Smyth moved to South Africa after he was barred from re-entering Zimbabwe, where he abused boys at summer camps

The evangelical Christian barrister John Smyth abused as many 130 boys and young men in the UK, Zimbabwe and possibly other African countries but an independent review has said there remains little concrete information on his time in South Africa.

The review into the Anglican church’s handling of Smyth’s abuses said he might have been brought to justice had Justin Welby, who on Tuesday announced he would step down as archbishop of Canterbury, formally reported him to the police when he found out in 2013.

Health secretary says controversial scheme for trusts in England is necessary to raise standards

Wes Streeting plans to publish a football-style league table of the best- and worst-performing hospitals in England, prompting fury from NHS bosses and staff at the prospect of struggling trusts being “named and shamed”.

The health secretary will announce the controversial move on Wednesday to an audience of health service leaders and defend it as a “tough” but necessary way of raising care standards.

Musk and ex-presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to head up Department of Government Efficiency (Doge)

Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

Despite the name, the department will not be a government agency. Trump said in a statement that Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before.” He added that the move would shock government systems.

Fast fashion retailer did not appear in list of clients published by Global Counsel, co-founded by Labour peer

Peter Mandelson’s consultancy Global Counsel advised the Chinese fast fashion company Shein until earlier this year, the Guardian can disclose.

The retail company contracted Global Counsel until earlier in 2024, though it never appeared on Global Counsel’s list of clients published by the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (ORCL).

Party documents police failings to intervene in incidents involving opponents of Shabana Mahmood during elections

Police failed to intervene when the family of Shabana Mahmood, now the justice secretary, and her supporters faced intimidation during this year’s general election campaign, Labour has told the elections watchdog.

In a document seen by the Guardian, party officials said officers from West Midlands police left the count on polling day before Mahmood, a close ally of Keir Starmer, and members of her family were barracked by political opponents in the seat of Birmingham Ladywood.

Global Carbon Budget report finds emissions from fossil fuels will rise to another record high this year

As we are waiting for things to get going in Baku today this is a useful refresher on all things Cop from my colleague Fiona Harvey

It’s day three of Cop29 here in Baku and more global leaders will take to the stage, including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif. The aim is to spur negotiators towards a strong deal by setting out the stark impacts of the climate crisis and the “terrible truth” brought by Spain’s Pedro Sánchez and by Mohamed Muizzu from the Maldives did just that.

The British author’s novel about astronauts on the International Space Station was chosen unanimously as the winner, says judging chair Edmund de Waal

• ‘This is a book we need now’: Sara Collins on choosing this year’s Booker winner

Orbital by Samantha Harvey, the only British writer shortlisted this year, has won the 2024 Booker prize, the UK’s most prestigious prize for fiction.

Harvey’s tale of six fictional astronauts on the International Space Station was “unanimously” chosen as the winner after a “proper day” considering the six-strong shortlist, according to judging chair, the artist and author Edmund de Waal. “Our unanimity about Orbital recognises its beauty and ambition. It reflects Harvey’s extraordinary intensity of attention to the precious and precarious world we share”.

Sutton Trust calls for improved access to creative education and industry dominated by upper middle-class

Young people from working-class backgrounds are being “blocked” from entering the creative industries, which remain “elitist” and inaccessible, according to research.

A report from the Sutton Trust found stark overrepresentation in the arts for those from the most affluent backgrounds, which it defines as those from “upper middle-class backgrounds”.

Massachusetts air national guard member admitted leaking classified military documents about Ukraine over Discord

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Massachusetts air national guard member to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents about the war in Ukraine.

Jack Teixeira pleaded guilty earlier this year to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act following his arrest in the most consequential national security case in years. He was brought into court in an orange jumpsuit and showed no visible reaction as he was sentenced by the US district judge Indira Talwani.

US may soon impose sanctions as organisations say Israel has failed to help relieve dire humanitarian situation

A coalition of international aid organisations have accused Israel of ignoring a US ultimatum that threatened sanctions if Israel did not implement a series of measures to counter the acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The 30-day ultimatum– due to expire on Tuesday or Wednesday – was delivered on 13 October, and almost none of its demands have been met, the humanitarian groups say.