But forensic analysis of bullet that killed Palestinian-American journalist found to be inconclusiveUS investigators believe Israeli army gunfire probably killed the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, although a forensic analysis of the bullet was inconclusive.A statement released by the State Department spokesperson Ned Price said “detailed forensic analysis, independent, third-party examiners … could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the origin of the bullet”, which was badly damaged. Continue reading...
Ukrainian forces retreat from Lysychansk as Zelenskiy vows to regain the key eastern city with the help of long-range western weaponsUkrainian forces have raised the country’s flag on Snake Island, a strategic and symbolic outpost in the Black Sea that Russian troops retreated from last week after months of heavy bombardment. “The military operation has been concluded, and … the territory, Snake Island, has been returned to the jurisdiction of Ukraine,” Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern military command, told reporters. Ukraine has considered control of the island as a critical step in loosening Moscow’s blockade on its southern ports.Leaders from dozens of countries, international organisations and the private sector gathered in Switzerland today to hash out a ‘Marshall plan’ to rebuild war-ravaged Ukraine. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who took part virtually, earlier warned that the work ahead in the areas that have been liberated alone was “really colossal”. “And we will have to free over 2,000 villages and towns in the east and south of Ukraine,” he said.Ukraine’s prime minister Denys Shmygal has put a price tag on the recovery of his country at $750bn (£620bn). He said the Ukrainian government believed a key source of funding for the recovery plan should be assets confiscated from Russian oligarchs, and that there had been more than $100bn of direct damage to infrastructure from Russia’s invasion so far.Ukrainian forces on Sunday retreated from Lysychansk as Russia claims it is now in control of Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region. The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said Moscow’s forces had established “full control” over Lysychansk and several nearby settlements. Ukraine’s military command confirmed that its troops had been forced to pull back from the city, saying there would otherwise be “fatal consequences”. Lysychansk was the last Ukrainian-controlled city in the Luhansk region.Zelenskiy vowed to regain Lysychansk with the help of long-range western weapons. “We will return thanks to our tactics, thanks to the increase in the supply of modern weapons. Ukraine does not give anything up,” he said in an evening address.Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Russian troops on “liberating” the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk. In a televised meeting with defence minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday, Putin congratulated Russian forces on their “victories in the Luhansk direction”. Reuters reports he said those who participated in the combat should “absolutely rest and recover their military preparedness”, while other units continue fighting in other areas.Russia will shift the main focus of its war in Ukraine to trying to seize all of the Donetsk region after capturing neighbouring Luhansk, the Luhansk region’s governor Serhai Haidai has said. He claimed about 8,000 civilians remain in occupied Sievierodonetsk and about 10,000 in newly occupied Lysychansk.Russian forces hit a secondary school in the Kharkiv district at 4am Monday morning, according to a report from Oleh Synyehubov, governor of the region. There were no reported casualties. He also said three people were killed and six injured in an attack on the village of Bezruky in his region. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Contractors at ‘high risk’ of Taliban reprisals still have no idea how to get out of country safelyMore than 180 British Council contractors left trapped in Afghanistan have been given immediate permission by the UK government to apply online to come to Britain, but no hint of how to get out of the country safely.The partial breakthrough came after a campaign led by MPs and former colleagues of the staff that had been horrified that they had been left behind, and exposed to retribution by the Taliban for teaching values of diversity and openness. Continue reading...
Sandwich chain bounces back after Covid restrictions as half-year revenues more than tripleThe sandwich chain Pret a Manger has returned to profitable operations after two years in which it lost a cumulative £570m.Announcing trading figures for the first six months of 2022, the company said its recovery had “continued and accelerated”, with half-year revenues more than tripling year on year to £357.8m, helping it return to profitability in March and becoming cashflow positive since May. Continue reading...
Anas Sarwar calls instead for creation of ‘senate of nations and regions’ and rules out pact with SNPA Labour government would scrap the House of Lords and create a “senate of the nations and regions” in its place, the Scottish Labour leader has announced.Giving a speech in Westminster, in which he also ruled out any pact or coalition with Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National party (SNP), Anas Sarwar said: “A central part of the mission of the Labour party must be to renew democracy. Continue reading...
by Vincent Ni China affairs correspondent on (#611W7)
Canadian-Chinese businessman Xiao Jianhua will finally stand trial in case linked to President Xi’s corruption driveChina has formally put Canadian-Chinese tycoon Xiao Jianhua on trial, more than five years after his alleged abduction in Hong Kong, which rattled the city and sparked fears about residents being forcibly disappeared.The Canadian embassy in Beijing confirmed on Monday that Xiao’s trial had begun this week. “Canadian consular officials are monitoring this case closely, providing consular services to his family and continue to press for consular access,” it said in a statement, without providing the location of the trial and charges against him. Continue reading...
Jonathan Spector’s 2018 play Eureka Day, about the social disarray after an outbreak of mumps, will receive its European premiere in SeptemberHelen Hunt is to star in a “wince-inducing” satire at the Old Vic in London, about a community split by their views on vaccination.Eureka Day, about a mumps outbreak at a school in California, is described by the theatre’s artistic director, Matthew Warchus, as “a very funny, clever and thought-provoking new play set amidst the panic of a highly contagious virus”. Jonathan Spector’s 2018 drama also explores the frenzy of trolling as parents struggle to reach a consensus on mandatory vaccination. Continue reading...
Government U-turns over plans to curtail autonomy of Karakalpakstan but fears rise tensions may escalateEighteen people were killed and 243 wounded during unrest in Uzbekistan’s autonomous province of Karakalpakstan over plans to curtail its autonomy, Uzbek authorities said.Security forces detained 516 people while dispersing protesters on Friday but have released many of them, the national guard press office told a briefing. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Political correspondent on (#611SN)
Jenny Chapman says PM must answer questions over what he knew when he appointed Tory deputy chief whipBoris Johnson still has questions to answer over the appointment of Chris Pincher as Conservative deputy chief whip, Labour has said, as a minister said it was possible the prime minister knew of general concerns about the MP’s behaviour.Johnson faces a backlash for promoting Pincher despite what staffers say were warnings about sexual misconduct by him. Continue reading...
Lucy Powell raises with Dominic Raab case of young black men jailed after taking part in a group chatA Manchester MP is to raise concerns with the justice secretary over the conviction of several young black men who were jailed after taking part in a group chat discussing revenge for their friend’s murder.Lucy Powell, the MP for Manchester Central and shadow culture secretary, said it was just the latest example of black youths in her constituency being unfairly drawn into a “gang” narrative because of the music they listen to and who they know. Continue reading...
Irish distillers are closing the market gap on their hitherto dominant Scottish rivalsKaren Gregory, a tourist from Oklahoma, visited Dublin this week, inhaled an aroma of malted barley at Teeling Whiskey Distillery, and picked a side in a centuries-old contest. “Definitely Irish. It’s lighter and brighter. Scotch is too heavy.”The crowd of visitors merrily sipping neat whiskeys, whiskey cocktails and whiskey-infused coffees suggested more converts to the Irish side of a rivalry that has pitted two venerable traditions in a battle for market domination. Continue reading...
Hong Kong legislator tests positive after meeting Chinese president, and city-wide testing begins in Macau to contain its worst outbreakA Hong Kong legislator who appeared in a group photo with Xi Jinping during his visit to the territory has said he has tested positive for Covid, as Macau kicks off a new round of city-wide coronavirus testing.In his first trip outside mainland China since the pandemic began, the Chinese president stayed for less than 24 hours in Hong Kong and met only people who had undergone quarantine. Continue reading...
Local historians seek to preserve part of Santiago de Compostela’s heritage after residents find nine-hole patterns across cityA local historical association in Santiago de Compostela has called for the protection of a lesser-known facet of the Spanish city’s past: the almost 200 games of noughts and crosses carved centuries ago into some of its most emblematic buildings and spaces.“They’re hidden in plain sight,” said Luis Leclere of Colectivo A Rula. “We’ve never heard of anything like the concentration of games we have here.” Continue reading...
Camping association wants overhaul of law to ensure that waste is properly buried and at least 50 metres from nearest waterwayA New Zealand law allowing people to poo in public – so long as they do not think they are being watched – must be tightened, says a freedom camping association, amid long-running allegations that campers are to blame for much of the human waste in the natural environment.It is currently an offence to defecate or urinate in a public place (other than in a public lavatory), but, if the person can show they had reasonable grounds for believing they were not being observed, they may be able to escape a $200 fine. Continue reading...
Foreign minister tells regime Beijing expects it to seek ‘political reconciliation’, amid regional concerns over spiralling civil violenceChina’s foreign minister has called for Myanmar’s junta to hold talks with its opponents, during his first visit to the country since the 2021 coup that plunged it into turmoil.Beijing is one of the Myanmar military’s few international allies, supplying arms and refusing to label the power grab that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government a coup. Continue reading...
Parliamentary staffers and Tory MPs say allegations of sexual misconduct were not acted on by whipsBoris Johnson is facing a backlash over the promotion of his ally Chris Pincher, as a group of Conservative parliamentary staffers accused the prime minister of a “failure to act on warnings” of sexual misconduct by his MPs.As new claims emerged about Pincher, who resigned as deputy chief whip over allegations that he groped two men in a London club, No 10 continued to insist that Johnson was unaware of any “specific” warnings until last week. Continue reading...
by Rowena Mason Deputy political editor on (#611DX)
Labour MP wants inquiries into potential sexual misconduct to be possible before a specific victim comes forwardSexual misconduct allegations about MPs should be investigated without always needing a victim to formally come forward, Jess Phillips, the Labour MP and victims advocate, has said.Phillips, a shadow Home Office minister, said it was not right that Boris Johnson used the lack of a formal complaint against Chris Pincher as an “excuse” for the Conservative party not to have looked into widespread rumours about his conduct. Continue reading...
One set of charges laid and 22 matters still under investigation from police group set up to tackle anything from threats of violence to false informationFederal police conducted 39 investigations under a special taskforce related to the federal election, with numerous politicians and political candidates the target of threats, menacing phone calls and social media harassment.Police laid one set of charges over threats to the former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, while police are still making inquiries around a further 22 matters that are ongoing.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...
Tony Burke, who holds arts and workplace portfolios, says national cultural policy must include ‘assurances of a safe workplace for women’ after #MeToo allegations
Lawyers say the ‘preventive policing’ suspect target management plan, which disproportionately focuses on Indigenous youth, uses potentially unlawful tactics
Flight could take off within weeks and before court has ruled on whether scheme is lawfulThe Home Office is planning a second flight to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, which could take off before the courts have ruled on whether the scheme is lawful, the Guardian has learned.It is understood that a second flight could take off in a matter of weeks despite the fact that the full high court hearing to examine the government’s Rwanda plans does not begin until 19 July. Continue reading...
Rarely seen erotic drawings offer glimpse into the painter’s private life and relationship with womenJMW Turner is revered as a genius landscape painter, the king of the turbulent maritime scene, but much less is known about the more private side of the artist. Specifically: Turner and sex.The curators of a new exhibition, Between the Sheets, Turner’s Nudes, hope to change that by displaying rarely seen erotic watercolour drawings that he made over the course of his career. Continue reading...
Clubs hope to boost sport’s profile further after World Cup surge in popularity as tournament opens in England this weekNaomi Short has been playing football on and off for nearly 30 years and cannot wait for England to host the Euros this week, but she’s even more excited that her 13-year-old daughter will witness the biggest ever women’s sporting event. “It’s brilliant – they’ve got the future I probably would have wanted,” she says.Short, 45, plays for Longford Park Ladies FC in Manchester, a grassroots team that was set up by mothers five years ago to train alongside their children when there were hardly any teams around for women who just wanted to play for fun. Continue reading...
Dr Jenny Harries says hospitalisations are set to exceed April peak in weeks ahead as infections soarHealth chiefs are braced for a “bumpy ride” over the coming months amid fears that the latest wave of Covid will drive hospitalisations to their highest in more than a year and seasonal flu pressures could hit early.Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme that hospital cases with Covid were expected to rise in the weeks ahead, with admissions likely to exceed the April peak driven by the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron. Continue reading...
Frans Timmermans’ comments reveal depth of concern about rule of law in central European countryA senior European Commission official has criticised a decision by his colleagues to approve Poland’s Covid recovery plan, in comments that reveal the depth of concern about the rule of law in the central European country.Frans Timmermans, a commission vice-president, who spent nearly four years leading EU efforts to safeguard independent courts in Poland, said the approval of Poland’s long-delayed Covid recovery plan last month was “incorrect”. Continue reading...
by Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington on (#61142)
Court request comes as president faces criticism for ditching promise to turn Saudi Arabia into a ‘pariah’A US judge has asked the Biden administration to weigh in on whether Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, should be granted sovereign immunity in a civil case brought against him in the US by Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was killed by Saudi agents in 2018.John Bates, a district court judge, gave the US government until 1 August to declare its interests in the civil case or give the court notice that it has no view on the matter. Continue reading...
The director’s landmark achievements include a nine-hour Mahabharata, putting Shakespeare on trapezes and directing Olivier, Gielgud and Scofield at the RSC
by Rowena Mason Deputy political editor on (#6112W)
PM under pressure to explain what he knew about former deputy chief whip’s alleged sexual misconductBoris Johnson is facing accusations he ignored warnings about alleged sexual misconduct by his former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, after a string of further claims about the MP emerged.The prime minister is under pressure to explain what he knew about Pincher’s conduct, amid claims by the former No 10 aide Dominic Cummings that Johnson referred to him as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature”. Continue reading...
by Caitlin Cassidy and Royce Kurmelovs (earlier) on (#610TV)
Man drowns after boat capsizes in Abbotsford; vaccination mandates to ease on international flights; PM says ADF available as thousands are urged to evacuate in Sydney flood crisis; 30 Covid deaths recorded nationwide. This blog is now closed
Danger is a daily reality for the health workers, and moments of upheaval raise the risk, expert saysBoulder, Colorado, has for decades made its abortion providers feel welcome. The city council passed one of the country’s first laws regulating how close demonstrators could get to patients seeking reproductive care, and residents took to the streets in protest when it became clear that the supreme court was ready to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, as it did last month.“Boulder is probably the most pro-choice community in the country,” said Warren Hern, director of the Boulder Abortion Clinic. “But there are people in the community who want me dead.” Continue reading...
Cases rejected include assaults on health workers and harrassment offencesSolicitors in London are turning down new instructions for defendants accused of assaults on emergency workers and harassment offences in an escalating dispute over legal aid fees.Criminal defence lawyers in the capital are already refusing burglary cases because they say legal aid fees are too low. Continue reading...
The advent of the micropub is the latest trend to be reflected in changing pub signsInn is out. Bar, on the other hand, is very much in. Traditional pub names are on the decline, a reflection of the problems facing licensees and the success of the craft brewing boom.Data from the Food Standards Agency shows there were 103 fewer licensed establishments with “Inn” in the name in 2022 compared with 2020 – the biggest faller. “Arms” was also down by 49, while “Bar” was up by 119 and “Tap” up by 48. Continue reading...
by Toby Helm Observer political editor on (#6110V)
‘Disastrous’ attempt to intervene over Pincher may intensify backbench calls for prime minister to goThe former Tory whip who has been suspended as an MP for allegedly groping two male colleagues said on Saturday he was seeking “professional medical support” for his problems as the latest Tory sex scandal spelt yet more trouble for Boris Johnson.Chris Pincher, who has been referred to the independent complaints and grievance scheme in relation to incidents at the Carlton Club in central London on Wednesday evening, said he was “truly sorry” and that he hoped be back serving his constituents again “as soon as possible.” Continue reading...
by Vanessa Thorpe Arts and media correspondent on (#6110X)
Courtroom battle looms as author argues her book revealing inspiration for character became basis of an American novelTwo authors are to go head to head in the high court in London this week in a bitter literary plagiarism row that revolves around the love life one of the most romantic of all heroines, Lara Antipova from the Russian epic Dr Zhivago.British author Anna Pasternak, a descendant of the Russian author of the original novel, will argue in court that substantial sections of her own factual account of the real-life inspiration for the character of Lara have since been copied and exploited in an American novel. Continue reading...
Overseas students have vanished from courses and then been found working in exploitative conditionsUniversities have been urged to be on high alert for human trafficking after suspected victims brought to Britain on student visas vanished from their courses and were found working in exploitative conditions hundreds of miles away.In a recent case, Indian students at Greenwich, Chester and Teesside universities stopped attending lectures shortly after arriving in the UK, according to a report by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) seen by the Observer. Continue reading...
Officials allege contract was corruptly procured by business duo behind P&ID as saga of energy project and secretive tribunal heads for high courtIt has been described as one of the most extraordinary cases ever to come before the high court, involving an Irish impresario, an alleged $50,000 bribe stuffed into a bag and potentially one of the biggest payouts in legal history.The saga of two Irish businessmen, Michael Quinn and Brendan Cahill, who promised to revolutionise Nigeria’s energy sector, will be at the centre of a high court trial early next year. Continue reading...
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