by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6SBKK)
About 3,500 PAs work in England but there is growing alarm in medical profession about patient safetyWes Streeting has ordered a review of what physician associates (PAs) do in the NHS, amid growing alarm in the medical profession about patient safety.It will examine the safety of their roles and how patients should be made aware that, despite their titles and ability to diagnose illness, they are not doctors and can only perform certain tasks. Continue reading...
Strike with US-made missiles has prompted fears of Russian reprisal that would broaden the scope of a frontlineA Ukrainian strike using American-made missiles to hit targets deep inside Russia using American-made weaponry, has prompted renewed fears of reprisal through hybrid warfare" - a chaotic tool of conflict that muddies borders and broadens the scope of a frontline.Over recent years, European nations have witnessed a spate of incidents - cyber-attacks, arson, incendiary devices, sabotage and even murder plots. The aim of such episodes, security officials believe, is to sow chaos, exacerbate social tensions among Ukraine's allies and disrupt military supplies to Kyiv. Continue reading...
James Timpson, the prisons minister, will investigate scheme in Spain that gives option of real-time alertSurvivors of serious crimes such as rape in England and Wales could be given the option of being alerted in real-time if their perpetrator is nearby, under a scheme being considered by Labour.James Timpson, the prisons minister, is planning in two weeks to examine a similar scheme which has been established in Spain, he told MPs on Tuesday. It could be used as one of the measures courts can impose on criminals convicted of sexual and domestic-abuse offences. Continue reading...
Armed groups clash with residents and police after plans for attack on Petionville area announced on social mediaGangs have launched a fresh attack on Haiti's capital, targeting an upscale community in Port-au-Prince where people with guns clashed with residents who fought side by side with police.The attack on Petionville was led by the Viv Ansanm group, whose leader, former police officer Jimmy Cherizier, had announced the plan in a video posted on social media. Continue reading...
UK prime minister was condemned by Iain Duncan Smith, who is on Beijing's sanctions listKeir Starmer has twice declined to directly condemn the jailing of dozens of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy figures, less than 24 hours after meeting China's president at the G20 summit.The UK prime minister was asked both during a BBC interview and at his press conference in Rio de Janeiro to respond to the jailing of the activists, including being asked if he would condemn the sentences directly, but he reiterated the importance of building bridges with China for the sake of economic growth. Continue reading...
The writer was also a renowned academic and poet as well as being one of the leading figures of second wave feminismSandra Gilbert, the American poet and literary critic who co-authored the landmark second wave feminist text The Madwoman in the Attic, has died aged 87.The 1979 book - written with Susan Gubar, who would become a longtime collaborator of Gilbert's - explored the way that female writers of the 19th century used images and characters embodying madness and rebellion, representing a rejection of oppression. Continue reading...
Senior SPD figures hold talks on candidate for chancellor amid speculation about switch to popular defence ministerGermany's chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is under mounting pressure to step aside as his party's candidate for the job in February's snap election in favour of his defence minister, Boris Pistorius, the most popular politician in the country.The top brass of the Social Democratic party (SPD) are planning crisis talks on their choice of chancellor candidate for the 23 February general election on Tuesday evening while Scholz is flying home from the G20 summit in Brazil, local media reported. Continue reading...
Severe weather alerts in northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, central and southern Wales and eastern English countiesLarge parts of the UK were blanketed with snow as the country got its first taste of winter", which brought school closures, train delays, difficult driving conditions and an appeal to check in on vulnerable people.Met Office yellow severe weather alerts for snow and ice were in place across northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, central and southern Wales, and eastern counties from the Scottish Borders to Norfolk, with forecasters warning of potential hazards through this week. Continue reading...
Rev Harry Nigh, who set up Circles in 1994 to support sex offenders, says it is easy for politicians to say lock them up'Public understanding of paedophilia has not improved over the past 30 years, according to the founder of the pioneering charity Circles, which offers support to some of society's most reviled offenders.While the Rev Harry Nigh says child protection must always be paramount, he stresses the importance of breaking the isolation and shame that often leads people who commit child sexual abuse to reoffend, arguing that anything that drives people underground even further endangers the community itself". Continue reading...
Death of Louisa Dunne, 75, who was found in her home, has remained unsolved for nearly six decadesA 92-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of raping and murdering a woman in Bristol almost 60 years ago.Louisa Dunne, 75, was found dead in her home in the Easton area of the city, by a neighbour on 28 June 1967. The cause of her death was determined to be strangulation and asphyxiation and she had also been raped. Continue reading...
People spent over two hours stranded, some sideways, after Sol Spin ride came to abrupt stop at Knott's Berry FarmA group of ride-goers at the Knott's Berry Farm park in California were stuck for hours in mid-air after the attraction they were enjoying came to a sudden halt mid-ride.CBS news reported that the Sol Spin ride suddenly halted at around 2pm, leaving 22 people stuck. Fortunately, none of them were upside down on the ride that markets itself as sending guests on a thrilling adventure over 6 stories high as they rotate in all directions on one of six spinning arms" but some were stuck sideways. Continue reading...
by Rachel Savage Southern Africa correspondent on (#6SAZF)
Police say 350-400 people have stayed in Stilfontein mine to avoid arrest after minister vowed to smoke them out'South African authorities are assessing whether it is safe to rescue potentially thousands of illegal miners who may be trapped underground, after police stopped food, water and medicine being delivered to them about two weeks ago to try to force the miners to the surface.A police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, insisted to reporters on Tuesday that the miners were not trapped in the abandoned goldmine in Stilfontein, a town about 100 miles south-west of Johannesburg, but rather staying underground to avoid being arrested. Continue reading...
Presenter to be replaced by Scott Mills after six years on show, with Trevor Nelson moving up to mid-afternoon slotThe BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball has announced she is stepping down from her breakfast show after six years to be replaced by Scott Mills.After six incredible years on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, it's time for me to step away from the very early mornings and focus on family," she told listeners on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Yadwinder Singh, 44, has been charged with murder after the body of his wife Amarjit Kaur Sardar, 41, was found with catastrophic' injuries on their Woodhill property
The former Sydney talkback radio star, who denies any misconduct, is now facing 26 charges, including indecent assault and sexual touchingThe former Sydney radio host Alan Jones has been charged with two further counts of assault against a new ninth alleged victim, to now face 26 alleged indecent assault and sexual touching offences.Police on Tuesday said they had laid the additional charges of assault with act of indecency after receiving further legal advice. Continue reading...
Outages include 1,200km link between Germany and Finland and 218km cable between Lithuania and SwedenTwo undersea fibre-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea, including one linking Finland and Germany, have been severed, raising suspicions of sabotage by bad actors.The episode on Monday recalled other incidents in the same waterway that authorities have probed as potentially malicious, including damage to a gas pipeline and undersea cables last year and the 2022 explosions of the Nord Sea gas pipelines. Continue reading...
More than 146,000 students didn't have a long-term address, a 23% increase from previous year, new report findsNearly one in every eight New York City public school students experienced homelessness during the 2023-24 school year, according to a new report published Monday.New York's Advocates for Children (AFC), a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring high-quality education to students from low-income backgrounds, found that more than 146,000 students across 32 school districts in the city did not have a long-term physical address - a 23% increase from the prior academic year. The data used for the report came from the state's department of education. Continue reading...
Agency president says fewer than half of cuts should affect news division as 121 people reportedly given buyout offersThe Associated Press announced on Monday that it plans to reduce its workforce by 8% through a combination of voluntary buyouts and layoffs.In an internal email obtained by the Guardian, AP's president, Daisy Veerasingham, informed staff that adapting to industry challenges requires making some difficult changes so we can invest more fully in our future". Continue reading...
Carve-out for F-35 parts prioritised US confidence in UK and Nato' over risk of rights violations, court documents showThe UK government did not fully suspend export licences to Israel as it would undermine US confidence in the UK and Nato and have a profound impact" on international peace and security, court documents reveal.On Monday the UK government returned to the high court in legal action by the Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq and the UK-based Global Legal Action Network (Glan) over the decision to continue arms exports to Israel. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#6SABD)
Watchdog seeks clarity on legal right to go on holiday or visit family abroad after applicants denied re-entry at UK borderHopes have been raised for EU citizens who have faced being removed from the UK post-Brexit even while they wait on their applications to stay, after a statutory body wrote to the Home Office demanding clarity on their legal right to go on holiday or visit family abroad.The move comes after a number of cases came to light involving the removal of EU citizens when they returned to the UK after a visit abroad. Continue reading...
Summit's first day notable for frosty meeting of far-right Argentinian leader Javier Milei and leftwing hostThe president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has opened the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro with the launch of an alliance to combat hunger, which he described as the ultimate symbol of our collective tragedy".Brazil holds the rotating presidency of the group and is hosting the meeting this Monday and Tuesday, attended by all but two - Russia and Saudi Arabia - of the 19 member countries. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6SA7S)
Awareness campaign partly designed by under-18s will launch on social media to educate adults and childrenIf you want to warn young people about the dangers of sextortion, use language that they understand, keep your messages fast-paced and don't scare us, say Scottish teenagers.Previous awareness-raising campaigns all looked like they'd been designed by old people trying to be young," according to the young Scots who have developed a series of online clips in partnership with Fearless, the youth service of the charity Crimestoppers, launching across social media this week. Continue reading...
by Pjotr Sauer and Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv on (#6SA01)
Moscow will react to Biden's decision to let Kyiv use longer-range weapons against targets inside Russia, officials sayThe Kremlin has said Joe Biden's outgoing administration wants to escalate the conflict in Ukraine by allowing Kyiv to use long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia.The decision, first reported on Sunday, to allow Ukraine to conduct strikes with US-made weapons deep into sovereign Russian territory has not been formally announced by the White House, but a German government spokesperson said on Monday that Berlin had been informed. Continue reading...
Singer says his understanding of the narrative' around Do They Know It's Christmas? has changed since 2014 appearanceEd Sheeran has said he would rather not be on the forthcoming 40th-anniversary version of Band Aid charity single Do They Know It's Christmas?, aligning himself with criticism of it as dehumanising and damaging to Africans.Sheeran is one of an all-star cast to be drawn from three previous recordings of the song, in 1984, 2004 and 2014 - he appeared on the latter version. Producer Trevor Horn has mashed up three sets of performances into a new Ultimate Mix", which will be released on 25 November, and also features George Michael, Robbie Williams, Sinead O'Connor and many more. Continue reading...
Concerns interest rates will stay higher for longer if official data on Wednesday shows inflation is back above 2% targetThe average cost of a new fixed-rate mortgage is continuing to creep up, data shows, as brokers warn that borrowers could face further pain" if the latest data out this week shows inflation has risen back above the Bank of England's 2% target.Expectations that UK interest rates will stay higher for longer as a result of measures in last month's budget have prompted many mortgage lenders to increase the cost of their new fixed-rate deals, while the US election result has helped to fuel the volatility. Continue reading...
Images released by MSF doctors highlight impact of conflict in the country, with medical supplies and aid unable to reach people due to fightingA series of X-rays showing a piece of shrapnel buried deep inside a 20-month-old girl's head and a bullet embedded in an 18-month-old boy's chest are among images released by medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) revealing the impact of the war in Sudan on children.The two babies were treated at Khartoum's Bashair teaching hospital. Continue reading...
Powerful storm systems bring heavy rainfall, widespread flooding and landslides to Central America and AsiaTropical Storm Sara has caused significant disruption across Central America in recent days after forming in the Caribbean Sea on Thursday afternoon. It is the 18th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and the third this month. The large number of tropical storm and hurricane formations this season can be attributed to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico being warmer than average, thus providing more energy for the development and intensification of these systems.Since its formation, Sara has affected Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Belize and Guatemala, bringing heavy rainfall, widespread flooding and landslides. The slow-moving nature of the storm has exacerbated the damage, prolonging the duration of its impact. However, Sara is losing strength; initially it had sustained winds of 45mph on Thursday but weakened slightly after moving inland, with winds dropping to 40mph by Sunday. According to the National Hurricane Centre, Sara is expected to dissipate into an area of low pressure as it moves north-west toward the southern region of the Yucatan peninsula on Monday. Continue reading...
Analysts say market is still relatively busy despite decline of 1.4%, which is unusually high for this time of yearThe average asking price for a UK home has dropped by more than 5,000 this month as the autumn budget caused housing market jitters before the usual Christmas slowdown.Average asking prices from new sellers fell by 5,366, or 1.4%, in November to 366,592, compared with the 0.8% decline usually recorded at this time of year, according to the website Rightmove. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan and Neil Marks in Georgetown on (#6S9VR)
Indian PM's trip expected to focus on trade and investment as oil-rich Caribbean country's economic boom continuesIndia's prime minister, Narendra Modi, will make a historic" state visit to the oil-rich Caribbean nation of Guyana this week when the two countries are expected to sign energy and defence agreements.Modi's visit to the country, from Tuesday to Thursday, will be the first from an Indian prime minister since Indira Gandhi's in 1968, two years after Guyana gained independence from Britain. Continue reading...
Legislation will be drafted to ensure consumers find it easy to exit unwanted signups and to get a refundCompanies are to be forced to make it simple and straightforward" for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions or get their money back under new rules to stamp out the so-called subscription traps that are costing Britons 1.6bn a year.Justin Madders, the minister for employment rights, competition and markets at the Department for Business and Trade, told the Guardian: We want to get money back into people's pockets when they've signed up to things that they didn't mean or want to." Continue reading...
St Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre says dancer was taking painkillers for an injury and fell from fifth floorThe acclaimed Russian ballet dancer Vladimir Shklyarov has died aged 39.Shklyarov died after falling from the fifth floor of a building on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Mariinsky Theatre told the news outlet Fontanka at the weekend. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6S9N6)
Man, 23, was arrested on suspicion of double murder in Moss Side that detectives regard as an isolated incidentA man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of a double murder after two men were fatally stabbed in Manchester.The 23-year-old suspect has been detained under the Mental Health Act after being assessed by medical professionals, Greater Manchester Police said on Sunday evening. Continue reading...