News Daily: May on race disparity and NHS 'straining'
Hello. Here's your morning briefing:
Getty ImagesMay promises to tackle racial disparity
An "unprecedented" government audit has shown how people of different races are treated by public services. It finds that black Caribbean pupils are being permanently excluded from school three times as often as white British pupils, and that unemployment among black, Asian and other ethnic minorities is almost double that among white British adults.
Prime Minister Theresa May will say later that institutions must "explain or change" the differences, with the audit meaning that those who allowed disparities to continue have "nowhere to hide". The Equality and Human Rights Commission called for a "coherent race equality strategy" from ministers.
NHS in England 'straining at seams'
The regulator of England's NHS has raised concerns over staff shortages, rising demand and the number of patients with preventable illnesses. The Care Quality Commission warns that the health service faces a "precarious" future and is "straining at the seams". Among the issues raised in its report are a fall in the number of care home beds and a rise in the number of detentions under the Mental Health Act. But health minister Philip Dunne said the system had recently been judged the "best... in the world, despite the pressures from increasing demand".
California fires cause huge destruction
Huge fires have swept through parts of California, killing at least 10 people and destroying more than 1,500 properties. The state's governor has called a state of emergency, with around 20,000 fleeing from Napa, Sonoma and Yuba. "It was an inferno like you've never seen before," Marian Williams of Kenwood, Sonoma county, told broadcaster NBC. It's not yet known how the fires started on Sunday night.
The many uses of captured CO2
By Gabriella Mulligan, technology of business reporter
When you tuck yourself into bed tonight - curling up on your memory-foam mattress and fluffy pillows - consider this: you could be helping to reduce climate change. This is because CO2 can now be captured from the air and stored in a range of everyday items in your home and on the street. It can be used to make plastics for a whole host of things: the insulation in your fridge-freezer; the paint on your car; the soles of your shoes; and the binding of that new book you haven't read yet. Even the concrete your street is made of could contain captured CO2.
What the papers say
Brexit dominates the front pages again. The Daily Telegraph says Theresa May's revelation that the government has plans in case no trade deal is reached with the EU "piles on pressure", with talks currently taking place in Brussels, The Financial Times agrees, predicting a "high-stakes tussle" between negotiating teams. But the Daily Express says the prime minister's comments mean "she means business". Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that the global cost of obesity will reach £920bn a year by 2025.
Daily digest
Sex offences Record number convicted of rape and other crimes in England and Wales, says CPS
Catalonia crisis Pressure mounts on region's president ahead of key speech
Harvey Weinstein Film mogul "sent plea ahead of being fired"
Robo shops Real-world retailers use VR to fight back against the internet
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Today's lookahead
11:00 The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes its annual forecast evaluation report, comparing its previous economic and public finance forecasts with what actually happened.
15:20 Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gives her speech to the annual SNP conference in Glasgow.
On this day
1980 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher makes a defiant speech at the Conservative Party conference in defence of her economic policies, saying: "To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning."
