Patrols dispatched to frontier as migration minister calls for fences and surveillance as well as aid to preempt migrationGreece has reinforced border controls along its land and sea frontier with Turkey amid expectations of a new wave of arrivals by people displaced in the earthquakes that have devastated south-east Turkey and northern Syria.Hundreds of extra border guards began patrolling the Greek-Turkish land frontier in the Evros region at the weekend as contingency measures were stepped up to stave off the expected flows. Continue reading...
Jordan hosts first such high-level talks in years aimed at defusing tensions in region before RamadanIsraeli and Palestinian security chiefs have met in Jordan for the first such high-level talks in years aimed at defusing tensions in the volatile region ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, which it is feared could act as the catalyst for a wider escalation.In a joint statement released at the close of the summit in the port city of Aqaba on Sunday, which was also attended by US, Jordanian and Egyptian officials, Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) expressed “readiness and commitment to work immediately” to prevent further violence. Continue reading...
Boat believed to be bringing refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan struck rocks off coast of CalabriaFifty-nine people, including a newborn baby and other children, have died after a wooden sailing boat believed to be carrying refugees crashed against rocks off the coast of Italy’s Calabria region.Many of the bodies were reported to have washed up on a tourist beach near Steccato di Cutro, while others were found at sea. Continue reading...
Firm set for clash with investors over possible payout to Bernard Looney from three-year share award planBP is set for a clash with investors after it emerged that its chief executive could be in line for a special bonus of up to £11.4m. The payment, in shares, would be on top of his £1.38m salary and annual bonus for 2022.Strong growth in BP’s share price means Bernard Looney is set for a multimillion-pound payout from a three-year share award plan set up in 2020, when countries around the world were in lockdown and the company was cutting jobs amid a global collapse in demand for oil. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6980F)
Comments follow outcry after rival Kate Forbes said she would not have supported equal marriage legislationSomeone who would vote against equal marriage should not be first minister of Scotland, and could not be trusted to fight subsequent attempts to roll back rights, the SNP leadership candidate Humza Yousaf has said.His closest rival, Kate Forbes, caused an outcry last week when she revealed she would not have supported the Scottish government’s equal marriage legislation had she been an MSP at the time, and one of the party’s most prominent LGBTQ+ politicians this weekend said scrutiny of such views should not be dismissed as “abuse”. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent on (#6980G)
Crusading pathologist Raquel Fortun finds evidence of multiple murder at the direction of ‘a madman’ in the exhumed remains of young FilipinosIt was in an old university stockroom, with wooden tables salvaged from a junkyard, that Raquel Fortun began to investigate the merciless crackdown launched under the former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.Fortun, one of only two forensic pathologists in the country, has now spent more than 18 months examining the exhumed remains of dozens of victims of the so-called “war on drugs”, revealing serious irregularities in how their postmortems were performed – including multiple death certificates that wrongly attributed fatalities to natural causes. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Political correspondent on (#697ZR)
Justice secretary and deputy PM says he will resign if allegation of bullying civil servants is upheldDominic Raab has confirmed he will resign from government if an inquiry into his conduct concludes he bullied civil servants, as alleged by a series of officials.“If an allegation of bullying is upheld, I would resign,” the justice secretary and deputy prime minister told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday. Raab has denied any bullying or other mistreatment of staff. Continue reading...
Landmark judgment by family court president Sir Andrew McFarlane confirms anyone can use the title ‘psychologist’.England’s most senior family court judge has advised there is a “need for rigour” and “clarity” when instructing psychologists to give expert evidence – but has stopped short of saying the family courts should never appoint those who are “unregulated”.Instead Sir Andrew McFarlane claims it is a matter for the psychological profession, and ultimately parliament, whether a “tighter regime should be imposed” on what he has described as a “confusing system”. Continue reading...
Ever since Beatlemania, UK acts have set their sights across the pond. Now spiralling costs are pulling the plug“Breaking” America has been the goal of young British musicians since the days of Beatlemania, but that dream is being dashed. Hundreds of emerging artists could be affected by plans to hike visa fees by 250% – and music industry executives have criticised ministers for failing to act.The US immigration service wants to raise visa costs from $460 (£385) to $1,615 (£1,352) alongside other changes that artists and their managers say would make it almost impossible for anyone but the biggest stars to perform in the US. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Political correspondent on (#697YM)
Conservative Brexiters and DUP unable to back plan that retains any role for EU court, key backbencher saysConservative Brexiters and the Democratic Unionist party would be unable to back a Northern Ireland deal that left any role for the European court of justice, a key backbencher has said, setting Rishi Sunak on an apparent collision course with his parliamentary party.With ministers saying Sunak was “on the cusp of a deal” to change post-Brexit arrangements in the region, Mark Francois, who chairs the influential European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs, warned of chaos if the prime minister tried to push through an unsatisfactory plan. Continue reading...
The Showering brothers of Somerset want a new generation to love the famous perry invented by their grandfatherBabycham is as famous for its place in the history of advertising as for its sweet taste. It was cleverly targeted at women who wanted to enjoy a light drink with a touch of glamour while the menfolk downed pints, and was a marketing phenomenon in the 1960s and 70s.Now Babycham is back in the ownership of the family that invented it in the 1950s, with production just returned to its old headquarters amid plans to give the sparkling perry a new lease of life among the sort of younger audience that has embraced cider in recent years. Continue reading...
by Vanessa Thorpe, Arts and Media correspondent on (#697FP)
Writer Jesse Armstrong has suggested characters could live on ‘in allied world’ but HBO boss may need some convincingThe dark suspense that drives Succession, the hit HBO tale about a wealthy media dynasty, will have an extra twist of tension in the upcoming fourth series.Its creator, the British writer Jesse Armstrong, has revealed that the episodes aired in March will be the show’s final outing, but he has also hinted that he is considering a spin-off drama that would follow one of the popular show’s Machiavellian central characters or bleak themes. Continue reading...
After the Shamima Begum decision, figures show a dramatic increase in challenges to Home OfficeAt least 75 people successfully overturned Home Office orders to strip them of their British citizenship last year, according to records obtained by the Observer, which reveal a dramatic increase in challenges to the government’s use of the controversial powers.On Wednesday, Shamima Begum, 23, lost her appeal against the Home Office’s decision to remove her British citizenship and is stranded in Syria, barred from returning to the UK. Continue reading...
Mood among MPs turns to pragmatism but a whiff of rebellion remains, notably from the Boris Johnson campKey pro-Brexit Tory MPs suggested on Saturday night they would be prepared to back Rishi Sunak over any “sensible” deal on the Northern Ireland protocol as the prime minister battled to limit any rebellion by Conservative backbenchers.Several leading Conservatives, who were prominent in the 2016 leave campaign and who had strongly opposed Theresa May’s attempts to broker a solution, said what Sunak was prepared to put to parliament seemed to represent clear progress. Continue reading...
Tory leader of Local Government Association fears staff will be ‘overwhelmed’ by rush for voter authority certificatesStaff running local elections in May risk being “overwhelmed” by bureaucracy and complaints before and on polling day because of new rules requiring all voters to produce photo ID in order to cast their ballots.The warning has been issued by the Local Government Association (LGA) amid rising concern that the requirements are too strict, and inadequate preparation has been done to inform voters that the rules have changed. Ministers say the move, piloted in several local authorities at previous local elections in England – though with lighter touch restrictions – is essential to root out extremely rare cases of voter fraud. Continue reading...
Elton John, Hugh Jackman, Dolly Parton, Pink, Sir Barry Gibbs and Mariah Carey sent video condolences, which were played to the crowd in MelbourneA host of international stars and dignitaries paid tribute to the late Australian star Olivia Newton-John in at a state memorial service in Melbourne on Sunday.Thousands gathered at Hamer Hall and video tributes came from Elton John, Hugh Jackman, Dolly Parton, Pink, Sir Barry Gibbs and Mariah Carey. Continue reading...
Returning home was once seen as something shameful but new research finds a benefitMoving back into the parental home as an adult was once seen by many youngsters as a retrograde step and even something to be ashamed of. Now, a new study suggests that such a move actually improves the mental health of these “boomerang adults”, thanks in no small part to a stressful and increasingly expensive rental market.The findings of of the first study in the UK to look at the mental health impact of moving home on the adult children surprised demographers at the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), who were expecting to find it had the opposite effect on wellbeing. Continue reading...
Tests carried out on remains of young communist who confessed to arson attack that proved a gift to HitlerWhen flames enveloped Germany’s parliament on the evening of 27 February 1933, six days before national elections, it was a political gift to Adolf Hitler, the recently appointed chancellor. The arson attack on the Reichstag by an “enemy within” secured his re-election and gave him the pretext to grab the dictatorial powers he craved.Whether that gift fell into the Nazi leader’s lap by chance or was placed there via a covert false-flag operation has been the subject of bitter historical disputes ever since. Now, 90 years later, the body of the young communist whom historians have traditionally regarded as the sole perpetrator of the attack has been exhumed in the hope of finding a definitive answer. Continue reading...
Jeff Reitz started visiting the theme park in Anaheim in 2012, when he was unemployed, as an excuse to leave his house and exerciseThere are Disney adults – who are obsessed with the animation giant’s products despite being grownups – and then there’s Jeff Reitz.Reitz’s fascination with Disney drove him to visit the company’s world-famous theme park in Anaheim, California, daily for eight years, three months and 13 days. Continue reading...
Cost of living has made more than a third of adults reconsider cooking end of week meal, survey findsMore than a third of people in the UK have cut back on cooking Sunday roasts because of the soaring cost of energy bills, according to a survey.A total of 36% of UK adults said the cost of living crisis had made them reconsider a homemade roast dinner at the end of the week. The figure was even higher among those aged 16 to 34, with nearly half (47%) saying they have avoided cookingroasts. Continue reading...
Foreign minister Penny Wong says all hostages, including a New Zealand-born Australian academic, have been freedAustralia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has said all hostages taken by a Papua New Guinean criminal gang have been released, including an Australian academic, and will be reunited with their families.“Thank you to PNG’s Government for its leadership in securing a safe & peaceful resolution,” Wong tweeted on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading...
Police hold a 71-year-old man as DCI John Caldwell remains in a critical conditionPolice investigating the attempted murder of a senior officer in Northern Ireland have made a sixth arrest.DCI John Caldwell remains critically ill after the attack in Omagh on Wednesday night in which he was shot in front of his young son. Continue reading...
Jewish MP left party four years ago over its handling of the issue under Jeremy CorbynLuciana Berger has returned to the Labour party after an invitation and apology from Keir Starmer, four years after leaving the party over its handling of antisemitism cases.“The Labour party has turned a significant corner under Keir’s leadership,” Berger said in a tweet on Saturday. “I’m pleased to be returning to my political home.” Continue reading...
Far-right Patriotic Alternative leads demonstration in Lincolnshire while counter-protesters in Cornwall say refugees welcomeHundreds of protesters and counter-demonstrators have taken to the streets over asylum seekers staying in hotels in two English seaside towns.A rally of about 200 people took place in Skegness, Lincolnshire, while a protest and counter-protest occurred outside the Beresford Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall, on Saturday. Continue reading...
The designer of the glasshouses at Kew Gardens fell out of favour – but supporters of a new museum hope to change all thatOne major name is missing from the line-up of great British architects that students learn have shaped the way that Britain looks. And it is a name with quite a ring to it: Decimus Burton.Now members of the Decimus Burton Society believe they are about to put that right by establishing this Victorian classical revivalist’s place alongside better known titans such as Christopher Wren, John Nash and Edwin Lutyens. A new museum celebrating his achievements is on the drawing board and awaits approval this spring. Continue reading...
Parents and brother of Abby Choi’s ex-husband arrested after police make grisly discovery at rented village homeHong Kong police have made three arrests over the murder and dismemberment of a 28-year-old model after what authorities allege was a financial dispute with her ex-husband’s family.The partial remains of the influencer Abby Choi, who last week appeared on the digital cover of L’Officiel Monaco fashion magazine, were found in a village house, police said. Continue reading...
Epicentre of quake, which hit just before midnight on Friday, was north of Brynmawr and west of CrickhowellAn earthquake has shaken parts of south Wales.The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the 3.7 magnitude quake happened at 23:59 GMT on Friday. The epicentre was just north of Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent and west of Crickhowell, Powys. Continue reading...
Unions and fellow headteachers have condemned school leaders in England who have ‘named and shamed’ teachers for strikingUnions and headteachers have hit out at school leaders who have “thrown colleagues under the bus” by naming striking teachers in letters to parents or employing agency staff to keep classes open on strike days.As teachers across the country prepare to strike again this week, local union branches are reminding any staff who are being pressured by unsupportive heads or trust chief executives that they do not have to declare whether they are striking in advance. The National Education Union (NEU) condemned “naming and shaming” those taking action as an “appalling” attempt to put pressure on teachers not to make a stand on pay. Continue reading...
Conservationists say boats with propellers could destroy floating water-plantain on Montgomery canalConservationists are calling for only horse-drawn barges to journey along a section of the Montgomery canal when it is reopened, to protect rare aquatic plants and wildlife on the rewilded waterway.The naturalist and broadcaster Iolo Williams has joined the campaign to protect floating water-plantain as well as dragonflies, grass snakes, kingfishers and otters on the canal between Arddlin and Llanymynech, which has been unnavigable to canal boats for decades but is to be restored with £14m from the government’s levelling up fund. Continue reading...
TUC analysis shows typical household monthly bill likely to reach almost £250 from AprilJeremy Hunt is under increasing pressure to cancel a planned cut to energy bill support as research showed that paying for heat and power will “eat up” nearly 10% of workers’ wages after the move in April.The chancellor has so far resisted calls to ditch the change to the energy price guarantee, which will push up the cap on the typical annual household bill from £2,500 to £3,000. Continue reading...
Firm responds to calls from vets who say pictures fuel demand for flat-faced breeds, which often have serious health complaintsMoonpig is to stop selling cards featuring pictures of pugs and French bulldogs after criticism from vets and campaigners who fear the images fuel demand for the breeds, which often have serious health complaints.Last year, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) wrote to the Greeting Card Association and card retailers, including Moonpig, Paperchase and WH Smith, urging them to stop using pugs and other flat-faced dogs on cards. Continue reading...
PSNI says four men being held and questioned in connection with attack on DCI John CaldwellThe police officer who was shot in an ambush Northern Ireland on Wednesday night is heavily sedated and “fighting for his life”, say colleagues.DCI John Caldwell, 48, is critically ill and suffered life-changing injuries, police said on Friday, as four suspects continued to be questioned. Continue reading...
Despite this pushback, most crossbench MPs remain open to debate, and several independent senators have spoken in favour of curbing some super tax concessions to help budget repair
Owner of British Gas, E.ON and Scottish Power brings judicial review over deal between Octopus and governmentBritain’s biggest energy suppliers are set for a courtroom clash over whether the government handed preferential terms to Octopus Energy in allowing it to snap up Bulb from administration.Octopus acquired Bulb’s 1.5 million customers late last year after the supplier spent a year in a government-handled administration. Continue reading...
by Luke Harding in Kyiv; photos by Christopher Cherry on (#6963T)
Houses have been destroyed, lives uprooted and loved ones lost but despite this terrible toll, Ukrainians remain upbeatLiudmyla Bikus recalled how she had tried to dissuade her son Andrii from joining the army. That was in March, weeks after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, one year ago today. “Andrii told me: ‘Mum if I don’t go then who will?’” Bikus said. She added: “He was a golden boy. The best son, husband, father and brother. He wanted to defend his country and his family.”Andrii was quickly dispatched to the eastern front. Less than three months later he was dead, fatally wounded on 6 June near the city of Lysychansk. A Russian shell landed on top of his artillery position. He was taken to hospital and died from blood loss on the operating table. Eight men from his company perished in the same lethal strike. Continue reading...
Football team that has been exiled from its home ground and endured an exodus of star players pulls off stunning win against Rennes on anniversary of war
Strategic cruise missiles hit a target after travelling 2,000km, says state media, to demonstrate ‘war posture’ of nuclear forceNorth Korea test-fired four strategic cruise missiles during a drill designed to demonstrate its ability to conduct a nuclear counterattack against hostile forces, its state media said.The exercise on Thursday involved an apparently operational strategic cruise missile unit of the Korean people’s army, which fired the four Hwasal-2 missiles in the area of Kim Chaek city, North Hamgyong province, towards the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, the news agency KCNA said. Other units conducted firepower training at hardened sites without live firing. Continue reading...
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