Former minister says ditching plan for day-one protection against unfair dismissal definitely is a manifesto breach'Keir Starmer is facing backbench anger after ministers abandoned plans to give workers day-one protection against unfair dismissal, a U-turn that breaches the Labour manifesto.MPs including a former minister who spearheaded the employment rights bill with the former deputy leader Angela Rayner have voiced concerns over the climbdown announced by the government. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan Caribbean correspondent on (#71SKY)
New Democratic party victory is crushing defeat for Unity Labour, which has held power since 2001The New Democratic party (NDP) in the Caribbean country of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is celebrating a historic landslide victory taking 14 of 15 seats, according to preliminary results.The decisive vote was a crushing defeat for the Unity Labour party (ULP), which has been in power since 2001. Continue reading...
Decision by US bank's CEO Jamie Dimon followed trip to New York by top adviser to Keir StarmerThe boss of JP Morgan Chase signed off on a new 3bn tower in London after a trip to New York by a top adviser to the UK prime minister to give assurances about the government's pro-business policies, it has emerged.The Wall Street bank, which along with Goldman Sachs announced substantial investment plans in the UK hours after they were spared tax increases in Rachel Reeves's autumn budget, only signed off on the plan for its new UK headquarters last Friday. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan Caribbean correspondent on (#71SM0)
Ralph Gonsalves campaigns on strong economy in bid to retain office he has held since 2001Voters in St Vincent and the Grenadines will go to the polls on Thursday with Ralph Gonsalves seeking a record sixth consecutive term as prime minister.The elections are expected to be a tight contest between the ruling Unity Labour party, which has been in power since 2001, and the opposition New Democratic party. In the last election, ULP won nine of 15 seats, but the NDP won the popular vote. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: After nearly four years of war, Ukraine is confronting deep fatigue, dwindling strategic options and fresh US pressure to accept terms that many see as a surrender in all but nameA week ago Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Ukrainians that they faced a very tough choice - either the loss of our dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner". The warning came as the Trump administration increased pressure on Zelenskyy to accept a peace deal that appears to secure all of Vladimir Putin's war aims - a proposal European leaders have described as capitulation.With the war about to enter its fourth winter, there seems no sign that either side has the capability to make a significant military breakthrough. Neither the incessant infantry grind on the eastern front, Moscow's aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities, nor Kyiv's long-range strikes on infrastructure inside Russia look likely to shift the equilibrium any time soon.Politics | Keir Starmer says Labour kept to our manifesto" over budget tax rises. The prime minister sought to rebuff claims Labour had broken its tax promises.Workers' rights | A flagship policy that would have given workers the right to claim unfair dismissal after their first day on the job is to be ditched by the government in favour of a six month-threshold.US news | Donald Trump has said he will permanently pause migration from all third world countries," hours after the president announced that one of the two national guard members who were shot in Washington DC had died.Hong Kong | Rescue operations inside the Hong Kong apartment complex that was engulfed by fire on Wednesday are almost complete", fire officials have said, as the death toll reached 94 early on Friday with scores more missing.Ukraine | Vladimir Putin has said that the outline of a draft peace plan discussed by the US and Ukraine could serve as a basis for future negotiations to end the war - but insisted Ukraine would have to surrender territory for any deal to be possible. Continue reading...
Incident north of Tokyo comes after a record 13 deaths from bear attacks in Japan since the start of AprilA man has been attacked by a bear in a public toilet in Japan, local media reported on Friday - the latest in a record-breaking wave of attacks this autumn, including those in populated areas.The victim, a 69-year-old security guard, told police he had noticed the bear, which was 1-1.5 metres long, peering inside as he was about to leave the building in Gunma prefecture, north of Tokyo, in the early hours of Friday, Kyodo news agency and broadcaster NHK reported. Continue reading...
Families of those killed angered' that Scentre Group and Glad security did not accept control room operator was not competent to be in the position she was that day
Lati-Yana Brown's parents had asked for application to be expedited so she could join them in UK after house ruinedAn eight-year-old girl left destitute in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa has been barred from coming to the UK to join her parents.The Guardian reported on the case of Lati-Yana Stephanie Brown after the hurricane. Her mother, Kerrian Bigby, a carer, moved from Jamaica to be with Lati-Yana's British father, Jerome Hardy, a telecommunications worker, in April 2023, leaving their daughter to be cared for by her grandmother. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#71SJE)
Gillian Fairfield to lead review as critics say nothing has changed since 2023 report found systemic discriminationThe Metropolitan police are to face a new inquiry into whether they have radically changed after a devastating report found the force was riddled with prejudice and failing the public, the Guardian has learned.The Casey 2" inquiry was supposed to have been launched earlier this year but has been delayed. It is a follow-up to the review by Louise Casey that in 2023 found the Met to be institutionally racist and misogynistic, and concluded that Britain's largest police force could be broken up if it failed to change. Continue reading...
by Presented by Jonathan Freedland with Arwa Mahdawi. on (#71SHS)
Erika Kirk - the widow of Charlie Kirk, the rightwing activist killed in Utah in September - has indicated she would be willing to support JD Vance in a 2028 presidential bid. Katie Miller, the wife of White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, invites senior Republicans on to her podcast for discussions with conservative women. And the Trump administration is developing baby-boom policies it hopes will help gain the backing of women in the midterm elections.Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi about the Republican drive to win over womenArchive: Megyn Kelly podcast, Katie Miller podcast, NBC, Fox, ABC, CNN Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#71SHT)
Some say Jeremy Corbyn is too non-committal for project to work, while others blame Zarah Sultana's combative natureAt an early meeting to set the path for what would become Your Party, participants quickly agreed on one thing: given the cliches about leftwingers forever falling out, at all costs they must avoid a descent into factionalism.Six months on and the Liverpool venue hosting this weekend's inaugural Your Party conference has been warned to expect potential disruption, including stage invasions by disgruntled members representing particular wings. Extra security guards have been hired. Continue reading...
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor on (#71SHV)
Kanal is 95% complete and on schedule but plans to slash its budget mean conversation around its opening have moved from when' to if'A year before its scheduled opening on 28 November 2026, building works at Kanal, a new contemporary art museum in Brussels, are running on time.Housed in a remodelled former Citroen garage on the north-western edge of the city centre, the centre is 95% complete. Curators are putting the finishing touches to an opening show that will feature works by Matisse, Picasso and Giacometti on loan from the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Trilingual wall texts in English, Dutch and French have already been signed off. Continue reading...
Police say a man in his early 20s was found in Blacktown with gunshot wounds to his neck, chest and legA man has died and two others are in custody after a daylight shooting on a suburban street in Sydney.Police were called to Carinya Street, Blacktown, at about 11.50am on Friday following reports of a public place shooting. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent on (#71SH5)
Amid troubled economic times, many in China are shifting back towards the certainty of a career in the public sectorA record number of people are set to take China's notoriously gruelling national civil service exam this weekend, reflecting the increasing desire of Chinese workers to find employment in the public rather than private sector.Around 3.7 million people have registered for the tests on Saturday and Sunday, which will be the first since the government increased the age limit for certain positions. The age limit for general candidates has increased from 35 to 38, while the age limit for those with postgraduate degrees has been raised from 40 to 43. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Assault on Shamikh Badra captured on video and incident labelled unacceptable' by attorney general, but sole charge highlights issues with hate speech laws
Mia Lucas, who died in Sheffield after being sectioned, had undiagnosed condition causing acute psychosis'A 12-year-old girl who took her own life after being sectioned was failed by medical staff who did not spot her underlying brain disorder, an inquest has found.Mia Lucas was found unresponsive in her room at the Becton centre, which is part of Sheffield children's hospital, on 29 January last year.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Judge warns he will not permit case to descend into a wide-ranging public inquiry'The former editor of the Daily Mail, Paul Dacre, is to be called as a witness in the legal action brought by the Duke of Sussex and six other household names against the newspaper's publishers over allegations of unlawful information gathering, the high court was told.Antony White KC, for Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), said Dacre, 77, now the editor-in-chief of ANL's DMG Media company, and Peter Wright, a former editor of the Mail on Sunday, could be called as early defence witnesses in the trial, scheduled to begin on 19 January. Continue reading...
Pedro Castillo was sentenced by the supreme court for trying to disband Congress and rule by decree in 2022Peru's supreme court on Thursday sentenced the former leftwing president Pedro Castillo to 11 years, five months and 15 days in prison for trying to disband Congress and rule by decree in December 2022.Labelled Peru's first poor president, the former rural schoolteacher, who had never held elected office before winning the presidency, was impeached by Congress and jailed on the same day after his attempted power grab. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot and Richard Partington on (#71S9X)
Flagship Labour plan to be replaced with six-month threshold after Peter Kyle vows to not let businesses lose' under new lawA flagship policy that would have given workers the right to claim unfair dismissal after their first day on the job is to be ditched by the government in favour of a six month-threshold.In a U-turn constituting a direct breach of Labour's manifesto, the government said it had brokered a deal between six of the country's biggest business groups and trade union leaders to shake up its plan for the biggest upgrade in employment rights for a generation. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#71SAX)
Health secretary responds to speech given by GP committee leader accusing Labour of gaslighting' behaviourWes Streeting has accused the British Medical Association (BMA) of being impossible" and issuing misleading" information in an escalation of tensions with the doctors union.In an unusual move, the health secretary wrote on Thursday to England's 50,000 GPs to convey his frustration with the BMA over recent changes that from last month made it easier for patients to contact them online between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#71S9Z)
Global Counsel signed $3m contract with WuXi AppTec in Europe months after it was named in US national security driveGlobal Counsel, the lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson, was brought in to advise the Chinese pharmaceutical company WuXi AppTec in Europe months after it was targeted in a US national security crackdown.WuXi AppTec signed a $3m contract with Global Counsel last year to deal with the international fallout from claims that it had links with the Chinese military and was implicated in human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Continue reading...
Putin also repeated his demand for the international community to recognise Russian gains in Ukraine, a strict red line for KyivMeanwhile, we are getting some new lines from Russia on what would and wouldn't be acceptable to Moscow in a potential peace deal on Ukraine.Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Ukrainian membership of Nato would be unacceptable, as she blamed the alliance for trying to draw Ukraine into its structure and pose a threat against Russia, Reuters reported. Continue reading...
Most of money earmarked to fix systemic' problems expected to pay for officials needed to reassess overpaymentsMinisters have set aside 75m to fix systemic failures that caused hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers to be hit with huge bills after unwittingly breaching complex and confusing benefit rules.A damning independent review, published on Tuesday, found that outdated technology, unclear guidance and a failure of leadership by ministers and senior welfare officials had led to punitive sanctions on vulnerable families. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent on (#71S6P)
Some think that leader John Lee's focus on blaming bamboo scaffolding deflects from the actual causeThe inferno that engulfed Wang Fuk Court residential compound in Hong Kong is still burning, but questions are already being asked about what the deadliest fire in more than 70 years means for Beijing's grip on power in the city.The death toll from the blaze, which tore apart seven of the eight high-rise apartment buildings in Wang Fuk Court, a residential compound home to 4,800 people, is still rising. Hundreds of people are still missing. Continue reading...
S&P Global Ratings warns Lord Rothermere's RCHL could face credit downgrade as it seeks funding for 500m dealThe Daily Mail's parent company has been warned it could face a credit downgrade if it loads up with debt to fund its 500m takeover of the Telegraph titles.The US credit ratings agency S&P Global Ratings said Rothermere Continuation Holdings Ltd (RCHL) - the Jersey-based parent company of Lord Rothermere's assets including the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Metro and the i Paper - had been put on credit watch" as it seeks to put a funding package in place to table a formal deal in the coming weeks. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#71S5T)
Union says insulting' below-inflation pay rises have left some employees struggling to afford rent and foodStaff at Tate sites in the UK are staging a seven-day strike over pay and conditions at the arts institution, with some saying they have had to resort to using food banks.The strike is scheduled to run until 2 December and coincides with the opening of Tate Britain's Turner and Constable exhibition. Continue reading...
Man arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism after arriving on inbound flightA 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism in relation to the Heaton Park synagogue attack last month after arriving on an inbound flight at Manchester airport on Thursday, Greater Manchester police said.More details soon ...
Raul Rocha Cantu is under investigation for drug, gun and fuel trafficking while Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip is accused of fraudThis year's edition of Miss Universe, with its onstage injuries, dramatic walkouts and allegations of vote rigging, was already one for the ages.But it turns out the drama had barely begun: just days after Fatima Bosch was crowned Miss Universe in Thailand, the co-owners of the organisation are both facing arrest warrants. Continue reading...
This is the day when politicians and amateur commentators talk more doggybollox than on any other day of the yearIs this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Neither actually. It's a bizarre hybrid, an altered hallucinogenic universe. Where up is down and down is up. Everything always slightly out of reach.A world otherwise known as the day after the budget'. A day when politicians and amateur commentators are guaranteed to talk more doggybollox than on any other day of the year. A day when everyone gets their 15 minutes of shame. Continue reading...
Oleksandra Matviichuk warns any amnesty could encourage authoritarian leaders to attack their neighboursAny peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine that includes an amnesty for war crimes could encourage other authoritarian leaders to attack their neighbours, Ukraine's only Nobel peace prize winner has warned.Oleksandra Matviichuk said the leaked 28-point US-Russia plan did not account for the human dimension" and she supported President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's efforts to rewrite it in dialogue with White House. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#71S04)
Once-in-a-generation transformation' of Grade-I building will bring teaching spaces under same roof as galleryThe Courtauld has unveiled an 82m campus redevelopment it is calling a once-in-a-generation transformation" of its Grade-I listed building, Somerset House, in London.The Stirling prize-winning architects Witherford Watson Mann will take charge of the four-year project at the teaching and research centre and public gallery, which follows their 2021 revamp of the Courtauld Gallery space. The Courtauld Institute of Art is an independent college of the University of London, focusing on the teaching and research of art history. Continue reading...
Rahmeh Aladwan barred from practising for 15 months pending inquiry amid claims she celebrated terrorist acts'An NHS doctor accused of antisemitism has been suspended for 15 months pending an investigation, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) in the UK has ruled.The General Medical Council (GMC) is investigating Dr Rahmeh Aladwan over posts and comments made across various social media platforms after several complaints, including from the Jewish Medical Association UK and the Campaign Against Antisemitism. Continue reading...
US group Dekleptocracy identifies chemicals used for military vehicles' lubricants and tyres as potential vulnerabilitiesA US group has identified several obscure but potentially key sanctions it says could seriously disrupt Russia's war effort in Ukraine after last month's targeting of the Kremlin's biggest oil firms.Previous rounds of sanctions have been applied to Russian energy companies, banks, military suppliers and the shadow fleet" of ships carrying Russian oil. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: As pressure mounts to tackle the backlog of almost 80,000 cases, the government is considering sweeping reforms that senior lawyers warn may reshape justice in England and WalesGood morning. Yesterday, Rachel Reeves finally delivered her long-trailed budget aimed at plugging a 20bn financial hole in government finances. The single biggest tax raising measure was a three-year freeze on income tax and national insurance thresholds, slightly longer than expected, to draw more people into a higher tax band. Head here for a full breakdown, here to figure out how you will be impacted, and make sure you read our expert panel's take on if Reeves's measures all add up.But amid the budget buzz, today's newsletter is about another massive issue facing our cash-strapped government. It's been a cornerstone of British democracy since the 13th century and is even included in the Magna Carta, and yet, this government could soon come close to scrapping the right to trial by jury.Budget | Rachel Reeves targeted Britain's wealthiest households with a 26bn tax-raising budget to fund scrapping the two-child benefit policy and cutting energy bills.UK politics | Keir Starmer has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to his school contemporaries who claim the Reform leader racially abused them while at Dulwich College.Hong Kong | The death toll from a huge fire that engulfed several residential tower blocks in Hong Kong has risen to 44, with 45 in critical condition and hundreds reported missing.Ukraine | The European Commission president has warned against the unilateral carving up of a sovereign European nation" as Europe scrambles to assert influence over the US's attempt to end the war in Ukraine.UK news | On what was due to be the first day of a four-week trial, Paul Doyle unexpectedly changed his plea to guilty, after being charged with injuring 29 people at a Liverpool FC celebration parade in May. Continue reading...
Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar and the Welsh first minister, Eluned Morgan, both face humiliating defeat in next year's elections, according to pollingLabour leaders in Edinburgh and Cardiff sought credit for the most progressive measures in Rachel Reeves' budget on Wednesday, pinning their hopes for next year's critical elections on a package that increases funding for Scotland and Wales by nearly 2bn.That funding boost and the abolition of the two-child limit for universal credit recipients were seen as a relief in both capitals. Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said: I demanded a Labour budget rooted in Labour values and that is what the chancellor has delivered. This budget means child poverty down, energy bills down, wages up and austerity rejected." Continue reading...
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