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Farage was speaking ahead of a rally in DoncasterJust as a reminder of why prisoners are being released early, here is an explainer by Jamie Grierson which sets out how the scheme works, why it was introduced and the changes made by Burnham's government:Jamie writes:The Labour government says it inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse, with fewer than 100 spaces left in the summer of 2024. No 10 says a lack of investment in the prison estate, with just 500 net places added over a decade, has led to a situation where adult male prisons are now at 98% capacity. It says the steps are necessary while it builds capacity. Continue reading...

Network was listed as primary TV pool covering Thursday's presidential activities but then was abruptly removedFor a second time in a week, the White House has unilaterally removed CNN from its assignment as the primary television pool representative covering Donald Trump.CNN was excluded on Saturday from pool duty aboard Air Force One, despite a district judge's ruling - two days earlier -overturning the White House's ban on the network and two other media organizations. Continue reading...

Decision follows independent review into handling of February ceremony, where his involuntary tics caused a BBC crisisJohn Davidson, the Tourette syndrome campaigner whose outburst at the British Academy film awards in February led to a crisis for Bafta (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and the BBC, will attend the Bafta Scotland awards and watch the ceremony from a separate relaxed" space.In a letter sent to Bafta members on Thursday, the organisation's chair Sara Putt and CEO Jane Millichip said that, after an independent review, Bafta had strengthened and centralised our safeguarding, risk assessment and compliance processes" and had made arrangements in consultation with safeguarding and inclusion experts" for Davidson's attendance at the awards ceremony organised by Bafta's Scottish branch, which is due to take place in November. Continue reading...

Radosaw Sikorski's comments come a day after similar statement from Emmanuel MacronThe EU Commission, France, Italy, Ireland and Britain are holding a call on the possible need to release diesel stocks, an EU official said, as reported by Reuters.A Commission spokesperson had earlier declined direct comment on reports that the Trump administration has told Germany and France to draw down emergency diesel inventories to help to ease global fuel prices or face a potential US diesel export ban. Continue reading...

Witnesses in the chamber said Christa Pike was still breathing despite receiving injections intended to kill herWhen the prison warden asked Christa Pike if she had any last words, she said she was going to leave this world with love" for those on her side and also the ones angry with her.What followed was the second botched execution in Tennessee this year, after two doses of the lethal injection failed to produce the desired effect. Continue reading...

Administration says increased immigration enforcement led to fewer homicides, but they have been on the decline since Joe Biden's termOver the last year and a half, the US has seen a historic drop in homicides. Researchers and reporters are still puzzling through the complex set of reasons why - from the easing of pandemic-era stressors and the Biden administration's investments in community-based violence prevention to policing and other factors.But for the Trump administration, there's one easy explanation: increased immigration enforcement. As the midterm elections approach, the White House has been doubling down on this message, saying its crackdown against immigrants is why US crime rates are now falling. Continue reading...

London schoolgirl's father taught her to play when she was five, and three years later she beat former British championOver the weekend, 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest person ever to hold the title of woman grandmaster at the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan while playing on a car booster seat so she could reach the board. By Tuesday morning she was back at school in north London for a design and technology lesson.Bodhana has to juggle the competing pressures of being an international chess sensation with the more ordinary challenges of childhood and her first term at secondary school. Continue reading...

A Trump-appointed federal judge had issued a temporary block on the administration's ban of CNN, Politico and MS Now from the White House, which is in place until 8 October

Driver of East Midlands train, who died in June crash, received automatic warning after passing red light but train continued to accelerateThe train that ran into the back of another in the Bedford rail crash sped up after the driver received a warning that he had passed a red light, rail investigators have reported.The driver of the East Midlands train, who died in the crash in June, acknowledged the automatic warning but did not appear to act after passing a danger signal that was rarely ever red. Continue reading...

Records show Vineland facility in New Jersey emitted health-harming pollution before regulators stepped inDataOne, the Microsoft-linked New Jersey datacenter recently hit with a $1m fine for running unpermitted generators, emitted large amounts of health-harming air pollution for nearly a year before state regulators stepped in, according to public records obtained by Floodlight.The Vineland facility's 62 gas-fired generators became public in August after a Floodlight/Guardian visual investigation found them operating without permits. The New Jersey department of environmental protection last week fined the company over the fleet but did not disclose how long the generators had been operating nor how much air pollution they had released into the surrounding community over the past year.This story is from Floodlight, a non-profit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate action. Sign up for Floodlight's newsletter here Continue reading...

Critics noted that the plan does not discuss Israel; others praised it for not conflating Jews with the state of IsraelWhen the New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, announced the city's first-ever municipal strategy to address antisemitism - a nuanced, multi-pronged approach ranging from greater security measures for synagogues to an increased focus on Jewish history in public school education - critics were quick to note what the 33-page document does not mention at all: Israel.Israel has played an outsized role in Mamdani's campaign and since his election, with the mayor standing by his years-long support for Palestinians, and frequently describing Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal. Continue reading...

Fears that US deficit is unsustainable drive Britain's 30-year bond yield to level not seen since 1998

Credible threats appear to have been overlooked as administration focuses on unverified claims of voter fraudThe Trump administration has abandoned key security bodies meant to investigate direct threats to US elections by foreign actors and domestic terrorists, according to former officials and a recent report.While administration officials have been actively focused on unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud by noncitizens, other credible election threats appear to have been overlooked, the officials say. Continue reading...

Christa Pike, sentenced to death over 1995 murder, was heard snoring 40 minutes after lethal doses administered, witnesses saidA Tennessee woman convicted of murdering a schoolmate 30 years ago has been taken to hospital after surviving two attempts to execute her with lethal injections.Witnesses reported that Christa Pike was still breathing despite the injections intended to kill her late on Wednesday. It was the second botched execution in Tennessee this year. Continue reading...

Designer showcases wool alternatives and ocean-inspired clothes and says kindness requires real work'Stella McCartney has been talking about animal rights at fashion week for 30 years. She is usually a lone voice, but the issue is back in the headlines this season. Outcry over the physical restraining of a Peta protester at a catwalk show by Steven Kolb, the president of New York fashion week's governing body, has put cruelty in wool production - previously considered niche compared to the hot button topic of fur - on the news agenda.There is no wool on the runway this season, and I'm proud of that," McCartney said after her show. She has been working on wool alternatives, including Brewed Protein, a fermented alternative to cashmere and wool developed in collaboration with the Japanese biotech firm Spiber, which was first used in her collections a year ago. Continue reading...

Greens sources say the relationship between new leader David Shoebridge and runner-up Mehreen Faruqi is seriously strained

Two people from Sydney were on board flight to Tel Aviv that was dramatically diverted to Saudi Arabia after one pilot allegedly stabbed the other

Prices fell by 0.2% month on month in September as average price of a home slipped to 274,251, says Nationwide

Central bank estimates fewer than one in 100 borrowers owe more on their home than its worth

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Database names big companies - including Microsoft subsidiary and Netflix - that pay little corporate tax but notes there could be legitimate reasons

Estonian completed first of two attempts to navigate narrow ribbon, 160 metres long and 120 metres high, near the city's famous Gyeongbokgung palace on ThursdayThe lunchtime crowds drifted slowly back to their offices along central Seoul's main boulevard, heads up and phones raised to the sky.High above, a narrow ribbon ran between the Koreana hotel and the Dong-A Media Center, a few hundred metres from the capital's famous Gyeongbokgung palace and Gwanghwamun square. Continue reading...

Exclusive: ADHD UK may seek judicial review of West Yorkshire NHS integrated care board's unlawful' policyADHD UK has threatened legal action against an NHS organisation over its decision to impose a minimum two-year wait for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism assessments.In a legal letter to West Yorkshire NHS integrated care board (ICB), seen by the Guardian, the charity alleges that the decision to force patients to wait at least two years for such assessments was unlawful and says it will seek a judicial review if the board fails to reverse the policy. Continue reading...

Millions of people in Great Britain face increase from Thursday to an average of 1,723 a year for a typical homeJohn Healey is under growing pressure to offer fresh energy support for households in next month's budget as millions face a 4% rise in charges from Thursday to an average of 1,723 a year for a typical home.In his speech at Labour's conference in Liverpool this week, the chancellor warned that the government had limited resources to cushion the worldwide economic shocks hitting Britain, while arguing his budget would have fiscal discipline at its core. Continue reading...

Warning of a lack of hostel places for 2,000 criminals due to be released over the next month to ease overcrowdingHundreds of prisoners are due to be released early from jail on Thursday amid warnings that many will have nowhere to live and the probation system will struggle to monitor them.About 2,000 criminals including domestic abusers and violent offenders are to be freed over the next month, with another 3,000 in stages over the next year to ease overcrowding. The number was reduced from 6,000 after an intervention by the prime minister, Andy Burnham. Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister cautions against early conclusions when asked if there were any signs of Iranian involvementBenjamin Netanyahu has said it was too early to tell who was ultimately behind the apparent attempt to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight, even as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations called the incident a terror attack", without apportioning blame.Danny Danon told Fox News on Wednesday night that Israel had no doubt that it was a terror attack from a radical individual. We still cannot link it to a terror state or terror organisation, but for sure we know there was an intention to bring that plane down." Continue reading...

Some on streets of Jerusalem pledge their support to prime minister while others hope for changeOn the streets of Jerusalem, crowded with secular and ultra-Orthodox Jews, religious nationalists, settlers, Palestinians, and soldiers returning from deployments, uncertainty hangs over an election less than a month away that could mark a turning point for a country profoundly changed after the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and nearly three years of war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.The political battle remains on a knife-edge. Continue reading...

Satellite imagery shows further destruction of homes, businesses and places of worship since fragile ceasefireAn update to Google Maps has revealed the extent of devastation during the three-year Gaza war and the severity of the continuing humanitarian crisis faced by the territory's 2.3 million inhabitants.The images were taken in June this year and show further destruction of homes, businesses, places of worship and infrastructure since a fragile ceasefire came into effect almost 12 months ago. Continue reading...

BoM expects 30 to 50mm of rain to fall in Melbourne over coming days, with showers and storms also likely for Canberra and Sydney on Saturday

Tapes made in the 90s, including candid conversations between Noel and Liam Gallagher, which were expected to sell for up to 1.6mA collection of unheard Oasis recordings, including 63 live shows, hours of rehearsals and candid conversations between Noel and Liam Gallagher, has been pulled from auction after legal action taken by the band.In September Littleton Auctions in Worcestershire, England, listed the collection made by the band's former sound engineer, Huw Richards, with a guide price of between 1.2m and 1.6m. Continue reading...

Simple deterrents can slash the number of razorbills and guillemots being trapped underwater, two-year study showsBird-shaped kites and a floating scarecrow are being tested to try to stop endangered seabirds drowning in fishing nets.Every year an estimated 95,000 diving birds, including razorbills and guillemots, are accidentally caught in nets off European coasts. Continue reading...

Community-funded archaeological excavations of really important' sixth-century monastery also rewrite story of LismoreTo the residents of the Scottish island of Lismore, population 190, history is never very far away. The tiny island near Oban in Argyll has no row of shops or even a pub - if islanders want to meet for a coffee, the only place to do so is in the lively Gaelic heritage centre that records the many centuries of community life on the island.This quiet place, documentary evidence records, was home to a monastic settlement in the sixth century AD, when missionaries from Ireland were first moving into northern Britain to spread Christianity. But apart from a few fragments of an early carved cross, there was almost nothing to see from this period of history. Continue reading...

Accused pilot being questioned in Saudi Arabia as Israeli officials investigate if incident was attempted terror attackOne of the pilots of a plane flying from the United Arab Emirates to Israel stabbed his co-pilot and appeared to try to crash the aircraft, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said, as Israeli officials said they were investigating whether the incident was an attempted terror attack on Israelis.Eyewitnesses reported chaos onboard the flydubai flight, as the attacker tried to barricade himself and the wounded co-pilot in the cockpit, and then attempted to disable the controls, forcing the plane to descend 17,000 feet in just two minutes. Continue reading...

Cotality data shows median house prices fell in September as interest rates hit borrowing capacity

No new indictments from eight-year investigation as state attorney general says church knew about abuseMore than 270 Catholic clerics sexually abused nearly 1,000 children across three Massachusetts dioceses over several decades, according to a report released by the state's attorney general's office on Wednesday.The eight-year-long investigation did not result in new indictments, the office said, claiming that some conduct identified was not a crime under Massachusetts law at the time it occurred, and that in other cases the applicable statute of limitations had expired.In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...

Support for white Afrikaners, anti-communism and others reveals how US redefining what qualifies as human rightsWith hours left before the funding expires, the Trump administration is pushing to direct more than $175m of the state department's flagship human rights fund to a slate of awards that includes a huge $40m grant for an anti-communism fund, support for a group advancing white Afrikaner rights in South Africa, a campaign against Brazil's supreme court and programs that would reward ideological allies in Europe who protect western civilizational norms".On Wednesday, the state department obligated the funds to the grantees hours before the deadline despite congressional concerns and requests not to do so, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The state department declined to comment on questions from the Guardian specifically on whether it had obligated the funds and had blown" holds from Congress due to concerns about the money's use. Continue reading...

Settler violence in West Bank makes everyday life untenable' for Palestinians, says ICRC after assault on family trying to return home in JaludThe International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said Israeli settler violence in the West Bank has made everyday life for Palestinians untenable", as a mob attack on Palestinians trying to return home prompted one of Benjamin Netanyahu's main rivals to warn of a campaign of settler terror.More than 100 militant settlers overwhelmed Israeli security forces early on Tuesday to attack a Palestinian family as they attempted to reclaim their homes which had been seized by settlers in the West Bank village of Jalud. Three Israeli security officials were injured and houses were set on fire. Continue reading...

Twelve years after US mission against IS began, Trump hails great day for America' and calls war a quagmire'The Pentagon has announced it has formally completed its withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, two years after the withdrawal was agreed to and 12 years since the US mission to fight the Islamic State started.After the announcement, Iran and its allies celebrated the departure as a victory, while Iraqi security experts worry that the withdrawal could give IS and others a chance to recover. Continue reading...

Senior Downing Street officials reach out to thinktanks and pollsters as they look to test backing for reversing BrexitSenior Downing Street officials have been reaching out to thinktanks and pollsters as they look to test public support for the UK rejoining the EU.Aides to Andy Burnham have been talking to EU experts in a range of organisations about how the public would view a promise to rejoin, as momentum builds behind including such a pledge in the next Labour manifesto. Continue reading...

When one track failed, Trump administration rushed immigration case of Palestine rights advocate Salah SarsourAn immigration judge has ruled that the president of Wisconsin's largest mosque can be deported under a controversial, cold-war era law the Trump administration has sought to wield against foreign nationals who have been outspoken about Palestinian rights.Salah Sarsour, a US permanent resident for nearly three decades, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March. He was released after a federal judge found he had probably been detained in retaliation of his advocacy for Palestinian rights, which the federal judge said would render his detention unlawful. Continue reading...

Trump criticized $2.4bn rehab amid attempts to pressure then Fed chair Jerome Powell into lowering interest ratesAn internal watchdog said the Federal Reserve mismanaged costs associated with a $2.4bn renovation of its Washington DC headquarters, but noted that no criminal violations occurred, according to a report released Wednesday.For over a year, Donald Trump has centered his attacks against the Fed and former chair Jerome Powell around the renovations, including a months-long Department of Justice criminal probe that was dropped in April. Continue reading...

While the country's screen sector is growing, only a fraction of production staff are Scottish themselvesScotland's striking Ardross Castle, the oldest star of Celebrity Traitors, which kicks off on Thursday night, is just one of the stops on the Scottish tourist board's screen tourism" trail.From Outlander and The Odyssey filming in the Highlands and islands, to Glasgow city centre standing in for New York and Gotham City respectively in the latest instalments of Indiana Jones and Batman, film and TV is increasingly big business in Scotland. Continue reading...

Met calls move milestone' moment that paves way for very best possible evidence for charging decisions'Police investigating the Grenfell Tower fire have asked prosecutors to consider charges including manslaughter and fraud against a range of companies and individuals.The Metropolitan police announced it had given prosecutors evidence relating to 20 companies and organisations and 54 individuals, ahead of charging decisions, in what the force described as a milestone moment". Continue reading...

French president, speaking alongside Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez, says EU bid would be good news for UK and Europeans

This blog is now closed, you can read our full report on this story hereNetanyahu said one of the FlyDubai pilots stabbed his fellow pilot and intended to crash the plane.He added that one of the passengers on the flight managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they neutralised" the attacking pilot.Almost all the passengers on the flight were Israelis. During the flight, as they were approaching Israel, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and it appears he was attempting to crash the plane with everyone on board." Continue reading...

Developing North Sea fields does not contradict net zero goals, according to Simone RossiNew oil and gas projects are a no-brainer" that pose no contradiction" to the net zero agenda, according to the head of EDF Energy.Simone Rossi has joined a string of renewables leaders in making the case for more North Sea production as the government prepares to decide on two projects there. Continue reading...

Prime minister's pure political argument marks new era for party as he sets out his plans and prioritiesThe hottest ticket at Labour conference - after Andy Burnham's speech - was an afterparty in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle, headlined with a set by the noughties girlband Sugababes.As Labour activists and ministers belted out the lyrics under pink spotlights, it was hard not to draw some parallels with the party's recent history. There have been painful lineup changes and a lot of internal division, but this week onstage in Liverpool, the originals are back together and they only played the hits. The fans can't get enough. Continue reading...

This blog is now closedMeanwhile, Ukraine's total war costs will reach $155bn this year and the government is struggling to close a $27bn funding gap to ensure it can still conduct combat operations at the start of 2027, prime minister Sergii Koretskyi said.Koretskyi said the government planned to cover $7bn of the gap by postponing expenditure, reallocating money from other parts of the budget and cutting some costs, and was in talks with partners on how to cover the remaining $20bn, Reuters reported. Continue reading...

Unprecedented university donation from Citadel CEO Ken Griffin will go toward building a new Miami campusCarnegie Mellon University will receive an unprecedented $3bn donation from billionaire investor Ken Griffin, making it the largest single donation in the history of US education.Griffin, 57, is the founder and CEO of Citadel, described as the most profitable hedge fund in history. The money is going toward a new Miami campus as well as big investments at the university's longtime home in Pittsburgh. Continue reading...