Lewis was the father of Avi Lewis, who was elected leader of the progressive New Democratic party one day before his father diedStephen Lewis, the Canadian diplomat, politician and human rights advocate, who spent decades tirelessly working to focus global attention on the HIV/Aids epidemic, has died of cancer.Lewis, who served as the Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, as well as the head of Ontario's New Democratic party (NDP), was 88. Continue reading...
Announcement part of controversial shakeup described by critics as administration attack on science and scientists'The Trump administration will move the US Forest Service headquarters from Washington DC to Salt Lake City and shut down its regional offices, the agriculture department has announced. The announcement sets in motion a controversial reorganization for the country's second-largest federal land management agency that Trump officials have planned since last year.The move, which the USDA touted as a commonsense approach", recalls the first Trump administration's chaotic attempt to relocate the Bureau of Land Management from Washington DC to Colorado, first announced in 2019. The agency lost nearly 90% of its Washington-based staff, who declined to move - only for the BLM to return toWashington after Joe Biden took office. Continue reading...
Pentagon chief's remarks come after US army said crews suspended amid investigation into incident in TennesseeDefense secretary Pete Hegseth said the crews of two US army AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to the singer Kid Rock's swimming pool while he clapped and saluted on Saturday are no longer suspended.No punishment. No investigation," Hegseth wrote on social media. Carry on, patriots." Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#74MCC)
Poll of 10,000 teachers also finds overwhelming' exam anxiety and rising absenteeism linked to poor mental healthAlmost half of primary school teachers are seeing pupils with eating disorders at least occasionally", rising to four in five at secondary level, according to a survey by the UK's largest education union.The findings emerged in a poll of 10,000 teachers in English state schools about pupils' mental health, which also revealed overwhelming" exam anxiety in secondaries and dwindling numbers of counsellors to support students. Continue reading...
UK researcher uses maths to explain seeming inevitability of phenomenon experienced by many motoristsIt is a situation experienced by many motorists: one driver overtakes another only to find the slower car is right behind them when they reach a red light. Now a researcher has used mathematics to reveal why the situation feels inevitable.Dr Conor Boland from Dublin City University has called his work The Voorhees law of traffic". Continue reading...
Sector cites billions of pounds in additional costs' from new business rates and increase in minimum wage thresholdsTwo-thirds of hospitality businesses are planning to cut jobs as a result of suffocating" costs imposed by government, as new business rates and higher wage bills come into force.Many pubs, restaurants and hotel companies will see their costs increase significantly from 1 April after Rachel Reeves's changes to business rates and an increase in minimum wage thresholds announced at the chancellor's November budget. Continue reading...
President has falsely claimed legendary' fraud for limiting mail-in ballots and himself voted by mail last weekDonald Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to compile a national voter file and to restrict the use of mail-in ballots, an unprecedented move that is probably unconstitutional.The executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Social Security Administration to compile a list of verified US citizens who can vote in every state. It also directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) to begin rule-making on a process that would require states to notify the agency of voters who intend to receive a mail-in ballot and prohibit them from receiving one unless they are on a USPS-approved list of eligible voters. Continue reading...
Trump administration claims list is part of an EEOC investigation into antisemitic discrimination at universityA federal judge on Tuesday ordered the University of Pennsylvania to hand over records about Jewish employees on campus to a federal agency as part of an investigation into antisemitic discrimination but said it did not have to reveal any employee's affiliation with a specific group.US district judge Gerald Pappert said employees can refuse to take part in the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigation but the agency needs the opportunity to talk to them directly to learn if they have evidence of discrimination". Continue reading...
Sandhu Ponnachan, 36, charged with grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving and possession of a bladed articleA 36-year-old man has been charged after seven people sustained injuries when a car hit pedestrians on one of Derby's busiest streets, police have said.Sandhu Ponnachan was charged on Tuesday with six counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, one count of attempted grievous bodily harm, one count of dangerous driving and one count of possession of a bladed article, Derbyshire police said. Continue reading...
Though the US is almost certainly not going to have a draft, media commentary and online anxiety have surfacedThe United States is almost certainly not going to have a military draft to fight Iran. That hasn't stopped the chatter, and anxiety, across the country.In recent weeks, Donald Trump has ordered a number of marines and army paratroopers to head to the Middle East, gesturing toward a possible ground war to reopen the strait of Hormuz or secure nuclear weapons material. The provocative military activity has led to speculative conversation about what it would take to invade a country twice the population and three times the territory of Iraq. Continue reading...
Case involves a former prosecutor removing nearly all Black jurors in a 2006 capital murder trial, raising legal questionsThe US supreme court appeared skeptical on Tuesday of whether jury selection in a trial was conducted appropriately when they heard oral arguments in a death penalty case about racial bias in jury selection stemming from Mississippi.Doug Evans, a now-retired prosecutor, removed all but one Black person from a jury that convicted Terry Pitchford of capital murder in 2006. The judge, Joseph Loper, allowed the juror strikes, despite objections from the defense counsel, and Mississippi's supreme court upheld the conviction. Continue reading...
by Peter Beaumont Senior international correspondent on (#74MCD)
Volker Turk says bill, which applies to Palestinians convicted of terror charges but not Jewish extremists, must be promptly repealed'A new Israeli law which would sanction the execution of Palestinians convicted on terror charges for deadly attacks, but not Jewish extremists accused of similar crimes, would constitute a war crime if enacted, according to one of the UN's most senior human rights officials.Speaking amid mounting international condemnation of the bill, the UN's high commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, described the law as patently inconsistent with Israel's international law obligations, including in relation to the right to life," adding it raises serious concerns about due process violations, is deeply discriminatory, and must be promptly repealed". Continue reading...
Donald Tusk and Micheal Martin say reported phone call with Moscow on sanctions confirms Hungary doing the bidding for Russia' within EUBack to Iran and the perceived lack of support from European Nato allies, US president Donald Trump has now turned to criticising France in his latest outburst on social media.In a post on Truth Social, he said:The Country of France wouldn't let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory. France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the Butcher of Iran," who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!! President DJT" Continue reading...
Video posted on social media depicts a rendering of the proposed 50-storey gargantuan structure decked in goldIn a city of respected art deco buildings, ridicule is being heaped on the latest structure proposed for Miami's skyline: the Donald J Trump presidential library, unveiled in ambitious plans posted to social media on Monday night.A 1 minute 40 second video tour of the proposed gargantuan structure revealed it will be decked, almost inevitably, in Trump's trademark gold, including a giant statue of him, and will feature Air Force One, the $400m Boeing flying palace" gifted to him by Qatar, in its cavernous lobby. Continue reading...
The king will address Congress during the visit, which will commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independenceQ: What do you make of the suggestion that Donald Trump could end the Iran war without securing the strait of Hormuz? Or do you think he should finish the job?Farage replies:I don't think we should take literally anything right now that Donald Trump says ... And then the last thing he's going to do, or the last thing his colleagues in the White House are going to do, is to give the Iranians any idea of what their true intentions are.Was it to remove nuclear capability? Was it aimed at regime change? I don't think any of us quite know the absolute truth about that.The problem is any third party inquiry is a waste of space unless you can subpoena police officers, social services, civil servants who were all part of turning the collective blind eye. And I think everything this government has done on this issue is an attempt to literally kick the can down the road, to not fully open this up. Continue reading...
Homes evacuated in Lurgan as police carry out controlled explosion on crude but viable' deviceMasked men hijacked a car, placed a crude but viable" explosive device inside and forced the occupant to drive the vehicle to a police station in Northern Ireland on Monday, prompting a security alert and the evacuation of about 100 homes, police have said.Some streets in Lurgan, County Armagh, remained shut on Tuesday morning as police investigated the scene. Continue reading...
Families fear undocumented relatives could be turned away or detained at recruit celebrations in South CarolinaFederal immigration agents will be stationed at Marine Corps graduation events this week, the service has announced, raising fears that undocumented relatives celebrating their loved ones' achievements will be seized and deported.The service is presenting the unusual move as a security enhancement for family events over the next few days at the Parris Island Marine Corps recruiting depot in South Carolina. Continue reading...
Nicole Daedone, co-founder of OneTaste Inc, also ordered to forfeit $12m, and seven victims were awarded restitutionThe leader of a sex-focused women's wellness company that promoted orgasmic meditation" was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for a scheme that a judge said exploited vulnerable women and coerced them into performing sex acts with the company's clients and investors.Nicole Daedone, co-founder of OneTaste Inc, was also ordered to forfeit $12m, and seven victims were awarded roughly $890,000 in restitution, federal prosecutors said. Continue reading...
The attack came hours after Donald Trump threatened to obliterate' Iran's energy plants and oil wells unless it opened the strait of Hormuz. Plus, Israel to give death penalty to Palestinians convicted of lethal attacksGood morning.Iran attacked and set alight a fully loaded crude oil tanker anchored at Dubai port, causing damage to the vessel's hull, in the latest strike on merchant vessels in the Gulf and the strait of Hormuz. The fire was extinguished within hours and no injuries were reported.What has Trump said about the war's end? He has continued to give mixed messages, threatening to destroy Iran's energy facilities unless it agrees to peace terms - while simultaneously claiming diplomatic progress in ending the war the US started together with Israel. Iran has accused the US of using diplomacy as a smokescreen to prepare for more attacks.Which countries are most vulnerable to economic shocks? The Philippines, which imports almost all of its crude oil from the Middle East, is particularly exposed to surging prices, which have triggered protests and widespread anger.Why now? The government of Iran, which the US has attacked, is a prolific and sophisticated disinformation actor, while Russian and Chinese influence operations continue to target US allies globally.How would the embassies do it? They have been told to use local influencers, academics and community leaders abroad to make US-funded narratives feel more organic. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Reform UK will be steering well clear' of CPAC event in July, says a source, as will senior ToriesNigel Farage will snub a major conference of US conservatives that is being brought to the UK by Liz Truss.The short-lived former prime minister, who was accused of crashing the economy, was chosen by the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to lead a version of the event in the UK in July. Continue reading...
Bear slayer' Honey injured during confrontation to protect family and animals from ursine home invaderA half-blind, 12-year-old New Mexico dog is being called bear slayer" after she fended off an ursine intruder at her family's home, protecting dozens of chickens and other animals but only narrowly surviving the violent encounter.As told by her caretakers, the story of Honey demonstrates the extreme loyalty of dogs to their owners. Continue reading...
Simon Roberts says Easter shop will be unaffected by Middle East conflict, but industry warns prices may rise this yearShoppers will not see food prices rise until at least the summer and Easter will be unaffected by conflict in the Middle East, the boss of Sainsbury's has said, despite fears of an inflation spike.Simon Roberts said it was too early" to say whether and when food price inflation related to higher commodity costs would hit supermarket shelves and that the UK's second-largest supermarket had long-term agreements with suppliers to help protect shoppers. Continue reading...
PM says decision by union to reject deal for thousands of extra training posts and 7.1% pay rise without putting it to members is reckless'Keir Starmer has threatened to withdraw an offer of thousands of extra NHS training posts if resident doctors do not call off a six-day strike after Easter.The prime minister has given the doctors' union, the British Medical Association, 48 hours to ditch its plans for industrial action or the government will pull the current offer from the table. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: From breakthroughs to breakdowns, what we can expect to see - and what the consequences of the vote could beGood morning. On 7 May, voters in England will go to the polls for a series of local elections, on the same day that Scotland and Wales vote for new governments. It promises to be a torrid time for Keir Starmer and his governing Labour party, with Nigel Farage's Reform UK, Zack Polanski's Green party and Rhun ap Iorwerth's Plaid Cymru expected to make breakthroughs.Recent polling, though, suggests that the overall balance between those on the right and those on the left has barely shifted - rather, previously loyal Conservative voters are moving towards Farage's party, while Labour voters are deserting to other progressive options.Middle East crisis | Donald Trump has threatened to obliterate" Iran's power stations and fresh water plants if Tehran does not agree to peace terms shortly".Israel | Israel's parliament has passed a law imposing the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks, a measure sharply criticised as discriminatory by European countries and rights groups.BBC | The BBC has sacked the Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills after allegations about his personal conduct. The corporation said that while we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted and has left the BBC".Politics | Zack Polanski has kicked off a charm offensive designed to convince trade unions to stop funding Labour and throw their weight behind the Green party, as he delivered the first in a series of speeches to union conferences.Travelodge | A woman who was sexually assaulted by an employee at a Travelodge has said she was shocked to learn the hotel chain's boss cancelled a meeting with a group of MPs seeking to discuss concerns about the case. Continue reading...
Practice of using apartments to store relatives' ashes has risen as rapid urbanisation and aging population increases competition for cemetery plotsChina is introducing a law to stop people storing the ashes of their dead relatives in empty high-rise flats rather than paying steep costs for increasingly scarce cemetery plots.China's new funeral management legislation will prohibit the use of residential housing specifically for the purpose of storing cremated remains" and the burial of corpses or construction of tombs in areas other than public cemeteries". Continue reading...
New York-based Gao Zhen was detained in 2024 during a family visit to China and then tried for defaming national heroes'The Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, known for making satirical sculptures of China's former leader Mao Zedong, has been tried over accusations of defaming national heroes and martyrs", his wife and a rights group have said.Gao, 69, who was detained in 2024 during a visit to China from the US, faces a maximum three-year prison sentence, his wife, Zhao Yaliang, and Shane Yi, a researcher at the Chinese human rights defenders group, said. Continue reading...
Chad Bianco, the Riverside county sheriff also running for governor, had seized 650,000 ballotsChad Bianco, the Riverside county sheriff, has halted a contentious investigation into a alleged voter fraud that has drawn opposition from the state's attorney general.The move marks a major reversal for Bianco, a prominent Donald Trump supporter who is one of the top two Republican candidates running for the governorship of California. Continue reading...
President says he is open to scaling back strikes on oil and wider energy industry if Moscow reciprocates. What we know on day 1,496 Continue reading...
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