Labour's links to gambling industry questioned again after decision not to raise tax rate for online gamingRachel Reeves has been criticised over a missed opportunity" to raise 900m from online casinos in her first budget as chancellor, amid concerns about the Labour party's ties to the 11bn-a-year gambling sector.Both the Liberal Democrats and Derek Webb - one of Labour's largest donors - questioned the chancellor's rejection of proposals to double remote gaming duty (RGD), levied on online games of chance, from 21% to 42%. Continue reading...
Families group calls Tory leader deeply misguided' after telling BBC that Boris Johnson-era scandal was overblown'Families bereaved by the Covid pandemic say they feel insulted by Kemi Badenoch's claim that the Partygate scandal was overblown".The new Conservative party leader also told the BBC that Boris Johnson had fallen into a trap" of breaking lockdown rules that should never have been introduced. Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now) and Vicky Graham (earlier) on (#6RYFS)
Nearly half of those killed were reported to be in northern Gaza, where the IDF has been conducting an intense assaultThere are mounting concerns over whether the Israeli government's ultimate war aims in Gaza include territorial expansion, as the IDF's siege on the northern part of the territory - under sweeping evacuation orders - intensifies.Here is an extract from a report by my colleagues Malak A Tantesh and Julian Borger, who explore these concerns further:The IDF says it is hunting Hamas militants but suspicions are growing that Israel is putting into practice a blueprint it had officially distanced itself from, known as the generals' plan".The plan, named after the retired senior officers promoting it, was intended to depopulate northern Gaza by giving the Palestinians trapped there an opportunity to evacuate and then treating those that stayed as combatants, laying total siege. Continue reading...
Angela Eagle said short-term solution necessary despite Labour election pledge to end use of accommodationThe asylum system would descend into chaos" if Labour refused to open more hotels for people seeking refuge in the UK, a Home Office minister has told the Guardian.Angela Eagle, the minister for borders, security and asylum, said officials had been forced to find more private accommodation for new arrivals and blamed the backlog of tens of thousands of cases built up under the last government. Continue reading...
The push to vote early has amounted to an unprecedented wave, with more than 76 million having voted early so farThe US election is under way across the country, and so far more than 76 million people have voted early, according to the University of Florida's election lab.In numerous states, the push to vote before election day, whether by mail or in-person, has amounted to an unprecedented wave of early voting. Continue reading...
Sheila Keen-Warren pleaded guilty to dressing as a clown and in 1990 murdering the wife of a man she later marriedA woman who pleaded guilty to dressing as a clown and in 1990 murdering the wife of a man she later married was released from prison on Saturday, ending a case that has been strange even by Florida standards.Sheila Keen-Warren, 61, was released 18 months after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting of Marlene Warren, Florida department of corrections records show. The plea deal came shortly before her trial would have started. Continue reading...
Sky Media will have to recompense business partners after discovering it had miscalculated what it owed themSky is facing a bill for hundreds of millions of pounds after a blunder that meant it accidentally underpaid its advertising partners, it has emerged.The broadcaster's advertising sales arm, Sky Media, will have to recompense business partners such as Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery, after discovering earlier this year that it had miscalculated what it owed them. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6RYHQ)
Police Scotland confirms non-recent' allegation made by a woman after Salmond's death last monthPolice are investigating a new allegation of sexual assault against the former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond.Police Scotland confirmed it was looking into a non-recent" allegation made by a woman after Salmond's death last month. Continue reading...
The mirror world has been a feature of the 2024 race - where Trump's liabilities are twisted to become his opponents'For many observers of the coming presidential election, especially those overseas, Donald Trump and his Maga-infused Republican party represent a foreboding stress test for American democracy.Historians have weighed in with analysis that Trump now heads a movement close to fascism, Trump himself has spoken of enemies within", he and his followers held a mass rally of racist rhetoric in a New York city venue known for an infamous Nazi gathering before the second world war and his language has been tinged with violent imagery. Continue reading...
Pro-EU president Maia Sandu faces Alexandr Stoianoglo in polls marred by accusations of Kremlin vote-buyingMoldovans are going to the polls for a second-round vote to choose between the incumbent pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, and a Russia-friendly challenger.Despite securing 42% of the vote in the first round, Sandu faces a tough challenge in Sunday's runoff against an opposition bloc led by Alexandr Stoianoglo of the Socialist party, which aligns with Moscow. Continue reading...
Some polls offer promising outlook for Trump in swing states and reveal most believe US is on the wrong trackDonald Trump's aides are bullish about their prospects with their internal polls showing them ahead of his rival Kamala Harris during the final weekend of the campaign before the election, even as they also concede they actually have no idea how America's election will ultimately break.The confidence is mainly coming from two places: some polls that show the former US president ahead in every battleground state and Republicans holding onto early vote leads in places like Nevada, which they extrapolate to read that the Sun Belt states may be increasingly out of reach for Harris. Continue reading...
by Julian Borger Senior international correspondent on (#6RYGH)
Channel 14, which counts Netanyahu as a supporter, has denied allegations that its coverage has incited war crimesAn ultranationalist Israeli television channel backed by the government is fast emerging as one of the country's most-watched news sources, despite allegations from liberal groups that it is inciting war crimes, and claims from the army that it is riling up hatred of its generals for not being far enough to the right.Last month Channel 14, also known as Now 14, beat Israel's principal mainstream news outlet, Channel 12, in viewer ratings when 343,000 Israelis watched Channel 14's Patriots" talkshow, known for its virulent rhetoric on Gaza. Continue reading...
UK chancellor says she had not known true picture of public finances but no need to increase taxes further after budgetRachel Reeves has admitted she was wrong to say before the election that no major tax rises would be needed, but promised there was no need to increase taxes further" after last week's budget raised 40bn.The UK chancellor said she had not known the true picture of the huge black hole in public finances" left by the Conservatives, which the government says amounted to 22bn. I was wrong on June 11, I didn't know everything," she said. Continue reading...
News of Reza Valizadeh's imprisonment comes as Iran marks 45th anniversary of US embassy hostage crisisAn Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a US government-funded broadcaster is believed to have been detained by Iran for months, authorities have said, further raising the stakes as Tehran threatens to retaliate over an Israeli attack on the country.The imprisonment of Reza Valizadeh, acknowledged to the Associated Press by the US State Department, came as Iran marked the 45th anniversary on Sunday of the US embassy takeover and hostage crisis. It also followed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatening both Israel and the US the day before with a crushing response" as long-range B-52 bombers reached the Middle East in an attempt to deter Tehran. Continue reading...
Temper Works has promoted its agency workers to clients, saying they fall outside the legislationA gig economy firm has been criticised for telling its hospitality clients they can avoid new fair tipping laws and a forthcoming ban on zero-hours contractors by using its freelance workforce.Temper Works, which supplies workers to more than 5,000 companies, including Hard Rock Cafe, Alexandra Palace and Claridge's, is promoting its workforce to restaurants, hotels and bars on the basis that they are not covered by the provisions of the new [tipping] legislation". Continue reading...
Feedback on the benefits of displaying pictures on wards, now gathered in a new book, is backed by scientific studiesArt, of course, brings pleasure. Now there is evidence that paintings can also help alleviate medical conditions, as well as boosting NHS staff.A new book produced by the charity Paintings in Hospitals (PiH), which has a collection of 3,500 works and prints, including by Andy Warhol, Maggi Hambling and Bridget Riley, in medical settings across the UK, contains feedback from dozens of patients and medical staff about the invaluable" benefits of seeing the art. Hospitals, health centres, surgeries and hospices can borrow the charity's paintings to put on display, usually for two or three years. Continue reading...
Fury over new charges for accused leaves room for conspiracy theories, says chair of Association of Police and Crime CommissionersConspiracy theories about the Southport attack are spreading because of a crisis with trust in institutions" in Britain, the local area's police commissioner has warned.Emily Spurrell, who was made chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) in September, said the furore around the announcement of new charges against Axel Rudakubana last week was a symptom of wider issues. Continue reading...
Rachel Reeves's budget criticised for keeping local housing allowance at same level despite rising rent costsLow-income renters will struggle to afford housing costs after Rachel Reeves's decision to freeze the amount of housing benefit they receive in the budget, experts have warned.Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, confirmed on Thursday that local housing allowance (LHA) - the localised rates that determine how much housing benefit claimants are entitled to - will be locked at the current levels until 2026. Continue reading...
Australians will have access to permanent free Tafe nationwide if the Labor government is re-elected, the PM says in the first major policy announcement. Follow today's news liveTrump not afraid to exercise power': HockeyHockey says he believes Trump will seek to restart his trade war with China as he sees China as the main adversary of the United States rather than Russian, or even threats in the Middle East".At the end of the day, if - the United States - the thing about Donald Trump is he's not afraid to exercise power and he's not afraid to threaten to use power. If he does that, then it actually emboldens Australia's position, doesn't weaken it because it means we have an entry point into that unpredictable power that others don't.I think Trump is - I know that Donald Trump sees Australia very favourably when it comes to issues like national security. I think that will flow through to Aukus that he won't want to change the relationship with Aukus. He will, however, put a greater priority on building up the US defence system, its reservoir of not only talent, but also importantly the hardware, be it F-35s or Virginia-class subs. So might mean we go down the pecking order on the Virginia-class subs, but again it will rely heavily on our advocacy with Trump.Whatever the case, I think, you know, we'll be in a good position with Harris as well. Continue reading...
In shocking result that could reshape the race, ex-president falls three points behind in a state he won in 2016 and 2020A poll in Iowa that has unexpectedly put Kamala Harris ahead of Donald Trump in what was previously expected to be a safe state for the Republicans has sent shockwaves through America's poll-watchers.The Selzer poll carried out for the Des Moines Register newspaper showed Harris ahead of her Republican rival by three points. Continue reading...
by Cecilia Nowell (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#6RY07)
Harris leading Trump in new Iowa poll in startling reversal, pulling ahead of Trump 47% to 44%Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump head to North Carolina on Saturday to try to clinch support in the south-eastern battleground state just three days before Tuesday's US presidential election.It will be the fourth day in a row that vice-president Harris and former president Trump visit the same state on the same day, underlining the critical importance of the seven states likely to decide the race, which opinion polls show to be on a knife's edge, Reuters reported. Continue reading...
Demonstrators from Texas to Connecticut and Washington DC carried signs and chanted: We won't go back!'Thousands of women rallied Saturday in the nation's capital and elsewhere in support of abortion rights and other feminist causes ahead of Tuesday's election.Demonstrators carried posters and signs through city streets, chanting slogans such as: We won't go back!" Some men joined with them. Speakers urged people to vote in the election - not only for president but also on down-ballot issues such as abortion-rights amendments that are going before voters in various states. Continue reading...
Young victim found beside A63 in Hessle early Friday morning with lacerations to neck, stomach, chest and backA 14-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after a 13-year-old girl was stabbed in the neck, stomach, chest and back near Hull on Friday morning.The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has also been charged with possession of a bladed article. Continue reading...
Navy confirms it landed in Batroun, 30km north of Beirut, and took him to Israel to be investigated'Troops were also operating in central Gaza and Rafah in the territory's far south, the Israeli military said, while witnesses told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Israeli drones and boats opened fire on al-Mawasi in south Gaza.Medics and Gaza's civil defence rescuers on Saturday reported three people killed in a strike on Nuseirat, in central Gaza, a day after AFP images showed the blood-stained shrouds of several people killed there in an Israeli strike.The entire Palestinian population in north Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence." Continue reading...
Ten-year-old's stepmother says I think you're looking for us' in bodycam footage played to jurors during trialFootage of the moment police boarded a plane to arrest the alleged killers of Sara Sharif has been shown to jurors, showing the 10-year-old's stepmother saying to officers: I think you're looking for us."The exchange was captured on cameras worn by officers and played in court during their trial. Continue reading...
Council closes coastal path and warns beachgoers to stay clear after landslip at Jacob's Ladder BeachThe views from the old thatched cottage perched on top of Sidmouth cliffs in Devon have always been spectacular.Now, though, they are downright terrifying after part of the 185m-year-old sandstone cliff collapsed, leaving the period property teetering on the edge of a 400ft drop. Continue reading...
Ukrainian president calls on countries to step in before troops sent to Russia by Pyongyang reach battlefieldUkraine's president urged allies to stop watching" and take steps before North Korean troops deployed in Russia reach the battlefield, while the army chief said his troops were facing one of the most powerful offensives" by Moscow since the full-scale war began.Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the prospect of a pre-emptive Ukrainian strike on camps where the North Korean troops are being trained and said Kyiv knows their location. But he said Ukraine can't do it without permission from allies to use western-made long-range weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia. Continue reading...
Sector faces catastrophic loss' as more than 9,000 thirtysomething women leave state education in a yearSchools across England are ramping up maternity pay and offering flexible working in a bid to stem the exodus of thousands of women in their 30s from teaching.In Wednesday's budget, Rachel Reeves confirmed she would fund the recruiting of 6,500 new teachers by pressing ahead with imposing VAT on private school fees. Yet heads and charities are warning that with more than 9,000 women aged between 30 and 39 having left state education last year, the government will not fix the teacher shortage unless it also acts to stop experienced women leaving. Continue reading...
Police called to home in Malton where girl suffered serious injuries and died at the sceneA 10-year-old girl has died after she was bitten by her family's dog, police have said.North Yorkshire police were called at 4.15pm on Friday to the incident that happened inside the family's home in the Malton area. Continue reading...
The Labour chancellor unveiled lots of plans for long-term investment. But there is plenty of lively debate about the immediate impactLabour's first budget in almost 15 years marks a radical departure with past constraints on investment spending. New rules allow long-term planning and introduce safeguards governing how the extra cash is spent. But what are the more immediate implications? Continue reading...
Democrats and Republicans attempt to interpret voting behavior as squeaker of election hits final stretchAlmost 70 million Americans have already voted in the historic US election which comes to a head on Tuesday, prompting furious arguments over what early voting trends might mean as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris prepare for their final showdown.As both candidates and their top surrogates crisscrossed the country in a furious bout of last-minute campaigning, the race remains in a virtual dead heat - both in the head-to-head national polls and in the crucial seven battleground states that will actually decide the race for the White House. Continue reading...
The chancellor's budget spending increase will largely be absorbed by pre-existing plans, says top thinktankMedical experts have warned the boost to NHS funding in England unveiled in the budget will not be enough to rebuild the country's ailing health service and that it will take time for patients to see improvementsRachel Reeves last week announced an additional 22.6bn over this year and next for the NHS, which she claimed was the biggest spending increase for the health service - outside the Covid pandemic - since 2010. Continue reading...
The Palestinian American squad' member has been critical of Harris and the Democratic party's inaction on GazaMichigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib declined to endorse Kamala Harris at a union rally in Detroit, where the war in Gaza is the top issue for the largest block of Arab American voters in the country.Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, is the only one of the so-called leftist Squad" that has not endorsed the Democrat candidate. The other three members - Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York - endorsed Harris in July. Continue reading...
The devastating flooding should spur this month's Cop29 climate conference to press for immediate action, not look awayMove on. Nothing to see here. Just another ordinary, everyday apocalypse.If past experience is any guide, the world's reaction to the floods in Spain last week will be similar to that of motorway drivers at a crash scene: slow down, take in the horror, outwardly express sympathy, inwardly give thanks that fate picked someone else - and foot on the accelerator. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read our main report here, and our analysis hereHere are the results from previous Conservative leadership contests, and from the final MPs' ballot of this contest, that will help put today's results in context.2024 contestThe choice is between two people who each played their part in 14 years of Conservative chaos and decline, and who have refused to apologise it.Whoever wins, they have learnt nothing. Continue reading...
Canvassers urge residents to vote for Democratic nominee despite opposition to administration's support for IsraelMany Arab and Muslim Americans across the country are making a final push to get ballots cast for Kamala Harris for president - despite other members of their communities being strongly opposed to a Harris administration given the White House's support for Israel.Haitham Wahab, a resident of Dearborn, Michigan, and a Lebanese American who has been canvassing for the Harris-Walz campaign, said one of the best ways to effect change is from the inside, through coalition-building". Continue reading...
Fred the raccoon was also killed by officials, who said the animals were a risk factor in the spread of rabiesAn orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanized after New York authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on his caretaker's home, authorities said.After anonymous complaints, officers from the state's department of environmental conservation (DEC) took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred from Mark Longo's home near the Pennsylvania border in rural Pine City on Wednesday, Longo said. Continue reading...
Terrorist Callum Parslow was previously jailed for sending 10 women sexually explicit and misogynistic messages, and targeted a former GB News presenterA neo-Nazi terrorist who was found guilty last month of the attempted murder of an asylum seeker is a prolific online stalker who had previously been jailed and referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism scheme, the Observer can reveal.Callum Parslow was convicted on 25 October of attempted murder after stabbing an asylum seeker at a hotel in April. It can now be revealed he was jailed in 2018 for targeting 10 women and girls with messages describing sexually motivated murder, torture and rape, and then changed his name after his release. Continue reading...
Nicolle Wallace, communications director under Bush, is the latest former aide to urge ex-president to back HarrisA former top aide has called on George W Bush to endorse Kamala Harris, becoming the latest of his circle to up the pressure on the ex-president to make a public stand and join a long list of Republicans now backing the Democratic candidate.Nicolle Wallace, who served as the communications director in the Bush White House, called on the former president to have a change of heart" and take a position against Donald Trump. Continue reading...
Sources say key people at Clifford Chance were not consulted, as it emerges another company refused job due to reputational concernsWhen the Saudi crown prince locked nearly 400 of his country's most powerful people in a luxury hotel in 2017 and stripped them of their fortunes, a UK law firm allegedly played a significant role.On the orders of Mohammed bin Salman, Clifford Chance - a magic circle" legal giant with headquarters in London - was reported to have facilitated the forced transfer of assets from a Saudi TV station to the government. Continue reading...
Police accused of killing at least 11 unarmed bystanders since 24 October, amid claims poll was riggedSilvio Jeremias was on his way home from his job at a petrol station on the night of 25 October, in Mozambique's capital Maputo, when he and his friends happened upon a group of protesters demonstrating against that day's election results.The ruling Frelimo party's presidential candidate Daniel Chapo secured 70.7% of the vote, according to official results, ensuring the party that has ruled Mozambique since independence in 1975 remained in power, but there were widespread allegations of rigging. Continue reading...
Plaintiffs accuse America Pac of several violations during its operation to support Orange county's Michelle SteelElon Musk's troubled canvassing operation on behalf of Donald Trump and the Republican party is now facing a lawsuit in southern California filed by two women who say they were cheated out of wages and expenses as they knocked on doors for an embattled Republican congresswoman.The suit accuses Musk's America PAC, which has poured more than $100m into this year's election campaign, of willful violations of the California labor code" by paying the plaintiffs less than it promised and refusing to make up the difference. Continue reading...
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