Healthcare assistant observing Cariss Stone at psychiatric unit said she had loads' of patients to watchA healthcare assistant tasked with carrying out five-minute observations" on a vulnerable teenager in a psychiatric intensive care unit has told a jury at the young woman's inquest she had loads" of patients to watch and had not received training on how to monitor them.The teenager, Cariss Stone, who had been diagnosed as having emotionally unstable personality disorder and was considered at risk of self-harm, was found unresponsive in the bathroom of her room at the unit in Taunton, Somerset, and died two days later. A postmortem concluded the cause of death was hypoxic brain injury, cardiac arrest and asphyxia. Continue reading...
European Commission defends appointing adviser Markus Pieper after selection process is questionedUrsula von der Leyen's bid for a second term as president of the European Commission has been dented after accusations of favouritism in the selection of a fellow party member to a lucrative new job.Some of the highest-ranking people in Brussels, including the EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, and the French commissioner Thierry Breton, have written to her to complain that the appointment of the German MEP Markus Pieper as a special adviser has triggered questions about the transparency and impartiality of the nomination process". Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6KVY9)
Prof Julia Waters gives emotional speech at NEU conference and shares video of her late sister addressing pupilsThe sister of Ruth Perry, the headteacher who killed herself after an Ofsted inspection, has appealed to any teachers or school leaders considering suicide to think again, describing it as a terrible, wrong-headed option".In an emotional address to delegates attending the annual conference of the National Education Union in Bournemouth on Friday, Prof Julia Waters appealed directly to teachers and headteachers who may be struggling, urging them to seek help.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...
Missed interim payment raises prospect of collapse or restructure of troubled companyThe parent company of troubled Thames Water has told its creditors it has defaulted on its debt, raising the prospect that the company could collapse or face a significant restructure.Kemble Water has missed an interest payment that was due on Tuesday and said it was requesting its lenders and bondholders to take no creditor action so as to provide a stable platform while all options are explored" with its stakeholders. Continue reading...
Acceptance of deal will bring an end to year-long disputeNHS consultants have accepted a pay offer, ending a year-long dispute with the government, the British Medical Association has announced.More details soon ...
by Faye Hulton and Morgan Thomas for MetDesk on (#6KVW9)
Sydney expected to be badly affected as further downpours and strong winds forecast to lash New South Wales coastSouth-eastern Australia has been experiencing heavy rain since Thursday night, which will continue until Saturday morning local time. New South Wales will be particularly badly affected, with cumulative rainfall totals of 150-200m along coastal stretches.Hourly totals are expected to reach 10-20mm at times, with the worst-affected areas potentially receiving 50mm within three hours. Strong winds are expected to accompany the heaviest downpours, with gusts of about 45mph (72km/h) at times. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6KVTQ)
Police describe killing in Moss Side area of city as senseless loss of life' as they appeal for informationPolice have launched a murder investigation after a teenage boy was fatally stabbed in the Moss Side area of Manchester.Greater Manchester police (GMP) described the killing as a senseless loss of life" and promised a visible presence in the area in the coming days. Continue reading...
Levelling up secretary says he should have been upfront with David Cameron about his role in leave campaignThe levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, has admitted moral cowardice" during the Brexit campaign by not being upfront with David Cameron about his role in the leave campaign.In an interview for the Political Currency podcast with George Osborne and Ed Balls, Gove said he was initially reluctant to take a prominent role in the campaign, but had been persuaded to by the Vote Leave campaign coordinator, Dominic Cummings. Continue reading...
Community facility on UK's first council estate reopens after outcry at local authority's attempt to hike rentsWashing machines are once again whirring and dryers tumbling at a community launderette in east London that the local council had abruptly closed just weeks before, in a victory for local residents.People living in and around the Boundary estate, the UK's first council estate, between Shoreditch and Bethnal Green, had launched a campaign to get the facility reopened after bailiffs changed the locks in February. Now Tower Hamlets council has made a U-turn and handed the keys of the launderette to residents. Continue reading...
Polls show Ivan Korok and Peter Pellegrini, an ally of prime minister Robert Fico, neck-and-neck before Saturday's runoffA pro-western diplomat and a politician accused of promoting Russia-friendly talking points will face off in a nailbiting presidential runoff in Slovakia on Saturday, amid fears that the country is sliding away from the west.Ivan Korok, a former foreign minister, and Peter Pellegrini, the speaker of parliament who is backed by Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, are neck-to-neck in the polls. Continue reading...
Dozens of flights cancelled at Sydney airport and drivers told to avoid non-essential travel as inland low and coastal trough combine. This blog is now closed
Writer was one of the first female news reporters on British TV, interviewing stars including Charlie Chaplin and Audrey HepburnThe author Lynne Reid Banks has died at the age of 94.The novelist, known for writing books including the children's story The Indian in the Cupboard, died of cancer peacefully with her family around her" on Thursday afternoon, her agent, James Wills, said. Continue reading...
Williams, who directed the play, leaving company to prepare for its potential Broadway season following acclaimed West End run starring Sarah SnookThe Sydney Theatre Company artistic director, Kip Williams, who steered the theatre to new heights with the global success of his one-woman production the Picture of Dorian Gray, has announced he is stepping down after 13 years with the company.Williams was the youngest artistic director of the STC when he was appointed at the age of 30 in 2016. He will finish his tenure at the end of 2024 after eight years, in anticipation that The Picture of Dorian Gray will head to Broadway next year. In its recent run in London's West End, Succession star Sarah Snook played all 26 roles to huge acclaim. The role was first performed by Eryn Jean Norvill in multiple sell-out runs across Australia. Continue reading...
Semi-autonomous state of Puntland refuses to recognise changes to the fragile country's constitution and has withdrawn from the federal systemAn overhaul of Somalia's constitution, scrapping its power-sharing system and handing the president increased control, is threatening to destabilise the fragile country, as its wealthiest and most stable state refuses to recognise the changes.The amendments risk worsening violence, the information minister from the semi-autonomous state of Puntland has warned. Mohamud Aidid Dirir told the Guardian that almost a totally new constitution" had been introduced without input from the state's leaders. He accused the Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, of using parliament to gather authority into his hands". Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6KVQV)
Daniel Kebede accuses government of failing to tackle issue of sexism and its spread online among childrenThe leader of the UK's largest education union has called for an independent inquiry into the rise of sexism and misogyny among boys and young men, saying it should not be left to parents and schools to police.Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said it was a huge issue" in schools and expressed particular concern about the ease with which pupils are accessing aggressive hardcore pornography on their phones. Continue reading...
Avanti West Coast services among those affected by Aslef industrial action, which continues on Saturday and MondayRail passengers across England will face significant disruption on Friday as train drivers at five operating companies carry out industrial action.The 24-hour strike will be the first of three days of rolling strike action being taken by the train drivers' union Aslef, with services on Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway all affected. Continue reading...
William Wragg says he was pressed for colleagues' details after sharing compromising photos of himselfA senior Conservative MP has reportedly admitted to giving out the personal phone numbers of colleagues to a person he met on a dating app.William Wragg told the Times that he gave the information after he had sent intimate pictures of himself, saying he was scared" and mortified". Continue reading...
Audrey Mondjehi, 43, found guilty of terrorism-related charges relating to 2018 attack that killed fiveA former security guard who helped procure the gun used to kill five people and injure 11 others in a terrorist attack on Strasbourg's Christmas market in 2018 has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.Audrey Mondjehi, 43, was found guilty of a series of terrorism-related charges, including abetting murder in relation to a terrorist plot and associating with terrorist elements, after he helped to find a weapon for Cherif Chekatt, who later opened fire with a 19th-century revolver at the market in the city's historic centre. Continue reading...
French president marks 30th anniversary with video, airing Sunday, saying international community lacked will to stop the slaughterThe French president, Emmanuel Macron, has said France and its western and African allies could have stopped" Rwanda's 1994 genocide but did not have the will to halt the slaughter of an estimated 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis.In a video message to be published on Sunday to mark the 30th anniversary of the genocide, Macron will emphasise that when the phase of total extermination against the Tutsis began, the international community had the means to know and act", the presidency said on Thursday. Continue reading...
British billionaire who heads family that owns Tottenham Hotspur fined $5m and given three-year probation by New York judgeThe British billionaire Joe Lewis was spared jail time for his part in a brazen" insider trading conspiracy on Thursday, and was instead fined $5m and given a three-year probation by a New York judge.The 87-year-old, who heads the family that owns Tottenham Hotspur, had faced as much as 45 years in prison if convicted at trial. But in a court filing on Monday, prosecutors said Lewis deserved leniency given his age, health issues and the fact that he had voluntarily come to the US to face punishment. Continue reading...
Maryam Eslamdoust claims GMB is using in-house agreement to block staff recruitmentOne of Labour's biggest union backers has been accused of employing bullyboy tactics" in an alleged attempt to take over a smaller rail union and seize control of its assets.Maryam Eslamdoust, the left-leaning general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), claims that the GMB union is using an in-house agreement to block staff recruitment and take control of the white-collar union to access its buildings. Continue reading...
Education secretary Gillian Keegan will also squeeze funding for programmes to widen access to higher educationMinisters will cut funding for performing and creative arts courses at English universities next year, which sector leaders say will further damage the country's cultural industries.The cuts, outlined by the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, in guidance to the universities regulator, will also reduce funding for Uni-Connect, which runs programmes aimed at widening access to higher education for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to 20m, a third of its 2020-21 budget. Continue reading...
Post-Brexit charges of up to 145 may lead to a reduced range of goods available for consumersBritish small businesses have hit out at newly announced post-Brexit import fees coming in later this month, warning they could wipe out profits and make importing some products unfeasible.Trade bodies, retailers and small firms said that the new charges of up to 145 for each consignment could force them to limit the range of items they can offer, while others may have to push up their prices. Continue reading...
French president in favour of singer opening the Games amid racist backlash from far-right politiciansEmmanuel Macron has said the French pop superstar Aya Nakamura would be in her rightful place performing at an opening ceremony for the Olympic Games this summer, after suggestions that she could sing an Edith Piaf song sparked a racist backlash against the singer.Asked about Nakamura, who is the most listened to French-speaking artist in the world, Macron said it would be a good thing" if she performed at an opening or closing ceremony. Continue reading...
Chain signs up 1m new members and invests more than 90m in cutting pricesDespite record levels of shoplifting in its food stores, the Co-op increased profits in its grocery business last year as it signed up 1 million new members and invested more than 90m in cutting prices, including introducing special discounts for members.Profits rose 11% year on year to 154m despite a 6.4% fall in sales to 7.3bn, driven by the sale of the Co-op's petrol forecourt chain to Asda. Underlying sales rose 4.3%, excluding the impact of that deal, although that was still well behind the pace of grocery inflation. Continue reading...
Conservative supporters of Israel want David Cameron to dial back criticism and accept defeat of Hamas is in UK's interestA legal assessment by the UK Foreign Office of whether Israel is in breach of international humanitarian law in Gaza risks being subsumed in a Conservative row over the party's loyalty to the country, and by rival judgments on the damage to British interests in the wider Middle East if the UK is not seen to distance itself from Israel's methods.Judging by the last Tory leadership contest, in which Liz Truss courted votes by promising to transfer the UK embassy to Jerusalem, there is a good chance Israel will feature in any leadership debate after a predicted general election defeat this year. Continue reading...
Former Foreign Office minister had suggested some in government were prepared to overlook human rights violationsMembers of the National Education Union have voted to delay moving to a formal strike ballot until they know the detail of the government's pay offer for 2024/5.Delegates attending the NEU's annual conference agreed the offer - when it comes - should be put to members in a snap poll and if rejected with a convincing turnout, move to a formal ballot for industrial action.After achieving an overwhelming majority vote in our recent indicative ballot, NEU conference committed to intensify its campaign to win a fully-funded, above-inflation pay rise and greater resources for schools and colleges.Education is on its knees, struggling to cope with a crisis never seen before in our sector. And the responsibility for this lies squarely at the door of secretary of state for education Gillian Keegan and 14 years of mismanagement and underinvestment by a government that does not care.The Greens claim their policies could lead to at least 150,000 extra council homes a year being built. In his speech, Ramsay said these would come from a mix of new-build, refurbishments and exisiting homes. This is one of several policies intended to increase the supply of affordable housing. In its press notice the party says:The policies the Green party would introduce to help councils increase the supply of affordable housing include:-Providing funding to councils to meet their needs for affordable social housing and lift the overly restrictive rules on council borrowing for housebuilding - ensuring at least an extra 150,000 council homes a year are made available through a mix of new build, refurbishment, conversions and buying up existing homesDenyer said the Greens were aiming for a record number of seats in the local elections. She said:We are aiming for a record number of seats in the city and to lead the next administration. We know there is a huge appetite for the bold progressive approach of the Greens here, like in so many other towns, cities and villages across the country.We go into these local elections with around 760 councillors on nearly 170 councils in both urban and rural settings and Greens being a governing party in 10% of all councils in England and Wales already.She claimed the Greens had more ambition" than any other party. She said:When times are hard we need more ambition, not less. We need to rise to the scale of the challenges we face and be clear that not doing that is a political choice. Leaving millions of children in poverty is a political choice. Letting our NHS fall into chaos is a political choice. And failing to commit to the green investment we need is a political choice.At the Green party, we're making a different political choice. We choose to listen to what people need. We choose to see the cost of living crisis for what it really is, a widening inequality crisis. And we choose to offer solutions to fix it.Denyer and Ramsay confirmed that the Greens are focusing on four seats in particular at the general election. They are Brighton Pavilion, where Sian Berry is the candidate, hoping to succeed Caroline Lucas; Bristol Central, where Denyer is the candidate; Waveney Valley, where Ramsay is the candidate; and North Herefordshire, where Ellie Chowns is the candidate. According to the YouGov MRP poll published yesterday, only Berry is on course to win. But Ramsay claimed he had a good chance because last year the Greens won control of Mid Suffolk district council (which roughly overlaps with the Waveney Valley constituency). He went on:The counsellors there have spent the last year delivering on their promises to secure investment in the local area, make the council's operations greener and improve local services. And their efforts are being recognised because the Green-majority council has recently won the council of the year award. Continue reading...
Four others were wounded in the attack at Kafue national park, in which the animal barreled into the side of a truckAn elderly US tourist was killed and four others hurt when an aggressive bull elephant charged and toppled their safari vehicle during a game drive in Zambia.The attack at Kafue national park, in which the large pachyderm ran from a wooded area and barreled into the side of the truck, was captured on video and posted to social media by ABC News. It identified the tourist as 79-year-old Gail Mattson of Minnesota. Continue reading...
Israel government says its report will be transparent' after seven people working for food charity killed in an Israeli air strike. This live blog is closed
Spice Girl turned designer says she'll keep brand DNA as venture with Spanish high street chain disclosedVictoria Beckham is pivoting from high-end fashion to the high street. On Thursday, the retail chain Mango said it was collaborating with the Spice Girl turned designer on a collection of slip dresses, knitwear and accessories.The Spanish retailer described the new line, due to launch on 23 April, as a perfect blend of classic British luxury". Preview images show a model lounging by a pool wearing a white oversized blazer and matching, loose-fitting trousers. In another, a model emerges from the pool in a white, ruched halterneck dress. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6KV57)
Piran Ditta Khan convicted at Leeds crown court over officer's death during 2005 robbery in BradfordThe mastermind of an armed robbery in which police officer, Sharon Beshenivsky, was killed has been convicted of her murder after evading capture for 17 years.Piran Ditta Khan, now 75, fled to Pakistan two months after the fatal shooting in Bradford in November 2005. The former takeaway boss was tracked down and arrested in January 2020 before being extradited to the UK last year. Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo and Quique Kierszenbaum in Jerusalem on (#6KV3E)
As their military exemption ends, tensions divide the country and threaten to topple Netanyahu's governmentMea Shearim is the heart of Israel's ultra-Orthodox community, whose role bitterly divides the country and, some believe, may be the issue that ultimately brings down Benjamin Netanyahu's government.The special legal status of the ultra-Orthodox, the Haredim, that has endured as long as the state of Israel, came to an abrupt end on Monday following a supreme court decision that the group would no longer benefit from government subsidies and exemption from military service, as is mandatory for most other Jewish Israelis. It followed a series of delays by the government in presenting a proposal demanded by the court aimed at enhancing the military enlistment of ultra-Orthodox men. Continue reading...
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