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Motion to adopt Better Chicken Commitment carried by 96%, but directors cited need for low pricesFeathers are flying at the Co-operative Group after thousands of its members voted to improve welfare for chickens reared for meat at the annual meeting on Saturday – but were partly overruled by the company’s directors, who said they wanted to keep prices down.A motion led by the Humane League UK campaign group asked the mutual to adopt the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) – a set of standards adopted by the likes of Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and the Greggs bakery chain – and report on welfare improvements in a year’s time. It was supported by 96% of the 32,000 Co-op members who voted at the AGM. Continue reading...

Comments by Itamar Ben-Gvir draw condemnation from Palestinians amid escalating tensionsIsrael’s far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited a site in Jerusalem holy to both Muslims and Jews and declared Israel was “in charge”, drawing condemnation from Palestinians after months of escalating tension and violence.The early morning visit to the site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the compound housing al-Aqsa mosque, also drew denunciations from two of Israel’s Arab peace partners, Jordan and Egypt. Continue reading...

Choose Love garden uses materials found in refugee camps and plants that grow on migration routesA centrepiece garden at this year’s Chelsea flower show has been built with the help of a team of asylum seekers with a design that recreates Europe’s migration routes and uses materials found in refugee camps.The Choose Love garden, named after a charity working with displaced people, uses the sustainable “superadobe” building technique found in camp architecture. Continue reading...

Cost of period products has risen and campaigners say saving is not being passed on by retailersThe Treasury is analysing whether the removal of the “tampon tax” – trumpeted last week by Rishi Sunak as one of the benefits of Brexit – has helped lower prices at all, amid concerns the saving is not being passed on by retailers to women.Responding to a written question from the Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, the government said a tax reduction was able to “contribute to the conditions for price reductions” and it was “looking into whether this important zero-rating is being passed on by retailers to women as intended”. Continue reading...

Supermarket shortages mean community food projects will have a prominent place in this year’s showSupermarkets have rationed fresh fruit and vegetables in recent months as a combination of Brexit, bad weather and labour shortages has hit supply and driven prices up.Those shortages have led to a surge in people growing their own, according to the Royal Horticultural Society, and that trend will be reflected at the Chelsea flower show from 22 May. Continue reading...

Campaign funded by Entain urging people to write to MP was shameful, says chair of parliamentary groupThe owner of Ladbrokes, Entain, has been accused of “dishonest” lobbying after it funded an operation mobilising people to complain to their MP about proposals to reform gambling laws.The government last month unveiled plans for tighter regulation, including measures it said would make gambling safer but would also reduce revenue for brands such as Coral and PartyCasino, owned by Entain. Continue reading...

Concerns attempts to block local deals with Lib Dems or Greens risk allowing Tories to regain control of councilsLabour faces accusations of overcentralised meddling after the party’s national executive vetoed planned coalitions with the Liberal Democrats or Greens in a series of formerly Conservative-held local authorities.While it is longstanding Labour policy that local parties need a green light from the national executive committee (NEC) before forming coalitions, some activists say attempts to block deals risk allowing Conservatives to regain control instead. Continue reading...

Decision by Ireland’s privacy regulator will set record for breach of EU’s data protection rulesFacebook is to be fined more than €746m (£648m) and ordered to suspend data transfers to the US as an Irish regulator prepares to punish the social media network for its handling of user information.The fine, first reported by Bloomberg and expected to be confirmed as soon as Monday, will set a record for a breach of the EU’s general data protection regulation, beating the €746m levied on Amazon by Luxembourg in 2021. Continue reading...

The home secretary allegedly asked civil servants for help after being caught speeding. Did she breach the ministerial code?What is Suella Braverman alleged to have done wrong?The home secretary was caught speeding in a 50mph zone last summer, and given the option of accepting a fine and points on her licence or attending a speed awareness course. Continue reading...

Kevin Milner was riding on trail north of Vancouver when black bear charged forward and sent him flipping over the handlebarsA Canadian man is suffering from a fractured scapula, cardiac contusion and bruised ribs after colliding with a bear while riding his bike north of Vancouver.Kevin Milner was riding the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve near Vancouver when he spotted the black bear in the grass. Wildlife, including deer, is common along the thickly forested double-track. Continue reading...

Busy Bees branch within hospital complex fined £225,000 plus costs for food safety and hygiene offencesA branch of Britain’s largest private childcare provider has been hit with a record fine after inspectors found fresh mouse droppings in the kitchen and the children’s play areas of a nursery within an NHS hospital complex in east London.Busy Bees – which operates 375 nurseries in England, Scotland and Wales – was fined £225,000 and £15,000 in costs by a court in London last week, after pleading guilty to food safety and hygiene offences uncovered at its nursery on the grounds of Whipps Cross university hospital in Leytonstone. Continue reading...

Former DUP leader calls Sinn Féin electoral gains a ‘wake up and smell the coffee moment’ for unionismThe Democratic Unionist party (DUP) is facing renewed calls to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland after a Sinn Féin electoral “tsunami” reshaped local government.Chris Heaton-Harris, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, on Sunday joined a chorus urging the DUP to end a boycott that has paralysed the executive and assembly at Stormont. “Alongside the new councils, it remains my hope to see the assembly and executive return to work,” he said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: three years after Truss boasted of securing status in trade deal, products such as Cornish pasties can still be copiedA host of famous British food types, including Cornish pasties, Welsh lamb and Melton Mowbray pork pies, have not been given formal protection from imitation in Japan nearly three years after Liz Truss boasted that they could be secured thanks to her “historic” trade deal.As trade secretary, Truss described the post-Brexit trade agreement signed with Japan in September 2020 as the UK’s first landmark deal as an independent trading nation, ensuring the same tariff arrangements as the country had enjoyed when in the EU. Continue reading...

Call comes as independent review body to recommend 6.5% pay rise for teachers in EnglandEducation union leaders have urged ministers to return to the negotiating table for formal talks on pay and funding as an independent review body is to recommend a 6.5% pay rise for teachers in England.The School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) has told the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, that a 6.5% increase is needed to retain teachers in the profession. Keegan was given the report last week but has yet to publish its findings. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Clinic operated by BPAS was intended to provide IVF at cost price but was sold to private providerEngland’s first not-for-profit fertility clinic has shut within a year of opening and has been sold to a private provider, in what one of its founders called “a tragedy for women”.The game-changing clinic – operated by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), better known for providing abortions – promised to take the profit out of fertility treatment when it opened in December 2021. Continue reading...

UK prime minister goes further than G7 summit statement in outlining challenge posed by BeijingChina poses the biggest challenge to global security and prosperity of our age with the “means and intent to reshape the world order”, Rishi Sunak has said.The UK prime minister said G7 leaders including Japan, the US, Canada and European nations had shown “unity and resolve” in confronting the problems posed by Beijing. Continue reading...

UK PM says at G7 summit that end to war will need to recognise country’s territorial integrity

Chris ‘Cam’ Cameron ready to set sail for barren rock 230 miles from nearest permanently inhabited placeA science teacher has found an unusual way of exorcising the loneliness and isolation of the repeated lockdowns during the Covid crisis. He plans to spend two months living alone on Rockall, a barren islet deep in the Atlantic.Chris “Cam” Cameron, 53, will set sail for Rockall this week in an attempt to break the record for occupying the sheer-sided chunk of granite. He plans to spend at least 60 days perched on a ledge measuring barely 4 metres by 1.5 metres, to raise money for charity. Continue reading...

Joe Biden says US doing everything possible to strengthen Ukraine’s defences in war with Russia

Private provider criticised for uprooting more than 60 vulnerable children, with some transferred from south-east England to ScotlandThe trade body that oversees children’s care homes has taken the unprecedented step of publicly berating a major private provider for jeopardising “the wellbeing of young people in its care” after it announced a string of home closures.The Observer revealed last month that England’s fourth largest provider of residential places for looked-after children, Outcomes First Group was shutting 28 care homes due to “market challenges”. Continue reading...

Action by workers has trebled this year as the country emerges from its draconian coronavirus measuresProtests in China are often small- scale. On 17 May, a handful of workers at an air-purifier factory in Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian province, south-east China, gathered to demand the payment of wages that, they said, were in arrears. The protest was quiet, but it was one of nearly 30 similar demonstrations this month alone.With China’s factories reopened and draconian coronavirus measures abandoned, workers are also going on strike at a remarkable rate. Continue reading...

Joint visit during G7 summit seen as further evidence of determination to overcome longstanding frictionJapan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, and the South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, have paid their respects at a memorial to the tens of thousands of Korean victims of the atomic bombing, in a further sign of improving ties between the north-east Asian neighbours.The pair, accompanied by their wives, laid bouquets of white flowers before lowering their heads at the memorial in the city’s peace park on Sunday on the sidelines of the G7 summit, where Yoon is one of several non-member leaders taking part in “outreach” sessions. Continue reading...

Hope not Hate analysis has pinpointed spikes in hostility whenever ministers speak negatively about refugeesGovernment rhetoric on migration is increasingly “feeding” the far right, according to new analysis detailing for the first time the growing symbiotic relationship between senior Tories and the extreme rightwing.An investigation shows that government statements and policy announcements on the issue are effectively “incubating” the far right on Telegram, the social media app where many rightwing extremists have congregated. Continue reading...

Prime minister stops short of saying he has full confidence in home secretaryRishi Sunak has defended Suella Braverman, after the UK home secretary asked civil servants to help with a speeding fine, saying she has “expressed regret, accepted the penalty and paid the fine”.The prime minister ignored questions about whether he should order an ethics inquiry into Braverman’s conduct but stopped short of saying he had full confidence in her. Continue reading...

Prominent members fear a tilt to the right could spell the end in the ‘blue wall’ heartlandsSenior Tories are warning their party will be finished should it undergo “a Trumpian style takeover” from the right, amid growing concerns that it risks political meltdown in its “blue wall” heartlands.Prominent Conservatives from across the party are now increasingly concerned that a tilt to the right and anger over the handling of Brexit could lead to the party’s support collapsing in liberal, home counties seats in the same way that Labour imploded in Scotland in 2015. Continue reading...

Labour leader advised to create a fairer system in the form of maintenance grantsKeir Starmer is being urged by shadow cabinet figures to replace tuition fees in England with a graduate tax, amid growing concern that the finances of universities are becoming unsustainable under the current system.An injection of cash in the form of maintenance grants to the poorest students is also backed by some of the Labour leader’s top team as a way of ensuring students are not put off by the increasing living costs of attending university. Continue reading...

Staff are being promised up to £4,500 to take up – and stay in – hard-to-fill NHS jobsNurses in parts of England are being offered “golden hellos” of up to £4,500 to work in the NHS – and not quit – amid fierce competition for staff.As the government and the Royal College of Nursing remain in deadlock over pay, some NHS trusts desperate to fill posts have launched their own schemes to attract and retain recruits. The incentives – which include bonuses staggered over two years and relocation packages of up to £8,000 – vary by area and come as the health service grapples with critical shortages and high staff turnover. Continue reading...

Labour leader to outline vision for modernisation and announce targets for an election-winning administrationSir Keir Starmer is to warn that the NHS is “not sustainable” unless there are health reforms that “fix the fundamentals” and go beyond extra investment.The Labour leader is due to give a speech in the east of England on Monday in which he will outline his vision for modernising the NHS and announce health-related performance targets if his party forms the next Downing Street administration. Continue reading...

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Economic resurgence may not be enough to win Kyriakos Mitsotakis a new term in Sunday’s electionWith the Acropolis behind him, Kyriakos Mitsotakis ascends to the podium amid thunderous music and the cackle of whistles and horns. It is the last rally of the last day of his re-election campaign before polls open on Sunday, and the prime minister is in a combative mood.“Do we want stability or continuous uncertainty?” he asks. “That is the dilemma we are being called to answer.” It is a question that has dominated an election that Mitsotakis once thought he had in the bag. Continue reading...

Simon Birmingham says ‘clarity should be there before the prime minister entertains a formal state visit to Beijing’

Prime minister to visit worst-hit areas as red weather alert extended in Emilia Romagna regionMore than 36,000 people have now been forced from their homes by deadly floods in northeast Italy, regional officials have said, as rising waters swallowed more houses and fresh landslides isolated hamlets.Violent downpours earlier this week killed 14 people, transforming streets in the cities and towns of the Emilia Romagna region into rivers. Continue reading...

Sector already in crisis will lose workers to better paid aged care unless there is ‘significant uplift’ in wages, UWU says

Nationalist party made sweeping gains including unprecedented breakthroughs in Down and Antrim

US and Saudi Arabia announce deal that comes after six weeks of fighting between Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support ForcesSudan’s warring factions signed an agreement late on Saturday for a seven-day ceasefire, the US and Saudi Arabia said in a joint statement, as fighting that has plunged the country into chaos and displaced more than a million entered its sixth week.The fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has led to a collapse in law. Stocks of food, cash and essentials are rapidly dwindling, and mass looting has hit banks, embassies, factories and aid warehouses. Continue reading...

Many are having to travel long distances to receive NHS help, despite a promise to end this ‘completely unacceptable’ practiceSome mental health patients in England are still having to travel more than 300 miles for hospital treatment two years after the government pledged to end the “completely unacceptable” practice.The number of patients in crisis forced to move potentially hundreds of miles for NHS help is rising again after falling during the pandemic, separating them from family and support networks and potentially delaying their recuperation. Continue reading...

The UK PM said the Ukrainian president attending the summit confirmed that world leaders are united in their support of his countryRishi Sunak said Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s appearance at the G7 summit in Japan sent an “incredibly powerful message” to Russia that western leaders are behind him, as the UK indicated it would start training Ukrainian fighter pilots to fly F-16s within the next couple of months.The Ukrainian president arrived in Hiroshima on a French government plane on Saturday to discuss greater military support from the US and other G7 countries as his forces prepare for a huge counteroffensive in the war with Russia. Continue reading...

Prime minister says he is ‘very comfortable’ with controversial rules despite former business secretary’s admission of gerrymanderingRishi Sunak has defended new laws requiring voters to bring ID as “entirely reasonable” after Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested the move was designed to gerrymander election results in favour of the Tories.Sunak said he was “very comfortable” with controversial rules following Rees-Mogg’s critical comments and reports that thousands of people were turned away from polling stations at the local elections in May. Continue reading...

The home secretary faces calls for inquiry into reports she asked for special treatment after being issued a speeding noticeThe Home Secretary is facing calls for an inquiry into reports she asked Home Office civil servants to help secure her special treatment after being caught speeding.Suella Braverman allegedly asked Home Office officials to organise a one-to-one driving awareness course after she was caught speeding last summer. Continue reading...

Exclusive: footage from body-worn camera shows police restraining confused dementia patient Rachel Grahame in 2020

Local musician Gregor Hunter Coleman was playing in Glasgow pub when star made ‘life-changing’ offerThe US rapper Post Malone helped a Scottish musician fund the downpayment for his first home, according to reports.The Sunflower crooner’s viral, widely reported act of kindness unfolded at a pub in Glasgow, Scotland, named Wunderbar last week. Post Malone walked into the bar while Gregor Hunter Coleman, an area musician, was playing, BBC Scotland reported. Continue reading...

Pilot and two passengers died at scene of accident in steep and forested area in west of countryA tourist plane crashed in a wooded, mountainous area of western Switzerland on Saturday, killing the three people onboard, police said.The small tourist plane crashed in a steep and forested area near Ponts-De-Martel in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel at about 10.20am (0820 GMT), regional police said. Continue reading...

British poet who wrote lyrics for Sunshine of Your Love, White Room and many more also had acclaimed solo careerPete Brown, a cult figure in British poetry, rock, psychedelia and rhythm and blues who wrote lyrics for many of Cream’s classic songs, has died aged 82. He had been living with what he recently described as “various forms of cancer” for a number of years.The family of his long-term late collaborator Jack Bruce wrote on social media: “We are extremely saddened to learn of the death of Jack’s long term friend and writing partner Pete Brown who passed away last night. We extend our sincere condolences to Pete’s wife Sheridan and Pete’s children as well as all his family and friends. Love from the Bruce family.” Continue reading...

Beijing clearly target of joint statement by Quad group calling for ‘stability in Indo-Pacific maritime domain’The leaders of the Quad group – Australia, India, Japan and the United States – delivered a thinly veiled swipe at Beijing’s behaviour on Saturday at a summit in Hiroshima.The US president, Joe Biden, and his three partners in the group did not mention China by name but the communist superpower was clearly the target of language in a joint statement calling for “peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain”. Continue reading...

Ukraine denies Wagner claim that city has fallen and says fighting ongoing in some partsVolodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Hiroshima, Japan, to attend the G7 leaders’ summit in the city.Reuters reports that live footage broadcast by multiple media outlets showed Zelenskiy disembark from a French government aircraft.With Russia likely maintaining relatively few uncommitted combat units in Ukraine, the redeployment represents a notable commitment by the Russian command.Russia’s leadership likely continue to see capturing Bakhmut as the key immediate war aim which would allow them to claim some degree of success in the conflict. Continue reading...

Indian rice tycoon Karan Chanana, who gave the Conservatives more than £220,000, is under scrutiny by India’s finance ministryA leading Tory donor who has given more than £220,000 to the party is being investigated over allegations of fraud and money laundering.Karan Chanana, head of the global rice brand Amira, is being investigated in India over claims that tens of millions of pounds of bank loans were unlawfully diverted into shell entities. Chanana has not responded to the claims. Continue reading...

The party had 134 elected councillors by 5pm on Saturday, with gains achieved across the regionSinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill has hailed a “momentous” result as the party remains on course to become the largest in councils in Northern Ireland.As the count stretched into Saturday evening, the republican party had 134 elected councillors by 5pm, with gains achieved across the region. Continue reading...

Warning comes after Joe Biden said US would back joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots to fly fighter jets

Criticism over latest development in long-running libel dispute between the leading Brexit backer and the journalistThe award-winning Observer and Guardian journalist Carole Cadwalladr has been ordered to pay significant legal costs to the prominent Brexit backer Arron Banks.Banks, who donated a record £8m to the pro-Brexit Leave.EU campaign group, originally lost his case against Cadwalladr in his libel action over her remarks in a speech and a tweet. Continue reading...