The Guardian

‘I shout from the rooftops I exist’: Brazilians identifying as Indigenous up by 90% in 12 years A growing number of Brazilians are reclaiming their Indigenous identity, after years of fighting for rightsWhen a census taker came knocking on Vahnessa de Oliveira Ferreira’s door in Rio de Janeiro in 2010 and asked her how she identified racially, she replied “mixed”. Twelve years later, when asked the same question for Brazil’s 2022 census, she had changed her answer to “Indigenous”.“Indigenous people learned to justify themselves [as mixed-race] because for a long time, being Indigenous was synonymous with being lazy, a good-for-nothing, a savage,” said Ferreira, a tour guide and social educator who now proudly identifies as a trans Indigenous woman. Continue reading...👇

Australia warns of economic weakness in Pacific as it outlines development goals – without mentioning China Government updates development policy for the first time in a decade amid rising debt levels and competition with China for influenceGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAustralian officials have sounded the alarm about rising debt levels and economic “fragility” among Pacific countries amid increasing competition with China for influence.On Tuesday the Australian government will publish the first update of its international development policy in a decade, with a focus on the Pacific, south-east Asia and south Asia.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...👇

Kuwait bans hit Australian horror film Talk to Me over casting of trans actor Zoe Terakes Terakes, who plays a character whose gender is never mentioned in the film, called the decision ‘targeted and dehumanising’The hit Australian horror film Talk To Me has been banned from screening in Kuwait, reportedly solely over the casting of non-binary trans actor Zoe Terakes, who plays a character whose gender identity is never mentioned in the film.The Hollywood Reporter first reported on the decision, which they confirmed was based entirely on the presence of Terakes, an Australian actor who identifies as non-binary and trans-masculine. A rising star who has appeared in Wentworth and Nine Perfect Strangers, they are also the first trans actor to be cast in a Marvel TV series, with a role in the upcoming superhero show Ironheart. The Guardian has confirmed the decision independently. Continue reading...👇

Saudi Aramco’s quarterly profits drop nearly 40% but it still rakes in $30bn Decline in crude oil prices and less refining income trims revenues inflated in 2022 by Russian invasion of UkraineThe world’s biggest oil firm, Saudi Aramco, has announced a near-40% fall in profits after a decline in crude oil prices and weakening margins in refining and chemicals.The company, which is 90% owned by the Saudi state, said in a statement to the market that profits were $30.1bn for the months of April to June, down 38% from $48.4bn in the second quarter of last year. Continue reading...👇

UK Scouts says £1m cost of relocating jamboree will affect its work for years Head of Scout Association says event in South Korea had been poorly organised even before threat of Typhoon KhanunThe £1m cost of relocating the 4,500-strong UK contingent at the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea will affect the work of the Scout Association for as much as five years, the organisation’s boss has said.Matt Hyde, the UK Scouts chief executive, said the association had been forced to dip into its reserves after the event’s organisers decided to clear the campsite five days early because of an incoming typhoon that is expected to make landfall over the Korean peninsula in the coming days. Continue reading...👇

Democrat calls on Biden to stop ‘racists’ in Israeli government from ‘land grab’ Senator Chris Van Hollen says president should reassess military aid to Israel in light of extreme rightward tilt of governmentA leading Democratic senator has called on Joe Biden to “get more personally engaged” in stopping “racists” in the Israeli government from a land grab in the occupied territories and committing “gross violations” of Palestinian rights or risk damage to the US’s credibility.After a visit to Israel and the West Bank last month, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told the Guardian in an interview that the US president should begin by reassessing the US’s huge military aid to Israel to prevent it from being used to facilitate annexation of the West Bank and oppression of the Palestinians, including the army’s complicity in escalating settler violence against the Arab civilian population. Continue reading...👇

West African leaders to meet after Niger junta defies deadline Ecowas to hold talks on Thursday as west African country ignores demands to reinstate ousted presidentThe West African bloc Ecowas will meet on Thursday to discuss the coup in Niger, as cracks appeared in its unity and the military junta in Niamey refused to cave in to international pressure to stand down.The announcement that the Economic Community of West African States would gather in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, came hours after the coup leaders ignored a deadline to reinstate the ousted president after the power grab on 26 July – a move the bloc had earlier warned could lead it to authorise a military intervention. Continue reading...👇

Chinese soldiers pledge to sacrifice their lives in documentary on Taiwan invasion ‘Chasing Dreams’, an eight-part series aired on state TV, features testimony from dozens of soldiersChina-Taiwan relations in 30 secondsChina has released a new documentary about the army’s preparations to attack Taiwan, showcasing soldiers pledging to give up their lives if needed, as Beijing continues to ramp up its rhetoric against the self-ruled island.“Chasing Dreams”, an eight-part series aired by state broadcaster CCTV last week to mark the 96th anniversary of the People Liberation Army (PLA), features military drills and testimonials by dozens of soldiers, of which several express their willingness to die in a potential attack against Taiwan. Continue reading...👇

China floods: at least 14 killed after torrential rain in north-east Clean-up operations continue after rainfall destroys infrastructure and floods entire districts in aftermath of Typhoon DoksuriAt least 14 people are dead after torrential rain hit China’s north-eastern Jilin province, state media has reported, in the latest fatalities from more than a week of weather-related disasters across the country.Thousands of troops have been sent into affected areas of Jilin and neighbouring Heilongjiang to assist with the flood response, evacuations, distributing supplies and fixing damaged roads. State media outlet Xinhua said about 2,000 soldiers and 5,000 members of the People’s Armed Police paramilitary force had been deployed. Continue reading...👇

Bodies of woman and toddler found after migrant boats sink off Lampedusa Italian coastguard says two bodies recovered, amid reports of at least 30 people missing from two vessels that sailed from Tunisia The bodies of a woman and toddler were recovered by the Italian coastguard after two shipwrecks overnight off the southern island of Lampedusa.Fifty-seven people were rescued and more than 30 were believed to be missing as of Sunday afternoon in what was described as “more tragic news” regarding those making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean in search of refuge in Europe. Continue reading...👇

Dozens die in train crash in southern Pakistan after 10 carriages derail Thirty people reported dead and more than 90 injured after Rawalpindi-bound express overturnsA train has derailed in southern Pakistan, killing 30 people and injuring more than 90.Ten carriages of a Rawalpindi-bound train derailed and some overturned near the Pakistani town of Nawabshah on Sunday, trapping many passengers, said senior railway officer Mahmoodur Rehman Lakho. Officials said rescue operations had been completed by early evening. Continue reading...👇

Fears grow Pakistani government will delay general election due this year Law minister claims new census needed for vote but supporters of Imran Khan, who is facing jail, believe his popularity is a factorConcerns are mounting in Pakistan that a general election due later this year could be delayed after the government announced that the vote could take place only after a new census was completed and new constituency boundaries drawn.The announcement from the nation’s law minister that it could take four months to complete the process came on the same day that the former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for “corrupt practices”, involving the sale of state gifts, and disqualified him from politics. Continue reading...👇

Niger: thousands gather for rally to cheer generals who led coup Supporters wave Niger and Russia flags as Ecowas deadline for military to cede power approachesThousands of coup supporters in Niger gathered on Sunday for a rally to cheer on the generals claiming power, as a deadline set by the west African bloc for the military to relinquish control or face possible armed intervention was due to elapse.The Ecowas bloc, chaired by regional military powerhouse and Niger’s neighbour Nigeria, had given the troops that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum on 26 July a week to return him to power. Continue reading...👇

Four killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine that destroyed blood transfusion centre Multi-wave overnight attack said to be in retaliation for successful strikes against Russian naval vesselsRussia-Ukraine war: latest updatesA multi-wave overnight assault on Ukraine said to be in retaliation for successful strikes against Russian naval vessels killed four people and destroyed a blood transfusion centre even as the country’s air defences shot down 30 out of the 40 cruise missiles and tens of Shahed drones.Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the regional military administration in the eastern Kharkiv oblast, said that along with two fatalities in his region, four people had been injured, while Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned a “guided air bomb” strike against a medical facility as a war crime of “beasts”. Continue reading...👇

UK must stop funding detention of children in Syria, says David Davis Ex-cabinet minister calls on foreign secretary to reveal how many British minors are being held in campsThe UK must urgently end its policy of funding the illegal detention of children in north-east Syria, and disclose how many British minors are being held in camps run by Syrian Kurds on behalf of the west, the former cabinet minister David Davis has said in a letter to the foreign secretary, James Cleverly.The letter comes after it was revealed that Yusuf Zahab, a 19-year-old Australian citizen locked up in Syria since he was 14 and presumed killed in a July 2022 Islamic State (IS) attack on a prison in the city of Hasakah, may be alive after all. A year-old video of him speaking and dated after the IS attack was released on Tuesday. Continue reading...👇

Ukraine replaces Soviet symbol on Motherland monument in Kyiv National trident has replaced the Soviet Union’s hammer and sickle on the shield of 62-metre tall monumentRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesUkraine’s national trident was installed on a monument depicting the Motherland in Kyiv on Sunday, replacing Soviet symbols in one of the most visible examples of breaking away from the past and Moscow’s influence.The monument, a 62-metre tall (200ft) steel statue of a female warrior, was built in 1981 on top of a hill on the right bank of the Dnipro River. Gazing sternly east, the figure holds a sword in her right hand and a shield in her left. Continue reading...👇

Winter heatwave in Andes is sign of things to come, scientists warn Human-caused climate disruption and El Niño push temperature in mountains to 37CExceptional winter heat in the Andean mountains of South America has surged to 37C, prompting local scientists to warn the worst may be yet to come as human-caused climate disruption and El Niño cause havoc across the region.The heatwave in the central Chilean Andes is melting the snow below 3,000 metres (9,840ft), which will have knock-on effects for people living in downstream valleys who depend on meltwater during the spring and summer. Continue reading...👇

Japan’s PM deplores ‘Russia’s nuclear threat’ on 78th anniversary of Hiroshima Mayor of city where Little Boy atom bomb was dropped says nuclear deterrence is ‘folly’Japan’s prime minister has hit out at Russian threats to use nuclear weapons as the country marked the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.Around 140,000 people died in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and 74,000 in Nagasaki three days later, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on the two Japanese cities days before the end of World War II. Continue reading...👇

Philippines accuses China of water cannon attack in Spratly Islands Latest in long history of nautical intimidations by Beijing, which lays unrecognised claim to almost all of the South China Sea The Philippines has accused China’s coast guard of firing water cannon at its vessels in the disputed South China Sea, describing it as illegal and dangerous.The Philippine coast guard said its vessels had been carrying food, water, fuel and other supplies for Filipino military personnel stationed at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands on Saturday. Continue reading...👇

Russia ally Kim Jong-un demands more North Korean weapons output Dictator tours factories making drone engines and rocket launchers and calls for ‘rapidly expanding production capacity’Kim Jong-un visited several major North Korean arms factories this week, including facilities making engines for strategic cruise missiles, and called for increased weapons production, state media has reported.The three-day inspection of the factories comes less than two weeks after the dictator attended a major military parade with Russian and Chinese officials, showcasing North Korea’s newest weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles and spy drones. Continue reading...👇

Imran Khan: former Pakistan prime minister sentenced to three years in jail Khan arrested in Lahore after court ruling bans him from politics for five years for corruptionPakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been arrested after a court in Islamabad sentenced him to three years in jail and disqualified him from politics for “corrupt practices” involving the sale of state gifts.Khan, 70, was picked up by police from his home in Lahore on Saturday after a court ruled on the Toshakhana case, in which he was accused of illegally selling gifts from heads of state worth hundreds of millions of rupees. Continue reading...👇

Mother of UK scout tells of ‘unbearable’ conditions at South Korea jamboree Woman says 16-year-old son was exhausted from camping in temperatures of up to 35C and is now at hotel in SeoulA mother has spoken out about the “unbearable” conditions her son experienced at the World Scout Jamboree campsite in South Korea, after temperatures reached 35C (95F) and organisers refused to end the event early.The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said her 16-year-old son had been removed from the site by the UK Scout Association on Saturday because of the heatwave and was sleeping on the floor of a “cramped” hotel room near Seoul airport with three other scouts. Continue reading...👇

US and UK scouts pull out of world jamboree campsite due to extreme heat Thousands of scouts to be removed from site after hundreds of heat-related illnesses at event in South KoreaThousands of UK and US scouts attending the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea are being removed from the official campsite in the south-western county of Buan amid a suffocating heatwave.The event, which started this week, has drawn 43,000 young scouts from 158 countries, with the UK contingent the largest at 4,500. Continue reading...👇

Kenya’s offer to send police to Haiti sparks human rights concerns Groups say move could worsen country’s security crisis given police force’s poor human rights recordAn offer from Kenya to dispatch police officers to Haiti has been welcomed by officials in the embattled Caribbean nation – but prompted concern among human rights groups who say the move could worsen the country’s security crisis.Haiti’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, requested international support from the UN last year when gangs began taking control of much of the country, engulfing the nation in chaos as they fought pitched street battles. Continue reading...👇

West African bloc prepares for military action as Niger coup deadline looms Defence chiefs deliver ultimatum for Sunday after mediation fails to reinstate elected presidentWest African defence chiefs have drawn up a plan for military action if Niger’s coup is not overturned by Sunday, the regional bloc said, after mediation failed in a crisis that threatens regional security and has drawn in global powers.The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has given Niger’s coup leaders until Sunday to step down and reinstate the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. Continue reading...👇

A year on, the devastating long-term effects of Pakistan’s floods are revealed Country’s health and economy ruined as Islamic charity says rich nations must compensate those suffering worst of climate crisisA year after Pakistan’s worst floods in living memory, a report by Islamic Relief Worldwide has revealed the devastating long-term impact on people, especially children, and argued that rich nations must compensate those countries most affected by the climate emergency.Researchers from Islamic Relief who talked to people in the flood-affected areas found 40% of the children they surveyed had stunted growth and 25% were underweight as families struggle to access food and healthcare. About 80% of mothers reported sickness among children, with outbreaks of diarrhoea, malaria and dengue fever increasing. Continue reading...👇

China to relax internal migration rules to kickstart economy Changes to hukou urban quotas will offer easier access to education, healthcare and other benefitsChina is to relax its rules on internal migration, making it easier for people to settle in small cities in an attempt to boost its ailing economy and spur growth, the government has announced.The ministry of public security (MPS) announced plans to lower the bar for obtaining an urban hukou, or household registration. Beijing wants local governments to cancel hukou restrictions in cities with fewer than 3 million people, and relax the restrictions for cities with 3-5 million people, the MPS said. Continue reading...👇

India’s supreme court suspends Rahul Gandhi’s two-year defamation jail term Ruling allows leader of Congress party to return to parliament and contest national electionsIndia’s supreme court has suspended Rahul Gandhi’s two-year prison sentence for defamation, paving the way for him to return as an MP and to run in next year’s general election.Gandhi, the leading face of India’s opposition Congress party, was given a two-year jail sentence for defamation in March, in a case he alleged was politically motivated. Continue reading...👇

Ethiopia declares a state of emergency in Amhara amid increasing violence Clashes between the army and a regional militia threaten public security and are causing ‘serious economic and humanitarian damage’, said officialsEthiopia’s council of ministers has declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region after its leader said he was no longer able to contain a surge in violence between a local ethnic militia and the army.The office of the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, announced the emergency on Friday, saying attacks by “armed extremist groups” posed an increasing threat to public security and were causing significant economic damage. Continue reading...👇

‘How will any Muslim feel safe?’ Spate of attacks increases tensions in India With elections due next year, there are fears unrest will grow as the ruling BJP faces criticism over its alleged inactionAn imam stabbed and shot to death in a mosque that was then burned to the ground. A young doctor, walking home, set upon by an armed mob who thrashed and molested her. A railway officer, boarding a train, prowled the carriages for his targets and shot dead three men. The incidents, which all took place in India this week, were seemingly unconnected, yet the victims were united by a common factor: they were all Muslim.Since the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) came to power in 2014, led by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, incidents of sectarian violence targeting the Muslim minority, who make up about 14% of the population, have become increasingly frequent. Continue reading...👇

Anger in China over plan to use cities as ‘moat’ to save Beijing from floods Communist party secretary for Hebei made comments after visiting flood-hit areas earlier this weekChinese social media users have reacted angrily to comments from a local Communist party official suggesting that the city of Zhuozhou and other flood-hit areas near Beijing should be used as a “moat for the capital”.Ni Yuefeng, the Communist party secretary for Hebei, a province that borders the capital on three sides, made the comments after visiting flooded areas earlier this week. Typhoon Doksuri has ripped through north-east China, destroying homes and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate. Continue reading...👇

‘Disaster’: warning for democracy as experts condemn Meta over Canada news ban Retaliatory move against Online News Act is ‘epic miscalculation’ that will promote spread of misinformation, analysts saySocial media giant Meta’s ban on news access on its platforms in Canada is an “epic miscalculation” that could damage journalism and promote the spread of misinformation and fake news, experts are warning.The company announced the move on Tuesday, saying they had begun the process to end access to news on Facebook and Instagram for users in Canada. Continue reading...👇

Diplomatic mission to Niger fails to secure release of ousted president Delegation from Ecowas leaves early, having failed to meet detained president or coup leaderA west African diplomatic mission to Niger to seek the release and reinstatement of the country’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, after a coup has failed, raising the risk of a military intervention.The delegation, which had flown to the Nigerien capital, Niamey, left on Thursday, earlier than planned, without having met Bazoum or the coup leader, Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani. Continue reading...👇

Syrian man accused over 2013 massacre arrested in Germany Prosecutors say suspect led pro-regime paramilitaries who detained and tortured political opponentsA Syrian man accused of leading a pro-government militia in Tadamon, a Damascus neighbourhood that was the site of a massacre of civilians in 2013 filmed by its perpetrators and revealed by the Guardian last year, has been arrested in northern Germany.The suspect, identified as Ahmad H in line with German privacy rules, is the first person to be detained in connection with crimes in Tadamon, where militia and soldiers loyal to the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, brutalised the local population – recording some of their acts – in the early years of the country’s civil war. Continue reading...👇

Weather tracker: Typhoons Talim and Doksuri batter China Thousands of people evacuated from homes in Beijing, while South America swelters during heatwaveChina has been battered by two typhoons in recent weeks that have caused severe flooding across the east coast. Typhoon Talim hit the south on 17 July, with gusts of 85mph (137km/h), according to the Guangdong weather bureau.Days later, on 28 July, Typhoon Doksuri struck Fujian province on China’s south-eastern coast with gusts above 100mph. Continue reading...👇

Foreign Office failed to notice torture of British academic in UAE, watchdog finds Parliamentary ombudsman says Matthew Hedges was let down by UK government during imprisonmentThe UK’s parliamentary ombudsman has found that the Foreign Office “failed to notice signs of torture” when officials visited a British academic imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates.Matthew Hedges was convicted on spying charges by the UAE in 2018 after travelling to Dubai to conduct research for his PhD at Durham University. He spent six months in prison, where he has said he had been handcuffed, drugged and questioned for hours, before being pardoned from a life sentence for spying. Continue reading...👇

Zimbabwe opposition supporter dies in ambush on way to election rally Information ministry calls for calm after attack by suspected supporters of country’s ruling Zanu-PF partyA Zimbabwean man has died after he and other opposition party supporters were ambushed by suspected supporters of the country’s ruling party on their way to a campaign rally west of the capital, Harare, stoking fears of growing violence three weeks before elections.Police confirmed the death and said two suspects had been arrested, as the country’s information ministry called for calm. Continue reading...👇

New Zealand: one person dies in hospital after Auckland shooting Second victim in a stable condition after shots were fired when fight broke out in city centreOne of two people who were shot in downtown Auckland on Thursday night has died in hospital, police have confirmed.Police were called after receiving reports of a fight between a group of people at about 11.30pm on Thursday on lower Queen Street, in Auckland’s city centre. Continue reading...👇

Will Ghana’s gas gamble perpetuate a cycle of fossil-fuel related debt? West African country is enduring hard times – and critics say plan to import liquefied natural gas will only make things worseJohn Gakpo has milled corn to make kenkey – a cornmeal dumpling and Ghana’s staple food – in a dimly lit wooden shack in a suburb of the capital, Accra, for 15 years.In the past, his earnings have been sufficient to provide for his family – but not any more. Continue reading...👇

South Korea spends millions to rescue World Scout Jamboree amid scorching heatwave President says ‘unlimited’ airconditioned buses will be provided and food will be improved, after hundreds fall ill in heat amid soaring temperaturesTell us your experience of the World Scout Jamboree in South KoreaSouth Korea has pumped millions into improving conditions at a global Scouts gathering it is hosting amid a suffocating heatwave, with president Yoon Suk Yeol ordering “unlimited” air-conditioned buses and cold-water trucks and hundreds more sanitary and medical staff being brought in.The World Scout Jamboree, which kicked off on 8.8 sq km of unsheltered tidelands in the south-western county of Buan on Tuesday, has seen hundreds needing treatment for heat-related ailments. On Thursday, 138 people visited clinics and hospitals with heat-related illnesses, bringing the total tally to over 700. Continue reading...👇