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A treasure trove devoted to folk traditions has been amassed by one man. Now a campaign hopes to give it a proper homeFans of British folklore are championing a campaign to safeguard a unique archive cataloguing traditions from Britain and Ireland. The collection - of more than 20,000 books, 4,000 tape cassettes and 3,500 hours of reel-to-reel audio - has been amassed by one man. David Doc" Rowe is a 79-year-old folklorist who has travelled the UK since the 1960s, visiting calendar customs such as the Straw Bear Festival, the Krampus Run or the Hunting of the Earl of Rone.Director Rob Curry and actor/director Tim Plester set up the crowdfunder, which has been supported by Eliza Carthy, Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman. The co-directors previously collaborated on two acclaimed documentaries about the British folk scene - Way of the Morris and The Ballad of Shirley Collins. They started work at the end of lockdown on a film about Rowe and his annual odyssey around the rituals of Britain, then expanded the project to help him find a permanent home for his archive. Continue reading...

Peers express fears Jaghtar Singh Johal will not receive due process' in India amid torture claimsAssurances by a UK minister that a British man imprisoned in India will receive a fair trial fly in the face of evidence that he has been tortured and arbitrarily detained, three lawyers who held senior public roles have warned.To coincide with the sixth anniversary of Jaghtar Singh Johal's detention, Sir Ken MacDonald KC, Elish Angiolini KC and Jim Wallace KC have written to the UK Foreign Office minister, Lord Ahmad, asking him to retract his recent comments saying that the British citizen will receive due process" in India. Continue reading...

Teachers say pupils losing out on learning about history of Israel-Palestine conflict due to worries about bad publicity'A generation of young people are not learning about the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict because schools are afraid of being accused of bias, according to teachers in England.Fewer than 2% of GCSE history students in England studied a module on the Middle East in 2020, and experts estimate that only 27 schools in England currently teach it. The Observer has learned that some schools are blocking attempts to introduce the subject, in spite of active interest from pupils, due to the amount of heat" the topic draws and worries about bad publicity". Continue reading...

How much do you remember from your history lessons about Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot?Year by year, it seems that Halloween becomes more popular in the UK and the tradition of bonfire night recedes into the distance. Possibly because it is more fun to eat sweets than to set fire to things and then get shouted at by the neighbours because the noise has annoyed their pet. But what do you remember, remember about the 5th of November? Try your hand at history with our gunpowder plot quiz ...The Guardian gunpowder plot quizIf you really do think there has been an egregious error in one of the questions or answers - and can show your working - feel free to email martin.belam@theguardian.com, although the quiz master's answers are final and he might just ignore you. Continue reading...

'Tis the season for splashing out on a high-end immersive Christmas experience with live actors that will set you back 149Santa's elves are out again - and there are more than ever, each keen to lure visitors into rival magical realms. Britain is enjoying a boom in upmarket, immersive experiences but fake snow, pointy elf hats and faux-wooden chalets are now the very least of it. In an odd festive arms race, competitors have entered the Christmas market with a range of increasingly ornate, wintery worlds of wonder, featuring light trails, special effects and often a full supporting cast and crew of actors and technicians.Grand houses from Auckland Castle in County Durham, to Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire and Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, are lining up full-voltage seasonal experiences, alongside an expanding illuminated network of horticultural gardens lighting up soon: from Suffolk's Helmingham Hall, to East Yorkshire's Sewerby Hall and Gardens and Edinburgh's Christmas at the Botanics. All are setting their stages for what is promised to be the twinkliest ever tour, or the most atmospheric, glittery landscape yet encountered on Earth. Continue reading...

Growing teacher shortage crisis also caused by threat of Ofsted inspection and lack of respect for professionNewly-qualified teachers are planning to quit the UK to teach abroad because of abject pay and conditions in schools at home, new evidence has revealed.Teacher-training courses across the country are warning of a rise in the number of trainees opting for international posts for their first job, attracted by higher salaries, more respect in and out of the classroom - and an escape from Ofsted. Continue reading...

The two former prime ministers were expected to meet with Israeli president Isaac Herzog

Time constraints, red tape and lack of resources to distribute the money are the main reasons for not allocating cashA multibillion pound fund designed to boost levelling up and replace crucial EU funding is being left unspent by the vast majority of councils, the Observer can disclose.The main reasons for a significant underspend in the shared prosperity fund were money being handed over too late to spend, a lengthy and bureaucratic process and a hollowing-out of council expertise. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson's chief adviser and senior civil servant traded blows at the pandemic inquiry last week, describing horrifying levels of government chaos. The irony was how often their assessments agreedThe Covid inquiry is scheduled, unfathomably, to have three more years to run. But already one thing seems clear: there will be no more compelling or instructive evidence than that given last Tuesday and Wednesday.Dominic Cummings and Helen MacNamara, who appeared on successive days, will be for ever linked in the proceedings by the hideous WhatsApp message Cummings sent about his former colleague to the prime minister, demanding her removal from the building in handcuffs" if necessary: We cannot keep dealing with this horrific meltdown of the British state while dodging stilettos from that cunt." Though that toxic message provided easy headlines, it was MacNamara, quietly upstaging her nemesis, who had the last word. Continue reading...

The child became sick in 2018 when two years old, but it took a court order to fly her to Australia for treatment

This blog is now closed. Our live coverage of the Israel-Hamas war continues hereAgence France-Presse has reported on the aftermath of what Hamas authorities said was Israeli tank shelling that killed 20 people at the Osama bin Zaid boys' school north of Gaza City.The report said:Ambulance teams rushed into the debris-littered building to aid the injured and remove the dead.Stunned onlookers wept and wandered the scene with hands clasped above the head in horror and disbelief. Continue reading...

Israeli bombs hit school being used as a shelter while warning comes that children form 40% of fatalitiesThe UN has warned of a catastrophic" situation for children in Gaza, as Israeli bombs hit a school being used as a shelter and landed outside a hospital, and Israel came under mounting pressure over the civilian suffering caused by its campaign.More than 40% of the dead in Gaza after nearly four weeks of war were children, the UN said, with 3,900 reported child victims, and another 1,250 missing and presumed buried under bombed buildings. With little rescue machinery, and hospitals overcrowded and running out of supplies, the chances of survival for those trapped in rubble are painfully low. Continue reading...

One in five mothers of young children have thought about leaving workforce, survey showsAlmost twice as many working mothers as fathers have considered leaving their jobs because of the burden of childcare, research reveals.A survey of 3,000 parents with children under four, commissioned by women's rights group the Fawcett Society and Totaljobs, shows that new mothers disproportionately feel the strain of juggling childcare and work, and that it affects their finances, work-life balance, careers and aspirations. Continue reading...

Experts say increased surveillance of shoppers, including close-up cameras on self-checkout screens, more likely to anger shoppers rather than deter theft. This blog is now closed

The US and its Arab allies appeared divided after meeting between regional foreign ministers and secretary of state Antony BlinkenThe United States and its Arab allies appeared divided over calls for a ceasefire in Israel's military offensive against Hamas, as the US pushed for a more temporary pause in fighting amid growing global anger over the rising death toll among Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.On Saturday, several Middle East foreign ministers urged the US to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire in a meeting with the secretary of state, Antony Blinken. The top US diplomat, however, dismissed the idea, saying such a halt would only benefit Hamas, allowing the militant organisation to regroup and attack again. Continue reading...

Reports that at least one child was in the car used to drive through security barriersGerman police said they were dealing with a hostage situation" at Hamburg airport, after an armed man drove through a security barrier and on to the tarmac, with reports that at least one child was in the vehicle as well.We are on site with a large contingent of emergency services. We are currently assuming a static hostage situation," Hamburg police said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Continue reading...

Many in the city have put the Hanshin Tigers' lack of success down to an unusual Colonel Sanders-based superstition, but it may be about to endThe last time the Hanshin Tigers were proclaimed the best baseball team in Japan, their fans celebrated by hurling themselves into a canal and carrying out an abduction" that many believe placed their team under a curse that has lasted almost four decades.On Saturday, the sleeping giants of Japanese baseball were forced to wait another day for the chance to banish the jinx by winning their first Japan Series title since 1985, after a defeat to local rivals Orix Buffaloes ensured that the season's finale would go to a seventh and decisive game. Continue reading...

The NSW premier says his government was focused on the big game' of transport reform and wants Jo Haylen to do that job

A 33-year-old was arrested and charged in Maroubra over the alleged murder of convicted killer David CollissonThe discovery of human remains in a burnt-out tree trunk has led to a murder charge over a missing man who spent two decades in prison.Police on Saturday arrested and charged a 33-year-old man at Maroubra police station over the murder of David Collisson. Continue reading...

Ukrainian missiles target Crimean shipyard; Zelenskiy denies western leaders are pressuring him to negotiate with Russia

Unnamed actor's lawsuit alleges producers of 2011 comedy Arthur tolerated Brand's misconduct before lavatory assaultAn actor who claims the actor and comedian Russell Brand sexually assaulted her while on the film set of the 2011 comedy Arthur says she felt used and abused" by him.The woman, who has not been named, states in a lawsuit filed in New York state on Friday that Brand first exposed himself to her in full view of some of the cast and crew of Arthur, which was filmed in New York City. Continue reading...

Angela Rayner says party's housing recovery plan will enact reforms delayed by Tories since 2019 manifesto commitmentsLabour will deliver more action on housing in the first six months of office than the Conservatives have delivered in the past six years, Angela Rayner has pledged.Downing Street has confirmed the renters reform bill will be in the king's speech, allowing it to continue its passage through parliament when the next session opens on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Conservatives furious at PM's naive' meeting with Musk ahead of last Westminster session before electionTory MPs have accused Rishi Sunak of offering the electorate dystopia" after an appearance with Elon Musk in which the billionaire warned that artificial intelligence could take everyone's jobs and leave them searching for meaning in their lives.Many MPs were left baffled by the prime minister's decision to conduct an interview with the Tesla and X (formerly Twitter) owner at the end of the AI safety summit at Bletchley Park. However, some are furious about the event, which painted a bleak picture of the future. Continue reading...

Protesters converge on square after sit-ins at Oxford Circus and Charing Cross station and chants outside BBCThousands of protesters have gathered in Trafalgar Square demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.Chants - including the contentious From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" as well as Ceasefire now!" - rang out, as some protesters climbed on top of bus stops and let off green and red flares. Continue reading...

Albanese will meet Chinese president Xi Jinping and premier Li Qiang, on the first visit to China by an Australian prime minister since 2016

Protesters call on Biden to demand ceasefire in Israel-Gaza conflict and end military aid to IsraelTens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched through downtown Washington DC on Saturday in what organizers hoped was the largest US demonstration of its kind since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza after Hamas attacked the country last month.The crowd waved Palestinian flags, carried posters and chanted slogans during the National March on Washington: Free Palestine, which took place alongside similar events across the US and elsewhere in the world. Continue reading...

Higher prices see the phenomenon of revenge travel' turn into a willingness to spend more on bigger trips, industry watchers say

KPMG was among the four firms to have had reports rejected, a Senate inquiry heard, putting pressure on abandoning future outsourcing altogether

British-Iranian imprisoned in Iran for six years speaks of slow recovery from captivity and severance from her Iranian familyNazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has spoken of her constant worry" about her family in Iran, saying she cannot return to the country where she was imprisoned for six years.The British-Iranian also revealed how it had been very hard to adjust" since returning to the UK in March 2022. Continue reading...

Leaked documents spark furious backlash from groups who fear freedom of expression could be suppressedGovernment officials have drawn up deeply controversial proposals to broaden the definition of extremism to include anyone who undermines" the country's institutions and its values, according to documents seen by the Observer.The new definition, prepared by civil servants working for cabinet minister Michael Gove, is fiercely opposed by a cohort of officials who fear legitimate groups and individuals will be branded extremists. Continue reading...

Shadow foreign secretary toughens line on Israel-Palestine in light of shocking number' of dead civilians

Former junta leader back in jail hours after commando raid his lawyer says was an abductionThe former head of Guinea's 2008 military junta has been recaptured and returned to prison hours after an apparent jailbreak led by a heavily armed commando, the army and his lawyer said.At least two other former officials on trial alongside Moussa Dadis Camara over a 2009 massacre during his presidency were taken in the earlier operation that sparked heavy gunfire in the capital Conakry, a minister and lawyers said. Continue reading...

Senior Conservative says home secretary should not discuss complex issue in such terms and advised her to use wiser' languageSuella Braverman has been rebuked by a senior Tory campaigner on homelessness after the home secretary provoked outrage by describing rough sleeping as a lifestyle choice."Bob Blackman MP, head of the all-party parliamentary group for ending homelessness, said Braverman was wrong to discuss a complex and serious issue in such terms and advised her to use wiser" language. Continue reading...

74-year-old Michael Whitbread was arrested on Wednesday after Michele Faiers found dead in CasoliA 74-year-old man has appeared in court for extradition proceedings in relation to the murder of a 66-year-old woman in Italy.Michael Whitbread was arrested in England on suspicion of murder on Wednesday night after Michele Faiers was found dead at her home near the Italian town of Casoli that morning. Continue reading...

The over-fat' ewe, named Fiona, was hauled up from her solitary spot on a remote Scottish beach by farmersA ewe that was hailed Britain's loneliest sheep has been rescued by a group of farmers from a remote shingle beach in the Scottish Highlands.The sheep, called Fiona and wearing a huge fleece, had been stranded at the foot of cliffs on the Cromarty Firth for at least two years, with an animal welfare charity having deemed rescue attempts incredibly complex". Continue reading...

Home secretary criticised for tweets vowing to restrict use of tents by homeless people, many of them from abroad'The home secretary, Suella Braverman, has described rough sleeping as a lifestyle choice" while defending her decision to restrict the use of tents by homeless people on the streets of Britain.According to Whitehall insiders, Braverman plans to crack down on tents that cause a nuisance in urban areas such as high streets - amid growing numbers of rough sleepers and what the government considers a rise in antisocial behaviour. Continue reading...

Api Ratuniyarawa, 37, from West Northamptonshire, charged hours before game against WalesA rugby player has appeared in court charged with sexual assault, hours before he was due to play for the Barbarians against Wales in Cardiff.Api Ratuniyarawa, a 37-year-old Fiji international from West Northamptonshire, had been due to be on the Barbarians bench for the match at the Principality Stadium, and Wales international Aaron Shingler was called up to replace him. Continue reading...

US secretary of state meets officials from Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and UN as further civilian casualties reported in Gaza

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereAFP has just posted a report from near the war-battered town of Bakhmut - which Ukraine is attempting to retake - quoting a Ukrainian soldier with a grim assessment of the conflict.I've been saying that for some time now already. Step by step we're losing the war," the serviceman, who uses the call sign Mudryi" (Wise), told AFP. The longer this static war continues, the worse it is for us." Continue reading...

Ukrainian president rejects war at stalemate' and points to similar lulls in 2022 before Kharkiv was liberated

Member for Beckenham to surrender whip while he appeals against conviction, government sources sayBob Stewart has surrendered the Tory whip while he appeals against his conviction for a racially aggravated public order offence, a government source has said.Stewart, the MP for Beckenham, was found guilty at Westminster magistrates court on Friday of racially abusing an activist by telling him to go back to Bahrain" during a confrontation in central London. Continue reading...

Casualties in Gaza are growing, and so is Israel's concern about the war's direction

Events planned across country as chief rabbi says lines between support for Palestinians and Hamas becoming badly blurred'

All children of this land deserve a better future', says chief executive of Max Rayne Hand in Hand schoolA school in Jerusalem where students from Jewish and Arab backgrounds learn alongside one another has been awarded an international education prize for its success in overcoming adversity".The Max Rayne Hand in Hand school, founded in 1998, is Israel's only bilingual, fully integrated Jewish-Arab school and is seen by many as a beacon of hope in an otherwise deeply divided society. Continue reading...

Rescue workers reach area near epicentre of 5.8-magnitude quake in Karnali province in country's worst earthquake since 2015Rescue workers in Nepal began digging through the rubble of collapsed houses with their bare hands on Saturday, searching for survivors after the country's worst earthquake in eight years killed 157 people and shook buildings as far away as Delhi.The 5.6-magnitude quake hit the far west of the Himalayan country late on Friday and was measured by the US Geological Survey at just 18km (11 miles) deep. Continue reading...

Kate Bush and Soul Train creator Don Cornelius were also inducted, with Missy Elliott closing the ceremony with roof-shaking setSheryl Crow and Olivia Rodrigo kicked off the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday night and Missy Elliott closed the show more than four hours later with a roof-shaking set, as the hall celebrated a strong representation of women and Black artists.Chaka Khan, Kate Bush, Soul Train creator Don Cornelius, the Spinners and DJ Kool Herc were also inducted in a celebration of funk, art-rock, R&B and hip-hop, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Continue reading...

Farah Naz extremely disappointed' by decision to cut Jordan McSweeney's minimum prison term from 38 years to 33The aunt of Zara Aleena has called for the law to be changed after her niece's murderer won an appeal to reduce the minimum term of his life sentence.Farah Naz said her family were extremely disappointed" by the court of appeal's decision to reduce Jordan McSweeney's minimum prison term from 38 to 33 years and questioned why the sentencing judge had been overruled by review judges. Continue reading...

Man and woman arrested and dog seized by police in Nottinghamshire after reports dog had attacked peopleA man and woman have been taken to hospital with serious injuries after a suspected attack by an American XL bully dog.Nottinghamshire police seized a dog after reports it had attacked a number of people on Friday night. Continue reading...

Met Office issues yellow weather warning as heavy rain forecast to fall on already saturated groundHeavy rain is forecast across south and south-west of England, with 38 flood warnings and 160 flooding alerts in place days after Storm Ciaran hit the UK.Although Storm Ciaran has largely eased, the Met Office issued a yellow weather notice on Saturday to last until 11.59pm - stretching from Kent to Cornwall. Continue reading...

Investigation finds evidence that many calls received prior to 2021 Channel disaster were treated as less urgentUK coastguards downgraded 999 calls from refugees pleading for help as they headed to England days before the worst Channel disaster for decades, new internal documents reveal.HM Coastguard potentially breached its own policy by categorising 999 calls from distressed passengers on as many as four small boats carrying 155 people as not in need of urgent rescue, according to analysis of incident logs obtained by the Observer and Liberty Investigates. Continue reading...