Creator of new BBC show The Power of Parker says young audiences are drawn to the idea of a simpler time'The desire for a simpler time when life seemed easier has created enthusiasm for television shows set in the 1980s and 1990s, according to the creator of new BBC One period comedy The Power of Parker.Set in 1990, the series charts Margaret Thatcher's slipping grip on power in parallel with one of her supporters - an adulterous, self-made" rightwing businessman called Martin Parker, played by Game of Thrones star Conleth Hill - who runs a chain of electrical stores in Stockport. Continue reading...
by Aamna Mohdin Community affairs correspondent on (#6DCE1)
Greater awareness urgently needed to save lives, BSA chair says after Downing Street meetingThe chair of the UK's Black Swimming Association (BSA) has said greater awareness of water safety is urgently needed in minority communities to save lives.After recent data showed that children in England from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities were 3.5 times more likely to drown than their white counterparts, the BSA organised a roundtable discussion on the issue at 10 Downing Street with concerned groups this week. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6DCCY)
Which? magazine survey divides UK population up into categories based upon how people are copingAre you drained and desperate" or affluent and apathetic"? The UK population is now deeply divided into six new distinct groups based on how people are coping with the cost of living crisis, according to researchers.The groupings have been assembled based on a survey of 4,000 adults by Which? magazine. It found that one cohort of almost 8 million people have been left balancing on a financial knife-edge" having been protected so far from the worst of the squeeze on household finances but are now on the brink of serious hardship. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent on (#6DCD0)
Amid record youth unemployment, the government wants young people to go to the farmland' - but the prospect is unappealing for manyWanted: recent graduates keen to gain experience in a teaching environment and an adventure far from home. Perks of the role include hands-on experience, CV fodder and, most importantly, job security. Cons include long hours, low pay, limited social life and poor infrastructure in remote locations (running water not guaranteed).This is the offer facing China's graduating class of 2023: decamping to work in impoverished rural areas. But many young people are not convinced. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6DCCZ)
RMT members embark on third 24-hour strike in nine days on Saturday, in long-running dispute over pay and conditionsPassengers face another day of disrupted trains around Britain today as thousands of rail workers in the RMT go on strike.About 20,000 staff employed by 14 mainline train operating companies contracted to the Department for Transport in England started their third 24-hour strike in nine days on Saturday morning, in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. Continue reading...
UN, US and France all call for a return to order after Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani declares himself the new head of stateThe United States will work to ensure full restoration of constitutional order in Niger after the military takeover, the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, told the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, in a phone call late on Friday, offering him his unflagging support".The US is communicating with a broad array" military leader in Niger, the state department said, after coup leaders declared Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani - the Nigerien military leader behind the detention of the country's democratically elected president - the new head of state. Continue reading...
Chief executive, who is under US sanctions over role implementing city's national security law, will not be invited to November eventThe United States will not invite Hong Kong's chief executive, who faces US sanctions, to visit San Francisco during November's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.John Lee, Hong Kong's top official, was placed under US sanctions in 2020 because of his role in implementing what Washington deems a draconian" national security law when he was the city's security secretary. Continue reading...
Russian missile strike on Dnipro injures nine and partially destroys apartment block; Moscow says it shot down Ukrainian missiles in southern RussiaRussian missiles hit an apartment block and a nearby building of Ukraine's security service in the central city of Dnipro on Friday night, injuring at least nine people and causing widespread damage to both buildings. The buildings were largely empty - the residential building because it had just been completed and units were being put up for sale. A few people were trapped but are now out," the regional governor, Serhiy Lysak, said.The Russian defence ministry said it shot down a Ukrainian missile in the southern city of Taganrog, about 40km (24 miles) east of the border with Ukraine, and local officials reported 20 people were injured, identifying the centre as an art museum. The ministry said it downed a second Ukrainian missile near the city of Azov, which like Taganrog is in the Rostov region, and debris fell in an unpopulated location.Russian air defences downed a Ukrainian military drone before it could attack its targets near Moscow on Friday, the RIA news agency cited Russia's defence ministry as saying. The ministry said the incident caused no casualties or damage to buildings.The head of Ukraine's ground forces has said Russian forces are constantly attacking in the direction of Kupiansk and Lyman in the Donetsk region but that Ukraine's defence line is holding firm. Oleksandr Syrskyi said the main task for Ukrainian troops at the moment was to knock out enemy artillery where possible, and he claimed small advances in the Bakhmut direction.Yevgeny Balitsky, the head of the Russian-imposed administration of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, described the situation on the frontline there as tense" and on Friday claimed that Russian forces control the Vremivka direction and that the enemy suffers significant losses but is trying to hold out in the north-western part of the village of Staromaiorske".Poland and Lithuania are considering closing their respective borders with Belarus amid concerns over the presence there of the Wagner mercenary group, a Lithuanian deputy interior minister said on Friday.The Ukrainian president's chief of staff said Russia is threatening civilian vessels in the Black Sea and urged the international community to condemn what he said were the methods of terrorists".The Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, urged Russia on Friday to revive the Black Sea grain deal. Sisi told the Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg that it was essential to reach agreement" on reviving the deal.Vladimir Putin told African leaders on Friday that Moscow respected their peace proposal on Ukraine and was carefully studying it. The Russian president also said that Russia was increasing food supplies to Africa, including some free grain shipments, which he announced a day earlier, and was interested in developing military cooperation with the continent.The International Olympic Committee has issued a special invitation to a Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan to take part in the Paris Olympics next year, after she was disqualified from a tournament for refusing to shake hands with her defeated Russian opponent.Qatar will provide Ukraine with $100m in humanitarian aid to support health, education and demining, the Ukrainian prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, said on Friday after talks with his Qatari counterpart. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Department claimed accommodation contracts with companies linked to Mozammil Gulamabbas Bhojani could not be cancelled - despite containing termination clauses
Kremlin says it shot down two missiles in south of the countryRussian forces have struck the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro while Moscow accused Kyiv of firing two missiles at southern Russia.The Russian defence ministry said it shot down a Ukrainian missile in the city of Taganrog, about 40 km (about 24 miles) east of the border with Ukraine, and local officials reported 20 people were injured, identifying the centre as an art museum. Continue reading...
MP said she felt ostracised and accused male colleagues of shouting her down for opposing transgender reformsA senior member of the Labour frontbench has offered an apology to a fellow MP, Rosie Duffield, who has said she felt ostracised by the party because of her views on gender reforms.Duffield had also accused male party colleagues of trying to shout her down in the Commons earlier this year when she spoke to back the government's move to block gender reforms proposed in Scotland. Continue reading...
Official blames arsonists for the majority of 667 blazes that have spread in the extreme weatherMost of the 667 fires that have erupted across Greece in recent weeks were started by human hand", the country's senior climate crisis official has said.As the Mediterranean country emerges from an unprecedented, 15-day period of heatwave-induced infernos, the scale of the destruction is finally being laid bare. Continue reading...
by Rachel Hall (now); Martin Belam and Helen Sullivan on (#6DBHB)
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereYevgeny Balitsky, the head of the Russian-imposed administration of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, has described the situation on the frontline there as tense".Very little reliable detail is emerging from the active combat zones. Balitsky claims that Russian forces control the Vremivka direction, which is just over the regional border from Zaporizhzhia into Donetsk.The night was quiet. There was little activity of enemy aircraft. There are not many nights like this. Many Ukrainians had the opportunity to sleep at least. We hope this day will be calm, but according to the general staff there is still a high probability of missile attacks. Therefore, we all need to be vigilant and respond to the messages we receive about air threats every time. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6DBYQ)
Lucy and Sally Andrews say health and social care networks failed their brother, Duncan, who will be held at Rampton indefinitelyTwo sisters of a mentally ill man who fatally stabbed their loving elderly parents have spoken of being let down by a broken" health and social service system.Duncan Andrews repeatedly stabbed Mary, 76, and Bryan Andrews, 79, to death last November after, he said, being told to do so by God, Sheffield crown court heard. Continue reading...
Extension of London's Ulez scheme is part of growing trend despite some backlash and implementation delaysThe high court has dismissed a legal challenge by five Conservative-led councils against the expansion of London's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez).Mr Justice Swift dismissed the councils' case on Friday, which means drivers of vehicles that do not meet minimum emissions standards will be charged a 12.50 daily fee for entering the Ulez zone. Continue reading...
by Nicola Slawson (now); Mabel Banfield-Nwachi (earli on (#6DBKY)
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereHere's some reaction from the Tories to Mr Justice Swift's decision on the Ulez expansion.The Conservative party's London mayoral candidate Susan Hall said:While it is a shame the high court did not find the Ulez expansion to be unlawful, there is no denying that Sadiq Khan's plans will have a devastating impact on families and businesses across the city.If I am elected mayor, I will stop the Ulez expansion on day one and set up a 50m pollution hotspots fund to tackle the issue where it is, instead of taxing people where it isn't.While there was insufficient evidence the Ulez expansion is unlawful, the evidence is clear that the policy will hit the poorest hardest, while having only a negligible effect on air quality.Sadiq Khan cannot ignore the overwhelming opposition of both Londoners and his own party for ever. We will continue campaigning to get the Ulez expansion scrapped, so we can tackle air pollution where it is instead of taxing where it isn't.I am satisfied that the mayor's decision to expand the Ulez area by amendment of the present road charging scheme, rather than by making an entirely new ... scheme, was within his powers. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Man experiencing mental health issues sought help from police but was later Tasered in hospital by officers who mistakenly thought he was armed with scissors
Minor party plans to door-knock Labor electorates in a national day of action' as it continues to call on the prime minister to include rent relief in package
Local seismometer detects activity equivalent of 2.3 magnitude earthquake, comparable to 2011 Beast Quake'Taylor Swift's Eras tour performances at Lumen Field in Seattle on 22 July and 23 July generated seismic activity equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, according to seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach.A local seismometer detected activity generated by dancing fans comparable to the famous 2011 Beast Quake", when Seattle Seahawks fans erupted in response to running back Marshawn Beast Mode" Lynch scoring a touchdown in an NFC wild card game against the New Orleans Saints. Continue reading...
President condemns rebellion as completely illegitimate' and calls for release of democratically elected Mohamed BazoumEmmanuel Macron has said the French government is prepared to support sanctions against the rebellious soldiers behind the coup in Niger, as he described developments in the country as dangerous" for the wider Sahel region.The French president's comments came as western powers scrambled to preserve a key ally in a region that has been destabilised by jihadist insurgencies, coups, and interventions by the Wagner mercenary group as Russian flags appeared at prominent sites around Niger's capital, Niamey. Continue reading...
by Harriet Sherwood Arts and culture correspondent on (#6DBRM)
Hartwig Fischer was appointed with a brief to develop a masterplan for badly needed renovationHartwig Fischer, the director of the British Museum, is to step down next year after eight years at the helm of one of the country's flagship cultural institutions.The German art historian - the first non-British head of the museum since 1866 - said he wanted to focus on the rescue and preservation of cultural heritage in times of climate crisis, conflict, war, and violence". Continue reading...
Judge refuses Hong Kong government's request for injunction against Glory to Hong Kong, saying it could have chilling effectHong Kong's high court has rejected a government attempt to ban a protest song, Glory to Hong Kong, saying an injunction could create a chilling effect and undermine freedom of expression.The government had sought the injunction banning online publication or distribution of the song, arguing it insulted China's national anthem and could give people the impression that Hong Kong was an independent country. Continue reading...
Police called on Thursday evening after girl hit by motorcycle in Blakenall, West MidlandsA 14-year-old boy has been arrested after a seven-year-old girl was killed in a hit-and-run involving a motorcycle in Walsall.West Midlands police said officers were called to the Blakenall area of the town after the fatal collision on Thursday night. Continue reading...
by Kiran StaceyPolitical correspondent on (#6DBKX)
Labour hits out at flailing' government for failing to process asylum claims more quicklyYvette Cooper has accused the government of flailing around" in its approach to tackling backlogs in the UK asylum system after it emerged the Home Office has bought tents ready to house up to 2,000 people on disused military sites.Labour's shadow home secretary attacked the government for failing to process asylum claims more quickly, although she refused to say whether Labour would also use tents to deal with the migrant housing crisis. Continue reading...
by Aamna Mohdin Community affairs correspondent on (#6DBKZ)
Coalition of 26 organisations say overhauls in policing plan launched last week are a missed opportunityA coalition of 26 racial justice organisations has criticised the Metropolitan police for refusing to accept the core finding of the Casey review that the force is institutionally racist.In an open letter sent to Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Met police, anti-racist groups describe the overhauls set out in the New Met for London plan launched last week as a missed opportunity" for the force to signal radical change, and acknowledge wrongdoing and deep failures. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6DBM0)
Bus driver jailed after he closed doors on Joan Scott and she became trapped under rear wheelsA family have made a plea for more compassion on the roads after a bus driver was jailed over an accident in North Tyneside that led to a woman in her 80s having both her legs amputated.Scott Cliff mistakenly thought Joan Scott had previously dodged paying a fare and closed the doors as she attempted to board, Newcastle crown court heard. Continue reading...
Schools and businesses closed, trees uprooted and power lines disrupted as storm blows inTyphoon Doksuri swept into China's south-eastern Fujian province on Friday, bringing heavy rain and violent gusts of wind that shook power lines, uprooted trees and forced factories and shopping centres to shut.The second strongest typhoon to land in Fujian after the deadly Typhoon Meranti in 2016 also forced the closure of schools and the evacuation of workers from offshore oil and gas fields, state media reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6DBJD)
Crisis-hit group plans to pay dividends worth 500m to investors after quarterly profits rise by 27%NatWest will make a fresh 190m payout to its largest shareholder, the UK government, after Downing Street had an influence in the resignation of Alison Rose as the bank's chief executive amid a row over Nigel Farage's accounts.The crisis-hit group said it was planning to pay dividends worth 500m to its investors after another strong quarter in which pre-tax profits rose by a higher than expected 27% to 1.8bn in the three months to June. That was compared with 1.4bn a year earlier, as the bank benefited from rising interest rates that allowed it to charge borrowers more for loans and mortgages. Continue reading...
Drones at military parade were said to have similar look to US drones as Japan warns that Kim Jong-un's regime posed a more serious threat than everNorth Korea has carried out demonstration flights of new military drones, state media reported, as leader Kim Jong-un shared centre stage with senior delegates from Russia and China in a show of unity at a parade in the capital.State media said on Friday that Kim rolled out his most powerful, nuclear-capable missiles during the Victory Day" parade in Pyongyang to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice that stopped fighting in the Korean War. Continue reading...
Vendors have reportedly been told the ceremony will be pushed as studios refuse to meet demands of actors and writersFox is expected to announce soon that the Emmy awards will be rescheduled to January next year due to the ongoing writers and actors strikes in Hollywood.Variety first reported on Thursday that vendors for the ceremony have been informed of an imminent date change, but not given an exact date, while the Los Angeles Times cited an unnamed source familiar with the plans, who said Fox was planning to move the telecast date to January.Reuters contributed to this report. Continue reading...
by Harriet Sherwood Arts and culture correspondent on (#6DBG5)
Stamp for papers that enabled fast-track' through purgatory will be on show at a Hampshire prioryA seal matrix used to authenticate medieval indulgences and offer a fast track to heaven in exchange for cash is to go on display at a Hampshire priory after sending 500 years buried in a field.The small carved mould, dating between 1470 and 1520, was found by a metal detectorist two miles from Mottisfont, an Augustine priory and site of pilgrimage near Romsey, Hampshire, that is now owned by the National Trust. Continue reading...
Another 40 people have been rescued after boat overturned just after leaving wharf in Rizal provinceAt least 26 people have died and 40 have been rescued after a ferry capsized in the Philippines, officials have said, as the tail end of Typhoon Doksuri battered parts of the country.Officials said it remained unclear how many people were aboard the M/B Princess Aya, which capsized on Thursday in Laguna de Bay in Rizal province, east of Manila. Continue reading...
by Presented by Nosheen Iqbalwith Kalyeena Makortoff; on (#6DBEV)
Since the politician's account with Coutts was closed, the story has dominated the news agenda. Does it show that something has gone very wrong in our banking system?On the surface it may not sound like a story that would generate national interest. A controversial politician finds his bank account with a bank catering to the ultra-wealthy has been closed. So why has it dominated news headlines?Last month Nigel Farage posted a six-minute video on social media explaining that his bank account had been shut, that he was struggling to find another one and that the establishment" was trying to force him out of the UK. He thought it was his political views that were behind the decision. But a later BBC story claimed it was a lack of funds, not his beliefs, behind the closure. Continue reading...
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