World news | The Guardian

The huge increase in students needed to fill medical training places, and supplying the staff to teach them, may not be feasibleA once in a generation" NHS recruitment plan requiring an extra 50,000 clinical training places in less than a decade risks being derailed by difficulties in finding enough applicants and a shrinking number of staff to teach them.A new analysis seen by the Observer reveals the sheer scale of the proposed increase in NHS staff implied by the government's long-awaited workforce plan, unveiled at the start of the summer and given a broad welcome across the NHS. Continue reading...

Killing of Fernando Villavicencio ahead of elections comes as country struggles with surge in drug-related violenceMillions of Ecuadorians will have seen the phone camera footage showing the last seconds before presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed, shot through the windows of a white pickup truck after being escorted by unarmed policemen who were helpless to save him.The images that followed showed panic and chaos as the burst of gunfire sent screaming supporters to the ground. Another clip filmed inside the campaign meeting, which Villavicencio had just left, showed panicked followers fleeing or ducking for cover and bloodstains on the tiled floor. Continue reading...

Andy Street, seen as most powerful Conservative outside London, vows to fight party's retreat from climate pledgesThe most powerful Conservative outside London has warned he will not hesitate to stand up to the party should it attempt to retreat from its pledge to tackle the climate crisis.There are already serious concerns that Rishi Sunak and his advisers are using green policies as a political dividing line with Labour in an attempt to revive the party's fortunes. The prime minister recently backed maxing out" oil and gas reserves, while cabinet minister Michael Gove said net zero should not become a religious crusade". Tory MPs have also demanded a delay to the ban on petrol car sales by 2030. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed.

An official investigation of claims that many more people than previously thought died during Nazi control of the Channel Island has pleased some, but dismayed othersTheir foreboding entrance smothered in ivy, the tunnels gouged out of sheer rock beside Water Lane on the island of Alderney have long terrified generations of the island's children.For decades, though, it seemed that was as far as the notoriety of the dank tunnels on the outskirts of St Anne, the capital of the tiny Channel Island, would extend. Continue reading...

Emergency services recommend people with asthma and breathing ailments stay inside as reported hazard reduction burn gets out of control

Moderate Tories fear the party's attack on human rights will alienate many voters and damage the UK's global standingThe Conservatives risk being seen once again as the nasty party" by trying to win votes with a divisive attack on human rights, senior party figures have warned.Rishi Sunak is under increasing pressure from his party this weekend over his pledge to stop the boats crossing the Channel. It follows another week that ended in Channel deaths after the capsizing of a boat, while the total number of people making the dangerous crossing since 2018 rose above the 100,000 mark. Continue reading...

England's triumph in Sydney means that they will now come face to face with their co-hosts in the World Cup semi finalSporting clashes between Australia and England have provided some of the summer's hottest contests - and now the drama is going to move on to the football pitch.The England team's triumph this weekend in Sydney means that they will now come face to face with their co-hosts Australia on 16 August in the World Cup semi final in front of a huge crowd of frenzied fans. Continue reading...

David Littleproud says his party has real concern' about regional advisory bodies Dutton has promised to put in legislation, but not in the constitution

National party leader says it's easy for the PM to call for a national holiday if Australia win the World Cup, but business would suffer

Fernando Villavicencio fatally shot last week after leaving a campaign event in capital, QuitoThe political party of Ecuador's assassinated presidential hopeful, Fernando Villavicencio, picked its vice-presidential candidate to replace him on Saturday, just a week before the election.Villavicencio's Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced on social media that Andrea Gonzalez was replacing the 59-year-old as its presidential candidate in the 20 August vote. Continue reading...

Blair defends continuing partnership with kingdom despite anxieties' after 2018 assassination of journalistTony Blair's institute has continued to advise and receive money from the government of Saudi Arabia since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, it has emerged.The Sunday Times reported the former prime minister's organisation is involved in a multimillion-pound partnership helping with a modernisation drive in the country led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Continue reading...

Analysts says key figures in new regime were underestimated as elected president remains confined to residenceThe leaders of the military takeover in Niger remained defiant this weekend, apparently confident that disarray among regional opponents, support from other military regimes in neighbouring countries and a wave of popular mobilisation at home will allow them to keep power for the indefinite future.Mohamed Bazoum, the democratically elected president of Niger, remains confined to his official residence in Niamey, the capital, amid faltering international efforts to convince the new rulers of the unstable but strategically important country to return to barracks two weeks after launching a coup. Continue reading...

Several providers are still offering cashbacks as an incentive for people seeking to refinance - but they're unlikely to last long

Deal revives agreement from 20 years ago and will allow intelligence and training support for Peru's air forcePeru announced an air security agreement with the US on Saturday in what the government described as a push to stop planes belonging to drug gangs from entering the South American country's airspace.The deal revives a bilateral security cooperation pact with the US from 20 years ago, according to a government statement, and will permit new intelligence and training support to flow to Peru's air force. Continue reading...

For some in London, defeat to England in the Women's World Cup felt bitter but others were happy to see their team's progressAs the referee blew the final whistle, the Colombian snooker bar in north London erupted in a loud synchronised groan.Some people left the room, others remained seated with their eyes glued to the TV screen as it replayed the final moments. The enthusiastic voices of the Spanish-speaking commentators vibrated through the large speakers, and cheers and applause followed as the Colombian team tearfully left the pitch. Continue reading...

Police-issued laptop, radio and documents stolen from car in Northern Ireland on 6 JulyAbout 200 police officers and staff were not informed about the theft of devices and documents with data potentially affecting them for almost a month, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed.A police-issued laptop, radio and documents were stolen on 6 July from the car which is understood to belong to a superintendent. Continue reading...

Hunt is on for survivors after at least six people die, while activists call for more safe and legal routesThe government's controversial asylum policy faced renewed criticism on Saturday when at least six people died after a small boat crossing the Channel capsized and sank.Another two people are still believed to be missing after the sinking, prompting fresh calls for the government to urgently introduce safe routes for asylum seekers to prevent further tragedies. Continue reading...

Russian defence ministry says 14 Ukrainian drones destroyed by air defences and another six jammed electronically over the occupied peninsula

Officials argue unborn child' may not have rights under US constitution in lawsuit defense over prison guard stillbirthIn defending themselves against a lawsuit, Texas officials have argued that an unborn child" may not have rights under the US constitution, putting them in tension with arguments made by the state's attorney's general's office as well as Republican lawmakers to support restrictions to abortion.A guard at the state prison in the community of Abilene filed the lawsuit in question after she asserted that her superiors barred her from going to the hospital while she experienced intense labor pains and what she suspected were contractions while seven months pregnant and on duty. Continue reading...

Lack of safe passage described as moral disgrace' as helpers say legal routes would end dangerous crossingsCalls are mounting in the UK and France for the introduction of safe routes for refugees crossing the Channel after a French organisation said it had received multiple distress calls from people making the crossing in recent days.At least six people lost their lives early on Saturday trying to cross the Channel in a small boat and the organisation issued warnings that more lives would be lost in future unless there were significant government policy changes. Continue reading...

Fate of Black Country pub could serve as catalyst for campaigns to preserve a flawed but colourful pastWhen Paul Turner started an online petition calling for his local pub in the Staffordshire village of Himley to be saved after it was sold to new owners, he was expecting only a few hundred signatures. Then the Crooked House pub burned down, making headlines around the world.I expected it to be just a few names, but we're approaching 16,000 signatures now," said Turner. It has turned into something completely different. The amount of support we've had has been unbelievable." Continue reading...

Events marred by violence in Sweden, Canada and the US were billed as cultural, but activists say they are militaristic and full of hate speechAfter opponents of the Eritrean government stormed a festival in Stockholm that was allegedly promoting the east African country's regime earlier this month, setting light to cars and throwing stones, the Swedish government tried to distance itself from it all. The justice minister, Gunnar Strommer, said it was not reasonable for Sweden to be drawn into other countries' domestic conflicts".But in the sunlit cafeteria of a community space in Kista, a few miles from the festival site in Jarvafaltet, a wooded area north of the Swedish capital, Abdulkader Habib disagreed. Opposition to Eritrea's dictator, Isaias Afwerki, was not an Eritrean problem: this is a big international problem," he said. Continue reading...

Met Office predicts that after a brief period of wet weather, temperatures across the UK will be significantly higher by FridayTropical air could make parts of the UK hotter than California at the end of next week with temperatures forecast to possibly rise above 30C, but only after heavy rain lashes the country.High pressure expected to build from the middle of the week means temperatures in south-east England could reach 32C on Friday, according to the Met Office - higher than the 26C predicted for Los Angeles. Continue reading...

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to navigate economic and political turmoil after Imran Khan convictionA little-known senator from Pakistan's least populous province has been announced as caretaker prime minister to see the country through to the next election, the leader of the opposition said.The Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and opposition leader, Raja Riaz, agreed on Saturday to name senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar as caretaker premier. Continue reading...

Negotiating committee of Writers Guild of America says it is evaluating offer in substantial step forwardHollywood TV and film writers represented by the Writers Guild of America are evaluating a counterproposal from studios that would end their ongoing strike of more than 100 days, marking a substantial step forward in negotiations.Your Negotiating Committee received a counterproposal from the AMPTP today," the guild's negotiating committee said in a statement referring to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. We will evaluate their offer and, after deliberation, go back to them with the WGA's response next week. Continue reading...

Search and rescue operation ongoing after dozens of boats tried to cross from France at same time, according to mayorAt least six people have died and more than 50 have been rescued after a boat trying to cross the Channel from France capsized, according to French authorities.Franck Dhersin, the mayor of Teteghem, near Dunkirk, said a vast rescue operation was launched at about 6am (5am BST) as dozens of boats tried to make the crossing at the same time. Continue reading...

The disappearance of a statue of the comic book artist in his Belgian birthplace was thought to be an act of decolonisationIt would have been a suitable assignment for Tintin, the intrepid Belgian boy reporter and his multi-talented, intuitive dog, Snowy.Across Brussels, where Herge, the creator of the eponymous comic books, was born, there are constant reminders of one of its most famous exports. A giant image of the character clinging to the back of a steam train from the book Tintin in America adorns one of the exits from the city's Eurostar station, while a mural of Tintin, his seafaring friend Captain Haddock and Snowy covers the gable end of a house just over a mile away, surviving graffiti and vandalism. Continue reading...

Thirteen people rescued after Europe-bound vessel sank near city of Gabes, says coastguardAt least two Tunisians including a baby died when their Europe-bound boat sank off the north African country's south-eastern shores, the coastguard said, adding five others were missing.The vessel carrying 20 Tunisians went down at 2am 120 metres (395ft) from the beach in Gabes, a statement said, as search operations continue. Continue reading...

Labour writes to immigration minister while David Davis derides startling incompetence' of Home OfficeThe shadow immigration minister, Stephen Kinnock, has written to the Home Office demanding to know what the department knew about the risk of legionella bacteria being present on the Bibby Stockholm before moving people on to the barge.Thirty-nine people were removed from the Bibby Stockholm in Portland, Dorset, on Friday, after the potentially deadly bacteria was detected in the barge's water system. Continue reading...

As breaking prepares for Olympic debut in Paris next summer, British B-Boys and B-Girls gather in LondonIs it an art form or a sport? Are they dancers or athletes?Either way, almost exactly a year to the day before breaking makes its debut as the newest Olympic sport, competitors will gather in London this weekend to battle for the title of UK champion. Continue reading...

Some broadband consumers still cannot access messages or old emails have yet to be restoredCan you imagine being told that you can't access your emails for the next three weeks? No access to work or family messages, your expensive holiday booking, or the tickets to a gig that were emailed over. What would you do?That is the situation a number of Virgin Media customers say they have found themselves in this summer, and it has left some so furious that they are threatening to not renew their broadband contracts. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed.

Governor says it's too early to tell if Maui's emergency siren system failed; Lahaina subject to 10pm-6am curfew and thousands still without power. This blog is now closed

After last year's craze for one-inch inseam' shorts, celebrities are championing a longer length style - and sales are surgingUnlike 2022's one-inch inseam summer", this year thigh coverage is cool.Knee-grazing jean shorts, AKA jorts, have replaced bum-grazing short shorts, with retailers reporting a surge in sales and celebrities such as the models Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber championing the longer length styles. Continue reading...

Attacks keep up pressure on Vladimir Putin, although have become not a big deal' for many unmoved RussiansA new campaign of drone strikes has targeted the Russian capital in recent days as Kyiv has demonstrated its ability to hit Moscow and to keep the Kremlin's war in the hearts and minds of the Russian elites and others seeking to ignore the invasion of Ukraine.Video on Friday showed a drone slamming into the ground and exploding near a residential area in the north-west of the city, as rowers nearby participated in a national championship in the Krylatskoye district. Continue reading...

Meeting meant to brief leaders about best options' for deploying force to Niger delayed indefinitely for technical reasons'West African nations have suspended a key military meeting on the crisis in Niger, a day after saying they would muster a standby" force in their bid to reinstate the country's deposed leader.Fears also mounted for elected president Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted by members of his guard on 26 July. Continue reading...

Chancellor's younger brother was diagnosed with sarcoma three years agoThe younger brother of the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has died aged 53 after being diagnosed with cancer three years ago.Charlie Hunt discovered he had sarcoma, an aggressive and rare type of cancer that typically begins in the bones or soft tissue, in 2020. Continue reading...

Erin Honeycutt was able to grow record-setting 11.8in beard because she has polycystic ovarian syndromeA Michigander has grown the globe's longest beard on a woman after ditching her routine of shaving three times a day, according to Guinness World Records.Erin Honeycutt, 38, was able to grow the record-setting 11.8in (30cm) beard mainly because she has polycystic ovarian syndrome, Guinness officials said in a news release Wednesday. Continue reading...

Merrick Garland's announcement has failed to satisfy opponents of the president fully determined to uncover wrongdoingThe decision by the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, to appoint a special counsel in the investigation of Hunter Biden has rankled some of the same congressional Republicans who have demanded more scrutiny of the president's son.Republicans might have celebrated Garland's announcement as a vindication of their dogged efforts to uncover wrongdoing in Hunter Biden's overseas business dealings, which have become a central focus of their investigative work since regaining control of the House of Representatives in January. Instead, Republicans voiced doubt that the special counsel appointment would result in a fair investigation, and they took the opportunity to repeat their unfounded claims about Joe Biden's allegedly corrupt financial activities with his son. Continue reading...

Judge Tanya Chutkan rules ex-president free to share non-sensitive materials' but rejected majority of his other requestsThe federal judge presiding over Donald Trump's 2020 election subversion case on Friday warned inflammatory remarks from the former president would push her to schedule the trial sooner, saying she would take every step to safeguard the integrity of proceedings and to avoid tainting the potential jury pool.The admonition came as the US district court judge Tanya Chutkan ruled on Trump's requests to have fewer restrictions in a protective order that will govern what evidence turned over to his lawyers in the discovery process the former president could share publicly. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president describes taking of cash from people who want to avoid conscription as form of treachery

Asylum seekers removed from Bibby Stockholm after bacteria which can cause serious lung infection found in water

Dominic Grieve and Edward Garnier denounce lefty lawyer' rhetoric as dossier target fears abuse will turn physicalTwo former Conservative law officers have criticised the political rhetoric against lefty lawyers" as damaging and wrong as the head of the Law Society warned it could lead to physical attacks on immigration solicitors.Dominic Grieve, a former attorney general, and Edward Garnier, a Conservative peer and former solicitor general, said lawyers should not be attacked for doing their jobs, regardless of who they represent or their personal views. Continue reading...

One missile strike was destroyed but probability of airstrikes remains high, says general staff of Ukraine's armed forces

Exclusive: BMA council chair says medics will have no option but to stage more industrial action until ministers make credible offer'Rishi Sunak's increasingly intransigent" and belligerent" stance on medics' pay is blocking the path to ending the industrial action in the NHS, leaving no option but to strike until the next general election, one of Britain's top doctors has warned.Speaking to the Guardian on Friday after junior doctors launched a fifth round of industrial action, Prof Philip Banfield, the chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said the union was standing firm and that doctors would continue to hold stoppages until they received a credible offer". Continue reading...

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...