World news | The Guardian

Language on invasion of Ukraine noticeably softened compared with statement after last year's summitRussia's foreign minister has hailed the G20 summit in Delhi as a success, after Moscow was shielded from criticism over the Ukraine war in a joint declaration.We were able to prevent the west's attempts to Ukrainise the summit agenda," Sergei Lavrov said as the two-day meeting drew to a close. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Respect for law being undermined by disparagement of lawyers and judges', says Helena KennedyA leading British lawyer has compared UK government attacks on the profession to the tactics used by authoritarian regimes.Helena Kennedy KC, one of the UK's most renowned criminal lawyers and a Labour peer, said ministers were deliberately creating scapegoats. Continue reading...

One of Britain's longest serving newsreaders says he has been diagnosed with early onset vascular dementiaAlastair Stewart, one of Britain's longest serving and most familiar newsreaders, has revealed he has been diagnosed with dementia.The 71-year-old was one of ITV's flagship newsreaders for more than three decades and most recently presented programmes for the rightwing TV channel GB News. Continue reading...

Brazil's president, now the group's leader, says his Russian counterpart is welcome at 2024 eventVladimir Putin can attend next year's G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro without fear of arrest, the Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has said as he took leadership of the forum.Speaking at this year's meeting in Delhi, Lula - who has controversially tried to position himself as a peacemaker between Moscow and Kyiv - said the Russian president would be welcome to attend the November 2024 event. Continue reading...

Justice minister dodges question as he confirms full complement of staff were on duty when Daniel Khalife abscondedThe UK justice secretary, Alex Chalk, has refused to express confidence in the governor of Wandsworth prison, as he said a full complement of staff were on duty when a former soldier was able to escape by strapping himself to the underside of a delivery van.Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, is in custody after he was arrested as he cycled along a canal towpath in Northolt, west London, on Saturday morning, four days after he got away from the prison, about a dozen miles away. Continue reading...

Discussions had reached an impasse over the use of geographical indicators for products such as prosecco and feta

Style featuring pastel makeup and modest clothing has taken off, but many are objecting to the ethos behind itA social media debate has erupted in China over a trend among some women to dress and behave in a way that's good for marriage", with detractors saying it discourages independence.China, like much of east Asia, is battling with a demographic crisis and young people increasingly choose to forgo marriage and children. Last year China officially recorded its first decline in population for more than 60 years. Continue reading...

The former PM blames lack of support for Conservative ideas as part of her downfall during her 49-day premiershipLiz Truss is writing a book about her 49 days as prime minister, which will argue the main cause of her downfall was a lack of support for Conservative ideas" - and too much support for the global left".The former prime minister wants to see a Conservative movement revival" and has decided to share the lessons" from her time in government, where she was often the only conservative in the room". Continue reading...

After sightings in the area, teams descended to search gardens with dogs and check vehicles, while helicopters whirred overhead. Now picnics and sunbathing can resumeThe Saturday morning news that Daniel Khalife, the terror suspect who escaped from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday morning, had been spotted in Chiswick caused predictable intrigue in the leafy west London district. Police swiftly mustered in the area. Some drivers were being stopped and others reportedly asked for identification.A police helicopter had been whirring overhead for much of the night and some residents said they had awoken to find officers sweeping through gardens. Police dog handlers and armed officers were all spotted along one of the area's main roads by early morning. Continue reading...

Former soldier, who escaped Wandsworth prison on Wednesday, recaptured in west LondonLike much of the prison estate, there is no question that Wandsworth is a troubled institution.Independent inspections have also made the point that conditions improved when prisoner numbers were reduced. Continue reading...

Earthquake measuring at least 6.8 magnitude and centred in High Atlas mountains leaves more than 1,000 dead and 1,200 injured

Storm not forecast to make landfall but is expected to strengthen again on Sunday and Monday and turn northLarge swells battered the north-east Caribbean on Saturday as Hurricane Lee churned nearby through open waters as a category 3 storm.The storm, which is not forecast to make landfall, was located about 350 miles (565km) east and north-east of the northern Leeward Islands. It had winds of up to 115mph (185kph) and was moving west and north-west at 12mph (19kph). Continue reading...

Damaged historic buildings are allegedly among those developers wish to demolish for profit in complicity with the authoritiesAbout an hour after air raid sirens sounded in the early hours of 10 August, residents on Yaroslavska Street in the heart of Kyiv's hip Podil district heard the crash of a building coming down.Some looked out of their windows, expecting to see the smoking remains of a Russian missile. Instead, in the dawn light, two excavators were tearing apart an elegant 200-year-old mansion. Continue reading...

Recapture in Chiswick marks end of 21-year-old's time on the run while waiting for trial on terror charges

The Public Enemy frontman talks about why he returned to his first love of art to create a book about the violence dividing his countryThey were the rabble-rousing rappers that brought the 1980s racially charged streets of New York to the masses and turned hip-hop into a potent political force. Public Enemy's lyrics were born of the violence of prejudice in America, turbulent anthems such as Fight the Power and Don't Believe the Hype captured the zeitgeist and planted political hip-hop into the heart of American culture.Their subsequent catalogue of socially raging songs made them one of the most influential bands of the modern era, and culminated in the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. Continue reading...

Somerset city scores five stars for attractiveness and tourist attractions as it tops Which? survey of inland towns and villagesA small medieval city that has featured in a host of TV and Hollywood films has been named the UK's top destination.Wells in Somerset, one of the UK's smallest cities, topped the survey of inland towns and villages by Which?. Continue reading...

Police insist city is tremendously safe' following Friday night crash at same Bourke Street mall where six people were killed in 2017

Victoria police believe a shooting in the city's north-west that left a man dead and another injured was targetedPolice in Melbourne have launched an investigation after a fatal shooting in the suburb of Keilor in the city's north-west.The man killed is yet to be formally identified.Officers say the shooting appears to have been targeted. Continue reading...

Russian attack on Ukrainian police building kills one and wounds dozens; Zelenskiy says Putin killed Prigozhin'; British military to monitor Black Sea

Case would be the first major abortion dispute decided by the supreme court since it overturned Roe v Wade last yearThe supreme court is being asked to reverse an appellate ruling that would cut off mail-order access to a drug used in the most common method of abortion in the United States.The case would be the first major abortion dispute decided by the supreme court since it overturned Roe v Wade last year. That ruling has led to bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy in 15 states, with some exceptions, and once cardiac activity can be detected, which is around six weeks, in two others. Continue reading...

Labour MP says cut would be catastrophic for families' amid reports chancellor mulling move to make space for tax reductionsThe prospect of real-terms cuts to benefits in the government's autumn statement has been described as catastrophic" for families, after it was suggested that Jeremy Hunt was considering the move to make space for pre-election tax reductions.Sources close to the chancellor declined to deny a report by Bloomberg that he was considering breaking with the tradition of lifting working benefits in line with inflation. Continue reading...

Havana is ally of Moscow but foreign ministry states: Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine'Cuban authorities have arrested 17 people in connection with what they described as a network to recruit Cuban nationals to fight for Russia in Ukraine.The head of criminal investigations for Cuba's interior ministry, Cesar Rodriguez, told state media that at least three of the 17 people arrested were part of recruitment efforts inside the island country. Continue reading...

Sighting of terrorism suspect near Wandsworth Roundabout could be very significant', Met commander saysPolice are investigating the first reported sighting of the escaped terrorism suspect Daniel Khalife and offering a 20,000 reward for any information that might lead to his arrest.As the search for Khalife threatened to extend into a fourth day, the reported sighting offered a glimmer of light for officers still struggling for a breakthrough after a search of Richmond Park failed to yield results. Continue reading...

Government faces calls to consider extending booster programme this autumn to include 50-64 age groupMinisters are facing urgent calls to consider widening the availability of Covid vaccines amid concerns that a new variant of the virus could put pressure on the NHS and cause more sickness in the workforce this winter.As new data appeared to show the Pirola variant spreading, Rishi Sunak and Steve Barclay, the health secretary, were urged to rethink their decision to restrict vaccines to people aged 65 and over and vulnerable groups. Continue reading...

Tory MP William Wragg calls decision not to prevent super-spads' being made non-executive directors disappointing'No 10 has rejected proposals to prevent ministers bringing in personal and political friends on to the boards of Whitehall departments in a move branded disappointing for governance standards by a senior Conservative MP.Ministers ruled out a series of recommendations from the House of Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee, led by the Tory MP William Wragg, which were aimed at making sure non-executive directors of civil service boards were truly independent and the best candidates. Continue reading...

Prime minister hails deal as sign of restored trust and raises electric car tariffs as area for further agreementThe deal to readmit the UK into the 85bn Horizon science programme shows the country has good enough relations with the EU to resolve a range of other issues, Rishi Sunak has said, including one on electric vehicle tariffs.The prime minister announced on Thursday that Britain would re-enter the scientific research scheme after three years of exclusion and months of negotiation. Continue reading...

Buildings now being monitored as concrete that recently closed hundreds of schools detected at UK's two biggest airportsThe crumbling concrete that recently closed hundreds of UK schools has also been found within two of Britain's biggest airports, it has been revealed.Both London Heathrow and Gatwick confirmed that some of their buildings contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) and were being monitored. Continue reading...

Motion at TUC congress rejecting minimum service levels likely to be a political headache for Labour leaderUnions are expected to back a policy of defiance over a recently passed law aimed at restricting strikes in public services, in a move that could cause a political headache for the Labour leader, Keir Starmer.A motion calling for non-compliance and non-cooperation to requirements for minimum service levels is predicted to pass at the TUC's annual congress in Liverpool on Monday, after it was waved through a composite meeting on Thursday. Continue reading...

Juvenile crime crackdown will mean children can be arrested if they are caught carrying weapons or drugsThe Italian government has approved a law that will make it easier to arrest and imprison children as young as 14 as part of its crackdown on juvenile crime after a series of high-profile cases involving teen gangs.Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, said juvenile crime is spreading like wildfire" after her cabinet approved the law, which also stipulates imprisonment of up to two years for the parents of school truants. Continue reading...

Legislation prompted infighting between Greens and Free Democrats, members of Olaf Scholz's coalitionGermany's parliament has approved legislation for the replacement of fossil-fuel heating systems, passing a major climate policy plan that prompted lengthy infighting in the governing coalition and helped push down its poll ratings.Parliament's lower house voted 399-275 for the bill, with five abstaining - months after an initial version of it was first approved by Olaf Scholz's cabinet. An ensuing fight over its details in the chancellor's ideologically diverse three-party coalition fostered an impression of disarray from which the government is struggling to recover. Continue reading...

Pirola variant has prompted concern among scientists because of high number of mutations it carriesCare home residents and people who are housebound will be offered Covid vaccines from Monday, with over-65s and other vulnerable groups to be called for their jabs from the week after.The NHS will kick off its autumn programme of Covid vaccines from next week, having moved the date forward by a month in response to the spread of a new variant nicknamed Pirola. Continue reading...

Talks include Europe and UAE as Joe Biden flies to Delhi with aim of rivalling China's Belt and RoadThe US, Saudi Arabia, India and other nations are discussing a possible infrastructure deal that could reconfigure trade between the Gulf and south Asia, linking Middle Eastern countries by railways and connecting to India by port, according to US officials aware of the conversations.The talks, which have also included the United Arab Emirates and Europe, may or may not yield a concrete result in time for an announcement on the sidelines of this week's G20 leaders' meeting, the officials said. Continue reading...

More than 200mm of rain recorded on Hong Kong's main island and there is also disruption in ShenzhenHong Kong's heaviest rain since records began 140 years ago has left two people dead and more than 100 injured, as unusually wet weather caused by typhoons brought more disruption to southern China.Videos showed water cascading down steep hillsides in the former British colony, causing waist-deep flooding in narrow streets and inundating malls, railway stations and tunnels. Continue reading...

Manufacturers face 10% levies under post-Brexit trade deal but German government supports postponementCarmakers could be in line for a reprieve after it emerged that Germany is backing calls to postpone tariffs on electric vehicle sales between the UK and the EU.Manufacturers in the UK and on the continent face the prospect of 10% levies on new electric vehicles that cross the Channel from January under the post-Brexit trade deal agreed between Britain and the bloc in 2020. Continue reading...

Driver shortages and lagging compensation have incited several strikes as huge school bus driver strike in New York City loomsThe US is facing a series of school bus strikes as the new school year begins.School bus driver shortages and lagging compensation have incited several strikes and raised the prospect of a huge school bus driver strike in New York City. Continue reading...

Documents show authorities bought Voyager Lab products which the company claims can use AI to map online human behaviorNew York law enforcement agencies have spent millions of dollars to expand their capabilities to track and analyze social media posts, new documents show, including by contracting with a surveillance firm accused of improperly scraping social media platforms for data.Documents obtained by the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (Stop), a privacy advocacy non-profit and shared with the Guardian, reveal the New York police department in 2018 entered a nearly $9m contract with Voyager Labs, a surveillance company that has been sued by Meta for using nearly 40,000 fake Facebook accounts to collect data on an estimated 600,000 users. Continue reading...

Airport, which had hoped to raise fees, loses appeal to UK competition watchdog in provisional rulingHeathrow will have to cut passenger charges by almost a fifth next year after losing an appeal to the UK competition watchdog.The London airport had hoped to raise the fees it charges to airlines to fund baggage handling, security and other costs, which are set by the aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Continue reading...

Bookseller's managing director says potential hack was detected on Wednesday and investigation has been launched

Luxury brand Coach's spring/summer 2024 launch almost upstaged by animal rights protestLibraries are usually quiet places where people go to study or relax, but on Thursday night the American luxury brand Coach broke from protocol when it kicked off New York fashion week by staging its spring/summer 2024 collection at the New York Public Library, the second largest public library in the US.Instead of shushing librarians and hardback chairs, there were plush velvet lined benches and celebrities including the actor Jennifer Lopez and the rapper Lil Nas X. Continue reading...

Agency's chief executive says Centrelink staff acted in good faith', following damning royal commission findings

A key calculation of the Australian PM's team is that dialogue is of value, even if both sides agree to disagree

Hundreds of women across Spain join Se Acabo movement and open up about micromachismos' they have sufferedMore than 200 women from across Spain have anonymously shared their personal experiences of sexism or abuse of power in the workplace, as the reckoning sparked by Luis Rubiales' unsolicited kiss spills into other spheres of Spanish society.Since mid-August Spain has been in the grip of a national conversation over sexism in football after the federation president grabbed the player Jenni Hermoso by the head, pulled her towards him and planted a kiss on her lips at the World Cup medal ceremony in Sydney. Continue reading...

Oleksii Reznikov urges unity against Russia to save this world from catastrophe of world war III'

Elden Chamberlain, 60, who is being held on drug charges he denies, will take on the country's main drug enforcement agency in his defenceAn internationally respected British public health consultant, who has been in Philippines jails for more than two years on what he says are fabricated drugs charges, is taking on the country's main drug enforcement agency, making allegations of fabricated evidence, theft and corruption.Sixty-year-old Elden Chamberlain was Thursday due to open his defence case in the regional trial court in the city of Cagayan de Oro in a case that has the potential to highlight previous allegations against the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the wake of the country's notorious war on drugs". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Witnesses say federal forces have been looting villages and shooting farmers in their hunt for defiant Fano militiamenEthiopian soldiers killed more than 70 civilians and looted properties in a town in Amhara, multiple witnesses have claimed.The killings took place in Majete, a rural town in north-eastern Ethiopia, after two weeks of heavy fighting between federal soldiers and the Fano, an Amhara militia. Continue reading...

Opposition leader has called for recognition referendum if yes vote fails, but shadow Indigenous Australians minister says further discussion' needed

Design fault blamed for drivers, who were caught with a passenger breaking seatbelt laws, being issued double demerit points

Stuart Lindsay Heron sentenced to at least 15 years imprisonment over ferocious' murder of Nick Cameron

State government says one person has died and 11 infections remain active after outbreak emerged in March

China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have claims over the area, and tensions often threaten to boil overThe South China Sea is one of the most strategically and economically important waterways in the world. In 2016 more than 21% of global trade was estimated by UN bodies to have transited through it, and it contains extensive oil and gas reserves.But it is highly contested. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have claims over areas within the 3.5m sq km area, many of which overlap. Brunei is the only party that does not lay claim over any disputed islands, but it does say part of the sea falls within its exclusive economic zone. Continue reading...