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PM's vocational model also takes inspiration from former education secretary Kenneth Baker's visionAndy Burnham's plans to put academic and technical education routes on an equal footing in England have been welcomed by many, but none were more enthusiastic than the former Conservative minister Kenneth Baker.I'm very impressed with what he has said," the 91-year-old former education secretary, home secretary and Conservative party chair told the Guardian. It's a very significant announcement. I'm going to try to persuade the Conservative party to support this." Continue reading...

David Elliott denies having affair after document revealed during Icac hearing into corruption allegations

A feasibility study for the Western Australian project will show the project is uneconomic and requires government subsidies, experts say

Former leader shows support for new Victorian premier while paying tribute to Jacinta Allan

In today's newsletter: A recent government reshuffle has exposed deep fractures within Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wartime cabinetGood morning. Another week, another diplomatic success for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Monday, his first meeting with Andy Burnham as PM confirmed continuity in the UK's steadfast support for Ukraine. We've got your back," Burnham said as the pair spoke in Portsmouth. Yesterday, in Washington DC, after attending the funeral of Lindsey Graham - a once supportive Republican senator - Zelenskyy and Trump held a positive and productive" meeting, as per the White House. Overnight, the US Senate advanced a sweeping Russian sanctions bill.Save for that somewhat shaky start in the early days of Donald 2.0, these well-executed global stage set-pieces have come to define Zelenskyy's wartime leadership. The hundreds of billions he has secured in military, financial and humanitarian aid from the US, Europe, the UK and beyond during a period of global economic unease is remarkable.UK news | Young people will be expected to engage with new support to find work, Pat McFadden has said.World news | At least 13 people have been killed after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan, injuring hundreds and knocking out power and water to tens of thousands.Europe news | Nearly 4,000 people have been evacuated from tourist sites on France's Atlantic coast as the return of winds and extreme heat jeopardises firefighters' battles to contain wildfires raging in France and Spain.US news | Donald Trump hosted back-to-back White House meetings with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, as Ukraine seeks more firepower for its air defences and the Israeli prime minister tries to repair his strained relationship with the US president.UK news | Led By Donkeys has received compensation after a giant banner it displayed in Parliament Square saying Yes It's A Genocide" was seized by officials and destroyed. Continue reading...

Opposition leader says he is not a party to proceedings' being investigated by NSW corruption watchdog as fellow Liberals close ranks

Exclusive: Of more than 1,000 medicinal cannabis products available, only two have been evaluated by the drug regulator

Military mobilises thousands of personnel after quake on southern Kyushu island that registered a maximum 7 on the Japanese shindo intensity scale

Breach exposes Pauline Hanson to possible fines as party given deadline to comply by 18 August

Potential toxic substance detected in several of 15 elephants found dead in Kenya's Amboseli national parkOfficials are investigating the deaths of 15 elephants over the past month in Kenya's Amboseli national park.The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said 10 of the elephants showed signs of partial paralysis before dying within two days. Continue reading...

Kumamoto shaken by 6.8-magnitude quake, knocking out power and damaging buildings, as people remain trapped inside shopping centreA 6.8-magnitude earthquake has shaken south Japan, killing at least two people and leaving at least 100 people injured. Some are trapped and presumed dead inside a shopping mall.The earthquake hit Kumamoto prefecture on the southern Kyushu island late on Tuesday afternoon, knocking out power to thousands of homes and damaging roads, bridges and buildings. Continue reading...

Prime minister invites Badenoch and Davey - but not Farage - to discuss how to fix decades-old funding crisisAndy Burnham has promised problem-solving, not point-scoring" before a speech on social care in which he will set out his strategy for resolving one of the most intractable problems in British politics.The prime minister has invited Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, and Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, to discuss how to enact urgent reform on social care, as he attempts to find common ground across party lines. Davey confirmed he would attend via video call while the Conservatives said they would send the shadow health secretary, Stuart Andrew, in Badenoch's place as she was having pre-planned minor surgery. Continue reading...

White House has halted changing vaccine schedule as it is unpopular, but anti-vaxx Trump set on alleviating autism'Donald Trump is pushing the longtime vaccine opponent and current health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr to be more aggressive on cutting vaccines in the US, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal.Trump has a long record of anti-vaccine statements, but the White House recently put a hold on vaccine changes after polling indicated they were a losing issue in the midterm elections. Continue reading...

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck the country's Kumamoto prefectureKyushu Electric Power said 48,000 homes had lost power as a result of the latest quake, while railway company JR Kyushu said that it had suspended services, including its high-speed bullet trains.Kumamoto airport also shut its runway, as airlines diverted and cancelled flights. Continue reading...

Pharmaceutical company's move to new 400m research centre accompanied by encouraging news for shareholdersA vote of confidence in British business," trumpeted Andy Burnham, seizing the political gift of GSK splashing out 400m on a shiny new research and development centre in Cambridge.For positive vibes, it definitely beats the early pharma news his predecessor as prime minister received. That was the painful tale of how AstraZeneca, frustrated by indecision in the Treasury, cancelled its intended 450m expansion of a vaccine plant in Speke in Liverpool. Continue reading...

Man already serving life for killing his cellmate while awaiting trial also murdered and dismembered his friends Claudio Aquilino and Daniel ColemanOn a spring day last year, James Desborough marched up to Cornwall's county hall in Truro and began bombarding the offices with dozens of eggs stolen from a supermarket.It was a drug- and drink-addled protest at his plight - homeless, jobless and generally angry at the world. He expected to be arrested and messaged a friend: If I'm going to get nicked, might as well round the charges up." Continue reading...

Data shows Canadians have replaced US vacations with other international trips in apparent rebuke to TrumpCanadians spent $3.3bn less on travel to the US in 2025 than in the previous year, as Donald Trump's hostile policies towards his northern neighbour continue to incur an economic cost, new government data shows.The research also indicates that Canadians are not bucking travel overall and instead have replaced US vacations with other international destinations, in a rebuke to Trump's tariff regime and the president's continued musings on annexing Canada. Continue reading...

Exclusive: King's College London analysis finds diabetes and hypertension are more common in Black African and Caribbean peopleStroke risk factors including high blood pressure and diabetes are rising faster among people from Black African and Caribbean backgrounds compared with their white counterparts, according to analysis.Researchers at King's College London analysed data from more than 8,500 adults over a 30-year period from the South London Stroke Register, one of the longest-running population-based stroke registers in the world. Continue reading...

Commission promised by new premier would be an important signal' for voters that the government was acting on alleged corruption

Survey also shows Australians rounding on the government over its handling of inflation and the cost of living crisis

Waste firm Veolia pays 27k after Yes it's a Genocide' banner taken by Greater London Authority was destroyedThe campaign group Led By Donkeys has received 27,000 in compensation after a giant banner it displayed in Parliament Square saying Yes it's a Genocide" was seized by Greater London Authority officials and destroyed.Representatives of the GLA arrived on the scene in central London and confiscated the 40-metre by 40-metre banner after it was unfurled on 4 December 2024, just under two months after Israel began its assault on Gaza following the 11 October attacks by Hamas. Continue reading...

Pharmaceuticals company is investing 400m in UK life sciences and moving scientists to new Cambridge R&D site

Viral video apparently shows a Saltburn 2nd XI fielder clicking his fingers to mimic a batter's nickThe ball is bowled, the batter plays a shot and it's caught by the wicketkeeper to cheers all round. The batter is clearly bemused. Did he hit it? Or ... did a fielder click his fingers to mimic a nick?A row has erupted in the normally friendly, if ultra-competitive, world of English club cricket after footage went viral of alleged cheating. Australian cricket will always have Sandpapergate. The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League now has clickgate - or, as it has been christened online, Clicky Ponting" - a play on the name of the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. Continue reading...

Consumer goods group reports strong sales growth, owing in part to World Cup marketing campaigns

Umbrellas, deck chairs and loungers seized in Torre del Greco authorities' crackdown on people reserving spots overnightAuthorities in a coastal suburb of Naples seized umbrellas, loungers and deck chairs during a dawn sweep of a beach aimed at cracking down on the growing trend of people attempting to reserve prime spots overnight.Torre del Greco's port authority said coastguard staff and local police had together collected 40 items as part of a national beach and lake safety operation that targets people labelled by the Italian press as furbetti dell'ombrellone, or umbrella cheaters. Continue reading...

Move comes after the presenter has faced allegations of bullying, but there is no suggestion it is relatedNaga Munchetty is to leave BBC Breakfast after 17 years on the television show to become co-presenter of Radio 5 Live's breakfast show.The current 5 Live Breakfast hosts, Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards, announced on Tuesday's programme that they would step down in December. Continue reading...

TUC says lender can easily afford to pay more tax' as it increases bonus pool by nearly 30%

Co-presenter of former BBC motoring show given penalty after being caught twice in three weeksThe former Top Gear host Richard Hammond has been fined 999 by a court after being caught speeding twice in three weeks while driving his luxury cars.The 56-year-old was in a Porsche when he broke the speed limit on 2 December last year, and was caught out again 20 days later while driving a Bentley. Continue reading...

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Cockroach Janta party says government has broken promise, with detentions in Delhi, Assam, West Bengal and BiharIndia's youth-led Cockroach" movement, whose nationwide protests forced the resignation of the education minister, has accused the government of backtracking on its promise not to act against student protesters and has threatened to restart demonstrations.The Cockroach Janta party (CJP), which organised mass protests over exam paper leaks and other irregularities, said it had received reports of hundreds of students being detained or harassed" by police. Continue reading...

Federal opposition leader, who is not accused of wrongdoing, says he won't provide running commentary on matters before commission'

Chief executive, Frank Calabria, apologises and advises customers to look out for suspicious activity amid heightened scam riskOrigin Energy has admitted it was warned of the hack that accessed 900,000 current and former customers' personal data three weeks before it first made the data breach public.Australia's largest energy retailer said a significant" proportion of the 900,000 had been former customers, with those affected to be notified in the coming days. Continue reading...

Funding crisis could lead to an exodus that would be a blow for British science and national growthOn a chilly day in December 1945, Bernard Lovell, a physicist at the University of Manchester, struck out for the Cheshire countryside to study cosmic rays, the streams of high-energy particles that crisscross the universe. Peering at the signals from his army surplus radar, he made an unexpected discovery: radio reflections from the ionised trails of shooting stars.The work marked the birth of radio astronomy at Jodrell Bank. A year later, engineers at the site mounted a radar on the base of a searchlight, providing sweeping access to speeding meteors. When Sputnik launched in 1957, they had just completed the Lovell telescope, the largest radio telescope in the world, the only one capable of tracking the Soviet satellite. Continue reading...

Average 25% increase for letters such as marketing, bills and medical appointment notices from 5 OctoberRoyal Mail will increase the price of its wholesale postal service by as much as a third, in a multimillion-pound blow to the NHS and other large organisations.The postal company has warned customers who use its wholesale postal service for mail including marketing letters, household bills and medical appointment notices that it is raising prices by an average of 25% from 5 October. Continue reading...

Suffolk police ceded investigation into James Loubeau to the US military, leading to court martial acquittalA US airman accused of a spree" of rapes and sexual assaults in England, drugging some women and breaking into the homes of others, was able to avoid British justice after local police handed over part of the case to the American military.Two British women went to Suffolk police in August 2019 to allege that James Loubeau and another US airman had drugged and raped them after they met in a nightclub in Bury St Edmunds, a local market town. Continue reading...

Nostalgic foods like toad-in-the-hole also in demand at Waitrose as people pivot towards familiarity amid climatic and political upheavalForget a crisp salad and glass of chilled rose. Enervated Britons are seemingly more likely to crave a rich cottage pie and a robust red in heatwaves.In a trend termed reverse comfort eating", Waitrose's cottage pie sales have soared 110% in the last month and South African red wine is up 68% compared with the same period last year. The surprise spike in demand for winter comfort foods also includes retro chicken, bacon and leek pie (up 41%), chicken korma (up 67%) and chicken and ham gratin (68%). Continue reading...

Unions say basic needs still not being met a year after regulator told operators to improve facilitiesTrain drivers are considering strike action over a lack of toilets, with unions saying basic needs are still not addressed a year after the rail regulator told operators to provide more facilities and breaks.Aslef said it was putting the industry on notice". The train drivers' union added that companies had failed to deliver adequate toilets and reduce maximum driving times without a toilet break. Continue reading...

In normal times the Mashala shelter founder takes in strays, but in wartime, he is the only lifeline for animals in the areaDuring Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah, Houssein Hamze woke up one night to the sound of barking. Alarmed, he got up to check on the dog - his first rescue pet. Moments later, a bomb dropped next to his home and a piece of shrapnel landed right where he had been sleeping.I swear to God, he really saved me from death. Animals always possess a sixth sense we don't have," Hamze said. Continue reading...

Jury finds that the man, who cannot be named, assaulted the woman at his home in March 2023

Washington and Tehran issue conflicting messages over the status of talks to end Middle East crisisDonald Trump has once again warned that the US will return to strong military action" against Iran if diplomatic efforts do not bring a rapid resolution to the crisis in the Middle East.We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action," the US president told Axios on Monday. Asked for how long he would allow the talks to proceed, he answered: Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all." Continue reading...

PM wants curriculums for students aged 14 and above to be more responsive to local jobs marketAndy Burnham will tell schools across England to adapt their curriculums to the needs of local businesses as part of a devolution drive aimed at tackling the jobs crisis for young people.By moving decision-making to local areas, the PM hopes the plan will make technical and vocational skills as valued as academic qualifications - and help cut the benefits bill. Continue reading...

Green party leader shared picture of man wearing T-shirt with words we're only making plans for Nigel' alongside a guillotinePolice are conducting inquiries" into an image shared by Green party leader Zack Polanski on Instagram after Reform UK reported it for inciting murder".The image showed a man wearing a black T-shirt with the words we're only making plans for Nigel", alongside a photograph of a guillotine. Continue reading...

Former education secretary will take up influential role that puts her at vanguard of Labour's battle to win next general electionBridget Phillipson has been appointed Labour party chair, putting her at the vanguard of Labour's battle to win the next general election.The former education secretary and architect of a landmark overhaul in special education needs (Send) provision in England will follow in the footsteps of other Labour big beasts who have held the position, including Harriet Harman, Angela Rayner and Tom Watson. Continue reading...

Social media influencers fighting against extradition to UK where they face rape, sexual assault and other allegationsSocial media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will remain in jail at least two more weeks until their next hearing as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking, a federal judge said on Monday.US magistrate Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for 13 August to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released during what could be a months-long extradition process. Continue reading...

New prime minister wants to focus at home, but his first week already suggests the world has other plansIt took just seven days in office for Andy Burnham to meet his first world leader. As he welcomed Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a naval base in Portsmouth on Monday, the new prime minister told the Ukrainian president it was no accident" he was his first international visitor since entering No 10.It is intended to send a very clear message," Burnham told him. We are with Ukraine 100%, I am personally with you 100%, and I will honour every commitment this country has made to Ukraine in full." In short, the UK's support for Kyiv would continue despite the change in leadership. Continue reading...

Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, left bodies rotting away', family members sayA fraudulent funeral director broke the trust of families on an almost industrial scale" as their loved ones' bodies were left rotting away", a court has heard.Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, appeared at Hull crown court on Monday for a five-day sentencing hearing. He previously pleaded guilty to 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing lawful and decent burial. Continue reading...

PM promises lasting solution for England but Tories rule out backing changes funded by tax rises or borrowingAndy Burnham has pledged to work collaboratively with other parties to find a lasting solution on social care, though the Conservatives have ruled out backing changes funded by tax rises or borrowing.Senior Labour and Liberal Democrat figures have privately cast doubt on Burnham's ability to find a cross-party consensus on social care reform in England, given the terms of the Tories' participation. Continue reading...

Canadian-born British operator, president of the British Puppet Guild, died after a short illness'Ronnie Le Drew, best known for operating the puppet Zippy on the classic children's television programme Rainbow, has died aged 78 after a short illness. The news was confirmed by the British Puppet Guild, of which Le Drew was president.The Canadian-born British puppeteer was also known for working on 1986's Labyrinth alongside David Bowie as well as 1986's Little Shop of Horrors and various Muppet movies including in 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol. He worked on various iterations of Sooty, alongside Harry and Matthew Corbett, usually as Sweep, Sooty's sidekick. Continue reading...

Judge quashes Enfield council's decision to grant planning permission for new women's and girls' football academyA council's decision to allow Tottenham Hotspur Football Club to build a new training facility in a park in north London has been quashed by a judge at the high court.The campaign group Guardians of Whitewebbs told a hearing in June that Enfield council's decision to grant planning permission for a new women's and girls' football academy on 6.5 hectares (16 acres) of land in Whitewebbs Park was unlawful. Continue reading...