The Guardian

Fresh funds are ‘liquidity bridge’ to stabilise firm and give it time to secure long-term investment, says bossThames Water is racing to secure a £3bn lifeline as the struggling water company battles for financial survival.The fresh funds are meant to act as “liquidity bridge” to “stabilise the business” and give it time to secure long-term investment, its chief executive, Chris Weston, said on Friday. It will further balloon its operating company’s debt pile, taking it to £17.9bn by March next year, Alastair Cochran, Thames’s chief financial officer, said. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/oct/25/struggling-thames-water-pushes-for-lifeline Author : Anna Isaac and Jack

Final NYT/Siena poll suggests Harris’s position among likely voters may have dipped; Harris raises $97m in first half of October to Trump’s $16m‘Fascist’, ‘conman’, ‘predator’, ‘cheat’: what 11 Trump staff say about himKamala Harris and Donald Trump are tied at 48%, according to a new poll by the New York Times and Siena College.Published on Friday, the poll, the poll also revealed that 31% of registered voters view Trump as very favorable while 29% view Harris as very favorable.“Ms. Harris’s position, if anything, may have declined among likely voters since the last Times/Siena College poll, taken in early October. At

Singer, who won a record-breaking number of Brit awards this year, says books were in its boot and the follow-up to My 21st Century Blues will be delayedThe chart-topping British singer-songwriter Raye has said that her second album will be delayed after songs for it were stolen along with her car.She wrote on Instagram: “My car got stolen with all my song writing books in the boot so no second album any time soon love you bye.” Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/oct/25/raye-loses-songwriting-books-for-second-album-in-car-theft Author : Ben Beaumont-Thomas Publish date : 2024-10-25 12:34:20 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked

Open letter by 82 laureates commends Harris and calls Trump a potential threat to progress on climate crisisMore than 80 Nobel prize winners have endorsed Kamala Harris for the presidency, warning that Donald Trump would “jeopardize any advancements in our standards of living” given his earlier proposals for enormous cuts to science funding.In an open letter, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, 82 Nobel prize winners from the US in the fields of physics, chemistry, economics and medicine, said “this is the most consequential presidential election in a long time, perhaps ever, for the future

UK PM commits to hold UK-Caribbean forum with leaders of the nations most affected by slavery’s legacy next yearAstraZeneca has said it may cut jobs at its UK operation if the government enforces a global push to make companies share profits derived from nature’s genetic codes, multiple sources have told the Guardian.The alleged comments from the company came amid a concerted lobbying push by the pharmaceutical industry against the profit-sharing measures.We must unequivocally reject these claims, they are based on false and misleading narratives about our past, after all it was Britain that worked harder than nearly any other country

State attorney general alleges Google is manipulating search results, as tech corporation says claim ‘totally false’Missouri’s Republican attorney general has said he is launching an investigation into Google over allegations it was censoring conservative speech, as the tech corporation dismissed the claims as “totally false”.“I am launching an investigation into Google for censoring conservative speech during the most consequential election in our nation’s history,” Andrew Bailey said in a post on X, without citing any example or evidence for his censorship claim. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/25/missouri-republica-investigating-google-alleged-censoring-conservative-speech Author : Lorenzo Tondo and agencies Publish date : 2024-10-25 09:15:22 Copyright

Low-income writers and those without space to work will be prioritised under the RSL’s new Scriptorium awards, with 10 people a year allowed to stay for up to a monthOn the wall of a Ramsgate house owned by Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo hangs a large-scale cover of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. It might just as well read “A Cottage of One’s Own”, as that is precisely what the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) president is offering: writers will be able to stay in the property for free.“I bought this cottage as my pension, and I decided that

Three people who worked for pro-Iran Al Mayadeen and Hezbollah-owned Al Manar, were directly targeted, according to Lebanese mediaLebanon’s information minister, Ziad Makary, has described the Israeli attack – that reportedly killed at least three journalists as they slept in guesthouses used by media in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon – as a “war crime”.In a post on X, he wrote:The Israeli enemy waited for the journalists’ nighttime break to betray them in their sleep... This is an assassination, after monitoring and tracking, with prior planning and design, as there were 18 journalists there representing seven media institutions. This is a war

The Labor opposition, conservationists and Indigenous groups have expressed shock at the moveFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe newly elected Northern Territory government wants to grant itself sweeping new powers to exempt major projects from environmental assessments in a move described by conservationists and Indigenous groups as authoritarian and anti-democratic.A leaked consultation document, seen by Guardian Australia, outlines how a new Territory Coordinator (TC) would have powers to “step in” and take the role of government agencies to make assessments and approvals and could order other agencies

Biotech giant’s alleged comments come as world leaders at Cop16 discuss how to share benefits from genetic code discoveries fairlyAstraZeneca has said it may cut jobs at its UK operation if the government enforces a global push to make companies share profits derived from nature’s genetic codes, multiple sources have told the Guardian.The alleged comments from the company came amid a concerted lobbying push by the pharmaceutical industry against the profit-sharing measures. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/25/astrazeneca-uk-jobs-biodiversity-drug-levy Author : Patrick Greenfield Publish date : 2024-10-25 05:00:12 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Opposition leader adds caveat to campaign vow on eve of Queensland election day as polls tighten Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland Liberal National party leader, David Crisafulli, has walked back his campaign promise to resign if crime victim numbers do not reduce under a government led by him, claiming on Friday that he was referring to per capita rates, and not the overall number of victims.The qualification, on the eve of the state election, comes as polls suggest the opposition has squandered a huge polling

The man had pleaded not guilty to nine charges alleged to have occurred over a six-year period against five women on separate occasionsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA high-profile Sydney man has been found not guilty on two counts of rape, with a jury unable to reach a verdict on three other rape charges.The man was found not guilty on four out of a total nine charges. After 12 days of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining five charges, which included

Appen says nearly one-third of the company’s contractors were left without pay on time as a result of issue with payment processing integrationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne-third of contractors training AI systems used by companies such as Amazon, Meta and Microsoft have been left without pay on time after the Australian company Appen moved to a new worker management platform.Appen employs 1 million contractors who speak more than 500 languages and are based in 200 countries. They work to label photographs, text, audio and other data

Police say the vehicle veered off the Princes Highway and crashed into home near Warrnambool on Friday morningFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo people have died after a truck crashed into a house in regional Victoria.Police said the truck had veered off the Princes Highway and crashed into a home at Tower Hill, near Warrnambool, after 7am on Friday.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/25/tower-hill-truck-crash-deaths-warrnambool-victoria-princes-highway-ntwnfb Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date : 2024-10-25 00:29:59 Copyright for syndicated content belongs

Rachel Reeves to encourage import of raw materials from Commonwealth countries to counter China’s grip on market Businesses that import critical minerals to the UK will be given access to state-backed loans in a move to counter China’s dominance in the market.The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is expected to announce extra government support to encourage the import of critical minerals such as lithium, graphite and cobalt in her budget next week. Companies that bring supplies of critical minerals into the UK will be able to access state-backed loans under the UK export finance mechanism. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/25/state-backed-loans-firms-importing-critical-minerals-uk Author

Shareholders and property owners who also work not within PM’s definition of ‘working people’Keir Starmer has hinted at tax rises for those who earn their income from shares and property, saying that they did not fit his definition of “working people”.Ministers are expected to announce increases in inheritance tax and capital gains tax (CGT) in the budget next week. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/24/keir-starmer-hints-at-tax-rises-on-people-with-income-from-assets Author : Eleni Courea in Apia, Samoa Publish date : 2024-10-24 22:49:36 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Prime minister trying to secure tournament’s future at Commonwealth summit in SamoaKeir Starmer will try to find a host country for the 2030 Commonwealth Games this week as ministers try to shore up the tournament’s future.The prime minister’s spokesperson said Starmer wanted to see “a successful Commonwealth Games from 2030” and would spend time at this week “talking to partners about who may be interested in taking that forward”. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/oct/24/keir-starmer-seeks-2030-host-commonwealth-games-glasgow-samoa Author : Eleni Courea in Apia, Samoa Publish date : 2024-10-24 21:44:57 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

More walkouts by engineers are planned today as the company holds its AGM in Hobart; Steven Miles has closed the gap on David Crisafulli, poll showsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPacific pushes for rights in face of rising sea levels at ChogmAAP has more details on the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, which occurs every two years and is being hosted in the Pacific for the first time – in Samoa. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/oct/25/australia-live-news-qantas-strike-queensland-election-race-king-charles-samoa-chogm-keynote-ntwnfb Author : Emily Wind Publish date : 2024-10-24 20:28:16 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Lawmakers and residents speak out against Parkview after the Guardian investigated the hospital chain for high costsLast fall, Doug Allen, the president of a plastic molding firm in Brimfield, Indiana, was forced into a difficult decision.Since 2007, the costs of his employees’ health insurance had shot up around 275%, expenditures that were eating into his profit margins and far outpacing the rate of inflation, according to his records. But Allen didn’t blame his small local insurer. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/24/indiana-parkview-hospital-price-gouging Author : George Joseph Publish date : 2024-10-24 18:47:07 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Exclusive: government ‘spooked’ by warning that ban would result in pub closures and job lossesDowning Street is blocking moves to include a ban on smoking outdoors in the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes bill amid fierce opposition by the hospitality trade.No 10 officials privately believe that banning people from lighting up in pub gardens is “an unserious” policy and is not backed by good evidence showing that it harms non-smokers. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/24/move-to-ban-smoking-in-uk-pub-gardens-blocked-amid-hospitality-opposition Author : Pippa Crerar and Denis Campbell Publish date : 2024-10-24 18:27:10 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Proportion of students eligible for free school meals at 15 who progress to higher education falls from 29.2% to 29%The proportion of disadvantaged teenagers in England going on to study at university has fallen for the first time on record, leading to accusations that the country is moving backwards in terms of social mobility.Figures released by the Department for Education show that 29% of students eligible for free school meals at 15 had progressed to university by the age of 19 in 2022-23, compared with 29.2% the previous year – the first time the rate has fallen since it was

Former chancellor says ‘increasing borrowing means interest rates would be higher for longer’ as Reeves says it will ‘make space for investment’Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has said that “no one knows” who Robert Jenrick, the Tory leadership contender, is.Of the two candidates left in the contest, Jenrick is the one who is doing most to appeal to Tories who defected to Reform UK, because he is saying Britain should leave the European convention on human rights.I know the fella. Is he the chap that one day was on the very much on the left of the Conservative party

Chancellor says she is not prepared to let infrastructure spending fall further behind other countries, but there will be no Truss-style splurgeRachel Reeves will pledge to reverse huge cuts in public investment in her budget next week after she confirmed that rules limiting her spending power will be overhauled to enable the government to free up as much as £50bn for infrastructure spending.The chancellor said she would revise how the Treasury calculated shortfalls in the government budget over the rest of the parliament to free up funds to invest in public infrastructure. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/24/budget-will-reverse-huge-cuts-in-uks-public-investment-reeves-confirms Author :

Exclusive: Conservative forces pose ‘genuine threats to the protections women have fought for and won’, Victoria’s premier saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Jacinta Allan is warning that the battle for abortion rights must continue as conservative forces pose “real and genuine threats to the protections women have fought for and won” amid “frightening” debate in South Australia and Queensland.Victoria’s Labor premier made her strongest comments to date on abortion in an interview with Guardian Australia, just days before Queenslanders go to the polls in an election that has become dominated by the issue.Sign up

Nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more was able to have fair trial, court rulesLucy Letby has been refused permission to appeal against a conviction for attempting to murder a baby girl as judges ruled she was able to have a fair trial.The former nurse, who is serving 12 whole-life prison terms, had sought to overturn the conviction on the basis that she had been subjected to “unadulterated vitriol” in the media before the trial. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/24/lucy-letby-refused-permission-to-appeal-against-attempted-conviction Author : Josh Halliday North of England editor Publish date : 2024-10-24 12:59:22 Copyright