Talk of the chancellor looking at a new levy on expensive homes or removing CGT exemption is making buyers warySpeculation that the chancellor could announce new property taxes in her autumn budget is likely to slow down an already price-sensitive housing market, estate agents have said.Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering a tax on the sale of homes over 500,000 and the removal of the capital gains tax exemption on primary residences above 1.5m as ways to boost income for the government. Continue reading...
Former prime minister in Washington DC on Wednesday for talks that reportedly also included Jared KushnerThe former British prime minister Tony Blair has attended a White House meeting with Donald Trump to discuss plans for postwar Gaza, the Guardian understands.After stepping down as prime minister in 2007, Blair took on the role of Middle East envoy until 2015 and spent time in Jerusalem trying to formulate a plan for a two-state solution. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6ZM0E)
Former health secretary wants to see an overhaul of special educational needs and disabilities system in EnglandChildren and young people are being overdiagnosed with mental health conditions in a society that has lost sight of the reality that child development is messy and uneven", the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.He is the latest senior figure to add his voice to calls for a radical overhaul of the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system in England. Continue reading...
by David Hammer of WWL Louisiana in New Orleans on (#6ZKZC)
Lawsuit has most direct allegations of wrongdoing leveled against Aymond, who denies them, in court filing to dateA lawsuit newly filed against the Roman Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans and its top two officials alleges the city's archbishop, Gregory Aymond, personally covered up child sexual abuse by priests and deacons - and asks a judge to reject a guarantee on his future retirement benefits as punishment.The archdiocese responded by saying the allegations brought by the plaintiff, Argent Institutional Trust Co, are baseless. Continue reading...
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu denies sexually assaulting two teenagers and a woman in Epping last monthAn Ethiopian man who became the focus of far-right demonstrations outside a hotel in Epping after being accused of sexually assaulting two teenagers has told a court he did not touch the girls.I'm not a wild animal. I can't do these kind of things," Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an asylum seeker housed at the Bell hotel in Epping, told his trial at Colchester magistrates court on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Agency authorizes shots for those 65 and older, with young people eligible if they have underlying medical conditionsThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated Covid-19 vaccines but has placed new restrictions on who can get them.The agency has authorized Covid vaccines for people 65 and older, who are known to be more at risk from serious illnesses from Covid infections. Continue reading...
Likened to a trade embargo' and an earthquake', it could cut exports from affected sectors by as much as 70%Donald Trump's tariffs of 50% have come into force on most US imports from India. The US president followed through on his threat to punish one of the world's largest economies for its purchases of discounted Russian oil. Continue reading...
Spokesperson says government in fighting spirit' after PM called confidence vote he is expected to loseEmmanuel Macron has given his full support" to France's beleaguered prime minister, Francois Bayrou, who is expected to lose a confidence vote next month, which would be likely to cause the government to collapse.Macron chaired a cabinet meeting on Wednesday as France faces a fresh political crisis. The government spokesperson, Sophie Primas, said after the meeting that Macron fully supported Bayrou and the government was in a fighting spirit". Continue reading...
British Transport Police said alleged victim did not wish to provide a statement to the investigation'The far-right activist Tommy Robinson is to face no further action after he was arrested over an alleged assault at St Pancras station in London.British Transport Police (BTP) presented a file of evidence to prosecutors over the incident on 28 July, with footage of Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, pacing around near a man lying face down on the floor, posted on social media. Continue reading...
Some Iranian officials say readmission breaches law passed after Israel and the US attacked the country in JuneThe partial return of UN inspectors to Iran for the first time since Israel and the US attacked Iran's nuclear sites has been met with protests by officials in Tehran, who claim the strict preconditions they set have been breached. Some even described the return as criminal.Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, tried to quell the backlash by saying the inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would not be visiting any of the bombed sites and that discussions about these were still to be had. Continue reading...
CBI polling of the sector shows most companies are downbeat about future and are reporting lower profitsBusiness confidence plunged this month across the UK's services sector as mounting cost pressures and weak demand hit profits and undermined the outlook for the rest of the year.The CBI's latest service sector poll found that a majority of companies were gloomy about their prospects and discounted the acceleration in activity that usually follows the return to work after the summer break. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Joe Coughlan (early) on (#6ZKCV)
Soldiers and armoured vehicles enter city in northern occupied West Bank, confirms Israeli military, as residents say soldiers are searching housesAl Jazeera reports that the prime minister of Belgium has begun a meeting with his deputies on the topic of recognising the state of Palestine.Bart De Wever said in a statement yesterday that it does not make sense to recognise the Palestinian state unless certain conditions are satisfied. Continue reading...
Motorists queue, petrol stations run dry and prices surge in country that is one of the world's top energy exportersRussia prides itself on being an energy superpower, but some of its citizens are suddenly struggling to fill their fuel tanks after weeks of Ukrainian drone strikes crippled refining capacity across the country.Petrol stations in several regions have run dry while prices have surged to record highs and motorists queue for hours. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#6ZKCT)
Nick Thomas-Symonds also accused Nigel Farage of dividing communities and stoking anger'Responding to Ofgem announcing that the energy price cap will rise by 2% (see 8.47am BST), Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:The last thing struggling families and pensioners need is higher energy bills this winter. The government should cancel this rise and take up our plan to halve energy bills instead.Ministers should be cutting bills by making sure energy firms pass on the benefits of cheap renewables, not putting up bills yet again. Continue reading...
Employees at two public bodies reported less work-related stress and one organisation had drop in sick daysIncreased productivity and improved staff wellbeing were among the results of a year-long trial of the four-day week by the Scottish government.Two public bodies, South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), took part in the pilot, which was launched by Holyrood in early 2024. Continue reading...
Two such groups claim they persuaded Alberta to institute sweeping public school book banSocially conservative parents' rights" groups that have emerged as powerfully political lobbying groups in the US are quickly gaining ground in Canada, academics and free speech advocates say, after two such groups claimed they had persuaded Alberta to institute a sweeping public school book ban.Alberta recently directed schools to purge library books from shelves that fit its definition of explicit sexual content" by 1 October. If the policy is applied precisely as outlined, a host of books face being purged, including George Orwell's 1984 due to passages in the text that discuss sexual intercourse and rape. Continue reading...
by Guardian staff and agencies in Berlin on (#6ZJXM)
Mohammad A, 16, given 18-month suspended sentence for helping plan foiled attack in ViennaA Berlin court has convicted a Syrian teenager of contributing to an Islamic State-inspired plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.Three dates in the US pop star's record-breaking Eras tour were cancelled last summer after authorities learned of the plot. Continue reading...
Angela Eagle accuses other parties of offering fag packet plans' as ministers face mounting pressure on immigrationThe Home Office has promised a big surge" in asylum hotel closures in the new year, with five more to shut in the coming months, as ministers face mounting pressure over the government's record on immigration.Speaking after a weekend of protests and counter-protests over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, Home Office minister Angela Eagle said the government had inherited a border security system in tatters" and accused opposition parties of offering the fag packet plans without the substance on delivery". Continue reading...
by William Christou, Malak A Tantesh in Gaza on (#6ZHSF)
At least 20 people, including five journalists, died as they rushed to help those wounded in the first strikeIsrael bombed the main hospital in southern Gaza on Monday and then struck the same spot again as rescuers and journalists rushed to help the wounded, killing at least 20 people including five journalists, health officials said.The first strike hit the top floor of a building at the Nasser hospital, killing the Reuters journalist Hussam al-Masri and others. Journalists and rescuers then rushed to the scene to help the wounded, when a second bomb struck the same spot, 15 minutes later. Continue reading...
Ken Loach collaborator was allegedly wearing a T-shirt that referenced banned group Palestine ActionThe award-winning Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty has been arrested in Edinburgh for wearing a T-shirt that allegedly referenced the proscribed protest group Palestine Action.Laverty was attending a protest outside St Leonard's police station in the city centre to support Moira McFarlane, a member of Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who was due to be charged under section 13 of the Terrorist Act for wearing a T-shirt with the words: Genocide in Palestine, time to take Action". Continue reading...
Double-tap strike suggests killing of civilians, rescue workers and journalists deliberate and not a mistakeIsrael's twin strike on the Nasser hospital in Gaza, which killed five journalists including staff working for the Associated Press, Reuters, NBC and Al Jazeera, is a potential violation of international law writ large.The attack targeted a civilian building, specifically a hospital, in a reckless double-tap strike that killed civilians, rescue workers and journalists among them. All categories that should be protected under international law. Continue reading...
Band member Liam Og O hAnnaidh faces terrorism charge in UK for alleged display of Hezbollah flag mid-performanceIrish hip-hop trio Kneecap has cancelled its scheduled US tour dates in October, citing the proximity to a court hearing in London involving band member Liam Og O hAnnaidh's alleged mid-performance display of a Hezbollah flag.O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence in the UK in May after being accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah during a concert in London last November. Continue reading...
Findings suggest since 2004 ONS failed to properly account for fact it received more data from larger employersThe UK's gender pay gap has been underestimated for more than 20 years, according to research that could raise fresh questions about the quality of data used to inform key pay decisions across the UK.The findings, released in the British Journal of Industrial Relations on Monday, suggest that, since 2004, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) had failed to properly account for the fact that it received more data from larger employers, when it reported its annual survey of hours and earnings (Ashe). Continue reading...
The man, in his 30s, was also detained over alleged offence of non-consensual intimate image abuse', says MetA Strictly Come Dancing star has been arrested on suspicion of rape, according to reports.The man in his 30s, who has not been named, was also detained over a separate alleged offence of non-consensual intimate image abuse", the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...
Labour source says questions around deputy PM's new seaside flat are motivated by political opportunismAngela Rayner's allies have hit back at James Cleverly, accusing the shadow housing secretary of having some brass neck" for criticising the deputy prime minister over her council tax arrangements on a property she bought this year.Rayner acquired the seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex, for more than 700,000. The property is subject to the 100% council tax premium on second homes that was introduced in April, which she now pays in full. Continue reading...
Advocates warn increased costs for basic assistance like showers and wound cleaning will push older people into aged care or hospitalMargaret Duckett is scared for her friends.The 77-year-old pensioner is the recipient of a home care package - which allows her to get support with cleaning, gardening, transport, physiotherapy and podiatry - and some personal care, so she can continue living independently at her home in Sydney's Riverview. Continue reading...
Cost may increase as much as 170% from September, but patients warned against a quick switch to WegovyPeople using the weight loss jab Mounjaro have been warned against switching to black market sellers or bulk buying after its manufacturer announced the UK will get a significant price rise this autumn.The US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro, recently announced plans to increase the price of the medication in the UK by as much as 170% from September. The move follows pressure from the US president, Donald Trump, to cut medication prices for Americans. Continue reading...
Arming of some troops in US capital is latest escalation as president vows to target other cities led by Black DemocratsSome national guard units patrolling the US's capital at the direction of Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of the president's military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defense department.A defense department official who was not authorized to speak publicly said some units on certain missions in Washington DC would be armed - some with handguns and others with rifles. The spokesperson said that all units with firearms had been trained and were operating under strict rules for use of force. Continue reading...
Donald Trump's late announcement left operators with extremely limited timeframe to get prepared'Postal services across Europe have suspended most parcel shipments to the US, citing widespread uncertainty about the impact of new import tariffs announced by Donald Trump.France's La Poste on Monday joined other operators, including Germany's Deutsche Post, Spain's Correos, Poste Italiane and the Belgian, Swedish and Danish postal services, which all halted a majority of US-bound shipments over the weekend. Continue reading...
Workers sound alarm over proposed Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern deal and its risks to jobs, prices and powerA proposed mega-merger of two of the largest railroad companies in the US will hurt jobs, raise costs for consumers and increase the risk of more catastrophic train crashes, according to workers and unions.Union Pacific proposed a $85bn deal to buy Norfolk Southern last month, which would create the first transcontinental railroad network in the US. Continue reading...
Nannies stay home and schools provide transport as Trump takes over policing and Ice rounds up immigrantsEarly Tuesday morning, as parents went to drop off their young children at a bilingual childcare center in north-west Washington DC, they received a message from the administrator saying that unmarked cars were parked directly outside.Shortly after 8am, federal agents in tactical vests arrested two people unaffiliated with the center, the administrator said. Continue reading...
Pentagon official confirms plan as Hakeem Jeffries says president is playing' with Americans' lives. Plus, the sorrow - and relief - of leaving Trump's US for EuropeGood morning.Planning is under way to send national guard troops to Chicago, an official at the Pentagon confirmed to ABC News on Sunday.What did the government say? We won't speculate on further operations. The department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel," a Department of Defense official said, according to ABC.Is the White House planning to send national guard troops to any other states? Pentagon officials confirmed to Fox News that up to 1,700 men and women of the national guard were poised to mobilize in 19 mostly Republican states to support Trump's anti-immigration crackdown.What did Giuffre say about the book? Giuffre wrote to Wallace 25 days before her death, stating that it was her heartfelt wish" the memoir be released regardless" of her circumstances. The content of this book is crucial, as it aims to shed light on the systemic failures that allow the trafficking of vulnerable individuals across borders," the email reads. Continue reading...
Millennial childhood staples such as Walkers and Nik Naks introduce new flavours amid pressure for brands to stay relevantNostalgia for the 1990s might have reached its peak with Oasis back on tour this summer, but several of Britain's best-known brands are also trying to make a comeback, reinventing themselves with new flavours, packaging or names.Walkers, Nik Naks and Bacardi Breezer are among some of the brands that are adapting to try to stand out in the food and drink market. Continue reading...
ONS data shows they are working for free from 1 September, almost three months earlier than Equal Pay Day for all womenWomen with children earn 302 less every week than men with children: one-third less per week and almost 20% less per hour, according to analysis based on ONS data.This means that Mums' Equal Pay Day falls on 1 September this year, almost three months earlier than Equal Pay Day for all women. From this date, mothers are working for free for the rest of the year compared with fathers. Continue reading...
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