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Jacqui Smith says Labour hopes to make it much more likely' that smokers will want to give upThe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has said the UK is deeply worried" by the methods Israel has employed" in an IDF military operation in the occupied West Bank.In a statement on Friday morning, an FCDO spokesperson said:The UK is deeply concerned by the ongoing IDF military operation in the occupied West Bank.We recognise Israel's need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.We inherited a Tory housing crisis.Too few homes have been built. Continue reading...

Royal Lancaster Infirmary carries out review of Rachael Galloway's death after caesarean section complicationsA first-time mother died after complications relating to a caesarean section just 30 minutes after giving birth to twin sons.Rachael Galloway, 36, died on 1 August at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. The hospital said it was carrying out an internal review, and there was a continuing coroner's investigation but it did not give any details. Continue reading...

Video footage shows Angela Rayner dancing to remix of Somebody That I Used to KnowPoliticians of all stripes have been chasing the brat" label all summer, but only one has come close to truly pulling off the role.On Thursday, Angela Rayner was spotted raving behind a DJ deck in Ibiza, belting out the lyrics to a remix of Gotye's hit song Somebody That I Used to Know to a large, cheering crowd. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Debt-ridden company also warned officials of chilling effect' renationalisation would haveThames Water has lobbied the government to intervene with the regulator to allow it to charge far higher bills, the Guardian can reveal.Advisers and board members of the beleaguered water company are understood to have met Whitehall officials in recent weeks to warn that allowing it to be temporarily renationalised would have a chilling effect" on the entire UK's appeal to international investors, sources familiar with the discussions told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Badenoch and Jenrick are the bookies' favourites but the party's reduced ranks make the numbers extremely tight

The Apprentice, an 80s-set drama with a scene where he sexually assaults his wife, will get an October releaseControversial Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice is set for a pre-election release in the US.According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film which premiered at the Cannes film festival, will be released theatrically in the US on 11 October, less than a month before the election. Continue reading...

Painting that hung in former PM's study since 2009 no longer there - but aides are tightlipped as to whereaboutsIn a summer punctuated by an election and then riots there has not really been a silly season", the traditional news-light period when holidaying MPs become worked up about trivialities. That is until now - thanks to a row about a portrait of Margaret Thatcher.What is known is that the slightly austere painting of the former prime minister by the artist Richard Stone has been moved from the Downing Street study where it had hung since 2009, when Gordon Brown commissioned it. Continue reading...

Sahra Wagenknecht, whose alliance opposes Nato and military aid for Ukraine, said she was scared but fine' after incident in ErfurtMy colleague Deborah Cole has written a preview of this weekend's elections in Saxony and Thuringia, looking at how the far-right AfD and the alliance founded by Sahra Wagenknecht - the politician who was attacked with liquid on Thursday - could spell an upheaval of the political landscape in Germany. You can read the full piece here:The DPA news agency reports that German security authorities have warned of unconventional incendiary devices" sent via freight service providers. Continue reading...

House prices grew at annual rate of 2.4% in August, the fastest since December 2022, Nationwide figures show

Tory MPs will vote next week in a series of ballots to narrow the field down to four candidates

Mendis, who stayed in Manchester church for two years in 1980s to fight deportation, has died aged 68 in GermanyRefugees and human rights activists are making their way to Bremen in north-west Germany for the funeral of a man who fought for freedom and safety for asylum seekers.Viraj Mendis came to prominence after seeking sanctuary in a Manchester church where he spent two years in the 1980s. He died aged 68 on 16 August in Bremen, which offered him sanctuary after he was deported from the UK. Continue reading...

Find out who's up and who's down in the latest US presidential election opinion pollsKamala Harris's entry into the presidential race has given a shot in the arm to Democratic voters, who are now expressing near-record enthusiasm levels, fresh polling data shows.While the figures from Gallup indicate rising enthusiasm among all voters - including Republicans - over the past five months, comparative figures show a much steeper increase among Democrats - indicating that Harris's replacement of Joe Biden as presidential candidate is the likely driving factor. Continue reading...

Band's tour next summer expected to add to resurgence of 1990s fashion, as brands try to jump onboardAs Oasis fans wait on tenterhooks for tickets for the long-awaited reunion tour to go on sale on Saturday morning, brands are hitching their wagons to what will be a pivotal and lucrative pop culture moment, hoping to cash in on the excitement.The tour next summer is likely to trigger a wave of merchandise endorsed by the band, experts say, although people wanting to match the Gallagher brothers' style can probably look beyond official collaborations, given the resurgence of 90s fashion. Continue reading...

Remarks come after social media posts from some worried they will miss out to younger people for concert ticketsNoel Gallagher's daughter Anais has criticised ageism and misogyny" among diehard Oasis fans who fear they will miss out on tickets to see the band because of newer, younger fans.Liam and Noel Gallagher this week announced they were putting aside years of mutual loathing to reunite the group for a series of gigs in 2025. Continue reading...

Jail sentences handed to participants in recent riots thought to have exacerbated overcrowding

City fought off competition from Berne, Geneva and Zurich to host event, which began in Switzerland in 1956The Swiss city of Basel will host Eurovision in 2025, as the song contest's 69th edition returns to the country where it was born in 1956.The Alpine republic won the right to host next year's event after the Swiss artist Nemo won the 2024 contest with the song The Code. Continue reading...

Leonardo Bertulazzi, 65, wanted in Italy for kidnapping and other crimes allegedly committed as part of far-left groupPolice in Argentina have arrested a former Red Brigades member who has spent more than 40 years on the run from the justice system in Italy, where he is wanted for crimes including kidnapping and criminal association that he allegedly committed as part of the far-left guerrilla group.Leonardo Bertulazzi had been living in Argentina for years as a refugee, a status he lost under the administration of the country's radical rightwing president, Javier Milei. He was previously sentenced in absentia to 27 years in prison, and Italian police officers were present in Buenos Aires during his capture. Continue reading...

Vice-president defended her shifts on certain policy issues over the years and reiterated her support for Joe Biden in her first major interview as the Democratic presidential nominee. Plus: the shrine to Harry Styles in rural England.Good morning.Kamala Harris's much-hyped first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee aired Thursday night, with the vice-president using the time to reinforce the policies she has spoken of since launching her campaign.How did Harris perform? The Guardian's Washington DC bureau chief, David Smith, writes that both Harris and Walz came off radically normal". The old saw in presidential campaigns was: which candidate would you rather have a beer with?" Smith writes. Harris and Walz came over as the couple you'd be fine sharing cake and coffee with at your kids' birthday party."What were some key moments? Harris spoke about the moment she received the call from Joe Biden saying he would not run for reelection - she had just been finishing up a family breakfast with her baby nieces", complete with pancakes and second-servings of bacon. I think history is going to show a number of things about Joe Biden's presidency," Harris said. He puts the American people first."How did Republicans react? For weeks, Republicans had been calling for the nominees to open themselves up to questions. Trump responded reacted to the interview on Truth Social with a simple message: BORING!!!" Continue reading...

Court briefs outline how book ban creates hostile environment including discrimination based on sexPlaintiffs in a federal lawsuit that says censorship laws and policies in Georgia schools are unconstitutional and negatively affect both teachers and gender-nonconforming students have been backed by the US Department of Justice, 16 states and the District of Columbia.The federal agency, the states, DC and plaintiffs recently filed responses to defendant Cobb county school district's motion to dismiss the case. Continue reading...

Three-day humanitarian pauses in stricken areas will allow inoculation of more than 640,000 children

Giovanni Costantino of group that owns Bayesian's maker says it could not have sunk unless a hatch was openThe superyacht that capsized off the coast of Sicily this month, in which the British tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others died, could only have sunk because of human error, according to the chief executive of the company that owns the vessel's manufacturer.It is thought the Bayesian was struck by a downburst - a gusty wind associated with storms - causing the vessel to capsize and sink within minutes. The victims included Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah. Fifteen people survived, including Lynch's wife, whose company owned the Bayesian. Continue reading...

Home secretary urged to to make it easier for undocumented migrants to regularise their immigration statusThe government's policy of ramping up immigration raids and detaining and deporting undocumented migrants is driving more people underground and increasing their risks of exploitation, dozens of charities have warned.In a letter on Friday, coordinated by Migrant Voice, more than 80 organisations including Care4Calais, City of Sanctuary UK, Anti-Slavery International, Doctors of the World UK and Safe Passage International are calling on the home secretary to make it easier for undocumented migrants to regularise their immigration status so they can work with less risk of falling prey to exploitative employers and human trafficking gangs. Continue reading...

Singer issues statement saying he accepted AEG Entertainment Group proposal for 2025 tour but guitarist did notMorrissey has claimed he accepted a lucrative offer" this summer for a Smiths reunion - but Johnny Marr ignored it.Social media has been buzzing this week since Noel and Liam Gallagher announced they were getting back together for Oasis concerts in 2025. Continue reading...

Male truck driver airlifted to hospital from Bororen, 400km north of Brisbane, as ammonium nitrate spill sparks 2.5km exclusion zone

The 17-year-old is the second child to die in custody in Western Australia in less than a year

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Severe gusts and heavy rain leave dozens injured and more than 250,000 homes without powerTyphoon Shanshan has killed at least three people and injured about 40 as it barrels through Japan, with more than 250,000 homes left without power.At the time of writing, 24-hour rainfall totals have reached 300-400mm across swaths of Miyazaki, in the Kyushu region. Up to 630mm of rain has been recorded at one site near Shiiba after about 500mm fell since midnight on Thursday. Continue reading...

Eight-year-old's parents describe grief of losing smart, caring' girl as coroner examines whether hospital's care was reasonable

Police allege a teenage boy was sexually assaulted in Mona Vale in mid-2017

Guardian Australia understands there were disagreements between Davies and the OA board, including over using overseas talent in shows

A search of Matthew Newbould's phone revealed text messages to friends, including one that said: LOL I stole a gorilla, so what?'

Care leaders warn of serious safety risk as research reveals some providers have never been inspectedCare leaders have warned of a serious safety risk as research revealed 60% of homecare providers had not been inspected for at least four years, or ever.As the government prepares to receive a report on profound failings at its Care Quality Commission (CQC) that triggered the chief executive's removal this summer and a public apology, the Homecare Association warned 37% of providers of domiciliary care services had not been rated for at least four years and 23% had never been rated. Continue reading...

Two night watchmen taken to hospital after three-masted 1850s-style sailing ship hit by 332m vessel early on Friday

Exclusive: Ministers under last home secretary refused to empower caseworkers to tackle crisis, say sourcesJames Cleverly has been accused of increasing the asylum backlog in the spring of this year by dithering" over key decisions.Ministers under the then home secretary refused to give caseworkers permission to tackle outstanding cases covered by the Illegal Migration Act, departmental sources and the UK's biggest civil service union have told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Shares placed in trading halt as damning inquiry finds company is falling short'

Police say man was charged with murder by reckless indifference after allegedly failing to contact emergency services

Omo products take out top three spots for front loaders, but neither brand nor price can be indication of efficacy, expert warns

Democratic nominee touts policy plans at rally in swing state where polls show she and Trump are nearly tied

More than 130,000 people will benefit from check-ups that will be considered the equivalent of an NHS appointmentMore than 130,000 people across England will benefit from workplace health checks being trialled to help protect people from preventable diseases, the government has said.The checkups, which will begin on 30 August and can be completed by employees at their workplace, involve recording a range of information via a questionnaire for each patient. The answers are used to determine their risk for various cardiovascular conditions, and will be considered the equivalent of an NHS appointment. Continue reading...

PM urged to stand firm after chancellor promises employers government will co-design' reforms with businessKeir Starmer has been warned against caving in to pressure to water down a ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts, after fresh evidence showing the financial hit for millions in insecure work.Bosses have told the prime minister he risks causing real damage" for the economy if the government's proposals for the biggest overhaul in workers' rights for a generation are pushed through too quickly. Continue reading...

PM's biographer says portrait of predecessor commissioned by Gordon Brown no longer hangs in the Thatcher RoomKeir Starmer has had a portrait of Margaret Thatcher removed from No 10 Downing Street, according to his biographer.Tom Baldwin said that after Starmer took office he had spoken with the prime minister in Thatcher's former No 10 study, unofficially known as the Thatcher Room, where a portrait of her was on display. Continue reading...

A moment of great sadness for the nation' as Mori king, considered the paramount chief of several tribes, or iwi, diesNew Zealand's Mori King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII died peacefully on Friday morning, aged 69, according to a statement released by his representatives.The death of Kiingi Tuheitia is a moment of great sadness for followers of Te Kiingitanga, Moridom and the entire nation," spokesperson Rahui Papa said on social media. He added the King had been in hospital recovering from heart surgery just days after celebrating the 18th anniversary of his coronation. Continue reading...

Esther McVey used poem about complicity with the Nazis to criticise Labour's proposals about smoking in beer gardensThe Conservative MP Esther McVey has been urged to get a grip" after she posted a poem about the Holocaust to criticise government plans to introduce outdoor smoking bans.McVey, the MP for Tatton and a former cabinet minister, posted on X the words of Martin Niemoller's 1946 poem First They Came, about inaction from within Germany against the Nazis. Continue reading...

IDF claims armed assailants' tried to hijack vehicle leading convoy of medical supplies, which aid organiser deniesThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have said they carried out an airstrike on a humanitarian aid convoy in Gaza aimed at armed assailants" trying to hijack it but the charity that organised the aid said people killed in the strike were employees of the transport company it was working with.The convoy, organised by the US-based NGO Anera, was carrying medical supplies and fuel to an Emirati-run hospital in Rafah on Thursday evening at the time of the attack. Its route had been coordinated in advance with the IDF, under a deconfliction process intended to prevent aid vehicles being bombed. Continue reading...

Meteorologists predict scorching temperatures for the weekend before weather cools just in time for Labor DayMillions of Americans will continue to swelter as Labor Day weekend approaches, with much of the country under some kind of excessive heat watch.The brutal heatwave the US midwest suffered earlier this week has spread to the eastern half of the country, with more than 20 million people under some kind of a heat alert. Continue reading...

Planned 22 days of disrupted weekend services suspended with Aslef stating it has resolved a longstanding disputeA series of weekend strikes by train drivers on LNER from Saturday has been called off, their trade union Aslef has announced.Passengers travelling between London and Edinburgh had faced the prospect of months of disruption after LNER drivers earlier this month announced 22 days of industrial action from the start of September until early November. Continue reading...

While most people don't experience symptoms after bite of infected mosquito, about one in 150 develop serious illnessTwo people in eastern Wisconsin and one person in northeastern Illinois have died of West Nile virus, according to health officials.A third person in Wisconsin has been hospitalized because of the mosquito-borne illness, the Wisconsin department of health services said Thursday in a release. Continue reading...

Samaritans charity calls on government to invest in suicide prevention as it has with smoking reductionMinisters have been urged to treat suicide as a public health crisis after the rate at which people killed themselves in England and Wales reached the highest level in more than two decades.The official figures, described by the suicide prevention charity Samaritans as worse than expected", showed 6,069 suicides were registered in the two nations in 2023, up from 5,642 in 2022 and the highest rate since 1999. Continue reading...

EU foreign policy head says members have given up hope of seeing voting tallies in disputed presidential electionThe EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has said its members have given up hope of Nicolas Maduro producing evidence that he won Venezuela's election and will not accept his legitimacy as president-elect.Addressing reporters after EU foreign ministers held a video call with Edmundo Gonzalez, the former diplomat widely believed to have beaten Maduro in the 28 July vote, Borrell announced: The European Council decided that Maduro has no democratic legitimacy as president." Continue reading...

Mussie Imnetu from Sweden, who worked under Gordon Ramsay, was assaulted while in London on business tripA Swedish chef who had worked under Gordon Ramsay is in critical condition after being attacked near Notting Hill carnival on Monday.Mussie Imnetu, 41, the head chef at the Arts Club in Dubai, was visiting London on a business trip. At about 11.20pm on Monday, Imnetu was attacked at the Dr Power restaurant in Queensway. Continue reading...