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Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng make clear they do not support idea briefed by Treasury sources on Tuesday

Alisha Pegg says she feels neglected after she was first mistakenly told her baby had died before her daughter passed awayA Kent hospital trust has apologised to a mother who was wrongly told her baby had died and then that she was alive, before her daughter died hours later.After experiencing labour pains last February, Alisha Pegg attended William Harvey hospital in Ashford. After being sent home by doctors, she gave birth to her daughter Grace. Continue reading...

Beijing blames its actions on US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to TaiwanTaiwan has become the latest focal point in the fraught relationship between London and Beijing, with foreign secretary Liz Truss summoning China’s ambassador to explain his government’s recent actions over the self-ruled democracy.“I instructed officials to summon the Chinese ambassador to explain his country’s actions. We have seen increasingly aggressive behaviour and rhetoric from Beijing in recent months, which threaten peace and stability in the region,” Truss said in a statement. Continue reading...

Attorney general says it is ‘national priority’ to extricate UK from influence of European court of human rights

CWU plans action by 100,000 staff in August and September in dispute about payRoyal Mail has said the planned four days of strikes by 100,000 postal workers will push the company to a significant loss in the current financial year.Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have announced they will take strike action around the August bank holiday weekend, on 26 and 31 August, and again on 8 and 9 September in a dispute over pay. Continue reading...

The venue, which was handed an eviction notice in March, played a role in many bands’ careers, including Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic MonkeysPulp star Jarvis Cocker joined his former bandmate Richard Hawley in a surprise performance at Sheffield’s Leadmill music venue, in support of the ongoing eviction battle against its Landlords.Cocker joined fellow Sheffielder Hawley on the second day of his four-day residency in support of the venue, which was handed an eviction notice in March. Continue reading...

Public health officials hoping to curb spread after polioviruses found in sewage samples across capitalAll children aged one to nine in London should receive a polio vaccination in the coming weeks, public health experts have said as a new booster programme is announced.The UK Health Security Agency said that, since early February, 116 polioviruses had been identified in 19 sewage samples from boroughs in north-east and central London including Barnet, Camden, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. Continue reading...

Unofficial strikes held at several industrial sites across UK amid inflation and cost of living crisisWorkers have held unofficial strikes at several industrial sites across the UK including Ineos’s Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland in a dispute over pay.A number of workers employed by a third party rather than Ineos itself blocked a road outside the site for several hours on Wednesday morning. The route is usually used by tankers arriving at and leaving the refinery. Continue reading...

Zhou Xiaoxuan, who accuses TV host Zhu Jun of groping her, loses appeal after case was rejected last yearA Chinese court has rejected an appeal in a landmark sexual harassment case, dealing a blow to the country’s #MeToo movement.Zhou Xiaoxuan stepped forward in 2018 to accuse the popular state TV host Zhu Jun of forcibly kissing and groping her during her 2014 internship at the broadcaster. Continue reading...

Man charged after attack on woman in heart of French capital’s tourist district by River SeineA 23-year-old man has been charged and remanded in custody after an American tourist was raped in a public toilet in the centre of Paris, in a case that has caused shock in the busy riverside area that was considered safe.The woman, 27, was out with her partner on Saturday night by the River Seine in the heart of Paris’s tourist district, not far from Notre Dame Cathedral and Paris’s city hall. Continue reading...

Britons and other non-EU citizens unlikely to have to pay Etias charge until 2024 at the earliestThe EU has delayed the introduction of a €7 visa-waiver form to enter its passport-free zone, meaning British travellers are unlikely to face the charge until 2024 at the earliest.The European travel information and authorisation system (Etias), which applies to non-EU citizens from 60 countries that have visa-free travel with the EU, is now scheduled to start operating from November 2023. Travellers will then benefit from a six-month transition period while border authorities run information campaigns on the new requirements. Continue reading...

Reshuffle comes after murder of Shinzo Abe put spotlight on ruling party’s ties with religious movementJapan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has removed ministers associated with the Unification church in a cabinet reshuffle aimed at reviving his fortunes amid a public outcry over his party’s ties to the religious movement.The reshuffle comes just over a month after the murder of Shinzo Abe by a man who has said he targeted the former prime minister over his links to the church, which he blamed for his family’s financial ruin. Continue reading...

Consumer rights campaigner tells Tory contenders they need to tell public ‘the bare minimum’ of what they will doMinisters will need to at least double the amount of support given last time to help protect the poorest households from rising energy bills, the consumer rights campaigner Martin Lewis has said.In February, the then chancellor, Rishi Sunak, now vying for the Tory leadership, announced that eligible UK households would receive a £400 discount to help with energy bills from October. Continue reading...

Beijing repeats resolve to annex Taiwan by force if peaceful means prove unsuccessfulBeijing has announced an end to its military drills surrounding Taiwan, but said further “training and war preparation” would continue. It made the announcement shortly after reaffirming its commitment, in a major policy paper, to use force against Taiwan if it cannot take control “by peaceful means”.A spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theatre Command said on Wednesday afternoon the exercises had been successfully completed, and “effectively tested the integrated joint combat capabilities of the troops” according to state media. Continue reading...

Measures to tackle rising cost of living to be discussed with gas and electricity company executives

The 19-year-old suffered rheumatic heart disease and ‘urgently needed an appointment and it may have saved his life’, report states

Beloved creator of Fungus the Bogeyman and Father Christmas brought a distinctive strain of melancholy to the genreRaymond Briggs, the writer and illustrator who delighted children and inspired adults with bestselling cartoons and picture books, died on Tuesday morning aged 88, his publisher Penguin Random House has said.Ranging from the enchanting magic of The Snowman to a devastating apocalypse in When the Wind Blows, Briggs created a host of much-loved characters including his angst-ridden Fungus the Bogeyman and his curmudgeonly version of Father Christmas. A career spanning six decades brought him numerous awards, with television adaptations making him a fixture of British Christmas viewing. Continue reading...

Alexander Blong smashed the previous world record for the most carriages in a Lego trainA New Zealand teenager has broken a Guinness World Record for the most carriages in a Lego toy train, beating the previous record by 32 carriages, after he was inspired to break a record during boring Covid lockdowns.It took 14-year-old Aucklander Alexander Blong roughly 50 hours to build the 101-carriage locomotive. When finished, it measured 25 metres long. Continue reading...

Letter has been the subject of intense speculation, amid reports it refers to a stop-work order

Xiao Qian says reset of China-Australia relationship is possible and suggests Washington had turned Canberra against Beijing

Sascha, 29, and six-month-old son Clay disappeared from Blackley area of city on SaturdayA mother and her baby son who went missing from their home in Manchester have been found safe and well, police said.Sascha, 29, and six-month-old Clay were first noticed to be missing from their home in the Blackley area at about 4pm on Saturday. Continue reading...

High court rules laws criminalising secretly recorded footage and audio do not impose too great a burden on speech

Former RN Breakfast broadcaster will interview actors, musicians and ‘big thinkers’ in live entertainment program

New documents also show independent review commissioned by NSW premier doesn’t have power to probe actions of ministers

Distributor confirms declining popularity and supply chain issues led to fruit chew’s local demise

Germany’s women would have received €60,000 each if they had won European Championships, while the men would have received €400,000German chancellor Olaf Scholz has made a push for equal pay for female international footballers after the team made it to the final of the recent European Championships.“My position on this is clear,” Scholz said after a meeting on Tuesday with the German Football Association (DFB) to discuss the issue. “We talked about how we can continue to help more girls and women get excited about football. Of course, the wages at such tournaments play a major role in this,” he said. Continue reading...

Manasseh Sogavare has moved to change the constitution to stay in office until after the Pacific Games in November 2023The Solomon Islands prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, has offered assurances any changes to the constitution to extend his time in office would be a one-time move, Australia’s Pacific minister says.Sogavare has moved to change the constitution to extend his term in government until after the Pacific Games in November 2023. Continue reading...

Marape, leader of PNG since 2019, defeated ex-PM Peter O’Neill in an election plagued by violence and electoral fraudJames Marape has been returned as Papua New Guinea’s prime minister for its 11th parliament after a fraught and violent election period that has run for roughly six weeks.Marape – who became prime minister in 2019 after toppling his predecessor and former party leader, Peter O’Neill – was invited to form government by the governor general, after his Pangu Pati secured 36 seats and was able to strike deals with coalition partners to bring its numbers to more than 80. Continue reading...

Cold weather and gas shortages could force rationing of electricity to some firms or even householdsBusinesses and even consumers could face blackouts this winter under government crisis plans as concerns grow over power supplies, it has emerged.Under the government’s latest “reasonable worst case scenario”, officials believe the UK could experience blackouts for several days in January if cold weather combines with gas shortages to leave the country short of power. Continue reading...

Documents obtained by Guardian Australia show the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s preferred candidate was overruled by then defence minister Dutton

Ex-director general of National Crime Agency may seek job permanently as force is rebuilt under new bossDame Lynne Owens is to be the interim deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police and may seek the job permanently, as the force’s new boss rebuilds after an exodus of senior leaders.Owens is a former director general of the National Crime Agency (NCA) who stood down last year after being diagnosed with cancer. Continue reading...

Police chief’s apology for way laws against homosexuality were enforced described as ‘long overdue’

Government says Slovenian plans to ‘standardise’ use of name threaten traditional producers in ModenaThe Italian government is launching infringement proceedings against Slovenia in an attempt to defend the authenticity of its famed, geographically protected balsamic vinegar.Relations between the two countries turned sour last year when Slovenia notified the European Commission of its plans to “standardise” its vinegar production, essentially seeking to market any wine vinegar mixed with concentrated fruit juice or must as “balsamic vinegar”. Continue reading...

Kate Greville told police Manchester United star ‘flipped’ when she saw him message another womanRyan Giggs kicked his naked girlfriend out of a hotel room in Dubai when she accused him of messaging another woman, his assault trial has heard.The former Manchester United footballer was on holiday in Dubai visiting Kate Greville when the alleged incident occurred, a jury at Manchester crown court was told. Continue reading...

China’s foreign ministry said Australia should ‘respect China’s core interests’ and ‘avoid creating new obstacles for China-Australia ties’

NSW upper house inquiry identifies problems with the SES and says grant processes were ‘confusing’

A representative for the actor has described her as being in an ‘extreme critical condition’ following the incident on FridayAnne Heche has not regained consciousness since shortly after she crashed her car in Los Angeles on Friday.Initial reports about the actor’s condition said she was “stable” and firefighters said she had spoken to rescuers as she was pulled from the wreckage. Continue reading...

Construction firm forecasts bumper 2023 as housing boom defies rising interest rates and cost of living crisisBellway has reported a record year of sales as rising house prices offset increasing energy and building costs, and the housebuilder predicted a bumper 2023 despite higher interest rates and the cost of living crisis.The company reported a 13% increase in revenues to a record £3.5bn and 10.5% growth in completions to a record 11,198 in the financial year to the end of July. Continue reading...

NHS chief credits care reforms and new technology for reducing queues that built up during pandemicThe backlog of people waiting more than two years for a routine operation in England has shrunk from 22,500 at the start of the year to fewer than 200.NHS England figures show the number of patients waiting that length of time has fallen to just 168, excluding more complex cases. Continue reading...

Man’s lawyers claim Clare O’Neil’s decision is unconstitutional and ask for him to be released from detention

Liverpool sale will include net curtains, a brick and autographs from night that catapulted band to superstardom“For the people in the cheaper seats, clap your hands,” John Lennon instructed the 1963 Royal Variety Performance audience at the Prince of Wales theatre in London. “And the rest of you, if you’d just rattle your jewellery.”It was a brave joke greeted by laughter and applause, part of an important performance that helped to catapult the Beatles to superstardom. Continue reading...

Actor opens up about on-set heart attack and reunion with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul ahead of Breaking Bad prequel’s finaleThe actor Bob Odenkirk has spoken about his collapse on the set of Better Call Saul, saying that if his colleagues had not performed CPR on him he would have been “dead in a few minutes”.Odenkirk, 59, was shooting the final season of the Breaking Bad prequel in New Mexico when he collapsed due to a heart attack last year. Crew members called an ambulance, which took him to hospital for emergency surgery to clean out the artery that the actor called “the widowmaker”. Continue reading...

Actor has been charged over an alleged incident in May, adding to The Flash star’s mounting legal woes and reports of erratic behaviourThe actor Ezra Miller has been charged with felony burglary in Stamford, Vermont, the latest in a string of alleged incidents involving the embattled star of The Flash.In a police report published on Monday, Vermont state police said they had responded to a burglary complaint in Stamford on 1 May and alleged several bottles of alcohol were taken from a residence while the homeowners were not present. After police consulted surveillance footage and interviewed witnesses, Miller was located and charged shortly before midnight on Sunday. Continue reading...

Some of the artefacts, which range from the bronze age to the 12th century, were stolen from ancient Khmer capital Koh KerThe United States will return to Cambodia 30 looted antiquities, including bronze and stone statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities carved more than 1,000 years ago, US officials have said.The south-east Asian country’s archaeological sites – including Koh Ker, a capital of the ancient Khmer empire – suffered widespread looting in civil conflicts between the 1960s and 1990s. Continue reading...

Moscow blames Ukraine war sanctions for preventing mutual inspection of its nuclear arms under New Start treatyRussia has suspended an arrangement that allowed US and Russian inspectors to visit each other’s nuclear weapons sites under the 2010 New Start treaty, in a new blow to arms control.Mutual inspections had been suspended as a health precaution since the start of the Covid pandemic, but a foreign ministry statement on Monday added another reason Russia is unwilling to restart them. It argued that US sanctions imposed because of the invasion of Ukraine stopped Russian inspectors travelling to the US. Continue reading...

Jamie Arnold charged with abusive behaviour at Manchester United match last yearThe former footballer Rio Ferdinand was unaware of being targeted by racist abuse, including a monkey gesture, by a “fixated” football fan during a Premier League match, a court has heard.Jamie Arnold is accused of causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress to Ferdinand by using “threatening, abusive or insulting” words or behaviour at the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United match at Molineux on 23 May last year. Continue reading...

Property managers are being advised to provide notices to leave when issuing fixed-term leases

Two people accused of working for Russian GRU military intelligence agency said to be under arrest

Three people left with potentially life-threatening injuries and child dies after blast in Thornton HeathA four-year-old girl has died and three people have been left with potentially life-threatening injuries from the collapse of a house after a gas explosion in Croydon.Firefighters were called to scenes of devastation in Galpin’s Road in Thornton Heath shortly after 7am on Monday. The explosion there destroyed at least one house. Continue reading...