Dozens from European film industry and other artists write letter warning Andrei Gnyot could face death penaltyDozens of European directors, actors and other artists have called on Serbian authorities not to extradite a Belarusian activist back to Belarus. In an open letter published on Monday, the artists warn that Andrei Gnyot faces imprisonment, torture and even the death penalty" if sent back to Belarus.Gnyot, a film-maker who was instrumental in organising an alliance of athletes to oppose the dictatorial rule of Alexander Lukashenko, was detained on arrival in Serbia last year after Belarus issued a warrant for his arrest on tax evasion charges via Interpol. He says the charges are political. Continue reading...
Proportion was biggest since at least 2010 as cheaper mortgage deals slowed exodus from city, says estate agentAlmost half of house hunters in London at the beginning of this year were first-time buyers as cheaper mortgage deals slowed the exodus from the capital, figures from a leading estate agent show.First-time buyers made up 48% of purchasers in the city between January and June, according to analysis by Hamptons of data from Countrywide estate agents. Continue reading...
Specialty styles and outre toppings proliferating as ready meals seek to replicate restaurant trendsIf you were in the mood for pizza the supermarket choice used to be straightforward - fresh or frozen, thin or thick, margherita or pepperoni - but the UK's growing appetite for posh pizza is bringing little-known Italian regional specialities and outre toppings to the mainstream.The traditionally budget-friendly food's move upmarket is in part driven by demand for fakeaways" where consumers opt for an upmarket ready meal over a takeaway or eating out. At the same time pizza has never been more fashionable with interest in all forms of the Italian staple fuelled by a buzzing restaurant scene. Continue reading...
Goal of equal share of men and women in jeopardy after member states ignore request for male and female candidatesUrsula von der Leyen is set to miss her target of a gender-balanced top team at the European Commission, after EU governments snubbed her request to propose male and female candidates.The first female president of the EU executive, who was re-elected for a historic second term last month, is drawing up her team of commissioners. Akin to government ministers, these are senior EU officials who oversee the bloc's climate, technology and industrial policies, negotiate trade deals, police European law, dole out billions of grants and draw up the budget for the union. Continue reading...
Metropolitan police say 32-year-old woman is in hospital after stabbing on SundayA 32-year-old woman is in a life-threatening condition in hospital after being stabbed at the Notting Hill carnival, the Metropolitan police have said.The force said on Sunday it was aware of three stabbings at the annual west London celebrations, with a 29-year-old man in hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and a 24-year-old man also stabbed whose condition had yet to be confirmed. Continue reading...
Care homes and homecare providers wait weeks for people to be brought from hospital, report revealsMore than 14,000 NHS hospital beds are being occupied every day by patients who are well enough to be discharged, figures show, as experts urged ministers tackle the crisis.The data emerged as a damning report revealed that almost a fifth of care providers were waiting weeks for people to be transferred into their care. Continue reading...
Issa Al H, a 26-year-old Syrian, appears before a judge in Karlsruhe after attack in which three people diedSolingen stabbings: what we know so farProsecutors have said the suspect arrested over a stabbing rampage in the western German city of Solingen shares the ideology of the Islamic State group and was acting on those beliefs when he attacked.The 26-year-old Syrian, who had turned himself in, was identified by federal prosecutors as Issa Al H, with his last name omitted in line with German privacy laws. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6Q7V9)
Exclusive: Richard Hermer tells officials he can't approve decision to ban arms without knowing if their use would breach international lawKeir Starmer's most senior legal adviser has intervened in the contentious decision over whether to ban UK arms sales to Israel, the Guardian has learned, as officials struggle to distinguish between offensive" and defensive" weapons.Sources say Richard Hermer, the attorney general, has told Foreign Office officials he will not approve a decision to ban some weapons sales until they can say for sure which could be used to break international humanitarian law. Continue reading...
by Elias Visontay Transport and urban affairs reporte on (#6Q7S6)
With everything from coffee to mining equipment now being delivered by drone, operators are exploring technology to stop connection black spots sending drones dropping from the sky
Greenpeace among 150 groups expressing outrage after preemptive arrests led to cancellation of protest campGreenpeace and Friends of the Earth have accused police of acting as private security" for the UK's biggest carbon emitter after dozens of preemptive arrests forced the cancellation of a climate protest camp near Drax power station.In a statement signed by almost 150 groups, they called the operation against activists who had spent months planning the camp near the wood-burning power station an unreasonable restriction of free speech". Continue reading...
by Kiran StaceyPolitical correspondent on (#6Q7QX)
Starmer and Reeves unlikely to reverse winter fuel and two-child benefit cap decisions, says Pat McFaddenA senior cabinet minister has warned of more economic pain to come as the government prepares to restrict public spending in ways MPs and campaigners say could exacerbate the cost of living crisis.Pat McFadden, the cabinet office minister, said on Sunday that voters should expect the government to take further difficult decisions, as Keir Starmer prepares to give a speech accusing the Conservatives of leaving the country in rubble and ruin". Continue reading...
Shift reflects change in how people are talking and thinking about death amid climate crisis and increasing secularismDavid Bowie was ahead of his time when he said he would like his death to be as interesting as his life - now, a raft of funeral directors and undertakers are shifting the dial on what the end of life can look like.The most tangible differences are the products on offer. Choices range from coffins made of weatherbeaten willow, banana leaf and wool to bespoke Scrabble- or piano-themed ones, or a Bauhaus-inflected urn in lapis lazuli-blue. As for methods of transport, coffins are being carried in converted electric Nissans or VW camper vans. Motorcycle hearses are also available. Continue reading...
Protection agent says it was impossible to keep a professional distance from genuine and loving' familyThe armed guard assigned to Mike Lynch while he faced fraud charges has described how close he became to the loving" tech entrepreneur and his family.Appointed by the court, Rolo Igno, said he was supposed to stay distant but that the professional relationship quickly dissolved" when Lynch invited him to spend time with his family. Continue reading...
Doctors warn of rationing' as latest monthly figures show no available appointments for about 400,000 casesPatients are increasingly turning to private healthcare to escape a referrals black hole", GPs have warned, as the NHS struggles with a shortfall of available appointments.The most recent figures show GP practices make about 400,000 referrals a month to outpatient clinics that are fully booked. Some patients will be able to choose an alternative provider, some will be booked at a later date, but many end up being bounced back to their local surgery. Continue reading...
PM's proposal to replace ships with steelpan wins applause from his party but some in capital voice opposing viewsThe government of Trinidad and Tobago wants to remove a depiction of three ships used by Christopher Columbus from its coat of arms, in a move hailed by a historian as important in addressing historical inaccuracies and shrugging off colonial identities.The Caribbean country's prime minister, Keith Rowley, announced a plan on 18 August to replace the ships with a representation of Trinidad and Tobago's national instrument, the steelpan. Continue reading...
TV presenter says she was contacted by social worker who said child protection concerns had been raisedKirstie Allsopp has hit back against Britain's risk-averse" culture as she revealed she was reported to social services for allowing her teenage son to go on an Interrailing trip.The television presenter said that after sharing online that she had allowed her then 15-year-old son, Oscar, to go travelling across Europe, she was contacted by a social worker who informed her a file had been opened after child protection concerns raised. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6Q7N7)
Ian Corfield resigns as official to Rachel Reeves as ministers deny giving preferential treatment to fundersA Labour donor has stepped down from his role as a civil servant at the Treasury, while the party comes under fire for granting a No 10 pass to another, as ministers deny they are giving preferential treatment to their funders.Ian Corfield has resigned as an official to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, the Sunday Times reported this weekend, becoming a temporary unpaid adviser instead after days of controversy over his role. Continue reading...
The nordic nation has become a gateway to Europe for South American drug traffickersArmed with a powered screwdriver, a crowbar and a handheld scanner, the Norwegian customs officers climbed up a tower of refrigerated containers. With the striking scenery of the Oslofjord behind them and the refrigerator fans whirring, they forced open the back of a sealed banana container from Costa Rica.You can get a glimpse of how much space there is inside," customs officer Gard Belgen told the Observer during a visit to the port last week. Pointing inside the unit holding the fan and cooling vents, he added: And on top you can fit multiple packages. If you had time to stick them in properly, you could get somewhere between 50 and 70 kilos." Continue reading...
by Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Yusra Abdulahi on (#6Q7J6)
Transparency campaigners welcome government move to publish details of system algorithmsArtificial intelligence and algorithmic tools used by central government are to be published on a public register after warnings they can contain entrenched" racism and bias.Officials confirmed this weekend that tools challenged by campaigners over alleged secrecy and a risk of bias will be named shortly. The technology has been used for a range of purposes, from trying to detect sham marriages to rooting out fraud and error in benefit claims. Continue reading...
Police have made a third arrest during search for male attacker after three killed and eight injured at a festival in west German cityA man suspected of killing three and injuring eight more in the city of Solingen was arrested late on Saturday, according to regional interior minister Herbert Reul, following Friday night's attack at a festival.Here is what we know so far:North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister, Herbert Reul, told the ARD broadcaster that authorities spent the day following a hot lead" that led to the latest arrest, the third police have made.Police had previously made two arrests that were likely not the perpetrator, Reul said. The real suspect is the one that we've arrested just now," he said. The individual was being questioned and evidence was seized, he said. Police declined to immediately comment.Terrorism has not been ruled out as a motive. The prosecutor Markus Caspers said police were looking at terror as a possibility, saying there was no other obvious motive and that the alleged attacker appeared to be unknown to the victims.The Islamic State (IS) group on Saturday claimed responsibility for the Solingen stabbings but did not immediately provide any evidence for its assertion. Accounts claiming to speak for IS have falsely claimed responsibility for atrocities in the past.Earlier, police detained a 15-year-old at his parents' home in the early hours of Saturday, which prosecutors said was on suspicion of failing to report a crime. Public prosecutor Markus Caspers said of the 15-year-old that he was alleged to have spoken to the perpetrator shortly before the crime".A second arrest was made following a police operation at a home for refugees in Solingen, a police spokesperson said. They said they could not provide any more details on the individual or the connection to the alleged incident.Police have found at least one weapon that may have been used in the alleged assault and are analysing it for DNA traces. They said they had had no indication in the run-up to the festival that there was a security threat.Three people - two men, aged 67 and 56, and a woman, 56 - were killed on Friday night during a festival of diversity to mark the city of Solingen's 650th anniversary, which began on Friday and was supposed to run through to Sunday. Eight others were injured, of whom four are fighting for their lives, police said. Continue reading...
Ministers call for more security around Jewish schools and places of worship after incident in La Grande-MotteFrench police have arrested a man suspected of attempted arson against a synagogue in the southern France city of La Grande-Motte, acting interior minister Gerald Darmanin said on X.The incident in the Mediterranean resort east of Montpellier is being investigated by France's specialist antiterrorism prosecutor. Continue reading...
Male 28-year-old victim had been in critical condition since Thursday, and suspect who was arrested on Friday is in custodyA man has died after allegedly being assaulted at a London Underground station, British Transport Police (BTP) said.The victim, currently identified only as a 28-year-old man, had been in a critical condition in hospital since Thursday and died on Saturday evening, with his family by his side. Continue reading...
Labour leader tells working people rot left by Conservatives is so much worse than imagined and improvement won't happen overnightBritish people will have to endure even worse economic and social pressures in the months to come as the Labour government takes unpopular decisions" to rebuild the country from rubble and ruin" left by the Tories, Keir Starmer will warn this week.With the prime minister under mounting pressure from within his own party to help people struggling with rising fuel payments and millions of families in poverty, Starmer will strike a defiant note against those demanding U-turns from his ministers, saying tough choices" will have to be made before any recovery ispossible. Continue reading...
Three years on from a decision to drop the prosecution of her alleged rapist, Jade McCrossen-Nethercott received a payout from the CPS, which said the defence should have been challenged in courtThirteen days before her alleged rapist was due to stand trial, Jade McCrossen-Nethercott received devastating news. After three years of waiting, the Crown Prosecution Service was abandoning the case.It was not for lack of evidence. After the alleged attack, McCrossen-Nethercott had gone straight to the police, who took her clothes, phone, and swabbed her head to toe". Then there was her broken necklace, the marks on her arms, the no-comment interview the suspect gave after he was arrested and the allegation that a drink he gave her had tasted strange. Continue reading...
The demand from Britain's second biggest union will test truce with Labour at next month's TUC conferenceBritain's second biggest trade union is calling on the new Labour government to introduce an emergency 1% wealth tax on the assets of the super-rich to pay for 10% pay rises for public sector workers and fill more than 100,000 NHS vacancies.The demand from Unite is in one of several motions to the Trades Union Congress, which meets in Brighton next month, that will expose tensions between Keir Starmer's government and sections of the union movement. It comes as Rachel Reeves is preparing for her first budget as chancellor, on 30 October. Continue reading...
Gulf state facilitates swap deal for Russian soldiers captured during Kursk incursion launched earlier this monthRussia and Ukraine have exchanged 115 prisoners of war from each side after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) acted as an intermediary.It is the first such exchange since Ukraine launched a surprise attack into Russia's Kursk region on 6 August, the biggest inside Russian territory by a foreign power since the second world war. Continue reading...
West Yorkshire police say a number of arrests were made overnight over fire that killed a woman and three childrenDetectives investigating a house fire in which a woman and three children died in Bradford have made further arrests, West Yorkshire police have said.Bryonie Gawith 29, and her three children - Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and 22-month-old, Aubree Birtle - died after their home was deliberately set alight in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Continue reading...
PM sends message of solidarity as Ukrainians celebrate anniversary of exit from USSRKeir Starmer has told Ukrainians that the UK will back them today and always" as Kyiv marks 33 years since it declared independence from the Soviet Union.The prime minister described his message to frontline fighters and people who have sought refuge in Britain as crystal clear" as community groups, councils and parishes around the UK plan to mark the anniversary on Saturday. Continue reading...
Hope that this weekend's event in west London will bring people together to celebrate diversity after recent unrestOrganisers of Notting Hill carnival have said the festivities this year will take on a renewed importance and remind people of the need for diversity and inclusion after the far-right riots that took place this month.More than a million people are expected to line the streets of west London this weekend for the 56th annual carnival, one of the biggest street festivals in the world. Continue reading...
Ex-UFC superstar calls 2013 post boosting Sandy Hook conspiracy theory video her most regrettable decision'The former Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Ronda Rousey has issued her most detailed apology yet for having once engaged in Sandy Hook school shooting denialism after Reddit users inundated her with criticism during a question-and-answer session on the platform.Rousey on Tuesday was participating in one of the Ask Me Anything discussions that celebrities frequently have with Reddit users when she was quickly flooded with questions and disapproval about her having spread misinformation on the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 20 schoolchildren. Continue reading...
James Bailey is confident the market has swung in its favour, with more customers and plans to open new storesWaitrose is getting its mojo back, according to the boss of the upmarket supermarket chain, with shoppers treating themselves more often to pricier items such as green harissa paste and organic beef fillet steak as the cost of living crisis subsides for them.James Bailey says Waitrose is selling nearly double the amount expected of its range of branded ingredients for recipes by the celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi, which launched in April, while sales of its Duchy Organic range are up more than 10%, as are those for its premium No 1 own label range, while sales of its budget Essentials range are falling back. Continue reading...
Cabinet Office paper confirms government expects body to begin making payments by end of yearMinisters have given the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) the power to start making payments to patients.The Cabinet Office published a lengthy policy paper on Friday detailing the tariff-based scheme, and laid secondary legislation, which sets out the criteria for the first payouts. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Indebted people left to deal with multiple creditors now have a communication lifelineVictims of economic abuse should find it easier to get help dealing with their creditors, as 25 banks and building societies have committed to accepting a new form which could ease applicants' trauma and provide the support they need.The Economic Abuse Evidence Form (EAEF) enables money and debt advisers, trained by the specialist charities Money Advice Plus (MAP) and Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA), to advise multiple organisations that someone has experienced economic abuse, and explain the impact on the victim. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6Q73Q)
No adviser would say PM should have gone away during the riots but cancelling breaks can take a tollKeir Starmer has achieved a number of things this summer, not least winning an election and rubbing shoulders with other world leaders at the Nato summit. What he has not managed, however, is to go on a family holiday.In calling off the planned jaunt to Europe as his government responded to days of rioting, the prime minister became the latest in a decades-long list of politicians to wearily decide that duties come before beach time with the kids. Continue reading...
PM faces pitfalls navigating what are crucial relationships but claims by jilted Tories don't ring true, say expertsSince last month's general election, Sharon Graham, the general secretary of the Unite trade union, has held face-to-face meetings with a string of key secretaries of state.As she says, in many leading economies, that would barely merit a mention, given that she represents about a million members across 40-odd industries, including steel, energy and defence. Continue reading...
Report reveals stark inequalities in life expectancy between men living in wealthy and deprived areasCouncils across England have urged the government to create a national men's health strategy after uncovering stark discrepancies in life expectancy between men living in wealthy and deprived areas.The Local Government Association (LGA) said the issue should be recognised as a national concern". A report by the body - Men's Health: the Lives of Men In Our Communities - claims men in deprived areas live up to 10 years less than their counterparts in wealthy areas, with smoking and excessive alcohol consumption contributing factors to the gap. Continue reading...
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