Court also found that Israel had a duty not to impede supply of aid by UN organisations including UnrwaIsrael must allow aid into Gaza, and its restrictions on doing so over the past two years have put it in breach of its obligations, the UN's top court has found.The stinging advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice in The Hague also found that Israel had a duty not to impede the supply of aid by UN organisations including the beleaguered UN Palestinian relief agency Unrwa, which has been in effect banned from the territory since January. Continue reading...
Laurence des Cars questioned by senators about daring daytime break-in at Paris museumThe director of the Louvre museum in Paris has acknowledged a terrible failure" days after thieves took seven minutes to break in via a window and steal jewels worth 88m, admitting there was highly insufficient" security camera coverage of the outside walls of the vast building.Laurence des Cars was grilled by senators about the spectacular heist in which four men used a truck with extendable ladder and furniture hoist to access a balcony, cut through a window and steal jewels from the ornate Apollo gallery during opening hours. Continue reading...
Family seeks tutor from socially appropriate background' who can provide infant with comprehensive British cultural environment'Getting paid 180,000 a year to tutor a single child might sound like a dream job but there's a catch: the child is only one-year-old and you need to get him into Eton.A wealthy family near London is searching for a tutor to provide a comprehensive British cultural environment" for their infant, according to an advertisement published by Tutors International, which calls itself the hand-crafted Bentley" of private tutoring. Continue reading...
Civil service union head decries anonymous criticism as insiders continue to bemoan Chris Wormald's appointmentAttacks on the UK's cabinet secretary stink of political cowardice", the head of the senior civil servants' union has said as concerns mount inside the government about his performance.The general secretary of the FDA, Dave Penman, said anonymous criticism of Chris Wormald was hugely damaging" to the government and its prospects of recruiting talented officials to top jobs. Continue reading...
Labour chair says that Tory proposals to revoke indefinite leave to remain in some cases will tear families apart'Yesterday Steve Back, the photographer who covers Downing Street and who specialises in close up pictures of documents being carried into No 10, took a picture of a file with the wording of two of the questions being prepared for PMQs. One was the first question, from the Lib Dem MP Roz Savage, about the case for more focus on environmental protections in planning rules, and another was the third question, from the Labour MP Jayne Kirkham, about public transport for students in Cornwall.Back posts on X as PoliticalPics.Sorry Jason, this is such complete and utter nonsense. If you get a PMQ as an opposition MP you can try to score points if you like or you can try to ensure you get a decent answer by tipping off the PM in advance. I've done both in my time. Literally nothing to see here.People trying to make this into a big thing... MPs of all parties give No10 prior notice of PMQs because they want helpful responses on local issues. (Exception is LOTO Qs which are more about the gotcha'). The big mystery is: why are aides still using clear folders? Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo in Jerusalem and William Christou on (#70Y43)
Israeli PM dismisses claim despite Washington providing estimated 68% of country's foreign-sourced weaponsOn the second day of a US diplomatic push aimed at shoring up the fragile Gaza ceasefire, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, dismissed as hogwash" suggestions that his country was a client state of Washington.Despite the US providing an estimated 68% of Israel's foreign-sourced weapons, Netanyahu, when asked on Wednesday if Israel was beholden to Washington, said: I want to put it very clearly. One week they say that Israel controls the United States. A week later they say the United States controls Israel. This is hogwash." Continue reading...
Competition watchdog takes similar stance as EU, saying both tech firms require stricter regulatory oversightGoogle and Apple face enforced changes to how they operate their mobile phone platforms, after the UK's competition watchdog ruled the companies require tougher regulatory oversight.The Competition and Markets Authority has conferred strategic market status" (SMS) on the tech firms after investigating their mobile operating systems, app stores and browsers. It means Apple and Google will be subjected to tailormade guidelines to regulate their behaviour in the mobile market. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#70Y9R)
Claim comes after charity suspends a number of senior volunteers who spoke out publicly against proposalsSamaritans has been accused of bullying behaviour and shutting down dissent after suspending a number of senior volunteers who spoke out publicly against its controversial plans to close as many as half of its 200 UK branches.The mental health charity suspended at least two of its branch directors and one former branch director on Tuesday, 48 hours before its annual general meeting. Continue reading...
Mohammed Umar Khan stabbed fellow 15-year-old at All Saints Catholic high school in Sheffield in FebruaryThe teenager convicted of the murder of Harvey Willgoose has been named and sentenced to life with a minimum of 16 years in prison.Mohammed Umar Khan, also 15, was handed the sentence by the judge, Naomi Ellenbogen, on Wednesday after being found guilty in August of stabbing Harvey in a Sheffield secondary school. Continue reading...
Rachel Reeves' criticism of Brexit impact on economy is aimed at leave voters who have changed their minds and younger voters, says analystsRachel Reeves' decision to pin the blame for the UK's ailing economy on Brexit a month before a difficult and potentially unpopular budget could be considered high-risk given the lingering divisions and bitterness over the UK's decision to leave the EU.But political analysts say she is aiming to appeal to voters who opted to leave but have changed their minds on this issue, young people who have joined the electorate in the nine years since the referendum, and remainers who are asking: what took you so long? Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#70Y7D)
Public accounts committee is understood to be gathering support for inquiry into financial arrangementsMPs on a powerful parliamentary select committee are pushing hard" to launch an inquiry into Prince Andrew's residence at Royal Lodge, the Guardian understands.Keir Starmer has indicated he is open to MPs questioning Andrew in person about his home in Windsor Great Park, where he has lived for more than 20 years without paying rent. Continue reading...
US vice president is in Israel for meeting with Israeli PM amid fragile Gaza ceasefireIsrael has completed the identification of the bodies of two more hostages, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Wednesday, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on (#70Y5C)
Energy UK calls for Ofgem to be stripped of responsibilities, accusing it of overseeing rise in domestic bills and slowing economic growthThe UK's energy companies have called for a radical shake-up of the industry regulator, Ofgem, accusing it of overseeing a rise in domestic bills and slowing Britain's economic growth.The industry's trade association, Energy UK, has called for the watchdog to be stripped of some of its responsibilities after overseeing a dramatic increase in red tape" that it claims has reduced growth and pushed up costs for households. Continue reading...
Auction in US includes late musician's vocoders, flute, sunglasses and bike he rode in Tour de France videoHe was a pioneer of electronic music whose band Kraftwerk redefined the sound of pop and influenced artists from David Bowie and New Order to Coldplay and Run-DMC.Now the electronic equipment and musical instruments Florian Schneider used to create some of the band's best-known songs in the 1970s and 1980s could fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars when they are sold at auction next month. Continue reading...
Pets gone rogue, vomiting and martial arts were recurrent themes in this year's annual roundup of fantasy, horror and cult moviesSitges loves its dogs. The pups were out in force this year, sprawling on cafe terraces or getting their poop scooped by conscientious owners, but all of them (happily) were less threatening than the killer mutts on screen at the 58th edition of the International Fantastic film festival of Catalonia, just 25 miles down the coast from Barcelona.Canine carnage provides the shocking climax to The Virgin of the Quarry Lake, a slow-burn Carrie-esque coming-of-age yarn set amid the economic turmoil of 2001 Argentina. In Todos los Males, set in 1950s Chile, a small boy finds the German half of his family harbours dark secrets (quelle surprise!), one of them involving flesh-ripping hounds. In Shelby Oaks, a woman investigating the disappearance of her sister makes the rookie error of exploring an abandoned prison at night, and finds ... vicious dogs! And in the most obviously metaphorical of all, Ion De Sosa's beguilingly Bunuelian fable Balearic, working-class teenagers are trapped in a swimming pool by a trio of malevolent Belgian malinois dogs while, further up the hill, champagne-swigging poshos fail to notice a forest fire creeping ever nearer. Continue reading...
Roberto Mosquera del Peral sent to the African country as part of Trump administration's ramped-up third-party deportationsA Cuban man deported by the Trump administration to the southern African country of Eswatini has started a hunger strike against his detention there, his lawyer said on Wednesday.Roberto Mosquera del Peral was among five third-country nationals deported from the US to Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, in July. Continue reading...
French interior minister says former president will have two officers in nearby cells at all times after beginning five-year sentence for illegal campaign fundingThe former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will have two police officers stationed in nearby cells while he is in prison to ensure he comes to no harm, France's interior minister has said.Sarkozy arrived at La Sante prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin a five-year sentence after being convicted of conspiring to raise campaign funds from Libya - a stunning downfall for a man who led the country between 2007 and 2012. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#70Y2J)
Decision to extend pause on 18-mile stretch north of Birmingham part of reset' to troubled rail project Business live - latest updatesWork to connect HS2 to the west coast mainline will be deferred for another four years as part of a reset" of the troubled high-speed rail project.The work between Birmingham and Handsacre in Staffordshire was originally halted in early 2023 by the previous government to limit spending on HS2. Continue reading...
Wet and windy conditions expected in southern England, the East Midlands, parts of Wales and YorkshireStorm Benjamin is set to batter the UK with heavy downpours and winds of more than 70mph this week, forecasters have said.The Met Office has released three yellow weather warnings over possible disruption, flooding, power cuts and damage to buildings in a number of areas on Thursday from the storm, which has been named by Meteo France. Continue reading...
The Hollywood actor will star in a new version of the Chekhov classic by writer-director Simon Stone at the Bridge theatre from JulyStar Trek's Chris Pine will boldly go to the Bridge next summer but the actor, best known for playing James T Kirk in the sci-fi reboot, is swapping the starship for the stage.For his London theatre debut, Pine has been cast in the title role of a new version of Chekhov's early play Ivanov by Australian writer-director Simon Stone. Produced by London Theatre Company, Ivanov will open in July at the Bridge theatre, where Stone's update of Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea is now running. Continue reading...
Exclusive: In an open letter, Israeli ex-officials, artists and intellectuals say unconscionable' actions in Gaza amount to genocideProminent Jewish figures around the world are calling on the United Nations and world leaders to impose sanctions on Israel over what they describe as unconscionable" actions amounting to genocide in Gaza.Former Israeli officials, Oscar winners, authors and intellectuals have signed an open letter demanding accountability over Israel's conduct in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The letter's release comes as EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday amid reports they plan to shelve proposals for sanctions over human rights violations. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#70Y0B)
Treasury says trips were private while Scottish ministers point out US president met Keir Starmer and it had to stump up for extra policingThe UK government needs to step up" and reimburse the 24.5m cost of Donald Trump and JD Vance's recent visits to Scotland, Holyrood's public finance minister has said.Provisional costs of almost 24.5m for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#70XWJ)
Operator signs 2bn deal with Alstom amid boom in international rail travel from UKEurostar is to start running doubledecker trains through the Channel tunnel to meet growing demand for international rail travel from the UK.The rail operator announced it had signed a 2bn (1.7bn) deal for at least 30 - and up to 50 - new trains from the manufacturer Alstom. Continue reading...
Declaration means government can send army to patrol streets, restrict freedom of assembly and curtail other rightsPeru's interim president, Jose Jeri, announced a state of emergency in Lima and the neighbouring port of Callao on Tuesday after weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and organised crime.The state of emergency approved by the council of ministers will take effect at midnight on Wednesday and will last for 30 days in metropolitan Lima and Callao," Jeri said in an address to the nation on state television. Continue reading...
The move, welcomed by UN, will allow thousands of people living in camps to support themselves and their familiesThailand is setting a global precedent this month by giving refugees permission to work in the country in an effort to tackle aid cuts and its own labour shortages.More than 87,000 refugees living in nine refugee camps along Thailand's border with Myanmar have been totally reliant on handouts of food and foreign aid. Continue reading...
Lindsay Sandiford, 68, has been on death row in Indonesia since 2012, after authorities found 3.8kg of cocaine in her suitcaseA British woman will avoid execution for drug smuggling in Indonesia under an agreement between the two nations to repatriate her and another Briton serving a life sentence.Lindsay Sandiford, 68, has been imprisoned in Bali since 2012. She was arrested at the resort island's airport after authorities found 3.8kg of cocaine worth $2.5m hidden in the lining of her suitcase. During the trial, she said she was forced to carry the drugs by a gang that threatened her children. Continue reading...
by Rory Carroll, Ireland correpsondent on (#70XS0)
Six arrests made after crowd hurled fireworks and other missiles at officers during protests following alleged sexual assault on a young girlSix people have been arrested after Irish police battled hundreds of protesters outside a Dublin hotel used to house asylum seekers after an alleged sexual assault on a young girl.The crowd burned a police vehicle and hurled fireworks and other missiles at officers outside the Citywest hotel on Tuesday night. Continue reading...
David Lammy urged to consider 1955 case in light of evidence Ellis was abused by partner before she killed himThe grandchildren of the last woman to be hanged in the UK are asking ministers to posthumously pardon her in light of evidence that she was emotionally and physically abused by her partner before she killed him.Ruth Ellis was executed in 1955 after killing David Blakely her partner, who she had met while working in the nightclub she managed two years earlier. At the time, she was portrayed as a cold-blooded killer" but evidence has since emerged that Blakely, a racing-car driver, physically and emotionally abused her. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#70XJB)
Exclusive: West Midlands police were told supporters randomly attacked Muslims in Amsterdam last yearMaccabi Tel Aviv supporters were banned from watching their game against Aston Villa after police intelligence concluded the biggest risk of violence came from extremist fans of the Israeli club.The ban ignited an intense controversy and was criticised by the prime minister, as well as others claiming it was a surrender to antisemitism.Scores of extreme Maccabi fans with a past history of violence and shouting racist taunts" were expected to travel to the Birmingham game.Dutch police told their British counterparts that the Maccabi fans had instigated trouble in Amsterdam at a game last year.They had randomly picked Muslims in Amsterdam to attack. That led to reprisal violence with some Dutch Jews attacked.A huge Dutch police effort, involving 5,000 officers across three days, was needed to quell the trouble.A community impact assessment by West Midlands police recorded that some Jewish people wanted the Maccabi fans banned because of the trouble that might ensue if they attended.Any trouble started by Maccabi fans attending the Birmingham game could lead to reprisals from local people and further trouble.The process did not consider whether the ban on fans of the Israeli club could be criticised as antisemitic itself or surrendering to antisemitism. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#70X1A)
Ministers face growing pressure to act amid fresh allegations over prince's relationship with Jeffrey EpsteinMPs have moved to lodge a parliamentary motion to strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom, in a rarely permitted move in the Commons.The government is facing mounting pressure over the prince's residence in the 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor, where it was revealed that he has not paid rent for more than two decades. Continue reading...
Museum wants to confront history of bishop of the colonies' and their involvement in slaveryBlack History Month is a great thing," said Sian Harrington, the chief executive at Fulham Palace Trust, but I think it's just not enough."The museum had always told the story of the bishop of London, who historically lived at Fulham Palace - now home to a historic house, museum and 13-acre garden. But when George Floyd was murdered in 2020, the museum was among others which concluded that more needed to be done. Continue reading...
Deng Chol Majek tells jury he had no reason to hurt Rhiannon Skye Whyte and was in hotel car park at time of attackAn asylum seeker accused of murdering a hotel worker told a jury in Wolverhampton he had no reason to want to harm or kill her and was not at the scene of the attack.Deng Chol Majek, who said he was 19, denies attacking and murdering Rhiannon Skye Whyte with a screwdriver at Bescot Stadium railway station, West Midlands, last October. Continue reading...
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor on (#70XFV)
Police continue to search for the criminal gang behind the brazen robbery targeting France's crown jewelsThe financial loss from France's most dramatic heist in decades has been put at nearly 90m as the head of the Louvre prepared to face difficult questions over how thieves were able to steal priceless jewellery in broad daylight.As police continued to search for the criminal gang behind the brazen robbery on Sunday, the Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau told the broadcaster RTL that the museum's curator had estimated the losses at about 88m (76m). Continue reading...
Netflix, Comcast and Paramount Skydance are reportedly among possible bidders in sale that could shake up industryWarner Bros Discovery is considering putting the entire company up for sale, a move that could see huge restructuring in an industry that has seen ripples of changes since Donald Trump took office.The company initially said in June that it would split up Warner Bros and Discovery, after the two companies were merged in 2022. But after receiving unsolicited interest ... from multiple parties for both the entire company and Warner Bros", according to a statement released on Monday, the entire company could be up for a transaction. The company could also split up Warner Bros and Discovery, selling off Discovery while merging Warner Bros with another company, it said. Continue reading...
Adderley, said to have made false claims about time in Navy, to be prosecuted over allegations of fraud and misconductThe former Northamptonshire police chief constable Nick Adderley has been charged with fraud and misconduct in public office over allegations he made false claims about his military service and educational achievements when applying to work for the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.Adderley is accused of making false claims of being a decorated Navy officer while applying to work for the police, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Continue reading...
by Joe Coughlan (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#70X17)
Poland's foreign minister says Putin's plane could be escorted down as attacks continue with four killed in drone strike in ChernihivA lawyer for Nicolas Sarkozy said a motion had been filed for his release moments after the former French president entered jail, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.Attorney Christophe Ingrain told reporters:A request has been filed for Nicolas Sarkozy's release. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspon on (#70XB1)
Exclusive: Poverty rapporteur says governments must rethink welfare state as essential to fabric of societyDecades of efforts by mainstream politicians to roll back welfare programmes have given rise to an extremely dangerous" discourse that has helped fuel the rise of the far right and rightwing populists in countries around the world, a top UN expert has told the Guardian.From London to Lisbon, politicians from centre-right and centre-left parties alike had steadily eroded social programmes, fostering a sense of scarcity and creating fertile ground for the stirring up of anti-migrant sentiment, said Olivier De Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. Continue reading...
Flight returned to Omaha airport minutes after departing for Los Angeles, after intercom was left on by accidentPilots aboard a US commercial jet mistakenly thought someone was trying to invade the cockpit on Monday, leading the flight to return to the Omaha airport fewer than 40 minutes after departing for Los Angeles.The misunderstanding on American Airlines Flight 6469 came about because the intercom that pilots and flight attendants use to speak to each other had been left on by accident, an American Airlines spokesperson said. The pilots heard some static sound over this intercom, and they mistakenly thought it meant someone was trying to break in. Continue reading...
Detroit automaker expects 2025 adjusted core profit to be between $12bn and $13bn as it faces weakening EV marketGeneral Motors lifted its financial outlook for the year and slightly lowered its expected hit from tariffs, as the automaker awaits expected relief on tariffs in the US while confronting a weakening market for electric vehicles.The company now expects its annual adjusted core profit to be between $12bn and $13bn, compared with its prior estimate of $10bn to $12.5bn. The Detroit automaker said tariffs would hit its bottom line less than anticipated, lowering its updated impact to a range of $3.5bn to $4.5bn, from a previous $4bn to $5bn. Continue reading...
New leader had promised levels of female representation comparable to those in Iceland and FinlandSanae Takaichi made history on Tuesday when she became Japan's first female prime minister. But hours after she was elected by MPs, it was evident that female under-representation in the country's political establishment would continue when she appointed just two women to her cabinet.Takaichi had promised levels of female representation in her government comparable to those in Iceland, Finland and Norway. Continue reading...
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