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Coalition urges health secretary to back changes as long-term sickness levels reach record high

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereBack on the PSNI data leak for a second, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has questioned how the details of PSNI officers and staff were all kept in one system.What's happened, why it's happened, I don't know, I don't get it - how 10,000 people were all in one system, particularly intelligence people - but I'm sure that will all come out in the wash," PA Media reports he told Newstalk. Continue reading...

Manju Malhotra, who joined retailer 25 years ago, is understood to have disagreed over pace of changeThe boss of Harvey Nichols has quit the retailer she first joined 25 years ago after tensions over its strategy and a member of the owning family will take the reins.Manju Malhotra started at the Knightsbridge store in London in 1998 as a newly qualified accountant and worked her way up through the ranks before becoming chief executive in January 2020, just before the pandemic forced stores to shut. Continue reading...

Trio detained in February after counter-terrorism investigation are accused of working for Moscow's security services, BBC reportsThree Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying for Russia while living in the UK have been arrested and charged, police have said.The defendants were among five people detained in February after a long-running counter-terrorism investigation. Three of those were then charged with possession of false identity documents with improper intention, according to the Metropolitan police, which is responsible for espionage cases. Continue reading...

Exclusive: David TC Davies accused of whipping up opposition against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communitiesConservative party chair, Greg Hands, has been urged to launch an internal investigation into the Welsh secretary, David TC Davies, over unacceptable" and racist" comments against the Traveller community.Earlier thjs month Davies circulated a leaflet that warned voters: Gypsy and Traveller site coming to your area soon!" before asking them: Would you like to see a Traveller site next to your house?" Continue reading...

Clevedon town council chairman says he cannot reveal why insurance policies were revokedThe seafront tennis courts have been shut and walkers told to stay away from a popular park. Allotment holders have been barred from their plots and classes at a community centre cancelled.At what should be its busiest time of the year, the Somerset seaside resort of Clevedon has been forced to close down many of its amenities after its town council lost its insurance. Continue reading...

Protection group appeals for funds after accepting 12,000 animals since beginning of summerFrench animals rescue centres say they have reached saturation" with abandoned pets this summer.More than 100,000 pets are abandoned to fend for themselves in France every year, more than half of them dumped just before or during long summer holidays when they are often found next to routes heading for the coast or countryside. Last summer, 60,000 pets were dumped, and animal rescuers say the figure is expected to be higher this year. Continue reading...

The Airbus A340 taking Annalena Baerbock to the region twice had to turn back to Abu Dhabi after refuellingGermany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, has been forced to abandon a trip to Oceania after a problem with her government plane twice forced it to return to Abu Dhabi.Baerbock set off from Berlin on Sunday, but a mechanical problem with her ageing German air force Airbus A340's landing flaps meant it had to turn back to Abu Dhabi after a refuelling stop there. The aircraft took off again on Monday night, but the technical problem resurfaced and the plane had to return to the Emirati capital again. Continue reading...

Open letter calls on Jewish leaders to speak out against ultimate purpose' of PM's judicial reforms - upholding regime of apartheid'Hundreds of Israeli and American public figures have called on US Jewish groups to speak out against the occupation of the Palestinian territories as the elephant in the room" of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's deeply divisive judicial reforms.The statement has drawn international attention because of the prominent Israelis who have signed its forthright declaration that Palestinians live under a regime of apartheid", including the renowned Israeli historian Benny Morris, and the former speaker of the Israeli parliament, Avraham Burg. Continue reading...

Americans had spent a night under the stars in a spot normally closed to the public but did not pose any apparent threat'Two American tourists have been found sleeping off a heavy night in the heights of Paris' Eiffel Tower, after dodging security the night before, the monument's operator said on Tuesday.Security guards roused the men in the early morning" as they were making their rounds before the French landmark's 9am opening time on Monday, publicly-owned Eiffel Tower operator Sete said. Continue reading...

Personal information of people including victims of crime was included in freedom of information responses, forces sayThe personal data of more than 1,000 people, including victims of crime, was included in freedom of information (FoI) responses issued by Norfolk and Suffolk police, the forces have said.In a statement, the two East Anglian constabularies said a technical issue" meant raw crime report data was included in a very small percentage" of FoI responses issued between April 2021 and March 2022. Continue reading...

Ursula von der Leyen aide reported to have ruled out returns agreement' in leaked copy of memo

Risks of interest rate overkill rising fast even though wages grew strongly in last quarter

Three children among those killed in blaze that started in vehicle repair shop in Dagestan and spread to petrol stationA fire at a petrol station in the southern Russian region of Dagestan has killed at least 30 people including three children, Russia's emergency services ministry said on Tuesday.The fire started at a car repair shop beside a main road in the Dagestani capital, Makhachkala, and caused explosions as it spread to the nearby filling station, officials said. It's like a war here," a witness said. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed.

Exclusive: more than 430,000 people in England and Wales awaiting review of personal independence paymentsDisabled people in England and Wales are missing out on an estimated 24m a month as record numbers wait for their personal independence payments (Pip) review, according to Citizens Advice.More than 430,000 people are awaiting a Pip review as the benefit backlog deepens, with some facing delays of more than two years, the charity network's report says. Continue reading...

Canberra man Muhammad Arif charged after Kuala Lumpur-bound Malaysian Airlines flight turned around on Monday because of alleged disturbance onboard

Some are spending life savings to stay out of the war, but such actions are seen as treasonous by those already fightingAt the last military checkpoint before he exited Ukraine in April, a 39-year-old man from Odesa handed over papers showing he had a serious spinal injury, thus exempting him from military service and from the ban on adult men leaving the country.One of the soldiers said, That hospital really likes this diagnosis, huh?'" recalled the man. I could see they knew exactly what was going on, and it wasn't the first time. But they were powerless to do anything, so waved me through," he said. Continue reading...

The father of Elliot Foote says he has been told his son, along with Steph Weisse, Will Teagle and Jordan Short were all found by rescuersFour Australians who went missing when their boat encountered poor weather off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province on Sunday have been found alive.Steph Weisse, Will Teagle and Jordan Short were found floating in the water on surfboards on Tuesday. Continue reading...

The grand jury in Fulton county court has issued an indictment accusing Donald Trump of efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss

Spokesman for Indigenous voice to parliament no campaign also condemns comments by Advance board member questioning Stan Grant's skin tone

Unprecedented merchandise sales have led to major stockists running low. Here's how to buy Matildas merch, or make your own to dress the part

Massive housing estates on the fringes of Sydney and Melbourne could be affected as Country Garden shares plunge

The wage price index figures show that despite a tight labour market, there has not been a breakout in wage growth

Minutes from the Reserve Bank's August meeting show the board considered lifting the cash rate to 4.35% but decided to allow more time to look at economic data

Group proposes Medicare reforms and a standard billing structure with $860 out-of-pocket cost to improve access

Odesa hit by three waves of missile strikes; Russia's rouble falls to lowest point in almost 17 monthsRussia launched three waves of drones and missiles against the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa, officials said on Monday, though the Ukrainian air force said it intercepted all the airborne weapons. Falling debris from the interceptions of 15 Shahed drones and eight Kalibr missiles damaged a residential building, a supermarket and a dormitory of an educational facility in the city, Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said. Two employees of the supermarket were hospitalised, Kiper said. Video showed a huge blaze at the store during the night and, the next day, the large building's charred and mangled wreckage.Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, visited troops at brigade headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian frontline region of Donetsk on Monday, his website said. Zelenskiy reportedly visited brigades involved in attacks on the section of the frontline facing Soledar, the Russian-held town north of Bakhmut.US ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy met jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Monday, a state department spokesperson said, her third such visit since his detention in March on espionage charges that he denies.

The Scissor Sisters singer will play the Emcee while Self Esteem will make her theatrical debut as Sally Bowles in Rebecca Frecknall's Olivier-winning musicalThe musicians Jake Shears and Self Esteem are to join the cast of the West End hit Cabaret. Shears, best known as the lead singer of Scissor Sisters, will play the Emcee in the musical while Self Esteem (AKA Rebecca Lucy Taylor) will make her theatrical debut as Sally Bowles.Director Rebecca Frecknall's intimate revival, which opened in 2021 and won seven Olivier awards, originally starred Eddie Redmayne as the Emcee and Jessie Buckley as Sally. Shears and Taylor will take over their roles from Mason Alexander Park and Maude Apatow respectively. Their first performances will take place on 25 September at the Playhouse theatre, transformed by designer Tom Scutt into the debauched Kit Kat Club of Weimar Berlin. Continue reading...

Thinktank warns that government's promises of levelling up are being undermined by system that is not fit for purpose'The government's levelling up plans for England are being hampered by a funding system that is not fit for purpose" and deprives the poorest areas of the financial support to match their needs, a leading thinktank has said.The Institute for Fiscal Studies said that the method for allocating money to pay for public services is out of date, based on inadequate data and skewed in favour of the better-off south-east. Continue reading...

Prescriptions for new drugs soon to be available as health service unable to offer enough face-to-face servicesWeight-loss jabs are among a range of measures that will soon be made available by the NHS via prescription on apps in an attempt to tackle obesity, as demand for traditional face-to-face services surges.The four programmes - Liva, Oviva, Roczen and Second Nature - can be downloaded via an app or computer, allowing specialists to provide care online. They have been recommended for use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) in new draft guidance and will bring together various specialists, including those providing psychological support. Continue reading...

Proposals to streamline' treatment, which government says are clinically led, would cut number of targets from nine to threeKeir Starmer has accused the government of moving the goalposts" as the number of NHS cancer waiting time targets is expected to be reduced.The government has been consulting on the proposed measures to streamline NHS cancer care, which would replace the nine existing cancer targets with just three. The target of all patients seeing a specialist within two weeks of an urgent referral for cancer tests by the GP is expected to be scrapped. Continue reading...

Tribunal member Sandra Gamble says embedded network customers need protections from unreasonably high prices'

Suspects may have fled the country after girl, named locally as Sara Sharif, died last weekThree people sought by detectives over the murder of a 10-year-old girl in Woking were known to the victim and may have fled the country, police have said.The child, who has been named as Sara Sharif in reports, was found dead at a house in Horsell, a village to the north-west of the town last Thursday. Surrey police believe the trio left the country the previous day. Continue reading...

Opposition leader says holiday could cost economy $2bn and instead promises $250m in community sports grants if elected

University and College Union is preparing a new ballot that could lead to marking boycott continuing and strikes lasting into 2024Universities across the UK will face another round of strikes next month unless employers agree to return to the negotiating table, the University and College Union has warned.A marking boycott that has left tens of thousands of students without their degree result this summer will continue, the union said, while preparations will get under way for a new strike ballot to renew the union's mandate. Continue reading...

The discovery of legionella onboard the barge has hampered ministers' attempts to use it as a deterrent for small boat crossings, but questions remain about the scheme's futureThe Home Office's decision to use the Bibby Stockholm barge to accommodate asylum seekers generated controversy long before the first person set foot onboard.But issues with its use came to a head on Friday when the government confirmed the asylum seekers were being evacuated just days after moving in because of legionella, a potentially deadly bacteria, being found in its water system. While officials have provided a plan to use an RAF base instead, many questions remain. Continue reading...

Response to federal prosecutors' move to render plea deal moot comes days after appointment of David Weiss to special counselLawyers for Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden who has been under a years-long federal investigation over failing to pay taxes and, separately, illegally possessing a gun, said that part of the plea deal which unexpectedly fell apart in July remains valid and binding", in a Sunday court filing.Federal prosecutors, led by US attorney David Weiss, had on Friday asked the court to cancel its request that the two sides reach a renewed agreement on the deal since there is no longer a plea agreement or diversion agreement for the Court to consider". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Martin Forde KC says fellow professionals are bewildered' at silence over case of Jacqueline McKenzieKeir Starmer is facing calls to defend the legal profession against government attacks on lefty lawyers", amid further concerns for the safety of an immigration solicitor subjected to a targeted campaign" by the Conservative party.Martin Forde KC, the senior lawyer commissioned by Starmer to investigate the Labour party's culture, said legal professionals from across the political spectrum had expressed their bewilderment that the Labour leader had not said anything after such personal attacks, even after former Conservative law officers criticised the political rhetoric aimed at lefty lawyers" on Friday. Continue reading...

Georgia court appears to publish then take down key document, while ex-president lashes out against perceived persecutorsThe indictment of Donald Trump over his attempted election subversion in Georgia loomed closer on Monday amid an apparent false alarm about charges being filed and a series of angry statements from the former president punctuating a day of prosecution presentations in court.At about midday, a two-page docket report posted to the Fulton county court website indicated charges against Trump including racketeering, conspiracy and false statements. The appearance of the report set off a flurry of news media activity, but then the document vanished. Continue reading...

Force's chief constable believes thousands of officers' personal details are in paramilitary handsRepublican paramilitaries have obtained the information that leaked in a Police Service of Northern Ireland data breach, according to the force's chief constable.Simon Byrne said on Monday that he believed dissident republicans had the dataset that mistakenly disclosed the personal details of more than 10,000 officers and staff last week. Continue reading...

Britain risks losing out to the US, Canada and Australia if it favours home over international studentsBritain should warmly welcome international students joining universities across the country or risk losing out to the US, Canada and Australia, the higher education admissions chief has said.The intervention came amid concerns that domestic students hoping to begin undergraduate courses this autumn could lose out to international applicants. Some courses in clearing in the run-up to A-level results day this week are available only to overseas students. Continue reading...

Overnight attack on southern port city wounded three, according to local governor; currency falls to weakest point in almost 17 months

Workers in their 40s, 50s and 60s and those without college degrees appear least likely to move into green jobs, research findsThe rate of transition from dirty" to green jobs is rapidly rising but older and blue collar workers in some states are being left behind, new research has found.Overall the transition rate from dirty to clean industries increased tenfold between 2005 and 2021 with a significant uptick in EV-related roles - even before the $369bn Inflation Reduction Act boost for renewables and electric cars. Continue reading...

Government urged to grant current cohort of Afghans on Chevening scholarship programme indefinite leave to remainAfghan scholars studying in the UK under a Foreign Office scheme say they live in fear of being forced back into Taliban clutches.The current cohort of Afghan Chevening scholars say they are stuck in limbo and face the possibility of having to return to Afghanistan after their graduation in September or once their visas expire. Continue reading...

Downing Street says it hopes to return people to the boat as soon as possible' but declines to give timeframe

Javier Milei, a former tantric sex coach and an admirer of Donald Trump, thinks climate crisis is a socialist lie'A former tantric sex coach who plans to do away with Argentina's public health and education systems, disband the central bank, dollarise the economy and allow people to sell their organs has moved a step closer to becoming the next president of Argentina after a landslide win in open primaries.In a surprise result that has upended Argentina's political universe, libertarian candidate Javier Milei took 30% of Sunday's vote with his Liberty Advances party, outpacing the hard-right candidate Patricia Bullrich of United for Change who came second with 28%. Continue reading...

Middle section of Randklev Bridge on Oslo to Trondheim line slid into Lagen River on Monday morningA critical railway bridge in Norway has collapsed into a river after a storm caused widespread damage to infrastructure.The middle part of the Randklev Bridge in Ringebu, which is crossed by the Dovre line connecting Oslo and Trondheim, slid into the Lagen River on Monday morning. Continue reading...

Those who sold buy-to-let this year made 10,500 less than those who did so in 2022, separate data showsA growing number of landlords have sold up as rates on mortgages surge, according to data that showed tenants facing sharply rising rents amid a squeezed housing market.Estimates by the estate agent Savills showed that 25,000 homes in UK were sold by landlords between April and May, compared with 22,000 in the previous two months. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese says movement on renters' rights is needed but has rejected the Greens' calls for a rent cap

Producer and record executive was, according to Quincy Jones, the silent architect of so many deals it would make your head spin'Clarence Avant, a longtime Hollywood insider whose work as a record executive, promoter, mentor and dealmaker earned him the moniker the Godfather of Black music", has died at 92.Avant, the subject of a 2019 Netflix documentary The Black Godfather, died on Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement by his family to the Hollywood Reporter. Continue reading...