by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#70GWM)
New work by Ben Crick and Kamal Kaan suggests we could benefit from knowing more about the machine-wreckers'If you ask artificial intelligence when in history we can learn lessons about the global challenges of AI it does, thankfully, agree with the composer Ben Crick: 200 years ago in the north of England.Crick believes we could all benefit from knowing more about the luddites, the Industrial Revolution machine-wreckers", and we need to draw lessons from them to address what is, for some, the biggest existential question of our time. Continue reading...
Mansfield Carpets (Contracts) Limited faced Companies House action over four consecutive years of delayed filingsThe carpet fitting business belonging to the family of Mick Barton - the Reform UK leader of Nottinghamshire county council who barred the main local paper - has been threatened with a compulsory strike off from Companies House for four consecutive years.Mansfield Carpets (Contracts) Limited, which is owned by Barton's wife Gail, is two months late filing its 2024 accounts. For the previous three years the business also appears to have been late publishing its confirmation statement, which provides details of a company's shareholders. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Executives at corporation say media monitoring and anti-disinformation are vital to national securityBBC bosses are lobbying to use the UK's defence budget to help pay for the embattled World Service, arguing that aspects of the service should qualify as vital for national security.Senior executives at the corporation are in talks with officials over whether parts of the service, such as media monitoring and anti-disinformation, should count towards Britain's security, as they attempt to avoid cuts of tens of millions of pounds. Continue reading...
by Nino Bucci Justice and courts reporter on (#70GVA)
Office of public prosecutions says decision has not yet been finalised', four months after judge referred comments including Kyle Sandilands saying lock that bitch up'
Sergiy Kyslytsia says Kremlin already at war with Europe and predicts that Vladimir Putin will escalate escalating'Europe needs to get serious" about the existential threat posed to it by Russia, Ukraine's deputy foreign minister has said, warning that Vladimir Putin will escalate escalating".In an interview with the Guardian, Sergiy Kyslytsia - Kyiv's former ambassador to the UN - said the Kremlin was already at war with Europe. He said Russia's recent drone incursions against several EU countries were well-calculated and an attempt to move the red lines". Continue reading...
About 6,500 passengers stranded as interior minister says earlier drone incident a wake-up call'Munich airport was forced to halt operations for the second day in a row on Friday over drone sightings, with dozens of flights and more than 6,000 passengers affected.Airports in Denmark, Norway and Poland have recently suspended flights due to unidentified drones, while Romania and Estonia have pointed the finger at Russia, which has brushed off the allegations. Continue reading...
Dozens of students remain unaccounted for at Sidoarjo boarding school as rescuers bring in heavy excavators to clear large slabs of concreteThe death toll from a school collapse in Indonesia rose to 14 on Friday after recovery crews pulled multiple bodies from beneath the rubble. Dozens of students remain unaccounted for and the death toll is expected to rise.Rescuers initially searched by hand for survivors after the building caved in on Monday. But with no more signs of life detected by Thursday, they turned to heavy excavators equipped with jackhammers to help them progress more rapidly. Continue reading...
Parents of another victim of 2024 crash say catastrophic' design flaw to blame for deaths of three peopleTesla is being sued by the parents of a another victim killed in a Cybertruck crash in the quiet town of Piedmont, California. This is the second suit filed against the car maker this week alleging a design flaw in its vehicle is to blame for the deaths of the passengers involved in the accident, according to court filings.The parents of Jack Nelson allege that the company that helped Elon Musk become the world's richest man knew about the flaw for years and could have moved faster to fix the problem but did not, leaving the passengers trapped amid flames and smoke that eventually killed them. Continue reading...
by Donna Ferguson,Mark Brown and Raphael Boyd on (#70G4K)
Irish police say they are treating the death of a man as weather-related and, meanwhile, many homes in Ireland and Northern Ireland are without power.A man has been killed and hundreds of thousands of homes on the island of Ireland are without power after Storm Amy brought widespread disruption on Friday.An amber weather warning, highlighting a danger to life, was also in place in the north of Scotland until 9pm on Saturday. Continue reading...
Sergeant arrested on suspicion of perverting course of justice after colleagues filmed making racist and sexist remarksA serving Metropolitan police officer has been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, after undercover footage showed colleagues at Charing Cross police station making racist and sexist comments.The footage, gathered for a BBC Panorama documentary, appears to show officers at a central London station calling for immigrants to be shot and boasting about using violence against suspects. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#70GNJ)
Leader says move is is necessary to protect our borders, our veterans and our citizens'Kemi Badenoch has announced that a Conservative government under her leadership would pull the UK out of the European convention on human rights.The move marks a lurch to the right for the Tories, who are attempting to stem a loss of support to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Farage has long been a critic of the ECHR and has pledged to leave it if he becomes prime minister. Continue reading...
Daniel Walker helped worshippers hold doors shut as Jihad al-Shamie tried to force his way insideA rabbi who looked into the face of Jihad al-Shamie as he mounted a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue has vowed not to allow the evil" and hatred" he saw to triumph.Rabbi Daniel Walker helped others to hold the doors of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue shut as Shamie body-charged" them during Thursday's attack, throwing heavy plant pots" and doing everything he could to get in". Continue reading...
Rhythm guitarist to skip gigs in Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne and Sydney to receive prostate treatmentThe Oasis guitarist Paul Bonehead" Arthurs has announced he will miss a leg of the band's reunion tour as he undergoes prostate cancer treatment after a diagnosis earlier this year.Arthurs, one of the band's founding members, said he would not be attending the Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne and Sydney gigs. Continue reading...
by Anna Bawden Health and social affairs corresponden on (#70GFB)
Exclusive: Analysis of NHS data by Radiotherapy UK also shows some patients face waits of up to six monthsMore than 60,000 cancer patients a year are not getting the radiotherapy they need at all, while some patients in England face waits of up to six months to begin the treatment, according to research.The situation is so dire that nearly 100 heads of radiotherapy and oncology - three-quarters of England's radiotherapy leaders - have warned in an open letter that the government is failing patients. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Kevin Hollinrake's conference costs paid for by firm helping landlords convert homes for lucrative marketThe Conservative party chair, Kevin Hollinrake, accepted thousands of pounds worth of hospitality from a company that converts family homes into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) for asylum seekers, official records show.According to the MPs' register of interests, Living Redefined covered 2,000 worth of flights, hotel accommodation and dinner for Hollinrake and a family member to attend a property conference in the south of France earlier this year. The entry, registered in April 2025, lists the hospitality as support for attendance at a conference". Continue reading...
Company removed IceBlock and similar immigration agent alert apps from its App Store, citing safety risks'Apple has removed an app from its App Store that uses crowdsourcing to flag sightings of US immigration agents after facing pressure from Donald Trump's administration.IceBlock, a free iPhone-only app that lets users anonymously report and monitor activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officers, was no longer available on Friday. The app's developer said last month that it had more than 1 million users. Continue reading...
Green party leader says a tiny few have taken our wealth and power' in address to Green party conference. This live blog is closedIn his FT interview Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, also dismissed speculation that Kemi Badenoch will be replaced as Tory leader within the next year. Many of her colleagues think she will face a successful leadership challenge, most probably after poor results in the Senedd, Scottish parliament and English local elections next May.Stride said that he thought Badenoch was similar to Margaret Thatcher, who was widely criticised when she became opposition leader in 1975 but who over time developed into an effective leader. He said:We had all this with Margaret Thatcher back in the 1970s. Her voice wasn't right, her hair wasn't right, her dress wasn't right, she wasn't very good at prime minister's questions. It took her some time to work her way into being the finished, formidable politician she was.She is incredibly resilient, as cool as they come. She goes away, thinks about it and comes to a decision. I'm very confident Kemi will be fine. But it's going to be bumpy - it's going to be difficult.Labour does not have any plan for growth. They thought that as soon as they got into power, things would just work because they're Labour and they believe in their own righteousness. That is not working - they need to get a plan to grow our economy, otherwise we will end up going to the IMF cap in hand.A lot of the indicators are pointing in that direction. Many very well respected commentators and economists are saying this.I think that's very unlikely. That's not to say we couldn't be heading for some kind of bond crisis with runaway yields. Continue reading...
Women's average monthly earnings fall by 42% compared with one year before birth, ONS study findsMothers lose an average of 65,618 in pay by the time their first child turns five, as the motherhood penalty" risks their financial security, official figures show.Mums in England are hit by a substantial and long-lasting reduction" in their pay after they have children, as they become less likely to stay in paid employment, the Office for National Statistics have said. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea, Political Correspondent on (#70GA9)
Councillors withdraw Freedom of Hartlepool award over former ambassador's links to Jeffrey EpsteinPeter Mandelson will be stripped of a civic honour he received from Hartlepool, the town he represented as Labour MP, after the disclosures about his close friendship with the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.Councillors in Hartlepool voted unanimously on Thursday to withdraw the Freedom of Hartlepool from Mandelson, who represented the area between 1992 and 2004. Continue reading...
Daniel Gunter caused catastrophic and appalling' injuries to Brendon Staddon while nurses worked 5 metres awayA father who murdered his two-week-old son in a special care baby unit in Somerset while nurses worked less than 5 metres away will serve at least 18 years in prison.Experts said the injuries that Daniel Gunter, 27, caused to Brendon Staddon were like those they would expect to see in someone who had fallen from a high building, but the attack was so swift and silent that staff did not realise what was going on. Continue reading...
Billionaire Andrej Babi hands out doughnuts on first day of voting as polls predict his ANO party will winCzechs have begun voting in an election likely to oust their centre-right government, with polls favouring the populist billionaire Andrej Babi to return to power on pledges to raise wages and improve growth while reducing aid for Ukraine.The change would boost Europe's populist anti-immigration camp and could complicate consensus on climate policies in a country where no sitting government has won a second term since 1996. Continue reading...
No 10 announces decision although role will not legally be taken on until January, before an enthronement serviceDame Sarah Mullally, a former nurse, has been named as the first female leader in the history of the Church of England as Downing Street announced the 106th archbishop of Canterbury nearly a year on from Justin Welby's resignation over the handling of a safeguarding scandal.A former chief nursing officer for England, Mullally, 63, a mother of two and the Bishop of London, is now archbishop of Canterbury-designate. She will legally become the archbishop at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral in January, followed by a formal enthronement service at a later date where members of the royal family are likely to be present. Continue reading...
by Brendan Wood and Alice Fowle for MetDesk on (#70G6Q)
Warnings issued for Serbia, Romania and Greek islands amid forecast of prolonged rainfall and strong windsWhile storms and hurricanes have churned in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, Europe has faced extreme conditions of its own. A low-pressure system that developed over the Mediterranean midweek moved north-east into south-eastern Europe on Thursday, bringing widespread showers, thunderstorms and prolonged rainfall.The system is expected to persist into Friday, with models on indicating 48-hour totals of 80-130mm of rain across much of the Balkans. Red weather warnings were issued for Serbia, south-west Romania, north-east Greece, and the Dodecanese and North Aegean Islands, highlighting the risk of flooding and threat to life. Strong winds also closed schools on Zakynthos in the Ionian Islands. Continue reading...
by Catie McLeod now, Nick Visser earlier on (#70FWW)
Officials at the Australian embassy in Tel Aviv are travelling to Ketziot to provide consular assistance to any Australian who requests it'. Follow the latest news live
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#70G3E)
Seventeen prints from The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate are largest group of Hockney's iPad works to come to marketWhen David Hockney moved from working in the blazing sunshine of Beverly Hills to the more intermittent sunshine of Bridlington he had a problem: how to paint outdoors in the East Riding of Yorkshire in January when you're in your 70s and you feel the cold.He planned to paint the gradual arrival of spring at an easel en plein air but he realised it was a bit difficult when you are stood out there in the winter". Continue reading...
Latest ATO report reveals string of mostly multinational firms continue to be able to pay no or very little income tax, including Netflix, Apple and Microsoft
The attack forced the company to halt production at most of its 30 factories nationwide, including those producing its signature beerThe Asahi group, Japan's biggest brewery, is reportedly just days away from running out of its most popular beer, as it struggles to recover from a cyber-attack that caused a system outage.The ransomware attack, reported on Monday, forced the company to halt production at most of its 30 factories nationwide, including those producing it signature mass-market lager Asahi Super Dry. Continue reading...
by Bethanie Harriman and Rebecca Bush in Port Moresby on (#70G23)
Proposed changes to address the spread of harmful content in PNG also include new rules for social media companies and more monitoringPapua New Guinea is in early" discussions with Meta on imposing age restrictions to reduce the impact of harmful content, amid criticism of the government's heavy-handed" approach so far on social media regulation.The government expects its proposed Social Media Policy 2025 will be taken to parliament later this month. Under the policy, users aged 14 and over will need a SevisPass digital ID before they can log in to platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and X. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday, Chris Osuh, Emine Sinmaz, Vikram Do on (#70FC7)
Police say Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, was behind car and knife attack that left three people seriously injuredPolice have shot dead a terrorist who killed two people and seriously injured three others in an attack at a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.Using a car to ram into the grounds of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, the man then stabbed worshippers in a six-minute rampage that only ended when armed officers shot at him twice, fearing he also had an explosive device tied to his chest. It was later found to be a fake. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#70FYC)
Experts point to study showing procedures at home are no risker or less successful than hospital careAt-home abortions should be allowed for up to 12 weeks of pregnancy across the UK, according to academics, after a study found they were just as safe and effective as hospital care.A medical abortion involves taking two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, to end a pregnancy. In 2022, at-home medical abortions were made permanent in England and Wales, after temporary legislation allowed them to take place at home during the pandemic. In Northern Ireland, at-home abortion care is not permitted at any gestation. Continue reading...
Shut-out of Nottingham Post and its website reversed after threat of legal action over damaging freedom of expressionA Reform UK council has ended its ban on journalists from the area's biggest local newspaper after being threatened with legal action over damaging the outlet's freedom of expression.Nottinghamshire county council, which has been led by Reform since the local elections earlier this year, said it was committed to the principles of openness" after lifting the sanctions it had placed on journalists from the Nottingham Post and its website, Nottinghamshire Live. Continue reading...
Policing at Jewish places of worship to increase as officials investigate killer's motivations and ties to others Manchester synagogue attack - latest updatesMI5 and counter-terrorism police will operate at a heightened state of alert in the coming weeks, reflecting concern that the Manchester synagogue attack risks being followed by others during a period that includes the second anniversary of the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel.Policing at synagogues across the country is to be increased. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, promised high visibility" patrols in and outside Jewish places of worship to reassure communities and to deter any further threats, while police forces elsewhere in the UK made similar commitments. Continue reading...
During speech in Sochi, Russian president also strikes conciliatory note towards Donald TrumpVladimir Putin has vowed to quickly retaliate against Europe's escalating militarisation", while dismissing as nonsense" western fears that Moscow plans to attack Nato.During a wide-ranging speech in Sochi on Thursday, the Russian president said: We are closely monitoring the escalating militarisation of Europe ... We simply cannot ignore what is happening. We have no right to do so for reasons of our own security." Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#70FME)
Airline claims next week's air traffic control strikes could affect up to 100,000 passengers as routes over France closeRyanair could cancel up to 600 flights a day next week due to French air traffic control (ATC) strikes, the airline has claimed.The company's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, has reiterated demands to the EU to protect overflights in a long-running campaign to minimise the disruption from ATC strikes. Continue reading...
Comments from Ukraine's president come after the seventh summit of the European Political CommunityEuropean Council president Antonio Costa opens his speech with congratulations for Moldova and its president Maia Sandu for the win of pro-European forces in last weekend's parliamentary elections there.He also congratulates the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for their recent peace deal.I know that for some of you, the threat from Russia is very clear and very present. For others, it still seems further away, but none of us can no longer be naive.The war was never just about Ukraine. It is about Europe, all our nations, all our citizens, our values and our freedom."Please just take one look at the history of our continent, from the expansion of the Russian Empire to Soviet tanks rolling across several borders during the cold war, shattering hopes of freedom.Recent history tells us the exact same story. So why shouldn't it happen again? Continue reading...
Zaytoun's olive oil and dates provide a tangible way to help Palestinians, says the business's managing directorA Palestinian food brand says its UK sales increased by 50% to 3.2m in 2024 as shoppers seek out its olive oil in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.Zaytoun, the Arabic word for olives, is a social enterprise set up to support the resilience of Palestinian communities through fair trade. Continue reading...