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Tory MPs argued a tweet on a trade bill amendment in July broke impartiality rulesThe House of Commons Twitter account has been banned from tweeting the results of votes after Tory MPs complained it was breaking impartiality rules when one tweet went viral, the Guardian has learned.Set up in 2012, the Commons account has been used to inform the public about procedures and policies of the House, share information about upcoming events and debates, and post the outcome of divisions. Continue reading...

Centre Alliance’s Stirling Griff and Rebekah Sharkie still talking to Coalition about possible package they could supportSenators Sarah Hanson-Young and Rex Patrick are urging Patrick’s former Centre Alliance colleagues to sink the Morrison government’s controversial higher education funding changes, declaring the package will harm the prospects of young people in South Australia.Last week the Tasmanian independent Jacqui Lambie confirmed she would vote against the package that increases fees for some university courses, including humanities, to fund fee cuts for other courses such as sciences and an overall cut in the government contribution from 58% to 52%. Continue reading...

Actor sets ‘the record straight’ on Desert Island Discs over incident growing up in care that led her to spend three nights in cellThe English actress Samantha Morton, star of the hit television series Harlots and The Walking Dead, has publicly apologised for threatening the life of a young girl with a knife when she was 14.Morton, 43, said she wanted to “set the record straight a little bit” on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. The Oscar-nominated star was “incredibly sorry” about the incident, which led to her being charged with attempted murder and spending three days in solitary confinement in an adult cell block. She was convicted of threats to kill after she had confronted an older girl who had been bullying at the care home where they both lived. Continue reading...

The Booker prize-winning novelist answers questions from famous admirers and readers on Thomas Cromwell, ghosts and her writing processAs soon as the third volume of her Wolf Hall trilogy was out in the world, Hilary Mantel returned to her Devon study to give The Mirror and the Light a new life as a play, in a remote script-writing partnership with actor Ben Miles. The first reading is due to take place this week, but, without being able to meet face to face, it’s been a long haul, she says. They’ve collaborated by email, “so we have had to be very good clerks to each other”.Decades before Mantel became one of the world’s best-known novelists, she combined the hard and penurious graft of fiction with the relatively easy rewards of life as a literary hack. “I have no critical training whatsoever so I am forced to be more brisk and breezy than scholarly,” she wrote to Karl Miller, editor of the London Review of Books, in 1987. Continue reading...

Reductions in government support as the original furlough scheme ends point towards a brutal round of redundanciesThe UK economy continued its rapid rebound from the depths of the coronavirus lockdown in August, the latest official data on growth is expected to show on Friday, but many economists are braced for a grim winter as job losses mount.The Bank of England’s chief economist, Andy Haldane, predicted last week that GDP would be “only around 3-4% below its pre-Covid level” by the end of the third quarter, covering July to September. Continue reading...

Emergency services have worked for two days to secure 180-megalitre dam in Torquay south-west of MelbourneEmergency services have told 100 people living in a coastal Victorian town they are able to return home after volunteers worked for two days to secure a 180-megalitre private dam that was found to be leaking on Friday.Volunteers knocked on doors at over 40 homes in Torquay, about 80km south-west of Melbourne, on Saturday afternoon telling 109 people to leave due to fears the privately owned dam could burst. Continue reading...

Delivering migrants to an offshore location is more about spectacle than solutionDump them on Ascension Island. Or in Moldova. Imprison them in disused ferries. Build “marine fences” across the Channel. Deploy water cannons to make huge waves to swamp their boats.And so it goes on. All apparently ideas from Home Office “brainstorming” sessions on how to deal with asylum seekers and cross-Channel undocumented migrants. Continue reading...

As virtual party conference gets under way, Tories rebel on both wings and PM’s popularity plunges to a record low

Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers signals opposition but says party needs to see measures in detail before taking positionLabor has signalled it remains opposed to tax cuts for high-income earners if the Morrison government brings its stage three changes forward in Tuesday’s budget.But the shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, on Sunday left open the prospect of voting for the proposal if the government rolled up the budget tax cuts as a package. He said Labor needed to see the measures in detail before taking a position. Continue reading...

President says next few days will be the ‘real test’ as he battles Covid-19

Donald Trump has posted his first video message from Walter Reed hospital, saying: 'I came here, wasn’t feeling so well. I feel much better now. We’re working hard to get me all the way back ... I’ll be back, I think I’ll be back soon.'During the four-minute video posted to Twitter, the president said that he could have stayed isolated at the White House after his Covid-19 diagnosis, but that he 'can't be locked up in a room and totally safe' - adding that 'as a leader you have to confront problems'.Trump acknowledged that the 'next few days will be the real test' and said the first lady, Melania Trump, who also tested positive for coronavirus, was 'really handling it very nicely' – with the president joking about their 24-year age gap during his video message

Former top civil servant says government must not repeat past mistakes, amid controversial ideas to discourage migrantsA plan to process refugees on decommissioned ferries risks being expensive, inadequate for its inhabitants, and likely to repeat the policy mistakes of the past, ministers are being warned.A similar attempt to house prisoners in an offshore floating jail lasted less than a decade after conditions at the facility were criticised, Whitehall veterans said. They warned it proved difficult to keep supplied and too expensive to maintain in a suitable condition. Continue reading...

Issues of bigotry, belonging, race and redemption and are unpicked in this majestic biopic of police officer Leroy LoganSteve McQueen’s five-movie series for the BBC, Small Axe, only gets more thrilling and captivating with the appearance of this new episode at the New York film festival. He is setting new gold standard for drama – and cinema – on screens of any size.Related: Lovers Rock review – Steve McQueen throws the best party ever Continue reading...

Dubbo and Tamworth still need to preserve town water and farmers are ‘still doing it tough economically’At Tamworth South public school the oval is no longer a dust bowl. Around the hinterland of Dubbo pastures are lush and green. But appearances can be deceptive.Farmers and townships in western New South Wales are still hoping that rain that has fallen over winter will continue, filling the dams, and the drought won’t return. Continue reading...

With the airline industry at a standstill and farmers desperate for workers, aviation staff are finding opportunities in a new fieldThe cabin of a harvester in the middle of a vast wheat field might be a strange place to find an airline pilot at work, but for Andrew King it all makes sense.King worked as a passenger jet pilot for Hainan Airlines but has been on leave without pay since the pandemic hit in February. Continue reading...

With the economy in a Covid crisis, we ask people across states, sectors and stages of life where their priorities now lieAustralians are hoping to see extended financial support for workers in industries crippled by Covid-19 restrictions, as well as policies to make renewable energy cheaper and more accessible.While the government has indicated job creation will be at the centre of Tuesday’s federal budget, Guardian Australia spoke to Australians across several states, sectors and stages of life about where they want the government to spend money. Continue reading...

Labour leader blasts government for its lack of leadership and U-turns, as he outlines his own five-point plan to fight the virus

Apparent serious assault is latest in series of alleged human rights abuses by CarabinerosLess than a month before Chile votes on whether to replace its Pinochet-era constitution, police have brutally repressed demonstrators in the capital, Santiago.On Friday evening officers of the Carabineros police force used plumes of teargas and high-pressure water jets to disperse protesters congregating in Plaza Italia, where pockets of violence flared amid a heavy police presence. Continue reading...

A new bill could close loophole allowing under-18s to marry in England and Wales, as charities warn Covid has exacerbated hidden child marriageWhen Payzee Mahmod was married at 16 to a man nearly twice her age she didn’t understand the words spoken during the Islamic ceremony – and nobody thought to translate them for her.The teenager, who loved fashion and pop music, was preparing to start college. “I had just finished school and the idea of not wearing a uniform was exciting to me,” she remembers. “Instead I found myself trussed up in a wedding dress, with elaborate jewellery, feeling like a sale item at an auction.” Continue reading...

While Kardashians and others raise awareness, some consider returning to fight against AzerbaijanWhen Azerbaijan went to war this week with Armenia over the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, it might have appeared as an obscure conflict with little resonance outside the south Caucasus.Until you turned to the Twitter account of one of the most famous people in the world, Kim Kardashian. Or that of her husband, Kanye West. Metal fans might have seen tweets about the war from Serj Tankian, the lead singer of System of a Down. If you missed those, there were also posts by Alexis Ohanian Sr, the founder of Reddit and husband of Serena Williams, and former Arsenal footballer Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Continue reading...

British newspaper front pages as the US president, Donald Trump, goes into hospital with coronavirusSome of the UK papers play the big story of the moment with a fairly straight bat but others draw attention to the irony of Donald Trump testing positive for coronavirus, having repeatedly played down the pandemic.The i puts one of the president’s innumerable tweets at the centre of its front page. The headline is “Covid-19 in the White House” and the tweet from February says: “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA”. Continue reading...

Deployment of 1,000 Syrians to Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict shows Ankara’s rise in regionA Syrian fighter sent into combat with Azerbaijani forces in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh has detailed the extent of foreign involvement in the new conflict with Armenia that, after six days of clashes, is taking on a regional dimension.The deployment of 1,000 Syrian fighters working for a private Turkish security firm, as well as Ankara’s outspoken support for Azerbaijan in the worst fighting between the two neighbours since 1994, confirms Turkey’s rise as a regional power – and threatens to upset the fragile status quo in the Caucasus, long seen as Russia’s domain. Continue reading...

Donald Trump has tested positive for Covid-19 – but what happens if he can’t carry out his presidential duties?

Benjamin Thomas pleaded guilty to 40 offences over 30 years, mainly against teenage boysA former pastor and BBC television presenter has been jailed for 10 years and four months after he admitted abusing boys and men over almost three decades.Ben Thomas, 44, carried out many of his attacks while his victims were sleeping at Christian camps and conferences, Mold crown court in north Wales heard. Continue reading...

National Assembly party aims at creation of representative government in Saudi ArabiaA group of intellectual Saudi Arabian expatriates have launched an opposition party on the second anniversary of the murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.The aim of the National Assembly party is to gather the support of people inside and outside of Saudi Arabia for the formation of a representative government, which would be the first elected democratic institution inside the country since its birth 90 years ago. Continue reading...

Strong winds and heavy rain bring travel chaos and power outages across southGale-force winds of up to 61mph battered the south-west of England as Storm Alex moved in from France.The storm had pushed strong winds and lashing rain into southern England, causing travel chaos and disrupting power lines in the south-west and the Isle of Wight. Continue reading...

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Former Italian interior minister accused of abusing power in incident involving 116 peopleItaly’s far-right former interior minister Matteo Salvini goes on trial on Saturday on kidnapping charges over an incident in 2019 when 116 migrants were prevented from disembarking a coastguard ship in the Mediterranean.Prosecutors in the Sicilian city of Catania accuse the League party leader of abusing his powers to block people from disembarking from the Gregoretti coastguard boat under his “closed ports” policy. Continue reading...

Maximuscle founder and TV presenter dies at same airfield where he was almost killed in 2016Zef Eisenberg, the millionaire sports nutrition company founder and television presenter, has been killed during an attempt to break the British land speed record at the same airfield where he almost died in a crash four years ago.The 47-year-old, who founded fitness firm Maximuscle, died at Elvington airfield, to the east of York, on Thursday afternoon, the same airfield where the former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was involved in a near-fatal accident in 2006. Continue reading...

Crime agency found evidence ‘bounce back’ scheme for small businesses is being exploited

Local officials will get extra powers to fight radicalism and social problems will be tackledEmmanuel Macron has announced a law against religious “separatism” aimed at freeing Islam in France from “foreign influences”.In a long-awaited declaration, the French president outlined new measures to “defend the republic and its values and ensure it respects its promises of equality and emancipation”. Continue reading...

Women lead protests against conflict violence in Democratic Republic of the Congo, amid calls for action on hundreds of civil war crimesWomen led thousands of people in demonstrations in four cities across the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday, demanding justice for historic murders and rapes committed in the east of the country.Organisers said police beat protesters in Kisangani, one of the cities, as they marked a decade since the UN documented hundreds of crimes in DRC between 1993 and 2003 that have not been prosecuted. Continue reading...

It’s the crowning glory of any weekend – but the stakes are high and soggy veg or claggy gravy could ruin everything. Here are the hacks to try – and the corners not to cutFew meals retain a capacity for disappointment like the classic British roast dinner. Expectations are usually high, and there is just so much that can go wrong: tough meat, soggy veg, claggy gravy, ill-advised departures from traditional methods and ingredients. Most of us have probably had more bad ones than good.With so much work involved, the temptation to cut corners is strong. But resist! Instead limit your ambitions, resign yourself to some hard work and follow the tips below. A better roast dinner is within your grasp. Continue reading...

A summary of the major developments in the coronavirus outbreak across the countryHere are all the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic in Australia. This is Naaman Zhou and it’s Friday 2 October. Continue reading...

Country faces more than 5,000 fires, with yellow smoke reaching the capital as neighbouring Brazil and Argentina face blazesDevastating wildfires have broken out across across Paraguay, as drought and record high temperatures continue to exacerbate blazes across South America.A total of 5,231 individual wildfires broke out across the country on 1 October – up 3,000 on the previous day. Most of were concentrated in the arid Chaco region in the west of the country, but thick yellow smoke had reached as far as the capital, Asunción. Continue reading...

Shehroze Chaudhry charged with inventing identity as a ruthless killer as saga prompts debate over repatriation and de-radicalizationFor months, unbeknown to his classmates and neighbours, a self-professed executioner was living freely in Canada’s largest city.But in 2018, his exploits were made public on a blockbuster podcast produced by the New York Times, in which the man who called himself Abu Huzaifa al-Kanadi confessed to a string of grisly crimes as a member of the Islamic State’s religious police. Continue reading...

The government will announce tax and deregulation measures on Friday, as declining Covid-19 cases offer hope for economic revival. Follow all today’s news

Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern have agreed that New Zealanders can travel to New South Wales and the Northern Territory from 16 OctoberAustralia will allow New Zealanders to enter two of its seven states within a fortnight but New Zealand is not yet returning the favour.The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, announced the plan on Friday after both nations closed their borders in mid-March at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading...

The recently freed documentary maker says jails are inhumane, overcrowded and present a massive coronavirus riskZimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, jailed for 45 days and charged with inciting violence, has spoken of the appalling abuse and prison conditions he witnessed.Chin’ono, a prominent documentary maker who was released on bail last month, said he saw inmates at Chikurubi high security prison assaulted by guards for minor offences. Continue reading...

An expert explains why scarves and masks with holes cut in them are less effective at preventing the transmission of coronavirusFace masks have become a standard feature of everyday life, mandatory in most indoor settings. But despite being designed to completely cover the nose and mouth , it’s not uncommon to see them pulled to one side or resting on the chin – much to the annoyance of the general public. Here are some of the most popular versions – and expert opinion on why they don’t work.The trapdoor Continue reading...

Advocates criticise the industry’s ‘very inhumane response’ to the pandemic and say families feel disempowered

Beijing formally confirmed death to UN but man’s daughter disputes suggestion he died of ‘pneumonia and tuberculosis’ in 2018The Chinese government has taken the rare step of formally confirming to the UN the death of a Uighur man whose family believe had been held in a Xinjiang internment camp since 2017.More than one million people from the Uighur and Turkic Muslim communities in the far western region of Xinjiang are believed to have been detained in camps since 2017, under a crackdown on ethnic minorities which experts say amounts to cultural genocide. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has repeatedly refused requests by international bodies to independently visit and investigate the region, despite growing international backlash. Continue reading...

An invasion may not be imminent but experts say armed forces could have capacity to mount one by the end of the decadeSoon after China imposed the new national security law that effectively ended Hong Kong’s limited autonomy, a hawkish legal academic in Beijing spelt out a warning to Taiwan.The law was not just about ending a year of protests in Hong Kong, Tian Feilong said in an interview with DW News, it was also sending a message to Taipei – and to Washington, which has recently approved new arms sales and high-level visits by US officials to self-rule Taiwan. Continue reading...

The Mana Motuhake policy is a 25-year plan to improve the outcomes of whānau Māori that the mainstream major parties have failed to deliver onIn an election campaign that has so far been largely a bidding contest over who can fund the most “shovel-ready projects”, create the most jobs and support the most apprentices post-Covid, many commentators have bemoaned the absence of any visionary debate about the type of New Zealand we want to become.It was therefore refreshing to see the Māori party announce its Mana Motuhake policy this week. As far as timing goes, the policy hasn’t gained a lot of media attention. The news has been dominated by the Serious Fraud Office’s charging of two individuals in connection with the New Zealand First Foundation, a new poll and the second leaders’ debate. Many also think the Māori party is inconsequential in 2020, sitting only on 1–1.5% party vote support in public opinion polls, and not looking like they are going to win back any electorate seats. Continue reading...

Rescue boats had begun ‘gently moving’ pod of three whales towards the mouth of the River ClydeRescuers shepherded a pod of three northern bottlenose whales from a Scottish loch on Thursday before a major international military exercise.The British Divers Marine Life Rescue group said a first group of boats had begun “gently moving” the deep-diving mammals from Loch Long towards the mouth of the River Clyde. Continue reading...

A full investigation will take place following the fatal incident in YorkshireA driver has died during a British land speed record attempt.A full investigation is to take place into the circumstances of the incident at Elvington airfield to the east of York on Thursday afternoon. Continue reading...

Friday: New tax concessions are designed to get the economy moving in a Covid world. Plus: will we ever stop squeezing avocados?Good morning, this is Imogen Dewey bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Friday 2 October. Continue reading...

Singer responds after complaint filed over photos of him without face covering on Italian island of Capri

A freeze on government wages would hit regional and female workers hardest and would be ‘deeply damaging’, a new report says