Oleksandra Matviichuk warns any amnesty could encourage authoritarian leaders to attack their neighboursAny peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine that includes an amnesty for war crimes could encourage other authoritarian leaders to attack their neighbours, Ukraine's only Nobel peace prize winner has warned.Oleksandra Matviichuk said the leaked 28-point US-Russia plan did not account for the human dimension" and she supported President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's efforts to rewrite it in dialogue with White House. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#71S04)
Once-in-a-generation transformation' of Grade-I building will bring teaching spaces under same roof as galleryThe Courtauld has unveiled an 82m campus redevelopment it is calling a once-in-a-generation transformation" of its Grade-I listed building, Somerset House, in London.The Stirling prize-winning architects Witherford Watson Mann will take charge of the four-year project at the teaching and research centre and public gallery, which follows their 2021 revamp of the Courtauld Gallery space. The Courtauld Institute of Art is an independent college of the University of London, focusing on the teaching and research of art history. Continue reading...
Rahmeh Aladwan barred from practising for 15 months pending inquiry amid claims she celebrated terrorist acts'An NHS doctor accused of antisemitism has been suspended for 15 months pending an investigation, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) in the UK has ruled.The General Medical Council (GMC) is investigating Dr Rahmeh Aladwan over posts and comments made across various social media platforms after several complaints, including from the Jewish Medical Association UK and the Campaign Against Antisemitism. Continue reading...
US group Dekleptocracy identifies chemicals used for military vehicles' lubricants and tyres as potential vulnerabilitiesA US group has identified several obscure but potentially key sanctions it says could seriously disrupt Russia's war effort in Ukraine after last month's targeting of the Kremlin's biggest oil firms.Previous rounds of sanctions have been applied to Russian energy companies, banks, military suppliers and the shadow fleet" of ships carrying Russian oil. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: As pressure mounts to tackle the backlog of almost 80,000 cases, the government is considering sweeping reforms that senior lawyers warn may reshape justice in England and WalesGood morning. Yesterday, Rachel Reeves finally delivered her long-trailed budget aimed at plugging a 20bn financial hole in government finances. The single biggest tax raising measure was a three-year freeze on income tax and national insurance thresholds, slightly longer than expected, to draw more people into a higher tax band. Head here for a full breakdown, here to figure out how you will be impacted, and make sure you read our expert panel's take on if Reeves's measures all add up.But amid the budget buzz, today's newsletter is about another massive issue facing our cash-strapped government. It's been a cornerstone of British democracy since the 13th century and is even included in the Magna Carta, and yet, this government could soon come close to scrapping the right to trial by jury.Budget | Rachel Reeves targeted Britain's wealthiest households with a 26bn tax-raising budget to fund scrapping the two-child benefit policy and cutting energy bills.UK politics | Keir Starmer has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to his school contemporaries who claim the Reform leader racially abused them while at Dulwich College.Hong Kong | The death toll from a huge fire that engulfed several residential tower blocks in Hong Kong has risen to 44, with 45 in critical condition and hundreds reported missing.Ukraine | The European Commission president has warned against the unilateral carving up of a sovereign European nation" as Europe scrambles to assert influence over the US's attempt to end the war in Ukraine.UK news | On what was due to be the first day of a four-week trial, Paul Doyle unexpectedly changed his plea to guilty, after being charged with injuring 29 people at a Liverpool FC celebration parade in May. Continue reading...
Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar and the Welsh first minister, Eluned Morgan, both face humiliating defeat in next year's elections, according to pollingLabour leaders in Edinburgh and Cardiff sought credit for the most progressive measures in Rachel Reeves' budget on Wednesday, pinning their hopes for next year's critical elections on a package that increases funding for Scotland and Wales by nearly 2bn.That funding boost and the abolition of the two-child limit for universal credit recipients were seen as a relief in both capitals. Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said: I demanded a Labour budget rooted in Labour values and that is what the chancellor has delivered. This budget means child poverty down, energy bills down, wages up and austerity rejected." Continue reading...
The rankings were changed after the UN used new criteria to give a more accurate picture of the rapid urbanisation driving the growth of megacitiesJakarta has overtaken Tokyo as the world's most populous city, according to a UN study that uses new criteria to give a more accurate picture of the rapid urbanisation driving the growth of megacities.The Indonesian capital is home to 42 million people, according to an estimate by the population division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 report published this month. Continue reading...
by Anna Bawden Health and social affairs corresponden on (#71RQD)
Tezepelumab treatment may mean asthmatics for whom inhalers are ineffective can reduce or stop taking steroidsA monthly injection could allow people with severe asthma to stop taking daily steroid tablets, a clinical trial has found.More than 260 million people are thought to have asthma worldwide. While most can control their asthma with inhalers to treat immediate symptoms and preventive ones to reduce inflammation, those with the most severe asthma often take daily doses of oral corticosteroids as well. Continue reading...
Reform UK leader has again denied allegations about his behaviour as a schoolboy but what are the facts?Nigel Farage has again denied allegations of racism as a schoolboy and repeated his claim that some had been concocted because people disliked his politics.During a press conference, he snapped at one reporter who asked about the issue, saying: I think we've gone quite a long way towards answering all this, don't you?" Continue reading...
by Sarah Butler and Kalyeena Makortoff on (#71RJ2)
Sainsbury's chief executive says industry concerns have been heard', although others outside retail industry are left frustrated by changesRetailers have breathed a sigh of relief after changes to their business rates bills in the budget were not as bad as feared, after the industry had warned for months that more punitive measures could lead to shop closures and jobs losses.The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, on Wednesday revealed plans to permanently reduce business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties - although the discounts are not as generous as those that have been in place since the pandemic. About 750,000 properties in those sectors will see their bills set below the current standard level, with deeper discounts for smaller operators, according to the government. Continue reading...
100% party girl' and key part of 1980s London club scene designed for Rihanna, Bjork, Kylie Minogue and Debbie HarryPam Hogg, the fashion designer who brought together fashion and music on the catwalk in the 1980s, has died aged 66, her family have said.Hogg, whose bold, futuristic designs were worn by stars including Rihanna, Kate Moss and Blondie's Debbie Harry, died surrounded by the loving care of cherished friends and family", her family posted on Instagram. Continue reading...
Prime minister says Reform leader's explanations about alleged comments are unconvincing to say the least'Keir Starmer has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to his school contemporaries who claim the Reform leader racially abused them while at Dulwich College.The Guardian reported last week the testimony of Peter Ettedgui, who said a 13-year-old Farage would sidle up to me and growl: Hitler was right' or gas them', sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers". Continue reading...
Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, who had mental health problems, absconded from a ward and killed herself shortly afterwardsA girl who killed herself when she absconded from 24-hour clinical supervision was failed by a system that was meant to protect her, her parents have said, after the NHS trust involved was fined over the avoidable death.Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, who suffered with severe mental health problems, died on 20 March 2022, minutes after leaving the Bluefin acute children's ward in Worthing hospital, part of University hospitals Sussex NHS trust (UHSussex). Continue reading...
Many of the 30 people taking part in the protest are scheduled to be forcibly returned to France on ThursdayThirty asylum seekers currently in detention in the UK have gone on hunger strike in protest against their imminent removal to France under the Home Office's controversial one in, one out" scheme.The Guardian understands that the group began their hunger strike on Monday and many are due to be forcibly removed to France on Thursday. Continue reading...
by Presented by John Harris with Pippa Crerar and Kir on (#71RF0)
John Harris, Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey give their reactions to the chancellor's autumn budget. Has Rachel Reeves done enough to silence her critics? Continue reading...
Witkoff also offered tactical guidance on how Putin should raise subject with Trump, audio recording suggests. Plus, the female pilots on Ukraine's frontlineGood morning.Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told a senior Kremlin official last month that achieving peace in Ukraine would require Russia gaining control of Donetsk and potentially a separate territorial exchange, according to a recording of their conversation.What did Witkoff say? Now, me to you, I know what it's going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere," Witkoff told Ushakov during the five-minute conversation, according to a transcript of the recording obtained by Bloomberg. But I'm saying instead of talking like that, let's talk more hopefully because I think we're going to get to a deal here."This is a developing story. Follow the liveblog here.What has changed? It marks a sharp departure from Donald Trump's narrative to the public every time he has discussed the 21 strikes that have killed more than 80 people, which he has portrayed as an effort to stop overdose deaths.What have the White House said? A White House official responded that Trump had not been making a legal argument. Still, the president's remarks remain the only public reason for why the US is firing missiles - when the legal justification is in fact very different. Continue reading...
It has been weeks since the ground opened up under Malcolm McKenzie's prized Mini, leading him into a bureaucratic nightmare'The first Malcolm McKenzie knew of his problem was when a neighbour banged on his door and told him his beloved Mini had fallen into a hole.I went out expecting a small pothole under a wheel or something. But when I went out to take a look, I realised, oh, that really is a proper hole," he said. Continue reading...
Human rights monitors say it is not safe to return, citing reports of serious crimes in the run-up to elections'Myanmar's junta applauded the Trump administration on Wednesday for halting a scheme that protected its citizens from deportation from the US back to their war-racked homeland.About 4,000 Myanmar citizens are living in the US with temporary protected status (TPS), which shields foreign nationals from deportation to disaster zones and allows them the right to work. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique, Rajeev Syal and Jamie Grierson on (#71R58)
PM once advocated for all criminal cases to be heard before juries even those at magistrates court level, it has emergedKeir Starmer, whose government has drawn up plans to scrap nearly all jury trials, previously said that all criminal cases including those at magistrates courts should be heard before juries, the Guardian can disclose.In a magazine article, the prime minister wrote that the right to trial by jury is an important factor in the delicate balance between the power of the state and the freedom of the individual". He called for jury trials to be extended to thousands of cases before magistrates courts despite the inevitable increase in costs". Continue reading...
Gulf nation is accused of placing monitoring software on computers of two dissidents living in LondonBahrain is to tell the UK's supreme court that it enjoys sovereign immunity from claims it placed surveillance software on the computers of two dissidents when they were living in London.The Gulf country has lost the sovereign immunity claim both in the high court and court of appeal, and a decision to take the case further to the supreme court shows how important it is to the country's reputation. Continue reading...
by Shaun Walker in Warsaw and Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv on (#71QH1)
Despite recent efforts and White House optimism, recent negotiations have failed to secure a breakthrough on key issuesDonald Trump said he would send special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss developing proposals to end the Ukraine war, but despite White House optimism there was little sign of progress on core sticking points.The US president said negotiations had left only a few remaining points of disagreement" but there was no breakthrough on the issues of territorial control and security guarantees and he dampened expectations of immediate peace summits. Continue reading...
Interim chair of group, which is still looking for a CEO, says chain must return to our retailing roots'The boss of Pets at Home has said urgent and necessary" action needs to be taken as the ailing retailer reported that its half-year profits slumped by more than a third.The group is still looking for a chief executive after the abrupt departure of Lyssa McGowan in September. The interim executive chair, Ian Burke, said the chain, which sells pet products, animals, veterinary care and grooming services, had to return to our retaining roots" to revitalise the 34-year-old business. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: As the chancellor prepares to deliver one of the most heavily briefed budgets ever, tax rises, the two-child benefit cap and a mansion tax' are all on the table Don't get First Edition delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning. If you haven't noticed, the lead-up to this year's budget has been unusually chaotic and drawn-out, with plenty of behind-the-scenes briefings and a whirlwind of speculation about what taxes will be hiked.The challenge facing the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is plugging a financial hole of around 20bn and raising money to fund the services voters demand, while also keeping taxes at an acceptable level. (If you think you've got what it takes, try our brilliant interactive budget game). The political backdrop to this budget is also significant - the prime minister is under siege, and needs to present something that will be well received by MPs.Budget | Rachel Reeves's plan to cut cash Isa limits by 40% could raise mortgage rates, according to finance bosses. The chancellor is expected to cut the maximum amount people can put into tax-efficient cash individual savings accounts from 20,000 to 12,000 in Wednesday's budget.Politics | Three more school contemporaries who claim to have witnessed Nigel Farage's alleged teenage racism have rejected the Reform UK leader's suggestion that it was banter", describing it as targeted, persistent and nasty.Ukraine | Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff advised a senior Kremlin official on how Vladimir Putin should pitch a Ukraine peace deal to the president, according to a transcript of their discussion published by Bloomberg.Criminal justice | Jury trials for all except the most serious crimes such as rape, murder and manslaughter are set to be scrapped under radical proposals drawn up by David LammyMedia | The BBC has been pulled into a fresh row over its treatment of Donald Trump after a Reith lecturer accused the broadcaster of censoring his remarks on the US president. Rutger Bregman, a Dutch author and historian, said the BBC removed a key line" from a flagship address it had invited him to deliver. Continue reading...
President Lai Ching-te declared there was no room for compromise on national security' in face of escalating harassment and espionageBeijing's threats to Taiwan are intensifying" and its preparations to invade are speeding up, Taiwan's government has said while announcing a $40bn special defence budget and a swathe of measures to counter Chinese attacks.The Taiwan president, Lai Ching-te, said there was no room for compromise on national security", and he was committed to boosting Taiwan's defences in conjunction with US support. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#71R15)
The CMP system means Huda Ammori will not be allowed to know what allegations were made against herAt some point in the challenge to the ban on Palestine Action beginning on Wednesday, the co-founder of the direct action group will be asked to leave courtroom five at the Royal Courts of Justice, as will her legal team and most others present. Then the case will continue without them.When Huda Ammori returns to the room, the special advocate - a security-cleared barrister - who represented her interests in her absence will not be allowed to tell her or her legal team what evidence was presented against Palestine Action. If Ammori asks what allegations were made directly against her, the special advocate must not tell her, even though that means she will have no chance to rebut them. Continue reading...
Environmental charity Fidra says 168 of 195 SSSIs it surveyed are contaminated with tiny pelletsPlastic nurdles have been found in 84% of important nature sites surveyed in the UK.Nurdles are tiny pellets that the plastics industry uses to make larger products. They were found in 168 of 195 sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), so named because of the rare wildlife they harbour. They are given extra protections in an effort to protect them from pollution. Continue reading...
In Fritzi's Footsteps tells story of a girl growing up in Leipzig who witnesses the fall of the Berlin WallThe creators of a children's television series about life in communist East Germany have said they hope it will awaken interest in the region's history, after it was awarded an International Emmy.Auf Fritzis Spuren (In Fritzi's Footsteps) tells the story of a 12-year-old girl living in the eastern city of Leipzig and how she experiences life in the east and the events that lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Continue reading...
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