Coroner says Harry Colledge, 84, would probably be alive if council had acted on warnings about 87-metre-long crack in the roadA council has been severely criticised by a coroner over the death of a cyclist who suffered fatal head injuries after hitting a pothole that had been visible on Google Street View for 14 years.The Lancashire area coroner, Kate Bisset, concluded that Harry Colledge, 84, would probably not have died last January if Lancashire county council had acted on warnings to fix the 87-metre-long crack on Island Lane near the village of Winmarleigh. Continue reading...
by Martin Belam, Guardian staff and agencies on (#6FJSF)
Netanyahu promises to dismantle' Hamas; IDF confirms 126 Israeli hostages are being held in Gaza; death toll in Gaza stands at over 2,300 as humanitarian aid remains blocked at Rafah crossing
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6FK40)
Evil Does Not Exist, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, is about community's fight against glamping' developmentA Japanese eco-drama about a lakeside community's resistance to a corporate glamping" development in their beautiful unspoilt village has won the top prize at the London film festival.Evil Does Not Exist, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, tells the story of a community fighting to preserve its principles and the integrity of the natural world. They are up against a Tokyo company that has bought up swathes of nearby land, intending to turn it into a destination for well-off city tourists. Continue reading...
Nostalgic treats are the name of the game for makers keen to repeat the high sales volume they enjoyed last DecemberThe current market is tough for chocolatiers, but they are hoping for a happy Christmas this year thanks to the revival of a number of classics and recent sales figures that suggest this could be a bumper festive season.In a nod to those of a nostalgic bent, Quality Street is bringing back the coffee creme, while Cadbury Dairy Milk Coins are returning for the first time since 2014. The Malteser is also set to defend its surprise title of the UK's favourite festive chocolate with a new offering for 2023. Continue reading...
As Islamophobia and antisemitic attacks grow, people wait anxiously for news of their loved onesFor Brighton resident Adam Ma'anit the horrors of the last week have - as they have for many Jewish and Palestinian families in the UK - reprised previous tragedies.Ma'anit's 18-year-old cousin, Maayan Idan, was among the first civilians to be killed as Hamas's attack unfolded last Saturday. Her father, Tsachi Idan, remains missing, presumably held hostage within the embattled Gaza enclave, 500m from the kibbutz from where he was taken. Continue reading...
Hospital staff said procedure could not be done at weekends and gave her aspirin. But help was available just a short drive awayA primary school teaching assistant died from a stroke after hospital staff told her family that the life-saving treatment she needed was not available at weekends.Jasbir Pahal, 44, who had four children and was known as Jas, died in November last year after suffering a stroke. Her family was told she could only be treated with aspirin because a procedure to remove the blood clot was only available from 8am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Continue reading...
Covid inquiry expected to quiz Simon Case over treasure trove' of official correspondenceCivil service chief Simon Case - who described the government as a terrible, tragic joke" in private WhatsApp messages at the height of the pandemic - is expected to be questioned over a treasure trove" of further correspondence when he appears before the official Covid inquiry.Case, who became cabinet secretary in September 2020, having previously served as permanent secretary in No 10, will give evidence to Lady Hallett's inquiry either on 30 or 31 October, or in the first week of November. Continue reading...
Price claimed there was manipulation' in remote communities but electoral commission says ability to campaign at any polling place ... was the same for everyone'
by Emma Graham-Harrison, Bethan McKernan, Ruth Michae on (#6FJR5)
US urges restraint amid bombing of civilian evacuation convoy that left a reported 70 people dead, including women and childrenDesperate Gaza City residents fled south in cars and lorries, carts and on foot on Saturday, risking death by airstrikes on the road to escape the even greater threat of an imminent Israeli ground attack on the north of the besieged enclave.The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told troops massed in southern Israel that the next stage is coming", in a video shared by his office. The Israeli military announced on Saturday evening that it was preparing significant ground operations". Continue reading...
Labour leader's personal popularity jumps after party conference speech in Liverpool was interrupted by protesterKeir Starmer appears to have enjoyed a glitter-bomb bounce" from the Labour conference, a new Observer poll suggests, amid Tory concerns that only an economic upturn can reverse their party's fortunes.The Labour leader was covered in glitter by a protester at the start of his Labour conference speech in Liverpool last week. He responded by taking off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves and telling delegates he favoured power, not protest". Continue reading...
Use of portable buildings and more doubling up in cells could be part of package to be announced next weekPrisoners in England and Wales could be moved into portable buildings or released early as part of a huge extension of the electronic tagging scheme, as the justice secretary considers creative measures to solve the overcrowding crisis.Alex Chalk KC is expected to reveal a package of measures on Monday that could add 1,000 prison places across the estate, the Guardian understands. Continue reading...
Party leader tells conference DUP will not revive power-sharing in Northern Ireland unless concerns are addressedThe Democratic Unionist party (DUP) is making progress" in talks with the UK government over post-Brexit trading arrangements but the party will not revive power-sharing in Northern Ireland unless its fundamental concerns are addressed, Jeffrey Donaldson has said.The DUP leader told the party's conference in Belfast on Saturday he wished to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland but would not be afraid to say no" to any deal he deemed inadequate. Continue reading...
Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russian forces had regrouped after suffering lossesHere's a roundup of the key developments from the day so far:Fighting in Avdiivka on the eastern frontline enters a fifth day, as Russia continues to deploy new forces in an attempt to surround the city, according to Vitaliy Barabash, the head of its military administration.Russia's defence ministry says its forces shot down two Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea near the southern resort city of Sochi on Saturday morning. The city's mayor, Alexei Kopaigorodskyi, said there had been no casualties or damage and that the situation was under control.A top Ukraine general said fighting in the north-east had significantly worsened" as daily Russian attacks continued.Russia has detained three lawyers of the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny and raided their homes, aides said, a step that comes as pressure on the Kremlin's critics increases. The move was an attempt to completely isolate Navalny", his ally Ivan Zhdanov said on social media.The US has claimed North Korea delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia for the war in Ukraine. The White House national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, said the US believed Kim Jong-un was seeking sophisticated Russian weapon technologies in return for munitions to boost North Korea's nuclear programme.Vladimir Putin dismissed the idea that Russia damaged a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia and suggested such claims were made up to divert attention from what he said was a western attack on Nord Stream.EU leaders meeting later in October will demand decisive progress" on using Russian assets frozen by sanctions to help Ukraine, according to their draft statement.The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, while visiting the Black Sea port of Odesa on Friday, vowed to improve Ukraine's air defences and to increase the security of a humanitarian corridor" for grain exports. Continue reading...
Closure comes after decision to put France on high alert following fatal school stabbing by suspected extremistThousands of visitors have been evacuated from the Louvre in Paris after museum staff received a written threat.The warning on Saturday came as France is on its highest alert for terrorist attacks after the killing of a teacher by a suspected radical Islamist in the north of the country on Friday. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brussels correspondent on (#6FJEW)
Finance minister offers standing invitation to intensify your trade relationship to the EU'The German finance minister has issued an open invitation to the UK to reach a new deal to improve Brexit trading relations that would reduce trade barriers and obstacles in daily business life".Christian Lindner told the BBC: This is a standing invitation for the UK. If you want to intensify your trade relationship to the EU, call us. We really appreciate the United Kingdom and its values, its people ... and I would really, really appreciate it if we can intensify [the trade relationship] again." Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6FJD5)
Head of Honywood school says building of temporary structure is a near miracle after crisis it facedThree and a half weeks ago, there was nothing here," said James Saunders, the headteacher of Honywood school, looking with pride - and disbelief - at the scene unfolding in front of him. It was a field!"Before us is a brand new school, built in the space of six weeks - a temporary home for the 800 pupils at Honywood in Coggeshall, Essex, one of the schools most severely affected by the recent concrete crisis that threw the start of the new term across England into chaos. Continue reading...
After losing its editor this week, programme faces shake-up that critics say could have long-term impactIt has skewered royals, asked political leaders the same question a dozen times, occasionally got stories wrong and been accused of a lack of impartiality, but Newsnight now faces a more insidious prospect: death by a thousand cuts.The long-running flagship BBC news and current affairs programme this week lost its editor, and staff are braced for announcements about deep cuts to its budget next week. Critics argue the cuts will leave Newsnight a shadow of its former self and risk weakening the argument for the licence fee. Continue reading...
London-based Noam Sagi and Sharone Lifschitz hope against hope for safety of their parents, missing after kibbutz massacreAs Noam Sagi watched footage of journalists reporting from the Nir Oz kibbutz near the border with Gaza last Saturday, his heart sank when he saw his 75-year-old mother's burnt-out car in the background.His family had not heard from Ada since she called in distress earlier that morning to say Hamas gunmen had stormed the kibbutz and she was sheltering in a safe room. Continue reading...
Driver is charged non-refundable sum of 747 when basic cover for a new customer would be 170If you have ever had a subscription auto-renewed without realising, then spare a thought for Ben Wright*. His family's AA car breakdown cover was rolled over for an incredible 747. Had he gone on to the AA website as a new customer, he would have paid just 170 for the same policy.While many firms offer discounted prices to entice customers only to charge dramatically more in subsequent years, it seems few can match the private equity-owned AA for the increases it hands out to longstanding customers. Continue reading...
PM to visit India for Cricket World Cup and host AI summit, though an expected reshuffle is likely to be pivotalIt might not be a direct response to Keir Starmer's jibe about inaction man", but one thing Rishi Sunak definitely will be this autumn is busy. Extremely busy. It remains to be seen, however, whether voters will notice or care.Fresh from his Conservative party conference pledge to be the man who can reset UK politics, Downing Street is planning a flurry of activity in the coming weeks with the prime minister very much at its centre. Continue reading...
British-organised repatriation flights cancelled but other countries' flights are able to land in UKBritish citizens trying to escape the war zone in Israel are having their repatriation flights repeatedly cancelled by the British government, while emergency flights arranged by US and Australian authorities are landing in the UK.The government has failed in its attempts to organise repatriation flights for British nationals to return home from Israel because of problems obtaining insurance, an aviation source told the PA news agency. Late on Friday it appeared the government had turned to using military transport to evacuate citizens. Continue reading...
Cameron says she was threatened with being bricked' in the street after joining Conservatives on ThursdayLisa Cameron, the SNP MP who defected to the Conservative party on Thursday, said she and her family have been forced to go into hiding in Scotland after she was threatened with being bricked" in the street.Cameron, her husband and their two daughters have moved to a secret location in the Scottish countryside after the MP was emailed threats of violence, including I hope someone throws a brick at you in the street", I hope you burn" and Think your mental health is bad now - wail til you see what abuse and nastiness yer [sic] going to have to put up with". Continue reading...
South-east counter-terrorism policing unit investigating speech made by a woman at protest last SundayA woman has been arrested under terrorism laws on suspicion of supporting Hamas at a protest in Brighton on Sunday.The 22-year-old was held on Thursday over allegations that she supported a proscribed terrorist organisation, the south-east counter-terrorism policing unit said. She was released on bail on Friday. Continue reading...
Pulitzer prize winner and former US poet laureate was known for her sharp, austere lyrical workLouise Gluck, the Nobel prize-winning author and a former poet laureate of the United States, has died at the age of 80.Her death was confirmed Friday to the Associated Press by Jonathan Galassi, her editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux.This article was amended on 13 October 2023. A previous version erroneously stated Gluck was the first American Nobel prize literature winner since 1948. Continue reading...
Officials removed passengers on Copa Airlines aircraft bound for Florida and identified diaper as cause after emergency inspectionA Copa Airlines aircraft bound for Tampa, Florida, from Panama City turned back following a suspected bomb threat and the 144 passengers on board were disembarked, but the scare turned out to be a false alarm, authorities said on Friday.Officials carried out an emergency inspection of the aircraft, and identified a disposable diaper for adults as the object that prompted the scare, the Central American country's police said on X, formerly Twitter. Continue reading...
by Mattha Busby (now) and Nicola Slawson (earlier) on (#6FHFX)
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereRussian forces have continued to pummel the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka from the ground and air on Friday, the fourth day of intense fighting in the biggest offensive by Russian forces in months, Reuters reports.Ukraine said its forces were holding their ground but Vitaliy Barabash, the head of Avdiivka's military administration, said the town was under constant attack from air, artillery and large numbers of troops.The battles have been going on for four days now. Fierce and really non-stop ... They are firing from everything they have available.It was a very hot night in Avdiivka. There were several airstrikes on the city itself ... the attacks do not stop day or night. Continue reading...
Emmy Somauroo, 16, was at school when replicas of goalkeeper Mary Earps' jersey went on sale on MondayA 16-year-old football fan who was instrumental in getting Nike to sell replicas of the England goalkeeper Mary Earps' green jersey says she is really disappointed" at not managing to buy one after they sold out within hours this week.Emmy Somauroo set up a petition on Change.org that was signed by 170,000 people calling on the sportswear firm to reverse its decision not to sell the shirts. Continue reading...
Theme park played wails, screams and spooky music for 12 hours, prompting one man to put ear defenders on his dogThorpe Park has been forced to apologise to nearby residents after it kept them awake all night by blaring Halloween sound effects - with one local putting ear defenders on his dog.The theme park in Chertsey, Surrey, played wails, screams and spooky music for 12 hours straight after a technical glitch led to noise from its Fright Night event continuing into the early hours. Continue reading...
Human Rights Watch says verified videos show multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus' from Israel's militaryHuman Rights Watch has accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the use of such weapons puts civilians at risk of serious and long-term injury.Asked for comment on the allegations, Israel's military said it was currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus in Gaza". It did not provide comment on the rights watchdog's allegations of their use in Lebanon. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6FHP3)
Appeal follows emptying of shelves in apparent misunderstanding at fill a bag with books for 1' eventVolunteers at Batley library who watched helplessly as the shelves were emptied in a book sale misunderstanding are urging those who took books to come back and help save the Grade II-listed building.An advert posted on social media said customers could fill a bag with books from a sale table for 1, but sections of the library were decimated" as people loaded library books into their bags, believing the library was closing down. Continue reading...
Loose-fitting, button-up shirts are said to be flying off the shelves' into trendspotters' autumn wardrobesIt has long been a permanent fixture in the boardrooms of financial institutions but now the button-up business shirt is manspreading its way from the square mile to the high street - making the boyfriend shirt" a must-have fashion item.In the new Netflix Beckham documentary that has gripped people this week, Victoria Beckham endorsed the trend choosing an XXL white shirt to wear for her at-home interviews. Continue reading...
Day commemorating 1986 People Power Revolution omitted from official list of holidays for 2024The Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, has dropped a public holiday marking the anniversary of a revolution that toppled his dictator father, further fuelling concerns his family is seeking to whitewash" history.Ferdinand Marcos Sr ruled the Philippines for more than two decades until he was ousted by the peaceful People Power Revolution of February 1986, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets. The Marcos family was forced to flee the country, and sought exile in Hawaii. Continue reading...
High court hearing comes days before Home Office is due to return asylum seekers to barge in PortlandDorset council is facing an urgent high court challenge by its own local mayor about the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge to accommodate asylum seekers in Portland.The case has reached the high court in two daysand is the first time the council has been challenged directly in the high court in relation to the barge. It comes days before the Home Office is due to return people to the barge, which has been empty for more than two months after deadly legionella bacteria was discovered onboard. Continue reading...
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