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CEO Martin Hoffman says he regrets the practice and ‘it was a single case’ that will not be repeated

Prime minister says he did not say Towke was a Muslim or suggest he couldn’t be trusted because he was Lebanese

Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Russia is trying to recruit conscripts from Crimea, as Kyiv denies being behind oil depot attack

Orlando Fraser to chair Charity Commission despite select committee calling him ‘slapdash and unimaginative choice’The culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, has pressed ahead with the appointment of former Tory parliamentary candidate Orlando Fraser to chair the Charity Commission, despite his rejection by an MPs’ scrutiny committee.The news that Dorries had ignored the cross-party group of MPs to appoint Fraser was slipped out in a brief statement by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) early on Friday evening. Continue reading...

Unions have been pressing for promised bill to be brought forward after sacking of hundreds of P&O staffThe Trades Union Congress (TUC) has reacted with fury to a report that an expected employment bill has been postponed despite anger over the sacking of hundreds of P&O workers.TUC said dropping the bill from next month’s Queen’s speech would “betray” workers. Continue reading...

Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy are stuck at home – but that hasn’t made Victorian politics that much quieterBoth of Victoria’s political leaders were stuck at home this week – Daniel Andrews having tested positive for Covid-19 and Matthew Guy as a close contact of his nine-year-old son.But it probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference if they weren’t. Continue reading...

Coalition spent $145m on advertising last financial year, with defence recruiting and Covid vaccines among biggest campaigns

Former judge Anthony Whealy says size of funding promises justifies keeping body to scrutinise water projects

Chancellor’s wife, Akshata Murthy, has £690m stake in Indian IT firm, which is now moving staff out of RussiaIndian IT services company Infosys, in which the chancellor Rishi Sunak’s wife owns an estimated £690m stake and collects about £11.5m in annual dividends, is “urgently” closing its office in Russia.Infosys’s decision to shut its Moscow office comes as pressure mounts on Sunak to answer accusations that his family is collecting “blood money” dividends from the firm’s continued operation in Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Families, friends and survivors listen in silence to recordings from inside theatre where 90 people diedOn the evening of 13 November 2015, about 1,500 concertgoers were watching the California rock band Eagles of Death Metal at the Bataclan theatre in central Paris. At the beginning it was “a great show”, fans reported afterwards. Youngsters were dancing in the pit in front of the stage and on the balcony; some were buying drinks at the bar.On Friday, for the first time, a French court heard audio recordings and saw photographs of what happened next. There was silence as the court was played three sound recordings from the Bataclan attack, one of a series of bombings and shootings across Paris that killed 130 people and injured more than 300. Continue reading...

DJ responds to demand for nightlife that suits older people and other ‘Cinderellas’More than 40 years ago, the folk singer Fred Wedlock branded anybody showing a little grey hair who fancied a night on the tiles as that most tragic of figures: “the oldest swinger in town”.But, in 2022, refusing to give up dancing once your skin clears up is no longer a source of shame. Instead, there are enough people in middle age ready to go clubbing that they are taking over venues – until the clock strikes midnight, at least. Continue reading...

‘Huge battles’ expected in coming days as glint of normality returns with lift of alcohol ban

Insolvency Service starts ‘both criminal and civil investigations’ over firm’s dismissal of 786 workersCriminal and civil investigations have been launched into the conduct of P&O Ferries after the operator summarily sacked nearly 800 crew without notice or consultation.The Insolvency Service said it had “initiated both formal criminal and civil investigations” into the circumstances of the redundancies, after making inquiries at the request of the government. Continue reading...

Besieged region has an estimated 2 million people suffering from an extreme lack of foodA convoy of aid trucks has arrived in Tigray, the first emergency food supplies to reach the besieged region of northern Ethiopia by road for more than 100 days.Two weeks after Abiy Ahmed’s government declared an immediate “humanitarian truce” with rebel Tigrayan forces to allow aid in, the World Food Programme said it had received the assurances it needed to dispatch 20 trucks containing vital supplies of food. Continue reading...

Surge in passenger numbers after lifting of Covid restrictions comes as airports struggle to fill vacanciesPassengers expecting delays at UK airports this Easter holiday are taking extra precautions including arriving early, with some even staying in nearby hotels the night before they fly.Sallyanne Glynn, 52, decided to stay in a hotel near Heathrow with her family the night before a flight to New York to celebrate her daughter’s 21st birthday, at a cost of £1,000. “It was to make things easier for us,” she said. “I don’t think anybody is back to normal yet. The airport is a huge operation with thousands of staff and you can’t just switch that on and off.” Continue reading...

Russian foreign minister meets Narendra Modi and praises India’s refusal to condemn Ukraine invasion

Hit Netflix show responsible for renewed interest in filming locations around the country, industry saysBridgerton, the steamy soap-opera take on Regency England full of decadent costumes, dashing dukes and elegant backdrops, has once again shot to the top of the Netflix charts. And one industry is reaping the benefits – England’s stately homes.The regal properties are reporting a “Bridgerton factor” aspeople enchanted by the baroque interiors and bucolic gardens of the hit show decide to visit its real life landmarks. Continue reading...

While some in Uxbridge and South Ruislip remain angry and think PM should resign, others voice weariness with continuing scandalIn the heart of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in west London, where Boris Johnson has been MP since 2015, people expressed their discontent over allegations of “unfair” lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street. Yet, even those critical of Partygate expressed their waning interest or said they felt it was beyond their control.While for some the decision by the Metropolitan police to fine 20 people for lockdown breaches is a confirmation of law-breaking for which Johnson should be held accountable, others said they were “annoyed” by reactions to the affair, or saw no reason to hold on to the past. Continue reading...

Morrison government to sign interim agreement which has taken on extra urgency given Australia’s rocky relationship with China

King helped launch many of London’s top restaurants including Wolseley and Le CapriceJeremy King, the famed restaurateur behind the Wolseley and the Delaunay, has been ousted from the fine dining group he founded in 1981.King, who with his business partner Chris Corbin launched and ran many of London’s top restaurants including Wolseley next to the Ritz on Piccadilly, Delaunay on the Strand and Le Caprice in Mayfair, announced on Friday he had lost a battle to buy his venture, Corbin & King, out of administration. Continue reading...

Bands voice dismay at ‘devastating news’ but landlord says it will continue to operate as music venueOne of the UK’s leading music venues, which played a pivotal role in the careers of bands including Pulp, Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys, is at the centre of a row over whether it will close.News that the Leadmill in Sheffield might be shutting brought a wave of dismay on social media but was on Friday firmly rejected by the venue’s landlord, the Brixton-based Electric Group. Continue reading...

Carl Hughes had said it was his duty to remain at company part-owned by oligarch Oleg DeripaskaThe former Deloitte partner Carl Hughes has resigned from the board of En+, the mining company part-owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, weeks after defending his decision to remain in the post following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.Hughes, who has served as an independent director of the London-listed company since 2019 and chairs the audit and risk committee, said last month it was his “fiduciary duty” to stay on. The members of En+ board split $7m (£5.3m) in remuneration in 2020, according to the company’s annual report published last year. Continue reading...

Britons face a shock as household costs soar – and some unexpected items such as beer also go upIt’s been dubbed “bleak Friday” by some: pre-announced price rises for many household bills are to take effect on 1 April, adding to the misery for consumers who are already paying more for goods and food than this time last year. Continue reading...

Group says Gambling Commission got it ‘badly wrong’ when deciding to hand operation of draw to AllwynThe national lottery operator Camelot is launching a high court challenge to the Gambling Commission’s decision to hand over the operation of the draw to a rival after 28 years, accusing the regulator of getting the decision “badly wrong”.In a statement, Camelot’s chief executive, Nigel Railton, said: “We are launching a legal challenge today in our capacity as an applicant for the fourth [national lottery] licence because we firmly believe that the Gambling Commission has got this decision badly wrong.” Continue reading...

Court ruling could unwind Morrison’s ‘captain’s picks’ forcing Liberals to hold rushed votes to select candidates ahead of May election

Workers took action after share of tips paid on credit and debit cards was cut from 70% to 50% in 2021Pizza Express waiting staff have won back a bigger slice of their tips after a year-long campaign against a change that handed more to kitchen staff.The restaurant workers were forced to take action after their share of tips and service charges paid on credit and debit cards was cut from 70% to 50% last year at a time when pay was already under pressure from social-distancing measures that limited the number of diners. Continue reading...

Scott Morrison says Bushmaster vehicles bound for Ukraine after confusion in Senate estimates; PM delaying election announcement to run political ads, Albanese claims; Michele Bullock becomes first female deputy governor of RBA; child younger than five in SA among at least 16 Covid-related deaths across nation. This blog is now closed

Officials confirm Tudge remains minister ‘on leave’ despite acting minister Stuart Robert performing functions of the role

Former SAS soldier defends himself against accusations from Arthur Moses SC of trying to justify his own failures as a soldier

ANU modelling shows 56% of dollar value of cost-of-living measures goes to Australia’s middle and higher income earners

Germany, France and the UK reject Russia’s demand to pay for gas in roubles; Kremlin announces further sanctions on EU leaders

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese backed pay rises in budget reply speech, while unions call for a 25% boost

She began working with the National Park Service at 84 to reveal ‘untold stories’ of Black people’s efforts during the second world warBetty Reid Soskin, the National Park Service’s oldest active ranger, has retired at the age of 100.Soskin, who worked at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front national historical park in Richmond, California, spent her last day as she had for the last decade and a half: sharing her experiences and those of other women who worked on the home front in the second world war. Continue reading...

Residents from Lismore to the Lower Macleay in northern New South Wales under evacuation orders

The pop star vowed on International Transgender Day of Visibility to match donations to groups that advocate for trans rightsOn International Transgender Day of Visibility, Ariana Grande is using her star power to rally her millions of fans to support trans youth.In an Instagram post on Thursday, the pop star announced the Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund, which she founded with the fundraising platform Pledge. Continue reading...

Cuts to mental illness, addiction and housing services linked to 32% increase on previous yearMore than 1,200 people in the UK died while homeless in 2021, a 32% increase on the previous year, as cuts to mental illness, drug and alcohol, and housing services took their toll, according to research.The annual audit by the charity Museum of Homelessness found most deaths occurred among people living in emergency housing or hostels. People sleeping rough or sofa-surfing accounted for 63 deaths, and seven fatalities were due to Covid-19. Continue reading...

Conference raises only $2.44bn as Russian foreign minister says west is responsible for country’s humanitarian crisisThe world’s donor drought, and growing global divisions over Afghanistan’s political direction, have been laid bare when a UN appeal for $4.4bn (£3.35bn) to help Afghanistan fell massively short, the second UN donor conference in a month to do so.Donor countries pledged only $2.44bn towards the appeal, a senior UN official said on Thursday after a high-level pledging conference. Continue reading...

Ben Wallace says donor conference of over 35 countries discussed need to change type of weaponry supplied

Two-week battle to hold company to account for sacking of 786 crew members appears to end with a whimperA two week battle to hold P&O Ferries to account for the summary sacking of 786 crew members appears to have ended with a whimper, as unions said the Dubai-owned company had “got away with it” after ministers backtracked on legal action and all but one employee accepted the firm’s controversial payoff ahead of Thursday’s deadline.All of P&O Ferries’ crew working on British contracts issued out of Jersey were fired on 17 March, to be replaced by cheap agency workers. The firm gave the sacked workers a deadline of 5pm on Thursday to accept or forfeit a payoff which they said compensated for the breach of their employment rights. Continue reading...

Khan makes claims in live televised address as no-confidence vote debate begins in parliamentPakistan’s embattled prime minister, Imran Khan, has claimed that the US “threatened” him and is seeking his removal from office as he faces a no-confidence vote in the coming days that could mean the end of his premiership.Khan, who opposition parties accuse of bad governance and economic incompetence, had claimed at a rally on Sunday he had a letter that showed a foreign country was conspiring against him and his political opponents working at its behest. Continue reading...

Humanitarian charity says thousands of civilian lives in danger if they remain in the besieged city

Experts say removal of £20-a-week boost and soaring living costs likely to push 1 million below UK breadlineAbout 400,000 children in the UK were lifted out of poverty during the first year of the pandemic because of the government’s £6bn universal credit boost, official figures have revealed, amid warnings benefit cuts could push more than 1 million people below the breadline.Statistics published on Thursday showed years of rising relative poverty were reversed after ministers introduced a temporary extra £20-a-week to universal credit in April 2020, together with extra housing support, furlough and other measures in response to the Covid outbreak. Continue reading...

Support slashed despite warnings about impact, with offices told not to discuss plans with local partners, says National Audit Office reportThe British government forced through £4.2bn in aid cuts so quickly it had little time to plan the impact they would have, or consult partners, according to an official audit.The National Audit Office (NAO) said bilateral spending – aid given directly to another government – faced some of the harshest cuts by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) – 53% compared with less than a third of the overall aid budget – because of political and legal commitments to multilateral spending. Continue reading...

Benedict Goodale is given the coveted job to mark Cheshire parish’s 750th anniversaryIn the past, he would have been able to send publicans to the stocks for inflating the price of beer because everyone, including the children, drank it.“Unfortunately I don’t have those powers,” said the UK’s newest official “ale taster”. But there will be perks. “The role will certainly involve tasting ale. Or I bloomin’ well hope so,” joked Paul Boswell. “They’re not paying me so I hope I’ll get something out of it.” Continue reading...

Latest updates: Public and Commercial Services Union says offer is in effect a pay cut because of rising inflation and prices

Conservative news channel says Jenner, who ran for California governor last year as a Republican, will be ‘tremendous asset’Fox News says it has hired Caitlyn Jenner as a contributor, with her first appearance set for Thursday on Sean Hannity’s program.Jenner, the former Olympic decathlete, ran an unsuccessful campaign for California governor last year. The network said she will offer commentary and analysis across various Fox News platforms. Continue reading...

Fu Zhenghua had himself helped bring down country’s former security chief for corruptionBeijing has expelled its high-profile former justice minister and deputy police chief from the ruling Communist party, denouncing him as being “extremely despicable” and accusing him of befriending “political frauds”.Fu Zhenghua – who had reportedly helped bring down China’s former security chief Zhou Yongkang a few years ago – has been removed from public office over serious violations of party discipline and laws, said the state news agency Xinhua in a brief announcement that attributed the decisions to Beijing’s top anti-graft body. Continue reading...

Analysis: the publication of yet another critical investigation into the department follows a well-worn patternThere is a stark disconnect between how well the Home Office thinks it is doing at transforming itself into a more compassionate organisation and the extremely modest progress external observers believe the department has actually made.Four years on from the government’s first apologies for the Windrush scandal, the publication of yet another critical investigation into the Home Office followed a well-worn pattern. A forensic summary of the department’s outstanding problems was met with cheerful declarations from ministers and officials suggesting that things were going pretty well. Continue reading...