The Guardian
3 minutes ago
JLR at risk of battery supply delays after Somerset factory turmoil
Supplier Agratas sacks its main building contractor on the government-backed project amid a budget mismatchJaguar Land Rover faces the risk of delays to the first deliveries of electric car batteries from a £5.2bn government-backed factory in Somerset after construction problems.The British carmaker is planning to rely on the Agratas factory in Bridgwater, Somerset, to supply the batteries for its new electric models. Agratas and JLR are owned by the Indian industrial conglomerate Tata. Continue reading...
The Guardian
38 minutes ago
Beyond the beach: Spain pushes offbeat regions as tourist numbers nudge 100m
Exclusive: Tourism minister says another likely record year of visitor growth is not a worry amid move to welcome tourists out of season and market less frequented areasSpain is redoubling its efforts to push its tourist appeal beyond the familiar “sun and sand and coast” model as it prepares for another record-breaking year in which the number of foreign visitors could reach 100 million for the first time, the country’s tourism minister has said.Speaking to the Guardian, Jordi Hereu rejected suggestions that Spain was now saturated with tourists but said it had become clear that the “old formulas no longer work”, especially amid growing concerns about overtourism and the effects of the climate emergency. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 hour ago
‘A kind of massive rave’: Paris braces for 2m revellers as Fête de la Musique returns amid heatwave warnings
Officials expand safety measures as French capital prepares for huge annual street celebrationParis is preparing for a street party of unprecedented scale on Sunday, as more than 2 million people are expected to gather for the Fête de la Musique amid a huge influx of music fans from the UK and warnings of record temperatures.France’s annual free street music festival, which has been running for more than 40 years, has grown into the country’s largest cultural event. What was previously a nationwide showcase for local and amateur talent – from village choirs to classical ensembles and techno acts in the capital – has evolved into a vast international open-air celebration. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 hour ago
Bedtime blues: London ‘killing off nightlife’ as UK city with strictest licensing rules
Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds are experiencing after-hours boom as a result of more lenient rulesLondon has the earliest council-mandated bedtime of any other city in the UK as a result of policies in nightlife districts that oppose any new bar or restaurant opening past 11pm.These strict restrictions on pubs and bars are “killing off nightlife” in the capital, experts have said, while other cities including Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds are experiencing an after-hours boom because they have more lenient rules. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 hour ago
‘It’s Russian roulette’: alarm as Europe backs critical minerals mines in water-stressed regions
Exclusive: European Commission planning to rewrite key law to allow water-intensive mines in regions suffering from droughtThe European Commission plans to rewrite the EU’s flagship water protection law to speed up the development of critical minerals mines, despite many being located in drying and water-stressed regions, analysis has found.Mining is a water-intensive industry, requiring large volumes of water for ore processing, dust suppression, waste management and mine dewatering. While modern projects recycle water, they still require significant amounts, and in water-stressed regions those demands can add to pressure on already stretched rivers, aquifers and water supplies. Continue reading...
The Guardian
2 hours ago
Great British summer savings: grab family deals on days out, films and more
Government’s temporary VAT cut aims to ease cost of living for families this summer – here’s what’s on offerFrom Thursday families can enjoy a cut-price trip to Legoland or the cinema to watch Toy Story 5 as the government’s school holiday discount scheme Great British summer savings gets under way.Billed by Rachel Reeves as a way to “support families with the little treats in life”, the temporary VAT cut will reduce ticket prices at family attractions such as zoos and theme parks as well as the cost of children’s cinema tickets and restaurant meals. Continue reading...
The Guardian
2 hours ago
SUV buyers undeterred by warnings of risk to pedestrians, UK study finds
Exclusive: Research suggests financial penalties necessary if number of large vehicles on roads is to be reducedDrivers who are told about the safety risks posed by SUVs to cyclists and pedestrians are very unlikely to be deterred from buying one, a new study has found.The findings indicate that if governments want to reduce the number of large, dangerous vehicles on the roads, it is likely to require financial penalties, according to the psychologists at Swansea University who led the research. Continue reading...
The Guardian
2 hours ago
Israel and Hezbollah renew ceasefire after deadly flareup disrupts opening of Iran talks
JD Vance pulls out of US-Iran meeting in Switzerland on implementation of peace deal after clashes in southern LebanonMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael and Hezbollah agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after 24 hours of intense violence that posed an early challenge to the new agreement between the US and Iran to end their conflict.A meeting that was scheduled to take place on Friday between Washington and Tehran in Switzerland to discuss implementation of the new deal was cancelled when Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers and Israel carried out a wave of retaliatory airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley that killed at least 47 people. Continue reading...
The Guardian
3 hours ago
‘It’s a big mistake’: Israelis feel betrayed and angry after Iran peace deal
In ‘middle Israel’ there are fears Iran could rebuild stronger – and there is particular ire for Donald TrumpIn the Tree brasserie off Herzl Street in Rehovot, there was much that almost everyone agreed on. Few contested that the ceasefire deal concluded by Iran and the US a few days earlier was very bad for Israel. “We were betrayed by President Trump,” said Avi Perez, 55.They believed, too, that Israel, more than ever, was surrounded by danger that it would have to confront alone. “It is strange. One day we were in the [bomb] shelters with our children … The next day, everything is supposed to be normal. But nothing has been resolved,” said Shaham Nowick, 35, as he studied the menu. Continue reading...
The Guardian
3 hours ago
I dived into my digital past to revisit my most cringe teenage moments – and realised how lucky I am to not be young and online today
Twenty years ago I briefly became the victim of a viral pile-on – all because of a silly YouTube video. But I’m glad I had the chance to embarrass myself and move on. Are today’s teens so fortunate?As a teenager, I went kind of viral – and the most amazing thing about that is it had absolutely zero effect on my life. It was the summer holidays in 2006, and my friends Jessie, Emma and I decided to film ourselves singing along to our favourite song. We were overheated and hyperactive, jumping up and down and headbanging, stretching our arms to the heavens as we confessed to our mamas that we’d “just killed a maaaaaan” before asking Scaramouche if he’d do the fandango.Later, I added a couple of captions to the video implying we were drunk, even though I was 14 and the closest I’d been to buzzed was the pure placebo of clutching a glass bottle of J2O. Then – for reasons that are now lost to me – I uploaded the video to YouTube a month later, on 19 September 2006, under the title “Bohemian Crap-sody”. Continue reading...
The Guardian
3 hours ago
Even in this age of what Mark Carney calls global rupture, do not despair: there is still hope for international law | Nathalie Tocci
Developments in Ukraine and Iran show that the military superpowers are not getting it all their own wayOur age of what Mark Carney called global rupture is also often described as following the “law of the jungle”, in which the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must, with international law shattered and multilateral organisations hollowed out. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, and the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran and Lebanon seem to confirm this bleak outlook. On closer inspection, however, these wars offer a different, and far brighter, clue to the way forward.Russia, once seen as a formidable military power, was expected to overwhelm Ukraine, a much smaller and weaker country backed by a divided, fearful and hesitant west. Even after the war settled into a protracted stalemate, the prevailing belief was that Ukraine was doomed to lose. But the narrative has shifted.Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
The Guardian
4 hours ago
Boats, bankers and borders: five symbols that sum up Brexit a decade on
What do the touchstones of the referendum debate tell us about the complex legacy of Britain leaving the EU?Ten years ago the UK voted 52% to 48% to leave the European Union, triggering a long and tortuous political process.It took until 1 January 2021 for the country to sever its links to the single market and customs union, but the fractures Brexit left in Britain’s body politic, international relations and economy remain. Continue reading...
The Guardian
4 hours ago
Can we electrify the world? Ambition moves from nerdish backwater to centre stage
Apart from effort to electrify, there were geopolitical tensions around climate science and the 1.5C goal at pre-Cop31 climate talksElectrifying the world – with electric vehicles, electric heating and cooling, and modernised heavy industry – could be the next biggest step towards phasing out fossil fuels, replacing the 80% of global energy that still comes from hydrocarbons. As using electrical energy is much more efficient than combustion, the move would save billions of dollars for consumers and businesses – global energy demand could be halved, according to one estimate.For decades, electrification has been a nerdish backwater of global climate action. But in the last two weeks, at preparatory talks in Bonn before the forthcoming UN Cop31 climate summit, the subject finally took centre stage. Continue reading...
The Guardian
4 hours ago
Fears doctors criticising Israel may be silenced as health watchdog adopts contested antisemitism definition
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to use International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition for ‘regulatory work’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s health watchdog has adopted a contested definition of antisemitism to guide its regulatory work.The move has been welcomed by the nation’s peak Jewish body while the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) has warned it could silence health professionals from criticising Israel’s human rights record. Continue reading...
The Guardian
5 hours ago
Anthony Albanese says Australia’s first mainland case of deadly H5N1 bird flu ‘concerning’
Tests taken in Western Australia suggest a second bird was also infected, but there is no evidence poultry or agriculture systems are affectedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe deadly H5N1 bird flu strain has arrived on the Australian mainland with test results confirming a migratory seabird found on the Western Australian coast was positive for the disease.The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, confirmed a brown skua – found unwell last Sunday at Cape Le Grand national park near Esperance in southern WA had died from H5N1. Continue reading...
The Guardian
6 hours ago
Trump unveils new Air Force One, a converted Qatari 747
New craft, called VC-25B Bridge, had provoked protest since $400m jet wildly exceeds limit on unsolicited giftsDonald Trump unveiled the new, temporary Air Force One at a hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday, a day after White House officials bid farewell to one of two Boeing 747s used to transport presidents for more than 30 years.The new jet, designated VC-25B and decked out in a punchy red, white, dark blue and gold livery, was gifted to Trump by the Gulf emirate of Qatar, provoking howls of political protest since the $400m jet wildly exceeds the limit on unsolicited gifts of $50 in value in a single calendar year from the same source. Continue reading...
The Guardian
9 hours ago
Train driver dies and 89 people injured after two trains collide near Bedford
Eleven people suffer ‘very serious’ injuries, with emergency services still at the scene into the nightA train driver has died and 89 people have been injured after two trains collided in the Bedford area, with emergency services working into the night.Of those injured, 11 people suffered “very serious” injuries and 22 were seriously injured, East of England ambulance service said, while a further 56 people had minor injuries and were treated at the scene or taken to hospital. Continue reading...
The Guardian
11 hours ago
‘You just gotta calm down’: Trump says he told Israel to agree ceasefire with Hezbollah – as it happened
This live blog is now closed.Israel and Hezbollah agree to renew ceasefire after flareup of violenceInside the city of grief hit hardest by Israel strikes on southern LebanonAs the procession wound its way through mounds of rubble, the crowd chanted and beat their chests, their lamentations echoed by the dull thud of shelling in the foothills just beyond the city. Continue reading...
The Guardian
13 hours ago
Revolt in small Georgia town appears to ward off ICE detention center
Social Circle announces homeland security has canceled plans to convert warehouse to detain up to 10,000 peopleThe small town of Social Circle in rural Georgia has announced that the Department of Homeland Security has cancelled plans to turn a warehouse into what would have been one of the largest immigration detention centers in the country.The cancellation appears to be one of seven around the country, according to reporting elsewhere, and part of a reversal under new homeland security director Markwayne Mullin in the Trump administration’s plans to buy up warehouses and boost detention capacity – after spending $1bn on the effort in recent months. Continue reading...
The Guardian
15 hours ago
Global framework for reparatory justice adopted at landmark conference in Ghana
Ensuring fair compensation for those affected by legacies of enslavement and measures to address debt burdens, part of 18-point strategic roadmapMore than money: the logic of slavery reparationsA global framework for reparatory justice has been adopted at a conference in Ghana.Heads of state and government and other officials formally approved the strategy on Friday at a gathering in a hotel in the capital, Accra, which was the first major meeting since the adoption of the landmark United Nations (UN) resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. Continue reading...
The Guardian
15 hours ago
The week around the world in 20 pictures
Ukrainian strikes on a Moscow oil refinery, protests at the G7 summit, wildfires in Spain and Messi at the World Cup – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalistsWarning: this gallery contains images some readers may find distressing Continue reading...
The Guardian
15 hours ago
Comparison to Hitler, Mao, Stalin? Trump says: ‘Sounds good to me!’
‘Historian’ claims ‘overwhelming difference’ between him and rogues’ gallery of autocrats is that Trump is more powerfulDonald Trump has enthusiastically agreed with a public assessment by a man he met while golfing that the “overwhelming difference” between the current US president and historical figures who incited fear – such as Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Stalin, Mao and Hitler – is that Trump is more powerful.The US president reposted a short text in the early hours of Friday morning, in which the author writes: Continue reading...
The Guardian
15 hours ago
Macron calls for vigilance as western Europe faces second heatwave of year
More than half of France’s population under severe weather warning with temperatures expected to exceed 40CMore than half of France’s population is under a severe weather warning as large swathes of western Europe endure the second extreme heat event of the year, with temperatures expected to exceed 40C (104F).The French president called for “extreme vigilance”, urging people to “take care of our oldest and most vulnerable people” and follow government advice. “We are going through difficult days,” Emmanuel Macron said. Continue reading...
The Guardian
16 hours ago
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