Exclusive: sketches for Introduction and Allegro for Strings had been removed from sketchbook by composer in 1930The British Library has acquired previously unknown sketches and drafts by Sir Edward Elgar for one of his best-known masterpieces, Introduction and Allegro for Strings.Spanning 15 pages, they shed light on the creative process of Britain's most revered composer. One bears the beginnings of an unknown organ piece on which he had started work. Continue reading...
Under-30s risk a huge hike in huge car insurance premiums later in life if handed the IN10 endorsementYoung people using private electric scooters on roads and pavements risk facing huge insurance premiums when they want to drive a car, says the comparison website MoneySuperMarket.It emerged this week that almost 800 children aged 13 to 16 had been issued an IN10 endorsement - the code used by the police for using a vehicle uninsured against third-party risks" since the start of 2020. It stays on a person's driving record for four years from the date of the offence. Continue reading...
In speech at Arc conference, podcaster argues identity politics and multiculturalism ... are two failed experiments'Konstantin Kisin has until this week been best known as a libertarian, pro-free speech independent podcaster, and for a viral appearance at the Oxford Union arguing that woke culture has gone too far".His profile has suddenly risen, however, after hosting the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, on his podcast, and arguing in an episode with Fraser Nelson, the former editor of the Spectator, that Rishi Sunak was not English owing to his brown Hindu" background - triggering criticism on social media. Continue reading...
Ex-children's commissioner welcomes crackdown on use of children for crimes such as running county linesLong-overdue laws to protect children forced into selling drugs across county lines will save lives and block a brutal and lucrative criminal business", the former children's commissioner has said.In a series of new measures aimed at cracking down on exploitative gangs and antisocial behaviour, criminals using children to run county lines or commit other crimes will face up to a decade in prison. Continue reading...
by Daniel Boffey, Aaron Walawalkar and Harriet Clugst on (#6VEV5)
UK students faced excessive disciplinary measures as a result of heavy-handed strategy, reports claimUniversity leaders reassured campus security officials amid pro-Palestine protests in the UK that they would back them if things got tough" after their US counterparts were disciplined for their approach, according to internal emails.Reports subsequently emerged of students on British campuses facing disciplinary measures and tough bail conditions after police were called on largely non-violent demonstrations, raising claims of a heavy-handed strategy. Continue reading...
Gaza ceasefire deal still on track amid uproar over fate of two Israeli boys and initial false return of their mother's bodyThe body of the Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas has been identified, Israel's army radio reported early on Saturday, adding that Bibas was likely killed in captivity with her children.The confirmation came as Israelis and Palestinians braced for another tense exchange of hostages, prisoners and detainees on Saturday after uproar in Israel over allegations that two child hostages were brutally murdered" by Hamas, and the group's initial failure to deliver the body of their mother, instead returning the corpse of an unidentified woman. Continue reading...
Surgeons who worked in Gaza fear disease, malnutrition and eradication of healthcare will reverberate for decadesBritish doctors who worked in Gaza during the war have issued dire predictions over the long-term health of Palestinian civillians, warning that large numbers will continue to die.The prevalence of infectious disease and multiple health problems linked to malnutrition, alongside the destruction of hospitals and killing of medical experts, meant mortality rates among Palestinians in Gaza would remain high after the cessation of Israeli shelling. Continue reading...
The boys are accused of breaking into a home in Cairns and threatening a couple with a knife early on Friday morning, before taking a woman into a separate roomThree teenagers accused of a horrific" break-and-enter and sexual assault are in custody after police pulled off a dramatic arrest on a busy street.The teenagers are accused of breaking into a home in Cairns and threatening a couple with a knife early on Friday morning, before taking a woman into a separate room. Continue reading...
Rapper is a vocal supporter of Palestine but has received criticism over restaurant's links to Israeli militaryStormzy has denied that he compromised beliefs for commercial gain", after his advertising partnership with McDonald's was criticised over the company's ties to Israel.In a new campaign, the rapper appears in filmed adverts and on billboards promoting the Stormzy meal" featuring a selection of his favourite menu items. Continue reading...
Deputy PM Richard Marles says explanation for the drills, which were conducted in international waters and according to international law, are unsatisfactory'
One person was dead at the scene and two others died at the hospital; no reported arrests nor information on the shooterThree people were shot and killed at a motor vehicle office in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, police said.Maj Donald Boeckman of Louisville metro police department told reporters that officers found one person dead at the scene and another two wounded. The two wounded were taken to hospitals and died there. He said there was no ongoing threat to public. Continue reading...
Starry-eyed supporters gather at hearing for Luigi Mangione, who faces state and federal charges in shootingWhen Luigi Mangione entered Manhattan state court on Friday afternoon, a coterie of starry-eyed supporters greeted the alleged assassin with reverent silence.Mangione, who faces state and federal charges for allegedly fatally shooting the United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, on 4 December, was handcuffed and shackled as he walked down the aisle toward the defense table. The 26 year old sported a cable-knit sweater over a white oxford shirt with khaki pants and tan driving loafers - as well as a ballistic vest. Continue reading...
Caleb Vitello reassigned as administration reportedly unhappy at slow rate of arrests and deportationsDonald Trump's presidential administration has reassigned its top official at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) after the agency's arrests and deportations have been slower than expected, Reuters reported, citing a senior administration official and two other sources familiar with the matter.The official, Caleb Vitello, was in the role in an acting capacity and had been grappling with pressure to step up enforcement after other top Ice officials were reassigned days earlier. Continue reading...
The move would end agency's 250-year independence, possibly jeopardizing operations and ending its impartialityDonald Trump is reportedly considering disbanding the leadership of the US Postal Service (USPS) and folding it into his administration in a move that would end the 250-year-old agency's independence and potentially threaten the mail delivery system's impartiality.The Washington Post reported that an executive order was being prepared to fire the service's governing board and place it under the authority of the new commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick. Continue reading...
Kristen Crowley removed after blaming city for budget cuts, while mayor claimed firefighters weren't properly deployedSix weeks after the most destructive wildfire in city history, Los Angeles's mayor, Karen Bass, ousted the city's fire chief on Friday following a public rift over preparations for a potential fire and finger-pointing between the chief and city hall over responsibility for the devastation.Bass said in a statement that she was removing Chief Kristin Crowley immediately. Continue reading...
Jury convicts Hadi Matar, 27, charged with trying to kill author at literary gathering in New York state in 2022A jury on Friday afternoon convicted the man who was charged with stabbing and trying to kill the author Salman Rushdie as he delivered a lecture at a literary gathering in western New York state in 2022.Jurors in Chautauqua county quickly declared the defendant, Hadi Matar, 27, from New Jersey, guilty. They had received the case after lawyers delivered their closing arguments, wrapping up seven days of testimony that included a vivid account from Rushdie of how he was certain he was going to die after being rushed on stage by a man with a knife. Continue reading...
The rapper's mother, who had been guarding his legacy, died of natural causes after a stint in hospice careVoletta Wallace, the dedicated mother of the late rapper the Notorious BIG, died on Friday morning aged 78.The Monroe county coroner, Thomas Yanac, confirmed her death on Friday to the Associated Press, saying she died at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, after a stint in hospice care. She died of natural causes. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6VEJS)
UK prime minister aiming to cool escalating transatlantic row over war in UkraineKeir Starmer will not risk riling Donald Trump by challenging him over his attack on Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when the pair finally meet next week, as the prime minister seeks to cool an escalating transatlantic row.Starmer will fly to the US in the coming days for what could be a defining moment for his leadership, as Europe and the US trade accusations and insults about the origins of the war in Ukraine and the best way to end it. Continue reading...
Chronic illness remains but pontiff, 88, is stable and in good humour, doctor saysPope Francis, who is in hospital undergoing treatment for double pneumonia, is not yet out of danger" and will remain in hospital for at least the whole of next week, one of his doctors has said.Francis, 88, was stable but the chronic illness remains", Sergio Alfieri, a general surgeon at Rome's Gemelli university hospital, told reporters on Friday. Continue reading...
by Euan O'Byrne Mulligan (now); Daniel Lavelle and Ad on (#6VDZD)
Statement from IDF spokesman contradicts Hamas claim the family was killed in an airstrikeOne of the four bodies returned by Hamas to Israel on Thursday is not that of Shiri Bibas, Israel's military has said, calling it a violation of utmost severity" of a ceasefire deal that was already precarious.The Israeli military confirmed that two of the bodies belonged to Bibas' children, Ariel and Kfir, in the early hours of Friday. However, it added During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage. This is an anonymous, unidentified body"... Continue reading...
Singer and songwriter who had a longstanding partnership with Curtis Mayfield earned the nickname Iceman' for his cool demeanourJerry Butler, the US singer and songwriter who had a string of 1960s pop and soul hits before a long career in Illinois politics, has died aged 85.According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Butler died at home on Thursday. He had been living with Parkinson's disease. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6VEA2)
Business secretary alleged to never have qualified as solicitor, despite listing job on LinkedIn profileThe solicitors' regulator has reopened an investigation into the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, over accusations he misrepresented his legal career.The Solicitors Regulation Authority said on Friday it would look into allegations that Reynolds had incorrectly claimed to have worked as a solicitor even though he did not finish his legal training. Continue reading...
Polish president to fly to Washington, making him the first European leader to be welcomed by Trump in the White House, reports Polish mediaA 51-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years in jail in Poland for preparing acts of diversion which the prosecutors found to be commissioned by Russia.The man, a Ukrainian citizen, was arrested in 2024 as part of a broader investigation into several suspected acts of diversion, including arson, in western Poland. Continue reading...
Party would create department to clear out inefficient quangos and merge health boards if it wins power next year, leader saysScottish Labour would set up an Elon Musk-style department to clear out inefficient quangos and government waste if it wins power next year, Anas Sarwar has said.The Scottish Labour leader said their own department of government efficiency" - a title identical to Musk's Doge - would oversee efforts to save money by scrapping dozens of quangos, merging health boards and cutting costs. Continue reading...
by Jane Clinton (now); Euan O'Byrne Mulligan (earlier on (#6VE6C)
MP, who was suspended from Labour party earlier this month, investigated for actions causing significant damage' to the reputation of the CommonsThe Democratic Unionist Party has described Sinn Fein's decision to boycott a visit to Washington DC on St Patrick's Day as short-sighted" and reckless", PA reports.Earlier today, Sinn Fein's leaders announced that they would not be attending an event at the White House in a principled stance against the threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza".The fact that Sinn Fein's decision to boycott the annual St Patrick's Day celebrations in Washington DC was announced in Dublin speaks volumes about where Northern Ireland sits as a priority for Sinn FeinThe DUP will be represented in DC for St Patrick's events. We always use the opportunity to strengthen Northern Ireland's economic and political ties with the United States, regardless of who occupies the White House. We will continue to engage with our partners in Washington, promoting Northern Ireland as a place to invest, work, and do business.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...
MP was sacked as a minister and suspended from Labour party after messages were revealedParliament's standards watchdog has launched an investigation into Andrew Gwynne, who was sacked as a minister over offensive comments made on a WhatsApp group.The MP was also suspended from the Labour party after messages were revealed in which he said he hoped a pensioner who did not support him would die before the next set of elections. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6VE80)
Julia Wandel allegedly sent letters, calls, WhatsApps and visited family of missing girlA woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann has been remanded in custody after being charged with stalking the missing girl's family by turning up at their home and contacting them repeatedly.Julia Wandel, also known as Julia Wandelt, was arrested at Bristol airport on Wednesday and appeared in Leicester magistrates court on Friday. Continue reading...
Emilli Beck says army failed to protect her sibling and she would not advise other young women to enlistThe older sister of Gnr Jaysley Beck, the 19-year-old soldier who killed herself after allegedly being sexually assaulted and harassed, has said the army has blood on its hands" and claimed her sibling would still be alive if the abuse she suffered had been properly investigated.Speaking to the Guardian, Emilli Beck, 25, said the army had swept Jaysley's case under the carpet rather than protecting her, and said she would not advise any young woman to join the service. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6VE81)
HSBC, Citi and Morgan Stanley among five banks CMA investigated for competition law breaches between 2009 and 2013The UK competition regulator has fined four major banks, including HSBC and Citi, more than 100m after it found traders had been using Bloomberg chatrooms to share sensitive information about government bonds.The penalties follow a long-running investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that discovered that individual traders at Citi, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Deutsche Bank had messaged rival bankers about the buying and selling of UK government bonds - known as gilts - on specific dates between 2009 and 2013. Continue reading...
Partnership comes as London station looks at ways to almost triple passenger numbersLondon's St Pancras railway station and the Channel tunnel operator have agreed to work together to open up more trains from Britain to France, and routes to Germany and Switzerland.The agreement is the latest sign of growing momentum for new passenger rail links from England across the Channel, after the UK's only international station announced plans to triple the number of passengers who can travel through every hour. Continue reading...
Corporation removes show from iPlayer to carry out further due diligence' after admitting boy is son of Hamas ministerA BBC documentary about Gaza has been pulled from BBC iPlayer while the corporation conducts further due diligence", following the broadcaster admitting a child featured was the son of a man who has worked as Hamas's deputy minister of agriculture.A statement from the BBC said: Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone features important stories we think should be told, those of the experiences of children in Gaza. Continue reading...
Fears that cuts will decimate' ability to react to crises as sector loses expertise and skills at every level, report findsSome of the world's largest aid organisations are axing thousands of jobs as a result of US president Donald Trump's freeze on overseas aid, potentially decimating" the sector's ability to react to future crises.Those that have already announced job cuts include the International Rescue Committee, Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Refugee Council and war zone-focused Norwegian People's Aid. Continue reading...
Trump's attempts to intervene in Tate's rape and human trafficking cases in Romania might seem strange, but their worlds are intimately linkedEver since I began reporting on Andrew Tate four years ago (during which time my colleague Jamie Tahsin and I made two documentaries, wrote a book on him and interviewed his alleged rape victims), I've been sounding the alarm on the far-right disinformation network that connects him to Trump's inner circle.
Lawyer says astounding' purge will cost government, after workers with positive reviews cut due to poor performance'Donald Trump's administration could wrack up a monumental" bill and is breaking the law by firing government workers on spurious grounds, according to a top labor lawyer.Officials have cited poor performance" when terminating thousands of federal workers. In many cases it's not true, according to employees embroiled in the blitz, many of whom are now seeking legal advice. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan in Jerusalem and Helen Livingstone on (#6VE02)
IDF statement comes hours after Benjamin Netanyahu orders further crackdown on occupied West Bank over bus explosionsOne of the four bodies returned by Hamas to Israel on Thursday is not that of the hostage Shiri Bibas, Israel's military has said, calling it a violation of utmost severity" of a ceasefire deal that was already precarious.The Israeli military confirmed in the early hours of Friday that two of the bodies belonged to Bibas's children, Ariel and Kfir. However, it added: During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage." Continue reading...
Japanese carmaker's shares rise almost 10% after reports that a group wants US EV firm to put in moneyElon Musk has rebuffed the idea that Tesla could put money into the struggling carmaker Nissan, after a report that said a Japanese group was seeking its investment sent shares soaring.Nissan's stock market value jumped by 9.5% on Friday after claims that the former prime minister Yoshihide Suga was among those who want the US electric carmaker to become a strategic investor, possibly in exchange for Nissan's American factories. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan and Colville Mounsey in Bridgetown on (#6VE52)
Countries meeting at Caricom summit not seeking handout' but appropriate apology' and compensationCaribbean leaders have defended the region's pursuit of slavery reparations, describing the compensation for centuries of enslavement and oppression as a matter of simple justice.Speaking to the Guardian at the Caribbean Community (Caricom) heads of government meeting in Barbados, the Antigua and Barbuda prime minister, Gaston Browne, said Caribbean states were not seeking a handout". Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6VE3X)
Exclusive: Advance commissions' said to total millions of pounds allegedly pushed customers to certain providersUK lenders paid advance commissions" to car dealers that may have encouraged them to push costlier loans on to consumers, legal filings linked to the motor finance scandal reveal.Court documents seen by the Guardian show that lenders, including Lloyds Banking Group, have paid commission to individual dealerships in lump sums upfront, which campaigners say total millions of pounds. Continue reading...
Drop in 2024 is biggest recorded as small companies struggle with rising costs, and aggressive tactics from big brewersThe number of independent breweries in Britain declined at its fastest rate in 2024, figures from the indie beer" trade body suggest.The UK had 1,715 breweries at the end of 2024, 100 fewer than at the start of the year, according to the data released by Siba, which represents independent brewing companies. The overall fall the previous year was just eight. Continue reading...
US sales aren't growing as fast as we'd like ... it takes time,' founder says, while analyst notes target market not exactly short of Mexican food options'
Democratic party chair Lo Kin-hei would not comment on whether Beijing had put pressure on membersHong Kong's oldest pro-democracy party, which became an influential voice of opposition before Beijing cracked down on dissent, will start preparations to shut down, its leader has said.Lo Kin-hei, chair of Hong Kong's Democratic party, said on Thursday: We are going to proceed and study on the process and procedure that is needed for the disbanding." Continue reading...
Sharri Markson defends News Corp after attorney general says antisemitism must not be weaponised'. Plus: a sprinkling of Australian culture for the NYT
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