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Francis's comments acknowledge divisions in US Catholic church, which has been split between progressives and conservativesPope Francis has rebuked the backwardness" of some conservatives in the US Catholic church, saying they have replaced faith with ideology and that a correct understanding of Catholic doctrine allows for change over time.The pope's comments were an acknowledgment of the divisions in the US Catholic church, which has been split between progressives and conservatives who long found support in the doctrinaire papacies of St John Paul II and Benedict XVI, particularly on issues of abortion and same-sex marriage. Continue reading...

Creator of series, which has set viewership records on Netflix this summer, says palace objected to the word poppycockThe creator of Suits, the legal drama which launched the acting career of the Duchess of Sussex, is opening up about input from the royal family on scripts.Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter about the show's resurgence on Netflix, where it has broken multiple viewership records for an acquired series, the creator, Aaron Korsh, said the royal family weighed in" on scripts involving Meghan, who played paralegal Rachel Zane for seven seasons, once she started dating Prince Harry in 2016. Not many things, by the way, but a few things that we wanted to do and couldn't do, and it was a little irritating," he said. Continue reading...

Police say Kenneth Law, 57, linked to 88 deaths in Britain, may have shipped as many as 1,200 packages to 40 countriesThe Canadian man accused of selling sodium nitrite to people at risk of suicide is believed to have shipped as many as 1,200 packages to 40 countries, police said as they laid a dozen new charges in a sprawling investigation.Kenneth Law, 57, previously charged with two counts of counselling or aiding suicide in the province of Ontario, is now facing 12 new charges in connection with deaths across the province, the York regional police inspector Simon James told reporters. The victims range in age from 16 to 36. Continue reading...

London councils report 120% year-on-year rise in requests for return of properties used as temporary homesHomeless families are being evicted from emergency accommodation to be replaced by private tenants as the number of landlords quitting the temporary housing sector in London more than doubled in eight months.A survey by London Councils, the cross-party organisation representing the capital's local authorities, found that between September 2022 and April 2023, 15 boroughs reported receiving a notice to quit, a legal document requesting the return of a property, from landlords for 3,531 properties in use as temporary accommodation. Continue reading...

Tracy Dixon and Nicola Bradley put oven cleaner and paint on friend's bird and threw it in tumble dryerTwo women who tortured and killed a friend's pet parrot during a lengthy drinking session have been jailed by a judge who described their cruelty as beyond comprehension".A court heard that Tracy Dixon, 47, and Nicola Bradley, 35, sprayed Sparky the female African grey parrot with Mr Muscle oven cleaner, daubed it with gloss paint and tried to feed it to a dog. They later threw it in a tumble dryer that was turned on. Continue reading...

South Australia and Tasmania expected to decide future of voice to parliament as Anthony Albanese confirms date at Adelaide rally

Peer did not declare 13 meetings with Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund when he sought permission to work for Bahraini companyA former minister who is to work for a Bahraini investment company has been criticised after he did not declare 13 meetings with its single largest shareholder, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, when seeking permission to take the role.Sir Gerry Grimstone, as he was then, was elevated to the peerage and handed a job in Boris Johnson's government in March 2020, serving as minister of state for investment until July 2022. Continue reading...

Pakistan police search for family of 10-year-old found dead in Woking as Surrey police appeal for more informationThe cause of the death of Sara Sharif has not yet been established, an inquest has heard, although coroners said the 10-year-old's death - which has led to an international manhunt - was likely to be unnatural".Sara's body was found alone at home in Woking, Surrey, on 10 August, a day after her family had travelled to Pakistan. Continue reading...

A memorandum of understanding published in 2016 required the NHS to hand over non-clinical records

Discriminatory' development sparks concern among healthcare union and migrants' rights groups

Rightwing broadcaster attacks Charles Haywood after Guardian exposed his sponsorship of secret societyThe rightwing broadcaster Glenn Beck has attacked Charles Haywood, a shampoo magnate and would-be warlord", as a false prophet" on his radio broadcast after the Guardian exposed Haywood's sponsorship of a secretive, far-right men-only fraternal society.Last week Beck devoted five minutes of airtime on the Blaze - in which he read the Guardian's article aloud and interspersed his own commentary - to criticising Haywood and Haywood's Society for American Civic Renewal (SACR). Continue reading...

Michele Bullock uses speech to detail how central bank is preparing for increased risk of extreme weather events

The UK series, which employed hundreds of Australian cast and crew, is the latest victim of cost-cutting measures at Disney and beyond

Fears that China's crackdown on dissidents is expanding into cultural sphere after linguistic group closes over a fictional essay about erosion of libertiesA Cantonese language group has shut down after Hong Kong national security police raided the founder's home over a fictional essay submitted to the group's literary competition three years ago.Andrew Lok Han Chan, who created and convenes the Societas Linguistica Hongkongensis (SLHK) group, said in a Facebook post that the officers from a police division set up to enforce the 2020 national security law, visited a home where some of his family members live last week when he was out of town. The officers, who did not have a search warrant, asked that he remove the essay from his group's website immediately, he said. Continue reading...

Federal court hears closing submissions in defamation case brought by Russell against the public broadcaster

Data from the Trans Justice Project and the Victorian Pride Lobby also shows anti-trans hatred has increased over the last three years

TUC says urgent investment needed in Cinderella sectors' to head off demographic timebomb

Sarah, an adult social care worker, has seen lower wages, more insecure work and years of staff shortages Exploitation and low pay causing poverty among care workers, says TUCUnless you've actually experienced some sort of care in your life, it's an invisible job," says Sarah*, a senior adult social care worker who has more than two decades of experience.It's an endless job. It's a relentless job. With the ridiculous pay and the way we're treated, yeah, you've got to have a passion." Continue reading...

People who stayed through last year's occupation are now abandoning the city amid fears of a Bakhmut 2.0'Antonina Sanina, 75, had spent the last two nights hiding in the basement of her apartment block in Kupiansk. She had endured six and a half months of Russian occupation last year, but now the renewed shelling of the city had prompted her to abandon her home. I couldn't take it any more," she said a few minutes after local volunteers had driven her to safety.She said eight neighbours hid in the cellar with her as the Russians targeted what they thought, wrongly, was a barracks nearby. You could barely sleep. It would be on and off. Then you'd just wake up and you wouldn't know - was that an actual hit or was it a dream?" A day before she took flight, one civilian was killed and 11 injured in a daytime artillery strike on the city centre. Continue reading...

While screening can help some people live longer, data shows some people's lives are shortened as result of screeningCommon cancer screening tests may not extend people's lifespans, with the possible exception of colorectal cancer screening, data suggests.Although the findings do not indicate cancer screening should be abandoned, scientists say patients should be better counselled about the risks and benefits of screening. Continue reading...

Exclusive: MPs urged to implement Poccum's law, named in honour of First Nations woman who died in a cell while on remand

Study finds average walking time to retrieve public access defibrillator from centre of any given postcode is 19 minutesLives are needlessly being put at risk in Britain because defibrillators are located too far away from where they are needed, experts have said.The lifesaving devices give a high-energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. With nearly three in 10 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happening at weekends and four in 10 between 6pm and 6am, quick access to a defibrillator at any time is crucial. Continue reading...

Extreme heat over Mediterranean begins to break down with cold front and low pressure creating strong windsThe extreme heat that had been affecting the Mediterranean began to break down over the weekend as colder air surged south-eastwards. A strong cold front, in conjunction with a rapidly deepening area of low pressure in the Mediterranean Sea led to an explosive show on Sunday, with severe thunderstorms racing through the Balearics towards Sardinia.Palm trees were ripped out from the ground and boats toppled in harbours as strong winds raced through the archipelago, with a couple of official weather stations in Mallorca recording wind gusts of about 66mph (106kmph). Roads turned into rivers under the torrential downpours. Continue reading...

Pupils in grammar school areas experience little boost in results, while grades among brightest may actually be lowerPupils in English regions dominated by grammar schools experience little or no boost in results compared with counterparts in other areas of the country, while exam grades among the brightest pupils may actually be lower, according to new research.The authors said their evidence suggested there was no case for further expansion of grammar schools in England, and a strong argument for the dismantling of selective school systems that use 11-plus entry exams in areas such as Kent and Trafford. Continue reading...

Exclusive: experts fear the cost-of-living crisis is forcing people to forgo evidence-based healthcare

Exclusive: Fire Brigades Union outlines serious fire and safety concerns' over Bibby StockholmSuella Braverman's stalled plan to house asylum seekers on a giant barge is facing a major legal hurdle after firefighters launched a judicial review claiming the vessel is a potential deathtrap".The Guardian has seen a formal letter sent by the Fire Brigades Union to the home secretary this weekend that outlines serious fire and operational safety concerns" over the 220-bedroom Bibby Stockholm, which is docked in Portland, Dorset. Continue reading...

Administrative hold-ups leave buyers missing best mortgage deals and some owners unable to sellLong delays in registering properties with the Land Registry across Great Britain are causing frustration among homeowners and buyers with some being left out of pocket as a result.Latest figures from His Majesty's Land Registry show that it is taking almost two years for some applications to make changes to the register to be completed. Continue reading...

A NSW fire and rescue superintendent said the death of a man in a Sydney fire on Saturday night was part of a marked increase' in such incidents

Spain forward rejects FA chief's claims as categorically false' as the national women's team refuses to play until he resigns Ego above dignity': Rubiales' defiance over kiss shocks SpainThe Spain forward Jenni Hermoso has said she did not consent to be kissed by the Spanish football federation president, Luis Rubiales, as the women's team announced that they would not play until he is removed.Rubiales has faced fierce criticism for days, as well as a Fifa investigation, after he grabbed Hermoso by the head and kissed her on her lips during the Women's World Cup final trophy presentation. Continue reading...

Ministers initially ignored calls by victims' families for inquiry that would be able to force witnesses to give evidenceRelatives of Lucy Letby's victims have welcomed the clearest indication yet that ministers will reverse their decision not to order a full statutory inquiry into how the former neonatal nurse was able to murder seven babies and attempt to murder six more.The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it was ready to bow to the wishes of the victims' families for an inquiry that could compel witnesses to give evidence, while the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said he believed the process should be judge-led. Continue reading...

Proposal by Doug Putman could save 350 stores and 10,000 jobs as union calls for employees to be prioritisedThe Canadian entrepreneur who owns HMV has put in a last-ditch bid to rescue the discount retailer Wilko with a proposal that could save 350 stores and 10,000 jobs.The new bid emerged as union leaders called for Wilko's 12,500 employees to be prioritised, after an earlier offer from Doug Putman was rejected because debt holders could recoup more from a break-up of the business. Continue reading...

Justice department alleges rocket company refused to consider asylum seekers and refugees for jobs because of citizenship statusThe US justice department on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the billionaire Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX for alleged hiring discrimination against refugees and asylum seekers.SpaceX routinely discouraged asylees and refugees from applying and refused to hire or consider them, because of their citizenship status" from at least September 2018 to May 2022, according to the justice department. Continue reading...

Staffordshire police say pair, aged 66 and 33, arrested on suspicion of arson at slanted pubTwo men have been arrested over the fire at the Crooked House pub in Himley, Staffordshire police have said.A 66-year-old man from Dudley and a 33-year-old man from Milton Keynes have been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. Continue reading...

Hotel chain says rooms in Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff already fully booked ahead of pop star's summer performancesTaylor Swift fans have already booked out hotels near several of the venues for the UK leg of the Eras tour next summer.The budget hotel chain Travelodge said all of its hotels in Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff were sold out for the days around the concerts in June 2024. A number of its hotels near Wembley Stadium - where Swift will perform on six nights in June and August - were also sold out on those dates.

Asian elephant died days after keepers noticed lethargy and swelling in his neck caused by incurable disease elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus

The IGR released by treasurer Jim Chalmers excludes drought, heatwaves and the Great Barrier Reef

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Hopes guidance could help diagnose colorectal cancer faster and cut NHS waiting times for colonoscopiesAt-home faeces tests could spare tens of thousands of people in England and Wales from having to undergo invasive procedures to rule out bowel cancer.It is hoped the move could help diagnose colorectal cancer faster and cut NHS waiting times by reducing the need to refer people for a colonoscopy. Continue reading...

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Halifax measures price to income ratio to reveal most and least affordable areas to purchase propertyInverclyde in Scotland is the most affordable place to buy a home in Great Britain, while house prices in Westminster far outstrip workers' wages in central London, a study has found.Falling house prices and strong wage growth have combined to make buying a home in more affordable over the past year, albeit constrained by rising interest rates, according to the UK's biggest mortgage lender. Continue reading...

Traws Eryri route stretches between Machynlleth and Conwy and should take hardy cyclists four or five daysA beautiful but demanding 122-mile cycle route that involves pedalling up the equivalent of Wales's highest mountain more than four times is being opened in the north-west of the country.Stretching between the historic market towns of Machynlleth and Conwy, the Traws Eryri (Trans Snowdonia) route should take hardy cyclists four or five days. Continue reading...

Health agency reports about one in eight teenagers old enough to start college have missed out on free MenACWY vaccinationStudents heading to university should make sure they are vaccinated against four potentially deadly types of meningitis, health experts warned after figures showed many young people remained unprotected.The vaccination, MenACWY, protects against four groups of meningococcal bacteria, which naturally live at the back of the throat in about one in 10 people without making them unwell. Continue reading...

Maritime horror, after Dutch sailing ship Batavia wrecked off western Australia, set TV show in motionThe hit TV reality show The Traitors was originally going to involve a recreation of a real-life murderous mutiny onboard a 17th-century Dutch ship, with programme contestants pushed into the sea when voted out.Jasper Hoogendoorn, who oversaw the programme's development, said the show was inspired by the voyage of the Batavia, a Dutch ship which was shipwrecked off Australia in 1629. Continue reading...

Official data shows there were 1,051 deaths due to drug misuse in 2022 - a drop of 279 on the previous year

Officials working to identify people found in Alexandroupolis region as firefighters battle second wave of firesThe bodies of 18 people have been found in an area of north-east Greece where firefighters are battling a major wildfire, authorities have said, as a record-breaking late summer heatwave continues to sear swathes of continental Europe.Hundreds of firefighters were struggling on Tuesday to contain dozens of outbreaks, including several burning out of control for several days that have forced widespread evacuations, in the second deadly wave of blazes in Greece in a month. Continue reading...

The studio behind John Wick and The Hunger Games has reinstated the use of masks after several employees tested positive for Covid-19The Hollywood film studio Lionsgate has reinstated its mask mandate as cases of Covid-19 continue to rise.In a company-wide email obtained by Deadline, it was announced that nearly half of the company's employees would need to wear medical grade" face masks again in the flagship offices in Los Angeles. The rule applies except when alone in an office with the door closed, actively eating, actively drinking at their desk or workstation, or if they are the only individual present in a large open workspace". Continue reading...

Local people puzzled over motive for theft of signs on route around a lonely moor in north WalesThe culprit has been called the phantom post snatcher", who for some unfathomable reason has taken to whisking away signs installed to help guide ramblers across a lonely moor in north Wales.The snatcher, or snatchers - there may be more than one - has been pinching way-markers from a remote spot on the 83-mile Snowdonia Slate Trail, putting walkers at risk of wandering off the beaten path in misty weather into the mire. Continue reading...

MoJ policy says such restraints must only be used in emergency scenariosStaff working in children's prisons are to be banned from using techniques that deliberately cause pain, except in emergency scenarios to save life or to prevent life-changing injury.The new Ministry of Justice policy, for England and Wales, which follows a review completed by the now chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor in 2020, will be effective from February 2024. It states that it is never acceptable to deliberately cause pain when a non-painful alternative can safely achieve the same objective". Continue reading...

Watchdog says policy on prescribed drugs could lead to a medical emergency and endanger livesA watchdog has condemned the Home Office for confiscating life-saving prescription drugs from people it detains.Rules requiring guards to take away prescribed medicines from people at short-term holding facilities (STFHs), where migrants can be detained for up to 24 hours, could lead to a medical emergency and endanger their lives, says the annual report of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for the North East, Midlands and Yorkshire & Humber STHF published on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Shoppers warned to be careful with sales as collapsed budget chain only selling goods in its storesShoppers have been warned to avoid a spate of fake websites attempting to scam bargain hunters by pretending to offer heavily discounted goods from the collapsed budget chain Wilko.Wilko is no longer selling goods online and has stopped all home deliveries or click and collect services after calling in administrators from PricewaterhouseCoopers on 10 August as it ran short of cash. Goods are only available to buy directly in one of its 400 stores. Continue reading...