Police to investigate incident in which 10-month-old heifer was hit twice before it became trapped under vehicleThe officer filmed deliberately ramming a cow twice with his police car has been removed from frontline duties while an internal investigation is conducted.Nev Kemp, deputy chief constable of Surrey police, said: At this time, the officer who was driving the police car has been removed from frontline duties pending the outcome of these investigations." Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6NJD1)
Survey finds more people blame Brexit than anything else for supply problemsAlmost half of adults in the UK have struggled to get medicine they have been prescribed - and more people blame Brexit than anything else for the situation, research shows.Forty-nine per cent of people said they had had trouble getting a prescription dispensed over the past two years, the period during which supply problems have increased sharply.One in 12 people (8%) have gone without a medication altogether because it was impossible to obtain.Thirty-one per cent found the drug they needed was out of stock at their pharmacy.Twenty-three per cent of pharmacies did not have enough of the medication available. Continue reading...
Data shows would-be drivers waiting an average of 17.8 weeks from booking, up from six weeks before CovidWould-be motorists keen to shake off their L-plates are having to wait more than five months to get a practical test at more than 100 examination centres around the UK, despite measures to clear a backlog built up during the pandemic. For potential drivers, booking a practical test has in recent years become a major obstacle to getting behind the wheel.A freedom of information request to the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency, by AA Driving Schools, has revealed that the average waiting time for a driving test in Great Britain is now higher than before the Covid pandemic at the majority of centres. Continue reading...
Police admit serious mistakes were made as at least three people believed to be involved in teenager's murder are still freeThe Met police's decision to shut down the hunt for the racist killers of Stephen Lawrence is to be reviewed, with police admitting serious mistakes" are still being made in the case, the Guardian has learned.At least three of the gang believed to have chased, surrounded and stabbed Stephen, who was 18, near a south-east London bus stop in April 1993 are still free, with two men convicted of his murder in 2012.. Continue reading...
Challenge accuses Alex Chalk of failure to raise rates, reducing access in immigration and asylum casesThe lord chancellor is being taken to the high court over claims that legal aid fees are so low they are preventing lawyers from providing representation for thousands of people who are eligible for it.The challenge focuses on access to legal aid for immigration and asylum lawyers. It is being brought by Duncan Lewis solicitors, one of the largest providers of civil legal aid in this area. Continue reading...
Nations also including Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and United Arab Emirates did not sign final communique at summit on peace, says Swiss governmentUkraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked leaders and officials for attending this weekend's peace summit as today's talks get under way.A united world is a world of peace, a world that knows how to do the right thing. I thank everyone who worked for this day - every leader, all the teams and advisors of the leaders, all the countries. Our unity here proves that the very idea of international law remains alive and effective," Zelenskiy said in a tweet. Continue reading...
Ex-president says decision to hold vote after upheaval of European parliamentary ballot is major risk' for countryEmmanuel Macron has been warned by a former French president that his decision to call snap elections could plunge France into chaos, as his centrist party languishes third in opinion polls, far behind the far-right National Rally.Nicolas Sarkozy said dissolving the national assembly was a major risk" for France, because it could plunge it into chaos, from which it will have the greatest difficulty emerging". Continue reading...
Men linked to militant group took two guards hostage at facility in southern city of RostovRussian special forces have freed two guards and killed six men linked to Islamic State who had taken them hostage at a detention centre in the southern city of Rostov, the prison service said.State media said that some of the men had been convicted of terrorism offences and were accused of affiliation with IS, which claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall in March. Continue reading...
Crowd dispersed by police after only 10 minutes and redirected to the subway due to threats from anti-LGBTQ+ groups, say organisersThe first Kyiv Pride march since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine was stopped by police after travelling only a few metres due to safety fears.In a display of resilience amid the conflict, several hundred people gathered in the rain at 10am local time in central Kyiv under umbrellas, waving rainbow flags and carrying banners with messages of unity and peace. Continue reading...
Four target voter groups all represented by white people in images in Conservative strategy leafletMeet Harold, Denise, Alison and Mark: the four key target audiences identified by Conservative strategists as the right people to win them seats in the general election.The four theoretical voters are defined as the persuasion audience", very likely to head to the polls and open to considering backing the Tories. Continue reading...
Apathy, economic insecurity and feeling ignored is driving the under-35s away from Labour and the ToriesYoung people feel more economically insecure, ignored and apathetic than the average voter before the election, amid evidence that they could be fuelling the growth of smaller parties.A strong rejection of the Conservative party among the youngest voters continues to be evident: the latest Opinium poll for the Observer has a 52-point Labour lead among the under-35s. Continue reading...
Helmet-wearing is rare in this nation of bike riders but authorities are pushing people to think againWhen 42-year-old Myrthe Boss gets on her bike to go shopping in the Dutch town of Ede, she pops on a helmet. This act, considered essential in many countries, marks Boss out as something of a radical in the Netherlands, where helmet-wearing is rare.Now, however, faced with rising number of traffic deaths linked in particular to older riders and e-bikes, the Dutch government and provinces - not to mention neurologists like Boss - are pushing for cyclists to think again. Continue reading...
Celebrity chef says wearing a helmet saved his life after collision in ConnecticutGordon Ramsay has said he is lucky to be alive after a really bad" cycling accident in the US.The celebrity chef said wearing a helmet saved his life after the collision in Connecticut. Continue reading...
Campaigner welcomes investigation into drug after hundreds of suspected adverse reactionsAn investigation has been launched by the European drugs regulator into a popular painkiller linked to a series of illnesses and deaths.The European Medicines Agency (EMA), one of the biggest EU regulators, confirmed on Friday it was reviewing the painkiller metamizole, which can lead to agranulocytosis, a potentially fatal condition in which a patient's white blood cells are severely depleted. Continue reading...
Iranian-Swedish citizen Saeed Azizi also exchanged for Hamid Noury, who was serving life in Sweden for role in death of political prisonersJohan Floderus, the Swedish EU diplomat held in captivity for two years in Iran, has been freed and has arrived home, the Swedish prime minister has announcedgreeted by the prime minister and his delighted and relieved family and friends.Ulf Kristersson said on Saturday that the Iranian lifer Hamid Noury was being exchanged for Johan Floderus and the Iranian-Swedish citizen Saeed Azizi. He arrived back in Sweden later that evening. Continue reading...
by Edward Siddons and Jon Ungoed-Thomas on (#6NJ77)
Landmark powers to impose huge fines to tackle tax evasion and avoidance are pointless', figures showThe UK's tax authority has not fined a single enabler" of offshore tax evasion or noncompliance in five years, despite landmark powers to impose huge fines.Tory ministers claimed new laws introduced in 2017 allowed HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to pursue accountants, lawyers and bankers who facilitate offshore tax evasion would create a level playing field", with potential fines of several millions of pounds. Continue reading...
Action has been taken in only a tiny percentage of internal misconduct claims against officers since review by peer Louise CaseyThe Metropolitan police has been accused of failing to deal with the toxic culture" inside its firearms unit after the number of internal misconduct investigations rose to its highest level since 2018.A wide-ranging investigation by Baroness Louise Casey last year found that the Met was institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic. Casey singled out its Specialist Firearms Command unit - also known as MO19 - accusing it of having a deeply troubling, toxic culture" where normal rules do not seem to apply" and staff were well-connected to senior officers in the Met". Continue reading...
Labour may currently have a commanding lead, but a second lacklustre half to the campaign could lead some voters to stay at homeTwenty-point poll leads, historic strength on all the polling indicators, a flailing opponent fighting for third place - and yet still Labour worries. It is no wonder.Dark nights of disappointment in suburban leisure centres haunt Labour nightmares, with candidates and activists cruelly betrayed by late swings and polling errors: 1970, 1992, 2015 - every generation of Labourites bears its scars. Continue reading...
Many of those selected will be playing in their first major tournament this summerWhile several of England's more experienced stars were sweating on their places in Gareth Southgate's squad last month, Eberechi Eze was giving something back to the community that helped to raise him.The Crystal Palace midfielder set up the Eze Invitational tournament last year in an attempt to inspire young players at a grassroots level, and provided new boots, jerk chicken and ice-cream for more than 100 players who took part at the end of May in south London. Continue reading...
Kevin, a great dane from Iowa, is the same height as a three-year-old - but can't stand up to his family's vacuum cleanerThe Iowa great dane that was recently crowned the world's tallest dog is the same height as the average three-year-old child - and is often mistaken for being a horse. But Kevin cannot stand up to his household's vacuum cleaner, which he is terrified of", his owners Tracy and Roger Wolfe told Guinness World Records in a recently published interview.He won't let it come within six feet of him!" Tracy Wolfe told the organization known for maintaining a database of more than 40,000 records. He will jump and run to get away from it." Continue reading...
Concern continues after local elections and George Galloway win that party's position on Israel-Gaza war still eroding supportLabour is directing activists to campaign in seats with substantial Muslim populations, over fears that some voters have been alienated by the party's stance on Gaza.Its campaigning efforts are mostly being concentrated on Conservative and SNP seats in an attempt to secure a potentially record-breaking majority. However, there are 13 Labour-held seats where Muslims make up at least a fifth of the electorate which the party is telling its activists to target. Continue reading...
Increased reliance on private provision is pushing children hundreds of miles away from friends and familyThe number of places in council-run children's homes in England has fallen by a third since 2012 - at the same time as places in privately run profit-making children's homes have soared, according to an Observer analysis of government data.The dramatic fall in council-run children's homes, and local authorities' increasing reliance on privately run provision, have helped drive a rise in children being housed hundreds of miles from their families, with private provision clustering in cheaper parts of the country. Continue reading...
The news anchor, who will present the programme with Laura Kuenssberg, has spoken on Desert Island Discs about the insults and threats he has experienced as a broadcasterClive Myrie has detailed the racism he has experienced during his broadcasting career, as he prepares to present the BBC's general election night programme.Speaking to Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, broadcast on Sunday, the 59-year-old listed some of the insults and threats he has endured, including being sent faeces and pictures of gorillas in the post. Continue reading...
His former Socialist party reacted coolly to move, with one senior figure saying they were devastated'France's former Socialist president Francois Hollande on Saturday said he would run for parliament again, the latest political twist following his successor Emmanuel Macron's surprise decision to call snap legislative elections.Macron's dissolving of parliament after the French far right's victory in European parliamentary elections has swiftly redrawn the lines of French politics. Continue reading...
Mayor Eric Adams sent letters rescinding key and asking for it to be sent back to City Hall, which received it on 10 JuneSean Combs has returned his key to New York City after a request from mayor Eric Adams in response to the release of a video showing the music mogul nicknamed Diddy" attacking R&B singer Cassie, officials said Saturday.The mayor's office said Combs returned the key after Adams sent letters to the embattled musician's offices in New York and California on 4 June rescinding the key and asking for it to be sent back to City Hall. The city received the key on 10 June. Continue reading...
Trump's demand that 2020 leaker be punished with death raises questions about retribution if he is re-electedFormer White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin has disclosed that Donald Trump repeatedly mused out loud about executing people at several meetings while she worked for him during his presidency.Griffin's claim, which she made in a podcast recording with Mediaite released on Friday, is likely to add to concerns that a return for Trump to the Oval Office could be characterized primarily by political retribution. Continue reading...
Poll reveals historically low support for the big two, with smaller parties up by five pointsLabour and the Tories are on course for their lowest combined vote share since the second world war, as the latest Opinium poll for the Observer shows a shift away from the main parties.With all the parties having now unveiled their election manifestos, Labour has maintained a dominant 17-point lead over the Tories with less than three weeks to go until polling day. However, Reform and the Lib Dems are up two points each. Continue reading...
Israel's conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon are destined to grind on indefinitelyIn 2019, Aviv Kochavi, then the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) chief of staff, delivered a bullish speech. The IDF, he proclaimed, is all about victory".Assessing that the primary threats to Israel's security were from nonstate actors such as Hamas and Hezbollah, Kochavi would the following year usher in a new operational doctrine titled decisive victory". Continue reading...
The Italian prime minister also stated the EU will not directly contribute to a $50bn loan to Ukraine agreed at the summitIsrael is falling into a trap laid by Hamas in its war in Gaza, Giorgia Meloni said at a press conference closing the G7 summit in Bari that affirmed her role as a leading figure in Europe. The Italian prime minister also stated that the EU will not directly contribute to a $50bn loan to Ukraine agreed by the G7 leaders.And she underlined her status by declaring that she will start talks on Monday about the allocation of top jobs in the EU on the basis that Europe has to accept the verdict of the people reflected in the results of last week's European parliamentelections. Continue reading...
Investigation ongoing as state attorney general Letitia James says: In New York, we stand for love and acceptance, not hate and bigotry.'Rainbow flags lining the Stonewall National Monument in New York City to celebrate Pride month were taken down and destroyed this week, police said, marking the second year in a row that the flags have been vandalized during the annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community throughout June.Authorities received a report early on Friday about the missing flags at the monument in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood. Continue reading...
Home secretary demands urgent explanation' over heavy-handed' attempt to capture wandering animalThe home secretary has asked Surrey police to provide a full, urgent explanation" after footage showed officers using a car to ram an escaped cow.James Cleverly made the comments after footage posted online showed officers ramming the cow twice with their police car, while an onlooker is heard shouting: What are you doing that for?" Continue reading...
Joint statement of support for international criminal court issued following revelations of Israeli interferenceThe international criminal court must be allowed to carry out its work without intimidation", a group of 93 states has said in a significant public intervention intended to reinforce support for the judicial body.In a joint statement issued late on Friday, the large group of ICC member states vowed to defend the institution and preserve its integrity from any political interference and pressure against the court, its officials and those cooperating with it". Continue reading...
Deaths will likely fuel calls for ceasefire and heighten Israeli public anger over military exemptions for ultra-OrthodoxEight Israeli soldiers have been killed in a blast that engulfed their armoured vehicle in southern Gaza, in the biggest loss of life for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a single incident since January.The deaths came amid continuing fighting around Rafah in which at least 19 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes. Continue reading...
Money will go towards repairing country's energy infrastructure as well as providing humanitarian assistanceUS vice-president, Kamala Harris, has pledged more than $1.5bn in aid for Ukraine's energy sector and its humanitarian situation amid its ongoing war with Russia.Harris made the announcement at a peace summit in Lucerne, Switzerland, where she met Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. She is expected to address the summit later. Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now) and Jane Clinton (earlier) on (#6NHRX)
This lvie blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereThree people were killed and five others injured by Russian shelling in Ulakly village in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, local governor Vadym Filashkin wrote on Telegram on Saturday.He said the village was hit by cluster munitions, adding that administrative buildings, a private house, a shop and eight cars were damaged. Continue reading...
FOI reveals non EU migrants could be caught in Windrush style scandal' at end of 2024 as Home Office struggles to contact themMore than 4 million non-EU migrants living in Britain will need to switch to digital eVisas" by the end of this year or risk being unable to prove their legal rights, according to figures seen by the Observer.Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) - given to all foreign nationals with permission to live in the UK for at least six months - demonstrate proof of an individual's right to study, access public services and claim benefits. But they are being replaced under the Home Office's digitisation programme. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Hamish Mackay (earlier) on (#6NHSJ)
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK election coverage hereDavid Cameron has said that being prime minister was a good apprenticeship" for serving as foreign secretary, in an interview with the Times.Speaking about his decision to take the role, Cameron said he had told his family he was going to really go for this job and give it everything I had". In just over six months, Cameron said he had visited 35 countries as foreign secretary.I really like having the focus. That juggling act, as prime minister, is incredibly difficult. You have to do so many different things and different topics. I loved the challenge of it, but it does mean you're always frustrated."When I look at Starmer I think he's sitting there with his fingers crossed to please, please, please let them pass judgment on Lettucegate, three prime ministers and all the rest of it.I think we can win this election. Even when I was ahead in the polls in 2010, or somewhere behind in the polls in 2015, I used to say can win' rather than will' because it's up to the public, it's up to the country." Continue reading...
Marine Le Pen's party is breaking record high scores across vast areas of the country, polls show, with an increase in its influence inevitableIt is 8pm on Sunday 7 July. Polling stations have just closed after the second round of snap French parliamentary elections - the country's most momentous ballot in living memory - and the first estimations flash up on the nation's TV screens.President Emmanuel Macron has lost his gamble. The National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen has more than trebled its tally of deputies in the assemblee nationale to just over 290: an absolute majority. France's next government will be far right. Continue reading...
by Vanessa Thorpe Arts and media correspondent on (#6NHX3)
Hi-tech imaging reveals the artist tinkered with Herri met de Bles's painting to improve the composition of figuresOne benefit of being among history's greatest artists is that if you don't much like a painting done by someone else, you can just improve it. The Dutch master Sir Peter Paul Rubens certainly knew how to paint people; Rubenesque is still used to describe a curvaceous, ample body. So when he noticed the inferior quality of the religious figures depicted on an otherwise accomplished landscape hanging on his wall, it turns out he simply picked up his paint palette.A newly rediscovered Herri met de Bles painting, titled The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist in an Extensive Landscape with Travellers, set a puzzle for art historians because the style of the landscape background did not match the group of people. Hi-tech imaging of the canvas carried out by a London auction house has since completed the jigsaw", revealing the way Rubens had tinkered with a painting now thought to have belonged to his own collection. Continue reading...
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