World news | The Guardian

A murder investigation has been launched after the child died from a suspected stab wound, police saidDetectives have launched a murder inquiry after a nine-year-old girl died from a suspected stab wound in Lincolnshire.Officers were called to the scene in Fountain Lane, Boston at 6.20pm on Thursday. Continue reading...

Leadership rivals bid to win members’ support in foreign secretary’s home townDrug-related deaths in Scotland fell by nine in 2021, according to the latest figures released by National Records of Scotland, the first decrease since 2013 but falling well short of the significant reduction that campaigners are calling for.The latest figure of 1,330 is still the second highest annual total on record, and Scotland continues to have by far the highest drug death rate recorded by any country in Europe and five times the rate in England.We’ve had a raft of reports, policies and strategies that say what needs to change, and families are more likely to be included round the table, but it’s much harder to track their influence on the ground. We don’t understand what’s getting in the way of good words becoming good deeds.1,330 of our fellow Scots have died entirely preventable deaths and we should not be celebrating this as an achievement ... The solutions are no secret. We need action, not reports with recommendations that are never implemented. Continue reading...

‘City of Hope’ patient, aged 66, received transplant to treat leukemia from donor naturally resistant to Aids-causing virusThe oldest patient yet has been cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant for leukemia, researchers reported on Wednesday.While the transplant was planned to treat the now 66-year-old’s leukemia, the doctors also sought a donor who was naturally resistant to the virus that causes Aids, a mechanism that first worked to cure the “Berlin patient”, Timothy Ray Brown, in 2007. Continue reading...

Local authority told to offload thousands of assets including council houses in stark report, a year after declaring bankruptcyA bankrupt local authority could have to raise council tax by 20% a year and will be forced to sell off thousands of homes and other assets under “unprecedented” plans imposed on it after it ran up catastrophic debts amid overspending running into hundreds of millions of pounds.The scale of the financial and management chaos at Labour-run Slough council is revealed in a stark report by a team of government commissioners sent in to run the authority after it declared effective bankruptcy a year ago. Continue reading...

Analysis: viewers stand to gain an insight into judges’ decision-making at a time when transparency is being reduced elsewhereAlmost 100 years after a ban on cameras in criminal courts was enshrined in law, the first broadcast from an English crown court went out on Thursday and is likely to have left many viewers asking: “Why has it taken so long?”Resistance in the past has often been motivated by fears that allowing in cameras could risk turning cases into the sort of media circus seen around high-profile US trials such as that of OJ Simpson or, albeit a civil case, the recent Johnny Depp v Amber Heard defamation proceedings. Continue reading...

John Kelly, who Kushner and wife saw as ‘consistently duplicitous’, ‘showed his true character’ in hallway incident, memoir saysWhile chief of staff to Donald Trump, the retired general John Kelly “shoved” Ivanka Trump in a White House hallway, Jared Kushner writes in his forthcoming memoir.The detail from Breaking History, which will be published in August, was reported by the Washington Post. Continue reading...

As Australia’s most diverse federal parliament opened, new members introduced themselves and set out priorities

Redfern Legal Centre says $20,000 in fines issued is ‘unjust’ and ‘sets children up for failure’

Lack of transparency from pharmaceutical companies on anticancer medication has implications for health equity, Australian scientist says

Australian Christian Lobby says it is ‘… completely inappropriate for the new government to prioritise a controversial bill such as this’

More than half of the Covid deaths in Australia have occurred since March and the rate is increasing

Prosecutor reads out messages allegedly shared by three defendants in WhatsApp chat in 2019Metropolitan police officers accused of sharing “grossly offensive” messages in a WhatsApp group that included Wayne Couzens joked about beating and sexually assaulting women, raping a colleague and Tasering children, a court has heard.PC Jonathon Cobban, 35, PC William Neville, 33, and Joel Borders, 45, a former officer, listened from the dock as comments they allegedly made were read out by the prosecution at Westminster magistrates court. Continue reading...

Rafiqul Islam, 51, and Mahiqul, 16, found dead with three unconscious relatives while on two-month visitPolice investigating the apparent poisoning of a British family of five on holiday in Bangladesh, which killed a father and son, are hoping the survivors could hold the key to what happened.Rafiqul Islam, 51, a taxi driver from Cardiff, and his son, 16-year-old Mahiqul, along with three other members of their family, were discovered unconscious in a locked room by police officers on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Judge to release ruling in battle of footballers’ wives over Instagram leak allegationIt has taken almost three years of legal arguments, millions of pounds in lawyers’ fees, and an often excruciating public trial – but at noon on Friday the world will finally learn who has won the “Wagatha Christie” libel case.The case, brought by Rebekah Vardy against her fellow footballer’s wife Coleen Rooney, played out over seven days in May at the high court in central London. Rooney had alleged that stories from her private Instagram account were being leaked by Vardy to journalists at the Sun. Vardy said this was false and sued Rooney in an attempt to clear her name, which put the pressure on Rooney to substantiate her claim. Continue reading...

Richard Howson, Richard Adam and Zafar Khan appeal against watchdog findings that they ‘acted recklessly'Three former Carillion executives have been accused of “market abuse” by the City regulator and could face combined fines worth nearly £1m for issuing misleading statements regarding the disgraced outsourcer’s financial health before it collapsed in 2018.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that it found the executives had “acted recklessly” and had been aware the company was publishing “misleadingly positive” statements about its finances in 2016 and 2017, particularly in relation to the UK construction arm. Continue reading...

Felixstowe workers vote in favour of industrial action after Unite union rejected 5% pay riseDockers at the UK’s largest container port have voted overwhelmingly to strike after they were offered a below-inflation pay rise, with action planned for August in the latest blow to efforts by ministers to contain a wave of industrial unrest sparked by the cost of living crisis.Workers at the port of Felixstowe in Suffolk balloted 92% in favour of a strike next month, rejecting a 5% pay rise offer from the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company, which their union, Unite, pointed out would be a real-terms pay cut with retail price inflation standing at 11.8%. Continue reading...

Marina Ovsyannikova, previously fined for bursting into state TV studio, found guilty over social media postsThe Russian former state TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova was fined 50,000 roubles (£681) on Thursday after being found guilty of discrediting the country’s armed forces in social media posts condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine.The ruling was passed after a short hearing in a Moscow administrative court. Ovsyannikova rejected the proceedings against her as “absurd”. Continue reading...

British Gas owner reinstates dividends after operating profits of £1.3bn, while Shell reports £10bn profit between April and JuneShell made record profits of nearly £10bn between April and June and promised to give shareholders payouts worth £6.5bn as the oil supermajor benefited from the surge in energy prices prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The FTSE 100 company made adjusted profits of $11.5bn (£9.5bn) during the second quarter of the year, beating its previous high – set between January and March – by 26%. The profits were more than double the same period in 2021, and higher than expected by analysts. Continue reading...

Mark Steyn’s misleading claim that jab was killing Britons was based on ‘inaccurate reading’ of report, says Full FactGB News is being investigated by the media regulator Ofcom after one of its hosts made misleading claims about the side-effects of Covid booster vaccines.The presenter Mark Steyn wrongly alleged that having the extra dose was killing Britons and alleged there was a media silence on the issue. Continue reading...

MS Victoria is temporary solution to host refugees but there are concerns about small rooms and seasickness

‘Heart-breaking’ figures are first decrease since 2013 but raise questions over slow progressThe Scottish government remains under huge pressure to deliver on its “national mission” to save lives as new figures show drug-related deaths fell by just nine, or 1%, to 1,330 in 2021.Described as “heart-breaking” and “shameful” by politicians and campaigners, the latest figures from National Records of Scotland are the first decrease since 2013 but still the second highest annual total on record. They raise further questions about why attempts to address what has long been acknowledged as a public health emergency are making slow progress. Continue reading...

Shops have a week to appeal after failing to convince Bremen officials they are not fronts for crimeThe northern German city of Bremen is planning to shut down all of its betting shops after the interior senator said their owners had failed to convince him that they were not fronts for money laundering.Bremen, Germany’s smallest city-state, announced on Wednesday it had issued rejection notices to 32 establishments that had applied for betting licences under a new gambling law, meaning any bets placed on their premises would with immediate effect be deemed illegal. Continue reading...

Arms trafficker Viktor Bout reportedly in line for exchange with the WNBA star facing drug chargesBrittney Griner’s defence team have given the prospect of including the WNBA star in a prisoner swap a cautious welcome, as Russia said talks between Moscow and Washington on exchanging prisoners were “ongoing”.“Griner’s Russian defence team learned about US’s offer from the news … In any case, we would be really happy if Brittney will be able to come home and hope it will be soon,” said the WNBA star’s lawyers, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, in a statement. Continue reading...

Chief executive announces external review into error and says appropriate action will be takenBarclays has revealed a 40% slump in profits after putting aside £1.3bn to cover a US trading blunder.The UK bank said pre-tax profits fell between April and June – from £2.5bn a year earlier to £1.5bn – falling short of the analysts’ consensus forecast of £1.6bn. Continue reading...

London venue with long history of offering training and networking has become Seven Dials PlayhouseFor more than 40 years it was a place where actors – from legendary stars to those struggling for a first break – could socialise, network and learn new skills. Among its patrons and members were Laurence Olivier, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Alec Guinness, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Bates and Julie Walters.But last November, the Actors Centre – a registered charity in the heart of London’s West End – was “rebranded” by its new chief executive, Amanda Davey. It is now the Seven Dials Playhouse, a 100-seat theatre that describes itself as “truly inclusive … relevant, dynamic and exciting”. Continue reading...

HMRC says drop for 2020-21 financial year coincided with ‘substantial reduction in international aviation’The number of super-rich people who live in the UK but pay no tax on their offshore income has fallen by 11%, after the pandemic imposed severe travel restrictions, according to figures published by HMRC on Thursday.UK-based people with non-domicile tax status – so called “non-doms” – in the 2020-21 financial year totalled 68,300, a fall of 8,200 on the previous year. The number has been on a downward path since 2017, with tax experts also citing Brexit and tighter government controls on who can claim the tax break. Continue reading...

US-China tension rising as Michael McCaul and Anna Eshoo say they were invited to travel with House speakerNancy Pelosi has invited senior lawmakers to join her on a trip to Taiwan, according to a member of the House foreign affairs committee, providing the first apparent confirmation of the widely speculated visit.The potential visit by the US House speaker to Taiwan is at the centre of spiralling tensions involving the island, China and the US, which analysts fear are at their most dangerous point in decades. Continue reading...

Labour leader accused of stoking unnecessary row by firing shadow minister over interviews from picket linesKeir Starmer has been accused of making a “severe mistake” and stoking an unnecessary row by firing a shadow transport minister over his comments on rail strikes.The former shadow chancellor John McDonnell told the Labour leader to “come off the fence” and stop alienating voters. He claimed there were unprecedented levels of anger at the lack of solidarity with workers taking industrial action. Continue reading...

Tobias Friedrich Moran remanded in custody over the death of 25-year-old schoolteacher in Lismore in 2005

Culture secretary and Liz Truss backer says Tory MPs made ‘huge mistake’ removing prime minister

Decision by attorney general Mark Dreyfus guarantees a dozen Aboriginal non-citizens at risk of deportation will be able to stay in Australia

Gomeroi man’s family tells inquest they felt disrespected throughout search process after he went missing in a Moree river in 2021

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak must stop focusing on economic growth amid global heating crisis, warns co-leader Adrian RamsayThe two candidates to be the UK’s next prime minister must commit to much tougher environmental targets and policies, the Green party has warned, as concerns over the climate, pollution and biodiversity have been largely absent from the leadership debates.Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, and Rishi Sunak, a former chancellor of the exchequer, have both confirmed their commitment to the UK’s legally binding target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but have given little indication of how they would meet the goal. Continue reading...

Inclusive promotion urges women to ‘toast a summer for all, without stereotypes’Spain’s equality ministry has launched a creative summer campaign encouraging women of all shapes and sizes to hit the beach, with the slogan: “Summer is ours too.”The colourful campaign’s promotional photo features five women of different body types, ages and ethnicities enjoying a day in the sun. “Summer is ours too,” it says. “Enjoy it how, where and with whomever you want.” The campaign also features a woman who has had a mastectomy topless. Continue reading...

Tigrinya speakers say they face beatings, detention and privation, and blame UN for ‘abandoning’ them, despite right to be in EthiopiaEritrean refugees in Ethiopia say they are being targeted for arbitrary arrest and forcible relocation to war-torn parts of the country, despite having UN permission to remain in Ethiopia.Government security officers are accused of rounding up, abusing and unlawfully detaining refugees who have legal status, as well as Eritreans who have foreign citizenship. Continue reading...

Yang Huiyan, a majority shareholder in Chinese property giant Country Garden, saw net worth plunge to $11.3bn in a yearAsia’s wealthiest woman has lost more than half her fortune over the past year as the crisis engulfing China’s real estate sector continues to worsen, a billionaire index showed on Thursday.Yang Huiyan, a majority shareholder in China’s biggest property developer Country Garden, saw her net worth plunge by more than 52% to $11.3bn from $23.7bn a year ago, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Continue reading...

Customs checks and border queues cited as leading barriers, as only 29% of firms say sales increased in Q2Britain’s exporters have seen their overseas trade stagnate over the past year despite strong growth in domestic demand for their products and booming export markets, according to a survey.The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said that a survey of 2,600 exporters found a quarter had suffered a fall in exports and another 46% reported no change. Continue reading...

Installation on remains of Roman structure in Northumberland is part of wall’s 1,900th anniversary celebrations“It is a little-known fact that the Romans invented bouncy castles,” a father tells his young, dubious daughter as they spot in the distance what could be a wildly colourful inflatable house in the remains of a fort on Hadrian’s Wall.When the family have made their 15-minute way up from the car park to the fort, they will realise the structure is neither bouncy, nor a castle. Continue reading...

More than 30% have no access to free menstrual products at school or college, despite government schemesAlmost a third of girls and young women in the UK cannot access free period products at their school or college, despite government schemes being in place for several years, research suggests.Some 32% of girls and young women said they could not access free menstrual products at their school or college because they were unavailable, according to a survey commissioned by Girlguiding. Continue reading...

Legend claims Saint Columba never came up with cross for Tory island so artist Sarah Lewtas fulfils pledgeIt is more than a thousand years late, and made of cardboard rather than stone, but the residents of Ireland’s remotest inhabited island have finally got their cross.The 6.5-metre sculpture reached Tory island, a windswept rock nine miles off Ireland’s north-west coast, on Wednesday, arguably restoring the tainted honour of a patron saint. Continue reading...

Guardian Australia brings together all the latest on daily new Covid-19 cases, as well as stats, charts and live state by state data from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, WA, Tasmania, ACT and NT. We bring together the latest numbers on the vaccine rollout and fourth dose booster vaccination rates.

Managing director says Parramatta Square relocation to be complete by early 2024 and will put ABC at ‘centre of a dynamic, purpose-built precinct’

Ukraine confirms seizure of Vuhlehirska power plant in Donetsk but calls it a ‘tiny tactical advantage’

The bodies of two mountaineers, Eakin and Canadian man Richard Cartier, found on the world’s second-highest mountain in Pakistan

Guidelines for who should get immunised have also been updated ahead of newer vaccines being made available in Australia

Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown to be recalled while Labor presses Liberal deputy Stuart Ayres to appear

Defense department’s Ely Ratner says such incidents represent ‘one of the most significant threats to peace and stability in the region’

Police fired teargas in a bid to stop crowds who entered parliament waving flags, taking photographs, chanting and cheeringHundreds of supporters of powerful Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr danced and sang in parliament after storming Baghdad’s high-security Green Zone in protest at a rival bloc’s nomination for prime minister.Police fired barrages of teargas in a bid to stop the protesters from breaching the gates of the heavily fortified Green Zone, but the crowds surged forward and entered parliament. Continue reading...

Industrial action will see rubbish bins go uncollected on Spring, Flinders, Victoria and Spencer streets