Peter Smith is in intensive care after suffering damage to an arm, leg and hand and puncture wounds to abdomenA British tourist who was seriously injured in a shark attack off a Caribbean island is aware of what is happening and can communicate" in intensive care, his wife has said.Peter Smith, 64, from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was savaged 10 metres (33ft) off the shore near the Starfish hotel in Courland Bay on the north coast of Tobago on Friday morning. Continue reading...
Foreign secretary's use of Embraer Lineage 1000 follows 348,000 bill for James Cleverly's eight-day trip in similar plane in 2023David Cameron has been criticised for hiring a luxury jet worth an estimated 42m for a recent tour of central Asia.The foreign secretary travelled on the Embraer Lineage 1000 for a five-day visit to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia last week, the Mirror reported. Continue reading...
Calls for divestment continue despite hundreds of arrests, with more demonstrations planned for Democratic national conventionStudent protests on US university campuses over Israel's war on Gaza showed little sign of letting up over the weekend, with protesters vowing to continue until their demands for US educational bodies to disentangle from companies profiting from the conflict are met.In what is perhaps the most significant student movement since the anti-Vietnam campus protests of the late 1960s, the conflict between pro-Palestinian students and university administrators has revealed an entire subset of conflicts. Continue reading...
Worried MPs have concocted five-point plan of quick measures aimed at showing that the party cares about public's prioritiesRishi Sunak is braced for a bruising week as Tory rebels flaunted plans for a 100-day policy blitz" to secure quick wins if the local election results prove disastrous for the party.The prime minister said on Sunday that he was not distracted" by his personal ratings lingering at record lows. He refused to rule out calling a July general election amid mounting rumours that unruly MPs will attempt to oust him if the West Midlands mayor, Andy Street, and the Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen, are defeated on Thursday.An attempt to end the junior doctors pay dispute with a 10-12% offer.Further cuts to legal migration numbers, with a curb on the number of foreign students staying in the UK.Vow to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2027.Introduce measures to jail prolific offenders and build rapid detention cells to increase prison capacity.Cut the benefits bill, with a target to reduce payments for depression and anxiety. Continue reading...
Union body says austerity is to blame for longest squeeze on wages since Napoleonic era with most wage black spots' in LondonPay packets are smaller than they were in 2008 in most local authority areas in the UK, according to analysis by the Trades Union Congress, which described the findings as a damning indictment" of the Conservatives' economic record.The TUC, which includes 48 unions with more than five million members, said stagnating wages meant British workers were in the midst of the longest squeeze on wages since the Napoleonic era. Continue reading...
Tim Loughton had sanctions imposed on him in 2021 by Beijing, which has close ties to east African countryA former government minister who has had sanctions imposed on him by China has said he was detained and deported by Djibouti as a direct consequence" of the east African country's close ties with Beijing.Tim Loughton, the Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham since 1997, said he was held for more than seven hours at the airport earlier this month, barred entry to Djibouti, and told he was being removed on the next available flight. Continue reading...
CDC says incidents at unlicensed medical spa are first documented cases of virus transmitted by a cosmetic procedure using needlesThree women who were diagnosed with HIV after getting vampire facial" procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles, federal health officials said.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its Morbidity and Mortality Report last week that an investigation into the clinic from 2018 through 2023 showed it apparently reused disposable equipment intended for one-time use. Continue reading...
Police very confident' body parts in Salford belong to a man in his 60s whose torso was found on 4 AprilMore human remains have been found in two locations as part of a murder investigation that started when a man's torso was discovered in a nature reserve in Greater Manchester, police said.Detectives believe the torso, found in Salford, belongs to a man in his 60s and they have informed his family. Formal identification of the remains has not yet taken place but should be completed by next week, Greater Manchester police (GMP) said. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6MDNV)
Exclusive: Distressing' scarcity sowing uncertainty among 400,000 with type 1 diabetes, experts warnPeople with type 1 diabetes are being forced to endure the stress and anxiety" of insulin shortages, patients, pharmacists and health campaigners have warned.The distressing" drug scarcity, the latest to affect the UK, is sowing uncertainty for the 400,000 people with the condition, with some products not available again until next year amid global manufacturing shortages. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6MDME)
Exclusive: Working-class people less likely to get jobs in charities than public and private sectors, EY Foundation report findsCharities are hiring staff with privilege rather than potential", according to the author of a report highlighting the stark class divide in the sector.Working-class people are less likely to be hired by charities than by employers in the public and private sectors, said the EY Foundation, which supports young people from low-income backgrounds to progress in professional roles. Continue reading...
by Severin Carrell, Rajeev Syal and Aletha Adu on (#6MDEQ)
Exclusive: Operation comes weeks earlier than expected and is thought to have been timed to coincide with local electionsThe Home Office will launch a major operation to detain asylum seekers across the UK on Monday, weeks earlier than expected, in preparation for their deportation to Rwanda, the Guardian can reveal.Officials plan to hold refugees who turn up for routine meetings at immigration service offices or bail appointments and will also pick people up nationwide in a surprise two-week exercise. Continue reading...
CWU seems to concede six-day service is financially unviable as company battles takeover bidLetterboxes could fall silent on Saturday mornings, after the postal workers' union appeared to accept a proposal from Royal Mail that would abandon its duty to deliver all letters six days a week.Royal Mail is required to deliver post from Monday to Saturday under the terms of the universal service obligation (USO) set down by an act of parliament in 2011. Amid a long-running industrial dispute with the financially struggling company, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has so far opposed a 300m cost-cutting blueprint that would include scrapping most Saturday services. Continue reading...
Ukrainian officials say situation very difficult' but not catastrophic' amid loss of two villages and fighting in OcheretyneRussia has consolidated recent battlefield gains in the east of Ukraine, and is attempting to break through Ukrainian defensive lines before a long-awaited package of US military assistance arrives at the frontline.On Sunday Russian troops advanced near the city of Avdiivka. They seized two villages and expanded a narrow corridor around the rural settlement of Ocheretyne, which the Russians entered a week ago. Ukrainian security officials described the situation in the Donbas region where Russia is attacking on multiple fronts as very difficult". It was not critical or catastrophic", they added. Continue reading...
The De Beers owner is a longstanding jewel in the African' state's economic crown - it would be a big blow' to see it sold offThe world's largest mining company has a problem. Australia's BHP has set out its intention to snap up the rival miner Anglo American in a multibillion-pound deal that would reshape the global industry. Its proposed 31bn takeover plan has already been rebuffed as a lowball offer that undervalues the company. But Anglo's deep roots in South Africa could be a far more sensitive issue to address.Africa's most advanced economy was built on mining. For more than 150 years since the first discovery of diamonds, gold and coal, the industry has remained South Africa's economic lifeblood. Today it is the world's fifth largest producer of coal and diamonds and the 10th largest producer of gold. Continue reading...
Grey skies and persistent rain could be replaced by temperatures as high as 20C in south-east EnglandChilly April is on its way out with the coming days set to usher in warmer temperatures more akin to spring, according to the Met Office.The lack of sunshine, grey skies and persistent rain have contributed to it feeling unusually cold as April comes to a close. Continue reading...
Airport staff surprised by arrival of centenarian instead of infant after American Airlines booking system errorsA 101-year-old woman has been regularly mistaken for an infant because an airline's booking system was unable to compute her date of birth.The woman, named only as Patricia, was born in 1922, but the American Airlines system apparently does not recognise that year, defaulting instead to 2022, the BBC reported. Continue reading...
Pope Francis, 87, met inmates, staff and volunteers at Giudecca jail during first trip outside Rome for monthsThe Pope has met female prisoners in Venice who are stars of the Vatican's pavilion at the Biennale contemporary art show, and urged the women to rebuild their lives in the first ever papal visit to one of the world's biggest art gatherings.Pope Francis, 87, arrived by helicopter in the courtyard of the women's prison on the island of Giudecca, amid concerns over his health. He has not travelled outside Rome since visiting the French city of Marseille in September. Continue reading...
Israel has started to meet commitments it made to Joe Biden on allowing aid into the north of Gaza, says White House national security spokespersonThe Gaza health ministry on Sunday reported at least 66 Palestinians had been killed in the past 24 hours.In central Gaza, Mohammed al-Hattab said he found his one-year-old baby in the rubble after an Israeli airstrike hit the Nuseirat refugee camp over the weekend. Continue reading...
US state department says law could drive away foreign investment while David Cameron described it as dangerous and worrying'Human rights groups and diplomats have criticised a law passed by the Iraqi parliament over the weekend that would impose heavy prison sentences on gay and transgender people.The US state department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said in a statement that the law on passed Saturday threatens those most at risk in Iraqi society" and can be used to hamper free-speech and expression". He warned that the legislation could drive away foreign investment. Continue reading...
Ads to be removed from London transport network amid criticism of Mayor Sadiq Khan's baffling' decision to allow themOnline casino company 888.com will withdraw adverts from locations including London's transport network after a backlash against their tone, prompting criticism of the capital's mayor, Sadiq Khan, for allowing them to appear in the first place.With less than a week to go before Londoners vote for their next Mayor, Khan's Conservative rival, Susan Hall, joined a leading clinician and a group of peers in questioning Transport for London's baffling" decision to accept the campaign. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6MDHK)
Paralympian Mohammad Barrangi hopes his work will help people think of human stories behind headlines about migrationA decade ago the artist Mohammad Barrangi was representing Iran as an elite Paralympic sprinter and was ridiculously speedy.My best time for the 100 metres was 10.72 seconds, in Tunisia," he says with understandable pride. I have friends who don't believe I'm an artist." Continue reading...
Girl of between 12 and 16 was making her first appearance at Evo Japan as contests previously finished past her bedtimeA girl scored a win at one of Japan's top fighting video game contests, in a competitive puzzle game released before she was born.The girl, known as Money Idol-chan" after the game she competed in, has grown up playing competitive video games. Since 2022, her parents have run Anegasaki Shooting Star, a tiny arcade on the east side of Tokyo Bay. Her name has not been released and her age has been given only as between 12 and 16. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6MDH7)
British Skydiving Board to investigate after man in his 40s found at industrial estate in ShottonThe British Skydiving Board will investigate the death of a man in his 40s in a parachute incident in Durham on Saturday.The man was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services were called to South West Industrial Estate in Shotton shortly after midday. The death is being treated as unexpected and a cordon remains in place at the scene. Continue reading...
Two people still in hospital after major incident across Westward Ho!, Bideford and BarnstapleA second man has died after being supplied with an unusually strong batch" of heroin circulating in north Devon.One man died after taking the substance on Friday and police confirmed a second man, who had earlier been admitted to hospital, died late on Saturday. Continue reading...
Prime minister says he is not distracted by poor personal ratings as rebel MPs are said to be plotting to oust him after local electionsRishi Sunak has refused to quash speculation of a July general election as he insisted he was not distracted" by his personal ratings lingering at record lows.The prime minister said he would not say anything more than I've already said" and that his working assumption" was there would be an election in the second half of the year. Continue reading...
Taoiseach wants to reduce arrivals through Northern Ireland amid concern that Sunak's Rwanda plan is driving people to IrelandIreland plans to return asylum seekers to the UK under new emergency laws, in an effort to stem arrivals through Northern Ireland.The taoiseach, Simon Harris, wants the proposals brought to cabinet next week amid concern that Rishi Sunak's Rwanda plan was rerouting asylum seekers from the UK. Continue reading...
Campaigners say cash-strapped local authorities are placing young people in budget accommodation, making them targets for grooming by criminal gangsVulnerable teenagers in care are being placed in hotels by cash-strapped councils, with experts warning they are being served up" to criminal gangs.Children aged 16 to 17 are entering care in greater numbers than any other age group, often with complex needs, and experts say many councils in England now have nowhere to put them. They are increasingly resorting to budget hotels, with no adult support, as a way of cutting costs and keeping teenagers off the streets. Continue reading...
by Shanti Das, Home affairs correspondent on (#6MDDA)
Coroner condemns inhumane' imprisonment for public protection sentences that have no end date for releaseA senior coroner has condemned the inhumane" and indefensible" treatment of a man who killed himself 17 years into an indefinite prison sentence. Tom Osborne, the senior coroner for Milton Keynes, said Scott Rider had given up all hope of release before he took his own life at HMP Woodhill in June 2022.He had been serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence after being convicted of grievous bodily harm in 2005. The sentence had a minimum term of 23 months but no end date. Continue reading...
Rumours of an early election, despite Labour's lead in opinion polls, being used to keep unruly Conservative MPs in checkSenior Tories believe the threat of a summer general election is being used by Downing Street to deter a rebellion against Rishi Sunak's leadership, before a perilous set of local elections this week.Westminster has been abuzz with rumours of an early election, despite the persistent double-digit lead enjoyed by Labour in the polls. While Downing St sources have played down speculation of any imminent announcement from Sunak, influential MPs believe No10 is holding open the possibility of an early election to keep rebellious colleagues in check. Continue reading...
Despite talk of a Nobel peace prize, Japan's leader is facing a backlash among voters as key byelection approachesIn the past fortnight Fumio Kishida has been mentioned as a possible recipient of the Nobel peace prize and praised for a speech to congress in which he urged the US not to retreat into isolation.But since his return to Tokyo after a successful summit with Joe Biden, Japan's prime minister has been buffeted by domestic political headwinds that this weekend could spell the beginning of the end of his administration. Continue reading...
Socialist prime minister poised to decide on his future, but some say it's ploy to surviveOn Monday, Pedro Sanchez, the great and unpredictable survivor of Spanish politics, and a leader who has seen off more than his fair share of rivals, critics and adversaries, will reveal whether or not he intends to carry on as prime minister.The announcement will come five days after the socialist prime minister shocked Spain by posting a four-page cri de coeur on social media in which he said that the continuing harassment and bullying operation" being waged against him and his wife by his political and media opponents had led him to cancel his public duties for the rest of the week while he reflected on his future. Continue reading...
Statement from government contradicts stance taken by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who said Portugal should not put issue in a drawer'Portugal's government has said it refuses to initiate any process to pay reparations for atrocities committed during transatlantic slavery and the colonial era, contrary to earlier comments from President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.From the 15th to the 19th century, 6 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported across the Atlantic by Portuguese vessels and sold into slavery, primarily in Brazil. Continue reading...
Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin face at least two years' jail on extremism' charges, which they deny, amid continuing crackdown on dissentTwo Russian journalists have been arrested on extremism" charges and ordered by courts there to remain in custody pending investigation and trial on accusations of working for a group founded by the late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny.Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin both denied the charges for which they will be detained for a minimum of two months before any trials begin. Each faces a minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of six years for alleged participation in an extremist organisation", according to Russian courts. Continue reading...
Four buildings destroyed in blast that also damaged homes in nearby villagesAn ammunition explosion at a base in south-western Cambodia has killed 20 soldiers and wounded several others, the prime minister has said.Hun Manet said in a Facebook post that he was deeply shocked" when he received the news of Saturday afternoon's blast at the base in Kampong Speu province. The cause was not immediately clear. Continue reading...
The government's scrapping of the Now Teach scheme, which has overdelivered on targets for older workers, has sparked an outcryMinisters have been accused of making a crisis in the recruitment of teachers even worse after axing funding to a much-praised programme helping older workers start a new career in the classroom.An outcry is already beginning over the decision to axe the career change programme, with organisers complaining that there will be barely anyone left to teach our children" unless Rishi Sunak lives up to his party conference pledge to prioritise education. Continue reading...
by Vanessa Thorpe Arts and media correspondent on (#6MD9X)
The institution hopes to shift the dial' and encourage a more diverse range of students to applyA key obstacle in the path of poorer aspiring actors is to be removed at one of the UK's leading drama schools, the Observer can reveal. The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, one of the country's top drama schools, where Dame Judi Dench, Andrew Garfield, Riz Ahmed, Jason Isaacs, Cush Jumbo and Martin Freeman all learned their craft, is to scrap audition fees for prospective students in an effort to broaden its intake.None of us want drama schools to be the preserve of the well off. Ideally, they are places where people from all backgrounds can come together and learn from each other," said Freeman, a Central graduate and star of The Responder, Sherlock and The Office. Without my grant from Richmond council many years ago, I would never have been able to enjoy my three years at Central. That seems to have become harder and harder in recent years; who knows how many young actors are lost to us, due to lack of funds. I hope this inspires others to follow suit in trying to make attending drama school fairer for all." Continue reading...
Amount paid for businessman John Jacob Astor's watch is highest ever for Titanic memorabilia, auctioneers sayA gold pocket watch that was recovered from the body of the richest man on the Titanic has sold for a record-breaking 1.2m.The watch was sold on Saturday to a private collector in the US at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, for the highest amount ever for Titanic memorabilia, the auctioneers said. Continue reading...
Police Scotland thanks public who helped trace 29-year-old Jamie Ross who escaped from guards while at Edinburgh crematoriumA prisoner who escaped from guards while attending a family funeral in Scotland has been found, police said.Officers began a search for Jamie Ross after he absconded from custody at about lunchtime on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Emergency services corden off large area of Darwen while army bomb disposal unit removes and destroys grenadeA town centre in Lancashire was placed in lockdown on Saturday, with British army bomb disposal experts forced to remove and destroy a grenade.It is understood that a member of the public had donated items to a heritage centre in Darwen which included the grenade. Continue reading...
Private job providers can claim public money when jobseekers find work. But they need their payslips to do so, and some resort to extreme methods to get them
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