The Guardian

Christopher Alan Saunders found guilty of 13 sex offences in West Australian district court on Thursday. He was acquitted of six other charges Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A former high-ranking Catholic known for hosting boozy shirts-off parties has been convicted of sexually abusing two young Aboriginal men. Former bishop of Broome Christopher Alan Saunders, 76, w…

Biological factors mean a child’s core temperature rises faster than an adult’s – and that can result in a medical emergency Children and babies are more vulnerable in heatwaves than healthy adults. As temperatures rise again , how do we keep children safe? Continue reading...

Elbridge Colby, a US under secretary of war, says he is ‘very pleased’ with the nuclear submarine program’s progress Elbridge Colby, the third-highest-ranking official at the Pentagon and formerly an avowed Aukus sceptic , has mirrored his president’s language on the nuclear submarine deal, saying it is “full steam ahead”. Colby, a US under secretary of war, was the author of the Trump administra…

Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney denies ever asking federal opposition leader for money for Liberal power brokers Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A factional ally of Angus Taylor has denied ever asking the federal opposition leader for money for a group of Liberal party Christian power brokers…

The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection Good morning. In the media, August is known as the “silly season”. With parliament not sitting and many people on holiday, there is less proper news than normal, which means the nonsense stories get (even) more attention than usual. We are almost slap bang in the middle of the month, and today we’ve g…

Firms in England and Wales seek to fund measures including supporting new homes and datacentres Business live – latest updates Millions of households in England and Wales face higher bills after water companies were given the green light to spend £3.4bn more than planned, including to support new homes and datacentres. The new spending will come on top of the £104bn programme of investment approv…

High schoolers join university walkouts in major cities and several smaller locations amid urge to fight against racism Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast They came yelling chants that “racists” weren’t “welcome here”, with signs deriding Pauline Hanson’s former fish and chip shop and the One Nation leader herself. O…

In France, 80 departments have been placed on an orange heat warning Well, that was quick. Straight off the back of the solar eclipse last night, we’re heading into a solar inferno as extreme heat returns today, with temperatures above 40C in parts of Spain and up to 38C in London and Paris. Continue reading...

Mina Smallman, whose daughters were killed in north London park in 2020, says force ‘decides who matters’ The Metropolitan police does not take all cases of violence against women seriously and “decides who matters”, the mother of two murdered women has said. Mina Smallman, whose daughters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were killed in a north London park in 2020, also said Britain’s biggest poli…

GDP expanded by 0.4% in three months to June, down from 0.6% in the first quarter, says ONS Economic growth slowed in the second quarter of the year, as the disruption unleashed by the Iran war began to take its toll, official figures show. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said GDP expanded by 0.4% in the three months to June, down from 0.6% in the first quarter , in line with City econom…

Longest ballot in UK voting history features likes of Count Binface and Howling Laud Hope alongside Reform leader Polls have opened in Clacton, with thousands of residents in the Essex seat to vote in a ballot featuring Nigel Farage and a range of novelty and fringe candidates led by Count Binface. The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection in…

Organisers says new rule will ensure contest provides ‘safe and welcoming environment’ for participants Broadcasters will no longer be eligible to host the Eurovision song contest if their state is involved in an “armed conflict” or “sensitive geopolitical situation”. Eurovision is traditionally hosted by the previous year’s winner’s broadcaster, with next year’s show due to take place in Bulgari…

Hakainde Hichilema is bidding for second term, but feud between him and family of Edgar Lungu, who died in 2025, continues As Zambians go to the polls, the ghost of the current president’s predecessor hangs over the elections. Hakainde Hichilema, 64, is bidding for a second term leading the southern African country after defeating his arch-rival Edgar Lungu by a landslide in 2021. Continue readin…

McKenna West initially agreed to an abortion after diagnosis, but then fled to state where abortion is illegal and broke contact with biological parents, attorney alleges A surrogate mother who traveled to Texas, where abortion is illegal, claiming she was pressured to end the pregnancy after the discovery of a severe heart defect, gave birth on Wednesday to a baby boy. The child’s biological par…

Kelce’s remarks on his marriage to Swift at Madison Square Garden comes weeks after the event, which remains shrouded in mystery American football star Travis Kelce has described his secretive early July wedding to pop sensation Taylor Swift as “the best night of my life.” “I appreciate everybody who came out and celebrated and, you know, had fun with us,” the Kansas City Chiefs player told a bri…