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Locals complain of a changed landscape, flooding, dust and disruption as rail project cuts through area of outstanding natural beauty

Independent Adnan Hussain says racist and sexist posts expose dark abyss of hatred and despair' in UK being left to grow uncheckedThe newborn daughter of a British MP was the target of utterly depraved" and sexist online abuse hours after her birth, her father has told the Guardian.The independent MP Adnan Hussain, who won his Blackburn seat in 2024 running on a pro-Gaza stance, said he and his newborn were subject to vile" abuse after he posted a pixelated picture of her on X. Continue reading...

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Pukpuk mutual defence treaty will establish Australia's first new alliance since the Anzus agreement was signed in 1951

Person who was thought to have received intelligence is understood to be Cai Qi, de facto chief of staff to Xi JinpingBritish prosecutors suspected that China's fifth most senior official was in receipt of intelligence from Westminster in a controversial and now-abandoned espionage case, the Guardian understands.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in April 2024 that a senior member of the Chinese Communist party and a politburo member" had received politically sensitive information" from two British researchers who were charged with spying for China. Continue reading...

Researchers find profit chasing has systematically weakened' safety and workers feel unable to challenge decisions

Exclusive: Letter released under FoI argues company was denied procedural fairness when it was included in looming law

Spencer Elden, who was photographed as a baby and put on the cover of the 1991 album, has attempted to sue the band twice, claiming it constituted child sexual abuseA federal judge again threw out a lawsuit by a man who accused grunge rock band Nirvana of distributing child sexual abuse images by using a photograph of him as a naked, swimming baby on the cover of its breakthrough 1991 album Nevermind.US District Judge Fernando Olguin tossed out the lawsuit filed by plaintiff Spencer Elden for a second time after finding that no reasonable jury would consider the picture pornographic. Continue reading...

Applications from US citizens make up less than 1% of monthly applications but have risen steadily since Trump's inauguration

People granted asylum will have to earn right to invite family in plan charities call straight from populist playbook'People granted asylum will no longer be given the golden ticket" of resettlement and family reunion rights, Keir Starmer said, amid deepening concerns from charities that his words are demonising refugees.As the prime minister prepared to discuss illegal migration with European leaders, No 10 outlined plans to strip successful claimants of the right to automatically invite spouses and children to join them. Continue reading...

Commissioner Mark Rowley says prejudice has put down deep roots' within force after BBC Panorama investigationMetropolitan police officers have been recorded calling for immigrants to be shot, bragging about excessive force, being dismissive about a rape complaint and making anti-Muslim and anti-women comments.The BBC Panorama programme followed seven months of undercover filming at Charing Cross police station.Panorama: Undercover in the Police is on BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday and is available on iPlayer Continue reading...

Lobby group says urgent government intervention required as small suppliers on brink of collapse during shutdownSmall companies who supply parts used in Jaguar Land Rover cars have been asked by banks to put up their family homes as personal guarantees in order to access emergency loans, with no direct UK government support on offer for parts makers a month after the carmaker was hit by a crippling cyber-attack.JLR, Britain's biggest automotive employer, is considering making advance payments to top-tier suppliers as it tries to restart production after the hack, but smaller parts makers warn they are on the brink of collapse without urgent cash injections. Continue reading...

Analysis finds lower proportion of foreign inmates than would be expected if they were jailed at same rate as UK citizens of same ageForeign nationals are underrepresented as a proportion of prisoners jailed in England and Wales when compared with rates of incarceration among British citizens of similar age, an analysis of government data has found.In June, 12.4% of prisoners were non-UK nationals, excluding people with no recorded nationality, according to Oxford University's Migration Observatory. The figure roughly mirrors official statistics indicating that about 12% of the overall population in England and Wales last year were foreign nationals. Continue reading...

PM made long-awaited rallying call against Reform threat, but many in Labour still fear his shortcomings will produce a public challengeWith Labour party delegates waving the flags of the UK nations during Keir Starmer's conference speech this week, the beleaguered prime minister was reassured that his paean to patriotism had hit the spot.Downing Street insiders say that his address had been locked down" for three weeks, avoiding the usual last-minute rewrites and adjustments, as he was so clear in his mind of the argument he wanted to make. Aides met in Chequers at the beginning of the summer, to find Starmer had reams of notes of his vision of how to address the rising tide of nationalism. Continue reading...

Tanker, named on list of shadow fleet' vessels, may have been launchpad for drones that closed Denmark airportsFrench military personnel have boarded an oil tanker named on a list of Russia's shadow fleet" vessels and suspected of being a launchpad for mystery drone flights that forced the closure of airports in Denmark last week.Photos showed navy personnel on the deck of the tanker, known as the Boracay, which has used numerous identities and was one of four Russia-linked vessels in the seas near Denmark at the time of the drone sightings on 22 and 24 September, which so far have not been fully explained. Continue reading...

Firms run by two ex-British envoys and an ex-chief of staff to the Conservatives listed on the Foreign Influence Registration SchemeFirms run by two former British ambassadors and an ex-chief of staff to the Conservatives are the first three to appear on the government's new register of foreign influence.The register is designed to shine a light on which companies are being paid to represent foreign states in the UK. Continue reading...

French navy reportedly on the Boracay, thought to be part of the shadow fleet'Silia says the EU should move on drones very quickly, as she rejects some criticism that fully developing the bloc's drone wall" could take up to three-four years.We don't need three years, and I believe we can do it in a much shorter time.It just depends on the leaders [if] we can agree on a much shorter time, because with drones, how they're developing so fast, three years is too long." Continue reading...

Transport systems, hospitals and schools hit, as workers say laws kill hopes of work-life balanceA general strike has paralysed Greece as unions step up industrial action in protest about labour laws introducing a 13-hour work day in a country that already puts in some of the longest hours in Europe.The 24-hour strike brought mass disruption to services across the country on Wednesday as thousands of workers in the public and private sector stopped work and took to the streets. Continue reading...

More than 700 aftershocks recorded - mostly minor - while rescuers search for casualties in coastal city of BogoRescuers in the Philippines combed through rubble and mud after the deadliest earthquake in more than a decade killed at least 69 people, with patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu.Outside the Cebu provincial hospital, injured children cried and adults screamed on Wednesday as they were treated on beds beneath blue tents. They had been wheeled outside as a precaution against waves of aftershocks. Continue reading...

Members of Italy's art squad confiscate works after experts were dispatched from Gala-Salvador Dali FoundationItaly's art squad on Tuesday seized 21 artworks from a major exhibition in Parma dedicated to works by Salvador Dali on suspicion they were falsely attributed to the Spanish surrealist.The show, entitled Dali, Between Art and Myth, had only been open for a few days at Palazzo Tarasconi before police confiscated the allegedly forged works, including drawings, tapestries and engravings. Continue reading...

Charity has apparently reduced number of sites it wants to shut but insists change needs to happen'Samaritans is pressing ahead with controversial proposals to close some of its 200 local UK branches, insisting changes were necessary to make the 70-year-old organisation fit for the future.Julie Bentley, the mental health charity's chief executive, told the Guardian the organisation will set up three-year regional projects co-created" with volunteers to develop more efficient ways of working, including branch mergers and closures. Continue reading...

Trial heard 25m surgical gowns supplied by PPE Medpro to protect NHS staff were unusable and could seriously harm or kill patients'

Hundreds of students accepted on courses facing costs and even deportation after being told to defer studies until 2026Hundreds of international students accepted on courses by University College London have been left in limbo and facing thousands of pounds in costs, after the university admitted it had run out of places just days before many were due to start.About 200 students from China alone have been affected after UCL exceeded its visa allocations for the coming academic year, with the university initially telling the students that they would have to defer their studies until 2026. Continue reading...

Account of intimidatory operation' comes as Italy and Greece repeat call for Israel to guarantee safety of flotillaA pro-Palestinian flotilla heading to Gaza has said it has been approached and harassed by Israeli naval boats that cut one of its lead vessels' communication systems as Italy and Greece reiterated calls for Israel to guarantee the safety of those onboard.The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), carrying about 500 people including the climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, said it had an encounter with Israeli navy vessels that circled the fleet's lead boat for around six minutes" while remotely disabling its communication systems. Continue reading...

First named storm of season expected to bring heavy rain and winds over 80mph to northern and western regionsStorm Amy, the first named storm of the season, is due to batter northern parts of the UK late on Friday and into Saturday, the Met Office has warned.Forecasters said the storm was likely to bring gale force winds of over 80mph as well as heavy rain to northern and western regions. Continue reading...

Case against Michelle Mone-linked company showed pressure to award contracts to those with political connections

Island imported $1.3bn of crude oil product in first half of 2025 despite joining sanctions against Moscow, report findsTaiwan has become the world's biggest importer of Russian naphtha, a petroleum derivative used to make chemicals needed for the semiconductor industry, despite the fact that it has joined other sanctions against Russia and considers itself an ally of Ukraine.In the first half of 2025, Taiwan imported $1.3bn worth of Russian naphtha, and average monthly imports reached a level nearly six times higher than the 2022 average, according to a report published on Wednesday. Compared to the first half of 2024, Taiwan's naphtha imports this year increased by 44%. Continue reading...

TGA investigation also finds some testing laboratories may be more reliable than others

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Exclusive: Imprisoned opposition leaders call on foreign secretary to impose sanctions over unprecedented expansion' of Iranian influenceJailed opposition leaders in Georgia have written to the British foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, warning of what they consider to be the growing links between their country's ruling party, Georgian Dream, and Iran.The seven politicians, writing from prisons in Rustavi, a city in south-east Georgia about 12 miles (20km) from the capital, Tbilisi, have alerted London to what they say is an unprecedented expansion" of Iranian influence. Continue reading...

Legislation hailed as historic step for fixing rigged housing market' but campaigners say bolder action neededThe Scottish parliament has voted overwhelmingly for historic" long-term rent controls - a first across the UK - as part of a wide-ranging housing bill that campaigners argue has been gutted" of its most progressive measures.The provision for ministers to designate rent control zones, allowing councils to limit rent increases to one percentage point above inflation, up to a maximum rent increase of 6%, was hailed as a historic step for fixing the rigged housing market" by the Scottish Greens. Continue reading...

Nationwide says prices rose by 0.5% in September after August drop, lifting average price of property to 271,995

The Global Sumud Flotilla is aiming to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and deliver aid

In today's newsletter: Subdued vibes on the floor, poor polls and teetering party politics stand in the way of Keir Starmer's plan to take Britain to the promised landGood morning. Are you feeling the Blitz spirit?The defining message of Keir Starmer's conference speech pitches Labour at war for the soul of the country, engaged in a battle every bit as momentous as rebuilding Britain after the second world war. The assembled Labour ministers, staff and paid-up members of the public alternately clapped and waved their union jacks.Gaza | Donald Trump has given Hamas an ultimatum of three or four days" to respond to his proposed peace and reconstruction plan in Gaza, warning the militant group would pay in hell" if it rejects the deal, as the Israeli offensive continued, inflicting further civilian casualties.US politics | The US government shut down on Wednesday, after congressional Democrats refused to support a Republican plan to extend funding for federal departments unless they won a series of concessions centered on healthcare.Afghanistan | Afghans are living under a near-complete communications blackout after Taliban authorities cut internet and mobile phone services for a second day as part of an unprecedented country-wide crackdown. The administration offered no immediate explanation for the blackout, although in recent weeks it has voiced concern about pornography online.UK news | Police have responded to online speculation after a gang-rape in Banbury by saying that there is no evidence linking the crime to migrant accommodation. The force said that any assumptions being made are unfounded and unhelpful".Inequality | Scientists have linked the impact of living in an unequal society to structural changes in the brains of children - regardless of individual wealth - for the first time. The findings suggest inequality creates a toxic social environment" that literally shapes how young minds develop", researchers said. Continue reading...

As typical annual dual-fuel charge rises to 1,755, charities warn over record 4.4bn owed to suppliers

Amendment to constitution stipulates that male and female are the only recognised sexes and makes adoption nearly impossible for same-sex couplesRecent changes to Slovakia's constitution mark a dark day" for the country, LGBTQ+ campaigners have warned, describing measures such as the recognition of only two sexes as part of a wider rollback of human rights and rule of law in the central European country.On Friday, Slovakia's parliament passed an amendment that included measures targeting LGBTQ+ rights in the country, from stipulating that male and female are the only recognised sexes to making it nearly impossible for same-sex couples to adopt children. Continue reading...

Opposition leader sends so-called charter letter' to her entire shadow ministry, laying out her expectations

The Labour leader entered conference with the polls against him and Reform UK snapping at his heels. He came out fighting - but was it enough to change his critics' minds? Helen PiddFor Keir Starmer, this year's Labour conference was a chance not just to address the party faithful but to see if there were any faithful left. With terrible approval ratings, and Reform UK in the ascendant, it was hard to see who his supporters might be, while Manchester's mayor, Andy Burnham, seemed to be getting ready to challenge him as leader.On the left of the party there were calls not just for another reset' but for a wholesale change of direction. Helen Pidd spoke to delegates and MPs who told her that, even if they liked the prime minister, they were worried he was not able to communicate with the public - while the right of the party wanted Starmer to show voters Reform were not the people to turn to. Continue reading...

Critics say misinformation is a big problem that social media platforms profit from

Desperate search for more than 90 missing after building collapses while students held prayers at school in SidoarjoParents and rescuers in Indonesia were desperately searching for dozens of teenage boys believed to be trapped, a day after the collapse of an Islamic boarding school which has already left three dead, authorities said.Authorities said 91 people were listed as missing after the Al Khoziny school building collapsed while pupils held late afternoon prayers in a mosque housed on a lower floor of a building whose upper floors were under construction. Continue reading...

The Global Sumud Flotilla, with over 500 people including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, aims to break Israel's blockade of GazaItaly has said it will stop tracking an international flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza with a military vessel, as activists on board announced they were on high alert" as they moved closed to their destination.The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of more than 40 civilian boats with over 500 people including parliamentarians, lawyers and Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, aims to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Continue reading...

Almost a third of British adults lived largely cashless lives in 2024, says UK FinanceYoung people have fuelled its rise but the use of buy now, pay later is exploding among older people, with uptake among 55- to 64-year-olds more than doubling in a year, UK data shows.The shift to digital payments is also continuing apace, with more than half of UK adults now using mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, mobile banking becoming the main way people access their accounts, and cash falling below 10% of all payments for the first time. Continue reading...

Divorce papers filed in Nashville court include detailed plan for shared childcare of their daughters

Unit will have up to 5,500 soldiers and police officers who will tackle the violence that has overwhelmed the countryThe United Nations has adopted a resolution to transform a security mission in gang-dominated Haiti into a larger, fully fledged force with military troops.The new unit can now have a maximum of 5,500 uniformed personnel, including police officers and soldiers, unlike the current mission, which is just law enforcement. The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, said the vote by 12 security council members to transform the multinational security support (MSS) mission to the new gang suppression force, a mission five times the size of its predecessor" showed the international community was sharing the burden". Continue reading...

Prime minister answers his critics in conference speech but the real challenges still lie aheadWhen Keir Starmer sat in the chair for his broadcast interview at the start of the Labour conference on Sunday, he already had a clear idea of what he wanted to pull off during the four-day political gathering in Liverpool.With the historic Liver Building behind him, he told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: At the end of it people can agree or disagree, but they can't say they don't know what we stand for, what this government is trying to achieve." Continue reading...

The party seems particularly keen to associate the term, which dates back to the 19th century, with Nigel FarageAsked to picture a snake-oil salesman, most people would imagine a slimy character with superficial charisma travelling from town to town to hoodwink unsuspecting victims into lapping up all manner of lies.It is an association Labour seems particularly keen to conjure in relation to the leader of Reform UK. Speaking at the party's conference in Liverpool, Keir Starmer said Labour offered an alternative to the division and decline under the snake-oil merchant" Nigel Farage. Continue reading...

Questions grow over how chancellor will raise cash in the autumn budget to meet her fiscal rulesRachel Reeves likes to pop on a bit of Beyonce and go for a run to cope with the stresses and strains of being chancellor, she told Centrica boss, Chris O'Shea, during a CBI event at the Labour conference.While the reception from many of the executives was warm, the intensity of the debate in Liverpool suggested Reeves should keep the trainers and tunes to hand. Continue reading...

Firm, founded by green energy entrepreneur Stephen Fitzpatrick, says there is uncertainty" around plan to improve capital positionOvo Energy has cast doubt on its future as one of Great Britain's largest domestic gas and electricity suppliers after failing to meet the regulator's financial standards.The company, founded by the green energy entrepreneur Stephen Fitzpatrick, said in its latest financial accounts, seen by the Guardian, that there was uncertainty" around the plan it had agreed with the regulator to improve its capital position. Continue reading...

Publisher says stopping it from talking to Nottinghamshire council's leader is breach of the right to free expressionA local paper whose journalists have been ostracised by a Reform UK council is taking legal action, arguing the move is a breach of its right to free expression.The Nottingham Post, and its online site Nottinghamshire Live, has been barred from speaking to the council's leader and removed from media mailing lists by the Reform-led Nottinghamshire county council. Continue reading...

Ultimatum comes as Netanyahu says he did not agree to Palestinian state as part of Trump Gaza plan, and IDF will remain in most of territory'. This live blog is closed