Julian Assange loses court battle to stop US expanding extradition appeal

Judges say psychiatric expert report can form part of Washington’s full appeal

The WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, has lost a high court battle to prevent the US government expanding the grounds for its appeal against an earlier refusal to allow his extradition to face charges of espionage and hacking government computers.

On Wednesday, judges said the weight given to a misleading report from Assange’s psychiatric expert that was submitted at the original hearing in January could form part of Washington’s full appeal in October.

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Oregon declares state of emergency as another ‘extreme heatwave’ looms

Pacific north-west prepares for triple-digit temperatures just weeks after heat resulted in hundreds of deaths in region

The Oregon governor declared a state of emergency on Tuesday as the region prepared for triple-digit temperatures mere weeks after a deadly heatwave clobbered the Pacific north-west.

Kate Brown said: “Oregon is facing yet another extreme heatwave, and it is critical that every level of government has the resources they need to help keep Oregonians safe and healthy.”

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Senate approves $3.5tn budget plan in crucial step on economic package

Lawmakers approve Democrats’ budget resolution on party-line 50-49 vote hours after passing $1tn infrastructure bill

Democrats pushed a $3.5tn framework for bolstering family services, health and environment programs through the Senate early Wednesday.

The overnight vote advances Joe Biden’s plans for reshaping federal priorities, and came hours after passing a $1tn infrastructure package.

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More than Friends? Are David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston really dating?

The Friends reunion seemed pointless – until now. If it paved the way for Ross and Rachel to get together in real life, the world might explode with joy. So why do I have a sinking feeling?

Initially, this year’s Friends reunion didn’t exactly offer much in the way of entertainment. There was Justin Bieber dressed as a potato, and there was that meme about Matt LeBlanc looking like someone’s Irish uncle. Apart from that, the whole thing felt like an elaborate attempt to give James Corden even more air time.

But that was then. Because now that David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston are dating, the Friends reunion has become an important historical document and must be preserved for ever.

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Prince Andrew cannot ignore US court case, says accuser’s lawyer

Virginia Giuffre’s lawyer says it ‘would be very ill-advised for Prince Andrew to ignore judicial process’

Prince Andrew cannot hide behind his wealth and power from allegations he sexually abused a child, a lawyer for his accuser has said, warning the duke that he risks a “default judgment” if he ignores the civil case brought against him in the US.

David Boies, representing Virginia Giuffre, has said he and his client have tried everything they can to resolve the matter after alleging that the Duke of York had sex with her while she was 17 – knowing she had been trafficked by his former friend, the disgraced former financier Jeffrey Epstein.

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Biden predicts ‘infrastructure decade’ as Senate passes bipartisan bill – live

The $1tn infrastructure bill that passed the Senate takes some steps toward addressing the climate crisis and building resiliency – through environmental activists and progressive Democrats say it falls short. In California, where global heating has helped fuel extreme wildfires, Dani Anguiano reports on the devastation of the Dixie fire:

After weeks of fire, smoke and warnings, Kimberly Price’s beloved hometown had run out of time.

With wind driving the Dixie fire directly into Greenville, Price’s longtime partner, John Hunter, told her she needed to leave. Price, 58, had spent most of her life in the close-knit Sierra Nevada community. She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving, but the flames were everywhere.

Related: ‘I still feel it isn’t real’: Gold Rush town residents reckon with wildfire devastation

White House press secretary Jen Psaki clarified the president’s earlier comments praising Andrew Cuomo’s legacy as governor.

Earlier, a reporter had asked Joe Biden to assess Cuomo’s decade-long career as governor. “I thought he’s done a hell of a job – and both on everything from access to voting to infrastructure to a whole range of things. That’s why it’s so sad,” Biden responded.

@potus responded to a specific question today about @NYGovCuomo work on infrastructure. He also made clear it was right for @NYGovCuomo to step down, reiterated his support for women who come forward, and made clear you can’t separate personal behavior from other work.

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Andrew Cuomo resigns in wake of damning report on sexual harassment

New York governor announced that he was stepping aside and said his resignation will be effective in 14 days

The New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, has resigned following an investigation by the state attorney general that found he sexually harassed multiple women, most of whom worked for him, and also retaliated after some made complaints.

The governor made a public announcement on Tuesday morning that he was stepping aside and said his resignation will be effective in 14 days.

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FBI offer to release some Saudi files not enough, 9/11 families say

Victims’ families demand comprehensive declassification review of all documents, particularly into Saudi Arabia’s role in attacks

Families of 9/11 victims say an FBI offer to release some documents from its investigation into the attack has not gone far enough, and are demanding a comprehensive declassification review of all relevant material, particularly on Saudi Arabia’s role.

The FBI offer on Monday followed a call by some victims’ families and first responders for Joe Biden to stay away from ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the attack next month, if the president failed to honour a campaign pledge to lift the secrecy surrounding the multi-agency investigations.

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Taliban fighters capture Afghan city at strategic junction north of Kabul

Officials in Pul-e-Khumri say government forces abandoned compounds during heady fighting

The Taliban have captured the key Afghan city of Pul-e-Khumri, 140 miles north of the capital Kabul, giving the insurgents control of a strategic road junction linking Kabul to the north and west, according to insurgents and local officials.

Two officials in the city told the Guardian it fell to Taliban after heavy fighting on Tuesday, with officials and security forces abandoning their compounds.

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Why is Virginia Giuffre suing Prince Andrew and what could happen next?

As the alleged victim of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein files a lawsuit in New York, how will taking the action in the US affect the case?

On Monday, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an alleged victim of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in federal court in New York. What has prompted her to take action now, and what may happen next?

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US urged to fast-track vaccine approval for children under 12 as cases rise

Children accounted for 15% of new Covid cases reported last week, American Academy of Pediatrics data analysis shows

As Covid cases among children continue to rise in the US due to spread of the Delta variant, experts are urging the federal government to fast-track vaccine approval for those under the age of 12.

New data analysis from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) indicated that children accounted for 15% of new cases reported last week, with a total of almost 94,000 cases. There was a 4% increase in child cases over the past two weeks, the AAP found.

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Prince Andrew ‘stonewalled’ requests to cooperate, court documents say

Virginia Roberts Giuffre filed lawsuit against Andrew in New York on Monday accusing him of sexually abusing her

Prince Andrew should confront allegations of sexual assault in court for the sake of all Jeffery Epstein’s victims, a US lawyer has said after a lawsuit was filed against the royal.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in New York on Monday by Virginia Roberts Guiffre claims Andrew sexually abused her at Epstein’s mansion in Manhattan and at other locations in 2001, when she was a 17-year-old minor.

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Why salmonella is a food poisoning killer that won’t go away in the US

About 1.35m Americans a year fall ill from the bacteria. Why are there still so many infections?

In my kitchen, I treat raw chicken as if it’s crawling with bacteria that could make me and my family sick. I use separate cutting boards for meats and produce; I wash my hands and disinfect everything that comes close to the bird, then cook it to 74C (165F). A little paranoid, but with good reason.

Chickens, turkeys and other fowl commonly harbour salmonella bacteria that are harmless to the birds but not to humans.

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Andrew Cuomo: how would an impeachment process work?

The governor is facing calls for dismissal after a report found he sexually harassed 11 women. But how does impeachment work?

New York governor Andrew Cuomo is on the brink of being impeached by the state legislature and, if he doesn’t resign first, he could lose the job he has held for a decade.

Related: Kathy Hochul: lieutenant governor who could take over for Cuomo

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‘I still feel it isn’t real’: Gold Rush town residents reckon with wildfire devastation

As flames approached, Kimberly Price fled her beloved California hometown of Greenville. An hour later, most of it was gone

After weeks of fire, smoke and warnings, Kimberly Price and her beloved town had run out of time.

With wind driving the Dixie fire directly into Greenville, Price’s longtime partner, John Hunter, told her she needed to leave. Price, 58, had spent most of her life in the close-knit Sierra Nevada community. She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving, but the flames were everywhere.

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UN climate report raises pressure on Biden to seize a rare moment

The US president may have only one chance to pass legislation to confront the crisis: ‘We can’t wait’

A stark UN report on how humanity has caused unprecedented, and in some cases “irreversible”, changes to the world’s climate has heaped further pressure on Joe Biden to deliver upon what may be his sole chance to pass significant legislation to confront the climate crisis and break a decade of American political inertia.

The US president said the release on Monday of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report showed that “we can’t wait to tackle the climate crisis. The signs are unmistakable. The science is undeniable. And the cost of inaction keeps mounting.”

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US says Afghans must defend their country as Taliban takes more ground

Comments distancing the US from the conflict come as militants capture more cities and violence escalates

The US has said it is up to Afghan security forces to defend the country after Taliban militants captured a sixth provincial capital, along with border towns and trade routes.

Fighting in Afghanistan’s long-running conflict has escalated dramatically since May, when the US-led military coalition began the final stage of a withdrawal set to be completed before the end of the month.

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‘Treacherous’: Kim Jong-un’s sister condemns South Korea-US war games

Kim Yo-jong, a key adviser to North Korean ruler, interrupts surprise thaw in relations on Korean peninsula

The influential sister of the North Korean ruler, Kim Jong-un, has called Seoul authorities “treacherous” over the South’s joint military exercises with the US, warning the two allies would face greater security threats as a result.

Kim Yo-jong’s latest remarks come despite a surprise thaw on the Korean peninsula, prompted by a series of personal letters between her brother and the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in.

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Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre sues Prince Andrew

Giuffre accuses Andrew of sexual abuse at Epstein’s mansion when she was under 18

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an alleged victim of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, on Monday filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in federal court in New York.

She accused the British royal of sexually abusing her at Epstein’s mansion in Manhattan and at other locations in 2001 when she was under the age of 18, according to court records. Prince Andrew has denied having sex with her.

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