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...
by Faye Hulton and Maggie Shopova for MetDesk on (#71A4P)
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...
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...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#71A17)
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...
by Andrew Rothin Washington and Flora Garamvolgyi in on (#719YP)
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...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#719ZR)
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...
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...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#719ZW)
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...
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...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#719TY)
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...
Three towns attacked despite truce with Hezbollah in what Israeli military says was effort to prevent group rearmingThe Israeli military has carried out a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon in what it described as an attempt to prevent Hezbollah rearming.Israeli warplanes struck the towns of Kfar Dounine, Tayr Debba and Zawtar al-Sharqiya on Thursday, about an hour after issuing evacuation warnings to residents. No deaths had been reported at the time of publishing. Continue reading...
Justice secretary says he did not have all the detail' at the time and there is mountain to climb' on prisons crisisDavid Lammy has said the government has a mountain to climb" to tackle the prisons crisis and insisted he was not equipped with all the detail" when questioned in parliament the previous day about a mistaken prisoner release.After a fraudster mistakenly freed from prison handed himself in on Thursday, the justice secretary said he had been right not to provide details to MPs at prime minister's questions on Wednesday about the release of a sex offender who remains at large. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#719JN)
Culture secretary deeply regrets error' after inquiry finds failures in declaring past donations by watchdog nomineeLisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has apologised to Keir Starmer after an inquiry found she failed to say that her choice of nominee to lead a new football regulator had donated to her and to Labour before she nominated him for the role.Nandy said she regretted the errors highlighted in a report by William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments. Her apology comes a week after the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, made her own written apology to the prime minister for failing to obtain a licence before renting out her family home. Continue reading...
by Harry Davies, Henry Dyer and Robert Flummerfelt on (#719JP)
Exclusive: Woman who accused Karim Khan of misconduct was subject of covert operation involving two British private intelligence firmsThe 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 details of the intrusive operation, which has obtained sensitive information about the woman, who works at the ICC, and her family members. Continue reading...
Injectable versions of GLP-1s from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk will see reduced prices and broader coverageDonald Trump announced a plan on Thursday to reduce the costs of some weight loss drugs for certain patients and expand access to them for people on public health insurance.The agreement will make oral version of GLP-1s, which aren't yet to market but are expected to be approved in the coming months, available at $150 per month for starting doses. Continue reading...
Isabella Kemp's departure means party has lost nine of 57 councillors elected in May, including four after video leakNigel Farage's Reform UK has suspended another member of its flagship" county council in Kent as it held its first full meeting since the party's councillors were thrown into crisis by a leaked meeting revealing bitter internal tensions.The departure of Isabella Kemp, who had also worked as a data protection officer at Reform's HQ, means that the party has lost nine of the 57 councillors elected during the local elections in May. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereDavid Lammy, the deputy PM and justice secretary, has welcomed the fact that Billy Smith is back in custody, but described the spike in release mistakes as unacceptable".According to PA Media, Lammy said:William Smith is back in custody. The spike in mistaken releases is unacceptable.We're modernising prison systems - replacing paper with digital tools to cut errors. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#719G6)
Town to become elegantly eccentric' to boost economy after horrific incident that left three young girls deadSouthport has unveiled an elegantly eccentric" year-long cultural programme as it seeks to lure back tourists after the fatal attack on young girls last summer.The Merseyside town will transform into an open air ballroom" as part of an outdoor spectacular by the acclaimed French street theatre company Transe Express in the spring. Continue reading...
Student in hospital but injuries not thought life-threatening, Thames Valley officers sayPolice have made an arrest after a student was injured in an attack at a college in Reading.Armed police were sent to Reading college, in Berkshire, on Thursday afternoon following the assault. The boy's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, according to a recorded message on the college's phone line. Continue reading...
This blog is now closedEU's digital spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the European Commission takes note of the decision taken in France" regarding the Chinese online retailer Shein (10:42), noting that the EU had already expressed similar concerns before.We are in touch with Shein, but we will also be in touch today with the French authorities.I can confirm now, as we speak, that in the next two hours, [executive vice-president] Virkkunen will meet with the digital minister of France Anne le Henanff. Continue reading...
Lawmakers continue talks and could be coming closer to a deal to end the longest US government shutdown in historyThe longest government shutdown in history is now in its 37th day, though lawmakers, currently in talks, could be coming closer to a deal to end the standoff.Some Democratic lawmakers, though, saw Tuesday's big electoral wins as evidence they should hold the line and extract as much as possible from Republicans, most critically extending health insurance subsidies that, without intervention, will drastically increase costs for millions of Americans. Continue reading...
Mountbatten Windsor is no longer entitled to use the terms and has been erased from roll of peerageKing Charles has officially stripped the former Duke of York, now Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, of his HRH style and his prince title.Charles formally made the changes, which were announced a week ago, by issuing a letters patent under the Great Seal of the Realm, which the Crown Office published in the Gazette, the UK's official public record. Continue reading...
Kevin Roberts, whose group pushed Project 2025, had defended ex-Fox News host's talk with Nick FuentesThe leader of the conservative thinktank behind Project 2025 apologized for supporting a white nationalist amid turmoil on the right over the mainstreaming of extremist ideology, but is resisting calls to resign.Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, previously defended the former Fox host Tucker Carlson for having Hitler fan Nick Fuentes on his podcast without pushing back on his white supremacist views. Continue reading...
Critics of New York City's mayor-elect have said his pledges of free bus service and universal childcare are unrealistic, but in Europe it's a givenAfter New York City's race for mayor catapulted Zohran Mamdani from state assembly member into one of the world's most prominent progressive voices, intense debate swirled over the ideas at the heart of his campaign.His critics and opponents painted pledges such as free bus service, universal childcare and rent freezes as unworkable, unrealistic and exorbitantly expensive. Continue reading...
Hassan Jhangur given life with minimum term of 26 years for running down father of twoA man who murdered a good Samaritan" by running him over as he helped an injured woman has been jailed for a minimum of 26 years.Hassan Jhangur, 25, killed Chris Marriott in December 2023 when he deliberately ran his car into a group of people after a fight broke out between his family and the family of the groom. He was found guilty of murder in July, a year after another set of jurors failed to reach any verdicts in the case. Continue reading...
Boss of supermarket urges Rachel Reeves not to fuel inflation with tax rises on retailers and suppliersThe boss of Sainsbury's has urged Rachel Reeves not to fuel inflation with tax rises on retailers and their suppliers and says shoppers are delaying spending in the lead-up to her budget later this month.Simon Roberts, the chief executive of the UK's second biggest supermarket, which also owns Argos and Habitat, said his customers were going to be cautious on discretionary spending, not least because of uncertainty out there and [household] budgets are tight". Continue reading...
Focus shifts to other states where Trump is pushing for redrawn districts as parties race to seize midterm advantageCalifornia voters overwhelmingly approved a redistricting referendum on Tuesday, a critical win for Democrats as they attempt to counter efforts by Donald Trump and allies to redraw congressional districts in their favor ahead of next year's midterm elections. Now, the focus will shift to other states, where Trump is pressuring Republican-led legislatures to redraw their districts. Democrats are racing to do the same in an all-out sprint to rejigger district lines ahead of next year's midterms.California governor Gavin Newsom and fellow Democrats placed the measure on the ballot this summer after Texas Republicans passed a map that would add anywhere from three to five Republican seats in Congress. The new California map neuters that effort by adding the same number of Democratic seats. Continue reading...
UK bank shares rise after reports, with chancellor wanting sector to remain competitive to help economic growthThe chancellor has decided against increasing taxes on banks in this month's budget, according to reports, which sent UK bank shares higher on Thursday.Shares in the high street bank NatWest were up by 2.5% and the rival Lloyds climbed by 2.3%, putting them among the top risers on London's FTSE 100. Continue reading...
Democrats' commanding victories have breathed new life for supporters of the reproductive health fightSupporters of abortion rights have spent much of the last year trying to fight Donald Trump's attempts to undermine access to the procedure. Now, Democrats' commanding victories in the 2025 elections have breathed new life into the fight.Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill's respective gubernatorial victories in Virginia and New Jersey will shield abortion rights in two states that have become havens for people fleeing abortion bans. In Pennsylvania, voters decided to retain three liberal supreme court justices, maintaining Democratic control of a bench that could decide the future of abortion rights in the deeply purple state. Continue reading...
Anders Fogh Rasmussen calls for air shield on Nato territory and deployment of European protection force for UkraineUkraine is facing a forever war" and a slow erosion of territory unless Europe dramatically increases pressure on Russia, including by deploying troops and establishing a missile and drone shield on Nato territory to protect Ukraine from Russian attacks on its infrastructure, a former Nato secretary general has said.Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who held the Nato post from 2009 to 2014 and was the prime minister of Denmark from 2001 to 2009, said in an interview with the Guardian that if countries such as Poland agreed to host such air defences, Russia would understand that an attack on Ukraine would be an attack on the whole of the Nato alliance. Continue reading...
YouGov study of six countries finds those in Denmark most likely to approve of nudism and have been naked in publicGermans may have a hard-won reputation for being Europe's most enthusiastic nudists, but a survey suggests Danes are not only more accepting of stripping off in public, but more likely to have actually done so.The YouGov survey of six western European countries - the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain - found that Danes were the most likely to say it was perfectly OK to bare all in public places - and to have followed through. Continue reading...
The fate of the US president's signature, globe-rattling economic policy is in the hands of a court he shapedDonald Trump faced arguably the biggest test so far of his contentious use of executive power at the US supreme court on Wednesday. The stakes could not be higher - literally, LIFE OR DEATH" for the US, at least according to the president.Trump's signature, globe-rattling economic policy, his sweeping tariffs regime, was in the dock - specifically, the legal mechanism his administration has used to enforce it. And the man dispatched to defend the White House put forward a somewhat puzzling argument. Continue reading...
EV drivers would face 3p-a-mile charge on top of other road taxes to offset falling revenue from petrol and diesel carsRachel Reeves is drawing up plans for a new pay-per-mile tax for electric vehicles to announce in this month's budget worth an extra 250 a year on average, according to reports.Under the plans expected to be announced on 26 November, EV drivers would face a new charge of 3p a mile on top of other road taxes to offset falling revenue from petrol and diesel cars as drivers switch to greener options. Continue reading...
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