One in 10 prisons in England and Wales barely fit for purpose, says audit of prisoner treatmentIf you are one those people who turns up their nose at the plot of the Shawshank Redemption for being a little too far-fetched, this may come as a surprise.Some jails have become so decrepit that, in one case, Winchester prison inmates were able to tunnel through the walls using only plastic cutlery, a damning report on facilities in England and Wales has found. Continue reading...
Crystal McKinney's suit is sixth complaint in six months against rapper, claiming he assaulted her in 2003 at his New York studioHip-hop mogul Sean Diddy" Combs is facing a new lawsuit from former model Crystal McKinney who says she was forced to perform oral sex on him at his recording studio in New York City in 2003. This comes just days after Combs says he took full responsibility" for beating ex-girlfriend Cassie after a video of that incident surfaced.The new lawsuit - the sixth complaint of sexual assault filed against Combs in six months - alleges that McKinney, then 22, met Combs at a Men's Fashion Week event at a Manhattan restaurant. Continue reading...
by Presented by Michael Safi with Shaun Walker; produ on (#6MZKC)
Shaun Walker reports on Russia's recent offensive in the Kharkiv region of UkraineWe were taking a stroll in Shevchenko Park, which is in the centre of Kharkiv. It was a really nice warm, sunny day. People were sitting outside chatting and drinking coffees."Shaun Walker, the Guardian's central and eastern Europe correspondent, was walking around a park in Kharkiv, Ukraine, when he heard an explosion in the distance. Continue reading...
Purchase scams' often pegged to big events, warns UK Finance's annual fraud reportThe clamour to secure tickets for Taylor Swift's sold-out UK shows is expected to fuel a summer fraud bonanza as figures showed a staggering" 1.2bn was stolen from unwitting consumers in 2023.Swift's Eras tour, which arrives in the UK in June, and the Olympic Games, are contenders for biggest ticketing scam of the year. The warning, from industry group UK Finance, came as its annual fraud report revealed that the number of people succumbing to a purchase scam" in 2023 soared. Continue reading...
Playwright Zinnie Harris and composer Louis Barabbas's adaptation of the novel will open at Leeds Playhouse and tour in 2025Neil Gaiman's award-winning novella Coraline is to be turned into a musical that will tour the UK in 2025. The children's fable, which found a new audience 15 years ago as a stop-motion animation by Henry Selick, has been adapted by playwright Zinnie Harris and composer Louis Barabbas.Harris fell in love with Gaiman's dark fantasy when reading it to her children and quickly saw its potential for the stage. Over a 12-year period, she has developed the script with James Brining, artistic director of Leeds Playhouse. They recruited Barabbas, the Skye-based frontman of the Bedlam Six, to write songs that Harris described as dark, spangly, clever, quirky and beautifully melodic". Continue reading...
Diagnoses up 39% in six years, with condition fuelled by obesity, health inequalities and junk food, study findsThe number of people under 40 being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the UK has risen 39% in six years, fuelled by soaring obesity levels and cheap junk food.Britain has one of the highest obesity rates in Europe. Two in three adults are overweight or obese and the NHS spends 6bn a year treating obesity-related ill-health. That is forecast to rise to 10bn a year by 2050. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6MZJ4)
Some eligibility decisions have been linked to deaths of vulnerable claimants, and EHRC will examine if ministers acted unlawfullyThe treatment of chronically ill and disabled people by welfare officials, including benefits decisions subsequently linked to the deaths of vulnerable claimants, is to be formally investigated by Britain's human rights watchdog.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it would examine whether ministers at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had acted unlawfully by failing to protect claimants with learning disabilities or severe mental illness. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6MZGZ)
Chiefs say public safety at risk as a result of crisis measures such as freeing convicted criminals to ease overcrowdingPolice chiefs have told ministers they fear that the crisis gripping the Prison Service in England and Wales is unsustainable" and risks public safety, the Guardian has learned.Government and prison chiefs have taken a series of crisis measures because of overcrowding, including plans to free convicted criminals early and using police cells to house those who otherwise would be in jail. Continue reading...
But supplements could reduce likelihood of heart attack for people who already have cardiovascular diseaseFish oil supplements may increase the risk of someone developing a heart condition or stroke, but could reduce the risk for those who already have cardiovascular disease, according to research.Fish oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. The NHS recommends at least one portion of oily fish a week to help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease. Continue reading...
Mackinlay will return to public life on Wednesday for the first time since being diagnosed last SeptemberThe Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay has revealed that he had both his hands and feet amputated last year due to sepsis.Mackinlay, who will return to public life on Wednesday for the first time since the ordeal, was taken to hospital last September and diagnosed with sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection that occurs when the immune system overreacts and starts to damage the body's own tissues and organs. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6MZG7)
Rebecca Gregory accused of child neglect at Stockport nursery where manslaughter of baby by Kate Roughley took placeA nursery worker at the Stockport nursery where baby Genevieve Meehan was killed has been charged with four counts of child neglect.Rebecca Gregory has been charged with incidents alleged to have happened in April 2022, and not connected to the death of nine-month-old Genevieve. She will appear at Stockport magistrates court on 5 August to enter a plea. Continue reading...
Backtrack on Gaza live feed camera follows widespread condemnation from media groups and Israel's closest ally, the USIsraeli officials seized a camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to the Associated Press in southern Israel on Tuesday, before reversing course in the face of widespread condemnation from media groups and criticism from its closest ally, the United States.Officials had accused the US-based wire service, which has subscribers around the globe, of violating a new media law by providing images to Al Jazeera. Continue reading...
LAPD and DEA begin joint criminal inquiry into how Friends star, who died of acute effects of ketamine, got the prescription drugHalf a year after the death of Matthew Perry from acute effects of anesthetic ketamine, the Los Angeles police department (LAPD) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have launched a joint criminal investigation looking into how the Friends star got the prescription medication, law enforcement sources confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday.Perry died at the age of 54 on 28 October 2023 in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home. Trace amounts of ketamine, which is sometimes used to treat depression, were found in his stomach, according to the Los Angeles medical examiner. Continue reading...
Matthew Trickett, 37, who was charged with surveillance of activists, was found on Sunday evening in Maidenhead parkA former Royal Marine commando who was charged with spying for the Hong Kong intelligence service has died, police have said.Matthew Trickett, 37, who was on bail, was found by a member of the public in a park near where he lived in Maidenhead, Berkshire. Continue reading...
More than 100 Australians and other tourists were airlifted to Brisbane amid deadly riots and unrest in the Pacific nationMore than 100 Australians and other tourists have landed in Brisbane from New Caledonia after the government arranged two repatriation flights due to the worsening security situation in the Pacific island nation.In a statement on X, foreign minister Penny Wong said 108 Australians and others had arrived back in Australia on Tuesday night on the government assisted-departure flights after riots in the former French territory left six dead and a trail of looted shops, torched cars and road barricades. Continue reading...
by Tom Phillips, Latin America correspondent and Laur on (#6MZAK)
An advance group of Kenyan officers, part of a larger UN-backed support mission' to stabilize Haiti, landed in Port-au-PrinceKenyan special forces police who have spent time battling al-Shabaab fighters in east Africa are expected to arrive in Haiti in the coming days, as the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, warned the Caribbean country was on the precipice of becoming an all-out failed state".A small advance group of Kenyan officers - part of a larger UN-backed multinational security support mission" designed to stabilize Haiti after months of mayhem - landed in the capital, Port-au-Prince, late on Monday as the city's airport reopened nearly three months after a gang uprising forced it to close. Continue reading...
Vladimir Putin announced the exercises earlier this month as a warning to the west not to escalate tensions further'Russian forces have started military drills near Ukraine simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons in response to what Moscow deems threats from western officials about increased involvement in the conflict.Vladimir Putin ordered the drills earlier this month in a move Russian officials said was a warning to the west not to escalate tensions further. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6MZ7N)
Planning experts are considering areas near Nottingham, Stafford and Northampton for housebuilding driveLabour's plan for new towns looks likely to focus on the Midlands as much as England's overcrowded south-east, with planners already considering areas near Nottingham, Stafford and Northampton, the Guardian understands.Close to the M1 and M6 motorways, some of the locations have the advantage of being in areas of Labour local political control, giving Keir Starmer's government a better chance of delivering on its promise to have the first homes built by the end of a first Labour term. Continue reading...
Dan Bishop says state board that called for new election after illegal absentee ballot collection was under Democrat control'A North Carolina Republican running to be the state's attorney general dismissed a significant election fraud incident in 2018 that resulted in a new election as some fairly minor illegal ballot harvesting".Dan Bishop, a congressman whose district is based outside of Charlotte, made the comments in an 1 April episode of the Reclaiming America podcast. Continue reading...
European leaders participate in debate hosted by Bruegel and the Financial TimesKarl Nehammer, the Austrian chancellor, hosted the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak.The leaders committed to implementing stronger frameworks to deal with migration, and that new innovative solutions are crucial to this end," Nehammer said. Continue reading...
Judge rules individual allegations against Murdoch and some other executives should not be examined in trialPrince Harry has failed in his legal bid to name Rupert Murdoch in allegations of extensive cover-up of wrongdoing at Murdoch's newspapers.The Duke of Sussex is locked in a legal battle with News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of the Sun, which he has accused of phone hacking, unlawful information gathering, landline tapping and the covering up of widespread wrongdoing. Continue reading...
Yoav Gallant, named alongside Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, criticises decisionCrowds have gathered in Tabriz in Iran to pay respects to those killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, including the late president Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.Associated Press reports that a procession led by a vehicle carrying the caskets of the dead slowly moved through the narrow streets of the city, which is the closest major one near to the crash site. Thousands in black slowly walked beside the coffins, some throwing flowers up to them as an announcer wept through a loudspeaker for men he described as martyrs. Continue reading...
by Helen Davidson and Chi Hui Lin in Taipei on (#6MZ0Z)
Thousands protest against bill which would give parliamentarians special powers to question anyoneLai Ching-te's first day as president of Taiwan has been marked by large protests against the opposition over a controversial bill in parliament, foreshadowing a difficult first term for the leader, who lacks a legislative majority.Thousands of Taiwanese citizens gathered outside the legislative yuan on Tuesday to protest against attempts by the opposition parties to push through a bill without review, which would give parliamentarians extraordinary powers to question anyone, including the president, under threat of fines and jail time. On Friday one MP was hospitalised after the parties came to blows over the debate. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6MYYF)
Artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe says much of the anger about a non-disabled actor playing the role has been misogynisticMichelle Terry, the artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe, has called the backlash to her casting as Richard III disproportionate" and said much of the anger aimed towards her in recent months has been misogynistic.The Globe faced widespread criticism when it was announced that Terry, an Olivier-award winning actor and writer, would play Shakespeare's deformd, unfinish'd" king in its summer production opening on Tuesday night. Continue reading...
Self-styled aristocrat, a former judge and retired military officers among suspected Reichsburger members to appear in courtA self-styled aristocrat, his Russian girlfriend, retired military officers and a former judge have gone on trial in Frankfurt on charges of plotting to violently overthrow the German state.The defendants were among nine alleged conspirators - seven men and two women - who were led into the purpose-built court flanked by armed police officers on Tuesday for what has been described as the most important of three trials of suspected members of the anti-constitutional Reichsburger scene. Continue reading...
Actor secures temporary restraining order against proposed public auction for singer's historic homeActor Riley Keough, granddaughter of Elvis Presley and heir to his estate, has filed a legal complaint against a private investment firm, alleging that it is attempting a non-judicial" sale of Presley's Graceland home.Keough's mother, Lisa Marie Presley, died in January 2023, aged 54. In September that year, a company called Naussany Investments & Private Lending filed a lawsuit against Lisa Marie's estate, alleging that when she died she had an outstanding $3.8m (3m) loan owed to the company, and had used Graceland as collateral. Continue reading...
A year after the singer's death, Katori Hall - whose musical is now touring - says the show is like one last concert' for fansShe is still celebrated as the queen of rock'n'roll but, one year after Tina Turner's death aged 83, the barnstorming singer's legacy includes a fierce transparency" about her trauma, said the writer of the bio-musical Tina.Katori Hall met Turner many times at the star's home while writing the book for the musical, which opened in 2018 and has become the longest-running show ever at the Aldwych theatre in London. Continue reading...
Greek court says it has no jurisdiction to hear case as shipwreck happened in international watersCharges against nine Egyptian men accused over a 2023 migrant boat disaster off Greece were dropped on Tuesday, after a Greek court said it had no jurisdiction to hear the case as the shipwreck happened in international waters.The men, aged between 21 and 41, were arrested hours after the boat sank and have remained in pre-trial detention since on charges of migrant smuggling, causing a shipwreck and participating in a criminal organisation. They have denied any wrongdoing. Continue reading...
Survivors of shipwreck that killed 600 people not real smugglers', say defenders, with inquiry into coastguard's role also incompleteNine men accused of causing one of the deadliest shipwrecks to have taken place in the Mediterranean are scapegoats" who should never have been prosecuted, defence lawyers have said, as their long-awaited trial opened in Greece.The Egyptian suspects, who have been held in pre-trial detention since the 14 June disaster last year, are appearing in court in the southern city of Kalamata on Tuesday. Continue reading...
by Matthew Weaver, Rachel Hall and Jessica Elgot on (#6MYR8)
Minister to set out 10bn scheme after pledge from Rishi Sunak to pay whatever it costs'Thousands of victims of the infected blood scandal and their families are to learn how ministers plan to compensate them for their suffering and loss of earnings after Rishi Sunak pledged to pay whatever it costs".The details of the long-delayed scheme, which is expected to cost more than 10bn, will be set out by the Cabinet Office minister John Glen on Tuesday. Continue reading...
by Nino Bucci Justice and courts reporter on (#6MYSP)
Former Jetstar pilot has pleaded not guilty to murdering Hill and Clay, who court hears were having an affairRussell Hill told his family he was no longer seeing Carol Clay after being given an ultimatum in 2006 by a neighbour to tell his wife about the affair he was having, a murder trial has heard.Hill's wife of more than 50 years, Robyn Hill, also told the double murder trial of former airline pilot Gregory Stuart Lynn that her husband was killed not far from where his uncle died in a deer-hunting accident more than two decades earlier.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Uncertainty surrounds the country's succession and foreign policy after a shocking crash which killed the president and six others Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. The death of a president is always an enormously consequential moment - but in Iran, where five days of mourning are under way after Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, the exact nature of those consequences is difficult to parse.Raisi has been described as a likely successor to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei - but also as a figure of limited influence, often by the same analysts. His passing has led some to suggest that nothing will change at all, and others to say that, with a presidential election now due within 50 days, this could be a turning point.Contaminated blood scandal | Thousands of victims of the infected blood scandal and their families are to learn how ministers plan to compensate them after Rishi Sunak pledged to pay whatever it costs". The details of the scheme will be set out on Tuesday after the publication of Sir Brian Langstaff's report yesterday, which said that the calamity could largely, though not entirely, have been avoided".WikiLeaks | Julian Assange has been granted leave to mount a fresh appeal against his extradition to the US on charges of leaking military secrets. Two judges accepted that there was an arguable case that he could be discriminated against, after being told that an US prosecutor has said the first amendment may not protect foreigners' freedom of speech over national security issues.Israel-Gaza war | The chief prosecutor of the international criminal court has said he is seeking arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, are among them.UK news | A nursery worker has been found guilty of killing a nine-month-old baby girl who died after being strapped face down to a beanbag for more than 90 minutes. Genevieve Meehan suffocated after being placed in mortal danger" by Kate Roughley, the deputy manager of Tiny Toes nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, the trial heard.Trump trial | Prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney's office rested their case on Monday after Michael Cohen - whose $130,000 hush money payment to the adult film star Stormy Daniels is at the heart of the criminal case against Donald Trump - testified that he knew the payment violated federal election law. Continue reading...
Former chief executive is to give evidence at inquiry into Horizon IT scandal this weekIt is a moment wrongly convicted post office operators have waited years for. From Wednesday the former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells will appear before the long-running inquiry into how hundreds were pursued in the courts, fined and jailed over accounting shortfalls that were actually the fault of the Horizon IT system.Vennells, who held the top job between 2012 and 2019, has become the highest-profile face of the scandal since the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office galvanised public opinion when it was screened in January - despite her keeping a low public profile in the past decade. Continue reading...
Song about North Korean leader titled Friendly Father includes lines like let's brag about Kim Jong-un'South Korea's media regulator has banned access to a North Korean propaganda music video that it said idolised and glorified leader Kim Jong-un as a great leader".The catchy tune titled Friendly Father has become an unlikely social media hit around the world, going viral on short-form video app TikTok and other platforms. Continue reading...
Self-styled Prince Heinrich XIII among alleged ringleaders of plan for violent overthrow of stateThe most spectacular of a trio of trials of a sprawling group of far-right conspiracists who plotted to violently overthrow the German state is to take place in Frankfurt on Tuesday amid high security and huge media interest.On trial are the group's alleged ringleader, a self-styled aristocrat estate agent known as Prince Heinrich XIII, his Russian girlfriend, and seven other founding members including a former policeman and a former judge who is now an MP for the far-right AfD party. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian