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Duchess of Sussex discusses their depiction in films such as Austin Powers and Kill Bill in her podcast seriesMeghan has attacked Hollywood caricatures of women from Asian cultures as she resumed her podcast series after its hiatus after the death of the Queen.The Duchess of Sussex discussed their depiction in films such as Austin Powers and Kill Bill, as well as her own experience of Korean culture in the US, with her guests: the journalist Lisa Ling and the comedian Margaret Cho. Continue reading...

High court says Vardy must cover 90% of fellow footballer’s wife’s costs after she lost libel trialRebekah Vardy will have to pay up to £1.5m to Coleen Rooney in legal fees after losing yet another stage in the “Wagatha Christie” libel trial.The high court on Tuesday decided that Vardy must pay 90% of Rooney’s court costs, a larger proportion than in many equivalent cases. The judge imposed the punitive charge partly because Vardy deliberately destroyed WhatsApp messages and other evidence relevant to the trial. Continue reading...

A day after the chancellor’s forced tax-cut reversal, the Tories in Birmingham were still performing some jagged manoeuvresBlue on blue attacks, confusion over tax and spending plans and dogged determination to avoid apologising marked day three of the Conservative party conference in Birmingham.A sense of a government in turmoil continued to be felt even after Monday’s U-turn over the chancellor’s controversial mini-budget. Key moments on Tuesday stemmed from at least five interviews given by Liz Truss to broadcasters, as well as interventions by other ministers, MPs and frustrated party activists.Truss refuses to rule out benefits cutsMordaunt challenges the PMMembers vent frustration at party chairTruss refuses to publicly endorse her chancellorBraverman accuses Tory colleagues of staging “a coup” against TrussConfusion over government’s tax and spending planTruss refuses to apologise to homeowners facing rate hikesTruss says public shouldn’t judge her as prime minister until end of next year.Welsh secretary echoes Mordaunt’s implicit warning to Truss on benefitsTruss says she still wants to cut 45% top rate of tax in principle Continue reading...

Organisers said Met had previously told them of traffic problems that put childcare costs rally in jeopardyThe Metropolitan police have confirmed they will support a major London protest by families over the cost of childcare after concerns it would have to be cancelled.Last Friday, the organisers Pregnant Then Screwed said the Met told them a temporary traffic order could not be issued and road closures and traffic management were not possible, putting the “March of the Mummies” event at the end of October in jeopardy. But after a further meeting on Tuesday the group confirmed the event had been given the go-ahead. Continue reading...

Damien Bendall pleads not guilty to murder over deaths in Killamarsh and denies rape of one childA man has admitted the manslaughter of a mother and three children, but pleaded not guilty to their murders and denied raping one of the child victims.Damien Bendall, 32, is charged with the rape and murder of Lacey Bennett, 11, as well as the murder of her brother, John Paul Bennett, 13, their mother, Terri Harris, 35, and Lacey’s friend, Connie Gent, 11. Continue reading...

The treasurer was used to empathising with borrowers after the RBA’s ‘supersized’ rises – instead, he got to talk about the budget

Party has fractured into intersecting groups whose members are united on issues such as low tax or ‘woke’ students

Shares jump 10% after trading update from retailer despite cost inflation forcing it to put up pricesHot food meal deals are helping to fuel sales growth at the high street baker Greggs, which raised the price of its popular sausage roll on Monday for a second time this year.The grab-and-go retailer said it was trading well in “an environment where cost pressures are significant”, and added it expected its full-year profits to be in line with previous forecasts, despite the economic uncertainty. Its value offer appealed to cost-conscious customers, pushing up total sales by nearly 15% in the 13 weeks to 1 October. Continue reading...

Country’s current government had sworn it would no longer use the hacking softwareJournalists and human rights defenders in Mexico were hacked using spyware made by Israel’s NSO Group as recently as 2021, even after the country’s current government swore it was no longer going to use the hacking software, new research has found.The alleged victims of the spyware include two journalists who report on issues related to official corruption and a prominent human rights defenders, according to digital rights researchers at R3D (Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales) and The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, which tracks such infections. Continue reading...

Ex-hospital electrician who filmed himself abusing corpses charged with 16 more offencesA double murderer who sexually abused dead bodies in hospital mortuaries has been charged with 16 further offences.David Fuller, 68, beat and strangled Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, to death before sexually assaulting them in two separate attacks in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in 1987. Continue reading...

The winners of the prestigious US awards, in five categories, will be announced in a ceremony in NovemberGayl Jones, Imani Perry and Sharon Olds are among the finalists for the 2022 National Book Awards, to be held in November in New York.The finalists, announced by the New York Times on Tuesday morning, include 25 writers across the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and young people’s literature. Continue reading...

Number of new conscripts at lowest level in a decade as country tries to build defences amid threat of Chinese invasionThe declining birthrate in Taiwan could cause “major challenges” to the island’s military recruitment capabilities, at a time when Taiwan is building its defences to ward off potential Chinese invasion, its government has been told.Like much of east Asia, Taiwan is facing a demographic crisis, with fewer people having children each year as the population ages. The issue has social and economic effects on countries but in Taiwan there is also concern over its impact on military personnel levels. Continue reading...

Liz Truss’s refusal to commit to a rise in line with inflation has triggered unrest among ToriesDowning Street has signalled it must cut billions in public spending to pay for its remaining proposed tax cuts. It has so far refused to rule out making savings from the welfare bill. The possibility of a real-terms cut to benefits – by raising them in line with earnings, rather than inflation – has triggered unrest among Conservative backbenchers and anti-poverty campaigners alike. Continue reading...

Queen Margrethe refuses to back down on stripping four grandchildren of royal titles but says she ‘underestimated’ effectDenmark’s Queen Margrethe has apologised for upsetting members of her family with her decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, but has refused to change her mind.The palace last week announced the four children of Margrethe’s youngest son, Prince Joachim, would no longer be called prince or princess but instead Count or Countess of Monpezat – the birth title of her late husband, the French-born Prince Henrik. Continue reading...

Boy, 14, and 13-year-old girl arrested after teenager found on Springwell estate dies in hospitalPolice have launched a murder investigation after a 14-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in Gateshead.Northumbria police said another 14-year-old boy had been arrested on suspicion of murder. Continue reading...

King may have lobbied ministers on emergency plan to help tenants as it could affect his Balmoral estateKing Charles has been allowed to vet and potentially lobby for changes to emergency legislation to freeze rents in Scotland because the measures could affect tenants on his private Highland estate at Balmoral.A bill to stop landlords unjustifiably raising rents for the next six months because of the cost of living crisis is being rushed through the Scottish parliament this week. Continue reading...

Kaba, killed by single shot to head fired by officer, was not a suspect but car he was driving had been flaggedChris Kaba was followed but not chased by police and was not a suspect before he was shot dead by a firearms officer, an inquest into his death has been told.The unarmed father-to-be was killed by a single shot to the head fired by an officer referred to only as NX121, in a residential road in Streatham on 5 September, Southwark coroner’s court heard on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

Government’s 45p tax U-turn and calmer stock markets do not result in cheaper new mortgage dealsThe average rate on a two-year fixed mortgage has jumped to just under 6%, according to data released on Tuesday, dashing hopes that government efforts to calm the financial markets might ease the cost of home loans.Amid warnings from brokers that 95% mortgages could be the next casualty of the financial uncertainty triggered by Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget, research firm Moneyfacts said the average new two-year fixed rate jumped to 5.97% on Tuesday, having already risen to 5.75% on Monday. Continue reading...

Ben van Beurden also warns against EU moves to cap price of gas and electricity to protect consumersThe chief executive of Shell has said governments may need to tax energy companies further to fund efforts to protect the “poorest” people from soaring bills.Ben van Beurden, the outgoing boss of the oil and gas company, told an energy conference in London: “One way or another there needs to be government intervention. Protecting the poorest, that probably may then mean that governments need to tax people in this room to pay for it. Continue reading...

The lyrics to Baraye by Shervin Hajipour are taken from ordinary Iranians voicing their anger in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s deathAs demonstrations against the death of Mahsa Amini enter their third week in Iran, a protest song by one of Iran’s most popular musicians has become the soundtrack to the biggest civil uprising for decades, channelling the rage of Iranians at home and abroad.The lyrics to Baraye by Shervin Hajipour are taken entirely from messages that Iranians have posted online about why they are protesting. Each begins with the word Baraye – meaning “For …” or “Because of …” in Farsi. Continue reading...

International organisations cite 60% fall in civilian casualties over six months, but critics say benefits of truce have been exaggeratedThe expiry of a six-month ceasefire in Yemen has thrust the country back into war after limited improvements in humanitarian conditions, according to analysts.Charities have criticised the failure to extend beyond Sunday the truce that was first agreed in April, and which they said had created hope for Yemenis. Although critics have said it created only a temporary stop in fighting that allowed the Houthi rebels to strengthen. Continue reading...

‘Every time she’s thirsty you gotta go give her a drink’: details of gourd’s diet and battles against ‘animals and critters’ in top bidHe set out to squash rivals’ dreams and he succeeded. Retired commercial farmer Scott Andrusz spent sleepless nights tending to a giant gourd in his field and finally came up with a new US record – a plump pumpkin weighing in at 2,554 pounds.The latest record holder for heaviest pumpkin grown in the US tended his prize pie filling in upstate New York and pureed the previous record holder, a grower in New Hampshire whose 2,528 monster set the national standard in 2018, but in the end wasn’t a patch on Andrusz’s. Continue reading...

Launch is the first time the North has apparently sent a missile over Japanese territory since 2017North Korea has launched a intermediate-range ballistic missile over northern Japan for the first time in five years, prompting the government to urge people to shelter from falling debris, in an apparent escalation of recent weapons tests by Kim Jong-un’s regime.Japan’s government had activated its J-Alert system on Tuesday morning for residents in the northernmost main island of Hokkaido and the country’s north-eastern Aomori prefecture. Train services were temporarily halted in the region. Continue reading...

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made the South American country’s deposits of bird poo more valuableAs countries around the world wrestle with shortages of imported fertiliser as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Peru has turned to a tried and tested alternative: bird poo.In the 19th century, fortunes were made and lost on guano, the potent excrement of fish-eating seabirds which was harvested by enslaved people from Africa and indentured Indigenous and Chinese labourers. Continue reading...

Iconic ticket on one-way trip to transport history as city opts for payment by travelcards and mobilesIt has inspired French film-makers and songwriters, proven useful to cannabis smokers and aestheticians and served as an emergency bookmark or jotter – but now the Paris Métro ticket has reached the end of the line.The city’s public transport authority is phasing out the rectangular pieces of cardboard that have kept the capital’s travellers on the move for the past 120 years. Continue reading...

Labour’s Ben Bradshaw says church is ‘actively pursuing a campaign of discrimination’ against lesbian and gay people

Kyiv’s troops advanced in southern Kherson province and made additional gains in east

Gregory Lee Roser denies feeding friend into chipper and told police in 2018 it wasn’t in his nature ‘to be nasty to people’

Shannon Fentiman says she will meet with Karen Iles after raising the matter with the police minister

Australian dollar drops and shares bounce higher on reserve bank’s dovish move. This blog is now closed

PM facing fresh battle with MPs as she declines to commit to raising benefits in line with inflation

French president’s ‘right-hand man’ allegedly failed to reveal family ties to public investment agencyThe top official in Emmanuel Macron’s office has been charged with a conflict of interest.The move against Alexis Kohler, who holds one of France’s most powerful jobs as Élysée secretary general, came hours after another ally of the French president, the justice minister, Éric Dupond-Moretti, was ordered to stand trial in a separate case, also over a conflict of interest. Continue reading...

Pollster and federal independent both say the Liberal government should be concerned about shift towards teals

Treasurer says while the government’s policy has not yet changed ‘any responsible government’ would be looking at global economic pressures

Long-running satirical publication files legal document relating to case of man who was arrested for making fun of policeThe clarion call of justice is sounding across America once again, thanks to the tireless efforts of its finest purveyor of made-up news.The Onion, the long-running satirical publication, has filed a very real legal document with the US supreme court, urging it to take on a case centered on the right to parody. And in order to make a serious legal point, the filing does what the Onion does best, offering a big helping of total nonsense. Continue reading...

Health official given ‘disingenuous’ representation of impact of changing thresholds, forensic testing inquiry hears

As economic turmoil continues, Shehbaz Sharif accuses predecessor of leaving the country in ruinsPakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has accused the former premier Imran Khan of being the “the biggest liar on the face of the earth” and injecting poison into society to “dangerously polarise the electorate” after he was toppled from power earlier this year.Speaking in his first interview from Pakistan since he took over as prime minister in April, Sharif, 70, spoke unsparingly of the “damage” that Khan, the former cricket superstar who ruled Pakistan from 2018, had done to the country in both domestic and foreign affairs. Continue reading...

Trial of Lehrmann, who denies allegations he sexually assaulted Brittany Higgins in 2019, begins in ACT supreme court

The cost of living crisis means almost 60% of shoppers expect to cut back in retail’s ‘golden quarter’British shoppers are expected to spend £4.4bn less on non-essentials – a fall of 22% – in the run-up to Christmas as a surge in the cost of living puts a squeeze on their spare cash.Almost 60% of shoppers expect to cut back on non-food spending in the so-called “golden quarter”, or last three months of the year when most retailers book the majority of profits, according to research by Retail Economics with retail technology firm Metapack. Continue reading...

The US territory has been frequently battered by hurricanes but is often overlooked by the federal government when it comes to aidJoe Biden announced on Monday that his administration will allocate $60m in funding for Puerto Rico specifically to help coastal areas become more storm-resilient, as he admitted, following the hit from Hurricane Fiona last month, that the island territory had faced much in the last five years and had not received enough timely assistance.The US president said the new funding would go toward strengthening flood walls, creating a new flood warning system and other projects. Continue reading...

Victim pronounced dead at scene after paramedics reported incident at 4.25pm on MondayA woman in her 60s has died after being attacked by dogs at a property in central Liverpool.Merseyside police said North West ambulance service paramedics reported the attack at St Brigids Crescent in Kirkdale at about 4.25pm on Monday. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and her relatives have been told. Continue reading...

West Midlands police blame shortchanging by Home Office as party officials report abuse and assaults on delegatesSenior Conservative officials have accused West Midlands police of failing to do enough to keep protesters away from delegates at the party conference, a leaked letter reveals.The disclosure comes just hours after the police were forced to lock down the conference in central Birmingham for several hours after a security scare. Police say they have been shortchanged by over £500,000 on the costs of keeping the conference in Birmingham secure. Continue reading...

Nearby ports are closed and emergency shelters open as 10in of rain and dangerous surf are expectedHurricane Orlene has made landfall on Mexico’s Pacific coast near the tourist town of Mazatlán, with winds of more than 80mph (130km/h).Electrical cables swayed and sent off showers of sparks in the town of El Rosario, about 40 miles (65km) south of Mazatlán, close to where the hurricane hit. Continue reading...

Dean Gittoes denies using excessive force to detain 16-year-old filming outside Merthyr Tydfil police stationA police inspector accused of assaulting a “vulnerable” boy who was filming outside a police station told colleagues he was tired of “internet freaks”, a court has heard.Insp Dean Gittoes, 49, of South Wales police, is accused of beating the 16-year-old outside Merthyr Tydfil police station. Continue reading...

Investors rush to buy credit default swaps as worries grow over solidity of bank’s balance sheetThe cost of buying insurance against Credit Suisse defaulting on its debt soared to a record high on Monday, amid fears on markets about the solidity of the balance sheet at the globally significant Swiss bank.There was a sell-off in the bank’s shares and bonds while investors rushed instead to buy credit default swaps (CDS) – insurance against the bank failing to meet its debts. Continue reading...

Jetson Maffia-Kerbey fell into family friend’s hot tub in Folkestone, Kent in June 2022The death of a one-year-old boy who drowned in a hot tub in a family friend’s garden was a tragic accident, an inquest has concluded.Jetson Maffia-Kerbey was 21 months old when he died on 13 June 2022. The inquest at Maidstone county hall heard that on the day of Jetson’s death, his father, Nigel Kerbey, took him to spend the day with family friend Graham Morgan and his three-year-old daughter at their home in Folkestone, Kent. Continue reading...

Unnamed man from south-east England collapsed in late stages of race and died in hospitalA 36-year-old man who collapsed while running the London Marathon on Sunday has died, organisers have announced.The man, who has not been named and was from south-east England, collapsed between mile 23 and mile 24 of the race. Continue reading...

Treasury minister in charge of welfare changes made comments in 2013

One former minister calls him the ‘worst performing cabinet minister so far’ in Liz Truss’s government

Media commentators weigh in on chancellor’s speech following his decision to scrap his tax cut for high earners