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More than 3m households had not received payment from councils by 1 July, research showsMore than 3 million households in England and Wales were still waiting to receive the £150 energy rebate on 1 July, research has found, several months after the scheme to help pay for soaring gas and electricity bills was launched.The payment was part of a package of measures announced by the government in February, and is being paid out by councils. Continue reading...

The 52-year-old Canadian will succeed Tamara Rojo in August 2023 and arrives after 16 years as artistic director of Semperoper Ballett in Dresden“Diversity of people and repertoire are at the heart of my vision,” says Aaron Watkin, announced on Wednesday as the new artistic director of English National Ballet, successor to Tamara Rojo, who is leaving in November to take up the directorship at San Francisco Ballet having shaken up ENB over the last decade.Canadian Watkin, 52, is not as starry a name as Rojo – one of the leading ballerinas of her generation – but he has a solid career behind him. He has been artistic director at Semperoper Ballett in Dresden for the last 16 years and previously danced with William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt, Dutch National Ballet and National Ballet of Canada. He danced with ENB for two seasons 30 years ago and it’s an experience that stuck with him. “I love the pioneering spirit of ENB. You really become a family. Even though I was there a short time, the friendships I forged have been lifelong.” Continue reading...

Boss of ScottishPower puts price tag on industry plan to freeze bills for two yearsThe energy industry’s favoured plan to shield Britain’s households from the soaring cost of energy will cost more than £100bn over two years, according to the boss of one of the UK’s largest power operators.Keith Anderson is chief executive of ScottishPower, one of the big six energy suppliers, which alongside the rival firm E.ON came up with the deficit tariff scheme that was last week backed by the trade body for the sector, Energy UK. Continue reading...

Label has apologised to ‘the Black community’ after signing an AI-generated rapper that used the N-word and was shown being beaten by policeA major record label has dropped an AI rapper and offered its “deepest apologies to the Black community”, after the virtual creation was criticised for perpetuating racist stereotypes by using the N-word in a song and being portrayed being beaten by a police officer.FN Meka, an AI rapper given the appearance of a Black male cyborg, was created in 2019 by Anthony Martini and Brandon Le, the cofounders of Factory New, which billed itself as a “first of its kind, next-generation music company, specialising in virtual beings.” Continue reading...

National outlook shows persistent wet weather and low fuel loads tempering likelihood of bushfires in areas ravaged by black summer

Australian hitmaker is in a stable condition after 12-hour surgery, family says

Icy conditions brought thunderstorms, rain and snow in higher parts of the NSW tablelands and northeast

Energy prices have soared above prediction and subsidies will require significant further spendingMinisters could face an additional £23bn price tag for covering extra household energy costs of £900 this autumn, rising to £90bn next year, a new paper by the Institute for Government has found.The paper, looking at the options for Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak in No 10, also warned the government should plan for prolonged rises in energy bills by going a lot further in making public appeals to use less gas – for example by informing consumers about the cost savings from turning down thermostats – and in committing to building more energy efficient homes to help protect consumers. Continue reading...

Analysis: £15 an hour is ‘logical next step’ amid cost of living crisis but neither Labour or Tories likely to back campaign• Minimum wage should be increased to £15 an hour as soon as possible, says TUCThe TUC has chosen its moment well. With Britain gripped by a cost of living crisis, the umbrella body for trade unions has called for the minimum wage to be raised from £9.50 to £15 an hour as soon as possible, and by 2030 at the latest.It is an ambitious target, as the TUC openly accepts. The minimum wage is now 64% of median earnings. A £15-an-hour minimum wage by 2030 would be 75% of median earnings, the highest of any of the 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development group of rich countries. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president defiant as officials report Moscow is preparing strikes on capital and infrastructure

Liverpool’s chief constable says death of girl at home ‘crosses every boundary’ and pledges major response to catch anyone involvedAn attempted public murder of a senior gang member caused a nine-year-old girl to be mistakenly shot dead while being shielded by her mother inside her Liverpool home, the Guardian has learned.Olivia Pratt-Korbel was standing directly behind her mother, Cheryl, who was trying to keep the gunman out. Police said they believe the fleeing criminal saw a “chink of light” as Olivia’s mother opened the door to see what the noise was – before rushing in to escape his assailant. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, please visit here for our latest coveragePoland’s president Andrzej Duda has arrived in Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.The duo will engage in talks on the current wartime situation in Ukraine, economic and humanitarian support and bilateral cooperation, according to Duda’s official Twitter channel.The visit will include a meeting with President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy and talks on military support and defence of Ukraine in the economic, humanitarian and political sense,” Pawel Szrot told reporters.The presidents will discuss the political support Poland could offer to convince other countries to keep helping Ukraine. Continue reading...

Duchess of Sussex talks of criticism she faced when beginning relationship with Prince Harry, in podcast ArchetypesThe Duchess of Sussex has revealed she was criticised for her ambition when she began her relationship with Prince Harry, saying it was seen as a “terrible, terrible thing”.She added that she always thought of it as a positive trait as a child, before learning “a thing or two” about the labels and conventions that hold women back. Continue reading...

Foreign ministry says Russia has transferred more than 1,000 children from Mariupol for illegal adoptions in Siberia

State-controlled social media platform VK to buy news and blogging services of country’s largest internet firm

Publisher Vintage has ordered a reprint following rush to buy the 1988 novel in the wake of the attack on the author earlier this monthSales of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses have soared since the author was attacked in New York earlier this month. The novel has reentered the official UK charts and the publisher has ordered a reprint to meet demand.Rushdie was stabbed stabbed in the neck and torso as he was about to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state on 12 August. The novelist is currently recovering in hospital, and his suspected attacker, Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder and assault charges. Continue reading...

Coroner tells inquest face-to-face appointment would have helped Sean Mark, whose GP advised him to use online servicesA coroner has expressed concern at the difficulty of getting face-to-face appointments with GPs and other health professionals after a 17-year-old boy suffering from mental health problems was found dead.Sean Mark, who described himself as an “anxious paranoid mess”, was desperate for help but felt “palmed off” when he asked for assistance, an inquest heard. He was found dead in his bedroom four months after a phone consultation with a GP and before he had spoken to anyone in person about his concerns.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...

India previously blamed a ‘technical malfunction’ for accidental firing of unarmed missile in MarchThe Indian air force has said it has sacked three officers for accidentally firing a missile into Pakistan in March.“A court of inquiry, set up to establish the facts of the case, including fixing responsibility for the incident, found that deviation from the standard operating procedures by three officers led to the accidental firing of the missile,” the air force said. Continue reading...

Victim named as Olivia Pratt-Korbel, nine, killed after assailant fired gun ‘with complete disregard’, say officersA nine-year-old girl was fatally shot in Liverpool after a gunman burst into her family’s home chasing another man who did not live there, police said.Merseyside police named the victim as Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was getting ready for bed at the time. Continue reading...

Ravensburger Verlag reacts as debate rages over depiction of Native American character in children’s booksA German publisher has announced it is withdrawing two new books paying tribute to a highly popular character in children’s fiction after facing accusations of racism and cultural appropriation.Ravensburger Verlag, a leading publisher of children’s books in the German-speaking world, said its latest books on Winnetou, a fictional Native American hero who made his debut in 1875, would be pulled from its schedule and that it would also be considering whether to continue publishing other Winnetou titles in future. Continue reading...

Historic England announces review of landmark buildings amid closures as campaigners call for ‘creative reinvention’Brutalist department stores may soon be granted protected status as the public body that looks after England’s historic environment reviews the buildings seen by many as icons of the high street.The announcement from Historic England comes amid widespread closures, compounded by the pandemic, economic turmoil and the rise of online shopping. Continue reading...

Federal court upholds conviction and 12-year sentence linked to fraud, saying appeal ‘devoid of any merits’Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak has been ordered to begin a 12-year prison sentence after he lost his final appeal to overturn a conviction linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, one of the world’s biggest financial frauds.A five-member federal court panel said it unanimously found that Najib’s appeal was “devoid of any merits”. Continue reading...

Government says one-off sum for those on certain benefits will be paid automatically from late next month

Drill, which involves deciding which customers would have to cut gas use in a crisis, will run for four days instead of twoThe National Grid has doubled the length of its annual emergency gas shortage drill from two to four days as the energy industry braces for supplies to potentially run out over the winter.Gas prices have rocketed in recent months amid the recovery from coronavirus lockdowns and as Russia has sought to use its control of gas supplies to Europe as leverage amid its economic and diplomatic isolation since its invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

School board in Dallas-Fort Worth area requires reviewing books facing challenges from parentsA Texas school district is scrambling to remove books from its library shelves ahead of the fall semester, after they were challenged by parents and community members. Among the books removed are a graphic novel adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and the Bible.It’s not clear why more than 40 books were challenged. Continue reading...

Church’s decision made in part because of Guardian’s Uber Files investigation as company commits to ‘improving standards for independent contractors’

Wartime leader survived most serious of many assassination attempts 60 years ago in Paris suburbOn 22 August 1962, France’s wartime leader Charles de Gaulle survived what would be the most serious of 30 attempts on his life. De Gaulle and his wife, Yvonne, were being driven through a Paris suburb for a flight from Villacoublay military airport, eight miles from the Élysée Palace.The presidential couple were on their way back to Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, their country home about halfway between the French capital and Strasbourg in the east. They were travelling in a black Citroën DS, followed by an escort vehicle and two motorcycle police officers on Triumph bikes. Continue reading...

Minister condemns ‘shocking’ games inspired by reality TV show at Fresnes prison, south of ParisFrance’s justice ministry is under pressure to explain why it signed off on games inspired by reality TV at the country’s second largest prison.The political row erupted after a 25-minute video of prisoners at Fresnes jail taking part in go-karting and other challenges in the prison courtyard appeared on YouTube. The prison games were called Kohlantess – a play on Les aventuriers de Koh-Lanta, a French reality TV show based on the Survivor format. Continue reading...

Consumers complained the homeware and electronics company was not supporting its national rootsA Chinese retail company has apologised for styling itself as a Japanese store, saying it made “serious mistakes”.Miniso, which sells homeware and electronics, used a logo and branding that appeared similar to that of the Japanese clothing firm Uniqlo. It has been under criticism from Chinese consumers who believed it was not supporting its Chinese roots. Continue reading...

Cost of bailing out UK company threatens to top £4bn by next spring because of soaring gas pricesHouseholds could end up paying more than £150 extra on their energy bills because of the collapse of Bulb, as the price of bailing out the failed supplier threatens to top £4bn by next spring.The cost of bailing out the UK company, which has about 1.4 million customers, has escalated because of rising wholesale gas prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Exclusive: sources say report shows CIA unable to find evidence to support Israeli claim, but finding does not prompt US rebuttalThe Central Intelligence Agency was unable to corroborate Israel’s decision to classify six prominent Palestinian NGOs as “terrorist organizations”, but the finding did not lead to any official US criticism of the controversial move.In October, Israel labeled as terror groups Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al-Haq, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International–Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees. Continue reading...

Beloved Gunditjmara Bundjalung songman’s hearse accompanied by Southern Warriors Aboriginal motorcycle club

Programme celebrating broadcaster’s ‘irreverent roots’ will also include documentary on extra-large penisesChannel 4 is marking its 40th birthday with a musical about Prince Andrew and a programme about unusually large penises.The broadcaster announced that it would air a satirical musical about the life of the Queen’s second son, who had to step back from public life due to his association with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Continue reading...

Speaking in Kyiv, Ilya Ponomarev alleges bomb that killed daughter of Putin ally was work of underground groupA former member of Russia’s Duma who was expelled for anti-Kremlin activities has claimed that Russian partisans were allegedly behind a car bomb which blew up the daughter of one of Vladimir Putin’s close political allies on the outskirts of Moscow.Speaking in Kyiv, where he is based, Ilya Ponomarev alleged the explosion on Saturday evening was the work of the National Republican Army, which he claimed was an underground group working inside Russia and dedicated to overthrowing the Putin regime. Continue reading...

Fall in amount of locally made children’s programming attributed to watering down of quota by former Coalition government

Exclusive: Letter from Stephen Cartwright, who approved ads attacking Labor before NSW election, thanked former deputy premier for ‘constant support’

Police have launched a murder inquiry after Rico Burton, 31, was killed in Altrincham, Greater ManchesterTyson Fury has urged ministers to take action in tackling knife crime after he revealed that his cousin Rico Burton was stabbed to death on Saturday night.Rico Burton, 31, died after an attack outside a bar in Goose Green, Altrincham, in Greater Manchester at 3am on Sunday morning. A 17-year-old man was also attacked and remains in hospital with serious injuries. Continue reading...

Anne Thompson says her husband’s experiences at a Harrogate home left her angry, bitter and in despair

Atlantic City by Helen Saunders discovered under Praxitella by Wyndham Lewis, who may have painted over it on purposeA lost masterpiece by a leading abstract artist of the early 20th century has been discovered beneath a portrait by a contemporary who may have painted over the original in a “fit of pique”.Atlantic City by Helen Saunders, a member of the radical and short-lived vorticist movement, depicts a fragmented modern metropolis, almost certainly in the vibrant colours associated with the group. A black and white image of the painting appeared in Blast, the avant garde journal of the vorticists produced shortly before the outbreak of the first world war. Continue reading...

Russian hawks without evidence blame Kyiv for death of Darya Dugina and demand Kremlin response

About 1,900 crane drivers, machine operators and stevedores involved in eight-day actionWorkers at the UK’s biggest container port have gone on strike for the first time since 1989, with shipping companies and union leaders warning the action could impact supply chains and leave shoppers waiting for goods.About 1,900 members of Unite at Felixstowe have walked out in a dispute over pay today, in the latest outbreak of industrial action to hit a growing number of sectors of the economy. Continue reading...

Literary world riven by conflict as trade union is accused of inappropriately taking sides in culture warIt is a literary row that threatens to consume the very organisation set up to protect authors’ rights. And, in spite of the involvement of three prominent names in children’s books, it has already prompted outbursts of unmistakably adult fury.Harry Potter creator, JK Rowling, Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, and the poet Kate Clanchy, are among the cast members of the drama that continues to rock the Society of Authors, not to mention Joanne Harris, author of the bestselling novel Chocolat, who chairs the society’s management committee. Continue reading...

Despite rise in job vacancies, 3.6 million people aged 50-64 are now economically inactive, in trend seen since pandemicThe number of people aged 50-64 who are economically inactive in the UK has shot up to 3.6 million. It represents a rise of almost 10% since before the pandemic, providing powerful evidence of a post-Covid “silver exodus” from the workplace.Other findings released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week – and seized upon by Labour as a sign of government failure at a time of near-record vacancies and labour shortages – include data showing that 375,000 over-50s were claiming unemployment benefits last month. Continue reading...

The military strategy expert and author of a new book on conflict says the flawed thinking behind Russia’s invasion stems from the inability of those at the top to take responsibility for mistakes

Government forces retake Hayat in Mogadishu after it was overrun by al-Shabaab fightersSomali forces have ended the siege at a hotel in the capital Mogadishu after it was overrun by Islamic extremist gunmen in one of the most deadly and high-profile attacks in recent years.According to police and witnesses, at least 20 people are believed to have been killed and 40 wounded during the attack, which has been claimed by the al-Qaida-linked group al-Shabaab. Continue reading...

Warehouse Ballarat says patrons used 500 drink lids in first weekend, which have made patrons ‘feel a lot more safe’

Exclusive: More than 4,400 strip searches were carried out in total between July 2020 and May 2022The New South Wales police have been accused of misunderstanding their own strip-search powers after data showed officers continued to use the controversial practice on thousands of people, including children as young as 13, during the height of Covid.Data reveals police in NSW carried out more than 4,400 strip-searches between July 2020 and May 2022, which includes a Delta-wave lockdown that lasted more than 100 days.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...

Likely PM’s policies will mean ‘big trouble’, say critics, as Starmer’s energy price initiative boosts him in pollsSenior Tories have warned that their party will suffer dire electoral consequences under a Liz Truss premiership that fails to address the cost of living crisis, as Labour enjoys a poll bounce suggesting Keir Starmer could be on course for No 10.Amid signs of mounting panic among high-ranking Conservatives about Truss’s economic policies, several former cabinet ministers told the Observer on Saturday the party would suffer devastating losses in blue and red wall seats unless Truss changes tack, if and when she enters No 10. Continue reading...