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Moscow targets cities with missiles as US secretary of state Antony Blinken makes surprise visit to Kyiv

Republican Senate leader, 81, says he will finish term as signs emerge of uncertainty over his future in GOP ranksMitch McConnell rejected speculation about his future as Republican leader in the US Senate, telling reporters: I'm going to finish my term as leader and I'm going to finish my Senate term."The remarks on Wednesday came amid intense speculation about the 81-year-old Kentucky senator's health, after two recent freezes in front of reporters, one on Capitol Hill in July and another in McConnell's home state last week. Continue reading...

Brian May and some fans express dismay as contents of late Queen frontman's home go under hammer in six-day saleFreddie Mercury's Yamaha baby grand piano has been sold for 1.74m as thousands of his possessions were auctioned on Wednesday night, amid criticism by some fans and Brian May.The Queen frontman left his Kensington home, Garden Lodge, and its contents to his close friend Mary Austin. More than 32 years after his death, Austin is selling the contents at Sotheby's, with some of the proceeds going to charity after the six-day sale. Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemns attack on the eastern city of Kostiantynivka, where a child was among the deadCuba has uncovered a human trafficking ring aimed at recruiting Cubans to fight as mercenaries for Russia in its war in Ukraine, its foreign ministry has said, as Moscow seeks to increase the size of its forces.In a statement, the Cuban foreign ministry said the authorities were working to neutralise and dismantle" the network, which it said was operating within the Caribbean island nation and in Russia. Continue reading...

Austrian rail operator OBB says service will resume partly in December and daily from October 2024A night train linking Berlin and Paris will return in December, nine years after the service was cancelled, the Austrian rail operator OBB has announced.OBB has been a pioneer in bringing back night trains as Europeans look for low-carbon travel options. Continue reading...

Government says text scanning under online safety bill would only occur if technically feasible' after apps threaten to leave countryMinisters have attempted to head off a threatened exodus of messaging apps from the UK by assuring tech firms they cannot be forced to scan encrypted texts indiscriminately for illegal content.WhatsApp and Signal have threatened to quit the UK over a provision in the online safety bill that allows Ofcom to order a messaging service to use accredited technology" to look for and take down child sexual abuse material. Continue reading...

Crew represents six Colorado voters - Republican or unaffiliated - seeking to remove Trump from ballot over Capitol attackA watchdog group is suing to remove Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot, saying he violated the constitution and is disqualified from holding future office.The lawsuit is so far one of the strongest challenges to Trump's eligibility to seek re-election. Continue reading...

High court judge issues ruling after relative of Peter Otitoju launches action against Benedicta OnwordiA woman has been barred from removing the body of her partner from a funeral home after becoming embroiled in high court litigation with one of his relatives.Mr Justice Roth has ruled that Benedicta Onwordi cannot take possession" of the body of Peter Otitoju, who died aged 67. Continue reading...

Worcester Art Museum says bust, bought in 1966 but probably stolen and improperly imported from Turkey, to be returnedAn ancient Roman bust has been seized from a Massachusetts art museum as part of an investigation into antiquities stolen from Turkey.The Worcester Art Museum announced that it had transferred ownership of the bronze bust to the New York county district attorney's office so it can be repatriated to Turkey. Continue reading...

Akif Rasuli spent more than two years behind bars after being accused of people smugglingA Greek court has awarded thousands of euros in compensation to an Afghan refugee who spent more than two years in prison after being wrongfully accused of people smuggling, in a rare step hailed by campaigners.A three-member appeals court sitting on the Aegean island of Lesbos ruled that Akif Rasuli had not only been unjustly jailed but should be recompensed for the ordeal he had been made to endure. Continue reading...

Gabe Amo, 35, wins crowded primary contest for right to replace David Cicilline in safe Democratic congressional seatGabe Amo, a former aide to US president Joe Biden, could soon become the first person of color to represent Rhode Island in Congress.The Democrat, who is Black, won a crowded primary against 10 other candidates vying for the party nomination on Tuesday in a special election to replace former congressman David Cicilline, who resigned earlier this year to lead the Rhode Island Foundation, a large funder of non-profits. Continue reading...

Guardian analysis of newly published government list shows that 109 of the 147 affected schools are in Conservative constituencies

Rick Haythornthwaite, who leads boardrooms of Ocado and the AA, will succeed Howard DaviesNatWest has announced that a former Centrica boss will be its next chair, as the lender continues to deal with the fallout from the scandal surrounding the threatened closure of Nigel Farage's bank accounts.Rick Haythornthwaite - who previously chaired Network Rail and Mastercard as well as the British Gas owner and now leads the boardrooms of Ocado and the AA - will take over from Howard Davies next April. Continue reading...

Full text of apology over undercover officer who deceived a woman into a 19-year relationship

Ruling against man who claimed family were pushback' victims seen as blow to efforts to make Frontex accountableA Syrian refugee has lost a landmark case against the EU's border protection agency, Frontex, after he and his family were forcibly deported from Greece before his asylum application was processed.The ruling is seen as a major blow to efforts to make the operations of Frontex in Greece and other countries more transparent and accountable to the member states who employ them. Continue reading...

At Hackney press conference, surviving trio of Stones pay tribute to late drummer Charlie Watts as they announce album and release new single AngryThe Rolling Stones have announced details of their first album of new songs in nearly two decades, entitled Hackney Diamonds.Featuring a constellation of guest stars including Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and former Stones bassist Bill Wyman, it also contains the final recordings with the band by late drummer Charlie Watts, who appears on two tracks. Continue reading...

Head of International Rescue Committee says increasing weariness is creeping into global response to war

Labour leader accuses prime minister of neglecting pupils at state schools during combative PMQs

Margaret Betts, of Ipswich, was headhunted in 1942 to decipher enemy communications during WW2One of the last surviving female Bletchley Park codebreakers, who worked helping to decipher enemy communications during the second world war, has died aged 99.Margaret Betts, of Ipswich, Suffolk, was 19 when she was headhunted by men from the ministry", having performed well at school, her son Jonathan Betts, 68, said. Continue reading...

Willowbrook Mead primary will now shut for a day to move furniture back after scramble to create new spaces

The poet's premier's award for The Jaguar, a collection about the death of her father, follows Stella prize win earlier this year

PwC warns of more job losses if last-ditch rescue talks to save stricken retailer fall through

Exclusive: Decay at a private school in Perthshire was highlighted as far back as May

Schools minister Nick Gibb rejects claim government had sticking plaster approach' to maintenanceMinisters still do not know how much the concrete crisis will cost to repair, the schools minister has admitted, as he rejected accusations by the head of the UK spending watchdog that the government had adopted a sticking plaster approach" to essential maintenance.Nick Gibb said he and ministers were unable to come up with a figure because every school affected by the problem of crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) experienced it in different ways. Continue reading...

Accident at Ubud's Ayuterra Resort believed to have occurred when cable in inclined lift carrying hotel staff snappedBalinese police are investigating the catastrophic failure of a lift that left five hotel workers dead at a resort on Friday.The accident took place at Ubud's Ayuterra Resort about 1pm and is believed to have occurred when a cable in the inclined lift carrying the three women and two men snapped, plunging them 100 metres down a steep ravine at the hillside resort.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

US secretary of state expected to announce initial package of military aid for Kyiv of up to $200m

New law in Sindh introduces extraordinary measures' to ensure vaccination of children against range of infectious diseasesParents in Pakistan who refuse to get their children vaccinated against infectious diseases could be jailed or fined under a new law introduced in Sindh province.The introduction of the legislation is an attempt to eradicate polio, which is endemic in Pakistan, but will cover vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), measles, mumps and rubella. Continue reading...

Housebuilder reports 705m profits but mortgage affordability challenges' affect purchasesBritain's biggest housebuilder has warned that conditions will continue to be difficult" for the housing industry over the coming months as potential buyers struggle with the rising cost of home loans.Barratt Developments said short-term demand has been impacted by mortgage affordability challenges" and it was reducing construction sharply in response, but also reported 705m in annual profits. Continue reading...

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Indigenous leader rejects claims the consultation body would divide the nation, saying parliament will detail its operation

Prof Andrew Stewart says Albanese government plan aimed at labour hire workers may also cover employees in industries including IT, law and accounting

Technical report confirms error triggered by flight plan caused chaos last week as more than 2,000 flights cancelledThe UK air traffic system failure that resulted in more than 2,000 flights being cancelled has been blamed on an extremely rare set of circumstances", as the aviation regulator opened an inquiry into the meltdown that caused chaos for passengers.The Civil Aviation Authority announced its own independent review as it submitted an initial report from Nats, the air traffic control services provider, into the incident to the transport secretary, Mark Harper. Continue reading...

Two Russians and a French citizen were successfully rescued by another vessel after setting off emergency beacon 835km off the coast of Cairns

Rise compares with a revised 2.4% economic growth in the March quarter, Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals

Modular buildings hire firm inundated with inquiries from schools needing temporary classroomsThe phones have been ringing incessantly at Algeco's Peterborough call centre in recent days.Since the Department for Education prompted chaos last Thursday by warning of the risks around aerated concrete in 156 schools, school nurseries and further education colleges, the modular buildings hire company has been inundated with inquiries from schools desperate to secure temporary classrooms as the academic year gets under way. Continue reading...

Force hopes use of impartial and confidential support service could break reoffending cycleYoung people who find themselves in police custody in Merseyside will now be offered help from Childline, in an initiative that is the first of its kind in the UK.Those under the age of 19 are being offered a confidential call to the NSPCC service to provide advice and support, which Merseyside police said could break the cycle of reoffending". Continue reading...

James Bethell says Downing Street did not want to prioritise pandemic in early 2020 even as evidence was mountingDowning Street showed an ostrich, head-in-the-sand mentality" towards Covid in early 2020 as Boris Johnson's government instead focused on subjects such as Brexit, a former health minister has said.Speaking to the Institute for Government as part of its ongoing series of in-depth interviews with former ministers about their time in office, James Bethell also said officials did not want him to discuss the potential economic impacts of Covid policies and would delete this from his speeches. Continue reading...

Sarah Hanson-Young seeks assurance all water for the environment will be recovered as Nationals call for an inquiry to visit regional communities

While crumbling concrete dominated headlines, the modern, modular construction methods used to make three new schools also failedJust days before the government suddenly ordered schools in England to close buildings at risk of collapse due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), another - somewhat smaller - school buildings story hit the headlines.Three virtually brand-new schools were suddenly told to close by the Department for Education (DfE) with immediate effect because of safety fears. A further two primary schools, it later emerged, had to be demolished before completion. Continue reading...

A court was played audio of a clash between the woman and an unnamed child that was covertly recorded by police

Alleged driver Johnson Kokozian has charges upgraded over Heckenberg crash that killed Alina Kauffman and her brother

Kristian White appeared in court on assault charges after the death of 95-year-old dementia patient

Relatively affordable apartment buildings are being demolished to make way for ultra-luxurious' homes amid state's housing crisis

Mission: Impossible actor reveals in a new documentary she was abused for four years during her childhoodFrench actor Emmanuelle Beart was a victim of incest as a child, she said in a documentary presented on Tuesday, without identifying her abuser.Beart, who has starred in dozens of films and TV productions over the past 50 years, is the co-director of the documentary which was screened at a news conference in Paris on Tuesday. It will be broadcast on France's M6 channel on 24 September. Continue reading...

Arts minister keen for project celebrating links between notable figures and where they lived to be rolled out across EnglandThe official blue plaques scheme could be extended outside of London to honour notable figures and their connections to buildings across England.The project, run in London by English Heritage, celebrates the links between historically significant people and the buildings in which they lived and worked. Continue reading...

Mechanical failure blamed for 2018 crash, which killed club's owner and four othersThe pilot of the helicopter in the fatal crash at Leicester's football stadium in 2018 told his passengers I've no idea what's going on" as the aircraft spun out of control, accident investigators reported.Inspectors said the crash, which killed the owner of Leicester City Football Club, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, three other passengers and the pilot, was a tragic accident". Mechanical failure, through a worn ball bearing in the tail rotor, led to a loss of control after takeoff from the King Power Stadium. Continue reading...

FoI request reveals watchdog approached platform now known as X to discuss voice to parliament referendum but it did not substantially respond

Draft order will make it illegal to support the violent and destructive' Russian mercenary organisation in the UKThe Wagner mercenary group will be declared a terrorist organisation, the Home Office has announced.A draft order will be laid in parliament on Wednesday, which will make it illegal to be a member of or support the Russian group in the UK. The group has played a prominent role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine since it began in February 2022. Continue reading...