UNITED KINGDOM

Demoralised clergy speak of church in freefall and crisis of trust in run-up to governing body meetingMutiny may be in the air when the Church of England’s normally staid ruling body, the General Synod, meets for a five-day session next week.The gathering of the 500-member church parliament follows a series of tumultuous events that have resulted in the unprecedented resignation of the archbishop of Canterbury, repeated calls for the archbishop of York to stand down, and the sudden departure of the bishop of Liverpool. Behind all are cases of abuse, alleged abuse and the church’s failure to deal with abuse.

Warning by vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice comes as ‘Silicon Valley’ planned between Oxford and CambridgeThe University of Cambridge risks “losing unbelievable talent” owing to a drop-off in funding for PhDs, the vice-chancellor has cautioned.Prof Deborah Prentice, who took over as vice-chancellor in 2023, described PhD students as “the lifeblood” of the university’s research and innovation work, and expressed concern that funding from research councils had “dropped off significantly”. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/feb/08/cambridge-risks-losing-unbelievable-talent-amid-phd-funding-cut Author : Sally Weale Education correspondent Publish date : 2025-02-08 08:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Names of three Israeli civilians to be released by Hamas unveiled ahead of expected release of 183 Palestinian prisonersSee all our Middle East coverageToday’s expected release of another three Israeli hostages comes against the backdrop of uncertainty over the Israel-Hamas ceasefire after US president Donald Trump’s surprise announcement this week that he envisions the US taking over Gaza, moving Palestinians to other countries, and developing the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.“We’re in no rush on it,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, referring to his Gaza plan. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/feb/08/gaza-ceasefire-live-hamas-hostages-release-israel-exchange-palestinian-prisoners Author

As humanitarian aid organisation is gutted by Trump administration, Rudd’s office says neither he nor Asia Society received fundingGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKevin Rudd, Australia’s ambassador in Washington DC, has hit back at “fake” claims an institute he once led received money from USAid, the US foreign aid agency being targeted by Donald Trump.The office of Rudd, a former Australian prime minister and current ambassador to the US, has issued a statement seeking to dispel claims circulating online suggesting Rudd and the Asia Society – where he has held various roles since 2015 –