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Experts say backlog increases risk of financial irregularities and risky behaviours going undetectedThe early warning system designed to identify English councils in serious financial difficulty is in crisis, with hundreds of local authorities failing to meet the legal deadline to publish audited accounts covering 100bn of public spending.The vast majority - 99% - of English councils did not have their 2022-23 financial accounts signed off by the deadline this year, which experts say is increasing the risk of financial irregularities and risky behaviours going undetected..Warrington borough councilSpelthorne borough councilSlough borough councilScarborough borough council*Rossendale borough councilLuton borough councilLondon borough of Tower HamletsHarlow district councilCopeland borough councilMerseyside Waste Disposal Authority. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, please follow our live coverage of the Israel-Hamas war here.AP is reporting that Benjamin Netanyahu has suspended heritage minister Amihai Eliyahu from cabinet meetings until further notice, after Eliyahu said dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza would be an option for Israel.Netanyahu earlier said the remark was divorced from reality", and defence minister Yoav Gallant also criticized Eliyahu, saying: It's a good thing that people like this are not in charge of Israel's security."Minister Amihai Eliyahu's statements are not based in reality. Israel and the IDF are operating in accordance with the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents. We will continue to do so until our victory. Continue reading...

Car carrying boys aged between 10 and 15 separated in half' after crashing into power pole with police now looking for two others who fled the scene

Police say the driver involved in the accident at the Royal Daylesford hotel on Vincent Street was breath tested and no alcohol was detected

Investment pipeline has been left in an absolute mess', minister says as spending boom fuels inflation

Chief executive describes profit result as very strong' and increase in customer stress from interest rates as modest'

Zelenskiy announces criminal inquiry after Ukrainian soldiers die in missile strike, reportedly during medal ceremony; Ukraine hits Russian warship

Matthew Caseby died after he absconded from a Priory hospital in Birmingham before being hit by a trainThe Priory healthcare group has been charged with two criminal offences over the death of a 23-year-old man who was hit by a train after absconding from a mental health hospital.Matthew Caseby, a personal trainer from London, died in September 2020 after jumping over a low fence while unattended in a courtyard at the Priory Woodbourne hospital in Birmingham, three days after being admitted. Continue reading...

Petrol bombs, fireworks and other projectiles were thrown at Scottish officers on Guy Fawkes NightAbout 100 young people were involved in clashes with police in Edinburgh on Sunday night, as petrol bombs and fireworks were thrown at officers.Riot police came under attack just before 5pm in the Niddrie area of the city, where there were also violent incidents involving young people last year. Continue reading...

Afrasiab Anwar, one of 11 councillors to resign, was among those who earlier asked party leader to step downThe leader of Burnley borough council has resigned along with 10 other councillors in protest at Keir Starmer's refusal to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza war.Afrasiab Anwar, who has been a member of the party for a decade, was among those who called for the Labour leader to step down last week. Continue reading...

The accident, which left two children dead, happened just after 6pm at the Royal Daylesford hotel on Vincent Street

Crisis, St Mungo's and other groups write to home secretary to say blaming people for being on the streets increases their risk of harmHomelessness charities have criticised the home secretary after she described sleeping rough as a lifestyle choice", sparking a widespread backlash.Organisations including Crisis, Centrepoint, St Mungo's and Pathway responded to Suella Braverman's purported plans to crack down on the pitching of tents in urban areas, which she largely blamed on individuals from abroad". Continue reading...

Conservatives hope plans will open up clear dividing lines with Labour and protect thousands of jobsRishi Sunak will this week announce legislation for a new annual system for awarding oil and gas licences as part of a highly political king's speech which the Conservatives hope will open up clear dividing lines with Labour.The government said the plans would protect thousands of jobs and bolster energy security, reducing the UK's reliance on imports from hostile foreign regimes such as Russia, even though the UK has committed to move away from fossil fuels. Continue reading...

The singer's fellow finalists included Matt Hancock, who was recognised for being really good at lying'Singer Gareth Gates has won this year's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins series, in a final where his competitor - the former health secretary Matt Hancock - was recognised for being really good at lying".Gates, who found fame on the TV talent show Pop Idol, made it to the final of the Channel 4 military-style series alongside Hancock, the TV personality Danielle Lloyd, the Olympic track and field athlete Perri Shakes-Drayton and the Love Island star Teddy Soares. Continue reading...

British nationals say dependants trying to leave conflict zone via the Rafah crossing have been left off Foreign Office lists

The prime minister will visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on Monday morning before a significant meeting with China's president, Xi Jinping

Huge explosions reported in Gaza Strip, and communities in northern Israel come under mortar and rocket fire from Hezbollah

While there is broad consensus on the need for a break in hostilities, people are divided on its extent, its duration, and how to label it

Palestinian human rights groups allege Israel may be using Australian technology in serious human rights abuses

Ukraine president says it would take 24 minutes to explain to former US president that he cannot manage the warThe war's death toll continues to climb, with the general staff of Ukraine's armed forces saying on Sunday there had been 990 casualties among Russian forces in the past 24 hours, taking Moscow's total casualties - of dead and injured - in the war to 305,090.According to US estimates, Russia has seen around 120,000 deaths and 180,000 injured. Continue reading...

Cost and difficulties of balancing work and childcare has led one in 10 to quit, says Fawcett SocietyAbout a quarter of a million mothers with young children have left their jobs because of difficulties with balancing work and childcare, according to a report by an equal rights charity that calls for the end of the motherhood penalty".This juggling act, as well as the punitive cost, has led more than 249,124 working mothers of children aged four or under to leave their employer, according to the Fawcett Society. Continue reading...

The El-Naklas left Gaza on Friday but other British citizens are struggling to get outThe parents-in-law of Scotland's first minister, Humza Yousaf, have arrived safely in Scotland after fleeing the conflict in Gaza, while dozens of other British citizens struggle to leave.Yousaf shared a family photo of his wife, Nadia, and her parents, Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, surrounded by their relatives. Continue reading...

Unpopular and incompetent, the West Bank's leaders have little to offer in a day after' scenario, despite Antony Blinken's hopes

US's top diplomat discusses efforts to restore calm in West Bank with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas

Exclusive: Special rapporteur Olivier De Schutter to urge ministers to increase welfare spending on visit to country this weekPoverty levels in the UK are simply not acceptable" and the government is violating international law, the United Nations' poverty envoy has said ahead of a visit to the country this week, when he will urge ministers to increase welfare spending.Olivier De Schutter, the UN's special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, cited research showing universal credit payments of 85 a week for single adults over 25 were grossly insufficient" and described the UK's main welfare system as a leaking bucket". Continue reading...

Dozens of rallies held and some family members say government must start negotiations with Hamas

Exclusive: Regulator extends part suspension of licence to July 2024 after IT blunder led to incorrect dosage of cancer treatmentA private health company paid millions by the NHS has failed to fix safety defects that led to the death of a cancer patient, the Guardian can reveal.Three patients were hospitalised and a fourth died when they were given the wrong doses of a powerful chemotherapy drug after a catastrophic IT failure at the medicine manufacturing unit of Sciensus in April this year. Continue reading...

Police called to farm in Scotland after after scary' visit by by animal rights protestersPolice have been called to a farm in Scotland where Britain's loneliest sheep" was due to be taken following her rescue from the foot of a cliff, after animal rights activists were accused of intimidating staff.The volunteer group Animal Rising took part in a peaceful protest outside Dalscone Farm Fun over the expected arrival of Fiona, who was rescued by a group of farmers on Saturday after two years stuck at the foot of a cliff. Continue reading...

Veteran pop artist excited by the medium after he uses it for performance art installation' in Hong KongWhile artists are among those who fear the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their creativity and copyright, pop artist Sir Peter Blake has been inspired by the technology to create a new series of portraits.At the age of 91, he has been collaborating with a robot powered by AI and is excited by the artistic possibilities of this kind of magic". Continue reading...

President says Ukraine must keep fighting, and aide says general's comments make aggressor's job easier'

Eco tariffs' would not, however, be offered to those vulnerable customers already on lower, social' ratesConsumers in Cornwall and Devon will be offered cheaper bills in return for cutting their water use as the region struggles to cope with a rise in the number of new residents who work from home.From next year, South West Water (SWW) - which was fined in April for dumping sewage illegally into rivers and the sea - will offer residents new tariffs designed to encourage reducing water use amid concerns about the strain caused by increased numbers of tourists and home workers. Continue reading...

Greens unveil policy designed to freeze rents at January 2023 levels in battle for Brisbane city council

The issue of consumer expectations' of inflation is hotly debated by economists, and might be a key factor in the Reserve Bank's decision

Agency has had access to Locate X since at least 2021, documents show, amid questions about use of data that may contain people's sensitive information

Emily Eavis denies reports the three acts will top the bill on Pyramid stage at next year's festivalThe Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis has said reports that Madonna, Dua Lipa and Coldplay have been confirmed to headline Glastonbury next year are untrue.On Saturday evening, reports claimed the three acts were set to top the bill on the Pyramid stage at the festival in June. Continue reading...

Scores of applicants claim administrative failings have left them facing crippling daily chargesA grant scheme launched by the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, for scrapping polluting vehicles is leaving hard-up households out of pocket as they wait for payouts to be processed, according to applicants.Older vehicles that do not meet emissions standards incur a 12.50-a-day charge if they are driven in London's ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez). Continue reading...

Number of arrivals via world's deadliest migration route approach 32,000 to break 17-year recordNearly 32,000 men, women and children have reached the Canary Islands by boat so far this year on the world's deadliest migration route, breaking a 17-year-old record for arrivals in the Spanish archipelago.On Friday and Saturday, four boats carrying a total of 739 people arrived at El Hierro, the smallest and most westerly of the Canary Islands, along with the bodies of two people who had died on the perilous Atlantic route from Africa. A further two people died in hospital. Continue reading...

PM disciplines junior cabinet member after he appeared to voice openness to nuclear strike on Gaza

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...