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Former cabinet minister's move on the eve of Reform conference is a further boost for the party which took almost 1m in donations from ex-Tory donorsNadine Dorries has defected to Reform on the eve of its conference, saying the Conservative party is dead".The former Tory cabinet minister, a close ally of Boris Johnson when he was prime minister, served as culture secretary until 2022 before resigning a year later when blocked from getting a peerage. Continue reading...

Institution decides to readmit The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht to its centenary exhibition after outcryScotland's national library has reversed a decision not to include a gender-critical anthology featuring more than 30 female writers including JK Rowling and a number of MPs in its centenary exhibition.The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht charts the campaign against the Scottish government's controversial gender recognition laws. It had been nominated by a number of members of the public to be part of the institution's Dear Library exhibition. Continue reading...

Luis Montenegro describes incident, in which 16 people died, as one of the biggest tragedies in our recent history'

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereKitty Donaldson from the i says Keir Starmer may get the report from his ethics adviser about Angela Rayner tomorrow.NEW: Senior Government sources are playing down reports ministerial watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus could send Sir Keir Starmer his report into Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner's tax affairs as soon as today. One Whitehall source said tomorrow is more likely. Continue reading...

Blaze in Chinese Camp - a town settled around 1850 by Chinese miners - was caused by lightning, authorities sayMultiple structures have burned in a historic Gold Rush town in northern California after thousands of lightning strikes ignited a spate of fast-moving fires in the rural dry foothills of the eastern Sierra.Chinese Camp, about 57 miles (92km) east of Stockton and named for the Chinese miners who settled there, is a registered California landmark filled with historic structures, and home to roughly 60 residents. Continue reading...

Europe's ability to help bring peace to the Middle East has long come under question, with Spain's PM this week saying it had failed on Gaza

Studio versions of the stark, home-recorded album have never been issued, but will appear alongside new Springsteen biopicOne of the great lost albums in rock history is to finally see the light of day, as Bruce Springsteen announces the release of the electric version of his 1982 album Nebraska.The original was famously recorded in the bedroom of his New Jersey home, unaccompanied, on a four-track tape recorder rather than a multitrack studio setup. Springsteen attempted to work the songs up into more fleshed-out versions but felt the studio versions lacked the ghostly drama of the originals, and - to some confusion in his fanbase and record label - insisted on releasing the stark four-track takes. Continue reading...

Liz's latest delusional outing was on the Master Investor podcast. Spoiler alert: she was right all along, you knowGovernment debt at record levels. A deputy prime minister under investigation by the standards watchdog. Reform UK 15 points ahead in the opinion polls. A summer in which hatred of migrants has become normalised. Politicians competing with one another to appear more authoritarian.But hey, things aren't all bad. Because at least we still have Liz Truss. The country's most abject prime minister. Liz of the 49 days. Radon Liz. Because she is both a gas and inert. Continue reading...

This blog is now closedThe Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof is next.Belgium's Bart de Wever, Finland's Alexander Stubb, and the EU's Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are the first leaders arriving at the Elysee Palace, welcomed by Macron on the doorstep. Continue reading...

Thieves make off with particularly important' Chinese works dating back to the 14th centuryThieves snatched three porcelain works worth millions of euros in a night raid on a French museum.The robbers triggered the alarm at the Adrien Dubouche institute in Limoges early on Thursday. They smashed a window to gain entry, said a source, who asked not to be named. Continue reading...

Patrick Tiernan says market will no longer discourage underwriting of such projects, stressing apolitical' stance

With economic uncertainty leading fewer people to leave, bank will put one in 20 on performance plans'

Italian man falls down vertical shaft in ice after body of another missing recovered near glacier on MondayA researcher from Italy is missing after falling into a stream on Alaska's Mendenhall Glacier - after the body of another man, a hiker from Arizona, was found earlier this week off a trail near the glacier, authorities said.According to the state department of public safety, Alaska wildlife troopers received a report on Tuesday that a man had gone missing after falling into a stream on the glacier and being pushed by the water into a small, vertical shaft in the ice known as a moulin. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was with two other people when he fell. He was conducting research on the glacier at the time, a department spokesperson, Tess Williams, said by email on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Man was seven years into a 30-year prison term with a non-parole period of 20 years for a string of sex crimes

Leeds councillor says people who threw bottles and shouted insults emboldened by rightwing rhetoricThe newly elected deputy leader of the Green party and his family were attacked on a day out at the seaside last week, with bottles thrown and racist abuse hurled, he has told the Guardian.Mothin Ali, a Leeds councillor, said the incident was a reflection of extreme rightwingers using inflammatory language to blame immigrants and refugees for social problems. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Institute for Government says failings are leading many fast streamers to leave programme earlyThe civil service's fast stream needs urgent reform as many graduates are leaving before the end of the scheme amid dissatisfaction with pay and progression, according to a report.The Institute for Government (IfG) thinktank found the flagship graduate talent scheme lacks a clear purpose and direction at a time when the government is trying to overhaul the civil service to make it more productive. Continue reading...

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Legislation validates flawed decisions, cuts off appeals and gives government sweeping powers to deport people, campaigners claim

Liberal says she believes she doesn't have anything to apologise for' and says broadcaster's reporter pushed the issue'

At a Gold Coast conference, Jillian Segal declined to address the presence of neo-Nazis at Sunday's anti-immigration marches

Labor attorney general says settling appeal right thing to do after Coalition's disastrous' automated Centrelink debt recovery scheme

With 12,000 expected to attend in Birmingham, Nigel Farage's party hopes to present a more professional imageReform UK's party conference will last barely more than 30 hours this weekend, but its rivals fear the glitz and political noise are going to be hard to beat.We're the only party conference to have our own pyrotechnics budget," says one Reform insider with pride. Continue reading...

Incumbent prime minister says country on right trajectory, as opposition leader concedes defeatJamaicans have voted to give Andrew Holness and the Jamaica Labour party (JLP) a third consecutive term in government after a nail-biting race with the opposition People's National party (PNP).Holness beat PNP's Mark Golding after polls in the final days of the intense campaign projected a narrow lead for the PNP. Of the 63 seats being contested, preliminary results showed the JLP winning 34 seats and the PNP 29. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Poverty Strategy Commission says abolishing cap will tackle hardship and lift families out of deep poverty'A cross-party commission including former welfare ministers is urging the government to scrap the two-child benefit limit as part of an ambitious once in a generation" plan to lift millions of people out of poverty.The Poverty Strategy Commission said billions of pounds of investment - including a boost to the rate of universal credit - was needed to reverse record levels of poverty in the UK, and tackle longstanding failures over rising hardship and destitution. Continue reading...

Age ties in with theory tree was planted in 19th century by landowner known as the man who saved Hadrian's Wall'Scientists have for the first time confirmed the age of the felled Sycamore Gap tree, adding weight to a theory that it was planted in the late 19th century by a landowner hailed as the man who saved Hadrian's Wall".Historic England published the conclusion of an investigation by a team of experts who carried out the first dendrochronological - or tree-ring counting - analysis of the tree. Continue reading...

Executive Council of Australian Jewry says crackdown on right-wing extremist groups including National Socialist Network needed

Another 18 people injured when Gloria funicular railway car derails and apparently crashed into a building

Portrait of a Lady by the Italian master Giuseppe Ghislandi handed over by daughter of the late Nazi financier Friedrich KadgienAuthorities in Argentina have recovered an 18th-century painting stolen more than 80 years ago by the Nazis from a Jewish art dealer in Amsterdam, a week after it was spotted by chance in a real estate listing.The painting, the long-lost Portrait of a Lady (Contessa Colleoni) by the Italian master Giuseppe Ghislandi, was looted in the second world war. It was handed over on Wednesday to the Argentinian judiciary by the daughter of the late Nazi financier Friedrich Kadgien, Patricia Kadgien, who has been under house arrest with her husband since Tuesday. Continue reading...

Health secretary had previously fired all 17 members of panel and chosen eight advisers to join in JuneUS health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has chosen seven new members for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's panel of vaccine experts, an internal CDC document showed on Wednesday.The Department of Health and Human Services has directed the CDC to name the new members to its advisory committee on immunization practices (ACIP), according to the document, which was seen by Reuters. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Paul Novak says Rachel Reeves should stay the course' on plans for investmentRachel Reeves should bring in wealth taxes at the autumn budget to deliver the change promised by Labour at the election and battle the rising threat from Reform, the UK's most senior union chief has said.Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), urged the chancellor to stay the course" on her plans to invest in the country, adding that the government should not be afraid of adopting a little bit" of economic leftwing populism. Continue reading...

Order sets rules for federal forces as locals stage noise protests, block indictments and demand home rule

Deputy prime minister expresses regret over mistake that led to underpayment of stamp duty on 800,000 flatAngela Rayner is battling for her political survival after she admitted underpaying stamp duty on her 800,000 seaside flat and referred herself to the ministerial ethics adviser after days of denials of wrongdoing.The deputy prime minister confirmed her tax arrangements after coming under intense pressure to be more transparent about her properties, but has been left with her reputation damaged and future hanging in the balance. Continue reading...

Joseph Ladapo, a long-time vaccine skeptic, says that every state vaccine requirement would be repealed

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on the Trump-Nawrocki meeting, you can read our full report here:

North Korean leader invited to visit Russia as Zelenskyy says Putin is displaying impunity' with new Ukraine strikes

Tribunal will look at Britain's legal responsibilities and whether there is any evidence of covert support for IsraelJeremy Corbyn will open a two-day public tribunal into alleged British complicity in Israeli war crimes in Gaza on Thursday, at which former diplomats, UN specialists and international law academics will examine the Foreign Office's handling of the crisis.The tribunal is being jointly chaired by the former Labour leader and is the kind of political initiative that will be a thorn in Keir Starmer's side as his party seeks to retain the backing of leftwing and Muslim voters at the next election. Continue reading...

Move reflects government's continuing attempts to deter undocumented migrants after surge in arrivals this yearGreece has passed draconian legislation that foresees rejected asylum seekers receiving prison terms, fines and orders to wear ankle tags in a move that reflects the centre-right government's continued attempts to deter undocumented migrants from arriving on its soil.The tough penalties usher in an unprecedented era of zero tolerance for people who remain in the country if their asylum claims are denied. As a frontier state, long viewed as a gateway to Europe, Greece has had a surge in migrant arrivals this year. Continue reading...

Jamie Raskin says Farage is a Trump sycophant' before UK politician addresses the House judiciary committee in WashingtonKemi Badenoch is probably hastily redrafting her PMQs script in the light of Angela Rayner's statement about underpaying her stamp duty. She has got less than half an hour to craft the right questions. And she will probably want to ask about the economy, and hate speech laws, too.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question. Continue reading...

Byron Waller, accompanied by instructor but doing all the flying, stops off in England on way round back to AustraliaAt 15 years and 10 months of age, Byron Waller can't order a pint and has never driven a car, but on Wednesday afternoon he landed his small plane at an airport in Brighton, on England's south coast. It was the 16th or so stop (he can't quite remember) of a remarkable airborne odyssey that he hopes will make him the youngest supported pilot to fly around the world.The adventure began at his home in Brisbane, Australia, four weeks ago and has taken the teenager across the Indian Ocean and through the Middle East to Europe, from where he will venture around the other half of the globe back home. Though he is accompanied by an instructor - global aviation rules not easily permitting children to fly around the world on their own - Byron does all the flying of their tiny single-engined Sling TSi aircraft. Continue reading...

Letter by senior Democrats asks state department to reveal details behind financing of Gaza Humanitarian FoundationSenior Democratic senators have called on the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, to reveal details behind the financing and oversight of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) amid concerns over rising death tolls near aid sites, the group's apparent coordination with the Israeli army and its reported use of private military contractors linked to intelligence operations.The letter, co-signed by senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen and Peter Welch, accuses the state department of an inability to answer basic questions about GHF in a timely manner" and said that the department's overriding of internal protocol and staff warnings is particularly concerning given it is unlikely to be able to conduct basic oversight of the funds it provided to GHF". Continue reading...

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Spain's prime minister admitted that the EU's refusal to hold Israel to account amounts to failure. Plus, Russia's undeniable interference'Against the scale of civilian slaughter, famine and mounting evidence of war crimes in Gaza, Europe's political leaders have been passive to the point of complicity, argue many human rights advocates and even former high-ranking EU officials.Now the Spanish prime minister has come close to acknowledging as much. In an interview with the Guardian, Pedro Sanchez characterised Europe's refusal to act against the Israeli government as a moral and political failure that would damage its global credibility for years to come. Sanchez warned that Europe's response to one of the darkest episodes of the 21st century" has been a failure, absolutely". Continue reading...

HHS secretary failed to respond to critics in editorial amid growing calls for him to resign and chaos across the agency

Mamuka Mdinaradze appointed as study says his Georgian Dream party has consolidated controlA Georgian Dream MP who criticised the west over a policy of blackmail and threats" has been appointed to lead the country's security services as an authoritative report warned of an autocratic takeover.Mamuka Mdinaradze, who was the parliamentary majority leader for the ruling party, was confirmed on Wednesday as head of the country's powerful state security service. Continue reading...

Live footage of private conversation between Russian president and Chinese leader aired at Beijing military paradeThe authoritarian strongmen Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have mused on how organ transplants might lead to immortality, during a brief exchange of small talk caught on a hot mic at a military parade.The Russian president was in Beijing on Wednesday with the Chinese leader, who hosted allies for a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war. Continue reading...

More than 40,000 have suffered new war-related injuries' with more than half left disabled, says UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesYemen's Houthis have claimed responsibility for a missile launched at Israel (see 8.17am BST), saying they fired two ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv in what they said was an initial response to Israeli attacks on Yemen.The Israeli military moved deeper into Gaza City on Wednesday, with soldiers and tanks pushing into Sheikh Radwan, one of the urban centre's largest and most crowded neighbourhoods, reports Reuters. Continue reading...

Doctors, nurses, patients and other experts describe the loss of decades of progress in beating the virus in 100 days after Pepfar was disruptedAid cuts in east Africa have led to cases of babies being born with HIV because mothers could not get medication, a rise in life-threatening infections, and at least one woman having an unwanted abortion, according to interviews with medical staff, patients and experts.A report by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) sets out dozens of examples of the impact of disruption to Pepfar - the president's emergency plan for aids relief - in Tanzania and Uganda. Continue reading...

People take to streets against Trump administration plans to rescind funding for life-saving international programsAs Congress reconvened on Tuesday, activists gathered near the White House to protest against cuts to global HIV funding, calling attention to funds they say are being withheld illegally by the Trump administration despite being appropriated by Congress.The end of the fiscal year 2025 is 30 September, which means the majority of the withheld federal funds will disappear. The activists called for the release of the funding for programs such as Pepfar (the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief), a program established in 2003 that has saved an estimated 26 million lives around the world and promised to help bring the HIV epidemic to an end. Continue reading...

Rowley says officers should not be policing toxic culture wars debates' and are in an impossible positionThe Metropolitan police have declined to drop their investigation into the comedy writer Graham Linehan for tweets about trans issues, and said that the law used by officers to detain him needs reviewing.The Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said on Wednesday officers should not be policing toxic culture wars debates", and while any review took place, officers would investigate only more serious cases concerning online messages. Continue reading...

The broadcaster is leaving the hit BBC programme after presenting more than 1,000 episodes and having enriched the lives of millions'Melvyn Bragg has announced that he will be leaving BBC Radio 4 show In Our Time after hosting it for 27 years. He launched it in October 1998, after being asked to present a programme during what was known as the death slot" because of its low Thursday morning audience figures.The show, which explores the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world, has proved extremely popular. It celebrated its 1,000th episode in 2023 and is regularly one of the BBC's most listened to on-demand programmes worldwide. Continue reading...

CrossPolitic has in recent weeks hosted pastors who have opposed liberal democracy and pushed authoritarian ideasThe flagship podcast of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), the Christian denomination that claims US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, as a member, has functioned as a platform for the promotion of Christian nationalist and other far-right positions.CrossPolitic, whose hosts are close associates of Idaho-based pastor Douglas Wilson, has in recent weeks hosted a theocratic Canadian pastor who has called for his country to be absorbed by the United States, and a self-styled patriot professor" who has backed the rise of Russia and China and the decline of liberal democracies and endorsed the criminalization of homosexuality in Uganda. Continue reading...