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Khan says he will spend extra 10m on crisis if elected to third term as mayor as numbers reach highest level in a decadeSadiq Khan has pledged to eliminate rough sleeping in London, where the numbers on the streets have reached the highest level in a decade.If elected to a historic third term as mayor of London, Khan plans to spend an extra 10m on what has been described as a growing humanitarian crisis in the city. Continue reading...

Critics say by working for Norfolk and Suffolk NHS trust, Dr Dan Poulter cannot hold it to account effectivelyFamilies bereaved after failures by a troubled NHS mental health trust have expressed concern that a local MP has taken a second job there as a paid clinician.Norfolk and Suffolk foundation trust (NSFT) has been rated as inadequate" four times since austerity cuts were made in 2013, at a time when Dr Dan Poulter, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, was a junior health minister in the coalition government. Continue reading...

While the company believes it has cash to last 15 months, it will have to move fast to stave off insolvencyThames Water has just six weeks to convince its regulator that it has a viable survival plan for its business, the Guardian can reveal.While the company believes it has enough cash to survive for about 15 months, insiders and investors fear that it must move quickly to strike a deal with its watchdog to stave off insolvency. Continue reading...

Ailing water company hopes higher bills can save it, but that depends on Ofwat agreeing its salvage plans are workableA problem like Thames Water is everyone's problem. People with only a passing interest in finance will still feel the ripple effects should it become insolvent.It won't be because the water stops coming out of the tap, or the cleanliness of Britain's rivers - so clearly scarred by the effects of creaking infrastructure and raw sewage - worsens. Continue reading...

A war long fought through proxies, assassinations and strikes outside Israel has spilled into the open

Grace Keeling says TV needs more authenticity and better representation if it wants to attract younger viewersTV should move with the times", take risks and be less polished" in order to attract younger audiences, the TikTok star Grace Keeling has said.Record numbers of young viewers are switching off traditional television in favour of short-form content, according to the media regulator, Ofcom, with Enders Analysis suggesting a 30% decline in 16- to 34-year-olds watching TV shows with their parents over the last 10 years. Continue reading...

Prime minister says UK was involved to save lives in Israel and neighbouring countries

Families of those who helped British forces could be deported from Pakistan despite promise to resettle them in UKAfghan families who helped UK forces and then fled to neighbouring Pakistan are in danger of being deported back to the Taliban due to Home Office delays in bringing them to the UK.In the chaotic evacuation period in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in August 2021 some family members eligible for resettlement in the UK became separated from the rest of their families. Some boarded flights while others were unable to due to crushes at the airport and instead fled over the border to Pakistan. Continue reading...

UK government's apologies so far have had a distinct lack of candour about what it is apologising forSurviving victims and relatives of those who died as a result of receiving infected blood and blood products from the NHS in the 1970s and 80s will gather in a few weeks at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster.After six years of taking evidence, Sir Brian Langstaff's public inquiry will finally unveil its report there on 20 May. Continue reading...

Exclusive: contaminated blood campaigners say internal 1976 Immuno AG document proves British government negligence

Labour deputy leader being investigated over whether she gave false information a decade agoAngela Rayner has handled the controversy over her living arrangements in the right way", Yvette Cooper has insisted after a former aide contradicted Rayner's account.The shadow home secretary said Rayner was very keen to be able to provide the facts to the relevant authorities". Continue reading...

The boss of the broadcast regulator has expressed concern about how the chase for audience ratings is harming the industryTelevision has become more exploitative and cruel", according to Michael Grade, the chair of the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom.The exploitation dial has been switched up more and more for ratings," said the peer and former chair of the BBC board. It makes me mad. I really don't like it or enjoy it. Continue reading...

More than 250 people join group action claiming security service failed to take steps that could have prevented 2017 bombingHundreds of the Manchester Arena bombing survivors, along with relatives of the victims, have launched legal action against MI5, claiming it failed to take action that could have stopped the attack.More than 250 people have joined the group action against MI5 and have submitted their claim to the investigatory powers tribunal, which hears complaints against the intelligence services. Continue reading...

At Oxford, Lewis complained repeatedly in his diary about his student Betjaman's attitude to work. A newly discovered letter throws light on their mutual antipathyCS Lewis and John Betjeman had a famously strained relationship. While the Chronicles of Narnia author dismissed his then-student at Oxford as an idle prig", the future poet laureate went on to thank, in the preface of one of his collections, Mr CS Lewis for the fact on page 256" - even though the book had only 45 pages.But a previously unpublished letter from 1936 now reveals that they did attempt a truce, albeit short-lived. Continue reading...

Jury trial against military contractor CACI over sadistic, blatant and wanton abuses' comes 20 years after scandal brokeThe first trial to contend with the post-9/11 abuse of detainees in US custody begins on Monday, in a case brought by three men who were held in the US-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.The jury trial, in a federal court in Virginia, comes nearly 20 years to the day that the photographs depicting torture and abuse in the prison were first revealed to the public, prompting an international scandal that came to symbolize the treatment of detainees in the US war on terror". Continue reading...

A woman who says the former NBA champion hired her to be a personal assistant and artist for his family has filed a lawsuitFormer NBA champion Dennis Rodman is facing a lawsuit for damages from a woman who accused him of slamming a door on her hand and badly injuring her during an incident at his Houston home, after hiring her to be a personal assistant and artist for his family.A woman who answered a call to a phone number associated with Rodman's address in the Texas city dismissed plaintiff Taylor A Banks' allegations as a money grab". Continue reading...

In sweeping lecture on Britain's grand strategic moment', John Bew warns we cannot just manage risk, we are in a competition'The UK faces a choice between using statecraft to plan and deepen its international alliances or simply managing relations with its rivals and risk sliding into war, Rishi Sunak's foreign policy adviser has said.In a sweeping lecture on Britain's grand strategic moment", John Bew drew on how the national character had been shaped by history, claiming the fundamental assumptions about how British leaders have thought about the world had been shaken by events. Continue reading...

Exclusive: ITV is considering taking paid ads from parties on its streaming platform where ban does not applySome viewers are already irritated by the adverts interrupting shows on the ITV catch-up service.But even they could soon yearn for the halcyon days of shampoo or insurance commercials after being presented with the faces of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. Continue reading...

Tehran's firing of over 300 drones and missiles at Israel threatens to draw region into wider conflict

Hundreds walk out of their council roles, saying they are paid less than comparable male-dominated jobsHundreds of women have gone on strike in Scotland as three more councils face claims over equal pay.Almost 500 workers walked out of their council roles in Falkirk, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire in protest at a pay grading system which they say is outdated and pays women less than comparable male-dominated jobs. Continue reading...

Police believe 40-year-old Queensland man suffered from mental health problems and had only moved to Sydney a month ago

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Some people in Ambelia camp waiting for treatment to wounds resulting from ethnic violence last yearHundreds of displaced Sudanese people living in a refugee camp across the border in Chad have been unable to access vital medical care for injuries sustained during fierce battles in the Sudanese city of Geneina in the past year.Some of those in the vast Ambelia camp near the city of Adre have permanent disabilities that could have been avoided had they undergone surgery, according to the refugees themselves and activists who are trying to arrange travel to Port Sudan in eastern Sudan, where they say medical facilities are relatively better than in Chad. Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands could lose out in England and Wales under disability benefit reforms after general electionHundreds of thousands fewer disabled people could receive cold weather payments under the Conservatives' planned post-election disability benefit reforms, according to an internal government report seen by theObserver.The briefing, by civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), says that under the plans, new applicants for disability benefits in England and Wales would only qualify for cold weather payments if they passed a much harsher assessment than exists at present. Continue reading...

Campaign draws on performers and artists to encourage 300,000 more young people to register ahead of this week's deadlineA last-minute drive to alert young British people to therisk of losing their say in how the country is run launches this weekend, spearheaded by many famous faces, including some not normally associated with politics or campaigning.YouTubers such as Amelia Dimoldenberg, host of Chicken Shop Date, are lining up alongside singers and comedians, to join established names, such as Michael Sheen, Sir Stephen Frears, Es Devlin, Meera Syal, Billy Bragg, Paapa Essiedu, Emily Berrington and Ralf Little. Continue reading...

Concerns that vicious circle of party ill-discipline is undermining the PM's ability to restore orderSenior Tories fear Rishi Sunak is facing a vicious circle of party ill-discipline, amid concerns that attacks from Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Suella Braverman will signal his inability to restore authority in the months before the general election.A rebellion this week over his plans to ban smoking is set to be the latest flashpoint, with libertarian MPs, including Truss, preparing to criticise the proposal as a nanny-state measure that is unconservative. Continue reading...

Police say 40-year-old was an itinerant who moved to NSW last month and had a history of mental illness

Concerns that rare sleep disorder is being used as an escape route' in sexual offence trials prompt calls for safeguards to protect victims and the publicExperts and lawyers involved in sexual offence cases in Britain have warned that suspected rapists are evading justice by claiming to have a rare sleepwalking disorder that causes them to engage in sexual activity while asleep.They said there had definitely" been cases where guilty people had been found not guilty, and warned of the potential for further miscarriages of justice - and harm to the public - without more robust challenges to sexsomnia" claims put forward by defendants. Continue reading...

UK hospitality industry hit by crisis as thousands of young Italians are forced out by latest round of rules and cost-of-living crisisEmanuela Reccia has lived in London for almost a decade. She was a teenager when she left her home city of Naples to become a waitress in the UK, bringing her expertise and love of Italian cuisine to the capital.But the 27-year-old, like thousands of other Italians working in the UK hospitality industry, now feels she has no option but to leave and return to Europe after the latest round of post-Brexit rules. Continue reading...

Joe Biden is believed to have urged restraint, and Tehran deems the matter concluded' but ultimately Israel's response lies in the hands of three prickly rivals in its war cabinet

Leading charity calls current advice inadequate as 42% of 12- to 18-year-olds say their period pains are severeWomen and girls should be routinely asked about their periods during GP appointments to help improve treatment, health campaigners have said.Large numbers of girls get such painful and debilitating periods that they cannot eat or sleep, have to miss school or end up bedbound, according to a new survey by the leading charity Wellbeing of Women. More than 90% of those surveyed said that they had to change their plans due to heavy bleeding. Continue reading...

US defence official says action is part of ironclad commitment to Israel's security', with UK's Royal Air Force also involved in regional operations

Islamic Republic's first ever direct attack on Jewish state involved more than 200 drones and missiles, and raises the risk of a broader regional conflagration

Ash Good, who died in shopping centre stabbing spree after handing over infant for treatment, hailed as an incredible mother'

US president convenes top advisers as US and Jordanian forces help Israel intercept barrage

The byelection in the south Sydney seat was triggered when the former prime minister announced his resignation from politics in January

Rental vehicle containing two adults, two children and two dogs tumbled down hill towards loch after freak gust of wind'A family whose motorhome was destroyed by a freak gust of wind" during a storm in the Scottish Highlands is said to be very lucky to be alive.The family of four and their two dogs were inside the rental vehicle, which was parked in a layby on Scotland's North Coast 500 route, when high winds knocked it over and sent it tumbling headlong down a hill towards a loch. Continue reading...

Top-ranking Chinese official Zhao Leji met Kim Jong-un during three-day visit to PyongyangA top ranking Chinese official reaffirmed ties with North Korea during a meeting in Pyongyang on Saturday with the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, China's state media reported, in the highest-level talks between the allies in years.The visit by Zhao Leji, who ranks third in the ruling Communist party hierarchy and heads the ceremonial parliament, came as North Korea has test-fired missiles to intimidate South Korea and its ally, the US. Continue reading...

The Albanese government has shed little light on how billions of dollars will be divvied up. The treasurer's favourite economist' might provide some clues

The NSW government was devastated' when Secret Sounds cancelled the 2024 Splendour in the Grass festival, but says financial support for it is in the public interest

Met Office says parts of Scotland could be below freezing overnight despite temperatures on Saturday as high as 21.8C in EssexThe hottest day of the year so far will be followed by temperatures of minus 2C in parts of the UK, the Met Office has said.Many enjoyed a warm and sunny Saturday but forecasters said temperatures will drop as the working week begins. Continue reading...

As Tehran seizes a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, Israelis are tense, waiting for next stepThe world is watching Iran. After Israel assassinated a senior commander in an embassy annexe in Damascus, the one thing every diplomat, general and politician from Tehran to Washington could agree on was that Iran would have to respond.There has been nearly two weeks of speculation about when, where and how, fanned by US intelligence reports that Iran or its proxies were preparing for strikes on Israel. Continue reading...

Supporters dismiss investigation into allegations of breaching electoral law and avoiding capital gains tax as a storm in a teacup'A defiant Angela Rayner will continue campaigning ahead of next month's local elections, despite a police decision to open an investigation amid allegations of breaching electoral law and avoiding capital gains tax.The deputy Labour leader vowed on Friday she would stand down if inquiries by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) led to a criminal conviction. It comes after a Tory MP asked the force to examine whether she gave incorrect information for the electoral register about where she lived in Stockport prior to becoming an MP. Continue reading...

Passengers had been trapped in mid-air overnight after a pod hit a pole and burst open, killing one person and injuring othersThe last 43 of 174 people stranded in cable cars high above a mountain in southern Turkey have been brought to safety, nearly 23 hours after one pod hit a pole and burst open, killing one person and injuring 10 when they plummeted to the rocks below.The interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, announced the successful completion of the rescue operation on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday afternoon. Continue reading...

Six people in Australia were stabbed to death in Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre before attacker was shot dead by police officer

Despite his lack of faith, the author believes something happened that was not supposed to happen' on the day he was attackedSalman Rushdie has revealed an abiding sense that his survival after a brutal knife attack two years ago was a miracle, in spite of his lack of spiritual faith. I do feel that something happened that was not supposed to happen and I have no explanation for it," Rushdie said this weekend before the publication of Knife, his account of the incident.I certainly don't feel that some hand reached down from the sky and guarded me," but it still presents a contradiction, he admits, for one who doesn't believe." Continue reading...

Observer investigation finds that private companies made 105m despite not being registered with OfstedHundreds of extremely vulnerable school-age children in England are being sent to illegal, unregulated homes every year because of a chronic shortage of places in secure local authority units.An Observer investigation has established that councils placed 706 children, the majority of them under the age of 16, in their care in homes that were not registered with Ofsted, the children's social care watchdog, in 2022-23. Continue reading...

Leading barrister warns that the kit - used to support gender-questioning children - is likely to be in breach of equality laws and could violate pupils' rightsSchools in England and Wales have been warned by one of the country's leading equality and human rights barristers that the toolkit" many of them use to support gender-questioning children is unlawful.The toolkit, introduced by Brighton and Hove council in 2021 and subsequently replicated by a number of other local authorities, says schools should respect" a child's request to change their name and pronoun as a pivotal" part of supporting their identity, as well as other changes such as switching to wearing trousers or a skirt. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe search for a missing Israeli teenager resumed on Saturday in the occupied West Bank, where settler attacks on Palestinian villages have left at least one dead and dozens injured, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP) citing sources on both sides.The Israeli army said it was still looking for Benjamin Achimeir, 14, who went missing early on Friday from Malachi Hashalom, an outpost near the city of Ramallah. Continue reading...

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