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Sir John Armitt says cost of project needs to curbed, but that there are massive benefits' to economy in continuingAxing the Manchester leg of the HS2 high-speed rail line would be a tragedy" but the government needs to get a grip of the costs", the country's infrastructure chief has said.Sir John Armitt, the chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, which is responsible for providing expert advice to the UK government, also said cancellation of the route would tell the world that the UK runs away when it starts to see some challenges". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Concerns over patient safety after NHS figures show less-qualified staff attending urgent callsOne in three life-or-death 999 ambulance calls in some parts of England are not attended by a paramedic, NHS figures obtained by the Guardian reveal.The disclosure has prompted fears that seriously unwell or badly injured patients may receive inadequate care from a less-qualified member of ambulance staff lacking a paramedic's skills. Continue reading...

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From Liz Truss to Jeremy Corbyn, Brexit to net zero, who are the key figures and crucial issues to look out for at the main party conferences?Although the next general election may be more than a year away, the main parties are already beginning to outline positions on key issues - a process likely to intensify with the start of conference season this weekend.The Liberal Democrats are the first to gather on Saturday, with the party faithful converging on Bournemouth, followed by the Conservatives next weekend in Manchester and then Labour and the Scottish National party. Here is what to expect: Continue reading...

Guardian investigation finds six of seven tested vapes were being sold in breach of UK lawVapes sold on Amazon as nicotine-free" have been found by a Guardian investigation to contain the highly addictive substance.The Guardian tested seven products from the online marketplace that stated on the sellers' pages that they contained no nicotine, and six were found to contain the stimulant. It is illegal in the UK to sell vapes containing nicotine as nicotine-free". Continue reading...

First buses to return to public control since deregulation to offer cheaper fares across integrated transport systemThe first buses to be brought back into public control in England since deregulation in the 1980s will set out from depots in Bolton and Wigan on Sunday morning.Greater Manchester will launch its Bee Network, which promises better, cheaper transport with fares capped across an integrated public transport system that combines buses and Metrolink trams. Continue reading...

Agnieszka Holland's Green Border tells story of brutal treatment of a Syrian family trying to get to EuropeA prize-winning film sharply critical of the Polish government's attitude to refugees has opened at cinemas across the country, after being attacked in the run-up to its release by members of the Polish government.Green Border, a feature film by the celebrated director Agnieszka Holland, won the special jury prize in Venice last month. It tells the story of a Syrian family trying to get to Europe via the Belarus-Poland border in 2021, and the brutal treatment they receive at the hands of Polish border guards. Continue reading...

Secretary of state says US takes very, very seriously' incidents of transnational repression amid dispute over killing of Sikh separatist in British ColumbiaThe US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has called on India to cooperate with Canada and ensure accountability" over the killing of a Sikh separatist, after Ottawa accused Delhi of involvement.Blinken said the United States has been in touch with both India, with which it has warming ties, and Canada, a close ally, after the two countries engaged in tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions. Continue reading...

Canada pledges an extra C$650m in military aid during Zelenskiy visit; Ukrainian airstrike on Crimea hits Russia's Black Sea navy headquarters

University application first preferences dropped almost 20% this year, compared with 2023

Exclusive: Independent senator says Anthony Albanese needs to act' on recommendations of 1991 royal commission

Greens hold the balance of power in the upper house. They are also angered at the planned redevelopment of 44 public housing towers

Party reformer was first former communist to become president and first person re-elected to postGiorgio Napolitano, the first former communist to rise to Italy's presidency and the first person to be elected twice to the post, has died aged 98.A statement issued on Friday night by the presidential palace confirmed Italian news reports of the death of Napolitano, who had been ailing in a Rome hospital for weeks. Continue reading...

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Ukrainian president thanks Canada for financial support and says stay with us to our victory'Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Canada to stay with Ukraine to victory when he went to the Canadian parliament seeking to bolster support from western allies for Ukraine's war against the Russian invasion.Moscow must lose once and for all. And it will lose," Zelenskiy said during his address in parliament on Friday. Continue reading...

Gareth Roper was hit by an unlicensed driver while walking in Bolton and died of severe head injuries, court toldA man was killed by a hit-and-run motorist driving without a licence shortly after police left him barefoot three miles from his home, a court has heard.Gareth Roper, 35, was killed while walking along the centre of the road in Bolton, Greater Manchester. Continue reading...

Party leaders start to reveal clearer positions on policy areas ranging from net zero to transgender rights

Chen Siming posts video from Taoyuan airport saying he is seeking asylum from political persecutionA Chinese dissident known for regularly commemorating the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square has fled to Taiwan where he pleaded for help in seeking asylum in the US or Canada.In a video posted online on Friday, Chen Siming said he was in the transit area at Taoyuan international airport to escape Chinese political persecution. Continue reading...

Rightwing magazine is said to be a favourite of the billionaire and is considered a trophy prize'Rupert Murdoch may have officially stood aside as chair of his media businesses, but he's still eyeing up what could be his last major UK deal: the purchase of the Spectator magazine.The rightwing magazine, which is due to be auctioned off next month, is said to be a favourite of the billionaire, who used his resignation statement to claim much of the media is in cahoots" with elites who have open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class". Continue reading...

MVL Properties are granted licence to run venue that helped launch careers of bands such as Pulp and Arctic MonkeysA public campaign to stop the owners of one of Sheffield's best-loved music venues from being granted a licence to run it has failed.On Friday, Sheffield city council granted a shadow licence to MVL Properties, the owners of the Leadmill venue, which will allow them to take over the running of the venue from its current operator, Phil Mills, should they be successful in evicting him. Continue reading...

First visit by a pope to city in 500 years will focus on issue of Mediterranean crossingsPope Francis arrived in Marseille on Friday promising a message of tolerance on migration, amid a bitter row over Europe's approach to asylum seekers.The two-day visit focused on Mediterranean crossings comes at a time of heated debate in Europe over how to share responsibility for people arriving on boats from north Africa. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sources say law could gradually increase smoking age to ultimately prevent sales to people born after certain yearRishi Sunak is considering introducing some of the world's toughest anti-smoking measures that would in effect ban the next generation from ever being able to buy cigarettes, the Guardian has learned.Whitehall sources said the prime minister was looking at measures similar to those brought in by New Zealand last December. They involved steadily increasing the legal smoking age so tobacco would end up never being sold to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. Continue reading...

After David Brooks posted a photo of his burger and whiskey, many pointed out the cost of the drink probably pushed up the tabIn a social media post that would prove (ironically) costly, the conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks complained about the price of food at Newark airport in New Jersey.This meal just cost me $78," Brooks wrote, adding: This is why Americans think the economy is terrible." Continue reading...

Ipsos poll carried out after Rishi Sunak U-turn on net zero policies also evenly split on whether policy shift was correctIn response to the Labour plan to strengthen the Office for Budget Responsibility watchdog, the former prime minister Liz Truss said it beggared believe that the party would want to give even more powers to quangos.The shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced plans that would mean ministers would have to consult the official watchdog on major tax and spending changes in order to prevent a repeat of Truss's ill-fated mini-budget last autumn.The 25-year economic consensus has led to state spending being higher than it's been for around 50 years, taxes at their highest since World War Two and a debt of over 2.5tn. This has caused low economic growth.It beggars belief that Labour think Britain's problems will be solved by bigger government and even more powers for quangos. Continue reading...

British PM preparing to channel Margaret Thatcher at party conference in attempt to cast aside Tory turmoilRishi Sunak was installed as the UK's prime minister nearly a year ago to bring stability to a country, economy and political party in turmoil wreaked by his two predecessors. His staid strategy to keep the Conservatives in government has plugged some holes in the sinking ship - but not yetmade it seaworthy again.With Sunak's personal ratings dwindling, Conservative MPs getting restless and a general election fast approaching, Downing Street has drawn a line under the past 12 months and set its sights on the next. Continue reading...

Murdoch Jr does not have the same love for print as father Rupert but newspapers' influence remains a drawcard for the new bossLachlan Murdoch started his leadership training at News Corp more than three decades ago, but exactly how he will steer the media empire remains largely unknown after the decision by his father to step aside.There have been times when Rupert Murdoch's eldest son and nominated successor has forged his own path in business - and the record is patchy. Continue reading...

Senator Barbara Pocock says unpaid super is costing workers at least $3.3bn a year, while wage theft losses are about $1.3bn

School leaders say funding and teacher shortages are far more urgent than a British baccalaureate'

Commission says it is cracking down' on smuggling networks as NGOs say more assistance is needed from Europe's leadersThe Paris public prosecutor's office said today that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 24 others should stand trial over alleged misuse of EU funds, Reuters reports.The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, have used the situation in Lampedusa for political campaigning," according to Dutch European parliament member Sophie in t Veld. Continue reading...

More than 4,500 people died due to hot temperatures, ONS data reveals, as rate increases over recent yearsMore than 4,500 people died in England in 2022 due to high temperatures, the largest figure on record, with the number of heat-related deaths increasing over recent years.Between 1988 and 2022, almost 52,000 deaths associated with the hottest days were recorded in England, with a third of them occurring since 2016, data from the Office for National Statistics shows. During the same 35-year period analysed, more than 2,000 people died in Wales due to the warm temperatures. Continue reading...

Brand reveals more modest look under Peter Hawkings, who replaced founder after Estee Lauder takeover last year

Christian Greco, who manages the Egyptian Museum in Turin, offered discounted tickets to Arabic speakersAn Italian politician is pushing for the director of a prestigious museum to be kicked out", arguing that he has been racist towards Italians" in a move that has raised the debate over apparent attempts by Giorgia Meloni's far-right government to wield a tighter grip over culture.Andrea Crippa, deputy leader of the League, a member of Meloni's ruling coalition, said Christian Greco, who has managed the Egyptian Museum in the northern city of Turin since 2014, is a leftwing director" who is running the museum in an ideological and racist manner against Italians and Christians". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Josep Borrell calls for European unity in face of Ukraine war, US-China competition and rise of global southMigration could be a dissolving force for the European Union" due to deep cultural differences between European countries and their long-term inability to reach a common policy, the EU's most senior diplomat has said.Although Russia will try to fan the flames on migration inside Europe, Josep Borrell denied that the war in Ukraine itself was contributing to the crisis, which he described as a decades-old problem fuelled by wars and poverty in departure countries. Continue reading...

Request comes after a seven-year investigation into French far-right leader's party

Azerbaijani official meanwhile says civilians will be allowed to travel safely to Armenia and fighters will get amnestyArmenia's prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, has expressed hopes that ethnic Armenians can stay in Nagorno-Karabakh amid fears that Azerbaijan, which says it controls the region after a military offensive this week, is seeking to push out tens of thousands of people.Speaking during a government meeting in Yerevan, Pashinyan said Armenia would welcome ethnic Armenians who lived in the breakaway region but mass resettlement would only happen if it became impossible for Karabakh Armenians to remain there. Continue reading...

Queensland prison staff found drone crashed close to exercise area with sealed bag nearby containing contraband

Editor Andrew F Gulli found Italian-set work written in pencil by American writer among papers in Library of CongressA previously unknown short story by Truman Capote, discovered written in pencil in a notebook then carefully deciphered and transcribed, will be published on Friday.Capote is, I would say, probably one of the top five short story writers of the 20th century," said Andrew F Gulli, editor of the Strand Magazine, who discovered the story and has found other lost works by acknowledged masters. Continue reading...

Shadow chancellor says proposals would act as fiscal lock' to prevent turmoil of ill-fated mini-budgetMinisters would have to consult the official watchdog on major tax and spending changes under Labour plans that would prevent a repeat of Liz Truss's ill-fated mini-budget, the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said.The move would ensure the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was not gagged" by future prime ministers and chancellors trying to avoid an official financial forecast, she said. Continue reading...

Whelan Browne alleges she faced discrimination after complaining about Rocky Horror Show castmate Craig McLachlan

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Country imposes first total fire ban in three years amid record-breaking September heatwaveAustralia has declared the start of an El Nino weather phenomenon, with a record-breaking September heatwave gripping the south-eastern region that has prompted the country's first total fire ban in three years. The Bureau of Meteorology reported extreme conditions, particularly prolonged heat, across parts of the continent. New South Wales (NSW) experienced temperatures soaring up to 16C above the September average, with Sydney reaching 34.4C, just shy of the all-time September record. NSW had 61 bushfires, 13 of which remained uncontained owing to forecasted strong winds, resulting in catastrophic fire danger.El Nino typically leads to droughts in Australia, and the World Meteorological Organization had earlier predicted a 90% likelihood of El Nino conditions developing in the latter half of 2023. Continue reading...

Murdoch-owned titles in US, UK and Australia stopped short of saying retirement, but left readers in no doubt about their boss's immense talentRupert Murdoch's Australian newspapers hit the streets on Friday morning without the news that the media mogul was stepping down and his son Lachlan would become sole chair of News Corp as well as Fox Corp. The news was broken - after the print deadline in Australia - by one of Murdoch's US mastheads, the Wall Street Journal.In a note to staff, which was also sent to Australian staff, Murdoch did not use the word retirement. For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change," he said. But the time is right for me to take on different roles." Continue reading...

Incident allegedly happened in 2008 and comedian is understood to have laughed about it on radio showThe BBC is investigating a claim that Russell Brand exposed himself to a woman before laughing about it on his radio show.The incident allegedly happened in 2008 when the woman was working in the same building as the corporation's office in Los Angeles, BBC News reported. Continue reading...

Leading no campaign figure reportedly drops out of race for position left by Marise Payne backing Indigenous treaties

Vatican identified 67 Aboriginal boys and young men who may have been subjected to the alleged acts by Christopher Saunders, who denies the allegations and has not been charged

New airline boss issues video statement saying company needs to earn back trust of the public

Event at University of Melbourne in February will explore singer's influence on gender, mental health and urban landscapes

New laws come after weeks of protests sparked by a series of teacher suicides said to be linked to malicious complaints from parentsSouth Korea has passed a set of legal revisions aimed at improving the rights of teachers in schools, following weeks of protests sparked by a series of teacher suicides said to be linked to malicious complaints from parents.The four bills, collectively known as the teacher rights restoration bills" and passed at the national assembly on Thursday, represent a significant step towards enhancing the working conditions and protections for educators in the country. Continue reading...

Advice from prosecutors about the boy's high-profile disappearance will be provided by the end of January

Ukraine president delivers upbeat message on war progress during second White House visit since Russian invasionPresident Volodymyr Zelenskiy worked to shore up US support for Ukraine on a whirlwind visit to Washington on Thursday, delivering an upbeat message on the war's progress while facing new questions about the flow of US dollars that for 19 months have helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces.The Ukrainian leader received a far quieter reception than the hero's welcome he was given last year from Congress, but also won generally favorable comments on the next round of US aid he says he needs to stave off defeat. Continue reading...