World news | The Guardian

From the red carpet to the high street - as modelled by Gwyneth Paltrow and Marilyn Monroe - styles that reveal the bare stomach are everywhereThis summer might have been a washout, but that's not immediately obvious when walking down a typical UK high street. Along with sandals, sunglasses and shorts, any fashion-conscious observer might notice something else: the ubiquitous midriff.Making a showcase of this part of the body is not so much a trend as a given for young consumers - so much so, in fact, that this year marks 10 years since the midriff became an established fashion statement. Continue reading...

Compact teaching timetables will allow cash-strapped undergraduates to dovetail jobs with studiesUniversities are reducing the number of days students are required to be on campus to enable them to work part-time as they struggle to survive the cost of living crisis.Compact teaching timetables, where lectures and seminars are scheduled over two or three days rather than dotted throughout the week, are being introduced by a number of institutions. The move makes it easier for the growing number of undergraduates who have to take on part-time jobs to make ends meet. More than half of students now work alongside their studies, up from 45% in 2022 and 34% in 2021. Continue reading...

Price of more than 30 different kinds of period underwear to be lowered at stores from next weekJohn Lewis and Waitrose are cutting the price of their period underwear by a fifth, becoming the latest retailer to join the effort to make reusable period products more affordable.The price of more than 30 different kinds of period underwear will be reduced at stores from next week as they join the Say Pants to the Tax campaign, which was launched by Marks & Spencer and the Wuka this month. Continue reading...

One man confessed to having set four other fires on the island of Evia as the Greek authorities struggle to contain 111 blazesFire department officials in Greece have arrested two men for allegedly starting wildfires on purpose, while hundreds of firefighters battled blazes that have killed at least 21 people in the past week.One man was arrested on the Greek island of Evia for allegedly setting fire to dried grass in the Karystos area. The fire department said the man confessed to having set four other fires in the area in July and August. Continue reading...

Officers responded to shooting at game in Choctaw where police also fired weapon, though suspect remains at largeFour people were shot during a high school football game on Friday night in Oklahoma where a police officer also fired a weapon, authorities said.Officers responded to a report of a shooting around 10.30pm at a game in Choctaw between Choctaw high school and Del City high school, the Choctaw police chief, Kelly Marshall, said. Continue reading...

Taoiseach says whole nation mourns' after three teenagers and 24-year-old die on exam results nightFour young people who died in a crash in County Tipperary while on the way to exam results celebrations have been named.Luke McSweeney, 24, his sister Grace McSweeney, 18, Nicole Murphy, 18, and Zoey Coffey, 18, died at the scene after the car they were travelling in struck a wall on Friday, Gardai said. Continue reading...

Astronauts from US, Denmark, Japan and Russia will reach ISS on Sunday and say we're a united team with a common mission'Four astronauts from four countries rocketed toward the International Space Station on Saturday.They should reach the orbiting lab in their SpaceX capsule on Sunday, replacing four astronauts who have been living there since March. Continue reading...

Campaigners to return to the courts after planned two-mile tunnel near site, blocked in 2021, is greenlit againCampaigners have launched a fresh legal battle after the government once again greenlit plans for a controversial road tunnel at Stonehenge, after the development was successfully blocked two years ago.The Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site campaign (SSWHS) is challenging the decision by the transport secretary, Mark Harper, to allow a 1.7bn scheme to widen roads and dig a two-mile tunnel near the ancient site. The plan is designed to improve traffic on the A303, a congestion hotspot in south-west England. Continue reading...

Suspect to appear at Manchester and Salford magistrates' court on Saturday after man's body discoveredA man is due to appear in court charged with murder after police officers searching for a missing dog found the body of a man.Ian Gary Connell, 39, who is from Bolton, will appear at Manchester and Salford magistrates court on Saturday, Greater Manchester police (GMP) said. Continue reading...

Investigation under way into blaze at business centre that was attended by about 100 firefightersAn investigation is under way into a fire at a business centre with flats in east London that residents have said will keep them from their homes for most of the bank holiday weekend.About 100 firefighters were sent to deal with the fire in the Bow area of the capital after the alarm was raised at about 6pm on Friday, bringing it under control within three hours. Continue reading...

Railway says smuggled-in gas cylinder caused blaze that burned for two hours at Madurai station in Tamil NaduNine people have died after a fire broke out in a stationary train compartment at a railway station in southern India, officials said.The blaze broke out at 5am on Saturday and burned for two hours before firefighters were able to put it out, authorities said. Continue reading...

Governing body says it will take necessary legal action' against female players protesting over Luis Rubiales kiss scandalThe Spanish football federation has threatened to sue Jenni Hermoso, the player at the centre of a row over its president's conduct, for lying and defamation.It has also threatened to sue the 79 women's football players who signed a letter in which they refused to play for their country as long as Luis Rubiales remained in his post. Continue reading...

Guitarist discusses treatment that leaves him radioactive' and says he was previously told he needed end-of-life careThe former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor has revealed that his prostate cancer is asymptomatic" after he was previously classified as needing palliative, end-of-life care".The 62-year-old musician was diagnosed in 2018 with stage-four prostate cancer. Continue reading...

Police called to Monterey at 9.50pm Friday night following reports a car had crashed into a tree

Institution's chair of trustees admits its reputation has been damaged by suspected theftsThe recovery of missing British Museum artefacts is under way, George Osborne, the institution's chair of trustees, has said as he apologised over the scandal that has engulfed the museum, and admitted that its reputation had been damaged.About 2,000 items are believed to be missing, Osborne told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the day after the organisation's head resigned and his deputy stepped back. Continue reading...

Kayley Asher was left with permanent brain injuries by nurse in 1991 and has been upset by news of another nurse's crimesSince the Lucy Letby trial reached its conclusion, Kayley Asher has been living in a state of heightened fear. She checks under her bed and in her wardrobe, convinced that Letby is coming to get her.Kayley was 14 months old when another nurse, Beverley Allitt, tried to kill her in 1991. Allitt was said to have twice injected air under Kayley's armpit, which made her lungs collapse. The respiratory arrest left her with permanent brain injuries. Continue reading...

Deal offered over three years, and money invested will help finance windfarms and tree plantingSavers who want to make a difference with their cash no longer have to sacrifice a decent return after National Savings and Investments raised the rate on its green bond to 5.7%.The UK government-backed provider is offering the deal over a three-year term and savers will not be able to access their money in that period. Continue reading...

Carnival boss ready for celebratory event expected to draw 2m people over bank holiday weekendBands playing at this year's Notting Hill carnival will pay homage to the Windrush generation as the 2023 event coincides with the 75th anniversary of the ship's arrival in Britain.Matthew Philip, the carnival's chief executive, said he hoped it would be as community-oriented as ever". Continue reading...

Films' success pushes admissions to over 17.6m in July and combined takings have passed 130m markIt was billed as the definitive box office showdown, but the summer phenomenon that was Barbie v Oppenheimer ultimately proved to be the catalyst to get the UK's struggling cinema sector back on track.The extraordinary success of both films, released on the same day, pushed admissions in July to more than 17.6m - the biggest month for UK cinemagoing since December 2019. And the popularity of Barbenheimer" has continued into this month, with experts predicting 13.5m admissions for August. Continue reading...

KC blames deep cuts to justice system for failures at Criminal Cases Review Commission such as Andrew Malkinson scandalThe wheels are coming off" the miscarriage of justice watchdog, legal experts have warned, after it emerged that the commission's chair has been in Montenegro promoting her property business during one of its biggest modern scandals.The Guardian revealed on Friday that Helen Pitcher, head of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), was pictured barefoot outside a mussels bar promoting her holiday home business while her organisation was in crisis over its handling of the Andrew Malkinson case. Continue reading...

Some operators will run no trains and others a reduced timetable, while weather will be sun and showersHolidaymakers and festivalgoers face disruption this weekend as the latest train strikes threaten to derail bank holiday plans.The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union is staging a strike on Saturday, with 20,000 workers expected to take part, in a dispute over pay and working conditions. Continue reading...

The firm joined the other big four consultancies in calling for the world-leading regime to be postponed or watered down

Father-of-two Toby Begg, 44, is in a serious but stable condition in hospital following serious injuries from his hip to calf and lower legs'

Demonstrations against the Assad regime have taken hold in two southern provinces after the government ended fuel subsidiesRare protests against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's government continued on Friday, with demonstrations reported in a string of towns in Daraa and Sweida provinces.The protests began late last week after the government ended fuel subsidies, dealing a heavy blow to Syrians reeling from years of war and economic crisis. Continue reading...

The ultimatum was rejected by France's foreign ministry, which said it did not recognise the junta's authorityNiger's junta said on Friday it had ordered French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country within 48 hours, as relations between the west African country and its former colonial ruler deteriorated further.The junta-appointed foreign ministry said the decision to expel the ambassador was a response to actions taken by the French government that were contrary to the interests of Niger". Continue reading...

Lukashenko says Prigozhin dismissed warnings about threats to his life; Kremlin denies being behind plane crash; flight recorders and 10 bodies recovered

Opposition leader Peter Dutton says he supports Ley along with other Liberals facing challenge, including Alex Hawke, Paul Fletcher and Melissa McIntosh

Ruling comes on same day Missouri judge rules similar law can take effect, prohibiting doctors giving crucial care to trans youthA Texas judge on Friday blocked the state's upcoming ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors, the latest in a legal fight over efforts by conservatives to restrict such care around the country.The decision came on the same day a Missouri judge ruled that a similar law can take effect. Continue reading...

A further 80 people injured trying to enter stadium, with 11 in critical conditionTwelve people have died and about 80 have been injured in a crush as sports fans tried to enter Madagascar's national stadium for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games, the prime minister said.Christian Ntsay said 11 of the injured were in a critical condition after the incident on Friday. Continue reading...

Police are treating the incident at Chatham Memorial synagogue in Rochester as a hate crimeA man has been arrested after gravestones were damaged in a Jewish cemetery in Kent.Officers have been investigating the incident as a hate crime, with the damage believed to total about 19,000. Continue reading...

Plume of smoke visible for miles as 15 fire engines attend site in Bow, where no casualties have yet been reportedThick black smoke billowed into the sky on Friday evening when a huge fire broke out in east London. About 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at a business centre with flats in Fairfield Road in Bow.The London fire brigade (LFB) described it as a very visible fire" and said most of the roof of the six-storey building was alight. The cause of the fire is not yet known and there were no reports of injuries. Continue reading...

Suspects, aged 66 and 33, released by Staffordshire police investigating Himley blazeTwo men arrested after a fire at the Crooked House pub in the West Midlands have been released on bail, with detectives continuing to appeal for information.A 66-year-old man from Dudley and a 33-year-old man from Milton Keynes were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life on Thursday. Continue reading...

Fischer to step down after blunders prompt international embarrassment and questions about systemic failures

Flight recorders also recovered, Russian officials say; Alexander Lukashenko says he warned Wagner bosses to be aware of threats to their lives. This live blog is closedRishi Sunak has reaffirmed the UK defence ministry's comments from Friday morning, saying intelligence suggested Prigozhin was most likely" on the plane.We're obviously monitoring the situation very closely, working with our allies to establish what happened," the British prime minister told reporters. Continue reading...

Spokesperson says western claims that Vladimir Putin was behind assassination are an absolute lie'

Suspect, 43, held over child neglect after girl believed to have fallen from sixth-floor flatAn eight-year-old girl has died after apparently falling from a balcony in a tower block in Portsmouth.A 43-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of child neglect and was being questioned by police about the fall at Pickwick House, to which police and paramedics were called at 6.50pm on Thursday. About a dozen police cars were seen parked outside the 11-storey block of flats and a wide cordon was in place. Continue reading...

Labour says second year-on-year decline in a row is incredibly concerning' for future of the NHSThe number of students accepted on to nursing courses in has declined by more than 13% compared with the year before, the second successive steep fall, figures Labour said were incredibly concerning" for the future of the NHS.As of 23 August, 15,420 students had received places on nursing courses in England, 13.1% fewer than the 17,750 who gained a place in 2022, analysis of Ucas data by the House of Commons Library showed. Continue reading...

Exclusive: party says potential Tory-to-Labour switchers do not feel better off and find Sunak's attitude grating'Labour plans to go on the attack over Rishi Sunak's stewardship of the economy this autumn, as the party's internal polling suggests Tory-to-Labour switchers are irritated by his optimism on inflation when they do not feel that their own finances are improving.The party's focus groups of what they call hero voters" - who backed the Tories in 2019 and are now considering Labour - suggest this group are unconvinced that the economy is improving despite inflation coming down slowly. Continue reading...

John Penrose is the latest MP to voice their frustration after Dorries said she was quitting but then failed to do soMPs will try to oust Nadine Dorries as an MP next month amid growing calls for her to follow through on her vow to resign, PA media reports.The Liberal Democrats will table a bill when parliament returns on 4 September that they hope will result in her suspension.For months Nadine Dorries has treated the people of Mid Bedfordshire with contempt and taken them for granted.As thousands of people struggle to get a GP appointment and face steep hikes to their mortgages, Nadine Dorries continues to be missing in action. What's worse is that the Conservatives just don't seem to care that they're letting people down. Continue reading...

From Bugsy to Bowie, every decade had its defining booking photo. Now we have ours for these politically spiteful timesMugshots define eras.Bugsy Siegel peering malevolently from beneath his fedora in a 1928 booking photo summed up the perverse romance of gangsters in the prohibition age. Continue reading...

Costs forecast to increase again from January despite announcement of fall in energy price capMinisters have been urged to intervene to prevent a winter of despair and suffering" by offering financial support to millions of households facing unmanageable energy bills.The government is under renewed pressure to act after warnings that energy costs will remain unaffordable for the most vulnerable in society, despite Friday's announcement of a fall in the energy price cap. Continue reading...

Peyton Meave, whose daughter is now four, welcomes UK first and hopes more women given optionOne of the first women in the world to successfully deliver a baby after a womb transplant has called for the procedure to be made more widely available to help the large numbers of women affected by uterine factor infertility.Speaking after the first womb transplant surgery in the UK was reported, Peyton Meave, 29, who lives in Oklahoma, said that having a child through participation in a US trial had been a life-changing experience". Having previously been told that pregnancy and childbirth would never be an option, Meave now has a four-year-old daughter, Emersyn. Continue reading...

Couple assaulted in Brixton with one needing stitches six days after stabbing of two gay men in ClaphamTwo men were injured last weekend after the second homophobic attack in south London in six days, prompting politicians and campaigners to blame a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.Michael Smith, 37, a teacher, and his partner, Nat Asabere, 41, a dancer and talent scout, were waiting for a bus on Saturday night in Brixton after attending Black Pride when they were punched repeatedly by a stranger. Smith was left needing stitches to his lower lip and Asabere has suffered headaches since. Continue reading...

It is understood the bank thought closing the account would cause problems for West's daughterAn account ultimately owned by the serial killer Rose West was kept open by the Co-operative Bank after the ethical" lender reviewed her membership, it has emerged.The decision was reportedly made while the Co-op Bank was taking stock of a raft of accounts held by customers with criminal records nearly a decade ago. Continue reading...

Sarah Moulds, 39, lost job as primary school teacher after she was filmed striking her pony Bruce AlmightyA former teacher who was filmed kicking and slapping a horse has been cleared of an animal cruelty offence.Sarah Moulds was found not guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, a grey pony she owned called Bruce Almighty. Continue reading...

Officer in serious condition after being struck while coming to aid of distressed man on tracks, say policeA police officer is in a serious condition after being hit by a train while trying to save a distressed man who was on the tracks, Nottinghamshire police have said.British Transport Police said they were called to the line near Newark Northgate station at about 7.10pm on Thursday evening after reports of a casualty on the tracks. Continue reading...

Employment judge dismisses case of London chef sacked after refusing to do tasks until asked politelyThe fast-paced, blunt-talking style of some professional kitchens is familiar thanks to reality television cookery shows and dramas, such as Boiling Point and The Bear.Now an employment tribunal ruling has concluded that failing to say please" to a colleague in a busy kitchen need not be considered rude. Instead, it said, direct and efficient" communication without additional pleasantries may be a matter of practicality" in a fast-paced working environment, such as a high-end kitchen. Continue reading...

Players and coaches including at England keeper's former club in West Bridgford praise her impact on women's footballDuring a football match at her primary school's after-school club, a six-year-old Laura Setchfield decided she wanted to go in goal. I don't really know why, I just thought it looked fun to throw myself around," she says. After a match of diving for the ball and cheers from her teammates when she saved it, Laura was hooked. The instant I started playing I was like, yeah, this is definitely for me. I really, really enjoyed it and basically never looked back."Laura, now 17, is a goalkeeper in the women's first team at West Bridgford Colts, the same club England's keeper, Mary Earps, played for early in her footballing career. It's such a privilege to play for a team with that legacy," Laura says. To have had the world's best goalkeeper having played for your club is quite an achievement." Continue reading...

Thirty-nine people who were briefly onboard write to Suella Braverman describing their fear and despairThirty-nine asylum seekers who were briefly accommodated on the Home Office's controversial Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset have said conditions onboard were so bad that one was driven to attempt suicide.A three-page letter sent to the home secretary, Suella Braverman, also sets out the asylum seekers' fear and despair at being trapped on the barge and appeals to her to help them in their search for safety and freedom in the UK.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Cases against government, care homes and hospitals relate to deaths in 2020, when patients with Covid were being moved into homesA group of 30 families are suing the UK government, care homes and hospitals over the deaths of their relatives in the early days of the Covid pandemic.The families argue that not enough was done to prevent the deaths and are claiming damages for loss of life and distress. Continue reading...