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NSW homelessness minister acknowledges program is direct response to housing crisis but says it's not acceptable this is what we have come to' for those fleeing domestic violence

Sentencing to depend heavily on whether the judge considers the murder to be particularly heinous'

Pollsters say early results suggest Tories could lose half of council seats contested, putting party on course for as many as 500 losses

Experts fear children questioning their gender may turn to hidden economy to obtain hormones illegallyCross-sex hormones designed to masculinise or feminise a person's body are available to buy online for less than 11 a month, with experts warning that growing numbers of under-18s may turn to the medicines hidden economy.Last month the landmark Cass review of children's gender treatment in England concluded there was a lack of reliable evidence supporting the use of cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers by young people questioning their gender identity. Continue reading...

Civil servant Josie Stewart spoke to media after government presented dishonest account', tribunal toldA Foreign Office civil servant felt morally compelled" to speak to the media about the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan after the government presented a dishonest account" of what happened, an employment tribunal has heard.Josie Stewart was sacked by the Foreign Office (FCDO) after blowing the whistle on the failures of the withdrawal from Kabul and disclosing emails indicating Boris Johnson's involvement in an outrageous" decision to prioritise the evacuation of staff from the animal charity Nowzad, despite his denials. Continue reading...

Measures to focus on boosting frontline services for women and children fleeing abuse, as well as prevention

Independent panel made wrong decision' to advise that Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan did not need ankle bracelet before alleged assault on Ninette Simmons, PM says

National Indigenous Australians Agency and Services Australia will receive about $30m to run program for Aboriginal victims of predatory funeral fund

Voxelotor, which can help reduce need for blood transfusions, is administered as a daily tabletA new treatment for sickle cell disease has been recommended by the health watchdog in a move described as life-changing for people living with the condition in England.The drug, Voxelotor, has been recommended for use on the NHS in England by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) in people with the disease who are aged 12 and over. Continue reading...

Post featured compromising image of the broadcaster Narinder Kaur, who said she was left incredibly upset'Police are investigating a social media post by Laurence Fox in relation to an upskirting offence".The tweet, posted on Tuesday, featured a compromising image of Narinder Kaur, a broadcaster on Good Morning Britain and GB News. The post remained on Fox's account until it was deleted on Thursday. Continue reading...

Two women in their 20s and a child suffered minor injuries from a sharp object at Birley AcademyA teenager has been charged with three counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm after three people were injured at a secondary school in Sheffield, South Yorkshire police said.The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on Wednesday morning after reports of an incident involving a sharp object" at Birley Academy. Continue reading...

Michael Cohen can be heard saying to Trump: I need to open up a company for the transfer .. regarding our friend David'

Proximity of the two countries' forces follows request by junta ruling west African nation for the US to pull its troops outRussian military personnel have entered an airbase in Niger that is hosting American troops, after a decision by Niger's junta to expel US forces from the country.The military officers ruling the west African nation have told the US to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more. Continue reading...

US president says immigrants are what makes us strong' and criticizes countries, plus China and Russia, over migration policyJoe Biden has called Japan and India xenophobic" countries that do not welcome immigrants, lumping the two with adversaries China and Russia as he tried to explain their economic circumstances and contrasted the four with the US on immigration.The remarks, at a campaign fundraising event Wednesday evening, came just three weeks after the White House hosted Fumio Kishida, the Japanese prime minister, for a lavish official visit, during which the two leaders celebrated what Biden called an unbreakable alliance," particularly on global security matters. Continue reading...

Protests are part of nationwide movement pushing universities to divest from businesses that support the war in Gaza

Teenager killed and another injured after attempted burglary at east Midlands farmA man in his 50s has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after a teenager was shot dead and another injured following an attempted burglary at a farm in the east Midlands.Officers were called to the property in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, at about 1.20am on Wednesday and found a teenager with fatal gunshot wounds. The force said he was not the owner of the property. Continue reading...

Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Kasia Madera and Annita McVeigh have accused the broadcaster of age and sex discriminationFour female BBC presenters who have taken legal action against their employer will not be able to include equal pay as part of their claim, an employment tribunal has ruled.Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Kasia Madera and Annita McVeigh have accused the broadcaster of conducting a sham recruitment exercise" after they lost their jobs when the BBC merged its domestic and global news channels last year. Continue reading...

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie gig cancelled last minute after air conditioning part falls from gantry during soundcheckAngry concertgoers have demanded compensation from the troubled Co-op Live arena after it cancelled its opening concert for the third time, leaving thousands of young fans stranded in Manchester.The venue announced minutes after the doors opened on Wednesday night that US star A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie would no longer be performing due to a technical issue". Continue reading...

Even with extra legal assistance, hearings into suspicious killings of 80 Afghans would be delayed until March 2025Detailed hearings into alleged war crimes committed by SAS soldiers in Afghanistan at a public inquiry are likely to be delayed into 2025, prompting a row between investigators and the Ministry of Defence.A letter, made public on Thursday, from a solicitor to the public inquiry addressed to the MoD complained of unacceptable delays in supplying evidence. The ministry responded by saying it was spending 21m to support of the investigation. Continue reading...

Former SNP leader now likely to return to the role without a contest and take control of government next weekJohn Swinney is expected to be crowned Scotland's next first minister within days after his only rival ruled herself out and pledged to support his candidacy.Kate Forbes, the former finance secretary who came close to winning the SNP leadership last year, said she was persuaded to step aside because Swinney had promised he would govern from the mainstream". Continue reading...

Former finance secretary, who was narrowly beaten by Humza Yousaf in last year's SNP leadership contest, has announced that she will not stand this timeSwinney has confirmed he is standing for SNP leader.John Swinney is about to speak at his press conference in Edinburgh. Continue reading...

Insurers report rise in cases of images being manipulated with shallowfake' technologyA surge in fraud cases in which photos are manipulated to show fake car crash damage is alarming insurers and helping to push motor insurance costs up to record levels.The insurer Allianz said incidents where apps were used to distort real-life images, videos and documents increased by 300% between 2021-22 and 2022-23, and it added that this had all the signs of becoming the latest big scam to hit the insurance industry". Continue reading...

Report predicts numerous factors, including migration, mean housing affordability and inequality will continue to deteriorate

Novo Nordisk, which is now Europe's most valuable company, also reports strong sales of diabetes drug OzempicStrong sales of diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have prompted the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk to raise its 2024 profit forecast to up to 15.3bn, with supply shortages starting to ease.Europe's most valuable company, whose stock market value exceeds the size of the Danish economy, has struggled to keep up with runaway demand for the two weight-loss jabs. Continue reading...

Bill has raised concern country is moving away from democratic norms and closer to MoscowNicolas Schmit, the Socialists' lead candidate in the European elections, said he is deeply concerned" by the violence in Tbilisi.In a statement late yesterday, the US state department said Georgia's western trajectory is at risk.Use of force to suppress peaceful assembly and freedom of speech is unacceptable, and we urge authorities to allow non-violent protesters to continue to exercise their right to freedom of expression. Continue reading...

Individuals could win 25,000 or more if they are successful in claim Uber broke taxi booking rulesMore than 10,500 of London's black-cab drivers have launched a 250m legal case against Uber, accusing it of breaking the capital's taxi booking rules and deliberately misleading authorities to secure a licence.The case, which has been filed in the high court in London by the litigation management firm RGL, resurrects a claim first raised five years ago, related to the way the ride-hailing app operated in London between 2012 and 2018. Continue reading...

Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo also accused of two counts of attempted murder and two of grievous bodily harmA 36-year-old man has appeared in court charged with murder after Daniel Anjorin, 14, was killed in east London.Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, a dual Spanish-Brazilian national living in Newham, east London, is also accused of two counts of attempted murder, two of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article. Continue reading...

Birthplace and parents' names are being removed from passports and birth certificates as Mauritius stakes claim to the islandExiled islanders from the disputed British-owned Chagos Islands are finding their heritage has been removed from new identity documents in an apparent move by Mauritius to stake its claim to the territory.British ownership of the Chagos Islands has long been challenged by Mauritius, where most islanders were shipped in the 1960s after being evicted from their Indian Ocean homeland to make way for a US military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island. Continue reading...

Former Indiana congressman John Hostettler wants his old seat back, but past remarks have prompted attacks from pro-Israel groupsPro-Israel groups are wading into a Republican congressional primary, marking a departure from their recent focus on attacking progressive candidates and offering the latest test of the pro-Israel lobby's strength as the war in Gaza weighs heavily on voters' minds.The former Indiana congressman John Hostettler, who served in the House from 1995 to 2007 and will compete in a crowded primary on Tuesday, is looking to return to the chamber to represent the state's eighth district. Hostettler's allies praise him as an America first conservative" who will help terminate financial aid to Ukraine, so his primary will also test Republicans' embrace of isolationism, which has gained popularity in the party amid the rise of Donald Trump. But Jewish groups have criticized some of his past comments about the start of the Iraq war as antisemitic. Continue reading...

Kim Tatum, Mariah Louca and Reece Lyons combine to call for trans women to be put on an equal footing for cis rolesKim Tatum dreams of playing Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard's exquisite former star of silent films. Mariah Louca longs to perform as Dangerous Liaisons' evil schemer Marquise de Merteuil. And for Reece Lyons, it's the monstrous ambition of Lady Macbeth that makes her the ideal role. But, until attitudes within British theatre shift, it's unlikely these talented performers will get to play their dream characters. Despite their skill, training and accolades, trans women just don't seem to get cast in cisgender roles.I have never seen a trans woman on stage play a mother or a love interest," Offie-award-winning Lyons says. Why don't we come to mind for that?" Lyons is sitting on a low couch in a light-streamed room across from Tatum and Louca. Frustrated with the constant obstacles they face in the industry, the three actors are calling for trans women to be put on an equal footing for cis roles. Continue reading...

Advocates fear the hard-won reform could be overturned if the LNP, which voted against the bill, wins government in October

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Despite payouts the oil and gas giant faces growing investor pressure to address its carbon emissionsShell will shower its shareholders with another $3.5bn (2.8bn) in share buy-backs over the next quarter after reporting better than expected profits of almost $8bn for the first three months of the year.The company reported adjusted earnings of $7.7bn for the first quarter, below the $9.6bn earned in the same quarter last year but well above analyst predictions of $6.5bn. Continue reading...

Chris Webb is expected to win Blackpool South for Labour but eyes are on the fortunes of Mark Butcher, who works with the poor and insists he is not a politician'Mark Butcher, Reform UK's candidate in Blackpool South's byelection, watched as a carriage driver on the town's promenade plunged a fist into the manure-collecting bag behind his horse. Petty bureaucracy, both men furiously agreed, was stifling the resort's appeal.People came here because it was a magical place, but where have the donkey rides gone? Where are the ice-cream vendors?" asked Butcher, evoking a nostalgia for the town's glory days and reciting a mantra that Blackpool had long been ill-served by a Labour-controlled council and - when the red wall" crumbled in 2019 - a Conservative MP. Continue reading...

IT provider Outabox, used by dozens of hospitality venues, blamed an unauthorised third party' for the data breach

Party predicted to lose about half of the 1,000 seats it is defending in contest that could shape Rishi Sunak's futureVoting has begun in local elections in England, where the Conservatives are braced for heavy losses that could destabilise Rishi Sunak's premiership.The elections, which cover more than 2,600 seats across 107 English councils, are seen as a key test of whether the Conservative party is as unpopular with voters as the polls suggest. Continue reading...

Brad Banducci says period was challenging' in first public comments since fiery Senate inquiry hearing as share prices slip

Exclusive: DNA expert whose work led to Andrew Malkinson case breakthrough says job should be given to forensic scientistsInterns have been given the job of weeding out potential wrongful convictions for rape and murder in a major case review prompted by Andrew Malkinson's exoneration, the Guardian can reveal.The miscarriage of justice body the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) said last month that it would be re-examining cases it had refused to refer to the court of appeal to check for new DNA testing opportunities. Continue reading...

Ninette Simons, 73, tells immigration minister Andrew Giles she and 76-year-old husband Phillip feel they have been let down

There are few policy reasons to change leader, so lack of campaigning nous of PM who can't do human' may be only argumentWith just two days to go before a knife-edge election in Rishi Sunak's own back yard, it was the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, campaigning in North Yorkshire, where Labour is expected to win the mayoralty. The prime minister wasn't even elsewhere on the campaign trail, but in London, speaking to editors at a media freedom event.It is a stark contrast to the last time these seats in the local elections were in the spotlight. Boris Johnson named the day Super Thursday" and was a looming presence on the campaign at the height of the Conservatives' vaccine bounce, especially at the Hartlepool byelection, which the Tories won from Labour. Continue reading...

Progressives counting on a strong performance to rein in Robert Fico's drift away from rule of lawAs fears grow that Slovakia is following Hungary down a path away from the rule of law, the country's opposition says it is determined to prove that citizens want a democratic future.Since coming back to power last year, Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, has taken aim at the media, NGOs and prosecutors. Continue reading...

Exclusive: 2003 study was cited as evidence that risks of hepatitis C could not have been foreseen at the timeA study cited at the infected blood inquiry, as evidence that the devastating consequences of blood products contaminated with hepatitis could not have been foreseen, misrepresented the results of a trial in making its case, the Guardian can reveal.Up to 6,520 people are believed to have been infected with hepatitis C through imported factor VIII blood products in the 1970s and 80s, while a further 26,800 are estimated to have been infected with the virus though blood transfusions. About 2,000 people are estimated to have died as a result. Continue reading...

Former NSW premier's threat to sue comes amid debate about whether New Zealand should join pillar two of Aukus pactAustralia's former foreign minister and New South Wales premier, Bob Carr, says he intends to sue New Zealand's deputy prime minister, Winston Peters, for allegations made about Carr's closeness to China as debate about Aukus ramps up.Peters called Carr nothing more than a Chinese puppet" on the national broadcaster RNZ on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

Australian government warns against sharenting' as study finds 7% of people who post pictures receive request for child abuse material

The electric carmaker's Cybertruck was recalled last month after safety concerns emerged over the accelerator pedal. Kari Paul reportsLast month Tesla recalled its Cybertrucks after malfunctions involving the accelerator pedal were reported. It is the latest blow for the US electric carmaker, which has been hit by a series of embarrassing failures since the Cybertruck was delivered to customers late last year.Kari Paul, a technology reporter for Guardian US, talks to Michael Safi about Tesla's recent struggles, from safety issues to supply-chain delays. Can the company's embattled chief executive, Elon Musk, turn its fortunes around? Continue reading...

Electric Light Orchestra leader Jeff Lynne announces death of remarkable musician and friend' who played everything from the Minimoog to the ClavinetRichard Tandy, the keyboardist in Electric Light Orchestra who shaped much of the British rock band's sound, has died aged 76.His death was announced by the ELO leader Jeff Lynne, who wrote on social media: He was a remarkable musician and friend and I'll cherish the lifetime of memories we had together." A cause of death was not given. Continue reading...

Spokesperson confirms informal meeting' has taken place between leadership frontrunners John Swinney and Kate ForbesThe SNP government has headed off Labour's attempt to force an early Holyrood election, as the frontrunners to succeed Humza Yousaf met for informal talks in an attempt to avoid another divisive leadership contest.Anas Sarwar's motion of no confidence in Yousaf's administration - which would have forced all government ministers to resign - was defeated by 70 votes to 58 on Wednesday afternoon after the Greens voted with the SNP. Continue reading...

Postponements come hours after queueing fans were turned away from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie gig on Wednesday eveningThe troubled Co-op Live arena has postponed Olivia Rodrigo's concerts as part of her Guts world tour because of a technical issue", hours after it the last-minute cancellation of its opening concert for the third time.Two hours after announcing that A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie would no longer be performing, the venue confirmed that Rodrigo's concerts on 3 and 4 May had also been cancelled. Continue reading...

While men are disproportionally affected by conditions that cause early death, women are left with higher levels of illness and disabilityWomen live longer than men but experience more years in poor health, according to a global gender health gap analysis that experts say underlines an urgent need for action to boost women's health.Globally, there are substantial differences between women and men when it comes to health, with limited progress in bridging health gaps over the past three decades, according to the study examining the impact of the world's 20 leading causes of disease. Continue reading...