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Shareholder payouts grew 14 times faster than wages over past three years, says Oxfam reportShareholders have proved to be more successful at securing bumper payouts than workers have at winning higher pay, according to two studies that show dividends outstripping wages by a considerable margin in recent years.Oxfam said analysis of global data showed that dividend payments to shareholders over the last three years grew an average of 14 times faster than worker pay across 31 major economies. Continue reading...

Conservative Pierre Poilievre refuses to withdraw wacko' remark, prompting censure from speaker and removal from CommonsThe leader of Canada's main opposition party has been ejected from the House of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a wacko", in the latest clash between two men set to fight an election next year.The incident started when Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservatives, criticised Trudeau for supporting moves in British Columbia to decriminalize some hard drugs in an attempt to reduce the number of overdose-related deaths. Continue reading...

Sudanese man being held in Croydon after arriving for routine sign-in believed to be first potential deportation under new lawAn asylum seeker who turned up for a routine Home Office appointment on Monday was detained and told that he was being sent to Rwanda, an NGO has said.In what is believed to be the first potential deportation case under the Rwanda scheme since Rishi Sunak's bill received royal assent, the Sudanese man was held in Croydon, south London, the organisation Soas Detainee Support (SDS) told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Francois Bozize is wanted by special criminal court over alleged crimes including murder and tortureA UN-backed court has issued an arrest warrant for the Central African Republic's former president Francois Bozize over possible crimes against humanity committed by the nation's military between 2009 and 2013.The alleged crimes include murder, enforced disappearance, torture, rape and other inhumane acts, according to the special criminal court (CPS), a hybrid jurisdiction located in the capital Bangui with Central African and foreign magistrates. Continue reading...

Figures for England obtained by Lib Dems show that 500,000 people in very urgent' need travelled to hospital without ambulance in 2023Growing numbers of seriously ill people are making their own way to A&E in what has been called an Uber ambulance crisis", because 999 response times are too slow.A&E doctors said that while they understood that people are acting out of desperation", they are taking a serious risk with their health, especially if they are driving themselves. Continue reading...

Vehicle driving wrong way on highway was being pursued by police after alleged liquor store robbery, causing six-vehicle collisionTwo grandparents and their infant grandchild have been killed on a highway east of Toronto after a van being chased by police crashed while going the wrong way, causing a six-vehicle collision.The chase late on Monday was triggered by an alleged liquor store robbery, and the crash also left the suspect in the chased van dead, police in Canada said on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries says far-right Georgia congresswoman's motion to oust Mike Johnson will not succeed'Democratic leaders in the US House of Representatives vowed that the Georgia extremist Marjorie Taylor Greene will not succeed" if she triggers an attempt to remove the Republican speaker, Mike Johnson, from his role.In response, Greene promised to press on in her quest to show Johnson the door. Continue reading...

Louisiana state police recently served sweeping and unprecedented search warrantThe Roman Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans is the target of an active child sex-trafficking investigation, according to a sweeping and unprecedented search warrant Louisiana state police recently served on an organization that for decades has been submerged in the global church's clergy molestation scandal.The clerk at the state criminal courthouse where the warrant was signed released the 11-page document on Tuesday. It makes clear that troopers involved in a pending rape prosecution against one priest came to suspect that that case was part of a broader pattern of widespread sexual abuse of minors dating back decades" that was covered up and not reported to law enforcement". Continue reading...

Hainault attack may be latest incident linked to mental ill-health, at a time when NHS services are strugglingWhile the full picture of the Hainault attack is yet to emerge, the early briefings from the Metropolitan police were clear: a key line of inquiry, in terms of possible motive, was whether the suspect has a history of mental ill-health.If the police hunches are correct, the tragedy may turn out to be the latest in a series of high-profile killings that have focused public attention on the adequacy of mental health treatment and care. Continue reading...

Woman detained in Netherlands for alleged role in non-fatal shooting of Alejo Vidal-Quadras in Madrid last yearA Dutch woman has been arrested in the Netherlands in relation to the shooting of a Spanish former politician in Madrid last year.Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a founder of Spain's far-right Vox party, was shot in the face near his home in the wealthy Salamanca neighbourhood on 9 November by a motorcycle passenger. Continue reading...

Officers say 36-year-old suspect is in hospital and they can find no evidence of prior involvement with police

Climate groups and Greens co-leader say climate policies risk being sidelined or buried by SNP

Greens co-leader says SNP will have to do deals with anti-independence Tories unless it keeps his party on side

The London mayor, running for his third term in office, had been warning of a two-horse race'When Hilary Cass published her review of gender identity services for children, saying medical evidence did not generally justify giving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children, she said the toxity of the debate" around trans children was exceptional, and she said she would like to see the issue discussed in a less polarised way.But that has not stopped her report becoming a political football. The UK government responded to it with a ministerial statement treating it as a landmark victory in a culture war. In Scotland the Cass report arguably contributed to the downfall of Humza Yousaf, because it was the Rainbow Greens who launched the process to end the SNP/Scottish Greens pact, and they were partly motivated by the SNP government's stance on puberty blockers.The landmark Cass review is hugely significant for Wales. Regretfully, despite the weight of the findings, we are still yet to see a Labour minister come to the Senedd and give a statement in response.In the Senedd tomorrow, I look forward to bringing forward a Welsh Conservative debate on the Cass review, and will call on the Labour government to adopt the recommendations of the Cass review.The Cass review aims to ensure children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria, and require support from the NHS, receive a high standard of care that meets their needs and is safe, holistic and effective.We are committed to improving the gender identity development pathway and the support available for young people in Wales, in line with the commitments in our LGBTQ+ plan.I'm the first chairman of the 22 who has had to operate it while we've been in government ... And so my view is that that was a mistake to introduce that rule.I think it's fine to have the party members voting on the leader when you're in opposition. But in a parliamentary system where essentially you could only remain prime minister if you enjoyed the confidence of your party in parliament, it seems to me crazy that we now have different mechanisms ... The Conservative members of parliament can get rid of the leader by voting no confidence, but then the leader is supplied by the party members. Continue reading...

Nicaragua brought plea to court, arguing sales of weapons make Berlin complicit in alleged war crimesThe International court of justice has rejected a request by Nicaragua to issue Germany emergency orders to desist selling arms to Israel, by 15 votes to one.The decision, according to the judgment read in court in The Hague, is largely based on a significant decrease in recent German arms sales to Israel, the largely defensive nature of arms recently sold, and the extensive internal German government processes to consider if arms would be used to prosecute war crimes or genocide. Continue reading...

Richard Holden says Hester apologised for remarks about Diana Abbott and we should accept that'

Trump associate Steven Witkoff allegedly planned to host a $250,000-a-head soiree at an upcoming Formula One raceOfficials with the Miami Grand Prix recently halted a Donald Trump presidential campaign fundraiser being planned for the upcoming Formula One race, sending a cease-and-desist letter to its organizer.A Miami Grand Prix representative notified Steven Witkoff, a close friend of Trump, that Witkoff would not be allowed to use a suite at the race to fundraise for the former president, the Washington Post first reported. Continue reading...

In letter ahead of vote, signatories including Mark Knopfler say relations with female colleagues have been damagedThe musicians Sting and Mark Knopfler have co-signed a letter with leading theatre producers and actors, warning that they will be obliged to resign their memberships of the men-only Garrick Club if members refuse to approve a decision to admit women in a vote next Tuesday.The letter, seen by the Guardian, was also signed by the actor Stephen Fry, the West End and Broadway theatre producer Karl Sydow, and Matthew Byam Shaw, an executive producer on The Crown television series and co-founder of Playful West End theatre production company. Continue reading...

British government doing everything it can to prevent assault on Rafah while civilians shelter there, says deputy foreign secretary Andrew MitchellAl Jazeera is carrying a quote from Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan. It quotes him saying:It's clear from the Israeli paper that they are still insisting on two major issue: they don't want a complete ceasefire and they are not talking - in a serious way - about the withdrawal from Gaza. In fact, they are still talking about their presence, which means they will continue to occupy Gaza. We have serious questions for the mediators. If there are positive answers, I think we can move forward. Continue reading...

Man arrested after attack near Hainault tube station which left four others, including two police officers, injured

Treasurer Jim Chalmers will set a target of 30 days to clear cases as he seeks money for build-to-rent and energy transition

Nine people rescued from boat sailing perilous Atlantic route that reportedly left Senegal with 60 people onboard nine days agoAt least 50 people are feared to have drowned after a boat sailing the perilous Atlantic route from west Africa to Europe began to sink 60 miles south of the Canary island of El Hierro.Nine people were rescued from the craft early on Monday after a passing bulk carrier alerted Spain's Salvamento Maritimo rescue service, which dispatched a fast boat and a helicopter from its base in Tenerife. Continue reading...

US campus protests escalate with nearly 1,000 students arrested nationwide. Plus, healthy lifestyle may offset genetics by 62%'Good morning.Dozens of protesters have occupied a building at Columbia University in New York, barricading the doors and hanging a Palestine flag from a window as demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war step up on US campuses.What is the latest in Gaza? The death toll in Gaza has reached 34,535, according to the Hamas-led Gaza health ministry, with another 77,704 Palestinians wounded.Is a ceasefire nearing? Hamas officials left Cairo after talks with Egyptian officials on a new ceasefire proposal, saying they would return to the city soon with a written response.What might the deal involve? Details have not been released but it is believed to involve a 40-day pause in fighting and Hamas returning 30-40 vulnerable hostages, while Israel frees scores of Palestinian prisoners.Who were they? The identity of the subject of the warrant and that of the second shooter have not been released. The dead officers have not yet been named. Continue reading...

Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza says her banning shows Rwandan government does not adhere to international lawA Rwandan opposition leader who has been banned from standing for election has cast doubt on whether her government will stick to the terms of the deportation deal agreed with Rishi Sunak.Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza told the Guardian that the Rwandan government's refusal to allow her to stand or leave the country to see her ill husband showed that the government under Paul Kagame did not adhere to international law. Continue reading...

Pauline Hanson denies lying to federal court over her claim she did not know Mehreen Faruqui's religion when she sent tweet

Two men to appear in Manchester crown court charged with murder of 67-year-old Stuart EverettPolice have named a man whose body parts were found in a Salford nature reserve this month as 67-year-old Stuart Everett.Two men are to appear in court on Tuesday charged with murdering Everett, whose dismembered abdomen was found on 4 April in Kersal wetlands, a popular walking spot, causing shock waves" in the community. Continue reading...

Bank says it has started search for a successor as it reports quarterly profits beat forecasts

Moves come despite hospitality group reporting record profits and increasing returns to shareholders

Over the coming week 100-150mm of rain could fall along the coastline, while 60-80mm is expected over western NSW

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Social housing provider Peabody wants to raze 1960s Lesnes estate used in Kubrick film but residents say homes could be refittedResidents of a brutalist 1960s estate in south-east London featured by Stanley Kubrick in his dystopian film A Clockwork Orange are resisting plans to demolish their homes, warning it will result in homelessness, debt and carbon pollution.Peabody, one of Britain's biggest providers of social housing, is asking the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, for permission to raze the Lesnes estate in Thamesmead. The development was called a town of tomorrow" by its Greater London Council architects before disrepair and unemployment blighted the area. Land values in the area have since increased with the arrival of the Elizabeth line railway in 2022, which has connected the area to the West End of London in 23 minutes. Continue reading...

Passengers were earlier left stranded as discussions took place on viability of business'

2024-25 programme includes premieres of Mark-Anthony Turnage's opera Festen and Wayne McGregor's Margaret Atwood ballet MaddAddam

Former chancellor Nigel Lawson, who PM cites as inspiration, warned merging NICs with income tax would create many losers'A secret, unpublished memo from Margaret Thatcher's tax-cutting chancellor Nigel Lawson warned against merging national insurance and income tax because it would create many losers" including pensioners.The advice in the memo will be a blow to Rishi Sunak, who has said it is his ambition to scrap the tax on workers. He has called Lawson a transformational chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others", and said one of the first things he did as chancellor in Boris Johnson's government was to hang a portrait of Lawson above his desk. Continue reading...

Observation was made by medics contributing a new pain management manual for treating children in conflict zonesChildren being treated in Gaza's hospitals are underplaying" pain because it seems trivial" in the context of the wider conflict, doctors have said.International medics met in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday to discuss plans for a new trauma pain management manual to support professionals treating children in Gaza and other conflict zones. Continue reading...

Series of traumatic defeats has prompted a rethink in what was once seen as the most pro-Moscow of the ex-Soviet republicsWith its waterfall, hot spring, orchards full of apricot blossom and a gorge through which the swollen Arpa River races, the town of Jermuk since Soviet times has been one of the most visited in Armenia. That was until just after midnight on 12 September 2022 when Azerbaijani forces surged over the border, advancing about 4 miles in a two-day push that left them in full control of the long mountain ridge overlooking the town.It was truly frightening. The forest was set on fire. It was like lightning coming down on us. It went on for two days. We did not know how it would end, and how to get our families out," recalled Rubik Avakelyan, 69, sitting on a park bench. Continue reading...

Six people have been killed and more than 200 injured in attacks by bears over the past yearJapan is to trial an AI bear-warning system after a record number of attacks on humans over the past year as the animals struggle to find their staple foods.A pilot system in Toyama prefecture, central Japan, will monitor live feeds from government, municipal and private security cameras to identify bears on the move in areas close to people, and send instant warnings to relevant local authorities, police and hunters. AI will also be used to monitor bears movement patterns and try to predict their future whereabouts. Continue reading...

On Monday, Scotland's first minister Humza Yousaf announced his resignation. What does this mean for the Scottish National party? Severin Carrell and Libby Brooks reportOn Thursday, Scotland's first minister, Humza Yousaf, made the unexpected decision to tear up the Bute House agreement. The deal was reached in August 2021, between the former Scottish National party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Green party co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater, to encourage cooperation between the two parties.In one of the most unexpected twists to this entire saga, and a twist that I don't believe that Humza would ever have envisaged was realistic, Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater made clear that they were prepared to do what was previously unthinkable," the Guardian's Scotland editor, Severin Carrell, tells Michael Safi. And that was back a Scottish Conservative motion of no confidence against Humza Yousaf." Continue reading...

Seventeen-year-old girl due to face court after incident near Newcastle with police saying death is hard to imagine'

Former detainee accused of Perth assault was one of 154 men released after high court ruled indefinite detention unlawful

Speaking to ABC's 7.30, the 16-year-old's mother and father say their son has struggled with mental health problems for years

Ministers accused of dragging NHS into culture wars debate' with proposal for patient rights updateTransgender people will be treated in single rooms in hospitals in England under new government plans to update the NHS constitution.The proposal follows a pledge last year by the then health secretary Steve Barclay to prevent people who had changed their gender identity from being treated on male-only or female-only wards. Continue reading...

Tenants typically asked to pay 1,291 a month outside London and 2,633 in capital but pace of growth is slowing, say analystsAverage private rents in Great Britain have risen to record highs, with annual rental growth in hotspot locations such as Reading and Coventry running at almost 20%.Data from the property website Rightmove shows that the average advertised rent outside London climbed to a record 1,291 a calendar month in the first quarter of 2024. That is 8.5% higher than a year earlier - a rate of growth well ahead of inflation. Continue reading...

Exclusive: First study of its kind finds prisoners are 28% less likely to receive treatment for cancerPrisoners diagnosed with cancer are more likely than people in the general population to die of the disease, according to research.A study has calculated that compared with cancer patients in the general population, patients in English prisons are 28% less likely to receive treatment for cancer, particularly surgery to remove tumours, and have a 9% increased risk of death - half of which is due to treatment differences. Continue reading...

Michael Sanchez snapped a few photos of a bird at Hug Point that may be first images in North America of the rare blue rock-thrushMichael Sanchez was setting up his new camera to capture a waterfall at Oregon's Hug Point at sunrise when he spotted a little bird hopping around. He snapped a few photos, and didn't think much more of it.A week later, those snapshots have made him the star - and the envy - of the local birding community. Sanchez, who is from Vancouver, Washington, may have inadvertently captured the first images of an extremely rare blue rock-thrush in North America. Continue reading...

Report to United Nations security council says remnants of Hwasong-11 violate arms export embargo on Russian allyThe debris from a missile that landed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on 2 January was from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile, UN sanctions monitors told a security council committee in a report seen by Reuters.In the 32-page report, the UN sanctions monitors concluded that debris recovered from a missile that landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on 2 January 2024 derives from a DPRK Hwasong-11 series missile" and is in violation of the arms embargo on North Korea. Continue reading...

State department says five units mostly from IDF but including at least one police unit responsible for gross violations in West BankThe US has found five units of the Israeli security forces responsible for gross violations of human rights, over incidents in the West Bank before the current Gaza war, the state department has said.The findings come at a time when Israel is facing potential accountability from the international criminal court and the state department for its conduct of the conflict in Gaza, in which more than 34,000 people have been killed. Continue reading...

G7 diplomats argue any move now in investigation launched in 2021 could disrupt current ceasefire talksDiplomats from the G7 industrialised nations have urged officials at the international criminal court not to announce war crimes charges against Israel or Hamas officials, amid concerns that such a move could disrupt the chances of a breakthrough in ceasefire talks.Israeli politicians including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have suggested that the ICC could press charges imminently after an investigation launched in 2021 that covers events starting in 2014. The inquiry has also been looking at Israel's construction of settlements in occupied territory. Continue reading...

Commission president, who is seeking another term, took aim at group that includes AfD and National Rally in pre-election debateThe European Commission president, Ursula Von der Leyen, has criticised the far right as Putin's proxies", while refusing to rule out working with other rightwing nationalists, as campaigning began ahead of June's European elections.Von der Leyen is seeking a second five-year term leading the commission, in the looming reshuffle of EU top jobs that follows the European elections. Continue reading...

Two women say actor assaulted them, one on a film set in 2021 and the other on another shoot in 2014Gerard Depardieu will face a criminal trial in October over the alleged sexual assaults of two women on the set of a film in 2021, prosecutors have announced.Depardieu, 75, who previously has denied any wrongdoing, was questioned for several hours on Monday by officers at a police station in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. Continue reading...