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Labour justice minister in Lords says there is need to protect access to justice' for legitimate claimsLabour has delayed proposals to tackle spurious lawsuits brought by oligarchs and others aimed at intimidating journalists, academics and campaigners.Frederick Ponsonby, a Labour justice minister in the House of Lords, said he could not commit to bringing forward standalone legislation on strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as Slapps, or set out a timetable for tackling the issue. Continue reading...

Demonstrators at Queens College called the film shoot for CBS drama FBI: Most Wanted propaganda'A fake protest encampment set up for a TV shoot on a New York City college campus sparked a real reaction from pro-Palestinian activists, who organized their own demonstration against the filming, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.The scenario unfolded on Monday and Tuesday at Queens College, where the CBS drama FBI: Most Wanted was filming an upcoming episode involving a climate change protest, the New York Times reported. Continue reading...

Cargo of vessel capsized near Sweden in 19th century also includes mineral water, say Polish diversDivers have discovered a 19th-century shipwreck off the Swedish coast loaded to the brim" with champagne.The group, from Poland, were diving in the Baltic 20 nautical miles (37km) south of the island of Oland when they found the boat, believed to be a merchant vessel, by chance last week. Continue reading...

Footage shows Greater Manchester police officer pointing Taser at two men, kicking one of them and hitting the otherAn armed police officer has been filmed kicking a man in the face as he lay on the ground after an altercation at Manchester airport.Footage shared widely online showed the officer pointing his Taser at the man and then kicking him with force in the face and stamping on his head. Continue reading...

People were probably on their way to US, Panama's border force says, highlighting perils of jungleTen people have drowned in a swollen river while trying to cross a lawless stretch of jungle connecting Colombia with Panama, highlighting the continuing perils of the Darien Gap despite efforts to stop irregular migration through the region.The 10 people, whose nationality has not yet been identified, were probably on their way to the US when they were swept away by strong currents, Panama's border force said in a statement. Their bodies were found in a river close to the Indigenous community of Carreto on the Caribbean coast. Continue reading...

Cher: The Memoir, Part One will be released in November, with a second installment due in spring 2025Cher's two-part memoir finally has a release date. Cher: The Memoir, Part One will be released on 19 November by Dey Street Books, an imprint of the William Morrow Group at HarperCollins Publishers.Part Two will follow in spring of 2025, the publisher announced on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Duke of Sussex tells ITV documentary that legal battles against newspapers central' to deterioration in relationsThe Duke of Sussex believes his determination to take on tabloid newspapers in the courts was a central piece" in the deterioration of relations between him and his family in the UK.Speaking about his legal battles against newspapers over privacy, Prince Harry told an ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial that his decision to fight contributed to the rift" with the royal family. Continue reading...

Move by ratings company Moody's puts Thames in breach its operating licence but Ofwat likely to hold off on large fineThames Water has breached its licence to supply water to nearly 16 million people after some of its debt was downgraded to junk status.The regulator Ofwat could now fine Thames, the country's largest water monopoly, up to 10% of its annual turnover, equating to hundreds of millions of pounds. However, since the company is already teetering close to temporary renationalisation, Ofwat is likely to hold off on any immediate large fines. Continue reading...

Morgan was only candidate to put herself forward to replace Vaughan Gething as Welsh Labour leaderEluned Morgan has been confirmed as the new leader of Welsh Labour and is to become the first female first minister of Wales.Lady Morgan, 57, the health secretary in the Labour-led Welsh government, was the only candidate to put herself forward to replace Vaughan Gething. Continue reading...

Inga Rublite, 39, was found under coat at Queen's Medical Centre where she had vomited and had seizureA 39-year-old woman found dying under a coat in an overcrowded A&E in Nottingham may have been missed by staff because they are accustomed to homeless people sleeping in the waiting area, an inquest has heard.Inga Rublite attended A&E at Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) at 10.40pm on 19 January suffering from a severe headache, blurred vision, high blood pressure and vomiting. Continue reading...

Whitehall sources say it could be a more open competition than in past as Simon Case prepares to step downSimon Case is set to step down as cabinet secretary early next year on medical advice, after taking time off for health reasons last year.The former royal aide, appointed by Boris Johnson to the top job in the civil service during the pandemic, has overseen Whitehall departments through the Partygate scandal as well as the premierships of Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. Continue reading...

Margot James says she should have delved more closely' as Post Office developed legal defence of Horizon systemA former postal minister has said it was a mistake for the government not to step in as Post Office executives developed their ultimately unsuccessful legal defence of the flawed Horizon IT system against a lawsuit brought by branch owner-operators.Margot James, who held the role from mid-2016 to early 2018 when Sir Alan Bates and 554 other prosecuted post office operators brought the case to clear their names, told the public inquiry into the IT system she should not have stuck to the line adopted by the executives and UK Government Investments, the body that manages state-owned assets. Continue reading...

Social media distraction, lack of time and difficulty focusing are factors in the decline of leisure readingHalf of adults in the UK do not regularly read for pleasure, according to new survey data.The study, commissioned by the charity the Reading Agency, saw 15% of adults reporting that they have never been regular readers, and 35% saying that they are lapsed readers, meaning that they used to read regularly for pleasure, but rarely or never do now. Continue reading...

A Complete Unknown, from Walk the Line director James Mangold, will show the musician's rise to worldwide fame in early 60s New York CityThe first trailer for A Complete Unknown shows Oscar nominee Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan in the much-anticipated biopic.The Dune and Call Me by Your Name star has transformed into the legendary musician for an awards-aiming drama to be released in the US in December and in the UK in January. It comes from the film-maker James Mangold, who previously directed the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. Continue reading...

Total of 443,995 offences in year to March 2024 up 30% on previous 12 months, says Office for National StatisticsThe number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales has risen to a new 20-year high. A total of 443,995 offences were logged by forces in the year to March 2024, up 30% on the 342,428 recorded in the previous 12 months.The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which described the latest increases as notable. Continue reading...

Group of finance ministers call for sanctions to be ratcheted up amid signs Moscow's war machine is weakening

Exclusive: UK campaigners say it is unacceptable' no nature assessments were made on bee-killing Cruiser SBThe Conservative government did not carry out a legally required assessment of how greenlighting the use of a banned pesticide, described as a death blow to wildlife", would affect some of the most important nature sites, documents have revealed.The previous government gave emergency approval this year for sugar beet farmers to use Cruiser SB for the fourth year in a row. Continue reading...

Suggestions definition of petrostate is too narrow as many rich countries that could phase out fossil fuels double down

Zarah Sultana, one of seven MPs suspended over SNP motion, says she is victim of macho virility test'

Strong results achieved despite Easter holiday period falling outside quarterly trading period, says airline

Police and Crown Office also to face legal action in bid to hold authorities accountableThe family of a man who died in custody after he was restrained by 17 officers will sue the Scottish Prison Service, police and Crown Office in a last resort attempt to hold authorities accountable for his death.Allan Marshall, 30, from South Lanarkshire, died in 2015 after he was restrained for at least half an hour at HMP Edinburgh. The father-of-two, who had an underlying heart condition, died in hospital four days later. His cause of death was recorded as brain injury due to cardiac arrest during physical restraint. Continue reading...

Victim sustains serious injuries' during attack near barracks in Gillingham, as 24-year-old suspect detainedA 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a soldier was stabbed in Kent, reportedly while wearing his uniform.The victim, in his 40s, sustained serious injuries" during the attack, an army spokesperson said. Continue reading...

An American contestant on Race to Survive has apologised for eating a weka, a large, brown flightless bird known for its curiosityThings got a little too real on the reality TV show Race to Survive when one of the contestants killed and ate a protected New Zealand bird species, prompting a warning from authorities.The contestants had been warned that certain food groups - including protected ones - were off limits. Spencer Jones, who killed and ate the weka, has since apologised, saying, I made a mistake. It was shortsighted, it was foolish," according to the website RealityTea.com. Continue reading...

Which? study found increase of 38% for one brand, while cheaper options often scored better in taste testsThe price of popular ice-creams and lollies including Cornetto and Solero have soared by more than 30% over the past two years amid the rising cost of ingredients and energy.Analysts at the consumer group Which? have suggested switching to supermarket own-label options that are cheaper and - their study suggests - often tastier. Continue reading...

Twenty artworks from Ron Walker's deceased estate to go under the hammer, along with seven Arthur Boyd paintings

Sydney has biggest drop in births as economist says couples delaying children because of cost-of-living crisis

Royal accounts show estate made 1.1bn profit, meaning sovereign grant will rise to 132m for 2025-26King Charles is set for a huge 45m pay rise with an increase of more than 50% in his official annual income, official accounts reveal.Profits of 1.1bn from the crown estate - a percentage of which funds the monarchy - mean the sovereign grant, which supports the official duties of the royal family, will rise from 86m in 2024-25 to 132m in 2025-26. Continue reading...

Report warns of crisis of poverty and mental health which casts a shadow' over young people's wellbeingMinisters have been urged to reform the benefits system to tackle child poverty, after a report found it to be a major cause of mental illness that casts a shadow" over young people's wellbeing.The report, by the Centre for Mental Health, Save the Children UK and the Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, found that the number of children living in poverty in the UK had increased to 4.3 million, while one in five children and young people aged between eight and 24 had a diagnosable mental health problem. Continue reading...

Exclusive: E Street Band and Sopranos star visits south London to see his TeachRock programme in actionLegendary guitarist and Sopranos star Stevie Van Zandt has made an impassioned plea for more arts and music in England's schools as a way of engaging disaffected young people during a visit to south London.It was a last day of term like no other for pupils at Beckmead College - a school for students aged 14-19 with social, emotional and mental health needs - when the E Street Band member turned up, dressed like a rock star in purple velvet, winkle picker boots and trademark bandana. Continue reading...

State becomes first to mandate methodology in overhaul educators hope will allow disabled and disadvantaged students catch up to their peers

US rapper will conclude torch's relay through Saint-Denis and Olympic Village to mark start of 33rd GamesSnoop Dogg will carry the Olympic torch through the final stages when it passes through Paris before the opening ceremony on Friday.The US rapper will be hoping he won't Drop It Like It's Hot when he holds the torch in Saint-Denis to mark the start of the 33rd Games. Continue reading...

Seven still missing as emergency teams scour south Atlantic after vessel experienced uncontrolled flooding'Fourteen fishermen stranded in lifeboats off the coast of the Falkland Islands have been saved in a dramatic rescue operation, but seven people remain missing and six others are believed dead.Late on Tuesday, emergency teams were still scouring the choppy waters of the south Atlantic for survivors after the Argos Georgia, a Saint Helena-flagged fishing vessel experienced uncontrolled flooding" on Monday evening. Continue reading...

Exclusive: MPs to face restrictions on second jobs that fail to put constituents first', Lucy Powell saysMPs will be prevented from taking on second jobs that fail to meet a new test of putting constituents first, under government plans to turn the page" on an era of sleaze and scandal.Despite growing anger over MPs doing lucrative outside work while also serving their constituents, the new Labour government will not ban second jobs but will severely restrict lobbying work. Continue reading...

Vessel moored in Dorset, which is home to 400 people, to be shut down in January when contract endsThe Bibby Stockholm, the controversial barge that has been used to accommodate asylum seekers, is to be shut down, the government has said.Use of the vessel, which is housing 400 people and is moored at Portland, Dorset, will stop when the current contract ends in January 2025. Continue reading...

Lockwood resigned as director of watchdog in 2022 after being accused of assaulting 14-year-oldsA former chief of the England and Wales police watchdog has been cleared of raping and molesting two 14-year-old girls 40 years ago.Michael Lockwood, 65, resigned from his job as director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in December 2022 after allegations first emerged. Continue reading...

Ex-Labour leader initially planned to sell personal and political documents to Canadian university for 212,500The former UK prime minister Harold Wilson agreed to sell his archive of private papers to help fund his care, official documents have revealed.Papers released by the National Archives and identified by the BBC show Lord Wilson initially planned to sell the collection to McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, for 212,500 - the equivalent of about 700,000 in today's money. Continue reading...

Former Manchester City and Newcastle player says charges are over tweets relating to pundit Eni AlukoThe former footballer and manager Joey Barton has been charged with making malicious communications, police have said.The ex-Manchester City and Newcastle player is due to appear at Warrington magistrates court next week after the Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charge, Cheshire police said. Continue reading...

Presenter says Games could be time to appreciate steadier' nature of British politics amid political upheaval in EuropeThe Paris Olympics will provide a moment to celebrate modern Britain and bring the nation together, Gabby Logan has said.Speaking before the opening of the 33rd summer Olympic Games in Paris on Friday, the presenter said the Games could be a time to appreciate the steadier" nature of British politics, which had not had to face down the far right as France did in elections held weeks before the Olympics. Continue reading...

Son and grandson of the painter unveil exhibition of her work to restore her place in cultural historyShe was a painter, he was a sculptor. They worked side by side, describing their marriage as a 64-year conversation about art". They influenced one another's work and regarded one another as equals - but today, Anthony Caro is a household name while Sheila Girling is all but forgotten.This weekend, however, the couple's son, Paul Caro, and grandson, Ben Caro, hope that's about to change. They've been instrumental in helping to organise a comprehensive exhibition of her work: more than 90 paintings and collages go on display at the Bowhouse community space in St Monans, near St Andrews, Scotland (to 1 September, with a break in August - see spacetobreatheexpo.com fordetails). Continue reading...

Exclusive: Several sent home for slow fruit picking face debts as watchdog investigates alleged illegal feesIndonesian workers who paid thousands of pounds to travel to Britain and pick fruit at a farm supplying most big supermarkets have been sent home within weeks for not picking fast enough.One of the workers said he had sold his family's land, as well as his and his parents' motorbikes, to cover the more than 2,000 cost of coming to Britain in May and was distressed to find himself unemployed with few possessions. Continue reading...

The ex-PM is opening the new facility supplying food and basic necessities against a backdrop of concerns for the wellbeing of children over the summer holidaysThe first multibank" in London, distributing everything from basic foods to baby products and toiletries, will be officially launched this week, amid continued concerns about levels of poverty as the school summer holidays begin.The opening of Felix's Multibank, which has the backing of former prime minister Gordon Brown and London mayor Sadiq Khan, is the latest in a growing network of multibanks. Continue reading...

Minister pledges more sports and drama in curriculum review as row deepens over two-child benefit cap Interview Labour's Bridget Phillipson: I will help working-class pupils defy the odds to succeed'Expanding opportunities for working-class children by broadening the school curriculum to include more sport, drama, art and music alongside core academic subjects will be top priorities for the Labour government, the new education secretary says today.In her first newspaper interview since being appointed to the cabinet by Keir Starmer, Bridget Phillipson insists her aim is to break the link between background and success", and to ensure every child has the same level of opportunity, regardless of their parents' means. Continue reading...

As archbishop of Canterbury visits Jamaica, research reveals trader left money to church's missionary armThe archbishop of Canterbury has spoken of the work to address the Church of England's historic links to chattel slavery on a trip to Jamaica, as archive research reveals that the slave trader Edward Colston left a bequest in the 18th century to the church's missionary arm.Justin Welby is on a three-day visit to the West Indies to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. He said a 100m fund set up by the church would be used to benefit communities which still bear the scars" from slavery. Continue reading...

The Labour government has plans to end their outdated and indefensible' lawmaking position in the upper houseFor centuries in Britain, the country's noblemen have sat in parliament by virtue of their bloodline - but not for much longer.The last dukes, earls, viscounts and barons are to be removed from the UK's unelected upper house, the House of Lords, by the newly elected Labour government - which has declared their presence outdated and indefensible". Continue reading...

A massive dump of snow on Friday night has continued into Saturday, bringing super thick fresh powder snow' to alpine areas

St James's Park in central London records highest reading, with health alerts in place across the Midlands, eastern and southern EnglandUK temperatures have reached their highest point of the year so far, the Met Office has confirmed, with 31.9C recorded at St James's Park in central London.The high temperatures, which were recorded largely along the eastern half of the country, came as the majority of schools in England and Wales closed for the summer. Continue reading...

El Atentado a Trump by Conjunto Diamante Norteno adopts style long used to narrate tall tales and historical eventsFor centuries, Mexican corridos have narrated tall tales and historical events to the backing of accordion, guitar or brass band, preserving the memory of fictional heroes and villains - as well as real-life figures from revolutionaries to drug lords.After a man with an AR-15-style rifle opened fire at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, it took barely two days for the attempted assassination of Donald Trump to be immortalized in a viral corrido. Continue reading...

Itamar Ben-Gvir, who seeks to disrupt ceasefire talks, makes video at contested holy site in JerusalemIsrael's extremist national security minister has visited the holiest Muslim site in Jerusalem, recording a video saying he went to pray, in a provocative move as he seeks to disrupt ceasefire talks.Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist and champion of the settler movement, recorded footage at al-Aqsa mosque compound, also known as the Temple Mount, a site holy to Muslims and Jews. Continue reading...

Itamar Ben-Gvir, who seeks to disrupt ceasefire talks, makes video at al-Aqsa mosque compound in JerusalemIsrael's extremist national security minister has visited the holiest Muslim site in Jerusalem, recording a video saying he went to pray, in a provocative move as he seeks to disrupt ceasefire talks.Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist and champion of the settler movement, recorded footage at al-Aqsa mosque compound, also known as the Temple Mount, a site holy to Muslims and Jews. Continue reading...

Lady Hallett says failure to challenge consensus views on UK's readiness to respond to pandemic was acute problem'Groupthink underpinned the flawed thinking behind the UK's pandemic response, a succession of witnesses at the heart of government told the Covid-19 public inquiry.The former prime minister and the former chancellor, David Cameron and George Osborne, admitted it; as did the current and former chief medical officers Prof Chris Whitty and Dame Sally Davies. The former health secretary Jeremy Hunt and the Cabinet Office minister Sir Oliver Letwin agreed. Continue reading...