Chain is winning market share from rivals but discretionary spend remains cautious, CEO Simon Roberts says Business live - latest updatesShoppers are beginning to spend more freely but it will take a cut in interest rates before sales of more expensive items such as TVs and sofas start to take off again, the boss of Sainsbury's has said.Simon Roberts, the chief executive of the group, which owns Argos and Habitat as well as its supermarkets, said he was cautious about the outlook for general merchandise, with sales of furniture and homewares remaining weak as households faced high mortgage and loan costs. Continue reading...
Drake used AI to simulate the voice of the late rapper and have him chide Kendrick Lamar, which the estate calls a flagrant violation'The estate of the late Tupac Shakur has sent a cease and desist letter to Drake, following the release of a Drake track that uses an AI version of Shakur's voice to lambast Kendrick Lamar.As seen by Billboard, the letter instructs Drake to remove the track, Taylor Made Freestyle, within 24 hours, or face legal action. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6MB3K)
Pre-tax profits drop to 2.3bn between January and March, down from 2.6bn last year Business live - latest updatesProfits at Barclays tumbled 12% in the first quarter, as higher UK interest rates weighed on demand for mortgages and loans and its investment bank was hit by a backdrop of economic uncertainty.The UK bank said pre-tax profits fell to 2.3bn in the first quarter, down from 2.6bn last year, when it reported the strongest quarterly profit since 2011 after a string of interest rate hikes by the Bank of England. Continue reading...
Pedro Sanchez halts public duties, hitting out at opponents after court launches inquiry into alleged corruption by Begona GomezSpain's socialist prime minister has cancelled his public duties for the rest of the week and said he is considering resigning, blaming a harassment and bullying operation" by his political and media opponents for a court's decision to launch an investigation into his wife for alleged influence-peddling and corruption.Pedro Sanchez, who has led Spain since 2018, said the seriousness of the attacks" he and his wife, Begona Gomez, were experiencing had led him to re-evaluate his position, adding that he would reveal his decision on Monday. Continue reading...
by Neha Gohil Community affairs editor on (#6MB29)
Dissidents and broadcasters feeling unsafe after stabbing of Pouria Zeraati in London call for deterrent signal'A former BBC journalist has said the UK government will pay a heavy price" for its lack of action against the Iranian regime, which could lead to more threats" and operations" in Britain, after the stabbing of an Iranian journalist in London.Sima Sabet, a former journalist at the BBC World Service and the dissident channel Iran International, said there would be more transnational repression unless the government issued a deterrent signal" to the Iranian regime. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The renters' reform bill was meant to address a spiralling housing crisis, but as a watered-down version finally passes, we look at the ways a great hope has become a crushing disappointment Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning, and if you are a landlord, congratulations on another successful day! Last night, housing secretary Michael Gove's renters' reform bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons - and despite its name, it isn't great news for tenants.After years of promises of a bill that would sharply improve things for those living in expensive rental properties with inadequate guarantees on housing quality and the constant threat of eviction hanging over them, the final bill was so diluted that it lost the support of the charities that once had high hopes for it. The National Residential Landlords Association, on the other hand, said that it was a fair deal".Railways | Labour has said it will fully nationalise the train network within five years of coming to power, with a pledge to guarantee the cheapest fares as part of the biggest reform of our railways for a generation". The party says it will bring passenger services into public ownership as contracts with operators expire. Read Gwyn Topham's analysis.UK news | A teenage girl has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after three people were stabbed at a school in south-west Wales. Two teachers and a pupil were taken to hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening.Ukraine | The era of peace in Europe is over, Ukraine's foreign minister has warned western allies, as he said that a new $61bn US aid package must now be followed by increased arms production. In an interview with the Guardian, Dmytro Kuleba said that while the new round of US assistance was welcome, no single package can stop the Russians."London | Four people have been taken to hospital after several military horses broke loose during a morning exercise and bolted through central London, colliding with vehicles. Astonished witnesses described total mayhem" as the runaway horses, including one white horse covered in blood, ran through the streets at rush-hour.Art | Claudette Johnson has been nominated for this year's Turner prize for work including a portrait of the African-American slavery abolitionist Sarah Parker Remond, commissioned as part of the Guardian's award-winning Cotton Capital series. Colonialism, migration, nationalism and identity politics are key themes in the 40th edition of the award, which returns to Tate Britain for the first time in six years. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe South-East Asia correspondent an on (#6MB0W)
Rivals had said February election won by former general was undermined by state interference and unfair rule changesIndonesia's electoral commission has formally declared Prabowo Subianto president-elect in a ceremony, after the country's highest court rejected challenges to his win by rival candidates.Prabowo, 72, a former general dogged by allegations of human rights abuses, won a landslide victory in February's elections, but his two opponents claimed that the vote had been undermined by state interference and unfair rule changes. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#6MB0X)
Study by World Health Organization shows more than half of children in Britain had drunk alcohol by age 13The UK has the worst rate of child alcohol abuse worldwide, and more than half of British children have drunk alcohol by the age of 13, according to a report.The study, one of the largest of its kind by the World Health Organization (WHO), looked at 2021-22 data on 280,000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 from 44 countries who were asked about alcohol, cigarettes and vape usage. Continue reading...
Stretch of King Charles III path on Isle of Wight held up over concerns about crown's priceless collection'The long-awaited completion of the 2,704-mile King Charles III coastal path around England is being held up by security concerns about a collection of Queen Victoria's belongings in the seaside grounds of a former royal palace.English Heritage is refusing access to the grounds of Osborne House, a summer home built for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1851, located on a stretch of the coast of the Isle of Wight between East Cowes and Wootton Bridge. Continue reading...
Few economic and social benefits will come to Africans if processing is all done overseas, says Wanjira MathaiAfrica must take greater control in the industries it supplies with raw materials to lift its people from poverty and seize its own destiny in a low-carbon world, one of the continent's leading environmentalists has urged.Wanjira Mathai, the managing director for Africa and global partnerships at the World Resources Institute thinktank, said much more of what the continent produced must be processed and made use of close to where it is produced, if the world is to shift to a low-carbon footing. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Hungary's PM and EU's most isolated leader says he is pursuing friendship with everybody' - particularly the former US presidentEurope's most isolated leader was beaming.Standing in a hallway in Brussels, Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, spoke excitedly about the politician he hopes will change his political fortunes - Donald Trump. Continue reading...
Day-trippers will have to pay 5 to visit Italian city under scheme designed to protect it from excess tourismAuthorities in Venice have been accused of transforming the famous lagoon city into a theme park" as a long-mooted entrance fee for day trippers comes into force.Venice is the first major city in the world to enact such a scheme. The 5 (4.30) charge, which comes into force today, is aimed at protecting the Unesco world heritage site from the effects of excessive tourism by deterring day trippers and, according to the mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, making the city livable" again. Continue reading...
Illnesses such as dengue and malaria to reach unaffected parts of northern Europe, America, Asia and Australia, conference to hearMosquito-borne diseases are spreading across the globe, and particularly in Europe, due to climate breakdown, an expert has said.The insects spread illnesses such as malaria and dengue fever, the prevalences of which have hugely increased over the past 80 years as global heating has given them the warmer, more humid conditions they thrive in. Continue reading...
Moscow described the security council resolution, which would have called on countries not to deploy weapons of mass destruction in outer space, a dirty spectacle'Russia has vetoed a UN security council resolution calling on all nations to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms race in outer space, describing it as a dirty spectacle".The resolution, sponsored by the United States and Japan, would have called on all countries not to develop or deploy nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction in space, which are already banned under a 1967 international treaty. Continue reading...
Home secretary visits Lampedusa in Italy as National Audit Office says scheme could surpass 580m by 2030Several flights a month will deport asylum seekers to Rwanda indefinitely", the home secretary has said, as he argued that the 1.8m a person cost of the scheme was justified.James Cleverly, in his first interview since the government's plan was approved by parliament on Monday, said he had booked a succession of initial flights and was preparing to order the detention of people seeking refuge in the UK so they could be sent to east Africa. Continue reading...
Temperatures could hit -3C in northern England and Scotland, but Met Office says conditions are nothing exceptional'Freezing overnight temperatures will hit parts of the UK on Wednesday and Thursday, with experts warning some areas could see snow.The cold Arctic air is expected to cause frosts across parts of northern England and Scotland, with temperatures going as low as -3C. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6MATQ)
The group's facility near Manchester, where four women died, should be prosecuted', says Richard CasebyThe father of a 23-year-old man who died after neglect at a Priory hospital is calling for a criminal investigation into a second Priory facility where four young women died.Richard Caseby said the Priory should be investigated and prosecuted after three patients died within two months of each other in 2022 at the Priory's Cheadle Royal hospital, near Manchester, while a fourth patient died last year.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. 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 Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Three taken to hospital after incident at Amman Valley school and teenager held on suspicion of attempted murderA teenage girl has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two teachers and a pupil were stabbed at a school in south-west Wales.Dyfed-Powys police said the injuries were not life-threatening and officers were continuing to investigate the incident after they were called to Amman Valley school in Carmarthenshire at 11.20am on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Prison service helping to trace Jamie Ross, 29, and return him to custodyPolice are searching for a convicted prisoner who fled from guards while attending a funeral.Jamie Ross, 29, was last seen in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Tuesday at about 12.28pm, near the Cameron Toll shopping centre. According to police, Ross has connections across Edinburgh and in Aberdeen. Continue reading...
Measure to overturn controversial law first approved in 1864 now heads to state senate, where it is expected to passLawmakers in the Arizona house have voted to repeal a controversial 1864 law banning nearly all abortions, amid mounting pressure from the state's Republicans.Three Republicans joined in with all 29 Democrats on Wednesday to support the repeal of the law, which predates Arizona's statehood and provides no exceptions for rape or incest. Continue reading...
Swift's new album breaks another streaming record after already becoming the platform's most-streamed album in a dayTaylor Swift's new album The Tortured Poets Department has become the first to reach 1bn Spotify streams in a week.The platform announced on X that with two days to go, it had become the most-streamed album in a single week" and had surpassed a billion with the exact number undisclosed. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6MAND)
Ryanair urges European Commission to protect overflights and keep EU skies openRyanair has demanded that the EU reform its skies after the airline was forced to cancel more than 300 flights across Europe scheduled for Thursday because of a strike by French air traffic controllers.The cancellations come in spite of the withdrawal of strike action by one of the biggest unions, the SNCTA, which came too late to avoid disruption after France's civil aviation authority asked airlines to cut flights. Continue reading...
Staff at private mental health hospital near Weston-super-Mare missed chances to prevent Lily Lucas's death, jury findsAn inquest jury has found there were gross failings in care amounting to neglect" before a woman had a heart attack at a private mental health hospital due to complications from drinking excessive amounts of water.Lillian Lucas, 28, known as Lily to her family and friends, died in September 2022 after being found unresponsive in her room on Milton ward at the Cygnet hospital in Kewstoke, near Weston-super-Mare, where she had been an inpatient since June. Continue reading...
by Sammy Gecsoyler, and Daniel Boffey in Calais on (#6MANG)
Suspects being questioned by National Crime Agency in Kent on suspicion of immigration offencesThree men have been arrested in connection with a Channel boat crossing that led to the deaths of five people, including a young girl.The three have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and entering the UK illegally. The suspects - two Sudanese men aged 22 and 19 and a 22-year-old from South Sudan - are being questioned by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Kent, the agency said. Continue reading...
Slovakian MEP pulls dove from bag and frees it as symbol of peace', prompting criticism from colleaguesA Slovakian MEP has raised eyebrows by producing a live bird from a bag and releasing it into the European parliament in what he said was a gesture of world peace.To the bafflement and surprise of the MEPs present in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Miroslav Radaovsky, the leader of the rightwing Slovak Patriot party, reached into his bag and released a dove into the chamber. Continue reading...
The two deputies had another chance to trade blows but it was a one-sided contest, as Angela Rayner went in for the killIt had come billed as the great set-piece of the parliamentary week. Month even. With Rishi Sunak away in Germany - strange how the prime minister so often finds the only free slot in his diary is a Wednesday - prime minister's questions was delegated to the two deputies.The first time Oliver Dowden and Angela Rayner had had a chance to go head to head since the Daily Mail had taken a voyeuristic interest in the possibility that Labour's deputy leader had failed to pay capital gains tax on the sale of a home. There are now reportedly 12 police officers investigating the disputed 1.4K. Obviously a terrific use of resources. Beats solving burglaries any day. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan in Jerusalem and Julian Borger in on (#6MAJ6)
Two reservists brigades mobilised for Gaza missions while rows of tents put up in Khan YounisIsrael appears to be readying to send troops into Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, the only corner of the strip that has not seen fierce ground fighting and where more than half of the Palestinian territory's population of 2.3 million has sought shelter.The Israeli military said on Wednesday that two reservist brigades had been mobilised for missions in Gaza, while video that circulated online appeared to show rows of square white tents going up in Khan Younis, 3 miles (5km) north of Rafah, which was decimated in a months-long Israeli air and ground campaign. Continue reading...
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor on (#6MAJ7)
Unfinished Portrait of Fraulein Lieser resurfaced in private collection but questions remain about its journey and its subjectA painting by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt that was considered lost for 100 years has sold for 30m (26m) at an auction in Vienna.Entitled Portrait of Fraulein Lieser, the unfinished picture was painted in the spring of 1917, when Klimt was one of the most celebrated portraitists in Europe, and a year before his death. Continue reading...
Dmitry Safronov is suspended from leading services and ordered to serve three years of penance'A Russian priest who presided over a memorial for the opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been suspended from leading services and ordered to serve three years of penance", as persecution of people associated with Navalny has continued even after his death.Dmitry Safronov had read several memorial services, called panikhida in Russian, at Navalny's grave and led a service last month to mark 40 days since his death at a remote penal colony above the Arctic Circle. Continue reading...
Prime minister gives joint press conference with Olaf Scholz and denies misleading people over spending plansWith Rishi Sunak in Berlin, it is deputies' day at PMQs, and Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, will be facing questions from Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader. It will be her first time at the despatch box since it was announced that Greater Manchester is fully investigating various allegations relating to the council house she bought and sold before she became an MP, and where she was living during that period. It has been reported that at least a dozen officers are on the case. Rayner does not have to firm up her position with Labour MPs. She insists that she has done nothing wrong, and most people in the party believe that that the allegtions being made against her are little more than a smear (as Keir Starmer put it at PMQs last week).Frank was a steadfast, highly successful and diligent campaigner against child poverty. It is largely down to Frank that we have child benefit today, a truly towering achievement.He gained support and respect from across the political spectrum and defined the concept of the poverty trap', now commonly used to describe the difficulties for working people of getting better off while claiming means-tested benefits because of the high rate at which benefits are withdrawn as earnings rise. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6MAEK)
DWP carried out research in response to criticism five years ago but has consistently refused to publish itMinisters have pledged to publish a long-buried internal study into the emotional and financial impact of fines and prosecutions incurred by tens of thousands of unpaid carers for falling foul of strict carer's allowance earnings rules.The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) agreed to carry out the research at the insistence of MPs five years ago after they criticised it for having no understanding of the misery and hardship inflicted on unpaid carers by its policies. Continue reading...
In submission to MPs, archdeacon Rick Simpson says claims by ex-vicar Matthew Firth are deeply problematic'A former vicar who claimed the Church of England was complicit in a conveyor belt" of baptisms of asylum seekers presented an unrecognisable picture and was known to take a right-of-centre stance in immigration", a senior clergyman has told MPs.The Ven Rick Simpson, archdeacon of Auckland in the diocese of Durham, said that neither he nor anyone he had spoken to at St Cuthbert's church in Darlington recognised the picture that was presented" by the ex-vicar, both in articles in the Daily Telegraph and in evidence to MPs. Continue reading...
by Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent on (#6MAEN)
Coordinated withdrawal agreed after several member states and UK have quit energy charter treatyEuropean lawmakers have voted to escape a treaty that lets investors sue governments in private courts for pursuing policies that stop the planet from heating.Fossil fuel companies have used the energy charter treaty (ECT), an international trade agreement from the 1990s, to demand billions of euros of taxpayers' money in opaque tribunals set up to protect investors. Continue reading...
The indicted fabulist who was expelled from Congress gives his support, of sorts, to feckless RINO' Nick LaLotaThe expelled US congressman, fabulist and multiply indicted criminal defendant George Santos said he would not run for re-election in New York after all, because to do so would risk splitting the Republican vote and handing Democrats a prized Long Island seat.Although Nick and I don't have the same voting record and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I don't want to split the ticket and be responsible for handing the house to Democrats," Santos said on social media, referring to Nick LaLota, the sitting Republican congressman in New York's first district. Continue reading...
Staff at Topeka zoo are devastated' by death of Karen, who was known as the dancing queen'A popular ostrich at a zoo in Kansas known as the dancing queen" has died after swallowing an employee's keys.The Topeka zoo and conservation center announced the death of Karen on Friday after she reached beyond her exhibit fence to grab the keys of a staff member" and then swallowed them. Continue reading...
by Martin Belam (now) and Lili Bayer (earlier) on (#6MA3H)
Government to resume cooperation with UN agency for Palestinians in Gaza after report finds Israel had yet to back up accusations on employees having terror tiesAn Israeli government minister has said if he were American he would rather vote for the Republicans than Joe Biden in the forthcoming US presidential election.Speaking to Israel's public broadcaster Kan, Amichai Chikli, who is the diaspora affairs minister and a member of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said Biden is subject to very heavy pressure that influences him, and causes real damage to relations" between the US and Israel. Continue reading...
by Lauren Gambino and Joan E Greve in Washington on (#6MABN)
The $95bn package allots funds to Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine, which desperately needs munitions for its war with RussiaJoe Biden praised congressional leaders and lawmakers for what he called an effort to answer history's call at this critical inflection point" after the US Senate voted resoundingly in a bipartisan majority on Tuesday to approve $95bn in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.The Senate passed the bill in a sweeping 79 to 18 vote, after similarly lopsided approval in the House last weekend. The president, who had pushed Congress for months to deliver the foreign aid measure, said he would sign it into law on Wednesday and immediately begin the process of sending badly needed weapons to Ukraine as early as this week. Continue reading...
Maximilian Krah will remain German far-right party's top choice despite accusations against Jian GuoA far-right German politician has said he will continue to run for the upcoming European parliamentary elections despite allegations that his adviser was spying for the Chinese government.Maximilian Krah, who is the lead contender for the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, told journalists in Berlin: I am and will remain the main candidate" after an emergency meeting with party bosses on Wednesday morning after the allegations came to light. Continue reading...
Witnesses describe total mayhem' as animals run through centre of UK capital during rush hourFour people have been taken to hospital after several military horses broke loose during a morning exercise and bolted through central London, colliding with vehicles.Astonished witnesses described total mayhem" as the runaway horses, including one white horse drenched in blood, ran through the rush-hour streets. Continue reading...
Former employee Emilio Garcia alleges chart-topping rapper had sex in front of him in a moving car, and made abusive comments and employment law violationsMegan Thee Stallion has been sued by a former employee who alleges she withheld payment and created an abusive work environment", including having sex with a woman next to him in a moving car.Cameraman Emilio Garcia alleges severe" and pervasive" harassment by the chart-topping rapper following the incident, including sexual comments and fat-shaming insults, as well as a loss of earnings. He is seeking unpaid wages and interest on them, as well as damages, and wage penalties under California labour laws. Continue reading...
Two crew members were hospitalised when a car and truck collided during shooting of The Pickup in Atlanta, GeorgiaSeveral crew members were injured and two were hospitalised when a car and truck collided during shooting of the Eddie Murphy film The Pickup in Atlanta, Georgia.Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement that the scene that led to Saturday's accident in Georgia had been rehearsed and all safety precautions were taken. Neither Murphy nor the film's other stars, including Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson, were on the set at the time. Continue reading...
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