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Lease terminated under ‘use it or lose it’ policy after Russian government failed to complete building within three years

Professional firefighters will walk off the job for an hour in culmination of 13-month dispute over pay and conditionsNearly 2,000 professional firefighters will walk off the job for the first time in New Zealand’s history, citing a “crisis” within the sector and ongoing problems with poor pay, understaffing and unreliable fire equipment.Members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union have voted to strike for an hour on Friday morning in a complete work stoppage, after talks with employer Fire and Emergency (Fenz) broke down last week. Continue reading...

Actor and director pens open letter revealing his nearly 20-year struggle with anxiety attacks, ‘which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events’Jonah Hill has announced he will no longer take part in promoting his films due to his mental health issues being exacerbated by media appearances and public-facing events.The 38-year-old actor revealed his plan in an open letter published by Deadline ahead of the debut of his new documentary, Stutz, which he directed. The film is about Hill’s relationship with his therapist Phil Stutz, who Hill began seeing in 2017 at the recommendation of fellow actor Joaquin Phoenix. In the film Hill and his therapist discuss his mental health.In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, Mental Health America is available on 800-273-8255 Continue reading...

The vessel was delivering fuel in mangrove-rich South West Bay on Malekula Island when it burst into flames, injuring at least three peopleA massive fireball has erupted after a fuel transport barge caught fire in a pristine bay on a remote Vanuatu island, injuring at least three people.The Western Star, a barge fitted out to carry fuel and cargo, burst into flames at South West Bay on Malekula, Vanuatu’s second largest island, on Wednesday. Continue reading...

The actor died of smoke inhalation and burns after her car smashed into a west Los Angeles home, coroner’s report saysAnne Heche died from inhalation injury and burns after her fiery car crash and the death was ruled an accident, according to coroner’s results released on Wednesday.Heche, 53, also had a fractured sternum caused by “blunt trauma”, according to information on the website of the Los Angeles county medical examiner. Continue reading...

Estimated 45m people will struggle to pay energy bills this winter with predicted rises in price capTwo-thirds of all UK households will be trapped in fuel poverty by January with planned government support leaving even middle-income households struggling to pay their bills, according to research.It shows 18 million families, the equivalent of 45 million people, will be left trying to make ends meet after further predicted rises in the energy price cap in October and January. Continue reading...

Child reunited with her family after reportedly being abducted in Droylsden and taken into woodsA manhunt has been launched after a seven-year-old girl was reportedly abducted and taken into woods.The child is believed to have been taken from Warne Avenue in Droylsden, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday afternoon. Continue reading...

Network Rail, several train firms, London Underground and London buses to be hit by latest actionCommuters and other travellers are facing further disruption over three days from Thursday on rail, tube and bus services, as tens of thousands of workers begin the latest round of strike action.Network Rail, several train companies, London Underground and buses in the capital will be hit by industrial action due to long-running disputes over pay, jobs and conditions. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Mark Fullbrook having ‘long conversations’ with high-profile potential switchersA veteran political strategist who used to work for Boris Johnson has been phoning senior Conservatives currently supporting Rishi Sunak to persuade them to back Liz Truss for prime minister.Mark Fullbrook, who ran the prime minister’s successful leadership bid in 2019, has been playing a key role in the foreign secretary’s bid to win over more high-profile Tory MPs to cement her frontrunner status. Continue reading...

‘Terrifying tool’ under scrutiny as Salma al-Shehab’s tweets suggest widely available phone app was used to report herThe Saudi woman who was sentenced to 34 years in prison for her Twitter usage appears to have been denounced to Saudi authorities through a crime-reporting app that users in the kingdom can download to Apple and Android phones.A review of Leeds PhD student Salma al-Shehab’s tweets and interactions shows she was messaged by a person using a Saudi account on 15 November, 2020 after she posted a mildly critical tweet in response to a Saudi government post about a new public transportation contract. Continue reading...

Non-executive board member says regulator ‘gave too much benefit to companies at expense of customers’A director at energy regulator Ofgem has resigned, accusing it of favouring businesses over consumers with a rule change that will add as much as £400 to the average UK household energy bill.Christine Farnish, a non-executive member of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (Gema), Ofgem’s board, tendered her resignation to the business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, in early August. Continue reading...

A total of five arrests have been made since disappearance of Wright, 30, of Basildon, EssexTwo more men have been arrested as part of a murder investigation after the disappearance of a woman.Madison Wright, 30, of Basildon, Essex, was last seen on 22 July wearing a pink top, black trousers and flip-flops. Continue reading...

Lord Justice Lewis rules several passages must be disclosed to claimants before hearing to determine if policy is lawfulA judge has ruled that the government must reveal the majority of passages in internal documents relating to a controversial policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.The foreign secretary, Liz Truss, made an application to the high court asking for public interest immunity to be granted to withhold 10 passages of two internal documents from disclosure that she said could damage international relations and breach national security if they were publicly revealed. Continue reading...

Footage on Telegram showed numerous burnt out trucks, collapsed buildings, and debrisA recreation centre has been destroyed and three people injured after Russian shelling in Odesa, a top official has said.Sergey Bratchuk, a representative of the Odessa military administration, said a fire broke out and nearby buildings were damaged after the attack. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lawyers for two Indonesian children wrongly jailed for people smuggling ask Mark Dreyfus to refer case for appeal, calling Christian Porter’s ruling on the case a ‘mockery of justice’

Analysis: Liberal leader says health will be prioritised, but Labor is happy for an election on the issueIt was three months out from the 2018 state election when Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, took to Facebook with a slick promotional video accompanied by a soundtrack worthy of a Christopher Nolan film.“The biggest public transport project in history is coming to Victoria,” a voiceover said, describing a proposed 90km underground railway running between Cheltenham in the south-east and Werribee in the south-west via a long-awaited station at Melbourne airport. Continue reading...

First of three 30 metre-long underwater drones capable of carrying weapons and diving up to 6,000 metres will be ready in a year

New conservative Diocese of the Southern Cross – which explicitly forbids same-sex marriage – is headed by bishop Glenn Davies

Transport secretary’s apparent hint at number plates for cycling met with confusion and criticism

Contest asks young adults for ideas to revitalise popularity of alcoholic drinks after big fall in tax revenuesThe Japanese government has launched a nationwide competition calling for ideas to encourage people to drink more alcohol after a change in attitudes among the young resulted in a slide in tax revenues.The Sake Viva! campaign, which is being run by the National Tax Agency (NTA), asks 20- to 39-year-olds to come up with proposals to help revitalise the popularity of alcoholic drinks, which have fallen out of favour because of lifestyle changes during the coronavirus pandemic and among young people. Continue reading...

German authorities say buildup on river not caused by water levels despite record lows caused by droughtAbout 20 ships were stuck in traffic along Germany’s Rhine River after a vessel’s engine failure temporarily closed part of the waterway.A ship with a 1,660-ton load was forced to drop anchor due to an engine failure, closing traffic between Sankt Goar and Oberwesel, river police said. Continue reading...

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...