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Downing St says decisions over protection for the singer were up to Scotland Yard and not the governmentKeir Starmer has has welcomed private investment of 550m to make it easier for people to find a home, PA Media reports. PA says:Schroders, Man Group and Resonance announced new impact investment funds on Tuesday - pots of money that aim to create social or environmental impact.These will help to address directly the shortage of homes by supporting the building of tens of thousands of new homes across the UK, the Treasury said.We've said as a government we're going to fix the foundations, rebuild our country, and expressly saying now is the time to back us'.Companies and investors are coming in today saying here's half a billion pounds'. We want to raise that, by the way, I want that to be up over 1bn before too long. Continue reading...

Met Office says up to 80mm of water could fall over six hours in some areas, potentially causing floodingThe Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for rain that may lead to travel disruption and flooding over the next two days.The first will stretch from Plymouth and reach as far north as Manchester, covering parts of north-west and south-west England, Wales and the West Midlands. Continue reading...

Gomorrah author and Meloni critic's non-inclusion in Italy's lineup angers writers amid claims of censorshipThe Gomorrah author Roberto Saviano will appear at the Frankfurt book fair this week despite being snubbed by the organisers of the official Italian delegation, setting the scene for a clash between the country's far-right government and its most prominent writers.Saviano, one of Italy's bestselling living writers and an ardent critic of the far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, was absent from the initial lineup of 100 authors representing Italy, this year's guest of honour, when it was announced in May. Continue reading...

Credit rating agency expects English and Welsh companies to challenge regulator's ruling with CMA watchdog

Interim report finds little evidence of changes in response to case of necrophiliac killer David FullerRepeated failures to prevent dead people from being abused in funeral parlours and mortuaries highlight the urgent need for regulation of funeral services in England, an inquiry has found.Sir Jonathan Michael is chairing the second phase of an inquiry into how the necrophiliac killer David Fuller was able to sexually abuse the bodies of scores of women and girls in hospital mortuaries. Continue reading...

Setbacks mean UN goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030 is impossible to hit, report findsWars, debt, the climate crisis and the pandemic have combined to halt progress in the fight against poverty, the World Bank has warned.The Washington-based institution said on current trends it would take more than three decades to lift the near-700 million people living on less than $2.15 (1.64) a day above the widely accepted definition of extreme poverty. Continue reading...

Italian PM demands security guarantees for her country's Unifil troops after series of attacks by Israel

Mike Young said he saw saw only minor bugs and glitches' and defended ability to remotely access branch accounts

Deputy children's ward manager says she had never seen a response like that' to death of a childLucy Letby responded to the death of a newborn baby in a manner that a children's nurse said she had never seen" before or since, a public inquiry has been told.Letby was heard discussing in an excited" way the death of two triplet babies in 24 hours in June 2016. Nicola Lightfoot, the deputy children's ward manager at the Countess of Chester hospital, said she heard Letby say in an animated way to a colleague immediately after the second death: You'll never guess what just happened." Continue reading...

Raji Sourani says west is jeopardising something precious' by shielding Israel from legal consequencesA prominent Palestinian human rights lawyer whose Gaza home was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in the early weeks of the war has called on western powers and global institutions to do more to prevent the territory becoming the graveyard of international law".Raji Sourani, who founded the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in 1995 and was a key member of the South African legal team that took Israel to the international court of justice on a charge of genocide, met the UK attorney general last week to urge him to assume a leadership role in defending humanitarian law. Continue reading...

Adriana Brownlee, 23, reaches summit of Shishapangma three years after setting target at top of EverestA 23-year-old has become the youngest woman to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre-plus peaks.Adriana Brownlee reached the 8,027-metre summit of Shishapangma in Tibet on 9 October, becoming the second British person to complete the gruelling feat. It came three years after Brownlee reached the top of Everest and resolved to climb all 14 of the world's highest peaks, the Times reported. Continue reading...

Image dispersed during Monday's military drills likened to sexual harassment or abusive partnerA Chinese propaganda image dispersed during Monday's military drills around Taiwan was supposed to send a positive message to the island's people, but instead has been decried as weird, creepy, and akin to sexual harassment".On Monday China targeted Taiwan with major military exercises, surrounding its main island and outer territories with planes and ships to practise a blockade and attack. Alongside a record number of warplanes, dozens of navy and coastguard vessels, and cyber-attacks, China also launched a torrent of propaganda. Continue reading...

Health secretary announces trials to assess impact of medicines such as Ozempic on worklessnessNew weight-loss jabs could be given to unemployed people to help them get back into work, Wes Streeting has suggested.The health secretary said widening waistbands" were placing a burden on the NHS. Continue reading...

Some woke with dread while others played music to prepare - but ultimately HSC English examinees were met with few surprises

One man received burns to his hands and two others transported to hospital as a precaution, before Hazmat crews decontaminated site

Negus was the founding host of the ABC's Foreign Correspondent and fronted programs including Dateline and 60 Minutes

Fan, who disappeared after tax scandal, stars in thriller - but experts say she is unlikely to regain previous fame in increasingly authoritarian nationFan Bingbing, once one of China's most famous film stars, is returning to the screen after a more than five-year hiatus following her alleged involvement in a massive tax evasion scandal.Fan stars in Green Night, a Hong Kong-produced neo-noir thriller set in South Korea, which is released on US streaming services on 18 October. The film has been billed as Fan's comeback from professional purgatory since she disappeared from public view for nearly a year in 2018. During her year of silence, she was hit with a bill of more than 880m yuan (99m) by the Chinese tax authorities. Continue reading...

More than 60 NGOs including Holocaust memorial group tell Donald Tusk region's volatility doesn't exempt us from humanity'Human rights and a Holocaust memorial group have urged the Polish prime minister to shelve plans to temporarily suspend the right to asylum, telling him that the region's volatility doesn't exempt us from humanity".The intervention from more than 60 NGOs including Amnesty International and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation comes after Donald Tusk told his party of plans to introduce a new migration strategy. Continue reading...

Artist, 61, also tells The Louis Theroux Podcast that she likes pomp and ceremony' of the royal familyTracey Emin has said that most male artists including her contemporary Damien Hirst are less of a creative force" after they reach the age of 40.Both Emin and Hirst have been Turner prize nominees, with Hirst winning the prestigious award in 1995, with his formaldehyde-preserved cow and calf, called Mother and Child, Divided, the focal piece of his exhibition that year. Continue reading...

Australia's largest sports betting company has stopped offering odds on events such as the Grammys, Survivor or the winner of the Triple J Hottest 100

Data compiled by EEA shows quality of water bodies falls far short of target first set for 2015 and since extended to 2027Only about one-third of Europe's surface water is in good health or better, a report has found, despite an EU target first set for 2015 to bring all bodies of water up to good quality.About 37% of Europe's surface waters qualified as having at least a good ecological status and 29% a good chemical status in 2021, according to data from 19 member countries compiled by the European Environment Agency (EEA). The original deadline for the EU target has been extended to 2027 but data suggests this is on track to be missed by a wide margin. Continue reading...

Kaseem Ryan, a member of Natural Elements and an FDNY captain, died unexpectedly, according to Instagram postKa, a Brooklyn rapper, producer and firefighter, died unexpectedly on Saturday at age 52, according to a post on his Instagram account.Kaseem Ryan was a member of the group Natural Elements and also served in the New York City fire department (FDNY). He collaborated with artists Roc Marciano and GZA and earned praise from artists such as Erykah Badu and Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, BET reported. Continue reading...

Appearing alongside Evans on BBC spin-off show It Takes Two, Jones insists incident was a silly joke'The professional dancer Katya Jones has defended her Strictly Come Dancing partner, Wynne Evans, saying he has been portrayed as someone he is not" after an incident during Saturday's show when she moved his hand from her waist.Appearing on BBC spin-off show It Takes Two on Monday alongside Evans, Jones said she wanted to get something out of the way that I feel overshadowed our performance for absolutely no reason". Continue reading...

Estimated 500 rejected cases expected to be overturned after fresh evidence they were employed by the UK government in AfghanistanAn estimated 500 elite Afghan soldiers who fought alongside the British are expected to become eligible to come to the UK after a previous decision rejecting their applications was overturned.Fresh information has been discovered in about a quarter of the 2,000 rejected cases proving that the at-risk veterans were paid and employed by the UK government in Afghanistan, despite previous claims that no such evidence existed. A review had been launched by the Conservatives in February. Continue reading...

Talks will trigger six weeks of due diligence to ensure Dovid Efune is suitable to acquire the Daily and Sunday papersThe New York Sun owner, Dovid Efune, has begun exclusive talks to buy the Daily and Sunday Telegraph for about 550m.Efune, a former editor of the New York-based Jewish publication the Algemeiner Journal, made the highest bid to buy the newspapers last month. Continue reading...

Rebekah Morris died in Leicestershire in July 2022 with injuries consistent with hoof marks', forensic pathologist saysA woman sent her mother a picture of cattle in a field moments before she was trampled" to death by a cow, an inquest has heard.

Judges say unfairly dismissed academic David Miller's views on Israel should be protected by antidiscrimination lawsThe belief that Israel's actions amount to apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide are worthy of respect in a democratic society", an employment tribunal has concluded in a landmark decision.In February the tribunal ruled that Prof David Miller was unfairly discriminated against when he was dismissed by the University of Bristol over allegations of making antisemitic remarks, in a decision the Union of Jewish Students said set a dangerous precedent. Continue reading...

Hopes of pardon dashed for Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who were cleared of collaboration with USTwo young female journalists who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for reporting on the death of Mahsa Amini have been cleared of charges of collaborating with the United States government but will still spend up to five more years behind bars, the Iranian authorities have announced.Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi were arrested in 2022 after reporting on the death and funeral of Amini, the young Kurdish woman who died in police custody in 2022, sparking the nationwide Women, Life, Freedom protests. Continue reading...

Summer riots were a consequence of relegating the subject to just one month, says Black Curriculum founderBlack history must be made mandatory in England to counter hatred and help prevent racist riots, a leading campaigner says.Lavinya Stennett, who founded the Black Curriculum, warned of the real risks of black history and a diverse curriculum being relegated to just one month, or only being implemented in schools with diverse students and in metropolitan areas. Continue reading...

Martin Naumann, 80, shot Czesaw Kukuczka in the back at close range as he tried to cross into West BerlinA former officer in the East German secret police has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for the murder of a Polish firefighter at a Berlin border crossing 50 years ago.Martin Naumann, now 80, shot Czesaw Kukuczka in the back at close range on 29 March 1974 as Kukuczka walked towards the last in a series of control posts at a transit area in the divided city, having been told he had a free pass to escape to West Berlin. Continue reading...

Rivas, who is accused by Chile of being a torturer and kidnapper, launches challenge in the federal court

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Jethro Cox, 38, and four children aged two to five located safely and without incident'A man missing and four children who were the subject of a police appeal have been found safely and without incident", police said.On Sunday evening, Essex police said Jethro Cox, 38, was missing from his home, along with four children aged five, four, and two two-year-olds. Continue reading...

TV chef says he has been on the verge of jumping on my bike and heading into the sunset' after his co-star and friend died of cancer in FebruaryOne half of the Hairy Bikers, Si King, has revealed that the past few months have been a struggle" after the death of Dave Myers, his co-star and friend of 30 years.Myers, who found fame alongside King as part of the motorcycle-riding cooking duo, died aged 66 in February. Continue reading...

Independent Alex Greenwich says heartbreaking' to lose his proposed laws governing treatment of gay students and teachers but it's not over'

Controversial devices were barred by former Labor government but will return to watch houses after tough-on-crime CLP's election win

European Commission report completely ineffective as an enforcement tool', according to civil liberties organisationThe European Commission's exhaustive annual audit of democratic standards across the bloc is overly positive and ultimately ineffective because it is not tied to any kind of enforcement mechanism, a leading European civil liberties network has said.The yearly rule of law reports were launched five years ago and are presented by the commission as a key weapon in its armoury against democratic backsliding, including corruption and attacks on independent media and judiciary, across the union. Continue reading...

Strike on base near Binyamina city is deadliest since Israel's ground invasion of Lebanon, and follows rare US commitment to deploy Thaad battery to Israel

Unions express concern as PM to say government will rip out the bureaucracy that blocks investment'Keir Starmer will promise to slash red tape and rip out the bureaucracy that blocks investment" as he hosts hundreds of global business executives for a major summit in central London.After a troubled run-up to the event, including a bruising row with the Dubai-based owner of P&O Ferries, the prime minister will urge the world's largest businesses to invest in the UK, promising them stable policy and low regulation as an incentive to do so. Continue reading...

Daughter of Tony Nicklinson, who died in 2012, says he would be frustrated by new bill's likely exclusion of those who are not terminally illThe family of a paralysed right-to-die campaigner who was refused permission to have a doctor kill him has said he would be absolutely fuming" that the right-to-die laws have not changed in the 12 years since his death.Tony Nicklinson's daughter, Lauren Peters, said he would also be frustrated that the assisted dying bill, which covers England and Wales and is due to be published this week, is unlikely to propose legalising assisted dying for people like him who are not terminally ill. Continue reading...

Plea comes as analysis warns of 2.7bn tax rise mainly affecting smaller retail, leisure and hospitality firmsThe chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has been urged to keep her promise to ease the pressure from business rates on high street businesses amid warnings of a looming 2.7bn tax hike that would mainly hit smaller retail, leisure and hospitality firms.More than 252,000 shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants and businesses such as bowling alleys are likely to see a big step up in the property tax from April next year when a 75% relief up to a cap of 110,000 will end, according to analysis from the real-estate intelligence firm Altus Group. Continue reading...

Unifil seeks explanation from IDF for shocking violations' while Netanyahu urges peacekeepers to withdrawThe UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has said two Israeli tanks destroyed a gate and forcibly entered a base in the south of the country as Israel's ground operation against Hezbollah moved deeper into Lebanese territory.The incident in Ramyah on Sunday morning was the latest in a string of violations that Unifil, the UN force deployed since 1978 to southern Lebanon, has blamed on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Continue reading...

Muslim business owners in two states fear policy will lead to targeted attacks or economic boycottsMuslims in India say they have been fired from their jobs and face the closure of their businesses after two states brought in a discriminatory" policy making it mandatory for restaurants to publicly display the names of all their employees.The policy was first introduced by Yogi Adityanath, the hardline Hindu monk who is the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Last month the state of Himachal Pradesh, governed by the opposition Congress party, announced it would also make it compulsory for all names of workers and employees to be put on display. Continue reading...

People and aid workers in the strip say no one is talking about' the bloodshed there and ceasefire hopes are receding

Our mob across the country wanted structural reform', Pat Anderson told online audience; that's what we're still fighting for,' Prof Megan Davis said

Critics say courses are being closed that played a leading role in addressing racial disparities in higher educationBlack scholarship in the UK risks being wiped out due to redundancies and course closures, leading academics have warned.Universities in England are engulfed in a financial crisis and have in response implemented a number of cost-cutting measures. Continue reading...

Man believed to be in his 30s was found with gunshot injury and died at scene in east LondonPolice have launched a murder investigation after a man was shot dead in east London.The Metropolitan police said officers were called at about 4.35am on Sunday to reports of a man injured in Linton Road, Barking. A man believed to be in his 30s was found with a gunshot injury. Continue reading...

State-owned body writing off losses of 12m a year after stopping practice, inquiry toldThe Post Office has recently explored resuming the practice of taking branch owner-operators to court, as mounting losses from shortfalls in its network of 11,500 outlets hit 12m a year.During the Horizon IT scandal more than 900 operators were wrongly prosecuted over discrepancies caused by the faulty accounting software, many of them brought privately by the Post Office, a practice it stopped in 2015 and has promised not to restart. Continue reading...

Claim raises idea explorer was from community expelled by his Spanish patrons, but experts view it with cautionA 20-year genetic investigation of the remains of Christopher Columbus has turned conventional historical wisdom on its head by concluding that the explorer whose voyage to the New World changed the course of global history may have been a Spanish Jew rather than a son of Genoa.The claim raises the intriguing prospect that the man who played a central part in the creation of Spain's mighty empire hailed from the very community that his patrons, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, expelled from their kingdom in the same year Columbus reached the Americas. Continue reading...

Military spokesperson demands that medics avoid dealing with Hezbollah operatives' and claims ambulances used to transport weapons