Upheaval follows decision to shift timing of first debate over fears of clash with Montreal Canadiens ice hockey gameCanada's Green party has been removed from the country's two election debates amid accusations it would undermine the integrity" of the events, just hours before leaders square off in Montreal.The last-minute upheaval follows a decision to shift the timing of the first televised debate on Wednesday evening over fears the French language showdown would clash with a closely watched Montreal Canadiens ice hockey game. Continue reading...
Coalition frontbencher walks back claim that Russian defence minister and Chinese leader had said publicly they did not want Peter Dutton as prime minister
Lord forgive me. I am quite shameless', author playfully wrote in note weeks after horror novel published in 1897He had just unleashed one of the most famed gothic horror books on the world, a blood-curdling classic that chilled readers and has inspired countless authors, film-makers and video game developers ever since.But a rare note that Bram Stoker wrote just weeks after Dracula was published in 1897 gives a glimpse into the playful fun he must have had with the novel. Continue reading...
Providers reprimanded for pressuring customers, exploiting women's insecurities or trivialising medical risksThe Advertising Standards Authority has reprimanded six cosmetic treatment providers for pressuring customers, exploiting women's insecurities or trivialising medical risks after an investigation into adverts for liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs).The cosmetic procedure, which involves injecting fillers into the buttocks to enhance their shape and size, is unregulated in the UK and can carry significant health risks, not least from potentially life-threatening infections. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6WNAV)
Exclusive: Number of 18- to 24-year-olds needing help in England and Wales doubles in five years as services take calls every day in 2024Honeypot locations posted on social media and poor-quality navigation apps are likely to be responsible for a record number of callouts for mountain rescue services, including a huge rise in young people needing saved, analysis reveals.For the first time, mountain rescue teams in England and Wales were called out every day of the year in 2024. Callouts in Scotland topped 1,000 for the first time. Continue reading...
The sector, which had been set a target to reduce spillages by 40%, needs radical reform', campaigners sayWater companies have missed their targets to reduce pollution with 2,487 incidents recorded in 2024 - twice the limit set by the Environment Agency.Data revealed under freedom of information law shows the companies were collectively set an Environment Agency target of a 40% reduction in pollution incidents, but instead recorded a 30% increase. Continue reading...
Post office says it definitely' won't collect tariffs on Washington's behalf and Hongkongers should prepare to pay exorbitant feesHong Kong Post said on Wednesday it had suspended goods mail services by sea to the US and will suspend its air mail postal service for items containing goods from 27 April due to bullying" US tariffs.When sending items to the US, people in Hong Kong should be prepared to pay exorbitant and unreasonable fees due to the US's unreasonable and bullying acts", Hong Kong Post said in a statement. Continue reading...
by Presented by Hannah Moore with Maanvi Singh; produ on (#6WN94)
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported, detained and flown to a notorious prison - before officials admitted they had made an error. Why is he still there? Maanvi Singh reportsKilmar Abrego Garcia was 16 when he came to the US, after his family were targeted by criminal gangs in his home of El Salvador. He joined his brother in Maryland and started a new life.In 2019, he was arrested by immigration officials and accused of being a gang member, but his lawyers argued there was no evidence for this, pointed out he had no criminal convictions and insisted he should not be sent back to a country where he was himself at risk from criminal gangs. A judge agreed and gave him protected status so he could not be deported. Continue reading...
Consumption and production falls in almost every market as industry fears a generational' change in drinking habitsWorldwide consumption of wine fell in 2024 to its lowest level in more than 60 years, the main trade body has said, raising concerns about new risks from US tariffs.The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) said on Tuesday that 2024 sales fell 3.3% from the previous year to 214.2m hectolitres. Continue reading...
Some dismissed for saying they couldn't be impartial, with no jurors picked for New York rape retrialAs jury selection started on Tuesday in Harvey Weinstein's New York City rape retrial, some prospective jurors made clear they couldn't be fair in judging the Hollywood mogul turned #MeToo pariah.
Court hands out sentences of over five years for extremism, accusing journalists of working for the late politician's Anti-Corruption FoundationA Russian court has convicted four journalists of extremism for working for an anti-corruption group founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and sentenced them to five and a half years in prison each.Antonina Favorskaya, Konstantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were found guilty of involvement with a group that had been labelled as extremist. All four had maintained their innocence, arguing they were being prosecuted for doing their jobs as journalists. Continue reading...
Move follows Algiers' expulsion of diplomats, after France's arrest of man linked to abduction of influencer Amir DZFrance has expelled 12 Algerian consular and diplomatic officials and recalled its ambassador in Algiers, the French presidency said on Tuesday, in a retaliatory measure as a spat escalates between the two countries.The Algerian authorities are responsible for the sudden degradation of our bilateral relations," President Emmanuel Macron's office said. Continue reading...
Slow TV is attracting viewers with hits such as a knitting marathon, burning firewood and swimming salmonMost of the time, nothing much happens. A wide Nordic river, melting snow still lining its banks, meanders peacefully through a pristine forest of spruce and pine. But this spring, as every spring for the past six years, a lot of people will be glued to it.When Den stora algvandringen - variously translated as The Great Moose Migration or The Great Elk Trek - first aired on the public broadcaster SVT's on-demand platform in 2019, nearly a million people tuned in. Last year, it was 9 million. Continue reading...
Mark Rutte makes unannounced visit to Odesa and tells Zelenskyy that Nato support is unwavering'The EU has said that significant joint efforts will be needed" for a successful outcome to trade talks at the end of Donald Trump's 90-day pause on tariffs.The European Commission, which handles trade policy for the 27 EU member states, was reporting back on a meeting between its lead trade official Maro efovi and US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and US trade representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on Monday.The EU will continue to approach these talks in a constructive manner, with a view to identify areas of common interest. It is clear that significant joint efforts will be needed to achieve a successful outcome within the 90-day window.The EU is doing its part. Now it is necessary for the US to define its position. As with every negotiation this must be a two-way street... With both sides bringing something to the table." Continue reading...
Business secretary says plant may need different employment footprint' in future after government takeover of siteThe business secretary has refused to rule out redundancies at the Scunthorpe steelworks, despite calls from trade unions to end the programme of job losses started by its former owners.Jonathan Reynolds said on Tuesday the plant might need to have a different employment footprint" after the government's takeover, even as he promised to try to save the plant's two blast furnaces. Continue reading...
Andrew Tate being sued by four women and three-week trial scheduled for early 2027A civil case against Andrew Tate over allegations he subjected four women to sexual violence and coercive control is the first case of its kind, a judge has been told.The influencer is being sued by two women who worked for his webcam business in Luton, Bedfordshire, in 2015 and two former girlfriends in 2013 and 2014. Continue reading...
Airstrike prompts UN warning that humanitarian crisis is at its worst since fighting broke out 18 months agoA medic has been killed in an Israeli missile strike on a hospital in Gaza.The attack on Tuesday came two days after another major hospital was targeted, fuelling warnings from the UN that the humanitarian crisis in the territory is now the worst it has been since conflict began. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#6WMNS)
GMB in pay dispute with council in Peterborough and Aberdeen staff to strike over working conditionsBin strikes could spread to other council areas across the country as cash-strapped local authorities make further cuts, a union leader has warned as the dispute between refuse workers and the city council in Birmingham continues.There have been warnings of a public health emergency in Birmingham as bin bags have piled up in the streets and there has been an influx of rats, more than a month after refuse collectors launched an all-out indefinite strike. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: In describing the bombing of the city of Sumy as a mistake" and sidelining dissenting voices, the White House's passivity towards Russia questions its commitment to peaceGood morning. Russia claimed that its ballistic missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy was aimed at Ukrainian army commanders. But the truth is that the attack's brutal toll was exacted against ordinary people.The deaths of at least 34 people made it the worst single attack on civilians in Ukraine this year. But the most Donald Trump would say was that he had been told it was a mistake". It appears unlikely he will take up Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation, issued yesterday, to visit Ukraine and see the consequences of the invasion for himself.British Steel | Senior Labour figures have urged the government to review Chinese investment in UK infrastructure in the wake of the British Steel crisis. Downing Street and the Treasury said they believed the row to be an isolated commercial dispute, even though the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has not ruled out deliberate Chinese sabotage of the Scunthorpe plant.Sudan | Sudan is suffering from the largest humanitarian crisis globally and its civilians are continuing to pay the price for inaction by the international community, NGOs and the UN have said, as the country's civil war enters its third year. The UK is hosting ministers from 20 countries in London on Tuesday in an attempt to restart stalled peace talks.Politics | The former Conservative MP Craig Williams is among 15 people, including several other senior Tories, charged by the Gambling Commission for alleged cheating connected to bets based on the date of the 2024 UK general election.UK news | Bin workers have overwhelmingly" rejected a deal that would have ended an all-out strike in Birmingham, during which bin bags have piled up in the streets and the city has faced an influx of rats.Space | Six women safely completed a trip to the edge of outer space on a rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos, the Amazon co-founder. The crew included Bezos's fiancee, Lauren Sanchez, and the pop star Katy Perry, who said on landing that she was really feeling that divine feminine right now". Continue reading...
Issue is seen as a key stumbling block in talks with US as Washington seeks to scale back Iran's nuclear programmeIran is expected to resist a US proposal to transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third country - such as Russia - as part of Washington's effort to scale back Tehran's civil nuclear programme and prevent it from being used to develop a nuclear weapon.The issue, seen as one of the key stumbling blocks to a future agreement, was raised in the initial, largely indirect, talks held in Muscat, Oman, between Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. Continue reading...
NGOs warn of some difficult years' ahead as increasing humanitarian needs meet shrinking financesThe dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has captured headlines, but very regrettable" reductions in European aid budgets are also contributing to a void in support for some of the poorest people in the world's most fragile states, according to MEPs and NGOs.Isabella Lovin, a deputy chair of the European parliament's development committee, said USAID cuts would have very dramatic consequences around the world". But she also criticised recent decisions by EU member states to reduce their aid budgets as very regrettable" and wrong". It would be impossible for the EU to fill the gap, she added. Continue reading...
Owner of Michelin-starred Veeraswamy, London, heads to high court to object to heartless' plans to upgrade buildingIt has been a fixture of British-Indian dining since it first opened its doors in April 1926 on the day of Elizabeth II's birth, serving guests over the decades ranging from Marlon Brando to the late Queen herself.Yet despite surviving the Blitz and London's relentlessly competitive restaurant sector, a dispute with the current monarch's property developer threatens the survival of London's oldest Indian restaurant just short of its 100th anniversary. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6WM6C)
Prison Officers' Association official says staff are furious after attack by Hashem AbediInmates in the jail where three guards were allegedly attacked by the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber were allowed in a kitchen with knives despite being assessed as being so dangerous they should be isolated from other prisoners, according to claims by a union official.The prime suspect for the attack is Hashem Abedi, 28, brother of the Manchester Arena bomber. The attacker used a makeshift sharp weapon fashioned out of metal during the sustained attack, as well as cooking fat. One officer suffered third degree burns. Continue reading...
As crucial London peace talks set to begin, report seen by the Guardian raises questions over multiple' flights into bases in ChadPressure is mounting on the United Arab Emirates over its presence at a crucial conference in London aimed at stopping the war in Sudan after a leaked confidential UN report raised fresh questions over the UAE's role in the devastating conflict.The UAE has been accused of secretly supplying weapons to Sudanese paramilitaries via neighbouring Chad, a charge it has steadfastly denied. Continue reading...
From biscuits to paintings, images of the champion golfer are everywhere in his County Down birthplaceThe torture was over, the sun shone and images of the familiar toothy grin were sprouting across Holywood, the birthplace of the embodiment of agony and ecstasy known as Rory McIlroy.It was Monday afternoon and the Northern Ireland town could finally flaunt images of its most famous son without risk of jinxing him, because he had won the Masters and history was in the bag. Continue reading...
Families of those displaced wait for news from Darfur amid reports of hundreds killed by paramilitary RSFSudan's information blackout has left relatives of those in Sudan's Zamzam refugee camp struggling for news of their safety after it was overrun by militiamen at the weekend.As leaders across the globe prepared to meet for peace talks in London to pressure the backers of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army to agree a ceasefire, the RSF launched a deadly assault, seizing Zamzam after weeks of tightening its siege. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspon on (#6WKN9)
Amendment also enshrines recognition of only two sexes, providing basis for denying gender identitiesHungarian lawmakers have voted through a controversial constitutional amendment that campaigners described as a significant escalation" in the government's efforts to crack down on dissent and chip away at human rights.Backed by the prime minister, Viktor Orban, and his rightwing populist party, Fidesz, the amendment passed on Monday along party lines, with 140 votes for and 21 against. Continue reading...
Operatives placed buttons at CSFN trying to link Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre with Donald TrumpCampaigners with Canada's Liberal party had some very American-esque politicking over the weekend, when Liberal operatives were found to have planted stop the steal" buttons at a conservative conference to link the Conservative party to Donald Trump.Two Liberal party staffers infiltrated last week's Canada Strong and Free Network Conference (CSFN) in Ottawa at which they strategically placed provocative buttons designed to create the false impression that Conservative supporters of party leader Pierre Poilievre were embracing Trump-style rhetoric, highlighting internal party divisions. Continue reading...
Former City minister denies allegations she received land illegally from her aunt, the ousted PM Sheikh HasinaThe former City minister Tulip Siddiq has said an arrest warrant issued against her in Bangladesh over allegations she illegally received a plot of land from her aunt, the country's ousted former prime minister, is a politically motivated smear campaign".Speaking to reporters on Monday, the Hampstead and Highgate MP said: No one from the Bangladeshi authorities has contacted me. The entire time they've done trial by media. My lawyers proactively wrote to the Bangladeshi authorities, they never responded. Continue reading...
PM's spokesperson says ships carrying materials needed by the steel plant have docked in LincolnshireAlso on the morning media round today was shadow business minister Harriett Baldwin, who endured a torrid time on Sky News while being repeatedly pressed to acknowledge any culpability for the British Steel crisis by the previous Conservative administration that sold the company to current Chinese owners Jingye in 2019.The MP for West Worcestershire was told the appearance was a wonderful opportunity for you here right now, with our viewers on Sky News, to say, look, it was a mistake. We understand that, and we support the government. Do you want to do that this morning?"Well, I think that, you know, I know that it was looked at very rigorously at the time. It was welcomed by the unions. And I think we need to recognise that 2025 is very different from 2019. And we need to focus on the future of this critical national infrastructure in this industry in our country.I think it's always got to be a last resort. But, you know, there was a period when the government owned it, before Jingye came in, and so I think you should never have anything off the table, but I think that does need to be a last resort.It was a deal that was welcomed by the unions and local communities at the time. So can we put that in the past and focus on the future of this critical industry.I think there's a general consensus. If you hear the chancellor today talking about investment in our infrastructure, she's always looking for partnerships with private equity capital. She's looking for your pension and my pension to be investing in some of these infrastructure.I think there is always going to be a role for private capital in all of these organisations. And I think it means that there's less competition in terms of financing for the schools, for the hospitals, which do require exclusive public funding.These situations are different, which is why this interventionist UK government has an industrial strategy that matches solutions to the problems at hand.I would contrast the speed with which they [the SNP] can take to social media and take to the airwaves to air their grievances and the speed at which they move to secure Scottish jobs. Continue reading...
Over 250 former intelligence agency figures back letter urging prioritising return of hostages held in GazaHundreds of former operatives from Israel's intelligence agency have criticised the return to war in Gaza amid growing frustration over the failure to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas.A group of over 250 former figures from the Mossad - including three ex-chiefs - gave their backing to a letter first signed by air force veterans and reservists that urged the Israeli government to prioritise bringing back the hostages over fighting the Palestinian militant group in Gaza. Continue reading...
by Tiago Rogero South America correspondent on (#6WKMK)
Noboa placed the armed forces at the centre of his rule, which initially led to a drop in crime but also a surge in reports of rights violationsIn an election seen as a referendum on his war on drugs", Ecuador's right-wing president, Daniel Noboa, won Sunday's presidential runoff, defeating leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez.With 97% of ballots counted, the incumbent had secured 55.65% of the vote, compared to 44.35% for the former congresswoman. Continue reading...
US army investigates after young private follows the Base, which has vowed to recruit soldiers for so-called race warAn active-duty serviceman in the US army is openly following a proscribed neo-Nazi terrorist group on social media, one that has vowed to recruit soldiers in preparation for a so-called race war.Experts say examples like this shows how under Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon is allowing extremism to go unchecked. Continue reading...
Central Mississippi Turtle Rescue facilitated viral reunion after pet Myrtle was brought to organization with injuriesA pet tortoise who was displaced from its human family's home during a deadly outbreak of tornadoes in Mississippi in March was recently reunited with its people.The reunion - which went viral on corners of the internet dedicated to uplifting news stories - occurred after the Central Mississippi Turtle Rescue organization asked its social media followers on 6 April for help in finding the tortoise's owners after the animal was brought to the group to be treated for injuries. Continue reading...
Actor uses Instagram story to address skit in which SNL cast member Sarah Sherman mocked her appearanceAimee Lou Wood has described a sketch on the US comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) which mocked her appearance as mean and unfunny".The British actor used an Instagram post to criticise a skit of the television series The White Lotus, in which the SNL cast member Sarah Sherman impersonated her, appearing in exaggerated prosthetic teeth. Continue reading...
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