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'Fear, division, chaos': Michelle Obama video blasts Trump over racial injustice Former first lady says president ‘not up to the job’ in passionate plea for voters to support Joe BidenMichelle Obama has released a video sharply criticising Donald Trump’s record as president, particularly over the coronavirus pandemic and his approach to racial injustice, and urging the Americans to vote for Joe Biden.Describing him as “not up to the job” in the 24-minute video posted to her social media channels, the former first lady said the Trump presidency was accompanied by “a constant drumbeat of fear, division and chaos that’s threatening to spiral out of control.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Top Pentagon leaders quarantine amid White House Covid outbreak – live What we know and what we don’t about Trump’s healthContagious Trump removes mask for photos on hospital returnBiden reminds Trump face covering is to protect othersAt least 39,000 new cases and 460 new Covid deaths reported in USSign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter 6.59pm BST Stormy Daniels fired back at Melania Trump on Tuesday, a remarkable exchange spurred by a secretly recorded tape in which the first lady called the adult film star “the porn hooker”.“Annie Leibovitz shot the porn hooker, and she will be [in] one of the issues, September or October.”“What do you mean?” Related: Melania Trump discusses Stormy Daniels in secretly recorded tapes 6.37pm BST The Pentagon has now made a statem...

Brexit drives government consultancy fees to £450m in three years Exclusive: Home Office biggest spender as department deals with preparations to leave EUThe scale of the government’s reliance on management consultants has been laid bare as analysis shows that spending with eight top firms has risen by 45% to more than £450m in three years.Deloitte, the professional services firm, was the biggest winner, earning fees of £147m from public funds in 2019-20, compared with £40m two years earlier, amid a bonanza related in large part to Brexit. Continue reading... Go to Source

Powering all UK homes via offshore wind by 2030 'would cost £50bn' Aurora Energy Research calculates investment would have to quadruple capacity Boris Johnson’s bold new vision for offshore wind to power every home in the UK by 2030 would require almost £50bn in investment and the equivalent of one turbine to be installed every weekday for the whole of the next decade.The huge investment, calculated by Aurora Energy Research, an Oxford-based consultancy, would increase the UK’s offshore wind power capacity by four times what it is today, to reach 40GW by 2030. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson: UK must not return to status quo after Covid pandemic PM pledges to transform country in keynote address to Conservative party conferenceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has said Britain must not return to the status quo after the coronavirus pandemic, promising a transformation akin to the “New Jerusalem” the postwar cabinet pledged in 1945.The prime minister also mounted a robust defence of the private sector, saying “free enterprise” must lead the recovery and warning that he intended to significantly roll back the extraordinary state intervention that the crisis had necessitated. Continue reading... Go to Source

C of E bishops should lose responsibility for safeguarding children, says inquiry Damning report says church protected its reputation above its ‘explicit moral purpose’Church of England bishops should be stripped of responsibility to keep children safe from sexual abuse, according to an independent inquiry that said the church had protected its own reputation above its “explicit moral purpose”.A damning report from the independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), published on Tuesday, said the C of E’s culture of deference and “clericalism” meant it was a place where abusers could hide. Continue reading... Go to Source

Contagious Trump removes mask for photos upon return from hospital President poses near his staff and downplays threat of Covid-19 after three days at military medical centerCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA contagious Donald Trump returned to the White House on Monday and immediately took off his face mask for a photo op, despite being in close proximity to his staff.After a three-day stay at a military hospital to treat symptoms of coronavirus, the US president stepped off the Marine One helicopter just before 7pm and walked up the south portico staircase. He stopped in front of an illuminated entrance with four US flags, turned to face the south lawn – and brazenly removed his mask while posing for cameras. Continue reading... Go to Source

Nobel prize in physics awarded to trio for work on black hole formation Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez share 10m Swedish kronor awardThree scientists have won the 2020 Nobel prize in physics for their work on black hole formation and the discovery of a supermassive blackhole at the centre of our galaxy.Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez together scooped the 114th Nobel prize in physics. Continue reading... Go to Source

Previous incident may have led Orcas to target boats, say experts Inquiry into encounters off coasts of Spain and Portugal says speed could be a factorExperts investigating a series of extraordinary encounters between orcas and yachts off the coasts of Spain and Portugal believe the animals responsible may have been triggered to target boat rudders by an earlier “aversive incident” involving some kind of vessel. Related: 'They were having a real go': man tells of orca encounter off Spain Continue reading... Go to Source

'Don't be afraid': Trump downplays Covid dangers after removing mask at White House – live Trump and Covid: what we know so farPresident plans to participate in next debate, campaign says‘Masks matter’: Joe Biden reminds Trump that face covering is there to protect othersCDC says coronavirus can spread through airborne transmissionNiece says president sees illness as sign of ‘unforgivable weakness’Sign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter 6.58am BST That’s it from me, Helen Sullivan, for today. Thanks for following along – and as always, to those who got in touch on Twitter or via email. My colleague Kevin Rawlinson will be taking over the blog shortly. Related: Trump and Covid: what we know so far 6.53am BST Finding the news from the US presidential election overw...

Tuesday briefing: Unmasked Trump carries Covid back into White House ‘Don’t let it dominate; maybe I’m immune; be careful!’ … Tories may rebel over rule of six and curfew … how to maintain friendships during pandemicGood morning, Warren Murray enlightening you this Tuesday morn. Continue reading... Go to Source

Commons rebellions expected at votes on curfew and rule of six Conservative and Labour MPs are unhappy with lack of evidence behind 10pm closing timeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMPs could signal growing discontent with the government’s coronavirus restrictions at key votes on the regulations this week, amid growing calls for the government to publish the scientific advice behind the 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants in the UK.Conservative and Labour MPs have signalled they could withdraw backing for implementing the rule of six regulation and the curfew at votes expected this week. Continue reading... Go to Source

Home secretary's 'dangerous' rhetoric 'putting lawyers at risk' Solicitors and barristers say they feel unsafe and warn Home Office attacks on lawyers are undermining the legal systemLeading immigration lawyers have told the Guardian that increasingly hostile rhetoric from the home secretary is putting them at risk of being attacked as well as undermining the legal system.On Sunday home secretary Priti Patel used a speech at the Conservative party conference to criticise lawyers who defend migrants, linking them directly with traffickers who help asylum-seekers to cross borders. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson to unveil plan to power all UK homes with wind by 2030 PM vows to make Britain world leader in low-cost clean power with ‘Build Back Greener’ driveBoris Johnson will promise to power every home in the UK with offshore wind energy within a decade, pledging to make the coronavirus pandemic a catalyst for green growth.In a speech to the virtual Conservative party conference on Tuesday, he will say that the government will invest in a clean energy future to create “hundreds of thousands, if not millions of jobs” in the next decade. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ministers accused of putting lives at risk with Covid data error Matt Hancock says no lockdowns need to be changed because of 16,000 unreported casesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters have been accused of “putting lives at risk” through data failures which led to nearly 16,000 coronavirus cases going unreported in England, but Matt Hancock insisted the problem had been addressed.Updating the Commons after it emerged that data transfer errors between laboratories and Public Health England (PHE) meant 15,841 positive results were left off daily figures between 25 September and 2 October, the health secretary said just over half those missed were now having their contacts traced. Continue reading... Go to Source

Priti Patel faces tribunal questioning over alleged bullying Exclusive: lawyers for Patel’s former permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam push forward constructive dismissal claimPriti Patel is facing the possibility of being questioned before a 10-day employment tribunal hearing next September after lawyers for her former permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam pushed forward with a claim for constructive dismissal.The home secretary, her department, and Downing Street are also being asked to disclose all correspondence related to Rutnam’s departure following claims that he was forced out of his job for intervening in her alleged bullying of fellow civil servants. Continue reading... Go to Source

Donald Trump condemned for Covid stunt 'insanity' as US approaches 7.5m cases – US politics live Donald Trump and Covid: what we know so farWalter Reed physician among critics of Donald Trump drive-by visitNiece says president sees illness as sign of ‘unforgivable weakness’Poll: Trump 14 points behind Biden month before electionSign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter 12.51pm BST Donald Trump’s drive-by of supporters outside his hospital yesterday sparked criticism that he had endangered the lives of the staff who were in the car with him.Corey Lewandowski, a former campaign manager for Donald Trump, has been on TV this morning asserting that the staff in Trump’s SUV drive-by yesterday had in fact volunteered for the role. He told Savannah Guthrie:The President want...

Cineworld confirms UK and US closures; UK car sales hit two-decade low – business live Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news7am newsflash: Cineworld cinemas in UK and US to close45,000 employees impacted; closures begin on ThursdayPeter Bradshaw: James Bond mustn’t kill film industrySeptember car sales weakest since 1999Cineworld shares halve in value in early trading 12.38pm BST Odeon is to shut a quarter of its cinemas during the week as a dearth of Hollywood blockbusters and the second wave of the pandemic keeps movie-goers at home.“We look forward to reopening full time when the big blockbusters return,”“But in the meantime, we promise to bring you a great choice of big-screen films to enjoy at the weekends.” 12.29pm BST The UK retail sector suffered a drop in ...

England Covid cases error means 50,000 contacts may not have been traced ‘Shambolic’ failure resulted in 15,841 cases not reported for over a weekCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMore than 50,000 potentially infectious people may have been missed by contact tracers and not told to self-isolate because of the data blunder that meant nearly 16,000 coronavirus cases went unreported in England.Public Health England (PHE) admitted it was to blame for the IT error that meant 15,841 positive test results were left off the official daily figures between 25 September and 2 October. Continue reading... Go to Source

Amazon near tipping point of switching from rainforest to savannah – study Climate crisis and logging is leading to shift from canopy rainforest to open grasslandMuch of the Amazon could be on the verge of losing its distinct nature and switching from a closed canopy rainforest to an open savannah with far fewer trees as a result of the climate crisis, researchers have warned.Rainforests are highly sensitive to changes in rainfall and moisture levels, and fires and prolonged droughts can result in areas losing trees and shifting to a savannah-like mix of woodland and grassland. In the Amazon, such changes were known to be possible but thought to be many decades away. Continue reading... Go to Source

Nobel prize in medicine awarded to trio for work on hepatitis C Harvey Alter, Michael Houghton, Charles Rice share 10m Swedish kronor prizeTwo Americans and a British scientist have been awarded the Nobel prize in medicine for their groundbreaking work on blood-borne hepatitis, a health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer around the world.Harvey J Alter at the US National Institutes of Health in Maryland, Charles M Rice from Rockefeller University in New York, and Michael Houghton, a British virologist at the University of Alberta in Canada, discovered the hepatitis C virus, a major cause of liver inflammation. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: global cases pass 35m as Walter Reed physician calls Trump drive 'insanity' UK reports 22,961 new cases, says figure ‘artificially high’; nine New York neighbourhoods headed for lockdown; Ireland health experts recommend moving to highest level. Follow the latest updatesWalter Reed physician calls Trump drive ‘insanity’After avoiding the worst in spring, Italy’s south sounds alarmLeak reveals possible harsher three-tier Covid plan for England 6.45am BST Taiwan hopes that US President Donald Trump can get better from the coronavirus soon so that he can continue to lead the free world in resisting China’s “outrages”, the speaker of the island’s parliament said on Monday, Reuters reports. Democratic Taiwan has come under increasingly severe military pressure from Chi...

Mary Trump says president sees illness as sign of 'unforgivable weakness' Donald Trump’s niece tells NPR US is in a ‘horrible place’ because president and his father saw any malaise as unacceptableCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMary Trump, the niece of Donald Trump, has said the United States is “in the horrible place we’re in” because members of the family, including the president, see illness as “a display of unforgivable weakness”, whether it is in themselves or others.Speaking on NPR’s Fresh Air, Mary Trump, who recently published the tell-all book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, said: “That’s why we’re in the horrible place we’re in, because he cannot admit to the weakness of being ill or of other people ...

Sean Conley: who is the Trump doctor whose updates are raising questions Physician’s press briefings leave medical experts, analysts and the public searching for the truth as to how sick the president really isTrump coronavirus treatment – live updatesDonald Trump has often boasted of surrounding himself with “the best people” and the medical skills of Dr Sean Conley, the personal physician now charged with steering the US president back to health through his encounter with Covid-19, have never been called into question. Related: Trump's steroid Covid treatment adds to confusion over health Continue reading... Go to Source

Leak reveals possible harsher three-tier Covid plan for England Exclusive: government documents suggest potential pub closures and stricter social contact rulesWhat are the three proposed lockdown tiers? Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA new three-tier lockdown system is being planned for England, with leaked government documents paving the way for potential harsher restrictions including the closure of pubs and a ban on all social contact outside of household groups.The draft traffic-light-style plan, seen by the Guardian, is designed to simplify the current patchwork of localised restrictions, which apply to about a quarter of the UK. It also reveals tougher measures that could be imposed by the government locally or nationally if Covid cases are not brough...

Monday briefing: Trump's drive-by visit dubbed 'insanity' US president appears in vehicle outside hospital to wave to supporters … England faces toughest restrictions yet … Mariah Carey, queen of high maintenanceMorning everyone. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories this Monday morning. Continue reading... Go to Source

Donald Trump releases video from hospital after positive Covid-19 test – live news US president addresses world from hospital; medical team says Donald Trump is ‘not out of the woods’; Joe Biden’s campaign to release results of his future testsPresident says ‘I think I’ll be back soon’ in four-minute videoPanic and confusion permeate White HouseCan Johnson and Bolsonaro offer lessons for Trump?Amy Coney Barrett: confirmation under threat as senators infectedCoronavirus - latest live news 12.41pm BST The US president is awake and has thanked supporters who gathered outside the hospital on Saturday night.Thank you so much! https://t.co/UL6P5lRjZI 11.39am BST A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Democratic candidate Joe Biden has opened his widest lead in a month in the US presidential race after Tr...

Panic and confusion permeate White House following Trump's Covid diagnosis Concerns mount over spread of the virus within the building, and whether it could disrupt the functioning of governmentGolden autumn sunshine shone down on Washington on Saturday to illuminate a US capital upended as Donald Trump began his first full day in hospital battling coronavirus amid a presidential election thrown into chaos. Related: Amy Coney Barrett: quick confirmation under threat as three senators infected Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump’s New Jersey event showed perilous neglect for his staff, supporters – and himself Why did the White House allow a fundraising event to go on after one of Trump’s closest aides tested positive for Covid?On Thursday afternoon Donald Trump held a roundtable of 19 top Republican donors at Bedminster, his 36-hole golf course in New Jersey, where he vented his frustrations about how his push for a rapid vaccine against Covid-19 was being undermined by the deep state.According to a description of the meeting recorded on video by one of the donors present, “the president said that the approval for vaccines has been slowed down for political reasons by people who wanted to hurt him”. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson says situation will be 'bumpy' to Christmas and perhaps beyond Boris Johnson rejects idea UK will be locked into rolling lockdowns for years to come; PM says it is too early to say local lockdown measures are not workingBoris Johnson: public are furious about Covid restrictionsConservatives turn on Boris Johnson over handling of Covid-19Keir Starmer: Boris Johnson has ‘lost control’ of pandemicUS coronavirus – latest news after Trump’s positive testGlobal coronavirus – latest news 12.46pm BST According to the Sunday Telegraph (which really ought to know), Charles Moore, a former editor of both the Sunday and the Daily Telegraph, and a current Telegraph columnist, has decided not to apply to be the next chairman of the BBC - despite being reportedly Bor...