by Martin Belam (now) and Jamie Grierson (earlier) on (#6M15R)
This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereAlan Cook, who was the managing director of Post Office, has just told the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry that he was not aware until late in his tenure that the Post Office was the prosecuting authority in many of these cases.I knew there were court cases. But I didn't realise that Post Office, in about two-thirds of the cases, had initiated the prosecution as opposed to, you know, the DPP or the police or whatever.Reliance was placed on Royal Mail Holdings governance as well as Post Office Ltd governance. For example, producing the annual results and having the accounts audited was a process that would have been run through an audit committee, and that audit committee was at the Royal Mail Holdings level. I fully accept I was on the board of Royal Mail, but I'm just saying that from a Post Office Ltd board's perspective, they weren't the accountable party that. Continue reading...
Polish MPs vote in favour of sending all four bills to special commission as campaigners call it good news for Polish women'The Polish parliament has voted in favour of sending all four bills on abortion to a special commission.Two of the bills are aimed at legalising abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy and another is focused on decriminalisation. The fourth, introduced by the conservative Third Way alliance, seeks a return to strict 1993 laws. Continue reading...
Jeffrey Cook received 44,000 in cash and two cars worth 30,000 as kickbacks on public contract that he arrangedA former Ministry of Defence civil servant has been jailed for 30 months after being convicted of misconduct in public office.Jeffrey Cook, 67, received more than 70,000 of payments and gifts as kickbacks on a public contract that he arranged while he was an employee at the MoD between 2004 and 2008. Continue reading...
Alan Cook says he will regret the inappropriate' expression used in 2009 email for the rest of his lifeA former boss of the Post Office sent an email to two staff members in 2009 telling them his instinct about the Horizon scandal was that subbies with their hand in the till" were blaming the technology, it has been revealed.The message from Alan Cook, who was Paula Vennells' predecessor, came to light at a session of the Post Office Horizon inquiry. Continue reading...
In first interview since his stabbing, writer tells how knifeman was last thing my right eye would ever see'Salman Rushdie has said that his first thought upon seeing the man who would stab him on stage in August 2022 was: So it's you. Here you are."It felt like something coming out of the distant past and trying to drag me back in time, if you like, back into that distant past, in order to kill me," said the Indian-born British-American author of books including The Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereSix Ukrainian drones struck Russia's Belgorod oblast this morning, injuring two and damaging an administrative building, the regional governor said on Telegram.Russian air defence shot down four of the drones, said governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. One caused a grass fire on the outskirts of Belgorod city, while the other struck the administrative building.After months of delay, the US House speaker is negotiating with the White House on advancing wartime funding for Ukraine - a package that would deviate from the Senate's $95bn foreign security package and include several Republican demands. House Speaker Mike Johnson has been facing mounting pressure regarding a Ukraine aid package, not just from Joe Biden, who has repeatedly chastised Republicans for not helping Ukraine, but from hard-right members of his own party who remain staunchly opposed to additional Ukraine aid. Johnson is set to travel to Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Friday to meet with Donald Trump - who has said he would negotiate an end to the conflict as he tries to push the US to a more isolationist stance.A Russian drone damaged equipment at a substation in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast overnight, cutting power to a number of households and individual consumers, Ukrainian energy operator Ukrenergo said on Telegram. The attack came after Russian missiles and drones destroyed a large electricity plant near Kyiv and hit power facilities in several regions of Ukraine on Thursday, destroying the Trypilska coal-powered thermal power plant near the capital. Ukrenergo said 399 settlements were without power as of Friday morning, with a blackout in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Kherson oblasts.Thousands of Russian soldiers are fleeing the war in Ukraine, lying low while awaiting the results of their asylum applications to western countries like Germany, France and the US. Asylum claims from Russian citizens have surged, but few are winning protection - policymakers remain divided over whether to consider Russians in exile as potential assets or risks to national security. Fewer than 300 Russians got refugee status in the US in fiscal year 2022 while less than 10% of the 5,246 people whose applications were processed last year got some sort of protection from German authorities. In France, asylum requests rose more than 50% between 2022 and 2023, to a total of around 3,400 people.Ukrainian authorities conducted a search of a high-ranking priest of Moscow-linked church. Sources told the Kyiv Independent that the premises of Archpriest Mykola Danylevych, a senior member of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, was searched this morning by the security service of Ukraine. The Moscow Patriarchate-linked church has repeatedly been accused of aligning with the Russian government, which the church has denied. The church had yet to comment on the search on Danylevych.Five civilians were killed in Russian attacks on the Mykolaiv oblast, said regional governor Vitalii Kim on Telegram.Ukraine's parliament passed a controversial bill on Thursday that will change the rules on civilian military mobilisation in an effort to address fledgling manpower among its forces. The legislation, which must be signed by the president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is seen as crucial for Ukraine to address what military analysts say are major manpower problems as it fights a better armed and larger foe.Russian forces outnumber Ukrainian troops seven to ten times in eastern regions, Ukraine's Gen Yuriy Sodol told parliament on Thursday. The enemy outnumbers us by 7-10 times, we lack manpower," said Sodol, who is commanding the troops in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine. Continue reading...
Belgian PM says Russia is trying to influence upcoming elections to weaken European support for UkraineProsecutors in Belgium have opened an investigation into alleged payments by Russia to members of the European parliament following an intelligence operation in Brussels, the Belgian prime minister has revealed.Alexander De Croo said Moscow's objective was to weaken" support for Ukraine in Europe. Continue reading...
Delivering a baby was already risky, but an unprecedented surge in gang violence has forced clinics and hospitals to closeThe worst fears of midwives at Heartline Haiti were realised last week. As they prepared the maternity clinic for patients that evening, armed men laid siege to their neighbourhood in eastern Port-au-Prince, spraying bullets at police and rival gangs, setting cars on fire and ransacking houses.All of our staff were huddled in an interior hallway hearing the noises outside the gates and walls, afraid they may be next," says Tara Livesay, the NGO's executive director. A gang member was shot dead outside, just two doors over." Continue reading...
Starmer's comments come before visit to Barrow, where he is to promise nuclear deterrent is bedrock' of security planLabour will aim to raise the UK's defence spending to 2.5% of GDP as soon as resources allow", Keir Starmer has said.The party leader told the i newspaper that defence was the number one issue for any government" in a world where international threats had risen and the situation was more volatile" than it had been for many years. Continue reading...
Despite warm words from the US and Japanese leaders during their summit this week, back in Japan the spectre of a second Trump White House looms largeJoe Biden was effusive in his praise for Japan and its bold" prime minister, Fumio Kishida, during a state visit that took place this week amid new and growing security threats in the Asia-Pacific, wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and months of political uncertainty ahead for both leaders.The first ladies, Jill Biden and Yuko Kishida, exchanged gifts and hugs, there was talk of cherry blossoms and a state banquet menu inspired by Japanese cuisine - and even a half-decent joke from Kishida about the Flintstones. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Charges relate to 225m debt with Rights & Media Funding, with records suggesting a trail leading to Michael TaborEverton has paid about 30m in interest charges to an opaque lender associated with a tax exile, corporate records suggest.The charges appear to have reached about 438,000 a week, according to the troubled Premier League club's most recent set of accounts, a figure more than three times the reported wages of the Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Continue reading...
George Henderson had to sell his home to repay nearly 20,000, years after ticking wrong box on carer's allowance formA carer who says he was dragged through the courts" and had to sell his home to pay back almost 20,000 in benefit overpayments is fighting to clear his name after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) acknowledged he made an innocent mistake.George Henderson, 64, said he made a gain of just 30p a week while claiming carer's allowance for his son John, who has learning difficulties and is addicted to heroin. He now costs the Treasury 1,000 a month more in benefits, having become homeless and too unwell to work. Continue reading...
Rights groups condemn arrest of Macmillan Mhone, who was charged with publication of news likely to cause fear and alarm'Human rights watchdogs have condemned the arrest of a journalist in Malawi in connection with an article accusing a wealthy businessman of corruption.Police in Blantyre detained Macmillan Mhone on Monday over a story that was published online last August on the Malawi 24 news site. Continue reading...
Pedro Sanchez is first foreign premier Simon Harris will meet since becoming leaderThe new Irish taoiseach is to meet the Spanish prime minister to discuss their joint plan to recognise Palestine as a nation state and their attempts to force the EU to assess Israel's human rights obligations as a condition of their trade deal with the bloc.Pedro Sanchez, who is due to arrive in Dublin on Friday, is the first foreign premier Simon Harris will meet since his promotion to the office of the taoiseach this week. Continue reading...
Ukraine parliament passes controversial mobilisation bill to boost troop numbers; Japan's prime minister calls on US to continue supporting Ukraine. What we know on day 779
US president describes defence commitment to Philippines and Japan as ironclad' during first joint summit with Manila and TokyoJoe Biden has pledged to defend the Philippines from any attack in the South China Sea, as he hosted the first joint summit with Manila and Tokyo amid growing tensions with Beijing.The United States' defence commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad," the US president said on Thursday as he met the Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida. Continue reading...
Nonfiction shows by Sussexes will feature joys of friendship' and unprecedented access to the world of professional polo'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to be the executive producers of two new nonfiction Netflix series focusing on lifestyle and polo.One show will explore the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining and friendship", while the other will give unprecedented access to the world of professional polo" and the US Open Polo Championship in Florida, Netflix said. Continue reading...
BBC presenter made statement as Parky Charter - a list of recommendations about condition - delivered to No 10Jeremy Paxman has said Parkinson's disease makes you wish you hadn't been born" as he delivered a list of recommendations about the condition to Downing Street.The former University Challenge and Newsnight presenter and fellow members of the Movers and Shakers podcast - which discusses the challenges of living with the disease - marked World Parkinson's Day by presenting the Parky Charter" and a petition with tens of thousands of names to No 10 on Thursday. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed. You can read more of our US politics coverage here.The Democratic senator for Virginia, Tim Kaine, is best known nationally as Hillary Clinton's running mate in the 2016 presidential election, a race they lost to Republicans Donald Trump and Mike Pence. The Biden ally is a member of the Senate foreign relations and armed services committees.Kaine has repeatedly reiterated his backing for Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas following the terrorist attack six months ago that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 people hostage. But he has joined other Democrats in expressing growing consternation over a hardline military response that has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, and spurred a looming famine.They turned water back on in northern Gaza. They allow bakeries to start to operate again in Palestine. They announced they're pulling troops back in southern Gaza, and there's probably more that they're going to do, because I think he finally heard in Joe Biden's voice, Yeah, I'm a friend but you played me and I know you played me; that ain't going to happen any more.'I feel strongly that Benjamin Netanyahu has made Israel less safe in dramatic ways and is now hurting the US-Israel relationship, which has been fairly steady and easy to be counted upon.I do believe he felt like that relationship and the true compassion that he had for Israel over his career would lead him to be listened to by the Israeli leadership. I think he is enormously frustrated that he's been trying to give advice, not like a foe would give it - I think this is better for you if you listen to me. I'm not just saying this is better for me; I'm saying this will be better for you.' Continue reading...
New gender clinics looking at creative ways' of reducing waiting lists amid shortage of cliniciansFive thousand children and adolescents with gender-related distress are awaiting NHS treatment - yet a shortage of clinicians meant only 12 had been seen at a new London-based gender clinic by the start of this week.Two newly opened gender centres, in London and Liverpool, are looking at creative ways" of reducing the waiting lists, such as running group sessions with therapists, according to Hilary Cass, the consultant paediatrician who has devised the new, more holistic treatment model for children and adolescents questioning their gender identity. Continue reading...
US declaring commitment to Israeli security while also working to prevent regional war, say officialsThe US is seeking to deter Iran from carrying out a retaliatory strike against Israel with concerted declarations of commitment to Israeli security, while at the same time trying to prevent the outbreak of a major regional war, officials in Washington have said.US officials still believe that a direct Iranian missile or drone strike is possible within the next few days, in retaliation for the Israeli bombing of an Iranian consular building in Damascus on 1 April, which killed a top Islamic Revolutionary Guards general and six other Guard officers. Continue reading...
Call shows the Republican party to be more committed to the big lie than ever', says Democratic lawyerThe Republican National Committee sent out a scripted robocall on behalf of its new co-chair Lara Trump, falsely claiming Democrats were guilty of massive fraud" in the 2020 election.We all know the problems," the RNC call said, according to CNN, which also said the call was sent 145,000 times in the first week of April. Continue reading...
Ecuadorian police forced their way inside embassy in Quito to arrest former vice-president who was seeking asylum in MexicoMexico is demanding that the United Nations expel Ecuador from the world body as part of a complaint to the top UN court over a police raid last week on the Mexican embassy in Quito.Tensions between Mexico and Ecuador have soared since late last week when Ecuadorian authorities forced their way into the diplomatic mission to arrest Ecuador's former vice-president Jorge Glas who had been holed up there seeking asylum in Mexico. Continue reading...
Paediatrician who led review of gender identity services says any new law must not create problems for professionalsKemi Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, was warned about the risks of a planned ban on conversion practices by the doctor who reviewed gender identity services for under-18s.Leading paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass said she had been really clear" with the cabinet minister that any plans for a change in the law would have to avoid creating problems for professionals. Continue reading...
Friends called police to raise concerns about Kamonnan Thiamphanit on evening before officers found bodyScotland Yard has referred itself to the police complaints watchdog after a woman was found dead at a house near Hyde Park the morning after it received several reports from friends concerned about her welfare.A murder investigation was launched after police forced entry to a property in Stanhope Place, near Marble Arch, central London, at about 8.30am on Monday and found the body of Kamonnan Thiamphanit. Continue reading...
Managing director David Smith emailed team in 2010 to say Seema Misra's conviction was brilliant news'A post office operator who was wrongly prosecuted while pregnant has rejected a Post Office executive's apology for having sent an email celebrating her conviction as brilliant news".The inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal heard that David Smith, who was managing director of the Post Office for seven months during 2010, sent the email to his team after learning that Seema Misra had been convicted. Continue reading...
More than a third of votes were cast against the package for Pascal Soriot, called excessive' by someAstraZeneca has suffered a shareholder rebellion against an 18.7m pay packet for the pharmaceutical company's chief executive, Pascal Soriot, with more than a third of the votes cast opposing the deal.At its annual meeting in London 35.5% rejected the company's remuneration policy, rising to 38.5% including withheld votes. In addition 34.7% voted against amendments to the company's performance share plan. Continue reading...
Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is suffering after-effects of two poisonings, is two years into 25-year sentence in Russian jailThe wife of the jailed Russian-British citizen Vladimir Kara-Murza says she fears every day for her husband's life on the second anniversary of his arrest, as worries grow that the veteran politician could be the next dissident to die behind bars in Russia.Kara-Murza, 42, was detained in Moscow on 11 April 2022 and later sentenced to 25 years on treason and other trumped-up charges, in a case that he compared to a Stalinist show trial. At the time of his arrest, he was one of the few prominent opposition figures who chose to stay in Russia, despite friends pleading with him to leave. Continue reading...
by Martin Belam (now) and Emily Dugan (earlier) on (#6M08F)
Prime minister has missed his own targets to cut ambulance and A&E waits', says Wes Streeting as England waiting list figures remain near record levels
Woman tossed her two children out of moving SUV, killing infant daughter, after fatally stabbing partner, and then died by suicideA woman who authorities say fatally stabbed her partner at their Los Angeles apartment Monday then threw her two children from a moving SUV onto the freeway, killing her infant daughter, was an astrologer who called the impending solar eclipse the epitome of spiritual warfare" in an online post days earlier.The Los Angeles police believe Danielle Cherakiyah Johnson, 34, posted on X as an astrology influencer and recording artist with the moniker Ayoka," in the days leading up to the violence, which began hours before the eclipse peaked in Southern California, said Lt Guy Golan.In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...
Group of 17 were ski touring near resort of Solden when 80-metre wide avalanche hitAn avalanche near the Austrian ski resort of Solden has killed three skiers from the Netherlands. Another person was rescued and taken to hospital.The victims were part of a 17-person ski touring group that was on an ascent with four Austrian guides. Ski touring involves using skis with special bindings and skins that make moving uphill possible. Continue reading...
Producers of West End musical say premature end is due to challenging financial landscape'The West End musical Opening Night starring Sheridan Smith that divided audiences and critics is to close two months early.The show about an actor with mental health problems received mixed reviews and was due to run until 27 July. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Caroline Davies (earlier) on (#6M075)
Airlines have also cancelled flights to the region, while the US says in response to Iranian threats that its support for Israel is ironclad'Israeli forces killed three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in an airstrike in Gaza without consulting senior commanders or political leaders including prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says Reuters citing Israeli media reports on Thursday.Quoting senior Israeli officials, Walla news agency said neither Netanyahu nor defence minister Yoav Gallant had been told in advance of the strike, which was coordinated by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet intelligence service. Continue reading...
Scrapping of demobilisation date for soldiers who have spent long periods on frontlines among changes passed by parliamentHere are some of the latest images coming through from photo agencies:We've got a bit more on Ukraine's new mobilisation bill aimed at boosting troop numbers. Continue reading...
Takashimaya to increase security after theft of 24-carat gold teaware from unlocked display boxA golden teacup worth more than 10m yen (52,100) has been stolen from a department store in Tokyo after being showcased in an unlocked box.The teacup, made of pure 24-carat gold, went missing from an outlet of the Takashimaya chain, where an array of gold items for sale were being displayed as part of an event. Continue reading...
Truong My Lan found guilty of embezzling from Saigon Commercial Bank in case that was part of wider crackdownA prominent property tycoon has been sentenced to death for her role in Vietnam's biggest-ever fraud case.Truong My Lan, the chair of the developer Van Thinh Phat, was found guilty of embezzlement, bribery and violations of banking rules on Thursday, in a case that has shocked the country. A total of $12.5bn (10bn) was embezzled, the equivalent of almost 3% of Vietnamese gross domestic product, but prosecutors said on Thursday the total damages caused by the scam now amounted to $27bn. Continue reading...
Local officials don't think Panguitch Lake dam is in imminent danger of breaking open after 60ft crack sends water into creekWorkers hurriedly tried to shore up a rural Utah dam after a 60ft (18-meter) crack sent water pouring into a creek and endangering the 1,800 residents of a downstream town.State and local leaders don't think the Panguitch Lake dam is in imminent danger of breaking open but have told residents to be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen. Emergency management officials passed out a list of evacuation procedures to worried residents at a Wednesday evening town meeting meant to mitigate panic. Continue reading...
Senator and leading foreign policy voice in Democratic party tells the Guardian Biden has come to realise the limits of his influenceSenator Tim Kaine, a former vice-presidential nominee and leading foreign policy voice in the Democratic party, has said Joe Biden now understands that Benjamin Netanyahu played" him during the early months of the war in Gaza but that ain't going to happen any more".In an interview with the Guardian on Tuesday, Kaine accused the prime minister of making Israel dramatically less safe" and hurting its longstanding relationship with the US, and said the US president had come to realise the limits of his influence. Continue reading...
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