Grand jury brings manslaughter charge over fatal 2024 operation where patient died on tableA surgeon in Florida has been indicted for manslaughter after he wrongly removed a patient's liver instead of his spleen during an August 2024 procedure.Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was indicted by a grand jury in Tallahassee on Monday after prosecutors said he botched the surgery of 70-year-old William Bryan, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Continue reading...
Experts say climate pattern could supercharge extreme weather events and push temperatures to record highsThere is a high likelihood that the phenomenon known as El Nino" will emerge this summer - and it could be exceptionally strong. A so-called super El Nino" could supercharge extreme weather events and push global temperatures to record heights next year if it develops, according to experts.Meteorologists are keeping a close eye on the climate patterns developing in the Pacific Ocean that will enable stronger predictions about what's to come in the year ahead. Continue reading...
Refugee Council criticises Labour's decision, saying military sites are unsuitable and more expensive than hotels'Hundreds of asylum seekers have been removed from government-funded hotels while others have been sent to live in army barracks, the Home Office has announced.Eleven asylum hotels" in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been closed, as first reported by the Guardian, and more will close in the coming weeks". About 350 claimants have been moved to the Crowborough military camp in east Sussex, described by a spokesperson as basic accommodation". Continue reading...
Trawler set off from Bangladesh and reportedly capsized due to heavy winds, rough seas and overcrowdingAbout 250 people are missing after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals capsized in the Andaman Sea, according to the UN's refugee and migration agencies.The agencies said the trawler carrying more than 250 men, women and children reportedly sank due to harsh weather and overcrowding. It had departed from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh and was bound for Malaysia. Continue reading...
Natasha Cochrane de la Rosa was refused boarding on flight to London because she was not aware of the rule changeA British woman has told how she fears being stranded in Spain for months after being refused boarding a on flight back home to London because she was not aware of new Home Office border rules.Natasha Cochrane de la Rosa, 26, was born in the UK to a British father and a Spanish mother, but because of archaic laws she was not entitled automatically to British citizenship because her parents were not married. Other women born to unmarried parents have called the rules an illegitimacy tax". Continue reading...
The family of Marie-Therese, from Brittany, fear for her health after she was cuffed and placed in a detention centreAn 86-year-old French woman who moved to the US to marry her 1950s sweetheart is being held in a crowded detention centre in Louisiana after she was arrested by immigration agents and cuffed by her hands and feet.The family of the woman, named only as Marie-Therese, said they feared for her health as French consular officials attempted to secure her release. One of her sons told the Ouest-France newspaper that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had treated his mother like a hardened criminal. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#74YAJ)
Results of six-week trial prompt concerns over government proposals as children reject healthier mealsA pilot to test England's new school food standards triggered a 15% decline in uptake of meals, with children rejecting healthier options in favour of a packed lunch, a caterer has revealed.The results of the six-week trial, which took place at a Brighton primary school, have prompted concerns that the government's proposals, though well-intentioned, could end up having a negative impact on children's health. Continue reading...
Push for states to assign presidential electors to winner of popular vote gains momentum in bid to reach 270 thresholdA national majority vote for president is one step closer to reality after Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger signed the National Popular Vote bill into law, joining an interstate compact with 17 other states and the District of Columbia.Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, states would assign their presidential electors to the winner of the popular vote, regardless of the results within the state. The compact takes effect when states representing a majority of electoral votes - 270 of 538 - pass the legislation and thus would determine the winner of the presidential contest. With Virginia, the compact now has 222 electors. Continue reading...
Remarks come as Italian PM suspends defence agreement with Israel amid growing domestic pressure over conflictDonald Trump lashed out at one of his closest allies on Tuesday, saying Italy's Giorgia Meloni lacked courage in light of her failure to join the US in attacking Iran.I'm shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," the US president said in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#74Y7B)
Additional 1bn allocated to payments for victims and their relatives, including extra 35,000 for former Treloar pupilsCompensation payments will rise for people affected by the infected blood scandal, including an extra 35,000 each for pupils who were experimented on at school without their knowledge, the paymaster general has announced. The government has allocated 1bn for the payments.The final report of the inquiry into what has been described as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history was published in May 2024. The compensation scheme that followed has also been blighted by controversy. Continue reading...
The policies include a Swiss-style EU deal, lower electricity prices and reduced dependence on the USA group of Labour MPs is to propose a series of new policies to defeat rightwing populism, including a Swiss-style deal with the EU, lower electricity prices, a robust defence of climate policies and a reduced dependence on Washington.Among those contributing to a new collection of essays is the former cabinet minister Anneliese Dodds, who calls for a fundamental reappraisal of the UK-US relationship, saying alliances should be based on a hardheaded assessment of which nations share our values and goals." Continue reading...
by Lauren Aratani, Michael Sainato and agencies on (#74Y1J)
Critics warn of absolute disaster for the flying public' if two air travel giants try to combineThe CEO of United Airlines is said to have pitched a blockbuster merger with American Airlines during a meeting with Donald Trump, floating the combination of the world's two largest carriers.Scott Kirby, who leads United, raised the prospect during an encounter with the US president in late February, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed sources. Such a deal would overhaul the global air travel industry - and likely face intense competition scrutiny. Continue reading...
Ron Prosor says verbal attack on Friedrich Merz referencing Nazi regime erodes the memory of the Holocaust'Israel's envoy to Germany has criticised a far-right Israeli cabinet member who made historically charged accusations against the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, saying the attack [eroded] the memory of the Holocaust".In a rare rebuke of a top Israeli official by an active ambassador, Ron Prosor said he wished to unequivocally condemn" Bezalel Smotrich's tirade against Merz, in which he made reference to the Nazi regime and said: You will not force us into ghettos again." Continue reading...
Byelection wins and defections push Canada's Liberals into majority government under the prime ministerMark Carney has said he will govern with humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands" after his Liberals swept three byelections Monday evening, forging a parliamentary majority just more than a year after he took power.Carney has achieved only the third majority government in two decades - and has done so in a highly unusual fashion, cobbling together both ballot box wins and defections from rival parties. Continue reading...
Chancellor frustrated and angry' at the effect on UK firms and families and says US went into war without a clear exit planQ: Why are you calling for an inquiry into Nigel Farage's investment in a bitcoin firm?Davey said that, in investing in crypto, Farage, the Reform UK leader, seemed to be copying Donald Trump. He said he thought MPs should be banned from promoting financial services or products.[Farage is] now promoting this business. The question is, is he persuading people to put money into a risky business?And the conclusion I draw from this example is that we need to change the rules for MPs. MPs should not be allowed to promote specific financial services or products in the way we're seeing Nigel Farage doing.We need to get together as a country. The defence challenges for our country are so serious, with war on our continent for the first time for a long time, with Russia invading Ukraine, surely that's been the wake up call that we needed. The government hasn't gone as fast as it should have given those circumstances. Continue reading...
Ukrainian leader hopes for pragmatic' and friendly' relations with new government in contrast with hostility of previous pro-Russian regimein BerlinAt his press conference with Zelenskyy, Germany's chancellor Friedrich Merz also welcomed Peter Magyar's decisive victory, saying it would have implications for our support for Ukraine".More Hungarians than ever before cast their votes. By an overwhelming majority, they voted not only to oust a government, but to oust an entire system."Volodymyr Zelenskyy and I also discussed this. The funds for military support must now be disbursed quickly. Ukraine needs them urgently." Continue reading...
Catholic vice-president effectively tells Leo to stay in his lane after pope criticized the White House over the Iran warJD Vance has weighed into Donald Trump's feud with Pope Leo, effectively telling the pontiff to stay in his lane after the head of the Catholic church criticized the White House over the Iran war.It would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what's going on in the Catholic church and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy," the vice-president - a Catholic convert himself - said in an interview on Fox News on Monday night. Continue reading...
Changes follow concern that original code created a legal minefield for organisations implementing itThe equalities watchdog has updated its guidance on how to implement the supreme court ruling on gender after the government requested changes to the original proposals submitted last year.In a statement, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said that after feedback" from the government, as well as consultation responses and extra legal advice, it had made changes to what is officially known as the code of practice. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#74Y1H)
Former victims' commissioner Vera Baird says disciplinary action is essential to ensure people are held accountable UK politics live - latest updatesFamilies in Southport cannot be sure that officials who made catastrophic" errors before the murder of three girls are not still making the same mistakes, a former victims' commissioner has said.Vera Baird KC said all those who failed to properly monitor the killer, Axel Rudakubana, should be held personally accountable" and that authorities must not shrug it off" with an apology. Continue reading...
Adam Mitula is acting as election agent for Reform candidates in three wards in Tameside area ahead of 7 May pollsA Reform UK activist in the Gorton and Denton byelection who was suspended over racist and antisemitic comments has been named as the election agent for three of the party's candidates in Manchester ahead of polls on 7 May.Adam Mitula, an interim campaign manager in the Tameside area, confirmed in February that he had been suspended as a party member pending investigation". Continue reading...
The 11-time Grammy winner had a net favorability of 65%, Obama came second with 14%, while Zelenskyy had 12%For the US public, the feeling that Dolly Parton expressed in her country music chart-topping 1974 classic I Will Always Love You is clearly mutual.A poll of Americans' opinions about more than 20 international luminaries established as much, with the 11-time Grammy winner and philanthropist leaving her two closest competitors - Barack Obama and Volodymyr Zelenskyy - in the dust by more than 50 percentage points. Continue reading...
Crews from Morengo fire and rescue built a makeshift raft to get Troy, who was stuck in 15ft deep creek, safely to shoreA horse in Illinois swept from a barn in a fast-moving flood has been reunited with his owner after firefighters joined a local veterinarian in a unique, daring deep-water rescue.Crews from the Marengo fire and rescue districts constructed a makeshift raft to move Troy, who was stranded about 600ft from the nearest shore and surrounded by a strong current of water in Coon Creek, about 60 miles north-west of Chicago. Continue reading...
by Benita Kolovos Victorian state correspondent on (#74XVW)
Luba Grigorovitch, one of four MPs promoted to Jacinta Allan's cabinet, says she has no regrets' over friendship with former CFMEU bossLuba Grigorovitch, one of four Victorian Labor MPs promoted to cabinet, says she has no regrets" about her past friendship with disgraced construction union leader John Setka, despite the opposition labelling her appointment appalling".The Victorian Labor caucus met on Tuesday and voted to elevate Grigorovitch, the member for Kororoit, along with Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke, Eureka MP Michaela Settle and Box Hill MP Paul Hamer, to cabinet. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: More than one-fifth of austerity-generation' British children live in poverty. Our social policy editor talks about the damage done and the way forwardThe austerity years cast a long shadow over Britain. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, a programme of cuts overseen by then-chancellor George Osborne and the work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith gutted parts of the welfare state, limiting the generosity of what is now universal credit, introducing a bedroom tax and the two-child limit for child benefit. By 2021, an estimated 37bn had been cut from welfare spending each year alone, with further cuts made to other branches of government.The consequences of these decisions are all around us. Around four million children were classified as living in poverty in the UK, according to the most recent figures. This week, a University of Oxford study revealed that more than one-fifth of all austerity generation" British children - that is, children born since 2013 - have been scarred by poverty for at least half their childhood.Southport attack | Axel Rudakubana was able to carry out the Southport atrocity because of catastrophic" failures by multiple agencies and the irresponsible and harmful" role of his parents, a damning inquiry has found.Middle East crisis | The US blockade of ships using Iranian ports in the Gulf began on Monday evening, turning the six-week-old conflict between the US-Israeli coalition and Iran into a test of economic endurance.Health | Metabolic liver disease (MASLD) will affect 1.8 billion people worldwide by 2050, driven by rising obesity and blood sugar levels, according to a new report. There are now 1.3 billion people worldwide living with MASLD, a 143% increase in just three decades.Scotland | A funding deal to raise 100m from private investors for urgently needed nature restoration in Scotland has fallen through without the Scottish parliament being told, the Guardian has learned.XL bully ban | Police spending on kennels and veterinary bills in England and Wales has more than tripled since the XL bully ban came into force, with some forces recording an almost 500% spending increase since 2024. Continue reading...
Carney's Liberals will now be able to pass legislation without the support of opposition parties - and govern until 2029The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has secured a parliamentary majority for his Liberal government, CBC News reported. The victory will help him push through a legislative agenda he says is needed for an increasingly divided geopolitical world.Three special elections were held on Monday in Ontario and Quebec, with two in districts - known as ridings - that have long voted Liberal. Continue reading...
Consumer spending on travel is down for the first time in five years while card spending edges up in MarchUK consumers have cut back on travel spending for the first time in five years, as they worry about the rising cost of living amid the Iran war.Overall consumer card spending increased 0.9% year on year in March, down from February's 1%, according to data from Barclays. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Ministers accused of trying to keep investment firm's withdrawal from partnership with NatureScot under wrapsA funding deal to raise 100m from private investors for urgently needed nature restoration in Scotland has fallen through without the Scottish parliament being told.The Guardian has learned that Aberdeen, the investment firm, decided to withdraw from a partnership with the agency NatureScot to raise at least 100m for conservation projects from commercial and private investors late last year. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#74XST)
Data from 22 police forces shows spending has more than tripled since the ban came into force in 2024Police spending on kennels and veterinary bills in England and Wales has more than tripled since the XL bully ban came into force, with some forces recording an almost 500% spending increase since the new law was enacted in 2024.Data from 22 police forces obtained via freedom of information requests showed police spending had soared from an average of 137,400 per force in 2022-23 to 423,136 in 2024-25. Continue reading...
Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah and Joy Division/New Order will also be inducted, along with the late Luther VandrossPhil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with first-time nominees Wu-Tang Clan and the late Luther Vandross.The list was revealed on Monday night in the US, during an airing of American Idol. To be eligible, artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior. Nominees were voted on by more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals. Continue reading...
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