Paediatrician who led review of gender identity services says any new law must not create problems for professionalsKemi Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, was warned about the risks of a planned ban on conversion practices by the doctor who reviewed gender identity services for under-18s.Leading paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass said she had been really clear" with the cabinet minister that any plans for a change in the law would have to avoid creating problems for professionals. Continue reading...
Friends called police to raise concerns about Kamonnan Thiamphanit on evening before officers found bodyScotland Yard has referred itself to the police complaints watchdog after a woman was found dead at a house near Hyde Park the morning after it received several reports from friends concerned about her welfare.A murder investigation was launched after police forced entry to a property in Stanhope Place, near Marble Arch, central London, at about 8.30am on Monday and found the body of Kamonnan Thiamphanit. Continue reading...
Managing director David Smith emailed team in 2010 to say Seema Misra's conviction was brilliant news'A post office operator who was wrongly prosecuted while pregnant has rejected a Post Office executive's apology for having sent an email celebrating her conviction as brilliant news".The inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal heard that David Smith, who was managing director of the Post Office for seven months during 2010, sent the email to his team after learning that Seema Misra had been convicted. Continue reading...
More than a third of votes were cast against the package for Pascal Soriot, called excessive' by someAstraZeneca has suffered a shareholder rebellion against an 18.7m pay packet for the pharmaceutical company's chief executive, Pascal Soriot, with more than a third of the votes cast opposing the deal.At its annual meeting in London 35.5% rejected the company's remuneration policy, rising to 38.5% including withheld votes. In addition 34.7% voted against amendments to the company's performance share plan. Continue reading...
Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is suffering after-effects of two poisonings, is two years into 25-year sentence in Russian jailThe wife of the jailed Russian-British citizen Vladimir Kara-Murza says she fears every day for her husband's life on the second anniversary of his arrest, as worries grow that the veteran politician could be the next dissident to die behind bars in Russia.Kara-Murza, 42, was detained in Moscow on 11 April 2022 and later sentenced to 25 years on treason and other trumped-up charges, in a case that he compared to a Stalinist show trial. At the time of his arrest, he was one of the few prominent opposition figures who chose to stay in Russia, despite friends pleading with him to leave. Continue reading...
by Martin Belam (now) and Emily Dugan (earlier) on (#6M08F)
Prime minister has missed his own targets to cut ambulance and A&E waits', says Wes Streeting as England waiting list figures remain near record levels
Woman tossed her two children out of moving SUV, killing infant daughter, after fatally stabbing partner, and then died by suicideA woman who authorities say fatally stabbed her partner at their Los Angeles apartment Monday then threw her two children from a moving SUV onto the freeway, killing her infant daughter, was an astrologer who called the impending solar eclipse the epitome of spiritual warfare" in an online post days earlier.The Los Angeles police believe Danielle Cherakiyah Johnson, 34, posted on X as an astrology influencer and recording artist with the moniker Ayoka," in the days leading up to the violence, which began hours before the eclipse peaked in Southern California, said Lt Guy Golan.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 the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...
Group of 17 were ski touring near resort of Solden when 80-metre wide avalanche hitAn avalanche near the Austrian ski resort of Solden has killed three skiers from the Netherlands. Another person was rescued and taken to hospital.The victims were part of a 17-person ski touring group that was on an ascent with four Austrian guides. Ski touring involves using skis with special bindings and skins that make moving uphill possible. Continue reading...
Producers of West End musical say premature end is due to challenging financial landscape'The West End musical Opening Night starring Sheridan Smith that divided audiences and critics is to close two months early.The show about an actor with mental health problems received mixed reviews and was due to run until 27 July. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Caroline Davies (earlier) on (#6M075)
Airlines have also cancelled flights to the region, while the US says in response to Iranian threats that its support for Israel is ironclad'Israeli forces killed three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in an airstrike in Gaza without consulting senior commanders or political leaders including prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says Reuters citing Israeli media reports on Thursday.Quoting senior Israeli officials, Walla news agency said neither Netanyahu nor defence minister Yoav Gallant had been told in advance of the strike, which was coordinated by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet intelligence service. Continue reading...
Scrapping of demobilisation date for soldiers who have spent long periods on frontlines among changes passed by parliamentHere are some of the latest images coming through from photo agencies:We've got a bit more on Ukraine's new mobilisation bill aimed at boosting troop numbers. Continue reading...
Takashimaya to increase security after theft of 24-carat gold teaware from unlocked display boxA golden teacup worth more than 10m yen (52,100) has been stolen from a department store in Tokyo after being showcased in an unlocked box.The teacup, made of pure 24-carat gold, went missing from an outlet of the Takashimaya chain, where an array of gold items for sale were being displayed as part of an event. Continue reading...
Truong My Lan found guilty of embezzling from Saigon Commercial Bank in case that was part of wider crackdownA prominent property tycoon has been sentenced to death for her role in Vietnam's biggest-ever fraud case.Truong My Lan, the chair of the developer Van Thinh Phat, was found guilty of embezzlement, bribery and violations of banking rules on Thursday, in a case that has shocked the country. A total of $12.5bn (10bn) was embezzled, the equivalent of almost 3% of Vietnamese gross domestic product, but prosecutors said on Thursday the total damages caused by the scam now amounted to $27bn. Continue reading...
Local officials don't think Panguitch Lake dam is in imminent danger of breaking open after 60ft crack sends water into creekWorkers hurriedly tried to shore up a rural Utah dam after a 60ft (18-meter) crack sent water pouring into a creek and endangering the 1,800 residents of a downstream town.State and local leaders don't think the Panguitch Lake dam is in imminent danger of breaking open but have told residents to be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen. Emergency management officials passed out a list of evacuation procedures to worried residents at a Wednesday evening town meeting meant to mitigate panic. Continue reading...
Senator and leading foreign policy voice in Democratic party tells the Guardian Biden has come to realise the limits of his influenceSenator Tim Kaine, a former vice-presidential nominee and leading foreign policy voice in the Democratic party, has said Joe Biden now understands that Benjamin Netanyahu played" him during the early months of the war in Gaza but that ain't going to happen any more".In an interview with the Guardian on Tuesday, Kaine accused the prime minister of making Israel dramatically less safe" and hurting its longstanding relationship with the US, and said the US president had come to realise the limits of his influence. Continue reading...
The Kappa Alpha Theta members jumped into action to save Cori Craft and her two sons after their SUV veered off into a creekWith her two sons accompanying her, Cori Craft had just accidentally driven her SUV into a creek in rural Georgia, and she couldn't find her phone to summon help as the car rapidly sank.Thoughts that she and her family could soon drown started to flood her mind. But then she heard a voice call out and ask if she was OK. Her reply that she was not OK was the only thing five college sorority members needed to hear to work together to pull Craft and her boys out - and then resuscitate one of the children by performing CPR on him. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6M08G)
Joe Haines tells the Times of relationship with Janet Hewlett-Davies before Labour leader resigned from No 10Harold Wilson confessed to an affair during his final year in Downing Street, one of his closest surviving aides has revealed for the first time.The former Labour prime minister had a secret affair with Janet Hewlett-Davies, his former deputy press secretary who was 22 years his junior, towards the end of his time in No 10. Continue reading...
Minister says he will work with business to investigate, while China dismisses suggestion of state role as absurd'The Post Office minister, Kevin Hollinrake, has called on Royal Mail to investigate allegations that factories in China are mass-producing fake British stamps for export.Use of a counterfeit stamp can result in a 5 fine but realistic fakes are being sold online and bought unwittingly by the public and smaller retailers. Continue reading...
Gender specialist says young people paying the biggest price' in wake of Cass report, with service going backwards'Transgender children are being left in a far worse position" than before the Cass report, with a service that is going backwards instead of forwards", according to a psychologist who has set up a private gender service.Dr Aiden Kelly, a clinical psychologist specialising in gender who was part of the team at the Tavistock and Portman NHS mental health trust's gender identity development services (Gids), said he was very, very worried" about the NHS's ability to deliver a suitable gender service based on the findings of the Cass review. Continue reading...
Poll indicates prices stabilised in March as new property listings and buyer interest increasedHouse prices across the UK are expected to return to growth within the next 12 months after an increase in new property listings and buyer interest, according to an industry poll.The latest monthly snapshot from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) showed property prices stabilised in March after months of decline amid the impact of higher interest rates and the cost of living crisis. Continue reading...
Ukrainian drones kill three people in Russia; top US general warns that Kyiv will be outgunned 10 to one in a matter of weeks'. What we know on day 778
by Helena Smith in Athens and Rachel Hall on (#6M05Y)
Up to 25,000 holidaymakers, mainly from Britain, in line for vouchers to cover a week's hotel stayIt has required new legislation and navigation of copious red tape but nine months after wildfires devastated Rhodes, Greece has launched the first free" holidays for thousands of tourists forced to flee the island.In a decision tourism officials call a world first, up to 25,000 affected holidaymakers will, as of this week, be eligible for compensation. Continue reading...
Nice approves first oral treatment with Atogepant that can prevent chronic and episodic migrainesThousands of people in England who suffer from migraines are to be offered a daily pill on the NHS that can reduce the frequency of attacks by half.In final draft guidance published on Thursday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has given the green light to the first oral treatment that can prevent both chronic and episodic migraines. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Extensive polling ordered by the then chancellor, documents reveal, but scientific advisers not consultedRishi Sunak ordered multiple taxpayer-funded focus groups and polls to craft the messaging of his planned eat out to help out" campaign in July 2020, despite keeping the UK's top medical and scientific advisers in the dark about the scheme.The Treasury negotiated five public opinion contracts worth more than 2m from June 2020 throughout the pandemic, while Sunak was chancellor, including those to establish how best to sell" the hospitality scheme to voters. Continue reading...
by Tamsin Rose NSW state correspondent on (#6M061)
Corruption watchdog report says Newcastle MP breached public trust when he knowingly failed to declare a conflict of interest arising from interests' in property but made no finding of corrupt conduct
Tributes paid to wrestler, who was born Chad Rowan and became the sport's first non-Japanese grand champion in 1993Tributes have been paid in Japan to Akebono, the first foreign wrestler to reach the pinnacle of the sport of sumo, who has died aged 54.The wrestler, who was born Chad Rowan in Hawaii, is regarded as a pioneer after he broke down cultural barriers in the centuries-old sport to become the first non-Japanese yokozuna grand champion in 1993. Continue reading...
by Presented by John Harris with Pippa Crerar, Patric on (#6M063)
David Cameron made a surprise visit to Mar-a-Largo this week to visit Donald Trump. John Harris is joined by the Guardian's political editor, Pippa Crerar, and the diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, to get the latest on the meeting. And as international pressure continues to build on Israel, John speaks to a former Israeli peace negotiator, Daniel Levy, on whether there is a pathway to end the war Continue reading...
US prosecutors say the WikiLeaks founder encouraged and helped Chelsea Manning steal classified files before publishing themJoe Biden said on Wednesday that he was considering a request from Australia to drop the decade-long US push to prosecute the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for publishing a trove of American classified documents.For years, Australia has called on the US to drop its prosecution against Assange, an Australian citizen who has fought American extradition efforts from prison in the UK. Asked about the request on Wednesday, as he hosted the Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, for an official visit, Biden said: We're considering it." Continue reading...
by Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies on (#6M03Q)
PM Han Duk-soo said the government humbly accepted' the election result, which severely dents the political power of the presidentSenior ruling party politicians in South Korea have offered to resign to take responsibility for its heavy defeat in Wednesday's national assembly elections - a result that has severely weakened the country's conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol.The prime minister, Han Duk-soo, tendered his resignation on Thursday as the scale of the drubbing meted out to the conservative People Power party (PPP) became apparent, according to the Yonhap news agency. Continue reading...
Military leaders had put pressure on politicians to ditch a draft amendment that allowed troops who had served for more than 36 months in war a chance to be discharged
Large-scale search launched in Victoria's Enfield state park due to intelligence from number of sources'Victoria police have launched a new bid to find the body of the missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy, with officers searching the Enfield state park, about 25km south of the regional city, on Thursday.Murphy, 51, was last seen more than two months ago, when she left her Ballarat East home to go for a run.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6M024)
Habibur Masum, 25, accused of fatally stabbing Kulsuma Akter, 27, who was shopping with a friend in city centreA 25-year-old man has been charged with murdering a woman who was with her baby in a pram in Bradford city centre.Habibur Masum is accused of fatally stabbing Kulsuma Akter, 27, on a busy city street as she shopped with a friend on Saturday afternoon. He will appear at Bradford magistrates court on Thursday. Continue reading...
Judge says Michael Davis showed callous indifference' to baby Ollie's suffering, as mother Kayleigh Driver jailed for seven yearsA man has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 22 years for murdering his four-week-old son, who was left to die from a broken neck in 2017.Michael Davis, 29, was found guilty last month of murdering his newborn son Ollie Davis, after a six-year investigation into the case. Continue reading...
Body of Mohammad Surur reportedly discovered in town outside Beirut with several gunshot wounds to his legsA Lebanese man under US sanctions for allegedly funnelling millions of dollars to Hamas has been found dead in a mountain town outside Beirut.The body of Mohammad Surur was found on Tuesday in a villa in the mountain town of Beit Mery, with several gunshot wounds to his legs, according to security sources. Continue reading...
Government's aid watchdog says Foreign Office taking financial hit' for Home Office overspendingThe UK government's decision to use the overseas aid budget to pay for supporting refugees in Britain is wreaking havoc" with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's development partnerships, an official government watchdog said on Wednesday after it was revealed that 4.3bn was diverted to support refugees in 2023.Official statistics show 27.9% of the total UK aid budget in 2023 was spent on supporting the first-year housing and food costs of refugees in Britain, an increase of 600m. Continue reading...
FBI arrests Alexander Scott Mercurio, 18, a day before reported plan to attack more than 20 churches with knives, firearms and fireAn Idaho teenager who was allegedly planning an attack on churches in the name of Isis has been arrested.Last Saturday, federal authorities arrested 18-year-old Alexander Scott Mercurio of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, a day before his alleged planned attack on churches in the city using weapons including knives, firearms and fire. Continue reading...
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