by Josh Butler and Johanes Hutabarat in Jakarta on (#62NP6)
Early release of ex-member of terror group linked to al-Qaida will cause distress for bereaved, says Australian PMUmar Patek, the bomb maker who helped assemble the devices used in the 2002 bombing in Bali, could walk free early from prison this year.The Indonesian ministry of law and human rights regional office in East Java has proposed the early release after the ex-member of Jemaah Islamiyah, an Indonesian terror group linked to al-Qaida, completed two-thirds of his sentence, plus remissions. Continue reading...
Natural Resources Wales and Welsh government take decision as extended heatwave affects rivers and reservoirsA drought has been officially declared in parts of Wales after an extended period of dry weather and low rainfall caused water levels to plummet.Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said the threshold to trigger drought status in south-west Wales was met on Friday. Continue reading...
Upper house MP says he will not contest March state election after discussions with family and friendsNew South Wales upper house Labor MP Walt Secord will not contest the March 2023 state election, after standing down from the opposition’s shadow ministry amid bullying allegations.Secord announced the decision to quit politics in a statement released Friday. Continue reading...
Hours before Dominic Perrottet sacked his fair trading minister, his chief of staff received a copy of letter now referred to Icac, according to documents released to parliament
Ofgem should stop rises in cap, and energy firms unable to offer lower bills should be nationalised, says Nick ButlerA former executive at the oil company BP has called for increases to the energy price cap to be scrapped and for suppliers that fail to help households struggling with bills to be nationalised.Nick Butler, who worked for BP for almost 30 years and was group vice-president for strategy and development, said that expected rises in the cap should be abandoned by the industry regulator, Ofgem, which he said had been “overwhelmed by events” after turmoil in the global energy markets sent 29 British energy retailers to the wall. Continue reading...
Fears the unit will enforce public order laws limiting women’s rights and freedoms amid crackdown since military coupHuman rights campaigners in Sudan fear the launch of a new police squad will herald the return of “morality policing” in the country.The government has announced the creation of the community police unit to “reaffirm the relationships between people and the police” and ensure security. Continue reading...
Nice guidelines advising against antibiotic use for those at risk of infective endocarditis should be reviewed, researchers sayDentists in the UK should be encouraged to give antibiotics to patients at high risk of life-threatening heart infection before invasive procedures, a study has found.Research suggests bacteria from the mouth entering the bloodstream during dental treatment could explain 30% to 40% of infective endocarditis cases. The rare but life-threatening condition occurs when the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves become infected. Continue reading...
The competition between swimming powerhouses Australia and the US returned to Sydney after a 15-year absence with a new twist“Iconic” was the word of the day. As Australian and American swim stars gathered at Bondi Icebergs to observe the opening event of the three-day Duel in the Pool – an open water relay – adjectives flowed freely. It was an “iconic” event, said one swimming executive, at the “iconic” Bondi beach. “No more appropriate location than Bondi,” offered the state tourism minister, Ben Franklin. “Iconic.”Sport is prone to hyperbole, but this was probably fair enough. Australia v the United States, the two heavyweight swimming nations, head-to-head. Not at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (that comes this weekend), but at Bondi beach – the spiritual home of Australia’s aquatic culture, the nation’s very own swimming mecca. Not a duel in the pool but a battle from one end of Bondi beach to the other and back, and then out and back again – “four by almost 800 metres,” one event organiser quipped, noting the difficulties of setting up an exact “course” in the middle of the ocean. Continue reading...
by Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies on (#62NRA)
Sister of Kim Jong-un insults South Korean president and says it is his ‘great dream’ to get the North to trade away its nuclear weaponsThe powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has angrily rejected North Korea’s offer of economic assistance in return for denuclearisation as the “height of absurdity” and dismissed the possibility of face-to-face talks.The statement comes days after the South Korean president, Yoon Suk-yeol, put forward an “audacious” aid plan that would include food, energy and infrastructure help in return for the North abandoning its nuclear weapons programme. Continue reading...
This will be the first loan from China since the Pacific country switched allegiance from Taiwan in 2019The Solomon Islands government has secured a $66m (A$96m) loan from China to build 161 mobile communication towers, which will be built and supplied by Chinese telco giant Huawei.It is the Pacific country’s first loan from Beijing since it switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China in 2019 and is a significant bilateral development between the two countries, which signed a secretive and controversial security deal earlier this year. Continue reading...
Opposition leader says dissolution, staged to prevent a no-confidence vote against Bob Loughman, will be challenged in courtVanuatu’s president dissolved its parliament on Thursday, the state broadcaster VBTC reported, after an attempt by some politicians to oust the prime minister.The PM, Bob Loughman, had been expected to face a no-confidence motion when parliament next sat after a group of lawmakers in his party said they had sided with the opposition in a bid to remove him. Continue reading...
New president has been approached to provide security for predecessor who fled country amid economic crisisSri Lanka’s ruling party has asked the country’s new president to provide security and other assistance for his predecessor, who fled to south-east Asia last month after protests flared amid a crippling economic crisis.Gotabaya Rajapaksa flew to Singapore last month and quit as Sri Lanka’s president, making way for veteran politician Ranil Wickremesinghe to win a vote in parliament and take the top job. Continue reading...
Users trying to check in for flights were left unable to access proof of their vaccination status for several hours on Thursday nightBritish travellers were left struggling to board flights after the NHS Covid Pass system went down for several hours on Thursday night.Users trying to access proof of their vaccination status via the NHS app and website found that the service was unavailable, with the app telling users: “We are sorry the NHS Covid Pass is currently unavailable. Continue reading...
Letter to Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak calls for action to help households before price cap risesLabour has urged Boris Johnson to recall parliament next week so the government can offer more help to struggling households before the announcement of the new energy price cap.The opposition has written to the prime minister and both Tory leadership candidates warning that it is a “crucial deadline” for government action to tackle soaring energy bills, after inflation topped 10% for the first time in 40 years. Continue reading...
The Greater Vancouver Zoo revealed a pack of grey wolves had escaped after ‘suspicious’ damage to the fence of their enclosureConservation officers in Canada are searching for a runaway wolf three days after a mysterious break-in freed a pack of the predators from a popular zoo.The Greater Vancouver Zoo announced on Tuesday morning it would not open to crowds that day, and later acknowledged that a pack of grey wolves had escaped after “suspicious” damage to the fence of their enclosure. The zoo said the incident was probably the result of “malicious intent”. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker, Pippa Crerar and Tom Ambrose on (#62NCQ)
Denial comes as language toughens on both sides and head of RMT again warns of de facto general strikeDowning Street has denied that ministers are deliberately seeking a political fight with rail unions, as both sides toughened their language further and the head of the RMT warned the impasse could continue “indefinitely”.Just 20% of rail services ran on Thursday, in a sixth day of strike action since June involving the RMT and TSSA unions, with further disruption taking place on Saturday, which is likely to affect trains throughout the weekend. Continue reading...
Greater Manchester force issues new images of man in connection with suspected assault of snatched girlPolice in Greater Manchester have issued fresh photographs of a man they are hunting in connection with a child abduction, while urging parents to be “extra vigilant”.Detectives believe a six-year-old girl was taken by a man into a wooded area and sexually assaulted in Droylsden, four miles east of Manchester city centre, on Wednesday afternoon just after 4pm. Continue reading...
DP World called ‘corporate gangster’ after announcing half-year profits of £600mThe Dubai-based owner of P&O Ferries has been accused of behaving like “corporate gangsters” after celebrating record-breaking profits just months after sacking 800 of its UK based workers without notice.DP World, which is ultimately owned by the Dubai royal family, said in March that firing 786 P&O seafarers and replacing them with much cheaper agency workers was the only way to ensure the “future viability” of the historic ferry business. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#62MQP)
Ex-business secretary Vince Cable says potential integration of FCA, PRA and PSR, formed after financial crisis, poses systemic risksFormer business secretary Vince Cable has criticised Liz Truss, warning that plans mooted by her campaign team to merge the City’s top regulators would be “dangerous.”His comments came after the frontrunner in the Conservative leadership race was said to be preparing for a sweeping review of the financial regulators’ responsibilities if she succeeds in beating rival Rishi Sunak Continue reading...
Timati and co-owner Anton Pinskiy have rebranded it as Stars Coffee after buying the rights to the chainA pro-Putin rapper has reopened the chain of coffee shops formerly owned by Starbucks under a new name, Stars Coffee, the latest high-profile rebranding of a major western chain after an unprecedented corporate exodus from Russia.On Thursday, the rapper Timati and restaurateur Anton Pinskiy, the duo that acquired the rights to the chain in Russia, attended the opening of the first of the 130 cafes previously owned by Starbucks. During the opening in central Moscow, the pair also revealed the chain’s new logo, which replaces Starbucks’s iconic siren with a woman wearing the traditional Russian kokoshnik headdress, but is otherwise fairly similar. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England correspondent on (#62N7P)
Former footballer testifies that Kate Greville was ‘happy’ when he turned up unannounced at her gymRyan Giggs has told a court his ex-girlfriend was “happy” when he sent her repeated messages and turned up unannounced at her gym upon their relationship breaking down.The former Manchester United and Wales footballer said that Kate Greville was “happy that I fought for us and that I persisted” when he pursued her after a fallout. Continue reading...
Loss-making TV channel loses major investor as it faces competition from Rupert Murdoch’s TalkTVUS media group Warner Bros Discovery is to sell its stake in GB News, in a shake-up which has seen the loss-making television channel’s co-founders sell-up and resign as directors, and the remaining backers step forward with a further £60m in cash.The fledgling news channel, which originally said its first £60m fund raising last January would last three years, has tapped Legatum Ventures and hedge fund boss Paul Marshall for more funds after just 18 months. Continue reading...
Beijing says its participation in Vostok exercises ‘unrelated’ to current events and part of ongoing cooperation with MoscowChinese troops will travel to Russia for large military exercises amid heightened tensions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.The joint exercises in Russia’s far east, which will include India, Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan and other countries, are held every four years. But the week-long manoeuvres will be presented by Russia as a symbol of international support despite sanctions and other efforts to isolate the country due to its war with Ukraine. Continue reading...
‘Fearful’ presenter calls for justice system overhaul after neighbour Jonathan Barrett sentenced to community serviceThe television news presenter Isla Traquair has called for the way the justice system handles stalking cases to be overhauled after a neighbour’s harassment forced her to fear for her safety and flee her country home.Traquair had nightmares and panic attacks after being stalked by Jonathan Barrett, who stared into her bedroom window, stood on her wall to watch her and on one occasion suddenly appeared in her Wiltshire home to offer her a sandwich. Continue reading...
Although country reportedly does not have enough stocks of new jab, older vaccines still provide good protectionThe NHS is to start rolling out a new dual-variant Covid-19 vaccine in the first full week of September as part of the autumn booster programme.NHS England said care home residents and people who are housebound would be among the first to be vaccinated as the booster programme begins on 5 September. A wider rollout is due to start on 12 September. Continue reading...
Former student leader among 29 pro-democracy activists entering same plea on subversion charges after more than a year in jailJoshua Wong and a group of 28 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists charged under a controversial national security law have entered guilty pleas, in the largest joint prosecution in the territory in recent years.A total of 47 defendants, aged 23 to 64, were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the sweeping national security law. They were detained in 2021 over their involvement in an unofficial primary election in 2020 that authorities said was a plot to paralyse Hong Kong’s government. At the time, the primary showed strong support for candidates willing to challenge the Beijing-backed local government. Continue reading...
Police believe Davies could still be travelling regularly in south London in a vulnerable state and may attempt to speak to other women who are travelling aloneA nurse who disappeared six weeks ago could still be frequently travelling by train in south London, appearing dazed and confused, police have said.Concerns are growing for the safety of Owami Davies, 24, who has not been seen since shortly after midnight on 7 July, walking on London Road in Croydon.Contact the police on 020 8721 4622 with information or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online. Continue reading...
Three men arrested after bodies including those of children discovered during raid of building in Benin CityPolice in Nigeria have discovered 20 mummified bodies including those of children in a building in Benin City, in a case that has shocked the country.Three suspects were arrested during the raid in southern Nigeria, Jennifer Iwegbu, a police spokesperson said in a statement late Wednesday. Armed police officers raided the building in Benin City, the capital of Edo state, acting on intelligence that it was a “suspected ritual shrine”, she said. Continue reading...
Six arrested but ringleader still at large after fraudsters in Bihar charged money to locals and paid others to work thereAn Indian gang operated a fake police station from a hotel for eight months where they dressed up as officers and are believed to have extorted money from hundreds of people, an official has said.Incidents of fraudsters pretending to be police or soldiers are common in India, where there is widespread fear of and respect for those in uniform, but setting up a bogus police station takes the scams up a level. Continue reading...
Hundreds forced to flee homes and at least 200 injured as firefighters battle string of blazes in El Tarf provinceAlgerian firefighters were on Thursday battling a string of blazes, fanned by drought and a blistering heatwave, that have killed at least 38 people and left destruction in their wake.Deadly forest fires have become an annual scourge in the north African country, where the climate crisis is turning large areas into a tinderbox. Continue reading...
Property confiscated in move decried as ‘appalling attack’ on Palestinian civil society in occupied West BankIsraeli forces have raided the offices of six Palestinian human rights groups in the occupied West Bank that it previously accused of being terrorist organisations, a move decried as an “appalling attack” on Palestinian civil society.Property belonging to the prominent advocacy groups was confiscated and entrance doors sealed by soldiers in the early hours of Thursday. Continue reading...
Video leaked of country’s youngest ever leader, 36, dancing exuberantly and drinking with friendsLeaked video of Sanna Marin dancing exuberantly has sparked controversy in Finland, with critics of the 36-year-old prime minister accusing her of inappropriate behaviour and supporters praising her style and defending her right to party.The video, first published by the tabloid Iltalehti and compiled from several since-deleted Instagram clips, shows Finland’s youngest ever leader dancing enthusiastically and drinking with friends, apparently in a private apartment. Continue reading...
Manchester City defender accused of raping woman in his bedroom before making boast in October 2020The Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy told one of his alleged victims he had slept with 10,000 women, his rape trial has heard.The 28-year-old Frenchman made the boast to a woman after raping her in his bedroom, having confiscated her phone at his Cheshire mansion, Chester crown court heard on Thursday. Continue reading...
No one has claimed responsibility for explosion and Afghan authorities have not publicly assigned blameA blast that tore through a Kabul mosque during evening prayers on Wednesday killed 21 people, police said, as the United Nations expressed concern over a growing number of civilian casualties from explosions.The police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said another 33 people had been injured in the blast, which witnesses said shattered the windows of buildings near the mosque in a northern Kabul neighbourhood. Continue reading...
Arrests relate to human remains believed to be missing Vietnamese men found in Bismark House MillTwo people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and other offences after the discovery of human remains believed to be four missing Vietnamese men in a burned-out mill in Oldham last month.The arrests were made by officers from Greater Manchester police (GMP) on Thursday morning after two properties were raided. Continue reading...
A state-backed ‘deficit tariff scheme’ supported by banks would freeze energy bills at their current rateThe energy industry has united behind a plan to set up a crisis fund that could prevent bills from soaring next year and provide a lifeline for households struggling with the cost of living.Energy UK, the trade body for the sector, has written to the chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, to back calls for a “deficit tariff scheme” to be established as a long-term solution to the energy crisis. Continue reading...
With only 20% of trains running due to strikes, head of RMT urges ministers to intervene in talksRail passengers have faced another day of disruption, with the union leader Mick Lynch warning the dispute could go on “indefinitely” unless ministers intervene in talks.Only 20% of train services were running on Thursday due to strike action across Great Britain that involved more than 45,000 rail workers, who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) and TSSA unions. Continue reading...
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says world ignoring disaster being inflicted on 6 million people by Ethiopian governmentThe head of the World Health Organization has returned to his suggestion that racism may be driving the lack of international interest in the ongoing war in Ethiopia.Civil war broke out in November 2020 and has pitted Tigrayan forces against federal Ethiopian forces, also drawing in Eritrean troops, in fighting that has triggered a serious humanitarian crisis. Continue reading...
Mock-up XTC store in the centre of Utrecht demonstrates how drug might be sold if regulations changeFor campaigners advocating drug liberalisation, it is an image that is almost too good to be true: a store down a cobbled street in Utrecht legally selling ecstasy or MDMA for recreational use, apparently as easily as the jeweller is selling watches next door.The XTC shop in the centre of the Netherlands’ fourth largest city has even been visited in recent days by a government minister, who was pictured examining its bubblegum-style vending machines and in-house educational videos. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Political correspondent on (#62MXC)
Former chancellor talks about preference for breakfast wrap, which went off menu in 2020Rishi Sunak’s habit of slightly awkward interactions with the everyday world has continued after he talked of enjoying McDonald’s breakfast wraps – an item that disappeared from the fast food chain’s UK menu nearly two-and-a-half years ago.The former chancellor was speaking to ITV’s This Morning programme a day after he was photographed at a branch of McDonald’s, where again he appeared to struggle slightly to make a contactless card payment. Continue reading...
Daksh Giri was wedged on father’s scooter when stray razor-sharp kite string wrapped around his neckA six-year-old boy has died after his throat was cut by a stray kite string as he rode on a scooter with his father in Ludhiana, north India.Daksh Giri was standing on the scooter on Tuesday, wedged between the steering wheel and his father, when they drove into a lethally sharp plastic kite string coated with powdered glass. The string became entangled around his neck, slitting his throat open. Daksh died later in hospital. Continue reading...
Indian activists condemn Gujarat government for freeing men serving life sentences for murder and rapeA Muslim woman who was gang-raped by a Hindu mob, which also murdered her three-year-old daughter and 13 other members of her family, has spoken of her incredulity at the release of the 11 men jailed for the crimes.The men were released on Monday by the Gujarat government after serving 14 years of their life sentence. Under Indian law, after 14 years, some prisoners can be released on remission provided they fulfil certain criteria relating to their age and conduct. Continue reading...
Jake Freeman, 20, amassed large stake in ailing US homeware retailer before its share price soaredA 20-year-old US university student has made a $110m (£91m) profit with a one-month bet on the meme stock Bed Bath & Beyond.Jake Freeman and his family bought almost 5m shares in the struggling US homeware retailer at less than $5.50 a share in July for a total outlay of about $25m. Continue reading...
Firefighters’ spokesperson Eric Brocardi has said those refusing jab should remain suspended from jobA French fire service official says he has received death threats and harassment after calling for firefighters who have refused the Covid vaccine to remain suspended.France’s interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, condemned the alleged social media threats against Eric Brocardi, who has reported them to police. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#62MV9)
Analysis: Key statistics on drop in top grades, favourite subjects and gender differencesKey statistics about this year’s results:The proportion of candidates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receiving top grades went down from last year with 36.4% of entries awarded an A or A*, down from 44.8% in 2021, but higher than in 2019 when it was 25.4%, the last time exams were sat.About one in seven entries (14.6%) were awarded an A*, down from nearly one in five in 2021 (19.1%), but higher than the 2019 figure of 7.7%.Female students continue to outperform their male counterparts, but the lead has narrowed. The proportion of girls with an A or higher was 37.4% this year, 2.2 percentage points ahead of their male counterparts, down from 4.8 percentage points last year.Mathematics remains the most popular subject, accounting for 11.3% of all entries, though entries dropped 2.1% from 97,690 in 2021 to 95,635. Psychology is the second most popular subject with entries up 10.5% on 2021, followed by biology.The biggest casualty of the changing trends in subject choice is English literature in which there was a 9.4% drop in entries on last year, taking it out of the Top 10 most popular subjects.Languages remain unpopular. Spanish is still the most popular modern foreign language despite a slight decline in entries of 0.6% from 9,139 to 9,088. French entries went down by 5.4% from 8,383 to 7,929 while German entries bucked the trend with a 3.5% increase from a very low base to 2,803.The drop in grades was expected after the exams regulator laid out plans to gradually rein in grade inflation, taking results back to a middle point between 2021 and pre-pandemic results in 2019, when results were last taken.There is huge regional variation in results. London and the south-east of England have the highest proportion of students with top grades, with almost two in five students getting an A* or A. The north-east of England has recorded the lowest proportion of students getting a top rate grade (30.8%) and the lowest increase when compared with 2019.Nearly 426,000 students have had university places confirmed – down 2% at the same point last year, according to the university admissions service, Ucas, but 20,360 students who applied to go to university did not get a place.About 200,000 students received their level 3 BTec results on Thursday, with grades ranging from starred distinction to a pass. The first ever cohort of T-level students also received their results. T-levels are the government’s new technical and vocational qualifications, introduced in 2020. Out of 1,000 T-level candidates, 92.2% got a pass or above and 370 – 71% of those who applied –have been placed on to a university course. Continue reading...
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