Happiness among girls and young women in UK at lowest since 2009 as 37% report being sent upsetting contentAs a society, I think that there's a lot more that we could be doing to make young girls feel more accepted," says Anthony Asfour, reflecting on the findings of a UK study showing happiness among girls and young women is at its lowest since 2009.A supervisor for the charity Childline, Asfour and his team of volunteers in London are contacted 84 times a day, on average, by children and young people in distress. Many of the issues highlighted in the report by Girlguiding this week, especially those around online abuse, ring true with them. Continue reading...

Unions say as many as 3,000 workers could lose posts in long term on back of deal to help decarbonisation plans

Payout relates to article that wrongly claimed pair had received 500,000 to promote tax avoidance schemesMailOnline has agreed to pay Gabby and Kenny Logan substantial damages" in relation to an article falsely claiming they had received 500,000 for promoting tax avoidance schemes to their celebrity friends and had sought to disguise the income as loans.Statements read at the high court on Friday, said the former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie had also agreed to pay substantial damages to the BBC TV presenter and her businessman husband for a tweet he posted about the story. Continue reading...

Police arrest 30-year-old after man attacked by dogs in village of Stonnall dies in hospitalA man has died after being attacked by two dogs near a school in Staffordshire, the West Midlands ambulance service (WMAS) has said.Paramedics were called to the incident in the village of Stonnall on Thursday afternoon and treated a man who had multiple life-threatening injuries". Continue reading...

Finley Cook, 20, will appear in court over the fatal stabbing of Matthew Daulby, 19, in Ormskirk in JulyPolice have charged a second man with the murder of a teenager who was stabbed during a late-night altercation.Matthew Daulby, 19, from Liverpool, was stabbed shortly after midnight in the centre of Ormskirk, Lancashire, on 29 July. Continue reading...

Country hit by record rainfall that followed Mediterranean storm with similarities to tropical cycloneAfter battering Greece last week, Storm Daniel caused further devastating floods, this time affecting Libya. As the storm moved across the Sahara, it developed into what is informally known as a medicane, a storm in the Mediterranean that develops characteristics similar to those seen in tropical cyclones, notably a central eye. The particularly warm Mediterranean water fuelled by the extreme heat seen over southern Europe this summer, helped strengthen Daniel as it approached Libya.By Saturday 10 September, Daniel had reached north-eastern Libya, with winds of 70-80mph according to Libya's National Meteorological Centre. The devastation then came from extreme rainfall, as 24-hour totals of 150mm-240mm were widely recorded in the region. One station in the city of Al-Bayda recorded a rainfall total of 414.1mm in 24 hours, a new record for the area. These torrential rains caused two dams to collapse, which resulted in devastating flash flooding that has killed thousands of people. Continue reading...

Shadow home secretary says any deal to accept people from EU to focus on reuniting families

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Residents cautioned to minimise heat exposure as the mercury in eastern states forecast to reach up to 12C above average

Zuzana aputova has said she got death threats after Robert Fico made unwarranted accusations' about herSlovakia's president, Zuzana aputova, a former civil rights lawyer, activist and standard bearer for progressive causes, has sued Robert Fico, the populist head of the country's main opposition party, for spreading lies about her amid rising tensions before a key parliamentary election at the end of this month.The election on 30 September pits Fico, whose SMER-SSD party is in the lead, according to the latest polls, against Progressive Slovakia, which is running second. Continue reading...

Expected government deal to help switch to greener production could lead to as many as 3,000 job losses

Police claim the woman, 47, threatened officers with an axe in Stockton before barricading herself inside an apartment where she was shot with less than lethal options'

Li Shangfu, who has not been seen for two weeks, is under house arrest', claims US ambassador to JapanChina's defence minister has not been seen in almost three weeks with speculation he is under investigation, the latest case of a senior Communist party official to disappear from public view.Gen Li Shangfu was last seen on 29 August when he gave a speech to the China-Africa peace and security forum. His last overseas trip was to Moscow and Minsk in mid-August, where he met Russian officials on the sidelines of a security conference, and with the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. Continue reading...

Russian president also gave Kim at meeting the gift of a glove from a space suit that has been to space' amid warnings from US and South Korea about any weapons dealKim Jong-un has visited a factory that builds advanced fighter jets, as his tour of Russia moves into its third day and the Kremlin revealed he and Vladimir Putin had exchanged gifts of rifles during their summit this week.Two days after meeting Putin at a space base in Russia's far east, where they discussed satellite technology and - possibly - a deal to provide North Korean arms for the war in Ukraine, Kim's armoured train arrived in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he visited a factory that makes Russia's most modern fighter jets, Russian news agencies reported. Continue reading...

Excitement about Netflix and Amazon's investment has evaporated as strikes, falling ad spend and a glut of completed shows leaves crews out of workEarlier this year things appeared to be looking up for the UK's 6bn TV and film production industry, with US streaming firms revealing billions had been spent on shows and films made in Britain.An announcement from Amazon that it had doubled its investment in the UK, where it now makes dramas including the Lord of the Rings prequel, The Rings of Power, followed news from Netflix that it was spending about $1.5bn (1.2bn) annually on British-made movies and series such as The Crown and Heartstopper. Continue reading...

Fresh prison term comes on top of 24-year sentence Dawson received in 2022 for murdering wife Lynette Dawson in 1982

Former Australian Test cricketer arrested on Tuesday, accused of playing role in drug trade that led to his alleged kidnapping

No campaign spokeswoman praised by opposition leader, Peter Dutton, who stopped short of endorsing her claims about the impact of colonisation

Man, 76, sentenced in the county court over sexual abuse of a young girl more than 30 years ago

Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik charged after Sara, 10, found dead at her Surrey home in AugustThe father, stepmother and uncle of 10-year-old Sara Sharif have been charged with murder after police found her body at their Surrey home in August.Sara's father, Urfan Sharif, 41, her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 29, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, 28, flew to Pakistan with five children in August. Shortly after arriving, Sharif called emergency services in the UK to report that Sara was dead at their house in Horsell, near Woking. Continue reading...

Labour leader accused of pandering to anti-migrant sentiments by those on the left while Tories seize on proposal for deal with EUKeir Starmer was under attack from left and right on Thursday after he set out plans to stop small boat Channel crossings in Labour's first big intervention on the issue.Fleshing out his party's proposals, the Labour leader promised to ditch the use of barges, hotels and military sites to house asylum seekers. He also promised to recruit 1,000 caseworkers to end the asylum backlog. Continue reading...

Son calls on UK to intervene in case of Gubad Ibadoghlu, critic of Azerbaijani government who was arrested there in JulyThe family of a UK-based Azerbaijani academic and prominent opposition figure have raised concerns over his health after he was detained during a visit to the country and have called on the UK government to intervene.Gubad Ibadoghlu, a senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics, was arrested and held by Azerbaijan authorities while visiting family in July. He is facing up to 12 years in prison for the production, acquisition or sale of counterfeit money by an organized group and allegedly possessing extremist material - charges he denies. Continue reading...

Temporary air traffic control restrictions led to 22 flights being cancelled and others divertedFlights have been cancelled, delayed and rerouted at Gatwick due to short-notice staff absences in the air traffic control team, the airport has said.The transport hub in West Sussex has apologised to those affected by the temporary air traffic control restrictions enforced on Thursday evening which led to 22 flights being cancelled. Continue reading...

Fresh uncertainty for high-speed line as leak suggests Sunak and Hunt have discussed cost implications of Manchester phaseThe HS2 high-speed rail line is at risk of further cuts to its route north of Birmingham as the government considers whether it can afford high-cost projects in advance of the autumn budget.The project has been mired in fresh uncertainty after the prime minister's spokesperson refused to guarantee on Thursday it would run to Manchester, after publication of a photographed document suggesting further cuts were under discussion. Continue reading...

Beijing's action crosses the line from influence to interference', government says in response to ISC reportChina has tried to headhunt British nationals from the government, industry and the military, Downing Street has said, days after it emerged a parliamentary researcher had been arrested for alleged spying on behalf of Beijing.Number 10 said on Thursday that Beijing's cyber and human intelligence gathering was prolific, adding that more needed to be done to protect British institutions, in a summary of the threat from China prepared for MPs. Continue reading...

Russia's total-war attacks on Ukraine citizens show up limits of UK's air defence systems, Adm Sir Tony Radakin tells conferenceBritain's most senior military officer has said the war in Ukraine had revealed a potential vulnerability of the UK to missile and drone attack, arguing it is time for greater discussion about improving homeland security.Adm Sir Tony Radakin told a defence industry conference in London that there was an aggressive world out there in terms of state threats", noting specifically that it was becoming easy to get close to a country and fly drones in". Continue reading...

The piece, which Diana, Princess of Wales wore in 1981, weeks before her wedding, is most valuable sweater sold at auctionAlthough often photographed in fine gowns and jewellery, a red jumper decorated with a flock of sheep is one of the most enduringly recognisable of all of the old clothes of Diana, Princess of Wales. Worn to attend a polo match in June 1981, it sold for $1.1m (885,000) in New York on Thursday, making it the most valuable sweater ever sold at auction and setting a record for any article of clothing worn by her, according to Sotheby's.The auction house had estimated that the jumper would sell for between $50,000 and $80,000 as part of its Fashion Icons collection. Given the attention that Diana's style has enjoyed in recent years, it might have been expected to smash expectations, but perhaps not by 14 times - it may even have helped that it showed signs of wear, with some damage at the cuff. Continue reading...

The return of Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane comes 30 years after the original premiered, now joined by Nicholas LyndhurstFrasier is back - and in Boston. The first trailer for the Paramount+ reboot of the beloved sitcom, a successful spin-off of Cheers, finds Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane in a new city, working as a professor and trying to connect with his adult son, Freddy, played by Jack Cutmore-Scott.The 10-episode series will follow Frasier back from Seattle - the setting of the original show, which ran from 1993 to 2004 on NBC - back to Boston, where he has new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill", according to a press release. Continue reading...

Attorney general asked to investigate amid allegations warnings ignored about dangerous state of two damsLibya's attorney general has been asked by senior politicians to launch an urgent inquiry into the catastrophic floods that have killed tens of thousands of people, including into allegations local officials imposed a curfew on the night Storm Daniel struck.The Libyan Red Crescent put the death toll at more than 11,000 people, with nearly 20,000 still missing, the highest estimate yet from an official source. It said almost 2,000 bodies were swept into the sea by the floods. Continue reading...

Sir Tony Radakin says Kyiv is pushing Russia back" and has rejected claims Ukraine's counteroffensive is struggling. This live blog is closed

A report suggests widening inequalities as black babies and those from deprived backgrounds more likely to be stillbornStillbirths have risen for the first time in seven years, with striking increases seen in babies of black ethnicity and from the most deprived backgrounds.The findings in the perinatal mortality report from the group Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries (MBRRACE-UK) highlight widening inequalities, with babies of black ethnicity more than twice as likely to be stillborn compared with white babies. Overall, stillbirths in 2021 (the most recent data reported by hospitals) increased to 3.54 per 1,000 from 3.33 per 1,000 in 2020, ending the year-on-year reduction across the UK since 2013. Continue reading...

Parliament votes to cut mining red tape and diversify its supplies of raw materials such as lithium and siliconThe EU has voted in a plan to secure more of the critical materials needed to make solar panels, electric car batteries and other key elements of its green transition.The European parliament agreed on Thursday to diversify its supplies of critical raw materials and cut red tape for mining companies. In an attempt to reduce its dependency on China, it plans to ensure that by 2030 it does not rely on a single country for more than 65% of its supply of any strategic raw material. Continue reading...

Brokers say borrower confidence likely to lift after the first below 5% deal surfaces since June with more offers likely soonA fixed-rate mortgage priced at below 5% has gone on sale for the first time since June as leading lenders announced a fresh wave of home loan reductions.Brokers said a mortgage rate war is well and truly under way" and that the lower pricing should provide a boost to borrowers worried about the imminent end of their current deal, as well as would-be homebuyers who have been sitting on the sidelines. Continue reading...

While Labour aims for as grown-up a stance as possible, the Tories are attempting to paint them as trying to unpick Brexit

A prevention of future deaths report is sent to Steve Barclay after Allison Aules, 12, took her own lifeA London coroner has warned the health secretary that preventable child suicides are likely to increase unless the government provides more funding for mental health services.Nadia Persaud, the east London area coroner, told Steve Barclay that the suicide of Allison Aules, 12, in July 2022 highlighted the risk of similar deaths unless action is taken". Continue reading...

July figure is up from 7.57m in June, says NHS England, and is highest number since records began in 2007

Pollock's Toy Museum to put on puppet theatre shows in Hoxton at Open House festival, as search for permanent home continuesMore than 70 years after leaving its original home in east London, the capital's oldest and most whimsical toy museum is returning to its roots this weekend as part of an annual festival in which significant buildings open their doors to the public.Pollock's Toy Museum's extensive collection of puppet theatres, dolls, games, teddy bears and other Victorian toys has been in storage since January, after it was forced to leave its premises in central London. Continue reading...

Raelene Cooper has been granted an interlocutory injunction by the federal court in her case over potential impact on songlines

Three of officers face accusations of gross misconduct over search of Child Q at Hackney school in 2020Four Metropolitan police officers are to face disciplinary proceedings over the strip-search of a 15-year-old schoolgirl known as Child Q.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said three of the officers faced accusations of gross misconduct over the search, carried out at a school in Hackney, east London, in December 2020. It is alleged that the decision to carry out the search, while the girl was on her period, was inappropriate; Child Q was discriminated against because of her race and sex; there was no appropriate adult present; and the officers did not get authorisation from a supervisor. Continue reading...

Committee describes shameful state of affairs' at Australia's tertiary institutions and says findings are serious indictment' on sector

STC will put on Tony award-winning musical's first original production since Broadway, an opportunity that artistic director Kip Williams describes as thrilling'

Greens senator David Shoebridge criticises move during parliamentary debate on transparency around lobbying

Thinktank says replacements for European Investment Bank have backed fewer, smaller and lower-risk projects'New public sector lenders created by the government since Brexit are investing two-thirds less than the UK was receiving from the EU's European Investment Bank, a new report finds.Over more than four decades, the EIB backed UK projects ranging from the Channel tunnel and the Manchester Metrolink to offshore windfarms and upgrading the National Grid. Continue reading...

Victim, 29, in serious condition with gunshots wounds to body and head after second shooting in suburban Sydney in two days

Exclusive: Papers, notebooks, letters, speeches and photos from 60-year career in public life donated by daughterThe British Library has acquired the archive of Shirley Williams, one of the most influential figures in British social democracy in the second half of the 20th century, who was known affectionately as Shirl the Pearl" by her admirers.Lady Williams, who died aged 90 in 2021, was a Labour cabinet minister in the 1970s and was later a member of the Gang of Four" that broke away from the Labour party to form the Social Democratic party (SDP).Shirley Williams: A Life in Politics is at the British Libraries' treasures gallery from 15 September until 25 February Continue reading...

David Shoebridge says statement calls into question deputy PM's claim that keeping flight details secret complies with the rules, but Marles insists all his travel accords with the relevant guidelines and security procedures'

Passengers in isolation with virus as Ocean Explorer remains stuck in Alpefjord national park

Mayor of flood-hit city of Derna calls for body-recovery teams as international aid starts to arriveRescue workers in the devastated Libyan city of Derna have appealed for more body bags, after a catastrophic flood killed thousands of people and swept many out to sea.International aid is slowly starting to reach the port city after Storm Daniel hit the northern coast of Libya on Saturday night. As many as 20,000 people are feared to have died. Continue reading...

Karin Kneissl says she is moving to Russia to lead a thinktank she set up with St Petersburg UniversityAn Austrian former foreign minister, Karin Kneissl, who became infamous in 2018 for dancing with Russian president Vladimir Putin at her wedding, has moved to St Petersburg - along with her ponies, which were flown in on a Russian military plane.In 2018, Karin Kneissl, then foreign minister of neutral Austria, made headlines when she invited Putin to her wedding. It drew widespread criticism, coming just months after some EU countries - excluding Austria - expelled scores of Russian diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. Continue reading...

Alleged remains of non-human' mummies presented at hearing, in country's first official event on UFOsMexican senators have heard testimony that we are not alone" in the universe and been presented with the alleged remains of non-human" mummies, in the country's first official event on extraterrestrial life.At a senate hearing on Tuesday, lawmakers were shown two shriveled bodies with shrunken heads - alongside video footage of unexplained anomalous phenomena" - by Jaime Maussan, a sports journalist turned UFO enthusiast. Continue reading...