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Poland and Baltic states say they will close borders if there is incident involving Wagner; Ukraine says it's troops have liberated key south-eastern settlement

Exclusive: Unite and Unison join campaigners urging government to exempt strike days from maternity calculationsThe UK's two biggest unions have backed calls for a review of the immoral" system where pregnant workers lose a portion of their maternity pay if they go on strike.Unite and Unison joined campaigners in calling for the government to exempt strike days from maternity pay calculations so that new parents are not penalised twice" for taking part in industrial action. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Data shows more than 34,000 households placed out of area last year, with some moved more than 200 miles awayCouncils are moving homeless families out of their neighbourhoods at almost three times the rate that has been officially recognised, and some have been uprooted hundreds of miles from their support networks, according to research.Data released under freedom of information (FoI) revealed that 34,418 households were placed out of area last year, based on responses from 80% of English councils. This incomplete figure suggests a total that is 172% above what was officially recorded the previous year. Continue reading...

UK home secretary insists force has sufficient staffing numbers to tackle back-to-basics policing'The UK home secretary has insisted the police have the resources required to meet a pledge to follow all reasonable lines of inquiry" in a fresh crackdown on crime.Police forces in England and Wales have agreed to follow all evidence such as footage from CCTV, doorbells and dashcams, as well as phone data, to find suspect or stolen property. Continue reading...

Home secretary confirms government considering fitting some migrants with electronic tagsSuella Braverman has said the government will do whatever it takes" if its plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is thwarted in Strasbourg", and confirmed the government is considering fitting some migrants with electronic tags.In an interview with the BBC, the home secretary stepped up her attack on the European court of human rights (ECHR), calling it politicised and interventionist. Continue reading...

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Kenneth Fawcett and John Wandless to appear in court after Andy Foster died following attack on doorstepTwo men have been charged with the murder of a 26-year-old man who died after a suspected ammonia spray attack on his front doorstep.Andy Foster, 26, was attacked at a property in Wrekenton, Gateshead, at 11pm on 20 August. Continue reading...

Emails released to parliament show former Labor staffer made $500 donation to Jo Haylen's campaign before party won election

Syrian military source says latest attacks forced flights to be diverted to Damascus and LatakiaIsraeli airstrikes on Aleppo airport in northern Syria have caused the grounding of flights, the Syrian state news agency Sana has reported, citing a military source.During more than 12 years of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, as well as Syrian army positions. Continue reading...

Bank data analysis suggests lenders could be unwittingly fuelling gambling problems by extending creditFinancial institutions in the UK may be lending more than 174m a month to people who are using a risky proportion of their income on gambling, an analysis of the spending patterns of loan customers suggests.The credit technology firm Abound looked at the open banking data of people who applied for its loans and used artificial intelligence to assess all their financial transactions over a six-month period. Continue reading...

Exclusive: MPs looking at how to respond to calls for UK to allow terminally ill, mentally competent adults to end their livesMore people believe it is acceptable to break the law to help a friend or loved who wants to die than believe it is wrong, a snapshot of UK public opinion on assisted dying has revealed.The finding comes as MPs weigh possible changes to laws governing end-of-life decisions and as a terminally ill Lancashire woman who is preparing to travel to Switzerland to end her life has described the UK law against assisted dying as cruel and anachronistic". Continue reading...

Commonwealth ombudsman says agency initially planned not to inform people affected by 15,803 potentially inaccurate child support assessments'

Inaccurate statement by the International Union for Conservation of Nature made as part of the 1982 process for world heritage status for Tasmanian wilderness area

Protesters in Tripoli wave Palestinian flags and block roads over what Libyan foreign ministry called a chance and unofficial encounter' with Israeli counterpartThe leader of Libya's government has suspended his foreign minister after her Israeli counterpart announced he had held talks with her last week in Rome, despite the countries not having formal relations.Prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah said on Sunday evening that minister Najla al-Mangoush has been temporarily suspended" and would be subject to an administrative investigation" by a commission chaired by the justice minister. Continue reading...

Ernst & Young partner tells inquiry it used same framework' applied to other major events such as Melbourne Grand Prix

The billionaire has touted his business experience, saying it was the era of entrepreneurs' rule'The billionaire founder of tech giant Foxconn, Terry Gou, has announced he will run for president of Taiwan as an independent candidate, pledging to fix cross-strait relations and boost Taiwan's economy.At a press conference on Monday, Gou - a well-known and outspoken businessman - announced what he called the era of entrepreneurs' rule". Continue reading...

Initiative in Chikushino honours three children killed by drink-driver, with motorists learning first-hand how badly alcohol makes you drivePolice and driving instructors in Japan have adopted an unorthodox approach to road safety in the hope of reducing incidences of drink-driving - by allowing drivers to consume alcohol before getting behind the wheel.Chikushino driving school in the south-western city of Fukuoka recently began offering controlled drink-driving experiences as part of a police campaign to convince overconfident" motorists never to drink and drive. Continue reading...

Danny Zayat charged three months after Dokhotaru was found dead in her Liverpool apartment

Hick will leave just six months after taking on the top job at the Andrew Forrest-founded miner

NSW Fisheries survey from May reveals attempts at repopulating river after 2018-19 drought appear to have failed

Lehrmann's legal team flag lengthy' cross-examination of Brittany Higgins ahead of defamation trial against two broadcasters

Roy Morgan research shows 1.5 million people - almost a third of all mortgage holders - are spending 25 to 45% of their income on their home loan

Analysis also reveals patients in more deprived areas are more likely to have their cancer diagnosed lateA postcode lottery in cancer care means more than one-fifth of patients with cancerous tumours wait longer than two months to have them removed in some parts of England, Labour has claimed.Analysis of NHS data exposes regional inequalities in cancer treatments, with one in five patients receiving care following a cancer diagnosis in the West Midlands waiting longer than two months to have their tumours removed. Continue reading...

Research from body representing 47 authorities says many could follow Slough, Croydon, Thurrock and Woking into collapseAt least 26 councils in some of Britain's most deprived areas are at risk of effective bankruptcy within the next two years, according to a leading local government group, which says many authorities simply have nothing left".Britain's local government network has been shaken by a string of financial collapses in the past two years, starting with Slough and followed by Croydon, Thurrock and most recently Woking, which announced a deficit of 1.2bn in June after a risky investment spree. Continue reading...

Shadow health secretary says bank managers are more regulated than hospital executivesA Labour government would ban NHS managers found guilty of serious misconduct in the aftermath of the Lucy Letby case, Wes Streeting has announced.The shadow health secretary noted that bank managers are more regulated than people running hospitals, as he pledged a new professional regulatory system, plus training for managers and strengthened accountability. Continue reading...

Forces told to consider all evidence from CCTV, doorbells and dashcams if it could lead to suspect or stolen propertyPolice forces have committed to follow all reasonable lines of inquiry" in an effort to improve investigations and drive down crime rates.The standards setting body published guidance for officers in England and Wales to consider all potential evidence - such as footage from CCTV, doorbells and dashcams, as well as phone tracking - if it could lead to a suspect or stolen property. Continue reading...

Preferred option for handling growing numbers of applicants is to increase number of detention places, but tagging has been mooted as short-term fixThe Home Office is considering fitting asylum seekers arriving in the UK via unauthorised means with electronic tags, it has been reported. Officials are mulling it as a way to prevent people who cannot be housed in limited detention sites from absconding, according to the Times.The Illegal Migration Act places a legal duty on the government to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally, either to Rwanda or another safe" third country. But with spaces in Home Office accommodation in short supply, officials have reportedly been tasked with a deep dive" into alternatives. Continue reading...

Nelson Chamisa, who lost to Emmerson Mnangagwa, asks for help from regional partners after poll observers say was not credibleZimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has called for solidarity from regional partners against a vote he called a gigantic fraud" that returned Emmerson Mnangagwa to power in Zimbabwe.Africa, do not leave us. Particularly our brothers and sisters in the region and the continent. We count on your solidarity as we seek to solve this political crisis," Chamisa said at a press conference in Harare. Continue reading...

Guy Goma tells Accidental Celebrities podcast he was not paid for confused appearance on News 24A man who became a viral sensation after being interviewed on the BBC in a case of mistaken identity 17 years ago has said he plans to sue the broadcaster for a share of the royalties.Guy Goma went to the BBC for a job interview in 2006 and ended up on air when he was mistaken for an IT expert, Guy Kewney. Continue reading...

Minister says women visiting the lakes of Band-e-Amir have not been wearing their hijabs properlyThe Taliban have banned women from visiting one of Afghanistan's most popular national parks, adding to a long list of restrictions aimed at shrinking women's access to public places.Thousands of people visit Band-e-Amir national park each year, taking in its stunning landscape of sapphire-blue lakes and towering cliffs in the country's central Bamiyan province. Continue reading...

Rest of audience applauds after people causing disturbance' removed from Dominion theatre on SaturdayTheatregoers were escorted from a London performance of Grease the Musical by police on Saturday night, to cheers of approval from the rest of the audience.Footage posted online shows eight police officers and staff from the Dominion theatre lining the stairway in the balcony as audience members chant out, out, out!". Continue reading...

Tourism body tries to nail down best recipe for a dish popular at home but often overshadowed abroadPad kaphrao has a strong claim to be Thailand's most loved dish. The meal - holy basil fried with minced meat - is a quick and easy staple. It is a regular among street vendors whose woks fill the air with a distinctive, fiery aroma, and on the menus of high-end restaurants and in the ready-made sections of convenience stores.But abroad it is overshadowed by the likes of pad thai and green curry - and when it does feature on menus, the ingredients tend to differ from those used in Thailand. Continue reading...

Genetic testing confirms identities of 10 people killed in plane crash including Wagner mercenary group boss, says Russia's investigation committeeOn the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts from Russia and the west share a craft the size of a large family home. So what happened when Moscow started a conflict 250 miles below on Earth?Stephen Walker reports that while the US and its allies are imposing the biggest sanctions package in history on Russia, the space station remains immune, a sanctions-free zone. Continue reading...

Jenni Hermoso receives ovation at Madrid match as hashtag #SeAcabo is embraced on social media in wake of Rubiales scandalWhen Jenni Hermoso arrived in the stands, the standing ovation was thundering. On the field below, Atletico de Madrid and AC Milan were battling it out for the Women's Cup, but the message - scrawled on posters, temporary tattoos and a metres-long banner unfurled by the players - was unanimous at the stadium in Madrid on Saturday night: We're with you, Jenni Hermoso."It was a hint of how the tumultuous events of the past week since La Roja's dazzling World Cup win have supercharged the long-running battle for equality in women's football. As the hashtag #SeAcabo, meaning it's over", was embraced from Sevilla to Santander, it was clear that Spanish football's #MeToo moment had arrived. Continue reading...

Labour and Lib Dems hopeful of capturing seat, and backbench Tories fear Dorries' words could haunt PMRishi Sunak's relief that Nadine Dorries is finally standing down as an MP has been tempered by fears of a difficult byelection ahead and anger among Conservative backbenchers that her angry outbursts will end up on Labour's general election leaflets.The former cabinet minister and Boris Johnson loyalist resigned her Commons seat of Mid Bedfordshire on Saturday, accusing the prime minister of betraying Tory principles and telling him: History will not judge you kindly." Continue reading...

There are concerns the World Bank and ADB are giving contracts to low-price bidders who then demand more when budgets blow out

Researchers say alarming' lack of representation could be contributing to gender gap in the field of Stem

Yang Hengjun has told supporters he is in pain from a cyst on his kidney that remains untreated

People in Glenfarg felt down in the dumps' as facilities were lost. A successful transport initiative is now inspiring othersEvery person that gets on the bus has their own story," says Douglas Fraser, parking his shiny 16-seater on the brae behind Glenfarg village hall.Young people can get to their football and rugby clubs in Kinross and visit friends. Older people with mobility problems get a blether on the bus when they don't have other opportunities to meet. And families who were going to have to leave the village can stay now because we've got better links." Continue reading...

Chair of parliamentary reparations group hits out at law preventing return of Parthenon marbles and Benin bronzesAn MP has said suspected thefts at the British Museum have exposed the insulting ridiculousness" of its refusal to return contested artefacts to their country of origin on security grounds.Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Afrikan reparations, believes the 1963 law preventing the return of objects such as the Parthenon marbles and the Benin bronzes should be changed. Continue reading...

The Osprey aircraft crashed in the Northern Territory's Tiwi Islands on Sunday morning

Shadow chancellor also confirms Starmer leadership pledge to increase 45p top rate is off the tableRachel Reeves has gone further than before in explicitly ruling out Labour imposing a wealth tax if it wins the next election, as the party doubles down on its efforts to demonstrate economic competence.The shadow chancellor confirmed that a Labour government would not bring in a mansion tax on expensive properties, increase capital gains tax or put up the top rate of income tax. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Guidance says police should presume evictions they are called to are likely to be unlawful after concerns about biasPolice in London are to be told to start arresting landlords who illegally and sometimes violently evict tenants after mounting concern about officers showing bias and enabling some unlawful evictions.After a 41% annual rise in legitimate no-fault" evictions involving court-appointed bailiffs, frontline officers will be issued with updated guidance telling them to presume any eviction they are called to is likely to be illegal and that the tenant should remain in the home. They will also be explicitly told that landlords using or threatening violence to enter an occupied home are committing a crime. Continue reading...

Family are said to have secured investment from anonymous backers based in Abu DhabiThe Barclay family are reportedly trying to regain control of the Telegraph newspaper group with financial support from investors in the Middle East, months after surrendering the debt-laden business to Lloyds Banking Group.The parent companies of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph titles as well as the Spectator fell into receivership in June, presenting a rare opportunity for a wealthy investor to take charge of one of Britain's most influential newspaper groups. Continue reading...

Descendants of William Gladstone urge British government to discuss reparations in the CaribbeanThe descendants of the former British prime minister William Gladstone have apologised for their family's past as enslavers in Guyana and urged the UK to discuss reparations in the Caribbean.Gladstone's father was one of the largest enslavers in the parts of the Caribbean colonised by Britain. Continue reading...

Committee says body of Wagner mercenary chief among 10 recovered from site and identified through forensic testing

The mercenary leader's reputation as patriot, martyr or traitor will be dictated by two linked factors - Putin and the result of the warIn a 2018 documentary, Vladimir Putin answers instantly when asked if there is anything he cannot forgive. Betrayal," he says with no hesitation.Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed in a probable assassination last week on board his Embraer private jet, held a similar belief. One of his fighters' tactics to punish deserters was to tape their heads to a block of concrete and then bludgeon them to death with a sledgehammer. The hammer became their symbol. Continue reading...

When the Romantic poet's younger brother John died at sea, marine artefacts helped him bear the loss, research revealsWhen William Wordsworth's beloved younger brother John died on a ship that sank in rough seas off the coast of Dorset in 1805, the great Romantic poet dealt with his sorrow by writing of the calamitous" loss: Sea, Ship, drown'd, Shipwreck - so it came/The meek, the brave, the good, was gone;/ He who had been our living John/ Was nothing but a name."John was captain of the East India Company's largest ship, the Earl of Abergavenny, which sank after hitting rocks shortly after embarking on a trading voyage to China. He was among more than 250 crew and passengers who perished on a bitterly cold February night. Continue reading...

Three others in police custody over death of Andy Foster, 26, who was sprayed with substance when he opened front doorTwo men have been arrested on suspicion of murder by police investigating the death of a man who was sprayed with a substance thought to be ammonia after he answered his front door.Andy Foster, 26, was attacked at his home in Wrekenton, Gateshead, at 11pm on Sunday 20 August. Continue reading...

Gale-force winds and hot, dry conditions whip up flames and hamper firefighting effortsMore than 600 firefighters, including reinforcements from several European countries, backed by a fleet of water-dropping planes and helicopters, are battling three major wildfires in Greece, two of which have been raging for days.A massive blaze in the country's north-eastern regions of Evros and Alexandroupolis, believed to have caused the deaths of 20 people, was burning for a ninth day. Continue reading...