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Opposition says prison escape, crumbling concrete in schools and alleged Chinese spying show Tory dereliction of public servicesThe escape of a terrorism suspect from Wandsworth prison epitomises how the government is failing in its duty to keep people safe", Labour has said, saying it comes in the context of other policy meltdowns such as crumbling concrete in schools.After Daniel Khalife, 21 was charged with escaping custody a day after he was arrested, the focus has turned to wider issues of staffing and resources in the prison service and whether these played a role in his escape. Continue reading...

Civilians who have been displaced by raids want to return home but say there is no protection for them thereThere was no warning. The raiders came late in the night, shouting and shooting. The unarmed farmers of Bujo had no chance to defend themselves, and those who were too slow to flee died. By the morning, the villagers' homes had been burned, livestock stolen and stores looted. They buried 17 victims in the communal graveyard and then walked the 15km to the nearby town of Bandiagara, where they remain.The attack in mid-August was one of more than a dozen assaults last month on similar villages in a small area of central Mali that have killed at least 100 people and displaced tens of thousands. Continue reading...

Former leadership contender says life of politician puts almost unsustainable' strain on mental healthThe former Conservative minister Rory Stewart has said some fellow MPs came very close to killing themselves when he was in the Commons, and the life of a politician placed an almost unsustainable" strain on people.Stewart, who was international development secretary and stood to be Tory leader before leaving the Commons in 2019, said other former colleagues experienced total breakdowns in public". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sino-Australian relations expert had phone confiscated and was asked to provide information during heavy-handed' and counterproductive' episode

Labor has already announced the demerger of two super schools', accusing previous Coalition government for making a mess'

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission accused of failing to address price-gouging and unscrupulous service providers

Toll from army attack in the south of the capital is the largest in a single incident since war broke outAt least 40 civilians were killed and dozens injured in an airstrike by the army on a market in southern Khartoum, a local volunteer group has said, marking the largest single-incident death toll since the war in Sudan began in April.Air and artillery strikes in residential areas have intensified as the war between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) nears the five-month mark with neither side declaring victory or showing any concrete signs of pursuing mediation. Continue reading...

Joe Biden's need to nurture alliances to contain China sees Ukraine perceptibly slipping down list of prioritiesIt took exhausted Indian diplomats 200 hours of non-stop negotiations, 300 bilateral meetings, and 15 drafts, but in the end the G20 countries reached a consensus declaration on the war in Ukraine - one that largely retreated into generalised principles, rather than the specific condemnation of Russia the same group of leaders agreed when they met in Bali a year ago.Moreover, no invitation was extended to Ukrainie's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to address the gathering, meaning the only direct combatant around the table was Russia, in the form of its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. Continue reading...

People who shared experiences with Scottish first minister unimpressed with programme for governmentPeople who shared personal stories with Humza Yousaf of living in poverty say the lack of concrete action in his first programme for government last week felt like a kick in the teeth".Yousaf convened a cross-party, cross-sector summit on tackling poverty in May as one of his first acts as SNP leader. Continue reading...

A campaign by a pro-Europe group led to EU flags being waved during Rule, Britannia!The sight of thousands of European Union flags at the Last Night of the Proms has prompted outrage from Brexiters and a call for the BBC to investigate.Those waving the EU flag in the Royal Albert Hall appeared to outnumber those waving the union flag at the event, which is usually a patriotic display, following a campaign by pro-Europeans. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Calls for crackdown on smoking, drinking and poor diet as study reveals 78bn cancer cost

Drop from 7.53 in every 100 to 3.98 in 10 years comes as property drives intergenerational divideCampaigners have sounded the alarm about a potential increase in pensioner poverty in Britain over the coming decades after it emerged that the share of wealth held by people under 40 has fallen sharply amid a growing intergenerational divide.Data from the International Longevity Centre (ILC) thinktank shows that in 2010-11, under-40s made up just over half of the population and between them held 7.53 of every 100 in wealth. Continue reading...

PM expresses concerns over Chinese interference in UK parliament after two men arrested under Official Secrets ActRishi Sunak has challenged the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, over Chinese interference in the UK parliament, after two men were arrested amid allegations that a parliamentary researcher had spied for Beijing.The prime minister met Li on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Delhi in an unplanned meeting hours after the Sunday Times revealed the researcher, who is understood to have had links to senior Conservative MPs, had been arrested along with another man. Continue reading...

Party believes Rishi Sunak is vulnerable on issue of small boat crossings and immigrationKeir Starmer is to highlight Labour's policies to combat small boat crossings by asylum seekers, as the party sees the issue as a way in which it can address a perceived Conservative advantage on immigration issues, it has emerged.The Labour leader will meet officials from Europol, the EU's cross-border law enforcement organisation, in The Hague on Wednesday to discuss his party's proposals to limit numbers crossing the Channel to the UK unofficially. Continue reading...

Shop owners and residents are not taking kindly to flash crowds' who come to pose and eat fast food in the city's quaint tangle of streets such as De 9 StraatjesIt is 3.30pm on a Friday and 28-year-old German Lisa Wulff is in a half-hour queue for bubble tea and toasts" at Amsterdam's Chun cafe.I've seen it on social media, and it looks good," she says. My generation is more on Instagram, but I have a younger sister, so I saw it on TikTok." Continue reading...

The neglected but sustainable cereal crop is on every hotel menu in town as India's government tries to spark a global crazeAs the leaders of the world's largest economies descended on Delhi this weekend, there were two things on the menu: geopolitics and millet.India is seeking to use its G20 presidency to push a narrative of the country as an economic powerhouse and leader of the global south, but also as a platform to elevate humble millet, a long-neglected but environmentally sustainable cereal that the country's government is on a campaign to promote. Having already persuaded the UN General Assembly to declare this year as international year of millet", on Saturday the foreign leaders were treated to a specially curated summit lunch designed to show that millet is undeserving of its lowly reputation. Continue reading...

Government contract aims to reduce the number of specialist care plans by a fifthThe government has quietly signed a contract targeting 20% cuts to the number of new education plans for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) to bring down costs, the Observer can reveal.Then junior education minister Claire Coutinho - recently promoted to the cabinet as energy secretary- subsequently told MPs that no targets were in place. Continue reading...

Forecasters predict Sunday could be the seventh day in a row of temperatures reaching above 30CThunderstorms have been predicted for parts of the UK on Sunday amid a record-breaking September heatwave.The UK has sweltered through six days of temperatures above 30C in September for the first time. Continue reading...

Talks on deal had been stalled due to impasse on geographic indicators for products such as feta and prosecco. This blog is closed for now

Melton West allegedly drove into cars and pedestrians, killing a 76-year-old man and injuring five others

Old city in Marrakech among areas hit in quake measuring at least 6.8 that centred on the High Atlas mountainsA powerful earthquake in Morocco's High Atlas mountains has killed at least 2,000 people, a death toll that is expected to rise as rescuers were struggling on Saturday to reach hard-hit remote areas.The magnitude-6.8 quake is the biggest to hit the North African country in 120 years. Continue reading...

Indigenous leader dismisses Peter Dutton's proposal and urges Australians to back coming vote as a chance to settle unfinished business'

G20 declaration nothing to be proud of', says Kyiv; Ukraine warns against lifting sanctions as Russia pushes grain deal; Ukraine condemns lack of progress for a tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders

Lloyd's of London and Church of England also to be approached over role in past exploitationCaribbean nations are preparing formal letters demanding that the British royal family apologise and make reparations for slavery.National reparations commissions in the region will also approach Lloyd's of London and the Church of England with demands of financial payments and reparative justice for their historic role in the slave trade. Continue reading...

The death toll in Morocco has so far reached 2,000. Here is a list of some of the other most destructive quakesThe earthquake that struck Morocco late on Friday has killed more than 2,000 people, a death toll that is expected to increase as rescuers are struggling to reach some rural and mountainous areas.Below are listed some of the deadliest earthquakes of the past 25 years.8 September 2023: Morocco. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake kills more than 2,000 people.6 February 2023: Turkey and Syria. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake kills more than 21,600 people.25 April 2015: Nepal. More than 8,800 people are killed by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.11 March 2011: Japan. A magnitude 9.0 quake off the northeast coast triggers a tsunami, killing more than 18,400 people.12 January 2010: Haiti. More than 100,000 people are killed by a magnitude 7.0 quake. The government estimated a staggering 316,000 dead, but the scale of the destruction made an accurate count impossible.12 May 2008: China. A magnitude 7.9 quake strikes eastern Sichuan, resulting in over 87,500 deaths.27 May 2006: Indonesia. More than 5,700 people die when a magnitude 6.3 quake hits Java island.8 October 2005: Kashmir. A magnitude 7.6 earthquake kills over 80,000 people in the region.26 December 2004: Indonesia: A magnitude 9.1 quake triggers an Indian Ocean tsunami, killing about 230,000 people in a dozen countries.26 December 2003: Iran. A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits the south-eastern part of the country, causing more than 20,000 deaths.26 January 2001: India. A magnitude 7.6 quake strikes Gujarat, killing as many as 20,000 people.17 August 1999: Turkey. A magnitude 7.6 earthquake hits Izmit, killing about 18,000 people. Continue reading...

Boy, 16, was killed at entrance to Al-Arroub refugee camp near city of HebronIsraeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager at a refugee camp in the West Bank on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry said, the latest violent episode to rock the occupied territory.The ministry identified the teenager as 16-year-old Milad Munther al-Raee. He was killed at the entrance to Al-Arroub refugee camp near the city of Hebron, it said. He was shot in the back by the occupation [Israeli] bullets", the ministry said in a statement. Continue reading...

Two men detained under Official Secrets Act amid spying allegations against researcher linked to senior Tory MPsTwo men have been arrested under the Official Secrets Act amid allegations that a parliamentary researcher spied for China.The researcher is understood to have had links to several senior Tory MPs, including the security minister, Tom Tugendhat, and the foreign affairs committee chair, Alicia Kearns. Continue reading...

Exclusive: More than 740 First Nations people, the majority of them very young, are believed to have been buried with no record at Moore River, Carrolup and New Norcia

Despite growing discontent and sagging poll numbers, Queensland Labor's leadership will probably only change if the premier resigns - or deputy Steven Miles mounts a challenge

Exclusive: Rick Haythornthwaite was paid 200,000 a year by Saudi company, PetroSaudi, involved in 1MDB scandalRead more: The NatWest boss, the missing Malaysian millions and the damning emailThe new chairman of NatWest is facing scrutiny over his former role with international oil group PetroSaudi, which is embroiled in one of the world's biggest financial scandals.City veteran and former MasterCard boss Rick Haythornthwaite worked for PetroSaudi International (UK) Ltd, the oil group's British arm, for eight years, earning 200,000 a year. Continue reading...

Joe Biden describes ambitious rail and sea plan to counter China's Belt and Road project as a really big deal'The US and the EU have backed an ambitious plan to build an economic corridor linking Europe with the Middle East and India via rail and sea, a project the US president, Joe Biden, described as a really big deal".The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, announced the project during a Saturday afternoon session at the G20 leaders' summit, being held in Delhi this weekend. Continue reading...

UK PM meets Indian counterpart on fringes of summit to discuss cooperation on trade, education, research and defence - but not UkraineRishi Sunak and Narendra Modi met on Saturday for what the British prime minister called a very warm and productive discussion" covering everything from trade to cooperation on education, research and defence.Sunak met his Indian counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, saying afterwards he was confident they could work through" the remaining hurdles standing in the way of a free trade agreement. Continue reading...

Father, brother and cousins of Urfan Sharif, father of 10-year-old found dead in August in Surrey, held for questioningExtended family members of Sara Sharif are being questioned by police in Pakistan over the 10-year-old's death, as her father and his partner remain in hiding.Sara's father, Urfan Sharif, 41, and his partner Beinash Batool, 29, fled the UK for Pakistan the day before Sara was found dead and alone at the family home in Woking, Surrey, in August. Continue reading...

Terror suspect who absconded from HMP Wandsworth arrested by plain-clothes police officer in west London

Senior judge overturns previous ruling, saying matter is for the court to decide amid concern over use of unregulated psychologistsA mother accused of alienating her children from their father has won an appeal to overturn a decision by a district judge to instruct a psychological expert in her case.The lower court had been wrong to make an order inviting the expert to undertake psychological assessments of the parents and two children and for doing so without giving proper reasons, according to a more senior judge. Continue reading...

Continent's leaders welcome the move, which give the AU the same status as the European UnionThe African Union has been made a permanent member of the G20.In his opening remarks to the group's summit in Delhi on Saturday, the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, invited the continental body, represented by its chair, Azali Assoumani, to take a seat at the table of G20 leaders as a permanent member. Continue reading...

Foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko criticises declaration for refusing directly condemn RussiaVolodymyr Zelenskiy met with Michael McFaul, the former US ambassador to Russia who is currently heading the international working group on sanctions against Russia.

Met Office says heatwave is first time temperature has exceeded 30C for five days in a row in SeptemberUK temperatures have reached their highest point of the year, with 32.7C provisionally recorded at Heathrow, the Met Office said, beating the previous provisional high of 32.6C, recorded on Thursday.The heatwave in England and Wales is the first time since records began that temperatures have been higher than 30C for five days in a row in September, according to the Met Office. Continue reading...

Male BMW driver and passenger, a nine-year-old boy, pronounced dead at scene and girl, four, died later after collision on A5A man and two children have died after a collision between a car and a lorry in Hinckley, Leicestershire police said.Officers were called to the A5 near Burbage shortly before 4.30pm on Friday to reports of a crash involving a BMW and a lorry. Continue reading...

Jordan Chadwick, 31, who served in Scots Guards, had passion to support freedom', his mother says

Rory Bremner says he may not have started doing impressions had it not been for the 70s star, who died on Friday aged 82The Mike Yarwood kicked the door down" for others in the comedy trade, Rory Bremner has said, after the death of the impressionist and satirist.Yarwood, who died on Friday aged 82, was a household name in the 1960s and 1970s. His 1977 Christmas special pipped Morecambe and Wise's festive offering to break, and still hold, the record for the highest-ever single Christmas Day audience. Continue reading...

Party off to promising start to new parliamentary term but knows it cannot be complacentIn the evening sunshine on the House of Commons terrace on Wednesday, Keir Starmer took some of his closest aides for a drink. Just three days into the new parliamentary session, and with a successful reshuffle under their belts, they were upbeat.Earlier at prime minister's questions, the Labour leader had likened Rishi Sunak's government to a group of cowboy builders" over the schools concrete crisis. With the government on the back foot, Labour aides couldn't believe their luck. Continue reading...

Met police searching west London district for escaped terror suspect after intelligence-led activity'Police have said the search for escaped alleged terrorist Daniel Abed Khalife is now focused on the Chiswick area of west London.As the search for the Wandsworth prison inmate enters its fourth day, the Metropolitan police said there had been confirmed sightings in the area, just under 5 miles from the prison, including calls overnight from members of the public. Continue reading...

Inkatha Freedom party founder prominent in liberation struggle but his rivalry with ANC led to bloodshed in 80s and 90sMangosuthu Buthelezi, a veteran South African politician, Zulu prince and controversial figure during the liberation struggle against apartheid, has died, the presidency said. He was 95.Buthelezi, who founded the Inkatha Freedom party (IFP), served two terms as minister of home affairs in the post-apartheid government after burying the hatchet with the governing African National Congress party in 1994. Continue reading...

Figures from NHS England reveal people seeking heat-related health advice as temperatures surpass 32CHot weather has led to a 552% increase in people seeking heat exhaustion advice from the NHS website this week, figures show, as temperatures look likely to hit 30C on Saturday.The UK has had five days of temperatures above 30C in September for the first time and that record is likely to continue on Saturday and Sunday.Consume plenty of cold drinks, especially when exercising.Take cool baths or showers.Wear light-coloured, loose clothing.Sprinkle water over skin or clothes.Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm.Avoid excess alcohol.Avoid extreme exercise. Continue reading...

Former civil servant offers morale boost and promises Labour staff she has their back'When Sue Gray went from being a backroom Whitehall fixer to household name because of her Partygate report, the senior civil servant was so uncomfortable at being thrust into the limelight that she privately joked to colleagues last year she had seriously considered changing her name by deed poll.Now Gray occupies an even bigger role in frontline politics. No longer an impartial official advising ministers, she shocked Westminster by jumping ship to take up a political post as Keir Starmer's chief of staff. Continue reading...

Scottish institution once again finishes ahead of Oxford and Cambridge in the Guardian's 2024 rankings

With Odesa out of action, Izmail and Reni are now the only places grain can reliably be exported

GMB union is supporting 3,000 claims in Birmingham - and is gathering evidence from 20 other councilsCouncils in the UK are facing compensation bills running into billions of pounds over equal pay claims, campaigners have warned, as they called on the government to intervene.The GMB union is supporting more than 3,000 equal pay claims against Birmingham city council, and has disputes against councils in Coventry, Westmorland, Cumberland, Glasgow, Dundee and Fife. Continue reading...