Rights of lone minors were not protected, with some deported and others left homeless for monthsSpain, Greece and Hungary have been rebuked by courts for failing to protect the rights of children.It adds to a string of recent rulings that have reprimanded countries across Europe over the treatment of lone minors who are seeking asylum. Continue reading...
France, Poland and Austria among nine countries where radical rightwing parties predicted to finish firstPopulist anti-European" parties are heading for big gains in June's European elections that could shift the parliament's balance sharply to the right and jeopardise key pillars of the EU's agenda including climate action, polling suggests.Polling in all 27 EU member states, combined with modelling of how national parties performed in past European parliament elections, shows radical right parties are on course to finish first in nine countries including Austria, France and Poland. Continue reading...
by Reged Ahmad (now); Tom Ambrose, Joanna Walters, Yo on (#6J20F)
US official says it was a response to a weekend attack on an Iraqi air base that wounded US forcesReged Ahmad here picking up the blog from Jem BartholomewUS Central Command (Centcom) has posted some of the latest video and images of their airstrikes against Yemen's Houthis.The US undertook its eighth round of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Monday at 11.59pm local time. A Pentagon statement said the bombing was proportionate and necessary.US military officials said the strikes were successful and had good impacts" in all eight locations. US Central Command said the strikes were to respond to increased Houthi destabilizing and illegal activities".The UK joined the airstrikes for the second time in ten days. Defence secretary Grant Shapps said the attacks were in self-defence" and in the interests of degrading Houthi capabilities.A Houthi spokesman responded on X/Twitter to say the airstrikes will only increase the Yemeni people's determination." Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti accused the UK and US of protecting perpetrators" to genocide" in Gaza.UK prime minister Rishi Sunak did not brief Labour leader Keir Starmer or House of Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle ahead of the strikes. Sunak recieved flak ten days ago for not informing parliament beforehand and this time did not brief Labour's top team either.The Pentagon said the operation targeted a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and air surveillance sites. The UK ministry of defence added that it was involved in hitting multiple targets at two military sites with guided precision bombs in the vicinity of Sana'a airfield.The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have disrupted the global commercial shipping route in the Red Sea and forced ships to go around the Cape of Good Hope. The Houthis say they are acting to support Palestine amid Israel's bombardment of Gaza, in which officials say 25,000 people have been killed, but Houthi attacks have also targeted ships with no connection to Israel.The action followed a call on Monday between Sunak and US president Joe Biden. The leaders discussed further disrupting and degrading Houthi capabilities," a US spokesperson said.The UK involvement on Monday appears to have been smaller than 11 January's strikes. Ten days ago, US and UK warships and jets hit more than 60 targets in 28 locations. This time, it was eight strikes, according to a joint Pentagon statement with Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the UK and Netherlands, which supported the latest military action. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose, Robyn Vinter and Mark Brown on (#6J2Y2)
Second storm in days is expected to build as trains suspended and drivers advised not to travel in ScotlandStorm Jocelyn has hit the UK with 71mph gusts, with major disruption to transport services expected.The storm is expected to be at its worst in the early hours of Wednesday - with a possibility that weather warnings are extended, the Met Office said. Continue reading...
Senior official told Yousaf, then health secretary, that having a drink in his hand at dinners made him exempt'Humza Yousaf was allegedly advised on how to avoid wearing a face mask in public by one of Scotland's most senior health officials at the height of the Covid crisis, a public inquiry has been told.Private text messages show Jason Leitch, Scotland's national clinical director, told Yousaf he only had to hold a glass in his hand to avoid having to use a mask while he was standing and talking to people at a dinner. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6J2CY)
Records of 307,000 officers, staff and volunteers checked against national intelligence database after recent scandalsPolice chiefs have said a mass screening of more than 300,000 UK police officers, staff and volunteers has led to nine criminal investigations.The records of 307,000 police employees were checked against a national intelligence database in an exercise after the cases of Wayne Couzens, the officer who kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, and David Carrick, who became one of Britain's worst convicted serial rapists, despite repeated concerns being raised about him. Continue reading...
People forced to bring overdose-reversal drug naloxone from US, as critics accuse Mexican government of creating shortageEvery day, people cross the US-Mexico border with drugs - but not all of them are going north. Some head in the opposite direction with a hidden cargo of naloxone, a life-saving medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose but is so restricted as to be practically inaccessible in Mexico.This humanitarian contraband is necessary because Mexico's border cities have their own problems with opioid use - problems that activists and researchers say are being made more deadly by government policy. Continue reading...
Regulator due to lay out options for future as operator claims six-day service is unsustainableDowning Street has indicated that the government will oppose Royal Mail plans to scrap Saturday letter deliveries, as the regulator assesses the possibility of cuts to the postal service.Ofcom, the communications industry regulator, is expected to publish a series of options for the future of the postal service when the results of a five-month-long review are published this week, probably on Wednesday. Continue reading...
by Mabel Banfield-Nwachi (now); Kevin Rawlinson (earl on (#6J19C)
Man, 84, died in Scotland while man in 60s died in Northern Ireland; cancellations and delays issued for rail, sea and air with heavy rain and high winds forecast
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6J1MA)
Exclusive: Richard Blakeway says parts of social housing sector have reached breaking pointThe housing ombudsman in England is calling for an independent royal commission to reimagine the future of social housing" and re-establish the link between housing and health.Richard Blakeway, who handles thousands of tenants' complaints about mistreatment, disrepair, discrimination and squalor, said that parts of the social housing sector had reached breaking point, with residents desperate and neglected. Continue reading...
State-owned railway company RZhD apologises as conductor faces calls to be sacked and potentially prosecutedA cat has died in Russia after being thrown off a train in freezing temperatures by a conductor who has faced calls to be sacked and potentially prosecuted.The state-owned railway company RZhD has apologised to the owners of Twix, the ginger-and-white cat who was dumped into the snow in Kirov on 11 January. Continue reading...
by Shanti Das Home Affairs Correspondent on (#6J0EW)
Dozens of single women who came to work in the NHS and social care have been denied permission for their children to join themEvery day since arriving in Britain, Yvonne, a nurse in the NHS, has FaceTimed her two daughters back home in Zimbabwe. Often the calls end in tears. Other days, the younger girl, aged four, asks difficult questions like, When can you send the aeroplane to come and get us, Mummy?" It's heartbreaking," Yvonne says. I don't know what to do."Yvonne is one of dozens of migrant women who have been refused permission for their children to join them in Britain. Despite current rules permitting healthcare workers to bring family members, single mothers, many of them recruited to work in the NHS and care sector, are routinely having their applications denied. Continue reading...
Beneficiaries include public service workers such as firefighters, nurses and teachers with more than 10 years of serviceAnother 74,000 US borrowers will have their student loan debt forgiven - a total of nearly $5bn, the White House announced on Friday.Many of these borrowers are public service workers, such as firefighters, nurses and teachers. They qualify to have their student loans forgiven because of 10 or more years of service. Continue reading...
Prime minister filmed telling woman strikes had hampered government's progress in reducing waiting listsRishi Sunak has been captured on camera being challenged by a former health worker about the struggling state of the NHS.The prime minister was walking through Winchester, Hampshire on a visit when the woman tried to ask him what he was doing to improve the health service. Continue reading...
Campaigners hail decision to replace 22-year-old's prison term for firearm possession with suspended sentenceThe court of appeal has quashed the prison sentence of a heavily pregnant woman so that she can give birth safely, in a case hailed as a landmark by campaigners.The woman, 22, is almost eight months pregnant and has been diagnosed with potentially life threatening pre-eclampsia, which affects the mother's blood vessels and the baby's blood supply. Continue reading...
Metropolitan police trying to trace mother, who they say will need urgent medical attentionA newborn baby girl is being cared for in hospital after she was found in a shopping bag by a dog walker in east London, the Metropolitan police have said.The baby was found wrapped in a towel in a shopping bag at the junction of Greenway and High Street South, Newham. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and Inequalities Correspondent on (#6HYYH)
Analysis of ONS statistics shows one in four economically inactive' people live in areas with high levels of poor healthOne in four economically inactive" people live in the 50 local authority areas in England with the highest levels of poor health, research suggests.The report, published by the Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) Commission on Health and Prosperity, found a double injustice", where places with worse health also had lower levels of household income and higher rates of poverty. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6HYTZ)
Bereaved accuse ministers of whitewashing' the disaster but tell of hope for a similar acceleration of justicePeople bereaved by the Grenfell Tower fire have accused ministers of whitewashing" the disaster, drawing parallels between their long fight for justice and the wrongly jailed post office operators.Shah Aghlani, whose mother and aunt were killed in the fire in west London, told a press conference the problem the country faces, from the Post Office to Grenfell" is that people in charge when disasters happen walk away without any consequences".
Heavy rain and winds hit central wheat belt, goldfields, south coastal and great southern districts shortly after BoM severe weather warning, leading to widespread power outage
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6HX2R)
Firm claims pilot will simplify' fares but users say it means end of affordable train travel between two capitalsOff-peak tickets are to be scrapped on trains between London and Edinburgh, in a move that the operator London North Eastern Railway described as simplifying fares" but rail users denounced as signalling the end of affordable, immediate travel on the route.LNER said the change meant journeys would be priced more closely to demand to make rail travel more attractive, with only three types of fare now available for journeys directly between London King's Cross and Newcastle, Berwick and Edinburgh. Continue reading...
by Mabel Banfield-Nwachi (now); Tom Ambrose, Sammy Ge on (#6HWGN)
Iraqi Kurdish prime minister Masrour Barzani accuses Iran after its strikes in Kurdistan region; EU adds Yahya Sinwar to terrorist listThe Israeli military said on Tuesday that its special forces had carried out a strike in the area of Ayta ash Shab in Lebanon.IDF special forces struck in order to remove a threat in the area of Ayta ash Shab in Lebanon," the military said. Continue reading...
Industrial action over pay starting on Wednesday could affect processing of self-assessment tax returns and is unrelated to Post Office scandalStaff at Fujitsu, the technology firm at the centre of the Post Office Horizon scandal, are due to go on strike tomorrow, which their trade union said could disrupt HM Revenue and Customs at the busiest time of year for tax collection.About 300 staff, most of whom work in IT support for HMRC at sites in Telford and Stratford, east London, will go on strike in protest at a pay offer that the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said was 10 times less than what Fujitsu is offering staff in Japan. Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now) and Mabel Banfield-Nwachi (ear on (#6HWPX)
Ukraine president speaks at World Economic Forum in Davos; European Commission president says Europe must empower Ukraine's resistance'The Kremlin has declined to comment on a Bloomberg report that Chinese state-owned banks are tightening curbs on funding to Russian clients for fear of US secondary sanctions, describing it as a highly sensitive topic.Asked about the report, the spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said it was a matter for the companies and departments involved, and not for the Kremlin, Reuters reports.This is a very, very sensitive area and it is unlikely that anyone will undertake to talk about it - you shouldn't expect that.We continue to develop relations with China; it's our very important strategic partner. Continue reading...
Young drivers face huge increases as soaring costs help push up inflationThe average price of car insurance in the UK has broken records to stand at close to 1,000 after price rises of more than 50% last year, according to new data.Drivers can now expect to pay 995 for their car insurance, on average - the highest price ever in the UK - according to the latest index published by the price comparison website Confused.com. Continue reading...
by Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies on (#6HWET)
In a speech, the North Korean leader has called for constitutional change to identify the south as number one hostile state'North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has called for a change to the constitution to identify South Korea as the number one hostile state", ending the regime's commitment to unifying the Korean peninsula.In a speech to the supreme people's assembly - North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament - Kim said he no longer believed unification was possible and accused the South of attempting to foment regime change and promote unification by stealth. Continue reading...
Lax employment law cited as motivation for ice-cold crossing in which five people died off WimereuxThe mayor of the French seaside resort where five people died off the coast trying to reach the UK has blamed the British immigration system for the crisis that engulfed the town at the weekend.What's happening today is their fault," said Jean-Luc Dubaele, the mayor of Wimereux, claiming Britain was offering monts et merveilles", a French expression meaning they were promising the world. Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now) and Rachel Hall (earlier) on (#6HVVD)
Ukraine army chief says A-50 spy plane and Il-22 command aircraft downed near Sea of Azov; some prisoners of war given life sentences by RussiaShapps has cited the UK's increase in support to Ukraine in the highest level ever as an example of its commitment to defence spending.To some the cost may seem steep but Britain cannot afford to reverse the gains we have.Under this Conservative government Britain never will. Continue reading...
Five other people also arrested over plot being investigated by Met police after tipoff from Daily ExpressA man has been charged with conspiracy to cause public nuisance after an alleged plot to disrupt the London Stock Exchange and cause huge economic damage" was revealed.Sean Middleborough, 31, from Liverpool, will appear at Wirral magistrates court on Monday, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...
by Helen Davidson and Amy Hawkins in Taipei on (#6HVSY)
Nauru become first ally to switch allegiances to Beijing after weekend's presidential elections in TaiwanNauru has switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China less than 48 hours after Taiwan's presidential election.In a statement, the government of the tiny island country in Micronesia, north-east of Australia, said it had decided to recognise the People's Republic of China and was seeking the resumption of full diplomatic relations in the best interests of the Republic and people of Nauru". Continue reading...
I've been in love with the UK since I was a little girl' says woman dismissed after missing official deadlineA French woman has spoken about how she lost her job in Shropshire and was left heartbroken" about life in the UK because of a mix-up over the immigration process for EU citizens launched after Brexit.Sophie, who is married to a British man, was in the UK for five years before Brexit but went back to France in 2020 for 18 months after a family tragedy. Continue reading...
by Daniel Hurst Foreign affairs and defence correspon on (#6HVT1)
Prime minister suggests court cases like South Africa's won't bring peace between Israel and Palestine, as Penny Wong sets off for a trip to the Middle East
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