Triple lock' ensures hefty rise for pensions, while universal credit and other benefits also increaseMonday is the first working day of the new tax year, bringing substantial increases in vital benefits payments - in particular the state pension and universal credit, plus a host of other benefits. So what is changing and how might it affect you? Continue reading...
Endurance athlete from Worthing says he is just trying to soak it all in' after completing 352-day, 9,940-mile runAfter sinking a strawberry daiquiri and a few beers and enjoying a reunion with his girlfriend after more than a year apart, Russ Cook, AKA the Hardest Geezer", who completed his 9,940-mile (16,000km) run along the entire length of Africa on Sunday, woke up feeling a little bit frosty, a little bit tired".And for once, the 27-year-old endurance athlete from Worthing, West Sussex, who raised more than 700,000 for charity on his epic journey, was not pulling on his running shoes. It was all quite, quite overwhelming", he said. Continue reading...
After four months of fighting in Khan Younis - and amid ceasefire talks - Israel withdraws troops for tactical reasons'. Plus: a total solar eclipse Don't already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Israel has pulled all of its ground troops out of southern Gaza for tactical reasons", the country's army has said, relieving reservists after nearly four months of intense fighting in the decimated southern city of Khan Younis. Displaced Palestinians from the city may now be able to return to their homes.How are the truce talks in Cairo going? Negotiations in the Egyptian capital have made significant progress", the Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera reported on Monday. The Qatari and Hamas delegations were expected to return within two days to finalize the terms of the agreement".What is being discussed? Before the new talks began, Hamas reiterated its demands issued in a 14 March proposal, which include a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a return of displaced people to their homes, and a serious" exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. Continue reading...
Gusts of more than 70mph recorded on Irish Sea coast, as temperatures rose above 30C in mainland EuropeStorm Kathleen brought strong winds to Ireland and the UK at the weekend, causing travel and power disruption. The storm, named by Met Eireann, developed in the Atlantic on Thursday, deepening explosively as it pushed northwards to the west of Ireland.Peak wind gusts of 40-60mph (65-95km/h) were recorded quite widely across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and western parts of England and Wales on Saturday, with some Irish Sea coastal regions experiencing gusts above 70mph. A gust of 72mph was recorded at Drumalbin, Lanarkshire. Continue reading...
Chain says it has experienced operational disruption after hackers gained access to its IT systemsOne of the UK's largest vet groups has told regulators about a possible breach of personal information after it was hit by a cyber-attack.CVS Group said hackers had gained unauthorised external access to a limited number of its IT systems. The company continued to have problems with slow-running systems on Monday after disruption across the UK business. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6KXFJ)
Many fear a focus on social media is drawing attention from those the hate crime law aims to protectWe sell flat whites and make croissants in a bakery that's supposed to be a safe place for the people who work here and the customers who visit. We didn't expect to be targets of hate."Tristan Aitchison runs the Xoko bakehouse in Inverness. Over the past year, the LGBTQ+-inclusive cafe has been subject to a succession of alleged hate incidents, including the Pride flag being ripped from its door on several occasions, as well as spitting and verbal abuse, resulting in staff working at night being issued with panic alarms. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The killing of aid workers in Gaza last week has western leaders under even greater scrutiny - and raises questions about the fragility of the Israeli coalition government Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Six months since the 7 October massacre by Hamas and the Israeli military's ensuing ground offensive in Gaza, Israel is more isolated than ever before, and at odds with its closest allies.Welfare | Tens of thousands of unpaid carers looking after disabled, frail or ill relatives are being forced to repay huge sums to the government and threatened with criminal prosecution after the Department of Work and Pensions erroneously overpaid them.NHS | A study of more than 12,200 NHS workers across the UK has found that one in 10 reported unwanted incidents including being touched or kissed, demands for sex in return for favours, or derogatory comments.Health | Guardian analysis of NHS figures for 2022-23 found that black women are up to six times more likely to experience some of the most serious birth complications during hospital delivery across England than their white counterparts, with the figures being described as stark" and disheartening".Housing | The Resolution Foundation said average rents could increase by 13% over the next three years as current high growth in the private rental market works its way through existing tenancies.Africa | After more than 9,940 miles (16,000km) over 352 days across 16 countries, Briton Russ Cook, aka the Hardest Geezer", has completed the mammoth challenge of running the length of Africa. Continue reading...
by Eva Corlett in Wellington and agencies on (#6KXFM)
Net migration to New Zealand hit a near record high in 2023 after a new temporary work visa was introduced after the pandemicNew Zealand will tighten its visa rules for some migrants as the coalition government moves to overhaul the immigration system it says has led to unsustainable" levels of migration.Last year, annual net migration to New Zealand hit a near record high of more than 173,000 non-New Zealand citizens in the year to December, Stats NZ reported. Continue reading...
Cancellations or reduced service on many routes on Monday including commuter lines into LondonRail passengers on many routes in the south and east of England including key commuter lines into London can expect significant disruption on Monday as train drivers stage the last strike in three days of action.Aslef union members began a 24-hour strike at eight operating companies on Monday: c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway and Thameslink. The action is part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions that began in 2022. Continue reading...
Figure was a significant drop on 2022, when 506 lives were saved by lifeboat crews and lifeguardsA total of 355 lives were saved by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) last year, data shows, with more callouts along the Thames than anywhere else.The figure represents a significant drop in rescues compared with the previous year, when 506 lives were saved by volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards. Continue reading...
The 88-year-old director says he is on the fence' about making another film due to the work needed to get distribution and financial backingWoody Allen has once again hinted at his retirement from film-making, saying that he is on the fence" about making another film after the US release of his latest, Coup de Chance.In an interview with Air Mail, the 88-year-old director was asked whether the French-language erotic thriller Coup de Chance would be his final film. Continue reading...
Rare celestial event on Monday will see the moon block out the sun for a few minutes and day turn to night, with fans hoping the clouds don't spoil the viewAcross the US, Mexico and Canada, people have rushed to stake out spots to witness a rare total solar eclipse, while forecasts for cloudy skies worry some hopeful spectators.The phenomenon happens when the moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun, blocking out the sunlight. The eclipse will be visible in the three countries on 8 April. Continue reading...
Most passengers heading for island off Nampula province were trying to escape mainland due to panic over cholera outbreak, official saysMore than 90 people including many children died when an overcrowded makeshift ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique, local authorities have said.The converted fishing boat, carrying about 130 people, ran into trouble as it tried to reach an island off Nampula province, officials said on Sunday. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Economics correspondent on (#6KXBZ)
Average 13% increase by 2027 will put millions of households under further pressure, says thinktankRent rises in Britain are forecast to outpace wage growth, despite having already surged at the fastest pace on record after the Covid pandemic and the cost of living crisis.The Resolution Foundation expects added pressure on millions of households and said average rents could increase by 13% over the next three years as current high growth in the private rental market work their way through existing tenancies. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#6KXBY)
Money spent on tobacco products in England could instead be spent in shops, on entertainment or other services', author addsAlmost 11bn a year could be spent in England's communities from money saved on tobacco products if people quit smoking, according to a study.Published in the journal Tobacco Control and written by academics at the University of Sheffield, the study looked at how much people spent on cigarettes and other tobacco a year, and analysed how this money could be spent in cities and towns instead. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#6KXC1)
Liver scanning and portable testing units to be rolled out in communities where people may be at a higher riskThousands of people who are unknowingly living with hepatitis C in England could be identified and treated due to an expanded NHS testing initiative.The initiative includes new liver scanning and portable testing units to be rolled out in communities where people may be at a higher risk of contracting the infection. Continue reading...
Parents and NHS would be able to monitor vaccinations and checkups through digital version of red book'Labour plans to digitise the NHS red book" that parents use for their children's medical records as part of a series of changes to the NHS app.Parents and the NHS would be able to see if children are behind on jabs or checkups through a new digital record, with automatic notifications to prompt them to book appointments under the party's plans. Continue reading...
Police appeal for any sightings of Habibur Masum, from Oldham, after woman with pram was attacked on SaturdayPolice are searching for a 25-year-old man after the fatal stabbing of a woman who was attacked in Bradford city centre while pushing her baby in a pram.West Yorkshire police are appealing for members of the public to report any sightings of Habibur Masum, who is from the Oldham area. Continue reading...
Drawdown after four months of fighting in Khan Younis coincides with new ceasefire talksIsrael has pulled all of its ground troops out of southern Gaza for tactical reasons", the country's army has said, raising questions about the future direction of the war as Hamas and Israeli delegations travel to Egypt for a new round of ceasefire talks.Two brigades will stay in the northern half of the Gaza Strip and the new corridor that now bifurcates the Palestinian territory at Wadi Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday, in order to preserve the IDF's freedom of action and its ability to conduct precise intelligence based-operations".Guardian Newsroom: Crisis in the Middle East
Russ Cook from Worthing reaches Ras Angela, Tunisia, after covering more than 9,900 miles in 352 daysAfter more than 9,940 miles (16,000km) over 352 days across 16 countries, Russ Cook, aka the Hardest Geezer", has completed the mammoth challenge of running the length of Africa.The 27-year-old endurance athlete from Worthing, West Sussex, crossed the finish line in Tunisia on Sunday afternoon, and planned to celebrate with a party - as well as a strawberry daiquiri - having raised more than 600,000 for charity. Continue reading...
Flood and wind warnings remain in place, with Sepa warning of real danger to life' on coastal roads and pathsHigh winds and heavy rain from Storm Kathleen persisted through Sunday, battering parts of Scotland and Ireland and disrupting travel.The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) had 18 regional flood alerts and 37 flood warnings in place in Scotland. They have been in force since Saturday. Continue reading...
Footage on social media shows wing of Virgin Atlantic plane overlapping wing of BA aircraftTwo passenger planes clipped wings at Heathrow while one of the aircraft was being towed.Footage on social media shows the wing of a Virgin Atlantic plane overlapping the wing of a British Airways aircraft while emergency services surround the area at the UK's busiest airport. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6KX6V)
GMP chief urges public to come forward after disturbing incident for the local community'Police are appealing for any information that could help identify a dismembered body part found in a Salford nature reserve on Thursday afternoon.In a disturbing incident", a human torso wrapped in plastic was found by passersby at Kersal Wetlands, where police are still searching. Continue reading...
Shadow foreign secretary says deputy Labour leader has party's support and has done nothing wrongDavid Lammy has discredited questions over whether Angela Rayner owes capital gains tax (CGT) as smears being run" to distract people from Tory chaos" and the rising cost of living before the local elections.The shadow foreign secretary said Rayner had Labour's full support, that she had done nothing wrong, and that her tax arrangements had been subject to advice from accountants and lawyers.Guardian Newsroom: What is Labour's plan?
by Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent on (#6KWZJ)
Antonio Guterres voices alarm' as Latin American governments sharply criticise Quito's move to arrest former vice-presidentThe UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has added his voice to a torrent of criticism of Ecuador's decision to storm the Mexican embassy in Quito in order to arrest the former vice-president Jorge Glas.The secretary general is alarmed at the forced entry of Ecuadorian security forces into the premises of the Mexican embassy," Guterres said through his spokesperson on Sunday, adding that violations of the sanctity of diplomatic and consular property jeopardise the pursuit of normal international relations". Continue reading...
Exclusive: lecturer finds striking similarities' between lines in Jonson's Every Man in His Humour and later Shakespeare worksHe was an actor, as well as the greatest dramatist of all time, but no-one has been able to name with certainty a single role that William Shakespeare performed himself. Now a leading scholar has concluded from linguistic analysis that Shakespeare played an obsessively jealous husband in a 1598 drama by fellow playwright Ben Jonson.Dr Darren Freebury-Jones, a lecturer in Shakespeare studies at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, has discovered striking similarities" between phrases recited by Thorello in Every Man in His Humour and those in Shakespeare's Othello, Hamlet and Twelfth Night. Continue reading...
Peter Magya building centrist movement that has visibly shaken ruling party he dramatically broke withA political newcomer who is causing headaches for Hungary's government has said his experience as a regime insider can help him succeed where other opposition figures have failed, citing his crazy" rise in the polls and vision" as signs that change is possible.Fourteen years after the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, returned to power and put the country on an illiberal path, some Hungarians had lost hope that his hold on power could be eroded. Continue reading...
The tribute will be unveiled in Handsworth Park, near where the poet grew up, after the accidental removal of another artwork in the cityThe late Benjamin Zephaniah, one of Birmingham's leading cultural figures, is to take his rightful place watching over the city when a new, official mural honouring the life of the poet and campaigner is unveiled at a ceremony in Handsworth Park on 14 April.Despite the threats posed by the bankrupt city council's recent cut to all arts funding, the public artwork will arrive at a relative high point for Birmingham's wider cultural reputation, as the popular television drama This Town continues to chronicle the 80s boom in Ska and 2 Tone music in the Midlands. The BBC show is written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, a writer who, like Zephaniah, has been instrumental in rebuilding the confidence of a city often unfairly lampooned for its modernist urban infrastructure and supposed lack of sophistication. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6KX3W)
Exclusive: Figure includes 500 homeless people detained since government pledged to replace Georgian-era legislation in 2022Almost 2,500 homeless people have been arrested by police in England and Wales since 2019 under the Georgian-era Vagrancy Act, among them nearly 500 people since the government pledged to replace the act in 2022.Freedom of information requests to police forces by the Liberal Democrats showed a total of 2,412 arrests since 2019 under the 1824 law, originally introduced to target homeless and wounded veterans of the Napoleonic wars. Continue reading...
Israel PM's woes continue to mount, but the country's policy on Gaza is unlikely to changeFor Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the last week has perhaps been the worst since the Hamas attack on 7 October, six months ago, that triggered the current war in Gaza.Protests against the longtime Israeli leader by hostage families and the opposition returned with a vengeance across the country as he spent two nights in hospital for hernia surgery. Then his major political rival, Benny Gantz, undermined the unity of the wartime government by calling for early elections; Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox coalition allies are already angry with him over a row regarding military conscription. Continue reading...
Insurers have made huge hidden payments for buildings cover over many years, experts sayLandlords of developments in England and Wales where residents face hefty service charges face calls to disclose millions of pounds in secret commissions" raked in over the years for arranging buildings insurance.Experts say these hidden commissions, paid to landlords including City investment funds that hold freeholds and managing agents, have been worth tens of millions of pounds a year. The arrangements were made without residents being told and resulted in higher service charges. Continue reading...
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