Ukrainian man’s licence had picture of former UK PM and correct birthdate – but officers did not fall for itDutch police who arrested a man in connection with a drink-driving incident were surprised to find that the name on his driving licence was Boris Johnson.The Ukrainian driver’s fake licence, complete with the former British prime minister’s picture and correct birthdate, was purportedly issued in 2019 and valid until the end of the year 3000. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Ombudsman has received 18 official requests to examine grievances against Sciensus since August last yearThe watchdog responsible for investigating unresolved healthcare complaints has been warned repeatedly for nine months about problems with Sciensus, a private company paid millions to deliver vital medicines to NHS patients, the Guardian can reveal.The parliamentary and health service ombudsman (PHSO) is charged with reviewing disputes between patients and the NHS or companies providing NHS services in England. Patients have the right to send formal reports to the watchdog if an organisation has acted improperly, provided a poor service or not put things right. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Increases since 2019 also outstrip funding for free school meals as costs jump, Lib Dems findThe price of school lunches has increased by more than a third in parts of England, increasing the pressure on school finances and family budgets during the cost of living crisis, according to figures revealed by the Liberal Democrats.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Joe Biden are expected to discuss the security situation in the South China SeaThe president of the Philippines is meeting his US counterpart in Washington as the two countries draw closer together against what they say is growing aggression and harassment by China.Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Joe Biden will meet in the Oval Office on Monday, during the Philippine president’s four-day US tour. They are expected to discuss the security situation, with the US hoping to strengthen longstanding ties between the two nations as it battles Beijing for influence in Asia. Continue reading...
Even stories on cost of living leave journalists facing assault, threats and arrest under Digital Security ActFour weeks ago, a reporter in Bangladesh was hauled from his office, badly beaten – and then thrown from the roof of his building, leaving him with fractures in his back, three broken ribs and a machete wound on his head.The journalist, Ayub Meahzi, believes he was targeted for reporting on alleged local government ties to a criminal group. Continue reading...
Sir Charles Trevelyan was Treasury official during great famine in 19th century when potato crops failedThe former BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan has said her family would consider paying compensation to Ireland because of an ancestor’s role in the Great Famine of the 19th century.Her great-great-great-grandfather Sir Charles Trevelyan, a senior British government official, was among those who “failed their people” during the humanitarian catastrophe in the 1840s, she said. Continue reading...
Unclear whether all British evacuees will be able to reach city more than 500 miles from KhartoumBritish forces will oversee an additional evacuation flight out of Port Sudan as fighting continues to rage in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.British passport holders, as well as doctors with leave to remain in the UK and their dependents, were told to arrive at Port Sudan international airport on the Red Sea coast before midday local time (11am BST). Continue reading...
Writers Guild of America could call stoppage as early as Tuesday if pay agreement is not reachedNegotiators for Hollywood writers and film and television studios are engaged in 11th-hour talks in an effort to avert a strike that would disrupt TV production across an industry grappling with seismic changes.The Writers Guild of America (WGA) could call a work stoppage as early as Tuesday if it cannot reach a deal with companies such as Walt Disney and Netflix. A strike would be the first by the WGA in 15 years. Continue reading...
The actor, who was diagnosed aged 29, said advancing disease had caused him a string of injuries but he was still able to remain optimisticBack to the Future star Michael J Fox described Parkinson’s as a “gift that keeps on taking” in an interview on CBS Sunday Morning, in which he described his struggles with the illness.The 61-year-old activist and former Hollywood actor was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease a year after Back to the Future Part III was released in 1990. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe southeast Asia correspondent on (#6BASX)
Paetongtarn, 36, is leading polls to become Thailand’s next prime minister, boosted by the popularity of the Shinawatra namePaetongtarn Shinawatra, the frontrunner in the upcoming Thai election, has given birth to a baby boy two weeks before voters go to the polls.Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, posted a picture of her baby, named Prutthasin Sooksawas, nickname Thasin, on social media on Monday. Continue reading...
Santiago Peña of the Colorado party is elected, defeating Efraín Alegre who wanted to switch diplomatic recognition to ChinaParaguay’s ruling party candidate, Santiago Peña, 44, has scored a big win in the presidential election, tightening the conservative Colorado party’s political grip and defusing fears that diplomatic ties with Taiwan might have been cut.Peña, who has pledged to maintain Paraguay’s longstanding Taiwan relations, had 42.7% of the vote with more than 99% of ballots counted – a more than 15-point lead over centre-left rival Efraín Alegre, who has argued for switching allegiance to China. Continue reading...
Fair Judgement raises funds for case in response to death of Berkshire primary headteacher Ruth PerryA group of senior school leaders is calling on teachers to donate £1 each to launch a legal challenge against Ofsted, pledging to hold the inspectorate to account for “ending careers” and causing a mental health crisis.The vice-president of the Conservative education society, John Bald, a former Ofsted inspector, is fronting a crowdfunding page for the group, which is called Fair Judgement. The leaders fear the inspectorate may seek to punish their schools if they go public.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, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6BAQY)
Project hopes Beatles classic will ‘unite the world’ and show victims of the conflict that they’ll never walk aloneAn ambitious campaign to create the world’s biggest sing-along as an expression of solidarity with Ukraine during the Eurovision song contest is gaining momentum.The #HelpUkraineSong project is aiming to “unite the world through music” by getting as many people as possible to sing the Beatles’ With a Little Help from My Friends at noon on Saturday 13 May. Continue reading...
With one of the lowest fertility rates in the EU and fewer women to have children, classrooms are emptying and the future of communities is in doubtFor centuries, the infant school in Champorcher, in the Aosta Valley, has been an integral component of the community, with the sound of children’s voices in the playground providing a beacon of hope for the mountain village’s survival.In September last year, however, the school fell eerily silent. It was forced to close after just two pupils enrolled. Continue reading...
by Elias Visontay Transport and urban affairs reporte on (#6BAR0)
Taskforce to examine consequences of bus privatisation as well as other issues plaguing sector such as driver shortagesFollow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates
Zonfrillo’s death was confirmed by his family, who said they were ‘devastated’ after he died on SundayJock Zonfrillo, judge on MasterChef Australia, chef and author, has died at the age of 46.His family confirmed his death on Monday, saying “our irreplaceable husband, father, brother, son and friend” died on Sunday in Melbourne. Continue reading...
Shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy says dumping 300,000-homes-a-year policy will leave behind a generation of rentersLabour has said ministers’ decision to scrap housebuilding targets in England could cost renters an extra £200 a year by 2030.The shadow housing secretary, Lisa Nandy, said Labour is “the party of homeownership” as the local elections campaign entered the final straight. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6BAF2)
Complexity of system and perception of government handouts as ‘shameful’ stopping people from accessing much-needed supportMillions of UK households are collectively missing out on at least £19bn a year in unclaimed welfare benefits, at a time when many are forced to use food banks or run up debt as they struggle with rising living costs, according to new estimates.Lower income households are failing to claim benefits and other cash support for which they are eligible, according to a study by the consultancy Policy in Practice. Some families could be forgoing as much as £4,000 a year. Continue reading...
by Harry Taylor, Emily Dugan and Christine Kearney on (#6BA0N)
Two injured by rocket attacks in Kherson after heavy shelling and homes hit by anti-aircraft missiles in KharkivShelling through the night in the city of Kherson has injured two people, deputy head of Kherson Oblast Council Yuriy Sobolevsky said this morning.More than 27 attacks were reported on residential areas of the wider Kherson region on Saturday, according to its authorities, with some 135 shells fired. Continue reading...
Opposition leader says party would change current system, in which PM has final say on who gets jobKeir Starmer has said Labour would make sure the BBC chair is independently appointed after Richard Sharp’s resignation following his failure to declare that he had helped Boris Johnson get a loan.The Labour leader suggested the party would reform the system, in which the prime minister currently has the final say on who gets the job. Continue reading...
Overhaul of constitution would include allowing Shavkat Mirziyoyev to stay in powerPolls have closed across Uzbekistan, ending a day of voting in the central Asian nation in a constitutional referendum that could allow President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to remain in power until 2040.Voting stations closed at 8pm (3pm GMT), after being open for 12 hours. The Election Commission has to announce the result within 10 days. Continue reading...
Mark Harper and Labour MP back ‘homage of the people’, but republicans say it ‘holds people in contempt’A cabinet minister has said he “hopes people do” swear the proposed oath to the king on the day of his coronation, as republicans described it as “an offensive and tone-deaf gesture that holds the people in contempt”.The transport secretary, Mark Harper, said he would be swearing the oath, to be known as a “homage of the people” and pointed out that MPs already “pledge allegiance to his majesty” on taking their seats. Continue reading...
FCDO asks any British nationals hoping to leave war-torn country to reach airport in Port Sudan by noon local time on MondayThe government has announced plans to carry out an additional evacuation flight from Sudan on Monday, after previously suggesting that efforts to bring British nationals out of the war-torn country had concluded.In a statement on Sunday, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) urged any UK nationals still hoping to leave Sudan to make their way to the airport in Port Sudan, on the Red Sea coast, by noon local time (11am BST) on 1 May. Continue reading...
by Zeinab Mohammed Salih in Khartoum, and Ruth Michae on (#6BABC)
UN refugee agency ‘extremely concerned’ about effect on ‘fragile’ region, as evidence emerges of widespread destructionFighting has erupted in Sudan’s Darfur region – including the use of heavy weaponry, and attacks on civilians and essential healthcare infrastructure – escalating a crisis now in its third week that was sparked by two rival generals.Across the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, the sound of gunfire echoed through the streets throughout Sunday and airstrikes hit its twin city Omdurman. Continue reading...
Invoice for ex-PM’s time at Kent mansion when foreign secretary is thought to include sums for missing bathrobes and party businessLiz Truss is disputing part of a £12,000 bill sent to her by the Cabinet Office relating to her use of the grace-and-favour Chevening house while she was foreign secretary.The bill mostly covered hospitality but also included missing items, such as some bathrobes, and dates back to last summer when she was fighting the Conservative leadership campaign against Rishi Sunak. Continue reading...
Local man aged 24 arrested in Bodmin on multiple charges following knife attackA man has died and seven others were left injured after a stabbing near a nightclub in Cornwall.Police were called to Castle Canyke Road in the Victoria Square area in Bodmin at 3.15am on Sunday after reports of a person with a knife and multiple people with suspected stab wounds. Continue reading...
Investment managers join call for companies to pay real living wage across entire supply chainsMany of Britain’s largest employers must do more to increase pay for workers struggling with the cost of living crisis or face votes against pay increases for executives, investment managers have warned.Peter Hugh Smith, the chief executive of CCLA, an investment manager for the pensions of charities and church organisations, said many employers were failing “to do the right thing” and meet the “basic standard” of paying workers a living wage. Continue reading...
by Caroline Kimeu in Shakahola forest and Malindi tow on (#6BA7H)
More than 100 bodies have been unearthed since church leader was arrested on suspicion of luring his followers to their deathsTwo years ago, Issa Ali’s mother took all her belongings and left her family to join followers of the charismatic church leader Paul Mackenzie Nthenge in the Shakahola forest in south-east Kenya.“He told them that’s where Jesus’ second coming will happen,” the 16-year-old said. Continue reading...
Tax Justice Network says monarch can lead push to revamp laws allowing ‘industrial scale avoidance’ totalling £152bn a yearKing Charles has been urged to call for the breakup of the “UK’s network of satellite tax havens” through which an estimated £152bn worth of tax is avoided every year, according to campaigners.Tax Justice Network, a coalition of researchers and activists campaigning against tax avoidance, are today calling on King Charles to use his reign as monarch to call for a revamp of laws that allow industrial scale tax avoidance in the UK, the crown dependencies and the British overseas territories. Continue reading...
Opposition leader says Tory government has ‘unforgivable’ record as he defends claim PM does not want to see child abusers jailedKeir Starmer has personally stood by Labour’s attack ad that accused Rishi Sunak of not wanting to see child abusers jailed, and denied it was playing on racist tropes about grooming gangs.The Labour leader said he believed it was accurate to say Sunak did not believe “adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison”, based on the “unforgivable” record of the Conservative government. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6BA43)
Sightseers at Charles Jencks’s giant sculpture Northumberlandia are being asked to stick to its pathsEven with a broken ankle, eight-year-old Jack Bell can’t resist barrelling up the steep incline of the naked goddess’s left breast.Neither can his two friends, and the person in charge, Jack’s mother, Laura Bell, admits this is a regular occurrence and, with a child’s natural urge to climb, there’s not much she can do about it. Continue reading...
American visitors to the UK have risen sharply in number – and it may be because they are choosing to mix business with leisureIt’s the travel trend that never quite took off. Ever since American trader Ben Hockett made millions during the 2008 global financial crisis by trading online from an Exmouth pub, travel marketers have tried to sell the concept of mixing holidays with work.But now blended travel – or “bleisure”, as it was known in the 00s heyday of portmanteau neologisms – seems to be having a moment. Continue reading...
Keir Starmer needs to convert poll leads to council clean sweeps to show his party is on the road back to powerMuch of England goes to the polls on Thursday in local elections that will set the political tone going into the summer. The balance of power ought to be clear: Labour holds double digit poll leads, and is favoured on every issue by voters who report exasperation with the government and eagerness for change. Yet the mood in Westminster is more uncertain – Labour fears, and the Conservatives hope, that the tide can still turn before the general election arrives.The task for Rishi Sunak in his first electoral test is clear. The tide is against his party, so he needs to set the bar low and hope disaster is at least averted. It does not help that his party are more exposed than usual with this year’s contests mainly on blue-leaning territory. Yet the Conservatives also have a weaker than usual starting position, thanks to the electoral wipeout they suffered in 2019, when nearly all of the seats being contested were last fought. The 2019 contest took place in the dog days of the May government, with Nigel Farage’s Brexit party surging in the polls. It was a disaster for the Tories, with more than 1,300 seats lost, but meltdown then means less exposure now. The Conservatives are defending fewer vulnerable seats and may even recover ground in some quarters. Every defence against the tide and unexpected gain will be seized upon as a sign of resilience. Continue reading...
Coastguard agency says fire was extinguished and all 60 passengers were evacuated safe and wellPassengers on a ferry to Orkney had to be evacuated and taken ashore by lifeboat after the vessel ran aground in what was described as “a major incident”.All 60 passengers, including three children and a baby, were said to be safe and well after the incident in Scapa Flow on Saturday evening. Continue reading...
President says island is only receiving two-thirds of the petrol it needs as queues outside gas stations stretch milesThere was a time when International Workers’ Day was marked in Cuba by parades involving millions of people marching through Havana’s Revolution Square. Many came out of conviction, some because they were pressured, others to enjoy the party.This Monday, however, the square will be empty, after the Cuban Communist party cancelled this year’s celebrations due to gasoline shortages that are crippling the island’s economy. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian