World news | The Guardian

Liz Truss’s strategists aim to convince MPs to switch allegiance to maintain her campaign’s momentumA number of major names have gone public with their endorsement of Liz Truss over the past fortnight, with announcements carefully timed by her campaign strategists at opportune moments to seize headlines.But to maintain momentum over the coming weeks as new policies dry up, the foreign secretary’s team want to go one further by flipping those who have already declared support for her Conservative leadership rival, Rishi Sunak. Continue reading...

Proposed program that would see Philip Morris pay pharmacists $275 when they order VEEV vapes labelled ‘nothing short of appalling’

Lincolnshire coroner’s court hears results of postmortem examination after death of schoolgirl in BostonLilia Valutyte, the nine-year-old girl who was killed while playing in the street with her sister in Boston, Lincolnshire, died from a stab wound to the chest, an inquest has heard.Deividas Skebas, 22, has been charged with the girl’s murder after she was found stabbed in the street last Thursday. Continue reading...

Headteachers say pandemic has worsened extremism among pupils as staff call for more trainingTeachers in England who feel overstretched by pandemic catchup and curriculum demands fear they are missing signs of far-right radicalisation in classrooms, and lack the training to effectively challenge extremist views among pupils.Swastikas doodled on a chemistry book, white-power slogans daubed on exam papers, pupils quoting from videos by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson and hate speech against refugees are a few of the more obvious signs of the influence of the far right on schoolchildren, as reported by teachers and other staff. Continue reading...

Staff cut by almost 300 in year to August 2021 as celebrity chef’s company warns of tough trading conditions in cost of living crisisGordon Ramsay’s restaurant empire has reported almost £12m in losses and cut almost 300 staff because of closures and restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic as the businessman warned of the potential impact of soaring inflation and rising bills on restaurant dining habits.The celebrity chef runs or owns a stake in 35 restaurants in the UK – including Pétrus, Bread Street Kitchen, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and three at the Savoy – and has licence agreements for a further 13 worldwide. Continue reading...

Verdict expected soon on US basketball player before potential prisoner exchangeRussian prosecutors have asked for the US basketball player Brittney Griner to be sentenced to nine and a half years in prison, as the Kremlin wraps up her politically charged trial before a potential prisoner exchange.Prosecutors in the Russian court said Griner’s arrest on drug charges was “fully proven” and demanded she serve nearly a decade in a high-security prison and pay a large fine. Continue reading...

Mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains imposed measure after dozens of ‘pseudo-mountaineers’ ignored warningsClimbers attempting to reach the summit of Mont Blanc from a popular path in France will have to pay a €15,000 (£12,640) deposit to cover costs in case they need to be rescued, or worse, die.Jean-Marc Peillex, the mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, from where climbers can make it to the top of the highest peak in Europe via the Goûter Route, imposed the measure in response to dozens defying warnings and engaging in what he described as “a game of Russian roulette”. Continue reading...

Firefighters struggle to contain blaze that began at munitions site used to store second world war bombsRepeated explosions have prevented firefighters in Berlin from reaching a blaze in a forest to the south-west of the city that started at a police munitions site used to store second world war bombs.The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning after unexploded ordinance was accidentally detonated, according to the Berlin police. Continue reading...

Michael Gunning calls for the event to push for change after a ‘petrifying’ visit to his home country JamaicaThe former Team GB swimmer Michael Gunning has called on the Commonwealth Games to do more to help improve LGBTQ+ rights in member countries as he talked of his “petrifying” experience visiting his home country Jamaica for the first time since he came out as gay.Gunning, who retired from swimming earlier this year to help promote equality in sport, said the event could do more on the global stage to push the issue. Continue reading...

The Kabul property hit by a US drone was familiar. It turned out Dan Smock had something in common with al-Qaida’s leaderThe place where the head of al-Qaida was killed was a spot Dan Smock knew well. It used to be his balcony when he worked in Kabul on a US government aid project, and the views were spectacular.Smock enjoyed starting the day looking out at the Afghan capital, as did the world’s most wanted terrorist, from the villa they both called home, several years apart. Continue reading...

The internal Queensland police intelligence report found officer responses had heightened the risk of fatal consequences

Study finds city has nation’s highest average income, some of shortest commuting times and good access to services and green spaces

Parental incarceration can interrupt childhood development and affects wellbeing, report finds

The truce will bring some relief to a country exhausted by war and famine, but critics say the Houthis will use the peace to regroupThe UN has announced that the warring sides in Yemen have agreed to extend the current ceasefire for a further two months.Late on Tuesday the government and the Houthi rebels committed to intensify efforts on negotiations, said Hans Grundberg, special envoy for the country. Continue reading...

John and Gabriel Shipton say they’re frustrated at Australian PM for lack of progress in WikiLeaks founder’s case since Labor was elected

UN to conduct fact-finding mission into deaths of Ukrainian PoWs; US Senate ratifies Sweden and Finland’s accession to Nato Continue reading...

Next challenge is to get Russia and Ukraine to agree on terms of reference to investigate atrocity, says UN secretary generalThe UN is setting up a fact-finding mission to investigate the killing of dozens of prisoners of war at a prison in a Russian-occupied region of eastern Ukraine that Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of carrying out.António Guterres, the UN secretary general, told reporters he did not have authority to conduct criminal investigations but could conduct fact-finding missions, and terms of reference were being prepared for the governments of Ukraine and Russia to approve. The mission was set up in response to requests from Russia and Ukraine. Continue reading...

Which? says people are cutting food and clothes spending to pay for mobile, broadband and landlineAlmost 6 million UK households are struggling to pay their mobile, landline and broadband bills, with the cost of living squeeze forcing many to cut back on essentials such as food and clothes, cancel or change a service, or miss payments to stay connected.A report from the consumer group Which? estimates that 5.7 million households have experienced at least one “affordability issue” in April, as cash-strapped homes struggle to cope with soaring bills and other costs. Continue reading...

Parents of 12-year-old say they should be allowed to choose where their son takes ‘his last moments’The parents of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee have pledged to “fight” to get him moved to a hospice, insisting they should be allowed to choose where he takes “his last moments”.After the rejection by the European court of human rights of their last-ditch bid to postpone the withdrawal of Archie’s life support, the family now intends to file an application to the high court in London to transfer him out of the Royal London hospital. Continue reading...

Darren Osment, 40, will appear in Bristol magistrates over disappearance of 32-year-oldA man has been charged with the murder of a woman who disappeared a decade ago, police said.Darren Osment, 40, will appear before Bristol magistrates court on Thursday accused of murdering 32-year-old Claire Holland. Continue reading...

Conservative MP says Truss is best placed to ‘reunite the party’ and new approach on economy is neededSajid Javid has endorsed Liz Truss in a damaging blow for Rishi Sunak’s campaign, warning that Sunak’s economic prescription would mean “sleepwalking into a high-tax, low-growth” economy.In a difficult day for Sunak, the leadership hopeful doubled down on his warnings over inflation and mounted a fresh attack on Truss’s plans for immediate tax cuts, saying any prime minister who fuelled inflation would be handing the next election to Labour. Continue reading...

Abandoned policy ‘misinterpreted … by the media’, Tory leadership frontrunner tells party members at hustings in CardiffLiz Truss has said an £8.8bn black hole in her savings budget caused by her abandoning a policy to cut public sector wages was not part of her “central costings” for funding a range of spending pledges, as she suggested the policy had been a “mistake”.She also defended her stance on Brexit as a former remain supporter, claiming that the disruption she was concerned about prior to the referendum did not happen, despite the long queues recently seen at Channel crossings at the start of the school holidays. Continue reading...

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have released a statement to express shock and sadness over the decision for their already shot film to be killedDirecting duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have responded to the cancellation of their Batgirl film, writing that they are “saddened and shocked” by the news.The Belgian film-makers, best known for 2020’s Bad Boys for Life and episodes of Ms Marvel, shared a statement on Instagram after Tuesday’s news that Warner Bros Discovery would not be releasing the DC Comics adventure that was nearing the end of post-production. Continue reading...

Imperial College Union motion says students should have been consulted on work, due to ‘obvious’ erect penis interpretationUniversity students at Imperial College London are battling to prevent the installation of new sculpture by Antony Gormley over concerns that the work is “phallic”.Alert, a six-metre-high stack of cantilevered steel blocks meant to resemble a squatting human figure, is scheduled to be installed in the university’s newly built Dangoor Plaza in South Kensington this summer. Continue reading...

German chancellor says no reason to hold up return of turbine behind energy standoff; UN says number of border crossings from Ukraine passes 10m markMykola Tochytskyi, deputy minister of foreign affairs, has repeated Ukraine’s request for the skies over nuclear installations to be closed to prevent a potential accident and their misuse. He posted to Twitter saying:The Russian leadership openly threatens the world with its ability to use nuclear weapons, backed by the clear calls to do so by the Russian state media.For the first time in history, civil nuclear facilities have been turned into military targets and springboards for the Russian army in breach of the non-proliferation provisions on peaceful use of nuclear energy. Continue reading...

Family and police appeal for witnesses to come forward with information on student nurse’s disappearance on 7 JulyThe mother of a student nurse who has been missing for almost a month has made an emotional appeal for information to assist the police investigation.

Greens MP says there is ‘desperate need’ for reform as tenants feel the pain of low vacancies and rising interest rates

Exclusive: Bill set to be introduced Thursday will also target image-based sexual abuse

US House speaker leaves island as China orders live-fire drills off coastThe US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has said Beijing cannot prevent world leaders from travelling to Taiwan, as she departed from the island on Wednesday to continue her tour of Asia.In a newly released statement that summarised her trip, Pelosi expressed her admiration for Taiwan’s democracy and criticised China’s ruling Communist party for obstructing Taiwan on the world stage. Continue reading...

European champions call on Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to commit to bringing change if they enter No 10England’s Lionesses have written to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss asking them to commit to allowing all girls to play football in schools after the Department for Education (DfE) refused to say it would change the guidance.The open letter to the two Tory leadership candidates has been signed by the squad who won the historic victory in the Women’s Euro 2022 on Sunday. Continue reading...

Officials cite satellite data and phone intercepts and say Wagner Group mercenaries carried out atrocity

Mayor’s decision to give police access to more data described as ‘gargantuan increase of surveillance in London’The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, is facing a legal challenge over his decision to allow the Metropolitan police access to more data from a larger number of traffic cameras across the city.The Green party London assembly member Siân Berry said it was “terrifying” that the force will have full access to a “huge database” of Automated Number-Plate Recognition (ANPR) data from the expanded ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) in the capital. Continue reading...

Ex-commissioner Cressida Dick ‘may have breached standards’ in case, but no action to be taken, says IOPCEvery officer involved in the Daniel Morgan scandal will escape punishment, the police watchdog has announced, despite an independent inquiry finding corruption in the Metropolitan police shielded the private detective’s killers with the force ignoring information.Those escaping any action include the former Met commissioner Cressida Dick, who the inquiry accused of hampering its work. Continue reading...

Belgian pigeon fanciers say birds ‘didn’t have a chance’ after contest went wrong in NarbonneBelgian pigeon fanciers are in uproar after thousands of their birds went missing when they were released into stormy weather in a competition that went wrong.The birds were let out in Narbonne in southern France at the start of a race back to their lofts in northern Europe, but they soon hit a summer storm. The Belgian pigeon federation described the outcome as a catastrophe and blamed organisers for allowing the birds to become airborne despite forecasts of bad weather. Continue reading...

Platforms such as Discord being used to build ‘far-right ecosystem’ to radicalise young people, say experts

Age profile of far-right referrals and arrests is getting younger, experts warn, though numbers remain small

Emergency services called to Pencester Gardens on morning before fair was due to open to publicA teenage boy has died at a fair on the Kent coast.Emergency services were called to Pencester Gardens in Dover on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...

Redhills assembly hall, built in 1915, joins group application for same status as pyramids and Taj MahalA grand hall created for miners in 1915 and recognised as one of the finest trade union buildings in Europe is bidding for Unesco world heritage status.Redhills in Durham has been selected as one of eight workers’ assembly halls across the world that are jointly applying for the accolade. Continue reading...

Francisco scoops fashion designer award for elegant womenswear collection, while bark skirts and statement streetwear also celebrated at Darwin event

Company expects lowest power production in three decades as ability to cool plants is restrictedThe French energy supplier EDF has signalled it is likely to reduce output at its nuclear power stations on the Rhône and Garonne rivers as heatwaves push up river temperatures, restricting its ability to use the river water to cool the plants.The state-owned company, Europe’s biggest producer of nuclear energy, said its power stations on the two rivers were likely to produce less electricity in the coming days, but would maintain a minimum level of output to keep the grid steady, Bloomberg News reported. Continue reading...

Data follows rising trend over past decade, with cocaine-related deaths increasing sevenfold since 2011Drug-related deaths have reached a record level across England and Wales, with a growing number of people dying after using opiates and cocaine, ONS figures show.In 2021, 4,859 people were recorded as having died from drug poisoning, the equivalent of 84.4 deaths per million people. This is 6.2% higher than figures for 2020, the ninth consecutive annual rise, and is the highest number since records began in 1993. Continue reading...

Elaina Cohen wins two claims against Khalid Mahmood but loses claim that dismissal was related to her race, religion or beliefA parliamentary aide and former partner of a Labour MP has won a claim against him for unfair dismissal with a tribunal also agreeing she was “isolated and marginalised” for a year before being sacked.Elaina Cohen won two claims that she made against her former boss Khalid Mahmood, the MP for Birmingham Perry Barr. But she lost other claims including that her dismissal was related to race, religion or belief. Continue reading...

Family submit application to Strasbourg-based court in attempt to postpone withdrawal of life supportThe parents of Archie Battersbee have submitted an application to the European court of human rights (ECHR) in an attempt to postpone the withdrawal of his life support.Lawyers acting for Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, had been given a deadline of 9am on Wednesday to submit the application. Continue reading...

Former Lib Dem leader to divide time between UK capital and California as Meta’s head of global affairsNick Clegg, the president of global affairs at Facebook’s parent company, is partly relocating to London as he joins senior colleagues in moving to the UK capital.The former Liberal Democrat leader will divide his time between California, where he lives currently, and London. Clegg’s new executive role at Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta will require more travelling and it is understood that Clegg sees London as a suitable base for visiting Europe and Asia. Continue reading...

More than half a million households could miss out on discount, according to Citizens AdviceCharities are warning that renters whose utility bills are included in their rent are at the mercy of their landlords and could miss out on the UK government’s £400 energy discount.An estimated 585,000 households – equivalent to 13% of all those renting in the private market – have energy bills included in their rent, according to Citizens Advice. It said renters could miss out on the energy rebate and other support like the warm home discount, if they are not the bill payer, because they are paid to the landlord. Continue reading...

South Korea calls for dialogue and Japan conveys concerns over drills, while North Korea praises ChinaThe historic visit to Taiwan of the US House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has provoked a furious response from China, and heightened fears of a crisis in the Taiwan strait. In Asia and beyond, the visit has put governments on edge. Continue reading...

Conservationists find native magnolia for first time since 1925 after original habitat destroyed by deforestationA conservation team has rediscovered a native magnolia tree in a forest in Haiti for the first time since it was lost to science in 1925.Boasting pure white flowers and uniquely shaped leaves, the northern Haiti magnolia (Magnolia emarginata) was found originally in the forest of Morne Colombo, which has since been destroyed by deforestation. It was considered endangered and featured on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species, and its discovery has sparked new hope for the potential rewilding of Haiti’s forests. Continue reading...

Inquiry also hears Amy Brown reveal Stuart Ayres’ praise for John Barilaro before New York appointment