The Guardian — page 27

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Thank goodness Labour’s ‘shambolic’ plan to reorganise local councils has been paused. What was it thinking? | Polly Toynbee

This misconceived Treasury pet project may have been foisted on the government, but it would have added to voters’ mistrust in politics Shock reverberated through England’s councils last week. “Beggars belief!” “Shambolic!” council leaders protested to the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), which says: “We’ve never before heard such expletives. They’re apoplectic, incandescent.” And they have every right to be. The government has slammed the brakes on its unexpected reorganisation of local councils. This almost certainly ends the one-size-fits-all, politically damaging remapping of England’s councils , which was never forewarned in Labour’s manifesto. Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

The Guardian•Polly Toynbee15 Sept

Night of the Coyotes review – border-crossing role-play is tourist attraction in struggling Mexican town

Clara Trischler’s absorbing feature sees residents of the small town of El Alberto hired to play characters in a re-enactment of the migrant experience In contrast to other migration documentaries, which focus on the new life that awaits those who have crossed the border, Clara Trischler’s absorbing second feature trains its gaze on those who are left behind. The suspenseful opening plunges us into a whirl of familiar images: tense whispers in the dead of night as a ragtag group of people stumble, and even crawl, their way towards an unseen border. All of a sudden a blinding light intrudes, guns are fired in the air: a police car has arrived on the scene. This terrifying sequence of events is later revealed to be make-believe. In the small Mexican town of El Alberto, whose population has been depleted by a steady flow of migration to the US, role-playing re-enactments function as both a means of deterrent and, oddly enough, a tourist attraction. Advertised as Caminata Nocturna – “night hike” in Spanish – these events recruit local residents to perform as specific characters, including the fearsome “coyotes”, AKA human traffickers. The attendees experience the full scale of a border-crossing operation, from being loaded on vans to intimidation from their coyotes, and police interrogation. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Phuong Le15 Sept

UK must heed warnings from AI experts, minister says

Louise Haigh will set out benefits of AI to TUC conference while vowing government will take safety seriously Ministers must “heed the warnings” from industry leaders about the threat posed by AI as it looks to capitalise on the technology, the first secretary, Louise Haigh, will say on Tuesday. Labour MPs and peers have called for the government to further cooperate with international partners to build regulation for the technology, after three Anthropic researchers warned that artificial intelligence could kill off humanity within the decade. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor15 Sept

Jaguar Land Rover in talks to sell Defender to Nato countries

Carmaker builds on relationship with British armed forces by seeking to cash in on Europe’s rearmament drive Business live – latest updates Jaguar Land Rover is in talks with Nato countries about selling them the newly revamped Defender military vehicle, as the UK-based carmaker seeks to tap into Europe’s defence spending boom. It is also among carmakers bidding for a UK defence ministry contract worth £900m to replace an ageing fleet of Land Rovers that have been out of production since 2016, competing with General Motors and the UK’s Ineos. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Julia Kollewe15 Sept

Leading UK retailers ‘breaking law’ by not refunding customers for returned goods, Which? finds

Consumer group says online shops routinely failed to reimburse delivery costs of unwanted purchases or cost of items Leading retailers are breaking the law by failing to properly refund customers for returned goods, a Which? investigation has found. Some of the UK’s biggest online shops routinely failed to reimburse delivery costs when customers returned unwanted purchases, while others failed to refund the cost of the goods themselves. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Sarah Marsh, Consumer affairs correspondent15 Sept

Pietersen was the original Bazball – and his return may be just what England need | Barney Ronay

While there’s a statistically significant chance it will all go south, KP’s mentorship could be a throwback to better days At the end of his time as consultant to the England cricket setup Gilbert Enoka praised Brendon McCullum’s incredible work in healing the culture of his team. Enoka is best known as the architect of the no-dickheads policy in sport. This is basically Doctor Dickhead. Dickheads? He’s not having them. “There wasn’t one dickhead in there,” Enoka announced, proudly. And history has shown this to be correct. All the evidence suggests the numerical value of dickheads in the England cricket team was something other than one. And yes, zero is not one. Fair point. But so are all the other numbers, the ones that go up the other way into plurals, multiples, an infinity of dickheads. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Barney Ronay15 Sept

Conservation ‘gateway drug’: farmers embrace ancient craft of hedge laying

Grant applications in England surge as interest grows in habitat that captures carbon and helps reduce flood risk The ancient craft of hedge laying is experiencing a strong revival as farmers use techniques that peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries to boost wildlife, capture carbon and help tackle flooding. Hedge laying, which restores and revives mature hedges to keep them fresh, was among the four most popular categories of capital grants selected by farmers out of a total pot of £225m provided by the government this year to support practical environmental improvements on farms and across the countryside. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Sandra Laville15 Sept

Are Manchester United as poor as the early Premier League table suggests?

Michael Carrick’s side are 13th in the table after four games but, City mitigation aside, several areas need attention Manchester United are 13th in the Premier League, having taken four points from their first four games: a 2-0 defeat at Hull, 5-2 win against Ipswich, 2-2 draw at Everton and the 1-0 defeat by Manchester City on Sunday. Mitigation regarding the City reverse can be found in the derby coming three days after the Champions League win against Sabah on Thursday, with Enzo Maresca’s side having 48 hours more rest after winning at Porto. So are United, who host Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before visiting Fulham in the league on Sunday, as poor as the table suggests? Continue reading...

The Guardian•Jamie Jackson15 Sept

Lucy Letby: will final report express view on nurse’s guilt and could it affect her case?

Final report from Lady Justice Thirlwall’s wide-ranging inquiry to be published on Tuesday Lady Justice Thirlwall’s report from the Lucy Letby inquiry will be published on Tuesday after public and private hearings into the events at the Countess of Chester hospital linked to the nurse’s convictions for the murder and attempted murder of babies. Here we take a look at the inquiry and report. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Jamie Grierson15 Sept

Trump facing AI backlash in Congress as push for guardrails intensifies

President has dismissed anxieties over AI’s dangerous potential even as Democrats and some Republicans acknowledge risks Donald Trump is facing a rare backlash from the US Congress as Democrats and some Republicans push for guardrails on the world’s most powerful AI companies. Concerns over the dangerous potential of AI reached fever pitch this week after tech leaders sounded the alarm over the rapid advancement of the technology and its potential threat to humanity. Continue reading...

The Guardian•David Smith and Chris Stein in Washington and Nick Robins-Early in New York15 Sept

UK companies keep shedding staff as pay growth slows, meaning state pension could rise by 3.9% – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as wage growth – used to set triple-lock pension – slows to 3.9% Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, is also expecting the state pension to rise by 3.9% next year under the triple-lock system. Morrissey explains: “Pensioners stand to be almost £490 better off next year as today’s earnings figures have a huge impact on next year’s state pension. The data, alongside September’s inflation figure and 2.5%, is a key component of the triple lock formula used to increase state pensions. With CPI inflation currently sitting at 2.9% it seems increasingly likely that today’s 3.9% increase in average earnings will be the figure used. This would put someone on the full new state pension on course to receive £250.70 per week from next April – up from the current £241.30 per week. Someone on a full basic state pension would receive £192.10 per week – up from £184.90. “Today’s earnings figures show wage growth running at 3.9%, which puts a State Pension increase of a similar magnitude firmly on the cards next April under the triple lock. “If confirmed, this would see the full New State Pension rise to over £13,000. While we will need to wait for September’s inflation figure before the uprating mechanism is formally confirmed, inflation is currently expected to remain below earnings growth, making an earnings-led increase the most likely outcome. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Graeme Wearden15 Sept

UK pay growth slows to 3.9% before crunch interest rates decision

Figure likely to dictate rise in state pension triple lock, as workers face inflation squeeze fuelled by oil price rises Business live – latest updates Wage growth in the UK slowed in July as workers came under pressure from a renewed cost of living squeeze fuelled by the Iran war, highlighting the challenge for the Bank of England as it prepares to set interest rates. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show average growth in total earnings, including bonuses, eased to 3.9% in the three months to July, down from 4.1% in the three months to June, matching the forecasts of City economists. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent15 Sept

What would it take to make India’s cities better – and safer?

After a five-storey building collapsed in Delhi, focus is on how urban areas can adapt to growing populations. Plus, Ahmedabad’s ace newspaper delivery driver goes viral Recently, I may have saved a woman’s life on the road. Somehow, this was something I had expected to happen. On that day, I saw a truck leave a construction site with a tangled wire trailing behind. I frantically looked to see what the wire was attached to and spotted the scaffolding a few meters ahead. I shrieked and grabbed the hand of the woman walking in front of me just as the metal pipes came crashing down. We hugged for a brief second, and then walked our separate ways. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Niha Masih15 Sept

‘I was being polite’: prominent athlete continued texting Alan Jones after alleged assaults due to his reputation, trial hears

Witness tells court he sent Jones friendly messages after two alleged assaults because he had been generous to him Listen to the podcast Alan Jones on Trial Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A prominent athlete who has accused Alan Jones of twice kissing him without consent has told a Sydney court he continued to text the broadcaster after the alleged assaults because Jones was powerful and had been generous to him. The witness, who is appearing for a second day in the seventh week of a lengthy trial, agreed he had sent Jones friendly messages after the two alleged assaults. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Amanda Meade Media correspondent15 Sept

Jean Nassif swears during Icac evidence and declares ‘no one can make me shut up’

Fugitive property developer beams in from Beirut bedroom to declare ‘I’m not corrupt’ and waves handwritten notes at counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Fugitive property developer Jean Nassif has declared he cannot be silenced as he ranted about “crook” politicians and proclaimed his innocence during an expletive-laden tirade at the New South Wales anti-corruption watchdog. Nassif, 58, on Tuesday dialled into the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s inquiry via video link from his Beirut bedroom. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Kat Wong15 Sept

Premature review – sunny charm provides screwball energy for surprise-pregnancy comedy

First-time director Kevin Walls creates a film sweet-natured enough to cancel out some comedy misfires as flatmates Eilidh and Cameron prepare for parenthood The pram in the hallway is the enemy of good art, or so the famous quote goes . This sunny Scottish comedy, made on a minuscule budget, deals with the bit before the pram, when an art school dropout in her 20s gets unexpectedly up the duff. It’s directed by first-timer Kevin Walls, who gives his film the screwball-ish energy of things being skew-whiffly the wrong way round; a couple are going on their first date at three months pregnant, having a baby at an age most people are putting it off to establish their careers. It’s sweet-natured with just about enough charm to cancel out a couple of thunderously awful comedy moments. Elle Watson is artist Eilidh, who works as a barista in a museum cafe. She has a friends-with-benefits setup with her flatmate Cameron (James Rottger); he has a job in finance and, after two degrees, a mountain of student debt and years in a mind-numbing entry-level position, he’s finally lined up an interview for his dream job. It would be crazy to have the baby, but Eilidh doesn’t take the abortion tablets. She can’t give Cameron a coherent reason why not; fair enough, it’s her decision, a gut feeling. Walls sensibly doesn’t go anywhere near the pro-choice/anti-abortion debate. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Cath Clarke15 Sept

The Rouse by China Miéville review – a mighty achievement from the ‘new weird’ author

Twenty years in the writing, this paranormal epic of cold war espionage and family tragedy is a quantum leap in terms of ambition and moral seriousness China Miéville’s epic new novel is presented as being “20 years in the making”. It is quite a testament to how extravagant – even Stakhanovite – his imagination is that during that period he also produced six novels (including The City & the City and The Book of Elsewhere , co-written with Keanu Reeves), two novellas, two series of graphic novels, a children’s book, a volume of short stories and two works of nonfiction, on the October Revolution and the Communist Manifesto. It does not mean that these works were, as Graham Greene called The Third Man and Our Man in Havana, “entertainments” – Embassytown , to my mind, is the best translation of deconstructionist philosophy into science fiction – but certainly The Rouse is a quantum jump in terms of ambition, moral seriousness and stylistic bravado. It means that rather than classifying Miéville with “the new weird” or “speculative fantasy”, he ought to be compared to Roberto Bolaño or Mircea Cărtărescu. This new novel is equally maximalist, dense, disorienting and discomfiting, reflecting how surreal our reality seems to have become. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Stuart Kelly15 Sept

Help-to-Buy scheme delivered ‘very high value for money,’ review finds

Exclusive: George Osborne’s programme to reduce costs for first-time buyers delivered £25bn in social value in UK last year George Osborne’s scheme to reduce costs for first-time buyers represented “very high value for money”, according to a government review, bolstering the case of senior government figures who have been arguing to resurrect the idea. An official audit of the Help-to-Buy programme has calculated it provided £25bn of social value to the UK in the last financial year, despite criticisms it was overly expensive and only served to inflate house prices. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Kiran Stacey, Policy editor15 Sept

Sky gave my father the hard sell even though he has dementia

He wanted to save money, but it insisted on selling costly packages and seemed not to accept ‘cancel’ as an option I was helping my father, who has dementia and Parkinson’s disease, reduce his £113.50 Sky TV bill. We explained to the Sky call centre agent that, as his eyesight and attention span have deteriorated, he wanted the cheapest available TV package to free up money for his care. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Anna Tims15 Sept

The pest I’ll never forget: the rat who jumped off the wardrobe and flew at my face

There was a rat army in my flatshare, gnawing through pipes, carpets and even a bedroom door. That’s not to mention the mice ... We should have known we were in trouble when we saw that the garden of our new place backed on to a Chinese restaurant in Hackney, London, with terrible reviews. Before long, the rats started coming in through the pipes. It was ratmageddon, and every day it got more harrowing. They trooped over our kitchen, like the world’s worst sequel to Ratatouille. They calmly walked into rooms while we were watching telly. They gnawed through all the carpets to try to get into our bedrooms. There was no stopping them. After sniffing out the remnants of an old snack in my housemate Simon’s bin, a pack of rats got to work one night gnawing through the wood at the bottom of his bedroom door. Like a rodent military exercise, they spent eight hours whittling a hole large enough to get through. I lay next door, 100% freaked out, panicking they’d try to get into my room next. I didn’t sleep a wink. Fairly soon after this, one of the rats died under the floorboards so we got a bottle-fly infestation to boot. Naturally, our landlord did nothing about any of this. Continue reading...

The Guardian•Kate Abbott15 Sept