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While crumbling concrete dominated headlines, the modern, modular construction methods used to make three new schools also failedJust days before the government suddenly ordered schools in England to close buildings at risk of collapse due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), another - somewhat smaller - school buildings story hit the headlines.Three virtually brand-new schools were suddenly told to close by the Department for Education (DfE) with immediate effect because of safety fears. A further two primary schools, it later emerged, had to be demolished before completion. Continue reading...

A court was played audio of a clash between the woman and an unnamed child that was covertly recorded by police

Alleged driver Johnson Kokozian has charges upgraded over Heckenberg crash that killed Alina Kauffman and her brother

Kristian White appeared in court on assault charges after the death of 95-year-old dementia patient

Relatively affordable apartment buildings are being demolished to make way for ultra-luxurious' homes amid state's housing crisis

Mission: Impossible actor reveals in a new documentary she was abused for four years during her childhoodFrench actor Emmanuelle Beart was a victim of incest as a child, she said in a documentary presented on Tuesday, without identifying her abuser.Beart, who has starred in dozens of films and TV productions over the past 50 years, is the co-director of the documentary which was screened at a news conference in Paris on Tuesday. It will be broadcast on France's M6 channel on 24 September. Continue reading...

Arts minister keen for project celebrating links between notable figures and where they lived to be rolled out across EnglandThe official blue plaques scheme could be extended outside of London to honour notable figures and their connections to buildings across England.The project, run in London by English Heritage, celebrates the links between historically significant people and the buildings in which they lived and worked. Continue reading...

Mechanical failure blamed for 2018 crash, which killed club's owner and four othersThe pilot of the helicopter in the fatal crash at Leicester's football stadium in 2018 told his passengers I've no idea what's going on" as the aircraft spun out of control, accident investigators reported.Inspectors said the crash, which killed the owner of Leicester City Football Club, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, three other passengers and the pilot, was a tragic accident". Mechanical failure, through a worn ball bearing in the tail rotor, led to a loss of control after takeoff from the King Power Stadium. Continue reading...

FoI request reveals watchdog approached platform now known as X to discuss voice to parliament referendum but it did not substantially respond

Draft order will make it illegal to support the violent and destructive' Russian mercenary organisation in the UKThe Wagner mercenary group will be declared a terrorist organisation, the Home Office has announced.A draft order will be laid in parliament on Wednesday, which will make it illegal to be a member of or support the Russian group in the UK. The group has played a prominent role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine since it began in February 2022. Continue reading...

Electoral Commission expected to disclose seven-figure sum donated by Frank Hester OBE in its quarterly dataThe Conservatives have reportedly received a 5m donation from a healthcare technology entrepreneur.Frank Hester, the founder and chief executive of the Phoenix Partnership (TPP), has given the seven-figure sum, a Tory party source told the PA news agency. Continue reading...

North Korean and Russian leaders expected to discuss military cooperation in VladivostokKim Jong-un will reportedly travel to Russia this month to meet Vladimir Putin and discuss the possibility of supplying weapons to the Kremlin for the war in Ukraine.A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said details of the expected meeting were still unclear, but added that it was likely to take place in the Russian port city of Vladivostok, given its proximity to North Korea. Continue reading...

Brian Monahan suggests Republican leader in US Senate, 81, may be suffering effects of concussion sustained during fall in MarchMitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate, is not evidently suffering from a seizure disorder", a stroke or a movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease", the congressional physician said on Tuesday.The doctor's remarks came a little less than a week after the 81-year-old senator suffered a second worrying freeze in front of reporters. Continue reading...

Tank could be one of 14 UK gave to Ukraine that Kyiv was keeping in reserve for frontline breakthroughA battlefield video circulating on social media overnight showed the destruction of a British Challenger 2 from a mine and Russian drone in Ukraine, which would be the first time one of the tanks has been destroyed in combat.At the beginning of the clip, filmed from a car involved in the fighting, the Challenger 2 with its distinctive gun barrel is seen shrouded in thick, grey smoke after the battlefield incident. Continue reading...

Authorities unsure whether the aerated concrete at risk of collapse is present anywhere on the estateInvestigations are under way into whether the Houses of Parliament have any reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), the material at risk of collapse that has led to the closure of more than 100 schools.Maintenance teams are trying to establish whether the dangerous concrete is present in any parts of the parliamentary estate, Bloomberg reported. A source told the Guardian that parliamentary authorities are unsure whether Raac is present and are trying to find out. Continue reading...

Only four schools were rebuilt in 2021 in government scheme intended to cover 500 schools over 10-year periodMore than half of English schools that are so dilapidated they are at risk of partial closure were refused money under the government's school rebuilding scheme, Department for Education (DfE) statistics show.Amid mounting concerns about a wider apparent neglect of the schools estate in recent years, beyond the immediate alarm about crumbling concrete panels, it emerged that of 500 rebuilt schools planned for England over 10 years from 2020, just four were completed in 2021. Continue reading...

Authorities want to cut number of tourists as Unesco considers putting Italian city on heritage danger listVenice will trial a ticketing system from spring next year, with day visitors charged 5 to enter the Italian city's historic centre in an attempt to reduce tourist numbers.The city's council executive backed the move on Tuesday, just weeks after Unesco recommended Venice be added to its list of world heritage sites in danger, in part due to the impact of mass tourism. Continue reading...

Major incident declared and number of passengers injured after crash on Cleddau Bridge in west Wales, police sayOne person has been killed and another is critically injured after a collision involving a 52-seater bus and a car on a bridge in west Wales.A major incident was declared on Tuesday and a health board asked people not to attend the local hospital unless they had life-threatening injuries to ensure there was enough capacity to treat the people injured in the collision. Continue reading...

Girls who refused to remove banned garment given letter saying secularism is not a constraint, it is a liberty', says ministerOn the first day of the new academic year French schools sent home dozens of girls for refusing to remove their abayas, the education minister said on Tuesday.Defying a ban on the Muslim garment, nearly 300 girls showed up on Monday morning wearing an abaya, Gabriel Attal told the BFM broadcaster. Most agreed to change, but 67 refused and were sent home, he said. Continue reading...

Russian use of widely banned weapons accelerates casualty figures, report says; Ukraine president discusses provision of artillery shells and missiles

Proposed extension would threaten city's cultural life, say protesters, as 20 nightclubs would be demolishedBerlin clubbers have united with environmental campaigners to fight plans to extend a city autobahn that threatens the future of about 20 nightclubs in the east of the city.Thousands of techno fans and a broader clutch of protesters standing up for the city's cultural life took to Berlin's streets at the weekend in the latest in a string of demonstrations which have caused parts of the German capital to grind to a halt. Continue reading...

Portrait unveiled at country house once owned by plantation owner who enslaved actor's relatives in 18th centuryThe actor David Harewood has described his new portrait at Harewood House as a powerful example of his ancestor's resilience and the enduring legacy of descendants of enslaved people.Harewood House in Leeds, West Yorkshire, this week unveiled a portrait of the actor and author as part of its Missing Portraits series, which was launched in 2022 to redress the balance of artwork in its collection by depicting people of African-Caribbean heritage who have connections to the country house and its owners, the Lascelles family. Continue reading...

People caught producing or selling nitrous oxide could face 14 years in prison under new rulesNitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, is to become an illegal class C substance by the end of the year, the government has said.Those caught producing or selling the drug could also face up to 14 years in prison under the new rules. At present, the supply of nitrous oxide for recreational use is banned, but possession is not. Continue reading...

Home Office to introduce new measures as part of plan announced earlier this year to ban nitrous oxideKemi Badenoch, the business and trade secretary, was smiling as she left No 10 after cabinet this morning. Perhaps she has been reading the latest ConservativeHome survey of Tory members, which asks them to rate all members of cabinet. Ben Wallace used to regularly come top when he was defence secretary, but he is out of office now, and Badenoch is the clear leader.Rishi Sunak is near the bottom - with his ratings down significantly compared with last month. Continue reading...

Closed branches to be named tomorrow as administrators try to save majority of jobs and shopsMore than 50 Wilko stores are to shutand more than 1,300 jobs lost, as administrators continue to hold talks over a deal that would save most of the stricken retailer's outlets and employees.PwC confirmed that 52 Wilko stores will be closed with the loss of 1,016 jobs. Continue reading...

World leaders attending summit in New Delhi at weekend asked to dinner with president of Bharat'India was buzzing with speculation over rumoured plans to scrap official use of the country's English name, after a state-issued invitation to the G20 summit referred to it as Bharat.The government of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, has been working to remove lingering symbols of British rule from India's urban landscape, political institutions and history books, but this could be the biggest move yet. Continue reading...

NHS trusts told to familiarise themselves with evacuation plan in event buildings containing Raac start to fall downNHS bosses have told hospitals across England to be ready to evacuate staff and patients if buildings containing concrete that are at risk of collapse start to fall down.NHS England issued the instruction to all 224 health trusts on Tuesday in the wake of the row over reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete (Raac), which has led to the closure of more than 100 schools. Continue reading...

Terms such as steak', grill' and spare ribs' to be removed from plant-based foods if agriculture ministry's decree is accepted by EUFrance's long-running battle over vegan food names has escalated as the government published a decree banning meaty terms such as steak", grill" or spare ribs" being used to describe plant-based products.Marc Fesneau, the French agriculture minister, said the new government decree on products such as vegan ham" or plant-based steak" was about helping shoppers and an issue of transparency and honesty responding to the legitimate expectations of consumers and producers". Continue reading...

Havana says it is dismantling network seeking to recruit Cubans as mercenaries as Moscow attempts to boost its forcesCuba has uncovered a human trafficking ring aimed at recruiting Cubans to fight as mercenaries for Russia in its war in Ukraine, its foreign ministry has said, as Moscow seeks to increase the size of its forces in Ukraine.In a statement, the Cuban foreign ministry said that the authorities were working to neutralise and dismantle" the network which it said was operating within the Caribbean island nation and in Russia. Continue reading...

UK's largest council issues section 114 notice, signalling it cannot balance its budget without help

UK upgrades heat health warning from yellow to amber as hottest day of year predictedUK health officials have upgraded their warning for the escalating heat as southern England will experience an official heatwave this week, forecasters have confirmed.Temperatures are on the rise for much of the UK, most likely peaking on Wednesday and Thursday with 32C expected across parts of the south and south-east, the Met Office said. Continue reading...

Kyiv's counteroffensive slog means war is far from over - and Moscow still has chance of succeeding in its revised aims

Launch of weight-loss drug in UK helps Danish firm to market value of $428bnThe success of the weightloss drug Wegovy has helped its Danish manufacturer to overtake the French luxury group LVMH as Europe's most valuable company.After Novo Nordisk, which specialises in diabetes and weight loss treatments, launched Wegovy in the UK on Monday, its share price rose 0.7% to Danish kronor 1,310.80 ($190). Continue reading...

Ofcom consults on universal service obligation, which requires deliveries to all UK addresses six days a weekRoyal Mail is hoping to end Saturday letter deliveries after the postal regulator called for evidence on how its services might change as the popularity of paper post continues to fall.Ofcom, which has previously estimated Royal Mail could save up to 225m annually by dropping Saturday delivery and conducted research that found consumers were largely indifferent" to the idea, is beginning a process to establish how services might need to evolve to better reflect the changing needs of postal users". Continue reading...

Officers and civilian staff in Northern Ireland feeling frightened' and betrayed', Commons committee toldCatholic officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have been asking if they should bring their personal firearms to mass, such is their concern in the wake of a disastrous data breach, MPs have been told.PSNI officers and civilian staff felt frightened" and betrayed" by their employer, members of representative bodies told the House of Commons' Northern Ireland affairs committee, and were looking towards the UK government to provide large-scale funding to help. Continue reading...

Inquiry recommends national strategy and binding return-to-play rules to protect against head trauma

Republicans showcase range of hawkish policies designed to counter perceived threat amid diplomatic push by BidenThe United States' tangled and increasingly fraught relationship with China is emerging centre stage in the 2024 presidential campaign in a rare case of foreign policy capturing the limelight in the race for the White House.Half-a-century since a Republican president, Richard Nixon, made a historic visit to communist China to carve out a lauded strategic opening in the election year of 1972, Republican candidates vying to succeed him in the Oval Office are showcasing a range of hawkish policies designed to counter the perceived threat from Beijing. Continue reading...

Report says homelessness is worsening across EU and UK, with only Denmark and Finland making progressAlmost 1 million people are homeless on any given night across Europe, a new report has estimated. Continue reading...

The NSW moderate urges parliament to respond to the housing affordability crisis in her first Senate speech

Items include an archive from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1969 peace protest and a curious birthday card sent by George HarrisonAn archive of material from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1969 peace protest is among the items to be sold this month at one of the most expensive Beatles auctions ever held.Memorabilia will go under an online hammer with an upper estimated value of $8m (6.3m). It includes a section of TV set wall that formed the backdrop to the Beatles' breakthrough Ed Sullivan show appearance, clothes, speakers, signed contracts and a curious birthday card from George Harrison to his caretaker signed Adolf Schinkengruber". Continue reading...

Parliamentary committee will investigate after Labor blocked Qatar from almost doubling flights to Australia

Ten-year-old spent eight hours in a tree to escape flash floods that have left at least five people deadA 10-year-old Spanish boy has been rescued after clinging to a tree for eight hours to escape the flood waters that have claimed at least five lives as much of the country was lashed by record heavy rains over the weekend.The boy's family were staying at their holiday home in Aldea del Fresno, to the west of Madrid, when the storm hit on Sunday. Alarmed by the flash flooding, they climbed into their car late on Sunday night but soon found themselves swept away. The boy was found, dirty and bruised but still alive, the following morning - as were his mother and sister. His father is still missing. Continue reading...

Organisers of the event in the Nevada desert have asked people to stagger their exits after thousands were stranded over the weekendBurning Man festivalgoers began their slow exodus from the campsite in the northern Nevada desert after muddy roads that left tens of thousands of people stranded for days dried up enough to make travel possible.Festival organisers said they started to let traffic flow out of the main road about 2pm local time (2200 BST) on Monday - even as they continued to ask revellers to delay their exit to Tuesday to ease traffic. As of Monday afternoon, they said about 64,000 people remained at the festival site. Continue reading...

The Flying Kangaroo head likely never imagined he would eventually be seen as a liability requiring an earlier than scheduled retirement

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Prosecutors say ex-chair and CEO were complicit in atrocities by Sudanese army and militiasThe former CEO and the chair of a Swedish oil firm go on trial in Sweden on Tuesday, accused of complicity in war crimes in Sudan between 1999 and 2003.Prosecutors say the then-Lundin Oil - which has since changed name several times and in 2022 sold most of its business - asked Khartoum to secure a potential oilfield in what is now South Sudan, knowing this would mean seizing the area by force. Continue reading...

Suspects admit using excavator to smash hole in Ming-era section in Shanxi province, state media sayTwo people have been detained after using an excavator to dig a hole in the Great Wall of China, said the state broadcaster CCTV.Police in Shanxi province followed tracks made by machinery used to dig a shortcut through a segment of the wall - remains of the immense structure built by China's emperors to deter foreign invaders. Continue reading...

Cross-party delegation of Australian politicians to travel to US in attempt to build momentum against extraditing WikiLeaks founder

Gunshots were heard around the time of Frank Foley's disappearance from a fossicking area near Rubyvale in central Queensland