World news | The Guardian

Inverclyde welcomes second largest number of twins on record to start primary educationSeventeen sets of twins will start primary school in one Scottish local authority next week, the second largest number on record.Schools in Inverclyde will welcome the twins for the first time on Friday 18 August, in an area that has colloquially become known as Twinverclyde". Continue reading...

Col Benjamin Oakes pleads not guilty to two counts of causing injury by careless driving outside North Yorkshire collegeThe head of space policy for the US joint chiefs of staff at the Pentagon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of causing injury by careless driving in North Yorkshire.Benjamin Oakes, 46, is accused of causing a collision that left two 15-year-old boys seriously injured outside Ashville College in Harrogate. Continue reading...

Critics concerned energy department decision on fledgling technology will undermine efforts to phase out fossil fuelsThe US energy department has announced it is awarding up to $1.2bn to two projects to directly remove carbon dioxide from the air, a fledgling technology that some climate experts worry will distract and undermine efforts to phase out fossil fuels.The process, known as direct air capture, does not yet exist on a meaningful scale, and the move was being seen as the US government taking a big bet coming after July was confirmed as the hottest month ever recorded on its surface. Continue reading...

UK-backed move could help spread cost of developing fighter jet and drones, but may prove controversialSaudi Arabia has asked the UK, Japan and Italy to be made a full partner in their joint effort to build the next generation of fighter jets, in a move backed by the British government.Companies from the UK, Japan and Italy are working together to build a new fighter jet and other systems such as drones under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), also known as Tempest. The programme aims to deliver the first planes by 2035, a tight turnaround. Continue reading...

Asylum seekers removed from Bibby Stockholm after legionella bacteria found in water system onboardThe Scottish Liberal Democrats have announced their candidate in the forthcoming Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection.Gloria Adebo, who works as a data analyst, will run for the party in the vote triggered by the successful recall petition for Margaret Ferrier.The Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection is a real chance for local people to deliver a judgment on the difficulties and disasters we have been landed in by incompetent, populist governments in London and Edinburgh.It needn't be like this. And it is the Liberal Democrats who, increasingly, are a growing and dynamic part of an alternative way forward - offering hope in place of despair, founded on a belief in individuals, in the rule of law, in equality of opportunity and the importance of human rights here and across the world. Continue reading...

ATE Farms and associated firms attracted dozens of complaints before pub burned down in StaffordshireThe new owners of the Crooked House pub in Staffordshire, which was burned down in a fire and subsequently demolished, have angered local people in a series of other redevelopment plans across the Midlands.Planning documents reveal ATE Farms, which bought the Crooked House from Marston's brewery in July, and its associated companies have attracted dozens of complaints over plans that include building a solar farm and holiday lodges in the countryside, and redeveloping a village pub. Continue reading...

Growers say temperatures have been just right' and expect their highest and best yields of grapes to dateWhile the rainfall in July may have been unwelcome to some, it came at the right time for wine producers in England. They are predicting bumper harvests after perfect weather this year.Growers are expecting the highest and best yields to date, boosting the burgeoning wine industry in the UK. There are now 943 vineyards spread across Great Britain, according to a new report from trade group WineGB. The industry produced 12.2m bottles in 2022, a large rise on the 5.3m bottles produced in 2017. Continue reading...

Hakeem Jeffries was accused of giving cover to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he tried to curtail Israeli judiciary powerA Democratic congressional delegation is under fire for a visit to Israel funded by the hardline lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), which is working to defeat other members of the party in next year's elections.Critics have accused the most senior Democrat on the tour, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, of giving political cover to the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced months of huge demonstrations against his far-right government's power grab. Continue reading...

US Democratic senator will reportedly miss anniversary of Inflation Reduction Act, Biden's landmark climate legislationThe West Virginia Democratic senator Joe Manchin is expected to skip a prominent White House celebration of one of Joe Biden's signature legislative achievements, NBC reported, as he considers leaving his party - and perhaps running for president himself.Next week, the Biden administration will celebrate the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a healthcare, climate and tax reform package Joe Biden hailed on signing as the biggest step forward on climate ever". Continue reading...

Black Country Living Museum, which displays recreated historical buildings, says it is not able to save demolished Staffordshire pubEver since it burned down and was then demolished last week, there have been calls for the Crooked House pub in Staffordshire to be rebuilt from scratch.Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, told the local council he wanted to see it rebuilt brick by brick (using as much original material as possible)", and a Facebook group calling for it to be rebuilt has attracted more than 10,000 members. Continue reading...

Veteran MP responds by criticising leadership and says he will stand as independent candidate at next general electionThe Scottish National party (SNP) has expelled its veteran MP Angus MacNeil, who immediately confirmed he would stand as an independent candidate at the next election.He was suspended from the party's Westminster group last month after reportedly clashing with its chief whip, Brendan O'Hara, over his attendance record at Commons' votes. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Jamar Powell, who was 16 at the time, says he feared for his life when he was stopped and searchedThe Metropolitan police have paid damages to an innocent black teenager who was stopped and searched, handcuffed, ordered to kneel in the street, and allegedly had a Taser gun pressed to his neck.Jamar Powell, who was aged 16 when the incident happened, said he thought he was going to die, surrounded by officers - some holding firearms - and with a Taser aimed at him. Continue reading...

Dame Vera Baird KC to lead independent review into force's treatment of women in custodyThe mayor of Greater Manchester has launched an independent inquiry into the treatment of women in custody with a focus on strip-searches.The former victims commissioner Dame Vera Baird KC was asked last month to examine three cases of women who accused Greater Manchester police of unjustified intimate searches. Continue reading...

Prosecutors withdraw several charges against Emma Walters, who is still accused of making a threat to kill Setka, which she denies

Broadcaster's managing director says crew did not collude with Perth protesters but corrects earlier claim they had no knowledge of action

Air defence foils strike on Kyiv; Russia claims to have downed Ukrainian drone over Moscow after airport temporarily closed

Deadline has passed for Beijing to appeal against Tower Hamlets council's rejection of plans

North of continent records unusually wet and windy summer conditions while Portugal and Spain battle flamesFloods struck northern and central Europe last week. Some areas of Slovenia recorded more than 200mm of rain in 12 hours on Thursday and Friday, causing extensive flooding across two-thirds of the country. Many buildings and roads were damaged, at an estimated cost of 500m (432m), and six deaths were reported.Storm Hans hit the Baltic region a few days later. Hans originated as an area of low pressure over eastern Europe, but quickly deepened as it travelled northwards towards the Baltic Sea. The low was unusually deep for a summer storm, and led to daily rainfall totals of 80 to 100mm in parts of southern Norway and Sweden earlier this week. Continue reading...

Strike could push number of appointments cancelled due to NHS industrial action over a millionJunior doctors in England have launched a fifth round of industrial action, with thousands going on strike just days after starting their first NHS jobs.The latest strikes from British Medical Association (BMA) junior doctors began at 7am on Friday and will end at 7am next Tuesday. It could result in the total number of appointments cancelled due to NHS industrial action hitting 1m. Continue reading...

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Benedicte Colin stressed her resignation was not linked to appointment of Josh Murray as transport secretary

Cause of death of Tayla Cox and baby Murphy remain unclear, as husband Matthew James Cox has first Queensland court appearance

Campaigners say efforts to stamp out custom of banishing girls and women during menstruation have been set back by CovidA 16-year-old girl from Nepal has died as a result of the illegal practice of chhaupadi, where menstruating women are forced to stay in huts outside their homes.Anita Chand, from Baitadi district, in the west of the country, bordering India, is understood to have died on Wednesday from a snake bite while she was sleeping. Her death is the first reported fatality from chhaupadi since 2019 and campaigners fear progress to eliminate the practice is being eroded. Continue reading...

Comcare announces department has been charged and may be fined $1.5m

Nicholas Reece says council's technological solutions' will crack down on hoon behaviour' such as riding on footpaths

Poor result weighed down by lower print and digital advertising at News Corp Australia, a division that includes flagship newspaper The Australian

Nine technologies approved for carrying out external beam radiotherapy in lung, prostate and colorectal cancersPatients in England having radiotherapy are likely to have part of their treatment performed with the aid of artificial intelligence after its use to help NHS clinicians was recommended for the first time.Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has given approval to nine AI technologies for performing external beam radiotherapy in lung, prostate and colorectal cancers, in a move it believes could save radiographers hundreds of thousands of hours and help relieve the severe pressure" on radiotherapy departments. Continue reading...

Anti-gambling advocates call company utterly irresponsible' as industry lobbies to prevent total ban on betting ads in Australia

Exclusive: Rose Jackson announces monthly release of social housing data, with first tranche showing priority' applications soaring

Chemists say global supply issues and increased demand behind lack of stock, but antibiotic substitutions are available

Emergency landing took place on A40 dual carriageway near Cheltenham, with no injuries reportedA light aircraft has made an emergency landing on a busy road in Gloucestershire after a suspected engine failure.The plane was forced to land on the A40 Golden Valley bypass, near Cheltenham, at about 6pm on Thursday. Emergency services were on the scene and Gloucestershire constabulary said no one was injured. Continue reading...

The West Virginia member has crossed paths with his party over legislation to combat climate crisis and protect voting rightsThe West Virginia senator Joe Manchin is thinking seriously" about abandoning the Democratic party to run as an independent for Congress or as a third-party candidate for president.I'm thinking seriously," Manchin, 75, told a West Virginia radio host on Thursday. I have to have peace of mind, basically. The brand has become so bad, the D' brand and R' brand. In West Virginia, the D' brand because it's [the] national brand. It's not the Democrats in West Virginia, it's the Democrats in Washington. Continue reading...

Six individuals were aboard VSS Unity space plane, including first mother-daughter duo to venture to space togetherVirgin Galactic's VSS Unity, the reusable rocket-powered space plane carrying the company's first crew of tourists to space, successfully launched and landed on Thursday.The mission, known as Galactic 02, took off shortly after 11am ET from Spaceport America in New Mexico. Continue reading...

Police officers were called to house in Woking in early hours in response to a concern for safetyA murder investigation has been launched after a 10-year-old girl was found dead at a house in Woking.Officers were called to a property on Hammond Road at about 2.50am on Thursday in response to a concern for safety. On arrival, the girl was found dead, Surrey police said. Continue reading...

Shock and horror after Fernando Villavicencio, who campaigned on tough-on-crime platform, killed in burst of gunfire in QuitoEcuador's terrifying descent into violence and criminality has reached a new low with the assassination in broad daylight of a presidential candidate campaigning on a tough-on-crime and anti-graft platform.Fernando Villavicencio, a former journalist who had collaborated with the Guardian, was shot and killed in a burst of gunfire on a street in Quito as he left a campaign rally on Wednesday evening. Gunfire broke out as the candidate approached his car, sending supporters screaming and diving for cover. Continue reading...

Dal Babu calls for financial penalties after social media posts attract hundreds of teenagers to Oxford StreetPoliticians are too scared to take on big tech companies, a former chief superintendent has said after posts shared on social media attracted hundreds of teenagers to London's Oxford Street.Police issued 34 dispersal orders and arrested nine individuals on Wednesday after people gathered outside JD Sports in an apparent response to posts on Snapchat and TikTok urging users to take part in an Oxford Circus JD robbery" at 3pm. Continue reading...

Ecowas says force is a last resort and would prefer diplomatic means of reinstating President Bazoum after army coupLeaders of a powerful west African regional bloc have ordered the activation of its standby force, increasing the pressure on the senior army officers who deposed Niger's democratically elected leader last month but leaving the door open for a diplomatic solution.Speaking after an emergency Ecowas summit in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria warned that no option is taken off the tables including the use of force as the last resort". Continue reading...

British man found not guilty of murdering wife faces further legal proceedings and possibility of jailA British pensioner found not guilty of the premeditated murder of his cancer-stricken wife faces further legal proceedings - and potentially jail - after Cyprus's highest legal authority appealed the decision of a district court that allowed him to walk free.In a shock move, initiated at the 11th hour, the office of the island's attorney general announced on Thursday it would appeal both the sentence and acquittal of David Hunter. Continue reading...

Governor updates death toll to two killed in Ukrainian shelling of Chausy village in the Bryansk region; drones downed in Moscow area, mayor says

Susan Phoenix learned valuable lessons during her husband's clandestine career during the TroublesSusan Phoenix learned a lesson about living with an undercover police officer in Northern Ireland during the Troubles when she cleaned the family car.Why did you make the car so bloody clean?" said her husband, Ian. It looks lovely," she replied. Lovely enough so that anyone can read the number plates. From now on they're to be left dirty. It makes it more difficult for potential murderers to identify us," Ian responded.When answering the phone, do not give your name or number.When driving home, check if are you being followed and if suspicious, double back.Vary routes and times of trips - irregularity is a friend.When socialising, lie about Ian's job.Let the dogs out first at night - they will tell if strangers are nearby.Keep a gun under the pillow. A large handbag can conceal a gun in public.Keep fire extinguishers and torches in all rooms.Do not hang uniforms on the washing line. Dry clean them only with a trusted dry cleaner.Check the car for booby-traps. If in a public place, drop keys next to the car to give a pretext to check underneath. Start the engine with the boot open to dissipate any blast. Continue reading...

Big lenders become latest to reduce borrowing costs, joining four other UK home loan providers this weekNatWest and Virgin Money have become the latest big lenders to slash rates on their fixed mortgage deals, prompting claims that a full-scale home loans price war" has broken out.The moves come after it emerged on Wednesday that four of Britain's largest home loan providers were cutting the cost of their new fixed-rate deals, with Halifax reducing rates by up to 0.71 percentage points from Friday, and HSBC, Nationwide and TSB making similar moves. Continue reading...

PM attacks opposition parties during no-confidence motion called to force him to address ethnic violence in far-eastOpposition parties have walked out of the Indian parliament in protest at the refusal of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, to address ethnic violence in the state of Manipur - a situation that has been described as being close to civil war.The opposition had tabled a no-confidence vote in Modi largely to force him to appear and speak about the three-month-long crisis, about which he had refused to say more than a few words. Continue reading...

Riad Salameh accused of corrupt actions to enrich himself and associates, contributing, US says, to breakdown of the rule of law'The US, Britain and Canada have announced sanctions against the former governor of Lebanon's central bank, Riad Salameh, accusing him of corrupt actions to enrich himself and his associates.Salameh, in messages to Reuters, denied the allegations made by the three sanctioning countries and said he would challenge them. Some of his assets had already been frozen in previous investigations, he said. Continue reading...

A statement claimed the 15-year-old girl, who rose to internet fame for brash videos, had died but her father has refused to confirm or deny her deathShock over a statement announcing the sudden death of Lil Tay, a 15-year-old internet personality and rapper who rose to viral fame as a foul-mouthed, braggadocious nine-year-old on Instagram, has given way to confusion after the girl's father and former manager refused to confirm or deny her passing.An unsigned statement posted on Wednesday to the account for Lil Tay, real name Claire Hope, said the star's death at 15 was sudden and tragic" and entirely unexpected". It also said that her older brother Jason Tian, who at one point had been in control of her account before it went dormant in 2018, had also died, and that both deaths were under investigation. Continue reading...

Postmortem examination had found aspergillus on lungs of Luke Brooks, 27, who died at home in OldhamA man who lived in a cold, damp and mouldy house did not die because of conditions in the property, a coroner has ruled.Luke Brooks, 27, from Oldham, died at his home last October from an acute respiratory illness. A postmortem examination found aspergillus, a type of mould, on Brooks' lung, and aspergillus pneumonia was diagnosed. Continue reading...

CEO vows to make services such as Disney+ profitable and announces crackdown on password sharingDisney is raising prices on its streaming services and expanding a version containing adverts to markets including the UK.The monthly cost of ad-free Disney+ in the US will rise by $3 to almost $14 and the cost of Hulu without adverts will go up 20% to $18. Continue reading...

Two in five patients waiting more than 18 weeks and key cancer care targets being missed as junior doctors prepare to strikeA record 7.6 million people in England were waiting for NHS treatment in June, with two in five patients waiting more than 18 weeks to be seen.The figures come as junior doctors prepare to strike on Friday. Continue reading...

Search for survivors continues in latest tragedy as persecuted Muslims make perilous sea journeys in search of better livesAt least 17 people have drowned and 33 are missing after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to Malaysia capsized on Monday.The bodies of 10 women and seven men have been recovered after being washed up on the coast of Myanmar, said Bya Latt, a spokesperson for the rescue group Shwe Yaung Matta Foundation. Eight people who were rescued are being held at a local police station, Latt said. Continue reading...

Arkady Volozh, who lives in Israel, offers some of strongest criticism yet by a prominent Russian business figureThe co-founder of Russia's biggest internet firm has condemned Moscow's barbaric" invasion of Ukraine, offering some of the strongest criticism to date by a prominent Russian business figure of the Kremlin's military actions.Arkady Volozh, who co-founded Yandex in Russia in 1997, said: Russia's invasion of Ukraine is barbaric, and I am categorically against it." Continue reading...

Travel agents report surge in customers for Mediterranean destinations after record-breaking downpours