More than 30 groups say they will not be complicit' in department's divisive anti-migrant agenda'The Home Office has been accused of cynical" and unethical" behaviour after offering millions of pounds to refugee charities to help settle newly deported people.A government contract put out to tender earlier this month offers to pay 15m over three years to NGOs who work with people being removed from the UK to 11 countries, including Ethiopia, Iraq and Zimbabwe. Continue reading...
Revelation Keir Starmer's chief of staff is paid more than PM adding to anger over salary cuts, sources saySue Gray has been given a salary of 170,000 as Keir Starmer's chief of staff - more than the prime minister - prompting fury among Labour colleagues who have taken lower pay since entering government.Gray was given a pay rise after the election despite other political special advisers being unhappy that their salary was reduced compared with their previous jobs at the Labour party. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6QTVK)
Kurd was treated as an adult by Home Office and Greenwich council when he arrived undocumented three years agoA child refugee who fled Iraq has won a three-year legal battle to prove he was only 16 when he arrived undocumented in the UK, not eight to 10 years older, as British officials claimed, citing his facial hair and broad shoulders.The Kurd, now 19, fled Iraq with his family in 2021 after death threats from Shia militia, who came into his home area around Kirkuk after the fall of Islamic State in northern Iraq and Syria. But he was separated from his parents and sister while changing vessels on a treacherous sea journey and, after landing by boat in Britain in the middle of the night, he was treated as an adult with an estimated age of 24 to 26 by the Home Office and the London Borough of Greenwich. Continue reading...
Tugendhat used to be a minister in the Home Office, and he is now shadow security ministerJohn Swinney, Scotland's first minister, has said that Scotland is closer to independence than it was in 2014.According to PA Media, Swinney made the claim at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the referendum, which saw voters rejected independence by 55% to 45%.Swinney said that promises made to people who voted No (ie to remain in the UK) had been broken. He said since 2014 the Scottish parliament had been given new powers, and that it had used these to pass progressive policies, like the Scottish child payment, a more progressive tax system, and votes at 16. He went on:These are all positive legacies of Scotland's referendum ... The lesson is? I will tell you. Constitutional change delivers real change.That's Scotland's legacy in the last ten years.He said Keir Starmer was disproving claims that Scotland needed, not independence, but just the removal of the Tory government at Westminster.For 10 years - 10 long years - Labour told us we don't need independence. All we need to do is get rid of the Tories.Well, it's taken Keir Starmer less than ten weeks to completely demolish that argument.He said the referendum 10 years ago set a positive example to the world, because it showed a constitutional dispute being resolved peacefully and democratically.The world was watching us [in 2014] - waiting to see if they were about to witness the birth of the world's newest independent country.
Move by coalition headed by Geert Wilders' Freedom party is unlikely to get a positive reception in BrusselsThe new Dutch coalition government headed by Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom party (PVV) appears to be on a collision course with the EU over immigration after formally asking Brussels for an opt-out on asylum rules.I have just informed the European Commission that I want an opt-out' on migration matters in Europe for the Netherlands," the asylum and migration minister Marjolein Faber, a member of the PVV, said on X on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Paul Conway failed to arrive at the Old Forge on Friday as expected and was found in good spirits' on TuesdayA hiker who went missing in the Scottish Highlands during a quest to win a free pint has been found after a massive land and sea search operation.Paul Conway, 67, set out last week on what should have been a three-day walk on the Highlands' Knoydart peninsula. He had travelled from Newcastle to cross what is often referred to as Scotland's last great wilderness in search of the UK's most remote pub. Continue reading...
Potential for flooding in 11 Nigerian states as west and central Africa struggles to deal with recent heavy rainfallAuthorities in Nigeria have warned of the potential for flooding in 11 states after neighbouring Cameroon said it would start regulated releases from its Lagdo dam following recent heavy rainfall in west and central Africa.Umar Mohammed, the director-general of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA), indicated that the discharges would be gradual to avoid ... triggering substantial flooding downstream in Nigeria" and that there was no need for alarm". Still, 11 Nigerian states from north to south lie along the Benue River's flow trajectory and are expected to be affected to some degree. Continue reading...
Ukrainian drone attack causes large explosion at arsenal in Toropets, more than 300 miles north of UkraineA Ukrainian drone attack on a large Russian weapons depot caused a blast that was picked up by earthquake monitoring stations, in one of the biggest strikes on Moscow's military arsenal since the war began.Pro-Russian military bloggers said Ukraine struck an arsenal for the storage of missiles, ammunition and explosives in Toropets, a historic town more than 300 miles north of Ukraine and about 230 miles west of Moscow. Continue reading...
Chief executive to testify at inquiry into Horizon scandal before formally leaving in MarchNick Read, the embattled chief executive of the Post Office, is to step down next year.Read, who is due to give evidence to the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal at the state-owned body in October, had already temporarily stepped back from his role in July to give his entire attention" to preparing for his appearance. Continue reading...
German woman was travelling on UK-flagged catamaran when incident happened, says Spain's rescue serviceA court in Spain has opened an investigation into the death of a German woman who died after being attacked by a shark while sailing 270 nautical miles (500km) off the Canary Islands on Tuesday.According to the country's maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, the 30-year-old woman was travelling on the British-flagged catamaran Dalliance Chichester about 110 miles west of the Western Saharan city of Dakhla when the attack happened just before 4pm local time. Continue reading...
Emergency crews battle to reinforce defences around Wrocaw in Poland amid devastating rainfallSoldiers, emergency workers and volunteers battled through the night to reinforce defences around Wrocaw, Poland's third biggest city, as the EU said flooding in central Europe happening simultaneously alongside wildfires in Portugal showed climate breakdown in action.More than five times the average rainfall for the whole of September has fallen in five days on swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, triggering devastating flooding that has killed 22 people in four countries. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6QTE4)
Ten years after Scotland voted against independence, first minister urges supporters to look to the futureJohn Swinney has urged independence supporters not to live in the past as he celebrated the 10th anniversary of the independence referendum as a moment of reawakening" for the yes movement.Speaking to a crowd of campaigners in Edinburgh 10 years to the day since Scotland voted 55% to 45% to remain part of the UK, the SNP leader said: We have had a long, dark decade - a decade of austerity, of Brexit, of a cost of living crisis and a global pandemic." Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6QTJ4)
Bar Standards Board case against Charlotte Proudman over criticism of judge will proceed to full hearingA tribunal has rejected a barrister's request for it to throw out disciplinary proceedings brought against her for saying a judge had shown a boys' club attitude", but it ruled that she can argue that the regulator discriminated against her because she is a woman.At a private hearing this month, lawyers for Charlotte Proudman argued that the Bar Standards Board (BSB) held her to different standards than male barristers and so the case against her should be struck out. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#6QTJ5)
Trafalgar Square piece by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles is made of masks depicting faces of transgender and non-binary peopleA towering cuboid made of more than 300 masks depicting the faces of transgender and non-binary people, this year's fourth plinth artwork, has been described as a piece designed to unite the trans community around the world".The Mexican artist Teresa Margolles was flanked by members of her country's trans community as Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) was unwrapped in Trafalgar Square on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Author claims that 'progressive Black scholars in particular have been targeted' after University of Washington rejects complaint over her 2004 doctoral thesisA plagiarism complaint filed last month against Robin DiAngelo, the author of a number of books on racism including White Fragility, has now been dismissed.The complaint - which cited 20 instances of alleged research misconduct in DiAngelo's 2004 doctoral thesis - was lodged with the University of Washington, where the author completed her PhD and is now an affiliate associate professor of education. Continue reading...
Former special counsel issues warning in preface to book about 2016 investigation and Trump-Moscow linksThe US is still not prepared for inevitable Russian attacks on its elections, the former special counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated Russian interference in 2016 and links between Donald Trump and Moscow, warns in a new book.It is ... evident that Americans have not learned the lessons of Russia's attack on our democracy in 2016," Mueller writes in a preface to Interference: The Inside Story of Trump, Russia and the Mueller Investigation by Aaron Zebley, James Quarles and Andrew Goldstein, prosecutors who worked for Mueller from 2017 to 2019. Continue reading...
Food container firm affected by challenging macroeconomic environment'Tupperware, the lossmaking 78-year-old American plastic food container brand, has filed for bankruptcy and is on the hunt for new owners as it attempts to lure younger customers.The company, which was founded by the chemist Earl Tupper in 1946 and became known for its patented burping" seal, has started US chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings as bosses said that its finances had been severely impacted" by the economic environment. Continue reading...
Judge raises questions about Maurice Hawell's prospects of rehabilitation after he, brother Marius Hawell and Andrew David were all found guilty of the sexual assaults in July
Eric Kilburn, 16, says those who put others down over differences are usually the most unhappy people out there'Eric Kilburn Jr's mother knew his feet were exceptionally big when, in his teens, she began needing to spend thousands of dollars to have his shoes specially made. But it turned out they were bigger than anyone else's in the world who was his age - and so were his hands.Sixteen-year-old Eric fits his 13.5in (34cm) feet in American size 23 shoes (UK size 22) - more than double the average of adult men, which is about 9 in the US. His hands, at 9.13in, easily surpass the 7.14in average for his age. Continue reading...
ActionAid says parasitic behaviour' is fuelling the climate crisis and represents corporate capture' of public financeMore than $650bn (494bn) a year in public subsidies goes to fossil fuel companies, intensive agriculture and other harmful industries in the developing world, new data has shown.The subsidies entrench high greenhouse gas emissions and are fuelling the destruction of the natural world, according to a report from the charity ActionAid. Continue reading...
Humanitarian sector says UK will lack credibility at world summits owing to devastating' impact of budget cutsUK aid spending will fall to its lowest level since 2007 unless the government takes urgent remedial action in the autumn budget, a group of more than 100 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the aid and humanitarian sector jointly warn on Wednesday.The budget dedicated to providing aid overseas will be just 0.36% of gross national income (GNI) in 2024 largely owing to huge sums in the budget being diverted to hosting asylum-seekers in the UK, the aid organisations say. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Economics correspondent on (#6QTA1)
Sir Gary Cooper says micromanagers' risk driving away talent, damaging wellbeing and harming productivityEmployers who force staff to return to the office five days a week have been called the dinosaurs of our age" by one of the world's leading experts who coined the term presenteeism".Sir Cary Cooper, a professor of organisational psychology and health at the University of Manchester's Alliance Manchester Business School, said employers imposing strict requirements on staff to be in the office risked driving away talented workers, damaging the wellbeing of employees and undermining their financial performance. Continue reading...
Prime minister has come under fire recently for clothing, accommodation and glasses provided by Waheed AlliKeir Starmer has declared more free tickets and gifts than other major party leaders in recent times, with his total now topping 100,000 after recent support for his lifestyle from Labour donor Waheed Alli.The prime minister has accepted almost 40 sets of free tickets during his time as Labour leader, mostly to football matches but also 4,000 of hospitality at a Taylor Swift concert and 698 of Coldplay tickets in Manchester. Continue reading...
Marieha Hussain, who depicted Sunak and Braverman as coconuts, says only people who do not understand the term find it offensiveA teacher who was acquitted of a racially aggravated public order offence after she carried a placard depicting Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts said she has no regrets and would continue to use the term in future rallies.In her first interview since she was found not guilty at Westminster magistrates court last Friday, Marieha Hussain, 37, said there was a lack of cultural understanding and awareness of the term coconut" and how it is used by diverse communities. Continue reading...
Research released by Starling Bank finds 28% of people have been targeted at least once in the past yearConsumers have been warned that their social media videos could be exploited by scammers to clone their voices with AI and then trick their family and friends out of cash.Scammers look for videos that have been uploaded online and need only a few seconds of audio to replicate how the target talks. They then call or send voicemails to friends and family, asking them to send money urgently. Continue reading...
Policy devised under Conservatives will be reviewed after warnings of chaos for producers and suppliersGovernment plans to force food manufacturers to put not for EU" labels on all meat and dairy products sold across Britain next month have been indefinitely postponed after warnings that the scheme could cause chaos" for producers and suppliers.The government will instead review the policy, which was devised under the Conservative administration. Legislation to implement the changes has yet to be brought in. Continue reading...
by Luke Harding in Pokrovsk, pictures by Alessio Mamo on (#6QTA6)
Russian forces are gathering on Pokrovsk, a logistics base and transport hub, after months of slow, brutal advanceThe Russian soldiers sent to storm Ukrainian positions arrived at a graveyard. Around them was the ruined village of Mykhailivka. From above, Ukrainian spy drones watched. One soldier vanished under a tree. Another jogged towards a shell-walloped cottage. Back at a control observation centre, Maj Oleksandr Fanagey muttered a few words.Seconds later, a Ukrainian kamikaze drone hit a moving Russian. A live video stream showed that he survived but his left leg was injured. The soldier bottom-shuffled towards a patch of grass and tried to pull a bandage from a green backpack. He will die for sure," Fanagey predicted. The enemy doesn't bother evacuating its wounded." Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6QT79)
Centre for Women's Justice gathered testimony from more than 200 women alleging attacks by police officer partnersMale police officers accused of domestic abuse were promoted into positions tackling rape and violence against women, rather than being punished, according to a new report.The report from the Centre for Women's Justice is based on the testimony of more than 200 women who allege attacks by their police officer partners. It concludes that, despite promises from police chiefs of change, little progress has been made and failings are systemic". Continue reading...
by Damien Gayle Environment correspondent on (#6QT7B)
Thinktank says funding from oil and gas firms is attempt to divert attention from their role in fuelling the climate crisis'Fossil fuel companies pumped at least $5.6bn (4.2bn) of sponsorship money into motorsports, football, golf and even snow sports in an effort to buy social licence to operate", according to a new report.Almost no major spectator sport remains untouched by oil and gas money, according to research carried out by the New Weather Institute (NWI), a climate thinktank, which traced more than 200 sponsorship deals between sports teams and the industry. Continue reading...
Reece Richards, who was in Netflix's Sex Education, says he was thrown to the ground by officers pursuing a vehicleThe Metropolitan police has said it is investigating an incident in which an actor claimed he was pepper-sprayed by officers during an unlawful arrest".Reece Richards, who appeared in the Netflix series Sex Education, said he was thrown to the ground during a police chase in Fulham, south-west London, on 4 September. Continue reading...
Princess of Wales was listed in the Court Circular after a meeting about early years development of childrenThe Princess of Wales has been listed in the official record of royal events for the first time since her cancer treatment ended.Catherine was featured in the Court Circular after holding a meeting at Windsor Castle about an issue that aides in the past have described as her life's work - the early years development of children. Continue reading...
Elaine DePrince, 77, died of unrelated illness less than 24 hours after trailblazing ballerina's death aged 29The adoptive mother of ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, who died suddenly at age 29 last week, died less than 24 hours later of an unrelated illness. Elaine DePrince died on 11 September during a routine procedure in preparation for a surgery", according to a statement from family spokesperson Jess Volinski. She was 77.The last few days have been even more difficult than most people realize because the family has also been dealing with the death of Michaela's adoptive mother Elaine DePrince," Volinski wrote in a statement on Facebook. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6QSW9)
Mother of Child D describes feeling she was losing mind' as she pushed for investigationsThe mother of a baby girl murdered by Lucy Letby has demanded an apology from the hospital for dozens" of failings that allowed her daughter to be preyed on" by the nurse.The Thirlwall inquiry was told on Tuesday that Child D, a premature newborn girl, was in a good condition before she was attacked three times by Letby overnight at the Countess of Chester hospital in 2015. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6QSWA)
The data shows that 123,000 households, containing 302,000 children, are trapped in poor housing and extreme povertyCharities have called on the government to abolish the benefit cap after the latest official figures showed 123,000 households containing an estimated 302,000 children were subject to it, trapping them in poor housing and extreme poverty.Campaigners said increasing numbers of households were being made homeless and were suffering hardship as a result of the benefit cap, with single parents, female survivors of domestic abuse and children disproportionately affected. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6QSTS)
Scottish government accepts scaled-down version of event after multimillion-pound' Australian offerThe Scottish government has agreed a rescue deal for a scaled-down version of the 2026 Commonwealth Games to be hosted by Glasgow, after Australian authorities offered a multimillion-pound commitment" to save the event.The Australian state of Victoria abruptly withdrew as host of the 2026 Games in July 2023, blaming escalating costs. Since then, speculation has grown about whether Glasgow could build on its successful hosting of the event in 2014, amid concerns from the Scottish and UK governments about financing the event. Continue reading...
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