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Across the banking sector, thousands of jobs have been cut at the same time as AI use soars in clerical and customer service roles

Case centred on claims that he had not properly served a sentence for corruption and abuse of power, which was handed down in 2023Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve one year in jail, the country's supreme court has ruled, in a major blow to one of the country's most prominent and polarising politicians.The court ruled that Thaksin had not properly served an eight-year sentence for corruption and abuse of power, which was handed down when he returned to the country from self-imposed exile in 2023. After arriving back in the country, Thaksin spent less than 24 hours in jail, but was moved to the VIP wing of a hospital on health grounds, where he stayed for six months before he was released on parole.

After four years on the run with their father, Phillips three children have all been located and are doing well under the circumstances', say authoritiesPolice in New Zealand have released images and given details of the campsite where two of fugitive Tom Phillips' children were found, after their father was shot and killed by police on Monday.Phillips had spent nearly four years hiding in the wilderness with his children. He was killed in an exchange of fire with police after reports of a burglary in the remote town of Piopio. A police officer is recovering in hospital after being shot in the head by Phillips with a high-powered rifle in the standoff. About 11 hours after Phillips was killed, two of his children were found safe and well at the campsite in Waitomo. It is understood the third child was with Phillips at the time of the shooting. Continue reading...

Thomas was arrested and charged at a Sydney protest on 27 June, where her lawyers allege she was punched in the face by police

All health trusts in England ranked from best to worst but analysts say idea is of limited use' to patientsLabour has published the first football-style league tables to rank hospitals in England from best to worst since the early 2000s, despite warnings it would not help patients choose where to seek care.Moorfields specialist eye hospital in London tops the table, with the Queen Elizabeth hospital in King's Lynn, Norfolk, bottom. Continue reading...

Format to be tested in last quarter of year after chain's value cut by a third amid intense strains' on hospitality industryPret a Manger is finally caving in to competition from supermarkets by launching meal deals, after the value of the chain was slashed by a third amid intense strains" on the hospitality industry.The sandwich and coffee chain said it intends to test the meal deal format in the last quarter of this year, as a medium-term strategy to grow the Pret brand and return to sustainable profits. It did not say how much the meal deals will cost. Continue reading...

Unions and headteachers say Nando's-style' scorecard is worse than schools watchdog's current regimeEngland's schools watchdog, Ofsted, is to press ahead with the introduction of its new inspection regime in November, including a colour-coded report card for parents, despite widespread opposition from headteachers and unions.An exceptional" judgment will become the highest of five grades to be awarded across six different inspection areas, as first reported in the Guardian last month, as part of the overhaul prompted by the suicide of the Reading headteacher Ruth Perry after a visit by Ofsted. Continue reading...

Union says Amazon is breaking the law' after drivers working for contractor Cornucopia were terminatedAmazon has fired more than 150 unionized drivers working for a third-party contractor in Queens, New York, according to the Teamsters union.Workers rallied at the company's DBK4 facility in Queens on Monday after the company fired the drivers, who worked for Cornucopia, a delivery service provider (DSP) that Amazon contracted with to make deliveries. Amazon works with more than 3,000 DSPs around the world who deliver the company's packages. Continue reading...

Success for party of the prime minister, Jonas Gahr Store, despite increased support for rightwing Progress partyThe Norwegian Labour party has secured four more years in government after seeing off a surge of support for the populist right in a polarised election.Soon after the polls closed, the centre left was projected to win with 89 seats with the centre right taking 80 seats. A minimum of 85 seats are needed for a majority. Continue reading...

Latest projection gives leftwing bloc 91 seats in the next parliament, with the rightwing bloc at 78And over in Brussels, EU diplomats have been briefing journalists that the European Commission is expected to propose a 19th package of sanctions against Russia by Friday, Reuters said.The EU has stepped up its listings and is no longer shying away from larger entities in third countries, and it could list banks in two central Asian countries too, they said. Continue reading...

Compressed timetable and worries about potentially toxic atmosphere narrows field to replace Angela RaynerLouise Haigh: I'm not running for Labour deputy leader. I want the freedom to fight for an economic resetA series of senior female Labour MPs have dropped out of contention to replace Angela Rayner as the party's deputy leader, as a compressed timetable for nominations and worries about a potentially toxic atmosphere narrowed the field.Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, is expected to enter the race, where she would be seen as a de facto Downing Street choice, potentially putting her against Emily Thornberry, who would position herself as a voice for backbenchers. Continue reading...

Heathrow Terminal 4 declared safe to reopen hours after reports of hazardous substance prompted evacuationAbout 20 people reported an injury but no trace of any adverse substance was found" after officers were called to Heathrow, the Metropolitan police has said.Terminal 4 check-in was evacuated as a precaution on Monday evening while emergency services responded to a potential hazardous material incident" at the airport, the London Fire Brigade said earlier. Continue reading...

The MP said police should be focusing on people who are members of the group, not those who recklessly express support' for itPaul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, used his speech to conference this morning to say that the TUC expected the government to deliver its workers' rights bill in full". He said employment rights were overwhelmingly popular with voters across the political spectrum".And he condemned Reform UK for its stance on employment rights. After saying that Nigel Farage claimed to represent working class people, he went on:Here's the truth - there is a world of difference between what Nigel says and what Nigel does.Every single Reform MP, including Mr Farage, voted against outlawing fire and rehire, against banning zero hours contracts and against day one rights for millions of workers.Ask yourself this fundamental question. Do you believe in your gut that that Nigel Farage really cares about the people of Clacton when he's off collecting his speaker's fees in the United States?Do you believe that Richard Tice really worries about the people of Skegness while he's living it up at home in Dubai, or are they just rightwing conmen lining their own pockets?I just have to say this. No amount of TikToks, or ozempic, or expensive haircuts, will ever hide the eager inner ugliness of Robert Jenrick.The man who ordered murals painted over in a reception centre for children seeking asylum is indeed a xenophobe, an opportunistic xenophobe hoping to create a political climate that ends up with far right folks laying siege to hotels and black and Asian people being threatened and harassed on our streets.If we look at the powerful geopolitical push factors, they're things like regime change. We think Afghanistan, war, civil conflict. And when we look at people crossing in small boats, where do they come from? Well, the top nationalities: Afghan, Eritrea, Iranian, Syrian, Sudanese - just those five nationalities account for almost two thirds of all small boat arrivals, and these individuals are from some of the most chaotic parts of the world.But there are also some pull factors, and the question is, why not claim asylum in France, why come to the UK? A number of reasons recur there when we speak with asylum seekers. It's the presence of family members, the English language.In those circumstances, typically, flagged upon the system, the UK government would be able to issue a speedy refuse refusal and try and effect removal.As it is, people arrive, we don't have that record, so we don't know who they are. Continue reading...

At least 12 others injured in attack at Ramot intersection during morning rush hour

The French president will have to choose a new prime minister after resistance to austerity budget unites left and far-right in opposition

Many demonstrators say they are also on the streets over corruption and nepotism they allege is rampantAt least 19 people have been killed during protests in Nepal over a government ban on dozens of online platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and X.The government has faced mounting criticism after imposing a ban on 26 prominent social media platforms and messaging apps last week because they had missed a deadline to register under new regulations. Continue reading...

First rescuers didn't even know there was a house' at spot where Brian Lyn Davies, 68, was killed in 2023A man was killed when his house disappeared" in a huge explosion after a neighbour noticed a strong smell of gas, an inquest jury has heard.The explosion was so devastating that the first rescuers did not even realise a house had stood on the spot until a few minutes before, the inquest at Swansea Guildhall was told. Continue reading...

People suspected teenagers playing ding dong ditch and called police, who found animal crawling on the door panelInhabitants of an apartment block in Bavaria, southern Germany, who called police to investigate the relentless buzzing of their doorbells late at night were surprised to find the culprit was not a teenage prankster as they had suspected, but a slug.The slug had been sliding up and down the bell plate, creating havoc in the building and tearing angry residents out of their beds long after midnight when they could not sleep for the noise. Continue reading...

Carmaker's CEO says Porsche is being squeezed by sandwich' of tariffs and weak Chinese market

The president has claimed any decision against him would destroy' the financial fabric of our country'Donald Trump has upended the global economy, imposing steep tariffs on US allies and rivals, dismissing fears of higher prices, and promising his strategy will yield a new golden age". All the president needs to do now is prove he's allowed to do it.Legal experts say he may face an uphill battle. Continue reading...

Families say they will settle for nothing less' than instant ban on semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazinesSome parents whose children were wounded in the recent deadly school shooting in Minnesota are demanding greater gun safety measures as the divided legislature gets ready to debate the state's response this week.Mothers and fathers have gone public to highlight the acute suffering being endured by their children in the aftermath of last month's attack by a shooter that killed two children and injured 17 others while they were at prayer at the Annunciation Catholic school, traumatizing the community in south Minneapolis. Continue reading...

Heavy rain and powerful winds head for archipelago, while Spain braces for severe thunderstormsHawaii has declared a state of emergency for tropical storm-force winds, heavy rain and high surf as the weakening Hurricane Kiko heads for the archipelago.Kiko began as a depression in the eastern Pacific basin on 31 August, before travelling westward last week and deepening into a category 1 hurricane by Tuesday 2 September as sustained winds exceeded 74mph (119km/h). Continue reading...

Premier says government stands with South Sudanese community in fight against the cancer of youth gang crime' after Cobblebank killingsThe families of two children allegedly murdered in Melbourne's outer west on the weekend are shattered" and the community terrified" as police continue to hunt the perpetrators responsible for the machete killings.It comes as the Victorian premier promised the government would stand with the South Sudanese community in their fight against the cancer of youth gang crime that is breaking their community's heart", announcing she would convene an existing working group. Continue reading...

Union leader says employment rights bill is good for the economy' amid fears legislation could be weakened

This blog is now closed. Our full report is here: Tom Phillips shot dead after attempted burglary, NZ police confirmThe mayor of Waitomo, John Robertson, told the Guardian this morning's events were the worst possible outcome for the community.I'm shattered, to be honest, and there will be many in the community that are devastated that this was the outcome after three and a half, four years," he said.So it's just devastating news. Really the worst outcome we could have expected.No day that goes by that I don't think about all four of them.It hurts every time I see photos of the children and of you, and see some of your stuff that is still here, thinking what could have been if you had not gone away. Continue reading...

Vice-chancellor tells Senate inquiry he recognises it is a stressful time' for staff and meetings will be arranged to consult on the changes

The ruling Liberal Democratic party is still grappling with the fallout from a years-old funding scandal that may see it go into opposition for just the third time in its historyThe precise timing of Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba's resignation announcement - on a Sunday evening - took many by surprise; but the countdown to his departure arguably began just weeks after he took office.Having won the presidency of the Liberal Democratic party (LDP) - a formidable political force that has governed Japan for much of the past seven decades - Ishiba called a snap election in search of a public mandate after a major funding scandal, and to silence his opponents on the right of the party. Continue reading...

Campaign Against Arms Trade says UK government has hit peak complicity in genocide' in allowing the firms to exhibitFifty-one Israeli arms makers and the US defence giant behind the F-35 fighters used to bomb Gaza are among the 1,600 exhibitors at the biennial DSEI trade show that begins in London's Docklands on Tuesday.Their presence will be the focus for hundreds planning to demonstrate outside the four-day arms fair, at which the defence secretary, John Healey, is expected to speak alongside senior British military officials. Continue reading...

Triple murderer sentenced in Victorian supreme court after killing relatives with a beef wellington lunch laced with death cap mushrooms

Complaint lodged asks ASA to investigate claims made in promotion launched in conjunction with household brandsThe UK advertising watchdog has received a complaint about its own high-profile UK-wide campaign, accusing it of breaking the rules it enforces around misleading marketing.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which investigates whether ads breach UK regulations, is being asked to investigate claims made in its campaign launched in conjunction with household brands including Tesco, Comparethemarket and Lloyds bank. Continue reading...

Government to use tax breaks and other financial incentives to encourage people to have more childrenGreece has announced drastic measures, including tax breaks and other financial incentives, to address a population decline that is on course to make it the oldest nation in Europe.The prime minister said the 1.6bn (1.4bn) relief package had been dictated by one of the biggest challenges facing the Mediterranean nation : a demographic crisis of unprecedented scale. Continue reading...

Justices rule state is legally obliged to ensure basic level of existence' and orders authorities to improve nutritionIsrael's supreme court has ruled that the government has failed to provide Palestinian security prisoners with adequate food for basic subsistence and ordered authorities to improve their nutrition.Sunday's decision was a rare case in which the country's highest court ruled against the government's conduct during the nearly two-year war. Continue reading...

Officials say three people including mother and baby killed in strikes that also hit key government building for first timeRussia has launched its largest ever air attack on Ukraine, hitting a key government building in Kyiv for the first time and killing at least three people, including a mother and her baby, and drawing widespread condemnation, including a fresh threat of further US sanctions.The bombardment of the capital with a large number of drones and missiles injured at least 18 people and set scores of buildings on fire. Explosions were also reported in the cities of Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih. Authorities triggered a countrywide air-raid warning at 6.06am local time and later accused Russia of deliberately striking civilian targets. Continue reading...

Footage of raid by US immigration officials showed detained workers in handcuffs and with chains around their anklesSouth Korea announced on Sunday that the roughly 300 of its nationals detained during an immigration raid in Georgia would be released and flown home, as the sudden detention of workers appeared to strain the longstanding diplomatic and economic relationship between the two nations.Nearly 500 workers, among them at least 300 South Koreans and at least 23 Mexicans, were arrested at the Hyundai-LG battery plant in the city of Ellabell on Thursday. Continue reading...

Petition, drafted by human rights lawyers, says war crimes were committed during British occupation of PalestineA group of Palestinians will serve a legal petition asking the UK to take responsibility for what they call serial international law violations", including war crimes committed during the British occupation of Palestine from 1917 to 1948, the consequences of which it says still reverberate today.The 400-plus page document, drafted by human rights KCs, details incontrovertible evidence" of the UK's unlawful legacy. Continue reading...

With Reform exploiting tensions in society, Mahmood must address frustration about immigrationShabana Mahmood already showed she was willing to defy convention when she praised Margaret Thatcher for smashing a political mould - now she's making history as the first Muslim woman to hold one of Britain's great offices of state.It's not the new home secretary's only moment as a surprising politician. Mahmood has spoken of how she has a natural affinity for the faith, flag and family element of Blue Labour", a small socially conservative fraction of the party which now holds some sway in No 10. Continue reading...

Justice Christopher Beale will sentence the triple murderer on Monday, with the hearing to be broadcast live in a state first

Phones across the country play siren and vibrate in latest test of service for use during emergenciesMillions of phones across the UK played a siren and vibrated on Sunday afternoon as the government carried out a nationwide test of its emergency alert system.The alarm, which sounded at 3pm, lasted for 10 seconds and was accompanied by a message on screen making clear it was only a test. Continue reading...

Married monographers have collated sometimes absurd word choices through which journalists avoid repetitionWhat would you do with cod digits"? Can you identify a monochrome mammal"? And what on earth is an unfortunate ungulate"? They are all attempts by journalists - either elegant or absurd, depending on your outlook - to avoid repeating a noun already featured in an article. In the cases above, they are genuine journalistic attempts to describe fish fingers, a panda and a sheep stuck in a car.Spotting examples of eye-catching second mentions" became a hobby for couple Juliet and Matthew Maguire. They began collecting examples after Juliet encountered them during her journalism training. Their interest grew into a social media account, which became a lively exchange of the distinctive descriptors. Continue reading...

Ken Paxton, who is running for US Senate, is urging schools to say the Lord's Prayer as a Republican law goes into effectKen Paxton, the Texas attorney general running for US Senate, has long believed in school prayer. Now, he's prescribing precisely what type of prayer he wants the state's 6 million public school students to recite.In Texas classrooms, we want the Word of God opened, the Ten Commandments displayed, and prayers lifted up," Paxton said in a statement on Tuesday, encouraging students to say the Lord's Prayer, as taught by Jesus Christ". Continue reading...

People in small village of Jakovo celebrate after re-claiming Guinness world record with line of almost 9,000 baked strudelsA Croatian village has made it into the record books with a line of nearly 9,000 strudels stretching more than three kilometres.Two tonnes of flour and three tonnes of apples were used for the world's longest line of strudels - baked pastry desserts - in the small village of Jakovo, organisers said. Continue reading...

The Voice of Hind Rajab, a harrowing account of a Palestinian child's death in Gaza, won the runner-up Silver LionUS indie director Jim Jarmusch unexpectedly won the coveted Golden Lion at the Venice film festival on Saturday with Father Mother Sister Brother, a three-part meditation on the uneasy tie between parents and their adult children.Although his gentle comedy received largely positive reviews, it had not been a favourite for the top prize, with many critics instead tipping the Voice of Hind Rajab, a harrowing true-life account of the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl during the Gaza war. In the end, the film directed by Tunisia's Kaouther Ben Hania took the runner-up Silver Lion. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Climate advocates reject CEO's claim he is not qualified' to comment on risks of gas firm's plan to extend production to 2070

Inaugural Tour de 4 is tailored to individuals' physical abilities and aims to challenge assumptions about stage 4 cancerMel Erwin is pragmatic about what it took to get her on a bike. I have one and a half lungs. I'm on a treatment drug. I don't identify as sporty. I wouldn't have done it without a goal."This Sunday the 57-year-old will roar up the Campsie Hills north of Glasgow in a camp as Christmas" sparkly cape alongside her partner, Sarah, and 3,000 other participants. Continue reading...

Painting was spotted online by Dutch journalists when the daughter of a former Nazi official put her house up for sale in Mar del PlataThere was nothing very remarkable about the middle-aged couple who lived in the low, stone-clad villa on calle Padre Cardiel, a quiet residential street in the leafy Parque Luro district of Argentina's best-known seaside town, Mar del Plata.Patricia Kadgien, 58, was born in Buenos Aires, five hours to the north. Her social media described her as a yoga teacher and practitioner of biodecoding, an obscure alternative therapy that claims to cure illness by resolving past traumas. Continue reading...

One person treated at scene after emergency services called to nine-storey building shortly after 3amFirefighters are tackling a blaze in London's White City after a fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday at the former BBC HQ.London fire brigade (LFB) said about 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines had been called to the nine-storey building on Wood Lane shortly after 3am. Continue reading...

Steve Jones was hundreds of miles away in Maidstone arranging family funeral at time of alleged offenceA non-smoker was convicted at a magistrates court after Manchester city council accused him of dropping a cigarette butt in the city centre - even though he was hundreds of miles away, arranging a family funeral at the time.Steve Jones, a 53-year-old teacher, lives 200 miles away in Teddington, Greater London, has only been to Manchester three times, and doesn't smoke. Continue reading...

Rosemary Duckett, 80, and her husband, Anthony, 88, say situation is bureaucracy gone mad'A couple who the prime minister thanked for housing Ukrainian refugees have been told by their local council they may have to evict their current guest due to planning rules which the couple describe as bureaucracy gone mad".Rosemary Duckett, 80, a retired magistrate and former chair of her local YMCA, and her husband, Anthony, 88, have been providing accommodation in a room above their garage to Ukrainian refugees since 2022. Continue reading...

Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, known as the Iron Lady of the Pacific', likely to be replaced by leader of opposition Fast partySamoa's first female leader, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, has failed to win a majority in the Pacific nation's elections this week, capping months of political infighting.Official results published by the electoral commission on Friday showed the opposition Fast party won 30 out of the 50 contested seats in parliament. Continue reading...