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Revelation comes as LNP accused of intimidation' after demanding sensitive medical details from parents of transgender children

Neil Duncan-Jordan, Chris Hinchliff, Brian Leishman and Rachael Maskell are last of series of penalised backbenchers to return to the partyFour Labour MPs who lost the party whip in July for being persistent rebels" have had the sanction removed, the last of a series of penalised backbenchers to be allowed back into the fold.Neil Duncan-Jordan, Chris Hinchliff, Brian Leishman and Rachael Maskell spoke to the party's chief whip, Jonathan Reynolds, and were allowed to hold the whip again after a review of how they had behaved since the suspension, it is understood. Continue reading...

Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was accidentally released on 29 October, arrested in north London on FridayA convicted sex offender who was released from prison by mistake a week ago is back in custody.Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, from Algeria, was accidentally freed on 29 October from Wandsworth prison in south London. He was arrested in Finsbury Park on Friday after police said they had received a call from a member of the public. Continue reading...

Israeli PM, ministers and army chief accused of crimes against humanity perpetrated systematically' in GazaTurkey has issued arrest warrants for alleged genocide against the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and senior officials within his government.Among 37 suspects listed were the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the army chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said a statement from the Istanbul prosecutor's office, which did not publish the complete list. Continue reading...

Upstate New York institution is the fifth university under government investigation to bow to White House demandsCornell University announced a settlement with the Trump administration on Friday, becoming the fifth university under investigation by the US government to do so.The agreement will see more than $250m in federal research funding restored. In exchange, the university will share admissions data with the government, pay $30m and invest $30m more in research programs benefiting farmers - a reflection of the university's longstanding record of agricultural research. Cornell also agreed to continue to evaluate the campus climate", particularly for Jewish students, and use the Trump administration's interpretation of civil rights laws, which views diversity initiatives as unlawful race-based discrimination, in training materials. Continue reading...

Jesse Butler, 18, faced 78 years in prison, but judge reduced sentence to community service and counselingAnger is growing in an Oklahoma community over a sketchy as hell" plea deal allowing an 18-year-old man convicted of multiple charges of rape and assault dating to when he was 17 to perform community service and commit to counseling.Jesse Butler, of Stillwater, originally faced 78 years in prison after being charged as an adult over 10 allegations including rape, battery by strangulation, rape by instrumentation and domestic assault involving two women. Continue reading...

Cashmere and wool tees will keep you warm, cool and stylish during the festive seasonWhen it comes to dressing for a party, a T-shirt is usually something you change out of rather than put on.But this party season, the casual tee is experiencing a metamorphosis. Enter: the cocktail T-shirt. Continue reading...

North Sea oil and gas rig staff need to be under 124.7kg so they can be safely winched on to helicopter in emergencyThousands of North Sea oil and gas workers risk losing their jobs on offshore rigs unless they lose weight within the next year.Workers who weigh more than 124.7kg (19.5 st) fully clothed will need to shed some pounds by next November or risk being barred from working offshore, according to the industry's trade body. Continue reading...

Director general under pressure after release of memo criticising reporting on Trump, trans rights and Gaza

Exclusive: Darren Jones says Labour has to convince young people it is modern party of the future'The Green party is offering simple solutions to complex problems" and making undeliverable" promises to voters ahead of the next election that could leave them disappointed, the prime minister's chief secretary has said.Darren Jones, one of Keir Starmer's most powerful ministers, said the resurgent Greens were a bit like the populist left version of the populist right" of Reform UK, and that both were in danger of letting down voters. Continue reading...

Rapper receives nominations in all top categories while Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Leon Thomas are also major nominees Grammys 2026: the nominations in all the major categoriesThe Grammys' love continues for Kendrick Lamar. The rapper, who took home the most trophies at the 2025 music awards with five, leads the nominees for the 2026 awards.Lamar is up for nine awards, including album of the year (for his most recent, GNX), best rap album, record of the year and song of the year. He faces competition for the night's top award - album of the year - from Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, Tyler, the Creator and Clipse, Pusha T & Malice. Continue reading...

Karolis Peckauskas of Drogheda and Garrett Pollock of Annalong in Northern Ireland charged with possession of explosivesIrish authorities have charged two men with possession of explosives in relation to an alleged planned terrorist attack by a far-right extremist group.Karolis Peckauskas, 38, of Drogheda, County Louth, and Garrett Pollock, 35, of Annalong, County Down, Northern Ireland, appeared at Portlaoise district court on Friday after being arrested in a cross-border police operation. Continue reading...

Former footballer guilty over posts directed at football pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, and broadcaster Jeremy VineThe former footballer Joey Barton has been found guilty of six counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety.A jury at Liverpool crown court found that Barton, 43, of Widnes, Cheshire, had crossed the line between free speech and a crime" with a series of posts made to his more than 2 million followers on X between January and March 2024. He was cleared of a further six counts. Continue reading...

Israel says Mexico thwarted attempt in aftermath of deadly 2024 Israeli bombing of Iranian embassy in SyriaThe United States and Israel have accused Iran of plotting to assassinate Israel's ambassador to Mexico, in what would be the latest attempt to take the two countries' conflict to another region.Israel said that Mexican authorities intervened to stop the attempt to kill the ambassador, Einat Kranz-Neiger. Continue reading...

New Zealand film-maker became a Hollywood fixture in the 90s and 00s, including making Pierce Brosnan's last 007 movie, before returning to his home countryLee Tamahori, the New Zealand director of Once Were Warriors and Die Another Day, has died aged 75.In a statement to Radio New Zealand, Tamahori's family said he had Parkinson's and died peacefully at home". Continue reading...

Self-styled ultra-Maga' Republican representative has ramped up attacks on Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul

The 5.5bn model was classified as fit for army deployment in September but soldiers continue to raise health fearsSoldiers had to be given medical treatment for hearing problems this summer during final testing of the British army's new Ajax armoured vehicle, whose introduction has been delayed for several years amid concerns about deafness.The model, which costs 5.5bn for 589 vehicles, was nevertheless classified as fit for deployment in September. An investigation concluded there were no systemic issues" - but there remain health concerns among the troops involved. Continue reading...

Accusations of violent interceptions and human rights violations levelled at EU-funded Libyan services by NGOs

Southern European country has more than double the number of people aged over 100 than it did in 2009The number of people in Italy living to 100 continues to grow sharply, with more than 2,000 reaching the milestone age in 2025, the vast majority of them women.There are now 23,548 residents in Italy who are 100-years-old or over, compared with 21,211 in 2024, according to the latest figures from Istat, the national statistics agency. Italy has more than double the number of centenarians than it did in 2009, Istat said. Continue reading...

Robert Purkiss faces extradition to Kenya to face charges after Agnes Wanjiru killed near army base in 2012A man has appeared in court as extradition proceedings began in the case of Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman who was killed near a British army base in 2012.Robert Purkiss, 38, who is originally from Greater Manchester, appeared before Westminster magistrates court on Friday , and told the court he intended to contest the extradition. It is understood that he was arrested on Thursday night. Continue reading...

Howard Phillips was looking for money when he offered his services to officers who were posing as agents, judge saysA man found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service after handing over personal details of the then defence secretary, Grant Shapps, to two undercover officers he believed to be Russian agents has been jailed for seven years.Howard Phillips, 66, was convicted in July after jurors heard that he had been seeking easy money" when he offered his services to the undercover officers, known as Dima and Sasha. Continue reading...

Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, found dead at scene of incident on A48 in St Mellons in 2023Six police officers will face disciplinary proceedings for misconduct in relation to a crash that claimed the lives of three people.Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, both 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, were found dead at the scene of the incident on the A48 in the St Mellons area of Cardiff in March 2023 - almost 48 hours after they were all last seen.A police sergeant has a case to answer for gross misconduct for their supervision of the missing persons inquiry.A police constable has a case to answer for gross misconduct for allegedly failing to carrying out basic inquiries, including not recording and sharing information with their supervisor.Two police constables have a case to answer for gross misconduct after allegedly failing to conduct house searches and then giving dishonest accounts to their supervisor and IOPC investigators.A police constable has a case to answer for misconduct for allegedly not carrying out adequate house searches.A police sergeant has a case to answer for misconduct relating to allegations of failing to review all available information at the time of conducting a risk assessment for the missing women. Continue reading...

Boris Pistorius warns that Russia continues to seek to sow doubt, divide us and influence elections' in EuropeThe 35-year-old French man suspected of ramming his car into pedestrians and cyclists on Ile d'Oleron earlier this week have been charged with attempted murder, French media reported.The local prosecutor's office has also asked for him to be detained ahead of the trial. Continue reading...

Accidental release of Brahim Kaddour-Cherif had added to pressure on justice secretary after similar incident involving Epping sex offenderRachel Reeves has unnecessarily blocked her options of what to include in her budget, writes Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, the chief executive of the New Economics Foundation and author of Power to the People in this Guardian Opinion piece:Ed Davey has called for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, to give evidence before the US Congress and UK parliament over his links to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his victims.It's right Andrew Mountbatten Windsor appears before US Congress over his links to Epstein and his victims. He should also give evidence to our parliament. The public deserve answers and full transparency about this scandal. Continue reading...

Treasury-backed provider raises returns by up to 0.31 percentage points but experts say better deals are available

Policy means people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened', says judge. Plus, Tesla shareholders approve $1tn pay package for MuskGood morning.A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration yesterday to find the money to fully fund food stamps for 42 million low-income Americans in November by today, in a rebuke to the government's plan to only provide reduced aid during the shutdown.What is the impact? After the administration said on Monday it would only half fund the program, Linda Nageotte, of Feeding America, said: One in eight people in our country right now don't have enough to eat."What's the shutdown latest? It's the longest in history, on to its 38th day. Lawmakers are in talks that could lead to a deal. But some Democratic legislators saw Tuesday's electoral wins as evidence they should hold the line to extract significant concessions.What details do we know? The flight reductions, according to ABC News, will start at 4% on Friday and increase to 10%. Airports in cities including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, LA, San Francisco, New York, Houston and Chicago will be affected.What impact could the move have? The cuts could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an estimate by the aviation analytics firm Cirium. They are likely to create a cascade of scheduling issues and delays at some of the country's largest airports. Continue reading...

Spycops inquiry hears James Thomson lied to superiors and deceived two women into relationshipsManagers of an undercover police officer believed he had concocted a plot in which animal rights activists purportedly sought to obtain a gun to inflict a revenge attack on a political opponent, the spycops public inquiry has heard.The officer, James Thomson, claimed he had uncovered the plot while he infiltrated animal rights groups. But his managers later came to doubt whether it was genuine, with one of them appearing to call it bollocks". Continue reading...

Severe conditions caused by deep area of low pressure to north-west of Spain in the Atlantic OceanSevere thunderstorms developed across the Iberian peninsula on Wednesday, with Aemet, the Spanish meteorological service, issuing an orange weather warning across much of the country.These thunderstorms were triggered by a cold front passing eastward across Iberia, due to a deep area of low pressure situated just to the north-west of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean, which at its lowest had a central pressure of 989hPa. Continue reading...

Experts say hi-tech Fujian will help expand country's military influence and reach farther beyond its own waters

US telecom firm Comcast aims to buy media and entertainment arm for 1.6bn but not Love Island maker ITV Studios Business live - latest updatesITV has told the market it is in preliminary talks to sell its broadcasting arm to the parent company of Sky in a 1.6bn deal, sending shares soaring by almost 20%.Comcast, the US telecom company that owns NBCUniversal, hopes to snap up ITV's media and entertainment operations, which include its free-to-air TV channels in the UK and ITVX streaming platform. Continue reading...

Mark Fellows, Lee Newell and David Taylor charged with murder of Kyle Bevan at high-security West Yorkshire prisonThree prisoners have been charged with the murder of a convicted child killer in a high-security West Yorkshire prison.Kyle Bevan, 33, was found dead in his cell in HMP Wakefield on Wednesday morning. He was two and a half years into a minimum sentence of 28 years for murdering his partner's two-year-old daughter, Lola James, in the family home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in 2020. Continue reading...

Hungarian PM also seeking exemption on US sanctions on Russian oil as he faces domestic challenge before electionsViktor Orban will visit the White House on Friday as Hungary's far-right prime minister tries to broker another summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin that Orban's advisers claim could help end the war between Russia and Ukraine.Orban, who has proposed hosting the summit in Budapest, will also seek an exemption from US sanctions against Russian energy in what will be a major test of Trump's tougher line on the Kremlin after he accused Putin of slow-rolling negotiations to end the conflict. Continue reading...

Halifax says October increase pushes average cost of home to 300k despite uncertainty over possible budget tax changes Business live - updatesUK house prices rose at their fastest pace since January, a leading property index shows, with demand improving despite ongoing market uncertainty over likely tax changes in this month's budget.Prices increased by 0.6% month-on-month in October pushing the average cost of a UK home to a record high of 299,862, according to Halifax. Continue reading...

Military experts say facility on Christmas Island would be valuable asset to monitor Chinese submarine and naval activityGoogle plans to build a large AI datacentre on Australia's remote Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island after signing a cloud deal with the Department of Defence earlier this year, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with officials.Plans for the datacentre on the tiny island located 350km south of Indonesia have not previously been reported, and many details, including its projected size, cost and potential uses, remain secret. Continue reading...

Cultural figures hope proposed shake-up of curriculum can reverse years of madness' in which arts were devaluedFor years, Britain's leading cultural figures have warned that substandard arts provision in schools is devaluing the sector and creating an increasingly elite industry. But the government's proposed shake-up of the national curriculum, which includes scrapping the English baccalaureate (Ebacc), has been met with overwhelming positivity, with one figure saying it could end the madness of the past decade".On Wednesday the Department for Education said it wanted to boost the creative subjects taken at GCSE as part of its wider changes to England's national curriculum. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Tory leader has plans to reinstate group that provided top donors with direct access to senior ministersKemi Badenoch is relaunching the Conservative party's advisory board" for high-value donors in a different guise, the Guardian has learned.The Tory leader has drawn up plans to reinstate the exclusive group, which provided top donors with regular direct access to senior ministers, according to two people briefed on the plans. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Nunn, one of PM's most trusted advisers, will play key role linking No 10 and No 11 operationsOne of Keir Starmer's closest allies has been appointed as Rachel Reeves's chief of staff in an effort to further strengthen ties between Downing Street and the Treasury, the Guardian understands.Ben Nunn, who worked with the prime minister in opposition and is one of his most trusted advisers, will begin his new role with immediate effect. Continue reading...

About 150 people evacuated from Melbourne airport lounge after device overheats and ignites, burning the man's leg and fingers

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In today's newsletter: After more than 450 early alarms, countless headlines and one rogue squirrel, it's time for me to say goodbye. It's been a privilege to share the biggest stories - and some very small ones - with youAfter an unholy number of good mornings - 468, to be precise - it's time to say goodbye. I'm moving to an editing job here next week, so this is my final First Edition. It's not exactly Dot Cotton leaving EastEnders, I know, but my hair and voice are very like hers at this time of day, so I hope you'll allow me a sentimental leaving monologue all the same.It's a great job, this. You get to write about the most interesting story every day, and talk to whoever the best person is to help you explain it, or say why it's being infuriatingly misunderstood. You also get to impose your jokes on a readership who could be forgiven for narrowing their eyes and scrolling to the Upside. (I do recommend today's.)ICC | The woman who has accused the prosecutor of the international criminal court of sexual abuse has been targeted by private intelligence firms as part of a covert operation said to have taken place on behalf of Qatar, the Guardian can reveal.UK politics | Labour should stand by its manifesto commitment not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT, its deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has said in a challenge that will put pressure on Rachel Reeves.Prisons | A fraudster mistakenly released from prison this week has handed himself back in as a hunt continues for a convicted sex offender who was also accidentally freed.UK news | The father of the Southport killer has said his son turned out to be a monster" as he tearfully expressed regret for failing to tell police about the teenager's weapons or his attempted attack on his former school.Corporate pay | Tesla shareholders approved a $1tn compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk on Thursday, awarding the world's richest man what would be the largest corporate payout in history if he meets the goals necessary to receive it. Continue reading...

Nuffield Health to close London hospital after anticipated demand for private care fails to materialiseAn NHS trust is taking over a state-of-the-art hospital from a leading private healthcare group after it failed to attract enough paying patients to use it.Barts Health trust in London will turn Nuffield Health's facility into a dedicated NHS breast cancer diagnosis and treatment centre when it gains control next month. Continue reading...

Exclusive: British government adopted least ambitious' option months before RSF's massacres in El FasherBritain rejected atrocity prevention plans for Sudan despite intelligence warnings that the city of El Fasher would fall amid a wave of ethnic cleansing and possible genocide, according to a report seen by the Guardian.Government officials turned down the plans six months into the 18-month siege of El Fasher in favour of the least ambitious" option of four presented. Continue reading...

Lati-Yana Brown's parents, who have been saving to pay for UK visa application, say situation is now an emergencyA distraught couple are appealing to the Home Office to expedite a visa decision and speedily grant permission for their eight-year-old daughter to join them in the UK after Hurricane Melissa left her homeless and destitute in Jamaica.Lati-Yana Stephanie Brown is being cared for by her grandmother in Cash Hill, Hanover, a part of the island that was badly damaged by the storm. Her Jamaican mother, Kerrian Bigby, came to the UK to join her British father, Jerome Hardy, in April 2023. The couple married earlier this year. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor hoses down speculation he's planning a leadership challenge by affirming support in Ley

James Marape skipped the meeting last year in protest but will attend Cop30 due to encouraging signs' on climate financePapua New Guinea's prime minister, James Marape, has criticised Cop climate summits as long on talk and short on action" but will attend the upcoming meeting of world leaders in Brazil, after pulling out last year in frustration with big emitters.The leader of the Pacific nation of about 10 million people skipped the meeting in 2024 in protest at the big nations" for failing to support to the victims of climate change. Marape will take part in the annual UN climate summit, which officially beings in Belem, Brazil on 10 November, due to encouraging signs" emerging from developed nations on climate finance. Continue reading...

The A350-1000ULR is on the assembly line in France with the fuselage sections, wings and landing gear attachedQantas has released the first images" of its specially configured plane that will fly Australians non-stop from Sydney to London and New York from 2027.The A350-1000ULR is on the Airbus assembly line in Toulouse, France, with its fuselage sections, wings and landing gear now attached, the airline said on Friday. Continue reading...

The revew, the first to focus on the racism of the institution as a whole, found a culture and leadership determined to prevent real changeThe racial harm" the Metropolitan police inflicts on black people is institutionally defended", with its leadership and culture protecting the force from real change, an internal review has found.The report by Dr Shereen Daniels, published on Friday, draws on internal documents and evidence, with the Met responding by accepting long-standing evidence of racism and discrimination within Britain's biggest force. Continue reading...

Abigail Zwerner alleged assistant principal ignored reports that a firearm was on school propertyA Virginia schoolteacher who was shot by her six-year-old student in 2023 has been awarded $10m in damages by a jury, concluding a negligence lawsuit she brought against a school administrator.Abigail Zwerner alleged that an assistant principal at the Newport News elementary school, where she used to teach, ignored multiple reports that a gun was on school property and probably in the possession of the boy who shot her in January 2023. Continue reading...

Family pays tribute to actor, who was a bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen'The Shirley Valentine actor Pauline Collins has died aged 85, her family has announced.She died peacefully, surrounded by her family in her care home in Highgate, north London, having had Parkinson's disease for several years, they said. Continue reading...