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Decision means none of drugmaker's much-trumpeted 650m UK investment package is currently proceedingThe drugmaker AstraZeneca has paused a planned 200m expansion of its Cambridge research site, completing a depressing week for the UK pharmaceutical industry.The decision by the UK's largest company means none of its much-trumpeted 650m investment package in the UK - which was originally announced in March 2024 - is proceeding. Continue reading...

After disastrous week, some MPs predict challenge against PM likely if local and Welsh elections go badly next MayKeir Starmer has been warned that time is running out to repair his faltering leadership, with Labour MPs beginning to ask whether he could be challenged as prime minister.After a disastrous week in which Angela Rayner resigned and Peter Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to Washington, a number of MPs said a challenge was likely if local and Welsh elections went badly next May. Some said the one thing now protecting Starmer was the lack of an agreed replacement. Continue reading...

France, Germany and Denmark to contribute fighter jets and other assets in mission also expected to involve UKFrance, Germany and Denmark will contribute fighter jets and other military assets to an enhanced defence of Poland against future Russian drone incursions, Nato leaders announced at a press conference on Friday.The UK is also expected contribute to the Eastern Sentry mission, which will gradually be expanded across from the Arctic in the north to the Black Sea and Mediterranean in the south to better tackle Russian drones and missiles. Continue reading...

FBI said threats were hoax calls', although universities took measures to prevent incidences on campuses

Poland's prime minister praised Rutte and general Grynkewich for their decisive and swift action' and welcomed new Nato missionTusk also says the announcement with BAE Systems is only a part of our cooperation with the UK."He says he received another message from prime minister Starmer about greater UK involvement in military assistance, here in Poland, on an urgent basis," without offering further details. Continue reading...

Ryan Routh, who is accused of trying to assassinate US president at one of his golf resorts, unexpectedly spoke about evolution and HitlerThe trial defense of the man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump at one of his golf resorts in Florida in September 2024 got off to a shaky start on Thursday, after he was cut off by the judge minutes into his opening remarks.Ryan Routh, 59, who is representing himself despite having no legal education, is charged with five crimes including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. He has pleaded not guilty. Continue reading...

Former prime minister makes comments as Lords debate legislation for England and Wales for first time

Anti-corruption advocate Sushila Karki was nominated by gen Z representatives after forced resignation of predecessorNepal has sworn in its first female prime minister after a historic week in which widespread youth protests forced the resigniation of her predecessor and the dissolving of parliament.Sushila Karki, the former chief justice of Nepal, took the oath of office to lead an interim government late on Friday, after several tense days of negotiation. Continue reading...

Fellow forecasters have paid tribute to Wynne, who was described as a talented musician and enthusiastic golferThe weather presenter Jay Wynne has died at the age of 56 after a long illness, his family have said.Wynne, who joined the BBC Weather team in 2000, died in June, his brother Matthew confirmed to BBC News on Friday. Continue reading...

Scotland secretary Douglas Alexander said of Rayner's departure that MPs feel quite acutely that sense of loss'Speaking at the Reform press conference in Caerphilly, Nigel Farage said he had a very expensive week" seeking advice from tax experts, reports the PA news agency.The Reform UK leader said last year he had bought a home in his Essex constituency, but it was later reported that his partner had actually made the purchase. Questions over the home have resurfaced after Angela Rayner resigned last week over underpaying stamp duty on a seaside flat she bought this year.The money was legally hers, she bought the house. I don't have any financial stake in it whatsoever - other than she lets me stay there.I have paid a lot of money to make sure we have done everything right.I have done everything I can to prove everything I have done has been legal and correct. Continue reading...

As the federal takeover of DC police ends, Muriel Bowser is balancing leftwing pressure with a rightwing presidentDuring a press conference at the end of August, Washington DC's mayor, Muriel Bowser, made sure to say thank you" - in her own way - for Donald Trump's influx of federal law enforcement in the nation's capital.We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city," Bowser said. She admitted that, after a recent meeting with the president, his knowledge of DC had significantly increased" since his first term in the White House. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Isabel was fined three times in one week in Sydney. I was like, there's been some kind of malfunction,' she said

Hope Not Hate writes letter to PM as senior Labour MPs call for party to take firmer stand against far rightSenior Labour MPs and the UK's largest anti-fascist charity have called on Keir Starmer to mount a more heartfelt defence of diversity and anti-racism. They say they fear that Labour is not yet putting its heart and soul" into the battle against Nigel Farage and the far right.Hope Not Hate's chief executive has written a letter to Starmer in the lead up to a planned far-right demonstration in London on Saturday, demanding the prime minister speak up more against hate and racism. Continue reading...

Yellow weather warning issued from Sunday evening until 6pm on Monday for most of England and WalesWinds of up to 80mph are expected to batter parts of the UK this weekend along with heavy rain and thunderstorms, the Met Office has said.A yellow weather warning for wind has been issued from Sunday evening until around 6pm on Monday for most of England and Wales, which means delays to public transport and on roads are likely. Continue reading...

Group opposing the proscription announces major escalation' that will culminate in London on 4 October

Bride finally tracks down awkward-looking stranger she and husband noticed only when looking through photosA baffled bride has solved the mystery of the awkward-looking stranger who crashed her wedding four years ago.Michelle Wylie and her husband, John, registered the presence of their unidentifiable guest only as they looked through photographs of their wedding in the days after the happy occasion. Continue reading...

In a move praised by RFK Jr, the FDA approved a new shot, but only for some people - here's what to know about who can get them, and whereThere is a lot of confusion about Covid vaccines this year.In late August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had rescinded emergency use authorizations (a tool that allows the FDA to expedite the availability of certain medications) for Covid-19 vaccines. It also said it had approved updated versions of the Covid-19 vaccine, but only for certain groups. Continue reading...

Police hunting for two male suspects who are alleged to have racially abused the victim during the assaultPolice investigating the alleged rape of a Sikh woman in the West Midlands say they are treating it as a hate crime.Detectives are hunting for two white male suspects alleged to have racially abused the woman during the assault in broad daylight. Police say they believe one suspect had a shaved head and wore gloves. Continue reading...

Prison Officers' Association says change in eligibility for skilled work visas is disgraceful' and pandering to Reform'Hundreds of foreign prison officers will lose their jobs and could be forced to return to their home countries at short notice because of a change in visa rules introduced by Labour, governors and a union have warned.More than 1,000 staff, mainly from African countries, have been sponsored by prisons across England and Wales allowing them to come to the UK on skilled worker visas. Continue reading...

Decision expected soon after reports in Cairo about status of imprisoned dual-national human rights activistKeir Starmer has spoken to Abdel Fatah al-Sisi amid reports the Egyptian president has directed his officials to study an internal request to grant a pardon to release the British-Egyptian human rights activist and writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah.Abd el-Fattah's British-based family are not commenting on developments save to say they are praying for his release. Continue reading...

It was left to a - albeit extinct - tiny relative of the kangaroo to offer some relief from the blizzard of major eventsWhere to start in a week so fraught with major events you could hardly draw breath for the news flashes? It started with Trump's alleged contribution to Jeffrey Epstein's birthday book," shared by the Democrats on social media on Monday and leading to the discovery of a name not widely recognised in the US but of intense interest in the UK - Peter Mandelson. The British ambassador to the US had proffered an undiplomatically warm birthday message to the late child sex offender financier, starting a press scramble that ended, on Thursday, with Keir Starmer firing him. Continue reading...

CS Venkatakrishnan also calls for government to avoid bank tax hike as Rachel Reeves seeks to plug fiscal hole

Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey speak to the minister for EU relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, about the fallout from Brexit and our relationship with the European Union. Plus, we hear his thoughts on Keir Starmer's leadership and how Labour should take on Nigel Farage and the rise of Reform --

Late founder instructs heirs to gradually sell stakes with priority given to LVMH, L'Oreal or EssilorLuxottica

Research finds children as young as nine in England and Wales taken to A&E because of lack of specialist suitesChildren as young as nine detained under the Mental Health Act are spending hours in NHS accident and emergency departments under police control rather than in specialist mental health assessment suites.The detention under the act of children in England and Wales in police cells was banned in 2017 but a lack of suitable alternatives has led to the use of A&E departments. Continue reading...

Global Counsel, which the sacked ambassador to the US co-founded, starts to sell off his multimillion-pound stakePeter Mandelson's advisory firm is cutting ties with him after his firing as US ambassador after the extent of his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was revealed in emails.Global Counsel, which Mandelson co-founded in 2010 alongside Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, is in the process of selling off his multimillion pound stake to a new investor. The sale is expected to conclude within the next two months. Continue reading...

Police officer gave evidence to Melbourne court about feeling highly anxious' over his and his family's safety after Sewell's podcast comments

Nigel Farage's party featured in considerably more News at Ten bulletins than Lib Dems over six months, study findsThe BBC has come under renewed pressure over the amount of coverage dedicated to Reform UK after an analysis showed Nigel Farage's party featured in a quarter of all News At Ten bulletins over six months.Reform featured in 49 bulletins between January and July this year, whereas the Liberal Democrats - the third party in parliament with 72 MPs - featured in 17.9% of bulletins, with 35 references. Continue reading...

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Aftab Malik cites bomb threats and assaults when releasing report containing 54 recommendations

Concern for anchor tenants' as trade body warns that stores could put up prices or cut jobs to protect profitsUp to 400 large shops are at risk of closure with as many as 100,000 jobs at risk if the government goes ahead with plans to hit stores with higher business rates, retailers have warned.Some of the UK's largest retail premises, including supermarkets and department stores, would face higher property tax charges under new rules being considered by the government before November's budget. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Prince and team from his Invictus Games Foundation were invited to Kyiv and will detail new initiatives to support woundedPrince Harry has made a surprise visit to Kyiv after an invitation from the Ukrainian government, saying he wanted to do everything possible" to help the recovery of the thousands of military personnel who have been seriously injured in the three-year war against Russia.During the trip to the Ukrainian capital, he and a team from his Invictus Games Foundation are set to detail new initiatives to support the rehabilitation of the wounded, with the eventual aim of providing help to all areas of the country. Continue reading...

Director, marking new exhibition in LA, tells of chaotic filming - and says he's never seen so much vomit in my life'Before Jaws became a cinematic classic, and the very first American summer blockbuster", director Steven Spielberg thought the 1975 film would be the last one he would be allowed to make.Spielberg, who was just 26, had decided to shoot his second film, a thriller about a killer shark, on location on the east coast island of Martha's Vineyard. Continue reading...

Retailer's owner has stake in Wagestream, which offers workers loans of up to 25,000An influential group of MPs has sought assurances that Asda is not squeezing staff" to drive profit after it emerged they are being offered high-interest loans by Wagestream, a company in which the retailer's owner has a stake.The business and trade select committee has written to Asda over its links to the financial wellbeing app" that recently began offering the supermarket's staff loans of up to 25,000. The default arrangements for Wagestream's workplace loans" involve debt repayments being directly deducted from workers' pay packets. Continue reading...

National Trust-owned painting will be exhibited with a meditation option for art lovers to take a long, lingering lookThe impulse to race around a gallery and take in as many wonderful paintings as possible can be hard to resist.But art enthusiasts are being urged to slow down and take a lingering, meditative look at one of the great self-portraits when it is taken on an unhurried tour of England. Continue reading...

As House of Lords prepares to debate bill, Hospice UK says sector needs adequate funding for end-of-life careHospices are on the brink" and two in five are making cuts this year despite the importance of end-of-life care if assisted dying becomes legal, the sector has warned before the first House of Lords debate on the legislation.Hospice UK, which represents the sector, said many were financially struggling and still in the dark" about how funding for end-of-life care will be improved when assisted dying legislation is passed. Continue reading...

Luke Briggs, 35, died in a hospital's intensive care unit eight days after his arrest in Hoppers Crossing in July 2024

Interior minister says murder has been committed' while US Congress demands justification for attackNone of the 11 people killed in a US military strike on a boat in the Caribbean last week were members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, Venezuela's interior minister has said, while US media reported the attack came after the vessel had turned around and was heading back to shore.The administration of Donald Trump has said the boat was transporting illegal narcotics, but has provided little further information about the incident, even amid demands from members of the US Congress for a justification for the action. Continue reading...

Anna Netrebko's presence on stage called a disgrace', despite soprano condemning Russia's invasion of UkraineDozens of protesters have gathered outside the Royal Opera House to demonstrate against an eminent Russian opera singer nicknamed Putin's diva" who performed on the opening night of Tosca.Anna Netrebko, 53, one of the world's best-known sopranos, who draws full houses for her performances at leading opera houses globally, has denied being an ally of the Russian leader. Continue reading...

Former president sought to annihilate' country's democracy after losing 2022 election

Current leadership unequivocally' rejects George Abaraonye's remarks and says it opposes political violence'The Oxford Union has unequivocally" condemned comments apparently made by its president-elect about the fatal shooting of the rightwing activist Charlie Kirk in the US.Kirk, 31, was killed at a Utah Valley University show on Wednesday in what authorities have called a political assassination. Continue reading...

Education secretary and Manchester MP are only candidates to clear threshold to enter party members' ballotNo 10's pick for Labour deputy leader, Bridget Phillipson, will face off against the ousted cabinet minister Lucy Powell in a race widely seen as a referendum for party members on the direction of Keir Starmer's leadership.With Downing Street in turmoil after the sacking of the US ambassador, Peter Mandelson, Powell clinched 117 MPs' nominations, taking her over the threshold to enter the ballot of Labour members. Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the leftwing Labour MP, failed to make the cut-off. Continue reading...

Jamie Pearson killed himself in toilet at Blackpool Victoria hospital after being admitted over painkiller overdoseThe death of a 27-year-old man who killed himself in a hospital toilet after waiting 22 hours to be seen by the mental health team was contributed to by neglect", a coroner has ruled.Jamie Pearson was admitted to Blackpool Victoria hospital's A&E department after taking an overdose of high-strength painkillers on 17 August 2024. Continue reading...

In Oval Office address, president decried the demonization of political opponents, ignoring his own past rhetoric

Police investigate after images show roof of building destroyed in Washington, Tyne and WearA man in his 20s has been arrested by police after a suspected arson attack wrecked the constituency office of the Labour MP Sharon Hodgson.There is little left of the first floor office in the Concord area of Washington, Tyne and Wear, after a fire that took place when it was unoccupied in the early hours of the morning. Continue reading...

Labour and Lib Dems say Reform leader has questions to answer on who paid for 885,000 property owned by his partner

Queensland woman says its time for clinic to destroy 30-year-old samples as state and federal health ministers meet to push for reform

Ireland's national broadcaster joins Slovenia's in making participation next year conditional amid Israel's war in GazaIreland's national broadcaster, RTE, has decided not to take part in next year's Eurovision song contest if Israel is a participant.RTE is the second of 37 broadcasters who took part in the event this year to have made participation next year conditional. Continue reading...

Viktor Orban claims death of Turning Point USA's founder was result of international hate campaign' as prominent figures pay tribute

In latest scandal embroiling the Welsh cathedral, choir performed piece to protest about job losses and then walked outA cathedral choir has been suspended after it performed an entirely inappropriate" piece protesting about job losses during holy communion.Bangor Cathedral, which was criticised earlier this year over a culture of excessive drinking, sexual promiscuity and inappropriate banter, said it had paused all choir activity" for a month after the incident. It also said that Joe Cooper, the cathedral's director of music, was currently away from his duties". Continue reading...