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In today's newsletter: Jeremy Corbyn's upstart faction aims to provide hope in a parliament of despair". Now there are questions over whether it could be the first step to a more formal challenge Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. If you worried that there weren't enough rival factions in Westminster at the moment, you can relax: Jeremy Corbyn has formed a new one. Pulling together under the banner of the Independent Alliance, five leftwing MPs who stood as independents in July's election say they aim to provide hope in a parliament of despair" - by fighting to keep the winter fuel allowance, scrap the two-child benefit cap and provide a voice for Palestinians.At a stroke, the new grouping has as many MPs as Reform UK, and more than the Greens - and even though they haven't said so, many will be wondering whether this could be the first step towards something larger: a new party of the left, forming from the ashes of Corbynism and presenting a serious danger to Labour's chances at the next election.Immigration and asylum | Six children and a pregnant woman are among at least 12 people who died after a boat carrying dozens of asylum seekers to the UK was ripped open" in one of the worst Channel tragedies since the small boats crisis began.Grenfell Tower inquiry | Companies and public authorities involved in the Grenfell Tower refurbishment are braced for wide-ranging criticisms when the final public inquiry report on the 2017 disaster is released at 11am today. Read a primer on what to expect below.Ukraine war | A Russian attack on a military educational institute in the central Ukrainian city of Poltava on Tuesday killed at least 47 people and injured more than 206, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.Lucy Letby | Scribbled notes by the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, including the phrase I am evil I did this", were written on the advice of counsellors to deal with extreme stress, the Guardian has learned. Amid questions over the safety of Letby's conviction for murdering seven babies, a public inquiry is set to begin receiving evidence next week.Libraries | More than 180 UK council-run libraries have closed or been handed over to volunteer groups since 2016, new data shows. The most deprived communities were around four times more likely to lose a library than the richest. Continue reading...

Nine in 10 working-class parents would discourage pursuit of such creative jobs in favour of traditional professionsNine in 10 working-class parents would discourage their children from pursuing a career in film and television because they do not see it as a viable career, according to a report.Research conducted by Netflix and the National Youth Theatre found that 89% of working-class parents would advise their children against trying to work in the industry because of the perception it is not a sustainable career. Continue reading...

Chinese silk coverlet from Erddig Hall near Wrexham saved from ruin after first world war by mistress of houseA 300-year-old bed cover, made from Chinese silk and embroidered with peacocks and flowers, was saved from ruin in the years after the first world war when the owners of country house estates in the UK found themselves short of cash and servants.The rare and fragile early 18th-century coverlet was created to grace the best bed chamber in Erddig Hall, near Wrexham. Now, almost 700 hours of painstaking conservation work by the National Trust has revealed an unexpected history. Continue reading...

As the report is published, people who lived through 2017 fire hope it gets to the truth of what happened - and opens the door to prosecutionsIn Ed Daffarn's flat stands a pot of feathers from sparrow hawks, owls, falcons, even a kookaburra. Over the past seven years he has added to it, plume after plume, steadily replacing a collection that turned to ashes when Grenfell Tower went up in flames.Daffarn, an avid birdwatcher who had predicted disaster on a blog eight months before the fire, only just escaped from his 16th-floor flat by groping his way through thick smoke. His feathers were among a lifetime's possessions - cricket gear, mementoes of his late parents - reduced to ash in the tragedy that claimed 72 lives. Continue reading...

Charges laid over death of coalminer Graham Dawson, who was killed when a roof collapsed at Mastermyne's Crinum Mine in 2021

GDP expanded by 1% over the year to June, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said - slightly above forecasts

Leader Mark Speakman insists Liberal fundamentals are sound' after attempt to clean up state branch causes yet more confusion

Murray Watt concerned' at reaction from Iranian government to an Instagram photo of embassy staff in Tehran celebrating Wear it Purple day

Yahya Sinwar and at least five others accused by US justice department of planning and orchestrating the deadly attacks in which 1,200 people were killed

Australian tourists will be exempt from the NZ$100 levy which critics say will deter travellersNew Zealand will nearly triple entry fees for tourists, the government has said, spurring criticism from the key tourism sector that the higher levy will deter visitors.The government said in a statement on Tuesday it would increase the international visitor and conservation and tourism fees starting on 1 October to NZ$100 ($61.85) from NZ$35 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand". Continue reading...

Rapidly falling number of family doctors will harm continuity and quality' of care according to new researchThe NHS in England is heading towards a tipping point" after which GPs will no longer provide the majority of appointments because their numbers are falling so fast.That is the conclusion of an extensive piece of new research that also shows one in five surgeries has shut and the number of patients each family doctor looks after has soared over the last decade.1,625 GP surgeries closed between 2013 and 2023 - a fall of 20% or 178 a year - reducing the total number from 8,044 to 6,419.The average number of patients on each surgery's books rose by 40% - or 291 a year - over the same period, from 6,967 to 9,724.Total patient numbers have grown from 56 million to 62.4 million.Although the overall number of GPs working in the NHS rose, after taking changes in working hours into account those working the equivalent of full-time fell from 27,948 to 27,321. Continue reading...

Survey of 24 city authorities finds two in five plan to sell off assets and reduce servicesLocal authority leaders say they are having to drain their financial reserves to keep services afloat and avoid effective bankruptcy.A survey of the mid-tier group of English city councils, which includes Southampton, Hull, Sunderland and Norwich, found that many that had previously avoided financial difficulties during periods of austerity were close to running out of funds. Continue reading...

Plan to means-test benefit for pensioners criticised by opposition parties and some Labour backbenchersKeir Starmer faces a test of his authority next week after promising a vote on the government's plans to limit winter fuel allowance to the poorest pensioners.MPs will get the chance to vote on secondary legislation on Tuesday that will introduce means-testing of the benefit after pressure from opposition parties and Labour backbenchers. Continue reading...

Singer says he is recovering slowly after severe infection left him with limited vision in one eyeElton John has been left with only limited vision" after a severe eye infection", the 77-year-old singer has announced.He revealed he was healing from the infection in one eye, but said his recovery would take some time". In a post on Instagram, John said: Over the summer, I've been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye. Continue reading...

Victims primarily of Eritrean origin', French prosecutor says, as France mobilises helicopters, fishing boats and military vessels

Regulator said to be planning cut to maximum amount available to victims from 415,000 to about 85,000The UK is reportedly poised to slash the planned maximum amount that banks will have to refund to fraud victims - from 415,000 to about 85,000 - after strong lobbying from lenders, fintechs and some politicians.Fraud in the UK payments industry has soared in recent years, with a sharp rise in authorised push payment (APP) scams, which often involve email accounts being hacked to trick people into sending money to bank accounts operated by criminals. Measures were announced last year requiring banks and payment firms to reimburse those scammed. Continue reading...

Prisoners serving time for lesser crime following serious one will be eligible under plan to free up jail space, officials confirmSome serious offenders will be eligible for early release under a scheme to free up prison space in England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice has admitted, despite saying previously they would not qualify.The MoJ has confirmed that prisoners who have completed a sentence for a serious crime and are now serving a consecutive sentence for a lesser one would be allowed to leave prison earlier than planned. Continue reading...

Political rival says prime minister sees himself as the state' as IDF declares secondary front' in West BankBenjamin Netanyahu's main political rival, Benny Gantz, has accused the Israeli prime minister of putting his personal interests before those of his country after he again insisted on the need for Israeli control of the Gaza-Egypt border on Monday, a position that has emerged as a key obstacle to a ceasefire deal.Speaking in Tel Aviv at the Israel Bar Association's annual conference on Tuesday, the centre-right National Unity party leader said Netanyahu had lost his way" and sees himself as the state ... this is dangerous," he said. Continue reading...

Court documents show then immigration minister wrote to Home Office after Dana Abu Qamar spoke at university demonstrationThe former immigration minister and Conservative leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick inquired into revoking a Palestinian student's visa, court documents have revealed.Dana Abu Qamar, 20, a law student who led the Friends of Palestine society at Manchester University, was stripped of her visa in 2023 after speaking at a university demonstration on Gaza's historical resistance to Israel's oppressive regime" and a subsequent interview with Sky News. Continue reading...

Office for Students found reports of widespread academic misconduct' and issues with recruitment agenciesEngland's higher education regulator has warned of serious risks to public money" in university franchise arrangements, with allegations that recruiters have faked language tests to get students on to courses without the minimum level of English.Research by the Office for Students (OfS) has raised multiple concerns about the growing enthusiasm for franchise partnerships in higher education, where a university contracts another organisation to teach all or part of a course on its behalf. Continue reading...

Ratio of refused visitor visas to approved ones was higher in recent months than any point since height of the pandemicCanada is taking steps, both official and unofficial, to curb the number of people coming to the country, highlighting the way in which immigration has become a political flashpoint ahead of a federal election.According to figures obtained by Reuters, the ratio of refused visitor visa applications to approved ones was higher in recent months than at any point since the height of the pandemic. Immigration officials rejected more applications than they approved in January, February, May and June 2024. Continue reading...

The British manufacturer saw its share price slump 6.5% after engines failed on a Cathay Pacific flight on MondayAn engine failure on a Cathay Pacific flight on Monday has put the spotlight on British manufacturer Rolls-Royce, which makes and maintains the power plant on the Airbus A350.Investors are trying to establish whether there will be broader implications for Rolls-Royce, as airlines that operate the twin-aisle plane inspect their fleets. The large A350, which carries up to 410 passengers, is used mainly on long haul routes. Continue reading...

Shona Robison, Scottish finance secretary, says current financial situation facing Scottish government is not sustainable'Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister, is launching his campaign for the Tory leadership. There is a live feed here.Tugendhat started by saying that he did not actually want the job, because he does not want to be leader of the opposition. He wants to be prime minister, he said.Politics is not a game, and we all know the cost when government isn't sober and serious. We saw it in the lives lost in Afghanistan and then in that wasted chaos of that withdrawal. We saw it during Covid, not just in the lost years of education that cost so many or the opportunities missed, or even in the grief for lost loved ones or those left to cope alone, but through the disrespect.That's why I'm standing before you today, because this country can change. We must change, and Britain deserves better, and we need a different government. Continue reading...

Yellow warning for downpours in south-east England and parts of Wales but western Scotland could reach 26CThe weather across the UK could be split this week with heavy downpours in southern England and a heatwave in western Scotland, with the expected rainfall prompting a yellow warning from the Met Office.Southern England will have a spell of unsettled weather" that could include thunderstorms, lightning, strong winds and hail, while the worst affected areas may experience more than 50mm of rainfall within two hours. Continue reading...

Prosecutors used densely written Post-its to build case against nurse, but she was told to write down her feelings to cope with extreme stress, sources say

Nicholas Winton's Kinder' return to Prague to honour man who organised rescue of 669 childrenAt the age of seven, Alexandra Pfeifer was taken by her father and two brothers to Prague railway station, and told she was going on holiday. I didn't know where or why I was going. I didn't know there was a place called England. I waved to my brothers out of the window when the train left the station," she said.This week, 92-year-old Alexandra Greensted - her married name - returned to Prague to honour the man who organised the rescue of hundreds of Jewish children, including herself, from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939 on the Kindertransport". Continue reading...

Democratic Republic of the Congo officials say 129 people died in failed jailbreak at Makala facility in KinshasaMore than 100 people were killed while trying to escape from a prison in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the early hours of Monday, the security minister has said.In a post on X on Tuesday morning, Jacquemain Shabani said 129 people had died and 59 others were injured in the escape attempt at Makala prison in Kinshasa. Twenty-four of those who died were killed by gunfire, while the others lost their lives in a crush during the chaos, he said. Continue reading...

Singapore Airlines also says it is inspecting aircraft after component failure on rival's Airbus A350

Hedge fund tycoon in talks with Telegraph owner RedBird IMI to acquire magazine for up to 100m

Supermodel says she is in remission after being diagnosed seven years ago and rejecting traditional medicineElle Macpherson has said she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago but is now in remission despite refusing chemotherapy.The Australian supermodel and actor, who rose to fame in the 1980s, is publishing a memoir - Elle: Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself - in which she says she took a holistic approach to the illness, going against the advice of 32 doctors. Continue reading...

Simon Case criticises Tory government's failure to hold regular spending reviews in letter to Jeremy Hunt - who had challenged figure

The house near Bordeaux, which has a pool and is set in more than an acre of land, is being sold to pay legal fees

Greenpeace urges Labour to fulfil international obligations' as critics question accuracy of official data

Nunggubuyu woman Selena Uibo is NT Labor's new leader, with an almost entirely Aboriginal caucusAfter a crushing defeat, Territory Labor has appointed the first Aboriginal woman to lead a major party in the nation's history.Member for Arnhem, Nunggubuyu woman, Selena Uibo has taken up the top job alongside an almost entirely Aboriginal caucus. Continue reading...

France led by caretaker administration since July snap electionLe Parisien reports that Emmanuel Macron is considering Xavier Bertrand and spoke on the phone with right-wing figures Gerard Larcher, Laurent Wauquiez et Bruno Retailleau to discuss.BFMTV reports that the French president is testing the possibility of naming Xavier Bertrand, the head of the northern Hauts-de-France region and a former minister from the right, or Bernard Cazeneuve, who was prime minister from 2016 to 2017 under Socialist president Francois Hollande, as the next prime minister. Continue reading...

Veteran reporter denies all accusations of wrongdoing after internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour'

Mother pays tribute to kind-hearted' son after boy was stabbed at his home in Oldbury last ThursdayTwo teenage boys have been charged with the murder of a 13-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in his West Midlands home, police have said.Jahziah Coke died after he was attacked in Lovett Avenue in Oldbury on Thursday. Continue reading...

Jade Ingham accuses state and federal Labor governments of active treachery and class warfare'

Tasmanian police, Bureau of Meteorology and SES have been issuing warnings about the severe weather event since last week, Insp Darren Latham says

In today's newsletter: Alternative fur Deutschland have deployed Nazi rhetoric throughout their rise - and they are pulling the mainstream further to the right Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. For the first time since the second world war, a far-right party has won a regional election in Germany. As well as finishing first in Thuringia, where it won nearly 33% of the vote, Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) finished second in Saxony, with 31% - and it did so with none of the normalisation strategy that similar parties have deployed in France or Italy. Instead, the AfD uses Nazi slogans and calls the Berlin Holocaust memorial a monument of shame".While the AfD demanded to be included in coalition negotiations in both states yesterday, a firewall" designed to keep the party out of government is likely to hold for the foreseeable future. Even so, its success is undoubtedly a seismic moment in German politics. For today's newsletter, I spoke to the Guardian's Berlin correspondent Deborah Cole about how the AFD did it, and whether this is a regional phenomenon or a signpost to something larger. Here are the headlines.Israel-Gaza war | The UK has broken with the Biden administration by announcing it is suspending some arms export licences to Israel because of a clear risk" the materiel may be used in violation of international humanitarian law. It came as Benjamin Netanyahu defied protests at home and criticism from Biden by vowing that Israel would not relinquish control over the strategic Philadelphi corridor along the Gaza-Egyptian border.Grenfell inquiry | Companies found at fault over the Grenfell tower fire are facing calls to be banned from public contracts. Ahead of the final public inquiry report's publication tomorrow, it emerged that about 250m in deals have been made in the past five years with firms involved in the high-rise's refurbishment.Politics | Jeremy Corbyn is to form an official parliamentary alliance with four independent MPs who were elected on pro-Gaza platforms, and has issued a call for more MPs to join. The group will have the same number of MPs as Reform UK and the Democratic Unionist party, who each have five MPs, and more than the Green party and Plaid Cymru, who each have four.France | A husband who allegedly drugged his wife and invited more than 80 strangers to rape her at their home for almost a decade will go on trial on Monday in a case that has shocked France. Fifty men accused of taking part in the abuse of the woman are also on trial at the court in Avignon.Society | Pride in Britain's history has fallen sharply over the past decade as the country has become more reflective about its place in the modern world, according to a leading barometer of the British public mood. The proportion of people saying they were proud of Britain's history fell from 86% to 64%. Continue reading...

Women not being listened to' are not receiving proper diagnosis in both public and private systems, health minister says

Prosecution has yet to prove guilt of 14 adult members of the Saints' religious group accused of causing death of type 1 diabetic girl

In wake of Coalition criticism, Mike Burgess says support for Palestine not a problem but support for Hamas could rule out ability to come to Australia

Vaccination is likely to be an uphill struggle after re-emergence of the disease in the territory, where war has decimated healthcareLike so many in Gaza, Eid al-Attar, a teacher from the north of the territory, now spends his days trying to find enough food and water to keep his family alive. Displaced eight times since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October, the 42-year-old has tried his best to shield his five children from the conflict. Now the Palestinian territory is facing a new danger: the highly infectious and potentially deadly disease, polio.We cannot protect our children. We are exposed to death at any moment due to the constant bombardment and insecurity. And I cannot protect them from diseases either," he said in Deir al-Balah on Sunday as a UN-led vaccination campaign got under way. Continue reading...

Soldiers say they had no warning of what they were undertaking before the morale-boosting attack beganOn a recent morning deep in Ukrainian-occupied Russia, three soldiers from a Ukrainian special operations team jumped into their car, the back windscreen missing after being smashed out the previous day by explosives dropped from a Russian drone, and sped away in the direction of Ukraine.Six hours later, they would be in Kyiv, together with a precious cargo of documents stashed in boxes piled on the back seat, the fruits of a four-day mission into enemy territory for the trio. The documents included Russian interior ministry papers and military orders, seized from official buildings in Sudzha, the town at the heart of Ukraine's surprise Kursk operation, and from abandoned Russian trenches nearby. Continue reading...

The centre may be holding' but if the far right continues to win elections, the European project faces a rocky few yearsAlternative fur Deutschland's stunning success in Germany's regional elections was described as bitter" and worrying" by chancellor Olaf Scholz. It is also concerning for the EU, which is grappling with existential problems, from Russia's grinding war on Ukraine to the climate crisis, while at the beginning of a new five-year cycle after the European elections earlier this summer.A dark day for Germany is a dark day for Europe," said French centrist MEP leader Valerie Heyer. While the results in the eastern states of Thuringia and Saxony were not a surprise after the AfD's strong showing in June's European parliamentary vote, they confirm the steady rise of parties once considered beyond the pale. Continue reading...

Exclusive: About 250m in UK deals made in past five years with companies involved in tower's ill-fated refitCompanies criticised by the Grenfell Tower inquiry are facing calls to be banned from public contracts as it emerged that about 250m in deals have been made in the past five years with corporations involved in the high-rise's refurbishment.A leading member of Grenfell United, which represents bereaved family members and survivors of the tower's 2017 fire, said companies found to have been to blame should no longer receive public contracts. Continue reading...

Exclusive: End focus on deportations and use language of compassion and humanity', says Refugee CouncilLabour will be at real risk of failing to reform the UK's broken asylum system unless it challenges Tory rhetoric and stops focusing on the deportation of asylum seekers, the head of the Refugee Council has said.Enver Solomon, the charity's chief executive, said Keir Starmer must use the language of compassion and humanity" in order to tackle the vilification of refugees. Continue reading...

100 local authorities say council housing finance model is broken' and more money is needed to build new homesAn unprecedented coalition" of councils in England has called for an emergency injection of 644m from the government to stabilise their housing accounts and prevent investment in new homes being delayed or cancelled.After Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, promised a council housing revolution", 100 local authorities have now warned that the financial model for council housing finances is broken", with a 2.2bn black hole" in councils' dedicated budgets expected by 2028. Continue reading...

Research covering UK outside Greater London places city ahead of Slough, Sandwell and othersManchester has been named the first-time buyer capital of Britain" after data revealed that those taking their first step on the property ladder accounted for 75% of home purchases made in the city with a mortgage last year.The research from the mortgage lender Halifax may also provide fresh evidence of how high house prices in London are forcing growing numbers of would-be capital dwellers to ditch that dream and look farther afield.ManchesterSloughSandwellLeicester/OadbyReadingThurrockDartfordKnowsleyWolverhamptonLuton Continue reading...