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Musician, 24, from Coventry, blames ‘failed background check’ after conviction relating to mass brawlThe British rapper Pa Salieu has said he has been blocked from performing at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony because of a “failed background check”.The 24-year-old musician from Coventry was acquitted in March of engaging in violent disorder during a mass brawl, in which his friend Fidel Glasgow was knifed to death. Continue reading...

Action urged over Brexit-related delays of up to 48 hours caused by queues on the UK side of ChannelThe Scottish salmon industry has called on ministers to urgently intervene to stop Brexit-related delays to the transportation of fresh fish to France.It comes after the Brexit opportunities minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg, admitted he was wrong to say there would be no delays at the port of Dover caused by the UK leaving the EU. Continue reading...

Vardy says she is receiving 100 abusive messages a day after losing case as she again denies leaking stories about Colleen RooneyRebekah Vardy has said she feels “let down by the legal system”, and has again denied leaking stories about Coleen Rooney to tabloids, following her loss of a libel battle at the high court.Vardy said she believed she was suffering from PTSD after losing the case and she now had a full-time security chief at her home in Leicestershire after she said she was receiving 100 abusive messages a day. Continue reading...

His handling of this crisis, which led to the resignation of his deputy Stuart Ayres, has colleagues questioning whether he has the right stuff under pressure

‘Completely around the wrong way’ to allow pensioners to work more without losing pay while jobseeker remains unchanged, advocates say

Analysis: Liberals were always sceptical of Matthew Guy’s plan to use a marketing maestro to improve the party’s chances in Victoria

Guardian Australia brings together all the latest on daily new Covid-19 cases, as well as stats, charts and live state by state data from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, WA, Tasmania, ACT and NT. We bring together the latest numbers on the vaccine rollout and fourth dose booster vaccination rates.

Health minister Mark Butler says government has accepted Atagi’s advice and approved the jab for children with serious health conditions aged six months to five years old

Falsehoods and disinformation could cause breakdown in relations with local communities, says World VisionUkrainian refugees are likely to become victims of rising tensions and disinformation campaigns in their host countries, a report has warned.False reports exaggerating how much aid refugees receive compared with local people, as well as linking refugees with violent crime and political extremism, could cause a breakdown in relations with local communities, the charity World Vision said. Continue reading...

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Australians would get ‘real talk’ from his government about the country’s positioning

All stories are to be approved by the government before broadcast on the SIBC, prompting grave concerns about press freedomThe Solomon Islands’ government has prompted outrage by ordering the censorship of the national broadcaster, forbidding it from publishing material critical of the government, which will vet all stories before broadcast.On Monday the government announced that the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC), a public service broadcaster established in 1976 by an act of parliament, would be brought under government control. Continue reading...

Hyperbolic tenor of debate shows lack of knowledge of country’s unique political situation, Taiwanese Americans sayNancy Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan has inflamed US-China relations anew, with China’s military announcing it will conduct live-fire exercises around the island and state media condemning the visit as “stupid, reckless and dangerous”. Meanwhile, US commentators across the ideological spectrum, from Thomas Friedman to Tucker Carlson to Code Pink, have called Pelosi’s trip a reckless provocation to war.But to Taiwanese Americans who have spent a lifetime grappling with the island’s strange geopolitical status, the hyperbolic tenor of the debate over Pelosi’s visit is indicative of how little most Americans know or care about the people of Taiwan. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Health department says it will miss July target of treating all patients in England waiting at least two yearsMinisters have admitted a key NHS pledge to ensure that everyone who has been waiting at least two years for hospital care would be treated by last month has not been met.The then health secretary Sajid Javid made the promise in February when launching the NHS’s “elective recovery plan”. It was intended to tackle what is now a record 6.6 million-patient backlog in England for those awaiting a procedure such as a joint replacement or cataract removal and included a series of treatment milestones the health service had to hit. Continue reading...

UCL pledges to investigate allegations which include older staff being pressured to retire early from construction schoolAcademics at one of the UK’s most prestigious universities claim bullying and harassment has destroyed careers and left staff living in a “culture of fear”.In a leaked letter seen by the Guardian, nine academics from University College London’s (UCL) Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction said they needed to break their “silence”, alleging that complaints of bullying are “simply ignored”. Continue reading...

World’s largest sand island to revert to its original name, meaning ‘paradise’ in the Butchulla language

English actor and others witnessed attack in Adelaide city centre and remained with victim until arrival of emergency services

Single yellow rose placed on former minister’s seat in upper house while family look on

Buddle to face two charges of allegedly importing cocaine, with police to allege he used the An0m app

The Secret Life of Us actor and winning artist bonded over their shared experiences losing loved ones to cancer

Survey finds collapse of insurer has left thousands worried about going into debt or even using superannuation to cover costs

Property prices in New Zealand skyrocketed during the pandemic, but have fallen 2.5% in the last quarterHouse prices in New Zealand are experiencing the fastest drop in value since the global financial crisis, but many first homebuyers remain locked out of home ownership due to an inflated market, the cost of living crisis and rising interest rates.New Zealand has been plagued by a runaway housing market for years. Wellington and Auckland are among the least affordable property markets in the world, and homeownership rates have been falling since the early 1990s across all age brackets, but especially for people in their 20s and 30s. The average house price nationally is now more than NZ$1m. Continue reading...

Warner Bros confirms film starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, Michael Keaton, JK Simmons and Brendan Fraser won’t ever be releasedThe previously announced Batgirl film starring In the Heights actor Leslie Grace, Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser will not be released at all, Warner Bros Discovery has unexpectedly announced, despite shooting already being completed and the film being in post-production.Directed by Ms Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the film was initially greenlit in 2021 as part of a wider move at Warner Bros to create feature films specifically for the streaming service HBO Max. But the studio confirmed on Tuesday that the film would never get any release, either theatrically or on HBO Max. Continue reading...

Perth airport hit by power outages after strong gusts on Tuesday night as eastern states put on alert

Employment minister says bill to abolish card fast-tracked as payment schemes mean ‘you can’t suddenly end it on a set date’

Dominic Perrottet has defended the government’s position as the league considers moving the NRL grand final interstate

Ayres denies any wrongdoing but says he will stand down as deputy NSW Liberal leader to allow matters to be investigated

Peter Fahey critical of proposal to widen definition of ‘extremism’ and include people who ‘vilfy’ BritainRishi Sunak’s proposals to strengthen the government’s anti-terrorism programme risk “straying into thought crimes” and are potentially damaging to national security, a former senior police chief has said.The former chancellor announced measures to beef up the Prevent programme on Tuesday night, as part of a bid to boost his flagging campaign to succeed Boris Johnson as the next prime minister. Continue reading...

Exclusive: House of Lords ‘bursting at seams’ and reform is needed, say campaignersCampaigners have called for an end to “unchecked political patronage” as polling found most people oppose plans for Boris Johnson to appoint new peers in the final weeks of his premiership.Alarm was raised by the Electoral Reform Society over a proposal drawn up by CT Group – a political lobbying firm run by the Conservative adviser Lynton Crosby – for the prime minister to appoint up to 50 new Conservative lawmakers to ram contentious legislation through parliament. Continue reading...

Zheng Zeguang spoke of ‘severe consequences in China-UK relations’ if politicians go to islandChina’s UK ambassador has urged British politicians not to “dance to the tune of the United States” and vowed “severe consequences” should MPs set foot in Taiwan.Speaking at a press conference in London, the Chinese ambassador, Zheng Zeguang, who has been on parliament’s sanctions list since last summer, also reminded the British government of the joint communique the two countries signed in 1972, when they began to exchange ambassadors. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary’s lead down to five points in latest poll of party members, after 24-point lead a fortnight ago

Stoic, often fatalistic population paid little attention to talk of House speaker’s visit – until it was confirmedAt a central Taipei branch of a popular bank on Tuesday, a few clients came to Joseph Chiu, a teller, with an odd request: to withdraw millions of kuai from their accounts. “They worry the bank will close its doors tomorrow,” he said during an afternoon streetside smoke break.Chiu said he wasn’t worried about such an event, and there is no indication that it is even a possibility, but it was a small sign that among Taiwan’s stoic, often fatalistic population, something had shifted this week. Continue reading...

Announcement made hours after attempt to postpone withdrawal of life support was rejected by UK supreme court ‘with a heavy heart’The mother of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee has said his life support treatment will be removed at 11am on Wednesday, hours after a last-minute attempt to postpone the hospital taking action was rejected by the UK’s supreme court “with a heavy heart”.On Monday, the court of appeal set a deadline of midday on Tuesday beyond which Archie’s treatment could be ceased. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary forced to abandon policy amid widespread criticism from within Conservative partyLiz Truss suffered a humiliating setback in her bid to become the next prime minister on Tuesday, as she was forced into a U-turn on civil service pay after a backlash from within her own party.The foreign secretary swiftly abandoned the cornerstone of her plan for a “war on Whitehall waste” when it was revealed it could lead to pay cuts for millions of teachers, nurses and police officers. Continue reading...

Analysis: House speaker’s arrival is likely to inflame relations between the US and China without making Taiwan saferIn the era of US-China geopolitical competition, Joe Biden has been keen to ensure great power politics do not lead to uncontrollable escalation. Yet the trip to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives, is threatening to break what administration officials call “guardrails”. She is the highest-ranking member of Congress to visit the island since 1997.The move, which is a welcome and a bold assertion of democratic principle to Pelosi’s supporters, has certainly rattled Beijing in a politically sensitive year for China’s ruling Communist party. Xi Jinping is expected to be anointed for an extraordinary third term in the party’s five-yearly congress in the next few months. It also comes as the People’s Liberation Army is celebrating the 95th anniversary of its founding. Continue reading...

First grain ship to leave Odesa since invasion reaches Turkish waters; Moscow says US is sharing intelligence with Ukrainian forces. This live blog is closed.

People’s Liberation Army announces targeted military operations as it calls visit a ‘malicious provocation’Nancy Pelosi has landed in Taiwan for a controversial visit to the self-ruled island, offering “unwavering commitment” to supporting its democracy as already heightened tensions with China escalate.Timed with her arrival, China’s ministry of defence said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had been put on “high alert” and announced a series of targeted military operations, including missile tests in the waters east of Taiwan and drills encircling the main island for four days after Pelosi leaves. Continue reading...

Picture bore striking similarities to 1 May 2011 image, when US special forces killed Osama bin LadenThe White House on Tuesday released a picture of Joe Biden being briefed on the CIA drone strike which killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaida and a chief planner of the 9/11 attacks, in Kabul last weekend.The move came amid widespread celebration of the killing in the United States and the apparently successful attack provides a welcome fillip to Biden, whose popularity has plunged during 2022 as the nation gears up for crucial midterm election in November. Continue reading...

Stephen Folland from Berkshire was chosen from more than 170 entries to win Camra awardA stout beer with an alcohol content of more 16% has won the first home brew competition at the Campaign for Real Ale’s Great British Beer Festival.The contest was held to tap into a boom in home brewing during lockdown that has continued to flourish during the cost of living crisis. Continue reading...

Study undertaken after farmers said recommended dosage was not having an impact on numbers – even before the plague of 2021

Former health department chief Martin Bowles says staffing crisis will get ‘harder and harder’ and sector at risk of collapse

Luke Hilakari says he was asked for ‘completely unnecessary’ information about a staff member’s work ethic and punctuality

Research says 15% of people seeking counselling after unplanned pregnancies experience behaviour that interferes with their own decisions

Crime and Corruption Commission investigates less than 1% of complaints with vast majority handled internally by QPS

Screenshot appears to show pair sitting together during Covid lockdown that included a curfew and 5km travel limit

Kremlin says White House supplying information used by Kyiv to conduct long-range missile strikes

Analysis: Truss’s political misjudgement on public sector pay has earned her comparisons to Theresa May in a blunder critics say could have proved fatal in a general electionThe most popular meme being shared by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative MPs on WhatsApp after Liz Truss’s U-turn was the fateful image of Theresa May’s “nothing has changed”, which became a defining image of the 2017 election.Many of the former chancellor’s backers were quick to dub Truss’s policy the “new dementia tax”, which dogged May’s campaign and turned her MPs against her. Continue reading...

Airline taking ‘responsible action’ in response to airport’s cap of 100,000 daily passengersBritish Airways will restrict sales for short-haul flights from Heathrow all summer, with no more tickets for departures before 15 August, in an attempt to head off further disruption and flight cancellations.The unprecedented move by BA comes in response to the London airport’s cap on passengers, limiting total numbers to 100,000 a day, after staff shortages led to long queues, flight delays and problems with baggage earlier this year. Continue reading...

‘We just couldn’t be more silly than the news was already’ says host of current affairs comedy panel showThe long-running current affairs comedy panel show Mock the Week is to end on BBC Two after 17 years, the corporation has announced.The upcoming eight episodes of the popular programme, airing in the autumn, will be the last, marking its end after 21 series and more than 200 episodes of the show, hosted by Irish comedian Dara Ó Briain. Continue reading...

Court’s conservative supermajority threatens to overturn yet another longstanding precedent as it hears arguments in two casesCivil rights groups, university professors, teachers unions, current and former US senators, and dozens of corporations on Monday filed amicus briefs to the supreme court advocating for upholding the long-held precedent allowing the use of race to increase diversity in college admissions.For decades, the court has repeatedly affirmed that colleges and universities can factor in students’ race and ethnicity in determining what students are admitted, a process known as affirmative action. But as the US supreme court hears oral arguments this fall in two cases against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), following a historic term in which the court abolished the decades-long right to abortion, the court’s conservative supermajority threatens to overturn yet another longstanding precedent. Continue reading...