Defence secretary says UK will play anchor role' in US-led civil military coordination centreBritish troops have been sent to Israel to help monitor the ceasefire in Gaza after a request from the US.The defence secretary, John Healey, announced the deployment of a small number of planning officers, including a senior commander, at an event on Monday night. He said the UK would play an anchor role". Ten days ago the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the UK had no plans" to send soldiers to Gaza. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#70XHB)
Exclusive: Intervention by deputy leadership contender could have saved company based in her Manchester constituency millionsLucy Powell urged ministers to reconsider costly legal proceedings against a property development firm in her constituency founded by a Labour donor, in a move that could have saved his company millions, the Guardian can disclose.Powell, who is the favourite to be elected Labour's deputy leader this week, wrote to Angela Rayner on behalf of Urban Splash, a property developer in Manchester founded by party donor Tom Bloxham. Continue reading...
Former Lambeth children's services director Annie Hudson pulls out following intense media coverageA national grooming gang inquiry ordered by Keir Starmer is facing further disruption after one of two candidates who had been shortlisted to lead it withdrew from the process.Annie Hudson, a former director of children's services for Lambeth, told survivors on Tuesday that she no longer wanted to be considered after intense media coverage. Continue reading...
Historic case over bribery and witness tampering has gripped nation and soured conservative strongman's legacyAn appeals court has overturned the conviction of former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe for bribery and witness tampering in a historic case that gripped the South American nation and tarnished the conservative strongman's legacy.Uribe, 73, has denied any wrongdoing. He was sentenced to 12 years of house arrest in August following a nearly six-month trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that he attempted to influence witnesses who accused the law-and-order leader of having links to a paramilitary group in the 1990s. Continue reading...
Labour MP condemns shadow justice secretary's assertion there is a strong argument' in favour of ban. This live blog is closedLabour is spending significantly more on levelling up projects than previous Conservative government, new research suggests.In a New Statesman article, Anoosh Chakelian reports on figures produced by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods thinktank that show that Keir Starmer has spent more on levelling up projects in his first year than any of his Tory predecessors did in the same timescale. Chakelian says:In its first year in office, Keir Starmer's government has invested 2bn more than Johnson did in his first year - with 4.5bn allocated to regional investment programmes in Labour's first year compared with 2.5bn spent in the equivalent period under Johnson - according to new analysis by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods.Investment in the North East will be seven times higher than under Johnson, and five times higher in the North West and Yorkshire and Humber by the end of the Parliament, based on current trends identified in this analysis of 46 government programmes and funds.Lab, Con & LibDems today all agreed the decision by Weds Mids police to ban the Jewish fans is wrong, disgraceful etc, but nothing they can do because operational independence'. Only Reform UK will change the law to put the police under the control of elected politicians. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose, Yohannes Lowe and Vicky Graham on (#70X0Z)
During Israel visit US VP also accuses media of desire to root for failure' amid fears over ceasefire violations. This live blog is closedGaza's Government Media Office has posted to Telegram to say only 986 aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire began just over a week ago, out of the 6,600 trucks that it says were supposed to have arrived by Monday evening.Gaza's Government Media Office said:The humanitarian convoys included (14) trucks loaded with cooking gas and (28) diesel trucks designated to operate bakeries, generators, hospitals and various vital sectors, in light of the severe shortage of these vital materials that the population directly depends on for daily life, after long months of siege and systematic destruction caused by the genocide committed by the Israeli" occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip.We note that the average number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip daily since the ceasefire began does not exceed (89) trucks out of (600) trucks that are supposed to enter daily, which reflects the continued policy of strangulation, starvation and humanitarian blackmail practiced by the occupation against more than (2.4) million citizens in Gaza. Continue reading...
Police found an assault rifle and ammunition in a Georgia man's truck after his family had contacted themPolice arrested a man at Atlanta's bustling airport on Monday after getting a tip from his family that he was planning to shoot up the place - and found an assault rifle and ammunition in his truck outside, the city's police chief said.Billy Joe Cagle, of Cartersville, Georgia, had described his plan to shoot up the world's busiest airport on a social media livestream, said Darin Schierbaum, the chief of police, during a news conference. Continue reading...
Former prime minister grilled over pandemic's impact on young people and says he wishes another solution' could have been found over school closuresFormer prime minister Boris Johnson tries to give the inquiry context around the decision making on the closure of educational settings. He says:Don't forget that we didn't know the effect this disease had on kids. We didn't know much about the transmissibility of the disease. There were all sorts of things that were simply unknown and difficult to plan for. And the thing was moving very fast.And from the point of view of No 10, we were focused very much on trying to stave off, trying to avoid an appalling public health crisis, and we were focused on getting enough ventilators, on getting enough PPE, trying to avoid a significant number of casualties, and I think it's important for the inquiry to focus, to remember that at the time that the school closures were first mentioned, they were seen as something you put in at the peak of the pandemic, and we didn't think we were yet at the peak of the pandemic. Continue reading...
Two in five say their roof is at risk and one in three are using reserves for basics, National Churches Trust survey findsHundreds of Britain's churches may be forced to close in the next five years as the cost of maintaining heritage buildings becomes unmanageable, a conference at the V&A in London has heard.Many of the UK's 20,000-plus listed places of worship contain important heritage treasures, such as stained glass windows, and monuments of historic significance. They are also hubs for community groups and social action projects. Continue reading...
Police say pair held on suspicion of conspiracy to murder after former frontman died at HMP WakefieldTwo more men have been arrested in connection with the death of the former Lostprophets frontman, Ian Watkins, at HMP Wakefield, West Yorkshire police said.Watkins, 48, who was serving a 29-year sentence with a further six years to be served on licence after admitting a string of offences including the attempted rape of a baby, died after being assaulted in the high-security jail on 11 October. Continue reading...
Family of Robert Baker call for change of healthcare policies that limit NHS access to 10 BOT citizens a yearFriends and family of a British overseas territory (BOT) citizen who died after the UK refused him medical assistance have called for reform of flawed" policies governing healthcare for the territories.Robert Baker, a 63-year-old dual citizen of Jamaica and Montserrat, died on Friday, after travelling to Jamaica to receive treatment for blackouts that was unavailable in the British overseas territory of Montserrat. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Prince Andrew has relinquished his royal titles, but what does his stepping aside really mean for the royal family?Good morning. On Friday it was announced that King Charles will pray with the pope, marking the first time a British monarch has publicly done so since the Reformation 500 years ago. And yet, the spotlight remains firmly on the king's younger brother, Prince Andrew.The sordid details of Andrew's ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and allegations of sexual assault - all of which he denies - have resurfaced with the Guardian's serialisation of Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir, detailing how Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell exploited her and alleging Andrew viewed sex with her as his birthright".Technology | Major disruption has hit dozens of websites and apps around the world, with users reporting trouble getting online after problems at Amazon's cloud computing service. The affected platforms include Snapchat, Roblox, Signal and Duolingo as well as Lloyds bank and its subsidiaries Halifax and Bank of Scotland in the UK.Israel-Gaza | At least 135 mutilated bodies of Palestinians returned by Israel to Gaza had been held in a notorious detention centre already facing allegations of torture and unlawful deaths in custody, officials from Gaza's health ministry have told the Guardian.UK news | The Met police have said they will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents as the Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan was informed that no further action would be taken after his arrest over social media posts.UK politics | A Conservative MP tipped as a future party leader has been condemned for saying large numbers of legally settled families must be deported. Katie Lam said that the families should go home" leaving a culturally coherent group of people".Science | An electronic eye implant half the thickness of a human hair has helped people with incurable sight loss to see again, opening up a potential new era" in tackling blindness. Doctors who implanted the sim card-shaped prosthetic devices say they have helped many of the 38 elderly patients in the trial regain their ability to read.The way he viewed women and girls - as playthings to be used and discarded - is not uncommon among certain powerful men who believe they are above the law. And many of those men are still going about their daily lives, enjoying the benefits of their power." Continue reading...
Sanae Takaichi has made history but will have little time to settle in before negotiating the pitfalls of rising prices, power struggles and a mercurial US presidentIt is hard to overstate the symbolism of Sanae Takaichi's achievement on Tuesday in becoming the first female prime minister of Japan, a country that consistently ranks poorly in global gender equality comparisons, not least in politics and business.However, she will have precious little time to savour her historic appointment. Continue reading...
Honourable' bandsman Thomas James will feature in display at National Army Museum highlighting service of black soldiers in Napoleonic warsHe fought in the Napoleonic wars and is one of only nine Black soldiers known to have received the Waterloo Medal, the first British medal awarded to soldiers regardless of their rank.Yet the story of Pte Thomas James has been overlooked for centuries. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#70WZ0)
Cambridge historian Emily Chung finds philosopher's blistering depictions of segregation may have been exaggeratedFriedrich Engels stands accused of exaggerating, or perhaps taking creative liberties", with just how segregated Manchester was in the mid-19th century, a study has found.The great socialist thinker, who co-authored with Karl Marx the Communist manifesto, was a Manchester resident, appalled and galvanised by the squalor and inequality he saw in the city. Continue reading...
The tornado killed one construction worker on a building site, injured 10 others and left four in critical conditionA tornado tore through districts north of Paris on Monday, toppling three construction cranes that killed one person and left four others with critical injuries, authorities said.The town of Ermont, about 20km (13 miles) north-east of Paris was worst hit by the sudden twister that caused damage across about 10 districts. Continue reading...
Andrew hid behind Balmoral's guarded gates' to escape court papers, accuser says in memoir Nobody's GirlPrince Andrew's team tried to hire internet trolls to hassle" his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, while he hid behind the well-guarded gates" of Balmoral Castle to avoid being served court papers, according to allegations in her posthumous memoir.Giuffre wrote of the 2022 confidential settlement of her sexual abuse civil claim against the royal, widely rumoured to be $12m (9m), that her lawyers were going to ask for the moon" and her team had agreed it had to be more than mere money". Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent on (#70WVB)
Thinktank fears 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training could be priced out' of entry-level jobsLabour has been urged to break a manifesto pledge to scrap youth rates of the minimum wage amid a dramatic rise in the number of young people out of work and education.In a report sounding the alarm over a sharp increase in the number of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (Neet), the Resolution Foundation urged Labour to change course to avoid them being priced out" of entry-level jobs. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#70WS8)
John Healey says he has already brought forward millions in spending for swift deployment if ceasefire agreedThe cost of Britain's contribution to a post-ceasefire stabilisation force for Ukraine would be well over 100m", the defence secretary, John Healey, has said after a speech in the City of London.Healey said he had already brought forward millions in spending so that a multinational force Ukraine" led by the UK and France could be ready to deploy quickly if peace talks produce a ceasefire. Continue reading...
Fiona Goddard and Ellie-Ann Reynolds criticise handling of national inquiry, which is yet to appoint a chairKeir Starmer's national grooming gang inquiry has been left in turmoil after two survivors resigned from its oversight panel and accused the Home Office and Labour of contempt" and political interference" before it has appointed a chair.Ellie-Ann Reynolds and Fiona Goddard resigned on Monday from the inquiry's oversight panel complaining of condescending and controlling language used towards survivors" during the process. Continue reading...
Report says snapped cable between cabins was substandard and city's other funiculars should fix risk before reopeningThe funicular that crashed in Lisbon killing 16 people in early September had a faulty cable, the official inquiry said on Monday as it recommended the city's vehicles stay out of service until their safety can be confirmed.The accident, which saw the picture-postcard 19th-century Elevador da Gloria hurtle into a building after careering off the rails, shocked the Portuguese capital and laid bare fears over the safety of the popular yet ageing tourist attraction. Continue reading...
Top transport safety regulator to determine if self-driving vehicles failed to follow traffic laws for stopped busesThe US's main transportation safety regulator said on Monday it had opened a preliminary investigation into about 2,000 Waymo self-driving vehicles after reports that the company's robotaxis may have failed to follow traffic safety laws around stopped school buses.The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the latest federal review of self-driving systems as regulators scrutinize how driverless technologies interact with pedestrians, cyclists and other road users. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#70WNR)
Charities accuse government of sliding backwards' on child mental health after ONS findingsSuicide rates among children and young people in England have increased by 50% in the last decade, figures show.The Office for National Statistics analysed data covering almost 12 million children and young people aged between 15 and 25 from 2011-12 to 2021-22. There were 4,315 suicides across the whole period.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Father Ted co-creator to sue force for wrongful arrest after CPS drops proceedings over social media posts about trans issuesThe Met police have said they will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents as the Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan was informed that no further action would be taken after his arrest over social media posts.Five armed officers detained the 57-year-old comedy writer at Heathrow in September on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to three posts about trans issues. Continue reading...
Culture secretary responds to urgent question in Commons and says policing resources will not be an issue at matchThere will be two urgent questions in the Commons this afternoon, followed by a statement. Here is the running order.3.30pm: A Home Office minister will respond to a UQ from Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, about the China spy case.The family of Virginia Giuffre, whose life was destroyed, are angry and aghast. The public across these isles are angry and aghast and they both deserve to know that some MPs share their outrage.So I won't sit silent. If an act of parliament is required to strip the likes of Peter Mandelson and Prince Andrew of their titles then there can be no justification from this Labour government as to why that is not immediately happening.Public funds, police protection and royal privilege have long buffered Prince Andrew from the consequences of his actions. And we've paid for all this.I will support any efforts to hold royals to the same standards and laws as everyone else - parliament must have the power to remove privileges from abusers of position. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#70WKA)
Prisoners say they have no other option and issue demands to Home Office including immediate bailPro-Palestine Action activists have threatened to go on hunger strike on the anniversary of the Balfour declaration in protest against being held in prison while awaiting trial.Prisoners for Palestine have said an undisclosed number of inmates will begin an open-ended hunger strike on 2 November if their demands are not met. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose, Yohannes Lowe and Sarah Haque on (#70W7X)
Group says it will release body on Monday evening as delay in returning hostage remains causes outrage in Israel. This live blog is closedThe Guardian's global affairs correspondent, Andrew Roth, has written an interesting profile on Jared Kushner in which he explores his central role in the ceasefire negotiations and his extensive business dealings in the Middle East. Here is a snippet:The soft-spoken heir to his father's real estate empire has quietly become a key conduit for Trump's outreach to the Middle East, leveraging his Rolodex of leaders in the region and positioning himself to win a lucrative windfall if the goal of redeveloping Gaza ever comes to fruition.It has been a notable return to the political fold after Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, effectively swore off politics after the January 6 riots at the US Capitol that followed Trump's loss in the 2020 elections. Continue reading...
Members of Reform's showcase county council will be investigated after evidence that they brought the party into disrepute'Reform UK has suspended four councillors on its showcase county council after a leaked video showing bitter divisions in their ranks.Councillors on Kent county council were seen in the footage, first published by the Guardian, complaining about backbiting" and being ignored by their leader, Linden Kemkaran, who told them to fucking suck it up" if they did not agree with decisions made by her. Continue reading...
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor on (#70WGJ)
Securing historic public-facing buildings has never been easy, and is even less so in times of economic constraintTo break into the world's most-visited museum in broad daylight, grab eight pieces of priceless Napoleonic jewellery and vanish into the Paris traffic on humble scooters may seem like the most audacious of crimes, carried out for international notoriety and ensuing Hollywood film treatments.Experts who observe trends in international art crime, however, see Sunday morning's heist at the Louvre as something more prosaic: the latest in a series of smash-and-grab thefts focused more on the material value of precious stones or metals than the artifacts' significance, continuing a pattern that has emerged over the last decade in Germany, Britain and the US. The location, they suggest, would have been of secondary concern to the criminals. Continue reading...
Comedy writer was arrested at Heathrow in September on suspicion of inciting violence over social media posts about trans issuesThe Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has said he will face no further action" after being arrested by the Metropolitan police at Heathrow in September on suspicion of inciting violence over social media posts about trans issues.More details soon ... Continue reading...
by Chris Osuh Community affairs correspondent on (#70WF2)
Source says working group stuck to requirement that definition must not interfere with freedom of speechA new definition of Islamophobia being considered by UK ministers is expected to protect the freedom to criticise Islam, the Guardian understands.The government launched a working group in February to define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim." Continue reading...
Patients who had more cells had better outcomes, particularly for aggressive types such as triple-negative breast cancerIn the 18th century, physicians noticed nuns had some of the highest rates of breast cancer. It was one of the earliest clues that led scientists to suspect that child-bearing and breastfeeding could protect against the disease.Modern data has confirmed the centuries-old observation but the biological reasons behind it have remained unclear. Explanations have often focused on pregnancy-related hormonal changes, but research published Tuesday in Nature has found breastfeeding provides long-lasting immune protection. Continue reading...
Ukrainian president criticises choice of Budapest as location for meeting as Trump suggests Kyiv must cede land to end warAn investigation into the Lisbon funicular crash will publish its first report today into the causes of the derailment, which killed 16 people in early September.Portugal's air and rail accident investigations bureau (GPIAAF) had previously found that a cable linking two cabins disconnected shortly before the September 3 crash, in a note published three days after the tragedy. Continue reading...
Volunteers defy their government and public opinion in China to risk their lives for an adversary of Beijing's main geopolitical partnerIn a war that has been characterised by merciless attacks on civilians, one of the worst took place on 8 July 2024. Russia missile strikes killed at least 43 people in cities across Ukraine in one of the deadliest days of the war last year. One of the most shocking blows was to the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in central Kyiv, which reduced the country's largest paediatric clinic to rubble.Tim, 43, was delivering aid on the outskirts of Kyiv when he heard a missile fly overhead. A short while later, he saw the news on his phone that the children's hospital had been hit. Along with a British friend, the Chinese national, who asked to be referred to by just his English name, rushed to the scene to help with the recovery efforts. Seeing the severed limbs, some of them belonging to children, I started crying," the father-of-two said, tears in his eyes at the memory. I thought about the kind of anger that Chinese people have. Once it's ignited ... It's intense. I decided to join the army." Continue reading...
Officials confirm reports that Takaichi's Liberal Democratic party will join forces with rightwing Nippon IshinSanae Takaichi is on course to become Japan's first female prime minister this week after her party agreed to form a new coalition with a minor party.Officials confirmed on Monday that Takaichi's Liberal Democratic party (LDP) had joined forces with the rightwing Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation party), which shares her hawkish stance on China and support for restrictions on immigration. Continue reading...
Tens of thousands evacuated amid significant damage from intense rainfall and storm surgeEight people have died and 27,000 have been evacuated after Tropical Storm Fengshen hit the Philippines during the weekend. Fengshen made landfall from the western Pacific Ocean near the municipality of Gubat on the southern tip of the island of Luzon, and while it remains on the weaker side in terms of sustained winds, the intense rainfall and a storm surge have caused significant damage across the region.Anticipated waves of 2 metres (6ft) led the Philippines weather bureau, Pagasa, to issue a risk warning of moderate coastal flooding for the region. Twenty-seven thousand people were evacuated from the Albay province because of these warnings and moved to a safer area further inland. Despite the precautionary measures, five people died when a tree fell on to a house near Pitogo on Sunday morning. Continue reading...
The actor has renewed his vocal opposition to the US president and spoken in support of the millions-strong No Kings' street protestsRobert De Niro has renewed his vocal opposition to Donald Trump, saying there's no other way to face a bully".The actor spoke to MSNBC on Sunday in support of the anti-Trump No Kings" protests, which saw millions take to the streets across the US. De Niro said there needed to be much more" resistance, adding: The politicians are going to recognise that: either face the wrath of Trump or the wrath of the people - and they have to be more afraid of the wrath of the people." Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian