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Pat McFadden says there isn't going to be toilet police' amid warnings about incredibly dangerous' consequencesA UK government minister has said trans people are now banned from using toilets of the gender they identify as, amid warnings about the incredibly dangerous" consequences of such a blanket prohibition.The UK supreme court ruled earlier this month that the terms woman" and sex" in the Equality Act referred only to a biological woman and to biological sex. Continue reading...

About 180 British Jews and deputy PM Angela Rayner among those in attendance at event in northern GermanySurvivors of the Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen and their families have gathered at the site in northern Germany to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of its liberation by British troops.Representatives of victims' associations and the military took part in the ceremony along with the British deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner. Continue reading...

Kensington and Chelsea sues Hotpoint maker Beko Europe as part of wider action against firms it blames over blazeThe company that made the fridge-freezer blamed for starting the Grenfell Tower fire has been accused in a lawsuit lodged by the local council of failing to run adequate safety tests on that model of appliance.The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) has brought a lawsuit against the Hotpoint maker, Beko Europe, previously Whirlpool, as part of wider legal action against companies it believes were culpable for the fire eight years ago that killed more than 70 people. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Stopping pre-sentencing reports could put more pregnant people behind bars, groups tell justice ministerShabana Mahmood risks putting more pregnant women behind bars through her bill to prevent new guidelines which highlighted the need for pre-sentencing reports based on different personal characteristics" including age, sex and ethnicity, charities have warned.The justice secretary introduced the bill as emergency legislation after the Sentencing Council's guidelines provoked claims of a two-tier" justice system, with Mahmood saying she would not stand for differential treatment before the law like this". The council suspended the guidance hours before it was due to take effect in response to the backlash. Continue reading...

As Labor and the Coalition fight to win over mortgage holders, growing third party popularity and early voting complicate their election campaign strategy

Investigation launched into cause of blast at Shahid Rajaee port as death toll rises to 28Vladimir Putin was one of the first world leaders to offer help to Iran in the aftermath of a massive explosion at a container depot in a key port near the strait of Hormuz, dispatching several emergency planes to the area.Fires still blazed nearly 24 hours after the explosion at the giant Shahid Rajaee port in southern Iran, the nation's most strategically important port and chief artery for its world trade. The death toll had risen to at least 28 and the numbers injured had risen to more than 1,000. Continue reading...

Party leader hopes local elections in many traditionally Conservative areas will help it build on recent successDays before the local elections, with Kemi Badenoch demanding apologies over gender identity and Nigel Farage complaining about mental illness diagnoses, Ed Davey was quietly getting on with what he perhaps does best: having fun.In a converted shed near Stratford-upon-Avon, the Liberal Democrat leader was joking with photographers as he made chocolate truffles alongside Manuela Perteghella, his party's MP for the formerly true-blue constituency. Continue reading...

Police launch murder inquiry after Alexandra Frohlich is found dead on her boat on the ElbeA murder inquiry has been launched after a bestselling German novelist was found dead on a houseboat in Hamburg having been violently attacked, police have said.Alexandra Frohlich, 58, whose novels have had prominence on Germany's bestseller lists, was found on Tuesday morning, investigating authorities said. Continue reading...

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President's tensions with CBS show barely scratch surface of crusade against media he calls enemy of the people'Donald Trump's battle with a US media he considers an enemy of the people" has been a signature fight of his second term in office, sparking warnings of an erosion of press freedoms in America and fears over the independence of key publications owned by billionaires seeking to become close to the president.But one struggle has now taken center stage that puts one of the most prestigious brands in US journalism in a direct legal fight with the White House, which has also dragged in a gigantic multibillion-dollar Wall Street deal by the corporate owners of one of America's main broadcast networks. Continue reading...

Opposition leader also claims school curriculum is teaching children to be ashamed' of being Australian, amid some angry exchanges

Tech billionaire plans to hang up the chainsaw as he steps away from efficiency' role amid Tesla sales slumpThis is the chainsaw for bureaucracy!" screamed Elon Musk, wielding the power tool before a cheering crowd at a rightwing political conference. The tech titan promised to slice and dice the US federal government and save taxpayers a trillion dollars. Oozing confidence, the world's richest person seemed unstoppable.That was February. Last week Musk announced that he is hanging up his chainsaw and stepping back from his role overseeing the unofficial department of government efficiency", or Doge, to focus on Tesla, his beleaguered electric vehicle company. The news led some to hope the chaos unleashed by Doge is finally waning. Continue reading...

Anxious Americans find solace as university leaders start to mount more muscular defense of academic freedomAmericans anxious about their country's slide into authoritarianism found some solace in the past week over what appears to be growing pushback by American universities against Donald Trump's assault on higher education.After a barrage of orders, demands and the freezing of billions in federal funds for research had elicited a mostly demure response from university leaders, some are starting to mount a more muscular defense of academic freedom. A statement denouncing the Trump administration's unprecedented government overreach and political interference" was signed by more than 400 university presidents, and the list is growing. Another, signed by more than 100 former university heads, called for a coalition of local leaders, students, labor unions and communities, across party affiliation, to work against authoritarianism". Continue reading...

Once upon a time revealing a magician's secrets could get you blacklisted, now anyone can learn an illusion or twoMagicians have been around since 2700BC when the father of the art, Dedi, shocked an audience in Egypt with his ball and cup routine. Now, with the advent of talent TV shows and social media where those who dabble in the art of magic have amassed millions of followers, their popularity has reached new heights.With this has come the rise of tutorial videos showing anybody at home how to pull off their own routines. It was not always this way. For one thing, revealing the secrets behind the world of magic would get you blacklisted. Continue reading...

Women who transitioned decades ago feel their safety and security has suddenly been removedThe fear is back. The fear I had when I first started my transition in 1979, that people will hurt me," says Janey, who is 70. She has been living happily and independently" as a woman for nearly half a century. Based in London, she still works in the mental health sector and is part of a large and accepting Irish family. She is also transgender.I still go into the women's toilets at work, but when I open the door there's that little voice inside me: Will someone shout at me?'," she says. Continue reading...

Critics compare Coalition leader to Donald Trump while Labor communications minister suggests Dutton is afraid of scrutiny'

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Exclusive: Paul Nowak acknowledges voters' frustrations but says Reform UK hasn't got the answers, and urges Keir Starmer to resist any move to the rightNigel Farage is a political fraud and hypocrite" who is cosplaying" as a working-class champion in order to win votes at this week's local elections, the UK's most senior union chief has warned.In a stark rejection of the Reform UK leader's attempts to court the trade unions, Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said there were massive contradictions" in Farage's positions on issues ranging from workers' rights, the economy, industry and Brexit. Continue reading...

Warnings on slashed commission rates came two years before high court claim alleging telecom firm was unjustly enriching' itselfWhistleblowers warned a series of senior Vodafone executives - including the current chief executive, Margherita Della Valle - that scores of its franchised store owners faced financial ruin about two years before a high court claim accused the company of unjustly enriching" itself.Vodafone employees made repeated complaints to their superiors about the company slashing commissions paid to the small businesses running the company's high street retail network, according to a string of current and former Vodafone employees. The cost-cutting tactics resulted in a group of 62 of about 150 Vodafone franchise operators filing a 120m-plus legal claim last December. Continue reading...

From Johnny Depp in Somerset Life to Barack Obama in Dogs Today, Bernard Bale's litany of starry interviews offers a rare insight into the engine room of celebrity journalism, and is every bit as intriguing as the thought of Jack Sparrow tending his Somerset gardenIn the spring of 2023, subscribers to the British local lifestyle magazine Somerset Life were eagerly anticipating their April edition - a Gardens Special promising top tips for green-fingered readers and the best places to see seasonal bluebells.But when the magazine landed on readers' doormats, a story bigger than blooming gardens of south-west England was on the cover. In what appeared to be a world exclusive interview, the Hollywood A-lister Johnny Depp had confessed his love for the bucolic county. More than that, he had bought a secret hideaway in the area. Continue reading...

Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania cite rising threats from Russia to justify once again using one of world's most indiscriminate weaponsRights groups have expressed alarm and warned of a slippery slope" of again embracing one of the world's most treacherous weapons, after five European countries said they intend to withdraw from the international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines.In announcing their plans earlier this year, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all pointed to the escalating military threat from Russia. In mid-April, Latvia's parliament became the first to formally back the idea, after lawmakers voted to pull out of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which bans the use, production and stockpiling of landmines designed for use against humans. Continue reading...

Peter Dutton plans to slash overall intake if elected on Saturday but which streams will be targeted remains unclear

Expulsion of people holding a Chinese passport or ID card prompts debate over identity, loyalty and freedomTaiwan has launched a crackdown on holders of illegal Chinese identity documents, revoking the Taiwanese status of more than 20 people and putting tens of thousands of Chinese-born residents under scrutiny.Under Taiwan law it is illegal for Taiwanese people to hold Chinese identity documents. In the past decade, hundreds of people have had their Taiwanese papers or passports cancelled for also holding Chinese ID, effectively revoking their citizenship. Continue reading...

A crossbow and firearm were found at the scene in Headingley and a man was detained with a self-inflicted injuryCounter-terrorism police have been called in after two women were seriously injured in Leeds and a crossbow and a gun were seized by police, while a male suspect with a self-inflicted injury was arrested.West Yorkshire police were called at 2.47pm on Saturday after reports of a man with weapons. The two women injured were taken to hospital, while a 38-year-old man was arrested and taken to hospital. Their injuries were not regarded as life-threatening, police said. Continue reading...

Archibald Gracie is known for writing one of the most vivid accounts of the 1912 maritime disasterA letter written by a survivor of the Titanic disaster has sold for a record 300,000 at auction.First-class passenger Col Archibald Gracie wrote The Truth About the Titanic, which described his experience of the 15 April 1912 tragedy that claimed 1,500 lives on the vessel's journey to New York. Continue reading...

Mahmoud Abbas appoints veteran aide to newly created role, making him frontrunner to replace ageing leaderPalestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday named a veteran aide and confidant as his new vice-president. It's a major step by the ageing leader to designate a successor.The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice-president of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) does not guarantee he will be the next Palestinian president. But it makes him the frontrunner among longtime politicians in the dominant Fatah party who hope to succeed the 89-year-old Abbas. Continue reading...

On the anniversary of Liberation Day, members of Australia's Vietnamese community look back at the sacrifices made in pursuit of a good life'It's like the world collapsed," says Thi Xa Nguyen, looking back 50 years to the fall of Saigon.She was living in the coastal town of Vng Tau where the soldiers of the southern Army of the Republic of Vietnam had retreated.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

Actor who appeared in film of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire hopes we can all as a society just let people be'David Tennant has criticised the demonisation" of the trans community, saying that while he wishes JK Rowling no ill will", he hopes that we can all as a society just let people be".The Scottish actor, who appeared in the 2005 film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, likened the treatment of transgender people to the Thatcher government's introduction of section 28 - a 1988 law that prohibited local authorities from promoting" homosexuality. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Former British PM urges police to reopen inquiry - and claims media executive Will Lewis attempted to incriminate him

Official suggests blast in southern port of Shahid Rajaee in Bandar Abbas due to explosion of chemicals in containersAn immense blast in Iran's southern port of Shahid Rajaee has killed at least five people and injured more than 700, according to state media, with an official suggesting the fire was caused by the explosion of chemical containers.A spokesperson for Iran's crisis management body pointed to poor storage conditions of chemicals as the trigger for the port explosion. The cause of the explosions was the chemicals inside the containers," Hossein Zafari, a crisis management spokesperson, told Iran's ILNA news agency. He added that the port administration had previously been warned about the danger these chemicals posed. Continue reading...

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US president admits to concern Russian counterpart is tapping me along' and ponders new approach to MoscowDonald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have sat down for a face-to-face talk in the opulent halls of a Vatican basilica to discuss a possible ceasefire, after which the US president accused his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of not wanting to stop the war".The White House described Trump's meeting with the Ukrainian leader before Pope Francis's funeral as very productive", while Zelenskyy said on X that the talk with the US president was symbolic and had the potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results". Continue reading...

Noel and Liam believed to have filmed promo video at Mildmay club in Newington Green ahead of summer's sold-out Oasis tourLiam and Noel Gallagher have performed together for the first time in 16 years in a working men's club in north London, according to reports.The brothers were pictured arriving at the Mildmay club in Newington Green, north London, on Thursday where they are believed to have filmed a promotional video for this summer's sold-out Oasis reunion tour. Continue reading...

Tensions between nuclear-armed countries escalate after attack killed 26 people in disputed territoryIndian and Pakistani troops have exchanged gunfire across the volatile frontier in Kashmir for a second day, amid growing tensions after a brazen attack that killed 26 people at a popular tourist resort.The massacre has sent relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours into a dangerous downward spin. India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two over Muslim-majority Kashmir, which is divided between them but claimed fully by both. Continue reading...

Winning Japanese preserve features pear and yuzu, while entry in interesting additions' includes peanut butterMarmalade was never really my jam, but at the world marmalade awards at Dalemain house on the edge of the Lake District, I found myself a convert.The experience has given weight to my theory that you might fall in love with any food if you try it at its finest. Hate tomatoes? Go to Italy. Not a fan of marmalade? Savour a spoonful in the presence of beaming marmalade fanatics who have spent their lives devoted to creating the tangiest, sweetest, jelly-ish version of the preserve. Continue reading...

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Ebow Graham died after falling out of a third-storey window in east London in April 2020 following a psychotic episodeAn ambulance service and an NHS trust have admitted breaching their duty of care over the death of Ebow Graham, a founding member of the hip-hop group Foreign Beggars.Graham, 40, died after falling out of a third-storey window in Clapton, east London in April 2020 following a psychotic episode. Hours earlier London ambulance paramedics had dismissed his friends' concerns about his behaviour. And a crisis call handler from East London NHS trust also failed to properly assess his risk or arrange an urgent mental health assessment within the recommended time. Continue reading...

Exhausted residents point out latest drone strike came hours after Donald Trump's rare rebuke to Vladimir PutinAbout 1am on Friday, Yuliia Verbytska woke to the sound of an air raid siren. She grabbed her teenage children - Dmitry, 17, and Olexiy, 12 - and sat in the corridor, checking her phone. In the sky above came an ominous whine. Minutes later, a Russian drone crashed into the disused soap factory down the road in Polyova Street. There was an enormous explosion.We don't have a shelter in our building, so we hide behind two concrete walls. All the neighbours sit together. You wonder if this is your last moment," she said. Friday's raid followed a massive attack on Thursday on Verbytska's home, Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, and on the capital, Kyiv, where 12 people were killed. I haven't slept for two days," she said wearily. Continue reading...

The polls will be first electoral test for Labour government, while Reform is standing candidates in almost every contestIt's all about the bass - well at least the baseline. With all political parties likely to win in some places it can be hard to judge what a good night looks like for any party when it comes to local elections.One way to judge this is to compare with how parties did the last time these contests took place: the baseline. For the seats up for election next week that was 2021 - though many of the places that voted then will not be doing so in 2025. Those elections included places where elections were held over from 2020 because of Covid restrictions; these seats returned to their normal schedule last year. Continue reading...

Opposition leader repeats condemnation of dawn service interruptions but says if he wins election he won't display Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags at press conferences

Italian PM and pontiff could not have been further apart on issues such as migration, climate crisis and economyIt is an awkward weekend for Giorgia Meloni. The Italian leader will host a gathering of world leaders to say goodbye to a much-revered pope whose public views - from the treatment of people fleeing war to the climate crisis - were diametrically opposed to hers.While Pope Francis was a staunch advocate for asylum seekers, and blessed the vessels that saved refugees at sea, Meloni once said Italy should repatriate migrants back to their countries and then sink the boats that rescued them". Continue reading...

Rescuers on Kangaroo Island say they are overjoyed' after the dog walked into one of their traps

Move that opens door for companies to test self-driving technology on trucks over 10,001lb likely to face pushbackCalifornia regulators have released a new proposal to allow the testing of self-driving heavy-duty trucks on public roads.The state's department of motor vehicles announced proposed regulations on Friday to allow the testing of driverless trucks over 10,001lbs, opening the door for companies to test self-driving technology on vehicles roughly the size of a Ram or Ford super duty pickup truck. Continue reading...

Cheering crowd at 800-year-old cathedral enjoy Plague of Angels gig, which had been branded an outright insult'Protests at one of the most controversial concerts of the year failed to materialise on Friday evening, as a metal act performed to a cheering crowd of 1,400 people at York Minster.The 800-year-old cathedral hosted a gig by Plague of Angels, which some of its congregation called an outright insult" to their faith and said they would be protesting if the concert went ahead. Continue reading...

Michael Alexander Gloss, 21, who died on 4 April 2024, was the son of top-ranking US spy Juliane GallinaAn American man identified as the son of a deputy director of the CIA was killed in eastern Ukraine in 2024 while fighting under contract for the Russian military, according to an investigation by independent Russian media.Michael Alexander Gloss, 21, died on 4 April 2024 in Eastern Europe", according to an obituary published by his family. He was the son of Juliane Gallina, who was appointed the deputy director for digital innovation at the Central Intelligence Agency in February 2024. Continue reading...

Welfare fraud bill would allow funds to be taken from bank accounts and driving licences to be cancelled

Redolent of old great power thinking, Trump's Crimea giveaway could usher a return to international lawlessnessCrimea will stay with Russia," Donald Trump told Time magazine in a largely sympathetic profile on Friday. And with that statement, the US president made clear that he wanted to carve up another country, Ukraine, and so legitimise the forcible seizure of land made by Moscow 11 years ago.From reading the transcript of the interview, Trump's thinking is hardly coherent. Crimea, he says, wouldn't have been seized if he had been president in 2014, but it was handed to them by Barack Hussein Obama" and now Crimea has been with them [Russia] for a long time" - so it is time to accept the seizure. Continue reading...

Narendra Modi must weigh a response that balances domestic fury with strategic restraintIndia's furious response to the terrorist massacre of 26 men in a popular travel destination is being shaped by public rage at the deadliest civilian attack in Kashmir in a quarter-century.The brutality of the assault in one of Muslim-majority Kashmir's marquee tourist spots - and its national resonance - leaves Prime Minister Narendra Modi needing to signal strength, but without triggering uncontrolled escalation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, analysts say. Continue reading...

Anthony John Felton ambushed Richard Pyke with spanner over suspected sex with teacher he had affair withA headteacher who was caught on video attacking his deputy with a large adjustable spanner, in an assault motivated by overwhelming sexual jealousy", has been jailed for more than two years.Anthony John Felton, 54, concealed the wrench in his jacket pocket as he approached his colleague, Richard Pyke, 51, from behind. Video of the incident showed him taking out the heavy tool and then repeatedly swinging it at Pyke's head. Continue reading...

Former ministers warn that leader must not be pushed off course' as Conservatives expect disastrous local electionsSenior Conservatives have warned colleagues against bloody panic", urging them not to consider doing deals with Reform or removing Kemi Badenoch as leader, as the party braces for a disastrous set of local election results.Two former cabinet ministers warned against changing direction regardless of the result next Friday, with Andrew Mitchell saying talk of deals with Reform is misplaced" and John Glen arguing Badenoch must not be pushed off course". Continue reading...