45 m. ago UK economy posts surprise 0.3% growth in three months to June

GDP figure slower than previous quarter but beats expectations thanks to 0.4% expansion last monthThe UK economy grew at a faster rate than expected in the second quarter, official figures show, despite pressure on households and businesses from tax increased and Donald Trump’s global trade war.Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed growth in gross domestic product (GDP) slowed to 0.3% in the three months to the end of June, down from a rate of 0.7% in the first quarter. Continue reading...

Politics

63 m. ago Female Fuerteventura tourists left covered in blood as police arrest teen

Police on the holiday island of Fuerteventura have arrested a teenager accused of horror attacks on two female holidaymakers in their hotel rooms in separate incidents

Events

67 m. ago ‘Censorship’: over 115 scholars condemn cancellation of Harvard journal issue on Palestine

In an open letter, writers denounced abrupt scrapping of a Harvard Educational Review issue dedicated to PalestineMore than 115 education scholars have condemned the cancellation of an entire issue of an academic journal dedicated to Palestine by a Harvard University publisher as “censorship”.In an open letter published on Thursday, the scholars denounced the abrupt scrapping of a special issue of the Harvard Educational Review – which was first revealed by the Guardian in July – as an “attempt to silence the academic examination of the genocide, starvation and dehumanisation of Palestinian people by the state of Israel and its allies.” Continue reading...

Politics

71 m. ago Inside Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's designer wardrobes as their style evolution continues

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have shown an increasing love for designer labels in recent years, as they have both showcased impressive style transformations.

Politics

72 m. ago A journey to belonging: asylum seekers reflect on 10 years in Europe – in pictures

Ten years ago, 1 million people fled into Europe, escaping conflict and poverty. Many had travelled for years in search of peace, prosperity or stability, and found it in countries such as Italy, Germany and Belgium. But the journey to truly belong continues.A decade on, after finding work and learning a new language, four asylum seekers feel torn. They recall the woodlands of northern Nigeria, a river that flows through a Syrian town – or the nightmare of child abuse in Afghanistan. They are still homesick and wrestle with the possibility – or impossibility – of return. They are part of a new, transformed Europe Continue reading...

Events

75 m. ago Israeli airstrikes on Tehran killed inmates in ‘apparent war crime’ – report

Human Rights Watch also finds that Iran abused survivors of June attack, which killed 80 peopleIsraeli airstrikes on Tehran’s Evin prison in June killed scores of detainees, visitors and staff in what Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called an “apparent war crime”. Iranian authorities have since subjected survivors to abuse, enforced disappearances and inhumane detention conditions, the rights group said on Wednesday.HRW’s investigation, based on satellite imagery, videos and witness accounts, found the 23 June Israeli airstrikes destroyed visitation halls, prison wards, the central kitchen, the medical clinic and administrative offices. No evident military targets were identified in the facility, which held more than 1,500 prisoners at the time, many of whom had been jailed for peaceful activism. Continue reading...

Events

1 hour ago Thunderstorms and 30C heat forecast for London as fourth heatwave of the summer continues

Heat health alerts, in place for much of the last week, have also been extended into next week

Events

1 hour ago David Stratton, esteemed Australian film critic, dies aged 85

The international cinema expert was beloved for his film reviews, particularly on television with Margaret PomeranzDavid Stratton’s closing credits: ‘I’ve done the best I could’David Stratton, the revered Australian film critic and beloved co-host of television programs The Movie Show and At The Movies with fellow critic Margaret Pomeranz, has died aged 85.Born in the English town of Trowbridge in 1939, Stratton was sent to live with his grandmother in Hampshire during the second world war. An avid filmgoer, she took Stratton to the cinema almost every day, which changed his life. In the 2017 documentary David Stratton: A Cinematic Life, Stratton said he watched “at least one” film he hadn’t seen every day, and had seen more than 25,000 films in his life. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Eight things we learned from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s marathon New Heights podcast

If you don’t have a spare two hours to listen to Swift talking about The Life of a Showgirl on her boyfriend’s podcast, we did it for youTwo years ago, American footballer Travis Kelce famously used the New Heights podcast – which he hosts with his brother Jason – to announce that he wanted to date Taylor Swift. This was after he failed to get her attention at her Eras tour show at Arrowhead Stadium, home to his team, the Kansas City Chiefs. Somehow, it worked: he managed to get the girl. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Quirky Manchester city centre ice cream spot has just been named among the UK's best

The quirky ice cream bar has a permanent home in Affleck's palace as well as a mobile ice cream van

Politics

2 h. ago ‘No country is safe’: deadly Nordic heatwave supercharged by climate crisis, scientists say

Historically cool nations saw hospitals overheating and surge in drownings, wildfires and toxic algal bloomsThe prolonged Nordic heatwave in July was supercharged by the climate crisis and shows “no country is safe from climate change”, scientists say.Norway, Sweden and Finland have historically cool climates but were hit by soaring temperatures, including a record run of 22 days above 30C (86C) in Finland. Sweden endured 10 straight days of “tropical nights”, when temperatures did not fall below 20C (68F). Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago As Ukraine battles to hold lines, Trump may find Putin difficult to persuade

Despite huge numbers of casualties, Russian leader believes he is slowly winning war – so he can afford to string talks outFor Ukraine, the break in the frontline is unfortunately timed. Lightly armed Russian saboteur groups – three on one count – cut though Ukrainian positions in the Donbas countryside east of the key junction at Dobropillia. Though one group has been eliminated, as of Tuesday two were thought to remain at large – and although their numbers are small for now, perhaps 20 to 30, the breach is significant.At the beginning of the year it was safe to visit Dobropillia, which had become a bustling market centre busy with soldiers and locals, nearly 15 miles north of the frontline in Pokrovsk. But since then the town, where once busy supply roads from Pokrovsk to Kramatorsk split, has come under sustained attack with glide bombs, while FPV (first person view) drones strike targets on the move. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago London museum tells forgotten story of African and Indian troops in second world war

National Army Museum’s Beyond Burma exhibition examines stories of soldiers from Britain’s coloniesThe forgotten story of African and Indian troops who fought in south Asia against Japanese forces during the second world war and who have largely been omitted from the official history is to be brought to life in a London exhibition.The National Army Museum’s Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies show includes rare items from Indian and African soldiers who toiled in some of the harshest conditions seen anywhere during the conflict. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Sticky end? The British pudding faces extinction, English Heritage warns

Not just boiled or steamed desserts in danger, charity finds, households also rarely make fruit pies and crumblesAt the end of the 17th century a French travel writer who crossed the Channel was clearly impressed by the sweet, comforting treats offered to him, declaring with relish: “Ah! What an excellent thing is an English pudding!”More than three centuries on, English Heritage has sounded the alarm that the good old British pudding is facing extinction. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Photos of the National Guard and federal agents in Washington

After President Donald Trump's announcement that his administration would take over Washington’s police department for at least a month, hundreds of members of the National Guard began to arrive in the capital.

Culture

3 h. ago Australia’s Molly Picklum and Jack Robinson dominate Teahupo’o swell to win Tahiti Pro titles

Picklum scores three eight-point rides to beat American Caitlin SimmersBoth Australians lock in WSL finals spots for Fiji later this monthAustralian surfers Molly Picklum and Jack Robinson have dominated the waves at Teahupo’o to take out the Tahiti Pro titles.Picklum out-pointed American rival Caitlin Simmers to win the women’s competition in a statement result before her Fiji world title charge. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago What Manchester United would get from Carlos Baleba transfer

Man Utd transfer latest as the Reds continue to be linked with Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba

Sport

4 h. ago Sha'Carri Richardson hurls vile insult at boyfriend in explosive new video of arrest for domestic violence

The 25-year-old was arrested on a fourth-degree domestic violence offense and booked into the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) in Des Moines, Washington, for more than 18 hours.

Events

4 h. ago Father of New Zealand woman held in US by Ice along with six

Rod Price recounts ‘frantic’ call he received from Sarah Shaw after her detention at US border while returning from CanadaThe father of a New Zealand woman who has been held in a US immigration detention centre for three weeks with her six-year-old son is hopeful the pair will be released by the end of the week.US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detained Sarah Shaw and her youngest son after they attempted to re-enter the US from Canada on 24 July. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Ignore the vitriol from the Left, the truth is that this week Trump CAN become the world's Peacemaker

Trump alone has the power to drag Russia's Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and has the diplomatic leverage necessary to force an end to the war in Ukraine.

Politics