World news | The Guardian

RSPB, National Trust and others call on supporters to write to MPs as they argue ‘nature is not a negotiable luxury’Environmental charities are mobilising their millions of members to take on the UK government over what they say is an attack on nature in the push for growth.Groups including the RSPB, the National Trust, the Wildlife Trusts, and Wildlife and Countryside link – a coalition of 65 organisations with a combined membership of more than 7 million – are encouraging supporters to put pressure on Conservative MPs over proposals that they say strike at the heart of environmental and wildlife protections.The removal from the statute books of 570 laws derived from EU directives that make up the bedrock of environmental regulations in the UK, covering sewage pollution, water quality and clean air. These include the habitat regulations, which have protected areas for wildlife for more than 30 years.The ending of the moratorium on fracking.The creation of low-tax investment zones from Cornwall to Cumbria where environmental protections would be relaxed to encourage development.The feared scrapping of the post-Brexit environmental land management scheme (Elms), which pays farmers to enhance nature. Continue reading...

Hundreds of conscripted civilians to operate checkpoints, source says, showing challenge faced by tiny stateQatar has called up hundreds of civilians, including diplomats summoned back from overseas, for mandatory military service operating security checkpoints at World Cup stadiums, according to a source and documents seen by Reuters.The deployment of conscripts, some of whom would normally defer national service because their work is considered vital, highlights the logistical challenge faced by the tiny Gulf Arab state hosting one of the world’s biggest sports tournaments. Continue reading...

Head of country’s Oscar nomination commission quits after decision not to submit film for prestigious awards

Police inspector tells inquiry that 21,000 samples were deemed ‘insufficient DNA for testing’

Peter Koenig tells trial Sharon Graham asked why Bruce Saunders had not yet been killed one week before alleged murder

The Masons Arms in Camelford is turning out the lights on Mondays after a sharp rise in its electricity billThe flickering light glints off the pint pots and the wine glasses as smiling faces appear out of the half-light. The chatter is jolly but a little quieter than might be expected of a busy pub, a pleasant hum rather than something more raucous.Not a scene from a Thomas Hardy story or, given that this is north Cornwall, a Poldark romance, but autumn 2022 in the Masons Arms, Camelford, where soaring electricity bills have prompted the landlady and the landlord, Katy Chawner-Woods and Alan Woods, to turn the lights off and illuminate the place with hundreds of candles. Continue reading...

Daisy unhurt as animal services team responds to Orange county witness’s phone callA young dog miraculously survived uninjured after being thrown off a 15ft bridge from a moving car while in a plastic bin.Police from Orange county, Florida, say they received a call from an eyewitness who was walking their dog and saw someone toss the plastic container over the bridge. Continue reading...

Greens motion to censure One Nation senator for ‘racist statement’ was amended to call for respectful debate

Building society chief responds as stock market falls and pound slides after Kwarteng’s mini-budgetMortgage rates in the UK will rise further in coming days, and the next 10 days in financial markets will be crucial in determining how high they will go, according to the head of Principality building society.Experts are predicting that a typical two-year fix, which has cost borrowers £850 a month, could go up to almost £1,500 a month, after Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget on Friday shocked markets and sent the pound plunging, as well as triggering a government bond sell-off. Sterling hit a record low of about $1.035 on Monday morning and has recovered slightly to $1.08, but is still down 7% this month. Continue reading...

Sources say Labor is considering options including a parliamentary review or inquiry into massive cyber-attack

Remark prompts new concerns about complaints procedure following scathing review of Macquarie Street culture

Arrangement to pay Mark Fullbrook through his lobbying company could have helped him avoid paying tax

Public anger at cost of ceremony for former PM and revelations over his party’s ties to religious groupA state funeral for Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has been held in Tokyo amid public anger over the cost of the ceremony and revelations over his party’s ties to a controversial religious group.More than 4,000 guests, including the US vice-president, Kamala Harris, and the British foreign secretary, James Cleverly, stood in silence as a member of Japan’s self-defence forces [SDF] entered the Nippon Budokan hall, where a 19-gun salute sounded in honour of the assassinated former leader. Continue reading...

At first, the killing of Mahsa Amini by the morality police triggered protests only among a minority – but anger with the regime soon spreadWhen a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in regime custody 10 days ago, Kurdish corners of Iran were the first to erupt; their anger at leaders they say have long oppressed them had an incendiary effect in their towns and cities.The death of the 22-year-old, who refused to wear a hijab on a visit to Tehran, quickly became a potent symbol of defiance for a minority group that had long harboured nationalistic ambitions, which rarely stayed hidden, and often eschewed the values of the country’s hardline leaders. Continue reading...

Russian soldiers turning back men aged 18 to 35 at only crossing point, say witnesses and NGOs on the ground

Shadow health secretary condemns Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘reckless gamble’ and says Labour ‘cavalry is coming’

Fleet review ordered after two Emerald-class vessels developed steering issues in as many days

Mali Cooper discharged into psychologist’s care after locking themself to steering wheel of a car to block traffic

East Asia and Pacific annual growth forecasts downgraded from 5% to 3.2% as China’s economy cools, largely due to zero-Covid policyCovid-zero policies and the housing market crisis have put China’s economic growth behind the rest of the Asia-Pacific region for the first time in more than 30 years, according to World Bank forecasts.In a biannual report released on Tuesday, the US-based institution said the annual growth outlook for East Asia and the Pacific region had been downgraded from 5% to 3.2%. However much of that decline was down to economic woes in China, which constitute’s 86% of the region’s economic output. Continue reading...

Australian Securities and Investments Commission issues guide for paying compensation and tells companies to pay up quickly

Jody Nobbs questioned about text messages between Constable Zachary Rolfe and other police officers that used racist language

Trek organiser says the US climber had an accident on Monday as bad weather hampered rescue effortsRenowned US ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson has gone missing on Nepal’s Manaslu mountain, on the same day that an avalanche killed a Nepali climber on the same peak, expedition organisers and officials said.Nelson was skiing down Manaslu after having successfully summited the world’s eighth-highest mountain with her partner, Jim Morrison, on Monday. Continue reading...

UK firms now temptingly cheaper, with a ‘wave of bids’ from overseas buyers meaning payouts for bankersBankers could rake in bumper bonuses from a “wave of bids” by overseas buyers for UK businesses made temptingly cheaper as a result of the plunge in the pound against the dollar. A fresh frenzy of merger and acquisition activity would mean a ramp-up in payouts for City dealmakers.Sterling fell by nearly 5% at one point on Monday to $1.0327, its lowest since Britain went decimal in 1971. The currency has fallen by more than a fifth against the dollar this year. Continue reading...

EU financial watchdog blames small fines and feeble controls in some states for amount of illegal seafood

Front pages channel fears about Truss government’s economic strategy after pound sinks to all-time low against the dollarTurmoil in financial markets which saw the pound fall to a record low against the dollar dominates today’s front pages.The currency tumbled as investors lost confidence in the UK’s public finances after last Friday’s mini-budget. Continue reading...

Analysis also challenges argument that the scheme attracts wealthy people who would otherwise leave the countrySuper-rich overseas people in the UK registered as having non-domicile status are being legally allowed to avoid paying more than £3.2bn of tax on at least £10.9bn of offshore income a year, according to a report.An analysis by academic economists found that 26,000 people granted non-dom tax status by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collect an average of £420,000 a year in unreported overseas income and capital gains. Continue reading...

Royal Mail also announces four stamps featuring portraits of the late Queen to be released in her memoryThe King’s new monogram has been revealed ahead of the official period of royal mourning for the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, coming to an end.Charles’s cypher will appear on government buildings, state documents and on some postboxes in the coming months and years. Continue reading...

Pledge comes after repeated complaints by British prisoners abroad of Foreign Office indifferenceBritish citizens abroad will have a statutory right to receive Foreign Office consular assistance under a Labour government in plans proposed by the shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy.The proposals come in the wake of repeated complaints by British prisoners abroad of Foreign Office indifference, or determination to put British diplomatic interests ahead of individual citizens. Continue reading...

Former England player was ‘sparked’ into action by then Tory minister’s comments on footballers’ payGary Neville has pointed to former health secretary Matt Hancock telling footballers to take a pay cut and “play their part” during the Covid pandemic as the moment he was inspired to get involved in Labour politics.The former England footballer said the Tory politician’s remarks “sparked me into speaking politically” as he appeared at Labour conference in Liverpool to call for a change in government. Continue reading...

Campaigners celebrate as conference overwhelmingly backs motion but Keir Starmer expected to ignore moveThe Labour conference has overwhelmingly backed a motion calling on the party to embrace a proportional electoral system, sparking celebrations from campaigners even though Keir Starmer seems certain to ignore the move.The motion, which says a Labour government should ditch the current first-past-the-post system in favour of a form of proportional representation (PR), passed easily via a show of hands in the conference hall in Liverpool, prompting loud cheers. Continue reading...

Figures from NHS England also show 29 people were killed by prescription errors in 2021A pregnant woman who died after being given the wrong dosage of drugs was one of almost 6,000 people harmed and 29 killed following prescription errors in the NHS in England last year.Figures from NHS England show that 98 hospital trusts experienced an increase in the number of prescription errors reported in 2021, including cases where patients were given the wrong drug, wrong dosage or were not given medicine when needed. Meanwhile, the number of errors fell at 105 trusts. Continue reading...

More than 100 Coalition development projects could be cut as government pledges to go through budget ‘line by line’ to find savings

Use of Ayurvedic medicine Kamini Vidrawan Ras resulted in 24 reported presentations to addiction clinics in Queensland and Victoria

Clare O’Neil says penalties for telcos are ‘totally inappropriate’ and data breach was ‘significant error’

Inquest hears that some of content viewed by 14-year-old on Instagram in months before her death violated guidelines in place at the timeA senior executive at Instagram’s owner has apologised after admitting that the platform had shown Molly Russell content that violated its policies before she died.Elizabeth Lagone, head of health and wellbeing policy at Meta, acknowledged that some of the posts and videos had broken Instagram guidelines at the time, which prohibited the glorification, encouragement and promotion of suicide and self-harm. Continue reading...

Labour’s Tulip Siddiq calls on City watchdog to determine whether hedge fund billionaires knowingly profited from Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budgetThe City watchdog is being urged to investigate whether leaks of Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget allowed billionaire hedge fund investors to make “small fortunes” by betting against the pound.Tulip Siddiq, the shadow economic secretary to the Treasury, said the Financial Conduct Authority needed to determine whether it was possible for traders to have used insider information to benefit from the crashing currency. Continue reading...

DPP is challenging decisions by judges not to keep defendants behind bars in cases affected by strikeJudges acted wrongly when expressing views on the criminal barristers’ strike as they refused to keep defendants behind bars in cases delayed by the ongoing pay dispute, the high court has heard.The director of public prosecutions (DPP) is challenging the legitimacy of decisions taken by judges at Bristol and Manchester crown courts not to extend the period that three men in two cases could be held on remand beyond the six-month limit. Continue reading...

Against a backdrop of the falling pound, the opposition sets out an alternative vision“It will fall to us to fix the damage the Tories have done. We have done it before, we will do it again.” Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, making her speech to congress on the day the pound hit a record low against the dollar. Continue reading...

Phishing attacks have started to target people in difficult financial situations, ONS reportsFraudsters have adapted their tactics to exploit the rising cost of living, officials have said.A report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said anti-fraud squads had identified new trends as phishing attacks – when perpetrators attempt to trick users into clicking a bad link – have started to target those in difficult financial situations. Continue reading...

Public and press excluded as details of king’s coronation to be discussed as part of argument against losing licenceThe public and press have been excluded from the sentencing of the Duke of Norfolk on grounds of national security as details of the coronation of King Charles III were to be discussed as part of his argument against losing his driving licence.The earl marshal, 65, who organised the Queen’s funeral and has a key role in the orchestration of the king’s coronation, pleaded guilty at Lavender Hill magistrates court on Monday to using his mobile phone while driving. Continue reading...

A Russian man has shot the leader of the local military draft committee in a Siberian town; protests against Kremlin’s military call-up continue

Italy’s new far-right government has been rebranding in recent years to assume pro-Nato stance, but is yet to disclose path of confrontation with EU

Amnesty says at least four children among people killed by state forces since start of protests over woman’s death in custodyAt least 450 people have been arrested in Mazandaran, a northern province of Iran, during the last 10 days of protests, according to the province’s chief prosecutor.Protests sparked by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini have spread across the country. They have been met with internet shutdowns and violent repression. Continue reading...

Lead investigator tells court ‘I was doing my job’ after suggestion she was to blame for death

Labour’s Peter Kyle says he would be prepared to call referendum on Irish unity if certain conditions were metNorthern Ireland unionists have expressed alarm after the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Peter Kyle, said he would be prepared to call a referendum on Irish unity if certain conditions were met.Kyle would set out the criteria for calling a border poll if Labour were in power, he told the BBC’s Sunday Politics show at his party’s conference. Continue reading...

Van der Poel flies out of Australia after being fined A$1,500 in local court but lawyer says his client will appeal convictionsDutch cycling star Mathieu van der Poel will attempt to overturn a conviction for assaulting two teenage girls in a Sydney hotel the night before the men’s world championship road race.The Tour de France stage winner was arrested hours before Sunday’s race in Wollongong where the 27-year-old was one of the favourites. Continue reading...

Early official results from the Italian interior ministry confirm exit poll suggestions that the rightwing coalition led by Brothers of Italy could win enough seats to form a governmentFollow the live blogThe vote was triggered when the Five Star Movement abruptly withdrew its support for Mario Draghi’s technocratic government, but an election was due next year in any event. Continue reading...

Shadow chancellor decries government’s economic plans as ‘reckless, irresponsible and unfair’

Barry Collins says his ex-wife Sharon Graham told him someone was ‘going to get hurt’ while clearing land

Mark Dreyfus reassures independent MPs that anti-corruption bill will include a broad scope for investigations and public hearings