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Even under the most conservative scenario, modelling suggests average Help debt will increase by at least $1700 when indexed on 1 June

Laura Winham lay dead in her flat for three years before her brother discovered her bodyThe family of a severely mentally ill woman who lay dead and undiscovered in her flat for more than three years said they were unable to have any contact with her because of privacy laws.Laura Winham, 38, had schizophrenia, struggled to look after herself and had become estranged from her family, who she thought were trying to harm her. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Domestic abuse charges authorised by CPS declined from 82,158 to 43,836 in 2021-2022, Labour party revealsThe number of charges related to domestic abuse has halved since 2015, figures for England and Wales uncovered by the Labour party have revealed, while similar offences recorded by police have more than doubled.Domestic abuse charges authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have steadily declined from 82,158 in 2015-2016 to 43,836 in 2021-2022, the data shows. Over the same period, the total number of domestic abuse-related crimes recorded by the police has soared by 116% from 421,185 in 2015-2016 to 910,980 in 2021-2022. Continue reading...

Dina Boluarte calls for vote to be held in December after weeks of anti-government protests since overthrow of former presidentPeru’s beleaguered president, Dina Boluarte, has urged congress to bring forward elections scheduled for April 2024 to the end of this year as anti-government protests and blockades intensify across the country.Boluarte, who has refused to step down despite furious nationwide protests calling for her to resign, said on Friday that elections should be brought forward to December in an attempt to ease the seven weeks of unrest that has claimed 57 lives – mostly civilians killed in clashes with the security forces. Continue reading...

Film academy is implementing review after questions raised over last-minute celebrity-backed campaign in best actress categoryThe film academy has announced a review of “campaign procedures” in the wake of a backlash to this year’s Oscar nominations.The British actor Andrea Riseborough gained a surprise best actress nod for her role in indie To Leslie after a grassroots campaign backed by A-listers including Kate Winslet, Jane Fonda, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow and Amy Adams. Continue reading...

Health secretary of Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state, says 59 children in hospital, 45 of them from the Yanomami peopleDozens of Indigenous children suffering from malnutrition and acute diseases have been hospitalised in northern Brazil, with relatives in hammocks holding their emaciated frames in scenes that underscore the gravity of a public health crisis.The health secretary of Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state, said on Friday that 59 Indigenous children were currently at the only pediatric hospital in the state, 45 of them from the Yanomami people. Eight were under intensive care. Continue reading...

Grime star was found guilty last year of assaulting Cassandra Jones during “chaotic” row at her London homeDizzee Rascal has lost his appeal against his conviction for assaulting his ex-fiancee.The grime artist, 38, whose real name is Dylan Mills, was found guilty at a trial in April last year of assaulting Cassandra Jones by pressing his forehead against hers and pushing her to the floor during a “chaotic” row at her south London home in June 2021. Continue reading...

The Fleabag star and creator is rumoured to be taking on a new version of the popular video game as part of her deal with AmazonPhoebe Waller-Bridge is reportedly set to write a new take on Tomb Raider for Amazon.According to the Hollywood Reporter, sources claim the Emmy-winning star and creator of Fleabag is developing a new TV series based on the popular game, writing scripts and executive producing. Amazon is yet to confirm the news. Continue reading...

PC Bonnie Murphy, who asked colleague Jamie Lewis to send her a picture of a decomposed body, acted with gross misconduct, inquiry rulesA serving Metropolitan police officer has been sacked from the force after asking for and receiving a photograph of a dead man.PC Bonnie Murphy, who asked colleague Jamie Lewis to send her a photo of a decomposed body to show her family, was dismissed without notice. Continue reading...

Watchdog report follows years-long investigation into strike that killed 43 civilians in Damascus suburbInvestigators from the global chemical weapons agency have found the Syrian regime responsible for a poison gas attack that killed 43 people in a suburb of Damascus in 2018, leaving victims choking to death in the basement of a home.In a report nearly five in the making, the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found the canisters carrying poison gas had been dropped by a Syrian air force helicopter over Douma – then one of the last opposition strongholds near the Syrian capital. Continue reading...

Laura Winham, 38, had severe mental illnesses and was ‘abandoned’ by NHS and social services, family allegeA severely mentally ill woman whose dead body lay in her home unnoticed for more than three years was effectively “abandoned and left to die” by NHS and social services who missed repeated chances to save her, her family has alleged.Laura Winham, 38, had schizophrenia, struggled to look after herself, and had become estranged from her family. She was found in a “mummified, almost skeletal state” at her social housing flat in Woking, Surrey, by police and relatives in May 2021. Continue reading...

Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras describes Kyriakos Mitsotakis as mastermind of ‘a criminal network’Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has survived a no-confidence vote over a phone-tapping scandal that has shocked the nation and sparked mounting concern in the EU.After three days of rancorous debate, the censure motion was defeated on Friday by 156 votes to 143 in the 300-seat chamber of deputies. With passions animated by disclosures of wiretaps being placed on politicians, army top brass and journalists, the debate had run into the wee hours before the vote. Continue reading...

Warren Mundine, a leading critic of voice to parliament, is concerned advertising from main referendum campaigns may be removed by platforms

Barry Martin, 38, was one of five firefighters taken to hospital after fire at historic Edinburgh buildingA firefighter who was critically injured earlier this week while fighting a blaze at the historic Jenners building in Edinburgh has died.Police Scotland said Barry Martin, 38, from Fife, died on Friday at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Continue reading...

TV presenter hit out at government’s record on transparency, but do celebrity endorsements massively affect votes?Has Sir Rod Stewart, of all unexpected people, provoked a flood of celebrity support for Labour? Perhaps not quite yet. But after Carol Vorderman became the second celebrity in two days to hit out at Rishi Sunak’s government, Keir Starmer could be forgiven for wondering if there’s something in the water at least.The TV presenter, appearing on This Morning on Friday, launched a scorching attack on the prime minister, demanding Sunak reveal if he has shares in the vaccine manufacturer Moderna given the government’s huge investment during the pandemic. “That man came out in front of 10 Downing Street, as our prime minister, and said ‘accountability, transparency’, all of this,” said the former Countdown host. “If you are true to your word, Rishi Sunak, tell us.” Continue reading...

Towns and villages in east and south hit by new barrage; Ukraine claims to have killed 109 Russians in eastern Donetsk battle. This live blog is closed

Reports that the line could permanently stop at Old Oak Common, not Euston, would mean even less value for money from HS2There is only so long that you can prune the branches of a major infrastructure project. Now the government is – according to swiftly denied reports – considering hacking away at the roots of HS2.Much has already faded from the grand vision that was first unveiled in 2009 and confirmed as effectively cross-party policy in 2012 – most notably the north-eastern leg of the original Y-shaped high-speed rail network linking London, Manchester and Leeds. But most of the cropping back to date has been lines on a map – not sites that have been worked on for years. Continue reading...

Worker died at the scene after becoming trapped below street level in Cambridge CircusA man has been killed after being crushed below street level in the heart of central London’s theatre district while working on a telescopic urinal.The emergency services were called to the scene in Cambridge Circus just after 1pm and a rescue operation was mounted. Continue reading...

Performer starred opposite Dirk Bogarde in Victim as well as playing the mother of Helen Mirren’s monarch in The QueenSylvia Syms, the versatile British actor who appeared in a string of films including Ice Cold in Alex, Expresso Bongo, The Tamarind Seed and The Queen, has died aged 89.According to a statement given to PA by her family, Syms “died peacefully” on Friday at Denville Hall, a care home in London for those in the entertainment industry. Her children, Beatie and Ben Edney, said: “Our mother, Sylvia, died peacefully this morning. She has lived an amazing life and gave us joy and laughter right up to the end. Just yesterday we were reminiscing together about all our adventures. She will be so very missed.” Continue reading...

Palestinian Authority suspends security cooperation after nine people were killed by Israeli defence forcesIsrael and the occupied Palestinian territories remained tense but calm after an exchange of rocket fire between the Gaza Strip and Israel triggered by a deadly raid in the West Bank.The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) entered the Jenin refugee camp, in the north of the occupied territory at about 7am (5am GMT) on Thursday acting on intelligence suggesting a cell linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad was planning to carry out imminent attacks, the army said in a statement. Continue reading...

Scottish Trans and Nicola Sturgeon say decisions must be made on case-by-case basisThe case of Isla Bryson, the transgender double rapist who was initially sent to a female prison, must not result in a blanket ban on trans women serving their sentences in women’s facilities, the campaign group Scottish Trans has said.A blanket rule about where trans prisoners are accommodated would be wrong and could put individual trans prisoners at significant risk, said Vic Valentine, manager of Scottish Trans, but added: “It is our view that anyone who has committed sexually violent crimes, and who poses a risk to women, should not be housed with women on the female estate.” Continue reading...

Working group of experts on people of African descent calls for halt on use of joint enterprise and strip search• ‘The law is breaking children’: black people in UK tell UN of daily injusticesA UN body has written to the UK government to express “very extreme concern” about its failure to address “structural, institutional and systemic racism” against people of African descent in Britain.The UN working group of experts on people of African descent called for an immediate and unconditional moratorium on the use of joint enterprise, warning it was leading to the disproportionate imprisonment of black adolescents. Continue reading...

Unison general secretary says chancellor ‘completely ignoring vital public services’ after he gives speech on plans. This live blog is now closedHunt says Brexit is an opportunity to work with regulators to create an economic environment which is “more innovation-friendly, and more growth-focused”.He says he wants to create an “enterprise culture built on low taxes, reward for risk, access to capital and smarter regulation”.Nor will we fix our productivity puzzle unless everyone who can participate does. So to those who retired early after the pandemic, or haven’t found the right role after furlough, I say: Britain needs you.High taxes directly affect the incentives which determine decisions by entrepreneurs, investors or larger companies, about whether to pursue their ambitions in BritainSound money must come first but our ambition must be nothing less than to have the most competitive tax regime of any major country.In case anyone is in any doubt about who will actually deliver that restraint to make a low tax economy possible, I gently point out that in the three weeks since Labour promised no big government chequebook they have made £45bn of unfunded spending commitments. Continue reading...

GP says it ‘seemed a pretty normal reaction’ amid series of collapses of infants at Chester hospitalA nurse accused of murdering seven babies was seen crying as she said something to the effect of “it’s always me when it happens”, a court has heard.Lucy Letby, 33, is said to have made the remark amid a series of collapses of infants at the Countess of Chester hospital’s neo-natal unit. Letby denies murdering seven babies and attempting to kill 10 others between June 2015 and June 2016. Continue reading...

Mohammad Farooq was allegedly found with a pressure cooker bomb outside St James’s university hospital in LeedsA student nurse has appeared in court accused of planning a terrorist attack at an RAF base after he was allegedly found with a pressure cooker bomb outside a hospital in Leeds.Mohammad Farooq, 27, was allegedly inspired by radical Islam and Jihad when he carried out “hostile reconnaissance” of the military base in Yorkshire on January 10 and 18 after carrying out online research. Continue reading...

Vĕra Jourová says the bloc has a moral duty and the project would not necessarily mean a new station

Exclusive: New register shines light on how businessmen, Gulf royals and states such as China have spent billions through offshore jurisdictionsThe BBC chair, Richard Sharp, more than 20 Conservative donors, a string of billionaire businessmen and the Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton are among those who have declared they own UK property through offshore jurisdictions, a Guardian investigation has found.The declarations are made on the UK government’s new register of overseas entities, brought in to increase transparency and help the tax authorities by showing the ultimate owners of British property held offshore. Continue reading...

People including property developers and peers who have collectively donated £21m named on new registerConservative donors who have collectively given the party more than £21m since 2001 have been declared as the ultimate owners of UK properties held through more than 150 offshore companies in a new government register.They include major property developers, such as the Reuben brothers, David and Simon, as well as Nick Candy, a UK-based businessman who owns a £160m flat and other properties through companies based in Guernsey. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Treasurer says ‘best way to shift the needle’ is to ‘find out where those challenges are most acute’, and ‘this is something I care deeply about’

Tribunal ruling says there is ‘no leeway’ for woman who was in Saudi Arabia visiting her son when borders shut

Rosalie Dow asked department for modifications to home but was told the policy was to transfer dwellings – which is yet to occur

Failings in the care of Sarah Andrews and her baby Wynter at hospital in Nottingham were avoidable, says judgeAn NHS trust has been fined £800,000 in the highest ever penalty for maternity care after admitting to failings in the care of a woman and her baby, who died minutes after being born.Wynter Sophia Andrews died on 15 September 2019, 23 minutes after being born by emergency caesarean section, in the arms of her parents, Sarah and Gary, at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham. Continue reading...

Grant Shapps tells Britain’s two largest steelmakers they must guarantee certain number of UK jobsThe two largest steelmakers in Britain will have to protect thousands of jobs for a decade to unlock a promised £600m in state funding for their plans to decarbonise, it has emerged.The business secretary, Grant Shapps, has told British Steel and Tata Steel that they must guarantee a certain number of UK jobs until 2033 as part of an agreement to land £300m each in government aid. Continue reading...

Birmingham-based Soffe family still fighting for compensation after fire in Gulf state left Elizabeth with life-threatening burnsA Birmingham family have revealed the distress they have endured in a six-year legal battle in Qatar to gain compensation for the severe injuries experienced by their youngest daughter when they lived in the Gulf state.Elizabeth Soffe, now eight, received life-threatening burns as a baby in a fire at her family’s villa in Al Waab, near the country’s capital, Doha, in 2014. Continue reading...

Journalist headed newspaper for 18 years and helped chess great Garry Kasparov write autobiographyDonald Trelford, the former editor of the Observer newspaper, has died aged 85, his family have announced.The journalist, author and academic, who edited the Observer for 18 years between 1975 and 1993, died after a long illness on Friday in Mallorca, where he had lived for the past decade, said his wife, Claire. Continue reading...

Actor was attempting to stop six-tonne vehicle from hitting his relative after getting out without applying the emergency brakeJeremy Renner’s snowplough accident happened as he was attempting to save his nephew and was hit by the vehicle after failing to apply the emergency brake.According to an incident report from the Nevada sheriff’s office, obtained by Variety, Renner had used the snowplough to tow his nephew’s truck out of the snow, and after getting out without setting the brake, he attempted to stop the six-tonne plough sliding towards his nephew. Continue reading...

No injuries reported after 80 firefighters battle blaze at St Mark’s church in St John’s Wood, north-west LondonAuthorities are investigating after a heritage-listed church in north-west London, described as an “architectural and historical treasure”, was destroyed by fire.Eighty firefighters battled the blaze at St Mark’s church in Hamilton Terrace, St John’s Wood, from 11.19pm on Thursday until it was under control at 2.22am on Friday, the London fire brigade (LFB) said. Continue reading...

Daniel Harris, 19, to serve 11 years in young offender institution for ‘stream of rightwing terrorist bile’A teenage extremist who inspired two far-right killers in the US has been ordered to serve 11 and a half years in a young offender institution for publishing a “stream of rightwing terrorist bile”.Daniel Harris, 19, celebrated white supremacist murderers including Anders Breivik and called for an armed uprising in videos posted from his grandfather’s house in Derbyshire. Continue reading...

‘We underperform every key competitor out there,’ staff are told in global address by Tufan ErginbilgicThe new chief executive of Rolls-Royce has told staff that the engineering company is a “burning platform” that must transform to survive.Tufan Erginbilgic, the former BP executive who replaced Warren East as chief executive at the start of January, said the coronavirus pandemic could not be blamed for what in reality was a perennial underperformance of the business compared with rivals. Continue reading...

Actor says recent conversations about role of monarchy ‘opened his eyes’ to suffering of Indigenous people around the worldWe tend to receive things on our birthdays, but on his 58th Alan Cumming has given something back: the OBE he was awarded in 2009.In a post on Instagram, the Scottish actor talked about how he had recently “opened his eyes” to the “toxicity” of the British Empire. He said his soul-searching was prompted by the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the conversations the event sparked. Continue reading...

Former culture secretary and Johnson loyalist picks ex-PM as launch guest for regular Friday night show

Since Covid pandemic ‘whole world of work has gone crazy’, adds Tony DankerMost bosses secretly want to get all staff back to working in the office, according to the head of Britain’s leading business lobby group.Tony Danker, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said the whole world of work had “gone crazy” since the coronavirus pandemic, which led to a major shift to more working from home for many people who used to work solely from the office. Continue reading...

Tropical storm upgraded to cyclone status, hitting Indian Ocean island with 75mph winds and intense rainfallMadagascar continued to be hit by intense rainfall this week, resulting in serious flooding and several landslides. Severe Tropical Storm Cheneso made landfall in the north-east last week, and had weakened as it pushed south-west across the island. But after reaching the warm waters of the Mozambique channel on Monday, Cheneso restrengthened, achieving tropical cyclone status by Wednesday with sustained wind speeds of 75mph, equivalent to a category 1 hurricane.Unusually, the system remained near-stationary for almost four days, stalling just off the west coast of Madagascar and bringing more than 100mm of rain each day to some coastal areas. Cheneso’s lack of movement resulted in weakening of the system on Thursday, as upwelling of cooler water beneath the storm reduced the energy available to the cyclone, and sustained winds decreased to about 55mph. The storm has now started to accelerate to the south, and begun the process of curving out towards the southern Indian Ocean. Cheneso may briefly restrengthen during this period, before becoming extratropical by Monday. Continue reading...

Grocery wholesaler may look to make further market purchases of supermarket’s sharesBestway, the owner of the Costcutter chain and is one of the UK’s largest grocery wholesalers, has taken a near £200m stake in Sainsbury’s and could seek to increase its stake further.The privately owned Bestway, which also owns the UK’s third-largest pharmacy chain and 2,000 convenience stores under the Costcutter and Best-one brands, has bought almost 81m shares, giving it a 3.45% stake in the UK’s second-largest supermarket chain. Continue reading...

Hazardous material experts searching for 8mm by 6mm capsule believed to have fallen from truck as it was travelling from Pilbara to Perth

Lawyers for the Liberal senator threaten to take case to WA supreme court as they pursue an apology and damages over tweets

This blog is now closedUkrainian loss would embolden leaders in Pacific region, ambassador saysThe ambassador of Ukraine to Australia and New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, stresses that the reason Australia’s assistance needs to continue is because it’s in Australia’s interests to support the Ukraine:The reason why we need to keep up and step up that assistance because this war in Ukraine is disrupting everything. It’s really undermined security, regionally, globally.It’s having a major impact on your partners here in the region. Look at Indonesia. I mean, they are really suffering from the lack of food that can get on their market. They have 275 million people to feed and they really rely on grain from Ukraine, which now they have a hard time getting hold of as the prices have surged. We’ve seen the impact on the energy markets on the volatility of the commodity markets.What’s important is that Australia continues to support Ukraine. We are truly thankful for what Australia has done so far, especially the last package which was announced in October where another 30 Bushmasters were allocated and the troops which are now in Britain have already been able to train Ukrainian soldiers. It’s really a big help. Continue reading...

Former mid-level official Kristin Lumley says she believed there was ‘inaction’ from her boss and it would ‘end up in federal court’

Case of soldier charged with being ‘disorderly in female attire’ among stories told in Queer Lives tourIn June 1916, a 22-year-old soldier from the Royal Fusiliers appeared at Highbury magistrates court charged with desertion and with “being an idle and disorderly person in female attire”. Though the soldier was charged under the name Frederick Wright, they appeared wearing a veiled hat, a wig and makeup, and told the court they wished to be known as Kathleen Woodhouse.The soldier had already appeared in court earlier that year after attempting suicide, which was illegal at the time. They had been ordered to enlist in the army. When arrested for a second time, they had told police: “I wish I had been a woman, as I love wearing beautiful clothes and all my tastes are feminine.”Queer Lives is at the Tower of London from 18-24 February 2023. Continue reading...

Pat Anderson says there was a ‘big megaphone’ at the protests but there is still a lot of support from First Nations people and other supporters