by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6FF87)
Researchers' analysis of DNA suggests housing circumstances get under the skin' and are associated with significant health consequencesLiving in a privately rented home is linked to more rapid biological ageing, according to researchers who tested DNA and found the tenure is associated with twice the ageing effect of obesity and half that of smoking.The peer-reviewed study of 1,420 UK householders found housing circumstances can get under the skin" with significant consequences for health, said academics at the University of Essex and the University of Adelaide . Their findings were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Continue reading...
Maths is the language of the universe' says shadow education secretary, promising real world' numeracy lessonsLabour says it will replace Rishi Sunak's demand for compulsory maths classes until 18 with improved maths teaching for younger children and real world" numeracy lessons for pupils in England.The proposal would see a new phonics for maths" programme for early years and primary school classes, aiming to replicate the focus on literacy in primary schools pioneered by the previous Labour government. Continue reading...
Man sprinkles Labour leader with glitter, shouting true democracy is citizen-led' before being hauled offKeir Starmer's speech to his party's conference was disrupted by a lone protester who sprinkled the Labour leader with glitter before being hauled off stage.Merseyside police said a 28-year-old man from Surrey had been arrested on suspicion of assault, breach of the peace and causing public nuisance. Continue reading...
Former cabinet secretary Lord Gus O'Donnell also says breaches of Covid rules by those in power destroyed public trustPolitical inexperience and cabinet-level turmoil at the heart of Boris Johnson's government were key reasons why the UK coped poorly with challenges brought by the pandemic compared with peer countries, the Covid inquiry has heard.Giving evidence to the inquiry on Tuesday, the former cabinet secretary Lord Gus O'Donnell also said the breaching of Covid rules by those in power destroyed the [public's] trust". Continue reading...
Despite it being taboo and illegal to kill critically endangered primate, 30% of villages have evidence of killing in last five to 10 years'Orangutans on the island of Borneo continue to be illegally killed, likely in large numbers, even when there are nearby projects to save the critically endangered primate, according to new research.Despite the taboo and illegal nature of killing orangutans, researchers heard evidence of a direct killing from at least one person in 30% of 79 villages surveyed in Indonesia's Kalimantan region. Continue reading...
Child safeguarding practice review describes failure of the system as a whole' to protect girl and her 24-year-old victimAn inquiry into the circumstances leading to the manslaughter of a 24-year-old man by a 14-year-old girl has found a failure of the system as a whole" to protect her and her victim.The child safeguarding practice review by Birmingham and West Sussex authorities found that the systems put in place to help the child throughout her troubled life had had no effect at all". No one involved in the case can be named to protect the identity of the girl. Continue reading...
Polish voters go to the polls on Sunday as conservative party aims to retain power in face of challenge from Donald Tusk's oppositionThe Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, from the conservative ruling Law and Justice party, said this morning that his party was one step away from victory and there were four days of hard work left.He called on supporters to embark on maximum mobilisation. Continue reading...
Authors of a new study say there is not enough awareness of the effects of xylazine, which is being mixed into fentanylMedical researchers have called for greater education about the rise of an animal tranquilliser, xylazine, in the US's illicit opioid supply that is not only contributing to deaths but causing severe ulcers and open wounds requiring amputation.The authors of a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine have warned of insufficient awareness about the drug now widely found mixed in with heroin and the even more deadly opioid fentanyl, which has driven up overdoses to record levels in recent years. Continue reading...
Streaming service manages to increase revenues by 12% despite tough market after raising pricesNetflix added the fewest number of new subscribers last year since launching in the UK a decade ago, as the cost of living crisis and a post-pandemic reset" in growth among streaming services hit the US company.Netflix UK, which has enjoyed annual subscriber growth rates of about 20% in recent years and was buoyed by coronavirus lockdowns, managed to grow its British base by just 4% last year. Continue reading...
Property developer has about $200bn in liabilities and says its sales are under remarkable pressure'China's largest private developer has warned it could default on its international debts, dealing another blow to the country's embattled property industry.Country Garden has about $200bn (163bn) in liabilities and nearly $11bn in dollar-denominated offshore bonds. It has not defaulted so far, but has missed coupon payments on some dollar bonds since last month and faces the end of 30-day grace periods for making payments from next week. Continue reading...
Rolling Stones guitarist says he is in no rush to stop touring as band releases first new album in 18 yearsHe owns more than 1,000, though he plays only a few on stage. But as Keith Richards' love affair with the guitar remains undimmed, his fingers are not quite what they used to be.The Rolling Stones guitarist struggles with arthritis, which has affected the way he now plays. Funnily enough, I've no doubt it has, but I don't have any pain: it's a sort of benign version," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. I think if I've slowed down a little bit it's probably due more to age. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe south-east Asia correspondent an on (#6FEF7)
Victims of attack in Kachin state include children, according to a local activistAt least 30 people, including young children, have been killed in an attack on a camp for displaced people in Myanmar's Kachin state, according to media reports and a local activist.Dozens more were injured in the attack, which happened at about 11.30pm on Monday night in Kachin, Myanmar's northernmost state, it was reported. On social media, unverified images showed men carrying victims, including a small child, from rubble in the darkness. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: A complicated legal battle over whether the UK government plan to send thousands of migrants to Rwanda could cause a fundamental shift in how asylum seekers are treated Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Five supreme court judges are this week deciding whether the UK government plan to deport tens of thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda should go ahead.The decision of the UK's highest court will be life-changing for more than 24,000 asylum seekers issued with letters warning them that they are being considered for forcible removal. It will also either make home secretary Suella Braverman's dream" come true or poleaxe a key part of Rishi Sunak's pledge to stop the boats".Israel | The leaders of the UK, US, France, Germany and Italy have released a joint statement expressing steadfast and united support" for the state of Israel and unequivocal condemnation" of Hamas. Earlier, Israel declared a complete siege" of Gaza, cutting off water, food and power supplies.Environment | The damage caused by the climate crisis through extreme weather has cost $16m (13m) an hour for the past 20 years, according to a new estimate.Transport | A list of transport projects to be funded using HS2 money, which included schemes that had already been built or were swiftly deleted, was intended only to be illustrative", the prime minister has said.Labour | A new Labour government would give all towns and cities in England new powers and funding to boost local economies, Keir Starmer will announce, in the biggest expansion of devolution since Labour was last in power.Scotland | A hoard of coins linked to a Highland chief - which may have been stashed away as he tried in vain to escape the Glen Coe massacre - has been discovered underneath a fireplace. Continue reading...
Poll comes as Beijing is urgently trying an array of measures to lift the country's birth rate including financial incentivesChina's National Bureau of Statistics will conduct a nationwide sample survey in November to help better plan population policies, as authorities struggle to boost the country's flagging birthrate.Concerned about China's first population drop in six decades and its rapid ageing, Beijing is urgently trying an array of measures to lift the country's birthrate including financial incentives and boosting childcare facilities. Continue reading...
by Helen Sullivan (now); Léonie Chao-Fong, Lili Baye on (#6FDK1)
This blog is now closed. The latest Israel-Hamas war news is here.The US special antisemitism envoy, Deborah Lipstadt, among the most renowned Holocaust scholars in the world, called the Hamas attacks the most lethal assault against Jews since the Holocaust".
Human Rights Watch report detailing alleged abuses at home and abroad raises questions over UK government's asylum planRwandan authorities are coordinating a systematic campaign of repression at home and abroad against political activists, suspected dissidents and their family members, according to a Human Rights Watch report, raising questions about plans by the UK government to send asylum seekers there.The US-based rights group details an alleged campaign of extraterritorial killings, kidnappings and intimidation, as well as arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances on Rwandan soil. Continue reading...
US army says congressional approval needed for funding to supply both Ukraine and Israel munitions; families bury those killed in Russian rocket attack on GrozaThe US army said Congress needed to approve additional funding quickly to ensure the Pentagon's munitions production and acquisition plans can meet the needs of both Israel and Ukraine simultaneously. Army secretary Christine Wormuth made the comments as the US House of Representatives is effectively paralysed as Republicans work to select a new speaker.At the White House, John Kirby, spokesperson for the national security council, emphasised that the US government had existing funding to support Israel for the time being. If we need - and it's an if', but - if we need to go back to Capitol Hill for additional funding support for Israel, we will absolutely do that," Kirby said. We are a large enough, big enough, economically viable and vibrant enough country to be able to support both [Israel and Ukraine]."Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it was in Russia's interests to stoke war in the Middle East to create a new source of pain and suffering that would weaken global unity, create divisions and help Russia in undermining freedom in Europe," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, adding that Russian propagandists were gloating" at developments.Grieving families have begun burying their loved ones in the eastern Ukraine village of Hroza, which was targeted by Russian missiles in an attack that killed more than 50 people last week. About 30 graves have already been dug for burial at the cemetery in the small village which now numbers about 330 inhabitants, down from 500 when the conflict began.Top UN trade official Rebeca Grynspan met with Russian officials in Moscow on Monday for talks aimed at enabling the unimpeded access" to global markets for grain and fertiliser from Russia and Ukraine, a UN spokesperson said.Zelenskiy will visit neighbouring Romania on Tuesday, his first trip to the Nato member country since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the Romanian presidency has said.Russian lawmakers have been given 10 days to study the possibility of revoking Moscow's ratification of a treaty banning nuclear tests, the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, said in a statement. The chamber's international affairs committee will need to conclude its work by 18 October, the statement said.Zelenskiy has replaced the commander of Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces, which have played an important role in helping defend the country since Russia's invasion. A presidential order published on Monday announced the appointment of Maj Gen Anatoliy Barhylevych as the new commander.The UN rights office warned that there is no system to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia since Moscow's invasion of the country last year, and that some of those who did come back had reported mistreatment. Ukrainian authorities say they have identified and verified almost 20,000 children who have been taken to Russia during the war.Zelenskiy has appealed at the Nato parliamentary assembly for the international rule of law to unite and deal with terrorism, comparing the attack by what he called a terrorist organisation" on Israel with the similar tactics used by Russia, which he said was a terrorist state".Ukraine's parliament registered a draft law on Monday that would allow a ban on activities of the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).
More people attending accident and emergency in England with sore throats, nosebleeds and insomniaThe NHS in England is facing mounting pressure amid a surge in patients attending A&E departments with minor ailments, health bosses have said.Emergency departments, which are designed for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies only, are seeing an increase in people attending with sore throats, insomnia, coughs and earache. Continue reading...
Peer warns party against over-zealous labour market reforms while dismissing former leaders as weak, weak, weak'Peter Mandelson has warned Labour not to go too far in bringing in labour market reforms to benefit workers and hit out at Unite's Sharon Graham, while describing the past decade of party leaders as weak, weak, weak".The Labour peer, a former business secretary and architect of the 1997 election victory, gave a combative speech to a City of London Corporation dinner at the party conference, where he warned against making labour market reforms that swung towards the other extreme". Continue reading...
Malaysian foreign ministry says 43 of its citizens were freed in Lima after being forced to take part in Macau scam'More than 40 people from Malaysia have been rescued by police in Peru after they fell victim to a human trafficking syndicate operating a telecommunication fraud.The Malaysians were forced to participate in the so-called Macau scam", making calls to companies in Malaysia and Taiwan to demand money while posing as banks, police or justice officials. Continue reading...
Pro-Palestinian groups gather near Israeli embassy while pro-Israelis attend vigil in WestminsterThousands of people have attended vigils and protests in London over the conflict between Israel and Hamas.Pro-Palestinian protesters rallied outside the boarded-up Israeli embassy in Kensington on Monday night, chanting Israel is a terrorist state" and free Palestine" while letting off flares and fireworks. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Labour leader to pledge biggest expansion of devolution since party was last in powerA new Labour government would give all towns and cities in England new powers and funding to boost local economies, deliver thousands of new homes and create high-quality jobs, Keir Starmer will announce.In the biggest expansion of devolution since Labour was last in power, he will pledge that councils and combined authorities would get more control over housing and planning, skills, energy and transport of the kind currently held by London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6FE4X)
Counsel to London inquiry into 80 civilian deaths focuses on British operations in Helmand province between 2010 and 2013Britain's SAS faced allegations that it shot dead nine Afghans while they were sleeping and engaged in a policy of executing Afghan males of fighting age" between 2010 and 2013, on the first day of a public inquiry into the killing of 80 civilians in Afghanistan.Oliver Glasgow KC, the counsel to the inquiry, focused on seven deadly operations in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, including one in February 2011 where only three AK47 assault rifles were recovered after the nine had been killed.A night raid on 7 February 2011, when nine Afghan males, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed and 3 AK47 assault rifles recovered. We anticipate the evidence from the families will be that they were shot in bed, most likely when asleep," Glasgow said, and he told the inquiry that the photographs of the bodies suggested Afghans may have been shot at close range. Internal documents and emails obtained by the inquiry show that the SAS said that at the time its soldiers were engaged by small arms fire. The elite unit's headquarters concluded that no military police investigation was required because reasonable force in accordance with the law of self-defence" was used.A night raid on 9 February 2011 where eight Afghans were killed, including four by friendly fire from their own side, the SAS said. Four AK-47s were found in a search of the site after the raid had concluded, while another man was killed when he was sent back into building, only to reappeared with a weapon. An email sent the following morning from a chief of staff at the SAS headquarters to a legal colleague, and read out by Glasgow, expressed scepticism as they reviewed the initial reports. It's another one of more bodies than weapons. Please review,' they wrote. However, two days later same chief of staff accepted the high body count" was justified by the fact that four Afghans were killed as a result of fratricide". Several years later, the episode was investigated by the military police, but when the SAS and Afghan armed forces members involved were questioned all bar one of them was unable to recall" the gunfight, Glasgow said.A night raid on 16 February 2011 in which four members of one family were killed, including Saddam Hussein. British intelligence said was a Taliban military commander - but Glasgow told the inquiry that his family had said was a student in Lashkar Gah and so could not have been an insurgent," while the other victims were civilians. Two of those were shot dead after allegedly producing a weapon when they asked to assist with the search of the property, prompting one member of the SAS, from another unit, to say the official description of the episodes was not credible, in an email read out by Glasgow to the court. For what must be the 10th time in the last two weeks," when an Afghan was sent back to open the curtains (??) he re-appeared with an AK" they wrote to a colleague. You couldn't MAKE IT UP," they added. Continue reading...
PCS union says more than 250 Palace of Westminster guards took part in ballot in favour of industrial actionHundreds of House of Commons security guards have voted for strike action in a move that could cause queues for MPs, staff and visitors and disruption for parliament.The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), a trade union for civil servants and public sector contractors, said more than 250 guards who provide security at the Palace of Westminster took part in the ballot, with 95% in favour on a 79% turnout. Continue reading...
Order comes after UN approved mission to send Kenya-led police officers to help Haiti combat rampant gang violenceA Kenyan court temporarily blocked the government from deploying hundreds of police personnel in Haiti in a UN-approved mission aimed at helping the Caribbean nation tackle rampant gang violence.The court order issued on Monday is valid until 24 October and followed a petition jointly filed by one of the opposition political parties and two Kenyans who say the decision to deploy the police officers outside the east African country is illegal. Continue reading...
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