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British arm of Maximus is biggest provider of functional assessment services for DWPThe British arm of a US contractor that tests whether some people in the UK should receive disability benefits has reported a 23% rise in profits.Maximus, a Virginia-based business, reported an increase in pre-tax profits for its UK arm from 23.6m to 29.1m in its financial year to the end of September, accounts lodged at Companies House show. Its revenue rose 2%, from 294m to 300m. Continue reading...

Kelly Smith and two others convicted over disappearance of Joshlin Smith, who the court heard was sold to traditional healer for eyes and skin'A South African woman and two accomplices were sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday for trafficking her then six-year-old daughter, in a case that has gained international attention since the child went missing last year.Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn were convicted of kidnapping and trafficking the girl, Joshlin Smith, after she disappeared from a small township in the Western Cape. Continue reading...

Brian Mathew concerned terminally ill people will decide to end their lives as they feel they have become a burden'

Defence argues photos taken by police inside Patterson's home appear to show computers and a phone that were not seized during search

Kiama MP allegedly sexually assaulted political staffer after offering him place to stay following mid-week event

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If private finance is used for road tunnel, analysis finds it would need to charge 8.10 for cars and 14 for lorriesTolls on motorists to cross the Thames east of London at Dartford could triple if the Lower Thames Crossing is built using private finance, campaigners have claimed.Plans for the 9.2bn crossing were signed off in March and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said the government was exploring options to privately finance the project, which is Britain's biggest roadbuilding scheme. Continue reading...

Patterson, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a fatal mushroom lunch in 2023. Follow live updatesEppingstall cross-examined about phone recordsMandy asks Eppingstall about the call charge records, previously shown to the jury, and if the time reflected for a changed IMEI number [International Mobile Equipment Identity, used to identify phone handsets] is accurate. Continue reading...

Earl of Shrewsbury is fifth peer to face an inquiry after Guardian reporting into upper houseThe House of Lords watchdog has launched an investigation into a Conservative hereditary peer who admitted he erroneously" made claims last year for travel expenses he did not incur. He is the fifth peer to face an inquiry after Guardian reporting into the upper house.The Earl of Shrewsbury is being examined for a potential breach of rules after revelations he received reimbursement for mileage for four journeys between his home in Derbyshire and Stafford station, which he cannot have made as he was either in London or Liverpool.Ian Duncan, a Conservative peer who helped to secure a meeting with a government minister for a Canadian nuclear technology company he was advising.Richard Dannatt, a former head of the army who offered to secure meetings with ministers for undercover Guardian reporters posing as commercial clients wanting to lobby the government.David Evans of Watford, a Labour peer who referred himself to the watchdog after facing cash-for-access questions following undercover filming with Lord Evans. Continue reading...

Fortescue CEO also says suggestion Australia can lock in fossil fuel projects and claim progress on net zero is concerning'

Campaign has raised more than 114m since 1965 to protect sites such as Wembury Point in DevonWembury Point has a colourful history. During the 20th century it was transformed from a farm into a bustling holiday camp and then converted into a military radar station and Royal Navy gunnery.But the last 20 years have been a little gentler as it has returned to nature, a haven for rare flora and fauna and a hugely popular spot for walkers, wild swimmers and rock-poolers. Continue reading...

Don Farrell says the government has been consistent in its view that tariffs on Australian imports to the US are unjustified

Nigel Farage seems to have upstaged the Labour government, pledging to scrap the controversial two-child benefit cap and reverse the cuts to the winter fuel allowance. So why hasn't the government - after almost a year in power - done more to end child poverty? Gaby Hinsliff, in for John Harris, speaks to the Labour MP Stella Creasy and columnist Polly Toynbee Continue reading...

Alison McGovern promises long-term career support in wake of Labour's significant cuts to disability benefitsJobcentres will no longer force people into any job" available, the employment minister has said, promising there will be long-term, personalised career support for those losing out due to welfare cuts.Alison McGovern said she was ending the Conservative policy under which jobseekers were obliged to take any low-paid, insecure work and that the service would now be focused on helping people to build rewarding careers. Continue reading...

Conservatives the biggest losers in the reshuffle, as leader Sussan Ley tries to rebuild from the 3 May election disaster

Elizabeth Young, who is mourning her slightly goofy' daughter Jade, gives emotional evidence that 2024 attack was due to cumulative failures'

Sixty-four-year-old detained in inner-city suburb Gywnneville following bushland search late last year

Richard Blakeway says 474% increase in complaints to his office in last five years points to risk of social disquiet'

Party takes second place in election after overseas votes counted, overturning decades of bipartisan politicsThe far-right Chega party has overturned decades of bipartisan politics in Portugal by squeaking into second place in the country's third snap election in three years, edging out the socialists to become the biggest opposition party in parliament.The centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD), led by the prime minister, Luis Montenegro, finished first in the election 10 days ago, but once again fell well short of a majority, taking 31.2% of the vote and winning 91 seats in Portugal's 230-seat assembly. But the race for second place was a closely fought contest between the Socialist party (PS) and Chega. Continue reading...

US president claims he told Tel Aviv he thought agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme could come within weeksDonald Trump has claimed he warned Israel against attacking Iran because he believed he was very close to a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme in which US inspectors will be given unparalleled access to sites to ensure the country is not planning to build a nuclear bomb.At a White House press conference on Wednesday, the US president confirmed he held talks last week with Israel and told them it was not appropriate" to attack Tehran because he believed he could reach a deal within weeks. Continue reading...

Deaths from crushing and gunshot wounds come a day after Israeli forces opened fire at a food distribution pointFour people have died as thousands of Palestinians burst into a United Nations warehouse in Gaza, tearing away sections of the building's metal walls in a desperate attempt to find food.Two people were fatally crushed and two others died of gunshot wounds after the crowd forced its way into the World Food Programme warehouse in Deir al-Balah on Wednesday afternoon, health officials said. Continue reading...

Hamit Coskun, 50, held burning text outside Turkish consulate London, Westminster magistrates court heardProsecuting a man for burning the Qur'an is tantamount to reintroducing a blasphemy law" in Great Britain, a trial has heard.Hamit Coskun, 50, shouted fuck Islam", Islam is religion of terrorism" and Qur'an is burning" as he held aloft the burning Islamic text outside the Turkish consulate in Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, on 13 February, Westminster magistrates court heard. Continue reading...

Kenyan writer's death announced by his daughter, who wrote: He lived a full life, fought a good fight'The Kenyan writer Ngg wa Thiong'o, who was censored, imprisoned and forced into exile by the dictator Daniel arap Moi, a perennial contender for the Nobel prize for literature and one of few writers working in an indigenous African language, has died aged 87.It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, this Wednesday morning," wrote his daughter Wanjiku wa Ngg on Facebook. He lived a full life, fought a good fight." Continue reading...

Deysi Vargas, her husband and Sofia' entered US legally in 2023 on humanitarian grounds to seek medical careThe family of a four-year-old girl who is receiving life-saving treatment in the United States are fighting against deportation, as her medical team warns she will likely die within days" if forced to return to Mexico.Deysi Vargas, her husband and their daughter - whom lawyers identified by the pseudonym Sofia - came to the US in 2023, receiving permission to enter the US on humanitarian grounds to seek medical care. Sofia suffers from short bowel syndrome, requiring specialized care that includes IV treatments for 14 hours a day. She has seen significant improvement since arriving in the US and obtaining care at Children's hospital Los Angeles, her mother said. Continue reading...

The use of IEDs in a war between criminal groups in the Michoacan-Jalisco border region has increased drasticallyEight Mexican soldiers have died after triggering an improvised explosive device (IED) in the state of Michoacan, underlining the rising use of mines by organised crime factions.The soldiers were on patrol in an armoured vehicle in the municipality of Los Reyes, near the border with the state of Jalisco, when the mine detonated on Wednesday. Six soldiers were killed instantly, while two more later died from their wounds, according to El Universal. Continue reading...

Several in attendance say they weren't surprised a collision could take place, with access described as a free-for-all'Football fans who were at Liverpool's Premier League title victory parade, where a car ploughed into pedestrians injuring more than 50 people, have said they were staggered" by the traffic control measures in place before the incident.A 53-year-old man from the West Derby area of the city was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, driving while unfit through drugs, and dangerous driving. Merseyside police said detectives had been granted more time to question the man, with an extension until Thursday. Continue reading...

Defense lawyers argued prosecutors had improperly suggested Combs was involved in destruction of evidenceSean Diddy" Combs's lawyers on Wednesday morning called for a mistrial in the hip-hop mogul's federal sex-trafficking trial, alleging misconduct by prosecutors in the case - but their request was quickly denied by the judge.Defense lawyers moved to have the case declared a mistrial by arguing that prosecutors had improperly suggested and implied through questioning that Combs was involved in the destruction of evidence tied to the investigation into rapper Scott Mescudi's (also known as Kid Cudi) car being firebombed. Continue reading...

Mark Rowley, Met commissioner, had said plans for England and Wales were made without any analysis of the impact on policing'The justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has hit back at the UK's most senior police officer in a row over the impact of allowing thousands of criminals to serve their sentences in the community instead of being sent to jail.The Ministry of Justice insisted on Wednesday that officials consulted with police" including the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, over proposed changes to sentencing policies introduced to ease prison overcrowding. Continue reading...

Marco Rubio says he is acting against flagrant censorship actions' overseas against US tech firms

Event commemorates estimated 75,000 Herero and Nama people killed under German colonial ruleNamibia has observed its first genocide remembrance day, honouring the estimated 75,000 victims who were massacred by soldiers or forced into concentration camps during German colonial rule.Between 1904 and 1908, an estimated 65,000 Herero people and 10,000 Nama people were killed when the groups rejected colonial rule. It amounted to 80% and 50% of their respective populations at the time. Continue reading...

German chancellor says there will be no restrictions to how far weapons can reach at press conference with ZelenskyyTurkey's foreign minister will travel to Kyiv on Thursday for a two-day visit after discussing peace efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine in Moscow earlier this week, a Turkish foreign ministry source told Reuters on Wednesday.Foreign minister Hakan Fidan held talks in Moscow on Monday and Tuesday, meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials, including Moscow's top negotiator at talks in Istanbul earlier this month aimed at ending the three-year war. Continue reading...

Stephen Smith and Rachel Comotto now face gross misconduct hearings for incident at Leonards-on-Sea care homeTwo police officers who used a Taser and synthetic pepper spray on a one-legged 92-year-old man in a care home have been cleared of assault but will now face gross misconduct hearings.PC Stephen Smith, 51, and PC Rachel Comotto, 36, were found not guilty of assaulting Donald Burgess during a confrontation at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, in June 2022. Continue reading...

The leaders' awkward shadow ministry reveal an early test as they seek to put damaging but short-lived split behind them

Former Labor senator also says child removals are a way to eradicate a people from the landscape'

Productivity Commission finds drop off from Covid bubble' was driven by people working more hours as lockdowns eased

Letter also signed by Hanif Kureishi and Russell T Davies urges ceasefire and unrestricted distribution of aidThree hundred and eighty writers and organisations including Zadie Smith, Ian McEwan, Russell T Davies, Hanif Kureishi, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and George Monbiot have signed a letter stating that the Israeli government's war in Gaza is genocidal and calling for an immediate ceasefire.The use of the words genocide' or acts of genocide' to describe what is happening in Gaza is no longer debated by international legal experts or human rights organizations," reads the letter, which was also signed by William Dalrymple, Jeanette Winterson, Brian Eno, Kate Mosse, Irvine Welsh and Elif Shafak. Continue reading...

Officers say they are now in contact with 79 people who were injured on Monday and they continue to question 53-year-old on suspicion of drug driving and attempted murder

Chronicle of the Years of Fire took the prize in 1975 for its portrayal of the Algerian war of independence, drawing on his own traumatic historyMohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, the first Arab and African director to win the coveted Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival, has died aged 91, his family said Friday.The film-maker was awarded the prize in 1975 for Chronicle of the Years of Fire, a historical drama about the Algerian war of independence. Continue reading...

Hollyoaks actor and reality TV star found to have died from combined effects of prescribed and illicit drugsThe soap opera and reality television star Paul Danan died from the combined effects of prescribed and illicit drugs, a coroner has concluded.Assistant coroner Debbie Rookes ruled that the death of Danan, an actor on the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and known for appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island, was misadventure. Continue reading...

Housing minister says previous government left prison system in state of criminal neglect' amid warnings over early release planGrocery price inflation in the UK jumped to 4.1% in the past month - the highest level since February 2024 - driven by the rising cost of butter, chocolate and sun cream.Sarah Butler has more here: UK grocery inflation jumps to highest level in 15 months Continue reading...

Fast-fashion retailer struggling to gain go-ahead from Chinese regulators for UK listingShein is reportedly aiming to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange as the online fast-fashion retailer struggles to gain the go-ahead from Chinese regulators for a flotation in London.The company, which was founded in China where the majority of its suppliers are based but now has its headquarters in Singapore, is aiming to file a draft prospectus with Hong Kong's stock exchange in the coming weeks, according to Reuters. Continue reading...

German chancellor expected to announce new plans to aid Ukraine and focus on efforts to bring about ceasefire

Haute couture mixes with theatricality in Maria Grazia Chiuri's deeply personal show, with hints this may be designer's swan songDior's first catwalk show in Rome was a night of high drama on and off the catwalk that left the fashion industry with a cliffhanger ending. Borrowing the original working title of Federico Fellini's film 8 , Maria Grazia Chiuri, designer of Dior since 2016, called it the Beautiful Confusion".She was talking about Rome, with its heady jumble of art, culture, faith and mopeds, and about a collection in which haute couture pieces were mixed with theatrical costumes. But there was also an inescapable allusion to the question of her own future of Dior. Continue reading...

Increase of 4.1% in past month driven by rising cost of chocolate, butter and sun cream, says Kantar

Exclusive: Defra sources say scheme, which pays farmers to protect nature, will be targeted at small farms'The nature-friendly farming budget is set to be slashed in the UK spending review, with only small farms allowed to apply, it can be revealed.Sources at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed the post-Brexit farming fund will be severely cut in the review on 11 June. It will be part of a swathe of cuts to departments, with police, social housing and nature funding expected to face the brunt. Continue reading...

Report says British-Egyptian writer held for expressing political views and should be released without delayThe Britsh-Egyptian human rights activist and writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah is being illegally detained by the Egyptian government, an independent UN panel has found after an 18-month investigation.He is being held in a Cairo jail while his mother, Laila Soueif, based in Britain, is on hunger strike. She is holding a daily one-hour vigil outside Downing Street, the limit her health and weight loss allows. She is on day 241 of the hunger strike, and her body weight has halved. Continue reading...

Labor MP Ed Husic reiterates support for targeted sanctions to oppose Israel's actions in Gaza. Follow today's news live

Lord Duncan of Springbank is the fourth peer to face a parliamentary inquiry after Guardian reportingThe House of Lords watchdog has launched an investigation into a Conservative peer who helped to secure a meeting with a government minister for a Canadian nuclear technology company he was advising.The watchdog will examine evidence that Ian Duncan potentially breached parliamentary rules when he facilitated an introduction between the minister and the company's chief executive while he was on the company's advisory board. Continue reading...

Biggest child abuse trial in French history reveals decades of medical oversight failuresA former French surgeon is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday for the sexual abuse of hundreds of patients mostly aged under 15, as the biggest child abuse trial in French history ends.Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, worked as a digestive surgeon in public and private hospitals across Brittany and the west of France, often operating on children with appendicitis. Continue reading...

Murray Watt will approve the extension of one of the world's biggest liquified natural gas projects from 2030 to 2070