Fast-track bill, after supreme court ruling barring deportation flights, would be wildly unpopular legislation' says Tory peerRishi Sunak's target of flying out asylum seekers to Rwanda by next spring is in doubt, with opposition parties and some Conservative peers having pledged to try to block emergency legislation intended to rescue the plan.In another blow to the prime minister, Suella Braverman, the home secretary he sacked on Monday, dismissed his ideas as magical thinking", setting out her own rival plan to make sure removals begin swiftly. Continue reading...
Shawn Seesahai was found stabbed on playing fieldsTwo boys aged 12 have been charged with the murder of a 19-year-old man in Wolverhampton.Ambulance crews were called to land off Laburnum Road, East Park, on Monday, but Shawn Seesahai was pronounced dead at the scene. Continue reading...
Divisive Brexiter will be tasked with helping fellow contestants 2,000 miles away on Gold CoastNigel Farage will be stranded in the middle of the Australian outback when I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! gets under way.He will be one of three unsuspecting stars who will be dropped in the red desert in the scorching heat and tasked with helping his campmates thousands of miles away. Continue reading...
Michael Matheson apologises after initially charging bill to Holyrood and failing to say parliamentary tablet was used as data hotspot by sonsMichael Matheson, Scotland's embattled health secretary, has apologised unreservedly" after admitting he failed to properly disclose that his sons had largely run up an 11,000 iPad bill which he had initially charged in full to taxpayers.In a personal statement to MSPs on Thursday, Matheson said he had referred himself for possible investigation by parliament for breaching its code of conduct, as he fought against mounting calls to resign from opposition leaders. Continue reading...
Luis Kyburg was alleged commander of Argentinian navy unit believed responsible for deaths of at least 150 peopleAn Argentinian former military officer has died of natural causes in Berlin just weeks before he was charged over the murder of 23 members of leftwing groups during the country's military dictatorship.The 75-year-old ex-navy officer was suspected in the abduction, disappearance, torture and murder of 23 young people in 1976 and 1977, Berlin prosecutors said. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6GE7F)
Decision to table primary legislation in parliament puts in doubt Rishi Sunak's aim for flights to begin leaving for Rwanda by springRishi Sunak's government will present a full law to parliament to set aside the supreme court's ban on sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, setting up a probable battle with MPs and peers and putting in doubt the aim for flights to begin leaving by spring.The law could be published within a fortnight, after next week's autumn statement, and it will be primary legislation, meaning it will have to pass through all the normal stages of the Commons and Lords, Downing Street has said. Continue reading...
Downing Street says legislation will make clear Rwanda is safe' and will address court's concerns after policy ruled unlawfulAt his Institute for Government Q&A Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan police, refused to say what he felt about Lee Anderson, the Conservative party deputy chair, declaring yesterday that ministers should just ignore the supreme court judgment saying the Rwanda police was unlawful. Asked to respond, Rowley just said:Politicians hold me to account, I don't hold them to account.Starmer travelled north of the border just hours after a revolt within his party over a ceasefire in Gaza resulted in the resignation of eight of his frontbenchers.The Labour leader highlighted what he described as the failure" of the UK government to negotiate a trade deal with India, a key exporter for Scotch whisky. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6GE0J)
Michael Sellers, who killed 23-year-old, was categorised as low risk' by Derbyshire force, which admits failingsThe parents of Gracie Spinks have said the police response to their daughter's stalking case was diabolical" as they called for a national change and more funding for stalking advocates in forces to protect future victims.An inquest jury concluded on Thursday that Gracie was unlawfully killed by a man she had reported for stalking, after Derbyshire police admitted a number of failings in the handling of her case. Continue reading...
Five serving and three former officers being investigated for possible gross misconduct over handling of investigationFive Metropolitan police officers and three former officers are being investigated for gross misconduct after the force's failings in the investigation of serial killer Stephen Port.Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor were murdered by Port, who drugged them with overdoses of GHB and dumped their bodies near his flat in Barking, east London, between June 2014 and September 2015. Continue reading...
MPs vote Sanchez in for second term by 179 votes to 171 but People's Party says result comes after huge assault on the rule of law'The conservative People's party (PP) is continuing its criticism of Pedro Sanchez inside and outside congress, hammering him for his deals with Junts and the ERC.This is what the PP's secretary general, Cuca Gamarra, just told the COPE radio station:The problem our country has is called Pedro Sanchez. Pedro Sanchez is the problem because we're talking about a politician who is capable of doing anything in his own interest and in order to remain in government in Spain. To get the seven votes he needed after losing the [general] election, he's gone as far as signing and saying he's going to deliver an impunity law in return for his investiture. There's no doubt whatsoever that the danger Spain and our coexistence is facing is called Pedro Sanchez. That's what we're talking about.The investiture isn't happening today or yesterday - it's already a done deal that was agreed outside Spain, in Waterloo. Continue reading...
Hollywood studio reported figure to a parliamentary committee investigation into how to support the British film industryThe Barbie movie directly contributed over 80m to the UK economy and created 685 jobs, its parent studio Warner Bros said, as part of its statement to a government inquiry.The Hollywood studio was one of scores of organisations that submitted written evidence to a parliamentary committee inquiry into the British film and high-end television industry, which is designed to investigate what needs to be done to maintain and enhance the UK as a global destination for production and how the independent film production sector can best be supported". Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6GDX1)
Majority of letters with no exposure to rising interest rates are demanding more money in new tenancy agreementsMore than two-thirds of mortgage-free landlords raised the cost of new rental agreements in the last year despite being unaffected by interest rate rises, according to research on alleged cashing in".The practice has triggered windfalls for hundreds of thousands of investors at a time when tenants are paying more despite shrinking amounts of space in flats and houses. Continue reading...
Broadcaster NDR launches investigation after Hubert Seipel admits receiving support for work on two books on Russian leaderA German publisher has announced a stop to the sale of books authored by a leading journalist and Russia expert after an investigation showed he had received at least 600,000 (522,000) in undisclosed offshore payments from companies linked to an oligarch close to Vladimir Putin.Hubert Seipel, an award-winning film-maker and author, admitted receiving support for his work on two books charting the Russian leader's rise to power and offering portrayals described as sympathetic to him. Continue reading...
Households can expect tough winter ahead' after jump in gas market prices, analyst predictsEnergy bills in Great Britain are expected to rise by 5% from January after analysts predicted that the government's price cap could rise to about 1,930 a year for a typical gas and electricity bill.Households can expect a tough winter ahead" after a jump in gas market prices that is likely to raise the cap on what suppliers can charge for energy by an average of 100 a year, according to Martin Young, an analyst at Investec. Continue reading...
Home secretary says legally binding treaty will be drafted within days' despite policy being ruled unlawfulMinisters are absolutely determined" to get a removal flight to Rwanda off before the next election, and will finish drafting a legally binding treaty with the country within days", the home secretary, James Cleverly, has said, after the policy was ruled unlawful.Cleverly, who was made home secretary in the reshuffle earlier this week, said the controversial policy was already having a deterrent effect" on people smugglers. Continue reading...
Drivers to stage fresh series of 24-hour strikes and overtime ban, as RMT signals possible breakthroughThe train drivers' union, Aslef, will stage a series of one-day strikes and call an overtime ban across England's operating companies at the start of December, ratcheting up the national rail dispute again.Drivers at each company will strike for 24 hours on dates between Saturday 2 and Friday 8 December, and will refuse to work overtime between Friday 1 and Saturday 9 December, causing more disruption for operators that rely on rest day working. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: After the supreme court rejected plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, the government is considering its options Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.580 days after the government pledged to send some asylum seekers thousands of miles away to Rwanda for processing and settlement, the UK supreme court has rejected the plans, undermining Rishi Sunak's key pledge to reduce migration. It is a crushing blow for the prime minister, who is now facing a rightwing rebellion from his MPs while also dealing with a huge, costly policy failure.Israel-Hamas war | Eight Labour frontbenchers including Jess Phillips have resigned as Keir Starmer was hit by a major rebellion over a vote for a ceasefire in Gaza. Overall, 56 Labour MPs voted against the Labour leader's instruction. The UN security council has backed a resolution calling for urgent extended humanitarian pauses" allowing aid access.China | The US president, Joe Biden, has said that his summit meeting with China's Xi Jinping has brought substantial progress, including agreements on limiting narcotics trafficking and restoring military lines of communication, as well as opening up conversations on the risks posed by artificial intelligence. However, the meeting had not brought the US and China any closer on Taiwan, which remains a dangerous sticking point.Housing | Leaked documents have revealed that government safety experts last year warned that many tower blocks built from concrete panels that may pose a collapse risk have not been fixed. The news comes as hundreds of families were evacuated from Barton House, a 15-storey tower block in Bristol, over fears an explosion could pose risk to the structure".Science | Nasa's James Webb space telescope has revealed a planet where specks of sand fall as rain. The groundbreaking observations give an unprecedented glimpse of a strange and exotic world beyond our solar system that features silicate sand clouds and rain, scorching temperatures, raging winds and the distinct burned-matches scent of sulphur dioxide.Crime | Two 12-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 19-year-old man was stabbed to death in Wolverhampton on Monday, West Midlands police have said. Continue reading...
Unions say move could force Tata's automative steel factory at Llanwern to close, costing 600 jobsLarge parts of the Port Talbot steelworks will be closed or mothballed for years, and would leave the plant and its few remaining workers reliant on imported steel, according to proposals under consideration by the owner, Tata Steel.Tata Steel has briefed union representatives on the proposals but has yet to announce a final decision. Workers, who marched through the town in protest on Saturday, were left in limbo two weeks ago after the company's board in India decided to pull an announcement about its plans for the plant at the last moment. Continue reading...
Real and serious problems' in UK medical homecare sector going unaddressed due to failures in regulation, damning review saysPrivate healthcare companies are harming NHS patients in their own homes by failing to deliver vital medicines, and then escaping censure amid an alarming lack of oversight by ministers and regulators, members of the House of Lords have warned.More than 500,000 patients and their families rely on private companies paid by the NHS to deliver essential medical supplies, drugs and healthcare to their homes. The homecare medicines services sector is estimated to be worth billions of pounds. Continue reading...
Whitehall officials were told that at-risk buildings have not been remediated, with the market prioritising profit over safety'Government safety experts last year warned that many tower blocks built from concrete panels that may pose a collapse risk have not been fixed, leaked documents reveal.Minutes of the government's structural stability working group revealed that experts warned Whitehall officials in 2022 that buildings which were supposed to have undergone remedial work in previous decades have not been remediated", and there were consequential safety implications for such buildings". Continue reading...
Proposals aimed at choking off commercial revenues include total ban on sale of Russian rough diamondsThe European Commission is proposing a 12th round of sanctions against Moscow, including restrictions on scores of individuals apparently including the son of the former president Dmitry Medvedev and a relative of Vladimir Putin's.Among the 47 individuals the commission wants added to existing sanctions lists are Putin's cousin Anna Tsivileva, who chairs the defenders of the fatherland" foundation that supports Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine. Continue reading...
I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times,' said the late-night show, who hosted the Academy Awards in 2017, 2018 and 2023Jimmy Kimmel is returning as host of the Academy Awards for the second straight year and fourth time overall, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.Broadcaster ABC is turning again to its late-night host a year after bringing Kimmel back for a 2023 ceremony that drew 18.7 million viewers, the most since 2020's pre-pandemic broadcast but still the third worst ever recorded. In the wake of Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, Kimmel led a cautious ceremony that helped stabilize the Academy Awards after years of turmoil. Continue reading...
Birmingham Yardley MP leaves Labour frontbench after voting against party whip on Israel-Hamas conflictJess Phillips has become the most high-profile Labour MP to quit the frontbench over Keir Starmer's stance on Gaza, after voting in the Commons for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.The Birmingham Yardley MP said it was with a heavy heart" that she quit the Labour frontbench and her role of shadow domestic abuse and safeguarding minister.Dear Keir,This week has been one of the toughest weeks in politics since I entered parliament. I have tried to do everything that I could to make it so that this was not the outcome, but it is with a heavy heart that I will be leaving my post in the shadow Home Office team. Continue reading...
by Jem Bartholomew and Andrew Sparrow (earlier) on (#6GCSF)
SNP motion calling for ceasefire in Gaza defeated 294-125Reed says the court has had to decide whether the Rwanda policy breaches the non-refoulement rule.The policy is in the Home Office's immigration rules, he says. Continue reading...
Court papers also reveal subpoena request against William Barr in bid to show investigation subject to undue political interferenceLawyers for Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, have issued subpoena requests against Donald Trump in an effort to show the former US president applied political pressure to high-ranking officials to push for a criminal investigation into his affairs.The move, revealed in court papers filed on Wednesday, comes as Hunter Biden fights charges of illegal gun ownership in a case that threatens to reach a climax at the height of the 2024 presidential election campaign, in which Joe Biden and Trump are likely to be the two main candidates. Continue reading...
by Anna Bawden Social affairs correspondent on (#6GD4C)
International study finds those on England programme have bigger drops in BMI, blood sugar and bad cholesterolPeople at risk of diabetes reduce their weight and levels of bad cholesterol after undergoing lifestyle counselling" in the NHS's diabetes prevention programme, a major international study has found.The health service launched the programme in 2016 to help prevent patients in England from developing diabetes through intensive weight loss, diet and exercise goals. Prediabetic patients referred to the scheme attend at least 13 group sessions over nine months. Latest figures from NHS England show that 1.3 million people have been referred to the scheme so far and 120,000 patients are due to take part this year. Continue reading...
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