been quietly droppedNearly a decade ago, former Labour leader Ed Miliband sowed the seeds of the energy price cap, vowing to protect households from unfair tariffs by freezing their energy bills. But even though a cap has been in place since 2018, bills today can be far from affordable, even when they are fair.On Friday, industry regulator Ofgem will set its new limit on how much suppliers can charge per unit of gas and electricity. Analysts at Cornwall Insight expect it to lower the energy price cap from 2,074 a year for the typical household to 1,823, which would be its lowest level since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Ecowas group seeking restoration to power of Mohamed Bazoum also met army officers behind coupA delegation from west Africa's economic bloc has arrived in Niger and met the ousted president on Saturday, as it sought a peaceful solution after army officers seized power in a coup.Mohamed Bazoum was in good spirits", a source close to the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) told AFP - though he remained under detention and his electricity was still cut off. Continue reading...

After seeing off a bid to explore near the Bodhinyana monastery, the forest monks are encouraging others to keep the pressure on'

Health, aged care, NDIS, defence and interest payments will grow from one-third of government spending over next four decades

Fifty-year-old charged with two counts of possessing documents for use in terrorism or likely to be useful to terroristsA 50-year-old man has been charged with possessing documents or records likely to be useful to terrorists and possession of articles for use in terrorism, in relation to the major Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach.He is due to appear at Coleraine magistrates court on Monday, the PSNI said. Continue reading...

The safe hands of Gabby Logan or the incisive analysis of Eni Aluko? When England play Spain in Sunday's final, it's time for viewers to choose their channelGoing into this World Cup final, there is one clear favourite: their squad has depth and experience; the line-up has proven quality and leadership; and perhaps most importantly, they have performed on the biggest stages before and come out victorious. We are talking about the BBC, which once again will do head-to-head battle for the nation's eyeballs with ITV as a subplot to the England-Spain match in Sydney.The clash, historically, has not gone well for ITV. For the men's World Cup final last December, nearly 20 million Britons tuned in, with three-quarters (15 million) favouring the BBC. Of course, the BBC has the selling point of no ad breaks and the prestige of being seen as a destination for nationally significant events. But ITV's coverage so far in this World Cup has been slick and engaging, so can the upstart, packed with young, fresh talent, pull off a shock? Continue reading...

If La Roja beat England, Spain's apathetic media would finally have to take noticeSlicing sourdough on the stainless-steel counter of a London tapas restaurant, Ana Lorenzo hopes victory for La Roja will banish the sexism she says still stalks women's football in Spain.It's so sexist in Spain compared to here. The attitude to women's football is many years behind. And despite doing so well, the women's team hasn't really gripped the media," she says, shaking her head. Continue reading...

Tory attempt to capitalise on Channel crossings draws attention to immigration and strengthens opposition lead on issueGovernment attempts to make capital out of the issue of Channel crossings in a special small boats week" appear to have backfired with the public, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.Small boats week", earlier this month, was dogged by a series of disasters, including figures showing record numbers of crossings; the evacuation, due to a health scare, of the Bibby Stockholm barge used to house migrants, and the deaths of at least six people when a small boat capsized and sank in the Channel. Continue reading...

Wade Robson and James Safechuck detailed allegations that singer sexually abused them as children in HBO documentaryLawsuits from two men who accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them when they were children can move forward to a jury trial, a California appeals court ruled on Friday.The two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, were featured in the 2019 HBO documentary series Leaving Neverland that detailed their allegations against Jackson, who died in 2009. Continue reading...

President Zelenskiy said a theatre and university were also damaged in the strike on the central squareEvery week, we wrap up the must-reads from our coverage of the war in Ukraine, from news and features to analysis, visual guides and opinion.You can read some of those pieces - including the Ukrainian men trying to avoid conscription - here: Continue reading...

Key prosecution witness in the trial of the serial killer nurse calls for inquiry into grossly negligent' executivesHospital bosses who failed to act on concerns about the killer nurse Lucy Letby should be investigated by police for corporate manslaughter, says the prosecution's key medical expert.Speaking to the Observer, Dr Dewi Evans, whose evidence was central to the case against Letby, said executives were grossly negligent" for not acting on fears about the nurse as she murdered seven babies and attempted to kill another six. Continue reading...

Prince of Wales posts supportive message to England's women's football team and apologises for not flying to Australia for World CupPrince William has apologised for not attending the Women's World Cup final in Australia and wished the England team good luck for the showdown with Spain.The Prince of Wales posted the video message on social media as he faces criticism for not flying out to Sydney for the Lionesses' historic match, which takes place at 11am UK time on Sunday. Continue reading...

The Demerara Rebellion failed, but it was a step towards ending slavery in the British empire William Gladstone: family of former British PM to apologise for links to slaveryThe Demerara Rebellion of August 1823 was a pivotal event in the abolition of slavery in the British Empire.While the transatlantic slave trade, the largest forced migration in human history, was outlawed by Britain in 1807, slavery continued across the colonies. Conditions were brutal in Demerara, one of three provinces that made up British Guiana, where sugar plantations were among the most profitable in the world. Continue reading...

The great Victorian statesman's glittering career was financed by huge profits made in the 1820s and 30s on Guyanese estates William Gladstone: family of former British PM to apologise for links to slaveryWilliam Gladstone's father, John, was an absentee landlord who never visited his estates in the Caribbean but became fabulously rich from the proceeds of slavery.His pursuit of profit at the expense of free - and then cheap - labour in Guyana transformed the South American country for ever. Continue reading...

Charlie Gladstone on why the only way he can live with his family's dark past is to turn it into something positive

Descendants of PM, whose father's wealth came from sugar plantations, travel to Guyana for 200th anniversary of rebellion by enslaved AfricansThe family of one of Britain's most famous prime ministers will travel to the Caribbean this week to apologise for its historical role in slavery.Six of William Gladstone's descendants will arrive in Guyana on Thursday as the country commemorates the 200th anniversary of a rebellion by enslaved people that historians say paved the way for abolition. Continue reading...

Reason for arrest of former foreign minister and leader of PTI is not immediately clear, party saysThe Pakistani opposition leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi was detained on Saturday, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said, just hours after he said it would challenge any delay to the country's election in the courts.Party spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari told Reuters the specific reason for the detention of Qureshi, twice Pakistan's foreign minister, was not immediately clear. The caretaker information minister did not respond to a request for comment. Continue reading...

Incident forms part of the worst escalation of violence in the occupied territory for nearly two decadesTwo Israelis have been killed in a suspected Palestinian shooting attack on a car wash in a volatile stretch of the occupied West Bank, the latest outburst of violence in the region.The Israeli military said it was searching for suspects and setting up roadblocks near the town of Hawara, a flashpoint area in the northern West Bank, which has has been the scene of repeated shooting attacks and a rampage by Jewish settlers who set light to Palestinian property. Continue reading...

Activists fear the billionaire's legacy will be lost as his Open Society Foundations curbs its activities across the EUHe survived the Nazi occupation of his native Hungary, made a fortune on Wall Street and became one of the most steadfast backers of democracy and human rights in the eastern bloc.But human rights activists and independent media fear the legacy of billionaire philanthropist George Soros, 93, could be about to be undone in his homelands, as his donor network announced it will curb its activities across the EU from 2024. Continue reading...

Relatives of two of nurse's newborn victims say inquiry ordered by health secretary is inadequateLawyers representing the families of two of Lucy Letby's victims have described the government-ordered inquiry as inadequate" and called for it to be given power to compel witnesses to testify under oath.The health secretary, Steve Barclay, has ordered an inquiry into how the neonatal nurse was able to murder seven babies and attempt to kill six others before she was reported to police. Continue reading...

Wendy Ide, a regular contributor to the newspaper since 2017, says she is beyond honoured' to take over the roleAll cinemas seats are not the same. Comfy or lumpy, there are some views of the screen that are more coveted than others. This weekend, Mark Kermode, the Observer's chief film critic for 10 years, announces that he will vacate one of the best seats in the house and usher in Wendy Ide, who is to take up his place on the newspaper.It is a post that was held for more than 35 years by the late Philip French, during whose tenure the film review pages became an esteemed place to set in context both popular and independent cinema; to praise its triumphs and to laugh at its cliches. Continue reading...

Financial insecurity is driving a 28-point gap in the polls, after decades in which the Conservatives were more trusted with the UK economyLabour has opened up a huge lead over the Tories among women voters, many of whom are turning to Keir Starmer's party because they feel financially insecure after 13 years of Conservative rule, a new report says today.The analysis by Labour Together, a thinktank whose report is based on extensive polling and academic analysis, finds that the financial worries of huge numbers of women voters - particularly those aged under 50 - are persuading many to back Labour and reject the Conservatives. Continue reading...

Urfan Sharif, father of 10-year-old girl found dead at her home near Woking, may be in hiding in Punjab, say policePakistani police are searching for a man in connection with the death of his 10-year-old daughter in Surrey, officers in the eastern Punjab province have said.Sara Sharif was found dead at her home near Woking on 10 August. Surrey police identified her father, Urfan, as well as his partner Beinash Batool and his brother Faisal Malik, as people with whom they wanted to speak as part of their investigation. Continue reading...

Body of former chief of defence staff Jean-Louis Georgelin, 74, found on Mount Valier in PyreneesThe French army general appointed by Emmanuel Macron to oversee the reconstruction of the fire-ravaged Notre-Dame Cathedral has died while hiking in the Pyrenees.Mountain gendarmes discovered the body of Jean-Louis Georgelin, 74, the former chief of the defence staff, after he failed to return to a mountain refuge on Friday. Continue reading...

New trade barriers were compounded by Covid and tax changesKimi Karjalainen and his brother Marko poured their life savings into Bone Machine Brewing Co when it opened in Pocklington, East Yorkshire, in 2017 before moving to Hull, as part of the craft beer revolution that swept Britain.The entire investment, not including time and labour that we gave for free, was about 70,000," Karjalainen said. Four weeks ago, it was gone. That was my parents' retirement." Continue reading...

Singer tells 42 million Instagram followers she couldn't take the pain any more' but would stay strongBritney Spears has spoken about the recent announcement that she and her husband, Sam Asghari, are to divorce, telling fans she couldn't take the pain any more" but will remain strong in the face of adversity.Asghari cited irreconcilable differences" in documents filed at a court in Los Angeles, which also revealed that the couple separated almost three weeks ago. The documents said he intended to obtain financial support and legal costs from Spears. Continue reading...

As company warns of substantial doubt' over its future, experts say consequences for commercial landlords could be direWeWork, the troubled office share behemoth, was once valued at $47bn. On Friday, the company was forced to combine 40 of its shares into one in an effort to keep its stock price above $1 and avoid being delisted from the New York stock exchange.The dramatic rise and fall of WeWork has been well documented, but as the company warned there was substantial doubt" it would stay in business, experts suggest the impact for the already troubled commercial property sector could be dire. Continue reading...

Polls show centre-left anti-corruption candidate has the lead as Sunday's vote takes place against backdrop of smear campaignsGuatemala is bracing for elections this weekend seen as a key test for the rule of law, amid growing concerns over the state of democracy in Central America. Sunday's vote takes place against a backdrop of smear campaigns, legal manoeuvring and an apparent effort to force the leading candidate out of the race.Opinion polls show the centre-left anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arevalo with a double-digit lead over his opponent, Sandra Torres, a former first lady who in 2011 divorced her husband in a failed attempt to dodge a constitutional ban on close relatives of the incumbent running for the office. Continue reading...

Chef announces closure of two-Michelin starred Mayfair institution, which originally opened in Chelsea in 1967Michel Roux Jr has announced he is closing his renowned two-Michelin star London restaurant Le Gavroche.The Mayfair institution will close its doors in January so the chef can step back from the daily stress of running one of the capital's best-known restaurants. Continue reading...

Tony Abbott, Warren Mundine and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price were among those urging attendees to oppose the voice to parliament

Detainees at Jau prison that mainly houses prisoners of conscience began refusing food on 7 AugustAt least 500 prisoners are on hunger strike inside a Bahraini prison primarily used to detain prisoners of conscience, refusing food in protest at their detention conditions.Detainees began refusing food on 7 August, and increasing numbers have joined since. Continue reading...

Indigenous voice central to Conservative Political Action Network Conference and final day of ALP conference. This blog is now closed