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Impeachment inquiry transcripts reveal shock and concern over Trump plot Yovanovitch and McKinley warned plot undermined national securityImpeachment inquiry live – rolling reportTwo senior American diplomats warned congressional investigators a White House plot to manufacture political dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine had undermined US national security interests and shredded faith among foreign service personnel, according to transcripts released on Monday by committees pursuing an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. Related: Trump rejects whistleblower offer to answer Republican questions Continue reading... Go to Source

Sir Lindsay Hoyle promises calm after being elected Speaker Successor to John Bercow – and 158th occupant of the job – beats Chris Bryant in final round of votingSir Lindsay Hoyle was elected as the new Speaker of the House of Commons on Monday, succeeding John Bercow who held the role for more than a decade.The 62-year-old Labour MP for Chorley, the only candidate who refused to say how he voted in the 2016 EU referendum, became the 158th Speaker after beating six others in a secret ballot of members. Continue reading... Go to Source

Scotland stops treating under-12s as criminals but is urged to do more Children’s commissioner says move is inadequate and minimum age should be 14Scotland is to stop treating children under 12 as offenders later this month after the Scottish parliament voted earlier this year to raise the age of criminal responsibility from eight.The Scottish children’s commissioner, however, has criticised the measure as inadequate and urged ministers in Edinburgh to revisit the decision and raise the minimum age to 14. Continue reading... Go to Source

Flour power: Hong Kong protest-themed cake disqualified from UK baking contest Creator claims cake was victim of political censorship after attendees at Cake International show threatened to damage itA Hong Kong protest-themed cake has become the latest cause célèbre of the city’s five-month political crisis after it was disqualified from a cake decorating competition in the UK.The three-tiered cake features a mini black-clad protester in a yellow hard hat, a large Guy Fawkes mask, tiny umbrellas and mini political slogans – all symbols of the ongoing protests. It even has a miniature black LP record playing the unofficial anthem of the protest, Glory to Hong Kong, and emits a vapour designed to look like tear gas. Continue reading... Go to Source

Girl, 11, who drowned at theme park was on ride without a teacher, inquest told Evha Jannath died after falling into 12ft of water at Drayton Manor, StaffordshireAn 11-year-old girl who drowned after falling into 12ft of water on the river rapids at a theme park was allowed aboard the ride without a teacher, an inquest has heard.Evha Jannath was “propelled” from a six-seater vessel on Splash Canyon at Drayton Manor, Staffordshire on 9 May 2017, while on an end-of-year school trip with staff and friends from Jameah girls academy in Leicester. Continue reading... Go to Source

No 10 blocks Russia EU referendum report until after election Decision to prevent publication described as ‘jaw-dropping’ by Dominic GrieveDowning Street has effectively blocked the publication of a potentially explosive parliamentary report on the security threat that Russia poses to the UK until after the general election.The 50-page document from the intelligence and security committee examines allegations that Kremlin-sponsored activity distorted the result of the 2016 EU referendum, but has to be cleared by No 10 before it can be released. Continue reading... Go to Source

General election: Lindsay Hoyle clear winner in first ballot for Speaker, but short of 50% of votes needed – live news Rolling coverage of the day’s political events as they happen, including 2019 general election campaigningSinn Féin steps aside for remain candidates in three key seatsJuncker: Boris Johnson told ‘so many lies’ in EU referendum campaignQ&A: how will MPs elect a new Speaker? 5.50pm GMTKen Clarke has just read out the results of the second round of voting. Here they are (with the results from the first round in brackets).Round 2... #speakerelection pic.twitter.com/qX7vHvQlNK 5.41pm GMTIn the Commons the division bells are ringing, which means the results of the next round of voting in the election of the new Speaker will be announced soon. Continue reading... Go to...

Age of criminal responsibility must be raised, say experts In England and Wales, children as young as 10 can be convicted of a crime – the lowest minimum age of any EU stateHundreds of primary school-aged children are being needlessly criminalised because of the “ridiculously young” age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales, according to experts who are calling for it to be increased.Representatives from youth services, the justice system and politicians are urging the government to raise the minimum age a child can be convicted of a crime by at least two years from 10 to 12, in response to the Guardian’s investigation into youth courts. Continue reading... Go to Source

Nasa's Voyager 2 sends back its first signal from interstellar space Nasa craft is second to travel beyond heliosphere but will give most detailed data yetTwelve billion miles from Earth, there is an elusive boundary that marks the edge of the sun’s realm and the start of interstellar space. Voyager 2, the longest-running space mission, has finally beamed back a faint signal from the other side of that frontier, 42 years after its launch.The Nasa craft is the second ever to travel beyond the heliosphere, the bubble of supersonic charged particles streaming outwards from the sun. Despite setting off a month ahead of its twin, Voyager 1, it crossed the threshold into interstellar space more than six years behind, after taking the scenic route across the solar system and providing wh...

Police find 41 migrants alive in refrigerated truck in Greece Driver arrested after seven people are rushed to hospital with respiratory problemsGreek police have found 41 people alive in a refrigerated truck in a discovery that has underscored the extraordinary risk migrants are prepared to take to get into Europe.At least a third of the people, of apparent Afghan origin, had developed breathing problems and seven were rushed to a nearby hospital with respiratory problems. Continue reading... Go to Source

Obey me on Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn warns shadow cabinet dissenters Exclusive: Labour leader says debate is over as he seeks to shift focus to social justice and climateJeremy Corbyn has told his fractious shadow cabinet “the debate is over” on Brexit, as he seeks to stamp his authority on the general election campaign and shift the focus to social justice and the climate emergency.Speaking to the Guardian in the south-west London seat of Putney, the Labour leader claimed he had instructed frontbench colleagues to fall into line, after divisions over Brexit sparked a furious row over whether to go for an election. Continue reading... Go to Source

Call for radical overhaul of online casinos after far-reaching inquiry MPs favour reforms such as £2 limit on stakes, with Boris Johnson seen as sympatheticOnline casinos should be subject to maximum stake limits similar to the £2 limits imposed on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), according to a report released by a group of MPs who are demanding a “root and branch” overhaul of gambling law.In a wide-ranging report, members of the cross-party group on gambling-related harm – who include high-profile Conservatives such as Iain Duncan Smith – called for a raft of measures to protect vulnerable people. Continue reading... Go to Source

Youth court system in 'chaos', says children's commissioner Vulnerable children in England and Wales waiting months for convictions, appearing without adult support and being wrongly placed in dock, Guardian investigation findsThe youth justice system in England and Wales is “chaotic and dysfunctional” following almost a decade of cuts and court closures, the children’s commissioner has warned, after a Guardian investigation found a system plagued by increasing delays, confusion and poor child protection.Anne Longfield called for a wholesale review of the youth justice system, saying the youth court was “not a child-friendly environment where you could really help a young person and is not meeting standards that we had hoped”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Drug reversing effects of opioid overdose to be handed out in England Exclusive: naloxone will be distributed on the streets as part of pilot scheme in Redcar and ClevelandA life-saving drug that reverses the effect of an overdose of an opioid, such as heroin, is to be handed out on the street to people in England under a pilot scheme to tackle the record numbers of drug-related deaths.The main life-threatening effect of an opioid overdose is to slow down or stop breathing – the drug naloxone blocks this effect and reverses breathing difficulties. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brexit: Johnson says sorry to Tory members for extending deadline PM says failure to leave EU on 31 October is matter of ‘deep regret’ and blames parliamentBoris Johnson has apologised to Tory members who voted for him to become party leader for not taking Britain out of the EU on 31 October.The delay was a matter of “deep regret”, the prime minister said, describing extensions as “painful” because they caused the country uncertainty. Continue reading... Go to Source

Nigel Farage says he will not stand for MP in general election Farage says he can ‘serve the cause better’ supporting Brexit party’s 600 candidatesNigel Farage has announced he will not make an eighth attempt to become an MP in December’s general election.Farage announced on Friday at his Brexit party’s campaign launch that it was preparing to stand candidates in the vast majority of seats across Britain unless it could strike a pact with the Conservatives. Continue reading... Go to Source

Medical cannabis trial will target 20,000 UK patients Project backed by Royal College of Psychiatrists aims to be largest on drug’s use in Europe• Medical cannabis: Why are doctors still not prescribing it?Up to 20,000 patients in the UK are to be given medical cannabis over a two-year period in an initiative that aims to create the largest body of evidence on the drug in Europe.The move, to be unveiled on Thursday, is backed by one of the UK’s leading medical bodies and it is hoped it will persuade the NHS to prescribe the drug for a range of conditions. Continue reading... Go to Source

Train firms backtrack over pledge to ban raw sewage on railway lines Operators admit target to end ‘disgusting practice’ by the end of the year will not be metA pledge to end the dumping of human waste on railway tracks in England and Wales by the end of the year will no longer be met, Network Rail and train firms have admitted.Although Network Rail’s former chief executive, Mark Carne, said in 2017 he had secured government agreement to end the “disgusting practice” by 2019, several companies will continue to use trains whose toilets flush directly onto the track. Continue reading... Go to Source

‘Horrific tragedy’: five dead at Halloween party in California Airbnb rental Shots began at the celebration that drew at least 100 people Survivor who lost friend told girls: ‘Y’all see us run, just run’When they heard gunshots at a crowded Halloween house party, Tiara Chambers and her friends ran into a tiny room, shut the door and tried to stay quiet.There were about seven of them, packed inside a washroom. They heard someone at the door. It was another young woman, saying: “I’m shot! I’m shot!” Continue reading... Go to Source

Tories act to prevent NHS crisis hitting election hopes No 10 plans to set up emergency unit to oversee the service as doctors warn of ‘extreme pressure’Downing Street has taken emergency action to head off winter pressures in the NHS amid growing fears in government that a healthcare crisis could derail the Tory party’s general election campaign.The prime minister Boris Johnson has been holding regular meetings at No 10 with the head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, as evidence mounts of lengthening delays in treatment caused by shortages of doctors and nurses. In addition, the health secretary Matt Hancock has been seeing Stevens every week, on Monday mornings, to assess how to prevent a deterioration in waiting times at hospitals and GP surgeries. Continue reading... Go to Sourc...

Brazilian 'forest guardian' killed by illegal loggers in ambush Paulo Paulino Guajajara was killed by armed loggers in the Araribóia region in MaranhãoA Brazilian indigenous land defender has been killed in an ambush by illegal loggers in an Amazon frontier region.According to a statement by the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples Association, Paulo Paulino Guajajara was shot and killed inside the Araribóia indigenous territory in Maranhão state. Another tribesman, Laércio Guajajara, was also shot and hospitalised and a logger has been reported missing. No body has yet been recovered. Continue reading... Go to Source

Jeremy Corbyn decries fracking suspension as election stunt Labour leader’s comments come after minister suggests halt may only be temporaryCalls are growing for the next government to make the suspension of fracking in England permanent after a minister suggested the halt to exploration may only be temporary.The government announced an immediate moratorium on fracking on Friday in a major U-turn after the Oil and Gas Authority said in a report that it was unable to predict the magnitude of any earthquakes triggered by hydraulic fracturing. One in August measured 2.9 on the Richter scale. Continue reading... Go to Source

Dominic Grieve calls for release of report on Russian meddling Intelligence and security committee chair says dossier has facts ‘germane’ to votersDominic Grieve has called for the publication of a report on Russian meddling in the democratic process to be published before the general election, saying it contains knowledge “germane” to voters.Boris Johnson had been expected to approve publication of the 50-page dossier, compiled by the cross-party intelligence and security committee, by Thursday. His failure to do so sparked calls for its release amid speculation that it could potentially be damaging to the government. Continue reading... Go to Source

Rugby World Cup: South Africa surge to glory as England fall short • Live reaction to the Springboks’ World Cup triumph• Springboks crowned world champions for a third time• Pollard kicks 22 points, Mapimpi and Kolbe add triesIn the end it appeared to be written in the stars. Every 12 years South Africa have an unerring habit of winning Rugby World Cups and they have done it again, following up their triumphs of 1995 and 2007 with another prodigious display of power and might. The image of Siya Kolisi, the first black captain to collect the Webb Ellis Cup, raising the trophy is set to become as treasured as any picture in Springbok history.In truth they had a crestfallen England exactly where they wanted them long before two last quarter tries from the wingers Makazole Mapimpi and...

Fracking banned in UK as government makes major U-turn Victory for green groups follows damning scientific study and criticism from spending watchdogThe government has banned fracking with immediate effect in a watershed moment for environmentalists and community activists.Ministers also warned shale gas companies it would not support future fracking projects, in a crushing blow to companies that had been hoping to capitalise on one of the new frontiers of growth in the fossil fuel industry. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson faces threat of Brexit party battle in every seat PM rejects Nigel Farage’s offer of electoral pact, saying it could allow Jeremy Corbyn into No 10Boris Johnson faces the threat of battling against the Brexit party for leave votes in every seat across Britain, after Nigel Farage gave the prime minister a two-week deadline to drop his Brexit deal.After a rocky 48 hours, which saw Johnson booed during a hospital visit and urged by Donald Trump to join forces with Farage, the Brexit party leader urged him to strike a “leave alliance”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Beto O'Rourke withdraws from Democratic race to face Trump Former El Paso congressman announces primary exitPromises focus on key issues, reportedly will not target SenateBeto O’Rourke has withdrawn from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.In a Medium post and a series of tweets on Friday afternoon, the former congressman from El Paso said: “Our campaign has always been about seeing clearly, speaking honestly, and acting decisively. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump-Russia dossier author gave evidence to UK intrusion inquiry Exclusive: Report allegedly being withheld by No 10 contains submissions from ex-head of MI6’s Russia deskA report on Russian interference in British politics allegedly being sat on by Downing Street includes evidence from Christopher Steele, the former head of MI6’s Russia desk whose investigation into Donald Trump’s links with Moscow sparked a US political scandal.Steele made submissions in writing to parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC), it is understood. A counter-intelligence specialist, Steele spent his career tracking Russian influence operations around the world and investigated Alexander Litvinenko’s 2006 murder. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump says he wants to read Ukraine call transcript in TV 'fireside chat' Beleaguered president says: ‘When you read it, it’s a straight call’Nancy Pelosi says impeachment process ‘very sad’ for AmericaDonald Trump has insisted he has “done nothing wrong” and does not deserve to be impeached, and made the extraordinary suggestion that he appear on live TV to read the full transcript of his controversial phone call with the Ukrainian president in a “fireside chat”. Related: Trump impeachment inquiry: a timeline of key events so far Continue reading... Go to Source

Farage to Johnson: join forces or Brexit party will contest every seat Party leader tells PM to drop EU deal and form ‘leave alliance’ at launch of election campaign• Follow all the day’s political news - liveNigel Farage has launched his general election campaign by saying his Brexit party will contest every seat in the country unless Boris Johnson agrees to drop his deal with the EU and sign up to a “leave alliance”.The former Ukip leader also praised Donald Trump for his intervention in which he suggested the prime minister and the Brexit party should form an alliance. Continue reading... Go to Source