Carrick now charged with 44 offences, including coercive behaviour, sexual assault and false imprisonmentThe Metropolitan police officer David Carrick has been charged with three more counts of rape, bringing total charges against him to 44.The 47-year-old constable already faced 41 charges involving 11 alleged victims, including rape, coercive and controlling behaviour and sexual assault between 2003 and 2020.Twenty-one counts of rape.Nine counts of sexual assault.Five counts of assault by penetration.Three counts of coercive and controlling behaviour.Two counts of false imprisonment.Two counts of attempted rape.One count of attempted sexual assault by penetration.One count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#5Z1AW)
Missed flights and queues outside terminals underline aviation sector’s struggle with staff shortagesThousands of passengers have had to queue outside terminals at Birmingham and Manchester airports, and dozens have missed flights, in chaotic scenes underlining the aviation industry’s struggle to return to normal pre-pandemic service.The staff shortages that led to congested terminals at Easter and widespread flight cancellations have persisted, with Birmingham deciding to move passengers outside to disentangle check-ins from security lines. Continue reading...
Former French prime minister and wife Penelope found guilty, but sentences are reducedA French appeal court has upheld the conviction of the former French prime minister François Fillon and his Welsh wife, Penelope, for embezzling public funds in a fake job scandal.However, the judgment, announced on Monday, reduced the sentences imposed on the couple during their trial almost two years ago; Fillon was given a four-year sentence, three of which were suspended, a fine of €375,000 (£320,000) and a 10-year ban from holding a public position. His wife was given a two-year suspended sentence and the same fine. The couple had been allowed to remain free pending the outcome of the appeal. Continue reading...
by Helen Livingstone, Martin Belam and Léonie Chao-F on (#5Z0NT)
Putin makes no major policy announcement about Ukraine in Victory Day speech; Zelenskiy says country will win war with Russia and not cede any territoryVladimir Putin has told Russian soldiers they are “fighting for the same thing their fathers and grandfathers did” as he used his Victory Day speech to tie the war in Ukraine to the memory of the second world war and justify his invasion. Prior to the speech, foreign officials had said Putin could use it to launch a full mobilisation of Russian troops or formally declare war in Ukraine, but there were no large policy announcements.In a rare mention of Russian casualties in Ukraine, Putin said that the “the death of each of our soldiers and officers is a grief for all of us and an irreparable loss for relatives and friends”, adding that he signed a law that “will provide special support to the children of the dead and wounded comrades”.Commemorating victory over Nazi Germany, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said Ukraine would win in its war with Russia and not cede any territory. In a video posted to social media, the Ukrainian president said: “We are fighting for our children’s freedom and therefore we will win. Very soon there will be two victory days in Ukraine. And someone won’t have any. We won then. We will win now.”Residents of Russian-occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia oblast have had their personal documents taken away by Russian authorities, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces has said, saying they would be returned “on the basis of the participation of the latter in the solemn events … of Victory Day”.Kirill Stremousov, deputy chairman of the pro-Russian military-civilian administration in Kherson in southern Ukraine has said: “We will integrate as much as possible into the Russian Federation”.Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revealed shortcomings in its ability to conduct precision strikes at scale, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has said in its latest intelligence updateThe European Union should consider seizing frozen Russian foreign exchange reserves to help pay for the cost of rebuilding Ukraine after the war, its foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has said in an interview.Emmanuel Macron, the French president, is expected to travel to Berlin for talks with German chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday and to make a major address. It will be his first trip abroad since his re-election and Ukraine is expected to be high on the agenda for the two leaders.UK defence secretary Ben Wallace has accused leaders of Russia’s armed forces of “amorality and corruption” and said the conflict in Ukraine brings “dishonour”.The UK government has expanded its sanctions against Russia to include punitive import tariffs on Russian precious metals, as well as export bans on certain UK products, to increase economic pressure on Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.Traumatised Ukrainian refugees who have sought sanctuary in the UK may have to wait two years before they can get specialised therapy to help them heal from the horrors of war. Continue reading...
Known as Bongbong, son of the late dictator holds significant lead over nearest rival in unofficial countFerdinand Marcos Jr appears on track to become the next president of the Philippines, as initial vote counts showed a significant lead for the son and namesake of the late dictator who ruled the country for more than 20 years.A partial and unofficial count based on 61.05% of the election returns showed Marcos Jr in the lead with 20m votes on Monday evening. His nearest rival, the vice-president and former human rights lawyer Leni Robredo, was on 9.5m votes, according to data released by the commission on elections. It is not clear which areas of the country have been counted, and if these are Marcos strongholds. Continue reading...
Police are imposing nationwide curfew following violence at protest site in ColomboSri Lanka’s prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has resigned after months of protests over the country’s deepening economic crisis and calls for leaders from the ruling family dynasty to step down.The move came as a nationwide curfew was imposed following violence at a major protest site in Colombo, where pro-government supporters attacked demonstrators and police responded with teargas and water cannon. Continue reading...
Schoolchildren as young as 14 targeted in 1975 for links to ‘subversive’ anti-fascist and socialist organisationsMI5 asked police chiefs to collect information about the political activities of schoolchildren as young as 14, a public inquiry into undercover policing has heard.The request – circulated to chief constables throughout Britain in 1975 – was approved by the head of the Security Service and a senior Whitehall official. Continue reading...
Clients and staff sent bills after firm contracted to manage Sunderland site was taken over by multinationalFood bank users were pursued for parking charges of up to £170 and threatened with court action after an enforcement company took over management of a community centre car park in Sunderland.Clients and volunteers at the Youth Almighty Project (Yap), which runs a food bank and community services, were hit with parking charge notices (PCNs) for using the charity’s free car park after the firm contracted to manage the site was taken over by an Australian multinational called Smart Parking. Continue reading...
Women underrepresented in research, warn doctors, amid calls for more emphasis on prevention and educationGaps in understanding about how cardiovascular disease affects women are putting lives at risk, say experts, who have called for greater action and investment to improve access, quality and equity in women’s heart health.In a presidential advisory issued by the American Heart Association, leading heart doctors argued that women continued to be underrepresented in research for cardiovascular disease – the number one killer of women in the US and UK – and that greater emphasis needed to be placed on prevention and education. They suggested heart health programmes should begin as early as primary school, to engage girls and empower families to take greater control over their health. Continue reading...
by Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies on (#5Z111)
Tesla boss responds to data showing population fell by record 644,000 last year – the 11th straight year of declineElon Musk has warned that Japan will “cease to exist” unless it addresses its falling birthrate, sparking calls for the country to allow more immigration and improve its work-life balance.“At the risk of stating the obvious, unless something changes to cause the birthrate to exceed the death rate, Japan will eventually cease to exist. This would be a great loss for the world,” the Tesla chief executive, who recently agreed a deal to buy Twitter for $44bn (£36bn), said in a post on Sunday. Continue reading...
by Tory Shepherd (now) and Amy Remeikis (earlier) on (#5Z0M6)
Scott Morrison pushes defence funding message; Penny Wong says ‘a lot of work’ required to address issues in Pacific; Anthony Albanese announces Labor education policy; early voting centres open across the country; NSW records three Covid deaths. Follow all the day’s news
Analysis: It has already been a very wet autumn in eastern Australia, as weather event drives heavy rainfallIt has already been a very wet autumn in eastern Australia. Now further heavy rain will bring the potential for flooding in the north-east of the country over the next few days.La Niña has been the main driver behind the wet weather across Australia during what is autumn in the southern hemisphere. During a La Niña event, the sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific are colder than normal, meaning that the usual easterly winds across the equator are strengthened. The result of this is that more moisture is fed into north-eastern parts of Australia in particular, with an increase in associated heavy rainfall events. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Political correspondent on (#5Z0WB)
‘Ludicrous’ to suggest Labour leader is trying to avoid scrutiny over issue, says Wes StreetingThere is still no evidence Keir Starmer broke Covid rules with a beer and a takeaway meal during a campaign visit to Durham last year, a senior shadow minister has said, saying it was “ludicrous” to suggest the Labour leader was avoiding scrutiny over the issue.Starmer had been scheduled to attend an Institute for Government event on Monday but has pulled out. Wes Streeting, the shadow education secretary, said he did not know why the decision had been made. Continue reading...
Airline to cut capacity of Airbus A319 planes as it faces staff shortage amid Covid pandemicEasyJet plans to remove seats in some of its planes this summer as part of a strategy to cut the number of staff it needs.Employers across the economy have complained of difficulty recruiting staff at the salaries they are willing to pay, and airlines are struggling to meet the increased demand as international travel restarts in earnest after Covid-19 lockdowns. Continue reading...
The Times says it tried to switch the word for as many users as possible, apparently in response to the supreme court’s draft Roe v Wade rulingThe New York Times has removed the word “fetus” from its Wordle answers to keep the game “distinct from the news”, a move apparently related to last week’s leaked Roe v Wade supreme court draft ruling.The change caused confusion as it was only implemented for some of the game’s players. Continue reading...
Serving SAS major, called as witness by Roberts-Smith, tells court two groups of colleagues raised concerns about awarding of medal, but did not allege war crimes
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#5Z0RB)
Exclusive: Arrangement has allowed bank to earn billions of pounds nearly tax-free for over 12 yearsBarclays has avoided nearly £2bn in tax via a lucrative arrangement in Luxembourg that allowed it to pay less than 1% on profits in the tax haven for more than a decade.A Guardian analysis of Barclays’ tax bills shows it is still benefiting from a controversial decision in 2009, in which it booked profits from the $15.2bn sale of a fund management business in Luxembourg rather than in the UK where it is headquartered. Continue reading...
Safety work in Great Musgrave decried as ‘cultural vandalism’ may have to be undone despite National Highways saying it was neededThe UK government’s roads agency is facing hundreds of objections a week to its decision to bury a Victorian bridge arch under concrete in a move widely condemned as “cultural vandalism”.National Highways (NH) was forced to apply for retrospective planning permission for a decision last May to pour 1,000 tonnes of concrete and aggregate under the arch of the bridge in Great Musgrave, Cumbria. Continue reading...
Andrea Wright, diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia, is now having a proper night’s sleepAndrea Wright, 39, from Bristol, was diagnosed in 2013 with psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. She was in such severe constant pain, and unable to sleep for more than two continuous hours a night, that she was retired on ill health from her job at National Grid “at the grand old age of 33”.She says: “I had to stop work because the pain was too much. It’s been very depressing; I really enjoyed my job. I tried so many different therapies and managed to get my arthritis under control but for fibromyalgia, there isn’t anything, no magical pill.” Continue reading...
by Helen Livingstone (now); Vivian Ho, Miranda Bryant on (#5Z02B)
This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogAs international efforts to pressure the Russian leader continue, G7 leaders, including US President Joe Biden and Ukraine’s Zelenskiy, are set to discuss Western support for Kyiv via videoconference today.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will host the call and Zelenskiy will “take part and report on the current situation,” government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said. Continue reading...
Meafua’s club Montauban is in shock after the player died after jumping into the river TarnA rugby club has been left in shock after Samoan back row forward Kelly Meafua died after jumping from a bridge into the river Tarn hours after playing in a French second division match.Meafua’s club Montauban confirmed the 32-year-old had not survived the incident in the early hours of Saturday morning despite the efforts of a teammate. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#5Z0MN)
One in seven adults estimated to be food-insecure, up 57% from January, owing to rising cost of livingMore than 2 million adults in the UK have gone without food for a whole day over the past month because they cannot afford to eat, according to a survey revealing the “catastrophic” impact of the cost of living crisis.The latest survey of the nation’s food intake shows a 57% jump in the proportion of households cutting back on food or skipping meals over the first three months of this year, with one in seven adults (7.3 million) estimated to be food-insecure, up from 4.7 million in January. Continue reading...
Adam Wagner, a barrister specialising in lockdown rules, says document shows purpose of meal was political, not socialA barrister specialising in lockdown rules has said a leaked document showing Keir Starmer attended a prearranged meal in Durham during an election could be used to clear the Labour leader of allegations that he broke the law.The document, published by the Mail on Sunday, shows that an 80-minute dinner with the Labour MP Mary Foy, featuring a takeaway curry, was planned as part of his schedule. Continue reading...
Actor starred as bodyguard Terry McCann in Minder and tough cop George Carter in The SweeneyThe actor Dennis Waterman – who starred in the TV shows Minder, The Sweeney and New Tricks – has died at the age of 74.Waterman, best known for his role as the bodyguard Terry McCann in ITV’s Minder, had a showbiz career that spanned 60 years. Continue reading...
Fears grow that elevation of John Lee signals Beijing’s tough policy on Hong Kong is set to continueThe European Union has condemned the appointment of Hong Kong’s former security tsar, who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, as the Chinese territory’s new chief executive with 99% of the vote in a secret ballot on Sunday.Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, said the selection process that led to John Lee being elected is yet “another step in the dismantling of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle”. Continue reading...
by Andrew Sparrow Political correspondent on (#5Z0CJ)
How Keir Starmer having a beer and a takeaway became potentially a resigning matter following Durham police’s decision to reopen its investigationThe Sun first published a picture of Keir Starmer drinking a beer with Labour workers in a party office in Durham on 30 April 2021 more than a year ago. Until recently, the story was a minor Tory attack jibe, but it is now potentially a resignation matter following Durham police’s decision to reopen its investigation into whether the Labour leader broke Covid lockdown rules. Continue reading...
Fears flagship bill will be left out of Queen’s speech despite promise to fight sexual harassment and pregnancy discriminationA coalition of campaigners has urged the UK government not to betray working women by ditching its promises to clamp down on sexual harassment and workplace pregnancy discrimination in its flagship employment bill.Before the Queen’s speech on Tuesday, campaigners are calling on the government to push forward with the bill, which was promised in 2019 and promoted as the way to protect UK workers after Britain left the EU. Continue reading...
by Zahra Joya and Rukhshana reporters in Kabul on (#5Z0A0)
Women say they fear going out in public despite Taliban vow to respect hard-won rights after 2021 takeoverDespite everything that has happened to her country since the Taliban seized power last August, 29-year old Nafisa still never believed there would come a day when she would be unable to feel the sun on her face as she walked the streets of Kabul.Yet on Saturday, the Taliban’s sinisterly named ministry for the propagation of virtue ordered that Nafisa, along with millions of women across Afghanistan, should ideally not leave the house at all. If they do, they must be fully veiled and never show their faces in public. Continue reading...