The Guardian - October 21, 2024

In this issue

October 21, 2024

Labour wants NHS 'passports' for all patients despite privacy fears

Streeting reveals digital records plan as part of 10-year transformation

4 mins

Gaza under fire Scores killed in Israeli airstrikes

At least 87 people had been killed or were missing and 40 injured after intense Israeli airstrikes overnight in the north of the Gaza Strip, part of the country's ferocious renewed assault on the area, medics in the besieged Palestinian territory said yesterday.

3 mins

Number of people with chronic pain to increase by 2m by 2040

Almost 2 million more people will be suffering from sore backs, necks and other body parts by 2040 due to a surge in chronic pain as the UK's population ages, research shows.

2 mins

Fewer women may be sent to jail after sentencing review launched

Fewer women could be sent to jail under a review to be announced by ministers this week that is expected to cut sentences for thousands of criminals.

2 mins

Pulp friction Writers rue the rise of celebs' books for children

“A modern classic by Keira Knightley,” reads the provisional cover of the actor's debut children's book I Love You Just the Same. Set to be published next October, the 80-page volume, written and illustrated by Knightley, is about a girl navigating the dynamics that come with the arrival of a sibling.

3 mins

US investigates intelligence leak on Israel's plans to attack Iran

The US government is investigating an unauthorised release of classified documents that assess Israel's plans to attack Iran.

3 mins

Lebanon Fears that bombing will stoke sectarian tensions

Ali Daher first heard the explosion and then he felt the pain. An Israeli aircraft loitering high above had shot two rockets at the building next door, collapsing the top two floors and showering him and his two sons with a deadly spray of concrete and jagged metal.

3 mins

Black and Chinese women '80% less likely to be given HRT'

Menopausal women of Chinese and black African backgrounds are about 80% less likely to receive hormone replacement therapy than white women, according to a study.

2 mins

Conkers champion, 82, cleared of using steel nut to win title

The winner of the World Conker Championships has been cleared of wrongdoing after he was found with a steel nut in his pocket.

1 min

Met Office warns of danger to life as UK hit by Storm Ashley

Parts of the UK have been battered by strong winds and heavy rain, as Storm Ashley - the first named storm of the season-swept in.

1 min

I'm sure PM wants assisted dying laws changed, says doctor Starmer spared

A doctor who was spared from criminal charges over assisted dying by Keir Starmer when he was the director of public prosecutions has said he is sure the prime minister wants a change to the \"ridiculous\" laws on the issue.

3 mins

"'Crikey, that was close': Clarkson reveals he had heart procedure

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed he had a heart procedure after waking up feeling \"clammy\" with a tightness in his chest and pins and needles in his left arm.

2 mins

Support pours in for Chris Hoy after terminal cancer diagnosis

Messages of support have poured in for the Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy after he revealed he had received a terminal cancer diagnosis.

2 mins

Health Almost half of workforce get no support from employer

Almost half of the UK workforce lack access to workplace health support including winter flu vaccinations and checks for cardiovascular diseases, a report has found.

1 min

Sick pay Ministers urged to increase £3 basic rate

Ministers are under pressure to increase the basic rate of statutory sick pay (SSP) from £3 an hour for a full-time worker amid concerns that hundreds of thousands of people a year are left without adequate financial support to pay essential bills while off work.

2 mins

NHS money Ringfence spending on prevention, experts urge

Rachel Reeves is being urged to use next week's budget to ringfence health spending on prevention so it is protected from cuts when money is tight.

2 mins

Cleverly's trip to Rwanda cost £655 a head for food

The in-flight catering for James Cleverly's one-day round trip to Rwanda last December while he was foreign secretary cost £655 a head.

1 min

Rayner given a permanent seat on the national security council

Angela Rayner has been given a permanent seat on the government's national security council (NSC) as the rebooted Downing Street operation seeks to smooth over reports of tensions between Keir Starmer and his deputy.

1 min

Pressure on PM over reparations as Commonwealth leaders meet

Keir Starmer is under pressure from Labour MPs and Caribbean governments to open the door to reparatory justice when he travels this week to the Pacific island state of Samoa for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm).

1 min

Australia tour King marks passage of time with gift of hourglass

King Charles did not linger long at the luncheon put on in his honour, at the second scheduled event of his short Australian visit. And his gift to the gathering was a reminder of the fleeting passage of time.

3 mins

UN official criticises LSE over treatment of activists

The London School of Economics has been criticised by a UN rapporteur and accused of Islamophobia after alleging that students behind a proPalestine demonstration in July had prompted fears of a repeat of the 7 July 2005 terrorist attacks.

2 mins

Mosques awarded a record £3m to boost their security

A record amount of security funding has been issued to mosques in the UK via a government scheme to protect places of worship from hate crime.

1 min

Lewis warns of online scam 'wild west' over fake budget advert

Martin Lewis has warned of a \"wild west\" of online scams after criminals used a fake interview with Rachel Reeves to trick consumers into sharing their bank details before the budget.

2 mins

Theatre review A wander in wonder with an old storyteller

What a treat, years after reading the book, to finally go for a walk with Daniel Gluck. This is a man who talks of words as things that grow and of the world as something to be read, who throws a watch into a canal to demonstrate how time flies. Gary Lilburn's twinkling performance as the cheeky old storyteller is the beating heart of Harry McDonald's new stage adaptation of Ali Smith's novel Autumn.

1 min

UK aims to lead efforts on biodiversity crisis with first nature envoy

The government has appointed the UK's first envoy for nature, a former environment campaigner described as \"the environmentalist's environmentalist\", who will be charged with forging global agreement on halting the precipitous decline of species.

2 mins

Dreading the clocks going back? Britons urged to join research

Does the prospect of darker evenings make you feel gloomy, or will you relish the extra hour in bed for one morning? Scientists are launching a study to better understand how the annual switch back to winter time affects people's wellbeing and time perception - and they need your help.

2 mins

Endangered Madagascan lemur bred in the Cotswolds

Cotswold wildlife park has successfully bred one of Madagascar's most endangered lemurs.

1 min

Fans gather the around world to pay tribute after Payne's death

People gathered outside St Peter's church in Wolverhampton yesterday to look at the balloons, bouquets and candles left in tribute to the One Direction star Liam Payne, whose home town was part of a worldwide outpouring of grief arranged by fans over the weekend.

2 mins

Arts in Scotland face 'managed decline' with funding shortfalls

Arts leaders in Scotland have warned that the sector is facing \"death by slow cuts\" because of a lack of clarity over funding, with delays and funding shortfalls meaning some large institutions face temporary closure within months.

2 mins

"'Remarkable' pianist, 17, wins BBC's young musician contest

The 2024 BBC Young Musician competition has been won by a 17-year-old pianist, Ryan Wang.

1 min

Stop-motion animation wins top prize at London film festival

A whimsical Australian stop-motion film about separated twins has taken the top prize at the London film festival, with the jury calling it a \"singular achievement in film-making\".

1 min

Musk promises to award $1m a day in push to boost voter registrations

Elon Musk had said his Trump-supporting fundraiser will give out $1m (£766m) every day until election day to someone who signs his petition that in effect encourages Republicans in the key battleground states to register to vote.

2 mins

Hurricane Helene State grapples with holding an election in a disaster zone

In a normal life Jon Council would be holding his last campaign fundraiser of the 2024 cycle, exhorting local small business owners in Watauga county to back his campaign to become a county commissioner over a plate of spaghetti and garlic bread.

4 mins

Immigration Revitalised town is latest target for far-right hate

There is one thing about her community that makes Kristin Hopkins-Calcek prouder than anything: her city is one of the few boroughs in Pennsylvania with a growing population.

3 mins

"'All they want is fair support' Outcry from restaurateurs in Ireland as 600 close doors"

Blazing Salads, Dillingers, Assassination Custard and Brasserie Sixty Six in Dublin, Church Lane and Sage in County Cork, and Barnacles in Galway.

2 mins

Cuba heads for third night of blackout after efforts to restart electrical grid fail

Dusk has become a particularly frenetic time in Havana, as Cuba descended towards a third night potentially without electricity after repeated failed attempts to restart the national grid.

2 mins

Russian ambassador claims UK is waging proxy war and predicts the 'end of Ukraine'

Moscow's ambassador to London has said the UK is waging a proxy war against Russia, while predicting the \"end of Ukraine” as Russian invading forces make deeper advances into the country.

3 mins

Georgians take to streets for pro-Europe rally as crucial election looms

Tens of thousands of Georgians staged a pro-Europe rally yesterday a week before parliamentary elections seen as a test for the country's democracy and its bid for EU membership.

1 min

Sámi languages at risk of extinction over cuts to funding, say speakers

The Indigenous parliaments of Sweden, Finland and Norway have warned that some Sámi languages could disappear if Stockholm and Helsinki press ahead with plans to withdraw funding that could hit a critical preservation body.

2 mins

Ministers to oversee 'dire' HS2 as cost still uncertain

Ministers are to oversee HS2 and have launched a review after the government was unable to ascertain the scale of the ballooning overspend on the long-delayed high-speed rail line.

2 mins

Frequent returners 'to send back £6.6bn of products'

Shoppers with a habit of returning goods to retailers will send back £1,400 of products each this year, totalling £6.6bn, a UK report has found.

1 min

Nightmare weather may mean green pumpkins

Giant orange pumpkins with ghoulish grins have become a Halloween doorstep tradition but this year trick-or-treaters might be greeted with even spookier green-tinged jack-o'-lanterns after a nightmare season for growers.

1 min

Jane Street Capital The firm paying interns more than Keir Starmer

Sitting down for his internship interview at Jane Street Capital in the summer of 2013, the future crypto-billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried found himself presented with a stack of poker chips and playing cards. But this was no ordinary game.

3 mins

Water firms' bonuses hit £9.1m despite sewage spills

Bonuses for water company bosses in England and Wales rose to £9.1m this year despite record sewage discharges into rivers and seas.

2 mins

Degrowth needs to fix its image problem for the sake of the planet

The impact of the climate crisis is evident everywhere. Finance ministers are in Washington DC this week for the meeting of the International Monetary Fund in the wake of two devastating hurricanes in the US within a month, while parts of the Sahara have been flooded for the first time in half a century.

4 mins

Numbers game Big Stat replaces Big Sam as clubs turn to metrics to find managers

It feels as if the days of sacking a manager for a run of defeats then scrolling through the Filofax to find numbers for Big Sam, Big Mick, Massive Moyesy or Huge Harry are coming to an end. There will always be a time and place for managerial heritage but clubs are increasingly mining statistics to help find the best fit for their strategy, players and even brand. In the Premier League there are no job adverts and applications will not be accepted. Instead the search will start long before the paperwork for the latest P45 begins.

3 mins

Fallen Patriots wave white flag in mauling by hungry Jaguars

The New England Patriots, a name that once struck fear in an opposition, now can only strike out as their defence allowed the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars to deliver a 32-16 win full of scorching runs from Tank Bigsby.

1 min

Pakistan use patio heaters to prepare pitch for third Test

After flourishing on a tired, cracked pitch in the second Test, Pakistan are employing every method at their disposal to get the Rawalpindi surface in a similar state for the deciding match starting on Thursday - with the aid of a pair of giant windbreaks, two outsized fans and six patio heaters.

1 min

Ainslie keeps the faith in America's Cup quest

Ineos Britannia had only just crossed the finish line, 37 seconds behind Emirates Team New Zealand in the ninth and final race of this America's Cup, when their 47-year-old skipper Sir Ben Ainslie was asked about his plans for the next one.

2 mins

Kerr defies pain to end the hurt for New Zealand

New Zealand secured a maiden T20 World Cup title, beating South Africa by 32 runs after a mammoth effort from the all-rounder Melie Kerr, who was named player of the tournament.

3 mins

His courage now is typical of man who lit up velodrome

Sir Chris Hoy is facing his terminal diagnosis with the same stoicism that made him Britain's greatest track cyclist

4 mins

Ferrari fire up tension as Leclerc and Sainz seal Texas one-two

Lando Norris was handed a five-second penalty after he was ruled to have gone off the track to overtake Max Verstappen

3 mins

Pollard lifts Leicester and delights Cheika

Sometimes it helps having a double World Cup champion in your side. There are numerous reasons why Leicester overturned an 11-point deficit to win a thrilling contest against Gloucester. Their experienced bench played a role, as did greater accuracy in the backline after a disjointed opening. They rode their luck on occasion and it did not hurt playing against the most porous defence in the league.

3 mins

Caldentey and Kafaji fire Arsenal to welcome victory

A battling defeat of West Ham ensured Arsenal secured back-to-back wins in the Champions League and Women's Super League after the resignation of Jonas Eidevall.

3 mins

Stones snatches victory as Wolves rue VAR again

Pep Guardiola was on the pitch, perplexed at John Stones's winner halfway through the final minute of stoppage time being disallowed for offside against Bernardo Silva.

3 mins

Jones stars as Liverpool pass first serious test

Contenders or pretenders? It was a legitimate question to ask of Liverpool given their almost flawless start under Arne Slot and the wait for their first serious Premier League test. Old Trafford does not qualify. Chelsea provided it and Liverpool found the answers, hauling themselves back to the summit with defeat of Enzo Maresca's emerging team.

3 mins

Red machine finds sufficient calm in the storm to get the better of callow Chelsea

Everything had been relatively serene for Chelsea at Anfield until the 25th minute when Levi Colwill flapped in a gale. Mohamed Salah thought he had been fouled on the edge of the area but John Brooks made the wrong decision, leaving Liverpool irritated and began a new case study in chaos theory.

3 mins

"'Is it subconscious bias?' O'Neil questions officials after VAR hands City dramatic win"

The Wolves manager, Gary O'Neil, questioned whether referees have a subconscious bias in favour of the \"big guy\" after Manchester City clinched a stoppage-time victory in controversial circumstances.

1 min

Read all stories from The Guardian

The Guardian Newspaper Description:

The Guardian is a British daily newspaper founded in 1821. It is one of the most respected newspapers in the world, known for its independent journalism and its commitment to social justice.

The Guardian has a liberal political stance and covers a wide range of topics, including news, politics, business, culture, and opinion. It also has a number of special interest sections, such as the Guardian Weekly, which is a weekly international edition, and the Guardian Cities, which covers urban life.

The Guardian is a popular read for many people who value independent journalism and high-quality writing. It is also a good source of news and information for people who are interested in social justice and progressive causes.

If you're looking for a reliable and informative news source, then The Guardian is a good choice. Subscribe today and enjoy.