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The Labour chancellor unveiled lots of plans for long-term investment. But there is plenty of lively debate about the immediate impactLabour's first budget in almost 15 years marks a radical departure with past constraints on investment spending. New rules allow long-term planning and introduce safeguards governing how the extra cash is spent. But what are the more immediate implications? Continue reading...

Democrats and Republicans attempt to interpret voting behavior as squeaker of election hits final stretchAlmost 70 million Americans have already voted in the historic US election which comes to a head on Tuesday, prompting furious arguments over what early voting trends might mean as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris prepare for their final showdown.As both candidates and their top surrogates crisscrossed the country in a furious bout of last-minute campaigning, the race remains in a virtual dead heat - both in the head-to-head national polls and in the crucial seven battleground states that will actually decide the race for the White House. Continue reading...

The chancellor's budget spending increase will largely be absorbed by pre-existing plans, says top thinktankMedical experts have warned the boost to NHS funding in England unveiled in the budget will not be enough to rebuild the country's ailing health service and that it will take time for patients to see improvementsRachel Reeves last week announced an additional 22.6bn over this year and next for the NHS, which she claimed was the biggest spending increase for the health service - outside the Covid pandemic - since 2010. Continue reading...

The Palestinian American squad' member has been critical of Harris and the Democratic party's inaction on GazaMichigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib declined to endorse Kamala Harris at a union rally in Detroit, where the war in Gaza is the top issue for the largest block of Arab American voters in the country.Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, is the only one of the so-called leftist Squad" that has not endorsed the Democrat candidate. The other three members - Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York - endorsed Harris in July. Continue reading...

The devastating flooding should spur this month's Cop29 climate conference to press for immediate action, not look awayMove on. Nothing to see here. Just another ordinary, everyday apocalypse.If past experience is any guide, the world's reaction to the floods in Spain last week will be similar to that of motorway drivers at a crash scene: slow down, take in the horror, outwardly express sympathy, inwardly give thanks that fate picked someone else - and foot on the accelerator. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read our main report here, and our analysis hereHere are the results from previous Conservative leadership contests, and from the final MPs' ballot of this contest, that will help put today's results in context.2024 contestThe choice is between two people who each played their part in 14 years of Conservative chaos and decline, and who have refused to apologise it.Whoever wins, they have learnt nothing. Continue reading...

Canvassers urge residents to vote for Democratic nominee despite opposition to administration's support for IsraelMany Arab and Muslim Americans across the country are making a final push to get ballots cast for Kamala Harris for president - despite other members of their communities being strongly opposed to a Harris administration given the White House's support for Israel.Haitham Wahab, a resident of Dearborn, Michigan, and a Lebanese American who has been canvassing for the Harris-Walz campaign, said one of the best ways to effect change is from the inside, through coalition-building". Continue reading...

Fred the raccoon was also killed by officials, who said the animals were a risk factor in the spread of rabiesAn orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanized after New York authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on his caretaker's home, authorities said.After anonymous complaints, officers from the state's department of environmental conservation (DEC) took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred from Mark Longo's home near the Pennsylvania border in rural Pine City on Wednesday, Longo said. Continue reading...

Terrorist Callum Parslow was previously jailed for sending 10 women sexually explicit and misogynistic messages, and targeted a former GB News presenterA neo-Nazi terrorist who was found guilty last month of the attempted murder of an asylum seeker is a prolific online stalker who had previously been jailed and referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism scheme, the Observer can reveal.Callum Parslow was convicted on 25 October of attempted murder after stabbing an asylum seeker at a hotel in April. It can now be revealed he was jailed in 2018 for targeting 10 women and girls with messages describing sexually motivated murder, torture and rape, and then changed his name after his release. Continue reading...

Conservative party announces Badenoch has beaten rival Robert Jenrick in ballot of party members

Nicolle Wallace, communications director under Bush, is the latest former aide to urge ex-president to back HarrisA former top aide has called on George W Bush to endorse Kamala Harris, becoming the latest of his circle to up the pressure on the ex-president to make a public stand and join a long list of Republicans now backing the Democratic candidate.Nicolle Wallace, who served as the communications director in the Bush White House, called on the former president to have a change of heart" and take a position against Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Sources say key people at Clifford Chance were not consulted, as it emerges another company refused job due to reputational concernsWhen the Saudi crown prince locked nearly 400 of his country's most powerful people in a luxury hotel in 2017 and stripped them of their fortunes, a UK law firm allegedly played a significant role.On the orders of Mohammed bin Salman, Clifford Chance - a magic circle" legal giant with headquarters in London - was reported to have facilitated the forced transfer of assets from a Saudi TV station to the government. Continue reading...

Police accused of killing at least 11 unarmed bystanders since 24 October, amid claims poll was riggedSilvio Jeremias was on his way home from his job at a petrol station on the night of 25 October, in Mozambique's capital Maputo, when he and his friends happened upon a group of protesters demonstrating against that day's election results.The ruling Frelimo party's presidential candidate Daniel Chapo secured 70.7% of the vote, according to official results, ensuring the party that has ruled Mozambique since independence in 1975 remained in power, but there were widespread allegations of rigging. Continue reading...

Plaintiffs accuse America Pac of several violations during its operation to support Orange county's Michelle SteelElon Musk's troubled canvassing operation on behalf of Donald Trump and the Republican party is now facing a lawsuit in southern California filed by two women who say they were cheated out of wages and expenses as they knocked on doors for an embattled Republican congresswoman.The suit accuses Musk's America PAC, which has poured more than $100m into this year's election campaign, of willful violations of the California labor code" by paying the plaintiffs less than it promised and refusing to make up the difference. Continue reading...

It's possible the tied race reflects not the sentiments of the voters, but rather risk-averse decision-making by pollstersThe US presidential election campaign enters its final weekend with polls showing Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in seemingly permanent deadlock and few clues as to which of them will prevail on Tuesday.At the end of another unruly week that began with Trump's racially charged rally in New York's Madison Square Guardian and was punctuated by celebrity endorsements, misogynistic comments and insults about garbage" being levelled left and right, the Guardian's 10-day polling average tracker showed little change from seven days earlier, with voter loyalty to their chosen candidate appearing relatively impervious to campaign events, however seismic. Continue reading...

The ICO has written to the party after a complaint was made about an online tax calculator tool that also appeared to collect voter dataThe Conservative party has been told to improve its data handling by the information watchdog after it released a tax calculator" that also appeared to be collecting voter data.The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) wrote to the party telling it to take steps to ensure it complies with data protection legislation after a complaint by the Good Law Project (GLP) about privacy safeguards. Continue reading...

Women tell us how they feel about safety after the actor's remark on using a phone as a weapon went viralSaoirse Ronan's comment about women's safety on The Graham Norton Show has gone viral after she said using a phone as a weapon is something girls have to think about all the time". Ronan later said the reaction has been wild" and that the moment was opening a conversation".Here, six women tell us what they think about the comments and how they feel about women's safety. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Researchers who studied babies in Scotland believe cuts to benefits and services are linked to riseThe introduction of UK austerity policies has been associated with a striking increase in the number of babies in Scotland being born smaller or earlier than expected, data suggests.Researchers believe cuts to social security benefits and services are key to understanding these trends, which have hit families living in the poorest neighbourhoods the hardest. Continue reading...

Former PM wants to prove a point by staying the course, but other Tories said to be mulling their own early exitRishi Sunak is planning to stay the course in parliament on the backbenches, as friends said the former prime minister was keen to prove a point after multiple jibes about his potential return to California.Sunak has told colleagues that his children were newly settled in school and he did not want to cause any new disruption to his family life for now after the turmoil of the past few years. Continue reading...

Israel targets north-eastern Lebanon and Beirut, while bombardment of Gaza raises fears of worsening humanitarian conditions for civiliansIsraeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 52 people and wounded scores more, the Lebanese health ministry said, while rockets fired from Lebanon fell on Israel on Saturday.Israeli police said 19 people were injured before dawn on Saturday in the central town of Tira. Three projectiles crossed into Israel from Lebanon, Israel's military said, and some were intercepted. Continue reading...

The steep and stark environmental decline was not supposed to happen under the common agricultural policyRevealed: the growing income gap between Europe's biggest and smallest farmsThe Rhine overflowed last winter, covering fields miles from the river and in some places leaving just the tops of trees visible.But Thomas Bollig, who farms just a few miles from the banks of the Rhine, was not worried. Even as floods inundated the fields of his neighbours, making sowing impossible, his holdings were largely unaffected. Bollig farms organically, and the natural methods he uses to improve his soil allow his fields to hold more water when it rains, and release it gradually, coping well with floods and droughts. Continue reading...

A typhoon day' has come to mean one thing for many - a chance to indulge their favourite pastimeThe winds of typhoon Kong-rey howled through the streets of the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, on Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, inside a brick and glass building people similarly wailed down the corridors of a branch of the Partyworld karaoke chain.Through the poorly soundproofed door of one room voices warbled a song by the Taiwanese rock band Mayday, and through another came the sounds of a song by Coldplay. In room 330, someone made an exasperated search through the song list - where is Kylie? What the hell! " - as friends screamed lyrics from a Linkin Park track. Continue reading...

Victoria police say a man was found with fatal gunshot wound on Langford Street in North Melbourne at about 3.15am

PM to announce change that would see minimum debt repayment threshold lifted from $54,000 to $67,000 from next financial year

Voters in key swing state will be able to cast provisional vote if they forget to put mail-in ballot in secrecy envelopePennsylvania voters will be able to cast a provisional vote if they make an error and forget to put their mail-in vote in a required secrecy envelope, the US supreme court ruled on Friday, a decision that could lead to thousands more votes being counted in a key battleground state where the presidential race is extremely tight.The supreme court announced its decision on Friday on its emergency docket, giving no reasoning for its ruling, which is customary in emergency cases. Continue reading...

Joshua Creamer says he has had no contact from new LNP government after David Crisafulli told press conference inquiry should cease its workThe chair of Queensland's truth-telling and healing inquiry says the new premier, David Crisafulli, should just have the decency to front up" to First Nations people, after delivering an edict via the media for the inquiry to immediately cease its work.Joshua Creamer, a Waanyi and Kalkadoon man, told reporters on Friday he had still received no communication from Crisafulli or any member of the new LNP government.Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology warns winds will ramp up' with fire risk in parts of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia

Members urged to use your mobile phone to quickly tap and connect to a gaming machine', potentially at odds with gambling ad ban

It emerged from the slime of the sunshine state during Bjelke-Petersen's oppressive regime. Now it's back - but can it survive more sensitive times?

Labour shortage is driving up construction costs and stopping industry from building enough homes to ease housing crisis, Master Builders says

Wooster Rancy, 21, accused in death of Sgt Sarah Roque, 23, whose body was found at Fort Leonard Wood in MissouriA US army soldier has been charged with murder in the death of a fellow service member at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, the military announced Thursday.The army office of Special Trial Counsel charged the 21-year-old specialist Wooster Rancy on Wednesday with murder and obstructing justice in the death of 23-year-old Sgt Sarah Roque. Continue reading...

Morales and current president are locked into a standoff for ruling party's nomination in next year's presidential contestSupporters of Bolivia's ex-president Evo Morales stormed a barracks in the central Chapare region and took about 20 soldiers hostage, military sources said on Friday, marking a dramatic escalation in their standoff with the state.The hostage situation comes nearly three weeks after backers of Morales - the country's first Indigenous leader - began blocking roads to prevent his arrest on what he calls trumped-up rape charges aimed at thwarting his political comeback. Continue reading...

Young child among the dead at Novi Sad's main station as country's president vows to punish those responsibleAt least 14 people have been killed after part of an outdoor roof collapsed at a train station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, the country's president has said.The roof, which provided shade over benches near the station's entrance, came crashing down early on Friday. Continue reading...

The push to vote early has amounted to an unprecedented wave, with more than 68.3 million having voted early so farThe US election is under way across the country, and so far more than 68.3 million people have voted early, according to the University of Florida's election lab.In numerous states, the push to vote before election day, whether by mail or in-person, has amounted to an unprecedented wave of early voting. Continue reading...

Ex-congresswoman warns dictators threaten opponents with death after Trump calls her a radical war hawk'

Russell Bruce Moncrief, 75, faces counts of human trafficking and racketeering over sickening scheme'A bail bondsman is facing criminal charges in Florida for allegedly approaching incarcerated women and offering to bond them out if they give him sex in return.Russell Bruce Moncrief faces counts of human trafficking and racketeering - along with accusations that he used his authority within the criminal justice system to prey on particularly vulnerable women, said a recent news release from the office of the state's attorney general, Ashley Moody. Continue reading...

Piotr Kucharski wore insignia for proscribed terror group on combat clothing at Suffolk Viking re-enactmentA builder has been jailed for claiming at a Viking re-enactment that he had fought for the Wagner group in Ukraine.Piotr Kucharski, 49, wore combat clothing bearing badges with insignia for the proscribed terror organisation to an event in Stonham Aspal, in Suffolk. Continue reading...

The entire Palestinian population in North Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence'The Israel Defence Force has shared pictures of Nazi memorabilia it says it found in civilian homes exploited by Hezbollah" in Lebanon.The IDF shared photos of a book with a swastika and the name Hassan Salih" inscribed on the front, as well as a Nazi pennant flag and figurine of Adolf Hitler, but it did not provide any more evidence or details of the find. The Guardian could not independently verify the images. Continue reading...

Daniel Khalife, 23, says he absconded because he was terrified' of being locked up with dangerous offendersA former British soldier has told a jury he did not hand himself in after he escaped from prison because he was finally demonstrating what a foolish idea it was" to imprison someone with his skill set".Daniel Khalife, 23, told the court he absconded from Wandsworth prison while on remand because he was terrified" of being locked up with serious sex offenders" and terrorists" who wanted to kill him, and that he did not think his imprisonment would be in the public interest. Continue reading...

Chief inspector raises prospect of judge-only trials and greater use of magistrates to reduce prosecutors' caseloadsThe backlog of cases in crown courts in England and Wales could hit 100,000 unless radical action is taken to overhaul the criminal justice system, a watchdog has said.Anthony Rogers, the chief inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO), said prosecutors' caseloads were already beyond what had been seen before and he feared the situation could deteriorate. Continue reading...

Care providers, GPs and pharmacists warn increased costs will cause cuts and job lossesServices that support some of England's most vulnerable people have warned that tax increases in the budget will lead to cuts and closures that could devastate the charity sector.Although the NHS and councils are protected from the impact of the rise in employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) announced in Wednesday's budget, charities that provide services say the increase means they will face existential" financial pressures. Continue reading...

Key officials say entire population of northern Gaza at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence'The situation in the northern Gaza Strip is apocalyptic" as Israel pursues a military offensive against Hamas militants in the area, top United Nations officials have warned.The entire Palestinian population in north Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence," they said in a statement on Friday signed by the heads of UN agencies, including the UN children's agency Unicef and the World Food Programme, and other aid groups. Continue reading...

Girl is in critical condition in hospital after being found injured at side of road in Hessle, say Humberside policeSix teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 13-year-old girl was stabbed in the neck.The two girls and four boys are in police custody after the attack in the town of Hessle, near Hull, which left the victim with life-threatening injuries. Continue reading...

Reports of such a request emerge as Israeli jets continues to bombard Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh

Rayner celebrates bold political vision' of Reeves's policies, though markets and farmers are less keenFor weeks, Labour MPs and officials have worried their government was drifting, dogged by controversies over freebies and donations, and unable to show voters its defining mission. On Wednesday that changed, for better or for worse.Announcing the biggest tax-raising budget for decades, along with a rapid injection of cash for health and education, Rachel Reeves made clear to her party and to the country what this government's priorities are. Continue reading...

Defra report warns there could be health disbenefits' with 29% of vapers reverting or relapsing to cigarettes

FCA says financier showed reckless disregard for rules over inquiry into alleged sexual misconductThe financial regulator has warned the former hedge fund manager Crispin Odey that it is planning to take action against him for failing to act with integrity, and deliberately frustrating a disciplinary process into sexual harassment allegations in order to protect his own interests.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it had notified Odey that it believed he had breached the regulator's code of conduct, which required him to act with integrity", between December 2021 and November 2022. Continue reading...

Durham police question 23-year-old in connection with break-in at England cricket captain's houseA man has been arrested after the County Durham home of the England cricket captain Ben Stokes was burgled. Stokes has said his wife and two children were at home during the break-in, in which his OBE medal and other valuables were taken.Durham police said a 32-year-old man from North Yorkshire was arrested on suspicion of burglary on Thursday night. He was released on bail while inquiries continue, the force said. Continue reading...

Nearly all are deemed high-risk' and so will need customs declarations and phytosanitary certificatesEvery year, hundreds of thousands of Christmas trees make the journey into the UK to take pride of place in living rooms across the country.But the the cross-border operation faces a new hurdle this year. Plants coming from the EU will be subject to post-Brexit border checks that importers are warning will increase costs for sellers, and probably push up prices for consumers. Continue reading...

Public asked to report sightings and not approach animals, which zoo says are not dangerous but will be scared'An Isle of Wight zoo has deployed tracker dogs and drones in an effort to recapture four raccoons that have escaped.The four animals managed to get out of their compound at Amazon World Zoo Park on Friday morning. Continue reading...