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The bestselling author fears she too could be a target but says terrorists cannot be allowed to winThe bestselling author Leïla Slimani says the knife attack on Salman Rushdie has left her and other writers afraid, but that they have a “duty” to keep making public appearances and resist censoring themselves, despite the dangers.The French-Moroccan writer, whose novels include Adèle, Lullaby and The Country of Others and is Emmanuel Macron’s personal representative for the promotion of French language and culture, said defending her freedom as a writer “feels even more important than before” and was an act of resistance. Continue reading...

Embattled leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis is facing calls to resign after state intelligence monitored opposition partyFor much of last week thunderstorms and torrential rain swept Athens, marking a dramatic end to a summer otherwise electrified by talk of spyware, cyber-mercenaries, espionage and eavesdropping.As the sun re-emerged on Friday, it was to a highly charged mood as Greece’s prematurely reconvened parliament debated a phone-tapping scandal whose exposure of practices last associated with military rule has shocked the nation and been met with stunned disbelief at the heart of the EU. Continue reading...

Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will have to deal with 20-year high in recorded crime and barristers’ indefinite strike this autumnWith a new prime minister taking over next week, we look at some of the biggest issues the UK government will face this autumn. Continue reading...

Conservative leadership candidates clash over how to tackle cost of living crisis as contest enters final weekLiz Truss’s plans to tackle the cost of living crisis by slashing VAT across the board will do little to help those struggling to pay food bills and benefit richer households substantially more, Rishi Sunak’s team has claimed.The frontrunner in the Conservative leadership race was accused of considering a “regressive” and “flawed” move that could cost the exchequer up to £38bn a year, while the government faces calls to offer more support with rising energy costs. Continue reading...

Court-ordered demolition of 850 flats seen as stern warning to developers amid rampant illegal constructionIndian authorities have demolished two illegally constructed skyscrapers in a wide plume of dust debris outside Delhi, razing the tallest structures ever pulled down in the country in less than 10 seconds.Crowds watching the collapse from rooftops on nearby high-rise buildings cheered and clapped as the 103 metre (338ft) tall towers collapsed during a controlled demolition. Continue reading...

Many others injured as police say they are trying to determine why vehicle careered down dykeThe death toll from an accident when a lorry drove off a dyke and into a barbecue party in a village south of Rotterdam has risen to six, with a further seven people in hospital, including one in critical condition.Police said the lorry driver, a 46-year-old Spanish man, was suspected of causing the crash, which happened early on Saturday evening in the village of Nieuw-Beijerland. Continue reading...

Provisional total reaches 25,146, government figures show, four months after Priti Patel’s Rwanda policy unveiledMore than 25,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Channel to the UK so far this year, government figures show.A total of 915 people were detected on Saturday in 19 small boats, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, taking the provisional total for the year to 25,146. Continue reading...

Fears grow Russia will target country’s gas infrastructure or further cut its supplies to Europe

Independent senator David Pocock says circumstances have changed ‘so much’ since stage three tax cuts policy was legislated. This blog is now closed

Recent revelations have only fed speculation that some form of plot lay behind the gangster’s brutal demise in prisonUS organized crime has long held a tight grip on America’s popular imagination, sustaining entire industries of books, television series and Hollywood movies, as well as countless breathless headlines in tabloid newspapers.But few names have been as famous as the south Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger, who for decades presented himself as a benevolent gangster who protected his community and was given Hollywood treatment by Johnny Depp in “Black Mass” and Jack Nicholson in “The Departed”. Continue reading...

Demonstrators demand Gujarat government revoke decision on men convicted over rape of Muslim woman Bilkis Bano in 2002Hundreds of people have held demonstrations in several parts of India to protest against a recent government decision to free 11 men who had been jailed for life for gang raping a Muslim woman during India’s 2002 religious riots.The protesters in the country’s capital, New Delhi, chanted slogans on Saturday and demanded the government in the western state of Gujarat rescind the decision. They also sang songs in solidarity with the victim. Continue reading...

Minister had urged staff to go into office and attacked FCA over working from homeJacob Rees-Mogg has revealed he is planning to sell off £1.5bn worth of government offices in London due to the proportion of civil servants continuing to work from home.The minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency will publish a strategy next week that includes selling property assets over the next three years, with staff working in fewer buildings as part of a new network of government “hubs”, the Telegraph reported. Continue reading...

Prince says he was ‘touched’ to be asked to take helm for paper’s 40th-anniversary editionThe Prince of Wales has edited an edition of British African-Caribbean newspaper The Voice, which will feature interviews with Lady Doreen Lawrence and Idris Elba, to mark its 40th anniversary.The Voice, which was founded in 1982, is the only national black British newspaper operating in the UK. Charles described the paper as an “institution” adding that he was “so touched” to be asked to edit the special anniversary edition.

In press conference with NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal, PM reveals he has been talking with sporting figures about supporting campaign

Spectators applaud during ninth minute of match as Jürgen Klopp asks, ‘How can this happen?’ after nine-year-old shotFootball fans from the city of Liverpool have paid tribute to nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was shot inside her home.Thousands of fans applauded in the ninth minute of the Liverpool and Bournemouth game and both teams rose in unison to pay tribute as Liverpool fans sang the team’s anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone. Continue reading...

Auction of black RS Turbo Series 1 used by Princess of Wales from 1985-88 ‘exceeds all expectations’A car used by Diana, Princess of Wales has sold for £650,000 at auction.The black Ford Escort RS Turbo, driven by Diana from 23 August 1985 to 1 May 1988, sold to a UK buyer at the Silverstone Auctions sale on Saturday. Continue reading...

Ukraine’s state energy operator: ‘There are risks of hydrogen leakage and sputtering of radioactive substances’A US citizen has recently died in Ukraine, according to a state department spokesperson.Officials are in touch with the family and are providing consular assistance, they added.We also once again reiterate US citizens should not travel to Ukraine due to the active armed conflict and the singling out of US citizens in Ukraine by Russian government security officials, and that US citizens in Ukraine should depart immediately if it is safe to do so using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options.On August 26, Russians killed two civilians in Donetsk region – in Bakhmut. Twelve people were injured. Continue reading...

Two men, aged 33 and 33, had been arrested on suspicion of murder after nine-year-old was shot in her homePolice have released on bail two men arrested on suspicion of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was shot dead in her home in Liverpool.A 36-year-old man from Huyton was arrested on Friday and a 33-year-old man from Dovecot was arrested on Thursday in an operation involving armed officers. Continue reading...

Home Office figures also show spending on asylum has risen by 50% in two years and claims are highest for two decadesWomen and children were among a group of people brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat on Saturday as the number of people crossing the Channel this year by small boats neared 25,000.About 40 people were brought to Dungeness in Kent before they were taken by coach to a Home Office processing facility. Continue reading...

Fellow riders remember 19-year-old motorcyclist killed in collision, allegedly by hit-and-run driver who then left UKA group of motorcyclists gathered outside the US embassy in London to hold a “rev-off” and say prayers on the third anniversary of the death of fellow motorcyclist Harry Dunn.The 19-year-old was killed in a collision with a car outside the US military base RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire. Continue reading...

Artist was inspired by ‘them Greek statues of old’ and much-ridiculed Cristiano Ronaldo bustHistory’s greatest people have long been immortalised in statue form, from Julius Caesar to Admiral Lord Nelson. Now, a Birmingham artist has rendered four of his own city’s men in bronze.Local artist Tat Vision unveiled a statue of “four lads in jeans” outside Birmingham New Street station on Saturday – in reference to a viral internet meme sparked from a photograph taken a few years ago. Continue reading...

MoD donates lightweight autonomous vehicles and skills to help make Ukrainian coastline safe for grain exports

US says ambassador-at-large will engage with other Arctic nations, Indigenous groups and other stakeholdersThe US has said it will create a position of Arctic ambassador to step up diplomacy as Russia and China increase their presence in waters opened up by climate breakdown.The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will soon name an ambassador-at-large who will engage with other Arctic nations, Indigenous groups and other stakeholders, state department spokesperson Vedant Patel said. Continue reading...

Aleksandar Vučić admits ‘violation of minority rights’ while citing fears of clashes at LGBTQ+ event in BelgradeSerbia will not allow a pan-European LGBTQ+ Pride event to take place in Belgrade next month, the president has said, citing threats from rightwing extremists and fears of clashes.The Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, announced the decision to cancel the EuroPride celebration on 12-18 September during a news conference where he also proposed extending the term of Serbia’s prime minister, who identifies as a lesbian. Continue reading...

Dealerships in UK report drop in demand for BMWs and Audis and more interest in used modelsDrivers all over the UK are downsizing to cheaper, less prestigious and more fuel-efficient vehicles and banking the cash difference as the cost of living crisis continues.BMWs and Audis are out – instead, dealerships report an increase in demand for used cars, particularly mid-range models such as Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus in the past two months. There has also been a drop in the number of people seeking to lease vehicles, with those who do so wanting cheaper deals. Continue reading...

Observer investigation of firm supplying workers for Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing and other major brands uncovers cases where it withheld wagesA jobs agency that supplies warehouse workers to fast fashion and high street brands repeatedly underpaid staff and deprived them of holiday pay, an Observer investigation has found.Workers hired on zero-hours contracts to help process orders for PrettyLittleThing, its parent company Boohoo, The Very Group, Sainsbury’s and Currys are among those who claim to have had wages withheld by Mach Recruitment. Continue reading...

Caroline Mothershill, 37, to appear in court after man’s body was found following fire at property in StratfordA woman has been charged with murder and arson after a man’s body was found following a fire at a home in Stratford, east London.Caroline Mothershill, 37, of Stratford, was charged on Friday and is due to appear in custody at Thames magistrates court on Saturday, Scotland Yard said. Continue reading...

Scotland Yard says police were in process of detaining man on Kingston Bridge in south-west LondonA man in his 20s has died after falling into the River Thames while being arrested by police.Following a routine police patrol on Friday police were flagged down on Kingston Bridge at around 10.30pm to intervene in a verbal altercation which involved a man and a woman who were known to each other. Continue reading...

Olympic champion reveals she is being treated for sepsis, kidney infection and fever after miscarriageThe Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington has had emergency surgery after a miscarriage.The former competitive swimmer, 33, shared a lengthy post on Instagram describing how she discovered she had lost her pregnancy during a 12-week scan on Tuesday. Continue reading...

US state to spend up to $20m to bring women to its abortion clinics from parts of country where procedure is now outlawedCalifornia is preparing to spend up to $20m (£17m) to bring women from other states to its abortion clinics, a policy aimed at increasing access to a procedure that has been outlawed or restricted in many states since the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade.California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, had previously restricted the money in the state’s “abortion practical support fund” for in-state travel only, saying “we have to be realistic about what we can absorb”. That decision surprised pro-choice advocates, especially since Newsom, a Democrat, had vowed to make California a sanctuary for women in other states seeking abortions. Continue reading...

A ‘kiss and fly’ farewell by the Stansted terminal costs £7 and two-thirds of major airports have raised feesDrop-off fees have increased at two-thirds of the UK’s major airports since 2019, according to research.Sixteen of the 22 airports analysed have introduced or raised charges for dropping off passengers in the past three years, an RAC investigation found. Continue reading...

Greens call for immediate pay rises for minimum wage earners; 86 Covid deaths reported. This blog is now closed

Nadhim Zahawi says energy price hike will be ‘really hard’ for middle-earners, as well as society’s most vulnerablePeople earning around £45,000 a year, as well as those on benefits, could need government help to pay their energy bills this winter, the chancellor has said.Britain’s energy industry regulator, Ofgem, on Friday confirmed an 80% rise in the consumer price cap from October that will take a typical household’s gas and electricity bill from £1,971 to £3,549 a year. Continue reading...

Greeks take their seas seriously, with the construction of one of the world’s biggest sewage treatment plants a real game-changerThe shimmering waters along the Athenian riviera offer a welcome respite in the summer heat. In one of Europe’s most congested cities the sight of ever more beaches attaining blue flag status – a mascot of water quality – has heightened the sense of relief that the coastal location affords. For those who flock to its coves, rocks and sandy stretches, the shoreline that extends from the Greek capital’s southern suburbs has become the perfect antidote to the rising temperatures that have accompanied climate breakdown.It was not always so.Tell us what you think about the Guardian’s climate reporting – it takes just two minutes Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese announces the NBA legend will be part of the effort to mobilise support in the lead-up to a referendum

Welfare group says breeding numbers are still too high and surpass the industry’s capacity to rehabilitate the dogs

Shadi Al Daoud says chance for family to restart their lives on NSW Central Coast with support of local church is a dream come true

Lawyers for Wikileaks founder, who is indicted on 17 espionage charges in US, say he faces persecution for his ‘political opinions’Lawyers for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange have filed an appeal against his extradition to the US, as the United Nations human rights chief lends support to the Australian’s cause.Assange, 51, has been indicted on 17 espionage charges in the US and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of thousands of military and diplomatic documents leaked by whistleblower Chelsea Manning. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison. Continue reading...

Medical officials say three children among those killed as fighting resumes in northern Ethiopia days after a truce collapsedAn airstrike on a children’s playground has killed at least seven people in the capital of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, medical officials there said, in the first such attack after a four-month-old ceasefire collapsed this week.The officials said three children were among the dead but a federal government spokesperson denied any civilian casualties. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy says situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remains ‘very risky’; UN inspectors reportedly set to visit facility in days

Experts say 80% price cap increase will plunge people into destitution and cause avoidable deathsMillions of households are bracing for a winter catastrophe of rising energy bills that experts say will plunge people into destitution and cause an increase in avoidable deaths without urgent government support.After Britain’s energy industry regulator confirmed an 80% rise in the consumer price cap from October that will take a typical household’s gas and electricity bill to £3,549 a year, there were stark warnings about its potentially devastating effects. Continue reading...

Experts say the trend in New York, Chicago and San Francisco appears to be linked to immunity and behavior changesMonkeypox cases in some large US cities appear to be declining, matching trends seen in Europe, and experts are cautiously optimistic the outbreak may have peaked in places hit hardest by the virus.The optimism comes just as US officials on Friday said there’s enough of a supply of monkeypox vaccine available now – though the shots aren’t getting to some of the people who need the protection the most. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer praises an ‘unrivalled social democratic thinker’ who was vital to party regaining power in 1997Keir Starmer has paid tribute to former Labour politician Giles Radice, after reports he has died aged 85.The party leader praised the peer and former MP as a “wise and kind man” and “unrivalled social democratic thinker”. Continue reading...

Ashton has discussed her difficulties in getting a series commissioned, including being shouted at by a producerThe actor Zawe Ashton has revealed that she has suffered incidents of “bullying, demeaning and gaslighting” during her career.The 38-year-old, best known for her role in Manchester-based comedy series Fresh Meat, stars in new Regency period drama Mr Malcolm’s List. Continue reading...

Students were then turned over to commander of the local army base who ordered their killingsSix of the 43 Mexican students forcibly disappeared in 2014 were allegedly kept alive in a warehouse for days, and then turned over to the commander of the local army base who ordered their killings, the Mexican government official leading the Truth Commission said Friday.The interior undersecretary, Alejandro Encinas, made the revelation with little fanfare during a lengthy defense of the commission’s report, first released a week earlier. At that time, despite declaring the disappearances a “state crime” and saying that the army watched it happen without intervening, Encinas made no mention of six students being turned over to Col José Rodríguez Pérez. Continue reading...

Business Council of Australia also calls for migrant intake boost as Greens set up Senate standoff to raise wages in female-dominated industries

The 850 metre-long strip in the innercity suburb of Fitzroy was the only street in Australia to make Time Out’s 2022 list. So what makes it so special?

Giovanna Boniface received an $8,000 bill from Avis after driving roughly 300km around Toronto and surrounding areaCar rental companies have long earned a reputation for gouging customers, penny-pinching on frills and finding new and unscrupulous ways to charge for add-ons.But a Canadian woman says she was billed thousands in extra mileage after a rental company claimed she drove a distance nearly the circumference of the Earth over a three-day period. Continue reading...

War’s six months of horror; shelling cuts Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant from Ukraine grid; five predictions for conflict’s next six months