One claim of sexual assault allegedly dismissed on the grounds that the man ‘had women throwing themselves at him’A cabinet minister and a high-ranking aide at No 10 Downing Street continued to work in Boris Johnson’s government despite allegations of sexual misconduct against them, according to reports.Two women have given first-hand accounts of what they claim happened to them when one was assaulted and the other groped by political figures, both now in senior roles. Continue reading...
Blazes erupted in rural areas north of Los Angeles county and east of San Diego as temperatures are set to reach 115F in coming daysFirefighters in California are battling several new blazes that ignited as the state is sweltering under a grueling heatwave.Flames burned through bone-dry brush in rural areas north of Los Angeles and east of San Diego on Thursday, forcing the closure of a major interstate and prompting evacuations of schools and care facilities. Continue reading...
Sir Geoffrey Nice QC says outgoing human rights chief’s report on China makes it easier for international community to do nothingThe UN’s failure to mention the word genocide in its report alleging serious human rights violations by China against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province is an “astonishing” lapse, according to a leading British human rights lawyer.The 45-page report from the outgoing UN human rights commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, landed minutes before her term ended on Wednesday, outlining allegations of torture, including forced medical procedures, as well as sexual violence against Uyghur Muslims. Continue reading...
Employees at Reach titles yet to be informed of expansion entailing dozens of journalists hired for American websitesThe Daily Express and Daily Mirror are planning to launch online editions in the US, even though their British journalists are currently on strike over low pay.Staff at the UK news titles have yet to be informed of the proposals to expand across the Atlantic, which have been the subject of internal discussion for some time. Continue reading...
Exclusive: former Foreign Office press secretary to split role with Adam Jones if Truss wins Tory leadership raceBoris Johnson’s former Foreign Office press secretary Simon McGee will be appointed a top spinner for Liz Truss if she makes it to Downing Street next week, according to sources.The Guardian understands that the powerful job of No 10 director of communications will be split in two, with McGee taking on a civil service role and Truss’s existing senior media adviser, Adam Jones, running the political side of the operation. Continue reading...
by Léonie Chao-Fong (now); Martin Belam and Samantha on (#634EW)
This live blog has now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the war hereThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head, Rafael Grossi, has said the agency would consider establishing a continued presence at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.“There has been increased military activity including this morning, until very recently, a few minutes ago … but weighing the pros and cons and having come so far, we are not stopping,” Reuters reports he told journalists before setting out for the nuclear power plant.Today, at about 6am Moscow time, Ukrainian troops landed on the coast of the Kakhovka Reservoir, 3 km northeast of the ZNPP plant in two sabotage groups of up to 60 people in seven boats and attempted to seize the power plant. Measures have been taken to destroy the enemy, including with the use of army aviation.In addition, from 8am Moscow time, the armed forces of Ukraine have been shelling the meeting point of the IAEA mission in the area of the settlement of Vasylivka and the ZNPP. Four shells exploded at a distance of 400m from the first power unit.This is Martin Belam in London taking over the live blog from my colleague Samantha Lock. You can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com Continue reading...
Harwich memorial commemorates rescue of 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children from Nazi regimeThe last time Dame Stephanie Shirley, 88, stood on the quayside in Harwich, she was a frightened five-year-old called Vera Buchtal.The girl had just stepped off a boat that brought her and hundreds of other Jewish children to the UK from the horrors of Nazi Europe. Shirley was back at the Essex port on Thursday to unveil a Kindertransport memorial statue commemorating the rescue of 10,000 unaccompanied children. Continue reading...
PPE Medpro was awarded £203m contracts by UK government after Michelle Mone approached Michael GoveA company linked to the Conservative peer Michelle Mone that was awarded £203m government PPE contracts during the pandemic has been issued with a winding up petition, apparently for unpaid taxes.PPE Medpro Ltd was awarded two contracts via the government’s “VIP lane” after Baroness Mone first approached Michael Gove in May 2020 with an offer to supply PPE. It is already under investigation by the National Crime Agency for potential fraud. Continue reading...
Home Office announces applications for children of those forcibly evicted by the British in 1970s will open in NovemberDescendants of Chagos Islanders forcibly evicted by the British in the 1970s will soon be able to apply to become British citizens, the Home Office has said.After legal challenges by Chagossians, the government has also waived fees for applicants who descend from former inhabitants of the Indian Ocean archipelago. Continue reading...
Exclusive: analysis reveals firearms offences have increased in 29 out of 43 forces over past decadeTwo in three police force areas in England and Wales are experiencing rising gun crime, with one force facing levels six times higher than a decade ago, Guardian analysis of Home Office data has found.While firearms offences have fallen 14% on the whole in the past 10 years – helped by a big fall in gun crime in London – 29 out of 43 police forces have seen an increase in gun crime during that time. In eight of these it has more than doubled. Continue reading...
Authorities impose sweeping restrictions as China holds fast to zero-Covid policyAbout 21 million people in the Chinese city of Chengdu have gone into lockdown as authorities raced to snuff out a new Covid-19 outbreak.China is the last major economy wedded to a zero-Covid policy, stamping out virus flare-ups with snap shutdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines. Continue reading...
Governments urged to launch formal investigations after UN findings on treatment of Muslims in XinjiangGovernments around the world should establish formal independent investigations into human rights abuses in Xinjiang, victims and human rights groups have said, after the 11th-hour release of a long-awaited UN report.The report by the UN office of the high commissioner for human rights (OHCHR) was published minutes before Michele Bachelet ended her tenure. Continue reading...
Officials linked to energy supply and suspected of trying to ‘obstruct’ German economic policies, examined by intelligence agency, reports Die ZeitGermany’s domestic intelligence agency is investigating allegations that two senior civil servants working in the economy ministry could have been spying for Russia, according to a local media report.Die Zeit newspaper, which first revealed the case, said the officials being investigated had close involvement with energy supply issues and held key positions. Continue reading...
Drills involving several allied nations showcase increasing defence ties between Moscow and BeijingRussia and China have launched large-scale military exercises involving several allied nations, in a show of growing defence cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, as they both face tensions with the US.The manoeuvres are also intended to demonstrate that Moscow has sufficient military might for massive drills even as its troops are engaged in military action in Ukraine. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#63547)
Hakeem Hussain, seven, died alone in Birmingham garden having asthma attack after his mother smoked heroinA severely asthmatic seven-year-old boy who died “gasping for air” alone at night was failed by child protection agencies who “could and should have done better”, a serious case review has found.Hakeem Hussain died in the garden of an address where he was staying with his mother, Laura Heath, 40, in the early hours of 26 November 2017. Continue reading...
Russian president lays wreath at hospital where Soviet leader died but will not attend service, Kremlin saysVladimir Putin will not attend the funeral of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, the Kremlin has said, in what will be seen as an extraordinary snub by the Russian president.Gorbachev, who died on Tuesday at 91, would also not receive an official state funeral, a Kremlin spokesperson indicated, making him the first leader since Nikita Khrushchev not to be given that honour. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6351B)
Quarterly figures show 132,139 roles were vacant at end of June, including more than 46,000 nurse postsThe number of posts lying vacant across the NHS in England has reached a “staggering” record high of 132,139 – almost 10% of its entire workforce.The total of unfilled posts jumped dramatically by the end of June from the 105,855 vacancies that existed three months earlier, quarterly personnel figures show. Continue reading...
Cost of electricity for running trains alone is expected to increase from £595m to £885m in 2023-24Network Rail is bracing for a £1bn energy bill for the first time in the history of Britain’s railways, as the energy crisis is forecast to increase its costs by more than 50% over the next financial year.The cost of traction – providing the electricity for running electric trains – is expected to increase to £885m in 2023-24, Network Rail said, up from £595m this year. Continue reading...
Health minister quit this week after woman, 34, died while being moved from hospital due to lack of spaceThe death of a pregnant woman who could not receive treatment in Lisbon’s main hospital because of a lack of capacity has been met with outrage in Portugal, where a months-long health crisis has shut emergency services across the country and put maternity care under extreme pressure.The 34-year-old woman was admitted to Lisbon’s Santa Maria hospital on 23 August with respiratory problems and high blood pressure. Owing to a lack of space in the neonatal service, she was transferred to another hospital, but she died after a heart attack in the ambulance. Continue reading...
Only 13.1% of adults cycled at least once a month in year to November 2021 – lowest rate since survey beganBoris Johnson’s “cycling revolution” has so far failed to build on the gains made during the pandemic, as the proportion of people cycling at least once a week has fallen to its lowest recorded level in England.As local councils have removed dedicated cycle lanes after the pandemic, the number of people cycling for leisure and the number of younger people cycling has dropped. Sarah Mitchell, chief executive of UK cycling charity Cycling UK, issued a plea for proper cycling infrastructure, arguing that “the short-term benefit is that people will be able to keep making those essential journeys to work, to school, to the shops by bike. The long-term benefits will be improvements to the nation’s health, economy and environment.” Continue reading...
Ravil Maganov was chair of Russia’s biggest private oil company, Lukoil, which has criticised Ukraine invasionA senior Russian oil executive has died after falling from the window of a Moscow hospital months after his company criticised the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Ravil Maganov, the chair of the board of the directors of Lukoil, Russia’s largest private oil company, “fell from a window at [Moscow’s] Central Clinical hospital,” the Interfax news agency wrote on Thursday, citing a source. “He died from injuries sustained [from the fall].” Continue reading...
Action near islet comes after Taipei vowed to take tough measures to deal with increase in such intrusionsTaiwan’s military has shot down for the first time an unidentified civilian drone that entered its airspace near an islet off the Chinese coast, after the government vowed to take tough measures to deal with an increase in such intrusions.Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own against the objections of the Taipei government, has held military exercises around the island since early last month in reaction to a visit to Taipei by the US House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Continue reading...
Children’s commissioner for England says investing in family is the single greatest investment you can makeMinisters have been urged to put family at the centre of policymaking, with the children’s commissioner for England saying “investing in family is the single greatest investment you can make”.Dame Rachel de Souza has called on the incoming Conservative leader’s administration to “prioritise” putting families “at the heart” of policymaking as outlined in the government-commissioned family review. Continue reading...
Investigation sees 55% of respondents allege they had been sexually harassed, with women sharing their frustration at being objectified and having to work ‘10 times harder’
Frontrunner for PM rejected the proposal, along with further windfall tax to pay for cost of living support for struggling familiesThe Conservative leadership frontrunner Liz Truss has ruled out energy rationing this winter as she clashed over the cost of living crisis with her rival, Rishi Sunak.The foreign secretary rejected the proposal at the final Tory hustings, despite it being a key fall-back measure in the government’s “worst case” contingency planning. Continue reading...
by Jane Clinton (now); Christy Cooney and Geneva Abdu on (#6339C)
At the final leadership hustings, the two candidates have one last opportunity to sell themselves to Tory membersThe Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association has announced a countrywide 24-hour strike as part of an ongoing dispute over pay, job security, and working conditions.The union said that staff at nine train operating companies as well as Network Rail would strike from midday on Monday 26 September until midday the following day. Continue reading...
Investigation reveals the £120m creative event series has attracted fraction of target numbersThe head of the £120m Unboxed, an ongoing project aimed at celebrating UK creativity, has conceded the scheme has been dogged by being nicknamed the “Festival of Brexit” after it attracted a fraction of the target visitor numbers.Ministers had hoped that the festival would attract 66 million people, but with just over two more months to go, four of the events have so far only drawn 238,000 visitors, according to official figures. Continue reading...
Citizens Advice in affluent Wokingham says requests for help have nearly doubled in a yearA growing number of people in one of the most affluent areas of the country are struggling financially because of a huge spike in energy bills and the soaring cost of living, according to the chief executive of Wokingham Citizens Advice.Many people who have been “just about managing” are now slipping into poverty and debt in Berkshire, said Jake Morrison, making him fearful for poorer regions throughout the country. Continue reading...
Charities say social care crisis is ‘crippling patient flow’ in hospitals and has created a ‘miserable situation’Patients are waiting up to nine months to be discharged from NHS hospitals in England despite being medically fit to leave, according to “shocking” figures that will pile pressure on ministers to tackle the social care crisis.Health experts say the incredibly long-delayed discharges are yet more evidence of the impact of the shortage of social care beds and provisions to get patients home safely. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#633ZG)
A new book says Met police knew she was helped to join IS by a Canadian spy, reinforcing concerns she was victim of traffickingIt is not new – although it is eyecatching – to report that Shamima Begum, then 15, was helped to travel to Syria and join Islamic State by a Canadian agent. Mohammed al-Rashed was picked up by the Turkish authorities in March 2015, and said at the time he was an informant for Canadian intelligence, and had helped Begum travel from Istanbul airport to the Syrian border a few days earlier.What is new is the suggestion that the Metropolitan police knew about Canada’s behind-the-scenes involvement for some time. A book, The Secret History of the Five Eyes, out this week, reveals that Canadian intelligence officers went shortly after to the British police to admit their connection to Rashed, boosting the argument that the teenager from Bethnal Green and her two friends were in fact trafficked. Continue reading...
by Aubrey Allegretti Political correspondent on (#633ZH)
Jacob Rees-Mogg accused of pursuing agenda of ‘punishing civil servants who work from home’Plans to sell off £1.5bn worth of government-owned buildings are based on “fantasy” job cuts to the civil service and ignore the role of hybrid working, critics have said.They took aim at Jacob Rees-Mogg’s crackdown on what he called “under-utilised” property, under which the number of offices operating at the heart of Westminster would more than halved. Continue reading...
The church has built close ties with Fumio Kishida’s ruling party, as well as a host of conservative lawmakersJapan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has announced that his ruling party will cut ties with the Unification Church after a widening scandal caused by the assassination of its former leader Shinzo Abe last month. Kishida also apologised for causing the loss of public trust in politics.Cozy ties between members of Kishida’s governing Liberal Democratic Party, many of them belonging to Abe’s faction, and the South Korean-born church have surfaced since Abe was shot to death while giving a campaign speech in July. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England correspondent on (#633NA)
CPS will decide whether former footballer should face retrial on charges of assault and controlling behaviourRyan Giggs is facing a possible retrial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on charges of assault and controlling behaviour.Giggs, 48, had been charged with deliberately head-butting his former girlfriend, Kate Greville, and elbowing her younger sister in the face during an argument at his home in Greater Manchester on 1 November 2020. Continue reading...
Museum directors ‘in absolute despair’ at latest blow after Covid decline in revenuesMuseums have said they will struggle to provide “warm banks” planned for people priced out of heating their homes, because their own soaring bills threaten opening restrictions and closures this winter.The Museums Association said on Tuesday that the cost of living crisis risked being a bigger blow to the sector than the pandemic, with many museum directors in despair about how to pay for energy bill increases of up to 500%. Continue reading...
by Léonie Chao-Fong, Joe Middleton and Samantha Lock on (#631TS)
Deputy head of Russian-backed administration reportedly leaves Ukraine amid counterattack; first shipment of grain arrives in Djibouti. This blog is now closed
by Libby Brooks Scotland correpsondent on (#632K4)
City councillors accept all 10 recommendations of review set up in response to BLM movementEdinburgh will apologise for suffering caused through the city’s involvement in slavery, while statues, street names and buildings associated with the trade will be “re-presented” to explain the consequences to the public.City councillors on Tuesday unanimously accepted all 10 recommendations made in a report on Edinburgh’s historical links with slavery and colonialism, the result of a review set up in 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and chaired by Scotland’s first black professor, Sir Geoff Palmer. Continue reading...
Island country’s president says Taiwan could take ‘strong countermeasures’ if necessaryTaiwan fired warning shots at a Chinese drone that buzzed an offshore islet shortly after President Tsai Ing-wen said she had ordered Taiwan’s military to take “strong countermeasures” against what she termed Chinese provocations.It was the first time warning shots have been fired in such an incident amid a period of heightened tension between China and Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory. Taiwan strongly disputes China’s sovereignty claims. Continue reading...
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