At 8.04am on 25 August last year, Darnell Alboudoor watched a plume of black smoke blanketing the sky and rolling in the direction of her family home. A stench like burning oil filled the air on that piping hot summer morning, as Alboudoor, 54, looked in the direction of the sprawling petroleum refinery, which sat … Read more
When the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, vowed last week to get “tough” on persistent school absenteeism, you might have expected someone like me – a former teacher, a mother of five and a firm believer in education – to applaud. There is plenty to welcome in Phillipson’s announcement: she has pledged to support parents and … Read more
To some people, the nightclub smoking area offers a moment of relief from the ear-rattling speakers and clouds of dry ice inside. For others, it’s an opportunity to sit down and chew the fat with a friend, or to forge a connection with a new one. Rarely is it just about having a cigarette. Whatever … Read more
Donald Trump’s campaign is most concerned going into the debate against Kamala Harris with the former president’s mood, afraid that the mercurial Trump could engage in the kind of self-sabotage that turned off voters in the 2020 presidential election, according to people familiar with the situation. The campaign’s internal refrain is whether they get “happy … Read more
A British teacher has told how he is “sick” with nerves about returning to his home in Spain amid a three-year battle to get post-Brexit residency after being denied it because he was missing one month’s medical insurance in the first year after the UK left the EU. Mark Saxby, 56, said he felt “trapped” … Read more
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Unite leader Sharon Graham says Starmer should be ‘big and brave enough’ to U-turn on winter fuel payments Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary, told the Today programme this morning that Keir Starmer should be “big enough and brave enough” to … Read more
Reuters As the first female chairperson to lead Sebi, Madhabi Puri Buch is considered a trailblazer in many ways India’s market regulator is facing a threat to its credibility after a barrage of allegations against its chief, top fund managers have told the BBC. Multiple charges, mostly around conflict of interest, have surfaced against Madhabi … Read more
It is harvest day at the Westdiep sea farm and the crew are bringing their haul on to the boat: 12-metre long ropes laden with clusters of blue mussels. Bobbing on the water just three nautical miles off the Belgian coast, the four-man crew on the little red Smart Farmer use a crane to hoist … Read more
Introduction: US recession worries weigh on markets Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets, and the world economy. Here we go again (again). Investors are experiencing another bout of angst over the health of the US economy, creating a chilly feel in the markets. Spirits are low after Friday’s … Read more
Israeli airstrikes in Syria kill 14 people – media As we mentioned in the opening summary, a series of Israeli strikes were reported to have hit multiple areas in central Syria on Sunday. Syrian state media said on Monday that the overnight Israeli strikes killed at least 14 people in central Hama province, raising the … Read more