World news | The Guardian

Teachers have to fill in social worker gaps while postal workers report being physically exhausted after having to walk miles with heavy bags at speed

Law would weaken right to force app-based firms to explain automated decisions, says research groupProtections for gig economy workers will be watered down should ministers succeed in pushing a controversial bill through parliament, experts have said.The new law would weaken a relatively little-known right to force app-based firms to explain themselves when they make automated decisions, known as management by algorithm", before many workers had even realised they had it, they said. Continue reading...

Aid Access ships medication abortion to all 50 states under the protection provided to clinicians serving patients in banned statesDr Linda Prine is providing abortion access to people in all 50 states, even those that have banned it. That might seem like an admission to be discreet about in post-Roe America, but Prine and her colleagues at Aid Access, a telemedicine abortion service, are doing it openly and in a way they believe is on firm legal ground.On 14 July, Aid Access announced that over the past month, a team of seven doctors, midwives and nurse practitioners have mailed medication abortion to 3,500 people under the protection of shield laws", which protect clinicians who serve patients in states where providing abortion is illegal. As soon as she learned about shield laws, Prine knew it represented an opportunity to go on the offensive, for those bold enough to try it. Continue reading...

Ukrainian authorities say children among 22 injured in new wave of attacks on Black Sea port city

Exclusive: Payments underline absurdity of counting British accommodation as aid, say critics, and cost of application backlogHundreds of millions of pounds in British aid spending is returning to the Treasury each year in tax, thanks to the spiralling cost of housing asylum seekers in UK hotels.The government says it is paying VAT on its bills for hotels to accommodate asylum seekers, while also classifying such spending towards its overseas development spending target. Continue reading...

A species almost wiped out by tree snakes is being returned to the wild and, eventually, to its Pacific island homeAs arks go, the shipping container that has been placed inside Sedgwick County Zoo, in Wichita, Kansas, looks an unlikely vehicle for saving species.Nevertheless, work there is expected to play a key role in undoing one of the world's worst conservation disasters: the accidental introduction of brown tree snakes to the Pacific island of Guam. The snakes' arrival, at the end of the second world war, eventually wiped out huge numbers of indigenous birds, mammals, and lizards including the Guam kingfisher, the Guam rail, and the Guam flycatcher. Continue reading...

Bookseller removes anti-Muslim document by extremist who killed 77 people in Norway, after discovery by investigatorsThe notorious manifesto of far-right terrorist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway's worst peacetime atrocity, was listed for sale by Britain's biggest book chain, Waterstones.Investigators found Breivik's manifesto on the website last Wednesday before it was removed after the bookseller was informed. Continue reading...

Indigenous leader says referendum will be won if yes campaign can find the better angels' in Australian community

Victoria recorded the biggest increase in road deaths in the last year, followed by NSW

Ban on US stars promoting their new movies will force producers to use more homegrown guestsBritish chatshows are set to feature more homegrown stars in the wake of the US actors' strike that has halted filming on Hollywood blockbusters and TV dramas.Producers on some of TV's biggest talk and daily magazine shows face a headache as actors follow in the footsteps of the cast of Oppenheimer, who walked out of its premiere when the strike began earlier this month. Continue reading...

Staff working for the London borough claim inexperienced recruits are encouraged to put people off seeking council helpAn east London council has left homeless families living in hotels for six months because its housing service is near collapse", according to a number of staff members who work there.The Observer understands from multiple employees that Tower Hamlets council employs inadequately trained staff to work in the department, and that these workers have been issued with scripts to use on the phone to try to put homeless people off seeking council help. Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister vows to push ahead with controversial reforms despite procedure and even as tens of thousands protest against themIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been fitted with a pacemaker, after being rushed to hospital hours ahead of a key vote on his controversial judicial reforms.His doctors said the operation had gone well. The implant went smoothly without any complications. He is not in a life-threatening condition and he feels great and is returning to his daily routine," said Roy Beinart, who manages the arrhythmia centre at Sheba Medical Center, early Sunday. Continue reading...

Lib Dem leader says people lending their votes to rival parties could shut the door on Conservatives at Westminster for years to comeThe Tories could be locked out of power for a generation if supporters of other parties vote tactically at the next general election, the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, says on Sunday, after his party chalked up another stunning West Country byelection victory.A massive 29% swing to the Lib Dems saw Sarah Dyke take the Somerton and Frome seat, overturning a Conservative majority of more than 19,200. Davey's party now has a comfortable 11,000 majority of its own, the largest it has ever had over the Tories in the constituency. Continue reading...

A bureaucratic, peacetime approach to training and stockpiling among Zelenskiy's allies is posing a threat to European securityFor two months Ukrainian forces have been endeavouring to fight their way through densely fortified Russian positions to breach the so-called Surovikin line in an attempt to liberate their territory. Fighting has been exceedingly hard, with heavy losses of equipment and personnel on both sides. Irrespective of how much progress is made over the coming months, Ukraine's international partners need to focus their assistance on preparing Ukrainian armed forces for the next fight.It is important to understand the challenge the Ukrainians are trying to overcome. Russian troops are fighting from successive layers of concrete-hardened positions, each behind 120-500 metres of complex minefields. They are backed up by significant artillery and attack helicopter support and protected by dense electronic warfare and air defences. Although Ukrainian troops tend to win when they get into close combat with the Russians, getting there without taking unsustainable losses is not always possible. Continue reading...

Polls suggest conservative PP will need the support of far-right Vox party to form a governmentSpaniards are heading to the polls to vote in a bitterly contested general election that could see the far right play a key role in government for the first time since the country returned to democracy after General Franco's death five decades ago.The vote, called two months ago by Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, after his Spanish Socialist Workers party (PSOE) suffered a drubbing in May's regional and municipal elections, offers people a stark choice between the left and right blocs. Continue reading...

Magpies CEO Craig Kelly said abhorrent and disgusting' racist remarks were directed towards Willie Rioli

Ukrainian drone attack on ammunition depot in Crimea prompts evacuation, bridge closure; Putin and Lukashenko set to meet in St Petersburg

Long-time ruler, who has ruthlessly oppressed critics, has indicated he will soon hand power to his sonCambodians have begun voting in a one-sided general election in which the country's strongman leader will run virtually uncontested.It's expected that Hun Sen, 70, who has ruled the country for almost four decades, will claim a landslide victory in Sunday's vote. The country's main opposition party, the Candlelight Party, was banned from running after it was accused of not providing the right paperwork. Continue reading...

Substantial downpours expected to affect the Ashes in Manchester and the Open in MerseysideA yellow rain warning has been issued for Sunday across most of northern England and Wales, with travel disruption possible and major outdoor events affected, including the fourth Ashes Test in Manchester.The Met Office said the region would widely see 20-30mm of rain, while places over higher ground could see up to 50-70mm as wet weather persists across the weekend. Continue reading...

Three people were found injured in two parked cars, NSW police said, and two are in a critical condition in hospital

Housing secretary's plans aim to address the housing crisis as he says country must make better use' of buildingsMichael Gove is planning to change planning laws to pave the way for more home extensions and conversions of shops into houses in England in efforts to address the housing crisis.As part of plans due to be announced on Monday, the housing secretary said new rules will be drawn up to give greater freedoms to carry out property extensions and to open up lofts. Continue reading...

Fighting increases in border states while junta continues to delay electionsFighting between the Myanmar army and anti-junta rebels has flared up in recent days, with local people in one village saying on Saturday that 14 people were killed in a single raid.Deadly violence has engulfed Myanmar since the military deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in February 2021 and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent that has left thousands dead. Continue reading...

Ten also injured, some with burns, at Vremena Goda mall in western MoscowFour people were killed and 10 injured on Saturday after a hot water pipe burst at a shopping mall in western Moscow, officials said.The city's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said some of those injured had suffered burns and that emergency services were working at the scene. Continue reading...

Twenty-five centimetres of rain fall on Novia Scotia in a day and state of emergency declared, but risk of dam breach recedesThe heaviest rains in more than 40 years badly damaged a city in Canada's Atlantic region on Saturday but authorities are no longer concerned a dam may breach, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said.Police reported that four people were missing, including two children. Continue reading...

Singer's protest kiss with bandmate and criticism of anti-homosexuality law leads to ban and festival cancellationThe English band the 1975 have been banned from performing in Malaysia after their lead singer criticised the country's anti-LGBTQ+ laws on stage.The group, fronted by Matty Healy, were playing at the Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Continue reading...

Majority of workers applying don't expect they will be allowed to stay in Australia but see it as a way to get to stay a bit longer,' union says

Zoo visitors thrilled as mother Jingga shows off five-week-old son, born as part of endangered species breeding programmeA very special" baby orangutan, whose birth could kickstart a new generation of the critically endangered species, has been shown off by his proud mother.The five-week-old, yet to be named, is Blackpool zoo's first Bornean orangutan baby for more than 20 years and has boosted conservation efforts. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer's approval ratings suffer but his party remains far ahead of Conservatives as Westminster summer recess beginsLabour goes into the Westminster summer break with a commanding 17-point lead over the Conservatives, despite a fall in approval ratings for party leader Keir Starmer.The latest Opinium poll for the Observer puts Labour on 42%, down one point since a fortnight ago, while the Tories are down three points to 25%, their poorest showing since the disastrous premiership of Liz Truss. Continue reading...

Britons among those evacuated from hotels and homes as strong winds sweep blaze towards coastMore than 1,000 people were forced to flee homes and hotels on Rhodes after an uncontrolled wildfire swept across the Greek island on Saturday.The fire had been burning for most of the past week but had been confined to the island's mountainous interior until strong winds, high temperatures and dry conditions swept the blaze towards the coast on the island's central-eastern side. Continue reading...

She represented her Cynon Valley constituency in South Wales for 35 years, eventually becoming the oldest woman to sit in the House of CommonsLabour leaders past and present have led the tributes to the long-standing former MP Ann Clwyd after it was announced that she had died at the age of 86.Clwyd represented her Cynon Valley constituency in South Wales for 35 years, eventually becoming the oldest woman to sit in the House of Commons before she stood down at the 2019 election. Clwyd was first elected in a byelection in 1984 and had already served as an MEP for Mid and West Wales for five years in the European parliament. Continue reading...

Benjamin Netanyahu's attempt to free parliament from supreme court legal oversight has led to widespread protestsTens of thousands of Israelis opposed to a judicial overhaul sought by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, marched to Jerusalem on Saturday as pressure mounts on his rightwing government to scrap a bill that would curtail the supreme court's powers.Carrying Israeli flags, a long column of protesters hiked up the winding highway to Jerusalem under a scorching summer sun, to the sounds of beating drums and anti-government chants and cheers. Continue reading...

Indians were shocked when social media exposed a mob abusing minority Kuki women. But similar incidents have been happening with impunity for monthsAs footage emerged last week of two women in the state of Manipur being forcibly stripped, paraded naked, publicly molested and allegedly gang raped, everyone from prime minister Narendra Modi to the chief justice of India publicly expressed their shock and disgust.Breaking his long silence on the conflict that has been raging in Manipur for months, Modi declared that what happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven" and that the entire country has been shamed" by the attack. Continue reading...

Government survey finds that less than 30% of holiday homes are on continent - compared with 40% a decade agoThey used to go wild for villas by the Med and ski chalets in the Alps; now they are forking out for views of the Channel and hilly walks in Shropshire.According to figures released this week by the English Housing Survey, the proportion of English owners of second homes who have properties in Europe has fallen again, with 60% of holiday homes located in the UK rather than outside it. Continue reading...

The actor was taken to hospital in April after a medical complication'Jamie Foxx has spoken publicly for the first time since he was taken to hospital for an unspecified health problem earlier this year.In April, Foxx's family said he had been hospitalised in Atlanta after a medical complication". Continue reading...

Saturday expected to be busiest day for travel this year as millions take to UK's roads, airports and portsHolidaymakers face delays of up to three hours at the Port of Dover as poor weather and train strikes hit Britain's summer getaway.Saturday is predicted to be the year's busiest day for travel after schools in England and Wales broke up for the six-week summer holiday. Abta, the travel association, said more than 2 million UK holidaymakers will head overseas this weekend. Continue reading...

From Suffolk to Sheffield, youngsters inspired by England's Euros triumph sat down before big screens to enjoy the side's World Cup campaignNinety minutes before the Lionesses took to the pitch for their World Cup opener, the under-11s Hadleigh United girls' team kicked off their own tournament - a mini World Cup five-a-side organised by coach Matt French. More than two dozen girls, representing global national teams, showed off their skills to cheering families and friends.After the final whistle, it was time to head to the clubhouse to watch the England women's team play. Continue reading...

With a local dispute swaying voters, the result in Boris Johnson's old seat did not accurately reflect the national mood Read more: Starmer under pressure after Uxbridge as Tories tackle mission impossibleOne out of three ain't bad? A surprise win in Boris Johnson's former seat of Uxbridge gave Conservatives something to cheer on Friday morning as Rishi Sunak narrowly avoided being the first prime minister since Harold Wilson to suffer three byelection defeats on the same day. But with a local dispute swaying Uxbridge voters, the contests in Selby and Somerton may provide a clearer indication of the national mood. The picture they paint is bleak: two heavy defeats for the government to different opponents at opposite ends of England.In the week when Labour leader Keir Starmer took to the stage for the first time with his predecessor Tony Blair, Labour achieved a byelection breakthrough in North Yorkshire worthy of Blair's mid-1990s prime. Selby and Ainsty's 20,000-vote Conservative majority is the largest ever overturned by Labour in a byelection, and the swing to Labour was the second largest recorded. Labour comfortably outperformed its current polling with a swing which would decimate the Conservative benches if replicated in a general election. This was the performance of an opposition on its way back into government. Continue reading...

Russian-installed governor, Sergei Aksyonov, reports explosion at ammunition depot but no casualties

Glasgow crowds root for Greta Gerwig's bubblegum satire over Christopher Nolan's atom bomb sagaCineworld on Glasgow's Renfrew Street might be the tallest cinema building in the world, with 10 floors hosting almost 20 screens, but on Friday evening it felt like only two were really necessary.Dubbed Barbenheimer", the simultaneous opening of the blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer has generated unexpected excitement, thanks in large part to their comedically juxtaposed subject matter and tone: Greta Gerwig's bubblegum-pink, plastic-fantastic satire in one corner and Christopher Nolan's brooding exploration of the invention of the atomic bomb in the other. Continue reading...

Presenter tells affected consumers to open Hawkstone bottles under water, pour cider away and apply for refundJeremy Clarkson has warned that bottles of his cider could explode because of a massive cock up".The TV presenter started selling beer and cider in 2021 under the brand name Hawkstone. Continue reading...

Review could show that thousands more Jews and prisoners of war died on Channel Island Alderney than previously thoughtThe full horrors of the only Nazi concentration camps to exist on British soil will finally be investigated in an official government inquiry, the Observer can reveal.Eighty years on from one of the darkest episodes in British history, the government is to carry out a review into the numbers of prisoners murdered by the Nazis on Alderney, the tiny Channel Island and British crown dependency. Continue reading...

Film being reviewed to ensure it is not violating the country's social, cultural and religious valuesThe launch of the highly anticipated Hollywood movie Barbie has been delayed in Pakistan's Punjab province over objectionable content".Officials said the film would be reviewed and needed clearance from the provincial boards that censor scenes violating the country's social, cultural and religious values. Continue reading...

Some local branches to defy teaching unions' advice to accept deal over recruitment concernsStrikes in schools across England may still happen in September, after local branches of the largest union representing teachers told the Observer this weekend that they would vote against the proposed pay offer.Two weeks ago the government announced that it would accept the recommendation of the independent School Teachers' Review Body for a 6.5% pay rise for most teachers from September, and the four education unions representing teachers and heads advised their members to vote in favour of the offer. Continue reading...

People in Italy, Spain and Greece describe their day-to-day struggles in soaring temperaturesWith sea temperatures in the high 20s, open-water swimmer Grabiela Rojas feels it isn't safe to train in the ocean near Valencia this summer.Rojas, 35, is instead training by swimming laps in an indoor pool, rather than long distances in the ocean. It's way too hot in the water," she says of Spain's coastal waters, which have hit new records for this time of year. There's a point where you can't cool down. It's brutal." Continue reading...

Starmer hails results as cry for change' as Sunak's party loses Selby and Ainsty and Somerton and Frome, but clings on in UxbridgeRishi Sunak's chances of guiding the Conservatives to victory at the next general election looked increasingly slim on Friday after his party suffered two shattering byelection defeats.Labour gained its second biggest swing from the Tories since 1945, overturning a 20,000-vote Tory majority in Selby and Ainsty, with the Liberal Democrats also toppling the Conservatives in the previously safe West Country seat of Somerton and Frome. Continue reading...

Tourism, academia and literature all exhibit signs that trend of closer ties has gone into reverseCultural ties between the US and China are at a low point after several years of decline, according to Guardian analysis of official figures.The Covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, coupled with the continuing trade war between the two countries, is diluting cultural exchanges, with visitor numbers, students and even the world of literature all affected. Continue reading...

Influencers Megan and Whitney Bacon-Evans withdraw high court case amid victory for equality' as service expands treatmentA married lesbian couple who launched a landmark legal test case against the NHS have claimed a victory for equality" after their local health service group agreed to change its fertility treatment rules for same-sex couples.Megan Bacon-Evans, 36, and Whitney Bacon-Evans, 35, have formally withdrawn their case at the high court after NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board (ICB) volunteered to give same-sex female couples the same access to fertility treatment as heterosexual couples, following a two-year review. Their case sparked national debate and led to a significant policy U-turn by the government last year. Continue reading...

Fawzi Mukhalifa was one of two Palestinian teenagers to be killed by Israeli forces in day of West Bank violenceIsraeli forces shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said, in what the army described as a car ramming attempt" near Nablus.Fawzi Mukhalifa, 18, was killed by the occupation [Israeli] bullets in the town of Sebastia" late on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said. Continue reading...

Rick Stanton delivered the commencement address at Adul Samon's graduation at a New York school where the pair met againA British diver who helped rescue 12 members of a Thai youth soccer team who became trapped in a cave in 2018 has rejoiced after getting to personally watch one of the players graduate from a prestigious high school in New York.Rick Stanton - the diver who had a hand in saving the Wild Boars soccer squad whose entrapment of more than two weeks landed in news headlines across the world - got to reunite with one of the rescued children, Adul Samon, when Samon graduated in mid-June from the Masters School college preparatory outside New York City, according to the institution as well as ABC News. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Rising numbers of consultants are opting for a new life abroad, where they can double their salariesThe NHS is losing senior doctors to countries including Ireland, Australia and the United Arab Emirates because they can double their salary and enjoy better working conditions.Medical leaders are concerned about a growing exodus of hugely experienced doctors and surgeons to foreign healthcare systems, the Guardian has been told. Rising numbers of middle-aged consultants are opting for a new life abroad, which is exacerbating the NHS workforce crisis. Continue reading...