News that no symbolic apology or reparations are planned could put Starmer on collision course with other nationsThe UK government will not apologise over Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade at next week's Commonwealth heads of government (Chogm) summit in Samoa, Downing Street has said.Downing Street said on Monday that the government would not be paying reparations for slavery. News that neither an apology nor reparations are on the agenda could put Keir Starmer, who will attend the gathering, on a collision course with other nations. Continue reading...
As well as threats of violence or death, one in 10 said someone had come to their home inappropriatelyMore than a fifth of councillors have received death threats or threats of violence, a survey has found.The survey has been released by the Local Government Association (LGA) before its annual conference next week. It is calling for more to be done to improve councillors' safety.One in 10 councillors had someone come to their home in a way that they considered intimidating or inappropriate, and 43% had requested to withhold their home address from the public because of safety concerns.Ten per cent had received a threat of damage to their property, and 5% had experienced damage to property. Eleven per cent said they had considered modifications to their home security but had been unable to make them for financial or personal reasons.Nineteen per cent of respondents had experienced abuse or intimidation relating to a protected characteristic. Sex was the most commonly cited characteristic for which respondents had suffered abuse or intimidation.Fifty-seven per cent of respondents reported that their authority's arrangements for protecting councillors were very or fairly effective. Continue reading...
Former partner of One Direction star spoke out as Payne's father travelled to Buenos Aires to repatriate his bodyLiam Payne's former partner Cheryl Tweedy has described media coverage of his death abhorrent".It came as the singer's father, Geoff Payne, travelled to Buenos Aires in Argentina to organise the repatriation of his 31-year-old son's body. He was seen exiting the CasaSur Palermo hotel, where the singer died after falling from a third-floor balcony on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Ministers heralded record-breaking' 63bn total at London event but 16.5bn appears to have preceded July electionAbout a quarter of the investment announced by the government at its summit this week appears to have been secured or initiated before Labour came to power.Ministers touted 63bn of investment at the summit on Monday, where they hosted hundreds of company bosses in a showcase of the UK's pro-growth policies. Continue reading...
Detective says he grabbed 23-year-old Daniel Khalife as he cycled on canal towpath in west LondonA former soldier congratulated" the police officer who captured him three days after he was accused of escaping from prison, a jury has heard.Woolwich crown court on Friday heard evidence from the Metropolitan police officer, who said he grabbed hold of Daniel Khalife on a canal towpath in west London. Continue reading...
Andrew Talbot took drugs from a Greater Manchester police evidence store and supplied them to criminalsA cocaine-addicted detective who stole drugs with a retail value of almost 400,000 from a police evidence store and supplied them to criminals has been jailed for 19 years.Andrew Talbot, formerly a Greater Manchester police (GMP) detective constable, conspired with convicted drug dealer Keith Bretherton, 50, to sell the stolen cocaine, Liverpool crown court heard. Continue reading...
Canada expelled six Indian diplomats as fallout continues from 2023 killing of Canadian Sikh Hardeep Singh NijjarCanada's foreign minister has warned India's remaining diplomats in the country that they are clearly on notice" not to endanger Canadian lives after New Delhi's top envoy in Canada was named a person of interest in the assassination of a Sikh activist.India's high commissioner was expelled on Monday along with five other diplomats, prompting the Canadian foreign minister, Melanie Joly, to compare India to Russia, saying Canada's national police force has linked Indian diplomats to homicides, death threats and intimidation in Canada. Continue reading...
Nine deaths in a week, including soldier's killing of 59-year-old woman as she farmed, brings charges of war-like' tacticsPalestinians in the occupied West Bank are facing an increase in Israeli settler attacks and Israeli army violence at the start of the important olive harvest season, the UN has said.The international body's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) accused Israel on Friday of using war-like" tactics in the West Bank amid a rise in killings and settler attacks since the olive harvest got under way last week. Nine people were killed by Israeli forces between 8-14 October, OCHA said. Continue reading...
by Rowena Mason, Richard Partington and Peter Walker on (#6RJT3)
Policy known as fiscal drag' could bring in as much as 7bn a year after 2028, while dragging workers into paying more taxRachel Reeves is expected to extend a stealth" freeze on income tax thresholds beyond the 2028 deadline set by the previous Conservative government to raise billions of pounds in the budget.The chancellor is contemplating the move, first reported by the Financial Times, as she seeks tax-raising measures to plug a 40bn shortfall in the public finances that Labour claims was left by the Conservatives. Continue reading...
Russian navy ships reportedly transferred 1,500 forces to Vladivostok, where they are being trainedSouth Korea's intelligence agency said on Friday that North Korea had dispatched troops to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, a development that could intensify the standoff between North Korea and the west.In a statement on its website, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Russian navy ships transferred 1,500 North Korean special operation forces to the port city of Vladivostok between 8 and 13 October who were now undergoing training. Continue reading...
Motorist accused of deliberately targeting 27-year-old Paul Varry in road rage incidentA motorist accused of deliberately running over a cyclist in a Paris road rage incident has been formally put under investigation for murder and remanded in custody.The 52-year-old SUV driver, named only as Ariel M, is accused of deliberately targeting the cyclist, who was named by the Paris public prosecutor's office as Paul Varry, 27. Continue reading...
Scientists say using the drugs to get people back into work could carry logistical and ethical problemsWeight loss jabs are not a quick fix" and the health secretary's plan to use them to help people get back to work could backfire, experts have warned.Wes Streeting announced a real-world trial of the medication's impact on worklessness this week, saying that widening waistbands" were placing a burden on the NHS. He suggested that as well as bringing benefits to the health service, the jabs could help people get back into employment. Continue reading...
Medications like Ozempic transformed' diabetes care because they improved health outcomes, say expertsObesity rates have decreased slightly in the US and while it's too early to say whether the trend will hold and what's causing the change, experts believe weight-loss drugs could be playing a role in continuing to lower obesity and reduce related health risks.These medications - Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and others - are called GLP-1 agonists, and they were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes. But they also show great promise for treating obesity and other health conditions, like heart disease, kidney and liver issues, sleep apnea, asthma, Covid complications and cancer, among others. Continue reading...
Deborah Cullingford argued yorkshire terrier helped her deal with strain of her Leeds job and aftermath of cancerA bailiff who took her miniature yorkshire terrier on debt collection jobs has lost her case for discrimination after being told she was not entitled to have an emotional support dog at work.Bella would accompany Deborah Cullingford, a county court bailiff operating in the Leeds area, to help with the stress of the job and the aftermath of three bouts of cancer. When colleagues spotted Bella in Cullingford's car, she was told by management that as Bella was not a guide dog, she could not continue to take her on jobs. Continue reading...
Pop legend calls for more kindness and empathy from public, and discusses his history of addictionRobbie Williams has shared an impassioned tribute to the One Direction singer Liam Payne, who died this week after falling from a balcony in a Buenos Aires hotel.Williams acted as a mentor to One Direction when the band competed on The X Factor in 2010, and continued a friendship with Payne and the group. Continue reading...
People could face fines of up to 400,000 rubles, as data suggests birthrate has slid to lowest level in quarter of a centuryA law that would ban propaganda" seeking to champion a childfree lifestyle has cleared its first hurdle in Russia's lower house of parliament, gaining unanimous approval among lawmakers for a bill promoted as a means to increase the country's birthrate.The new legislation sets out fines for those deemed to be discouraging people from having children, as official data released last month suggested Russia's birthrate had slid to its lowest level in a quarter of a century, a slump exacerbated by the country's ageing population and Moscow's war in Ukraine. Continue reading...
Amid a downpour at Sydney airport, the monarch arrives with Queen Camilla for a five-day visitMinutes after a drenching downpour came to an end at Sydney airport, King Charles and Queen Camilla stepped on to Australian soil for their first visit as reigning monarchs.The five-day trip is the couple's first Australian visit since the King ascended to the throne in 2022 and the first by a reigning monarch since his mother Queen Elizabeth toured the country in 2011. Continue reading...
French authorities say 65 people rescued after overloaded boat sinks off coast of WissantA baby died after a boat carrying people in the Channel towards Britain capsized off the French coast, local coastguards have said.Sixty-five people were rescued after the overloaded boat started to sink off the coast of Wissant, in northern France, on Thursday night. Some people were in the water when rescuers arrived. An unconscious baby found in the water was later declared dead. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6RJDJ)
Researchers shocked at discovery that gender difference in physical activity appears to begin so early in lifeGirls play outside in nature less than boys even at the age of two, according to the first national survey of play among preschool-age children in Britain.While researchers expect to see older children socialised to particular gender roles, they were shocked to see similar patterns of behaviour starting to emerge at such a young age. Continue reading...
Work and pensions minister says government will not go ahead with Tory plans but needs to make savingsLabour will bring its own reforms" to the benefits system in order to make 3bn worth of cuts, rather than stick to Conservative plans, a minister has suggested.The work and pensions minister Alison McGovern was asked by Times Radio why Labour was pressing ahead with plans made by the previous Tory government to amend work capability rules. Continue reading...
Teachers offered training on running classroom sessions for children to learn about inequality and sexismCombating the pernicious influence" of misogynists such as Andrew Tate in primary schools is as important as teaching children English and maths, the mayor of London has told teachers.Sadiq Khan has written to every primary school in London urging them to counter the online misogyny of influencers such as Tate through new classes and workshops that are being set up across the capital as part of plans to tackle violence against women and girls. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6RJB7)
Payne grew up in Bushbury, a suburban area north of the city, where he lived with his parents and two elder sistersHe became one of the biggest faces of pop music, but for the people of his home town Liam Payne will always be the boy from Wolverhampton who made it big.Before he skyrocketed to fame as a fifth of the boyband One Direction, Payne was an ordinary teenager, studying music technology at the local college and competing in cross-country running competitions across the West Midlands. Continue reading...
Terms used to categorise branch operators in Horizon IT scandal by race said to be common in 1980s public sectorLanguage in an infamous Post Office document that categorised branch operators as negroid types" was common in the public sector from the 1980s but continued to be used in the scandal-hit organisation until 2016, an inquiry has heard.The document, which revealed that lawyers investigating post office operators in the Horizon computer scandal used a racist term to categorise black workers, first became public in May last year when it was released to campaigners seeking justice for those wrongfully prosecuted. Continue reading...
More than 23,000 files were left open by the last government, says minister, with delays of up to four years in assigning victim statusThe Home Office has recruited 200 staff to clear a backlog of 23,300 modern slavery cases left by the last government, a minister has told the Guardian.Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, said the department planned to end prolonged uncertainty and anguish for survivors by finalising the cases within two years. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea, Peter Walker and Andrew Gregory on (#6RJAX)
Exclusive: news comes as figures show a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds in England have tried vapingRachel Reeves is considering raising the tax on vaping products in her budget this month as figures show that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds in England have used e-cigarettes.The chancellor is looking at increasing the tax after a consultation carried out by the last Conservative government. Continue reading...
by Emma Graham-Harrison and Artem Mazhulin in Kherson on (#6RJAW)
Ukrainians face new airborne threat that has killed 24 civilians and injured hundreds more since JulySasha Ustenko has survived three attacks by the Russian drones that stalk the streets of Kherson carrying fragmentation grenades to drop on anything that moves. The first, in late July, targeted a parked police car in central Kherson just as Ustenko walked past, throwing him to the ground. The second, in mid-August, hit a drinking water tanker as he queued for supplies, killing the driver. Ustenko was concussed, and came round to see a man lying in a pool of blood.The third time, in late September, he heard the drone buzzing above and sprinted for shelter under the branches of a cherry tree. He hoped its leaves would hide him but the grenade tumbled through the canopy and landed barely a metre away. Continue reading...
Israeli military presents drone footage from Gaza it says shows Sinwar sitting in a chair alone in a room wrecked by shelling with a severely wounded arm
by Helen Livingstone (now); Léonie Chao-Fong, Amy Se on (#6RHAT)
This blog has now closed. You can follow continuing liveblog coverage here, read all our coverage of the Israel-Gaza war here and all our coverage of Israel's war on Lebanon hereThe US military has mobilised its long-range B-2 stealth bombers to conduct strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations" in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The Pentagon said the facilities house various weapons components the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels, roiling commercial shipping in the Red Sea. This was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified," defence secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.The US Central Command said its battle damage assessments from the strikes were under way and did not indicate civilian casualties. The early morning strikes marked the first the US has used the B-2 bomber to attack Houthis in Yemen, and according to Bloomberg, the first time since January 2017 the wing-shaped bomber has flown in a combat mission.The mayor of one of the largest cities in Lebanon's south has been killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit the city's municipal headquarters during a meeting to coordinate aid deliveries to residents and those displaced by war. The strike, one of a series on Nabatieh on Wednesday morning, killed 16 people and wounded 52, the Lebanese health ministry said. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati accused Israel of intentionally targeting" the meeting.UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon said an Israeli army tank fired at a Unifil watchtower in Kafer Kela, a village in south Lebanon, in what it described as a direct and apparently deliberate" act. The incident is the latest in a string of violations that Unifil has blamed on the IDF, prompting international condemnation. The IDF denied it was targeting Unifil forces.Syrian news agency SANA reported an Israeli airstrike hitting the coastal city of Latakia. The state media outlet reported fires were triggered by the Israeli aggression" at the entrance to Latakia, a stronghold of president Bashar al-Assad. It also reported two injuries and damage to private properties.US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has spoken with Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, the Pentagon says, after Austin and secretary of state Antony Blinken jointly penned a letter earlier this week calling on Israel to improve Gaza's humanitarian situation.The US has demanded proof on the ground that Israel does not have a policy of starvation in northern Gaza as it turned up the pressure on the Netanyahu government to allow more aid into the territory. The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the security council on Wednesday at a meeting convened by France, UK and Algeria that such a policy would not just be horrific and unacceptable" but also had implications under international and US law".The risk of cholera spreading in Lebanon is very high", the World Health Organization has warned, after a case of the acute and potentially deadly infection was detected in the conflict-hit country. The WHO highlighted the risk of cholera spreading among hundreds of thousands of people displaced since Israel escalated its campaign against Hezbollah.More than 500 Filipino migrant workers are expected to soon be repatriated from Lebanon, according to the Philippine government, amid warnings that workers who want to leave are facing resistance from their employers.More than 500 Filipino migrant workers are expected to soon be repatriated from Lebanon, according to the Philippine government, amid warnings that workers who want to leave are facing resistance from their employers.
Some people have asked to be killed due to non-medical reasons - including isolation and homelessnessAn expert committee reviewing euthanasia deaths in Canada's most populous province has identified several cases in which patients asked to be killed in part for social reasons such as isolation and fears of homelessness, raising concerns over approvals for vulnerable people in the country's assisted dying system.Ontario's chief coroner issued several reports on Wednesday - after an Associated Press investigation based in part on data provided in one of the documents - reviewing the euthanasia deaths of people who were not terminally ill. The expert committee's reports are based on an analysis of anonymized cases, chosen for their implications for future euthanasia requests. Continue reading...
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