Officials say unidentified man killed influencer who had previously been imprisoned over dancing videosA man on a motorbike has shot dead a social media influencer known as Om Fahad outside her Baghdad home, Iraqi security officials have said.The unidentified attacker shot Om Fahad in her car in the Zayouna district on Friday, a security official said, requesting anonymity because he was not cleared to speak to the media. Continue reading...
Activists say little has changed in treatment of migrants and refugees under Donald Tusk's new governmentThe case of a woman from Eritrea who was forced to give birth alone in the forested border area between Poland and Belarus has raised questions about the new Polish government's response to the continuing humanitarian crisis at the border between the two countries.The previous, rightwing government of the Law and Justice party (PiS) used the migration issue to score political points and was accused of encouraging rights abuses by guards along the border, with reports of frequent violent pushbacks" of people to Belarus. Continue reading...
by Neha Gohil Community affairs correspondent on (#6MCWW)
They have been resilient amid wider high street decline - but units are now emptying in areas such as Southall, west LondonThe south Asian high street is facing a fight for its future in Britain as customers scale back wedding celebrations because of the cost of living crisis and young people's changing preferences.Businesses in London and Manchester have said they have witnessed a huge decline in customers after the pandemic with the cost of living crisis prompting many to decide against the traditional big south Asian wedding and to seek out cheaper products online. Continue reading...
Parties clash over communal issues in increasingly charged campaign amid concerns unseasonably hot weather affecting voter numbersIndia has held the second phase of the world's biggest election, with prime minister Narendra Modi and his rivals hurling accusations of religious discrimination and threats to democracy amid flagging voter turnout.Almost 1 billion people are eligible to vote in the seven-phase general election that began on 19 April and concludes on 1 June, with votes set to be counted on 4 June. Continue reading...
As mayor aims to win third term, what has he achieved so far on air pollution, the climate crisis and nature?When Sadiq Khan launched his campaign for a third term as Labour mayor of London, he put his green policies front and centre, highlighting his work on air pollution, the climate crisis and nature.For seasoned Khan watchers, this came as little surprise. The mayor, who last year published a book called Breathe: Seven Ways to Win a Greener World, has been widely praised for his work tackling air pollution, as well as his efforts on nature restoration and getting London to net zero by 2030.The introduction and expansion of the ultra-low emission zone, which excludes the most polluting vehicles from the capital and has contributed to roadside N0 emissions dropping by 50%.The introduction of thousands of new electric buses and taxis, and the continued expansion of the cycle network and promotion of walking.A rewilding programme that has reintroduced a range of species, including beavers, expanded green spaces, and included a mass tree-planting programme. Continue reading...
US defence secretary announces aid as Zelenskiy pleads with west for more Patriot systems to defend Ukrainian citiesThe US will provide Ukraine with additional Patriot missiles for its air defence systems as part of a massive $6bn additional aid package, the defence secretary has announced.This is the largest security assistance package that we've committed to date," Lloyd Austin said after the conclusion of a virtual meeting of dozens of Kyiv's international supporters. Continue reading...
Cancellation of World Voices festival comes days after organization cancelled 2024 edition of its annual awards ceremonyThe free speech organization PEN America has cancelled its World Voices festival after several authors withdrew their participation over the non-profit's response to Israel's military attacks against Gaza.The festival was scheduled to take place on 8 May in New York City and Los Angeles. A prominent group of writers including Naomi Klein, a Guardian columnist; Isabella Hammad; and Zaina Arafat signed an open letter to PEN America in March announcing their decision not to participate in this year's festival. Continue reading...
Top health official gives no timeline for issuing rule, saying administration taking more time to consider feedbackFor the second time in recent months, the Joe Biden White House has delayed a sweeping plan to ban menthol cigarettes, a decision that is certain to infuriate anti-smoking advocates but could avoid angering Black voters ahead of November elections.In a statement on Friday, the president's top health official gave no timeline for issuing the rule, saying only that the administration would take more time to consider feedback, including from civil rights groups. Continue reading...
Judge coroner highlights failings that contributed to three victims being killed by Khairi Saadallah in 2020The deaths of three people during a terror attack in Reading were avoidable, an inquest has determined.A judge coroner sitting at the Old Bailey on Friday said failings in intelligence sharing and in providing psychiatric care contributed to the failure to prevent the attack that took the lives of James Furlong, Dr David Wails and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett in June 2020. Continue reading...
Swift now has joint highest number of chart-toppers for a female artist, as The Tortured Poets Department earns biggest opening week in seven yearsTaylor Swift has tied with Madonna to become the female artist with the most UK No 1 albums, earning her twelfth chart-topper with the global phenomenon that is The Tortured Poets Department.Swift also dominates this week's singles chart, with three songs in the Top Five including a No 1 for Fortnight, featuring Post Malone. It's her fourth No 1 single, and her third chart double. Continue reading...
Monarch to resume public-facing engagements after palace says doctors very encouraged' by his progressKing Charles, who is being treated for cancer, is to return to public duties, with doctors pleased and very encouraged" by his progress and positive" about his continued recovery, Buckingham Palace has said.Charles, who announced in early February he had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer, will continue treatment while resuming some public-facing engagements, though he will not undertake a full summer programme. Continue reading...
Misogynist influencer' was indicted in June along with his brother and two Romanian female suspectsAndrew Tate's trial on human trafficking charges can proceed, a Romanian court has ruled, 10 months after he was first indicted.The self-professed misogynist influencer" was indicted in June along with his brother, Tristan, and two Romanian female suspects for human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, allegations they have all denied. Continue reading...
Labour mayor's lead over Tory rival has narrowed in week before mayoral election in the capitalSadiq Khan has urged young Londoners to vote in the mayoral election, saying a shock victory for the Conservatives' Susan Hall would be like waking up to Donald Trump in power or Brexit in 2016.With his lead in the polls appearing to narrow, the Labour mayor said there were concerns that low turnout among younger voters would allow a Tory mayor to sneak in" to City Hall. Continue reading...
Former talkshow host discussed her controversial exit from daytime TV after reports of a toxic workplace in new standup setEllen DeGeneres has addressed the controversial end of her eponymous daytime talkshow after allegations that it was a toxic workplace.While performing the opening night of her new Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour at the Largo in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, the former daytime host joked about getting kicked out of show business" for being mean". Continue reading...
Inquiry hears firm drip fed' compensation to Martin Griffiths' widow as incentive for her to maintain confidentialty'The Post Office sought to hush up" the case of Martin Griffiths, a post office operator who took his own life, by drip feeding" compensation payments to his widow and lining up a media lawyer to protect its reputation, a public inquiry has heard.Angela van den Bogerd, a former business improvement director at the state-owned body, was being questioned at the Horizon IT public inquiry on Friday about the case of Griffiths, who died in 2013 after financial shortfalls were found at his Post Office branch in Cheshire.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Tarana Burke called Harvey Weinstein's accusers heroes' and said movement would continue to bring progress to societyThe founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke, has called the women who spoke out against Harvey Weinstein heroes" and said such campaigns for justice and equality will continue to bring about progress in society.Burke, who nearly two decades ago coined the phrase Me too" from her work with sexual assault survivors, found herself again declaring - after New York's highest court in a shock decision on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction in the city - the #MeToo reckoning was greater than any court case. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent on (#6MC6B)
Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry bailed for trial on charges of breaching the Official Secrets ActTwo men charged with spying for China have appeared in court in central London.Christopher Cash, 29, and Christopher Berry, 32, spoke only to confirm their names and addresses when they appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Friday. Continue reading...
Exhibition explores how a Spanish-Filipino artist in 1966 opened a trailblazing cultural outpost in Cuenca's hanging houses'In July 1966, as the Beatles were preparing to release Revolver and Spain was approaching the 30th anniversary of the coup that birthed the Franco dictatorship, a Spanish-Filipino artist called Fernando Zobel threw open the doors of an improbable but visionary cultural outpost.Based in a clutch of 15th-century houses overhanging a precipitous gorge in the small city of Cuenca, the Museo de Arte Abstracto Espanol, or Museum of Spanish Abstract Art, had a simple if daunting mission. As Manuel Fontan del Junco, the director of museums and exhibitions at the Juan March Foundation in Madrid and one of the curators of a new exhibition about the institution, puts it, it was a museum for artists in a country of artists without museums". Continue reading...
Teenager remanded in youth custody for trial in May after playground stabbing in CarmarthenshireA 13-year-old girl has appeared in court accused of attempting to murder two teachers and a fellow pupil in a school playground stabbing in Wales.The deputy head of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Fiona Elias; a teacher, Liz Hopkin; and a pupil suffered knife wounds on Wednesday. All have since been discharged from hospital. Continue reading...
Charity Commission opens a compliance case' into the soup kitchen founded by Mike Butcher, following allegations about its use during his campaignReform UK's candidate in the Blackpool South byelection has denied any wrongdoing after the Charity Commission launched a probe into allegations that the soup kitchen he founded was used to promote his campaign.Mark Butcher, who is standing for the party in next week's election, posted a Facebook message this month which said that the campaign would be starting at the kitchen, Amazing Graze. He was later pictured shaking hands with the Reform leader, Richard Tice, at the premises and appeared there in a Channel 4 News report, in which Reform UK election material could be seen. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6MBCX)
Ahmed Alid told police he was motivated to kill Terence Carney, 70, because Israel was killing children'A 45-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering a complete stranger, telling police he wanted to kill people because of the conflict in Gaza.A court heard that Ahmed Alid told detectives that he wanted Palestine to be free from the Zionists" and that he had killed because Israel was killing children". In interviews, he said that if he had had a machine gun or more weapons, he would have killed more people. Continue reading...
Human Rights Watch demands investigation into killings in two villages just weeks after Russian troops fly in, amid intensifying conflictBurkina Faso's military summarily executed 223 civilians, including at least 56 children, in a single day in late February, according to an investigation into one of the worst abuses by the country's armed forces for years.The mass killings have been linked to a widening military campaign to tackle jihadist violence and happened weeks after Russian troops landed in the west African country to help improve security. Continue reading...
Fears Israel is influencing location of dock away from the north, where famine threat is most severeA giant floating pier is due to be completed in the next two weeks in the eastern Mediterranean from where it will be pushed towards the Gaza shore, but there is growing uncertainty over how useful the US project will be in containing a famine.There are concerns in the humanitarian community that Israel has co-opted the pier plan, which Joe Biden touted as a way to bring about a massive" increase in aid to Gaza, with one aid official saying the project was in danger of becoming a smokescreen" for the planned invasion of Rafah. Continue reading...
by Paul Lashmar and Jonathan Smith in Barbados on (#6MAJ9)
Government U-turn as PM Mia Mottley acknowledges anger from reparations movement over plan to buy Barbados land from Dorset MP Richard DraxThe prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has halted plans for a multi-million-pound payout to the British Conservative MP Richard Drax for the purchase of 53 acres of the Drax Hall plantation, which he owns.As revealed in the Observer last Sunday, the payout plan had angered those involved in the Caribbean reparations movement, who said Drax, the MP for South Dorset, should hand over all or part of the 617-acre plantation to the people of Barbados. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Lili Bayer (earlier) on (#6MA4X)
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereHere are some of the latest images on the newswires:Ukraine's SBU security service drones struck two Rosneft-owned oil depots in Russia's Smolensk region in an overnight attack, according to a source in Ukrainian intelligence reports Reuters. Continue reading...
Deputy defence minister Timur Ivanov, who has been sanctioned by US and EU, faces up to 15 years in jailA well-connected Russian deputy defence minister has been charged with bribe-taking, in the highest-profile corruption scandal in the country in years, triggering speculation about a possible purge within Moscow's elites.Timur Ivanov, 47, who was responsible for Russia's military infrastructure projects, was detained by the FSB services late on Tuesday evening at his work. Continue reading...
Gaye Grant argues conviction for unlawful sexual relationship with a child should be quashed as women could not be held legally responsible for the crime at the time
Vintner Tom Gilbey raised more than 13,000 for hospice charity with challenge that went viral on social mediaA wine merchant who blind tasted a different glass of wine at each mile of the London Marathon has said he feels honoured" his challenge went viral on social media, as he surpassed his fundraising target.Tom Gilbey, nicknamed the wine guy", sampled 25 glasses of wine during the race, stopping to guess the drink's grape variety, country of origin and vintage at each mile. Continue reading...
Sampha and Dayes get nods for best album and share in nomination for Sampha's song Spirit 2.0 at awards for British songwriting and compositionNeo-soul singer Sampha, jazz drummer Yussef Dayes and composer Daniel Pemberton have topped the nominations for the 2024 Ivor Novello awards, which recognise the best in British and Irish songwriting and composition for the screen.Sampha and Dayes are individually nominated for best album, while they share a joint nomination for co-writing Sampha's track Spirit 2.0, which is up for best song musically and lyrically. Continue reading...
Regular worshippers joined by newcomers for first 15-minute service at St David's in PenllergaerOutside, the hustle and bustle of everyday life carried but for a few minutes - precisely 15 actually - there was a little bit of space for a calm coming together and reflection in the church of St David's in Swansea.Regular worshippers were joined by commuters and families who had popped in to sample the first micro service" being led by the Rev John Gillibrand, the vicar of Pontarddulais with Penllergaer. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6M8QJ)
Figures show 34,500 people incurred overpayments last year after falling foul of rules, landing many with huge debtsMPs have called for a full-scale review of carer's allowance and an end to harsh benefit rules that have resulted in tens of thousands of unpaid carers being fined huge sums and in some cases prosecuted for minor infringements of earnings limits.The calls came as new official figures showed that the number of unpaid carers incurring fines after inadvertently falling foul of earnings rules soared to more than 34,000 last year, with more than 1,000 individuals hit with sums of between 5,000 and 20,000. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Review finds government has yet to substantiate claims UN relief agency staff have ties to Hamas or Islamic JihadIsrael has yet to provide supporting evidence of its claims that employees of the UN relief agency Unrwa are members of terrorist organisations, an independent review led by the former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna has said.The Colonna report, which was commissioned by the UN in the wake of Israeli allegations, found that Unrwa had regularly supplied Israel with lists of its employees for vetting, and that the Israeli government has not informed Unrwa of any concerns relating to any Unrwa staff based on these staff lists since 2011". Continue reading...
Prosecutors say trio are accused of passing on technical military knowledge and export of a laser without permissionsThree German citizens, a married couple from Dusseldorf and a man from Bad Homburg, have been arrested on suspicion of spying on behalf of China, prosecutors have said, in the second high-profile alleged espionage case reported in the country in days.The three are accused of passing on technical military knowhow to Chinese authorities in return for money. The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency said it could be just the tip of the iceberg" of spy rings operating in Germany. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6M8HN)
Official UK figures show 33% jump in deaths from alcohol-specific causes from 2019 - the highest since records began in 2001Alcohol killed a record number of people in 2022 as heavier drinking in the Covid pandemic took its toll in the UK, official figures have revealed.Nearly 2,500 more people died from drinking than in 2019 (7,565 deaths), the year before the virus hit and caused already heavy drinkers to increase their intake, the Office for National Statistics said. Continue reading...
Gideon Falter, the antisemitism campaigner involved, says Dal Babu's comments go far beyond victim-blaming'An initial account of an exchange between a police officer and an antisemitism campaigner that sparked heavy criticism of Scotland Yard did not show the full picture, a former senior officer has said.Footage released by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) last Friday showed its chief executive, Gideon Falter, being told by a police officer that his openly Jewish" appearance risked antagonising pro-Palestinian marchers. This precipitated claims Falter was prevented from going about his business simply because he was a Jewish man in the vicinity of a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6M8FD)
About 46,000 aircraft have logged GPS problems over Baltic Sea since August, says reportFlights in and out of Britain are among thousands that have been affected by suspected Russian jamming of GPS systems.More than 2,300 Ryanair flights have reported incidents of GPS interference since last August, according to a report, as well as almost 1,400 at Wizz Air, 82 at British Airways and four from easyJet. Continue reading...
Musician had held top roles at Glyndebourne opera and in Chicago, Melbourne and Toronto orchestrasSir Andrew Davis, a conductor who performed with many of the world's finest orchestras, has died at the age of 80.Throughout his long career Davis held many roles, including for more than a decade those of chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBCSO) and musical director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Continue reading...
Patrick Harvie said party faces biggest crisis in its history after rebellion over climate policyPatrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, has admitted his coalition deal with the Scottish government could collapse after a rebellion by party members over climate policy.Harvie said the Scottish Greens faced the biggest crisis in their history after party activists forced the leadership to hold an emergency meeting on whether to remain in government with the Scottish National party. Continue reading...
Faced with competition from rival sporting events, the future of the Games hung in the balance. A century on, new hurdles are loomingParis 1924 was the sixth and last Olympics presided over by Baron de Coubertin, the modern movement's founder. He had good reason to be pleased with his work. The French government had enthusiastically backed the enterprise, providing a budget of 20m francs and a new stadium. The Olympic rituals - the parade of nations, the rings, the oath, gold, silver and bronze medals - had been established.Above all, the Games remained the preserve of amateur athletic gentlemen - aristocrats, college kids and military officers - performing what the baron eulogised as a display of manly virtue". Continue reading...
Navigation buoy sails 4,000 miles across Atlantic, joining storied history of wrecks upon shores of tiny Scottish island of EriskayFrom Bonnie Prince Charlie's ill-fated 1745 landing, to the shipwreck of a whisky-laden cargo freighter two centuries later that inspired a bestselling novel and blockbuster movie, the tiny Scottish island of Eriskay has a rich and outsized history of notable maritime events.Now, the arrival of a visitor from Florida following a 4,000-mile solo voyage across the Atlantic has added another curious chapter. It is a navigation buoy that slipped its mooring in the Florida Keys and rode the Gulf Stream to the British Isles, coming ashore in Eriskay and discovered by one of its 143 residents. Continue reading...
Force reviewing available information after claims that Menzies used political donations to pay off bad people'Allegations that the MP Mark Menzies misused campaign funds have been referred to Lancashire police. The force said it was reviewing the available information after receiving a letter detailing concerns around this matter".The PA news agency understands that the Labour party chair, Anneliese Dodds, wrote to Lancashire police calling for an investigation into the allegations about Menzies. Continue reading...
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