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Government policy faces opposition, with many saying that selection does not improve social mobilityAcademics, education unions and politicians of every hue have attacked government plans for more grammar schools, warning that selection does not improve social mobility and will not solve the challenges facing schools in the next decade.It follows confirmation from the new education secretary, Kit Malthouse, that the prime minister has tasked him to look at areas of England that would like to open new grammar schools, as well as those that want to expand existing grammars. Continue reading...

Council of Europe report highlighted need to enhance equality rights for intersex children in particularEurope’s top human rights watchdog has urged Greece to take action against the “serious forms” of discrimination and intolerance faced by the country’s LGBTIQ+ community, especially children in schools.Equality rights for intersex people often subject to sex “normalising” surgery at a young age must also be enhanced, according to a report released on Thursday by the Council of Europe. Continue reading...

António Guterres also denounces plans to annex parts of Ukraine as a violation of international law

Review to look at whether extremist and outside groups encouraged Hindu and Muslim clashesViolent clashes between groups of mainly Hindu and Muslim young men in Leicester are to be the subject of an independent review, the city’s mayor has said.Sir Peter Soulsby said the review, which should be completed within weeks, will examine whether extremist groups and outside organisations encouraged the disturbances on Saturday and Sunday. Continue reading...

From generous one-off benefit payments to caps on rent increases, state intervention is taking shape across the G7As Liz Truss’s government prepares to unveil a huge package of tax cuts, alongside energy price caps for UK households and businesses worth an estimated £150bn, here is what the rest of the G7 are doing to ease the cost of living crisis. Continue reading...

Oxford judge remarks on lack of legal aid reforms as he refuses to extend custody pending trialFour people accused of murder are to be released on bail after a judge refused to extend the time they could be kept in custody pending trial.The trial, for the fatal stabbing of 40-year-old Keith Green in February, could not go ahead as planned on Tuesday because of the indefinite strike by criminal barristers over legal aid fees. Judge Ian Pringle, the recorder of Oxford, was asked to extend the period the accused could be held on remand beyond the six-month limit, which expires at midnight on Thursday, but refused to do so. Continue reading...

Kwasi Kwarteng confirms he is cancelling increase introduced to pay for social care and NHS backlogThe national insurance rise introduced by Boris Johnson’s government will be reversed from 6 November, Kwasi Kwarteng has announced.Ahead of his mini-budget on Friday, the chancellor confirmed that he was cancelling the 1.25-percentage point increase imposed by his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, to pay for social care and dealing with the NHS backlog. Continue reading...

Sale of work about cancer experience estimated to raise up to £700,000 towards artists’ hub in Kent townFor a year during treatment for bladder cancer, in which she thought she would die, Tracey Emin could not paint.Then, in a release of energy and emotion, she created Like a Cloud of Blood, a deeply intimate representation of her experiences. Continue reading...

Agency also invites public to solve colouring-in puzzle as it seeks to engage next generation of agentsBritain’s top spies at GCHQ have released a puzzle book for children while challenging the public to solve one of its brainteasers.In its latest puzzle book – the agency has previously published two for adults – children will be tested on languages, engineering, codebreaking, analysis, maths, coding and cybersecurity. Continue reading...

Church says same-sex marriage means Mpho Tutu van Furth cannot preside over godfather’s serviceThe daughter of the late Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu has been barred by the Church of England from officiating at her godfather’s funeral in a Shropshire church because she is married to a woman.Mpho Tutu van Furth, an ordained priest in the Anglican church, was invited to preside over the funeral of Martin Kenyon, who died last week at the age of 92. The C of E said its actions were “in line with the House of Bishops current guidance on same-sex marriage”. Continue reading...

News of strike affecting Network Rail and 15 train operators comes as Avanti says it is ready to restore more servicesRail services around Britain will be brought to a near standstill for the first two weekends in October after the RMT union announced a further national strike.About 40,000 RMT members employed by Network Rail and 15 train operating companies will strike for another 24 hours on Saturday 8 October. Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskiy urges UN to adopt five-point plan for peace in Ukraine; more than 1,300 people arrested in anti-mobilisation rallies throughout Russia

Liz Truss’s administration becomes only major world power not to raise its spending at UN pledging eventThe British government has been accused of abandoning people in the global south after it failed to commit to boosting its spending on a fund established to fight three of the world’s deadliest diseases: malaria, tuberculosis and Aids.Liz Truss’s new administration became the only major world power not to raise its spending at a UN pledging event for the Global Fund, a highly successful 20-year-old initiative, shocking global health campaigners. The long-planned pledging conference was left $3.76bn (£3.32bn) short of its target of $18bn. Continue reading...

Five UK and two US foreign fighters captured in Ukraine among 10 freed after Saudi Arabia’s intervention

Little-known militia groups have surfaced to declare their willingness to strike peace deals – and reap ceasefire rewardsThe announcement came in a grainy video from the dense jungles of northern Colombia.A dozen masked men with camouflage uniforms and automatic weapons stand in a cluster, a roaring stream washing over their black combat boots. Continue reading...

Thérèse Coffey describes new goal for offering patient an appointment as ‘expectation’ not guarantee

Andy Byford’s announcement comes after TfL boss completed ‘biggest challenge’ during Queen’s funeralThe boss of Transport for London, Andy Byford, has resigned, after just over two years in the job.His departure from the £355,000-a-year role of commissioner was announced on Tuesday morning, days after TfL had managed what Byford called its biggest ever challenge – the logistics around the Queen’s funeral. Continue reading...

New UK chancellor aims to reverse inactivity in labour market, especially among over-50sKwasi Kwarteng will tighten benefit rules for part-time workers, requiring them to work longer hours or take steps to increase their earnings.The new rule will require benefit claimants working up to 15 hours a week to take new steps to increase their earnings or face having their benefits reduced. The current threshold is nine hours, though it was increased this summer to 12 hours, which will come into force next week. Continue reading...

Evidence shows the ‘tough on crime’ tactic does not work. NSW has finally dipped its toe into taking a different approach

School leaders say government’s six-month price cap does not remove funding uncertaintyHead teachers have welcomed the government’s intervention on spiralling energy costs but have warned it does not go far enough, as schools struggle with rising costs across the board.School leaders have been raising the alarm in increasingly apocalyptic terms over huge hikes in energy bills, which threatened to blow carefully managed budgets and trigger financial meltdown in the sector. Continue reading...

Record sum for information leading to conviction of those responsible for death of Olivia Pratt-KorbelA record £200,000 reward has been offered by Crimestoppers in the hunt for the killer of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.Last week, Lord Ashcroft, the charity’s founder and chairman, offered £50,000 for information that lead to the conviction of those responsible for her death. Continue reading...

Danish queen, now Europe’s longest-serving monarch, cancelled duties after Tuesday night testDenmark’s Queen Margrethe II has tested positive for Covid-19 after attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the royal palace has said.The royal household said in a statement that Margrethe, 82, who has been on the throne for 50 years, cancelled her official duties after the Tuesday night test. Continue reading...

Putin threatens use of nuclear weapons as he announces partial mobilisation in Russia; World leaders condemn intention by Moscow-held regions of Ukraine to vote on annexation by Russia Continue reading...

Electoral Commission finds four in 10 candidates in Great Britain suffered abuse, intimidation or threats during May’s local ballotsAbout four in 10 candidates for May’s local elections in England, Scotland and Wales reported suffering abuse, threats or intimidation, rising to more than seven in 10 in Northern Ireland, the UK’s elections watchdog has found.Responses received by the Electoral Commission from more than 1,000 candidates uncovered what the organisation called alarming levels of such behaviour, saying ministers needed to take urgent action to address the situation. Continue reading...

Douglas Ross planned to hire figure who claimed to have worked for Scottish Labour leader Jim MurphyA political adviser about to take up a key role with Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has had his job offer withdrawn after his impressive CV was dismissed as “a bizarre fantasy” by the New Labour figure he claimed was a previous employer.Craig Paterson was due to start work with Ross next week but, after his track record as a special adviser to former Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy was reported by the Times Scotland on Tuesday, questions swiftly emerged as most of those who had worked in that leadership team struggled to recall his name. Continue reading...

Retailer will give 4,500 workers £250 shopping voucher as part of £15m support packageMarks & Spencer is increasing staff pay for the second time this year and providing 4,500 employees with a £250 shopping voucher as part of a £15m package to help with the rising cost of living.The clothing, homewares and food retailer is also offering free food to workers in its warehouses in addition to that already provided to staff in stores, and both groups will have access to free sanitary products. Continue reading...

Government support includes measure reducing price paid for gas and electricity from 1 OctoberBusinesses have been given an emergency package of government support including a cap significantly reducing the price paid for energy from 1 October to help them get through the winter.The government has stepped in to discount wholesale power prices for companies, charities and public sector organisations, including schools. Continue reading...

Sergeant tells inquest she would not have allowed specialist response unit into Yuendumu if she had known of their ‘racist and derogatory’ views

After criticism for skipping queue, ITV’s This Morning presenters said visit was ‘strictly for reporting’This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have said they would “never jump a queue” after they went to see the Queen lying in state.Addressing criticism on social media that they had skipped the queue that stretched miles across London, the This Morning co-presenters said their visit was “strictly for reporting”. ITV said they had attended to film a segment for Tuesday’s show. Continue reading...

Dozens more in hospital after bus carrying students from Loreto College in Ballarat hit a truck and rolled down an embankment

Brisbane supreme court hears Sharon Graham asked a friend to claim she was in a relationship with Bruce Saunders ‘because of the insurance’

Warning of £3.7bn funding shortfall over next 18 months piles pressure on Liz Truss after campaign pledgesAdult social care in England is in serious crisis, Tory council leaders have warned the government, as it faces a £3.7bn funding gap and a growing staffing shortage that has brought many local care providers to the brink of collapse.The intervention by the County Councils Network, which represents 36 mainly Tory-run authorities, comes amid widespread local government concern over the increasing fragile state of social care. Care costs have accelerated recently, fuelled by unexpected wage and energy inflation. Continue reading...

Central bank in negative equity after 2021-22 loss, a review of its pandemic bond-buying program has found

UN chief António Guterres criticises airstrikes on Let Yet Kone, which junta claims were to target rebels hiding in the areaAt least 11 schoolchildren have died after an airstrike on a village in Myanmar, according to the United Nations children’s agency, in what could be the deadliest attack on children since the junta seized power last year.UN chief António Guterres on Tuesday condemned the strike, according to his office, which stated that the death toll had climbed to at least 13 people died, including the 11 students whose school was hit. Continue reading...

In late-night speech, local MP links Bankstown mayor and Labor candidate Khal Asfour to corrupt former minister Eddie Obeid

Stroke, heart attack and cancer patients at risk of being ‘stuck in downward spiral’ without recovery support, say physiotherapistsMillions of people in the UK are suffering poor health because they miss out on vital rehabilitation after strokes, heart attacks and cancer, which in turn is also heaping further pressure on the NHS, a damning report warns.Physiotherapists say some groups of patients are particularly badly affected. Without access to these services, many patients desperately trying to recover from illness became “stuck in a downward spiral”, they said, with some developing other health conditions as a result. Continue reading...

Names of late British monarch and her husband Philip added to those of her parents in King George VI Memorial chapelQueen Elizabeth II’s final resting place is marked with a new ledger stone in the King George VI Memorial chapel, Buckingham Palace has said. The stone slab bears the name of the late Queen, her husband, and her parents, with the two generations separated by a metal garter star.It reads: Continue reading...

Court hears how armed officer fired three shots at Yassar Yaqub from an unmarked police car on 2 January 2017The family members of a man shot dead by police in Yorkshire broke down at his inquest on Tuesday as they spoke of their devastation at his loss.Yassar Yaqub, 28, was a passenger in an Audi A4 which was surrounded by unmarked police cars at junction 24 of the M62 in Huddersfield on 2 January 2017. Continue reading...

Jacob Rees-Mogg is expected to cut price businesses pay for electricity by 50% and price they pay for gas by 25%Jacob Rees-Mogg is expected to announce a cap on energy prices for businesses that would cut the rates they pay by up to half this winter.The business secretary will outline support on Wednesday for companies, charities and public sector organisations for six months from 1 October, after Liz Truss said they would receive equivalent help to households whose costs are being capped. Continue reading...

‘Referendum’ announcements in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson may indicate move to annex territories

Liz Truss seems to believe a functioning – if not special – relationship between the UK and US can be formed in the battle to defeat Vladimir PutinEarly signs are that Liz Truss, the new UK prime minister, is going to rely on the strength of its security relationship with the US, rather than the chimera of new trade or economic links to forge personal links with Joe Biden.Her frank admission that there is no medium term prospect of a trade deal with the US may be an acknowledgment of the obvious, unsurprising to everyone save some Brexit fantasists. Continue reading...

Two leaders appear to smooth over tensions in first bilateral talks in New York but avoid awkward topicsEmmanuel Macron has offered Liz Truss an olive branch after her controversial “friend or foe” remarks by saying after their first bilateral talks that it is time to “move on”.The two leaders appeared to smooth over tensions during their meeting in New York, which No 10 said was dominated by Ukraine and energy security, but avoided the controversial issues of the Northern Ireland protocol and migration. Continue reading...

Listening Project contract will be awarded to one of 12 pre-approved firms, many of which worked for government during pandemicPR giants that received hefty government contracts to run Covid-19 public health campaigns are now bidding to lead an inquiry into the public’s experience of the pandemic response, the Guardian has learned.The Listening Project was announced earlier this year as a formal part of the Covid-19 inquiry, which will “examine the UK’s preparedness and response to the pandemic and learn lessons for the future”. Continue reading...

Signs of groundswell taking shape against state that routinely commits extreme acts of violence against men and womenMahsa Amini’s death in prison is fast becoming another moment of reckoning for the Iranian regime that fears a popular revolt more than it fears staring down the rest of the world.Four days after Amini was found dead in a Tehran prison cell, protests in the Iranian capital show little sign of slowing. Most protests appear peaceful, but some in Kurdish areas of Iran have turned violent. Continue reading...

Figure is fewer than 31m who watched Euro 2020 final, and peaked at 19.5m viewers on BBC OneThe Queen’s funeral service in Westminster Abbey was watched by 29.2 million people on television in the UK, according to official audience data.Despite the enormous interest, the commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II did not meet predictions of becoming the most-watched broadcast in British television history. Less than half the UK population watched the live television broadcast – fewer than the 31 million who watched the climax of England’s Euro 2020 final defeat against Italy. Continue reading...

China has pledged to make its Belt and Road initiative greener, but critics say environmental guidelines ‘nonexistent’In July 2019, China rolled out the red carpet for the Bangladeshi prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. Flown to Beijing by the Chinese government, she was greeted with an honour guard and banquet and received by the president, Xi Jinping, and the prime minister, Li Keqiang. Three days later, she returned to her capital, Dhaka, with nine agreements worth billions of dollars to build power plants and provide other development assistance.Hasina’s short visit benefited both countries. Big new infrastructure projects would help lift living standards in Bangladesh, but also enable China to strengthen its influence on its fast-growing neighbour of more than 160 million people.This article was originally published by Ensia Continue reading...

Tory chair of Treasury committee says assessments on economic impact of planned tax cuts vital to provide reassurance to marketsKwasi Kwarteng has refused to let a government watchdog assess the economic impact of planned tax cuts expected in a mini-budget on Friday.Mel Stride, the Tory chair of the Treasury select committee, urged Kwarteng to allow independent forecasts for the public finances to be published alongside his mini-budget on Friday. Stride released a strongly worded statement urging more clarity around the effects of the new chancellor’s fiscal interventions. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Transparency advocate Rex Patrick says body established by former PM with only permanent member – Morrison – was ‘an abuse of process’

PM’s remarks pave way for radical overhaul that could include rethinking income tax brackets

Inmates describe visits by Yevgeny Prigozhin, reported head of the Wagner group, who is said to offer pardons for those who enlist