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Daniel Mookhey defends 4% pay offer to public sector workers in speech to Health Services Union

HarperCollins sincerely apologises' to doctor for claims about Sydney private hospital in ABC journalist Steve Cannane's book

Officials in Punjab say they can't to stop the exodus, as families tell of loved ones lost on the perilous route via Africa and the MediterraneanIn one of the busiest hubs for trafficking in Pakistan, would-be migrants are continuing to leave for Europe despite hundreds of people drowning after a trawler sank off the Greek coast last month, the Guardian has found.In the past week, at least two more people from the district of Mandi Bahauddin, in eastern Pakistan, have left with the help of traffickers. The continued migration comes as families mourn loved ones believed to be on the Greek shipwreck, most of whose passengers were from Pakistan, and those missing after previous forlorn attempts to reach Europe. Continue reading...

Like any author, translators want to receive credit for their work instead of being treated as an afterthoughtThey have often been overlooked in the artistic and literary process, but translators have long claimed they have the power to change everything.There are tales of myths being born, societies being forged and cities destroyed with just a slip of the pen, such as the supposed translation error that allegedly led to the US deciding to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, or the speculation about life on Mars after the mistranslation of an Italian astronomer. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: the Labour leader may well win the next election - but why are so many of his policies being ditched? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Keir Starmer has undergone a political transformation since he became leader of the Labour party. During the leadership contest, he positioned himself as a colleague and friend" of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, in whose shadow cabinet he had served. His list of policy pledges presented him as a more competent version of Corbyn, with none of the political baggage.NHS | Seven in 10 people in the UK believe charges for NHS care will creep in over the next decade, ending the health service's record of being free at the point of use, polling has found. Ahead of the service's 75th birthday this week the Guardian also asked five experts for their ideas on how to make the NHS thrive again.House of Lords | Two British peers were among 50 people who attended a party organised by the Russian ambassador to the UK at his opulent residence in west London last month. The event was to mark the creation of a Russia independent of the Soviet Union.Scotland | Orkney could leave the UK to become a self-governing territory of Norway after its council opted to explore alternative forms of governance". The archipelago off the north coast of Scotland will also consider changing its legal status within Britain as it seeks to provide more economic opportunities.Israel | As many as 50 Conservative MPs are threatening to rebel against a government proposal that would impose fines on public bodies, including local councils, that seek to mount boycotts against Israel. The scale of the unease on a foreign policy issue has caught government whips by surprise.France | The riots over the police shooting of teenager Nahel M appeared to ease after five nights of unrest that have seen thousands arrested and widespread destruction. French media reported that police made 49 arrests nationwide yesterday, down significantly from more than 2,000 over the previous two days. Continue reading...

Ex-Auburn councillor found guilty in Sydney court of four counts of making or using false documents to obtain financial advantage

Police say swift water will be examined on Tuesday before we begin to scale back the search'

Exclusive: Ranem Elkhalidi meeting Foreign Office officials this week as she continues fight to bring her son homeA woman whose seven-year-old son was kidnapped by his father and taken to Saudi Arabia has said lawyers in the country are too afraid to get involved with her case, as she prepares for a meeting with the Foreign Office this week.Ranem Elkhalidi has vowed to keep fighting for the safe return of her Cheshire-born son Ibrahim, who was taken from his primary school six months ago by her estranged husband, Hamzah Faraj, a Saudi national, in breach of a court order. Continue reading...

Doctors and senior hospital figures - as well as the official statistics - paint a bleak picture. But is there cause for hope?Dr Nick Scriven can pinpoint the exact day he realised the NHS could no longer cope. I first noticed it when I was on call on New Year's Day 2012. We ran out of beds in our hospital. As a result medical patients had to occupy the beds in a surgical ward meant for people with broken bones waiting to have planned orthopaedic surgery.We'd always had outliers', the occasional medical patient who'd ended up in a surgical bed. But this was the first time cases like that had ended up taking over almost all the 30 beds on the orthopaedic ward. This went on for a month and was a massive stress for everyone as we'd never had to cope with this amount of patients being looked after elsewhere before. Continue reading...

Government pledged to bring end to abhorrent' practices five years ago but legislation has been beset by delaysActivists have called for a ban on so-called gay conversion therapy to be brought forward immediately with no loopholes" five years after the government first promised it would ban the practice.Stonewall said lives were continuing to be ruined by attempts to cure" LGBTQ+ people of being themselves" as Monday marked half a decade since the government vowed it would introduce legislation to outlaw conversion practices. Continue reading...

Richard Curtis, Emma Thompson and others say bank is financing and profiting from climate chaos'Richard Curtis, Emma Thompson and Deborah Meaden are among celebrities who have called on Wimbledon to end its new partnership with Barclays over the bank's multibillion-pound support for fossil fuel projects.As the 2023 championships get under way on Monday, the group claims the sponsorship deal, reportedly worth at least 20m a year, is damaging the club's reputation. Continue reading...

Oddly worded statement attacks unnamed outlets for alleged behaviour after Icac findings against former MP and his former partner Gladys Berejiklian

Consultancy firm says partners have exited or are in the process of being removed', alleging professional or governance failures

Australia-based company Facilitate seeks more than A$1m for work done at offices in London, Dublin, Sydney and Singapore

Author who had been working to document Russian war crimes since the invasion was hospitalised with skull fractures after Tuesday's missile strike

Agency DDB Philippines apologises for using highly inappropriate' images that stock footage providers offer from Brazil and IndonesiaA tourism campaign for the Philippines backfired after the creators of a video promoting the archipelago nation as a holiday destination said it had used stock shots from other countries.Advertising agency DDB Philippines apologised on Sunday for the highly inappropriate" images, which included rice terraces in Indonesia and sand dunes in Brazil. Continue reading...

Ukrainian and Russian troops both advancing in different areas amid fierce fighting', says Kyiv; Biden to visit UK and Finland on Nato summit trip

Exclusive: Poll finds large majority in UK think key principle of health service will be dropped in next decadeSeven in 10 people in the UK believe charges for NHS care will creep in over the next decade, ending the health service's record of being free at the point of use, polling has found.One of the NHS's key founding principles from 1948 is in peril, 71% of the public believe, according to the survey carried out for the Health Foundation ahead of the service's 75th birthday this week. Continue reading...

As borrowing costs soar, committee will look at regulation of small business lending as part of processAn influential committee of MPs has launched an inquiry into the challenges faced by small businesses when seeking finance as companies come under mounting pressure from soaring borrowing costs.The cross-party Treasury committee will examine how easy it is for small firms to access finance, the role of financial innovation and the regulation of small business lending. Continue reading...

Health secretary made clear he was open to further uplift on salaries but not while NHS junior doctors are planning to strikeDoctors in England could be offered a bigger pay rise after the health secretary admitted there needed to be movement on both sides" in the long-running dispute, but refused to restart talks while strikes were planned.Steve Barclay said that although he considered demands of a 35% salary increase to be unreasonable, a larger rise would be offered if negotiations were to resume. Continue reading...

Bridget Phillipson unveils 2,400 payment for newly qualified teachers who remain in post for two yearsLabour will unveil its education offer this week with a promise to pay new teachers a 2,400 retention bonus and pledge to cut billions spent on agency workers, but has refused repeatedly to commit to giving teachers a 6.5% pay rise.Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, will set out his mission" on schools aimed at improving school standards and extending childcare to pre-schoolers later in the week. Continue reading...

Bridget Phillipson says party has process to look into headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh's complaint against frontbench colleagueA complaint against the Labour frontbencher Jess Phillips by one of Britain's highest-profile headteachers accusing her of racist and bullying behaviour" could be investigated, the shadow education secretary has suggested.Bridget Phillipson, a senior member of Keir Starmer's team, said any complaint against a Labour MP should be looked into, but that she did not believe Phillips was racist. Continue reading...

Group issues 12-point plan calling for stricter immigration rules for care workers, students and refugeesRishi Sunak is facing demands from red wall" Conservative MPs to slash the number of overseas care workers, foreign students and refugees allowed into the UK in time for the next election.The MPs from the 2017 and 2019 intake, who call themselves the New Conservatives, have issued a 12-point plan to cut net migration to Britain from 606,000 to 240,000 before the end of 2024.A cap of 20,000 on the number of refugees accepted for resettlement in the UK.Caps on future humanitarian schemes such as the Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hong Kong schemes should the predicted 168,000 reductions not be realised.Implementation of the provisions of the illegal migration bill, which it is claimed would lead to a reduction of at least 35,000 from LTIM.A raise in the minimum combined income threshold to 26,200 for sponsoring a spouse and raising the minimum language requirement to B1 (intermediate level). This should lead to an estimated 20,000 reduction in LTIM, the MPs claim.Making the migration advisory committee report on the effect of migration on housing and public services, not just the jobs market, by putting future demand on a par with labour requirements in all studies.A 5% cap on the amount of social housing that councils can give to non-UK nationals.Raising the immigration health surcharge to 2,700 per person a year. Continue reading...

Island council leader cites deep cultural relationship' as authority considers a report that also examines the status of the Channel Islands and the FaroesOrkney could leave the UK to become a self-governing territory of Norway after its council opted to explore alternative forms of governance".The archipelago off the north coast of Scotland will also consider changing its legal status within Britain as it seeks to provide more economic opportunities. Continue reading...

Politicians including David Cameron and Keir Starmer pay tribute to crossbench peerBob Kerslake, a former head of the UK's civil service and permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, has died after being diagnosed with cancer, his family have announced.The crossbench peer died on Saturday aged 68. On Sunday morning, his sister, Ros Kerslake, tweeted: My brother Bob (Lord Robert Kerslake) died yesterday after a short battle with cancer. We are all devastated." Continue reading...

Lawyers for bereaved families allege British soldiers carried out policy of terminating all fighting-age menEighty Afghans may have been victim of summary killings by three separate British SAS units operating in the country between 2010 and 2013, lawyers representing the bereaved families have told a public inquiry.One of the elite soldiers is believed to have personally killed" 35 Afghans on a single six-month tour of duty as part of an alleged policy to terminate all fighting-age males" in homes raided, regardless of the threat they posed". Continue reading...

Eastern Command spokesperson says Ukrainian forces are pressuring' Russian troops in Donetsk Oblast; Russian shelling hits residential area. says Ukraine

Grandmother of Nahel M calls for calm as 45,000 police and gendarmes deployed in fifth night of rioting

With a lower carbon footprint than gas-fired cremation, the process is described as gentler on the body and kinder on the environment'For anyone uneasy at the thought of their body being consumed by flames or interred in an insect-teeming grave, a new funeral choice is about to become available: water cremation.The process of dissolving a body in a bag in 160C water treated with an alkali will become available in the UK from this week - the first new legal method of disposing of cadavers since the Cremation Act of 1902. It has been described as a boil in the bag" funeral. Continue reading...

Rebel group of 50 have voiced objections to the bill designed to stop public bodies boycotting IsraelAs many as 50 Conservative MPs are threatening to rebel against a government measure due to be debated on Monday that would impose fines on public bodies, including local councils, that seek to mount boycotts against Israel.The proposal - piloted by the communities secretary, Michael Gove - is a Conservative manifesto commitment, and has caused divisions in both main parties, highlighting the controversy surrounding the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. Continue reading...

Gemma Germeney, 31, died at scene of flat fire in King's Hedges, while Lilly and Oliver Peden, eight and four, died later in hospitalPolice have named a woman and two young children who were killed in a fire in a flat in Cambridge.Gemma Germeney, 31, died at the scene of the fire in Sackville Close, King's Hedges, on Friday morning, according to Cambridgeshire police, while Lilly Peden, eight, and Oliver Peden, four, were taken to hospital where they later died. Continue reading...

Lords Balfe and Skidelsky were at event in June where ambassador sought to justify Moscow's invasion of UkraineTwo British peers were among 50 people who attended a party organised by the Russian ambassador to the UK at his opulent residence in west London last month, to mark the creation of a Russia independent of the Soviet Union.Andrei Kelin, the Russian ambassador, spoke at the event where he sought to justify his country's bloody invasion of Ukraine, while those attending included the Conservative Lord Balfe and cross-bencher Lord Skidelsky. Continue reading...

Experts warn early learning centres may seek to capitalise on government's scheme, which comes into effect from 1 July

Prices rise amid concerns from competition watchdog over Transurban's proposed acquisition of operator of Melbourne's EastLink

Australian parliamentary inquiry recommends levy but some public health experts warn it could be ineffective unless carefully designed

Soap star who also acted in Coronation Street, Brookside and the musical Chicago, had dementia, her family saidThe soap opera stalwart Meg Johnson has died at the age of 86 after having had dementia for the last few years", it has been confirmed.The death of Johnson, who had played Pearl Ladderbanks in Emmerdale since 2003, was announced in a joint statement from her family, the talent agency Jorg Betts Associates and the ITV show. Continue reading...

Portuguese organisation hopes to set up resource for veterinary practices around BritainPingo does not look like a conventional superhero. There is no spandex costume, a dearth of magical powers and - as far as is known - no secret identity. Yet the black and white cat is part of a bold endeavour to save lives: the first feline blood bank in the UK.Human blood banks have existed in the UK since 1937, while dogs have been taking part in canine blood donation drives for years. Continue reading...

Confusion as spokesperson says reports Misuzulu Zulu in hospital after falling ill were untrueUncertainty reigned on Sunday over the health of South Africa's Zulu king, the head of the country's most influential traditional monarchy, with his spokesperson denying reports he had been hospitalised.Misuzulu Zulu, 48, ascended the throne last year after the death of his father, Goodwill Zwelithini, amid a bitter feud over the royal succession. Continue reading...

Influential Brexiter backed home secretary's leadership bid but is said to object to her singling out British-Pakistani menSuella Braverman's rhetoric about child sexual abuse and grooming gangs has cost her the support of an influential Conservative backer, Steve Baker, in a sign her hardline approach to culture war issues could hamper her chances of becoming Tory leader.Baker, a Tory MP on the Brexiter right of the party, who is now a Northern Ireland minister, was Braverman's de facto campaign manager when she stood to succeed Boris Johnson as Conservative leader and prime minister last summer. Continue reading...

Impassioned singer and guitarist, who has died of natural causes, also fronted the bands Hot Snakes, Pitchfork and ObitsRick Froberg, the strident frontman with US post-hardcore bands Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, Pitchfork and Obits, has died aged 55.His death was announced by longtime collaborator John Reis, who wrote on Instagram:Rick passed away suddenly last night from natural causes. His art made life better. The only thing he loved more than art and rock n roll was his friends. He will forever be remembered for his creativity, vision and his ability to bring beauty into this world. I love you, Rick. I will miss you for the rest of my life. Continue reading...

Religious nationalists emboldened now their representatives are major players in Benjamin Netanyahu's new administrationFive bullet holes now scar the walls and window of Hummus Restaurant, a modest fast food outlet near the settlement of Eli on the Israeli-built highway running the length of the occupied West Bank.On 20 June two gunmen affiliated with Hamas, the militant group in control of the Gaza Strip, shot and killed four people here in one of the worst attacks committed by Palestinians against Israelis in years. The incident was triggered by a huge Israeli army raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, which killed five people. The restaurant attack in turn led to a revenge rampage the next day by Israeli settlers on neighbouring Palestinian villages, in which one person was killed and about 30 homes and 60 cars set alight. Continue reading...

Remains of eight Hurricanes dating back to 1940s conflict found south of KyivAuthorities in Ukraine have discovered the remains of eight British Hurricane fighter planes dating back to the second world war.The aircraft, found near an unexploded bomb dating from the same conflict in a forest south of Kyiv, were sent to the Soviet Union by Britain after Nazi Germany invaded the country in 1941. Continue reading...

Warning from head of NHS in England comes as minister accuses junior doctors of walking away from talksThe head of the NHS in England has said patients will pay the price" because ministers and health unions have failed to stop unprecedented strikes this month, with the health secretary, Steve Barclay, accusing junior doctors of walking away" from talks.Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of the health service in England, said the significant disruption" was only going to get worse in July, with industrial action due to take place in seven in eight days in the middle of the month. Continue reading...

Dispute involves 16 train operators in England from 3-8 July, and cross-border services may also be affectedRail passengers across Britain have been warned to expect disruption this week as train drivers stage fresh industrial action.The drivers' union Aslef has called an overtime ban from Monday 3 July until the end of Saturday 8 July at 16 train operators around England, in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions on the railway. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ukrainians who fought against separatists tell of kidnap and torture by invaders; the fate of hundreds of others is a mysteryViktor Kushyn knew Russian soldiers were after him. He sensed it from the first day of Moscow's full-scale war on Ukraine in February last year, when Russians occupied his village in the Kharkiv region.So when two Russian service personnel stopped him in the street one morning in May 2022, he didn't resist. He spent the next few days locked in a cellar with other men who, like him, had fought against Russian-backed separatists between 2014 and 2022 in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Continue reading...

Musicians say they can't afford to go on the road any more, while smaller events are cut back or cancelledMusicians are dropping out of festivals because huge rises in the cost of performing are outstripping their fees. Artists told the Observer they have had to turn down offers to play or cut out elements of their live shows, while others have revealed they have lost as much as 17,000 for a single performance.Although ticket prices have risen by 15% on average, the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) warned that the costs of staging a show are up by 30%, and that gap is costing both artists and promoters. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Surveys show steady support for industrial action by doctors and nurses in pay disputeMost Britons support healthcare workers in their wave of strikes over pay and conditions this year despite the worsening disruption, polling shows.About two-thirds of the public said they supported striking nurses, ambulance workers and junior doctors, despite growing numbers of appointments and operations having to be cancelled, according to Ipsos polling carried out between January and June. Continue reading...

Decision by UK and other European powers comes amid uncertainty over future of 2015 agreementThe UK and other European powers are expected to announce plans to breach the 2015 Iran nuclear deal for the first time when they confirm they are not going to lift sanctions on Tehran's use of missiles this October as required in the agreement.Donald Trump took the US out of the nuclear deal in 2018, but Germany, France and the UK remained inside the deal, even though Iran responded to the US walkout by breaching the agreed limits on the quality and quantity of enriched uranium. Iran is closer to producing weapons grade uranium than ever before. Continue reading...

Charities say some patients will struggle to access the help they needTwice as many people with mental health conditions are being given virtual therapy on the NHS compared with before the pandemic began.An Observer analysis of data from private providers, cross-checked against NHS figures, reveals around one in three mental health treatments in England are delivered online, up from one in five in 2019, and one in 10 in 2017. Patients with mild to moderate depression or anxiety can be referred to app- or web-based, self-guided cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) courses, instead of traditional face-to-face talking therapies. Continue reading...