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Circumstantial evidence enough to convict William MacDowell, now 80, of killing Renee and Andrew MacRaeAn 80-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering his secret lover and their three-year-old son almost half a century after the pair vanished without trace from a layby on the A9 near Inverness, concluding one of Scotland’s most extensive and longest-running missing persons investigations.Although the bodies of Renee MacRae, who was 36 when she disappeared in 1976, and her younger son, Andrew, have never been found, William MacDowell, now 80, was convicted by a “compelling and classic case of circumstantial evidence”, as the prosecutor Alex Prentice KC described it in his closing speech to the jury. Continue reading...

Headteachers say more children are using vapes, forcing them into measures to tackle the problemThe government’s school behaviour adviser has called on headteachers to crack down on vaping among pupils, calling it “a huge health hazard” and an “enormous distraction”, amid reports that more children are using the devices, including some of primary age.Tom Bennett said vaping was now as big an issue in schools as cigarettes once were, with children becoming “addicted to the practice and the chemicals involved”. He called on school leaders to confiscate prohibited items, set clear sanctions and follow them through with zero exceptions. Continue reading...

Albanese government says Indigenous voice is its priority and any move away from monarchy is not going to come quicklyGet our free news app, morning email briefing or daily news podcastThe Albanese government has told a leading monarchist group that “the time is coming” for Australia to discuss becoming a republic, angering supporters of the British crown who claim Labor is giving itself a head start on a future referendum campaign.But the government has also conceded that any move away from the monarchy is not going to come quickly, instead inviting monarchist groups to join the current campaign for an Indigenous voice to parliament.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...

Inquiry says phone service misjudged levels of illness and failed to advise some to seek urgent helpMultiple failures by the NHS 111 telephone advice service early in the pandemic left Covid patients struggling to get care and led directly to some people dying, an investigation has found.The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) looked into the help that NHS 111 gave people with Covid in the weeks before and after the UK entered its first lockdown on 23 March 2020.The CRS algorithm did not allow for the assessment of any life-threatening illness a caller had – such as obesity, cancer or lung disease – to establish if they should undergo a clinical assessment.When “many” callers reached the core 111 service, there was no way to divert them as intended to the CRS, which was operationally independent of 111.Although patients who had symptoms of Covid-19 as well underlying health conditions, including diabetes, were meant to be assessed when they spoke to the core 111 service, “some” were not.The number of extra calls to 111 in March 2020 meant only half were answered. Continue reading...

Government could seek to reduce welfare benefits spending in wake of recent mini-budgetPoverty campaigners have said it would be “morally indefensible” for ministers to fund tax cuts for the richest on the backs of the poor, amid speculation ministers may reduce welfare benefits in the wake of last week’s ill-received fiscal statement.Friday’s mini-budget announced billions of tax cuts benefiting high earners, but the subsequent market fallout plunged the UK’s finances to near crisis. The government is expected to have to make tens of billions of pounds of public spending cuts later this year to try to put the UK’s finances on a sound footing. Continue reading...

Men are accepting their military call-ups, with poll showing support for conflict still at 72% after mobilisation

Some warn about impact on disadvantaged students, who suffered greatest learning loss during pandemicA-level and GCSE grades awarded in 2023 will be lower on average than this summer, the Department for Education has announced, as it confirmed plans to return grades to pre-pandemic levels.While the DfE and Ofqual, the exam regulator for England, said some help would stay in place for those whose learning was disrupted, school leaders and experts warned that those student most badly affected by Covid were most likely to suffer from the downward adjustment. Continue reading...

Putin to sign decree to annex Ukraine regions Friday after ‘referendums’; EU plans fresh sanctions on Russia to ‘make the Kremlin pay’ for escalating war with Ukraine

Andrew Forrest urges businesses to aim for ‘real zero’ to reduce environmental impactCarbon offsets are questionable, dangerous and far from a good investment for companies hoping to reduce their environmental impact, Australia’s richest man has said.Andrew Forrest, a billionaire turned philanthropist who made his fortune in mining and minerals, is turning his vast iron ore extraction operation, Fortescue Metals Group, into a zero carbon business. Continue reading...

Popular Front of India, which says it works for ‘socio-economic empowerment of downtrodden people’ disbands following banAn Islamic organisation that says it fights discrimination against minorities in India has disbanded after the government declared it and its affiliates unlawful, accusing them of involvement in terrorism.The government of Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) accused the Popular Front of India (PFI) group of having been involved in “terrorism” and “anti-national activities”. Continue reading...

Family of Nnamdi Kanu granted judicial review over failure of Britain to intervene after arrest last yearThe family of a British citizen who was allegedly taken to Nigeria in an act of extraordinary rendition has been granted a court hearing to challenge the UK government for not intervening in his case.Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), a prominent separatist movement proscribed in Nigeria, was arrested in Kenya in June last year before being transported against his will to Nigeria, where he has been held ever since. Continue reading...

Children’s commissioner raises fears of another tragedy like that of Molly Russell after poll findingsThe children’s commissioner for England has said she fears there could be a repeat of the Molly Russell tragedy, after research showed almost half of children have seen harmful content online, including material promoting self-harm and suicide.The research published on Thursday by Dame Rachel de Souza found that 45% of children aged eight to 17 have come across material they felt was inappropriate or made them worried or upset, though half of them did not report it.In the UK, the youth suicide charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org, and in the UK and Ireland Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Analysis: PM’s eight short interviews produced more news than a typical slot on Radio 4’s Today programme

Unions push for wage rises amid cost of living crisis and ditching of plans to raise retirement ageStreet demonstrations have been held across France as schools and transport services were disrupted by the first major strike since President Emmanuel Macron won re-election in April.Primary school teachers stopped work on Thursday, as did train and bus drivers on certain regional services and nuclear power industry workers, in what was seen as a test for trade unions’ ability to mobilise support. Continue reading...

Media commentators across political spectrum deride PM’s appearance on local radio to defend economic policy

Reports say largest rupture causing circle of bubbles at Baltic Sea surface of about 900 metres in diameter

Pyongyang fired ballistic missiles into the sea just hours before US vice-president arrived in SeoulThe US vice-president, Kamala Harris, has condemned North Korea’s “provocative nuclear rhetoric” during a trip to South Korea that included a visit to the heavily armed border dividing the peninsula.Harris arrived in Seoul on Thursday, hours after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, in a move that underlines Washington’s struggle to rein in the regime’s weapons programme. Continue reading...

Michelle Pfeiffer, who starred in 1995 film that featured hit single Gangsta’s Paradise, among those to pay respectsTributes have been paid to the Grammy award-winning musician Coolio, who died at the age of 59 on Wednesday.The death of the rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr, was confirmed by his manager, Sheila Finegan, who in a statement said: “We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon. Continue reading...

Asked if he smoked a joint the night before he went to police, Koletti tells Sydney inquest: ‘Let’s just say I did, what’s your point?’

Health services not using correct procedures to help those with drug and alcohol problems, commission findsScotland’s health services are failing to tackle a mental health crisis affecting thousands of people with drug or alcohol problems because the right policies are not being followed, an expert body has found.The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, a statutory body founded to protect the human rights of people with mental illness, said only a minority of health professionals were using the correct strategies and plans for at-risk patients.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...

Exclusive: labour rights experts say Liz Truss’s proposals to tackle shortages will put workers at riskMore people will be at risk of modern slavery on British farms if a cap on seasonal worker visas is lifted, labour rights experts have warned.Liz Truss has signalled that she intends to lift the cap on foreign workers in seasonal agriculture as part of a review of visas to tackle labour shortages. Continue reading...

The Grammy-winning musician passed away at friend’s house in Los Angeles, manager saysThe rapper Coolio died at the age of 59 in Los Angeles, his manager has confirmed.The artist, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr, passed away at a friend’s house, his longtime manager, Jarez Posey, told the Associated Press and other outlets including TMZ, Rolling Stone and Variety. Continue reading...

Economic adviser to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was by accused by military leaders of having confidential papersAung San Suu Kyi and the Australian academic Sean Turnell who served as her advisor have been sentenced to three years in prison after a closed trial in Myanmar, according to reports.Turnell, an economist at Sydney’s Macquarie University, was first detained last year on 6 February, a few days after the military ousted Myanmar’s elected government, plunging the country into chaos. Continue reading...

Former legislator, who fled to Australia last year, said earlier that any sentence would not harm his reputation or lobbying workA Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy figure in exile Ted Hui to three-and-a-half years in jail over charges related to the 2019 protest movement.The ruling in Hong Kong’s high court on Thursday, reported by local media, is the first time someone has been sentenced in absentia over the protests. Continue reading...

Far-right leader posted sexualised clip of herself during election campaign, favours curbs on abortion and is against ‘pink quotas’On election day, Giorgia Meloni appeared to have found a way to flout rules demanding candidates stop all campaigning. The Italian far-right leader posted a video of herself on social media holding two melons in front of her chest while winking into the camera and saying: “25 September [voting day], I’ve said everything”. Meloni in Italian means melons, and it is also slang for breasts.For those who found the clip distasteful, the sexualised image was a further indication that Meloni would not be carrying the torch for feminists as prime minister. Others were surprised by the sudden turn in style by the Brothers of Italy chief, who had made being a woman and mother central to her campaign, but nonetheless acknowledged that it was a clever way of showing voters she knows how to have a laugh, even if the humour hailed from a more masculine culture. Continue reading...

Albanese government considering sweeping overhaul of data retention and privacy laws following massive Optus cyber hack

Move comes after AWM faced criticism for sparse presentation of atrocities against Indigenous Australians during colonisation

Jagot will be the seventh woman appointed to the court, replacing Patrick Keane once he reaches mandatory retirement age

Exclusive: Despite war crimes inquiry saying commanders ‘must bear’ responsibility for what happened on their watch, the previous government suspended punishment against them

Animal welfare law passes two years after sinking of Gulf Livestock 1 in a typhoon killed crew and 6,000 cattleNew Zealand will ban live animal exports from next April, two years after storms sank a livestock ship, killing 41 crew members and 6,000 cattle.The death of two New Zealanders among the crew of the Gulf Livestock 1, which sank in a September 2020 typhoon, helped galvanise the movement to ban exports of live sheep and cattle. Continue reading...

Antony Blinken opens landmark meeting a day after leaked documents showed discord among some Pacific leaders over US proposalsJoe Biden’s administration has welcomed Pacific Island leaders for a landmark summit in Washington with promises of greater aid and diplomatic presence, as it attempts to counter China’s rising influence in a region historically linked to the US.In a first-of-a-kind summit in Washington, leaders from across the remote but strategic islands will meet Biden and the rest of the top US leadership on issues from maritime security to pandemic recovery to climate change, which threatens to devastate many of the low-lying islands. Continue reading...

Official reason to allow children ‘to shape their own existence’ while mother of two princes losing titles ‘shocked’ by decisionDenmark’s Queen Margrethe, Europe’s only reigning queen and the continent’s longest serving monarch, has stripped four of her eight grandchildren of their titles, the palace announced.The official reason was to allow the four children of her youngest son, Prince Joachim, to live more normal lives, and follows similar moves by other royal families in Europe to slim down their monarchies, the palace said. Continue reading...

Services such as debt advice and hardship funds under threat amid £400m bill caused by inflationA network of councils in England is warning support services for families hit hardest by the cost of living crisis face being axed amid an unexpected £400m bill caused by soaring inflation.Services that district councils have no legal obligation to provide – such as debt and benefits advice, hardship funds for families, homelessness prevention projects and help hubs for people facing poverty – are under threat. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Zelenskiy’s chief of staff says sanctions should go further as international group concludes Russia’s actions pass terrorism thresholdThe head of the Office of the Ukrainian Presidency has called for sweeping American and European sanctions targeting Moscow after an official report drawn up by an international working group concluded Russia should now be declared a “state sponsor of terrorism”.The call from Andriy Yermak, the second most powerful Ukrainian government official after president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, came after Ukraine accused Russia of sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, an accusation that adds to its claim that Russia has shown all the characteristics of a terrorist state under US and international law. Continue reading...

Bank of England left with no action but to intervene after Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budgetThe Bank of England has been forced into emergency action to halt a run on Britain’s pension funds after the impact of Kwasi Kwarteng’s ill-received mini budget prompted fears of a 2008-style financial crisis.Threadneedle Street said the fallout from a dramatic rise in government borrowing costs since the chancellor’s statement had left it with no choice but to intervene to protect the UK’s financial system. Continue reading...

Severe storm that killed two and flattened homes in Atlantic Canada highlights need for longterm strategy against climate changeBrian “Smokey” Osmond was cooking at his home in Newfoundland’s coastal Port aux Basques when he spotted flood waters creeping into his garage on Saturday morning.Osmond moved his truck up a hill to safety. But as he returned, a powerful storm surge struck. Continue reading...

Borrowers unable to secure loans and provisional offers withdrawn, while others pay huge penalties to lock in longer fixed rates

Angela Rayner invites activists to imagine meeting under a Labour government, and insiders say gathering was big financial successLabour membership increased by more than 2,500 over the party’s conference, fuelled by the Conservatives’ turmoil and polls suggesting it is on course for victory.The conference in Liverpool was the most financially successful in the party’s history, according to insiders. A new poll by Deltapoll as the conference closed on Wednesday gave Labour a 13-point lead, as Liz Truss faced calls to sack her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, following the emergency intervention by the Bank of England after his mini-budget. Continue reading...

Passengers urged not to travel unless necessary as service cut to 11% of normal scheduleNo trains at all will run between London and Britain’s biggest cities this Saturday as multiple unions combine strikes, the rail industry has confirmed.Timetables for 1 October have been published, with the overall service cut to just 11% of the normal schedule, when Aslef, RMT and some TSSA and Unite members are walking out for 24 hours in the long-running dispute over pay. Continue reading...

Additional requirements would be time-consuming and threaten capacityPassengers crossing the Channel could see post-Brexit border delays multiplied from next May, with a family car held for 10 minutes if the EU goes ahead with a planned biometric entry system, the Port of Dover has warned.The entry-exit system (EES), which is due to start in May 2023, will require all non-nationals to register their fingerprints and be photographed before entering the EU. Continue reading...

Thaw Nandar Aung, AKA Han Lay, feared being sent home after she was stopped at Thai border last weekA Myanmar fashion model who was denied entry to Thailand and feared arrest by the military government in Yangon if she was forced back home from exile has flown to Canada, which she says has granted her asylum.Thaw Nandar Aung, also known as Han Lay, left on a flight from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport early on Wednesday, according to Archayon Kraithong, a deputy commissioner of Thailand’s Immigration Bureau. He said he was not authorised to reveal her destination. Continue reading...

Plea to wealthy footballers and clubs to help buy auctioned painting to stop it disappearing into private collectionThe mayor of Salford has urged wealthy football players and clubs to consider buying LS Lowry’s painting Going to the Match when it is auctioned next month to prevent the “huge tragedy and scandal” of it disappearing from public view.The 1953 work by one of Britain’s best known and best-loved painters is expected to smash records when it is sold by the Professional Footballers’ Association next month. Christie’s, the auction house handling the sale, estimates it will fetch up to £8m. Continue reading...

New station opens five months after rest of line and two weeks before first through-servicesThe Elizabeth line’s delayed Bond Street station will open on 24 October, Transport for London has announced.The station, allowing direct access to the West End and shopping district on high-capacity trains from outside the capital, will open five months after the rest of the cross-London line started operating in May. Continue reading...

Push comes day after states suggest telco will pick up multi-million dollar tab for replacing driver’s licences of affected customers

Internal cultural review published by News Corp Australia states ‘allegations of abuse, racial vilification and bullying’ could amount to human rights violations

Analyst says lack of unity ‘like a case of brinkmanship’ ahead of decision on activation of gas trigger

Treasurer says it will take more than one budget to turn the Australian economy around amid a deteriorating global market

Chef Justin James combines native flavours and exotic botanics to create a 20-something-course menu

Coroner tells husband of businesswoman who vanished in late 2020: ‘If you are unable to give truthful answers that is not going to assist me’