Country music superstar was due to play six-concert run at Caesars Palace in DecemberDolly Parton has postponed her upcoming Las Vegas concert residency due to health issues.Parton, 79, was due to begin a six-concert run at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on 4 December. She announced on social media that she has been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures". Continue reading...
Police appeal for witnesses over horrific crime' at St Mary's Church in Banbury town centreDetectives are appealing for witnesses after a woman was raped by a group of men in a churchyard in an Oxfordshire town.Officers said they wanted to trace a Good Samaritan" they believe might have tried to help the woman as well as anyone else who might have information. Continue reading...
Lana Collie-James was 14 when she began two years at home to protect her clinically vulnerable motherLana Collie-James was 14 years old in the midst of the Covid pandemic when she was offered a stark choice: her education or her mother's life. My mum's clinically vulnerable. She has a compromised immune system, along with a plethora of other illnesses that would make Covid hit very hard," she says.It meant when schools reopened to pupils after the initial closures, the single mother and her daughter living together in Bournemouth faced a wrenching decision. Continue reading...
Work Foundation says key elements of bill promote secure jobs amid fierce business lobbying against legislationEmployers will be forced to offer more secure terms to more than a million workers if the employment bill going through parliament is implemented, according to research by a leading thinktank.The Work Foundation said analysis of 2023-24 data calculating the impact of a ban on zero-hours contracts and day one" compensation after unfair dismissal - which are two key elements of the employment rights bill - showed 1.2 million workers would have been protected from severe insecurity" in the workplace. Continue reading...
A letter warns Shabana Mahmood that targeting refugees will do nothing to tackle' problems with housing and the NHSMore than 100 charities have sent a letter to the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, calling for an end to the scapegoating of migrants".The letter, sent before her speech at the Labour party conference in Liverpool on Monday afternoon, was coordinated by Refugee Action and signed by 105 organisations from a wide range of sectors - including Save the Children, Mind, Oxfam, Shelter, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, as well as dozens of migrant and anti-racism charities. It has also been signed by the PCS union, which represents Border Force workers. Continue reading...
Elsey Davis will tackle 18,000 metres of elevation on run to raise awareness of young-onset Alzheimer's for her mumMost runners are content with a lap of their local park. But for one Cornish woman that is not nearly enough: she is aiming to race around the perimeter of her home county and set the fastest known time for the route.Elsey Davis, 36, a professional trail runner and GP, calculates she will run about 400 miles and tackle more than 18,000 metres of elevation - the equivalent of two Mount Everests. Continue reading...
PM Christopher Luxon had suggested recognition was only a matter of time, prompting disappointment from opposition parties and activistsOpposition parties, Palestinian groups and a former prime minister have expressed dismay over New Zealand's decision not to recognise Palestinian statehood, saying it places the country on the wrong side of history and puts it at odds with its traditional allies.Last week, the UK, Canada, Australia and others formally declared their recognition of statehood ahead of a special UN conference in New York. As of this month, 157 of the 193 UN member countries have recognised a Palestinian state. Continue reading...
by Presented by Helen Pidd with Nick Lowles; produced on (#70CEG)
Hope Not Hate founder Nick Lowles has spent decades researching, infiltrating and helping communities to combat far-right groups. But now, he says, they have their sights on our multicultural society'For almost four decades Nick Lowles has been trying to push back against the far right. First with the research magazine Searchlight and later with the campaigning organisation Hope Not Hate that has helped foil bomb and murder plots, as well as working in communities to combat far-right propaganda.He tells Helen Pidd about growing up in the 1970s with the National Front on the rise and how in the 1980s he helped infiltrate organisations such as the BNP and Combat 18. More recently Hope Not Hate's work helped lead to Tommy Robinson being jailed. Through it all Lowles has had death threats and abuse. Continue reading...
Home secretary to set out proposed tougher conditions including not taking benefits and spotless' criminal recordCriminals and people who cannot speak English to a high standard" will be denied permission to settle in the UK, Shabana Mahmood will announce on Monday, in proposals intended to contain the growing electoral threat from Reform UK.In a speech framing herself as a tough home secretary", Mahmood will say people seeking indefinite leave to remain (ILR) will have to demonstrate they have integrated and contributed" to society through national insurance payments and voluntary work, and not relied on benefits. Continue reading...
PM says immigration proposals could tear country apart as Labour delegates gather for first day of party conferenceKeir Starmer has decried Reform UK's racist" plans to revoke the rights of thousands of people to live in Britain, as a number of cabinet ministers escalated attacks on Nigel Farage on the first day of the Labour party conference.The prime minister said Farage's plans to revoke indefinite leave to remain for families who may have spent years working in Britain could tear this country apart", though he said he understood that many people tempted to vote for Reform were frustrated at the slow pace of change. Continue reading...
PM calls Reform's policy immoral but says people who want to vote for them are not racist but frustratedKuenssberg ended her interview by asking about Andy Burnham, and the leadership.Starmer said Burnham was doing a very good job as mayor of Greater Manchester.Comments about leaders and leadership are part and parcel of being in politics.It is the bread and butter of politics, every leader get its, it always comes up, particularly at conference. It's in the job description.People are entitled to their views and I'm not sticking my fingers in my ear in the slightest.What I am saying is that it is important to keep focusing on what it is that we are delivering, and saying, absolutely in clear terms, the difference it makes to people's lives.One, have we improved living standards? Do people genuinly feel better off? Two, have we improved public services? Is the NHS in a better place, and people can feel it. And, three, do people feel safe and secure in their home, in their neighbourhood, and that their country is secure.It's a five-year mandate, and I will be judged at the end of that five years, and quite right too.I just need the space and get on and do what we need to do, and do those three things above all else.I am saying we have got the fight of our lives ahead of us because we've got to take on Reform and we've got to beat them. So now is not the time for introspection or navel-gazing.There is a fight that we are all in together, and every single member of our party and our movement - actually, everyone who cares about what this country is, whether they vote Labour or otherwise - it's the fight of our lives for who we are as a country. We need to be in that fight, united not navel-gazing. I'm absolutely clear in my mind about that, and that's what I will be talking about at conference.Sir Keir Starmer gave land to his parents via a trust that meant their estates would never pay inheritance tax on the asset whatever its eventual value, according to legal experts.The prime minister's decision to place a seven-acre field within the structure meant its value was excluded from his parents' estate, of which he was a beneficiary, when they died. Continue reading...
IDF launches 140 airstrikes in last 24 hours as tanks advance in Gaza City and death toll for same period is put at 77Israel has pressed on with its offensive in Gaza as Donald Trump claimed again to be on the brink of a breakthrough in negotiations for a ceasefire in the devastated territory.Witnesses and medics said Israeli tanks were advancing through central and western neighbourhoods of Gaza City towards crowded coastal areas where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#70C7S)
Labour MPs and members are relieved to hear him speak so unequivocally but are expecting a backlash from the rightPoliticians tend to prefer different awkward euphemisms when they talk about the extreme right. Divisive" has so far been the descriptor of choice for Keir Starmer.But on Sunday the prime minister went further. It was racist, he said, unequivocally, for Reform UK to pledge to end indefinite leave to remain, a policy that threatens the lives of people long settled in Britain. Continue reading...
Kathleen Whitehead, known with sibling as the Twinnies', put their long life down to wine, chocolate and exerciseBritain's oldest identical twin has died at the age of 105 - three years after her sister.Kathleen Whitehead died peacefully this month. Her twin, Dorothy Sivyer, died in July 2022. Continue reading...
by Luke Harding in Kyiv. With photographs by Alessio on (#70BZB)
Moscow targets Kyiv and other regions with about 600 drones and 40 missiles, killing at least four peopleOne of the worst bombardments of Kyiv since the start of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has killed at least four people in what Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as a vile and cowardly" attack.Russia launched nearly 600 drones and more than 40 cruise missiles in a bombardment that lasted more than 12 hours over Saturday night and into Sunday morning. The main targets were the Ukrainian capital and the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Odesa. Continue reading...
Civilian unmanned flights to be banned during gathering of heads of EU governments amid spate of drone incursionsDanish authorities have said drones were seen at several military sites overnight and announced that all civilian use of the unmanned aircraft will be banned this week, as Copenhagen prepares to host two European summits.The Danish defence ministry said on Sunday it had observed drones at several of its armed forces locations on Saturday night, without giving further details. The transport ministry said all civilian use of drones would be banned to ensure security while Denmark hosts an EU summit and a meeting of the European Political Community, a wider gathering of leaders from across the continent. Continue reading...
by Sarah Basford Canales and Ben Doherty on (#70C61)
A sixteenfold increase in the original contract without public notification raises allegations of gross mismanagement' and a process run out of control'
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#70C09)
Richard Hermer aims criticism at Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick at Labour conference eventRightwing populists threaten working-class people's protections under the rule of law, the attorney general has said in his most political intervention yet.In a criticism directed squarely at Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick, Richard Hermer said populist politicians posed a threat to the everyday protectionsafforded to people who used the legal system and the courts to right significant wrongs. Continue reading...
British singer thanks fans for support after incident at gig, during which she had told crowd of tricky couple of days'The British singer Lola Young has said she is doing OK" after collapsing on stage during a festival performance in New York.In footage posted on social media, the 24-year-old can be seen swaying before dropping her microphone and falling backward while singing at the All Things Go festival in the Forest Hills Stadium on Saturday. Continue reading...
Body of teenager found on beach in northern France after three other people die in Channel crossings on SaturdayA child is believed to have died while trying to cross the Channel in a small boat, according to French reports. The body of the teenager, who was believed to have fallen from a dinghy, was discovered on a beach in northern France on Sunday.The death follows those of three other people on Saturday who were trying to reach the UK - two Somali women who were reportedly crushed in a boat, and a man whose body was recovered from a canal in the town of Gravelines, near Dunkirk. Continue reading...
Plaid Cymru and Reform are polling above Welsh Labour in race for Senedd seat experts say may be canary in the coalmine'Usually, a Welsh parliament byelection in Caerphilly would probably not attract huge attention away from its rolling green hills and post-industrial townscapes.But these are not normal times and the result of next month's ballot in this corner of south Wales may have ramifications across the UK. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Stonewall writes to ministers and warns cost of compliance could be significant' for struggling companiesBusinesses across the UK fear that new guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on the use of toilets and changing rooms will be confusing", unworkable" and could undermine inclusion".The LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall has written to the newly appointed business and trade ministers to highlight the significant costs of compliance for struggling companies. Continue reading...
The family behind La Luz del Mundo Church allegedly facilitated sexual abuse of children and women for decadesSince its inception nearly 100 years ago, La Luz del Mundo Church has been a family affair even as it spread from Mexico to the US and around the world.Eusebio Aaron" Joaquin Gonzalez, who founded the Guadalajara-based Christian church, was succeeded by his son, Samuel Joaquin Flores, upon his death in 1964. Continue reading...
Victims include nine children at election campaign gathering in Tamil Nadu led by popular actor and politicianPolice in India have opened a criminal case against the leaders of a party headed by the actor turned politician Vijay, after a crowd crush at one of his rallies killed 40 people and injured at least 124 others.Local officials reported that at least nine children had died at the rally, which took place on Saturday night in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. Vijay, one of the most popular and successful actors in Tamil cinema, who entered politics last year, was addressing the crowd for his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party before state elections early next year. Continue reading...
Housing secretary is set to announce initiative modelled on Clement Attlee's postwar housing boom'The government is expected to announce on Sunday a programme to build 12 new towns across England in a bid to address the country's housing crisis.The housing secretary, Steve Reed, will unveil the initiative at Labour's annual conference as it begins in Liverpool. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, described the proposals as national renewal in action". Continue reading...
Labour party conference really big opportunity to make our case to the country', says PMHundreds of thousands more children are to receive a free breakfast through a government scheme, Bridget Phillipson has announced.On Saturday, education secretary, said that 500,000 more children across England will soon benefit from the government's role out of free breakfast clubsThe start of the national rollout of free breakfast clubs will be an historic change in working families' daily routines and is another example of this Labour government making good on its promises to deliver the change the British people voted for.This is Labour choosing a path of renewal towards a fairer country - breaking down the barriers to opportunity and ensuring every child starts school ready to learn.I have worked hard as a councillor for Langside for the past three years to build a better community and now I can't wait to be the voice of change across our great communities in the constituency.As your candidate for Glasgow Southside, I will always put people and planet before corporate greed, I will fight back against the millionaires who are pushing racist anti-migrant narratives and I will call out the horrific genocide in Gaza.Since then, she's been a great voice for the local community and I have no doubt that she'll be a fantastic candidate for the constituency.Green support in Glasgow Southside has been growing steadily in recent years and we're looking forward to the campaign for Holyrood, in Southside, across Glasgow and throughout the country. Continue reading...
Foysol Choudhury, who represents Lothian, will sit as an independent while an investigation takes placeA Scottish Labour MSP has been suspended from the party over an allegation of inappropriate conduct.Foysol Choudhury, who has served as an MSP for Lothian since 2021, will sit as an independent while the party carries out an investigation. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#70BMJ)
People charged before protest group was proscribed describe restrictions on wearing keffiyehs and holding certain prison jobsPeople who have been in jail since last year awaiting trial for alleged offences relating to Palestine Action activities say they have faced a crackdown since the group was proscribed, including being banned from wearing the keffiyeh and from prison jobs.The prisoners were charged before Palestine Action was banned and none have been charged with Terrorism Act offences, although the Crown Prosecution Service has said there is a terrorism connection". Continue reading...
Lorenz Kraus, 53, tells WRGB in Albany he killed elderly parents as act of mercy and buried bodies in back yardA man confessed to killing his parents and then burying them in their back yard during a recent interview with a local television news channel in upstate New York, leading authorities to charge him with two counts of murder.Lorenz Kraus's remarkable interview with WRGB aired pn Thursday, shortly after police discovered two bodies at his family's home in Albany - and about eight years after his parents were last seen alive before apparently vanishing without a trace. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#70BGE)
Fears raised over social media posts urging action against shared properties housing asylum seekersFears are growing that shared houses may become the focus of anti-migrant protests, with residents and charities saying tensions are building in some areas.Homes of multiple occupation (HMOs) have grown in number as renters seek affordable accommodation amid a housing crisis. Continue reading...
Chief magistrate at Woolwich crown court rules that charge brought against musician is unlawful and null'A terrorism charge against the Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh has been thrown out by the chief magistrate due to a technical error.O hAnnaidh had been charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, last November. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#70AVY)
Campbell was North East Fife MP for nearly three decades and was made a peer, and once held UK 100m recordMenzies Campbell, the long-serving Liberal Democrat MP who led the party for 18 months, has died aged 84, his family have said.Lord Campbell, usually known as Ming, died in London after a period of respite care, his grandson Gregor Grant-Suttie said in a statement. He had spent some of his final days watching last weekend's Lib Dem conference. Continue reading...
Mother of victim Barnaby Webber says allegations about watchdog staff have left families asking whom they can trustPolice watchdog investigators who are alleged to have described an inquiry into the 2023 Nottingham stabbings as politically motivated are disrespectful and inhumane", the mother of one victim has said.Emma Webber said new allegations about staff at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had left families asking whom they could trust. Continue reading...
by Stephanie Convery and earlier Caitlin Cassidy on (#70ACQ)
This blog is closed.Parents need boost to lift flagging vaccination rateParents need practical strategies such as easier access to appointments and bulk-billing to help reverse a concerning decline in childhood vaccination rates, research has found.The top barriers were mostly around ability to get appointments easily, being able to prioritise their child's vaccination over all of the other things that they have to get done, the cost of getting their child vaccinated.We now know that that will be on the 20th of October. The point here is that they had spoken a number of times by phone. The relationship is conducted at many, many levels. It is going well.We've got the lowest tariff rate. Aukus is happening at a pace. And so we're really confident ... about the progress of our relationship with the US. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#70AQF)
Exclusive: Group warn coastal communities need greater investment to reduce inequality and fight off threat from ReformA group of Labour MPs representing coastal areas will demand urgent action to tackle deprivation in their seats, warning a lack of progress could leave them vulnerable to Reform.They will use the party conference this weekend to call for an equivalent of the London Challenge, which turned around failing schools in the capital under Tony Blair's government, but with a focus on post-16 training and apprenticeships. Continue reading...
Exclusive: critics say the move, part of the sentencing bill for England and Wales, would bring shame upon families of offendersMinisters are pushing through powers to photograph, name and shame offenders who have been ordered to complete unpaid community work in England and Wales.The sentencing bill, now moving through parliament, will for the first time give probation officers a legal power" to take and publish the names and pictures of individuals ordered by courts to tidy grass verges, litter-pick or scrub graffiti. Continue reading...
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