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...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#5XQ9Q)
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...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#5XQ9P)
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...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#5XQ79)
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...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#5XQ4Q)
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...
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...
by Vincent Ni, China affairs correspondent on (#5XQ39)
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...
US will support mental health measures for young people and easier self-identification on federal formsThe Biden administration is commemorating International Transgender Day of Visibility with new policy actions to support trans communities facing a wave of discriminative legislation at the state level.The newly announced measures will include policies aimed at improving mental health among trans children, helping trans people gain easier access to government services, and providing additional gender identification options at the airport. Continue reading...
Istanbul is seeking to mend ties with Saudi Arabia to bolster a struggling economy as it looks for foreign tradeA Turkish prosecutor has asked an Istanbul court to halt the trial of 26 suspects in the murder of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi and hand the case over to Riyadh.Turkey is seeking to mend ties with Saudi Arabia to bolster its struggling economy, four years after the 2018 killing of the dissident Saudi journalist inside Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#5XPY0)
Funding for national programme to go directly to schools instead after broad criticism of RandstadThe company running the national tutoring programme (NTP) has been axed and funding will go directly to schools instead after the government was forced into a climbdown over its flagship scheme which will now be overhauled.Labour accused the government of wasting millions of pounds of public money, and said the NTP revamp announced on Thursday was “too little, too late, for too many children”. Continue reading...
Move intended to ensure CBD ‘products are safe and what they say they are’, says FSA’s chief executiveThe Food Standards Agency (FSA) has created a list of more than 3,500 food products infused with cannabidiol (CBD), bringing them one step closer to being authorised as part of government plans to wrest control over a flourishing industry.CBD extracts are widely available in UK shops, cafes and online in the form of oils, drops, gels, confectionery, bakery products and drinks. The FSA is responsible for food safety and hygiene in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Continue reading...
A study found that more than 2m counterfeit pills were confiscated in the last quarter of 2021 aloneOver the past four years, the number of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl that have been seized by US law enforcement jumped by 4,850%, according to a new study, underscoring how an alarming surge in the deadly drug is putting people at increasing risk for accidental overdose.The study by a consortium of academic researchers, led by New York University, was released on Thursday. Using a first-of-its-kind, real time analysis of federal data, it found that more than 2m fake pills were seized by officials in the last quarter of 2021 alone – up from 42,000 in the first quarter of 2018. Researchers also found that the number of individual seizures involving fentanyl pills increased by 834%. Continue reading...
The series My Life as a Rolling Stone will feature an hour-long film on each member, including the late Charlie WattsThe BBC have announced a summer season of programming to mark the 60th anniversary of the Rolling Stones, including a series of new documentaries on each band member. My Life as a Rolling Stone will spend an hour on Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and the late Charlie Watts. According to the BBC, the films use “unseen footage and exclusive stories from Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood interwoven with new and archive interviews and performance”, while the Watts film is told through his bandmates and peers. Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Steven Tyler, Chrissie Hynde, Slash and PP Arnold are among those who have contributed to the films, which will air on BBC Two.A new audio documentary, Rolling With the Stones, will air on Radio 2: a career-spanning retelling of the band’s story, drawing on hours of unheard archive interviews and interspersed with rare performance recordings. Continue reading...
The raid on the Jenin camp comes two days after a Palestinian shot and killed five people in central IsraelIsraeli forces have raided a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, setting off a gun battle in which two Palestinians were killed and more than a dozen were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.In a separate incident, a Palestinian stabbed a 28-year-old Israeli man on a bus in the West Bank before being killed by a bystander, the Israeli military said. The Magen David Adom emergency service said the stabbing victim was treated and taken to a hospital. Continue reading...
Suspected cat burglar reportedly broke in while couple were at home in Holland Park with daughterDavid and Victoria Beckham’s west London mansion has been broken into while the couple were at home, with “thousands of pounds” worth of items stolen.The burglary of the couple’s £40m Kensington home is believed to have occurred late in the evening of 28 February, while they were at home with their 10-year-old daughter, the Sun reported. Continue reading...
Former soldier tells defamation trial Roberts-Smith said ‘shoot him’, referring to a soldier playing a prisoner. Roberts-Smith denies the incident took place.
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5XPEE)
Exclusive: MPs criticise ‘climate-degrading’ and ‘nefarious’ practice of flying near-empty planes to retain landing slotsAlmost 500 “ghost flights” a month departed from the UK between October and December 2021, data has revealed.The information, obtained through a freedom of information request by the Guardian, shows Heathrow, Aberdeen, Manchester, Stansted and Norwich were the top five airports for such flights during the period. Continue reading...
After two-year freedom of information battle with Guardian Australia, the PM’s office has been told to search for any messages with QAnon proponent Tim Stewart
Test follows North Korea’s recent launch of a long-range missile amid speculation regime could soon conduct nuclear testSouth Korea has said it has successfully test-fired a solid-fuel space rocket for the first time, as it attempts to ramp up its defences after North Korea’s recent launch of a long-range missile and amid speculation that the regime could soon conduct a nuclear test.The South’s defence ministry said Wednesday’s launch, from a site 150km (93 miles) south-west of Seoul, was an “important milestone” in the country’s ability to monitor its neighbour, as it would allow it to eventually launch satellites to spy on the North. Continue reading...
Man, 40, charged with preparation of terrorist acts and hijacking over incident at reconciliation event attended by Simon CoveneyA man has been charged with a number of offences relating to a security alert in Belfast that led to Ireland’s foreign minister being evacuated from a peace event.Simon Coveney was taken out of an event organised by the John and Pat Hume Foundation in north Belfast last Friday. The Irish minister was making a speech to the gathering at the time. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#5XP0J)
Rachel Beale, 53, who admitted misconduct in public office, was a manager in sexual offenders unitA female police worker has been jailed for having an affair with a convicted rapist she was supposed to be supervising.Rachel Beale, 53, was an offender manager within Wiltshire police’s management of sexual and violent offenders unit. Continue reading...
Inquiry into maternity practices at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital trust finds 201 babies could have survived with better carePolice are examining 600 cases linked to the biggest maternity scandal in the history of the NHS, after a damning report into baby deaths condemned health staff for blaming mothers while repeatedly ignoring their own catastrophic blunders for decades.The independent inquiry into maternity practices at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust uncovered hundreds of cases in which health officials failed to undertake serious incident investigations, while deaths were dismissed or not investigated appropriately. Continue reading...
Rana Ayyub, a columnist for the Washington Post, was not allowed to board a flight at Mumbai airport on TuesdayA prominent Indian journalist has been prevented from flying to Europe to speak about intimidation of journalists and rights in the world’s largest democracy.Rana Ayyub, an outspoken critic of the government of Narendra Modi and columnist for the Washington Post, was not allowed to board a flight at Mumbai airport on Tuesday. She had been due to travel to London to address a conference at the International Centre for Journalists. Continue reading...
Key coalition partner has switched allegiance ahead of a parliamentary no-confidence vote this weekendImran Khan’s future as prime minister of Pakistan is looking increasingly in doubt after a key coalition partner switched allegiance ahead of a parliamentary no-confidence vote this weekend.The former cricket star was expected to address the nation in the evening, as weeks of political turmoil come to a head – including allegations of foreign interference. Continue reading...
This blog has now closed, you can find our latest UK political coverage hereBetts asks Harrington how many people have actually arrived in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Harrington says it is too early to say, but he says he may be able to tell the committee at the end of the week.Harrington said that he agreed it took too long to fill in a visa application form. He said at the weekend he spent just under under an hour filling out one out himself, and he was in a more comfortable situation than the refugees who have to fill them out. He said the government was looking at what it can do to make the forms shorter. Continue reading...
Off-duty officers armed with piece of wood and golf clubs seen taking on Can Arslan, who stabbed Matthew Boorman 27 timesPolice have released a video showing two off-duty officers armed only with a piece of wood and golf clubs tackling a man who stabbed one neighbour and badly injured a second after a bitter long-running dispute.Can Arslan, 52, killed Matthew Boorman, his neighbour in the village of Walton Cardiff in Gloucestershire, stabbing him 27 times, and inflicted eight knife wounds on another neighbour, Peter Marsden. Continue reading...
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