World news | The Guardian

Damascus says it is not holding any American citizens after Biden claim that US knows ‘with certainty’ Tice is government captiveSyria has denied it is holding the missing US journalist Austin Tice or other Americans after Joe Biden accused the Syrian government of detaining him.The Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement that Damascus “denies it had kidnapped or is holding any American citizen on its territories”. Continue reading...

TUC’s Frances O’Grady says employees need a pay rise not ‘a lecture on working harder’The unions’ leader has responded with anger to Liz Truss’s comments that British workers needed “more graft” and lacked the “skill and application” of foreign rivals.Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), criticised the Tory leadership frontrunner for “lecturing” people to work harder while many were struggling to make ends meet. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can find our latest political coverage hereLondon’s mayor has warned of a rise in shootings and stabbings amid concerns that the increasing cost of living could lead to more violence and make it easier for gangs to lure vulnerable young people.Sadiq Khan said millions of pounds more were being put into schemes to turn people away from violence. The Labour mayor has been criticised by some for his record on crime.I am concerned about a potential increase in violence this summer as the cost of living crisis deepens and threatens to reverse the progress we have made in tackling violent crime. Violence, like poverty, is not inevitable and the government must now do much more to show it shares my commitment to building a fairer, safer London for all. Continue reading...

Caution issued after footage emerged from match between Manchester United and Everton in AprilCristiano Ronaldo has been cautioned by police after footage emerged of the Manchester United forward appearing to smash a phone out of an Everton fan’s hand at a match.The 37-year-old was interviewed by officers in relation to an allegation of assault and criminal damage after the incident at Goodison Park on 9 April. Continue reading...

Woman came forward after publicity of Manchester City defender’s arrest for raping other womenThe Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy tried to rape a woman who had gone to his house to meet another footballer in his entourage, a court has heard.She told police the 28-year-old assaulted her after she had a shower in his mansion, tugging at her towel and telling her he wanted to see her naked before attempting to have intercourse with her. Continue reading...

Claridge’s in Mayfair among hotels burgled by boy, who was 12 at time of offences, court hearsA 13-year-old boy carried out burglaries at some of London’s top luxury hotels and the BBC’s Television Centre, a court has heard.The boy, who was 12 at the time of the offences, admitted to raids on Claridge’s in Mayfair, Kensington’s Milestone hotel, the Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge, and the Corinthian Hotel in Whitehall, Highbury Corner magistrates court was told on Wednesday. Continue reading...

News follows earlier announcement that four Vietnamese nationals were missing after fire in MayHuman remains discovered by workers demolishing a mill in Oldham have been confirmed as four separate victims, including one identified as a Vietnamese national, police have said.It was not believed anyone was inside at the time of the fire at Bismark House Mill on Bower Street in May. But after remains were discovered on 23 July, police confirmed that four Vietnamese people were missing. Continue reading...

Ladbrokes and Coral owner fined for failing to protect customers after new gambling laws came inEntain, the gambling firm behind Ladbrokes and Coral, could lose its licence to operate in the UK after it was told to pay a record £17m settlement over its inaction as individual customers spent hundreds of thousands of pounds.The Gambling Commission highlighted multiple failings in Entain’s online and high street business, all of which occurred after the government announced a review of gambling laws that has led the industry to promise to improve controls to tackle addiction and prevent money laundering. Continue reading...

Police seek to identify man seen on CCTV and say O’Halloran travelled 75 yards on his scooter before asking for helpAn elderly man fatally stabbed while riding his mobility scooter in west London has been named as Thomas O’Halloran.Detectives said the 87-year-old was stabbed on Western Avenue in Greenford and managed to travel 75 yards on his scooter before asking a member of the public for help in nearby Runnymede Gardens. Continue reading...

Luigi Brugnaro offers dinner to anyone who can locate duo who ‘make a mockery of this city’The mayor of Venice has said he is on the hunt for the “two overbearing idiots” who were filmed gliding along the Grand Canal on motorised foil surfboards.The young men were spotted dodging gondolas and waterbuses as they navigated Venice’s main thoroughfare on Thursday morning. The scene was recorded by several astonished onlookers. Continue reading...

German energy firm, which operates many UK power stations, has been bailed out by federal governmentThe owner of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire has posted a €12bn (£10bn) loss weeks after agreeing a bailout package with the German government, in a set of results that signal the deepening energy crisis across Europe.Uniper received a €15bn lifeline from the German state in return for a 30% equity stake in a deal agreed in July. Continue reading...

Jaswant Singh Chail, 20, is charged with offence under Treason Act, possession of an offensive weapon and making threats to killA man who allegedly brought a crossbow to Windsor Castle last Christmas said he wanted to kill the Queen, a court has heard.Jaswant Singh Chail, 20, appeared at Westminster magistrates court via video link from Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire on Wednesday morning, having been charged with an offence under section 2 of the Treason Act, possession of an offensive weapon and making threats to kill. Continue reading...

German chancellor condemns remarks morning after joint press conference with Palestinian leaderThe Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has accused Israel of committing “50 Holocausts”, at a joint press conference with Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, in Berlin, drawing condemnation from Germany and Israel.At the end of his state visit to Germany’s chancellory on Tuesday night, Abbas was asked by a German journalist whether he planned to apologise for the deadly attack by Palestinian militants on Israeli citizens at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the 50th anniversary of which is on 5 September. Continue reading...

Figures follow others indicating prices are beginning to fall as higher interest rates and living costs biteThe annual rate of UK house price growth has slowed sharply, falling from 12.8% to 7.8% in a month, according to official data that indicates the cost of living crisis is putting the brakes on the property market.The Office for National Statistics said the value of the average UK house increased by £3,000 in June, taking the typical price to £286,000. That is £20,000 higher than a year earlier. Continue reading...

If Grant Shapps is looking for a ‘model’, the secretive state has strict rules on ownership and who can cycleIf the British transport secretary, Grant Shapps, is looking for a “model” for his bicycle registration plates proposal he could turn to one of the world’s most illiberal countries: North Korea.After decades of being frowned upon as a primitive means of transport for citizens of a modern, socialist paradise, cycling gained official acceptance in the secretive state in 1992 – although it is officially banned for women. Continue reading...

Five-year-old child reportedly died of scorpion sting after nearly 40 Syrians spent a month marooned between Greece and TurkeyA group of adults and children who spent a month stuck on a scorpion- and snake-infested spit of land between Greece and Turkey – and denied help by both nations – were finally taken to temporary accommodation by Greek police this week.Among the group of nearly 40 Syrian refugees forced to seek refuge on the islet in the Evros river was a five-year-old girl, Maria, reported to have died from a scorpion sting. Her nine-year-old sister remains gravely ill. Continue reading...

The Lowry says energy costs in 2022-23 will far outstrip its entire Arts Council grantIt could cost almost a million pounds to keep the lights on at a Greater Manchester theatre this winter as its energy bills are set to triple.The Lowry, a theatre and gallery complex in Salford, said it was facing a bill “substantially” higher than its £860,000 annual Arts Council grant, posing “a major challenge” for the charitable organisation. Continue reading...

Costs of dam project championed by Barnaby Joyce to secure water for Tamworth ‘far outweigh the benefits’, assessment says

Former health secretary says context of Truss’s comments on British workers needing ‘more graft’ unclearThe former health secretary Sajid Javid has distanced himself from comments made by Liz Truss in a leaked recording, in which she said British workers needed “more graft” and implied they lacked the skills of foreign workers.When asked about the comments on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Javid said he did not know the context in which the comments were made, but he thought British workers were the most hardworking in the world. Continue reading...

Human rights organisations say figures are evidence of symptomatic biases and overzealous policingBlack and Asian people were more likely than white people to be given fines for breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules, police figures for England and Wales suggest.Human rights organisation Liberty said the figures, which showed black people were more than twice as likely to be fined than people from white backgrounds, were evidence of the government prioritising criminalisation over public health and of bias within police forces. Continue reading...

While attempting to explain why he appointed himself to five ministries in secret, the former PM raised more questions than answers

Police called to Lavrock Bank in Toxteth area after reports that man had been shotA man, believed to be in his early 20s, has died after a shooting in Toxteth, Liverpool.Police were called to Lavrock Bank, an area in the inner city, at 11.40pm on Tuesday evening after reports that a man had been shot. Arriving at the scene, they found a man with gunshot wounds to his upper body, Merseyside police said. Continue reading...

Research on more than 20 apps found that the majority collected large amounts of personal data and shared it with third partiesAfter the fall of federal abortion protections in the US, pressure has mounted on apps that collect pregnancy-related data to preserve people’s privacy. A new study has found many of them do not hold up to scrutiny.Experts at internet research non-profit Mozilla studied more than 20 pregnancy and period tracking apps for privacy and security features and said the results were grim. Continue reading...

$34.5bn railway – labelled the biggest public transport project in state’s history – set to feature heavily in election campaign

Labor voted against bill seeking to raise age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 shortly after committing to Indigenous treaty

Prosecution says ‘an error’ not ‘a political decision’ resulted in two women being notified of intention to withdraw charges against them over Black Lives Matter protest

Exclusive: Sadiq Khan says economic difficulties threaten to undo progress made in tackling violent crimeLondon’s mayor has warned of a rise in shootings and stabbings amid concerns that the increasing cost of living could lead to more violence and make it easier for gangs to lure vulnerable young people.Sadiq Khan said millions of pounds more were being put into schemes to turn people away from violence. The Labour mayor has been criticised by some for his record on crime. Continue reading...

Plea to government, which controls prices on some essentials, to allow rise as war in Ukraine and extreme weather drive up costsFive major producers of instant noodles have urged the Thai government to allow them to increase their prices within a week, warning of soaring production costs affecting one of the country’s most popular grocery items.The war in Ukraine, as well as droughts and floods over the past year, have caused the cost of wheat, energy and transport costs to rise sharply, affecting noodle prices across Asia. Continue reading...

Premier Dominic Perrottet accepts all 28 recommendations from the independent inquiry into the 2022 floods

Greens also want energy price cap rolled back to last autumn’s level, part-funded by taxes on rich peopleThe Greens have called for the permanent nationalisation of the main energy supply companies and for domestic fuel bills to be reduced to the level of last autumn, describing this as a solution to the failed experiment with a market-based energy system.In a proposal that goes well beyond Labour’s idea for a freeze on energy bills for at least six months, the Greens said nationalising the main five energy firms was a necessary part of a plan sufficiently ambitious “to avoid a catastrophe this winter”. Continue reading...

Beach and country lifestyle areas show market weakness after record-breaking rises during the pandemic

Ofcom says viewers aged 16 to 24 spend just 53 minutes a day on average watching broadcast TVWatching traditional TV channels has almost stopped among younger viewers, with 90% of 18- to 24-year-olds heading straight to their favourite streaming service, according to a report by the media regulator Ofcom.The report, which found that Netflix is the most common destination for younger viewers to seek out content, highlights a rapidly widening generation gap in viewing habits.Stay Close – 6.9m Netflix accounts, 61.9m total streamsThe Tinder Swindler (movie) – 6.6m, 8.8mThe Adam Project (movie) – 6.1m, 7.9mInventing Anna – 5.3m, 41.4mAfter Life – 5.1m, 42mThe Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – BBC One, 13.2m viewersThe Tourist – BBC One, 11.4mTrigger Point – ITV, 10.9mThe Thief, his Wife and the Canoe – ITV, 10.1mThe Responder – BBC One, 9.5m Continue reading...

Andy Mitchell received bonuses on top of £489,000 salary last year as forecast tunnel cost rose to £4.3bnThe executive overseeing construction of London’s “super sewer” under the Thames has been awarded bonuses that doubled his pay to nearly £1m despite delays and cost over-runs on the flagship project.With executive pay in the water industry already under scrutiny, Tideway has revealed it paid its chief executive, Andy Mitchell, a total package of £928,000 for the year to 31 March 2022, up 7.5% from £863,000 a year earlier. Continue reading...

Former PM says the powers he assumed could have been ‘misinterpreted and misunderstood’ and caused unnecessary angst if made public

Forests in Russia are most affected, as scientists warn of escape of huge quantities of buried carbon dioxideThe boreal forests in the far northern latitudes have suffered more tree cover loss owing to fire in the last decade than any other place on Earth, with Russia losing more trees to fire than any other country, data has shown.The boreal region is a huge stretch of coniferous forests that encircles the northern hemisphere taking in parts of Scandinavia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Alaska and Canada, among other countries. Continue reading...

Protesters say station is part of gentrification scheme aimed at altering historically leftwing areaThe battle lines are drawn early in Exarchia Square – and in the depths of summer, they are rigorously defined. “By 6.30am we’re here,” says Chrysoula Papageorgiou, a bespectacled schoolteacher now involved in the fight of her life to stop a metro station being built in the historic plaza. “That’s just before the first construction workers arrive. As for them, they’re here 24/7.”The “them” in this case is a shifting platoon of police, some equipped with shields and teargas, others in full battle dress and yet others in uniforms of simple blue. Papageorgiou is among the protesters who in energy-sapping temperatures have been meeting daily and chanting themselves hoarse at the lower end of the square. Continue reading...

The bill aimed to prevent publicly funded hospitals from refusing to perform abortions across the state

Independent inquiry into the 2022 floods finds existing agencies failed, and calls for conversion of flood plain land

Judgement rules ‘a hyperlink is merely a tool’ in case between search engine and Melbourne lawyer George Defteros

Russian-backed self-appointed leader writes Kim Jong-un a letter, shortly after Vladimir Putin said Moscow and Pyongyang would expand relationsNorth Korea and the Russian-occupied Donetsk region of Ukraine will develop “equally beneficial bilateral cooperation”, its self-appointed leader has said in a letter to Kim Jong-un, according to state media.Denis Pushilin made the pledge in a message congratulating Kim on the 15 August Korean liberation day, North Korean state news agency KCNA reported, two days after reporting a similar message from Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to Kim. Continue reading...

The wage index rose 2.6% from a year ago, as unions call for more support to address cost of living pressureAustralia’s wages rose at the fastest rate in almost eight years but still less than half the headline inflation rate, a gap likely to fuel calls at next month’s jobs summit for more steps to halt the decline in household’s real incomes.The wage price index rose 2.6% in the June quarter from a year ago, seasonally adjusted, and 0.7% from previous three months, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Clare O’Neil compares the former PM to ‘a despot’ but John Howard says criticisms are ‘over the top’

Key Zelenskiy adviser says counteroffensive will aim to create ‘chaos within Russian forces’; Ukraine hints it was behind a series of recent strikes in occupied Crimea

Brisbane Broncos and players rally around Robinson after she was targeted by social media trollsThe Brisbane Broncos have strongly condemned trolls who targeted NRLW player Julia Robinson with body-shaming comments after a picture of the three-time premiership winner was posted by the club on their social media platforms.Robinson called out the trolls on Tuesday after the innocuous photograph, which showed the Queensland and Australia representative player in a singlet at training, attracted derogatory comments about her muscular physique. Continue reading...

In early August the former prime minister registered Triginta, ‘30’ in Latin, a private company whose sole shareholder was himself

Aboriginal women more likely to be sentenced for nonviolent and minor crimes than non-Indigenous women, research shows

Guardian, BBC and Times seek release of documents about policy of sending asylum seekers abroadA Foreign Office official raised concerns about plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, citing state surveillance, arbitrary detention, torture and killings by the country’s government, the high court has heard.The court has been asked to consider an application by the foreign secretary to keep parts of certain government documents secret for fear the contents could damage international relations and threaten national security. Continue reading...