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Figures show 6.6m awaiting treatment and increasing numbers put off trying to book GP appointmentsThe number of people waiting for NHS treatment in England has increased every month for the past two years, reaching another record high of 6.6 million patients in May.It comes as the latest GP patient experience survey, also published today, shows patients putting off booking appointments because they find it too difficult and a declining satisfaction with family doctors. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary portrays herself as ‘ready … from day one’ in clear dig at rival Penny Mordaunt

Foreign affairs select committee chair is in a race with Suella Braverman to get through knock-out roundTom Tugendhat has vowed not to quit the Conservative leadership race but admitted he was being wooed by other candidates, telling reporters: “I feel like a prom queen.”The chair of the foreign affairs select committee, who is in a race with Suella Braverman to get through the knock-out round on Thursday, said he was determined to compete in the televised debates starting on Friday. Continue reading...

The Simon & Schuster employee is accused of masterminding a phishing scam to obtain manuscripts from top authorsThe man charged by the FBI with stealing hundreds of book manuscripts may not face trial, under an agreement between prosecutors and his lawyers.Filippo Bernardini, an Italian citizen who worked at UK publisher Simon & Schuster, was arrested in the US in January, with the FBI alleging he had “impersonated, defrauded, and attempted to defraud, hundreds of individuals” to obtain unpublished and draft works. The indictment said Bernardini had registered more than 160 fake internet domains to impersonate others since 2016. Continue reading...

Inquiry into conviction of innocent man jailed for 19 years will investigate why crucial witness evidence not given to defenceThe role of crown lawyers in the prosecution of Alan Hall, a New Zealander who spent 19 years in jail for a murder he did not commit, will be investigated by an independent inquiry, the country’s solicitor-general has announced.The crown has released the terms of reference for its unprecedented investigation into its involvement in one of New Zealand’s worst miscarriages of justice, as it attempts to understand why crucial witness evidence was not given to the defence. The inquiry will be conducted by Nicolette Levy QC. Continue reading...

Monarch enjoys extraordinary exemptions under law – which extend to her private estates and even a royal fishing business

Oscar-winning US actor, 62, pleads not guilty to fives charges at Old Bailey in LondonKevin Spacey has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault dating back 17 years in a hearing at the Old Bailey.The 62-year-old actor appeared in court one of the London court on Thursday to plead not guilty to four charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Continue reading...

Musicians had hoped to keep their art alive after fleeing Taliban but now face crackdown on refugeesAjmal Haikalzada, 44, first became a refugee when his artist father left Afghanistan for Pakistan during the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980s. In 2001, then a musician, he returned, singing and performing across the country of his birth after the US toppled the Taliban.Two decades later, he fled once again as the Taliban took over Kabul. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Federal Labor MPs join NSW Labor leader Chris Minns in calling for Albanese government to rethink decision on Covid policies

Justices Chris Maxwell and Terence Forrest said the ‘oppressive sentencing regime’ ignored evidence and was contrary to public interest

European Commission ‘gave no good reason’ why its president’s messages with Pfizer were not releasedThe EU’s official watchdog has issued a formal reprimand to the European Commission over its president Ursula von der Leyen’s failure to release text messages exchanged with the boss of Pfizer during the pandemic.The EU ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, on Thursday upheld her verdict of maladministration by the commission, saying it had failed “to answer the basic question of whether the text messages in question exist” or be clear about how it would deal with similar requests in future. Continue reading...

Inquiry told threat to decapitate a dog and ‘clear photographic evidence’ of assault on woman downplayed

Anika Wells’ call for mask mandates and infection control measures to be kept comes as NSW relaxes vaccine rules for aged care visitors

Cost of living too high and pay too low, say survey respondents, though natural environment, climate and sporting life are appreciatedNew Zealand has been ranked second-worst place in the world to move by immigrants, according to a survey.The expatriate networking organisation InterNations surveyed nearly 12,000 respondents of 177 different nationalities, living in 181 countries. Respondents were asked how their new homes performed on factors including quality of life, cost of living, safety, financial outlook, bureuacracy, and ease of fitting in. Continue reading...

Former attorney general had appealed court decision to stop Sue Chrysanthou representing him, despite dropping his claim against ABC

Government’s election promises will add $6.9bn to deficits over four years, Parliamentary Budget Office says

Civil claim brought against Pell and Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne by man alleging he suffered psychological injury

Two nuclear bombs exploded in 1966 after US aircraft involved in mid-air collision over Palomares in AlmeríaA British company has defended its plans to develop a resort in south-east Spain after environmental groups claimed the area could be contaminated with radioactivity from nuclear bombs that fell after a plane crash in the 1960s.On 17 January 1966 a US air force B-52 collided mid-air with a refuelling plane over Palomares in Almería, killing seven of the 11 crew. Continue reading...

Human Rights Watch says pandemic exacerbated weaknesses in country’s social security systemThe Spanish government’s efforts to tackle the economic turmoil unleashed by the Covid pandemic were “too little, too late and too few”, according to a report that finds thousands of people are still reliant on emergency food aid and facing even greater hardship as prices soar.The Human Rights Watch study, which documents cases of parents skipping meals so their children can eat, says the pandemic has revealed and exacerbated weaknesses in Spain’s social security system. All too often, food banks, community groups and NGOs have had to step in and help people in need – particularly those in informal work who were not eligible for state help. Continue reading...

Cambridge doctoral student Oliver Barker-Vormawor says ‘trauma is still there’ as he files lawsuitA prominent Ghanaian activist has accused authorities of subjecting him to a violent assault and illegal detention after he criticised the government in a series of Facebook posts.Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a doctoral student at the University of Cambridge who founded the prominent “fix the country” protest movement, was arrested after he landed at Kotoka airport in Accra in February on a flight from the UK. Continue reading...

Pub Choir cover of song, back in the charts thanks to Stranger Things, gets thumbs up from singer, who told them ‘I love it so much’

Fall in unemployment rate from 3.9% to 3.5% is higher than forecast by most economists and brings rate to the lowest point since August 1974Australia’s unemployment rate plummeted to 3.5% in June, the lowest rate in 48 years.“This is the lowest unemployment rate since August 1974, when it was 2.7% and the survey was quarterly,” Australian Bureau of Statistics head of labour data Bjorn Jarvis said on Thursday. Continue reading...

There are 6,000 properties in the Hawkesbury-Nepean situated below the planning level for a one-in-100-year flood

State of emergency declared as protesters reject premier Ranil Wickremesinghe acting as president and demand he and Gotabaya Rajapaksa resignProtests erupted in Sri Lanka on Wednesday after the president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled to the Maldives on a military jet – but neither he nor the prime minster officially resigned, throwing the country into political chaos.After Gotabaya’s clandestine departure, a Sri Lankan official said that the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, had been appointed by Rajapaksa to be acting president. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereRussia’s RIA Novosti news agency is reporting that the Russian delegation has arrived in Turkey for talks over the export of grain from Ukraine. They cite a diplomatic source.The source told them there was “high confidence” of progress in today’s talks, at which military delegations from Turkey, Russia and Ukraine will meet with a UN delegation at a secret location. Continue reading...

Prime minister Anthony Albanese’s comments come after meeting with Solomons leader at Pacific Islands Forum and despite Pacific nation’s security pact with China

Austerity-era policies meant poverty among larger families in poverty rose at significantly faster rate, says thinktankBenefit cuts imposed by the Conservatives since 2010 pushed up child poverty before the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report warning that poorer families are also among the most exposed to the cost of living crisis.The Institute for Fiscal Studies said relative child poverty rose to the highest level since 2007 immediately before Covid-19 hit, as the incomes of poorer families with children fell further behind due to austerity. Continue reading...

Populist party says it won’t back cost of living package and could withdraw from fragile coalitionThe Italian government is close to collapse after the 5-Star Movement said it would boycott a crucial confidence vote in parliament, prompting calls for early elections.Giuseppe Conte, the former prime minister who leads the populist party, said the funds set aside for a cost of living support package were insufficient and that his senators could not support the bill on Thursday. Continue reading...

Guidance issued after 15-year-old black girl known as Child Q was strip-searched by female police officers in 2020Schools should “assess and balance” the risk of a potential strip-search to a pupil’s mental and physical wellbeing before calling the police, according to new government guidance.The new advice for schools in England has been issued following national outcry over the treatment of a 15-year-old black girl, known as Child Q, who was strip-searched by female police officers in 2020 after she was wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis at her school in east London. Continue reading...

Charges relate to a man who was stopped in Hendon, north London, with the officers accused of common assault by beatingTwo Metropolitan police officers have been charged with assault after allegedly using excessive force when they stopped a man in north-west London in December 2021.Sgt Emily Joshi and PC Ozan Yelken are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Friday 15 July, accused of common assault by beating. Continue reading...

Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, the UN and Turkey seek deal to enable exports to pass on to the Danube

After the visit a communique titled the ‘Jerusalem Declaration’ will reaffirm Israel’s right to defend itselfJoe Biden has said that the US is committed to Israel’s security on arriving in Tel Aviv for the first leg of a three-day visit to the Middle East, a trip focused on deepening the majority Jewish state’s ties with the Arab world as the region faces a common foe in Iran.The US leader was greeted by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog and caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid on Air Force One’s arrival at Ben Gurion airport on Wednesday afternoon, fist-bumping rather than shaking hands with Israeli officials during the red carpet welcome, over what the White House said was concern over rising Covid cases. Continue reading...

Analysis: newspapers still hold great power, and pro-Johnson Mail has set out its ‘anyone but Rishi’ stall

Results in from first round of knockout votes in contest to decide next prime minister

Police arrest Mohamad Lilo after frustrating six-month investigation into abduction by ‘fake officers’Canadian police have arrested and charged a man in a kidnapping case that has baffled investigators for months and produced few leads.Mohamad Lilo, an ex-boyfriend and former business partner of Elnaz Hajtamiri, was charged with her kidnapping, six months after she was abducted by men dressed as police officers. Continue reading...

Activists and councillors are concerned about conflicts over noise levels arising between new residents and club in LGBT quarterActivists and councillors in Birmingham have warned of possible “rising tensions” in the city’s gay village after a proposed 12-storey block of flats near a famous nightclub was given the go-ahead.Approval has been given to the development of 456 apartments on the same road as the city’s oldest gay nightclub, the Nightingale, in the heart of the city’s LGBT quarter. Continue reading...

UHY Hacker Young given “severe reprimand” over audits that failed to highlight firm’s uncertain futureBritain’s accounting watchdog has issued a “severe reprimand” to the auditor of Laura Ashley, after it failed to highlight risks over the fashion and homeware chain’s future in two reports before its collapse.The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said it had fined UHY Hacker Young £300,000, and imposed other sanctions against the firm, relating to its audits of the retailer, which slid into administration during the pandemic. Continue reading...

Drivers who made claim via portal ‘without lengthy court proceedings’ say they were misledUber drivers say they feel “misled” and “shafted” after it emerged that they have been paid up to 10 times less compensation for missed holiday pay than those who hired lawyers to take action against the company.Drivers won payouts after the supreme court in February last year endorsed a landmark employment tribunal ruling that Uber drivers should be classed as workers with access to the minimum wage and paid holidays. Continue reading...

Regulator is concerned that gas and electricity customers may fall into debt or overpay unless improvements are madeThe British energy regulator has told a string of suppliers to take urgent action after finding “severe weaknesses” in handling customers’ direct debits.Ofgem has scrutinised how energy companies handle direct debits, finding evidence that customers have been treated poorly. Continue reading...

Sales of draught ales, ciders and lagers drop 8%, with analysts citing customers’ Covid nervousnessThe pub chain JD Wetherspoon has warned of bigger-than-expected annual losses amid rising staff pay and a slow recovery in bar trade as older drinkers continue to stay at home and sales of pints slump.The group said it was anticipating losses of about £30m for the year to the end of July after investing to attract and retain workers, and ramping up spending on the wider business, including on repairs and marketing. Continue reading...

Trade minister likens Boris Johnson to Paul McCartney playing new songs when people want the hits

Campaigners say sentence amounts to torture amid fears that country’s new regime is rolling back women’s rightsA woman in Sudan has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, the first known case in the country for almost a decade.Maryam Alsyed Tiyrab, 20, was arrested by police in Sudan’s White Nile state last month. Continue reading...

Police called after MP’s Dorset home targeted with eggs and windows smashed with croquet malletPolice were called after the home of Tobias Ellwood was vandalised after the Conservative MP was alleged to have run over and killed a valuable Bengal cat – then reportedly drove off without stopping.The MP was hailed as a hero in 2017 for trying to save the life of a police officer who was stabbed during the Westminster terror attack. But he is now in disgrace with some of his constituents after the family who owned the cat were allegedly left cradling their dying pet as the MP drove away. Continue reading...

Transport minister also dismisses claim by Jacob Rees-Mogg that Sunak was a ‘socialist chancellor’The UK transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has denied Rishi Sunak’s Conservative leadership campaign has engaged in “dirty tricks”.His comments came after the culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, who is supporting Liz Truss in the election, accused the former chancellor’s team of using “dark arts” to help get Jeremy Hunt into the next round because “Team Rishi” believed Sunak would beat Hunt in the final run-off vote of party members. Continue reading...

Mark Butler is urging Australians to get their booster jabs as case numbers rise and pandemic supports are scaled back

YouGov poll indicates nearly one in 10 HR professionals were not open to recruiting a person with disability in the future

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereRussia’s Tass news agency is reporting that “dozens of people were injured as a result of the strike of the armed forces of Ukraine at Novaya Kakhovka”.Novaya Kakhovka is on the Dnieper river in an area of Kherson occupied by pro-Russian forces in the south of Ukraine.Unfortunately, there are casualties, a large number of injured, dozens of people were left homeless. The victims were admitted to both the city hospital and the military hospital. We still have to assess the damage, because the situation is still ongoing. Continue reading...

Students who engaged with the meditation practice benefitted but many were bored by it, say researchersSchool-based mindfulness training does not appear to boost wellbeing or improve the mental health of teenagers, according to research that found many pupils were bored by the course and did not practise it at home.At a time when concern is mounting about poor mental heath among children and young people in the UK, researchers wanted to find out whether a universal mindfulness intervention in secondary schools might help build resilience and have a positive impact on pupil wellbeing. Continue reading...