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Tony Burke says governments should act as soon as possible for people to be safe'

Sobering' analysis suggests backlog will rise to 8 million next summer after a decade of underinvestment in the NHSRishi Sunak is highly unlikely" to meet his promise to cut NHS waiting lists, health leaders have warned, as a sobering" analysis suggests the backlog will rise to 8 million and won't begin to fall until next summer.The prime minister vowed in January that NHS waiting lists will fall" as he outlined five pledges upon which he staked his premiership. The backlog was 7.2 million at the time. It is now 7.75 million, the highest since records began in 2007. Continue reading...

Halloween-timed initiative is partly to encourage new audiences to look up at the rich history on high streetsThey are haunting reminders of a bygone age, some so faded the writing can hardly be deciphered, others still vivid reminders of the colour and variety that high streets once had.Over this Halloween weekend, Historic England is asking people to help record the ghost signs" still to be found on buildings across England and send them in for an online map. Continue reading...

Edward Enninful at top of 2024 Powerlist, which also includes mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, and Bank of England's Afua KyeiEdward Enninful, the outgoing editor-in-chief of British Vogue, has been named the UK's most influential black person. He said the organisation behind the list had been always so supportive" throughout his career.The fashion journalist was voted top of the Powerlist, which was started in 2006 to showcase black role models to young people across sectors including business, science, technology and the arts. Entrants are judged on their ability to change lives and alter events, as demonstrated over a protracted period of time and in a positive manner". Continue reading...

EU leaders unanimously call for humanitarian corridors and pauses; the Pentagon says its Syria strikes came in response to attacks on US forces

David Pocock, Monique Ryan and Dai Le support revamping taxes to raise more revenue to address cost-of-living crisis

Ban on offensive facial markings could come as part of wider crackdown on gangs, National party saysNew Zealand's gangs may have to cover up offensive tattoos with makeup if the incoming government's crackdown on gang activity goes ahead.On Thursday, the National party's police spokesperson, Mark Mitchell, told the national broadcaster RNZ that if its proposed ban on gang patches - large insignia sewn on to jackets, for example - does not work, then it would consider making gang members apply foundation over their facial tattoos, or face arrest. Continue reading...

Newly released images show entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble after strikes from Israel in the war against Hamas

St Andrew's Cathedral school water polo coach Lilie James was found dead with serious head wounds late on Wednesday night

NSW authorities could still seek to block court's decision with an appeal or stay application

Category 5 storm struck Acapulco and leveled homes, hotels and cut off communications as military called in to help with aid effortsAt least 27 people were killed and four remain missing after Hurricane Otis ripped through the beach resort of Acapulco, leveling homes and hotels, submerging cars and cutting off communications.The extent of the damage from the category 5 storm, which struck Mexico on Thursday with winds of 165mph, has started to become clear as thousands of first responders and military officers began to assess the damages. Nearly 8,400 members of Mexico's army, air force and national guard were deployed to assist in cleanup efforts, the defense ministry said. Continue reading...

Senior Labor minister and western Sydney MP supports Penny Wong's call for humanitarian pause' and notes Israeli minister's use of term human animals'

All England Club wins backing of councillors to expand site in London SW19Controversial plans to expand the All England Club's grounds, which host the Wimbledon championships, have been approved by local council leaders.Merton council's development and planning application committee voted on Thursday night to approve the application to expand the tennis complex. Continue reading...

Israel and Joe Biden have shown scepticism about accuracy of rising death toll but others point to historical reliability of data

In a 20-minute video, the comedian disputes the magazine's suggestion that he went too far in exaggerating his experiencesA month after the comedian Hasan Minhaj was accused of misleading audiences with his personal stories, the Daily Show alum has responded with an in-depth video. His argument: there's a difference between his political TV comedy and the personal stories he tells in his standup.A New Yorker article suggested that Minhaj, who is Muslim, had gone too far in exaggerating his own experiences with racism, Islamophobia and political backlash, including claims about an FBI informant at his childhood mosque and the hospitalization of his daughter in an anthrax scare. The story may have undermined his chance to be the next Daily Show host. Continue reading...

Official declaration to be issued, which also seeks a peace conference on a two-state solution

Argentinian Swifties say Milei is Trump' as devotees of BTS decry hatred and xenophobia' of Victoria Villarruel's tweets about groupWeeks before Argentina's run-off election, far-right populist Javier Milei and his running mate, Victoria Villaruel, have found themselves under pressure from an unexpected quarter: an alliance of Taylor Swift supporters and K-pop fans.Milei, a radical libertarian who has proposed dollarizing Argentina's economy and even legalizing the organ trade, topped the polls ahead of Sunday's first round, but was beaten into second place by the centrist finance minister, Sergio Massa. Continue reading...

Shadow chancellor says she holds her hands up' in response to FT piece on seemingly copied passages in work on female economistsRachel Reeves has said she holds her hands up and acknowledges making mistakes in her new book about female economists after she faced allegations of plagiarism.The shadow chancellor admitted on Thursday that some sentences in her book, The Women Who Made Modern Economics, were not properly referenced in the bibliography". Continue reading...

Pre-filled injection devices claimed to hold Ozempic or Saxenda may contain other substances, regulator saysThe UK medicines regulator has issued a public warning about fake and potentially harmful weight loss pens after seizing hundreds of devices sold by illegal traders.The pens, with which the traders' drugs are injected, are claimed to contain the medications Ozempic (semaglutide) or Saxenda (liraglutide), which are used for weight loss. However, these pens are thought to contain other substances. Continue reading...

Sharone Lifschitz says she is immensely proud' of her mother, who shook hands with a Hamas captor

Ruth Deech says making huge donations not enough in itself' and that one has to look at their other qualities'Peers should be more robustly vetted for suitability after public disquiet" over candidates who appear to have been picked for being big donors or friends of those in power, the new head of the House of Lords appointments commission has said.Ruth Deech, a leading lawyer and academic, who was chosen by the government to lead the commission, said she wanted to push for the peers to pass not just propriety vetting but an assessment of suitability - to determine whether they merit their appointment. Continue reading...

Justin Trudeau appoints Mary Moreau to bench of Canada's top court, which will be made up of five women and four menJustin Trudeau has nominated the Alberta judge Mary Moreau to Canada's top court, setting up the first majority-female bench in the supreme court's 148-year history.The naming of Moreau will give Canada's top court five female judges and four male judges. Moreau was most recently the chief justice of Alberta's superior court, and has worked in that court for 29 years. She will fill a vacancy on the supreme court created by the resignation of Russell Brown in June. Continue reading...

The former PM has written to her successor ahead of next week's summit at Bletchley ParkThe prime minister defended inviting China to next week's AI safety summit.Rishi Sunak told an audience in central London:We're bringing together the world's leading representatives, from civil society to the companies pioneering AI and the countries most advanced in using it.And yes, we've invited China.The Holodomor is a Ukrainian word that means to inflict death by hunger. Let us be in no doubt ... this was genocide ...It was a deliberate policy designed to eliminate the Ukrainian rural population, who were the embodiment and spirit of Ukrainian culture and nationhood.The Holodomor was an act of genocide. Continue reading...

Dismay as Border Force officials sent to Egypt to help evacuate those who wish to leave if fighting is paused

Scandal-plagued PwC would determine payout rates under scheme proposed by Catholic Church Insurance in effort to avoid insolvency

System of identifying shortages leads to skewing of resources towards wealthier areas, says Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

Michael Keating to call for revenue review at Australia Institute summit as Labor provides update on multinational tax avoidance

New documents reveal 27 of 32 claim types including jobseeker experiencing blow out in wait times, following return to pre-pandemic staffing levels

PM says institute will test new types of AI for range of risks but says pause in developing powerful models is not feasible

Decision by regulator described as a kick in the teeth' for passengers with flight costs likely to soar

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Complainants hope to use principle of universal jurisdiction in three separate casesDossiers of evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine have been presented to German federal prosecutors at the start of a campaign to use the principle of universal jurisdiction to bring war criminals to justice.The cases were filed on Thursday morning by the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ), representing 16 survivors and the families of victims in three separate war crimes cases: an indiscriminate missile attack on a coastal resort near Odesa that killed 22 people; the execution of four men in occupied territory in the Kharkiv region in spring and summer last year; and a series of executions and acts of torture and sexual violence committed outside Kyiv in March 2022. Continue reading...

Publisher to double shareholder payout as demand grows for books by Sarah J Maas and Samantha Shannon

Attorney general says those in breach of proposed new rules could face up to two years in jail

Thirteen locations will revive medieval tradition that predated modern ritualsIt's trick or treat with a twist: no tricks, just the possible release of souls from their purgatory accompanied by a tasty oat-based biscuit.English Heritage is this weekend reviving the medieval tradition of souling, in which people go from door to door, singing and saying prayers for souls in exchange for a small round treat called a soul cake, or soulmass-cake.300g plain flour2 tsp ground mixed spiceA pinch of nutmeg150g butter, diced150g caster sugar75g currants2 egg yolks (or 1 whole egg, beaten)2 tbsp milk1 tbsp oats tbsp cider vinegarPreheat the oven to 180C, fan 160C, gas 4. Sift the flour, spices and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl, then add the butter and rub in with your fingers. Stir in the oats, currants and sugar.Whisk the egg, milk and cider vinegar together until just combined, then stir into the dry ingredients. Bring together into a soft dough, and add more milk if the dough is too dry.On a floured surface, roll out to about 5mm thick. Stamp out the soul cakes with a 6cm to 7cm round cutter, and score a cross lightly on the top. Transfer to two greased baking trays.Bake for 15-25 minutes until pale golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Continue reading...

David Harris insists Labor has not backflipped despite government delaying action until after next election

Katherine Boland, who created Fire Flower No 8 after the Tathra bushfire, says she hopes the PM used her work as an opportunity to discuss the climate crisis

There has been a 1,350% increase in hate crimes against Jewish people in London, according to the Metropolitan policeOn 7 October, Dave Rich and his team of volunteers at the Community Security Trust were doing what they always do on Jewish festivals: organising security.That weekend was a Jewish festival, supposed to be a very happy, celebratory time for Jewish people,' David tells Nosheen Iqbal. This meant that we at CST had a security operation in place for that weekend anyway, because there is an ongoing, very longstanding threat of terrorism that Jewish communities around the world face.' Continue reading...

Michele Bullock tells Senate estimates we might need to go again' as Westpac joins other big banks in predicting November rate rise

Allan government says federal laws are likely to render' Victoria's laws redundant, as Minerals Council announces multimillion-dollar campaign against bill

Seven arrested after police raid Changjiang Currency Exchange offices across the country for alleged connections with money laundering groups

Residents still unable to return home due to fire that has already claimed one life and destroyed 11,000 hectares of bushland

Move by Patricia Bullrich, who placed third in Argentina's presidential election, is not backed by other parts of her allianceThe defeated Argentinian presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich, who came third in Sunday's election, has endorsed the libertarian firebrand Javier Milei for next month's runoff vote.Bullrich took 23.8% of the vote in the first round, finishing third behind the surprise frontrunner - the economy minister, Sergio Massa, who won 36.7% - and Milei, who took just over 30%. Continue reading...

Powerful category 5 storm hits Mexico's coast leaving trail of destruction, though full scale of damage remains unclearHurricane Otis has smashed through the Mexican resort city of Acapulco as a category 5 storm, wrecking homes, hotels and hospitals, and leaving a trail of destruction, but with communications to the city still severed the full scale of the devastation remained unclear.As dawn broke on Wednesday, photos and videos posted online showed wrecked buildings and cars partially submerged in floodwaters as authorities in the southern state of Guerrero attempted to take a measure of the damage. Continue reading...

ICO will not take further action over Alison Rose speaking to BBC journalist about planned closure of Farage's accountsThe former NatWest chief executive breached data protection laws when she spoke to a BBC journalist about the planned closure of Nigel Farage's bank accounts, the UK's information watchdog has ruled.An Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) report seen by the Guardian said that Alison Rose broke rules on two counts: first by revealing that Farage had a banking relationship with its private bank, Coutts; and secondly by providing misleading information" that led the BBC to believe the bank was closing his accounts for purely commercial reasons, linked to his wealth. Continue reading...

Drill conducted after upper house voted to rescind ratification of a global nuclear test banRussia's military has conducted a simulated nuclear strike in a drill overseen by President Vladimir Putin, hours after the upper house of parliament voted to rescind the country's ratification of a global nuclear test ban.The bill to end ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, approved in the lower house last week, will now be sent to Putin for final approval. Putin has said that revoking Russia's 2000 ratification would mirror" the stance of the US, which signed but did not ratify the nuclear test ban. Continue reading...

Crisis worsening by the hour, says UN agency, with Israel blocking supplies on grounds Hamas would use them

Latest banned books list comes amid increase in type of books being banned from prison system, PEN America saysThe literary advocacy group PEN America has released a list of the most banned or restricted books in the US prison system, and the rundown comes with some unexpected entries.The list includes Amy Schumer's memoir The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, flagged by Florida officials for graphic sexual content and for being a threat to the security, order, or rehabilitative objectives; Sun Tzu's The Art of War; Barrington Barber's Anyone Can Draw: Create Sensational Artwork in Easy Steps; and Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars, which comes in as the most banned book. Continue reading...

Tensions between the two countries peaked after Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered in Canada earlier this yearIndia's embassy in Ottawa has announced that it will reopen visa services for Canadians, a move that could reduce tensions in a bitter dispute over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.Relations between India and Canada plunged after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month publicly linked Indian intelligence to the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, allegations New Delhi called absurd". Continue reading...

Annual UCLA report finds viewers between ages of 10 and 24 also want more shows and films about platonic connectionsLess sex and more friendship - that's the verdict of gen Z on their preferences for US media, according to a new study by the Center for Scholars and Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA.According to the center's annual Teens & Screens report, today's adolescents want less of the sex and trauma seen in shows like HBO's Euphoria and The Idol, and more storylines reflecting lives like their own", namely more platonic relationships and less of a focus on romance. Continue reading...