World news | The Guardian

Mock-up XTC store in the centre of Utrecht demonstrates how drug might be sold if regulations changeFor campaigners advocating drug liberalisation, it is an image that is almost too good to be true: a store down a cobbled street in Utrecht legally selling ecstasy or MDMA for recreational use, apparently as easily as the jeweller is selling watches next door.The XTC shop in the centre of the Netherlands’ fourth largest city has even been visited in recent days by a government minister, who was pictured examining its bubblegum-style vending machines and in-house educational videos. Continue reading...

Former chancellor talks about preference for breakfast wrap, which went off menu in 2020Rishi Sunak’s habit of slightly awkward interactions with the everyday world has continued after he talked of enjoying McDonald’s breakfast wraps – an item that disappeared from the fast food chain’s UK menu nearly two-and-a-half years ago.The former chancellor was speaking to ITV’s This Morning programme a day after he was photographed at a branch of McDonald’s, where again he appeared to struggle slightly to make a contactless card payment. Continue reading...

Daksh Giri was wedged on father’s scooter when stray razor-sharp kite string wrapped around his neckA six-year-old boy has died after his throat was cut by a stray kite string as he rode on a scooter with his father in Ludhiana, north India.Daksh Giri was standing on the scooter on Tuesday, wedged between the steering wheel and his father, when they drove into a lethally sharp plastic kite string coated with powdered glass. The string became entangled around his neck, slitting his throat open. Daksh died later in hospital. Continue reading...

Indian activists condemn Gujarat government for freeing men serving life sentences for murder and rapeA Muslim woman who was gang-raped by a Hindu mob, which also murdered her three-year-old daughter and 13 other members of her family, has spoken of her incredulity at the release of the 11 men jailed for the crimes.The men were released on Monday by the Gujarat government after serving 14 years of their life sentence. Under Indian law, after 14 years, some prisoners can be released on remission provided they fulfil certain criteria relating to their age and conduct. Continue reading...

Jake Freeman, 20, amassed large stake in ailing US homeware retailer before its share price soaredA 20-year-old US university student has made a $110m (£91m) profit with a one-month bet on the meme stock Bed Bath & Beyond.Jake Freeman and his family bought almost 5m shares in the struggling US homeware retailer at less than $5.50 a share in July for a total outlay of about $25m. Continue reading...

Firefighters’ spokesperson Eric Brocardi has said those refusing jab should remain suspended from jobA French fire service official says he has received death threats and harassment after calling for firefighters who have refused the Covid vaccine to remain suspended.France’s interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, condemned the alleged social media threats against Eric Brocardi, who has reported them to police. Continue reading...

Analysis: Key statistics on drop in top grades, favourite subjects and gender differencesKey statistics about this year’s results:The proportion of candidates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receiving top grades went down from last year with 36.4% of entries awarded an A or A*, down from 44.8% in 2021, but higher than in 2019 when it was 25.4%, the last time exams were sat.About one in seven entries (14.6%) were awarded an A*, down from nearly one in five in 2021 (19.1%), but higher than the 2019 figure of 7.7%.Female students continue to outperform their male counterparts, but the lead has narrowed. The proportion of girls with an A or higher was 37.4% this year, 2.2 percentage points ahead of their male counterparts, down from 4.8 percentage points last year.Mathematics remains the most popular subject, accounting for 11.3% of all entries, though entries dropped 2.1% from 97,690 in 2021 to 95,635. Psychology is the second most popular subject with entries up 10.5% on 2021, followed by biology.The biggest casualty of the changing trends in subject choice is English literature in which there was a 9.4% drop in entries on last year, taking it out of the Top 10 most popular subjects.Languages remain unpopular. Spanish is still the most popular modern foreign language despite a slight decline in entries of 0.6% from 9,139 to 9,088. French entries went down by 5.4% from 8,383 to 7,929 while German entries bucked the trend with a 3.5% increase from a very low base to 2,803.The drop in grades was expected after the exams regulator laid out plans to gradually rein in grade inflation, taking results back to a middle point between 2021 and pre-pandemic results in 2019, when results were last taken.There is huge regional variation in results. London and the south-east of England have the highest proportion of students with top grades, with almost two in five students getting an A* or A. The north-east of England has recorded the lowest proportion of students getting a top rate grade (30.8%) and the lowest increase when compared with 2019.Nearly 426,000 students have had university places confirmed – down 2% at the same point last year, according to the university admissions service, Ucas, but 20,360 students who applied to go to university did not get a place.About 200,000 students received their level 3 BTec results on Thursday, with grades ranging from starred distinction to a pass. The first ever cohort of T-level students also received their results. T-levels are the government’s new technical and vocational qualifications, introduced in 2020. Out of 1,000 T-level candidates, 92.2% got a pass or above and 370 – 71% of those who applied –have been placed on to a university course. Continue reading...

Asra and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli had sought protection in Australia before their ‘suspicious’ deaths

Paula Masselos says the nets aren’t effective and catch too many non-target marine animals – with better options available

Increase in average payouts for accounting firm’s 995 top employees linked to consulting services boomPartners at the accounting firm PwC UK have been handed more than £1m each for the first time, after a double-digit rise in revenues across the business.The firm said on Thursday it had increased average payouts for its 995 top-level employees to £920,000 for the 12 months to June, up 12% from a year earlier, after a jump in profits linked in part to higher income from its consulting services. Continue reading...

Coastal city of Xiamen tells workers on fishing boats, as well as their catch, to undergo testing as part of import controlsIn the coastal Chinese city of Xiamen, it’s not just the mouths of fishers being swabbed for Covid-19, but also the fish they’ve caught.As China maintains its commitment to zero Covid, city authorities are working to ensure there is no avenue for the virus to enter, ordering all fishers and their catch undergo a daily nucleic acid test. Continue reading...

With research showing sexual harassment is a routine occurrence, there is growing demand for arts venues to commit to protecting entertainersPosey Mehta, like many performers at the Edinburgh fringe, has been flyering for her own show. It’s called I Am Not a Gorilla so she took to the streets in a gorilla costume. She did not expect to encounter daily sexual harassment.Mehta has experienced “persistent verbal and physical harassment” such as “non-consensual touching, including men coming up behind me and grabbing my bum”. She continues: “I’ve experienced men and women hugging me, and tweaking, touching or rubbing the nipples of my gorilla costume, which are obviously directly on top of my actual breasts. These interactions have made me feel so unsafe that I now wear a bra over my costume.” Continue reading...

Railway workers leader predicts ‘massive response’ to impact of rapidly rising inflation on wagesThe leader of the RMT union, Mick Lynch, has suggested unions are on the brink of calling for “synchronised” strikes over widespread anger at how much soaring inflation is outpacing wages.Speaking from a picket line in Euston as railway workers staged another strike in their dispute over pay and conditions, Lynch predicted “a massive response coming from working people”. Continue reading...

Increase in people working fewer hours or not at all due to illness in July attributed to Omicron wave and high rates of influenza

James Cleverly ‘happy if process was over more quickly’, as poll shows Liz Truss has big lead over Rishi SunakFuture Tory leadership contests should be run faster, a cabinet minister has said, saying they would have been “happy if this whole process was over more quickly”.James Cleverly, a backer of the frontrunner, Liz Truss, said it would be right if the two-month process was curtailed in future. Continue reading...

That the tight labour market isn’t leading to real earnings rises is proof of a ‘deep structural weakness’, says one economist

Archbishop says new Southern Cross diocese ‘perplexing’ as church’s official position is that ‘marriage is between a man and a woman’

Emerald Wardle was murdered by her boyfriend who called triple-zero and said he had killed a demonThe mother of a young woman killed by her psychotic boyfriend who feared she was a demon has told a court that he is the real monster.“She was not a demon, she was the absolute light of my life,” Emerald ‘Emmy’ Wardle’s mother, Tania, told the NSW Supreme Court in Newcastle on Thursday during the sentencing hearing for Jordan Brodie Miller. Continue reading...

Suspect, 44, is located at address in Southall in relation to fatal stabbing of Thomas O’HalloranA 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of 87-year-old Thomas O’Halloran on a mobility scooter in west London.The suspect was arrested at an address in Southall, west London, in the early hours of Thursday, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Nicknamed ‘Madame Butterfly’, Mori was the first Japanese designer to make it in the world of French haute coutureHanae Mori, the Japanese fashion designer who broke into the world of French haute couture almost half a century ago, has died aged 96, her office said on Thursday.Mori, who earned the nickname “Madame Butterfly” for her signature motif, was regarded as a symbol of Japan’s growing status as a modern, fashionable nation, and as a pioneer for the country’s women. Continue reading...

Amber warning issued for London with risk of transport disruption and power cutsThunderstorms and flash floods have hit parts of southern England, amid warnings that the unsettled weather is expected to continue into the weekend.There were torrential downpours in London, with the rain spreading across the south-east until about 10pm. An amber warning for the area has been issued by the Met Office, with a risk of transport disruption and power cuts. Continue reading...

Police report multiple casualties after powerful explosion during evening prayersA huge bomb attack at a mosque in Kabul during evening prayers has killed at least 10 people, including a prominent cleric, and wounded at least 27 others.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack on Wednesday, the latest to strike Afghanistan in the year since the Taliban seized power. Continue reading...

Police believe the remains had been concealed at a storage facility for years before the suitcases were purchased by an Auckland family at an auctionHuman remains discovered in suitcases bought at a New Zealand auction belong to two young children and are thought to have been concealed for a number of years, police say.Police launched a homicide investigation on 12 August, after an Auckland family unsuspectingly bought the suitcases in an online auction at a storage facility. They transported their purchases home before making the discovery and contacting police. The family is not linked to the deaths, police said. Continue reading...

Parliamentary Budget Office analysis estimates a $125bn cost for first two stages of the project

Exclusive: Big Brother Watch analysis shows use of tactic rose 20.5% in London on weekends when demonstrations happenedStop and searches in central London increase by more than a fifth on weekends when protests take place, according to civil liberties campaigners who say police are misusing the tactic to deliberately target demonstrators.Except in special circumstances, stop and search can be used only for a handful of specific reasons, mostly covering drugs, weapons and stolen goods, suggesting, according to activists, that police are stretching the limits of their powers. Continue reading...

Peter Dutton says former PM’s decision to have himself secretly sworn in to five ministries was the ‘wrong call’

Lease terminated under ‘use it or lose it’ policy after Russian government failed to complete building within three years

Professional firefighters will walk off the job for an hour in culmination of 13-month dispute over pay and conditionsNearly 2,000 professional firefighters will walk off the job for the first time in New Zealand’s history, citing a “crisis” within the sector and ongoing problems with poor pay, understaffing and unreliable fire equipment.Members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union have voted to strike for an hour on Friday morning in a complete work stoppage, after talks with employer Fire and Emergency (Fenz) broke down last week. Continue reading...

Actor and director pens open letter revealing his nearly 20-year struggle with anxiety attacks, ‘which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events’Jonah Hill has announced he will no longer take part in promoting his films due to his mental health issues being exacerbated by media appearances and public-facing events.The 38-year-old actor revealed his plan in an open letter published by Deadline ahead of the debut of his new documentary, Stutz, which he directed. The film is about Hill’s relationship with his therapist Phil Stutz, who Hill began seeing in 2017 at the recommendation of fellow actor Joaquin Phoenix. In the film Hill and his therapist discuss his mental health.In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, Mental Health America is available on 800-273-8255 Continue reading...

The vessel was delivering fuel in mangrove-rich South West Bay on Malekula Island when it burst into flames, injuring at least three peopleA massive fireball has erupted after a fuel transport barge caught fire in a pristine bay on a remote Vanuatu island, injuring at least three people.The Western Star, a barge fitted out to carry fuel and cargo, burst into flames at South West Bay on Malekula, Vanuatu’s second largest island, on Wednesday. Continue reading...

The actor died of smoke inhalation and burns after her car smashed into a west Los Angeles home, coroner’s report saysAnne Heche died from inhalation injury and burns after her fiery car crash and the death was ruled an accident, according to coroner’s results released on Wednesday.Heche, 53, also had a fractured sternum caused by “blunt trauma”, according to information on the website of the Los Angeles county medical examiner. Continue reading...

Estimated 45m people will struggle to pay energy bills this winter with predicted rises in price capTwo-thirds of all UK households will be trapped in fuel poverty by January with planned government support leaving even middle-income households struggling to pay their bills, according to research.It shows 18 million families, the equivalent of 45 million people, will be left trying to make ends meet after further predicted rises in the energy price cap in October and January. Continue reading...

Child reunited with her family after reportedly being abducted in Droylsden and taken into woodsA manhunt has been launched after a seven-year-old girl was reportedly abducted and taken into woods.The child is believed to have been taken from Warne Avenue in Droylsden, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday afternoon. Continue reading...

Network Rail, several train firms, London Underground and London buses to be hit by latest actionCommuters and other travellers are facing further disruption over three days from Thursday on rail, tube and bus services, as tens of thousands of workers begin the latest round of strike action.Network Rail, several train companies, London Underground and buses in the capital will be hit by industrial action due to long-running disputes over pay, jobs and conditions. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Mark Fullbrook having ‘long conversations’ with high-profile potential switchersA veteran political strategist who used to work for Boris Johnson has been phoning senior Conservatives currently supporting Rishi Sunak to persuade them to back Liz Truss for prime minister.Mark Fullbrook, who ran the prime minister’s successful leadership bid in 2019, has been playing a key role in the foreign secretary’s bid to win over more high-profile Tory MPs to cement her frontrunner status. Continue reading...

‘Terrifying tool’ under scrutiny as Salma al-Shehab’s tweets suggest widely available phone app was used to report herThe Saudi woman who was sentenced to 34 years in prison for her Twitter usage appears to have been denounced to Saudi authorities through a crime-reporting app that users in the kingdom can download to Apple and Android phones.A review of Leeds PhD student Salma al-Shehab’s tweets and interactions shows she was messaged by a person using a Saudi account on 15 November, 2020 after she posted a mildly critical tweet in response to a Saudi government post about a new public transportation contract. Continue reading...

Non-executive board member says regulator ‘gave too much benefit to companies at expense of customers’A director at energy regulator Ofgem has resigned, accusing it of favouring businesses over consumers with a rule change that will add as much as £400 to the average UK household energy bill.Christine Farnish, a non-executive member of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (Gema), Ofgem’s board, tendered her resignation to the business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, in early August. Continue reading...

A total of five arrests have been made since disappearance of Wright, 30, of Basildon, EssexTwo more men have been arrested as part of a murder investigation after the disappearance of a woman.Madison Wright, 30, of Basildon, Essex, was last seen on 22 July wearing a pink top, black trousers and flip-flops. Continue reading...

Lord Justice Lewis rules several passages must be disclosed to claimants before hearing to determine if policy is lawfulA judge has ruled that the government must reveal the majority of passages in internal documents relating to a controversial policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.The foreign secretary, Liz Truss, made an application to the high court asking for public interest immunity to be granted to withhold 10 passages of two internal documents from disclosure that she said could damage international relations and breach national security if they were publicly revealed. Continue reading...

Footage on Telegram showed numerous burnt out trucks, collapsed buildings, and debrisA recreation centre has been destroyed and three people injured after Russian shelling in Odesa, a top official has said.Sergey Bratchuk, a representative of the Odessa military administration, said a fire broke out and nearby buildings were damaged after the attack. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lawyers for two Indonesian children wrongly jailed for people smuggling ask Mark Dreyfus to refer case for appeal, calling Christian Porter’s ruling on the case a ‘mockery of justice’

Analysis: Liberal leader says health will be prioritised, but Labor is happy for an election on the issueIt was three months out from the 2018 state election when Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, took to Facebook with a slick promotional video accompanied by a soundtrack worthy of a Christopher Nolan film.“The biggest public transport project in history is coming to Victoria,” a voiceover said, describing a proposed 90km underground railway running between Cheltenham in the south-east and Werribee in the south-west via a long-awaited station at Melbourne airport. Continue reading...

First of three 30 metre-long underwater drones capable of carrying weapons and diving up to 6,000 metres will be ready in a year

New conservative Diocese of the Southern Cross – which explicitly forbids same-sex marriage – is headed by bishop Glenn Davies

Transport secretary’s apparent hint at number plates for cycling met with confusion and criticism

Contest asks young adults for ideas to revitalise popularity of alcoholic drinks after big fall in tax revenuesThe Japanese government has launched a nationwide competition calling for ideas to encourage people to drink more alcohol after a change in attitudes among the young resulted in a slide in tax revenues.The Sake Viva! campaign, which is being run by the National Tax Agency (NTA), asks 20- to 39-year-olds to come up with proposals to help revitalise the popularity of alcoholic drinks, which have fallen out of favour because of lifestyle changes during the coronavirus pandemic and among young people. Continue reading...

German authorities say buildup on river not caused by water levels despite record lows caused by droughtAbout 20 ships were stuck in traffic along Germany’s Rhine River after a vessel’s engine failure temporarily closed part of the waterway.A ship with a 1,660-ton load was forced to drop anchor due to an engine failure, closing traffic between Sankt Goar and Oberwesel, river police said. Continue reading...