Researchers say findings are not reason to shy away from restrictions as MPs consider ban in England's schoolsStrict bans on mobile phones in schools have close to zero" impact on student learning and show no evidence of improvements in attendance or online bullying, a study has found.Researchers at US universities including Stanford and Duke looked at nearly 1,800 US schools where students' phones were kept in locked pouches and found little or no differences in outcomes compared with similar schools without strict bans. Continue reading...
Inquiry set up by rightwing politician recommends merging major channels and slashing TV entertainment budgets by 75%French politicians on the left and centre have criticised a parliament inquiry report that recommends sweeping cuts to public broadcasting, with a row over culture wars building before next year's presidential election.State broadcasting is a key topic in the run-up to April's vote, with the far right, which is leading in the polls, highly critical of public TV and radio and vowing to privatise it. Continue reading...
Tory leader says the protests are not the same'Kemi Badenoch has questioned whether the undisclosed 5m donation given to Nigel Farage by a crypto billionaire shows that he has been bought".In an interview with the Today programme this morning, the Conservative leader asked whether the donation was linked to Farage's support for cryptocurrencies, and she said the donation showed why Farage could not be trusted as a political leader.Let's see, I believe that people should look at the character of an individual.You look at Nigel Farage's fishy 5m. I think that's a very, very concerning story. No one gets 5m directly. This was not for his party. He kept it a secret. What was that money for? Who's bought him?Well, I don't understand why somebody who works in crypto gives this sort of personal gift, as Farage calls it, and then all of a sudden Farage is promoting crypto.He should have declared it. We've already made a report to the standards committee. He should have declared it because those are the rules in this country. Continue reading...
Kremlin tightens security before Russia's biggest national celebration on 9 May amid fears of Ukrainian drone strikesRussia shut down airports and temporarily cut mobile internet access for many users in Moscow on Tuesday, as it tightened security before the 9 May Victory Day parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany.The parade - Russia's foremost national celebration - has already been scaled back and will proceed without heavy military hardware for the first time in nearly two decades, amid fears of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes. Continue reading...
Two-month-old Elmer, painstakingly saved by canola oil baths, finds home with volunteer Leah Owens, 72A two-month-old kitten whose life was saved when he was rescued from a bucket of glue has bonded with the foster parent who helped him to recover - and is sticking with her permanently.Staff at the Humane Society of North Texas say they were swamped with applications to adopt tiny Elmer after the non-profit shared on social media in mid-April the story of how the cat was found dehydrated and close to death in a pot of glue - before being painstakingly nursed back to health with canola oil baths and hours of massages. Continue reading...
Review finds force missed clear signs 21-year-old's death was result of violent predator's grooming and degradationA catalogue of police failures in handling the suspected murder of a young woman in Northern Ireland reflected institutional misogyny, a report has found.The Police Service of Northern Ireland missed clear warning signs that Katie Simpson's death in August 2020 was not suicide but the result of abuse and control, an independent review said on Tuesday.In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org
No confidence vote sees PM ousted and puts the country's access to EU funds at risk and it could take weeks until a stable majority can be assembledin BucharestPresident Dan is set to issue a statement at 6pm local time (4pm UK). Continue reading...
Alzheimer's Research UK says patients at risk of being left behind as lack of formal or accurate diagnoses closes door to trialsPeople with Alzheimer's disease are missing out on experimental treatments because they are not diagnosed early or accurately enough to be enrolled in clinical trials, a UK charity has said.Trials of Alzheimer's drugs reached a record high this year, according to data published on Tuesday, but Alzheimer's Research UK said too few UK patients were taking part because their diagnoses were delayed or were not specific enough. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#75DGX)
Fahad Ansari says it was chilling' that police equated him with his client' after he was stopped on return from family holiday in IrelandA lawyer who filed Hamas's challenge to proscription in the UK was recorded by police as being a member of the banned group, equating him with his client".On a risk assessment form, a detective inspector, who authorised the detention of Fahad Ansari under the Terrorism Act on his return from a family holiday in Ireland, wrote Hamas" in the space reserved for membership of a known group". Continue reading...
Appeal launched to buy Nottinghamshire cottage, where tree was planted in 19th century, and turn it into heritage centreCampaigners have launched an appeal to try to save for the nation the mother tree of perhaps the most popular cooking apple in the world.The original bramley apple tree, which grows in the garden of a cottage in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, is for sale, with the cottage put on the market by its owners, Nottingham Trent University. Continue reading...
Counter-terrorism officers investigating blaze at former synagogue in Tower HamletsCounter-terrorism police are investigating a fire at a former synagogue in Tower Hamlets, east London, the Metropolitan police have said.More details soon ... Continue reading...
WhatsApp group has bought tens of thousands of meals for people via Facebook pageCarl used to own pubs - several of them - and a string of hotels. Then two years ago, rising costs forced him into bankruptcy. Now he sleeps on the beach in summer, and in winter sits in an all-night McDonald's nursing a single cup of coffee.Carl's daughters are in a different part of the country with his ex-wife. To maintain the illusion that he lives a normal life, Carl is careful only to video-call them from the local Wetherspoon's with a meal and a drink carefully positioned in shot. That way, he reasons, he looks like a man with somewhere to be. Continue reading...
Robert Cyr Jr, a US navy airman, had gone missing in 1944 when his seaplane crashed in the Segond channelThe remains of a US military aviator who went missing after his crew crashed during the second world war were recovered and identified through DNA analysis and his family recently laid him to rest in Florida, according to officials.US navy airman Robert Cyr Jr's burial in Clearwater, Florida, brought to an end a decades-long saga that began on 22 January 1944, when he and eight fellow crewmates crashed while they were aboard a seaplane as it took off in the Segond channel in what is now the south Pacific's Republic of Vanuatu. Continue reading...
Reserve Bank of Australia raises cash rate for third consecutive meeting as governor says increases are not going to do anything for inflation' in next six months
Project to refurbish Angels' hailed huge success as dean says it will lift spirits and rekindle hope'Sam Kelly admitted there had been some nights of broken sleep as he led a two-year project to restore one of Salisbury Cathedral's treasures, a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris.It would be wrong to say I didn't lie awake sometimes," said the head glazier. You are working on something that is very precious and if it fell on the floor, it would be very bad." Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: With the use of facial recognition skyrocketing, there are calls for the rapid development of safeguardsGood morning. Over the last couple of days, the Guardian has been reporting that facial recognition technology is being rolled out across the UK at a pace that appears to be outstripping the rules designed to govern it. Police forces are increasingly using live systems to scan members of the public in real time, while retailers are deploying similar tools to identify suspected shoplifters.Advocates of the technology argue that facial recognition is effective and here to stay. Critics warn it risks creating a system where people are monitored - and sometimes wrongly flagged - without clear safeguards.Middle East crisis | Donald Trump has threatened that Iran will be blown off the face of the earth" if it attacks US vessels trying to reopen a route through the strait of Hormuz.Delivery industry | More than 7,000 Just Eat couriers are taking legal action against the food delivery company in an attempt to gain better employment rights, including the minimum wage and holiday pay.Europe | At the European Political Community summit in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Keir Starmer has called on Europe to face up" to tensions with the Trump administration, as heads of government gathered to discuss the EU's loan scheme for Ukraine.UK news | Keir Starmer will call for a whole-of-society response to rising antisemitism on Tuesday, saying that it is not enough simply to condemn the scourge, but people must show it" through their actions too.Cost of living | Food prices are set to be 50% higher by November compared to 2021, according to research by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. Continue reading...
Quintessentially almost quadrupled staff in Middle East and Asia less than year before wealthy began to flee GulfThe embattled luxury concierge service co-founded by Queen Camilla's nephew Ben Elliot embarked on what appeared to be an inopportune hiring spree in the Middle East and Asia before wealthy individuals began fleeing the region because of the US-Israel war on Iran.Quintessentially almost quadrupled staff in the regions from 22 to 84 during its financial year to 30 April 2025, according to newly released annual accounts, which again reported multimillion-pound losses and warned of material uncertainty" about its future. Continue reading...
Partiesaccused of fiscal denial' and failing to tell voters the scale of the challengeThe next Scottish government will need to make really difficult" spending decisions soon after taking power, including tackling its large public sector pay bill, senior economists have said.Economists with the Fraser of Allander Institute, at the University of Strathclyde, believe the manifestos published by Scotland's political parties during the campaign failed to tell voters about the true scale of the challenge. Continue reading...
Ashley MacIsaac, who is seeking $1.5m in civil lawsuit, says inaccurate information led to concert cancellationAn acclaimed Canadian fiddle player has launched a $1.5m civil lawsuit against Google, alleging that the online giant defamed him by falsely identifying him as a sex offender in an AI-generated summary of his life and career.Ashley MacIsaac, a three-time Juno award-winning musician, filed the claim in the Ontario superior court of justice, asserting that Google was liable for the foreseeable republication" of its AI-generated Overview feature, which previously published defamatory claims that he had been convicted of multiple criminal offences, including the sexual assault of a woman, internet luring involving a child with the intention of sexual assaulting the child, and assault causing bodily harm. Continue reading...
Ketanji Brown Jackson blasted the decision, saying the court has hastened it ruling only twice before in 25 yearsThe US supreme court went out of its way on Monday to help Louisiana Republicans redraw their congressional maps before this year's midterm elections by allowing a recent ruling that gutted a key part of the Voting Rights Act to take effect ahead of schedule.The procedural move comes less than a week after the court's landmark decision striking down Louisiana's congressional map and gutting section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Usually, the court waits 32 days to formally issue its judgment to the lower court. Last week, Louisiana asked the court to speed up that process, citing the urgency with which it needed to redraw its congressional maps. On Monday, the court agreed to do so. Continue reading...
Government's anti-slavery commissioner says traffickers are exploiting a growing pipeline of vulnerabilitySlavery in the UK is at record levels and is expected to worsen over the next decade, the government's independent anti-slavery commissioner has warned.According to the number of referrals to the national referral mechanism, which assesses potential victims of slavery and provides support to victims, numbers have almost doubled in the last five years from 12,691 referrals in 2021 to 23,411 in 2025, the highest ever number. Continue reading...
State's top insurance regulator says insurance company violated law while handling claims from 2025 wildfiresCalifornia is seeking millions of dollars in penalties from State Farm after an investigation found the insurance company was slow to investigate and underpaid claims from the 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires, regulators announced on Monday.State Farm violated the law hundreds of times in a sampling of 220 cases, the state's insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, said. The maximum penalty amount allowed by law would be about $4m if State Farm is found to be willful" in violating state law. Regulators may also temporarily suspend the company's license, effectively prohibiting the state's largest home insurer from writing new policies for a year in California. Continue reading...
The person's condition and the circumstances surrounding the shooting were not immediately knownAn individual was shot by law enforcement officers on Monday near the Washington monument, the Secret Service said. The shooting occurred shortly after JD Vance's motorcade passed through the area.The individual was first identified by plainclothes officers, who said he looked suspicious and was believed to be carrying a firearm, according to Matthew Quinn, the deputy director of the Secret Service. These officers called in support from uniformed agents. When the individual saw the uniformed agents, Quinn said he fled on foot, drew his gun and fired. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Fish sludge' in coastal waters now has nutrient levels equivalent to those in untreated effluent of country the size of Australia, report findsNorwegian fish farms are filling fjords and other coastal waters with nutrient pollution equivalent to the raw sewage of tens of millions of people each year, a report has found.Norway is the largest farmed salmon producer in the world, and nutrients in fish feed are excreted directly into coastal waters. Analysis from the Sunstone Institute found that Norwegian aquaculture released 75,000 tonnes of nitrogen, 13,000 tonnes of phosphorus and 360,000 tonnes of organic carbon in 2025. Continue reading...
PM will say responsibility to stand with Jewish communities lies with every one of us' at event on TuesdayKeir Starmer will call for a whole-of-society response to rising antisemitism on Tuesday, saying that it is not enough simply to condemn the scourge, but people must show it" through their actions too.Before a roundtable event at Downing Street, the prime minister will call for action on all forms of antisemitism, after a knife attack against the Jewish community in Golders Green last week, a spate of serious arson attacks and the terror incident in Heaton Park in October. Continue reading...
The 80-year-old singer will not be performing rescheduled dates in September but assured fans she is receiving treatment and improving every day'Dolly Parton has canceled her Las Vegas residency over ongoing health issues.The 80-year-old singer had originally been scheduled to perform six shows at Caesar's Palace last December but moved the dates to September 2026. She has now announced on social media that she won't be able to perform as planned. Continue reading...
Labour leadership challenge in wake of disastrous local poll results could unleash chaos in party, MPs toldCabinet ministers have told mutinous Labour MPs that any attempt to oust Keir Starmer after a potentially disastrous set of election results this week would unleash chaos for the party that would not be easily overcome.Several, however, told the Guardian that even with the prime minister's determination to stay in Downing Street after Thursday's vote, the mood on the backbenches was febrile and events could yet spiral out of control. Continue reading...
The British artist was booed after identifying as a Republican voter while on stage in DallasRapper Kid Cudi has fired MIA from his tour after the British artist went on a rant that went viral while on stage in Dallas.While opening up for the hip hop artist on 2 May, MIA was booed after saying: I've been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter," as reported by Variety. Continue reading...
Delivery truck driver emerged with minor injuries after underside of jet hit tractor trailer in New Jersey on SundayThe driver of a delivery truck emerged with only minor injuries after his tractor trailer was struck by a passenger jet landing in New Jersey's busy Newark airport on Sunday afternoon, officials said.New Jersey state police said a landing tire and the underside of a United Airlines plane arriving from Venice, Italy, hit the truck in question. The Boeing 767 aircraft also clipped a light pole, which in turn struck a Jeep. Continue reading...
Future of Calvin Duncan's position as the clerk of New Orleans' criminal district courthouse remains unclearLouisiana Republicans eliminated an elected position days before a Democratic exoneree who overwhelmingly won the New Orleans-based post was set to take office on Monday.A temporary restraining order did allow the exoneree, Calvin Duncan, to take office as scheduled on Monday morning as the clerk of New Orleans' criminal district courthouse. But things soon turned administratively messy for Duncan when that order was frozen by the US fifth circuit court of appeals. Continue reading...
A suspect has been apprehended, but detectives say little is known about their motivation at this stageAt least two people have been killed and several injured after a driver in an SUV ploughed into a crowd in the centre of Leipzig in eastern Germany, the city's mayor has said.The police have apprehended the suspected assailant," Burkhard Jung said on Monday, adding that the authorities had the scene in a pedestrian zone under control. We still don't really know the motivation. We don't know anything about the perpetrator." Continue reading...
Nigel Farage's party proposed to place detention centres in places that vote for Green council leaders or MPsKeir Starmer has said that Europe has to face up to the fact that its alliance with the US is under strain.He made the remark in public comments during the plenary session at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan in Armenia.And both of those are impacting all of us in a very material way.In the United Kingdom, if you look at the economic forecast now and compare it to the economic forecast just three or four months ago, they are in materially different places, and this is going to play out with our electorates in all of our countries.Reform are now openly threatening voters and not only that they're threatening them with a power they don't actually have. This is absolutely pathetic. People across Scotland are proud of the fact that this is a welcoming country that shows solidarity to people who need it.Reform are essentially saying If you don't vote the way we want you to, we will punish you'. I think the people of Scotland and voters across the UK are not going to take kindly to that kind of Donald Trumpesque threat.Reform know that absolutely bombed last week. The only thing they've got to move on to are open threats, not against the Greens but against voters across the country. It's really quite sinister. This is exactly the kind of politics you see in Donald Trump's America. People across Scotland are going to reject that on Thursday. Continue reading...
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