Following publication of the opinion that would overturn Roe v Wade, the court’s views on abortion are under extreme scrutinyWith Roe v Wade on the brink of defeat, following the leak of a supreme court opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito and signed by four other conservative judges, the court’s views – and track record – on abortion are under extreme scrutiny. Here’s what the nine justices have actually said over the years about it. Continue reading...
Exclusive: ideas include reducing trial safeguards and allowing startups to harvest patient dataA list of radical ideas for transforming the NHS, including lifting safeguards blocking startups’ access to patient data, and nurses being incentivised to help speed trials, was privately drawn up by drug and healthcare companies in talks with senior No 10 advisers.The proposals, which can be revealed after a freedom of information request, emerged in private roundtables convened by a taskforce appointed by Boris Johnson to generate ideas for cutting supposed red tape after Brexit. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#5YVQA)
Tunnelled section of £19bn project through centre of London finally ready for passengersLondon’s Elizabeth line is to open on 24 May, it has been announced, with the long-delayed tunnelled central section of the £19bn Crossrail project now ready for passengers.Transport for London (TfL) said the line would open, subject to final safety approvals, the week prior to the Queen’s jubilee celebrations. Continue reading...
Leader accused of holding region to ransom with vow not to revive power sharing until Brexit protocol is ditchedThe Democratic Unionist party is under mounting pressure to accept the result of Northern Ireland’s assembly election even if, as polls suggest, Sinn Féin emerges as the biggest party.In a televised party leaders’ debate on Tuesday night, Jeffrey Donaldson faced criticism over his threat to paralyse the formation of a new executive at Stormont after the election on Thursday. Continue reading...
Pact with Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise is attempt to deprive Emmanuel Macron of majority in parliamentFrance’s Socialist party and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party have reached an agreement in principle to form an alliance for June’s parliamentary election.The coalition pact, which the Greens and Communists agreed to earlier this week, is an attempt to deprive Emmanuel Macron of a majority in parliament and block his pro-business agenda after he was re-elected president in April. Continue reading...
Pope told nurse she had been target of inappropriate behaviour from male patient but no referral madeThe Dorset teenager Gaia Pope, who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after she was allegedly drugged and raped, was sexually harassed while being treated on a mixed psychiatric ward, an inquest jury has heard.Pope informed staff that a male patient on the ward at St Ann’s hospital in Poole made explicit sexual comments and suggestions and tried to hug her but jurors were told that no safeguarding referral was made. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#5YVS8)
Exclusive: Early results from ‘applied mindfulness’ courses suggests they have helped overcome despair that little can be doneBrussels officials are being trained to meditate to help them tackle the climate crisis as part of a new wave of “applied mindfulness” that seeks to take the Buddhism-inspired practice “off the cushion” and into hard politics.EU officials working on the 27-country bloc’s green deal climate policy are attending “inner green deal” courses intended to foster a deeper connection among decision-makers and negotiators tasked with tackling the crisis. The courses incorporate woodland walks near Brussels and meditation sessions, including one that invites participants to feel empathy for trees and animals to boost “environmental compassion”. Continue reading...
German prosecutor says investigators are sure Christian Brückner killed three-year-old and have ‘new facts’Fresh evidence has been found against the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a German prosecutor has revealed.Hans Christian Wolters said in an interview on Portuguese television that investigators believed they had found “some facts, some new evidence, not forensic evidence.” Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#5YVVC)
Incident raises further questions over comedian safety after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at OscarsThe comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked during a performance in Los Angeles, according to witnesses and videos of the incident posted online.Footage showed someone running on stage and tackling Chappelle during his performance at the Netflix Is a Joke festival at Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday night. The incident took place as the comedian was closing the show and thanking earlier performers including Chris Rock, Leslie Jones and Jon Stewart. Continue reading...
Fogo Island will lose its only full-time physician in June, leaving the community to journey six hours away to find careFor more than two centuries, residents of a remote Canadian island in the north Atlantic knew they could count on a nearby doctor for relief of most ailments.But this June, Fogo Island will lose the community’s only full-time physician, a trend mirrored in many of Newfoundland’s towns and villages as the region battles economic decline and a looming demographic crisis. The closest doctor will be a six-hour ferry ride away, subject to the vagaries of powerful maritime storms. Continue reading...
Jim Chalmers accuses Josh Frydenberg of lying about tax as treasurer and shadow treasurer pressed on NDIS in debate; Coalition ‘oblivious’ to pressures facing working families, Albanese says; border force won’t confirm reports of asylum seekers moved to Christmas Island; at least 56 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed
Former Ferrari boss Amedeo Felisa will take over as chief executive of British carmakerAston Martin has appointed its third chief executive in three years, with Tobias Moers stepping down after only two years in charge.Moers will leave the board of the British carmaker with immediate effect but will stay until the end of July to “support the leadership team with a smooth transition”, Aston Martin Lagonda announced. Continue reading...
The painter, film-maker and Mulka Project founder died on Sunday, leaving behind a legacy of boundary-pushing art and an archive of cultural knowledgeThe art world is mourning the loss of one of Australia’s most respected First Nations artists, Mr Wanambi, with one of his mentees saying “his passing has changed our entire landscape”.The Yolngu painter, film-maker and curator died in Darwin on Sunday, more than 1,000km from his home in north-eastern Arnhem Land. He was just 59 years old. His family have requested his first name and image not be published.Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#5YVHZ)
Exclusive: Move by Swedish firm, the UK’s leading buy now, pay later company, will begin on 1 JuneThe buy now, pay later company Klarna will start reporting UK customer debts to credit agencies for the first time next month, in a move that could affect shoppers’ credit ratings from 2023.The move is understood to be the result of two years of talks with the credit reference companies Experian and TransUnion, and comes as buy now, pay later (BNPL) firms face pressure from MPs and campaigners who say they should prevent customers from taking on more debt than they can afford. Continue reading...
Objects never before seen outside Japan will be part of show on site’s similarities to Jōmon monumentsThey were separated by thousands of miles and the two sets of builders could not conceivably have met or swapped notes, but intriguing parallels between Stonehenge and Japanese stone circles are to be highlighted in an exhibition at the monument on Salisbury Plain.The exhibition will show that ancient people in southern Britain and in Japan took great trouble to build stone circles, appear to have celebrated the passage of the sun and felt moved to come together for festivals or rituals. Continue reading...
by Samantha Lock (now); Maanvi Singh, Joanna Walters, on (#5YT72)
This blog has now closed. You can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogMark Voyger is an expert on transatlantic relationships at the Center for European Policy Analysis and a former special adviser to the US army. He has been interviewed on Sky News in the UK this morning, and told viewers that the virtual address by the UK’s prime minister Boris Johnson to the Ukrainian parliament will be seen as a significant moment of support. He told viewers:It is absolutely important and critical for Ukraine to see this massive international support being demonstrated in these difficult times. Obviously, we’ve already had multiple high- level visits, including the UN general secretary, and from the European Union’s leadership, the US.So this is a clear sign to not only the government, but the Ukrainian people, that the west is ready to do what is necessary to help them achieve victory.Volatile regions are only those that are not members of Nato. The history of those conflicts shows that Russia attacks effectively non-Nato members – that is Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine. It hasn’t dared to touch any an inch of Nato territory yet.I must say Vladimir Putin with his arrogant aggressive policies in the region has achieved the miracle really of convincing even the Swedes to forego their 300 plus years of neutrality. So I expect them to get fast tracked into Nato. This is a historical chance for them.12 enemy attacks were successfully repelled on the front line of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Six tanks, five artillery systems, 22 units of armoured combat vehicles and eight motor vehicles were destroyed. Air defence units shot down five unmanned aircrafts guided by remote control Orlan-10. Continue reading...
Labor, which has promised to establish a national anti-corruption commission ‘with teeth’, says the PM’s comments show his ‘true colours are emerging now’
Office of Independent Ajudicator received more than 1,000 complaints in England and Wales related to pandemic measuresUniversity students’ complaints about the Covid pandemic disrupting their studies led to more than 1,000 appeals to the higher education watchdog in England and Wales last year.The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) received a record 2,763 appeals from students unhappy at the way their complaints had been handled by their universities in 2021. More than a thousand of those were related to the effects of campus Covid measures, treble the number in the first year of the pandemic. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#5YV48)
Details of emails released in Good Law Project challenge to awarding of contracts to Abingdon Health for antibody testsCivil servants described the government’s Covid testing programme as “unlegit” and “no way to do business” in emails revealed in a high court challenge to the awarding of up to £85m in contracts for antibody tests.The campaigning organisation Good Law Project (GLP) is challenging the health and social care secretary, claiming the contracts with Abingdon Health, a medium-sized UK firm, were unlawful because they were not advertised nor open to competition, and the correct procurement process was bypassed. Continue reading...
Salangy’s brothers were also convicted alongside him of helping to cover up the murder of Zobaidah SalangyA pizza shop owner has been convicted of murdering his wife and burying her body in an unmarked grave that police did not discover for more than six months, despite extensive searches.Nezam Salangy, 44, was found guilty at Worcester crown court of killing 28-year-old Zobaidah Salangy, his wife of eight years, on 28 March 2020 then burying her in woodland near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, under cover of darkness. Continue reading...
A leaked supreme court draft ruling shows the US is set to end 50 years of a woman’s right to choose. Elsewhere, the battle still ragesIn 2022, abortion remains one of the most controversial and bitterly contested ethical and political battlegrounds. It is illegal for women to terminate their pregnancies in any circumstance in 24 countries, with a further 37 restricting access in any case except when the mother’s life is in danger.As a leaked document signals that the US supreme court is poised to strike down the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v Wade, millions of American women face losing their access to legal abortions, joining millions more living in those countries rejecting a woman’s right to choose. Continue reading...
Police in Port Lambton, Ontario called after device carrying shopping bag of guns flew into tree and operator fled in vehiclePolice in Canada have intercepted a drone which crossed the border from the United States carrying a shopping bag with nearly a dozen handguns – but only after the pilot crashed the device into a nearby tree.Officers in southern Ontario were called to a home near the town of Port Lambton, north-east of Detroit after residents reported seeing a stranger maneuvering a commercial drone. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#5YTXN)
Luke Skelton, 18, allegedly carried out ‘hostile reconnaissance’ and believed he was engaged in a race warA teenager said to have lionised Hitler and who allegedly believed he was part of a race war against “totalitarian” liberal democracy has gone on trial accused of preparing to commit a terrorist act.Luke Skelton, 18, is alleged to have carried out “hostile reconnaissance” of Forth Banks police station in Newcastle upon Tyne. Continue reading...
Results are ‘obscene’, say unions, after soaring oil and gas prices help company to beat forecastsBP’s profits more than doubled to $6.2bn (£5bn) in the first three months of the year, the highest quarterly profit in more than a decade, helped by soaring oil and gas prices.Analysts had expected a figure of $4.5bn and the higher profit has renewed calls by campaigners for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies. Continue reading...
Lance O’Connor confronted Hove MP Peter Kyle outside parliament with makeshift gallowsA man has been found guilty of threatening a Labour MP after he held a makeshift gallows with a noose outside parliament and said: “This is what we do to traitors.”Lance O’Connor, 57, called out the name of the Hove MP, Peter Kyle, as he walked across Parliament Square in central London on 20 October last year, Westminster magistrates court heard on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Nichola McKee-Corner brands leaking of exchange, allegedly between Sinn Féin and Saoradh, an exploitation of Lyra’s murderThe sister of Lyra McKee has called the timing of a leaked letter, reportedly from Sinn Féin, to a group accused of having links to the dissident republican group allegedly behind the journalist’s murder, “exploitative of the tragedy for political purposes”.The two-year-old letter, from Sinn Féin’s Declan Kearney, reportedly referenced a potential “cooperation agreement” between Saoradh and Sinn Féin over achieving a border poll. It was an attempt to “work towards unity and changing the constitutional position, but only by consent, only by the public working together” according to Sinn Féin’s vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, as she confirmed Kearney had written a letter to Saoradh. Continue reading...
Voters may choose to punish governing party in two forthcoming contests, as they have in previous byelectionsThe Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Neil Parish, announced he would quit as an MP after admitting to twice watching pornography in the House of Commons, triggering another byelection. It comes days after the resignation of Imran Ahmad Khan, Tory MP for Wakefield, who was found guilty of sexual assault.While Parish’s seat at least may seem safe for the Tories, recent byelections have brought shock results. Here’s a rundown of the two votes to come – and the eight already held since the last general election. Continue reading...
Stephenson Harwood makes offer as more City companies weigh up post-Covid flexibility for employeesStaff at a top London law firm have been told they can work from home permanently – but they will have to take a 20% pay cut.Managing partners at Stephenson Harwood are offering lawyers and other staff the option as City firms try to move beyond solely office-based working in a post-pandemic cultural shift to flexible and remote models. Continue reading...
Thick sheet of orange shrouds country as experts say phenomenon to become more frequent due to drought and declining rainfallIraq was yet again covered in a thick sheet of orange on Sunday as it suffered the latest in a series of dust storms that have become increasingly common.Dozens were hospitalised with respiratory problems in the centre and the west of the country. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#5YRS7)
Cognition project for eight-week-olds consists of series of tasks, including one that’s unsolvableResearchers are hoping to unleash a generation of smarter guide dogs by studying the cognitive behaviour of puppies and finding out who the clever boys and girls really are.Guide Dogs, the sight loss charity, will analyse the responses of eight-week-old puppies to see which ones best handle surprises, how they interact with human voices and how they react to difficult and sometimes impossible problems. Continue reading...
Pearl was to have focused on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl inspired by historically influential female figuresMeghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has fallen victim to cutbacks at Netflix, according to a US report that said the struggling streaming giant has dropped plans for her animated series Pearl.Announced to fanfare last summer, with Meghan as its creator and executive producer, the “family series” was to have focused on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl inspired by historically influential female figures. Continue reading...
Eight police officers injured and 45 arrests made in Paris after protests on fringes turn violentTens of thousands of people have taken part in French street demonstrations as May Day marches sent a “message” to Emmanuel Macron that he must consult citizens more during his second term, and reverse plans to raise the retirement age or face protests.“There will be a fight over pensions, that’s clear – battle has been declared,” said the leftwing CGT trade union in Toulouse. Trade unionists, environmentalists and parties on the left, as well as yellow-vest anti-government protesters, marched in cities across the country – on what is also known as fête du Travail (Labour Day) in France – demanding a rise in pensions and salaries and an end to Macron’s plan to gradually raise the pension age to 65. Continue reading...