Multimillionaire Paul Marshall understood to be talking to senior figures in Britain's right-leaning media about the ideaThe multimillionaire owner of the Spectator has met some of the most senior figures from Britain's right-leaning media to discuss a plan to fund a new generation of journalists, the Guardian understands.Sir Paul Marshall, the hedge fund founder who has become an increasingly pivotal media player in recent years, is said to have discussed the idea at a private dinner held around the time of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) conference, a global gathering in London of conservative thinkers, politicians and businesspeople that he co-founded and supports. Continue reading...
Hackney council calls time on Ashwin Street studio, neighbour to newly famous live music venue Cafe OtoAfter getting an Oscars shoutout at the weekend, the mood in Dalston's cultural corridor should be triumphant. Instead, a group of creatives in the same artistic hub are racked with fear about their future.Dozens of artists working in V22 Ashwin Street, a studio that has long been a space for developing talent, have been told to vacate the building by the end of the month. Hackney council, which owns the site, says this is because it is unsafe for those inside. Continue reading...
by Presented by Michael Safi with Simon Goodley; prod on (#6VQE7)
What can a major leak teach us about how call-centre fraudsters work? Simon Goodley reportsI'd quite like to just try and get a deposit together, to buy a house and stuff."After Mark* saw an advert for a financial trading website, he signed up to what he believed was access to an adviser who called herself Lilliana. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6VQCA)
Survey reveals senior officials think changes will do little to address local authorities' dire financial crisisMinisters' plans to shake up the structure of English local government by merging councils are ill-thought-out", insane" and a bizarre diversion" that will fail to deliver savings, according to a survey of town hall leaders.The depth of unhappiness with the plans is revealed in an annual poll of senior councillors and executives, most of whom said the changes would be costly, time-consuming and do little to address the dire financial crisis facing councils. Continue reading...
by Léonie Chao-Fong (now); Tom Ambrose and Jakub Kru on (#6VPKR)
French president says he will debate offer at European summit to be attended by Ukraine's president ZelenskyyRussia takes a positive view of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement last night that he is willing to negotiate over the war, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, however, that it was not clear how this would work because Ukraine had a legal ban on negotiating with Russia, Reuters noted. Continue reading...
Nearly 6,000 probationary workers will be back to work for 45 days while independent federal board investigates firingsAn independent federal board has ordered the US Department of Agriculture to temporarily reinstate nearly 6,000 employees who were fired as part of Donald Trump's efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.The decision, issued on Wednesday by Cathy Harris, chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board -responsible for reviewing federal employee firings - orders the USDA to reinstate the roughly 5,600 terminated probationary employees for a period of 45 days while it continues to investigate the firings. Continue reading...
CEO Lawson Whiting calls Canada's move disproportionate response' to levies imposed by Trump administrationThe Jack Daniel's maker Brown-Forman's CEO Lawson Whiting said on Wednesday Canadian provinces taking US liquor off store shelves was worse than a tariff" and a disproportionate response" to levies imposed by the Trump administration.Several Canadian provinces have taken US liquor off store shelves as part of retaliatory measures against Donald Trump's tariffs. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6VQ5P)
Exclusive: Marie Tidball tells of her experiences with NHS as report finds 44% higher risk of stillbirth for disabled womenWhen doctors tried to work out whether Marie Tidball would need a specially designed birth plan, one asked her to lie fully clothed on the bed and spread her legs in the air so they could see how far they could open.The incident was one of several occasions when Tidball, now a Labour MP, felt neglected during her pregnancy and early motherhood because of the NHS's failure to adapt on account of her physical disabilities. Tidball has physical impairments affecting all four of her limbs and had major surgeries on both her hips and legs as a child. Continue reading...
Slide on Tuesday buried multiple skiers, and state troopers are attempting to reach site on WednesdayMultiple skiers were reported trapped in the Alaska backcountry after being swept up in an avalanche, the Alaska state troopers said on Wednesday.The number of skiers and their conditions were not immediately available. Continue reading...
Joint statement issued after Israel cuts off supplies in effort to pressure Hamas to accept change in ceasefire dealBritain has joined Germany and France to warn that Israel could be in breach of international law by halting the entry of aid into Gaza which is facing a catastrophic" humanitarian crisis.The foreign secretary, David Lammy, signed a joint statement with his French and German counterparts to urge Israel and Hamas to engage constructively to get ceasefire talks back on track. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#6VQ2G)
Prime minister says country not for sale after laughter in Congress at Trump's assertion we're going to get it'Donald Trump's claim in his address to Congress that the US will acquire Greenland one way or the other" was widely condemned in Nuuk as disrespectful" and was said to present an unacceptable view of humanity".In his speech on Tuesday night, the US president was met with laughs, including from the vice-president, JD Vance, who was sitting behind him, when he said: I also have a message tonight for the incredible people of Greenland." Continue reading...
Foreign minister says country needs international help to dismantle programme and ensure Syria becomes aligned with international norms'Syria's foreign minister has vowed to swiftly rid the country of the chemical weapons remaining after the downfall of Bashar al-Assad's government, and he appealed to the international community for help.Asaad Hassan al-Shibani spoke during closed-door meetings at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, where he became the first Syrian foreign minister to address the disarmament agency. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6VQ2J)
Archie Hamilton said Jewish community in Britain has an awful lot of money' and should pay for proposed holocaust memorialA Conservative peer has been accused of using antisemitic tropes after telling a debate in the Lords that Jewish people should pay for a proposed Holocaust memorial in London because they have an awful lot of money".Archie Hamilton, who served as a minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major and was made a peer in 2005, was criticised after the debate about whether to put the memorial and education centre in Victoria Tower Gardens, next to parliament. Continue reading...
Teargas fired during protest at reduced rations after US aid freeze wipes out half of World Food Programme budgetThousands of refugees clashed with police in a Kenyan refugee camp this week after receiving news that their food allocations would be cut because of funding problems.The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, confirmed that four refugees and a local government official had been injured when police intervened to stop the protesters at the Kakuma refugee camp on Monday. Continue reading...
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor on (#6VPYY)
Phonetic resemblance between Maltese word for singing' and c-word too strong, rules European Broadcasting UnionMalta's contestant at this year's Eurovision contest will have to change the title and lyrics of her song owing to the phonetic resemblance between the Maltese word for singing" and the c-word, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has ruled.Miriana Conte, 23, will represent Malta at the five-day music event in Basel, Switzerland, on 13 to 17 May after winning the Maltese song contest last month with her song Kant. Continue reading...
Report by security agency says policy of quiet' towards Hamas allowed it to build up resources for 2023 attackIsrael's internal security agency, Shin Bet, has said Benjamin Netanyahu's policies were among the underlying causes of the devastating 7 October 2023 attack in which Hamas and other militants killed 1,200 Israelis.In its report on the 7 October attack, Shin Bet acknowledged its own responsibility, admitting it was aware of warning signs that Hamas was planning an operation, but the agency, also known as the General Security Service (GSS), did not grasp the scale, timing and location of the planned attack. Continue reading...
Witness says 16-year-old boy was shot in Stockwell by suspect dressed as a food delivery driverA 16-year-old boy shot dead in south London by an assailant described as being dressed as a food delivery driver on a moped has been named by the Metropolitan police as Lathaniel Burrell.Officers were called at about 3pm on Tuesday to reports of a shooting at Paradise Road in Stockwell. Lathaniel died while being treated at the scene by paramedics. Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses and information. Continue reading...
French president will speak about European security and reinforce his commitment to peace deal for UkraineEmmanuel Macron will make a televised address to France on Wednesday night as he tries to calm voters' concerns over Donald Trump upending the international order and EU leaders prepare for a special summit on defence.Macron's pre-recorded speech on primetime TV will address the Ukraine crisis, European security and the threat of a transatlantic trade war after Trump paused US support to Ukraine and also threatened to slap tariffs on goods from the EU, following on from levies imposed on China, Mexico and Canada. Continue reading...
Ex-Migos member plans Moscow arena concert despite his label's parent company Universal halting operations thereThe rapper Offset has announced an arena concert in Moscow despite a boycott from his label.The former member of Migos, whose hits included Bad and Boujee, shared an Instagram story to reveal the news. He will play at the MTS Live Hall on 18 April after completing a solo tour last year in the US. Continue reading...
James Scott Rhys Anderson was charged with terrorism and mercenary activities' after capture in Kursk in NovemberA British citizen captured while fighting alongside the Ukrainian army has been sentenced in Russia to 19 years in prison on charges of terrorism and mercenary activities".James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, was captured by Russian forces last November while fighting on Ukraine's side during its cross-border offensive in Russia's Kursk region. Continue reading...
Changes to sentencing guidance will also apply to mothers of children under one year oldPregnant women should not be sent to jail unless it is unavoidable", according to new sentencing guidelines.The guidance, published on Wednesday by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, has been hailed by campaigners as a huge milestone. It outlines a raft of new measures to stop criminals who are pregnant or mothers of children under one year old being imprisoned. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Martin Belam (earlier) on (#6VPN3)
Lt Gen Eyal Zamir says that mission to defeat Hamas is not accomplished' amid deadlock over ceasefire negotiationsAn Israeli rights group says Israel demolished a record number of Palestinian homes in annexed East Jerusalem last year, reports the Associated Press (AP).
Comments follow report alleging that estate agency company's junior staff faced inappropriate behaviourThe chief executive of Foxtons has admitted that the company has more to do" on workplace culture, after a report alleging that junior employees at the real estate agent had faced unwanted touching and other forms of harassment.Guy Gittins, who started his career at Foxtons in 2002 and returned as chief executive three years ago, said that the company remained steadfast in our commitment to an inclusive, professional and respectful culture", as it reported its full-year results for 2024. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6VPPP)
Virginia Laparra spent two years in prison after reporting her suspicion that a judge leaked sealed details of a caseA Guatemalan anti-corruption prosecutor forced into exile after being pursued by the country's conservative elite has said that leaving the country was the only way to save her life but was only a little bit less than death".Virginia Laparra, 45, spent two years in prison for allegedly abusing her position after she reported her suspicion that a judge had leaked sensitive details from a sealed corruption case to a colleague in 2017. Continue reading...
Canada and US said they would take 48 people held in Thai detention, according to officials, but Bangkok said to have feared upsetting ChinaCanada and the US offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand over the past decade, sources have said, but Bangkok took no action for fear of upsetting China, where most of them were covertly deported last week.Thailand has defended the deportation, which came despite calls from United Nations human rights experts, saying that it acted in accordance with laws and human rights obligations. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Pjotr Sauer explains Russia's response to the new Trump administration following a fraught week in global relationsGood morning. In his address to Congress last night, Donald Trump recited a letter from Volodymyr Zelenskyy offering to return to the negotiating table - and warmly welcomed the tone of discussions his administration has held with Russia. We've received strong signals that they are ready for peace," he said. Wouldn't that be beautiful?"That was not the first sign of Trump's faith in Vladimir Putin's promises - but it served to underline what is surely the most radical US foreign policy shift in a generation. Whether parroting Kremlin talking points on Zelenskyy's democratic credentials, making false claims that Ukraine started the war or cutting off vital military aid to Kyiv, the US president has created a dynamic that would have scarcely been believable six months ago.Killed women count | Nearly one in 10 of all women who died at the hands of men in the UK over the past 15 years were mothers killed by their sons, a report reveals. The statistics have led to calls for the government to take specific action to tackle matricide.Tariffs | Justin Trudeau has claimed the aim of a dumb" trade war launched by Donald Trump is to usher in the complete collapse" of the Canadian economy and make it easier for the US to annex Canada. Leading stock market indices fell sharply, with the US benchmark S&P 500 losing all its post-election gains, as the US slapped 25% taxes on Canadian and Mexican goods and hiked tariffs on China.Scams | An organised network operating from the former Soviet state of Georgia has scammed thousands of savers from the UK, Europe and Canada out of $35m (27m) after they fell for fake celebrity adverts on Facebook and Google. The scheme was revealed in a leak of call centre data covering more than 1m recordings.Gaza | Arab leaders have endorsed a $53bn (42bn) plan to rebuild Gaza under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in a rushed attempt to present an alternative to Donald Trump's idea for a property development-style plan. The Arab League presented the plans at a summit in Cairo.Media | Failings in the making of a documentary on Gaza are a dagger to the heart" of the BBC's claims of trustworthiness and impartiality, the corporation's chair has said, as he indicated that figures inside the corporation had fallen short in their handling of the film. Continue reading...
President boasted about efforts to slash federal workforce and reorient foreign policy as Democrats protested from chamberDonald Trump on Tuesday declared that his administration was just getting started", boasting in a marathon address to Congress that his efforts to slash the size of the federal workforce, reorient US foreign policy and escalate a risky trade war marked the beginning of the most thrilling days in the history of our country" as Democratic lawmakers protested with placards that read lies" and false".America is back," Trump declared, opening the his primetime speech to a joint session of Congress, the first of his second term and the longest in American history. Republicans broke into a boisterous chant of USA". Continue reading...
In official Democratic reply, Elissa Slotkin tells citizens to take active role in holding lawmakers accountableMichigan senator Elissa Slotkin followed Donald Trump's record-long joint congressional address on Tuesday by focusing on the risk of a declining democracy, directly challenging citizens to take an active role in holding elected officials accountable - herself included.The first-term Democratic senator, who represents a state won by the president, explained how preserving democracy requires constant, active participation from voters. Continue reading...
Proposal focuses on emergency relief and long-term economic development under Palestinian Authority administrationArab leaders have endorsed a $53bn (42bn) plan to rebuild Gaza under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in a rushed attempt to present an alternative to Donald Trump's idea for a property development-style plan.Trump's suggestion involved a relocation of the Palestinian population that has been widely criticised as effectively endorsing ethnic cleansing. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6VPDZ)
International development committee warns of the potential damage cuts may cause in letter to the PMA cross-party group of MPs has written to Keir Starmer expressing deep concern" about cuts to the UK's aid budget, as ministers brace for a potentially stormy debate on Foreign Office spending on Wednesday.The international development committee warned of the damage the cuts may cause in a letter to the prime minister written by its Labour chair, Sarah Champion. The move will undermine the UK's soft power and have dire consequences" for the world's poorest, it claims. Continue reading...
Four days of events planned in Britain to commemorate eight decades since end of second world war in EuropeFor the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day the Cenotaph will be draped in union flags and there will be a military procession and flypast as well as a new installation of about 30,000 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London, it has been announced.Four days of commemorations will begin on the bank holiday Monday of 5 May in tribute to the millions of people across the UK and Commonwealth who served in the second world war. Continue reading...
Where the US president sees a convivial leader an ocean away, Europeans see a tyrant on its borders breaking all agreementsIn the Four Quartets TS Eliot wrote humankind cannot bear very much reality".At moments in history like these, when there is simply too much head-spinning change and too many postwar assumptions being ripped from their moorings, it sometimes appears too much for any human to absorb, let alone offer a response. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6VN95)
PM tells MPs that Kyiv will need money and weapons even after a peace deal as US considers stopping supportWestern countries must keep military aid flowing to Ukraine, Keir Starmer has warned, amid reports that the US president, Donald Trump, is considering stopping US support to Kyiv altogether.The prime minister told MPs on Monday that Ukraine would need money and weapons from allied countries even after a peace deal, as he also urged the US to provide security guarantees that go beyond its proposed minerals deal. Continue reading...
Kyriakos Mitsotakis says protests over train disaster emphasise the need for safe and modern' transport systemThe Greek prime minister has vowed to upgrade the country's railways as his embattled government braces for a vote of no confidence after huge protests over a 2023 train crash that killed 57 people.Two days after hundreds of thousands took to the streets in fury over the response to the disaster on its second anniversary, Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged that not enough had been done to build a safe and modern" transport system, saying the largest protests in recent history had emphasised the demand for action. Continue reading...
Experts say young men and boys with strong sense of grievance' are idolising' shooters involved in US massacres. They are also falling through the gaps of UK terrorism lawsOn the morning of 13 September, 18-year-old Nicholas Prosper was arrested while walking on a residential road in Luton. Minutes before, he had murdered his mother, younger brother and sister, shooting them dead in their family home.Neighbours called police after hearing gunfire coming from the flat in Leabank tower, on Luton's Marsh Farm estate, and officers found Prosper shortly afterwards on Bramingham Road. Later that day, searches of the area uncovered a loaded shotgun and more than 30 cartridges hidden in a nearby bush. Continue reading...
Israel had agreed partial troop withdrawal by 9 March, but start of second phase of truce hits impasseTalks aimed at maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza hit an impasse in Cairo on Saturday , over whether the truce should advance to a second phase.A Hamas official said the multilateral negotiations in the Egyptian capital had made no progress on Friday, and there was no evidence the talks had resumed on Saturday, the last day of the ceasefire's first six-week phase. Continue reading...
The city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, led the celebrations to observe holy month of Ramadan, now in their third yearPiccadilly Circus has once again been lit up by an installation to mark Ramadan.It is the third year of the annual display, which features 30,000 LED bulbs in the shape of Islamic geometric patterns and symbols hanging over the West End street. Continue reading...
The get-together between the UK prime minister and US president barely made a splash across the AtlanticA quick scan of the UK newspaper front pages and you would be forgiven for thinking it was the diplomatic moment of the century, but a glance at the media on the other side of the Atlantic suggests Keir Starmer and Donald Trump's get-together barely made a splash.Instead, much of the scant coverage portrayed the prime minister as a messenger, bringing an invite for something much more glamorous than a former lawyer from Oxted: the royal red carpet. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6VJRG)
Rhianan Rudd, 16, was referred to Prevent by her mother after becoming fixated on Hitler', inquest toldA teenager who killed herself after becoming the youngest person in the UK to be charged with terror offences had been groomed online by an American neo-Nazi", an inquest has been told.Sixteen-year-old Rhianan Rudd, who was autistic, had been referred to the government's Prevent counter-radicalisation programme by her mother, Emily Carter, the counsel to the inquest, Edward Pleeth, told the hearing. Continue reading...
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