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Exclusive: Force considering alternatives to Pacer program that has seen 48% reduction in people detained by police under Mental Health Act

Trial initially scheduled to last 16 days facing mounting delays amid challenges over the admission of certain evidenceThe trial of two protest leaders who encouraged a truck blockade of Canada's capital is facing mounting delays as legal arguments threaten to derail the closely watched case.Early last year, the month-long Freedom Convoy'" protest paralyzed Ottawa after hundreds of large vehicles blocked key thoroughfares. Initially meant as a challenge to coronavirus public health measures, the protests soon morphed into a broader collection of political grievances against the governing Liberal party. Continue reading...

Trip designed in part as show of friendship to reset UK-French relationship after Brexit yearsKing Charles was welcomed at a lavish state banquet at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday night, at the start of a state visit to reinforce the renewed London-Paris relationship after the near total collapse in trust during the Boris Johnson years after Brexit.In Versailles' Hall of Mirrors, the famed 17th century gallery built by the Sun King" Louis XIV to project the power and majesty of the French monarchy, King Charles and Emmanuel Macron were to make toasts celebrating French-British relations after a pre-dinner music recital. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereInterfax in Russia is reporting that a Su-34 bomber crashed in the Voronezh region during a training flight. Voronezh borders the partially occupied Ukrainian region of Luhansk. The pilots are reported to have ejected.The all clear has been sounded in Kherson. Continue reading...

Protestors face 10-year jail terms under new hijab and chastity bill, which UN human rights body says is intended to suppress women into total submission'Iran's parliament has approved a controversial new bill under which women face up to 10 years in prison if they continue to defy the country's mandatory hijab rules.As well as harsher penalties on women defying the strict dress code, the draft law also intends to identify those who promote nudity [or] indecency" or mock" the rules in a virtual or non-virtual space. Continue reading...

Oil refinery in Kremenchuk put out of operation by Russian strike; Shoigu says Russian and Iranian coperation has reached a new level Continue reading...

RMT says action in long-running dispute over jobs and conditions will shut down tube services in capitalThousands of London Underground station staff are to strike next month in a long-running dispute over jobs and conditions.The stoppages by members of the RMT will take place on 4 and 6 October, and, according to the union, will shut down tube services in the capital. Continue reading...

It was clear as Azerbaijan launched its offensive that Russian peacekeepers had no intention of intervening

Calls for prime minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign after Azerbaijani offensive in disputed region

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, leaders of two biggest carbon emitters, among those not attending summit in New YorkLeaders of some of the world's biggest polluting countries are skipping a UN summit on Wednesday aimed at generating some progress in the spluttering effort to address the climate crisis, during what may be the hottest year ever recorded.The climate ambition summit, convened by Antonio Guterres, the UN's secretary general, will feature more than 100 national governments who have traveled to New York to outline renewed plans to curb global heating and help people adapt to its impacts. The UN has said the event will showcase first movers and doers" among countries most willing to act on the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Former senator says fund has raised six-figure sum and will run intense' social media campaign about McBride and ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle

Social isolation and loneliness in early bereavement found to strongly contribute to worse symptomsPeople bereaved during the first two waves of the Covid pandemic are three times more likely to be suffering from prolonged grief disorder (PGD), which can leave them in intense emotional pain and lonely, research from Cardiff and Bristol universities has revealed.The disorder, also known as complicated grief, can result in persistent longing for the deceased, intense emotional pain including guilt and denial, and trouble engaging with friends and planning for the future, all of which goes on for longer than six months. Continue reading...

Anderson apologises over GB News clip and for sending email about his show from his official address

Baritone, who has died aged 87, cultivated loyal German fanbase by learning to sing translated lyrics phoneticallyTributes are being paid across Germany to the singer Roger Whittaker, described as the country's favourite Briton who served his biggest and most loyal fanbase by singing in their tongue.Whittaker, whose death at 87 was announced on Monday, admitted to never learning to speak the language, but became one of the most prolific recording artists in German by having his translated lyrics transcribed phonetically and taking lessons to sound as if he meant what he sang. Continue reading...

MPs from People's party and far-right Vox stage walkout in protest at recognition of co-official languagesSpanish MPs have been able to address congress in Basque, Catalan and Galician for the first time after the country's Socialist-led caretaker government agreed to smaller parties' demands for the the three regional languages to be granted official parliamentary status.The change - which is intended to help the chamber progress along the path of linguistic plurality" - was requested by the Catalan pro-independence parties on whose support the acting prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, is relying to form a new government after July's general election resulted in a hung parliament. Continue reading...

Public inquiry highlights litany of avoidable failures' involving project company Tie, Edinburgh council and Scottish ministersA damning report on the chaos that beset Edinburgh's tram line says its true cost has soared to well over 1bn because of a litany of avoidable failures" on the project.The long-awaited report from a public inquiry into the project called for new powers to prosecute businesses that make false statements" to councillors and substantial reforms in the way Scotland oversees tram projects in future. Continue reading...

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper calls daily bill astronomical' and accuses Tories of utter failure'The cost of housing people seeking asylum in hotels has risen to 8m a day, according to the Home Office's annual report.Suella Braverman, the home secretary, had said the figure was 6m a day while addressing the Commons on Monday. Continue reading...

Study for 5 News warns of overwhelming and inescapable' betting imagery in the gameFootball fans were bombarded with 11,000 gambling messages during the opening weekend of the latest Premier League season, according to a study that warns of overwhelming and inescapable" betting imagery in the game.Clubs in the top flight agreed earlier this year to ban gambling firms from sponsoring the front of players' shirts from 2025, but the research - which analysed social media posts alongside hours of TV and radio - cast doubt on the likely effect of that measure, given the saturation of football with other gambling messages.the sheer volume of gambling messages;social media content not clearly labelled as ads; andinsufficient safer gambling messaging. Continue reading...

Two people have stab wounds and a third person was allegedly assaulted at the university's campus. This blog is now closed

A 24-year-old - who is not believed to be a student of the university - is in custody and no other people are being sought by police

Museums from Glasgow to Cambridge proactively repatriating objects while national institutions forced into position of inertia'In the past two years Glasgow has become the first UK museum to repatriate objects to India. Newcastle and the Horniman in south London followed an example set by Aberdeen and Cambridge by returning looted Benin bronzes to Nigeria. Exeter handed sacred regalia to the Siksika Nation in Canada. Oxford returned the remains of 18 indigenous people to Australia.Earlier this month Manchester completed a landmark return of 174 objects to the to the Anindilyakwa community, who live on an archipelago in the Gulf of Carpentaria, off the northern coast of Australia. Continue reading...

Housing secretary's move will provide financial and management oversight at local authority, which is in effect bankruptMichael Gove will this week announce the appointment of commissioners to take over the day-to-day running of Birmingham city council after the local authority effectively declared itself bankrupt.The housing secretary's announcement, which could come as soon as Tuesday, will mean that the commissioners oversee the council's financial decisions and management appointments. Continue reading...

More than a month's rain could fall in less than 24 hours in some parts and trigger dangerous floods, forecaster saysMore than a month's rain could fall in less than 24 hours in southern parts of the UK by the end of Sunday, and a Met Office warning is in place for severe thunderstorms that could cause life-threatening floods.Travel has already been disrupted by the downpours, which caused Exeter airport to cancel its remaining flights on Sunday, and 12cm (4.7 inches) of rain could fall in Taunton and Bridgwater in Somerset, according to the Met Office, which is more than the average rainfall for the whole of September. Videos posted on social media showed the main terminal at the airport flooded. Continue reading...

Far-right Giorgia Meloni says crisis cannot be just resolved within Italian borders' on visit to island where 8,500 arrived in daysItaly's prime minister has said that European countries must work together to stop departures [from Africa]" and swiftly deport those turned down for asylum, who she said threaten the future of Europe", after thousands of people seeking refuge arrived on Lampedusa in the last week.Giorgia Meloni toured the tiny Sicilian island, which for years has been the first port of call for people making the treacherous journey by sea from north Africa, on Sunday morning alongside Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. Continue reading...

Lord chancellor failing to carry out duty on provision of services in England and Wales, says Public Law ProjectThe availability of legal aid for immigration and asylum in England and Wales is so poor that the lord chancellor is in breach of his duty to provide access to justice, according to a letter threatening him with legal action.The letter, sent to Alex Chalk by Public Law Project (PLP), says there are particular shortages in north-west and south-west England, the latter having capacity for fewer than 300 cases a year despite being home to the Bibby Stockholm, which can house about 500 people. Continue reading...

Comedian's claim of concerted agenda' taken up by X owner Elon Musk and misogynist Andrew TateAfter allegations of sexual assault and rape against the comedian Russell Brand were published, some were quick to take up conspiracy theories about why they had been published.Brand set the wheels in motion when he published a video in which he rebutted the allegations the night before they were aired and claimed they were linked to an attack on his freedom of speech. Continue reading...

A $7bn shortfall has been forecast this financial year, but Daniel Mookhey says any cuts to be made will be in areas that don't affect people'The New South Wales, treasurer Daniel Mookhey, says Labor's first budget for the state in more than a decade will lay the groundwork for future reform, make cuts in areas that don't affect people" and provide support for a once in a generation" cost-of-living crisis.We are looking for every available opportunity we can to provide practical assistance to people," he said.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

The state government will pledge almost $53m over four years to fund dozens of new positions

Experts say CODE Bet, which assesses wagering markets, could be affected if parliamentary inquiry's calls are heeded

Tens of thousands without power in New England and Nova Scotia as other potentially dangerous tempests hover over the AtlanticTens of thousands in New England and Canada remained without power on Sunday morning after the deadly storm Lee struck Nova Scotia on Saturday afternoon as a post-tropical cyclone.In Nova Scotia, nearly 100,000 customers were without power, according to PowerOutage.com. The US state of Maine was dealing with about 40,000 outages as of Sunday morning, and New Brunswick had about 12,000, the website also said. Continue reading...

Comedian performed at charity's gigs during period in which he allegedly committed rape and sexual assaultAmnesty International has urged women to come forward if they have any concerns about the behaviour of Russell Brand during his participation in two of the charity's standup comedy events in 2006 and 2012, after the publication of allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.It follows the announcement by a charity which supports vulnerable women recovering from addiction that it would sever links with Brand. The Trevi women and children's charity said it had ended its association with Brand and his charitable fund, the Stay Free Foundation. Continue reading...

YouGov finds 77% in favour of proposal to allow terminally-ill people to take their own lives

Ex-supreme court president among those whose failure to take oath means they cannot sit or vote in second chamberLady Hale, the former president of the supreme court, is among 11 peers who appear to have neglected their duties in the House of Lords after failing to take an oath to King Charles - a requirement for them to perform any part of their constitutional role.Among the other peers is Harry Carter (Lord Carter of Haslemere), a top lawyer working in Downing Street, who was appointed a peer by Theresa May nearly four years ago but has never taken part in the House of Lords. Continue reading...

Scandal-hit business lobby group reportedly issues appeal for financial help shortly before annual meetingThe Confederation of British Industry (CBI) risks financial oblivion unless it can convince its remaining members to stump up 3m within the next few days, according to reports.The scandal-hit business lobby group is in a race against time to stave off collapse, even as rival organisations jockey for position to replace it as the voice of British business. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary makes comments after allegations of rape and sexual assault made against comedianThe foreign secretary has said the entertainment industry has questions to answer, after revelations that the comedian Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.James Cleverly became the most senior British politician to talk about the issue after the allegations about Brand's behaviour were published by the Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches on Saturday night. Brand has strongly denied the allegations. Continue reading...

Lee Waters says change to speed limits are one of the most significant things we've done since devolution'The Labour-led Welsh government has said introducing a default 20mph speed limit for residential roads is one of the most significant changes in 25 years of devolution and has accused the Tories of waging a culture war" against it.From Sunday, most roads in Wales that were 30mph have become 20mph, although councils have discretion to impose exemptions. Continue reading...

Regional governor says 12 passengers and two crew were onboard the Embraer jet when it crashed in Barcelos provinceFourteen people on a small jet died when the plane crashed in Brazil's northern Amazonas state on Saturday, the regional governor said.The crash took place in Barcelos province, about 250 miles (400km) from the state capital, Manaus. Continue reading...

Paramedics treated 40 people, of whom 26 were taken to hospital, seven in a serious condition

The comments come days after fellow no campaigner Jacinta Nampijinpa Price declared you can't have treaty'

Conference season is here, along with significant electoral tests, followed by the king's speech and autumn statementWith a general election fast approaching - one has to be held by 28 January 2025 at the latest - there is little time for Rishi Sunak to come up with a masterplan. His party is way behind in the polls, and every week brings another crisis - small boats, school buildings, NHS waiting lists soaring, councils going bust.Keir Starmer and Labour now look increasingly confident, and likely to form the next government. Continue reading...

Close friend and colleague has revealed Ella Cutler, who fell 10 metres from Dubrovnik clifftop, is out of ICU but still faces many surgeries'

This blog is now closed

Questions for current and ex-PM over their handling of the pandemic put off until NovemberThe box office" inquisitions that will bring Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings before the Covid-19 inquiry have been shunted back a month until November to prevent them clashing with the political conference season.The eagerly awaited appearances of those in charge of the pandemic response will lay bare tensions and disagreements at the heart of government, including over the severity and timing of lockdowns, the rushed contracts awarded for huge amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE), school closures and policies such as Sunak's eat out to help out" scheme. Continue reading...

Soaring deficits at health trusts across England cast doubt on Sunak's waiting lists pledgeThe NHS is heading into an unprecedented financial crisis and will overspend its budget by at least 7bn next year as the effects of inflation and strikes plunge hospital trusts into alarming levels of debt, according to leading independent experts.The problem of soaring deficits is hitting a growing number of trusts across England ahead of a likely general election within 12 months, and will raise further serious doubts about Rishi Sunak's chances of meeting his pledge to cut record waiting lists. Continue reading...

Limited police resources and court backlogs of owners seeking exemptions for their animals will make new law difficult to enforceA ban on American XL bully dogs may prove ineffective in the short term, with limited resources in police forces to enforce new laws and the prospect of a backlog in the courts, experts warned this weekend.Some police forces only have one or two trained dog legislation officers. The police and the courts may be required to deal with hundreds of cases from owners of XL bully dogs seeking exemptions to any ban. Continue reading...

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services says lives could be at risk and it is nearly too late to leave

West Midlands mayor Andy Street says a big chunk of people' are hurting in cost of living crisisA senior Conservative has called on his party to ensure welfare claimants are not handed a real-terms cut next year, after Rishi Sunak refused to commit to increasing benefits in line with inflation.Andy Street, the West Midlands mayor and the most senior Tory outside London, said the party's previous commitment to increasing benefits such as universal credit in line with inflation had become a real symbol" of the party's commitment to helping the low-paid. Continue reading...

Akbar Al Baker says request for more flights into Australia was legitimate' at a time the airline was so supportive of Australia'

Warren Mundine, a leading anti-voice campaigner, made the comments despite his no campaign warning against such radical' changes

Kim Jong-un inspects strategic bombers in Russia; Moscow denies Ukraine's claim to have seized village in Donetsk region