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Greg Jackson joins powerful group of advisers and says he wants to improve public services without spending moreKeir Starmer has appointed the outspoken founder of Octopus Energy as an adviser, with a remit to challenge government thinking.Greg Jackson has joined the Cabinet Office board, an influential core of government advisers, as a non-executive member. Continue reading...

Ofwat gives struggling company breathing space as it scrambles to secure funding to avoid nationalisationThames Water has agreed a payment plan with the industry regulator for fines it owes worth 123m, as it races to secure funding to avoid temporary nationalisation.The utility company, which serves 16 million customers across London and the south-east, is trying to pull together a deal to avoid collapse. Continue reading...

Trump turns national guard troops deployed in DC into jacks of all tradesNational guard troops have spent their last days of the summer mulching cherry trees, collecting trash and clearing homeless camps across Washington DC, as Donald Trump's federal takeover of the capital evolved the guard from makeshift cops to armed jacks of all trades.More than 2,200 soldiers from states including Mississippi and Louisiana have been stationed across the city since Trump declared a crime emergency" on 11 August. However, their responsibilities now encompass clearing out Union Station and what officials term beautification" projects, including trash collection, mulching around cherry trees at the Tidal Basin, and potential graffiti removal. Continue reading...

Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen says any attempt to interfere in kingdom's internal affairs is unacceptableOpening the press conference, Merz says he wanted to revive the tradition of cabinet discussions on security to show the issue is treated seriously and to send a signal" to EU and Nato allies.Merz says before the meeting, they met with Nato's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, to discuss the military situation. Continue reading...

Danish media reports three men with ties to Donald Trump are accused of attempting to infiltrate Greenlandic societyDenmark has summoned the US charge d'affaires for an urgent meeting over an alleged influence campaign in Greenland aimed at shaping public opinion and the future of the Arctic territory.It comes after reports from Danish media, confirmed by the Danish foreign office, that at least three US men with ties to Donald Trump and the White House had been accused of trying to infiltrate Greenlandic society. Continue reading...

Explosive weapons designed to be used in battle are being used in urban areas, says Medecins Sans Frontieres

Multi-agency report says girl at 13 had fascination with Hitler, weapons and claimed to speak German and RussianA teenager given a 15-year sentence for attempting to murder three people at her school in south-west Wales when she was 13 had been considered for referral to the anti-extremism Prevent programme over her interest in Adolf Hitler, according to a new inquiry.The girl, now 15, who cannot be named for legal reasons, used a knife to stab two teachers and a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, in April 2024. She told police after her arrest: That's one way to be a celebrity." Continue reading...

Woman barred from Leeds mortuaries after one mother said she found dead baby propped up watching' cartoonsA funeral director has been banned from working with hospitals in Leeds after a mother said she was left screaming when she found her dead baby propped up watching" cartoons at the woman's home.Amie Upton has been banned from NHS maternity wards and mortuaries in the city after keeping babies' bodies at her house in circumstances that a grandmother of another baby compared to a horror film. Continue reading...

Reform leader tells event in Scotland deporting women and children is not part of his party's plans for the next five years

Record lift for Danish firm comes as sales for UK-based Yoto, creator of screen-free speakers for children, almost doubleLego said it could be benefiting from parents' desire to keep children - and themselves - away from smartphones as sales rose 12%, helped by strong sales of its Botanicals and Formula One grand prix-themed sets.The Danish toy company said sales increased to a record 34.6bn Danish kroner (4bn) in the first half of the year, rising well ahead of the recovering global toy market in which sales rose 7%. Continue reading...

Last year's total fertility rate of 1.41 was lowest since comparable data was first collected in 1938, ONS saysThe fertility rate for England and Wales has fallen for the third year in a row to reach a record low, figures show.The total fertility rate across both nations, meaning the average number of live children women can expect to have across their child-bearing life, stood at 1.41 in 2024, down from 1.42 in 2023, the lowest since comparable data was first collected in 1938, according to the Office for National Statistics. Continue reading...

Suspect detained after Sean Small, who had recently served prison sentence for sex offences, found dead in NewcastlePolice in Northern Ireland have arrested a man on suspicion of the murder of Sean Small, an 84-year-old who had recently served a prison sentence for sex offences.The suspect, in his 40s, was detained on Tuesday two days after Small's body was discovered outside his home on Slievenabrock Avenue in Newcastle, County Down. Continue reading...

A peaceful Victoria town has been rocked by the fatal shootings of two police officers, leaving locals shuttered indoors and police scouring bushland for the suspect

Victoria police say alleged shooter remains on the run and armed after two officers killed and a third injured

Police say suspect Dezi Freeman knows Victorian high country bushland better than us', as tributes paid to two dead officers

Items buried at Great Ormond Street hospital dug up early to make way for construction of children's cancer centreMore than 30 years after it was buried, a time capsule compiled by Diana, Princess of Wales and two children to represent life in the 1990s has been opened prematurely - revealing a Kylie Minogue CD, a solar-powered calculator and a passport.The lead-encased wooden box was sealed in 1991 to mark the laying of the foundation stone of Great Ormond Street hospital's Variety Club building, which opened in 1994 to replace outdated buildings and clinical facilities. Continue reading...

Serious collision' on Hamilton Highway in Victoria during school pick-up for Christian College Geelong

Announcement comes after the federal government admitted the use of income apportionment to determine welfare payments was invalid

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Cities in Japan have received thousands of complaints amid confusion over scheme that was intended to foster closer tiesAn attempt to promote friendship between Japan and countries in Africa has transformed into a xenophobic row about migration after inaccurate media reports suggested the scheme would lead to a flood of immigrants".The controversy erupted after the Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA, said this month it had designated four Japanese cities as Africa hometowns" for partner countries in Africa: Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania. Continue reading...

Those who take drug because of pain, anxiety or depression found to be more likely to develop paranoia than recreational smokersPeople who start smoking cannabis to alleviate pain, anxiety or depression are at a higher risk of developing paranoia than those who use the drug recreationally, a study has found.The research analysed answers from 3,389 former and current cannabis users aged over 18, who had no clinical history of psychosis and had taken part in the Cannabis&Me survey. Continue reading...

Grace Chambers, whose daughter dared her to join nine years ago, hopes to be first centenarian at her local eventWhen Grace Chambers ran her first parkrun, it was the result of a dare. Now, nine years later, and at 97 years old, she has reached the sought-after milestone of 250 runs.Chambers first took part after her daughter Michele registered her for the free, weekly timed events that take place in parks and public spaces in several countries around the globe. Continue reading...

There is no accusation Ahmad Sadeghi, the embassy or Iranian diplomats in Australia were involved in any attacks

Former defence minister's reputation was damaged by social media posts by her former staffer, judge rules

Emma Heming Willis recalls the actor's alarming and scary' early symptoms and says his family has learned to adapt' as his brain is failing' amid really great health overall'Bruce Willis's brain is failing him" and his language is going", his wife, Emma Heming Willis, has revealed, more than two years since the actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, you know," Heming Willis told Diane Sawyer in an ABC special on Tuesday. It's just his brain that is failing him. The language is going. We've learned to adapt and we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way." Continue reading...

US restaurant chain previously said it would keep new logo despite some, including Trump and his son, criticizing itCracker Barrel, the 56-year-old US restaurant chain known for southern style cooking, has reversed course and will scrap the new minimalist logo it launched just days ago after intense backlash.We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our Old Timer' will remain," the company posted on social media, referring to the picture of the overall-clad man - known as Uncle Herschel" - leaning against a barrel that had been its calling card for decades. Continue reading...

NHS may struggle to cope with more than 6 million predicted new cases over next 15 years, study showsCancer cases are projected to surge in England by 2040, with a person diagnosed every two minutes, up from one every four minutes in the 1970s.More than 6 million new cases of the disease are predicted to be diagnosed over the next 15 years, with the NHS at risk of being unable to cope unless action is taken to prevent more cases and diagnose the disease earlier, when it is more treatable. Continue reading...

Fries and chicken drumsticks are included - or young cooks might prefer a mini-me Ooni pizza ovenThe air fryer has rapidly become a must-have kitchen appliance, so it was only a matter of time before the craze reached toy town, with a chic wooden version tipped as a Christmas bestseller.If you are thinking it's too soon to mention Christmas, it's hard to disagree. But with the school summer holidays almost over (or already over for some) and the UK weather forecast signalling a band of heavy rain", retailers are starting festive campaigns. Continue reading...

Government to promise it will scrap existing scheme by reaching new deal with Brussels in next 18 monthsUK companies spent up to 65m last year on licences to export food and agricultural products to the EU - costs that the government is promising to eliminate as part of a new deal to be agreed by 2027.Government figures released on Tuesday showed it issued 328,727 such licences last year, at a cost of between 113 and 200 each. That would put the total cost to business at somewhere between 37m and 65m. Continue reading...

Visitors to Nevada's desert for the annual festival have already encountered heavy winds and dust stormsVisitors arriving in Nevada's desert for this year's Burning Man festival have so far encountered heavy winds and dust storms, and could be in for thunderstorms as well, with the harsh conditions possibly persisting for several days.The famous gathering began Sunday in the Black Rock Desert, roughly 100 miles (160km) north of Reno. Strong winds and dust storms disrupted the event over the weekend, temporarily pausing activities, tearing through tents and reducing visibility to nearly nothing. Continue reading...

Don't negotiate with them, they've been very bad,' Trump tells education secretary in cabinet meetingDonald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration wants nothing less than $500m from Harvard" as a condition for restoring billions of dollars in federal funding to the Ivy League university.Don't negotiate with them, they've been very bad," Trump told his education secretary, Linda McMahon, in a cabinet meeting. Continue reading...

Song from 1997 album OK Computer scores band their fourth spot in the chart after going viral on TikTokRadiohead have entered the US singles chart with a song from their album OK Computer that has gone viral on social media 28 years after its release.Let Down, the third single from the British band's 1997 album, entered at No 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week after rising in popularity on TikTok. Continue reading...

Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,' the couple wrote on InstagramTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce sent shock waves through social media on Tuesday with a joint post announcing their engagement after a two-year courtship.The 35-year-old pop star and 35-year-old tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs wrote: Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married" with a firecracker emoji on Instagram, alongside a series of images of themselves in a lush, floral setting. Continue reading...

Netanyahu continues to prepare Gaza City offensive as mediators await response to ceasefire proposalTens of thousands of people took part in demonstrations across Israel on Tuesday, blocking highways on a day of disruption" that aimed to push Benjamin Netanyahu into agreeing a deal to end the war and calling off plans to attack Gaza City.Relatives of hostages led the biggest march and rally in Tel Aviv, while in Jerusalem hundreds of people gathered outside the prime minister's office as the security cabinet met to discuss the war. There were dozens of other protests around the country, including on the main highway to the northern city of Haifa and inside Ben Gurion airport. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader cuts loose with far-right anti-immigration rhetoric, but still finds little pushback from Labour or ToriesHalfway into his press conference on Tuesday - during which he announced his party would deport asylum seekers en masse if it entered government - Nigel Farage sounded a note of triumphalism.One of the most interesting things about this press conference ... is the questions being asked are about the practicalities of individual pieces of implementation," he said. What I notice is there is very little pushback from the media against the idea that we really are in very, very big trouble in this country." Continue reading...

Reform UK leader says he will rip up UK's human rights commitments and pay despotic regimes to take people backNigel Farage has been accused of ugly" and destructive" rhetoric after announcing plans to deport hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and pledging to pay despotic regimes such as the Taliban to take them back.Unveiling Reform UK's Operation Restoring Justice" at a combative press conference in Oxford, Farage said he would rip up the UK's postwar human rights commitments, contained in a range of international conventions, to deport absolutely anyone" - including women and children - arriving by small boat. Continue reading...

Francois Bayrou says he will fight like a dog' to stay in power but he appears almost certain to be toppledFrance is braced for another political crisis as the minority government of Francois Bayrou appears almost certain to be toppled in a confidence vote next month, amid deep political divisions over an unpopular austerity budget and debt-reduction plan.I will fight like a dog," the centrist prime minister told L'Express on Tuesday after his surprise decision to call a vote of confidence from parliamentarians. Continue reading...

Victoria police believe alleged offender is heavily armed and urge local residents to stay indoors

Online fashion seller's losses widen to 264m as Poundland confirms plans to close up to 150 storesThe online fashion seller Debenhams, formerly known as Boohoo, is considering the sale of its Pretty Little Thing (PLT) brand and the closure of its distribution centre in Burnley, which could lead to the loss of 1,251 jobs.The company said it was exploring a range of long-term options", understood to include closure for the Burnley site and the sale of an already closed warehouse in the US amid falling sales and widening losses. Continue reading...

Grammy winner posted on Instagram to comment on his arrest after pleading not guilty to attacking police in LALil Nas X has released his first statement since his arrest in the early hours of 21 August.The 26-year-old rapper and singer posted a story on his Instagram to comment on the incident. Continue reading...

Open letter has been signed by 209 former EU ambassadors, senior diplomatic staff and ambassadors from EU nation statesThe UN says that Israel must not only investigate alleged unlawful killings in Gaza like the hospital strike that killed 20 people, including journalists, the previous day, but also ensure those probes yield results.There needs to be justice," United Nations rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan told AFP in Geneva, adding that the large number of media workers killed in the Gaza war raises many, many questions about the targeting of journalists".The Israeli authorities have, in the past, announced investigations in such killings.It's of course the responsibility of Israel, as the occupying power, to investigate - but these investigations need to yield results. Continue reading...

Rich sponge cake topped with buttercream dates from 1890s and M&S version comes in two varietiesIt has been a fixture of bake sales and cafes in Australia for more than a century. Now the lamington is making its debut on the British high street as Marks & Spencer launches its own version.The chain will stock two varieties: a classic" chocolate and coconut lamington and a caramelised biscuit version, which went viral on social media after being launched by Woolworths in Australia last month. Both will be baked in the UK and sold in packs of two for 4. Continue reading...

Sales surge to 112m at fashion business on strong growth online, including new cosmetics productsDavid and Victoria Beckham and the private equity firm Neo have pumped a further 6.2m into the former Spice Girl's fashion empire this year as losses widened to almost 5m despite a surge in sales last year.Sales rose 26.5% to 112.7m in 2024, the brand's fourth consecutive year of growth, helped by strong sales online and at Victoria Beckham's London flagship store, as well as a 24% leap in online sales of cosmetics, including a new concealer pen and eyeliner. Continue reading...

Duma Boko announces urgent funding package for medicines to be distributed with military oversightBotswana's president has declared a public health emergency due to shortages of essential medicines and equipment, as a downturn in the global diamond market and US aid cuts take a toll on the country's finances.The announcement came after the Ministry of Health suspended non-urgent surgeries on 4 August, stating that the country was short of medicines to treat hypertension, diabetes, cancer, asthma and eye conditions, as well as supplies including bandages and sutures and those for sexual and reproductive health. Continue reading...

If Tehran was behind antisemitic attacks in Australia, experts say it is a sign of weakness rather than strengthIran's involvement in clandestine violence and espionage overseas takes many forms, but all have a single aim - to win advantage for Tehran by striking unexpectedly at the soft underbelly" of enemies.It's a strategy that dates back to the 1979 revolution, and is rooted in a pragmatic if regretful assessment of Iran's continuing weakness on the conventional battlefield. Continue reading...

Dutch newspaper AD says it has traced Giuseppe Ghislandi's Portrait of a Lady to house near Buenos AiresMore than 80 years after it was looted by the Nazis from a Jewish art dealer in Amsterdam, a portrait by an Italian master has been spotted on the website of an estate agent advertising a house for sale in Argentina.A photo shows the painting, Portrait of a Lady (Contessa Colleoni) by the late-baroque portraitist Giuseppe Ghislandi, also known as Fra' Galgario, hanging above a sofa in the living room of the property, in a seaside town near Buenos Aires. Continue reading...

Specifics on Ukraine's defence should be detailed in near future' as Finnish president says Russia deploying a typical' delaying tacticA combat drone, presumed to be Ukrainian, went off course and exploded over Estonia without causing any casualties, the Baltic state and close Ukraine ally said on Tuesday, AFP reported.Pieces of the drone, which left a crater on crashing, were discovered by an agricultural worker near the south-eastern town of Tartu, 75 kilometres (45 miles) from the border with Russia. Continue reading...

DNA test tied man to newborn in case prosecutor calls among most serious, as girl's mother also accusedAn Oklahoma man is facing charges of child sexual molestation after an 11-year-old girl in his orbit gave birth in her home, and her mother is accused of enabling abuse in a case that a local assistant district attorney called possibly the most serious ... I have ever prosecuted".The charges that the Muskogee county district attorney's office filed against Dustin Walker, 34, on Monday came after a DNA test confirmed he was the father of the newborn at the center of the case, the Oklahoma news outlet KWTV reported, citing officials. Continue reading...

Justyna Czoska, a horse riding instructor, and her partner, Wojtek Kowalkowski, died along with a third personA couple who died in a helicopter crash during the bank holiday on the Isle of Wight have been named by relatives.Justyna Czoska, 52, a horse riding instructor, and her partner, Wojtek Kowalkowski, 49, from Bloxham, Oxfordshire, died after the aircraft crash-landed at about 9.24am on Monday between Shanklin and Whiteley Bank. The helicopter had taken off from Sandown airport 20 minutes earlier. Continue reading...

Moscow willing to support six-month extension of deadline before punishments are reimposed, reports suggestRussia and Iran could back an extended six-month deadline before European powers reimpose sweeping United Nations sanctions on Iran over its refusal to allow UN inspectors back into nuclear sites after the Israeli-US assault in June.France, Britain and Germany - known as the E3 - have long threatened to trigger a snapback" of sanctions at the UN security council before 18 October, when a largely defunct nuclear deal struck 10 years ago between Tehran and major powers expires. Continue reading...