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Serco says it is working to fit electronic devices, which were a condition of early release of 1,700 last weekPrisoners freed early to ease overcrowding in jails have not been fitted with electronic tags despite it being a condition of their release, prompting criticism from a parliamentary watchdog.Officials have declined to say how many of 1,700 prisoners in England and Wales who were allowed out after serving 40% of their sentences last week were not given tracking devices. It is understood to be hundreds" rather than dozens", said a source. Continue reading...

South Asian string instruments such as the dilruba and sarangi will get eight grade syllabus and exam systemA music examination in Sikh sacred music, thought to be the first of its kind, will launch in the UK this week in a move described as an important step" in diversifying music education.The examination, introduced by the Music Teachers' Board (MTB) on Friday, will see the music known as Kirtan become part of the universal eight grade examination system. Continue reading...

MPs demand forensic' look at Labour's plans to protect football pyramid in light of Premier League hospitalityKeir Starmer is facing questions about whether his 35,000 of free tickets from football clubs risks a conflict of interest as his government prepares to bring in a new regulator opposed by the industry.The prime minister has been under scrutiny for days over his more than 100,000 of freebies and gifts over the last parliament, with another 8,000-plus due to be registered for the free use of a hospitality box at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. Continue reading...

PM defends decision to accept corporate hospitality but dodges question about who paid for his glassesA reader asks:Can you please obtain clarity from a Labour spokesperson, or even an expert in the English language or linguistics, as to the meaning of lean into hope'? Baffling! Continue reading...

Insiders question Reform UK leader's claim that parliamentary security team advised against in-person meetingsNigel Farage has said he received official parliamentary advice against holding in-person surgeries for his constituents - though his claim was immediately called into question by insiders.On Thursday the Reform UK leader, who became the MP for Clacton in Essex in July, said he had been advised not to hold the physical weekly meetings that are a staple for most MPs, citing fears the public would flow through the door with knives in their pockets". Continue reading...

Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada celebrate idiosyncrasy, while Ian Griffiths foregrounds mathematical tailoringA Prada show is never a straightforward beauty pageant, so when the co-designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons go out of their way to be contrary and challenging, the result is, frankly, pretty weird.Thick woollen tights with belt loops. A boob tube with snap pockets on the nipples. Shoes that peel back at the heels like curls of butter. In the cavernous concrete of Prada's Milanese headquarters, the catwalk was twisted into hairpin bends, so that the audience couldn't see what was coming next. Each outfit was crazier than the last. A strapless lemon ballgown with sunglasses the size of a gas mask was followed by black jeans tucked into dirty white cowboy boots. Continue reading...

Concerns over deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea over war in UkraineEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Kyiv on Friday and meet president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as the bloc seeks to help Ukraine weather Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure.I will be travelling to Kyiv to discuss these matters in person with president Zelenskiy tomorrow in our efforts to help Ukraine," von der Leyen told a press conference in Brussels on Thursday, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Continue reading...

Judges ruled investigation into then-MP that found he repeatedly engaged in improper lobbying was fairThe European court of human rights has dismissed an appeal by the former MP Owen Paterson against the parliamentary report that preceded his political downfall.Paterson, a former environment secretary and influential pro-Brexit Conservative, resigned as an MP in 2021 after an investigation by the parliamentary commissioner for standards established that he had repeatedly engaged in improper lobbying. Continue reading...

Annual profits near 1bn as chain's international expansion boosts sales Business live - latest updatesNext has said international tastes in fashion are converging" as tech platforms expose consumers to global trends, boosting the retailer's overseas sales and helping it close in on 1bn in annual profits for the first time.The fashion and homeware retailer forecast its annual profits would be 15m more than previously expected, at 995m - up from the 918m recorded in 2023 - after overseas sales rose by 23% in the six months to July, offsetting a near 1% decline in sales of Next-branded clothing in the UK. Continue reading...

Hassan Nasrallah due to give televised speech, as US warns all sides in Middle East against escalation of any kind'

Union members frustrated' that company was allegedly unwilling to discuss wages and pensions in negotiationsUnion officials have accused Boeing of being unprepared" after talks resumed to end the US's largest strike.Boeing workers will be joined on picket lines by the president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), Brian Bryant on Thursday a day after the company announced plans to furlough large numbers" of employees. Continue reading...

Shift supervisors unable to unionize are left in limbo, despite workers claiming low pay and lack of authorityThe largest cannabis delivery service in the US faces a growing backlash in southern California from shift supervisors who said they are paid less than the workers they supervise, struggle to make ends meet on low and stagnant wages, and are at odds with the company over their right to form a union.Nearly 600 delivery drivers at Eaze in California voted to unionize in 2023 with the United Food and Commercial Workers, and secured a first contract earlier this year after threatening to strike in April. Continue reading...

London police force looking into possible misconduct relating to complaint by one of victims of Carl CooperFour Metropolitan police officers are facing a misconduct investigation after two women were murdered by a man they both reported to the police for domestic abuse.Carl Cooper, 66, is serving a life sentence for the murders of Naomi Hunte, 41, and Fiona Holm, 48, after his conviction earlier this year. Continue reading...

Detectives charge boys with armed robbery offences after app allegedly used to arrange meetings

ABS data shows the jump from 26 to 27 million people by March 2024 took just one-and-three-quarter years, far quicker than the average'

Trial shown messages between MP and Sky News host discussing defamation action against Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto

Court had heard William Swale had suffered a severe hypoglycaemic attack' before the November 2023 crash

Letting onshore producers export up to 20% of their output aims to encourage more gas development, WA premier Roger Cook says

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Opposition leader claims he apologised for 2016 comments despite Muslim leaders reportedly saying they have no recollection of an apology

Judge finds Tane Saul Desatge felt significant degree of animosity' towards child's father which influenced treatment of her

The Greens' Mehreen Faruqi, opposition leader Peter Dutton and Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni all criticised Labor

Don't expect Obama 2008 levels, say sources, but ministers know Starmer's party have much to celebrate in LiverpoolWhen Ellie Reeves opens Labour conference, she will be the first Labour minister to do so since Harriet Harman walked off the stage in Brighton 15 years ago. For the 20,000 Labour supporters flocking to Liverpool this year, it is in many ways the first chance at a victory party.In No 10, there is a dilemma about how much ministers can use that sense of celebration - with a story to drive home about the dire state of Labour's inheritance and amid a background of weeks of turmoil over winter fuel allowance, donations and the prime minister's chief of staff. Continue reading...

It is unclear if the suspect targeted the boy because he was Japanese, but there is concern that the incident could trigger a further deterioration in tiesJapan's foreign minister, Yoko Kamikawa, has described as despicable" the alleged killing in China of a 10-year-old Japanese boy and demanded that Chinese authorities do everything possible to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals living in the country.The boy, who has not been named by Japanese media, died on Thursday, a day after he was allegedly stabbed about 200 metres from his school in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Housebuilders blame decline on former government's decision to end binding targets for local authoritiesPlanning approvals for new houses in England have dropped to a 10-year low, according to new figures that underline how difficult it will be for Labour to hit its target of building 300,000 homes a year.The data, from the Home Builders Federation (HBF), shows the number of new houses being approved is just over half what it was three years ago, having fallen to a level not seen since 2014. Continue reading...

Compulsory preschool year for six-year-olds to be replaced with extra year in primary school from 2028Children in Sweden are to start school at six years old from 2028, a year earlier than at present, in an overhaul of the country's education system that signals a switch from play-based teaching for younger children.The government has announced plans to replace a compulsory preschool year for six-year-olds known as forskoleklass with an additional year in grundskola (primary school). Continue reading...

The row over frockgate' continues to trouble the prime minister this week, while his decision to visit his far-right Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, has upset many in his party. The Guardian's John Harris talks to the political correspondent Aletha Adu, who was travelling with Keir Starmer. Also, the Guardian's Europe correspondent, Jon Henley, joins John Harris to look at the rise of the far-right on the continent Continue reading...

Police allege three offenders used a crane to lift Sparkly Bear on to a truck in Sydney Road, Brunswick, before fleeing the scene

Lachlan Young, 31, denies killing the 23-year-old whose body was found in a burnt-out car in April

ABS figures show employers added 47,500 positions last month, above forecasts

Police allege a criminal gang, dubbed The Commission, controlled the price of cocaine in Sydney by manipulating supply

The PM should be enjoying his political honeymoon but, explains Anushka Asthana, his wide but fragile majority is proving difficult to navigateWith his first party conference as prime minister coming up and a huge majority in parliament, Keir Starmer should be riding high. Instead his popularity has taken a hit, the mood in the Labour party seems to be downbeat and he is answering a stream of questions about gifts to him and his wife.Anushka Asthana, the former Today in Focus presenter turned ITV's deputy political editor, has been following Starmer closely since the start of his political journey. She tells Helen Pidd why Labour is so focused on spending restraint and discusses the problems that the fragility of the party's majority is causing. But she says with the junior doctors' pay disputes resolved, GB Energy and rail nationalisation going ahead there are also reasons for traditional Labour voters to be optimistic. Continue reading...

RTBU says it will call off this week's industrial action if government agrees to offer 50c fares to public transport users

What sources are saying about the techniques behind the simultaneous explosion of thousands of devices across LebanonIn an unprecedented security breach, thousands of pagers and walkie-talkie radios belonging to members of Hezbollah detonated across Lebanon in simultaneous explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least 26 people and wounding thousands of others.Hospitals across Lebanon were overwhelmed with an influx of patients after the pager attack on Tuesday, and a field hospital was set up in the southern city of Tyre to accommodate the wounded. Continue reading...

Council of Europe also calls for more support for Cornish, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh and Manx GaelicThe UK is being urged by Europe's leading human rights organisation to push ahead with strategies to promote the use of Irish and Ulster Scots languages in Northern Ireland despite continued tensions over the issue.The Council of Europe experts also want to see the strengthening of teaching of all minority languages in the UK including Cornish, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh and Manx Gaelic in the Isle of Man. Continue reading...

Other perks including nine-day fortnight and more planning time at home offered to attract recruits

CQC issues damning report on maternity services in England as minister admits anxiety over risk of disaster'Maternity services in England are so inadequate that cases of women receiving poor care and being harmed in childbirth are in danger of becoming normalised", the NHS regulator has said.A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report based on inspections of 131 maternity units sets out an array of problems, adding to the sense of crisis that has enveloped an NHS service that cares for the 600,000 women a year who give birth and their babies.Some women, frustrated at facing such long delays in being assessed at triage, discharge themselves before they are seen.65% of units are not safe for women to give birth in, 47% of trusts are rated as requiring improvement on safety and another 18% are rated as inadequate.Some hospitals do not record incidents that have resulted in serious harm.There is a widespread lack of staff and in some places a lack of potentially life-saving equipment.Hospitals do not always consider women's suffering after receiving poor care. Continue reading...

Homes evacuated in Emilia-Romagna region as pounding rain well beyond the worst forecasts' sweeps inHomes are being evacuated in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna as Storm Boris, which has killed at least 24 people in central and eastern Europe since last week, swept into the country, causing severe flooding and landslides.Pounding rain hit Emilia-Romagna late on Wednesday afternoon and the situation rapidly worsened as night fell. Continue reading...

Rising number of deaths comes as US says it is not involved in any way'Local Palestinian media is reporting that a 17-year-old child has been killed by Israeli security forces near Ni'lin, west of Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The claims have not been independently verified.Overnight Israel's military announced the deaths of four soldiers. Continue reading...

Met Office says gentle decline' in temperature expected, ushering in more typical autumn weatherThe UK is enjoying summer's last hurrah" before heavy rainfall is expected to drench the country over the weekend, the Met Office has said.On Wednesday, temperatures hit 25.5C in Inverness, which is 14C above average for this time of year, according to the forecaster. Warm and bright conditions are expected to continue into Thursday after a cloudy morning - with highs of 26C in London, the weather service added. Continue reading...

Second judge refuses bail to music mogul, 54, citing possibility that he could tamper with witnessesA second judge has refused to grant bail to Sean Diddy' Combs, citing the possibility that he will tamper with witnesses.The hip-hop mogul had returned to federal court in New York on Wednesday to ask a judge to free him on bail, after waking up for the second day behind bars following his arrest on Monday on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Continue reading...

Edmundo Gonzalez says he signed election letter under duress as condition for allowing him to flee to Spain

Tactical daring keeps Netanyahu on the front foot but risks lurch into full-blown war

Marley, whose incredible gift of empathy' is said to help exploited women, beats thousands of cats to prizeA cat that offers comfort to trafficked women has been named cat of the year at a national ceremony.Marley, a black and white cat who lives at a safe house for women who have been enslaved, exploited and trafficked, won the award because of his gift of empathy". Continue reading...

Israel is widely believed to be behind the operations - but who made the devices, and how did they explode?

Popular YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson accused of harmful conditions behind scenes of competition show Beast GamesMrBeast is accused of creating unsafe" employment conditions, including sexual harassment and misrepresenting contestants' odds at winning his new Amazon reality show's $5m grand prize, in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by five unnamed participants.The filing alleges that the multimillion-dollar company behind YouTube's most popular channel failed to provide minimum wages, overtime pay, uninterrupted meal breaks and rest time for competitors - whose work on the show was the entertainment product" sold by MrBeast. Continue reading...

Brand could disappear, with 87 restaurants and 4,500 jobs at risk after talks over rescue deal collapseThe company behind the UK arm of the TGI Fridays restaurant chain has said it plans to appoint administrators, putting the future of its 87 outlets and 4,500 employees in doubt.The American diner brand could disappear from UK high streets after Hostmore, which is listed on the London stock market, said administrators from advisory firm Teneo would be appointed and its restaurants sold off to rivals. The restaurants will continue to operate as normal in the interim. Continue reading...

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...

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...