RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire is one of Home Office's three main accommodation sites, with first arrivals due within weeksA UK military base due to accommodate up to 2,000 asylum seekers under controversial plans has been found to be contaminated with ground gases and unexploded ordnance, according to government documents.RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire is one of three mass accommodation sites earmarked by the Home Office to house asylum seekers as a supposedly cheaper alternative to hotels. Continue reading...
Opposition parties accuse government of match fixing' for elections over Arvind Kejriwal treatmentDelhi's chief minister, a key opposition leader, must remain in custody for a further two weeks, a court has ruled, with India's opposition parties accusing the government of match fixing" before the country's elections later this month.On Monday, a court ruled that Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, could remain in judicial custody till 15 April and will be sent to Delhi's infamous Tihar jail. Continue reading...
Despite pushback from CEO James Daunt, employees are organizing for better pay, dignity' and working conditionsWorkers at America's largest chain of bookstores are gearing up for a nationwide union drive after six Barnes & Noble outlets voted to organize over the past year.Many more" stores will unionize, according to booksellers demanding better pay and conditions. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6KREY)
Police in England and Wales to be given powers to fine homeless people deemed to be causing a nuisance'Ministers are facing a revolt from their own MPs over plans to criminalise homelessness in upcoming legislation.Under proposals that form part of the UK government's flagship crime bill, police in England and Wales are to be given powers to fine or move on rough sleepers deemed to be causing a nuisance". Continue reading...
Meme-worthy content appears in short supply, at least initially, as world's oldest royal family embarks on its social media journeyThe rarefied world of Japan's imperial family has entered the age of social media, but fans expecting selfies, emojis and casual shots of the emperor and empress, or princes and princesses away from the limelight may be disappointed.Far from photographs of sunrises, sunsets or moments of mindfulness that form the stock in trade of many Instagram profiles, the initial images released followed a steady course favoured by other royal families around the world. They featured a dignified attendance at a medical awards ceremony, a bonsai exhibition and a meeting with the president and first lady of Kenya. Another post features them with the crown prince and princess of Brunei. Continue reading...
by Stephanie Convery (now) and Rafqa Touma (earlier) on (#6KR8S)
Five people rescued while dozens remained stranded at campsite in northern Queensland. This blog is now closedSupport for Labor drops in WA as Coalition gains ground among the youngVoters in Western Australia are shifting away from Labor towards the Coalition, as the opposition gains ground among young people. Continue reading...
by Jason Burke in Jerusalem and Malak A Tantesh in Ga on (#6KRBZ)
Aid officials and people in territory describe erosion of civil order and gangs filling power vacuum after months of warGaza is facing deepening anarchy as the last remnants of civil order break down, leaving a vacuum increasingly filled by armed gangs, clans, powerful families and criminals, dozens of interviews with senior aid officials, experts and people in the territory reveal.The interviewees described the continuing threat of famine and bombardment by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) but also a brutal new world in which guns, knives and intimidation often determine who gets desperately needed humanitarian assistance. Continue reading...
Rates for phone, broadband and water will increase from Monday and other rises are in the pipelineConsumers are braced for huge rises in their household bills on everything from water to broadband, as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.Despite inflation easing, Monday will see the cost of a host of bills and taxes increasing, adding further pressure to household finances more than two years after bills began to rise significantly. Continue reading...
Victims of Pegasus hacking will be notified and criminal proceedings could be brought against former officialsPoland has launched an investigation into its previous government's use of the controversial spyware Pegasus, with a parliamentary inquiry under way and the possibility of criminal charges being brought against former government officials in future.Adam Bodnar, Poland's new justice minister, told the Guardian that in coming months the government would notify people who were targeted with Pegasus. Under Polish law, they would then have the possibility of seeking financial compensation, and becoming party to potential criminal proceedings. Continue reading...
RCEM calculates 268 people are likely to have died each week in 2023 while waiting up to 12 hours for a bedAlmost 14,000 people died needlessly last year in England while waiting in A&E for up to 12 hours for a hospital bed, a new estimate suggests.Calculations by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) based on a large study of excess deaths and waiting times show that 268 people are likely to have died each week in 2023 because of excessive waits in emergency departments. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Visas created hastily to solve labour shortages expose people to hyper-precarity' and exploitationVisas created hastily to solve labour shortages as a result of Brexit have put workers at greater risk of modern slavery and exploitation, research has found.Strict conditions on agricultural and care visas created after Britain left the EU expose workers to hyper-precarity" and increase their vulnerability to exploitation, a study by a coalition of leading universities and charities has concluded. Since Brexit, farm workers and care home workers have had a route to Britain on time-limited visas with stringent conditions. Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo and Quique Kierszenbaum in Jerusalem on (#6KR6K)
Demonstrators join families of hostages in cities across country and vow to persist until he is ousted as PMTens of thousands of people across Israel joined the families of hostages this weekend to protest against the government and call for the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu, as the Israeli prime minister grappled with one of the most serious threats yet to his coalition.The protesters in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be'er Sheva, Caesarea and other cities on Saturday - and at a further demonstration outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Sunday - demanded the release of those still held captive in Gaza after close to six months, and labelled Netanyahu an obstacle to the deal", vowing to persist until he leaves power. Continue reading...
Alex Lidagovsky was forced to leave Ukraine with his family when his studio was bombed during the Russian invasionA Ukrainian sculptor who fled to the UK when his studio was destroyed has been accepted into the Royal Society of British Artists.Alex Lidagovsky was forced to leave Kyiv with his wife, Dasha Nepochatova, and 16-year-old stepdaughter after the Russian invasion began on 24 February 2022. Continue reading...
Five years after payment scheme launched, a former soldier says delays mean plan should be run independentlyA former soldier who was a victim of the Windrush scandal has said he fears the government is waiting for us to die off" before it pays compensation.Conroy Downie, 67, and his daughter Katie Wilson-Downie have helped advise thousands of people affected by the Windrush scandal and have called for the compensation scheme to be run independently instead of by the Home Office. Continue reading...
Labour says places have fallen by almost 40,000 since the Tories came to power in 2010, forcing parents to leave the workforceChildcare places in England have fallen by nearly 40,000 since the Tories came to power in 2010, Labour research has found.This includes a drop of 1,000 places between March and December last year, at a time when demand was anticipated to rise before new entitlements became available. Continue reading...
by Ruth Michaelson and Ayça Aldatmaz in Istanbul on (#6KR3Q)
Ekrem Imamolu secures unexpected second term as Istanbul's mayor, propelling the CHP to the centre of national politicsTurkey's main opposition party dealt an unexpected blow to Recep Tayyip Erdoan's rule on Sunday with a sweeping victory in Turkey's local elections, maintaining control of major cities including the capital, Ankara, and Istanbul, where Ekrem Imamolu secured a second term as mayor.My dear Istanbulites, you opened the door to a new future today," Imamolu told overjoyed supporters of his opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) while declaring victory. Starting from tomorrow, Turkey will be a different Turkey. You opened the door to the rise of democracy, equality and freedom ... You ignited hope at the ballot box." Continue reading...
Questions surround ownership of demo tapes reportedly left by soul artist as a thank-you to his Ostend hostsA collection of cassette tapes containing a host of unreleased Marvin Gaye songs has been found in the Belgian city of Ostend.It has potentially lain hidden in Belgium for over 40 years, according to the BBC. Continue reading...
SBU dismisses demand as pointless and hypocritical, coming from the terrorist state itself'Russia has demanded that Ukraine extradite a number of people, including the head of the country's SBU security service, over claims they are connected with terrorist" acts.The SBU immediately dismissed the Russian demand as pointless" and said the Russian foreign ministry had forgotten" that Vladimir Putin was the subject of an international arrest warrant. Continue reading...
Police Service of Northern Ireland seeks to end unhelpful speculation' after DUP leader charged with alleged sexual offencesThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said it received a complaint in early March that led them to arrest and charge Sir Jeffrey Donaldson with alleged sexual offences.In a statement aimed at ending what they described as unhelpful speculation" over the case, the PSNI said it immediately commenced an investigation into this matter" after the complaint was received. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6KR6M)
Analysis suggests wealthiest would save millions and Sunak's own family could benefit to tune of 250mConservative plans to abolish non-dom status are riddled with loopholes worth hundreds of millions of pounds for the wealthiest people in the country, Labour has claimed.Analysis by the party found that the policy, announced by Jeremy Hunt in this month's budget, could theoretically see Rishi Sunak's family benefit from tax savings of nearly 250m. Continue reading...
Flammable material found in more than one in 10 blocks over 11 metres tall, and action is urged on smaller buildings, government figures showNearly 2,000 social housing blocks in England have life-critical" problems with their external cladding, government figures show.The data released earlier this month showed that 1,911 social housing blocks above 11 metres in height had been assessed as having life-critical fire safety defects" linked to the materials in their external walls. Continue reading...
Number of arrivals via small boats was 4,993 as of Saturday, exceeding previous record for equivalent period of 4,548Almost 5,000 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats so far this year, according to government figures.The Home Office data shows 349 people attempted the journey in seven boats on Saturday, taking the total number of arrivals to 4,993 since the start of 2024 - a record high for this time of year. The previous record over an equivalent period was 4,548 in 2022. Continue reading...
by Julian Borger in Washington and Ruth Michaelson in on (#6KR51)
Exclusive: Aid officials warn that transferring Unrwa's functions to other bodies with famine looming would be disastrousIsrael has given the UN a proposal to dismantle Unrwa, its relief agency in the Palestinian territories, and transfer its staff to a replacement agency to make large-scale food deliveries into Gaza, according to UN sources.The proposal was presented late last week by the Israeli chief of the general staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, to UN officials in Israel, who forwarded it to the organisation's secretary general, Antonio Guterres, on Saturday, sources familiar with the discussions said. Continue reading...
NASUWT annual conference backs plan for staff trained in mental health first aid in all schools and collegesAll school leaders should receive suicide prevention training to help tackle a mental health emergency" among teachers, under a plan unanimously backed by a vote by union members.A workforce survey of members of the NASUWT teaching union found that some teachers had been driven to the point of suicide by the stress of the job. Continue reading...
Truce talks had been set to begin again in Cairo on Sunday; Israel PM to be fully sedated after hernia discovered during examination. This live blog is closedTalks aimed at brokering a truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip will reportedly resume in Cairo today, days after Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, gave the green light for fresh negotiations. An Egyptian security source confirmed to Al-Qahera news the resumption of negotiations on a truce between Israel and Hamas in the Egyptian capital Cairo tomorrow," an anchor for the channel, which is close to country's intelligence services, said in a broadcast. Egypt, Qatar and the US have mediated previous rounds of negotiations, but a workable agreement has remained elusive.The Gaza health ministry said 107 patients remained inside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, including 30 people with disabilities, and that the Israeli army had stopped attempts to evacuate them. Israeli military operations were also ongoing at two hospitals in the southern city of Khan Yunis - at Nasser hospital, according to the Hamas government press office, and at al-Amal hospital, according to the Red Crescent.A bomb exploded in a shopping area in a northern Syrian city held by pro-Turkish forces on Sunday morning, killing eight people and injuring more than 20 others, a war monitor said. At least eight people were killed and 23 others wounded" when a car bomb exploded in the middle of a popular market" in Aleppo province's Azaz, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It is unclear who carried out the attack in the town which is run by pro-Turkish militias fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.Rather than provide humanitarian aid in Gaza, the US should ensure it is subjected to atomic bombing the way that Nagasaki and Hiroshima" were at the end of the second world war, Tim Walberg, a Republican congressman, said in shocking remarks that by all indications were recorded recently at a gathering with a relatively small group of his constituents.Rather than provide humanitarian aid in Gaza, the US should ensure it is subjected to atomic bombing the way that Nagasaki and Hiroshima" were at the end of the second world war, a Republican congressman said in shocking remarks that by all indications were recorded recently at a gathering with a relatively small group of his constituents. Continue reading...
Parties unite at New Dehli rally to accuse PM of tax terrorism' and rigging the vote, after arrest of prominent leaderIndian opposition parties united on Sunday to protest against the arrest of a prominent leader weeks before a national election, accusing the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and his party of rigging the vote and harassing them with large tax demands.Narendra Modi is trying match-fixing in this election," the leader of the opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, told a rally in New Delhi, as the crowd chanted shame". Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6KR3S)
Exclusive: Whistleblower raised concerns about security of in-branch coin-counter softwareThe Bank of England is examining claims that the high street lender Metro Bank put customers' data at risk by allegedly misusing software at the centre of a long-running legal dispute.Last month the central bank's whistleblowing team was contacted by a person raising concerns about the integrity and security of software used to connect Metro Bank's in-branch coin-counters - known as Magic Money Machines - to customer accounts. Continue reading...
Lviv governor says more people may be under rubble after cruise missile attack as Moscow ratchets up targeting of infrastructureRussia has carried out another round of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's much-depleted energy network, killing at least two people.One man died in a cruise missile attack on infrastructure in the western Lviv region, and another was killed after a projectile hit a petrol station in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, officials said on Sunday. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6KR2F)
Breakdown of which 250 would lose seats based on survey will only add to mutinous mood but there is little consensus on what to doOne of the advantages - or terrors, depending on your perspective - of a so-called MRP poll is being able to see exactly which MPs would or would not survive in a projected election scenario. And for all but 98 of Rishi Sunak's troops, the latest news is grim.To one extent, the Survation poll of 15,000-plus people released on Saturday night will tell Conservatives little they don't already know. But the starkness of its detail will chill many and enrage others. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6KR2G)
The government insists the law, coming into force on Monday, is needed to protect victims but critics say it limits freedom of expressionA new law to tackle hate crime in Scotland will be implemented on 1 April, and in the past few weeks there have been escalating concerns about how it will be policed and how it might affect freedom of speech. Scotland's first minister, Humza Yousaf, has hit back at disinformation and inaccuracy" being spread about its implementation. Continue reading...
Monarch smiles and waves as he makes first major public appearance since his cancer diagnosisKing Charles has attended the annual Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle, his first major public appearance since he was diagnosed with cancer.The king, 75, smiled and waved as he joined Queen Camilla at the Easter Mattins service at St George's Chapel. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Katie Sidle warns of more avoidable deaths without major changes after inquest found missed chances to save siblingA consultant neurologist whose brother died after a series of failures by an NHS mental health trust has warned there will be more avoidable deaths without fundamental reform of psychiatric care.Dr Katie Sidle's concerns about the refusal of Norfolk and Suffolk foundation trust (NSFT) to give her brother Christopher, who was psychotic, a crisis admission were repeatedly ignored in the days and weeks before his death last July, a coroner found this month.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. 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 Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...
The former RNC chair was pushed out after a staff revolt - but why did NBC hire her in the first place?It should have been a straightforward appointment in the often lucrative world of political punditry: a former high-ranking party official making the move from actual politics to America's television screens with a mission to pontificate, opine and spin.US cable news is littered with such figures: ex-congresspeople, former presidential candidates, reformed spin doctors, one-time campaign leaders. All of them on fat contracts for sitting behind desks and arguing the political talking points of the day. Continue reading...
New track features lyrics It's them that don't like me' after far-right backlash against idea she could cover Edith Piaf songThe French-Malian superstar Aya Nakamura, who has been subjected to racist abuse after it emerged that she could perform an Edith Piaf song at this summer's Paris Olympics, has used a new single to hit back at her far-right critics.In the track Doggy, released on Friday, the 28-year-old musician sings: I don't have enemies, me/It's them that don't like me," adding: A load of enemies but I don't even know them." Continue reading...
David Al-Mudallal, who joined from Sports Direct, was appointed to parent company's board last monthThe owner of Sports Direct, Frasers Group, has promoted the boyfriend of Mike Ashley's youngest daughter to the company's board, it has emerged.David Al-Mudallal, 31, the chief operating officer at Frasers, has been appointed to the board of Frasers, making him one of the youngest directors of a FTSE 100 company. Continue reading...
Royal Photographic Society says award reflects the support and encouragement McCabe showed for aspiring photographersA bursary focusing on the theme of sporting endeavour and designed to help talented young photographers has been launched in honour of the memory of the award-winning Guardian and Observer photographer Eamonn McCabe.The bursary, established by The Royal Photographic Society (RPS), The Guardian and Observer and McCabe's family will give 3,000 to a photographer aged 25 or under to produce a project. Continue reading...
Watchdog examining claims key details have not been disclosed about altar tablets it is facing calls to returnThe British Museum is being investigated by the information watchdog over claims it has been overly secretive about some of the most sensitive items in its collection - a group of sacred Ethiopian altar tablets that have been hidden from view at the museum for more than 150 years.The 11 wood and stone tabots, which the museum acknowledges were looted by British soldiers after the Battle of Maqdala in 1868, have never been on public display and are considered to be so sacred that even the institution's own curators and trustees are forbidden from examining them. Continue reading...
More than 20 reportedly injured after blast in shopping area in city of Azaz, which is held by pro-Turkish forcesA bomb has exploded in a shopping area in a northern Syrian city held by pro-Turkish forces, killing eight people and wounding more than 20 others, a war monitor said.At least eight people were killed and 23 others wounded" when a car bomb exploded in the middle of a popular market" in Azaz, Aleppo province, early on Sunday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Continue reading...
Campaigner Marsha Thompson says there is a lot of stigma within black community' that prevents issues being discussedCultural barriers are preventing black children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from accessing the help they need, the founder of a UK campaign for better support has said.Hundreds of children with special educational needs (Send) routinely wait for more than a year to get help, as local authorities across England struggle to meet unprecedented need in a dire financial climate. A Guardian investigation last month found more than 20,000 children were waiting longer than the 20-week limit to be issued with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that details the support they require. Continue reading...
Whoever wins the next election, a reckoning is overdue on the costs of Britain's nuclear deterrentWhen Rishi Sunak visited Barrow-in-Furness on Monday he said the Cumbrian town was mission critical for our country" because of its role building four new nuclear submarines to carry the UK's nuclear weapons. If you believe Sunak's erstwhile ally, Dominic Cummings, then that mission faces serious problems.Cummings, once Boris Johnson's most powerful adviser, said this month - in characteristically aggressive terms - that spiralling costs were making a mockery of the government's budget plans. He wrote on X: the nuclear enterprise is so fkd [sic] it's further cannibalising the broken budgets and will for decades because it's been highly classified to avoid MPs thinking about it." Continue reading...
by Shanti Das, Home affairs correspondent on (#6KQZ9)
Analysis shows content is aimed at working-class over-50s, and plays on fears of crime, stirs anger and pushes conspiracy theoriesAre you a cleaner or builder who likes Primark, the pub or reality TV - but doesn't care about the environment? If yes, the Conservative party wants your vote.These are some of the interest categories used by the campaign team for the Tories' candidate for London mayor, Susan Hall, to target audiences on social media. Continue reading...
DfE allocates 450m to 826 building projects at 733 schools, a fall of almost 60% - in terms of total projects - compared with 2020-21A record number of schools have had bids for building repairs turned down by the government, with experts warning that buckets on desks, freezing classrooms and power cuts are all becoming commonplace.The Department for Education (DfE) announced on Tuesday that it had allocated 450m to 826 building repair projects at 733 schools through its annual condition improvement fund (CIF), which is designed to help academies and small academy trusts keep buildings safe and in good working order". But this is a fall of nearly 60% - in terms of total projects - compared with 2020-21, when the government awarded 563m to 2,104 repair projects. Continue reading...
Met police say investigation into stabbing of Iranian journalist near home in Wimbledon is being led by counter-terrorism officersIran's most senior diplomat in Britain has denied claims that the Iranian government was behind a knife attack on a TV presenter in London amid growing fears over threats to dissidents.The country's charge d'affaires, Mehdi Hosseini Matin, said Iran denies any link" to the stabbing of Pouria Zeraati, 36, a presenter at Iran International, outside his home in Wimbledon on Friday. He is in a stable condition and was looking forward to being discharged from hospital soon. Continue reading...
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