Expert warns of significant escalatory potential' after Chinese coastguards used water cannon on Philippine boatA territorial dispute between China and the US-aligned Philippines is at increasingly high risk of escalating into a conflict involving the two superpowers, analysts have said, after Chinese coastguards used a water cannon on a Philippine boat.Global concern about China's naval activities is growing as the country expands and modernises its military, and shows increasing aggression in its claims over the South China Sea and Taiwan. Joint drills with Russia - during which a flotilla sailed near Alaska this weekend - have also heightened concern over military coordination between Beijing and Moscow. Continue reading...
by Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orleans on (#6DN3S)
Gregory Aymond promised to be transparent' - but a Guardian investigation found that he hid allegations, and an expert questions whether it was against Vatican policyA board which helps the Roman Catholic archbishop of New Orleans, Gregory Aymond, evaluate abuse allegations against priests and deacons in six cases found clergymen to be credibly accused only for Aymond to ignore the findings and conceal them from the public, a Guardian investigation has found.Aymond's management of the cases in question as the leader of the US's second-oldest archdiocese is outlined in a memorandum which attorneys for victims of clerical sexual abuse prepared and handed to law enforcement in the latter part of last year. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6DN1S)
Andy Street issues plea after Britain's wonkiest pub' reduced to rubble after being gutted by fireAndy Street has called for the Crooked House pub to be rebuilt brick by brick" after it was demolished following a huge fire over the weekend.The building, known as the Britain's wonkiest pub" and dating back to 1765, was gutted by a fire on Saturday night just two weeks after it was sold to a private buyer. Continue reading...
Former prime minister was sentenced to three years in jail and disqualified from politicsPakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has challenged his conviction on graft charges in a high court, his lawyer said.Naeem Panjutha said the petition to appeal against the conviction at the weekend had been filed in Islamabad on Tuesday. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: No-fault evictions are rocketing, bills are ballooning and social housing lists are overloaded - what the statistics reveal about renting today and why urgent reform is needed Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. On average there are 20 people requesting to view each rental property that comes on the market in Britain, more than triple what it was in 2019. In some parts of the north-west, that number inches closer to 30 per property. Moving house has always been stressful, but it has become an all-consuming battle for many people as rents rise and demand outstrips supply.A chronic housing shortage is the primary reason, however campaigners and tenants have said they cannot wait for the government to build more homes. Rough sleeping increased by 34% in London between 2021 and 2022, while the number of people consistently struggling to pay their rent has increased by 45% since last April to more than 2.5 million, according to the housing charity Shelter.Global health | Air pollution is helping to drive a rise in antibiotic resistance that poses a significant threat to human health worldwide, a study published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal suggests. Antibiotic resistance is one of the fastest-growing threats to global health, killing an estimated 1.3 million people a year.Asylum | People seeking refuge who were ordered to live on a giant barge have been reprieved after legal challenges claimed the vessel was unsafe and unsuitable for traumatised people. As the first tranche of 15 people were moved on to the Bibby Stockholm in Portland, Dorset, lawyers said they were intervening to halt the transfer of dozens more on to the 220-bedroom vessel.Retail | Britain's stores are being forced to slash their prices to drum up business after dismal summer weather and ever-higher interest rates combined to depress consumer spending in July.South Korea | The 1m cost of relocating the 4,500-strong UK contingent at the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea will affect the work of the Scout Association for as much as five years, the organisation's boss has said. Meanwhile South Korea is having to move the thousands remaining out of the way of a typhoon.Lobbying | The tech firm Palantir, which grew out of a US spy organisation, lobbied the UK disabilities minister to adopt new technology to crack down on benefits fraud, emails released to the Guardian have revealed. The correspondence provides the latest insight into how the firm - co-founded by Peter Thiel, the Donald Trump-supporting libertarian billionaire - is seeking to expand its influence and role within British government. Continue reading...
Gamblers Consumer Forum aims to derail planned betting reforms and claims to act on behalf of ordinary puntersThe company behind a lobby group that wants to derail planned overhaul of UK gambling laws and claims to act on behalf of ordinary punters is co-owned by a consultant for the betting industry.Ministers proposed a series of changes in April that they said would make gambling safer by imposing tighter regulations on online betting firms, though they added that further consultation was needed before a bill could be put before parliament. Continue reading...
Marketplace sellers in UK and rest of Europe say having to wait over a week means they will struggle to pay staff and loansAmazon has told thousands of marketplace sellers in the UK and continental Europe it will hold on to sale proceeds for more than a week in a move that small businesses say could force them to go bust.The company has written to sellers to inform them it will no longer credit their accounts as soon as a sale is made online but will do so a week after an item has been delivered. Continue reading...
US data firm wanted to brief Tom Pursglove on how its technology could help recover large amounts'The US tech firm Palantir lobbied the UK disabilities minister to adopt new technology to crack down on benefits fraud, emails released to the Guardian have revealed.The company wrote to Tom Pursglove to brief him on technology it had recently deployed elsewhere, promising that it had the potential for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to rapidly recover large amounts of fraud". Continue reading...
Tax office tells Senate committee it did not have the investigative powers to secure enough evidence from consultancy firm, hampering efforts to persuade federal police to investigate
Tornado watches and warnings posted across 10 states from Tennessee to New YorkA wave of destructively strong storms moving through the US north-east have left two people dead, caused thousands of flight cancellations and left more than 1.1m homes and businesses without power.The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for the greater DC area, lasting until 9pm, as well as a flood warning extending through Tuesday morning. A special statement warned: There is a significant threat for damaging and locally destructive hurricane-force winds, along with the potential for large hail and tornadoes, even strong tornadoes." Continue reading...
Motion led by ex-PM to unseat Kalsakau lists complaints including foreign relationships after security pact signed with AustraliaVanuatu's opposition has moved to oust prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau, citing foreign engagement" and the signing of a bilateral security agreement with Australia among its list of grievances.A group led by former prime minister and opposition leader Bob Loughman, who himself drew criticism for signing agreements with China while in office, urged for the immediate election of a new prime minister in a motion of no confidence submitted to parliament last week. Continue reading...
Victoria Nuland said commanders rejected calls to restore democracy and blocked her from meeting Mohamed Bazoum, who is under house arrestJunta leaders in Niger have refused to let a senior US official meet the West African country's ousted president and rejected her calls to restore democracy after last month's coup.Victoria Nuland, the US acting deputy secretary of state, described frank and difficult" talks during a two-hour meeting in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, on Monday, as the rebellious commanders again refused to give in to international pressure to stand down. Continue reading...
by Aubrey Allegretti Senior political correspondent on (#6DMSM)
Move designed to demonstrate PM's commitment to stop the boats' policy criticised by legal expertsLawyers who coach" people to lie in their asylum applications will be targeted as part of a new government-led panel tasked with pursuing more prosecutions.The move is designed to demonstrate Rishi Sunak's commitment to stop the boats", but it was criticised by legal experts who said the record asylum backlog was the fault of the Home Office. Continue reading...
British Retail Consortium and KPMG report shows steep annual drop in volume of sales and a rise in promotional offersBritain's hard-pressed retailers are being forced to slash their prices to drum up business after dismal summer weather and ever-higher interest rates combined to depress consumer spending in July.The monthly health check of high street and online spending patterns from the British Retail Consortium and the consultancy KPMG reported a steep annual drop in the volume of sales and an increasing number of retailers offering promotional offers to woo consumers reluctant to part with their cash. Continue reading...
Victoria Nuland said commanders rejected calls to restore democracy and blocked her from meeting Mohamed Bazoum, who is under house arrestJunta leaders in Niger have refused to let a senior US official meet the West African country's ousted president and rejected her calls to restore democracy after last month's coup.Victoria Nuland, the US acting deputy secretary of state, described frank and difficult" talks during a two-hour meeting in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, on Monday, as the rebellious commanders again refused to give in to international pressure to stand down. Continue reading...
Police are reviewing all the evidence after the destruction of The Crooked House near Dudley, West Midlands shortly after saleAn 18th-century pub thought to be the wonkiest in Britain has been reduced to rubble after being gutted by a fire at the weekend.Images posted on social media seem to show that the structure of The Crooked House near Dudley had collapsed on Monday. The building on Himley Road in the West Midlands city was extensively damaged after the fire on Saturday evening. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6DMPS)
Government accused of vandalism against communities' after cuts revealed in traffic reportAt least 1,500 bus routes were cut in the last two years in England, figures published by the Department for Transport have revealed.The latest report from the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain showed that the number of local registrations fell from just over 12,000 in 2021 to fewer than 9,000 in 2023, although the DfT said many of the routes had been reclassified rather than lost altogether. Continue reading...
Leaders of the two Nato countries say they expect provocations from their neighbouring Russian ally and Wagner fightersBelarus has begun military exercises near its border with Poland and Lithuania, as tensions heighten with the two Nato members over Russia-linked Wagner mercenaries who moved to Belarus after their short-lived mutiny in Russia.Both Poland and Lithuania have increased border security since thousands of Wagner fighters arrived in Russia-allied Belarus under a deal that ended their armed rebellion in late June and allowed them and their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to avoid criminal charges. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6DMMX)
Police have arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after collision on SaturdayA 12-year-old boy who was hit by a car on the M62 on Saturday evening has been named by police.It is believed Callum Rycroft from Harehills, Leeds, was struck by the car as he attempted to cross the motorway from the hard shoulder. Continue reading...
by Diane Taylor, Sammy Gecsoyler and Rajeev Syal on (#6DMKR)
As first 15 people move on to Bibby Stockholm, lawyers say they are intervening to halt transfer of dozens morePeople seeking refuge who were ordered to live on a controversial giant barge have been reprieved after legal challenges claimed the vessel was unsafe and unsuitable for traumatised people.As the first tranche of 15 people were moved on to the Bibby Stockholm in Portland, Dorset, lawyers say they are intervening to halt the transfer of dozens more on to the 220-bedroom vessel. Continue reading...
Lance O'Connor was accused of intimidating organisers and attenders at story-telling event for childrenA man has been found guilty of a public order offence after protesting against a drag queen story-telling event for children at Tate Britain.Lance O'Connor, of Plaistow in east London, was accused of being aggressive and intimidating" towards organisers and attenders and making comments that were motivated by hostility relating to sexual orientation and transgender identity". Continue reading...
Privileges committee chair says Tory colleagues stood up to real harassment' during inquiry into ex-PM's statementsHarriet Harman has said the four Conservative MPs who ruled Boris Johnson misled the Commons carried out heroic service" by withstanding intolerable pressure from other Tory backbenchers.The Labour MP said her Tory colleagues on the Commons privileges committee suffered real harassment" from Johnson's supporters, who wanted to interfere with the inquiry into the former prime minister's Partygate statements at Westminster. Continue reading...
BMA highlights government's complete disregard' for the health service and its patientsConsultants in England will strike for two additional days in September if the government continues to refuse pay talks and fails to present the profession with a credible offer, the British Medical Association has said.The BMA said on Monday it had written to the health secretary, Steve Barclay, to inform him that on top of strikes by consultants on 24 and 25 August, there would be additional strikes on 19 and 20 September unless the government agreed to further negotiations. Continue reading...
Clashes were latest in string of global skirmishes that have drawn scrutiny to human rights abuses in EritreaA weekend of Eritrean cultural festivities in Toronto was canceled by city officials following outbreaks of violence and demonstrations by oponents of the Eritrean government.Clashes between attendees and protestors left nine people in hospital and were the latest in a string of global skirmishes that have drawn fresh attention to human rights abuses in Eritrea and tensions between diaspora populations. Continue reading...
Lytton First Nation in British Columbia ordered to evacuate on Friday as out-of-control wildfire just 328 yards from reserve landMembers of a First Nation in British Columbia have once again been advised to flee their homes to escape record-setting wildfires, just two years after the community in western Canada was devastated in an earlier blaze.Residents of the Lytton First Nation were ordered to evacuate late on Friday. By Sunday, the out-of-control Stein Mountain fire was just 300 meters (328 yards) from reserve land, burning its way down a steep slope that has stymied firefighting efforts, the community's chief, Niakia Hanna, told Reuters. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England Correspondent on (#6DMCV)
Judgment rules jury's verdict may have been different' in case of Andrew Malkinson if defence had been given full factsThe conviction of a man who spent 17 years behind bars for a rape he did not commit was unsafe because police withheld crucial information from his defence lawyers, the court of appeal has found.Andrew Malkinson was wrongly convicted of raping, beating and strangling a woman in 2003 after he was picked out of a police lineup, despite not matching the victim's description of the attacker. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6DMCW)
Staffordshire force investigating how blaze took hold of West Midlands site days after it was soldPolice have said they are reviewing all of the available evidence" on the cause of a fire that destroyed the famous Crooked House pub in the West Midlands just two weeks after it was sold to a private buyer.The pub in Himley, near Dudley, was completely gutted on Saturday night by a blaze that took 30 firefighters to extinguish, days after being sold by the brewer Marston's. Continue reading...
After massive hacks at Optus and Medibank,survey from information commissioner finds three-quarters of people feel data breaches are among biggest risk to privacy
Giacomo Chiapparini, 74, from Romano di Lombardia, was buried when a shelf broke in his warehouseAn Italian man has been crushed to death under thousands of vast wheels of a parmesan-style hard cheese, which weigh about 40kg each, firefighters said on Monday.Giacomo Chiapparini, 74, was buried under the cheeses when a shelf broke in his warehouse in the northern Lombardy region on Sunday, creating a domino effect which brought down thousands of wheels, firefighter Antonio Dusi from Bergamo told AFP. Continue reading...
Promoters of the event claim that Matty Healy's onstage kiss with bandmate tarnished' the festival's reputation and are calling on the musicians to acknowledge liability and provide compensationThe organisers of the Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur are taking legal action against the 1975 after frontman Matty Healy criticised Malaysia's punitive anti-LGBTQ+ legislation during their headline set.On 21 July, Healy told the crowd: I don't see the fucking point of inviting the 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with. Unfortunately, you don't get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I'm fucking furious. Continue reading...
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