by Kevin Rawlinson and Sammy Gecsoyler on (#6FR1E)
On the streets of Labour's new constituencies, there was anti-Tory feeling - but also much apathyIt was a stunning pair of victories - and among the most damaging byelection nights any government has suffered in living memory, according to the celebrated psephologist John Curtice.The question in the newly minted Labour constituencies of Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth the morning after was whether the opposition party can repeat the success at a general election. Continue reading...
Labour wins Tamworth with swing of 23.9 percentage points from Tories, then Mid Bedfordshire in largest ever turnaround of majority in UK byelectionProf Sir John Curtice told the Today programme that there were two points in this parliament when Tory support rapidly switched to Labour: when the first Partygate revelations came out, and Liz Truss's mini-budget. He said you could reasonably argue" that those two events were more important in explaining why Labour is now doing so well than Keir Starmer's changes to the Labour party. But if Starmer had not changed Labour, then the party might not have benefited to the extent it has, he said.Curtice ended his interview with a big what if?'Let us say those Partygate happenings had never happened, or at least we had never heard of them. And as a result Boris Johnson was still in 10 Downing Street today. Would Labour be doing as well in the polls as they are at present?These were always going to be challenging by-elections and the rule of thumb is that governments don't win them. We have seen little to no enthusiasm for Sir Keir Starmer who voters can see stands for nothing and always puts short term political gain first.The truth is these were not ordinary government losses. The swing in Tamworth, at just below 24%, is the second biggest swing from Conservative to Labour in postwar electoral history. And at just over 20% the swing in Mid Bedfordshire is also in the top 10.No government has previously lost to the principal opposition party a seat as safe as Tamworth. You have to go back to 1977 and the Ashfield byelection to find an equivalent.You can argue maybe there isn't as much enthusiasm for Labour as there is discontent with the conservatives. But, nevertheless, when Labour have been challenged, they still managed to win that challenge. Continue reading...
PM's much-criticised Future Fund, set up during the pandemic, gave 2m to companies co-owned by Akshata MurtyLabour has written to the standards watchdog to ask whether Rishi Sunak should have declared that companies co-owned by his wife were given 2m through his government scheme to help startups in the pandemic.Lucy Powell, the shadow leader of the House of Commons, wrote to the commissioner for standards to ask whether they should have been declared in parliamentary proceedings, after the Guardian reported that four companies linked to Akshata Murty had received investments from the Future Fund. Continue reading...
Sixth formers said tests displayed incorrect questions, repeatedly crashed or failed to record answersOxford University says it will not use results from its botched online admissions tests to award places on next year's English courses, after students and schools across the UK described multiple crashes, freezes and other frustrations using the new system.Sixth formers applying to Oxford said the online tests being used for the first time were plagued with difficulties, displaying incorrect questions and repeatedly crashing or failing to record answers, raising concerns it would damage their chances of admission as undergraduates. Continue reading...
After the voice referendum, John Pesutto appears non-committal on treaty - but it's unclear whether an about-face will be well-received in the Massachusetts of Australia'
Celebrated actor was nominated for multiple Olivier awards in her theatrical roles and best known for Drop the Dead Donkey and The Windsors on TVThe actor Haydn Gwynne has died of cancer at the age of 66. In a statement on Friday, her agent said that Gwynne had died in hospital surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends. We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks."Gwynne, who played the sardonic assistant editor Alex Pates in Channel 4's newsroom satire Drop the Dead Donkey, had a celebrated career on stage. She received Olivier and Tony award nominations as the dance teacher in Billy Elliot the Musical (in London and New York) and three other Olivier nominations for the musical productions City of Angels, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (based on Pedro Almodovar's film) and The Threepenny Opera. Continue reading...
Actor says she hopes her children will feel free to pursue exactly what they want to do'Gwyneth Paltrow has hit out at the term nepo baby", calling it an ugly moniker" and saying children of famous people should not be judged negatively.Short for nepotism baby, the term refers to the children of celebrities who have succeeded in careers similar to those of their parents. Continue reading...
Despite being nowhere to be seen over a month of fashion shows, designer was name on everyone's lipsThe most talked about designer of this season did not have a fashion show at all. She was nowhere to be seen over a month of shows in New York, London, Paris or Milan. Yet despite not having made a single coat, dress or shirt for six years, and never once posting on Instagram, Phoebe Philo was the name on everyone's lips on every front row.Finally, on the last weekend of Paris fashion week, Philo made a fashionably late entrance, announcing that she would make her long-awaited return on 30 October. Continue reading...
Seat used during state opening of parliament takes centre stage in exhibition about royal powerThe Dutch throne has been moved for the first time from the 13th-century Ridderzaal in The Hague to be displayed in an exhibition, as the Netherlands' monarchy seeks to further open up to the public amid growing republican sentiment.The wooden chair, upholstered in red velvet, takes centre stage in the Power of the Throne exhibition at Paleis Het Loo, a summer retreat for the House of Orange-Nassau that continued to be used deep into the 20th century. Continue reading...
by Angelique Chrisafis in Sarcelles, Ashifa Kassam, K on (#6FQMP)
Protection of Jewish sites increased in towns and cities across continent after outbreak of war between Israel and HamasIn the usually bustling Little Jerusalem" area of Sarcelles, north of Paris, the popular falafel and grill restaurant was eerily quiet. People are not going out," said Jeremy, the 33-year-old restaurant owner.Lunchtime and evening crowds are common in one of the largest Jewish communities on the Paris outskirts. But many thought it wiser to stay home, fearing a growing number of antisemitic incidents in France and across Europe since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October and the ensuing bombardment of Gaza. Continue reading...
TV journalist Andrea Giambruno was recorded making suggestive comments towards a female colleagueItaly's far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has split from her partner, Andrea Giambruno, a television journalist who has made several embarrassing, sexist comments.My relationship with Andrea Giambruno, which lasted almost 10 years, ends here," Meloni wrote on social media, two days after two off-air recordings emerged of Giambruno, a presenter on Mediaset's news talkshow Diario Del Giorno, making foul remarks and suggestive comments towards a female colleague. Continue reading...
by Gaurav Pokharel in Kathmandu and Hannah Ellis-Pete on (#6FQMB)
Ten Nepali students died at kibbutz, leaving families for whom they were breadwinners bereftDhanbahadur Chaudhari now dreams of rivers of blood. Though he returned home to Nepal this week, flashes of the scenes he left behind in Israel won't leave him alone, and for days he has barely been able to sleep.Chaudhari, 25, was among almost 50 students from Nepal who were staying on a kibbutz in Alumim, the border area between Israel and Gaza, when it came under attack from Hamas militants on 7 October. Since the conflict broke out that day, at least 4,200 people have died in Israel and Palestine. Continue reading...
Actor Kulvinder Ghir speaks of cultural value of British Asian screenplays, especially history seriesKulvinder Ghir, one of the stars of the award-winning Goodness Gracious Me, has said more needs to be done to improve Asian representation on television and in film, 25 years on from the comedy show's first broadcast.The BBC sketch show, which aired between 1998 and 2001, is seen as having been instrumental in changing perceptions of the south Asian community in the UK, challenging racism and paving the way for its stars, who included Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia. Continue reading...
Former refugee says scheme could help people with family connections to Britain and those in need of medical aidAlf Dubs, the veteran Labour peer and former child refugee, has called for the creation of a resettlement scheme for Palestinians with family connections to Britain and those in need of medical aid.The peer, who came to Britain from Austria as a child fleeing the Nazis, also spoke of his concerns about rising antisemitism and Islamophobia against the backdrop of the crisis in Israel and Gaza. Continue reading...
Fighting intensifies in South Kordofan state and also threatens Gezira state, to where hundreds of thousands of people have fledFighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has spread south of Khartoum towards Gezira state, endangering the lives of thousands of people who have fled there from the capital.The conflict is also intensifying in , where a large rebel force, the SPLMN, that mobilised in June, has been relentlessly attacking army barracks, and in Darfur, where Arab militias backed by or affiliated to the RSF have been accused of conducting a brutal campaign of ethnic violence. Continue reading...
Czech PM calls on western capitals not to fall for Russian leader's tactic to break European unityEuropean leaders must not fall" for the tactics of Vladimir Putin, the Czech president, Petr Pavel, has said, two days after Hungary's prime minister shook hands with Russia's leader.Viktor Orban, in a rare move for the leader of a country that belongs to the EU and Nato, met Putin in Beijing on Tuesday for what the Hungarian leader's office described as a discussion on energy cooperation and peace. Continue reading...
Pentagon report also says Beijing is intensifying pressure on neighbours to push back on US efforts to contain itA Pentagon report on China's military power says Beijing is exceeding previous projections of how quickly it is building up its nuclear weapons arsenal and is almost certainly" learning lessons from Russia's war in Ukraine about what a conflict over Taiwan might look like.The report released on Thursday also warns that China may be pursuing a new intercontinental missile system using conventional arms that, if fielded, would allow Beijing to threaten conventional strikes against targets in the continental United States, Hawaii and Alaska." Continue reading...
Spokesman for musician says allegations are baseless and absurd' and Elfman will vigorously defend these claims in court'A second woman has filed a lawsuit against the award-winning composer Danny Elfman, accusing him of taking advantage of his power in the industry to strip naked in front of her on numerous occasions and masturbate while she lay sleeping next to him.The suit, filed in Los Angeles superior court on Wednesday, comes three months after it was revealed that Elfman was previously accused of similar behavior in a different lawsuit and agreed to pay $830,000 in compensation under a legal settlement. Continue reading...
MPs overwhelmingly back move in initial vote, despite church claim it has cut ties with MoscowThe Ukrainian parliament gave initial approval on Thursday to a law that would ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church after Kyiv accused it of collaborating with Russia following last year's invasion.The UOC, which says it no longer aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, denies the charges levelled at it by Kyiv and said the draft law would be unconstitutional. Continue reading...
Apra Amcos boss calls for tax incentives to revive the sector, after report reveals number of venues for small to medium gigs shrank by a third over three years
Sag-Aftra's advice is to eschew characters played by real people and instead take inspiration from animated TV shows not in its remitSpiders are in but Spider-Man is out, after the US actors' union Sag-Aftra warned its members that dressing up as their favourite film or television characters this Halloween could break strike rules.Now into its fourth month, the actors' strike shows no sign of resolution, after talks broke down again between Sag-Aftra and the body representing studios, networks and streaming services, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), on 11 October. Continue reading...
by Helen Sullivan (now); Léonie Chao-Fong, Gloria Ol on (#6FPFY)
This blog is now closed. You can find the latest updates here.Egypt and Jordan flank Israel on opposite sides and share borders with Gaza and the occupied West Bank, respectively. Both have have been reticent to allow displaced Palestinians in.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi made his toughest remarks yet on Wednesday, saying the current war was not just aimed at fighting Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, but also an attempt to push the civilian inhabitants to ... migrate to Egypt." He warned this could wreck peace in the region. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6FQBK)
Budgets under pressure like never before' due to inflation and rising demand for social care, with deep cuts to services likelyMany more councils in England are at risk of bankruptcy, town hall leaders have warned, as unprecedented financial pressures force local authorities to prepare drastic cuts to services to cope with a collective 4bn deficit.The bleak message, set out in a letter to the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, said council budgets were under pressure like never before" because of the rapid deterioration in their finances caused by inflation and soaring demand for social care. Continue reading...
Country forced to reduce diplomatic presence amid tensions over Sikh separatist killing and says it will not take retaliatory stepsCanada has withdrawn 41 diplomats from India amid a dispute over the murder of a Sikh separatist, announced foreign minister Melanie Joly, adding that Ottawa would not take retaliatory steps.New Delhi last month asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence after prime minister Justin Trudeau said there was credible evidence of a potential link between Indian agents and the murder in June of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, who was shot outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6FPHE)
Results will be seen as a verdict on Rishi Sunak if Tories lose seats where they had large majoritiesPolls have closed in the Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth byelections, seen as crucial in gauging the electoral fate of Rishi Sunak but difficult to predict.The Conservatives are defending majorities of nearly 25,000 in Mid Bedfordshire and close to 20,000 in Tamworth, which would normally point to an easy hold. However, their chances will be hampered by the party's dismal poll ratings and the records of departing MPs. Continue reading...
Authorities say thousands of people dispatched by North Korea to work for US companies fed millions of dollars to missile programThousands of information technology workers contracting with US companies have for years secretly sent millions of dollars of their wages to North Korea for use in its ballistic missile program, FBI and Department of Justice officials said.The justice department said Wednesday that IT workers dispatched and contracted by North Korea to work remotely with companies in St Louis and elsewhere in the US have been using false identities to get the jobs. The money they earned was funneled to the North Korean weapons program, FBI leaders said at a news conference in St Louis. Continue reading...
Police Scotland say 57-year-old's body recovered from River Esk after reports of someone being swept awayThe body of a 57-year-old woman has been recovered from a river in Angus, Police Scotland have said, as hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate their homes in a town in the east of the country because of fears that the River Esk will burst its banks during Storm Babet.A Police Scotland spokesperson said: Around 1.45pm on Thursday October 19, officers attended a report of a person having been swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk. Continue reading...
Sayeeda Warsi criticises party for strongly advising its councillors not to attend pro-Palestine-related demonstrationsA senior Conservative peer has warned the Labour party not to join a race to the bottom over Israel-Hamas war protests as a council leader urged Keir Starmer to show sympathy to the plight of Palestinians".Sayeeda Warsi criticised Labour for strongly advising its councillors not to attend pro-Palestine demonstrations last weekend, despite having spent months before the recess fighting the government to protect the right to protest in the public order act". Continue reading...
Suzan Holder says her husband was initially given six months to live but he is feeling good and looking great'Noddy Holder, the frontman of Slade, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer five years ago, his wife has revealed.Doctors told Holder that he had six months to live, Suzan Holder wrote in Cheshire Life magazine on Thursday, but she said Holder, 77, had responded well to experimental chemotherapy and coped with amazing good humour and breath-taking bravery". Continue reading...
by Martin Belam (now) and Mabel Banfield-Nwachi (earl on (#6FPJM)
German chancellor criticises Russian president over his apparent concern for civilian casualties in the Middle EastRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to Pyongyang, the Russian foreign ministry said on Thursday.The ministry did not provide any details of the meeting, which, according to state-run Tass news agency, lasted just over an hour.Likewise the Russian Federation extends its complete support and solidarity with the aspirations of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea]. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6FQ27)
Backing of 90% of members across 14 firms gives leverage for improved offer, says union leader, Mick LynchRail workers at English train operating companies have voted overwhelming for another six months of potential strikes, the RMT union announced.More than 20,000 union members were balloted across the 14 companies contracted to the Department for Transport, with 90% voting to give the union a continued mandate for strikes, on a 64% turnout. Continue reading...
Formal terms of reference for inquiry announced including whether trust was sufficiently candid with parentsThe inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder seven babies will look into the direct experiences of parents, the conduct of other staff at the Countess of Chester hospital and the wider effectiveness of NHS governance, the Department of Health has said.Announcing the formal terms of reference for the inquiry, the government listed 30 questions to be considered within the three broad categories, including whether there were proper whistleblowing procedures and whether the NHS trust was sufficiently candid" with parents. Continue reading...
The star also opens up about the controversial conservatorship that she endured until 2021, allegations of drug use and her relationship with Justin TimberlakeBritney Spears has revealed more details about her breakdown in 2007 and 2008 in her forthcoming memoir The Woman in Me.Spears writes that during several of her public episodes - including shaving her head and attacking a paparazzo's car - she was suffering from postnatal depression, grief after the death of her aunt and a custody battle with her ex-husband Kevin Federline. Continue reading...
Formerly safe Tory seats in Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth could fall to opponents in test of Sunak's electoral fortunesNext month's state opening of parliament, one of the set-piece events in the UK political calendar, could face serious disruption after House of Commons security staff announced they would strike to coincide with it.The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents 250 parliamentary security staff who announced initial plans for a strike earlier this months, said any delays or queues on 7 November, when King Charles will deliver his first speech to parliament as monarch, would be the fault of management.Could we have a debate on the reporting of the conflicts in the media between Israel and Hamas so that we can hold to account those media outlets that chose to rush to blame Israel for the hospital tragedy without having a sound evidential basis.Accurate reporting is crucial, failing to deliver that makes the situation worse, could cost lives and fuel hatred and antisemitism back here in the UK.There are two issues here. One is the Ofcom code and certain broadcasters' adherence to it. In the guidance for that code it says broadcasters should have regard to the list of proscribed terror groups or organisations in the UK', and that is incredibly important.But I also think it is critical that reporters - sometimes stationed in very stressful environments - need to be reporting facts as facts and those things that are not facts, that have not been verified or are lines to take from terrorist organisations should not be treated as facts. I think that's very important. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6FPYG)
Thirteen-year-old black boy carrying blue-and-white water pistol was confronted by armed officers who pointed guns at him in JulyThe 13-year-old black boy rammed off his bike after police mistook his water pistol for a real gun is still suffering from nightmares three months later, his trauma counsellor has said.The incident - which happened in July in Hackney, east London - has led to an apology from the Metropolitan police, with the embattled force accepting the boy suffered trauma after being confronted by armed officers who pointed their weapons at him, handcuffed and arrested him. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian