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Schools minister Nick Gibb said the collapse happened at a school previously thought to have been at no risk from aerated concrete

Mourners gather outside 80 Albert Street amid criticisms of government response and lack of support for victims and familiesSouth African authorities were on Friday still searching for clues behind the cause of the most deadly fire in the country's history, with at least 74 people confirmed to have died and dozens more being treated in hospital.About 400 people are thought to have lived in informal settlements in the building at 80 Albert Street in central Johannesburg, which relied on illegal electricity connections for power and had no emergency exits. It is owned by the City of Johannesburg. Continue reading...

Ex-ITV journalist, who lasted less than a year in role, says No 10 is demanding and high-pressure place to work'Rishi Sunak's director of communications has quit her role, as Downing Street's mini-reshuffle took an internal turn.The former ITV journalist, Amber de Botton, who was brought in to salvage the government's sinking reputation when Sunak took over from Liz Truss as prime minister, announced on Friday she had decided it is the right time to move on". Continue reading...

Woman accused of contacting beauty blogger on Instagram and offering free salon treatment before killing her with accompliceA 23-year-old German-Iraqi woman has been indicted for murder after allegedly seeking out a lookalike on Instagram and killing her with an accomplice, in an effort to fake her own death.The woman, identified as Shahraban Kh-B, was initially thought to have been the murder victim when the blood-soaked body of a young woman was found last August in a parked Mercedes in Ingolstadt, southern Germany. Continue reading...

Hospital staff apparently failed to carry out observations needed to keep UWE Bristol rugby player safe, hearing is toldMedical staff caring for a student being treated in hospital after she suffered a dislocated hip in a rugby accident did not initially test her for sepsis even after a system designed to pick up early warning signs suggested this should have been done, an inquest has heard.Staff at Southmead hospital in Bristol also apparently failed to carry out all the observations needed to keep 20-year-old Maddy Lawrence safe, the hearing was told. Continue reading...

Canadian advocacy groups alarmed by anti-LGBTQ+ laws in America and say legislation having an impact across the borderCanadian LGBTQ rights and civil liberties organizations are speaking out about the rise in hostile laws and hate crimes in the United States.The development comes after the Canadian government earlier this week warned LGBTQ Canadian citizens about the risks of visiting the US due to a growing wave of anti-LGBTQ local laws. Continue reading...

Come and live in somebody's shoes who is at high risk of serious complications from the flu or Covid,' disability advocate says

Statement comes amid concern about allegations Saudi forces have killed hundreds of migrantsGermany ended a training programme for Saudi border forces, who have been implicated in the mass killing of migrants at the country's border with Yemen, after it was alerted to reports of possible massive human rights violations".In a statement to the Guardian, the German interior ministry said that training undertaken by the federal police service for the Saudi border force had been discontinued after reports of possible massive human rights violations became known and, as a precaution, are no longer included in the current training programme [for Saudi security forces]". Continue reading...

V&A has faced criticism for being slow to disassociate itself from benefactors with role in US opioid epidemicThe V&A Dundee has become the latest UK museum to remove a reference to the money it received from the Sackler family amid continuing anger over its central role in the opioid epidemic in the US.The 80m museum, Scotland's first devoted to design, opened in 2018 and had among its donors the Sackler Trust, which gave 500,000. Continue reading...

Couples unable to conceive are heading further afield, but experts suggest checking regulations that may differ abroadCaroline cried cycling to work after discovering she was going through early menopause. She received the diagnosis over the phone from her GP after months of brain fog, depression and other unexplained symptoms. Shortly afterwards, she ended up in a fertility clinic in Greece.At the time, three years ago, then aged 34, Caroline, who did not want to give her full name and who lives in London, knew she wanted children but her options in the UK were limited. There was a year-long waiting list for a single cycle of IVF in her area, plus another year's wait for egg donation. The length of wait was too long," Caroline said. Continue reading...

Unlawful practice still used in Kent was condemned after more than 200 went missing from accommodation

Approaching one year on from the start of her tenure, a look back on how it all fell apart within 49 daysWhen Liz Truss addressed the nation from Downing Street in her first speech as prime minister, she promised action this day, and action every day". It was meant to be a Churchillian call to arms demonstrating her determination to solve the intractable issues facing Britain. Instead, it foreshadowed the most chaotic period in recent political history.As the sole survivor through the cabinets of the three previous Conservative-led governments, Truss was used to putting pragmatism above principles. But that approach was cast aside when she swept in to No 10. Continue reading...

Post-Brexit environment watchdog put to the test as local authorities in England told to ignore extra sewage from new developmentsMichael Gove vowed in 2017, when trying to reassure remainers that leaving the EU did not mean leaving its standards behind, that Brexit would strengthen environmental protections" in the UK.But this week, the first proper ripping-up of an EU environmental rule was proposed by Gove himself, who has transitioned from proclaiming the virtues of a green Brexit" to referring to the very rules he promised to protect as defective". Continue reading...

Thaksin, who returned to Thailand last week, accepted his crime and showed remorse', says royal gazetteKing Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand has reduced the sentence of Thaksin Shinawatra from eight years down to one, just over a week after the former prime minister returned from more than 15 years in self-imposed exile.A document published in the royal gazette said the country's most famous politician had accepted his crime and showed remorse", adding the former prime minister was elderly and ill. Continue reading...

People say summer stink has been horrendous', with blame put on a Wessex Water sewage worksThe Dorset village of Wyke Regis has a lot going for it: sunsets across Lyme Bay, views of Chesil Beach's spectacular pebbly sweep, proximity to great swimming and sailing spots.But local people are not having a great time of it at the moment thanks to what has been called the Wyke whiff", an unpleasant smell that forces them to keep windows shut tight and ruins the simple pleasure of sitting out in the sunshine. Continue reading...

Group on holiday in Morocco when they were reportedly shot at by Algerian coastguard in waters off beach resort of SaidiaTwo holidaymakers jetskiing in Morocco have reportedly been shot dead by the Algerian coastguard when they strayed across the maritime border between the two countries.Bilal Kissi and Abdelali Merchouer, both French-Moroccan dual nationals, came under fire after taking a wrong turn off the beach resort of Saidia on Morocco's north-east tip, the Moroccan news website Le360 reported, citing a witness. Continue reading...

Riding most popular in Victoria and the Northern Territory with Tasmania at the bottom of the pile, new survey suggestsA pandemic bicycle boom has faded, with the latest statistics showing many people feel it is too dangerous to ride on Australian roads.There has been a steady decline in people cycling at least once during a 12-month period over the past decade, from about 40% in 2011 down to 34.2% in 2017. Continue reading...

Company breached rules that state existing policyholders should not be charged more than new onesDirect Line will pay about 30m to customers who were charged more than they should have been to renew car and home insurance policies.The UK's second biggest car insurer, which in June launched a review into motor insurance claims over the last five years after an investigation into the market by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said it discovered the overcharging problem after the incorrect implementation of the new pricing practice regulation that came into force in January last year. Continue reading...

Health minister's office confirms government has accepted expert body's advice. Follow today's live news updates

Coalition to pursue government when parliament resumes next week with Bridget McKenzie arguing it should come clean'The Coalition will use next week's sitting of federal parliament to vigorously pursue" the Albanese government over its decision to reject the bid by Qatar Airways to fly more services into Australia.Senators will also consider whether to recall Qantas for more questioning before parliamentary committees. Continue reading...

August 5.3% drop comes as sales completions down by about 40% in first half of year compared with 2021

Warrant issued in investigation into smuggling of antiquities looted from Turkey and trafficked through USA headless bronze statue believed to depict the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius has been seized from the Cleveland Museum of Art by New York authorities investigating antiquities looted from Turkey.A warrant signed by a judge in Manhattan on 14 August ordered the seizure of the statue, which the museum acquired in 1986 and had been a highlight of its collection of ancient Roman art. Continue reading...

Nick Gibb says buildings continue to be surveyed for risk of collapse after over 100 were told to shutThe schools minister has warned more schools in England could face closure after more than 100 were told to shut just days before term starts for thousands of pupils.The government has refused to publicly reveal the 104 education facilities that have been told to shut buildings due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a material at risk of collapse. Continue reading...

Exclusive: First look at the truth-telling and treaty-making body's work comes amid heavy Coalition scrutiny

The photographer Gideon Mendel travelled to Rhodes a month after the fires as part of his Burning World project. He sought to document the impact on lives and landscapesJuly 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded, and Rhodes in Greece was one of many places that faced scorching temperatures and wildfires. There were no human casualties but the fire ravaged about 135,000 hectares of forest and vegetation, burned more than 50,000 olive trees and many domestic animals, destroyed about 50 homes and led to the mass evacuation of tourists from the area.I travelled to the region a month after the fires, making new work for my Burning World project. I choose not to document the flames but rather seek out their aftermath, the traces left behind on lives and landscapes.The Ekaterini hotel in Kiotari, south Rhodes Continue reading...

Exclusive: Response comes after Fair Australia shared clip from Seven Psychopaths with face of Anthony Albanese superimposed over gun-toting thug

In today's newsletter: The former energy secretary starts his fifth cabinet post in the past year, but questions remain about his military nous Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. The UK awakes today with a new defence secretary and yet another cabinet job for Grant Shapps - his fifth in the space of a year.Shapps began last September as Boris Johnson's transport secretary, spent a week as Liz Truss's home secretary, replaced Jacob Rees-Mogg as business secretary after Rishi Sunak became prime minister, and then in February was demoted to energy secretary. Now he is in charge of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) at a moment when - as his predecessor Ben Wallace said in his resignation letter - the world will only get more insecure and more unstable". Continue reading...

Peak lawyers body renews call for federal complaints commission after inferior court judge found personally liable for false imprisonment

Election comes as minister faces a corruption investigation and voters express frustration with the electoral processSingaporeans will select a new president on Friday, a vote that will measure public mood at a time when the ruling party, which has been in power for more than six decades, is reeling from a spate of uncommon political scandals.The vote comes as a senior government minister is under investigation by the country's anti-graft agency, and after the resignation of two senior lawmakers over an affair. Continue reading...

Public consultation on cost-cutting plans ends on Friday, as drivers strike again over jobs and payUnions have urged one final push" to save railway ticket offices from closure before the public consultation ends on Friday, when train drivers strike again.Around half a million responses have been submitted to the consultation over cost-cutting proposals to close most of England's 1,000 station offices. Continue reading...

Data shows annual rent increases in all major cities topped 10% last year as advocates warn low-income earners are being priced out of the market

Former RBA deputy governor's exit comes days after the mining group's CFO and chief executive departed

It's not an easy decision,' broadcaster says, announcing he will leave show in December to take up other roles at Nine

Child, 12, suffers broken leg and hip injuries after allegedly stolen car crashed into tree in Cranebrook

Watchdog chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb wants to deliver new record penalty in case alleging Qantas sold tickets for already cancelled flights

Chief executive says pumped hydro project remains critical' to energy transition away from fossil fuels

Manufacturer of much of the western equipment used against Russian invasion says it aims to produce artillery

New Delhi municipal council has also deployed 30 to 40 people' to make monkey sounds to create the impression that the animals are aliveLifesize cutouts of langurs have sprung up in several parts of New Delhi over the last few days as officials look to prevent the smaller rhesus monkeys from disrupting the G20 summit that will take place next week.Rhesus monkeys are a menace in many areas in India's national capital, running across busy roads without warning - putting both themselves and motorists at risk - and often attacking unsuspecting pedestrians or residents. Continue reading...

African Union suspends Gabon's membership after General Brice Oligui Nguema and followers threw out re-elected president Ali BongoThe general who overthrew Gabon's 55-year Bongo dynasty will be sworn in on Monday as transitional president, the army has said, while the African Union's peace and security council has decided to immediately suspend" Gabon after the military coup this week.Gabon's opposition, meanwhile, has called for its candidate to be recognised as the winner of weekend elections. Continue reading...

Lower than average supply levels have put upwards pressure on values while flatlining interest rates are boosting buyer confidence

Urgent support' needed over high levels of violence and drugs at understaffed HMP WoodhillThe high-security jail that holds Charles Bronson needs urgent support" amid the high rate of attacks on prison officers and chronic" staff shortages, the watchdog has said.The chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, wrote to the justice secretary, Alex Chalk, to issue an urgent notification for improvement at HMP Woodhill after an inspection found the Milton Keynes jail was fundamentally unsafe". Continue reading...

Japan has learned key lessons from the 1923 earthquake that killed 105,000 people, but rapid growth of the capital has raised the stakesThe earthquake that struck the Tokyo region two minutes before noon on 1 September 1923 was so powerful that it destroyed the central weather bureau's seismometers.Over almost two days, fires triggered by household gas burners, chemicals and overhead wires raged through the wooden buildings of eastern Tokyo's low-lying shitamachi neighbourhoods. Continue reading...

Investigation into deaths of Vincent Hong and Timothy Saville let down' by Greek authorities, says coronerThe families of two men from Yorkshire who died on a scuba diving trip in Greece have been told they may never find out exactly what happened to their loved ones.A Hull coroner has said it is not possible to determine what caused the deaths of Dr Vincent Hong, a consultant cardiothoracic anaesthetist, and Timothy Saville, a Huddersfield businessman, who died within three days of each other on the same trip. Continue reading...

Ex-MP claims her account will lay bare a corruption of democracy deep at the heart of the Conservative Party and in Downing Street'Nadine Dorries' book on the downfall of Boris Johnson will be delayed until November because of the required legal process", the publisher has said.The former culture secretary, who resigned as an MP last weekend, has been writing a book on her staunch ally, which had been scheduled for release on 28 September, just before the Conservative party conference in Manchester. It will now be released on 9 November, HarperCollins said. Continue reading...

Physician says 81-year-old Senate Republican leader is medically clear' to continue with schedule after second freezing episodeMitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate, was given a clean bill of health by the congressional physician, a day after freezing in front of reporters for the second time in a month.In a short statement, the physician, Brian P Monahan, said he had consulted with McConnell and told him he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned". Continue reading...

Jasmine Paez, 18, arrested by Miami police after she allegedly filled out request form on spoof website Rentahitman.comThe spoof website Rentahitman.com has caught another seemingly genuine customer, this time a Florida mother allegedly plotting to kill her three-year old son.Last month, Miami-Dade police arrested 18-year old Jazmin Paez after she filled out a request form on the parody website - which she thought was real - to have her son killed, according to arrest documents reviewed by local TV station NBC 6. Continue reading...

Former president enters not guilty plea via attorney, skipping arraignment planned for Fulton county next week

Blaze at five-storey block puts spotlight on dangerous state of hijacked' city buildings occupied by vulnerable residentsSurvivors of a fire that ripped through a building in Johannesburg described jumping out of windows to escape the flames, as questions were raised about the dilapidated and dangerous state of the informal dwellings housing poor economic migrants in the city.The death toll rose to 74 on Thursday afternoon following the blaze that took hold in the early hours of the morning. Dozens more people were being treated for injuries in hospitals around the city. Continue reading...

Former president's court filing means he will not appear in Fulton county for formal arraignment next weekDonald Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges that he conspired and engaged in racketeering activity to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia, according to a court filing submitted by his lawyer in superior court in Atlanta.The former president also attested in the filing that he would waive his arraignment - the formal reading of the indictment handed up by a jury this month - meaning he will not need to appear for that proceeding next week. Continue reading...