by Kiran StaceyPolitical correspondent on (#6Q7QX)
Starmer and Reeves unlikely to reverse winter fuel and two-child benefit cap decisions, says Pat McFaddenA senior cabinet minister has warned of more economic pain to come as the government prepares to restrict public spending in ways MPs and campaigners say could exacerbate the cost of living crisis.Pat McFadden, the cabinet office minister, said on Sunday that voters should expect the government to take further difficult decisions, as Keir Starmer prepares to give a speech accusing the Conservatives of leaving the country in rubble and ruin". Continue reading...
Shift reflects change in how people are talking and thinking about death amid climate crisis and increasing secularismDavid Bowie was ahead of his time when he said he would like his death to be as interesting as his life - now, a raft of funeral directors and undertakers are shifting the dial on what the end of life can look like.The most tangible differences are the products on offer. Choices range from coffins made of weatherbeaten willow, banana leaf and wool to bespoke Scrabble- or piano-themed ones, or a Bauhaus-inflected urn in lapis lazuli-blue. As for methods of transport, coffins are being carried in converted electric Nissans or VW camper vans. Motorcycle hearses are also available. Continue reading...
Protection agent says it was impossible to keep a professional distance from genuine and loving' familyThe armed guard assigned to Mike Lynch while he faced fraud charges has described how close he became to the loving" tech entrepreneur and his family.Appointed by the court, Rolo Igno, said he was supposed to stay distant but that the professional relationship quickly dissolved" when Lynch invited him to spend time with his family. Continue reading...
Doctors warn of rationing' as latest monthly figures show no available appointments for about 400,000 casesPatients are increasingly turning to private healthcare to escape a referrals black hole", GPs have warned, as the NHS struggles with a shortfall of available appointments.The most recent figures show GP practices make about 400,000 referrals a month to outpatient clinics that are fully booked. Some patients will be able to choose an alternative provider, some will be booked at a later date, but many end up being bounced back to their local surgery. Continue reading...
PM's proposal to replace ships with steelpan wins applause from his party but some in capital voice opposing viewsThe government of Trinidad and Tobago wants to remove a depiction of three ships used by Christopher Columbus from its coat of arms, in a move hailed by a historian as important in addressing historical inaccuracies and shrugging off colonial identities.The Caribbean country's prime minister, Keith Rowley, announced a plan on 18 August to replace the ships with a representation of Trinidad and Tobago's national instrument, the steelpan. Continue reading...
TV presenter says she was contacted by social worker who said child protection concerns had been raisedKirstie Allsopp has hit back against Britain's risk-averse" culture as she revealed she was reported to social services for allowing her teenage son to go on an Interrailing trip.The television presenter said that after sharing online that she had allowed her then 15-year-old son, Oscar, to go travelling across Europe, she was contacted by a social worker who informed her a file had been opened after child protection concerns raised. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6Q7N7)
Ian Corfield resigns as official to Rachel Reeves as ministers deny giving preferential treatment to fundersA Labour donor has stepped down from his role as a civil servant at the Treasury, while the party comes under fire for granting a No 10 pass to another, as ministers deny they are giving preferential treatment to their funders.Ian Corfield has resigned as an official to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, the Sunday Times reported this weekend, becoming a temporary unpaid adviser instead after days of controversy over his role. Continue reading...
The nordic nation has become a gateway to Europe for South American drug traffickersArmed with a powered screwdriver, a crowbar and a handheld scanner, the Norwegian customs officers climbed up a tower of refrigerated containers. With the striking scenery of the Oslofjord behind them and the refrigerator fans whirring, they forced open the back of a sealed banana container from Costa Rica.You can get a glimpse of how much space there is inside," customs officer Gard Belgen told the Observer during a visit to the port last week. Pointing inside the unit holding the fan and cooling vents, he added: And on top you can fit multiple packages. If you had time to stick them in properly, you could get somewhere between 50 and 70 kilos." Continue reading...
by Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Yusra Abdulahi on (#6Q7J6)
Transparency campaigners welcome government move to publish details of system algorithmsArtificial intelligence and algorithmic tools used by central government are to be published on a public register after warnings they can contain entrenched" racism and bias.Officials confirmed this weekend that tools challenged by campaigners over alleged secrecy and a risk of bias will be named shortly. The technology has been used for a range of purposes, from trying to detect sham marriages to rooting out fraud and error in benefit claims. Continue reading...
Police have made a third arrest during search for male attacker after three killed and eight injured at a festival in west German cityA man suspected of killing three and injuring eight more in the city of Solingen was arrested late on Saturday, according to regional interior minister Herbert Reul, following Friday night's attack at a festival.Here is what we know so far:North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister, Herbert Reul, told the ARD broadcaster that authorities spent the day following a hot lead" that led to the latest arrest, the third police have made.Police had previously made two arrests that were likely not the perpetrator, Reul said. The real suspect is the one that we've arrested just now," he said. The individual was being questioned and evidence was seized, he said. Police declined to immediately comment.Terrorism has not been ruled out as a motive. The prosecutor Markus Caspers said police were looking at terror as a possibility, saying there was no other obvious motive and that the alleged attacker appeared to be unknown to the victims.The Islamic State (IS) group on Saturday claimed responsibility for the Solingen stabbings but did not immediately provide any evidence for its assertion. Accounts claiming to speak for IS have falsely claimed responsibility for atrocities in the past.Earlier, police detained a 15-year-old at his parents' home in the early hours of Saturday, which prosecutors said was on suspicion of failing to report a crime. Public prosecutor Markus Caspers said of the 15-year-old that he was alleged to have spoken to the perpetrator shortly before the crime".A second arrest was made following a police operation at a home for refugees in Solingen, a police spokesperson said. They said they could not provide any more details on the individual or the connection to the alleged incident.Police have found at least one weapon that may have been used in the alleged assault and are analysing it for DNA traces. They said they had had no indication in the run-up to the festival that there was a security threat.Three people - two men, aged 67 and 56, and a woman, 56 - were killed on Friday night during a festival of diversity to mark the city of Solingen's 650th anniversary, which began on Friday and was supposed to run through to Sunday. Eight others were injured, of whom four are fighting for their lives, police said. Continue reading...
Ministers call for more security around Jewish schools and places of worship after incident in La Grande-MotteFrench police have arrested a man suspected of attempted arson against a synagogue in the southern France city of La Grande-Motte, acting interior minister Gerald Darmanin said on X.The incident in the Mediterranean resort east of Montpellier is being investigated by France's specialist antiterrorism prosecutor. Continue reading...
Male 28-year-old victim had been in critical condition since Thursday, and suspect who was arrested on Friday is in custodyA man has died after allegedly being assaulted at a London Underground station, British Transport Police (BTP) said.The victim, currently identified only as a 28-year-old man, had been in a critical condition in hospital since Thursday and died on Saturday evening, with his family by his side. Continue reading...
Labour leader tells working people rot left by Conservatives is so much worse than imagined and improvement won't happen overnightBritish people will have to endure even worse economic and social pressures in the months to come as the Labour government takes unpopular decisions" to rebuild the country from rubble and ruin" left by the Tories, Keir Starmer will warn this week.With the prime minister under mounting pressure from within his own party to help people struggling with rising fuel payments and millions of families in poverty, Starmer will strike a defiant note against those demanding U-turns from his ministers, saying tough choices" will have to be made before any recovery ispossible. Continue reading...
Three years on from a decision to drop the prosecution of her alleged rapist, Jade McCrossen-Nethercott received a payout from the CPS, which said the defence should have been challenged in courtThirteen days before her alleged rapist was due to stand trial, Jade McCrossen-Nethercott received devastating news. After three years of waiting, the Crown Prosecution Service was abandoning the case.It was not for lack of evidence. After the alleged attack, McCrossen-Nethercott had gone straight to the police, who took her clothes, phone, and swabbed her head to toe". Then there was her broken necklace, the marks on her arms, the no-comment interview the suspect gave after he was arrested and the allegation that a drink he gave her had tasted strange. Continue reading...
The demand from Britain's second biggest union will test truce with Labour at next month's TUC conferenceBritain's second biggest trade union is calling on the new Labour government to introduce an emergency 1% wealth tax on the assets of the super-rich to pay for 10% pay rises for public sector workers and fill more than 100,000 NHS vacancies.The demand from Unite is in one of several motions to the Trades Union Congress, which meets in Brighton next month, that will expose tensions between Keir Starmer's government and sections of the union movement. It comes as Rachel Reeves is preparing for her first budget as chancellor, on 30 October. Continue reading...
Gulf state facilitates swap deal for Russian soldiers captured during Kursk incursion launched earlier this monthRussia and Ukraine have exchanged 115 prisoners of war from each side after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) acted as an intermediary.It is the first such exchange since Ukraine launched a surprise attack into Russia's Kursk region on 6 August, the biggest inside Russian territory by a foreign power since the second world war. Continue reading...
West Yorkshire police say a number of arrests were made overnight over fire that killed a woman and three childrenDetectives investigating a house fire in which a woman and three children died in Bradford have made further arrests, West Yorkshire police have said.Bryonie Gawith 29, and her three children - Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and 22-month-old, Aubree Birtle - died after their home was deliberately set alight in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Continue reading...
PM sends message of solidarity as Ukrainians celebrate anniversary of exit from USSRKeir Starmer has told Ukrainians that the UK will back them today and always" as Kyiv marks 33 years since it declared independence from the Soviet Union.The prime minister described his message to frontline fighters and people who have sought refuge in Britain as crystal clear" as community groups, councils and parishes around the UK plan to mark the anniversary on Saturday. Continue reading...
Hope that this weekend's event in west London will bring people together to celebrate diversity after recent unrestOrganisers of Notting Hill carnival have said the festivities this year will take on a renewed importance and remind people of the need for diversity and inclusion after the far-right riots that took place this month.More than a million people are expected to line the streets of west London this weekend for the 56th annual carnival, one of the biggest street festivals in the world. Continue reading...
Ex-UFC superstar calls 2013 post boosting Sandy Hook conspiracy theory video her most regrettable decision'The former Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Ronda Rousey has issued her most detailed apology yet for having once engaged in Sandy Hook school shooting denialism after Reddit users inundated her with criticism during a question-and-answer session on the platform.Rousey on Tuesday was participating in one of the Ask Me Anything discussions that celebrities frequently have with Reddit users when she was quickly flooded with questions and disapproval about her having spread misinformation on the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 20 schoolchildren. Continue reading...
James Bailey is confident the market has swung in its favour, with more customers and plans to open new storesWaitrose is getting its mojo back, according to the boss of the upmarket supermarket chain, with shoppers treating themselves more often to pricier items such as green harissa paste and organic beef fillet steak as the cost of living crisis subsides for them.James Bailey says Waitrose is selling nearly double the amount expected of its range of branded ingredients for recipes by the celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi, which launched in April, while sales of its Duchy Organic range are up more than 10%, as are those for its premium No 1 own label range, while sales of its budget Essentials range are falling back. Continue reading...
Cabinet Office paper confirms government expects body to begin making payments by end of yearMinisters have given the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) the power to start making payments to patients.The Cabinet Office published a lengthy policy paper on Friday detailing the tariff-based scheme, and laid secondary legislation, which sets out the criteria for the first payouts. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Indebted people left to deal with multiple creditors now have a communication lifelineVictims of economic abuse should find it easier to get help dealing with their creditors, as 25 banks and building societies have committed to accepting a new form which could ease applicants' trauma and provide the support they need.The Economic Abuse Evidence Form (EAEF) enables money and debt advisers, trained by the specialist charities Money Advice Plus (MAP) and Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA), to advise multiple organisations that someone has experienced economic abuse, and explain the impact on the victim. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6Q73Q)
No adviser would say PM should have gone away during the riots but cancelling breaks can take a tollKeir Starmer has achieved a number of things this summer, not least winning an election and rubbing shoulders with other world leaders at the Nato summit. What he has not managed, however, is to go on a family holiday.In calling off the planned jaunt to Europe as his government responded to days of rioting, the prime minister became the latest in a decades-long list of politicians to wearily decide that duties come before beach time with the kids. Continue reading...
PM faces pitfalls navigating what are crucial relationships but claims by jilted Tories don't ring true, say expertsSince last month's general election, Sharon Graham, the general secretary of the Unite trade union, has held face-to-face meetings with a string of key secretaries of state.As she says, in many leading economies, that would barely merit a mention, given that she represents about a million members across 40-odd industries, including steel, energy and defence. Continue reading...
Report reveals stark inequalities in life expectancy between men living in wealthy and deprived areasCouncils across England have urged the government to create a national men's health strategy after uncovering stark discrepancies in life expectancy between men living in wealthy and deprived areas.The Local Government Association (LGA) said the issue should be recognised as a national concern". A report by the body - Men's Health: the Lives of Men In Our Communities - claims men in deprived areas live up to 10 years less than their counterparts in wealthy areas, with smoking and excessive alcohol consumption contributing factors to the gap. Continue reading...
Ex-footballer, 41, says I let myself down, my family, friends and colleagues down' in interviewJermaine Jenas has apologised to the women with whom I was messaging" after he was sacked from the BBC.I am ashamed, and I am deeply sorry," the 41-year-old former footballer said in an interview with the Sun. I have let myself down, my family, friends and colleagues down, and I owe everyone an apology - especially the women with whom I was messaging. I am so, so sorry. Continue reading...
US government study finds association between high levels of fluoride exposure and potential neurological riskA US government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in children.The report, based on an analysis of previously published research, marks the first time a federal agency has determined - with moderate confidence" - that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children. While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride. Continue reading...
Traditional, old-school grandstands' of Jay Littleton Ball Park in Ontario, California, dated to 1937A historic southern California baseball field that appeared in A League of Their Own and other films has been destroyed in a fire.Firefighters responded at 11.25pm on Thursday to a report of a fire at Jay Littleton Ball Park in the city of Ontario, about 35 miles (56km) east of Los Angeles. Continue reading...
Company wants investors' permission to buy billionaire's shares in private deal at market price at the timeMike Ashley's Frasers Group is seeking approval for the billionaire entrepreneur to cash in 585m of shares which could be bought back by the company in a private deal.Under the plan, the stock market-listed retail group said it wanted permission from shareholders to buy back the shares privately from Ashley - in one or several transactions - at the market price at the time. Continue reading...
I have no doubt this election has been stolen,' says Chile's leftwing president after Venezuelan supreme court rulingTen Latin American governments and the US have said they categorically reject" the Venezuelan supreme court's decision to confirm Nicolas Maduro's widely contested claim to have won re-election, with Chile's president declaring: I have no doubt this election has been stolen."Thursday's verdict from Venezuela's top court, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, has been widely questioned internationally from across the political spectrum. Continue reading...
Review also highlights racial profiling in police practices, and failure to address legacies of colonialism and slaveryThe UK must act to curb a sharp increase in the use of racist hate speech by British politicians and high-profile public figures, a UN body has said.Ministers must adopt comprehensive measures to discourage and combat racist hate speech and xenophobic discourse by political and public figures" and ensure that such cases are effectively investigated and sanctioned", the UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination recommended in a report. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6Q6PM)
As the winter fuel allowance is scrapped for many pensioners, we outline some other key benefits Millions facing cruel winter' without fuel payments, Labour MPs warnLabour backbenchers are warning that millions of vulnerable people will face a cruel winter" amid rising energy prices and a reduction in benefits, including the removal of winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.Keir Starmer's government has promised to improve conditions for those most in need, with a commitment to reduce and alleviate" child poverty and end the moral scar" of food banks. And while Labour sees economic growth and creating more reliable and well-paid jobs as crucial to achieving these aims, it cannot ignore a number of pressing and often interrelated problems in the social security and benefits system. Continue reading...
Backbenchers say end to support schemes would be wrong measure' that ignores struggle of poorest households Which benefits are available to vulnerable people?Millions of vulnerable people face a cruel winter" owing to a combination of rising energy costs and government cuts to welfare schemes, Labour MPs and campaigners have warned, as Keir Starmer comes under pressure to extend key financial support programmes.Labour backbenchers are calling on the prime minister to reverse or mitigate the government's decision to end winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners and to extend the household support fund (HSF), which is due to run out in September. Continue reading...
Indian PM says he respects and supports sovereignty and territorial integrity' of Ukraine during historic visitIndia's prime minister, Narendra Modi, made a historic visit to Kyiv on Friday and told Volodymyr Zelenskiy he was ready to work as a friend" to bring about a peace deal that would end Russia's war in Ukraine.Modi said he respected and supported Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity". It is our highest priority," he said, adding that he had told Vladimir Putin during their meeting in July that problems cannot be resolved on the battlefield". The war could only end through dialogue and diplomacy", he stressed. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6Q6PP)
Paul and Luke Sissons among those sentenced over disorder earlier this month in English towns and citiesTwo brothers have each been jailed for three years after being convicted of being at the forefront of a riot outside a hotel housing more than 200 asylum seekers in Rotherham.Sheffield crown court heard that Luke and Paul Sissons were involved in several violent incidents at the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, on 4 August, including confrontations with riot police and an attack on a police dog van. Continue reading...
WHO says infant in stable condition as it prepares to vaccinate more than 640,000 children amid warA Palestinian baby in Gaza has been partly paralysed from polio in the first case there for 25 years, amid preparations for a difficult and dangerous vaccination campaign in the midst of war.The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that the affected infant had lost movement in his lower left leg, but was in a stable condition. Continue reading...
Eighteen-year-old daughter of tech tycoon Mike Lynch was one of seven people to die when the Bayesian sank off SicilyThe 18-year-old daughter of the British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, whose body was recovered on Friday from the wreck of her father's yacht, was fiercely intelligent and genuinely kind" and had a promising future, friends and teachers said in tributes.Hannah Lynch was described as one of the best English students in the country". She was one of seven people, including her father, who died after his yacht Bayesian sank during a storm off the coast of Sicily on Monday. Continue reading...
Force ends investigation into bets on 4 July election date and says bar to prove misconduct in public office has not been metNewly released figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that UK households cut their real-terms spending on food and non-alcoholic drinks in the year to March 2023.While nominal spending on the category increased over the period, there was a 7.5% real-terms drop when accounting for inflation, making it the area where households made the biggest cutbacks, the ONS said.Puberty blockers work by suppressing the release of hormones and are often prescribed to children questioning their gender.In May, the Conservative government tightened rules on the drugs, introducing an emergency ban on them being prescribed by private and European prescribers. Continue reading...
Those at the funeral in Derry paid tribute to the trailblazing civil rights activist whose influence on modern Ireland is still keenly feltNell McCafferty, the leading Irish feminist campaigner and outspoken writer who changed Ireland for the better", has been buried after a funeral mass in St Columba's church in Derry.Friday's service in the Bogside church was attended by Northern Ireland's first minister, Michelle O'Neill, along with representatives of Ireland's president and taoiseach, Michael D Higgins and Simon Harris. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian