Southern California gets first tropical storm warning as conditions could potentially affect Baja California peninsula late FridayHurricane Hilary, which quickly grew to category 4 strength off Mexico's Pacific coast, whipping up 145mph winds, could become the first tropical storm to hit southern California in 84 years.As the hurricane barrels northward, officials have issued the first ever tropical storm watch for the US west coast. Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings have also been issued for parts of Baja California and mainland Mexico, where fierce winds and rain could cause flooding and landslides. Continue reading...
Peter Wilby, former editor of the Independent on Sunday, had more than 100 indecent images of children on his computerA former editor of the Independent on Sunday and the New Statesman has been given a suspended sentence after admitting viewing child sexual abuse online, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Friday.Peter Wilby, 78, had more than 100 indecent images of children on his computer, dating between 2013 and 2022, according to the NCA. Continue reading...
List of 54 Britons includes Guardian reporters and executives, a defence minister and the culture secretaryRussia has banned dozens of British journalists, media representatives and senior UK politicians from entering the country, including five Guardian journalists and executives, the foreign ministry said on Friday.In a statement published on the foreign ministry's website, Moscow said the sweeping action was a response to UK sanctions and the spreading of false information about Russia", as well as London's unrelenting military support for the Kyiv neo-Nazi regime". Continue reading...
Exclusive: Man imprisoned for rape he did not commit says Criminal Cases Review Commission has yet to contact himAndrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, has accused the body that investigates miscarriages of justice of having an attitude problem" and said it had still not contacted him since he was cleared by the court of appeal last month.Malkinson and his legal team first heard that the Criminal Cases Review Commission was launching a review into its handling of his case after the Guardian contacted them about it on Thursday. Continue reading...
Jonathan Nuttall convicted of conspiring to plant two devices targeting lawyers for the National Crime AgencyA businessman with a deep-seated grudge" against two lawyers at the National Crime Agency has been found guilty of planting two devices resembling bombs at the heart of London's legal district to intimidate them.Jonathan Nuttall, 50, was convicted at the Old Bailey of planning to plant the explosives over a 1.4m legal dispute with the NCA, which put him at risk of losing his stately home, Embley Manor in Hampshire. Continue reading...
Surrey police seeking Urfan Sharif, his partner and brother, all of whom are thought to be in PakistanThe father of a 10-year-old girl who was found dead in a village in Surrey is being sought by investigating police and is believed to be in Pakistan.The body of Sara Sharif was found at her home in Horsell near Woking after officers were phoned from Pakistan by her father, Urfan Sharif, at about 2.50am on 10 August, Surrey police said. Continue reading...
Thelma & Louise star, 76, had planned entirely off-the-grid' home for her retirement but alleges faulty work by construction firmThe Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon has taken a construction firm to court over what she calls extensive problems" at what she envisioned as a $2m eco-friendly dream home she had built in Vermont for her retirement.Buckled siding, missing insulation, mold and an unfinished primary bedroom ceiling are among 47 issues found by engineers, contractors and Sarandon's staff, according to a lawsuit filed against DeGrenier Contracting and Property Management in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts. Continue reading...
Actor died last weekend with her husband Hugh and carers at her side, her agents have announcedJane Whittenshaw, the actor best known for appearing in EastEnders and Call the Midwife, has died.A statement from her agent said she died last weekend, with her husband, Hugh, best friend and carers at her side. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Continue reading...
by Kevin Rawlinson (now) and Mabel Banfield-Nwachi (e on (#6DYXZ)
This live blog is now closed, you can read our full story on Lucy Letby, the worst child serial killer of modern British history, hereA law firm representing two of the families of Letby's victims said the verdicts would not be the end of our search for answers and our fight for justice for our clients".Yvonne Agnew, the head of clinical negligence Cardiff at Slater and Gordon, said the parents were determined that lessons are learnt" by the Countess of Chester hospital, the NHS and the wider medical profession so that no babies or parents are put in harm's way like this again".For more than eight months, we've had to hear some of the most harrowing details about what happened to our client's children, something no parent should ever have to experience.Becoming a parent is a particularly vulnerable time in anyone's life. If your child needs special care, in that moment of helplessness, you put your utmost trust in medical professionals to do their best for you in what many people will tell you is the safest possible place - a hospital.The families that have endured this unimaginable suffering deserve to know exactly what happened, and those who use our NHS services need the reassurance that it can never happen again. That's why, today, I have written to the secretary of state for health and social care, asking for a full, independent and public inquiry into this case.Too many people now live with the consequences of the catastrophic harm caused by Letby. Continue reading...
by Sammy Gecsoyler (now); Vivian Ho and Helen Sulliva on (#6DYMA)
Russia's military casualties are approaching 300,000, a US official saidOne civilian was injured and private houses, farm buildings and gas pipelines were damaged in the Russian shelling of the Kherson oblast in the early hours of Friday, Ukraine's prosecutor general's office said.The villages of Bilozerka and Dniprovske were the main targets of Russian troops. Continue reading...
Union leader says leaked text of party's plans shows clear rowing back' as Angela Rayner denies any watering down of policySharon Graham, the general secretary of the Unite union, has accused Labour of partly rowing back on its plans to bolster workers' rights in order to curry favour with big business", while the party said there had been no watering down of its policies.Leaked documents, first obtained by the Financial Times, show the party changed the wording of its plans to strengthen workers' rights at its national policy forum in July in an apparent attempt to head off Tory criticisms of its approach to business. Continue reading...
Sacking of star presenter over pay scandal stirs debate about his treatment by Irish broadcasterIreland's national broadcaster faces an uncertain future after axing its star presenter, Ryan Tubridy, in a scandal over under-declared payments.RTE surprised the public and divided opinion by announcing Tubridy would not return to the airwaves, capping two months of turmoil over accounting and governance practices that has cast doubt on the organisation's future funding. Continue reading...
Deputy leader says party would legislate to improve workers' rights within 100 days as policy forum tweaks plans for day one' rights such as sick payThe government has been trying to make this NHS week" in their comms strategy, hoping that announcements on changes to cancer targets and funding for an extra 900 beds might catch voters' eyes. One of today's announcements is that all GP surgeries in England will move to a digital phone system by spring.The government says it could potentially bring an end to the 8am scramble" when patients usually rush to secure an appointment. Continue reading...
Concerns are growing over the effects of a warming climate on production and the danger of high grocery prices getting embedded into Australia's economy
Events such as Barbenheimer partly blamed as epidemiologists warn country could have a summer waveGerman epidemiologists are warning of a summer wave of coronavirus infections, blaming in part mass gatherings such as the Barbenheimer double feature craze.The government's disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), says that while infections remain low compared with at the height of the pandemic, they have been on the rise for the past month. Continue reading...
British Association for Shooting and Conservation and Countryside Alliance advising supporters how to answer consultation launched after Plymouth mass killingsThe powerful UK gun lobby has been accused of mobilising tens of thousands of shooting enthusiasts to skew" a government consultation on tightening firearms laws launched after the Plymouth mass killings in 2021.Gun control campaigners, victims of crime involving weapons and families of people killed in shootings have expressed concern that the government will use the results of the consultation as an excuse to not make extensive changes to firearms laws despite widespread calls for fundamental reform after the Plymouth tragedy. Continue reading...
Health officials reiterate support for private provision as lower age limit for NHS booster vaccines raised to 65Covid booster vaccines may become available for the UK public to buy for the first time after health officials reiterated their backing for the proposal.Pharmacists and private clinics will be allowed to offer jabs for sale on the high street, as they do with the flu vaccine. They are unlikely to be available in time for an autumn booster campaign but could become available next year. Continue reading...
BBC presenter apologises while denying Irish Times report that team planted producers in TV audienceThe BBC presenter Stephen Nolan has apologised in the wake of allegations that he sent unsolicited sexually explicit photographs to colleagues.Nolan used his Radio Ulster show on Friday to respond to reports that he had shared explicit images of the Celebrity Big Brother winner Stephen Bear. Continue reading...
Administrators try to secure rescue deal for retailer, with talks expected to go on well into next weekWilko has launched an everything must go" sale with significant discounts on Christmas decorations and Halloween gear months before the seasonal events as administrators try to secure a rescue deal for the collapsed retailer.No bidder is expected to take on the entire 400 store chain, which fell into administration last week after running short of cash, but several buyers are looking at parcels of stores, and it is hoped that at least part of the chain can be rescued. Continue reading...
by Dan Collyns and Carla Valdiviezo in Quito on (#6DYVJ)
Winner of Sunday's vote will face huge public demand to tackle violence after killing of candidate Fernando VillavicencioThe brazen assassination of a presidential candidate will hang heavy over Ecuadorian voters as they choose a new president this weekend, following the latest eruption of drug cartel violence in the once-peaceful nation.The winner of Sunday's vote will face an overwhelming public demand for security - but may not have the budget or the political capital to overhaul failed crime-fighting policies and fund new ones. Continue reading...
Jordanian security services are abducting, harassing and outing' LGBTQ+ people, activists say, despite repeal of anti-gay lawsJordanian secret police have been accused of intimidating gay people by outing" them to their families and of forcing the closure of two LGBTQ+ organisations.Human rights groups say activists have been abducted, harassed and monitored, as well as having their sexuality revealed to religiously conservative families. Continue reading...
It comes a week after RMT said 20,000 members would take action on two consecutive SaturdaysTrain drivers are to stage a fresh strike in their long-running dispute over pay, threatening more travel chaos for passengers.Members of Aslef will walk out on 1 September and will be subject to an overtime ban on 2 September, the same day as a strike by rail staff. Continue reading...
Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria police turned down request for escort for Fifa president, which is normally reserved for foreign heads of stateFifa asked Australian police in multiple jurisdictions to provide escorts for president Gianni Infantino during his travel for the Women's World Cup, but was turned down.Infantino asked Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales police to provide him with escorts, the Guardian has confirmed. Continue reading...
Canada's ongoing fight with social media company Meta and the resulting ban has led to difficulties with staying on top of informationCommunication issues, fast-spreading rumours and a Facebook news ban have all disrupted evacuation efforts by residents of Yellowknife, in Canada's Northwest Territories, as they race to leave the city before an out-of-control wildfire hits in the coming day or so.On Wednesday night, officials told the city's 20,000 residents they had to be out by Friday at noon (1900 BST) before a massive wildfire gets any closer. Continue reading...
Singer Eva Amaral this week created headlines by baring her chest at a festival, joining a string of other artists asserting this freedom in the name of defending women's rightsIn the middle of her performance at the Sonorama festival in the northern Spanish town of Aranda de Duero on Saturday, Eva Amaral was about to lead her band Amaral into her song Revolucion when she took off her red sequin top and threw it on the floor.This is for Rocio, for Rigoberta, for Zahara, for Miren, for Bebe, for all of us," she said, listing the names of fellow artists before uncovering her breasts. Because no one can take away the dignity of our nakedness. The dignity of our fragility, of our strength. Because there are too many of us." In a concert marking the Spanish band's 25-year career, going topless was a way of defending women's dignity and freedom to go nude, and a very important moment", Amaral later told El Pais. Continue reading...
Defence committee report says British military needs urgently to adapt over coming decades to be effectiveThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) must urgently tackle the impact of the climate crisis on its operations to make sure the capability of the UK armed forces is not eroded by rising temperatures and harsh climatic conditions, MPs have said.The impact of global heating on the armed forces covers every aspect of their operations. These include high temperatures making training locations such as Cyprus unusable at certain times of the year, increasingly harsh conditions for armed service personnel operating abroad, the threat that armoured vehicles will break down in rising temperatures and the risk to the UK from a collapse in security across the world. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6DYMC)
Travellers' rest' stones were idea of Warrington doctor and part of wider scheme to help migrant workersThey are found on busy road junctions, a traffic island and a petrol station forecourt and have been passed by countless numbers of walkers, runners, cyclists and drivers without a second glance.But hiding in plain sight" are fascinating travellers' rest" stones between Liverpool and Manchester that tell a largely forgotten story of 19th-century ingenuity, compassion for migrant workers and a Victorian version of crowdfunding. Continue reading...
The company's chapter 15 protection will protect its US assets while it attempts a restructuring dealChina's Evergrande Group, the world's most heavily indebted property developer and the poster child for the country's property crisis, has filed for bankruptcy protection in a US court.The company sought protection under chapter 15 of the US bankruptcy code, which protects its US assets while it attempts a restructuring deal. The code also provides mechanisms for dealing with insolvency cases involving more than one country. Continue reading...
Harmful language and stereotypes about women can lead to distortion of law, says chief justice of IndiaIndia's supreme court has issued a handbook for judges urging them to shun words like seductress, vamp, spinster and harlot when talking about women.Archaic terms that disparage women and perpetuate gender stereotypes can still be routinely heard in Indian courts long after falling into disuse in other countries. It is not unusual for a wife to be described as chaste or ladylike, and sexual harassment is routinely trivialised as Eve-teasing". Continue reading...
Secretary of state Antony Blinken confers full support' for transfer of F-16s and training of pilotsThe United States has approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands as soon as pilot training is completed, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, says in a letter seen by the Reuters news agency.Washington will expedite the approval of transfer requests for F-16s, the letter - sent to Blinken's counterparts in Denmark and the Netherlands - was reported to say. The US must approve the transfer of the military jets from its allies to Ukraine. Continue reading...
by Agence France-Presse in Los Angeles on (#6DYH3)
Oscar winner urges signing of petition after Iran court finds Saeed Roustaee guilty of contributing to propaganda' for showing banned movieMartin Scorsese has backed a petition against the jailing of the prominent Iranian movie director Saeed Roustaee for screening a film at the Cannes film festival.Scorsese, the Oscar-winning director of Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, reposted a campaign launched by his daughter Francesca this week after news of Roustaee's prison sentence emerged. Continue reading...
Asghari says he and Spears will hold onto the love and respect' they have for each, after filing for divorce after 14 months of marriageSam Asghari has denied he will challenge the prenuptial agreement he has with Britney Spears after filing for divorce after 14 months of marriage.In a statement posted online on Thursday, the model and fitness trainer acknowledged that asking for privacy seems ridiculous" but asked that the media be kind and thoughtful". Continue reading...
Nato chief says only Ukraine can decide conditions for peace; US approves sending F-16 fighter jets to KyivThe head of Nato has said only Kyiv can decide conditions for peace talks with Russia following a territory row. Jens Stoltenberg's comments came after his chief of staff suggested Ukraine could give up land as a condition of Nato membership. Stoltenberg said: It is the Ukrainians, and only the Ukrainians, who can decide when there are conditions in place for negotiations, and who can decide at the negotiating table what is an acceptable solution."The United States has approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands as soon as pilot training is completed, a US official has said. Kyiv has actively sought the US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russian air superiority. Washington gave Denmark and the Netherlands official assurances that the US would expedite approval of transfer requests for F-16s to go to Ukraine when the pilots were trained, the official said on Thursday. Denmark's acting defence minister, Troels Poulsen, said in July that the country hoped to see results" from the training in early 2024.On Wednesday, Ukraine had said it would not be able to operate F-16 jets this coming autumn and winter. It's already obvious," air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said on Ukrainian television.The US has imposed sanctions on four Russians it accused of being involved in the 2020 poisoning of now jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The US Treasury Department said the four were linked to Russia's federal security service (FSB) and included two it said were among the main reported perpetrators of Navalny's poisoning.Russia is making steady progress towards its goal of mass producing Shahed-136 drones that can travel more than 1,000 miles (1,600km) and target Ukrainian cities, the Washington Post has reported, citing documents about the plan. Moscow is working on its own version of the Shahed-136 despite delays and sanctions that impact components needed from other countries, according to the documents.Russian president Vladimir Putin is not trying to push Belarus into joining the war in Ukraine, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko has said. If you Ukrainians do not cross our border, we will never participate in this war, in this hot war. But we will always help Russia - they are our allies," he said in an online interview.The US condemned Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine's grain infrastructure and called on Moscow to immediately return to the collapsed grain deal, the state department has said. Vladimir Putin did not care about global food security, state department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said after Ukraine earlier on Wednesday said Russia had attacked its grain storage facilities overnight.A civilian cargo vessel left Ukraine's southern port of Odesa, Kyiv has said, despite warnings from Russia that its navy could target ships using Black Sea export hubs. The vessel reached Istanbul on Thursday. Ukraine's announcement raises the spectre of a standoff with Russian warships after Moscow last month pulled out of the deal that guaranteed safe passage for grain shipments from three Ukrainian ports.Russia's defence ministry said its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian territory on Thursday morning. Interfax said a drone had been downed over Russia's southern Belgorod region, citing the defence ministry. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian