Advertising on snacks rises 26% compared with last year, months before restrictions on promoting unhealthy food come into forceBig food brands dramatically increased their spending on advertising last year, months before new junk food regulations aiming to curb Britain's obesity crisis are due to come into force, the Observer can reveal.Food companies spent an extra 420m in 2024, an increase of 26% year on year that coincided with a bumper 12 months for sales of snack foods. Shoppers bought an extra 45.4m packs of chocolate, cakes and crisps from the top-selling brands. Continue reading...
Open trade with Europe is more important to the UK than a deal with Donald Trump, most Britons believeA clear majority of UK voters want the government to concentrate on rebuilding trade ties with the EU over forging a new economic deal with the US, according to research published this weekend.The study, based on analysis of polling that used new methods of questioning participants, suggests people of voting age now see their economic interests, and the UK's, as far more closely linked to open trade relations with our EU neighbours than any deals that Keir Starmer might or might not strike with the US. Continue reading...
Fifty-five years since Osaka last hosted, rocks from Mars, domestic androids and artificial hearts are part of showcase on unloved' islandAs clunky as it sounds, designing a future society for our lives" isn't a bad ambition for the world in these troubled times. From this Sunday, organisers of the 2025 Exposition in Osaka will be hoping that appeal will put the event's unsettled preparations in the shade for a six-month celebration of our common humanity.The western Japan city is preparing to host its second World Expo, 55 years after the first was held in a country eager to capitalise on fading memories of the second world war as it embarked on its postwar journey to become an industrial and technological powerhouse. Continue reading...
by Vanessa Thorpe Arts and media correspondent on (#6WJWD)
Meera Syal also to star in London production reflecting producer's experience of censorship in GeorgiaHidden from view inside a south London warehouse, a new underground movement will be fighting the international blight of misinformation this summer.The huge immersive event - half theatrical show, half social campaign - is to involve some of Britain's leading acting talent, including Toby Jones and Meera Syal, and has been put together by a theatre company led by a woman who learned about misinformation the hard way, at the Georgian television station Imedi. Continue reading...
Flights cancelled, train services suspended and tourist attractions closed as weather service says wind speeds could surpass records set in 1951Strong winds caused havoc in Beijing and parts of northern China on Saturday, forcing hundreds of flights to be cancelled, attractions to close and rail lines to be suspended, state media said.The powerful winds stemmed mainly from a cold vortex system formed over Mongolia that was moving east and south, sweeping across northern China from Friday and through the weekend, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said. Continue reading...
Union leaders have welcomed moves towards public ownership but it is not an auspicious environment for nationalisationBlast furnaces have been making steel in Britain for 300 years, ever since they helped start the Industrial Revolution. This weekend, parliament will sit for the first Saturday in decades as it tries to keep the last two furnaces running for a bit longer.Keir Starmer has recalled MPs to discuss emergency powers to direct steel companies, including British Steel's Scunthorpe steelworks, to preserve capability and ensure public safety". The move would be short of nationalisation, but it would give the government more influence on the steel industry than at any point since Margaret Thatcher. Continue reading...
Trump administration says it's enforcing already existing mandate applying to those 14 and older without legal statusA federal judge is allowing the Trump administration to move forward with a requirement that noncitizens in the US must register with the federal government, in a move that could have far-reaching repercussions for immigrants across the country.In a ruling on Thursday, judge Trevor Neil McFadden sided with the administration, which had argued that they were simply enforcing an already existing requirement for everyone in the country who wasn't a US citizen to register with the government. Continue reading...
London did not publicise Adm Sir Tony Radakin's trip, but Beijing says he had in-depth talks with Chinese counterpartChina has confirmed that the head of the British military paid an unannounced visit to the country this week, where he met his counterpart at a time when Beijing's trade dispute with the US was intensifying.London did not publicise the visit, but China's defence ministry said Adm Sir Tony Radakin had discussed strengthening military cooperation with a country that the UK officially describes as posing a systemic challenge". Continue reading...
EY admits to failings in assessment of 2017 and 2018 financial statements of travel firm, which collapsed in 2019EY has been fined almost 5m for serious breaches of standards" over its audits of Thomas Cook in the years before the travel company's devastating collapse in 2019.The UK's audit watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), said EY and one of its partners, Richard Wilson, had admitted to failings related to their assessment of the travel agent's financial statements from 2017 and 2018. Continue reading...
Investigators find coordination failures between NHS and care bodies causing delays, distress and burnoutNavigating England's complex" health and care system is extremely difficult" and carers and patients are experiencing burnout, distress and harm as a result, a damning report says.There were frequent failures by NHS and care organisations in coordinating care for people with long-term health conditions, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) found. Figures show 41% of adults and 17% of children have at least one long-term health issue. Continue reading...
With white paper imminent, Institute for Government urges ministers to abandon reactive, kneejerk' decisionsMinisters should introduce an annual migration plan to put an end to decades of incoherent, disconnected and unpredictable" policies around work visas, according to a Whitehall thinktank.The Institute for Government (IfG) said that successive governments have put forward reactive, kneejerk policies" formulated when politicians have been questioned by broadcasters over net migration figures. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6WH06)
More schools also reducing spending on trips, IT, extracurricular activities and GCSE subject choicesHalf of secondary schools in England have been forced to cut staff this year due to financial pressures that are pushing many towards breaking point", according to polling.As well as cuts to teaching and support personnel, there has been a marked increase in the proportion of secondary school leaders having to reduce subject choice at GCSE to save money, while extracurricular activities, school trips and investment in IT have also been hit. Continue reading...
British royals wish pontiff well in recovery from pneumonia during their state visit to ItalyKing Charles and Queen Camilla paid a surprise private visit to a convalescing Pope Francis on Wednesday afternoon during their four-day state visit to Italy.The royal couple visited Francis, 88, at his home in Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City, where he is recovering from a serious bout of pneumonia in both lungs. An official audience had previously been removed from the royals' schedule due to the pontiff's ill health. Continue reading...
by Rajeev Syal, Mimi Ibrahim and Vikram Dodd on (#6WGY5)
Announcement billed as a return to an era of bobbies on the beat' as part of community-focused measuresPolice officers on foot will patrol every busy neighbourhood at peak times as part of a set of community-focused measures to be unveiled by Keir Starmer.In an announcement billed as a return to an era of bobbies on the beat", the prime minister will also confirm that every neighbourhood in England and Wales will be given a named and contactable police officer. Continue reading...
Dmitry Ovsiannikov transferred funds to UK bank account while brother also convictedA former Russian government minister who was appointed as a governor in illegally annexed Crimea by Vladimir Putin has been found guilty of circumventing sanctions, in the first case of its kind.Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, the former governor of Sevastopol, was accused of deliberately avoiding sanctions by opening a Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) account and having tens of thousands of pounds transferred to it by his wife, Ekaterina Ovsiannikova. Continue reading...
Prospect of seeing 1977 version of film on big screen had become holy grail for fansThe force is finally with Star Wars fans long frustrated by director George's Lucas's alterations to the iconic space opera, with a rare screening of the original cut of the film in London this summer.The 1977 theatrical version of the film, in which Han Solo shot first and Jabba the Hutt was only mentioned by name, will be shown twice on the opening night of the British Film Institute (BFI)'s Film on Film festival on 12 June. Continue reading...
London fire brigade asks people to behave responsibly and Scottish fire and rescue service gives extreme' alertHot weather is expected to bring highs of 24C to the UK as fire services continue to warn of wildfires across the country.The Met Office said temperatures would peak on Friday in London and south-east England, which could make it the hottest day of the year so far, while temperatures could hit 23C on Thursday. Continue reading...
More than 20,000 drivers received perfect score when taking practical test last yearA record number of British drivers are passing their driving test first time while committing zero faults.Official figures released by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) show more than 20,000 drivers received a perfect score when taking their practical test last year - the highest number since figures were first published in 2007-08. Continue reading...
Office for National Statistics for first time examines how estimated rates of self-harm and suicide differ by sexualityThe risk of suicide and self-harm for people who identify as gay or lesbian, bisexual or another sexual orientation (LGB+) is more than twice as high as for their heterosexual peers, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).The ONS found that the risk of suicide among people aged 16 and over identifying as LGB+ in England and Wales was about 2.2 times higher than among heterosexuals, while the risk of intentional self-harm was 2.5 times higher. Continue reading...
North-east Atlantic mackerel in decline and Good Fish Guide says shoppers should look for other optionsMackerel stocks are nearing a breaking point", experts have said as the fish is downgraded as a sustainable option.People should be eating herring instead, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) said, because mackerel continues to be overfished by countries including Norway and the UK. Continue reading...
Exhibition of rarely seen paintings by Cassandra Austen part of events marking 250th anniversary of author's birthPerhaps most well-known for destroying thousands of her more famous sister's letters, Cassandra Austen's act of what some called literary vandalism overshadowed her accomplished skills as an artist.But now the artwork of Jane Austen's older sister - played by Keeley Hawes in the recent BBC drama Miss Austen - are to go on display together for the first time in the house where the siblings lived. Continue reading...
by Agence France-Presse in Santo Domingo on (#6WGCR)
Singer Rubby Perez, who was performing at Jet Set club, and municipal governor among dead in Santo DomingoSearch efforts continued early on Wednesday after nearly 100 people died in a nightclub roof collapse in the Dominican Republic.The popular Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was performing at the Jet Set nightclub before hundreds of people when the collapse occurred shortly after midnight on Tuesday, was one of those killed, according to his manager. Continue reading...
Musician, who played with the Beatles between 1960 and 1962 until he was replaced by Ringo Starr, says he had a blast'Pete Best, the first drummer to perform with the Beatles before he was replaced by Ringo Starr, has confirmed his retirement.The 83-year-old's brother, Roag Best, announced the news on social media on the weekend, writing that the drummer would no longer be performing with his band, the Pete Best Band. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Four weeks into the dispute, with the council declaring a major incident, the streets are overflowing with rubbish and ratsGood morning. Whatever else is going on the world, there is very little that makes people as angry as the bins not being collected. This isn't to say that it's a trivial concern. As well as the natural disgust that comes with facing piles of stinking rubbish every time you go out, bin collection is a natural proxy for our sense of living in a functioning society; a basic feature of a developed economy. When it goes wrong, it feels as if something more profound is broken, too.To an infamous list that includes Paris in 2023 and Madrid in 2013, you can now add Birmingham in 2025 - the second such crisis in the city in eight years. Talks yesterday were said to be productive", but again failed to resolve the situation; as the strike drags on, residents are asking why they face such inadequate local services when the rates they pay keep going up.Economy | Rates on imports to the United States from dozens of economies rose further on Wednesday, with tariffs imposed on Chinese products since Donald Trump returned to the White House reaching a staggering 104%. The new tariffs include rates of 20% on the European Union, 26% on India and 49% on Cambodia.British Steel | Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are actively considering nationalising British Steel in an escalation of plans first revealed in the Guardian last year. The prime minister said all options were on the table to secure the future of the Scunthorpe plant after talks about a financial support package to move to less polluting technology faltered.Ukraine | A high-profile former Ukrainian commander has called for the head of the country's military to step aside, accusing him of putting Ukrainian soldiers' lives at risk. In an interview, Bohdan Krotevych, who recently resigned as chief of staff of the Azov brigade, said that Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi must go" and Ukraine's military leadership must be shaken up.Crime | The UK government is developing a murder prediction" programme to identify those most likely to become killers. Researchers are alleged to be using algorithms to analyse the information of thousands of people, including victims of crime, to identify those at greatest risk of committing serious violent offences.Theme parks | A former brickworks in Bedford will be the site of a new multibillion-pound theme park from the entertainment behemoth Universal, it has been announced. The government says the project will bring a 50bn boost to Britain's economy and create 20,000 jobs in construction, with a further 8,000 operational roles once it is up and running in 2031. Continue reading...
The Hebei nursing home's other residents have been transferred to nearby hospitals as authorities investigate cause of the blazeTwenty people have died in a fire at a nursing home in northern China's Hebei province, Beijing's state news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday.The fire broke out on Tuesday night at the nursing home in Longhua County, roughly 180km northeast of the Chinese capital Beijing, Xinhua said. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#6WG97)
Charities condemn national scandal' and call for pledge to build 90,000 social homes a year to meet demandThe wait for family-size social housing has risen to more than 100 years in parts of England, which charities have condemned as ludicrous" and a national scandal".Analysis from the National Housing Federation (NHF), Crisis and Shelter found that in 32 local authority areas across England, the wait for a home with at least three bedrooms was longer than 18 years - the duration of an entire childhood. Continue reading...
Keir Starmer hails visitor attraction - set to open in 2031 - as a way to bring jobs and growth to regionFirst Beijing, and now Bedford: a transformative" new British tourist magnet is coming to the home counties - just off the A421.A former brickworks will be the site of a new multibillion-pound theme park from the entertainment behemoth Universal, the government confirmed on Wednesday. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6WFY7)
Kerri Pegg, 42, of HMP Kirkham guilty of misconduct after inmate Anthony Saunderson gave her a Mercedes carA prison governor has been found guilty of misconduct in a public office, after she started a relationship with a Liverpool drug gang boss nicknamed Jesse Pinkman" after a character in the TV show Breaking Bad.Kerri Pegg, 42, has been told she faces jail after she accepted a gift of a 12,000 Mercedes C-Class car, which Anthony Saunderson paid for with 34kg of amphetamines. Continue reading...
Public told to avoid area as emergency services remained at Darley Moor racetrack on Tuesday eveningTwo men have died after a plane crashed at a racetrack in Derbyshire.At about 11.30am on Tuesday, a light aircraft crashed at Darley Moor racetrack near Ashbourne, police said. The public were told to avoid the area, where emergency services remained on the scene. Continue reading...
PM tells MPs on the Commons liaison committee that we are doing everything we can to ensure there is a bright future for Scunthorpe'Half of Britons (51%) think the government should impose retaliatory tariffs on imports from the US, according to polling by More in Common, a campaign group. Last week, just before the Trump tariffs were announced, YouGov published figures suggesting 71% of Britons would favour retaliatory tariffs against the US.Yesterday YouGov also released polling suggesting that only around a third of voters think Keir Starmer and the government played a significant role in ensuring the US tariffs imposed on the UK are relatively low. Continue reading...
Creator of hit series responded to rumors of drama with Cristobal Tapia de Veer in fiery interview with Howard SternThe third season of The White Lotus may be over, but the drama continues for the hit HBO show. In a new interview, creator Mike White hit back at composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer, who told the New York Times last week that he is quitting the show.De Veer, who composed the show's score and viral title sequence stylized for each of the three seasons' locations, told the Times that he would not return for the show's fourth season following creative differences with White. We already had our last fight for ever, I think," he said of White. He was just saying no to anything." Continue reading...
Case of Gaza medics is only latest incident when Israel has altered account of high profile killingThe Israel Defense Forces' changing account of its killing of 15 Palestinian medics and civil defence workers is part of a long familiar pattern in high profile cases involving the killing of civilians.Often, at first, the IDF denies involvement. Sometimes - in the context of Gaza - it initially suggests one of Hamas's own rockets fell short, causing the casualties. Continue reading...
Plantation Wharf Pier in west London is now called St Mary's Wandsworth, says Uber Boat by Thames ClippersA pier on the River Thames in west London has been renamed St Mary's Wandsworth after criticism by anti-racism campaigners.The pier, formerly known as Plantation Wharf Pier, is located between the Wandsworth Riverside Quarter and Chelsea Harbour piers. Continue reading...
DC Philippa Baskwill of Avon and Somerset police faces hearing over alleged gross misconductA detective is to face a misconduct hearing over allegations she deliberately weighed down the keys on her laptop to give the impression she was working while at home.Avon and Somerset police gave notice of the accelerated misconduct hearing, which will take place on Thursday, in relation to DC Philippa Baskwill. Continue reading...
Ukrainian president says men's capture shows Moscow is trying to involve Beijing in the war directly or indirectly'Ukrainian forces have captured two Chinese nationals fighting with the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy.They are two of what Ukraine's president described as many more Chinese members of the Russian armed forces, and their capture prompted him to accuse the Kremlin of trying to involve Beijing in the conflict directly or indirectly". Continue reading...
Bhim Kohli, who was walking his dog, was racially abused, kicked and punched in gratuitous' attackTwo teenagers have been found guilty at Leicester crown court of the manslaughter of Bhim Kohli after the 80-year-old was attacked in a park near Leicester in September.A 15-year-old boy, who kicked, punched and racially abused the 80-year-old man while he was walking his dog in a park, has been found guilty of manslaughter. Continue reading...
Rare early work Going to the Mill is to be auctioned after remaining in the Wallace family since 1926When LS Lowry sold one of his earliest paintings to the literary editor of the Manchester Guardian in 1926, he had an immediate change of heart.Arthur Wallace had edited a supplement for the Guardian to accompany a civic week organised by Manchester city council in October 1926, and featured three paintings by the then struggling artist. Continue reading...
Tycoon was named in Lords as having obtained injunction against Telegraph to stop publication of misconduct allegationsRetail tycoon Sir Philip Green has lost a legal case against the UK government after complaining about being publicly named in the House of Lords as facing misconduct allegations.The case, which was said to be a test of the concept of parliamentary privilege, was launched after Lord Hain announced in the House of Lords that Green had used the courts to obtain an interim injunction against the Telegraph to stop publication of the allegations during 2018. Continue reading...
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