House to consider amendment that would pardon women in England and Wales affected by prior unjust' lawsWomen who have been arrested, investigated and convicted under abortion legislation in England and Wales must not be left behind" if the law is changed to prevent women being criminalised in future, campaigners have said.Last summer, the House of Commons voted to end the criminalisation of women who terminate their pregnancies outside the legal framework, through a new clause in the crime and policing bill. Continue reading...
Show in part a rediscovery of more than 40 mostly forgotten women who plied their trade in the Low CountriesJudith Leyster, an artist of the Dutch golden age, was thought to be about 21 when she painted her self-portrait in 1630. In the picture she presented to the world, Leyster exudes cheerful confidence. Clad in shimmering silks and a stiffly starched lace collar, she leans back in her chair, palette and brushes in hand, a painting by her side.This work, completed in the year she was admitted to a painters' guild in Haarlem, proclaimed her arrival as an established artist. It was one of the first self-portraits by an artist in the Dutch republic, a device most male painters did not adopt until years later. Continue reading...
Evanston mayor Daniel Biss and Cook County commissioner Donna Miller were among those who came out on top in the elections ahead of the midtermsDemocratic voters in Illinois handed the party's nominations for five open seats in the House of Representatives to candidates that included Evanston mayor Daniel Biss and Cook County commissioner Donna Miller, after heated and at times bitter campaigns that saw significant spending by outside groups, most controversially the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac).The primaries acted as a test of the style of politics voters were looking for ahead of the midterm elections in November, when Democrats hope to regain control of Congress. All five districts are heavily Democratic, making the primary victors favorites to triumph in the general elections. Continue reading...
The progressive candidate was behind Krishnamoorthi until she got an infusion of cash from Governor PritzkerIllinois lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton won the Democratic primary race to succeed Illinois' US senator Dick Durbin, beating out US representative Raja Krishnamoorthi.With nearly 90% of the vote tallied, Stratton was leading Krishnamoorthi by more than six percentage points on Tuesday night, according to the Associated Press. Continue reading...
Nasa spokesperson says meteor was traveling at 45,000mph but no reports of debris foundA meteor over Ohio caused a large boom that jolted people as far away as Pennsylvania on Tuesday morning, Nasa has confirmed.The meteor entered the atmosphere at about 9am local time on Tuesday, producing a sonic boom felt across a wide swath of northern Ohio and beyond. Reports poured in from Cleveland and other sectors as far east as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and into New York state. Continue reading...
by Callum Jones and Eva Corlett in Wellington on (#74AE3)
New Zealand economic growth tipped to overtake Australia's this year but Middle East conflict casts a shadow over outlookJust as New Zealand's fragile economic recovery shows flickers of improvement - with economists predicting its annual growth could surpass that of its larger neighbour Australia - it is facing a new threat: the war in the Middle East.New Zealand is particularly exposed to the energy shocks produced by the conflict - and to economic crises generally - with the small, isolated nation highly dependent on global trade and tourism. It is susceptible to disruptions in supply chains and shipping. Continue reading...
Experts say attacks on Afghanistan are defensive, not offensive' but carry a risk of spiralling cycle of violenceAn escalating Pakistani campaign of airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan is aimed at forcing the Taliban authorities to abandon their support for Pakistani militants, according to officials and experts.The strategy is to impose such a steep cost on the Taliban administration that they act to prevent attacks emanating from Afghanistan. Yet it carries the risk of spiralling violence. Continue reading...
Chancellor seeks genuine break with the past' in tackling centralised and geographically unequal' countryRachel Reeves has announced that the Treasury will draw up proposals to hand England's mayors a share of national tax revenues as part of a radical plan to rebalance the economy.The chancellor promised a genuine break with the past" that would shift spending power away from Westminster, as she promised to create investment-led growth across the UK. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#74AE5)
Exclusive: England and Wales Greens leader outlines economic policy including help to meet rising energy costs and water re-nationalisationSuccessive governments have turned the UK from a manufacturing economy to one where the basics of life have been privatised and are rented back to people at a crushing cost, Zack Polanski will say.In a speech billed as the Green leader's biggest policy intervention since he took over as leader six months ago, Polanski will argue that decades of gradual economic rebalancing in favour of a minority who own assets has left much of the country vulnerable to economic shocks such as the current rise in fuel prices. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#74AE7)
Greater Manchester mayor hopes yet-to-be-built 250m course could provide lasting legacy' for north of EnglandFrom the fairways of Rome to the greens of Versailles, could the world's most prestigious golf tournament be heading to Bolton?Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, has announced a bid to bring the Ryder Cup to the north of England for the first time in nearly 60 years. Continue reading...
MSPs reject bill after concerted campaign to block it and despite amendments intended to placate criticsThe Scottish parliament has voted against legalising assisted dying after critics and religious groups led a concerted campaign to block the measures.MSPs voted 69 to 57 to reject the proposals in a late night vote on Tuesday - a larger margin than expected, despite a series of last-minute amendments designed to placate critics of the private member's bill. Continue reading...
Former deputy prime minister says Labour's immigration changes are un-British' and Starmer must respond to fall in party's popularityAngela Rayner has said the very survival of the Labour party is at stake and warned Keir Starmer that he cannot go through the motions" in the face of declining support.In a speech at campaign group Mainstream's spring reception, the former deputy prime minister said she believed the government was running out of time" to show it can deliver the change that the public needs. Continue reading...
Musician, AKA Michael Tyler, faces up to 20 years after entering plea in state court outside Baton Rouge, LouisianaThe US rapper Mystikal on Tuesday pleaded guilty to third-degree rape in connection with a case that led to his arrest in 2022.Mystikal - whose given name is Michael Tyler - faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in a state courthouse outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to reports from local news outlets WBRZ and WAFB. Continue reading...
by Geraldine McKelvie Senior correspondent on (#74A46)
In letter to justice secretary, groups say judge-led decisions more likely to be influenced by bias than those made by 12 random peopleThirty organisations representing victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG) have written to the justice secretary, David Lammy, urging him to drop plans to significantly reduce the number of jury trials.The groups said that the proposals, which will affect court cases in England and Wales, will deepen mistrust in the justice system among victims and distract from measures designed to reduce offending. Continue reading...
Russian billionaire accused of missing last chance' to release money to help victims of Ukraine warUK officials are preparing for a possible court case against Roman Abramovich after he missed a deadline to release 2.4bn he raised from selling Chelsea FC.The Russian billionaire failed to hand over the money by the deadline of 17 March, amid a dispute over how it will eventually be used. Continue reading...
Supplies becoming sparse amid rise in demand since Kent outbreak, which has killed two and left 13 seriously illWorried parents are contacting pharmacies in an increasingly desperate" effort to get their children vaccinated against meningitis after the outbreak in Kent that has killed two young people and left 13 seriously ill.The surge in demand has led to stocks of the vaccine running so low that many pharmacies cannot get hold of supplies from wholesalers. Continue reading...
Vaccination programme to be launched on Canterbury campus as strain B of disease identified in fatal outbreakStudents in Kent are to be offered a targeted vaccination against meningitis B after two more cases in the deadly outbreak were confirmed and pharmacies ran out of vaccine doses.Government scientists have said two people who died in the outbreak had bacterial strain B of the disease, for which most people have not been vaccinated. Continue reading...
Ukraine's president says mass attacks on civilians are no longer the preserve of a madman like Putin'European nations should prepare for attacks by non-state actors including criminal networks, terror groups and lone attackers as drone technology advances, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned.The Ukrainian president said it was no longer just a wealthy madman like Putin" who could afford mass attacks as he demonstrated the latest technology to British MPs and peers. Continue reading...
Keir Starmer previously reassured that the war in Iran would not distract the UK from supporting UkraineNigel Farage is speaking now at the Reform UK event.The website promoting the lottery is up. It is called nigelcutmybills.com. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#74A5F)
Margaret Hodge, who led report into arts funder, tells DCMS committee that grant recipients have lost confidence in the bodyArts Council England (ACE) requires a radical" overhaul so that it is able to respond to the challenges of the culture sector, according to Margaret Hodge, who said if ACE leaders did not heed her warnings it would be a disaster".The Labour peer, who led a wide-ranging and critical report into ACE, made the comments at a Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee, where she reiterated her calls for the organisation to embrace reform. Continue reading...
Minister says the change is needed to protect the corporation from repeated culture war' attacksThe government is to put the BBC's charter on a permanent footing for the first time, after the corporation said the change was needed to protect it from political interference.In a significant change to the governance of the BBC, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said she wanted to grant the corporation's demand for a permanent charter. She said she wanted to protect it from repeated culture war" attacks. Continue reading...
Family of then PM, Patrice Lumumba, welcome decision to charge Etienne Davignon as beginning of a reckoning'A former Belgian diplomat, 93, should stand trial over alleged complicity in the 1961 murder of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of what was then the newly independent Congolese state, a Brussels court has ruled.Etienne Davignon, the only person still alive among 10 Belgians the Lumumba family accuses of involvement in the killing, is charged with participation in war crimes.The illegal transfer of Lumumba and his associates from Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) to Katanga.The humiliating and degrading treatment" of the men.Depriving them of a fair trial. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#74A18)
Woman known only as Beth says abuser claimed status made him untouchable, which terrorised her into silenceMI5 has apologised and paid compensation to a woman who alleged the Security Service was to blame for her being attacked with a machete and abused by one of its agents.The woman, known only as Beth, was in a relationship with a man she says used his status as an MI5 agent to perpetrate abuse and terrorise her into silence. Continue reading...
Carmaker reduces office-based roles and will not fill vacancies to ensure long-term competitiveness of business'Bentley is to cut 275 jobs in the UK as the carmaker faces a challenging global market environment".The luxury brand, owned by Germany's Volkswagen, is preparing to launch its first all-electric model but acknowledged it had some work to do to convince consumers to switch away from internal combustion engine vehicles. Continue reading...
Forces in England and Wales and journalists pledge to improve relations amid rising distrustPolice and the media have backed a reset" in relations between officers and journalists, after a prolonged period of distrust since the handling of the Nicola Bulley case in 2023.Bulley's disappearance in Lancashire led to significant fallout between the police and the press, with media outlets saying a lack of access and information allowed incorrect assertions and conspiracy theories about the case to gain ground. Continue reading...
Exclusive: actor's Papa Salt gin to get oyster-free version after venues says it is not worth the risk'Margot Robbie said she couldn't wait" to see the artisan gin brand she had created stocked in her London local. But the willingness of the capital's venues to fulfil her dream has been seriously compromised by three words on the side of the bottle - warning: contains molluscs".The Wuthering Heights star has had to change the recipe of her spirit after top London bars and restaurants rejected it due to allergen concerns, the Guardian can reveal. Continue reading...
More than 100 others injured in bombings targeting post office, market areas and hospital in MaiduguriAt least 23 people have been killed and more than 100 others injured in multiple suspected suicide bombings in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, shattering its reputation as a relative oasis of calm in recent years as a long-running insurgency was pushed to the rural hinterlands.Authorities said the explosions went off at the post office and market areas, as well as the entrance to the University of Maiduguri teaching hospital, on Monday evening during iftar, the breaking of fast in the month of Ramadan. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#749V4)
After carrying out an audit, the council found some parts of the town were overwhelmed'A local council has stopped residents from installing any more memorial benches in the town amid concerns that it is becoming overwhelmed".Hartlepool borough council has said it is not currently taking any new applications for benches, after concerns from residents that there are too many. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: As drones and missiles hit Dubai, Doha and other sites across the Gulf, Hannah Ellis Peterson explains what happens next for the regionMorning everyone, I'm Patrick Greenfield - you may recognise the name from my environment reporting over the years (or perhaps you read my piece about the possible rebirth of a long-extinct 12ft bird). I'll be joining you on First Edition for the next few months, where I will inevitably be turning my attention to some rather more worrisome news than the Jurassic Park-adjacent ambitions of a US startup.On that note: no Gulf state wanted war with Iran. But, as fighting in the Middle East enters its third week, the region finds itself on the frontline of an increasingly intractable conflict. After the US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February, drones and missiles have showered the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia - bringing the region's oil and gas industries to a near standstill, and prompting an exodus of tourists and expats.UK news | Keir Starmer has said the UK will not be drawn into the wider war in the Middle East, after Donald Trump called for allies to send warships to the strait of Hormuz to help unblock global oil supplies from the region. Starmer also announced that households reliant on heating oil to warm their homes would receive 53m of government support to help with their bills.Health | A sixth-form student at Queen Elizabeth's grammar school in Faversham has been confirmed as the second person to have died after an outbreak of meningitis in Kent.Environment | Realtime pollution alerts are urgently needed across Windermere, campaigners have said, as the mother of a seven-year-old boy who kayaked on the lake described how he nearly died after contracting a dangerous strain of E coli from contaminated water.Media | The BBC has asked a US court to throw out Donald Trump's $10bn (7.5bn) lawsuit over the way a documentary edited one of his speeches, warning that proceeding with the case would have a chilling effect" on its reporting on the president.Energy | Belgium's prime minister, Bart De Wever, has been criticised for calling for the normalisation of relations with Russia to re-establish cheap energy supplies. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#749Q7)
Exclusive: Birthrights report says women are being told they are not allowed' and are being denied genuine choiceWomen feel put under pressure to have medical procedures such as caesareans during their maternity care, according to a report.The charity Birthrights collated the experiences of 300 people in England who said they had felt or witnessed coercion within a maternity setting. Continue reading...
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