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Government data shows most of those who do not claim their pension credit will miss out under means-testingAbout 780,000 pensioners who need the winter fuel payment will lose out on it when Labour begins means-testing the benefit, according to the government's own equality analysis.After the government was criticised for not carrying out a full impact assessment of the change, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) quietly released a document on Friday night which predicted that about 780,000 pensioners whose low incomes mean they are eligible for the payment will stop getting it when it becomes means-tested. Continue reading...

The five-star Poets and Lovers show at the National Gallery will dispel the tortured genius labelVincent van Gogh's maverick talent has put him at the centre of European culture for more than a century. His works make headlines when they sell, from the record-breaking moment his Irises went for 27m at Sotheby's in 1987, right up to this month's predicted hoopla in Hong Kong, where Christie's are to auction his riverside scene, Moored Boats, painted two years earlier, for an estimated $30-50m - likely to set a record for works from his later, Parisian period.The Dutch artist's dramatic renderings of simple things - plants, trees, furniture and faces - are international emblems of the way we value art. So much so that London's National Gallery's renowned 1888 sunflower painting was deliberately targeted last year by Just Stop Oil climate activists, who lobbed the contents of a soup tin at it. Continue reading...

After an epic week saw Harris pass her biggest test and Trump go off the rails, the election countdown gallops onEven as gleeful Democrats spent days circulating video clips and memes of Kamala Harris ridiculing and riling Donald Trump in Tuesday's presidential debate, the candidates themselves got back to the brutal grind of winning over the tiny proportion of voters who will decide November's election in a clutch of swing states.Harris is on a New Way Forward" tour of pivotal areas this weekend to exploit the momentum from her humiliation of Trump. On Friday, she was in Pennsylvania, perhaps the most crucial of crunch states, to push the themes she hit hard in the debate in painting the former president as a threat to democracy, women's rights and the US's international standing. Continue reading...

Met Office predicts dry and settled weather over coming days, though Scotland and Northern Ireland may get wind and rainTemperatures are forecast to soar this weekend, driving away the chilly start to the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.Autumnal sunshine and highs of 21C were expected in some areas of southern England, the Met Office predicted - a far cry from the overnight low of -2.7C recorded in North Yorkshire on Thursday. Continue reading...

Man released on Tuesday appeared in court on sexual assault charges on Thursday, according to PA MediaA man is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman on the day he was freed from prison under the government's early release scheme.The controversial scheme, which allows some prisoners to be released after serving 40% of their sentence, came into force on Tuesday to ease overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales. Continue reading...

Children using personal care products had more phthalates, which are linked to reproductive and metabolic diseasesChildren who use more personal care products like sunscreen, lotion, soaps and haircare items have higher levels of toxic phthalates in their bodies, new research finds, and the highest levels were found in Black and Latino children.The study checked more than 600 urine samples from four- to eight-year-olds for phthalates, which are highly toxic endocrine disruptors that can alter hormone production, and are linked to reproductive, immune system and metabolic diseases. They are also considered developmental toxicants that impact children's behavior and learning ability. Continue reading...

US and UK leaders' talks dominated by row with Russia over use of Storm Shadow missiles

Kathryn Campbell defends her role in unlawful scheme and rejects claim she came up with program with former prime minister Scott Morrison

Campaign aims to renovate Sussex home where artist and poet wrote Jerusalem in time for 200th anniversary of his deathIn the early months of 1800, while living in Lambeth, William Blake found himself at the bottom of a deep pit of melancholy, melancholy without any reason for it".A change of environment was imperative. So when landed gentleman and patron of the arts William Hayley invited Blake to spend a few days on the Sussex coast, the poet, painter and printmaker agreed, hoping the sea breeze would raise his spirits and stimulate his imagination. Continue reading...

Eagle-eyed reader and consumer solicitor say local bylaws are key to question of enforcementAre private fines sent by Bristol airport's contractor to motorists who pick up passengers outside its designated, paid-for, drop-off and pickup zone unenforceable?It looks as though they may be, if an eagle-eyed Guardian reader and a leading consumer solicitor are correctly interpreting the bylaws that govern the airport. Continue reading...

The 42-year-old woman fronted Parramatta local court in Sydney on Saturday in a brief hearing where she did not apply for bail

Living among film stars and estranged from his father and brother, Harry's milestone birthday may bring moment of reflectionTen years ago, Prince Harry was given the run of Clarence House for his 30th birthday. Guests headed by Prince William and including long-standing childhood friends enjoyed a black-tie dinner where they were reportedly serenaded by Ellie Goulding while Charles and Camilla discreetly decamped to their Scottish hideaway.Such a family celebration now seems unthinkable as Harry prepares to mark his 40th on Sunday. Continue reading...

With more people getting their news online than on TV, Ben Herd, 20, records his experience of following current affairsAn Ofcom report this week marked a tipping point: more people now get their news online than on TV. We asked Ben Herd, a 20-year-old currently at university, to keep a diary for a couple of days of how he was following news stories and current affairs. He gets most of his news from social media ... Continue reading...

Team Clover volunteer filmed allegedly removing campaign posters of Yvonne Weldon from outside National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern

Antony Blinken says new US sanctions against Russia are in response to Kremlin's attempt to subvert and polarize free and open societies'. This blog is now closed.The head of Russia's security council, Sergei Shoigu, visited North Korea on Friday and met with the country's leader Kim Jong-un, Reuters reports, citing Interfax.Reuters has a quick snap that France is to summon Iran's charge d'affaires in Paris over the country's decision to supply further arms to Russia. Continue reading...

Sierra Leone-born DePrince, who moved to US as a child, danced with Boston Ballet and performed with BeyonceMichaela Mabinty DePrince, a trailblazer and inspiration to many in the ballet world, has died at 29, a spokesperson announced on her Instagram page on Friday. No cause of death has yet been reported.Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength," the caption said. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us. She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places." Continue reading...

Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, incarcerated in Michigan, accused the music mogul of sexual assault 27 years agoLawyers for Sean Diddy" Combs have moved to overturn a $100m judgment awarded this week to a Michigan prison inmate who accused the music mogul of sexual assault 27 years ago.Two emergency motions filed at Lenawee county's circuit court accuse Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith of launching a frivolous" lawsuit against the entertainer, who they insist he never met. Continue reading...

PM defends choices such as cutting winter fuel allowance as long-term remedies as polls show his popularity fallingKeir Starmer has said painful decisions such as cutting winter fuel payment to save 1.4bn a year are necessary as failure to act would be simply putting a lick of paint over the damp".The prime minister described the process of taking decisions that aren't going to be popular" as part of a strategy of strip down the joint, rebuild the house". Continue reading...

Controversies over AI-generated material spurred release of guidelines addressing transparency and historical accuracyOver a year after the dual Hollywood strikes put a spotlight on the industry's adoption of AI, film-makers have often found themselves at a crossroads - how to use generative AI ethically, if at all? Where to draw the line on synthetic material? Documentary film-makers, in particular, have faced mounting concerns over fake archival" materials such as AI-generated voices, photos or video.As Hollywood continues to adopt artificial intelligence in production, a group of documentary producers have published a groundbreaking set of ethical guidelines to help producers, film-makers, studios, broadcasters and streamers address questions over use of the technology. Continue reading...

Russian leader's warning of potential direct war with Nato regarded as sabre-rattling to weaken support for UkraineUS officials and lawmakers have shot back at Vladimir Putin after the Russian leader said that Nato's potential lifting of restrictions on Ukraine to launch long-range strikes into Russia would mean Nato countries were at war" with Russia.The prime minister, Keir Starmer, is meeting with the US president, Joe Biden, on Friday at the White House, where the two are expected to discuss - though not necessarily announce - a loosening of restrictions on Storm Shadow missiles that would allow Ukraine to strike targets as far as 155 miles inside Russia. Continue reading...

Daily Mail owner says it has made a small number' of job cuts in US, and US Sun is also cutting backThe publishers of the Sun and the Daily Mail are cutting jobs in their American digital operations amid financial pressure on the industry.News UK, the publisher of the Sun, and DMGT, the owner of the Mail, this week announced internal restructuring of their online divisions, Sky News reported. Continue reading...

Man reportedly attacked pro-Israel demonstrator, who then allegedly pulled out gun and shot assailantA man was shot and sustained life-threatening injuries on Thursday in Newton, Massachusetts, after he tackled a pro-Israel demonstrator.During a news conference on Thursday evening, Marian Ryan, the Middlesex district attorney, said that the incident took place at about 6.40pm on Thursday evening. Continue reading...

Soldiers who used bags, which cost army C$34.8m, reportedly found several critical issues ... related to lack of warmth'The Canadian military has admitted that new sleeping bags issued to troops last year were not suited to typical Canadian winter conditions".According to a briefing note obtained by the CBC, the army issued the new sleeping bags in the autumn of last year in Alberta, where several hundred troops were preparing for a joint Canada-US exercise in Alaska. Continue reading...

Son of opposition figure who led botched attempt in May is among three Americans sentenced to deathA Briton and three Americans are among 37 people sentenced to death on Friday over an attempt to overthrow the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Six people were killed during the botched coup attempt led by the opposition figure Christian Malanga on 19 May that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi. Continue reading...

Marieha Hussain had denied her placard depicting Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman was racially abusiveA teacher who held a placard at a pro-Palestine protest depicting Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts has been found not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence.Marieha Hussain, 37, denied the prosecution's allegation that the placard was racially abusive, and her trial at Westminster magistrates court heard that she quite obviously does not have a racist bone in her body". Continue reading...

FSB says documents show diplomats in Moscow were helping to coordinate escalation of military situation' in UkraineRussia announced it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow on accusations of espionage as Keir Starmer prepared to meet Joe Biden in Washington to discuss how Ukraine could use long-range missiles deep inside Russian territory.Moscow's FSB domestic spy agency said on Friday that it had acted on documents showing that part of the Foreign Office was helping coordinate what it called the escalation of the political and military situation" in Ukraine. Continue reading...

US Pacific north-west region workers voted 96% in favor of the strike and walked off the job early on FridayTens of thousands of Boeing workers walked off the job early on Friday after voting overwhelmingly to strike for higher pay, halting production of the planemaker's strongest-selling jet as it wrestles with chronic output delays and mounting debt.The company said on Friday it was ready to talk and get back to the table to reach a new agreement" as striking workers picketed. Continue reading...

Pop star gets reduced level of traffic offense after June arrest and DWI charge in coastal area east of New York CityJustin Timberlake accepted on Friday a reduced level of traffic offense, resolving his drunk-driving criminal case in the Hamptons, the upscale coastal area east of New York City.He pleaded guilty to impaired driving. Continue reading...

Party secretariat votes overwhelmingly to remove political outsider who succeeded Alexis Tsipras last yearA Greek American shipping investor and former banker who emerged seemingly out of nowhere to assume the reins of Greece's main leftwing opposition party Syriza has been deposed after a late night meeting of the party's secretariat.After a drama-filled gathering of Syriza's political secretariat on Thursday, Stefanos Kasselakis was told the party's highest body had voted overwhelmingly and conclusively in favour of his removal. Continue reading...

Harris campaign calls chicken the Republican nominee's spirit animal' as Harris pushes for another matchupThe campaign of Kamala Harris on Friday stepped up its mockery of chicken" Donald Trump for ducking out of another presidential debate, with the Democratic nominee telling her Republican rival he owes it to voters to face her again.The former US president announced on Thursday there will be no third debate", two days after a floundering performance during their testy meeting in Philadelphia in which Harris baited him on a range of subjects, including the crowd size at his rallies. Continue reading...

Philippe Lazzarini says closure would have devastating consequences' and calls for investigation into deadly strikeA campaign is under way to drive the UN relief agency for Palestinians, Unrwa, out of existence, its commissioner general has said, days after 18 people were killed when Israeli jets bombed an Unrwa school in Gaza.Philippe Lazzarini said in an interview that the Israeli government was seeking to close down the agency, having failed to persuade western donors to stop funding it on the grounds of allegations about links between Unrwa staff and Hamas. Continue reading...

Repair Shop presenter has appeared at Kidderminster magistrates court, say West Mercia policeThe BBC presenter Jay Blades has been charged with engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour against his wife. The Repair Shop presenter appeared at Kidderminster magistrates court on Friday, West Mercia police said.The Guardian understands that the BBC took steps to remove a programme featuring Blades from its Friday evening schedule after the charge, and that no programmes with the former furniture maker would be shown in the foreseeable future. Continue reading...

Seemingly aligned with Republicans, the ads feature Douglas Emhoff wearing a yarmulke and celebrating HanukahA group seemingly aligned with the Republican party is targeting areas in Michigan that are home to large Arab American and Muslim communities with digital ads purporting to celebrate" the Jewish faith of Kamala Harris's husband, Douglas Emhoff.The New York Times reported that the group, Future Coalition Pac, is running new ads on social media sites including Facebook and YouTube highlighting that Emhoff is Jewish and focusing on Harris's support for Israel.Fears mount that election deniers could disrupt vote count in US swing statesMicrosoft billionaire fights US election disinformationPalestinian advocacy groups pressure Harris as election loomsPresidential poll tracker Continue reading...

Miles Crawford made the heroic act in floodwaters during category 2 storm that tore through LouisianaAs Hurricane Francine barreled through south-east Louisiana, officials urged residents to watch out for each other - and a local emergency room nurse put that advice into action by using a hammer to save the life of a motorist who had become submerged in floodwaters.The New Orleans NBC affiliate WDSU aired the rescue by Miles Crawford on live television in what was one of the most dramatic moments to result from the category 2 storm that inflicted widespread power outages, among other impacts on the Gulf coast and inland. Continue reading...

Exclusive: concerns venues don't share values' as debate continues over whether poker machines belong in RSL clubs at all

On the eve of the Lib Dem conference, party leader talks up importance of social care - and being constructive

The stalwart community centre began in the 70s but a fire destroyed its brand new building in 2004A historic black women's community centre is reopening 20 years after a devastating blaze destroyed the building.ELBWO, previously known as the East London Black Women's Organisation, first opened its doors in the 1970s and provided a range of services, including domestic violence and family aid, counselling, education and training, a Saturday school, outreach and befriending. Continue reading...

PC Perry Lathwood wins case on appeal over Croydon incident in which woman's arm was bruisedA police officer who injured a woman's arm as she was arrested in front of her son on false suspicion of fare evasion has had his conviction for common assault quashed.PC Perry Lathwood bruised Jocelyn Agyemang's arm as she was arrested on unfounded suspicion of evading a bus fare in Croydon in July last year. Video of the incident sparked widespread outrage online but also some support for the officer. Continue reading...

Catholic church says it will open its records on the once-revered Emmaus founder, who died in 2007France's Catholic church has said it will open its records on allegations of sexual abuse and harassment made against a priest whose campaigning for the poor and homeless saw him venerated as a modern-day saint.The Conference of Bishops of France (CEF) said their records on Abbe Pierre, the founder of the charity Emmaus who died in 2007, would be made available without the usual delay of 75 years from the time of death. Continue reading...

Man, 18, held after emergency services find three people with injuries who were pronounced dead at sceneA teenager has been arrested after the deaths of three people at a property in Luton on Friday morning.Officers were called at about 5.30am to reports of concerns for welfare at a flat in Leabank, off Wauluds Bank Drive. Emergency services attended and discovered three people with injuries. All three were pronounced dead at the scene. Continue reading...

Labour still more popular with voters than Conservative party but those saying they view party and leaders unfavourably has risen. This live blog is closedThe government's defence review should consider the importance of Britain being able to wage peace" as well as war, Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, told peers.In a debate in the House of Lords on Sudan this morning, Welby said the strategic defence review (SDR) announced by Labour should include a peace-building option", to stop conflict before it happens.A peace-building option, well developed and acting in areas of fragility, would extend our influence, protect our interests and guard against fresh waves of migration ...In other words, the SDR should be full spectrum, preparing this nation not only to wage war but to wage peace as well. I fear that may not be the case ...No, absolutely notAnd let's just try to quash this now. The budget is on October 30. So, between now and then, you are all going to ask me questions, as you did before the election, will you rule out X, Y, Z? Continue reading...

Inquest into death of Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 32, opened and adjourned pending murder trialA delivery driver who died as he tried to stop his van from being stolen was a valued citizen" who paid an immensely high price" for his actions, a coroner has said.Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene in Heights Drive, in the Wortley area of Leeds, on 20 August after his silver Ford Transit Cargo van was stolen while he was making a delivery, police have said. Continue reading...

Drone operators and a volunteer medic on the ever-changing dynamics on the frontline of the Ukraine incursion

On hiatus since the 2017 suicide of Chester Bennington, the rockers have had huge success with return single The Emptiness Machine - but there is disquiet over the frontman's replacementOasis may have sold a lot of tickets, but for many music fans there's an even bigger rock comeback this year: Linkin Park, whose first three albums went 25 times platinum between them in the US alone, have dramatically ended a seven-year hiatus which followed the 2017 suicide of co-frontman Chester Bennington.Last Friday, a simultaneous livestreamed concert, music video and Billboard interview revealed a forthcoming album, world tour and a new co-frontperson, Emily Armstrong. On Wednesday the group played their first full-length concert since 2017, at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, and they play London's O2 Arena on 24 September. The comeback has been concocted under a level of secrecy to rival even that Oasis reunion, with band members, crew and venues being sworn to silence. Continue reading...

Umar Mahmood, 18, died alongside Adam Bodi, 16, his former schoolmate, when car hit trees in PrestonA teenager who appeared in Andrew Flintoff's TV programme Field Of Dreams has been killed in a car crash.Umar Mahmood, 18, who featured in the first series of the BBC documentary in 2022, being coached by the former England cricket all-rounder, died alongside 16-year-old Adam Bodi. Continue reading...

People in Bettws near Bridgend say swarms have made life hell, even prompting some to consider movingA plague of flies has descended on a South Wales village, causing residents to cancel invitations to visitors and even consider leaving their homes.People in Bettws, near Bridgend, said their lives had been made hell by thousands of common houseflies. Some reported being unable to eat a meal with flies crawling over their food. One said it was affecting residents' mental health. Continue reading...

New operator, Neso, will also oversee Great Britain's gas system as part of clean energy superpower' missionThe UK government has agreed to take control of the National Grid unit tasked with keeping the lights on in a 630m deal that takes effect from next month.The electricity system operator (ESO) will be transferred into public control to create a new national energy system operator (Neso), which will also oversee Great Britain's gas system. Continue reading...

Mridul Wadhwa, a transgender woman, was found to have failed to protect women-only spacesThe chief executive of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre has stepped down after a review found that it caused damage" to survivors by failing to protect women-only spaces.In the independent review, published on Thursday, Mridul Wadhwa, a transgender woman, was found to have failed to set professional standards of behaviour" and did not understand the limits on her role's authority". Continue reading...

Girl With Balloon, one of artist's best-known images, recovered by police after burglary on SundayTwo men have been charged with burglary after one of Banksy's best-known artworks was stolen from a gallery in central London.The theft of Girl With Balloon was investigated by the Metropolitan police's Flying Squad and the work has now been recovered. Continue reading...

Adelaide University touts rich digital learning activities' that will be self-paced and self-directed' after student numbers on campus decline