Investigatory powers tribunal to examine complaint brought by Mustafa al-Hawsawi, who was tortured while detained by CIAThe UK’s intelligence agencies are facing a rare judicial investigation after a tribunal said it would look into allegations that British spies were complicit in the torture of a prisoner held by the CIA.The investigatory powers tribunal (IPT) said late last week it would examine a complaint brought by Mustafa al-Hawsawi, a Saudi citizen who was tortured between 2003 and 2006 while detained in a network of secret CIA prisons. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Caroline Davies (earlier) on (#6BZXT)
This live blog has now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereHere is a roundup of the day’s headlines so far:The Labour party has accused Rishi Sunak of being “slippery” in the row over whether the government will hand over Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and other documents to the Covid inquiry. The shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, has told Sky News the prime minister should “comply with the inquiry and do it today”.The government has “absolutely nothing to hide” from the Covid inquiry and intends to be “absolutely transparent”, a cabinet minister has said, after Rishi Sunak faced accusations of attempting to cover up the actions of senior MPs during the pandemic. The Covid inquiry, led by the retired judge Heather Hallett, has used its powers to request unredacted notebooks, diaries and WhatApp correspondence between Boris Johnson and 40 senior government figures.Labour’s plans to ban ex-ministers from lobbying the government for five years after leaving office are “encouraging” but need to go further, lobbyists have said. Along with the lobbying ban, the party is considering a five-point plan that would see former ministers fined for breaking lobbying rules and a new Integrity and Ethics Commission with the power to enforce standards across public life.Rail services in parts of England have ground to a halt with the first of three train strikes this week taking place as the long-running dispute between the unions and the government over pay, jobs and conditions continues. A 24-hour strike by members of the driver’s union Aslef is under way and a further day of industrial action is planned for Saturday, the day of the FA Cup final.Rishi Sunak should resurrect the help to buy scheme and lower national insurance in a bid to woo younger voters, a Tory MP has said. Bim Afolami, MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, said graduates under 40 should be paying a lower rate of tax as he claimed younger voters were more concerned with money than social issues.Britain’s future is outside the EU, the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has said, as he promised to make Brexit work. Writing in the Daily Express newspaper, Starmer – who campaigned for Remain in the 2016 referendum – also said he would not be seeking a return to freedom of movement.The British businessman Dale Vince is a “perfectly legitimate person” to take money from and his donations to Just Stop Oil do not change Labour’s position on the climate activist group, the shadow international trade secretary has said. Nick Thomas-Symonds said his party had been “extremely clear on our views on Just Stop Oil” and that Vince was perfectly entitled to “give money to other causes”, PA reported.Keir Starmer has been told by trade union Unite that any plan to block new North Sea oil and gas developments must not leave workers “paying the price”. Unite, the party’s single biggest donor, told the Labour leader that such a move could risk a “repeat of the devastation” caused by the closure of coalmines, PA reported.Scotland’s deposit return scheme (DRS) could be scrapped if the UK government does not U-turn on its decision to exclude glass from the plans, Humza Yousaf has warned. The first minister said the Scottish government is looking at options on how the scheme can progress without damaging Scottish businesses, but if no alternative can be found, the proposals may not continue, PA has reported. Continue reading...
After defying rough seas, team leader Cam Cameron aims to beat 45-day record for staying on isolated rockThree adventurers planning to live for up to 60 days on Rockall in the north Atlantic have made camp on the rock after a dramatic ascent in which one of their team was washed off the islet two times by heavy waves.The adventurers, led by Cam Cameron, a Scottish teacher who hopes to beat the 45-day record for staying on Rockall, landed on the islet on Tuesday afternoon after a 420-mile (675km) voyage from the UK. Continue reading...
Dennis Akpomedaye, 30, stabbed Anna Jedrkowiak 40 times in ‘ferocious and savage’ attackA man who stabbed a woman to death in an attempt to decapitate her after she ended their relationship has been jailed for life.Dennis Akpomedaye, 30, stabbed his ex-girlfriend Anna Jedrkowiak in an alleyway in west London on 17 May 2022, having stalked her from his home in Newport, south Wales, more than 130 miles away. He was jailed for life on Wednesday, with a minimum term of 29 years. Continue reading...
Critics denounced ‘lies, hatred and racism’ as legislation moves to senate after being overwhelmingly endorsed by lower houseIndigenous leaders and environmentalists in Brazil have voiced horror and indignation after lawmakers approved controversial legislation which opponents fear will strike a devastating blow to Indigenous communities and isolated tribes.Members of Brazil’s conservative-dominated lower house overwhelmingly endorsed bill number 490 on Tuesday night, by 283 votes to 155. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6C01N)
Those surveyed say sexist behaviour under-reported, with those who challenge it often ‘isolated from the team’Sexism and misogyny within the ranks of Police Scotland is “massively under-reported”, with those who do come forward made to feel they have “a target on their back” and a culture of victim-blaming favouring perpetrators, according to those in the force.The extensive survey of how officers feel about their colleagues has neem published less than a week after the force’s chief constable, Sir Iain Livingstone, publicly acknowledged Police Scotland was institutionally racist and discriminatory. Continue reading...
Exclusive: research is most detailed yet of who got fined and fairness of use of police power to enforce rulesFines during the pandemic were three times more likely to be given to black people and seven times more likely to be issued in the poorest areas, research commissioned for Britain’s police chiefs has revealed.The study covering England and Wales showed racial disparity for every single force. In one area, ethnic minorities were up to eight times more likely to be fined. It presents further evidence of ethnic disparity in the use of police powers. Most forces deny they are institutionally racist, as does the government. Continue reading...
US and EU rebuke Albin Kurti over his handling of recent clashes triggered by ethnic Albanian mayors taking officeKosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, has said he is prepared to consider early elections in Serb-majority northern Kosovo, as some British sources expressed concern that the US and EU are making a mistake by threatening their ally with punishment over his handling of recent violent clashes in the region.A former UK ambassador claimed the EU envoy to Kosovo should stand aside while the UK foreign affairs select committee chair, Alicia Kearns, warned the US against disproportionate punishment of Kurti. But the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said Kurti had made mistakes and he would be meeting him jointly with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz. Continue reading...
Farhad Moshiri reportedly a ‘person of interest’ at special unit over links to sanctioned oligarch Alisher UsmanThe Treasury’s sanctions police have been reviewing the finances of the Everton Football Club owner Farhad Moshiri, the Guardian understands.Moshiri appears to have become a person of interest to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) because of his links to Alisher Usmanov, the Russian-Uzbek billionaire who was sanctioned by the UK, the EU and the US after last year’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...
Passengers accuse airline of refusing to sell tickets to people from the ethnic minority to fly from northern region to Addis AbabaA civil society organisation has launched a lawsuit against Ethiopian Airlines, accusing the state-owned carrier of discriminating against ethnic Tigrayans.The suit brought by Human Rights First, a local NGO, claims the airline is preventing “Tigrayans aged 15 to 60” from buying tickets for flights from the northern Tigray region to Addis Ababa, the federal capital. It also claims the company has increased ticket prices for the route as a form of “collective sanction” against the people of Tigray. Continue reading...
Body found on Mount Kanchenjunga five days after he went missing shortly after reaching summitA leading German mountaineer and extreme skier has been found dead on the world’s third highest mountain, in the Himalayas, five days after going missing.The body of Luis Stitzinger was discovered on Tuesday on Mount Kanchenjunga at a height of 8,400 metres, the head Sherpa of the company that organised the climb to find him told the Himalayan Times. Continue reading...
Authorities looked into possible tax and bribery offences by one of gambling group’s former Turkish subsidiariesThe owner of Ladbrokes and Coral bookmakers has said it is likely to incur a “substantial financial penalty” from an investigation by UK authorities into possible tax and bribery offences by one of its former Turkish subsidiaries.The gambling group Entain said in a statement to shareholders that it was negotiating a deferred prosecution agreement with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and was working towards resolving an inquiry by HM Revenue and Customs. Continue reading...
Nearly half of respondents said they did not know where to access the medication if they needed itAsian Americans do not have adequate access to information about how to obtain an abortion, according to a new report.Cultural stigmas against conversations about sexual and reproductive health and a lack of in-language information on abortion has stifled knowledge of abortion care among Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians, researchers found. Continue reading...
Body of teenager lay untouched until police informant passed by, raising fresh concerns about women’s safetyThe killing of a 16-year-old girl in Delhi who was stabbed and bludgeoned to death in an alley as pedestrians walked on has sparked outrage over the safety of women in India.CCTV footage of the incident shows the teenager was accosted in public by a man, alleged by police to be 20-year-old Sahil Khan, who stabbed her more than 30 times and hit her with a concrete slab. Continue reading...
by Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies on (#6BZR5)
State media say the projectile plunged into the sea, after briefly sparking emergency warnings in South Korea and JapanNorth Korea’s first spy satellite launch has ended in failure after its second stage malfunctioned, sending the projectile plunging into the sea, with the regime vowing to conduct another launch soon.The launch sparked emergency warnings on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa and in the South Korean capital Seoul, where the city briefly issued an evacuation warning in error. Both alerts were later lifted. Continue reading...
Lobby group shares prospectus with members on changes to governance after scandalBritain’s most prominent lobby group, the Confederation of British Industry, has put forward proposals to overhaul its culture as it prepares for a confidence vote by members next week that will decide the organisation’s future.More than 50 of the group’s highest profile members left after a series of sexual misconduct allegations, first published by the Guardian, and the government and opposition Labour party suspended engagement with the CBI, throwing its future into question. Continue reading...
24-hour drivers’ strike begins as long-running dispute between unions and government over pay, jobs and conditions continuesRail services in parts of England have ground to a halt with the first of three train strikes this week taking place as the long-running dispute between the unions and the government over pay, jobs and conditions continues.A 24-hour strike by members of the driver’s union Aslef is under way and a further day of industrial action is planned for Saturday, the day of the FA Cup final. Continue reading...
Judge grants Adam Abdallah bail after April incident with NSW court told new extended footage ‘somewhat changes the narrative from the shortened clip’A man charged with allegedly assaulting a referee at a suburban soccer game in Sydney has been released on bail with strict conditions after a new video surfaced that “changes the narrative”.Adam Abdallah, 25, received widespread condemnation after a video went viral in late April purportedly showing him assaulting match official Khodr Yaghi in Sydney’s south-west. Continue reading...
Joon Seong Tan had been dating Ju ‘Kelly’ Zhang for a month when he killed her in her home in early 2021After killing Melbourne mum Ju “Kelly” Zhang her boyfriend watched a garbage truck empty her body from a wheelie bin.Joon Seong Tan was found guilty of her murder by a jury in Victoria’s supreme court on Wednesday. Continue reading...
There is a lot on the line for Seven West Media and Nine Entertainment, and experts say if the former Fairfax newspapers lose, it will affect future public interest journalism
Exclusive: campaigners warn government’s ‘sweeping reform’ of leasehold is slipping down agendaAn expert committee set up to advise ministers on how to change Britain’s archaic home ownership laws has not met for over a year, the Guardian can reveal, as campaigners warn the issue is slipping down the government’s agenda.The Commonhold Council – a panel of 11 people from the property industry, the legal profession and academia – was convened in 2021 as ministers promised sweeping reforms to the leasehold system. Continue reading...
Low redemption rate for vouchers sent to prepay customers by post or email under government schemeBritish households on prepayment meters face missing out on up to £130m of support for their energy bills if they fail to redeem government vouchers before they expire in a month’s time.Under the energy bills support scheme, which runs until 30 June, all households are entitled to discounts of up to £400 on their bills. Continue reading...
Chief executive Alex Mahon in line for highest yearly income in station’s history as lower-paid staff struggle amid cost of living crisisAlex Mahon could receive the highest annual income for a chief executive in Channel 4’s history, after the broadcaster avoided being privatised earlier this year.The station’s bosses are set take home millions, while the cost of living crisis weighs heavily on many of its lower paid staff. Continue reading...
Symbolic bill sponsored by cross-party group of lawmakers is hailed a ‘historic moment’ in fight for marriage equalityLawmakers in South Korea have proposed the country’s first same-sex marriage bill, in a move hailed by civic groups as a defining moment in the fight for equality.The marriage equality bill, proposed by Jang Hye-yeong of the minor opposition Justice party and co-sponsored by 12 lawmakers across all the main parties, seeks to amend the country’s civil code to include persons of the same sex in marriage. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brussels correspondent on (#6BZVD)
Many in need of permanent protection remain stuck in ‘prison-like’ camps on Greek islands, leading refugee charity saysJust 271 Afghans were resettled in the EU in 2022, 0.1% of the 270,000 identified as in need of permanent protection, it has emerged.Leading charity the International Rescue Committee accused EU leaders of “staggering neglect” of Afghan refugees with many remaining trapped in “prison-like” conditions on Greek islands. Continue reading...
Cresenciano Bunduquin is the latest to be killed in a country that is one of the most dangerous places to be a journalistA radio broadcaster was shot dead outside his home in the central Philippines on Wednesday, police said, the latest in a long list of journalists killed in the country.Cresenciano Bunduquin, 50, was killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro province, Colonel Samuel Delorino told Agence France-Presse. Continue reading...
The ruling cleared the way for the pharma company to settle cases tied to the epidemic that caused more than 500,000 deathsThe billionaire family behind Purdue Pharma, the maker of the powerful and highly addictive prescription painkiller OxyContin, can be protected from lawsuits related to their company’s role in the opioids crisis, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.The second US circuit court of appeals in New York determined the company can shield its owners from legal claims in exchange for a $6bn contribution to the company’s broader bankruptcy settlement, in a ruling that also cleared the way for Purdue to settle lawsuits tied to America’s devastating opioid epidemic. Continue reading...
Ex-leader of Conservatives says Canadian Security Intelligence briefed him on a ‘Chinese-orchestrated campaign’ to manipulate the voteCanada’s spy agency told former Conservative party leader Erin O’Toole that China campaigned to discredit him and suppress votes ahead of the 2021 election he lost to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, O’Toole has said.In a briefing on Friday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (Csis) informed O’Toole about intelligence saying Beijing had targeted him in 2021, when he was Conservative leader and running to defeat Trudeau. Continue reading...
Creatures dubbed the ambulator roamed across the continent’s arid interior 3.5 million years ago, scientists sayScientists have identified one of Australia’s first long-distance walkers: a 250kg marsupial with “heeled hands” that roamed across the continent’s arid interior 3.5 million years ago.Using 3D scanning, Flinders University palaeontologists have described a new group of ancient marsupial, calling it Ambulator – meaning walker or wanderer – for its specific leg and feet adaptations that equipped it to efficiently roam long distances. Continue reading...
Study of patients in England with neurological damage related to laughing gas finds group overrepresentedYoung people experiencing neurological harm after using laughing gas are most likely to be male and Asian, according to a small study of patients admitted to hospital in England.Nitrous oxide is the second most common drug used by 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK. It is typically released into balloons from small silver canisters before being inhaled. Rishi Sunak recently announced plans to criminalise the drug. Continue reading...
Police were called when the female, called Sundara, was spotted roaming the town on MondayAn 11-month-old red panda surprised workers in Cornwall after escaping from Newquay zoo.Police received a call on Monday morning about the escaped red panda strolling down the streets of Newquay. Workers at a fruit wholesaler had spotted the creature, whose name is Sundara, and distracted her with an apple to keep her from running off again. Continue reading...