World news | The Guardian

National broadcaster embroiled in a real-life drama over clandestine payments to its star presenterIt has become Ireland's top-rated show - a tale of celebrity, secrets and lies that has entranced the public and dominated the airwaves. Some reckon it is the most gripping drama ever produced by RTE.Unfortunately for the national broadcaster, it is an all too real scandal over clandestine payments that has engulfed its star presenter and senior managers and planted a question mark over RTE's future. Continue reading...

Nationwide ban on bus and tram services follows violence triggered by the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old on Tuesday. This blog is now closed

The Wagner mutiny has damaged the Russian president's standing but close watchers of the Kremlin believe he is biding his time before respondingFour days after Vladimir Putin faced the most serious challenge to his 23-year leadership, the Russian president called in the country's top media figures for a briefing in the Kremlin.The panic of last weekend, as the troops of renegade warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin seemed set to march into Moscow, was still fresh in people's minds. Putin, who had disappeared from public view for nearly two days as the crisis came to a head, was now holding meetings with various key players, including the editors of loyal media outlets, to project an image of calm control. Continue reading...

Director of Yes23 says support is growing within communities and the movement has the right message to win referendum

Ukraine's counteroffensive hobbled by a lack of firepower, says military chief; Belarus president says Russian nuclear weapons in his country will not be used

Ex-producer had also accused network's lawyers of pressuring her to make misleading statements in Dominion Voting Systems caseFox Corporation has settled for $12m a lawsuit by the former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg, who had made claims of gender discrimination.She also accused the network's lawyers of pressuring her to make misleading statements in the Dominion Voting Systems case, her lawyer Tanvir Rahman said on Friday. Continue reading...

The Sun will have to print a front-page statement explaining that its columnist was found to have discriminated against the duchessJeremy Clarkson discriminated against the Duchess of Sussex when he used an article in the Sun to describe his hatred" of her with a series of sexist tropes, a press regulator has ruled.Clarkson used his national newspaper column to describe how he hated Meghan on a cellular level" and suggested she had used vivid bedroom promises" to transform Prince Harry into a warrior of woke". Continue reading...

East coast cities under air quality alerts while southern states grapple with record-breaking deadly heatwaveHere are some pictures coming across the newswires of the heatwave in Texas:The National Weather Service has issued a fireworks warning as the country heads into next week and Independence Day with record-breaking temperatures across the country.In addition to the increasing temperatures, fire danger will also be increasing as we head into next week and Independence Day. Please be safe with fireworks and review any and all burn bans in your area," it said. Continue reading...

Health bosses will welcome tens of thousands of new recruits, but the plan has little to say on how to change the culture to keep themIt was on 8 November 2017 that Jeremy Hunt, the then health secretary, first promised that the government would bring forward a long-term, comprehensive plan to end the NHS's lack of staff.It would, he said, be the first proper NHS workforce plan that we have had since 2000". And the plan would emerge quickly, he added, reflecting the urgency of tackling what has become the most debilitating of the NHS's many problems - shortages of staff, everywhere. Continue reading...

45,000 police officers deployed as cities across country ban public demonstrations and limit transport French riots - latest updatesFrance's interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, has said the coming hours will be decisive" as violence triggered by the fatal police shooting of a teenager during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb flared for a fourth consecutive night.Darmanin said on TF1 television that 45,000 police officers, including special forces, would be deployed across France on Friday night, adding: Entirely legitimate emotions can in no circumstances justify disorder and delinquency." Continue reading...

Court turns away case on law implemented over a century ago with explicit goal of preventing Black people from votingThe US supreme court turned away a case on Friday challenging Mississippi's rules around voting rights for people with felony convictions, leaving intact a policy implemented more than a century ago with the explicit goal of preventing Black people from voting.Those convicted of any one of 23 specific felonies in Mississippi permanently lose the right to vote. The list is rooted in the state's 1890 constitutional convention, where delegates chose disenfranchising crimes that they believed Black people were more likely to commit. We came here to exclude the negro. Nothing short of this will answer," the president of the convention said at the time. The crimes, which include bribery, theft, carjacking, bigamy and timber larceny, have remained largely the same since then; Mississippi voters amended it remove burglary in 1950 and added murder and rape in 1968. Continue reading...

Ukraine's military intelligence directorate warns that staff are leaving Zaporizhzhia as Moscow has mined power units; Pope Francis calls for peace

Unions say government proposals to cut training by a year and introduce apprenticeships could dilute skills

Daisy Goodwin expresses disappointment with government response to formal complaint against Tory ex-mayoral hopefulA woman who claimed she was groped by the former Tory mayoral hopeful Daniel Korski when he worked at Downing Street has said she is considering going to the police after the Cabinet Office told her it would not investigate her allegations.Daisy Goodwin, a novelist and TV producer, also criticised the response of Rishi Sunak, who had said through a spokesperson that he would encourage anyone with complaints against former staff members to come forward. Continue reading...

Judge rules police may have exaggerated Edwin Afriyie's aggression but honestly believed' Tasering was necessaryA black youth worker who was Tasered after being pulled over by City of London police has lost a case for damages.Edwin Afriyie, 36, had his arms folded and was standing at a distance from officers when he was Tasered by City of London police after a road traffic stop, body-worn footage showed. Continue reading...

They argue it will breach article 8 rights' despite same legislation being maligned by many ConservativesGovernment lawyers have sought to rely on the European convention of human rights - maligned by many Conservatives - to prevent having to hand over unredacted files to the Covid inquiry.At an unprecedented high court challenge to the demand by the inquiry chair, Lady Heather Hallett, for documents that include the entire WhatsApp history of Boris Johnson and a former No 10 aide, Henry Cook, James Eadie KC argued it would breach article 8 rights". Continue reading...

Attack on transport depot at Aubervilliers, north of Paris, highlights how rioters are targeting public infrastructure

Disclosure made as council tries to stop government resuming placements in hotel from which children disappearedThe Home Office has admitted that an unaccompanied nine-year-old child was placed in an asylum seeker hotel because of shortages of local authority care placements.The disclosure came during an urgent injunction application in the high court from Brighton and Hove city council, which is trying to prevent the Home Office resuming placements in a hotel from which a large number of children had previously disappeared. Some of them are suspected to have ended up with traffickers or people who are exploiting them. Continue reading...

Hollywood actor accused of abusing his power and getting a thrill out of predatory and aggressive behaviour towards the menThe Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey was a sexual bully" who abused the power and influence that his reputation and fame gave him to assault four men, a court has heard.The Hollywood star is accused of getting a sexual thrill out of his predatory and aggressive behaviour towards the men, who had the misfortune" of attracting his attention. Spacey is alleged to have performed a sex act on one man while he was asleep and grabbed others with such force that it was painful or took their breath away. Continue reading...

Former senior civil servant will start work as Labour leader's chief of staff in autumn after watchdog recommendation

Society of Radiographers members reject offer, pushing for deal they say could help cut waiting listsThousands of radiographers in England have voted to go on strike for the first time in the increasingly bitter healthcare pay dispute.The Society of Radiographers (SoR) secured sufficient turnout and votes in 43 NHS trusts to go on strike in a ballot that closed on 28 June. More than 150 trusts had a majority in favour of action but not all met the turnout threshold. Continue reading...

Pavel Fuks, a Ukrainian who made a fortune in Russia and is under investigation for fraud, was granted special visa for the rich in 2012An oligarch who made a fortune in Russia and is under Ukrainian sanctions has UK residency after being granted a special visa for the rich.Pavel Fuks, a Ukrainian national who had sanctions imposed in 2021, is also under criminal investigation for fraud and tax evasion in his home country. But the Guardian has established that Fuks, known as a regular at an exclusive Mayfair restaurant, was granted a so-called golden visa in 2012, followed by indefinite leave to remain in the UK in 2017. It's effective as of today," his spokesperson said. Continue reading...

Experts say French approach is chaotic, aggressive, brutal - and police see themselves as under siegeThe fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy of north African descent during a police traffic stop in a Paris suburb, and the three consecutive nights of violence and rioting it has triggered, have once more thrown a spotlight on France's policing structures and methods.The office of the UN high commissioner for human rights (OHCHR) on Friday became the latest international organisation to criticise French policing, saying the shooting was a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and racial discrimination in law enforcement". Continue reading...

Villagers increasingly caught up in army crackdown on Islamist militants, with both sides accused of mass killings of civiliansCivilians in Burkina Faso are being punished by the total war" the government is waging against Islamist militant groups, with both sides accused of war crimes.The military has been accused of targeting the Fulani ethnic group, while jihadists have sought retribution against villagers they believe support the government. Continue reading...

Beyond the Little Black Dress brings together more than 60 looks from collectors and designers around the worldOne is never overdressed or underdressed in a little black dress," designer Karl Lagerfeld once said.Now an exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh sets out to explore just how the little black dress - or LBD - has been immortalised across film and television, appearing as a perennial on the catwalk and being hailed by many women as a wardrobe hero". Continue reading...

Global elite told at London's Savoy hotel of real risk of civil disruption' if more is not done to help struggling millions

Centrica CEO warns against becoming complacent' as gas prices remain more than double level before Ukraine war

Thomas Woldbye will take over from John Holland-Kaye on 1 OctoberHeathrow has appointed Thomas Woldbye, the boss of Copenhagen airport, as the new chief executive of Europe's busiest airport, tasked with repairing relations with airlines and reviving controversial expansion plans.Woldbye, who has run Denmark's main airport for the last 12 years, will start on 1 October, with the outgoing chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, set to see Heathrow through the peak summer holiday travel period. Continue reading...

First Bornean orangutan to be born at the zoo in 20 years as species faces extinction in the wildAn orangutan has been born at Blackpool zoo as part of efforts to save the dwindling species.The new arrival is the first Bornean orangutan to be born at the zoo in 20 years, making him a very special baby", zookeepers said. Continue reading...

Travel startup says it doesn't holiday where people suffer' but offers trek in Darien Gap known for dangerous migration routesWe go where no one goes," is Wandermut's tagline, but one of the German tour agency's packages has left people asking whether some places are better left unexplored.The travel startup's 10-day Panama Jungle Tour has been criticised across Latin America in recent weeks for offering tour packages in a region which is home to one of the world's most dangerous migration routes. Continue reading...

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Nationwide says mortgage crisis likely to exert significant drag' on market activity in coming months

Service blames third-party data supplier for rogue advice affecting News at Ten and online servicesA technical glitch is causing BBC platforms to show users unusually low temperatures for their areas.Outside it may be warming up to the seasonal average, but visitors to BBC services are being told to brace for an autumnal 7C or 8C. Continue reading...

Members of threatened species scientific committee say allowing environmental offsets would undermine the scheme

Deaths of the three Doomadgee residents were caused by complications due to rheumatic heart disease

Jurors in a NSW supreme court in Dubbo found Craig Henry Rumsby guilty on Friday of the 1999 murder

Group has submitted planning application for projects in west and south-east London in face of criticismJohn Lewis has defended a plan to build homes to rent as the group files planning applications for projects in west and south-east London, and prepares to manage tenancies at three sites built by other developers.The John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose supermarkets and a string of department stores, has pledged to build and rent out 10,000 homes as part of bold plans to generate 40% of profits from outside retail by 2030. Continue reading...

NAO report raises concerns about lack of long-term planning after take-up remained flat from 2011 to 2019A public spending watchdog has criticised the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs amid concerns about a lack of long-term planning to tackle waste and boost recycling.A 56-page report, published by the National Audit Office (NAO), found that household recycling rates in England had stalled over the last decade. Continue reading...

Which? calls for stronger legislation, saying no airline has been fined for breaching obligations in 20 yearsAirline passengers in the UK are being let down by toothless regulation, with no airline fined in the last 20 years for breaching obligations, the consumer group Which? has found.It called for urgent legislation to beef up the regulator's powers, contrasting the lack of action in the UK over unpaid refunds or compensation with fines issued in other countries. Continue reading...

Exclusive: inspector overseeing corruption watchdog to conduct inquiry into its delay in making findings against former premier

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she doesn't have a crystal ball', but report points to signs quarantine was about to ease

Robert Malley expects investigation to be resolved favourably and soon' in wake of inquiry reportedly assessing his handling of classified documentsThe US special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, has said his security clearance is being reviewed and he is on leave in the meantime.I have been informed that my security clearance is under review. I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favourably and soon," Malley, a key figure in efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, told Reuters, Axios and CNN on Thursday. In the meantime, I am on leave." Continue reading...

The man's death - after falling off the vehicle and hitting his head - is one of a growing number of e-scooter fatalities around Australia

Police fire teargas at rioters as 6,000 march through Nanterre to protest against shooting of 17-year-oldViolence has erupted for a third consecutive night in France as Emmanuel Macron struggles to contain mounting anger after the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old boy of north African descent during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb.The officer concerned was charged with voluntary homicide on Thursday and placed in provisional detention in the capital as an estimated 6,000 people marched through the streets of Nanterre in memory of the teenager, identified as Nahel M. Continue reading...

Anne Hollonds says staff shortage no excuse for disciplinary confinement practice that is never acceptable, for any length of time'

Survey of 3,000 fans found vast majority supported a ban, and many think the government's phased approach is too slow

Wagner forces won't fight in Ukraine any longer after Prigozhin refuses to sign ministry contract; Kremlin silent on whereabouts of Gen Sergei Surovikin after mercenary group's rebellion

People struggling in the swelter was a common sight, especially after day-long outdoor prayers at Mount ArafatMore than 2,000 people suffered heat stress during the hajj pilgrimage, Saudi officials said on Thursday, after temperatures soared to 48C (118F).Over 1.8 million Muslim worshippers performed the days-long hajj, mostly held outdoors at the height of the Saudi desert summer. Many elderly were among the pilgrims after a Covid-era maximum age limit was scrapped. Continue reading...

Rapper, promoter Live Nation and others had been investigated after 10 died and thousands were injured at Astroworld in 2021A Texas grand jury has declined to indict rap superstar Travis Scott in a criminal investigation of a deadly crowd surge at the 2021 Astroworld festival, his attorney said on Thursday.Lawyer Kent Schaffer confirmed that the Harris County grand jury had met and decided not to indict his client on any criminal charges stemming from the concert. Schaffer said he was not sure what charges the panel had considered. Continue reading...

Geoscience Australia said the earthquake struck at 1.32am on Friday near Rawson, a small town around 150km east of Melbourne