by Ellie Violet Bramley Acting fashion and lifestyle on (#6RXFG)
Chancellor's clothing choice shrewdly followed fashion footsteps of Thatcher, Harris and 17th-century menswearIt was a budget the chancellor said would match the greatest economic moments in Labour history", and for the occasion Rachel Reeves chose to wear a garment to match the moment: a pussybow blouse.The UK's first female chancellor knows more than most how the way female politicians dress can be picked over and weaponised. While researching her book Women of Westminster, a history of what women in parliament have achieved, she was struck by the way female MPs have used fashion and appearance to tell us something about them and their politics, often to great effect". Her choice of neckline is unlikely to have been an afterthought at such a historical moment. Continue reading...
Weather agency says four regions remain under amber alert because of risk of rains and stormsThe death toll from the floods in Spain this week has risen to 205, as residents in the Valencia region were warned to brace for more rain and an additional 500 soldiers were earmarked to help with the rescue operations.Authorities in Valencia raised the death toll there to 202 on Friday afternoon, bringing the overall toll to at least 205 in what was the deadliest episode of flooding in Spain's modern history. Continue reading...
Shootings in Poitiers are latest to injure children, with minister saying country at tipping point' on drug violenceA shooting and massive brawl linked to drug trafficking has seriously wounded five people, including three teenagers, in western France, officials and media said, in the latest such gunfight to injure children.The shooting began at about 10.45pm on Thursday in front of a restaurant in Poitiers and rapidly escalated into a mass fight, the interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, told BFMTV/RMC radio on Friday. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington and Jessica Elgot on (#6RWWP)
Warning from comes after Rachel Reeves's record tax-raising budget sent tremors through financial marketsRachel Reeves has been warned an extra 9bn of tax rises may be required to avoid a fresh austerity drive in key public services as her record tax-raising budget sent tremors through the financial markets.Threatening to undermine the chancellor's claim that her budget would restore economic stability to Britain, government borrowing costs rose sharply in the City on Thursday as traders turned on Reeves's tax and spending measures. Continue reading...
by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on (#6RWG9)
Campaigners criticise fall in company's investments in renewables as it reveals better than expected profits of $6bn in third quarterShell has called on the government to provide certainty" over the future of the North Sea after the chancellor confirmed plans to toughen its windfall tax on oil and gas profits.Rachel Reeves used Labour's first budget in 14 years to raise the headline tax rate of the energy profits levy by 3 percentage points to 78% until 2030 and close the loophole" left by the previous government that enabled fossil fuel producers to reduce their taxes through investment allowances. Continue reading...
The fuel duty freeze led to ire, but there were boosts for renewable energy investment and heat decarbonisationSo how did Rachel Reeves' ambition to be the green chancellor" survive contact with battle in the budget? Reactions are, honestly, mixed.The decision to freeze fuel duty and keep the 5p cut made by the Conservatives in 2022 is attracting some fury, not least because the tax relief is estimated to have raised UK greenhouse gas emissions by 7% since 2010. Reeves has been accused of doing completely the wrong thing" for climate by making this decision at the same time as raising the bus fare cap from 2 to 3, and rail fares by 4.6%. Continue reading...
Person diagnosed after developing flu-like symptoms and rash, as UKHSA says risk to UK population remains lowHealth officials have reported the UK's first case of mpox caused by a new strain that is driving an ongoing surge in infections in Africa.The UK Health Security Agency said the individual tested positive for clade Ib mpox after travelling to countries affected by the outbreak and had been transferred to the high-consequence infectious diseases unit at London's Royal Free hospital. Continue reading...
Scientists say violent weather battering Mediterranean is a harbinger of what the rest of Europe can soon expectResidents of Chiva, a small town on the outskirts of Valencia, can expect a grim future of worsening drought as the planet heats up and the country dries out. But on Tuesday, they also witnessed a year's worth of rainfall in a matter of hours.The torrential rains that flooded southern and eastern Spain on Tuesday night, ripping away bridges and tearing through towns, have killed 64 people and counting. Fossil fuel pollution plays a role in warping both extremes of the water cycle: heat evaporates water, leaving people and plants parched, but hot air can hold more moisture, increasing the potential for catastrophic downpours. Continue reading...
Keir Starmer's appeal at PMQs follows Tory leadership candidates questioning police handling of investigationKeir Starmer has warned the two Conservative leadership candidates, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, against undermining police efforts in the investigation into the Southport attack.Speaking at prime minister's questions, Starmer said it was important to allow police and prosecutors to do their difficult job" and that all MPs had a choice to make to either support the police in their difficult task or they could undermine the police in their difficult task". Continue reading...
by Aamna Mohdin Community affairs correspondent on (#6RVNA)
Diocese of Southwark says it deeply regrets' distress after interfaith walk visited Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in CatfordOne of the largest dioceses in the Church of England has apologised for including a church accused of abusing its members on a recent interfaith walk in Lewisham, south-east London.The interfaith walk for peace, which was held last month, is an annual event that brings together people of different faiths to walk together, often stopping to visit places of worship along the way. Continue reading...
Daughter of Jamshid Sharmahd says family let down by US and German governments' failure to save himGermany has recalled its ambassador to Tehran and summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Berlin in protest over the execution of a German-Iranian dual national, Jamshid Sharmahd, accused of terrorism by Iran.His daughter, Gazelle Sharmahd, who had pressed the German and US governments hard to save him, said she and her brother felt let down by the failure of both governments to do more. Sharmahd was executed on Monday. Continue reading...
Tony Hinchcliffe's series of racist jokes at Donald Trump's rally on Sunday were widely condemnedSome Americans, particularly those of Puerto Rican descent, said that the racist remarks aired at Donald Trump's Sunday night rally at Madison Square Garden in New York helped them decide who to vote for.The speaker and comedian Tony Hinchcliffe took aim at Puerto Rico, in a series of racist jokes including one in which he called it a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean". Continue reading...
The actor who will be returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom said he believed Marvel would never' recreate him on screen without his permissionRobert Downey Jr has said he will instruct his lawyers to sue future executives who attempt to create digital replicas of him using AI.Speaking on the On With Kara Swisher podcast, he said: I would like to here state that I intend to sue all future executives just on spec." Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#6RT0F)
Artist installs new work at his former college in Oadby, as number of arts students in England plummetsThe artist David Shrigley has said Stem subjects should be expanded to prioritise the arts, adding that children's creativity is being stymied by the narrow focus on maths and the sciences.The Turner prize-nominated artist says Stem" - which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics - should be changed to Steam" to include the arts, which he believes are at the core of a rounded education. Continue reading...
Experts fear reports of 124 dead in attack on villages south of Khartoum are significant underestimationSudanese militia have been accused of killings, sexual violence, looting and arson during eight days of attacks on villages south of Sudan's capital, Khartoum.The UN said there were reports of gross human rights abuses" linked to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group, which has escalated attacks on civilians in el-Gezira state since the area's key commander was reported to have defected to government forces on 20 October. Continue reading...
by Jennifer Rankin in Brussels and Pjotr Sauer in Tbi on (#6RSTD)
Hungary PM's visit prompts anger in EU amid widespread concerns about voter intimidation and coercionViktor Orban is heading to Georgia after congratulating the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party for its overwhelming victory" in parliamentary elections despite widespread concerns about intimidation and coercion of voters.Hungary's prime minister will lead a delegation of his senior ministers to meet Georgia's prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, in a two-day visit that is likely to anger fellow EU leaders at a time when Hungary holds the rotating EU presidency. Continue reading...
John Power's band will join Richard Ashcroft as opening acts on the UK and Ireland leg of the tourCast are to join Richard Ashcroft as the opening acts on the forthcoming UK and Ireland leg of the Oasis reunion tour.The former Verve frontman will appear at the 19 sold-out dates in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin between July and September.I'm blown away at the reunion. Oasis are the voice of a generation and the songs that they wrote and sung were and still are the soundtrack to many people's dreams. They are the people's band.I've known Noel and Liam all through the years, we go way back. It's been some ride, some journey. I've felt and known their music personally, as a fan. It inspired me as songwriter, it blew the whole scene open like nothing before and it reached way beyond the stratosphere. Everything changed. We were all part of that and we will all be part of this. I'm especially looking forward to revisiting my family's Irish roots when the tour hits Dublin. Let the opening chords shimmer and shine next July." Continue reading...
Data supports belief that Christmas-themed merchandise, songs and decorations are appearing ahead of seasonHalloween might not yet be upon us, but the creepy thing is, Christmas is coming - and fast.A Guardian analysis shows that the Grinch-like grumble that Christmas is getting earlier every year" is actually justified. Figures from major supermarkets, local news bulletins and the UK Top 40 charts confirm what members of the public have long suspected: that the slow and steady takeover of the calendar by Christmas-themed items, songs and adverts - a phenomenon known as Christmas creep" - is in fact real. Continue reading...
UHY Hacker Young says 92 companies have delisted and only 10 floated on junior stock market in past yearThe UK's Alternative Investment Market (Aim) has shrunk to its smallest size in 23 years as business owners and investors anticipate an abolition of inheritance tax relief in the budget this week.The accountancy group UHY Hacker Young calculated that 92 companies have delisted from Aim, London's junior stock market, in the past year, reducing the total number of companies on Aim to 695. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6RS8M)
Chair of parliamentary group against assisted dying says she has been meeting dozens of undecided MPsOpposition to the assisted dying bill is growing in parliament after the interventions of the health and justice secretaries to call for caution - and a backlash among new MPs who are angered by the speed of the legislation.Rachael Maskell, the former Labour shadow minister who chairs the Dying Well all-party parliamentary group against assisted dying, told the Guardian she and others had been meeting dozens of undecided MPs and hoped to persuade them to vote down the bill and push instead for a wide-ranging commission that would explore better palliative care. Continue reading...
Voters will decide if Georgian Dream party, in power since 2012, will secure another four-years, having shifted the country closer to RussiaGeorgians have headed to the polls in a pivotal parliamentary election that could determine whether tGeorgia shifts away from its long-held western orientations towards stronger ties with the Kremlin.Voters will decide on Saturday whether the Georgian Dream (GD) party, which has been in power since 2012 and steered the country into a conservative course away from the west and closer to Russia, secures another four-year term. Continue reading...
Music mogul's former protege, now a politician, says he was set up to be the fall guy' for 1999 New York shootingShyne, the rapper and former Sean Diddy" Combs protege, says he was absolutely set up to be the fall guy" for a 1999 New York nightclub shooting in which the pair were implicated - and for which only he was imprisoned.One of the most difficult parts of it was watching everyone succeed," the lyricist, born Moses Barrow, says in an upcoming Hulu documentary about his life and career in music as well as politics. Continue reading...
Commonwealth leaders have been surprised at Labour's position - and campaigners have even called the PM's stance offensive'It was meant to be a historic moment for the UK: the first time a sitting prime minister has visited a Pacific island nation. But the focus instead has been on the anger and deep frustration sparked by Keir Starmer's blunt refusal to discuss the issue of reparations.No 10 confirmed the government would not issue an apology for the UK's role in slavery in the run-up to Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm). And while travelling to the conference, Starmer told reporters he wants to look forward" rather than have very long endless discussions about reparations on the past". Continue reading...
Sarra Hoy reports sevenfold increase in men seeking advice about prostate cancer after husband's terminal diagnosisThe wife of Chris Hoy has said his decision to reveal his prostate cancer diagnosis has triggered an increase in men seeking advice, and described him as a real-life superhero".The six-time Olympic gold medallist disclosed last weekend that he had two to four years" left to live, after a scan found that the main cancer found in his prostate had metastasised to his shoulder, pelvis, hip, ribs and spine and was stage 4. He had announced in February that he had been diagnosed with the disease. Continue reading...
Met police reopens investigation to pursue further lines of inquiry into incident that killed two schoolchildren in 2023The parents of two children who were killed in last year's Wimbledon school crash have said they hope a fresh investigation will bring answers and stop them reliving that pain".The Metropolitan police have announced the reopening of their investigation into the crash to pursue further lines of inquiry. Continue reading...
Former prime minister's heavily promoted book, Unleashed, just hung on to No 1 bestseller spot in UKSales of Boris Johnson's memoir, Unleashed, have slumped by 62% in its second week since publication.The heavily marketed tome, promoted in a prolonged media round by the former prime minister in recent weeks, only just managed to cling on to the No 1 spot in the official UK Top 50 this week, selling 133 more copies than Tim Spector's The Food for Life, according to Nielsen Bookscan's Total Consumer Market data. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6RQ3G)
Nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more was able to have fair trial, court rulesLucy Letby has been refused permission to appeal against a conviction for attempting to murder a baby girl as judges ruled she was able to have a fair trial.The former nurse, who is serving 14 whole-life prison terms, had sought to overturn the conviction on the basis that she had been subjected to unadulterated vitriol" in the media before the trial. Continue reading...
Deceased in suspected carbon monoxide poisoning were two men aged 91 and 74 and a woman aged 86Police and firefighters are continuing to investigate a suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at a care home in Dorset where three elderly people died, as relatives of survivors and neighbours told of their shock at the tragedy.Police said on Thursday the deceased at the Gainsborough care home in Swanage were two men aged 91 and 74 and an 86-year-old woman. Seven other people were taken to hospital as a precaution and are not in a serious condition. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#6RQ1H)
DJ AG has built a huge audience by inviting performers such as Skepta to join him in London and elsewhereDJ AG knew he was on to something after Daddy Freddy's performance.The DJ, real name Ashley Gordon, has garnered more than 385,000 followers by doing something incredibly simple: playing music outside and allowing people to perform alongside him while he livestreams the results. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent on (#6RQ1J)
Mech Dara, charged with incitement over social media posts, freed on bail after filmed apology to country's leadersMech Dara, one of Cambodia's most prominent journalists, known for exposing the country's billion-dollar scam industry, has been released on bail after a video of him apologising to the country's leaders appeared in pro-government media.Dara was arrested last month while travelling with his family, and charged with incitement over social media posts. Continue reading...
Downing Street says PM's hopes of meeting Democratic nominee as well as Donald Trump have fadedKeir Starmer's hopes of meeting Kamala Harris before the US presidential election have faded, Downing Street has said.The prime minister said last month he aimed to meet both presidential candidates before American voters go to the polls on 5 November. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Despite a 58% increase in funding over a decade, there has been no improvement in outcomes, a new report reveals Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. The annual budget for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) in England now stands at 10.7bn, an increase of 58% in a decade. Despite that, there has been no improvement in outcomes, and many parents say that their children are being sold short. The need for services is so great against the backdrop of years of council cuts that two in five local authorities are at risk of effectively declaring bankruptcy by 2026. In other words: the system is somehow underfunded and financially ruinous at the same time, and failing the children it is supposed to support.That is the grim diagnosis contained in a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) published this morning, which warns that system-wide reforms are needed to keep councils afloat. And there is no doubt that the figures it contains are eye-watering.Budget | Rachel Reeves will announce at the International Monetary Fund a plan to change Britain's debt rules that will open the door to more borrowing for long-term capital investment. After weeks of speculation, the change could release up to 50bn extra for infrastructure projects.France | Gisele Pelicot, the French woman who has become a feminist hero for insisting that the rape trial of her ex-husband and 50 other men should be held in public, has told a court in southern France she was driven by her desire to change society and expose rape culture. She said: I wanted all woman victims of rape ... to say: Mrs Pelicot did it, we can do it too."Police | The identities of armed police officers charged after opening fire at suspects are likely to stay secret in future unless they are convicted, the home secretary has announced. Yvette Cooper's statement came after the acquittal of the Metropolitan police sergeant Martyn Blake for shooting dead Chris Kaba.US | A former model who says she met Donald Trump through the late sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein has accused the former president of groping and sexually touching her in an incident in Trump Tower in 1993. Trump's presidential campaign called the allegation unequivocally false", calling it a fake story contrived by the Harris campaign".Dementia | Tens of thousands of dementia patients are to be enrolled in clinical trials designed to dramatically speed up the hunt for a cure, leading scientists have announced. The initiative is intended to challenge historically low" numbers enrolled into trials in the UK. Continue reading...
Former business secretary says Sunak and Hunt better placed to respond to Rachel Reeves' economic policiesKemi Badenoch has been blamed by senior Tories for missing the chance" for the party to make a mark" in its response to the budget because the leadership frontrunner had been unwilling to move the dates of the contest.Sources close to Badenoch had said there was no prospect of changing the timetable when the matter was raised by other candidates earlier in the autumn, with most of her rivals said to be backing the change to allow them to respond to Rachel Reeves' first budget. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6RPWS)
The Thirlwall inquiry has uncovered new details about Letby and the neonatal unit on which she workedDuring the two criminal trials of Lucy Letby, jurors were given a huge volume of complex evidence including tens of thousands of pages of medical notes, swipecard data, witness testimony, Facebook messages and more.Letby, now 34, was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder another seven on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester hospital in north-west England. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspon on (#6RPVC)
Dehumanising rhetoric' blamed as almost half of respondents say they recently suffered discriminationMuslims across Europe are grappling with a worrying surge" of racism that is being fuelled in part by dehumanising anti-Muslim rhetoric", the EU's leading rights agency has said, as it published a survey in which nearly half of the Muslim respondents said they had recently experienced discrimination.Published on Thursday by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the survey of 9,600 Muslims across 13 member states found that racism and discrimination threads through most aspects of their lives. Continue reading...
Plant enthusiasts stumble across 2-metre long snake consuming egg-laying mammal in Marys Creek State Forest in QueenslandA botanist was admiring a myrtle shrub in bloom in an obscure state forest just west of Gympie in Queensland when his companion uttered 10 words that can rarely have been heard before - at least in English.I was just looking at a Gossia bidwillii, in flower and Darren calls out," Elliot Bowerman said. Continue reading...
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