Annual rise in April follows upturn in national insurance contributions and higher household costsInflation jumped by more than expected last month to 3.5% after dramatic increases in water bills, energy costs and council tax, official figures show.A rise in employer national insurance contributions and a boost to the national minimum wage also put pressure on companies to raise prices in April by more than City analysts had forecast. Continue reading...
Exclusive: 25m hi-tech facility at terminal had been called white elephant' even before latest EU deal scrapping some health and veterinary checksA 25m post-Brexit border control post in Portsmouth may have to be demolished if the UK government's deal with the EU removes the need for health and veterinary checks on food imports, according to the port's director.Mike Sellers had already spoken out last year about how more than half of the site would never be used because planned checks on EU food and plant products had been pared back since it was designed, leading to the building being called a white elephant". Continue reading...
Average spend of 757 includes tickets, accommodation, 75 on food and drink, 60 on merchandise plus travel and new outfitsOasis fans are expected to splash out more than 1bn on the reunion tour including tickets, accommodation, food, drink, outfits and merchandise, according to research that found a quarter of ticket holders would have been happy to spend even more.The band's comeback concerts after a 15-year hiatus are expected to be the most popular, and profitable, run of gigs in British history. Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo in Porticello. Photos by Alessio Mam on (#6XE3Y)
The Sicilian fishing village is watching the salvage of Mike Lynch's superyacht for answers to the causes of the tragedySome say that the late tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht, Bayesian, sank because it was vulnerable to high winds that drove the vessel past its point of stability. Others insist that a chain of human errors led to the incident that claimed seven lives, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.But in the quiet Sicilian fishing village of Porticello - where on 19 August 2024 the Bayesian was caught shortly before dawn in a violent storm while anchored off coast - everyone knows the truth lies 50 metres below the surface, in the wreckage of a yacht that divers, floating cranes and underwater drones are still struggling to bring back from the depths of the ocean. Continue reading...
Taku Et's remarks drew fury as cost of rice has nearly doubled in a year amid soaring food pricesJapan's agriculture minister has resigned after saying he never buys rice because he gets it free, a remark that drew public fury in a country facing soaring food prices.Taku Et's resignation has added to pressure on the prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, whose failure to rein in soaring rice prices and address a wider cost of living crisis has angered voters ahead of upper house elections in July. Continue reading...
In an interview with the Guardian, Winston Peters says the world faces the most uncertain time' in 80 years ahead of talks with Australia's foreign ministerThe Pacific must be protected from becoming a military zone amid China's growing push for influence in the region, New Zealand's top diplomat Winston Peters has warned ahead of a meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.Peters, who is New Zealand's deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, told the Guardian that his country has a good relationship with China. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6XDZK)
Proportion of cases lasting more than a year up 17-fold in seven years, National Audit Office saysThe proportion of children in England and Wales subject to care proceedings who are having to wait more than a year to have their case resolved has increased more than 17-fold in the last seven years, a watchdog has found.The average duration of proceedings brought by local authorities to protect a child from harm (known as public law cases) was 36 weeks last year, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). In 2014 the government set a time limit of 26 weeks but it has never been met. Continue reading...
Climate Change Committee says original goal of a 75% emissions cut by 2030 will now be delayed by up to six yearsThe UK's climate watchdog has warned that Scotland needs to take immediate action at pace and scale" to cut its emissions after ministers axed a series of policy pledges.The Climate Change Committee (CCC), an official advisory body, said ministers in Edinburgh needed to take urgent action to curb emissions from buildings and transport to cut Scotland's overall emissions to nearly zero by 2045.Abandoned a target to cut car miles by 20% by 2030.Dropped a pledge to rapidly decarbonise homes by mandating low-carbon heating systems.Cut funding for tree planting.Missed targets to restore degraded peatland.Ignored calls for a plan to cut meat and dairy consumption, and failed to use their powers to tax air travel more heavily. Continue reading...
Sentencing review to be published on Thursday aims to ease prison capacity crisis' and reduce reoffendingJudges and magistrates in England and Wales will be told to move away from handing out short custodial sentences in favour of community-based alternatives in a long-awaited sentencing review to be announced on Thursday.Amid concern that the criminal justice system could collapse because of overcrowding in prisons, the former Tory justice secretary David Gauke will call for suspended sentences to be made available for custodial sentences of up to three years, instead of the current two. Continue reading...
Firms among England and Wales suppliers facing record 81 investigations as sources say polluter will pay' for their costTwo of Britain's biggest water companies, Thames Water and Anglian Water, face more than 50 criminal investigations between them as part of a crackdown on sewage dumping, the government has said.The utilities were subject to the bulk of a record 81 investigations into water companies between last July's general election and March 2025, according to new data. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Work and pensions secretary to double down on changes despite growing pressure within LabourThe work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, will double down on Labour's 5bn disability benefits cuts on Wednesday, claiming she is reforming the welfare state to save it from collapse.Opposition to the welfare package continues to mount within her party before next month's vote. Labour backbenchers claim more than 100 colleagues have signed a private letter telling party whips they are unable to support it. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6XDSC)
Baby charities' report shows that high rates of stillbirth and neonatal death are not reducing quickly enoughA delay in improving NHS maternity care is costing the lives of hundreds of babies a year, analysis has shown.At least 2,500 fewer babies would have died since 2018 if hospitals had managed to reduce the number of of stillbirths and neonatal and maternal deaths in England, as the government falls behind on its commitment to halve the rate of those three events. Continue reading...
UK justice secretary says victims should have chance to give impact statements as new bill goes through parliamentDefendants who refuse to appear in court for sentencing are giving a final insult to victims and their families", the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has said, as an impact statement from the mother of a murdered girl was read to MPs.During the second reading of the victims and courts bill, the Labour MP Anneliese Midgley read a statement on behalf of Cheryl Korbel, the mother of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was shot dead in her Liverpool home in 2022. Continue reading...
Trans rights and gender-critical campaigners condemn decision after party told it risks legal challenge if event goes aheadLabour has cancelled its national women's conference and restricted all-women shortlists as it awaits full guidance from the equalities watchdog, drawing criticism from transgender rights and gender-critical campaigners.The party's governing body, the national executive committee (NEC), met on Tuesday to sign off plans to cancel the women's conference, which was due to take place before the party's annual conference in Liverpool in September. Continue reading...
George Simion claims presidential election rerun was subject to foreign interference, like last year's annulled ballotThe defeated ultranationalist candidate in Romania's presidential election rerun has said he will ask the country's top court to annul the vote on the same grounds - foreign interference - that led to the original ballot being cancelled last year.George Simion, who was defeated in Sunday's runoff by the liberal mayor of Bucharest, Nicuor Dan, said on Tuesday he would ask the constitutional court to void the ballot for the same reasons they annulled the elections" last year. Continue reading...
King Charles's sojourn will make it clear that Canada is not for sale now, is not for sale ever'King Charles's visit to Canada will reinforce" the country's sovereignty against threats from Donald Trump, the Canadian high commissioner in the UK has said.Ralph Goodale reiterated his country's independence as Charles and Camilla visited Canada House in central London on Tuesday ahead of their trip to Ottawa later this month. Continue reading...
by Nadeem Badshah (now) and Martin Belam (earlier) on (#6XD8M)
Foreign secretary tells parliament that the Israeli government's egregious actions and rhetoric' are isolating the country from its friends and partnersThe Scottish secretary has said the new UK-EU trade deal provides 12 years of certainty and stability" for the fishing industry, amid criticism from the industry that the government has made too large a concession to the EU on fishing rights.The Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) has described the deal as a horror show", but Ian Murray said: I don't agree with that."It gives 12 years of certainty and stability for the industry, it doesn't change any of the deal that was put in place in 2019, which is 25% more quotas for UK and Scottish trawlers and it gives wide access, of course to the new markets of the EU, in terms of pushing away all that red tape that was there before.Not one more fish will be taken out of Scottish waters by an EU trawler as part of this deal and that provides that stability and certainty.We should never trust Keir Starmer. You know, he's screwing things up domestically, so he gets on the international bandwagon.He's selling us out, not just on Brexit, but on Chagos and ... we're hearing all sorts of things about Gibraltar. We'll hold them to account on this. Where Labour negotiates, Britain always seem to lose. Continue reading...
by Thomas Graham in Mexico City and agencies on (#6XDJV)
Members of Clara Brugada's team shot dead by gunmen on motorcycle in brazen attack in central part of the cityThe personal secretary and an adviser to Mexico City's mayor have been shot dead by gunmen on a motorcycle in a brazen daylight attack in a central part of the city.Mayor Clara Brugada called the murder of her personal secretary Ximena Guzman and adviser Jose Munoz a direct attack". Brugada said in a statement that the attack took place in the Moderna neighborhood.More details soon... Continue reading...
Kyra Hill died after getting into difficulties in lake in Berkshire, where there were no signs to warn of deep waterAn 11-year-old girl who drowned during a birthday party at a water park was a beautiful, beaming beacon of light", her father told an inquest where a coroner found she was unlawfully killed.Kyra Hill got into difficulty in a designated swimming area in a lake at Liquid Leisure near Windsor, in Berkshire, on 6 August 2022. On Tuesday the senior coroner Heidi Connor said there had been gross health and safety breaches at the park. Continue reading...
Union claims Epic Games replaced actors' work by using AI to generate Darth Vader's voice without noticeHollywood's actors' union filed an unfair labor practice charge against Epic Games on Monday, alleging the company replaced actors' work by using artificial intelligence to generate Darth Vader's voice in Fortnite without notice.The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said Llama Productions, a subsidiary of the gaming giant, failed and refused to bargain in good faith with the union" in the last six months. The company made unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment without providing notice to the union or the opportunity to bargain" by using AI-generated voices to replace bargaining unit work, Sag-Aftra said. Epic Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Continue reading...
Suspect, who died in explosion, left behind nihilistic writings that indicated views against procreationInvestigators are combing through the writings of the 25-year-old man believed responsible for an explosion that ripped through a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, over the weekend.The blast on Saturday gutted the American Reproductive Center, a fertility clinic in the desert city, and was powerful enough to leave the windows of nearby buildings along a palm tree-lined street shattered. None of the facility's embryos were damaged. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspon on (#6XDGM)
Court asks police to raid centre on outskirts of Las Palmas after extensive evidence and testimony' of alleged crimesA court in the Canary Islands has ordered the closure of a centre for unaccompanied migrant children, citing allegations that include physical abuse, hate crimes and threats.Police entered the centre on the outskirts of Las Palmas on Monday where 43 children were being housed. A court on the island - the first in Spain to specialise in violence against children and adolescents - said it had asked police to carry out the raid in light of the extensive evidence and testimony" of alleged crimes taking place in the centre. Continue reading...
China and Australia cut interest rates; Shell faces protests calling for clean-up in Niger DeltaHere's our full story on Greggs.Sales at Greggs have picked up after the UK's biggest bakery chain branched out into iced drinks, pizza boxes and a macaroni cheese that has gone viral on social media.These are important issues and we respect the right of people to express their view. But for many years the vast majority of spills in the Niger Delta have been caused by third parties acting unlawfully, such as oil thieves who drill holes in pipelines, or saboteurs.These challenges are managed by a joint venture which Shell's former Nigerian subsidiary, SPDC, operated, cleaning up every spill from the joint venture's facilities. Continue reading...
Ahmed Ebid, 42, helped bring nearly 3,800 people from Libya to Italy, some of whom made it to the UKA people smuggler based in the UK who helped to ruthlessly and cynically" exploit people seeking asylum as part of a 12m Mediterranean operation has been jailed for 25 years.Ahmed Ebid, 42, helped bring nearly 3,800 people, including women and children, on just seven fishing boat crossings from north Africa to Italy between October 2022 and June 2023, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Some eventually made it to the UK. Continue reading...
Man, 26, was arrested at Luton airport on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger lifeA second person who has been charged over fires at two properties and a car linked to Keir Starmer has been denied bail.Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, a Romanian national who was born in Ukraine, is accused of conspiring with Roman Lavrynovych, who has already been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life, and others unknown. Continue reading...
Laila Soueif announces life-endangering action in protest over continued detention of Alaa Abd el-Fattah in CairoThe mother of the imprisoned British-Egyptian human rights activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has announced she has resumed a near-total hunger strike, stopping taking the 300-calorie supplements she had been consuming on her partial hunger strike for the past three months.Since the start of her hunger strike 233 days ago, Laila Soueif, 69, has lost 36kg, about 42% of her original body weight, and now weighs 49kg. She is taking the life-endangering step in protest at the continued detention of her son in Cairo beyond his five-year sentence. Continue reading...
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondent on (#6XD8R)
Trump's interventions have infuriated India, which has not emerged from conflict as triumphant as it had hopedAgainst the odds, the ceasefire that followed Indian and Pakistan's almost-war has held; fragile, uneasy but still unbroken. Yet in the aftermath of four days of cross-border drones and missile strikes - the most technologically advanced conflict either side have ever engaged in - the question remains: what now?While both India and Pakistan have claimed victory, some experts fear that a return to hostilities is almost inevitable. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: A humanitarian worker outlines the situation on the ground following an 11-week blockade - and whether the country's announcement will make a differenceGood morning.As Israel intensifies its assault on Gaza, bombarding the already besieged strip with relentless airstrikes and expanding its ground operations to take control of all areas", the international community has urged Israel to open the border for aid. Countries including France, the UK and Canada have threatened action against Israel if it does not stop its assault on Gaza, which were described as disproportionate" and intolerable".Europe | Keir Starmer has vowed his EU reset deal will deliver cheaper food and energy for British people, heralding a win-win" as he sealed the high-stakes agreement with concessions on youth visas and fishing.Russia | Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have held a rare phone call, which the US leader described as excellent", but the Kremlin refused to agree to an immediate ceasefire in the war with Ukraine despite pressure from Washington and European allies.UK news | The personal data of hundreds of thousands of legal aid applicants in England and Wales dating back to 2010, including criminal records and financial details, has been accessed and downloaded in a significant" cyber-attack.Welfare | At least 357m in carer's allowance benefit was paid out in error over the past six years because of official failures, resulting in debt and misery being inflicted on tens of thousands of people.NHS | A senior doctor has been accused of wrongly failing to escalate the care of a 13-year-old girl whose death led to the adoption of Martha's rule, which gives the right to a second medical opinion in hospitals. Continue reading...
Simon Spurrell was forced to sell his business because of 600,000 loss caused by Brexit red tapeA British cheese maker who was forced to sell his business because of a 600,000 loss caused by Brexit red tape has welcomed the new deal with Brussels - but says it comes four years too late.Simon Spurrell, who made headlines when he highlighted prohibitive export costs after the UK's exit from the single market, said he was delighted the grownups are back in the room" and he will now consider relaunching his business as long as the details are confirmed. Continue reading...
John Yates, formerly the most senior detective in London's Met police, tells Sydney coroner that criticism of security guard's response was very harsh'
Payments of up to 5,000 to be made to hundreds of sub-postmasters whose details were published onlineHundreds of former sub-postmasters will reportedly be compensated by the Post Office after it accidentally leaked their names and addresses in June 2024.According to the BBC, the Post Office has confirmed that individual payouts will be capped at 5,000 although higher claims may still be pursued. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6XD39)
New study found a drop in enjoyment, trust and feelings of safety after year 7 and a largely positive primary experienceOne in four pupils in England disengage" when they move up to secondary school, with enjoyment, trust and a sense of feeling safe declining sharply, according to a new report.After a largely positive experience at primary school where children report high levels of enjoyment, there is a steep and lasting" drop in engagement after year 7 when pupils transfer to secondary at the age of 11, the survey of 100,000 pupils in England reveals. Continue reading...
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