World news | The Guardian

Pilot scheme will see trained volunteers responding to ‘category three’ calls where extra help needed due to mobility problemsVolunteers could be responding to urgent 999 calls in London within weeks, as the capital’s ambulance service tries to tackle mounting delays.A pilot scheme, revealed in London ambulance service (LAS) board papers at the end of March, will focus on people who fall into “category three”, where they require a response within two hours, and need extra help because of mobility problems. Continue reading...

Move comes 16 years after collapse of Christmas savings club Farepak, which left thousands unable to access cashNew laws are to be announced this week aimed at protecting the hundreds of thousands of Britons who use savings clubs to put money aside for Christmas or pay for other items in advance.The government said it would also look at whether there were other sectors posing risks to people who prepay for goods or services, and whether similar protections were needed. Home improvements and weddings are two examples of big-ticket items where people frequently hand over substantial sums in advance. Continue reading...

Letter to government renews calls to repatriate citizens, including 30 children, held in conditions that ‘meet the standard of torture’

Uncooperative developers to be threatened with loss of planning permission by Michael GoveDevelopers that are refusing to contribute to the fund set up to fix dangerous cladding will be warned this week they could be blocked from selling new homes.The levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, will explicitly threaten retaliation, citing powers in the building safety bill that would stop uncooperative developers getting planning permission. Continue reading...

Social media video shows first minister not wearing mask during campaign visit to East Kilbride barber’sNicola Sturgeon has been reported to police after footage showed her appearing to break Scotland’s Covid laws on face masks.A video posted on social media showed the first minister not wearing a mask during a local election campaign visit to a barber’s in East Kilbride, south Lanarkshire, on Saturday. Continue reading...

NASUWT say tutors being contacted 24 hours of the day as job parameters become blurred amid pandemicParents now feel they can access teachers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and have got into the habit of firing off “aggressive and accusatory” emails at any time of the day or night, a teaching conference has heard.Teachers said that since the outbreak of the pandemic, the parameters of their job have become blurred, and parents now feel they can just “jump on the phone” or go on to social media to directly contact their child’s teacher outside school hours. Continue reading...

Downing Street gathering in November 2020 became leaving party only after PM arrived, Sunday Times reportsLabour said that a fresh Partygate revelation on Sunday implied that Boris Johnson instigated one of the No 10 parties that he has denied attending.The deputy Labour leader, Angela Rayner, spoke out after the Sunday Times reported that a gathering that took place in Downing Street on Friday 13 November 2020 took on the nature of a leaving party only after Johnson arrived and started pouring drinks. Continue reading...

Propaganda video shows Shaun Pinner, believed to have moved to Ukraine four years ago

More than 1,000 people thought to have descended on site near East Lulworth on Easter SundayPolice have warned would-be revellers not to cross military firing ranges in an attempt to reach an illegal rave in Dorset.More than 1,000 people were thought to have descended on a site close to the village of East Lulworth in the early hours of Sunday, Dorset police said. Continue reading...

Demonstrators threw stones and burned vehicles during a protest against an anti-Islam event organised by Danish far-right Stram Kurs partyUnrest broke out in southern Sweden late on Saturday despite police moving a rally by an anti-Islam far-right group, which was planning to burn a Qur’an among other things, to a new location as a preventive measure.Scuffles and unrest were reported in the southern town of Landskrona after a demonstration scheduled there by the Danish right-wing party Stram Kurs party was moved to the nearby city of Malmo, 27 miles south. Continue reading...

Temperatures to fall and rain forecast for some areas as weather returns to normal for April, Met Office saysMonday is expected to herald a drop in temperatures and rain for some areas of the UK at the end of an unseasonably warm Easter weekend.Temperatures were expected to reach the high teens on Sunday, with the possibility of even higher in the south after Good Friday was the warmest day of the year so far, with 23.4C recorded in St James’s Park in London – warmer than Ibiza. Continue reading...

Glanbia Milk’s products will attract VAT because they are not baked and would not be served at afternoon teaA range of flapjacks have been found to be sweets rather than cakes and therefore subject to VAT, in a judgment that could have big financial implications for manufacturers of the treats.The tax tribunal ruled that 36 flapjacks produced by Glanbia Milk were not cakes, which are zero-rated for VAT purposes, because they would not be eaten for afternoon tea, were more commonly eaten on the go, were not baked and contained significant amounts of protein. Continue reading...

Matthew Rycroft said that without evidence to justify the plan he could not be sure it provides value for moneyThe civil servant in charge of the Home Office has said he does not have evidence to show the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda will act as a deterrent.In a letter released at the weekend, Matthew Rycroft, the permanent secretary at the department, said that because the evidence was not available to justify the plan, he could not be sure it would provide value for money to the taxpayer. Continue reading...

20th Century Flicks has been renting out films since 1982 and is surviving the streaming era

Ursula von der Leyen says she doesn’t distinguish between heavy and light arms and suggests Sberbank could face sanctions

About half of ethnic minority workers said their employer had taken action to tackle racism in last 12 monthsThe number of employers implementing new diversity and inclusion drives has almost trebled since the end of the Black Lives Matter protests, new research shows.A total of 27% of ethnic minority workers said their employers had introduced new initiatives during the last 12 months in response to the global movement, according to an Opinium survey of 2,000 adults. This was an increase from 10% in 2020, the year in which protests began after George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in the US state of Minnesota. Continue reading...

The Colombian Nobel laureate, who lived in the city from 1967-75, is to have a €12m building specialising in Latin American literature named after himIn the digital age, building a new library filled with old-fashioned printed books seems idealistic, almost quixotic.Not so in Barcelona. The city council is about to open a new €12m (£10m) library next month, the latest instalment in a programme that dates back 20 years.The library, in the working-class district of Sant Martí de Provençals, has been named in honour of the Colombian Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez. Continue reading...

With the prospect of more Partygate fines and a spiralling cost-of-living crisis, many on his own side are playing a waiting gameIt wasn’t as if things had been going brilliantly for Boris Johnson as he attempted to spend some precious downtime last week at Chequers, a bubble of countryside tranquillity away from the escalating cost of living crisis and political woes that had punctuated his year.Already by Tuesday morning, one MP had been expelled from the party after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy. Another had caused outrage for issuing a statement supporting his former colleague – all just weeks before looming local elections. Continue reading...

Staff shortages, treatment backlogs and the pandemic have contributed to hospital doctors and nurses taking almost 23,000 years off with mental health problems since 2017

Labor says Anne Ruston as health minister if Coalition re-elected should ‘send a shiver down the spine’; WA records eight Covid deaths, NSW six, Victoria two and Tasmania one. This blog is now closed

Minister says Coalition is ‘not cutting Medicare’ as Labor accuses her of wanting ‘to take the universal out of universal healthcare’

Barry Joule says he is cancelling plans to donate a collection to the UK gallery because it failed to exhibit works in earlier giftAn extensive collection of Francis Bacon’s art will be given to France instead of to the Tate following a row between the gallery and one of the artist’s closest friends.Barry Joule, who was Bacon’s confidant, said he is so frustrated by the Tate’s failure to exhibit an earlier donation of the artist’s work that he has cancelled plans to donate hundreds more items to the gallery. Continue reading...

After two weeks of relative calm in the city, sinking of Moskva warship leads to retaliatory missile attacks

Russia has told Ukrainian soldiers in southern city to surrender as Ukraine president laments ‘inhuman’ situation there

Teaching union calls for cap on class sizes for all key stages as staff warn they cannot meet learning needs of all childrenThree out of four teachers in the UK say class sizes are getting bigger, having a negative impact on pupil progress, levels of attainment and behaviour during lessons, according to a survey.As schools struggle to help pupils catch up amid continuing disruption resulting from the pandemic, more than nine out of 10 (95%) teachers warned that bigger classes were damaging their ability to meet the needs of all pupils. Continue reading...

Foreign minister says she has made it ‘explicitly clear’ she does not agree with comments made by Warringah candidate

Experts say 400-year-old work is likely collaboration between Dutch master Willem Claesz Heda and his sonA 400-year-old “one in a million” Dutch painting worth up to $5m has been found at a property in the New South Wales Blue Mountains.Called Still Life, the work was recently located at the National Trust of Australia-managed Woodford Academy during a restoration project. Continue reading...

A pill linked to physical malformations, autism and developmental delay in children is still being prescribed to pregnant womenA anti-epilepsy drug, which causes health problems for babies when taken by pregnant women, is still being given to patients without safety warnings, it was reported.Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has called for an “immediate fix” concerning sodium valproate, which has been linked to physical malformations, autism and developmental delay in many children when taken by their mothers during pregnancy. Continue reading...

Merseyside police appealing for information about assault in afternoon in busy part of the cityAn 18-year-old man has died after emergency services were called to an internet cafe in Liverpool after a report that a teenager had been assaulted.Merseyside police have launched a murder investigation after the incident in the city centre on Saturday evening. Continue reading...

Bernie Maloney has become a kind of neighbourhood celebrity, even inspiring a civil disobedience campaign to stop forced evictions

Tory MPs say fines for Johnson and Sunak over lockdown gatherings have led usually loyal supporters to express concernSenior Tories have warned that traditional supporters are abandoning them after Boris Johnson’s Partygate fine, as another MP broke cover to say the prime minister should be removed over his conduct.Conservative MPs across the country said on Saturday they believed many people who had backed the party before were now raising concerns, with Downing Street braced for further fixed-penalty notices relating to parties in the coming days. Continue reading...

Nathan Fleetwood, 21, was last seen on the night of 27 March in Shrewsbury town centreA body has been recovered from a river during the search for a 21-year-old man who has been missing for 19 days.Nathan Fleetwood went missing after a night out in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. On the night of his disappearance, 27 March, he was sighted in Shrewsbury town centre at about 2.30am. He was last seen on Kingsland Bridge. Continue reading...

Sector faces ‘devastation’ by Brexit red tape and from pandemicLanguage schools for foreign students are being “devastated” by a combination of post-Brexit red tape and the impact of the pandemic, threatening the future of a £3.2bn industry, tourism leaders have warned.A report by the Tourism Alliance said even though the government had ended Covid travel measures, ministers had imposed unnecessary restrictions on children from France, Germany and other EU nations. Continue reading...

Rights groups call for united front against far-right candidate as polls predict a win for centrist Emmanuel MacronProtests were expected around France on Saturday as opponents of the far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen seek to form a united front to prevent her from winning an election runoff against incumbent Emmanuel Macron on 24 April.Police warned of possible incidents as demonstrators convened in 30 cities. Continue reading...

After experiencing the hottest day of the year on Friday, most parts will be sunny before a wetter MondayThe UK is set for warm weather ahead of Easter Sunday after experiencing the hottest day of the year so far.The mercury hit 23.4C (74.1F) in St James’s Park in central London on Good Friday afternoon, the Met Office said, making it hotter than California. Continue reading...

Only Briton to hold role was also president of National Farmers’ Union from 1970 to 1979 and an MEPHenry Plumb, the only British president of the European parliament, has died aged 97.The former Tory politician was president of the National Farmers’ Union from 1970 to 1979 and was elected an MEP for the Cotswolds in 1979. He remained a member of the European parliament until 1999 and served as its president from 1987 until 1989. Continue reading...

Woman, 32, left with injuries to her face after incident on Dixon Street in HaymarketPolice believe a suspected acid attack in Sydney overnight that left a woman in hospital with injuries to her face and some emergency services personnel requiring first aid was a “targeted attack”.Police were told the woman, 32, was standing on Dixon Street in Haymarket when a black hatchback pulled up in front of her. Continue reading...

Kim Jong-un is expected to display advanced weapons at military parade later this month and escalate missile testingThousands of North Koreans marched in a choreographed display of loyalty to the ruling Kim family during a massive civilian parade celebrating the birthday of the country’s founder attended by his grandson and current leader, Kim Jong-un.State media images showed Kim waving from a balcony overlooking the vast square in Pyongyang named after his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, as huge columns of people carrying red plastic flowers and floats with political slogans marched below. Continue reading...

Kinetigraph sends data to doctors so that physiotherapy and prescriptions can be adjusted to meet needsThousands of people with Parkinson’s disease will be given smartwatches by NHS England so they can be treated effectively from home.The Parkinson’s Kinetigraph contains sensors that monitor the wearer’s activity, and buzzes to remind them to take medication. Continue reading...

Survey confirms culture of sexual harassment in classrooms amid influence of ‘incel’ movementTeachers have raised concerns about the influence of “incel” subculture on teenage boys, as a survey revealed that seven in 10 female teachers have been victims of misogyny in school.The poll by the NASUWT teachers’ union confirmed a significant culture of sexual harassment and misogyny in classrooms, with almost 60% of those who participated saying they had experienced misogyny from pupils. Continue reading...

Rappers and singers from local area discuss feelings of loss and hope on track marking anniversaryFive years on from the Grenfell fire, the focus needs to shift back to the young people directly affected by the tragedy, according to those behind a new charity single that features cameos from Top Boy’s Ashley Walters and AJ Tracey.West Side Story, which will be released on 6 May, has been produced by Toddla T and features rappers and singers from the areas surrounding the tower, who discuss their feelings of loss, grief and hope as the fifth anniversary approaches. Continue reading...

Analysis: Plenty of high-profile candidates are chasing rightwing votes, but only one will likely get a Senate seat

Qantas apologises as passengers told they could be without bags for days

Analysis: Like clockwork, an announcement is made to revive the ‘zombie’ toll road projectAlmost seven years after Victoria’s Labor government scrapped a billion-dollar contract to construct the East West Link, the project – once dubbed a “zombie” by the state’s treasurer – refuses to die.The federal Coalition has previously pushed the case for the project. But this time, it was the state opposition reviving it by announcing it would build the underground tunnel to connect Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway to CityLink if was elected at the November election. Continue reading...

On a per-voter basis, Coalition-held seats of Bass in Tasmania and Canning in WA given biggest spending commitments so far

Ten years after settling case against News of the World, actor now taking action against another Rupert Murdoch titleHugh Grant is leading a renewed attempt to prove phone hacking took place at the Sun, even as Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper continues to maintain no illegality took place there.The actor has followed Paul Gascoigne and Sienna Miller in bringing a so-called “Sun-only” phone-hacking claim, specifically alleging that illegality took place at the daily tabloid in the 2000s. Rebekah Brooks, the current chief executive of Murdoch’s News UK business, was editor of the Sun during the period in question. Continue reading...

Kremlin yet to release details of possible casualties on Black Sea flagship, as Ukrainians hail its demise

Analysis: ship’s sinking will shock Russian public and is latest sign war in Ukraine will not end soon

In run-up to the presidential vote, French premier calls for EU-wide ceiling after head of carmaker Stellantis receives €19mEmmanuel Macron will push for a cap on excessive executive pay should he be re-elected president after he described as “shocking and excessive” the €19m (£15.7m) pay packet handed to the head of carmaker Stellantis.Macron, who is campaigning in the run-up to the final vote for the French presidency on 24 April against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, told France Info radio that he was in favour of an EU-wide ceiling for top executives’ pay. Continue reading...

Dozens of services to and from London cancelled, and strike action hits TransPennine Express routesRail passengers face a “disastrous weekend” of travel disruption as engineering works and strikes hamper one of the busiest Easter getaways in years.Dozens of services to and from London have been cancelled as Network Rail carries out 530 engineering projects across the bank holiday weekend. Continue reading...