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Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old media mogul, has announced that he is stepping down as leader of his companies Fox and News Corp, and handing control to his son Lachlan. This transition marks the end of a dynastic struggle and has stirred strong feelings in the UK, where Murdoch has had a significant impact on the media landscape. While some hail Murdoch as a trailblazer who changed the media, others see him as an unaccountable presence who poisoned global democracy.
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Marcus Smith has been selected to start at full-back for England in their match against Chile, with Owen Farrell returning as captain.
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Former Tory whip Chris Pincher has announced his resignation as an MP after losing his appeal against an eight-week suspension for drunkenly groping two men. This resignation triggers a by-election in the Tamworth constituency.
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Shoplifting incidents in the UK have surged, causing significant losses for retailers and threatening the safety of staff. The rise in thefts is attributed to organised crime groups and a lack of consequences for offenders. Retailers, including Co-op and John Lewis, are calling for urgent action from the police and government to address the issue.
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There are concerns that the HS2 railway project in the UK could face cuts, particularly to the leg connecting Birmingham and Manchester. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have been discussing potential cost savings, with the possibility of scrapping parts of the project. The government has refused to guarantee that the line will run to Manchester, citing concerns over spiraling costs and delays. Northern leaders have expressed anger at the potential cuts, accusing the government of neglecting the north of England.
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Rishi Sunak is reportedly planning to introduce a new 'British baccalaureate' qualification in England, which would replace A-levels and make maths and English compulsory until the age of 18. The proposal aims to address concerns about the narrowness of A-levels and improve numeracy skills among young people. The plans have been met with mixed reactions, with Labour calling them 'undeliverable' and school leaders highlighting the need for increased funding and teacher recruitment.
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Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner has sued her ex-husband, pop singer Joe Jonas, to return their two young children to England from the US.
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Dozens of Metropolitan Police firearms officers have decided to step back from armed duties after one of their colleagues was charged with the murder of a young black man, Chris Kaba. The officers are taking a period of reflection and are concerned about the impact of the decision on their own judgments in challenging circumstances. The number of officers stepping back has increased over the past 48 hours.
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The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is expected to approve Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard, after initially blocking the deal due to concerns about competition in the cloud gaming market. Microsoft has made changes to the deal, including selling Activision's cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft for 15 years, to address the CMA's concerns. The CMA's decision is significant as it shows a reversal of its earlier stance and paves the way for one of the largest tech transactions in history.
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Labour promises to ensure the budget watchdog is not 'gagged' by ministers and to consult the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on major tax and spending changes. The aim is to prevent a recurrence of Liz Truss's ill-fated mini-budget, which caused market chaos and a fall in the value of the pound.
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An expert witness at the trial of Lucy Letby, a nurse convicted of murdering seven babies, has raised concerns that she may have killed three more babies and harmed up to 15 others. The witness, paediatrician Dewi Evans, reviewed the notes of babies who were not part of the trial and suggested that their breathing tubes may have been tampered with or that they could have been poisoned with insulin. Letby was sentenced to a whole life order last month for deliberately harming infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit.
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Next week, skygazers in the UK will have the opportunity to witness a supermoon, which is when the full moon appears larger and brighter than usual. The supermoon will be visible on September 29 and is the last one of the year. Additionally, the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, have been visible in parts of the UK this week, providing a rare sight for skygazers.
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A new proposal in Congress called the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (Eats) Act aims to end the authority of states and localities to set animal welfare and food safety standards, jeopardizing years of work by animal rights activists, farmers, and food safety advocates.
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Pro-EU protesters gather in London to demand the UK rejoin the EU, calling Brexit a 'huge mistake'.
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A group of MPs has called on the government, regulator Ofgem, and energy suppliers to take urgent action to support vulnerable households facing an inevitable new winter energy crisis. The MPs are concerned that no new help has been announced for this winter and that last year's unallocated support for vulnerable families should be given to those who missed out. Energy bills are set to remain high, and while the Ofgem price cap is dropping, the government's previous discount on bills is not being repeated.
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An eight-year-old girl in the UK has undergone a kidney transplant that reprogrammed her immune system, eliminating the need for lifelong immunosuppressant drugs. The stem cell transplant used bone marrow from the girl's mother, who also donated the kidney. The pioneering treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London allows the new kidney to function without the risk of rejection. The girl, Aditi Shankar, has stopped taking immunosuppressants just a month after the surgery.
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The Liberal Democrats are set to launch their policy agenda at their annual conference in Bournemouth, with a focus on social care reform. Party leader Sir Ed Davey will pledge a care package worth £5bn a year, aiming to address the challenges in the sector. The conference will also serve as a platform to showcase the party's vision for the country and build on recent electoral successes.
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More than 4,500 people died in England in 2022 due to high temperatures, the largest figure on record, with the number of heat-related deaths increasing over recent years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that between 1988 and 2022, almost 52,000 deaths associated with the hottest days were recorded in England, with a third of them occurring since 2016. In Wales, over 2,000 people died due to warm temperatures during the same period. The mortality risk increased across all regions in England when temperatures exceeded 22C, with London registering the highest rate. The UK experienced an unprecedented heatwave in September 2023, with seven days of 30C heat. Globally, the summer of 2023 was the hottest ever recorded.
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The UK government has disbanded the energy efficiency taskforce and scrapped plans to force landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes. This decision by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has been met with criticism from Labour and housing associations, who argue that it will lead to higher energy bills and colder homes for tenants. The cancellation of energy efficiency regulations for the private rental sector could cost households almost £8 billion in higher bills over the next decade. The move has also raised concerns about the UK's ability to meet its climate goals.
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Tata Steel, the owner of Britain's largest steelworks in Port Talbot, plans to make large-scale redundancies as part of a transition to greener production methods. The UK government has agreed to a £500 million support package for Tata Steel, with the company expected to inject about £725 million. The plan involves shifting from coal-powered blast furnaces to less labour-intensive electric arc furnaces. Unions are attempting to avoid compulsory redundancies.
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The UK's Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, has warned that global regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) is falling behind the rapid advancements in the technology. In a speech at the UN General Assembly, Dowden emphasized the need for a new form of multilateralism to manage AI and prevent it from destabilizing the world order. He urged other countries to come together and create an international regulatory system to keep pace with the fast-developing technology.
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The SNP's candidate for the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, Katy Loudon, has criticized the Liberal Democrats for not taking Brexit seriously. She claims that the SNP is the only major party offering people hope and the chance to get back into the EU.
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Warner Bros Discovery has announced a major expansion of its Leavesden studios in the UK, increasing capacity by over 50%. The expansion will create 4,000 direct or indirect jobs and make the studios a primary production hub for DC Studios. The project is expected to boost the UK economy by over £200 million per year.
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The 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing is back with a lineup of celebrity guests, including reality star Zara McDermott and veteran broadcaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy. The show, presented by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, premiered on BBC One and will continue to air every Saturday. The judging panel consists of Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and head judge Shirley Ballas.
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School support staff in Scotland are set to go on strike after a union rejected a new pay deal offered by local authorities. The Scottish government had allocated £80 million to improve the offer, which would have included a rise of about £2,000 a year for the lowest paid. However, Unison, one of the unions involved, rejected the offer and announced a three-day strike from 26 to 28 September in 24 council areas. The GMB and Unite unions are still considering the offer.
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The Liberal Democrats have unveiled plans to double statutory shared parental pay (ShPP) and extend the amount of leave new families can take if they form the next government. The party aims to increase ShPP from £172.48 to £350 per week and extend shared parental leave from 37 weeks to 46 weeks. The proposals also include expanding shared parental leave to include self-employed workers.
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The UK government is reportedly considering watering down some of its net zero pledges, including delaying the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. This has sparked controversy and disagreement among senior Tories, with some calling it a betrayal of the government's green commitments.
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Comedian Patrick Kielty stars as Shane, a budding standup with a troubled past, in Prasanna Puwanarajah's directorial debut. He forms an odd-couple bond with Eileen, a young cabby, as they swap hard-luck tales and find healing through friendship.
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Lesley Page, 65, was found dead with gunshot wounds at her country house in Emneth. A man in his sixties was arrested on suspicion of murder but has been released under investigation.
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Cyberpunk 2077 has released its first and last DLC, Phantom Liberty, along with a major update. The DLC introduces a new story, quests, characters, and abilities, set in a new area of Night City called Dog Town. The update also includes fixes and improvements to the base game. The release of the DLC and update aims to enhance the overall gameplay experience for players.
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Police are searching for three men suspected of being linked to a series of burglaries, including a break-in at the home of England footballer Raheem Sterling.
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The UK government has announced a ban on American XL bully dogs after a series of attacks, including one that resulted in a man's death and another that left an 11-year-old girl seriously injured. The ban is expected to be implemented by the end of the year.
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Ukrainian troops have successfully captured the village of Andriivka in Donetsk region, near the city of Bakhmut, which had fallen into Russian hands in May. The Ukrainian military reported significant casualties and loss of equipment on the Russian side, while also fortifying some areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to visit the US next week to discuss military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion.
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Poland and Ukraine are engaged in a dispute over grain exports, with Poland extending a ban on Ukrainian grain imports. The move has strained the relationship between the two countries, which have been allies in Ukraine's fight against Russia. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has announced that Poland will no longer send weapons to Ukraine, instead focusing on modernizing its own military. The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, criticized Poland's ban during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, calling it 'political theater.' The dispute has led to tensions between Poland and Ukraine, with lawsuits being filed and diplomatic summonings taking place.
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Ukraine launched a missile strike on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, targeting the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. The attack resulted in casualties and damage to the building. This is the latest in a series of attacks by Ukraine on Crimea, as tensions escalate in the region. The significance of this event lies in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with Crimea being a key strategic location for both sides.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has completed his visit to Russia, where he met with President Vladimir Putin and discussed military cooperation. The visit has raised concerns about possible weapons transfer deals between the two countries, particularly in relation to the war in Ukraine. Kim expressed his support for Putin's "just fight" and offered full and unconditional support. The visit marks a strengthening of ties between North Korea and Russia, both of which are under Western sanctions.
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Iranians commemorate the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for violating Iran's strict dress code. Her death sparked widespread protests and a brutal crackdown by security forces.
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Amazon Prime Video will start showing limited advertisements in its streaming service from early 2024, unless customers pay for an ad-free subscription. The ads will be rolled out in the US, UK, Germany, and Canada first, followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in the year. Amazon aims to have fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming providers. The move follows similar actions by streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ as they seek to cope with rising costs and declining subscriptions.
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The killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada has led to a diplomatic row between India and Canada, with both countries expelling each other's diplomats. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has alleged that the Indian government could be behind the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a wanted terrorist in India. India has rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated, accusing Canada of allowing the Khalistan movement to thrive. The Sikh secessionist movement calls for a separate homeland for the Sikh community in India's Punjab state.
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Attacks in northern Mali have surged since the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers, resulting in numerous casualties and displacements. Armed rebel groups, including Islamist militants, have targeted military camps, passenger boats, and civilian villages, causing widespread fear and instability in the region.
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Pope Francis visited Marseille and called for the rescue of migrants at sea, emphasizing the duty of humanity and civilization to save people in difficulty. He condemned those who impede the rescue efforts as committing a gesture of hate. The visit comes at a politically sensitive time as European nations debate how to share responsibility for the influx of migrants.
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NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is set to drop off a cupful of rubble it grabbed from the asteroid Bennu, marking the largest sample ever collected from an asteroid.