French weekly published pictures of Pelicot with a man, described as her companion', walking in the streetGisele Pelicot, who survived nearly a decade of rapes by dozens of men, will sue Paris Match magazine for invasion of privacy, her lawyers said on Thursday.In its latest edition, Paris Match published seven pictures of Pelicot accompanied by a man described as her companion walking in the streets in her new home town. Continue reading...
Event was meant to kick off 30 May to follow failed 2017 festival that resulted in Billy McFarland's wire fraud convictionFyre festival 2 has been postponed", according to messages sent to ticket holders, just weeks before it was scheduled to start.The event, advertised as a luxury music festival, was supposed to take place in Mexico from 30 May to 2 June. It was intended as an improved followup to the failed Fyre festival in 2017, which experienced problems with security, food, accommodation, medical services and artist relations, resulting in the festival being indefinitely postponed and eventually cancelled. Continue reading...
France imposed harsh ransom' after 1825 Revolution that campaigners say stunted Caribbean country's developmentThe French president, Emmanuel Macron, has announced a joint commission with Haiti to examine the countries' shared past as Haitian campaigners demand a reimbursement of billions of dollars worth of ransom" paid to France.Macron announced his intention to create the commission as campaigners renewed calls for reparations on the bicentenary of an agreement to pay 150m francs to France in 1825 to compensate slave-owning colonists after the Haitian Revolution. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6WPG1)
Screenwriter says he has no time for online warriors' criticising show, which now has two minority ethnic leadsThe Doctor Who screenwriter Russell T Davies has said he has no time for online warriors" who claim the show is too woke.Speaking to BBC Radio 2, the Welsh writer - who was also behind the hit series Queer As Folk and It's a Sin - said: What you might call diversity, I just call an open door." Continue reading...
Exclusive: Mark Bridges of Farrer & Co was trustee for Rifaat al-Assad, who was charged with war crimes in 2024Queen Elizabeth II's private solicitor spent eight years helping to manage the offshore wealth of the uncle of the recently deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, an investigation has established.Rifaat al-Assad became known as the butcher of Hama" after allegations he played a key role in a massacre of thousands of Syrians at the city of Hama in 1982. In 2024, Switzerland formally charged him with war crimes. Continue reading...
Body of Emily Sherwin, 20, was never found after she was separated from her friend while diving near SwanageA university student died after being caught in an underwater vortex" while diving off the south coast of England, an inquest has heard.Emily Sherwin, 20, who studied marine conservation, was diving off Old Harry Rocks near Swanage, Dorset, when she got caught in the current and became separated from her dive buddy. Continue reading...
Growth in international hotels coincides with government effort to push region as a tourism destinationAlmost 200 international hotels are operating or planning to open in Xinjiang, despite calls from human rights groups for global corporations not to help sanitise" the Chinese government's human rights abuses in the region, a report has said.The report by the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) identified 115 operational hotels which the organisation said benefit from a presence in the Uyghur region". At least another 74 were in various stages of construction or planning, the report said. The UHRP said some of the hotels also had exposure or links of concern to forced labour and labour transfer programmes. Continue reading...
Kristi Noem demands university's records on foreign students' illegal' activities while president threatens to strip it of tax-exempt statusDonald Trump has declared that Harvard University should no longer receive federal funds, calling it a joke" that teaches hate and stupidity", while his administration said the pre-eminent US university could lose its ability to enrol foreign students.Harvard made headlines on Monday by becoming the first university to stand up against a series of onerous demands from the Trump administration, setting the stage for a showdown between the federal government and one of the US's most prestigious institutions. Continue reading...
Former Today host speaks to British Vogue about changes to radio show and shift towards personality-led mediaThe journalist Mishal Husain has said personality-focused journalism doesn't have to be bombastic", after concerns that the BBC Radio 4 Today programme has shifted focus to be more editorialised.The former BBC broadcaster, 52, has moved to front a new interview series as the editor-at-large of Bloomberg Weekend Edition. Continue reading...
A survey of more than 14,000 staff also found schools having to step in to provide basic household itemsA third of school staff have seen physical underdevelopment" in students due to poverty, with schools in England stretching their budgets to buy basic household items such as cookers, bedding and clothes for pupils whose families are struggling.A survey of more than 14,000 school staff, published at the National Education Union's annual conference in Harrogate, found that this rose to more than half of those teachers working in deprived areas, with warnings that things can only get worse" after recent benefit cuts. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6WP77)
Surgeries will be able to claim money if doctors refer patients to an out-of-hospital setting in bid to cut waiting listsGPs in England will be paid 20 each time they decide not to send a patient to hospital under a government scheme to help reduce the NHS waiting list.Family doctors will be able to claim the money if they instead refer patients for tests and treatment in an out-of-hospital setting, such as a health clinic, or to see a community-based specialist. Continue reading...
Report accusing Northern Beaches hospital of not taking sufficient actions to stop risks comes as parents of baby who died after waiting for caesarean speak out
Mark Carney's Liberals have surged in the polls since Donald Trump's attacks on Canada, scuppering Conservative calls for change after Trudeau eraPrime Minister Mark Carney said the key question in Canada's upcoming election is who is best to deal with Donald Trump as he faced his Conservative rival in a French-language leaders' debate on Wednesday.Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said during the debate Canada needs change after a decade of Liberal party rule and Carney is just like his predecessor, Justin Trudeau. Carney responded: Mr Poilievre is not Justin Trudeau. I'm not Justin Trudeau either. In this election the question is who is going to face Mr Trump." Continue reading...
UK bakery chain says it will offer free soya with coffee or tea from 21 May but will still charge for oat milkThe bakery chain Gail's is to drop its soya milk surcharge after a campaign by a leading animal rights charity argued the fee unfairly discriminated" against customers.Gail's will offer free soya from 21 May, but will continue to charge between 40p and 60p if costumers want oat in their coffee or tea. Continue reading...
Blazes in some parts of the country are up by 1,200% since last year, as charities warn about effects on wildlifeEntire ecosystems have been decimated" and endangered species put at risk after one of the worst wildfire seasons on record in the UK, charities have warned.Vast areas of habitat for animals including butterflies, beetles and falcons have been damaged, and some peat bogs may take hundreds of years" to recover following one of the driest Marches in decades combined with warmer than average temperatures in April. Continue reading...
Activist groups make request for arrest warrant to be issued for Gideon Sa'ar after unannounced trip to LondonThe UK Foreign Office has confirmed that the foreign secretary, David Lammy, met his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar, while Sa'ar was on an unannounced visit to London.The Foreign Office described Sa'ar's visit as private", though it said Lammy had discussed a full range of Middle East issues with the Israeli foreign minister. News of Sa'ar's presence in the UK - at a time when Israel is intensifying its offensive in Gaza, having ended a ceasefire last month - has triggered outrage among critics of Israel, and a formal request from activists for an arrest warrant to be issued against him on charges of alleged complicity in war crimes. Continue reading...
Hashem Abedi is alleged to have attacked three prison officers with hot cooking oil in kitchen at HMP FranklandThe brother of the Manchester Arena bomber is reported to have been moved to the high security prison at Belmarsh in south London after an attack on three prison officers.Hashem Abedi, who plotted the 2017 bombing, is alleged to have attacked three prison officers with hot cooking oil at a high-security prison on Saturday at Durham's HMP Frankland. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6WNVY)
Exclusive: Emily Thornberry and Liam Byrne say MPs should have input because of agreement's significanceThe Labour chairs of the foreign and trade committees have called for parliament to have a vote on any UK trade deal with the United States.Emily Thornberry, who chairs the foreign affairs committee, and Liam Byrne, who chairs the business and trade committee, said MPs should have a say on the deal ministers are hoping to strike with Donald Trump. Continue reading...
Wave of assaults declaration of war' by drug gangs after crackdown on bosses operating from jail, French media sayEmmanuel Macron has warned that those behind a wave of apparently coordinated attacks on French prisons and staff will be found, tried and punished".The president's comments came after at least a dozen assaults on French jails in the past three days. In one attack, gunmen using automatic weapons fired at the entrance to Toulon prison in the south of France. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Martin Belam (earlier) on (#6WNDD)
Chancellor says wages are growing faster than prices but acknowledges many are still struggling with the cost of livingA government minister has reiterated the call for the Unite union to accept a deal and end the bin strike in Birmingham.Speaking on GB News this morning, Lillian Greenwood, parliamentary under-secretary of state for the future of roads, said residents were facing a completely unacceptable situation" Continue reading...
Joshua Sullivan was abducted from his church by four gunmen, but is now recovering and in excellent condition'South African police have rescued an American pastor who was abducted last week while he was conducting a sermon, as kidnappings have soared over the last decade in the country.Three unidentified suspects were killed during the high-intensity shootout" on Tuesday in which Joshua Sullivan, a missionary from Tennessee, was rescued, the Hawks, the police unit that deals with serious crime in South Africa, said in a statement. Continue reading...
Authorities say suspect had a lust' for killing and used drugs to paralyse the respiratory muscles of victimsProsecutors have charged a Berlin palliative care doctor with the murder of 15 patients, alleging he acted out of a lust" for killing.The 40-year-old suspect is accused of killing 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024 using a deadly cocktail of sedatives. German press reports identified the suspect as Johannes M, but prosecutors have not released a name. Continue reading...
Delegation of European parliament lawmakers raise concerns about number of worrying developments' concern country's compliances with EU valuesUS state secretary Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff will visit France in the coming days, the French government's spokesperson Sophie Primas confirmed.Politico and Le Monde earlier reported that the pair would come to Paris later this week with the intention of hosting high-level talks on Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, and trade. Continue reading...
by Tiago Rogero South America correspondent on (#6WNKM)
Veronica Abad claims Daniel Noboa, her former running mate, used state power to tilt the voteEcuador's vice-president, Veronica Abad, has accused the country's president - her former running mate Daniel Noboa - of violating the democratic code" by using the state apparatus to gain an advantage over the other candidates in the country's runoff election.
This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe definition of a woman and sex in the Equality Act relates to a biological woman and biological sex", the supreme court has ruled as it unanimously allowed an appeal from gender critical campaign group For Women Scotland.A possible outcome of the case is that the court will agree with the previous interpretation of the law as it stands, but suggest parliament considers amending the Equality Act to deal with these previously unforeseen consequences. Continue reading...
Judges say Equality Act definition excludes transgender women holding gender recognition certificates after gender critical campaigners' challengeThe UK supreme court has ruled that the terms woman" and sex" in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex, in a victory for gender-critical campaigners.Five judges from the UK supreme court ruled unanimously that the legal definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010 did not include transgender women who hold gender recognition certificates (GRCs). Continue reading...
Dispensation means teachers in England not obliged to inform child protection about under-18s in every instanceTeachers will not have to inform on sexually active teenagers under a new legal duty to report child abuse after a novel Romeo and Juliet" exemption received cross-party support.A new crime and policing bill obliges professionals in England, including teachers and healthworkers, to report suspicions of child sexual abuse to the police or local authority in an attempt by the government to prevent cover-ups. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6WNFX)
Martin Hibbert tells justice secretary he is absolutely disgusted' to hear of alleged assault by Hashem AbediA survivor of the Manchester Arena bombing has said that the alleged assault on prison officers by one of the brothers behind the 2017 terrorist attack signified a catastrophic failure of duty" to protect prison staff.Hashem Abedi, who helped his suicide bomber brother, Salman Abedi, to plan the attack at an Ariana Grande concert, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 55 years after being convicted of the murder of 22 people, as well as attempted murder, and conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life. Continue reading...
Suspect apprehended within hours of Tuesday violence, says school district, while superintendent says such shootings becoming way too familiar'A suspect in a shooting at a Dallas high school that wounded four students and drew a heavy police response to the campus has been taken into custody, school district officials have announced.Three of the students were injured by gunfire and the fourth was injured in their lower body, according to the Dallas fire-rescue department. It said units were dispatched to Wilmer-Hutchins high school just after 1pm and that the four male students were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from serious to not life-threatening. Continue reading...
Freedom of information requests reveal disproportionate use of batons and rigid handcuffs for Muslims behind barsMuslim prisoners are disproportionately subjected to force including pain-inducing techniques by jail staff, according to new data.Freedom of information requests found that in eight out of nine prisons with high Muslim populations, Muslim men were more likely than the average inmate to be confronted with batons, made to wear rigid bar handcuffs, or deliberately held in a painful position.At Belmarsh, a prison in south-east London often used to hold terrorist suspects, Muslim prisoners made up 32% of the population in 2023. Over the same period, Muslim men were subjected to 43% of incidents involving the use of rigid bar handcuffs and 61% of incidents involving the use of pain-inducing techniques.At HMP Whitemoor, in Cambridgeshire, Muslim prisoners constituted 43% of the prison population. But more than half - 55% - of the use of rigid bar handcuffs and pain-inducing techniques over the year was on Muslim prisoners.At HMP Isis in Thamesmead, south-east London, Muslim prisoners made up 45% of the inmates. But batons were used on Muslim prisoners in more than 57% of the incidents where batons were drawn, and 56% of incidents of pain-inducing techniques involved Muslim prisoners.At HMP/YOI Feltham B in west London, Muslim prisoners were 42% of the population. Figures showed they were subjected to 53% of the uses of rigid bar cuffs, 57% of the instances where batons were drawn and 64% of pain-nducing techniques.At HMP Woodhill, in Milton Keynes, Muslim prisoners constituted 37% of the population but were subjected to 49% of the uses of rigid bar handcuffs, 63% of instances of batons being drawn and 64% of incidents using pain-inducing techniques. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European Community affairs correspon on (#6WNA1)
Human rights groups say drop is partly due to EU policies that turn blind eye to rights abuses in countries such as Libya and TunisiaIrregular crossings at Europe's borders have fallen by 30% in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period last year, in a decrease that rights groups partly attributed to EU policies that have emphasised deterrence while seemingly turning a blind eye to the risk of rights abuses.The decline was seen across all the major migratory routes into Europe, the EU's border agency Frontex said in a statement, amounting to nearly 33,600 fewer arrivals in the first three months of the year. Continue reading...
Men connected to right-wing group claiming responsibility for confronting prime minister at Melbourne hotel say there was nothing James Bond' about getting access
by Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson in Funafuti on (#6WN7T)
All banking in the Pacific nation used to be done in cash but that is about to change on the main island of FunafutiTuvalu, one of the world's most remote nations, has unveiled its first ever ATMs, at the headquarters of the National Bank of Tuvalu in the village of Vaiaku on Funafuti, the country's main island.Tuesday's ceremony marked a historic shift for the island nation of 12,000 people, which has never before had access to electronic banking. Attended by prime minister Feleti Teo, the governor general, traditional leaders, members of parliament and representatives from the diplomatic and business sectors, the event celebrated a long-anticipated move toward financial modernisation. Continue reading...
Sentenced with wife Nadine Heredia, Humala is third president of Peru imprisoned for corruption in past 20 yearsA Peruvian court has sentenced former president Ollanta Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia, to 15 years in prison for laundering funds received from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to finance Humala's 2006 and 2011 campaigns.The judges of the national superior court found that Humala and Heredia received several million dollars in illegal contributions for these campaigns from Odebrecht and the government of the then Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez. Continue reading...
Major setback for diplomatic efforts to end two years of civil war as Arab states refuse to sign joint communiqueA British-led attempt to establish a contact group to facilitate ceasefire talks in Sudan fell apart on Tuesday when Arab states refused to sign a joint communique after a conference in London.The daylong argument between Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the communique represents a big diplomatic setback for efforts to end two years of civil war in Sudan. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6WMY0)
Jonathan Reynold's trip suggests government will continue its rapprochement with Beijing despite security concernsThe trade secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, will travel to Beijing to revive a key trade dialogue with China despite saying it had been naive to allow Chinese investment in sensitive sectors, the Guardian has learned.Reynolds is scheduled to travel to China later this year for high-level talks in an effort to boost bilateral trade and investment. Continue reading...
Data shows England's 200 leading independent schools devote fraction of fee income to supporting poorer pupilsEngland's wealthiest private schools devote only a small fraction of their income towards means-tested bursaries, according to research that undermines claims that adding VAT to school fees would decimate support for poorer pupils.The Private Education Policy Forum (PEPF), a thinktank campaigning for greater equality and transparency among independent schools, gathered data from more than 200 leading schools, and found they spent less than 6% of their total fee income on supporting pupils based on family income. Continue reading...
Video shows the herd forming a protective circle around youngster during powerful earthquakeAs the ground shook from a 5.2-magnitude earthquake, a herd of elephants at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park sprang into action to protect their young.A video shot of their enclosure at the park on Monday morning shows the five African elephants standing around in the morning sun before the camera shakes and they run in different directions. Then the older elephants - Ndlula, Umngani, Khosi - scramble to encircle and shield the two seven-year-old calves, Zuli and Mkhaya, from any possible threats. Continue reading...