by Julian Borger in Washington, Peter Beaumont in Kyi on (#64JTR)
Kyiv presses military and diplomatic wishlist as French president sees ‘profound change in nature of this war’Volodymyr Zelenskiy will address G7 leaders on Tuesday to demand a significant increase in their military and diplomatic support after the biggest Russian missile attack on Ukrainian cities since the start of the war.The French president, Emmanuel Macron, described the attack, in which cruise missiles and armed drones rained down on parks, playgrounds, power stations and other civilian targets, as “a profound change in the nature of this war”. Continue reading...
The Bahraini activist who is serving a life sentence in prison for his role in anti-government protests was chosen to share the PEN Pinter prize by Malorie BlackmanThe academic, activist and blogger Abduljalil al-Singace from Bahrain has been named this year’s international writer of courage by Malorie Blackman. Al-Singace is serving a life sentence in prison for his role in Bahrain’s 2011 anti-government protests.The award is part of the PEN Pinter prize, which goes to an author deemed to have fulfilled Harold Pinter’s aspiration to “define the real truth of our lives and our societies”. This year’s PEN Pinter winner was Blackman, the first children’s writer to be awarded the prize. She chose al-Singace as the international writer of courage, an award for an author who has been persecuted for speaking out about their beliefs, with whom she will share her prize. Continue reading...
Jack Sepple, 23, killed Ashley Wadsworth, 19, after becoming angered by her decision to return homeA man who stabbed his 19-year-old girlfriend to death in a “brutal and cowardly attack” after being angered by her decision to return home to Canada has been handed a life sentence.Jack Sepple, 23, killed Ashley Wadsworth at the one-bedroom flat they shared in Chelmsford, Essex, on 1 February. Continue reading...
Death of Anthony Bird was unsolved for 41 years until John Paul, 61, allegedly told police he had ‘battered him’A 61-year-old accused of killing a part-time barman more than 40 years ago walked into a police station to confess to murder, a court has heard.Anthony Bird, 42, was found dead at his flat in west London on 6 June 1980, naked and with his wrists bound, the Old Bailey heard. His death remained unsolved for 41 years, until John Paul allegedly told police he had “battered him” with a lump of wood. Continue reading...
Scotland’s first minister leaves question of how independence will be delivered hanging in the airIt was a cleverly crafted speech from Nicola Sturgeon, by far the UK’s longest-serving party leader; she used bright splashes of colour, judicious notes of caution, and delivered it with conviction.Yet what was equally noticeable was what she did not say. For all the optimism and confidence-building Sturgeon offered around the case for independence, there was much less clarity and certainty about how it might be delivered. Her speech left that question, the biggest question of all, hanging in the air. Continue reading...
Any use of Italy’s publicly owned art to sell merchandise requires permission and payment of a feeItaly’s Uffizi Galleries are suing the French fashion house Jean Paul Gaultier for damages that could exceed €100,000 (£88,000) after the company’s allegedly unauthorised use of images of Botticelli’s Renaissance masterpiece The Birth of Venus to adorn a range of clothing products, including T-shirts, leggings and bodices.The matter came to light earlier this year after the Uffizi in Florence was notified of the garments being advertised by Jean Paul Gaultier on its website and social media. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England correspondent on (#64JN0)
Nurse is accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder another 10 between June 2015 and June 2016A nurse murdered seven babies and attempted to kill 10 others by poisoning them on a hospital neonatal unit where she was a “constant malevolent presence”, a court has heard.Lucy Letby, 32, fatally injected newborns with insulin, air or milk during night shifts when she knew their parents would not be present, a jury was told. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#64JGJ)
First minister promises ‘steady hand on tiller’ while offering reassurance to those opposed to UK exitFollow the latest developments – politics liveNicola Sturgeon has told the Scottish National party’s annual conference that “we are the independence generation”, while reassuring those who will never be persuaded of the merits of leaving the UK that “whatever happens in future, Scotland belongs to you as much as it does to us”.Addressing delegates in Aberdeen at the party’s first in-person conference since the pandemic, she promised Scotland “a steady and compassionate hand on the tiller” through the cost of living crisis. Continue reading...
Spokesperson says ‘no plans’ to reclassify drug despite claims that home secretary supports moveDowning Street has distanced itself from reports that Suella Braverman wished to reclassify marijuana as a class A drug amid sniping from parliamentary colleagues that the home secretary was failing to fall into line with government policies.The prime minister’s spokesperson said on Monday that there were “no plans” to change the drug from class B, despite several reports claiming that those close to the home secretary said she supported the move. Continue reading...
Omar Abdalmajeed As’ad was subjected to force by IDF soldiers at a West Bank checkpointIsrael says it has reached a settlement with the family of a Palestinian-American man who died after soldiers used force to detain him, in a rare case of compensation for a Palestinian claim of wrongdoing by Israeli forces.Omar Abdalmajeed As’ad, 78, was detained at a checkpoint in Jiljilya in the occupied West Bank in January and “apprehended after resisting a check”, according to an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) statement. He was handcuffed, gagged and blindfolded for between 20 minutes and an hour, and found by locals after the soldiers left. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#64J59)
Members of Criminal Bar Association accept government pay rise of 15% on legal aid fees for most crown casesCriminal barristers have voted to accept the government’s pay deal on legal aid fees and end their indefinite strike.The offer by the justice secretary, Brandon Lewis, included a 15% increase in legal aid fees to “the vast majority of cases currently in the crown court”, £3m of funding for case preparation and £4m for prerecorded cross-examinations of vulnerable victims and witnesses. Continue reading...
The most important lesson from that decade is not to waste the moment of a prospective Labour governmentOn Wednesday, Liz Truss arrived on stage at her party conference to M People’s Moving On Up. In some ways, it was an apt choice, its final stanza saying more or less exactly what the speech said:Moving, moving, moving
H5N1 strain, first detected in Europe, has spread rapidly across the country, and with no vaccine available, options are limitedEver year during the fall migration season, 5.4 million waterfowl descend on California, as birds from Canada and Alaska make their way south on an aerial transnational highway known as the Pacific Flyway.This year, the arrival of the birds also brings concern. A new avian influenza is circulating, and that means trouble for domestic chickens, wild birds and even mammals. Continue reading...
Move comes in response to violent suppression of protests over death of Mahsa Amini in police custodyBritain has announced sanctions against Iran’s morality police in its entirety as well as its national chief and the head of its Tehran division in response to the violent suppression of protests since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.The morality police have been responsible for the street patrols forcing women to wear hijab and attend re-education classes on modesty and chastity. Amini was stopped by the morality police over her clothing while walking in a park in Tehran and taken into detention. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England correspondent on (#64J8K)
Letby, 32, entered not guilty pleas at Manchester court to seven counts of murder and 15 of attempted murderA nurse has pleaded not guilty to murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others in a hospital neo-natal ward in Chester.Lucy Letby, 32, is accused of killing or attempting to kill 17 babies at the Countess of Chester hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Internal report at nurses’ union finds male-dominated governing body ‘not fit for purpose’A damning inquiry into the Royal College of Nursing, the world’s biggest nurses’ union, has exposed bullying, misogyny and a sexual culture where women are at risk of “alcohol and power-related exploitation”.A 77-page internal report by Bruce Carr KC, leaked to the Guardian, lays bare how the RCN’s senior leadership has been “riddled with division, dysfunction and distrust” and condemns the male-dominated governing body, known as council, as “not fit for purpose”.that it is “clear that congress is seen by many as an opportunity to engage in sexual activity, which will carry with it a substantial risk that a line will be crossed so as to become exploitative … All the more so where there is a power imbalance between the individuals involved and all the more so where large amounts of alcohol are consumed”.There is a “culture in which the ‘congress wife’ (or husband) is a term in common usage and is reflective of a prevalence of extramarital sexual relationships”, which encourages others to expect “to have the opportunity [to] engage in similar behaviour”.An elected official had informed him that people’s “moral compass” would fall away at conference. The individual said he had been “approached in a way by females, over a few years, and basically – how can I put it – offering it to you on a plate, if you like: it’s there for you, because they perceive you as having power”.A council member told Carr that on joining the body they had been told that “students need to be on their guard really and are quite vulnerable and I can see what they meant by it”. A second said there was “abuse, grooming, preying” in a “boozy sexualised culture”.Outside conference, Carr said he had also heard allegations of sexual harassment in the RCN and that he noted “that they do to some extent support the impression that there is a culture of some senior individuals seeking to take advantage of subordinates and engaging in unwanted sexual behaviours”. Continue reading...
Britons finding it easier to manage budgets and monitor spending using notes and coinsThe Post Office handled a record of almost £3.5bn in cash for customers in August, against a backdrop of bank branch closures and the cost of living crisis.The £3.45bn in cash crossing Post Office counters in August was the highest total since it began recording volumes it handles through its 11,500 local branches five years ago. August is traditionally a quieter month for cash transactions at its branches. Continue reading...
Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who becomes shortest serving PM in Malaysian history, hopes to win stronger mandate for his partyMalaysia’s prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has called for an early election, hoping to win a stronger mandate for his party and stabilise the rocky political landscape that has plagued the country over the last four years.The ruling party’s rush for an election comes as the economy, still recovering from the Covid pandemic, has begun to feel the pinch of rising costs and a global slowdown. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Political correspondent on (#64J6F)
Former Tory chancellor also calls on Kwasi Kwarteng to speed up release of OBR forecastsLiz Truss must increase benefits in line with inflation rather than earnings, the former chancellor Sajid Javid has said, as the prime minister faces increasing Conservative pressure to relent over the issue.Victoria Prentis, the work and pensions minister, insisted no decision had been made, while seeming to hint she would prefer the more generous settlement. Continue reading...
Ten winners will be given advice on how to create safe cycling infrastructure as well as head off vocal criticsCities around the world will have the chance to compete for $1m (£902,000) in funding as well as expertise to build new cycling infrastructure under a plan launched by the charitable foundation set up by Mike Bloomberg, who as New York mayor pioneered new bike lanes in the city.Under the scheme, launched on Monday by Bloomberg Philanthropies, 10 cities will be awarded up to $1m each to create safe cycling routes, and will also be given help designing the schemes and on engaging with residents and potential opposition. Continue reading...
Scientist Alicia Quartermain concerned evidence may have been omitted from criminal casesDNA evidence may have been omitted from criminal cases in Queensland because some samples weren’t tested thoroughly, with closer scrutiny of examples from sexual assault cases showing “usable” profiles, an inquiry has heard.The probe, led by former judge Walter Sofronoff, is examining the state-run lab’s 2018 decision to stop testing samples that contained tiny amounts of DNA. Continue reading...
Recently re-elected Krišjānis Kariņš argues potential wave of Russians fleeing mobilisation poses security riskLatvia’s prime minister, Krišjānis Kariņš, has called on EU leaders to stop all tourist visas for Russians, reigniting the debate about further tightening sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s Russia.Speaking to the Guardian, Kariņš rejected the idea that allowing Russians seeking to evade the draft to enter the EU would be a way to weaken the Kremlin’s armed forces. He said it was understandable that many men would not wish “to go and fight and likely die in Ukraine” and this could trigger a “potential huge immigration wave coming from Russia”, but contended that posed a security risk to Europe. “I think the political dissenters have mostly already left. Then there will be economic opportunists, many, many other reasons and people with unknown loyalties.” Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe, south-east Asia correspondent, on (#64J2K)
Attack that left 37 dead was carried out by former police officer dismissed from the force for methamphetamine possessionThe Thai prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, has ordered a clampdown on drugs, including an emphasis on rehabilitation, following the mass shooting and stabbing at a nursery in north-eastern Thailand that left 37 people dead, mostly young children.The unprecedented attack has shaken Thailand, where mass killings are rare, and prompted calls for a tougher stance on drugs. It was carried out by a former police officer, identified by police as Panya Khamrab, who had been dismissed from the force for methamphetamine possession. Continue reading...
Experts say the progressive vote is disillusioned with incremental changes brought in by Ardern Labour governmentLate in the campaign period of Auckland’s mayoral election came a spate of strange, oddly specific, billboard vandalism. As the race in New Zealand’s most populous city wound to its conclusion, boardings for Efeso Collins, an independent progressive candidate and mayoral frontrunner, were plasteredwith red “Labour” party logos.Compared with the moustaches and monobrows that typically bedeck election billboards, it seemed an innocuous choice for vandals. But Collins’ campaign said it was an act of politicised sabotage. “None of our allies or volunteers have been doing it,” a spokesperson told The Spinoff. “We believe it’s an attack tactic.” Continue reading...
Legitimacy of court-appointed ‘experts’ to come under review after mother loses custody appealOne of Britain’s most senior judges is to examine issues relating to the regulation of court-appointed experts who provide evidence about child welfare in private custody hearings – and, in particular, where “parental alienation” is a feature.Sir Andrew McFarlane, the president of the family division of the high court, will oversee an appeal later this month brought by a mother who challenged the qualifications of a court-appointed expert who found she had “alienated” her children from their father. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Simon Clarke hopes to win over blue wall Tories by ending new-home targets as well as green and affordability rulesSimon Clarke, the levelling up secretary, threatens to reignite the feud over housebuilding within the Conservative party with a significant “planning reset” that could water down environmental protections and affordable home requirements across England.The latest in Liz Truss’s string of supply side reforms – nicknamed “Operation Rolling Thunder” in Whitehall – is slated to be launched by Clarke within weeks, and is expected to see him argue for a flurry of housing development as part of the government’s “dash for growth”. Continue reading...
Online history centre launches against backdrop of renewed debate over the conflict’s legacyIn the middle of September, three weeks before Spain’s senate approved a landmark law to honour the victims of the Spanish civil war and the subsequent Franco dictatorship, a new museum quietly threw open its digital doors.The Virtual Museum of the Spanish Civil War, an online history centre that has been almost a decade in the making, may chronicle and examine a conflict that ended 83 years ago but its aims could not be more timely. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#64J1R)
Peers from all parties seeking to stop bill getting on statute books amid hope of more optimistic talksLiz Truss is facing a rebellion in the House of Lords over the Northern Ireland Brexit protocol which is proceeding to its next stage just as negotiations to end the dispute with the EU are resumed.It is scheduled to get a second reading in the House of Lords on Tuesday but peers organising the rebellion are planning to let it squeak through for tactical reasons. Continue reading...
Former Hollywood producer, 70, convicted on separate charges in New York in 2020, faces 11 counts for alleged attacks on five womenThe trial of Harvey Weinstein is starting in a California courtroom, marking the second time the former Hollywood titan is standing trial on accusations of sexual assault.Weinstein, now 70, is facing 11 sexual assault charges for alleged attacks against five women between 2004 to 2013. The accusations include forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual battery by restraint and sexual penetration by use of force. Continue reading...
A 3% pay rise for team managers amid 10% inflation comes after a string of wage rises for hourly staffThousands of Tesco staff have been forced to take a large real-terms pay cut as the supermarket puts a squeeze on store managers while offering bigger wage rises for lower-paid workers.In the latest pay battle amid the cost of living crisis, the retailer’s team managers, who earn about £30,000 a year, say they have received as little as a 3% pay rise. The official rate of inflation is close to 10%, and expected to hit 11% this month. Continue reading...
Vessel capsized in Ogbaru area of Anambra state, one of 29 to have experienced heavy flooding this yearThe death toll from a boat accident in Nigeria’s south-eastern state of Anambra has risen to 76, the president has said.The vessel capsized on Friday amid heavy flooding in the Ogbaru area of Anambra, according to officials on Saturday, when they said at least 10 people had died and 60 were missing. Continue reading...
Ciolac, 35, died in hospital after officer reportedly fired three shots at man armed with knifeA man who was shot dead by armed officers in the car park of a police station in Derby has been named as Marius Ciolac.Armed officers were called at 9.55am on Friday after officers reported seeing a man armed with a knife in the secure car park of Ascot Drive police station. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#64HPZ)
Exclusive: Tory MPs warn PM she would lose vote on increasing benefits only in line with earnings rather than inflationLiz Truss is teetering on the edge of performing another big U-turn as Tory MPs warned she would lose a vote on delivering a real-terms cut to benefits while new research showed the move could push an extra 450,000 people into poverty.Despite desperate pleas for party unity from senior ministers after weeks of bitter infighting, the row over welfare threatened to overshadow the prime minister’s attempt to reassert her authority when the Commons returns from recess on Tuesday. Continue reading...
by Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor and Deepa Parent on (#64HGJ)
Authorities shut all schools in Iranian Kurdistan as protests continue in cities and state TV is interrupted by apparent hackIranian schoolchildren were being arrested inside school premises on Sunday by security forces arriving in vans without licence plates, according to social media reports emerging from the country as protests against the regime entered their fourth week.The authorities also shut all schools and higher education institutions in Iranian Kurdistan on Sunday – a sign that the state remains concerned about dissent after weeks of protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman. Continue reading...
Brian Glendinning’s case highlights peril for football fans travelling to the Gulf nation this year, experts warnA British engineer is in jail in Iraq and facing extradition to Qatar over missed repayments on a small bank loan, in a case said to highlight the perils facing those travelling to the Gulf state for the World Cup.Brian Glendinning, 43, who had been contracted to work on a BP refinery in Iraq, was arrested on an Interpol “red notice” at Baghdad airport on 12 September and has been in a police cell since awaiting an extradition hearing. Continue reading...
The country’s total refinery output has been reduced by more than 60% over the past two weeksLong tailbacks of vehicles continued to grow outside French service stations on Sunday as petrol supply was hit by pay strikes at refineries run by the oil giants, TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil.The leftwing CGT union is leading a refinery workers’ strike for better pay during the cost-of-living crisis, and for a share of companies’ high profits. Continue reading...
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