Monday briefing: ‘Heroic’ rail worker fights for life after 15 minutes of horror

In today’s newsletter: The attack left nine in life-threatening condition but the police have ruled out any suggestion that it was a terrorist incident Good morning. After Saturday night’s shocking knife attack on a train bound for King’s Cross from Doncaster, yesterday eyewitnesses started to tell their stories. They described a horrifying 15 minutes, in which a man armed with a knife made his way through the train as passengers tried to run away, blockaded themselves in toilets, and huddled at the end of the train without knowing where they would be able to get off.One victim, a member of staff whose bravery is said to have saved lives, remained in a very serious condition at last report. With initial suspicions of a terror motive later ruled out by police, a single suspect is now in custody. Today’s newsletter explains what we know so far. Here are the headlines.UK-China relations | A British university complied with a demand from Beijing to halt research about human rights abuses in China, leading to a major project being dropped, the Guardian can reveal.Budget | Proposals being considered by Rachel Reeves to cut tax on electricity bills will backfire, experts have warned, resulting in a giveaway to richer homeowners and undermining the UK’s climate commitments. The chancellor is understood to be looking at plans to eliminate the 5% VAT charge on electricity bills as a fast and simple way to reduce bills for consumers.France | The brazen daytime heist at the Louvre was carried out by petty criminals rather than professionals from the world of organised crime, the Paris prosecutor has said, describing two of the suspects as a couple with children. Four people have been charged over the robbery, with the jewels yet to be recovered.Reform UK | Nigel Farage will promise a bonfire of business regulation as he spells out his party’s economic policies in more detail than ever in an attempt to bolster its reputation for fiscal credibility. Farage is also dropping a commitment made at the last election to deliver £90bn of tax cuts.UK news | High street clinics offering pregnancy scans could be putting unborn babies and their mothers in danger through a lack of properly trained staff, UK experts have warned. Continue reading...