World news | The Guardian

PM office says journalists cannot operate in the Pacific as they do in other countries, accusing Australia’s ABC of ‘racial profiling’ in China coverageThe Solomon Islands government has reportedly threatened to ban foreign journalists from entering the Pacific nation if they are not “respectful” or if they engage in “racial profiling” in stories about the country’s ties with China.The office of the prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, issued a statement on Wednesday saying that overseas journalists needed to understand they could not operate in the Pacific the same way they did in other countries, the ABC has reported. Continue reading...

Magistrate says teenager ‘has shown no contrition’ but accepts his prospects for rehabilitation are ‘strong’

Company’s owner, Centrica, says extra support will begin in autumn and last for the ‘duration of the energy crisis’British Gas has announced it will donate 10% of its profits to help its poorer customers manage rising gas and electricity bills for the “duration of the energy crisis”.Ahead of an expected rise in the price cap on energy on Friday, the company’s owner, Centrica, said it would donate £12m this autumn into an existing support fund. Grants of £250 to £750 would be given to poorer customers, and the pledge to donate 10% of profits every six months would last for the duration of the energy crisis “backdated to the start of 2022”, it added. Continue reading...

Tory leadership candidates called on to commit to fixing growing regional disparities in educationThis year’s GCSE results for England and Wales are expected to confirm a widening north-south education gap, prompting a prediction that the government will miss one of its key levelling-up targets if it continues to hold back pupils in the north of England.A coalition of school leaders, charities and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership has written to the Conservative leadership candidates urging them to commit to fixing growing regional disparities in education. Continue reading...

Rocket attack in Chaplyne wounds 50 people as country marks six months since Moscow’s invasionAt least 22 people have been killed and 50 wounded in a Russian rocket strike on a Ukrainian railway station, as the country marked six months since Moscow’s invasion on a sombre independence day overshadowed by warnings of further “brutal” attacks.Addressing the UN late on Wednesday, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the rockets struck a train in a station in the town of Chaplyne, about 145km (90 miles) west of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Continue reading...

US to send anti-aircraft missiles, artillery, counter-drone defences and radar equipment as Zelenskiy praises ‘unwavering support’Joe Biden has announced nearly $3bn in new military assistance to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft missiles, artillery, counter-drone defences and radar equipment.It is the biggest tranche of US military aid to date, bringing to over $13bn the total the US has supplied or pledged to Kyiv under the Biden administration. The new equipment, however, will have to be ordered by defence manufacturers and will not be delivered for months or years. US officials said it represented a longer-term investment in Ukrainian security. Continue reading...

Joseph Nee, 35, was out on licence and serving prison sentence when gunman shot at him in streetDetectives are increasingly confident of identifying the name and hiding place of the gunman who shot dead a nine-year-old girl in her Liverpool home, as the intended victim is revealed to be a criminal on release from prison with convictions for drugs and burglary.The Guardian understands that police believe Joseph Nee is a “well-established organised crime group member” with connections to drugs. Continue reading...

Dawn Walker, who says she fled domestic abuse, is arrested and accused of stealing friend’s identity to cross borderAn acclaimed writer who says she fled Canada to escape domestic abuse is to be extradited from the US, amid accusations she faked her own death, kidnapped her son and illegally crossed the American border.Dawn Walker, an Indigenous author from Okanese Cree Nation in the province of Saskatchewan, was due to be driven to the border on Wednesday by US officials and handed over to Canadian police, more than a month after she first went missing. Continue reading...

Show offers young men insight into female counterparts, says Kevin Lygo, as channel adds Big Brother to rosterCynics have suggested Love Island’s popularity is built on the opportunity to watch contestants walking around a villa in swimwear. But according to ITV’s boss, the show’s real appeal for young men is the insight it offers into the mentality of women.Kevin Lygo, who oversees ITV’s programme output, said the hit dating show allows straight men to hear conversations they are usually excluded from. Continue reading...

Positive results in first ‘rigorous’ trial investigating compound’s effect on alcohol useThe most rigorous test yet of psilocybin as a treatment for alcoholism has found that the compound in psychedelic mushrooms helped heavy drinkers cut back or quit entirely.Psilocybin, found in several species of mushrooms, can cause hours of vivid hallucinations. Indigenous people have used it in healing rituals and scientists are exploring whether it can ease depression or help longtime smokers quit. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereThe UN has said it is “very concerned” about plans by Russian-backed authorities to hold trials for captured Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol.Pro-Russian officials appear to be installing metal cages in a hall in Mariupol as part of plans to establish what they were calling an “international tribunal”, a UN rights office spokesperson said, adding that such a process could itself amount to a war crime. Continue reading...

Former Newsnight presenter says former No 10 communications chief Sir Robbie Gibb on board acting as ‘arbiter of impartiality’Emily Maitlis has said a BBC board member is an “active agent of the Conservative party” who is shaping the broadcaster’s news output by acting “as the arbiter of BBC impartiality”.The former Newsnight presenter highlighted the role of Sir Robbie Gibb, who previously worked as Theresa May’s director of communications and helped to found the rightwing GB News channel. Continue reading...

Kyiv celebrations cancelled over concerns of ‘Russian provocations’ as US expected to announce further $3bn in aid

One psychologist was forced to close a thriving practice; another waives her fees for ‘desperate’ patients who can’t get a referral because of GP wait times

Greens plea comes as research finds skyrocketing regional rents are contributing to unfilled job vacancies

National Farmers’ Federation wants ‘non-monetary benefits’ such as food and board to be considered in pay deals

Former treaty advancement commissioner Jill Gallagher also says fund should cover tertiary education costs

Don’t Worry Darling director says delivery of documents from ex-partner Jason Sudeikis during on-stage presentation was ‘vicious’Olivia Wilde has spoken publicly for the first time about the “vicious” serving of custody papers during a CinemaCon presentation, calling the public ambush by a process server “deeply painful”.In a new Variety cover story, the 38-year-old actor and director referred to the April incident in which she was handed a manila envelope by a woman in the front row at CinemaCon, interrupting Wilde’s presentation of her upcoming film, Don’t Worry Darling, to theater exhibitors at a ticketed industry event. The envelope was first reported to contain a script, then revealed to hold legal papers pertaining to her custody dispute with former partner Jason Sudeikis. Wilde and the Ted Lasso star, who dated from 2011 to 2020 and were once engaged, have two young children, eight and five. Continue reading...

Met faced criticism over search, but IOPC rejects referral after 24-year-old was found ‘well cared for’The police watchdog will take no further action against Metropolitan police officers in the case of the student nurse Owami Davies, whose family have said they are “forever grateful” that she was found alive.The 24-year-old, from Grays, Essex, was located in Hampshire on Tuesday almost seven weeks after she went missing. She appeared to be “fit and well cared for” and was not in a vulnerable state, the force said. Continue reading...

Exam board Pearson blames delays to results in England, due on Thursday, on qualification ‘ineligibility’About 7,000 students across England may not receive their BTec level 2 results as planned on Thursday, an exam board has said.Pearson said it was attempting to provide any missing results “as soon as possible” to the affected students. Continue reading...

Prolonged bending to gather tea for James Finlay Kenya is argued to accelerate ageing of pickers’ backs by up to 20 yearsMore than a 1,000 Kenyan tea pickers who say that harsh and exploitative working conditions on a Scottish-run tea farm have caused them crippling health complaints can now pursue their class action in an Edinburgh court.Lawyers acting for the tea pickers have won an order from the court of session, Scotland’s highest civil court, telling James Finlay Kenya Ltd (JFK) to abandon attempts to block the suit through the Kenyan courts. Continue reading...

More industrial action planned for Friday, with three-day action set to hit schools and nurseries next monthThe refuse workers’ strike, which has left mounds of rubbish in central Edinburgh, has spread to more than a dozen Scottish councils, with industrial action set to hit schools and nurseries early next month.The strikes went ahead on Wednesday after a further round of talks between council leaders and public sector unions on Tuesday failed to reach any agreement on a pay dispute affecting about 155,000 council workers. Continue reading...

Manx government reveals deal to protect residents and businesses from 70% rise in tariffs this winterThe Isle of Man’s government has agreed to freeze electricity prices until March 2023 to shield residents and businesses from a sharp increase in bills this winter.The intervention announced on Wednesday will mean local customers are likely to pay some of the lowest electricity prices across the British Isles over the coming months. Continue reading...

Ruling MPLA party faces major challenge from opposition parties, with turnout expected to be highAngolans are voting in an election in which the ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) faces the most significant challenge from opposition parties for decades.More than 14 million people in the oil and diamond rich country are eligible to vote, with a high turnout likely after polls showed the main opposition party closer to victory than many expected. Continue reading...

Tory leadership candidate argues it would cause an inflationary spiral and damage economy

Aishwarya Aswath’s father tells inquest the family’s pleas with medical staff to escalate her care were ignored

More than 3m households had not received payment from councils by 1 July, research showsMore than 3 million households in England and Wales were still waiting to receive the £150 energy rebate on 1 July, research has found, several months after the scheme to help pay for soaring gas and electricity bills was launched.The payment was part of a package of measures announced by the government in February, and is being paid out by councils. Continue reading...

The 52-year-old Canadian will succeed Tamara Rojo in August 2023 and arrives after 16 years as artistic director of Semperoper Ballett in Dresden“Diversity of people and repertoire are at the heart of my vision,” says Aaron Watkin, announced on Wednesday as the new artistic director of English National Ballet, successor to Tamara Rojo, who is leaving in November to take up the directorship at San Francisco Ballet having shaken up ENB over the last decade.Canadian Watkin, 52, is not as starry a name as Rojo – one of the leading ballerinas of her generation – but he has a solid career behind him. He has been artistic director at Semperoper Ballett in Dresden for the last 16 years and previously danced with William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt, Dutch National Ballet and National Ballet of Canada. He danced with ENB for two seasons 30 years ago and it’s an experience that stuck with him. “I love the pioneering spirit of ENB. You really become a family. Even though I was there a short time, the friendships I forged have been lifelong.” Continue reading...

Boss of ScottishPower puts price tag on industry plan to freeze bills for two yearsThe energy industry’s favoured plan to shield Britain’s households from the soaring cost of energy will cost more than £100bn over two years, according to the boss of one of the UK’s largest power operators.Keith Anderson is chief executive of ScottishPower, one of the big six energy suppliers, which alongside the rival firm E.ON came up with the deficit tariff scheme that was last week backed by the trade body for the sector, Energy UK. Continue reading...

Label has apologised to ‘the Black community’ after signing an AI-generated rapper that used the N-word and was shown being beaten by policeA major record label has dropped an AI rapper and offered its “deepest apologies to the Black community”, after the virtual creation was criticised for perpetuating racist stereotypes by using the N-word in a song and being portrayed being beaten by a police officer.FN Meka, an AI rapper given the appearance of a Black male cyborg, was created in 2019 by Anthony Martini and Brandon Le, the cofounders of Factory New, which billed itself as a “first of its kind, next-generation music company, specialising in virtual beings.” Continue reading...

National outlook shows persistent wet weather and low fuel loads tempering likelihood of bushfires in areas ravaged by black summer

Australian hitmaker is in a stable condition after 12-hour surgery, family says

Icy conditions brought thunderstorms, rain and snow in higher parts of the NSW tablelands and northeast

Energy prices have soared above prediction and subsidies will require significant further spendingMinisters could face an additional £23bn price tag for covering extra household energy costs of £900 this autumn, rising to £90bn next year, a new paper by the Institute for Government has found.The paper, looking at the options for Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak in No 10, also warned the government should plan for prolonged rises in energy bills by going a lot further in making public appeals to use less gas – for example by informing consumers about the cost savings from turning down thermostats – and in committing to building more energy efficient homes to help protect consumers. Continue reading...

Analysis: £15 an hour is ‘logical next step’ amid cost of living crisis but neither Labour or Tories likely to back campaign• Minimum wage should be increased to £15 an hour as soon as possible, says TUCThe TUC has chosen its moment well. With Britain gripped by a cost of living crisis, the umbrella body for trade unions has called for the minimum wage to be raised from £9.50 to £15 an hour as soon as possible, and by 2030 at the latest.It is an ambitious target, as the TUC openly accepts. The minimum wage is now 64% of median earnings. A £15-an-hour minimum wage by 2030 would be 75% of median earnings, the highest of any of the 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development group of rich countries. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president defiant as officials report Moscow is preparing strikes on capital and infrastructure

Liverpool’s chief constable says death of girl at home ‘crosses every boundary’ and pledges major response to catch anyone involvedAn attempted public murder of a senior gang member caused a nine-year-old girl to be mistakenly shot dead while being shielded by her mother inside her Liverpool home, the Guardian has learned.Olivia Pratt-Korbel was standing directly behind her mother, Cheryl, who was trying to keep the gunman out. Police said they believe the fleeing criminal saw a “chink of light” as Olivia’s mother opened the door to see what the noise was – before rushing in to escape his assailant. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, please visit here for our latest coveragePoland’s president Andrzej Duda has arrived in Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.The duo will engage in talks on the current wartime situation in Ukraine, economic and humanitarian support and bilateral cooperation, according to Duda’s official Twitter channel.The visit will include a meeting with President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy and talks on military support and defence of Ukraine in the economic, humanitarian and political sense,” Pawel Szrot told reporters.The presidents will discuss the political support Poland could offer to convince other countries to keep helping Ukraine. Continue reading...

Duchess of Sussex talks of criticism she faced when beginning relationship with Prince Harry, in podcast ArchetypesThe Duchess of Sussex has revealed she was criticised for her ambition when she began her relationship with Prince Harry, saying it was seen as a “terrible, terrible thing”.She added that she always thought of it as a positive trait as a child, before learning “a thing or two” about the labels and conventions that hold women back. Continue reading...

Foreign ministry says Russia has transferred more than 1,000 children from Mariupol for illegal adoptions in Siberia

State-controlled social media platform VK to buy news and blogging services of country’s largest internet firm

Publisher Vintage has ordered a reprint following rush to buy the 1988 novel in the wake of the attack on the author earlier this monthSales of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses have soared since the author was attacked in New York earlier this month. The novel has reentered the official UK charts and the publisher has ordered a reprint to meet demand.Rushdie was stabbed stabbed in the neck and torso as he was about to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state on 12 August. The novelist is currently recovering in hospital, and his suspected attacker, Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder and assault charges. Continue reading...

Coroner tells inquest face-to-face appointment would have helped Sean Mark, whose GP advised him to use online servicesA coroner has expressed concern at the difficulty of getting face-to-face appointments with GPs and other health professionals after a 17-year-old boy suffering from mental health problems was found dead.Sean Mark, who described himself as an “anxious paranoid mess”, was desperate for help but felt “palmed off” when he asked for assistance, an inquest heard. He was found dead in his bedroom four months after a phone consultation with a GP and before he had spoken to anyone in person about his concerns.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...

India previously blamed a ‘technical malfunction’ for accidental firing of unarmed missile in MarchThe Indian air force has said it has sacked three officers for accidentally firing a missile into Pakistan in March.“A court of inquiry, set up to establish the facts of the case, including fixing responsibility for the incident, found that deviation from the standard operating procedures by three officers led to the accidental firing of the missile,” the air force said. Continue reading...

Victim named as Olivia Pratt-Korbel, nine, killed after assailant fired gun ‘with complete disregard’, say officersA nine-year-old girl was fatally shot in Liverpool after a gunman burst into her family’s home chasing another man who did not live there, police said.Merseyside police named the victim as Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was getting ready for bed at the time. Continue reading...

Ravensburger Verlag reacts as debate rages over depiction of Native American character in children’s booksA German publisher has announced it is withdrawing two new books paying tribute to a highly popular character in children’s fiction after facing accusations of racism and cultural appropriation.Ravensburger Verlag, a leading publisher of children’s books in the German-speaking world, said its latest books on Winnetou, a fictional Native American hero who made his debut in 1875, would be pulled from its schedule and that it would also be considering whether to continue publishing other Winnetou titles in future. Continue reading...

Historic England announces review of landmark buildings amid closures as campaigners call for ‘creative reinvention’Brutalist department stores may soon be granted protected status as the public body that looks after England’s historic environment reviews the buildings seen by many as icons of the high street.The announcement from Historic England comes amid widespread closures, compounded by the pandemic, economic turmoil and the rise of online shopping. Continue reading...