Sadiq Khan says cardboard steering wheels could bring to life driverless train experience for childrenIt is already the most in-demand spot on the London transport network, but plans to install stickers and cardboard steering wheels in driverless Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trains could intensify the scramble for its front seats.London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has said the trains, in which tens of thousands of Londoners have sat pretending to be the driver, could now include a steering wheel and stickers mimicking control panels to make the experience more realistic. Continue reading...
Film from Walk the Line producer will tell story of singer who became a rare successful woman in male-dominated 1970s rock scenePop singer and actor Selena Gomez is to portray the massively successful US singer Linda Ronstadt in a new biopic.Currently in pre-production, the film is being produced by James Keach, who has worked on a number of music-related film projects including producing Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line and documentaries on Ronstadt, David Crosby and Glen Campbell. Also producing will be John Boylan, Ronstadt's manager. Continue reading...
Secret service agents allegedly beat up Nikola Sandulovi after he apologised for crimes against ethnic AlbaniansThe family of a Serbian opposition leader who was allegedly beaten up while in detention by the country's secret service say he has been left partly paralysed by the attack.In an assault that has fuelled fears about the future of democracy in the country, Nikola Sandulovi's family say he was taken from his home on 3 January after making an apology for crimes committed by Serbs against ethnic Albanians during the Kosovan war of independence in 1988 and 1989. Continue reading...
Separate study finds women who are depressed in pregnancy more likely to die prematurelyThe number of women who have died during pregnancy or soon after has risen sharply to its highest levels for 20 years, prompting concern from experts.The maternal death rate increased to 13.41 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies between 2020 and 2022, according to figures published by the MBRRACE-UK investigation into maternal deaths in the UK. The figure was 8.79 in the period 2017 to 2019.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Police called to Haverfordwest address on Wednesday morningA person has been arrested following the death of a child in west Wales.Officers were called to an address on Upper Market Street in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on Wednesday morning, Dyfed-Powys police said. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker, Daniel Boffey and Rowena Mason on (#6HR1E)
Move is designed to draw line under scandal but legal experts say it must never be seen as a precedent'Hundreds of post office operators are to have their convictions quashed by parliament within months in an unprecedented move designed to draw a line under one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history.Senior lawyers said, however, that the decision to pass a bill overturning so many court verdicts was constitutionally extraordinary and risked undermining the independence of the judiciary if it was seen as a precedent for future cases. Continue reading...
Fulton county district attorney ordered to testify in case involving her top prosecutor Nathan Wade and his wife Jocelyn WadeFani Willis, Georgia's Fulton county district attorney who brought election interference charges against Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants, has been subpoenaed in a divorce case involving a special prosecutor she hired in the Trump case.A process server delivered the subpoena to Willis's office on Monday, according to a court filing reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the subpoena. The subpoena requests Willis to testify in the divorce case involving her top prosecutor Nathan Wade and his wife Joycelyn Wade. Continue reading...
Stars including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr, Brian Cox, Sarah Snook and Ayo Edebiri will all be in competitionOppenheimer, Succession and The Bear lead this year's Screen Actors Guild nominations, recognising the best performances on the big and small screen.Christopher Nolan's hit biopic scored nominations for Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr and the larger cast up for best ensemble. Often seen as the biggest award of the night, the latter category also includes American Fiction, The Color Purple, Killers of the Flower Moon and Barbie. Continue reading...
Martin Sellner, member of the Identitarian Movement, reportedly spoke of re-migration' ideasPoliticians from Germany's far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, including a personal aide to its leader Alice Weidel, met the head of the rightwing extremist Identitarian Movement and neo-Nazi activists to discuss a masterplan" for mass deportations in the event of the party coming to power, it has been reported.The meeting, which was first reported on Wednesday by the investigative outlet Correctiv, took place last November at a countryside hotel on the outskirts of Potsdam. It is likely to feed a fraught debate over whether the AfD should be banned due to growing concerns that it poses a fundamental threat to German democracy. Continue reading...
Yarl was shot in the head and arm last year after he rang the doorbell to the wrong house while trying to pick up his brothersA Black teenager who was shot by an elderly white man after ringing the wrong doorbell when picking up his siblings has secured a spot on Missouri's all-state band, less than a year after suffering a traumatic brain injury from the shooting.Ralph Yarl, who is 17, was shot in the head and arm by Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old homeowner in Kansas City, Missouri, in April last year after going to the wrong house to pick up his twin brothers. The case reignited debate in the US over race and gun violence issues. Continue reading...
UK Advertising Standards Authority rules ad featuring partial nudity must not appear againA Calvin Klein advertisement featuring the British singer has been banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority, on the grounds that it presented her as a stereotypical sexual object".The poster featured the singer with a shirt draped across her body, revealing part of one breast and the side of her buttocks, along with the caption Calvins or nothing". Continue reading...
by Tom Perkins, with data reporting by Will Craft on (#6HR02)
Guardian analysis finds top recipients of pro-Israel contributions in last elections were centrist Democrats who defeated progressives in primariesCongress members who were more supportive of Israel at the start of the Gaza war received over $100,000 more on average from pro-Israel donors during their last election than those who most supported Palestine, a Guardian analysis of campaign data shows.Those who took more money most often called for US military support and backed Israel's response, even as Gaza's civilian death toll mounted, the findings show. The analysis, which looks at positions taken during the war's first six weeks, does not prove any particular member changed their position because they received pro-Israel campaign donations. However, some campaign finance experts who viewed the data argue that donor spending helped fuel Congress's overwhelming support for Israel. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6HQTF)
Exclusive: Documents show shift in transport policy influenced by unfounded fears about loss of freedom of movement in 15-minute cities'Ministers decided to prioritise driving over active travel because of worries among ministers about 15-minute cities", documents seen by the Guardian show.They indicate that a significant shift in transport policy was guided at least in part by conspiracy theories. Continue reading...
As Queen Margarethe steps down, Caroline Jones recalls how Denmark expressed its gratitude to her grandfatherDuring the second world war, Richard Dewing made a trip from his home in England across the North Sea to become the allies' head of mission to Denmark. His goal? To prevent the occupied country, which had been neutral until the Nazis invaded in 1939, from turning into a battlefield.Maj Gen Dewing liaised with locals, kept the peace, became friendly with the Danish royal family and, upon hearing that surrender was imminent, helped mastermind the liberation of Denmark. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6HQTK)
Many of those affected are frustrated their cause is not getting the same attention as the Post Office Horizon scandalPeople affected by the contaminated blood scandal have called on ministers to also address their fight for compensation alongside government moves to fix the injustice suffered by sub-post office operators.The ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office has led to public uproar over the hundreds of people who were wrongly convicted of alleged theft, fraud and false accounting based on the Post Office's flawed Horizon IT system and action is being taken to look at ways of speedily quashing convictions and ensuring everyone is compensated. Continue reading...
Study of European electoral data suggests social democratic parties alienate supporters by moving towards the political centreAdopting rightwing policies on issues such as immigration and the economy does not help centre-left parties win votes, according to new analysis of European electoral and polling data.Faced with a 20-year decline in their vote share, accompanied by rising support for the right, far right and sometimes the far left, social democratic parties across Europe have increasingly sought salvation by moving towards the political centre. Continue reading...
by Adam Fulton (now); Léonie Chao-Fong, Martin Belam on (#6HPTZ)
This blog is now closed. See all our coverage of the Middle East crisis hereHere is a photograph issued of the meeting between Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, and the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, in Tel Aviv.During the public portion of the meeting Herzog said a lawsuit filed in the international court of justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in its Gaza offensive was atrocious and preposterous".Actually our enemies, Hamas, in their charter, call for the destruction of our nation, the state of Israel - the only nation state of the Jewish people.We will be there at the international court of justice and will present proudly our case of using self-defence under our most inherent right under international humanitarian law. Continue reading...
The teenager, charged with using a hunting knife to kill boy in north London on New Year's Eve, will face a plea hearing on 26 MarchA 16-year-old boy wept in court as he was told he could face a life sentence if convicted of murdering Harry Pitman on New Year's Eve in north London.The boy, who is from north London and cannot be named because of his age, is charged with using a hunting knife to kill Harry, also 16, as a crowd gathered to watch a fireworks display on Primrose Hill. He was also charged with carrying an offensive weapon in a public place. Continue reading...
David Cameron's superficiality allows him to hover above the surface, floating on bland meaningless generalisationsMaybe it's all down to Botox. A daily dose of a hundred tiny needles. Or perhaps, in some dusty attic back in Chipping Norton there's a portrait that is visibly ageing by the hour. A mirror image of the Picture of Dorian Gray.Most former world leaders look like shit after six years in the job. The pressures of work ravage their face. Tony Blair looks like a hollowed-out skull. Even after three years, Boris Johnson looked like Boris Johnson. That bad. But David - make that Lord - Cameron is the remarkable exception. His complexion is still a glossy puce. Barely a wrinkle to be seen.John Crace's book Depraved New World (Guardian Faber, 16.99) is out now. To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy and save 18% at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply Continue reading...
Judge says former Los Angeles-area gang leader can serve house arrest with electronic monitoring ahead of June trialA judge set bail on Tuesday at $750,000 for a former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with orchestrating the killing of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur in 1996 and said he can serve house arrest with electronic monitoring ahead of his trial in June.Court-appointed attorneys for Duane Keffe D" Davis told the Associated Press after the hearing in Las Vegas that they believe he can post bail. They had asked for bail of not more than $100,000. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Economics correspondent on (#6HQGG)
Commission's proposal backed by Co-op party aims to expand existing scheme with sixfold increase in purchasesVacant pubs, shops and community centres put up for sale in England could be offered to local groups to buy first under take back control" plans being explored by Labour before the general election.Under the proposals, local groups would be given the right to buy" much-loved community assets when they come up for sale, with financial backing from the state and an exclusive 12-month period in which to make their offer. Continue reading...
Bridget Phillipson says unique number to link school, health and council data would stop childrens' needs falling through gaps'Children in England should be given a unique number to link their records held by schools, health visitors and councils, allowing governments to harness artificial intelligence and data-mining to improve standards, according to shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson.In a keynote speech, Phillipson also praised former Conservative education secretary Michael Gove for his high expectations, in contrast to the merry-go-round" of ministers that have followed him. Continue reading...
More than 200 flood warnings remain in force as country told to brace for freezing conditions next weekA blast of cold weather from the Arctic is expected to bring more wintry conditions to the UK at the start of next week, the Met Office has warned.There could be snow, especially in the north of Britain, but the south is also expected to be colder than average, the forecaster said. Continue reading...
Brazil president hosts summit amid criticism that easing of crackdown had allowed outsiders to return to forest areasThe Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has insisted his government must not lose the war" against the environmental criminals devastating Indigenous lands in the Amazon after claims that thousands of illegal miners were resisting eviction from the country's biggest such territory.After taking power last January, Lula made expelling an estimated 20,000 gold and tin ore prospectors from the Yanomami Indigenous territory a top priority after four years of Amazon destruction under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. Environmental special forces and federal police teams were sent deep into the region's remote jungles as part of a supposedly historic crackdown. Continue reading...
Rachel Meade was reported to regulator after sharing gender critical beliefs onlineA social worker who was suspended after sharing gender critical beliefs online has won her claim against her employer for discrimination.A tribunal panel found that Westminster city council and Social Work England had discriminated against Rachel Meade on the basis of her protected beliefs under the Equality Act 2010. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Vivienne Hammond says she learned what her husband had suffered in secret for 20 years by watching ITV dramaThe widow of a sub-post office operator accused of misappropriating funds in the Post Office Horizon scandal has spoken of her anguish that he died before his name could be cleared.Vivienne Hammond, 88, told the Guardian that she was traumatised to discover what her late husband, Dennis, must have suffered in secret during the last 20 years of his life when she watched ITV's dramatisation of the scandal, in which more than 2,500 post office operators were wrongly accused of theft because of a glitch in a new accounting software system. The series, Mr Bates vs The Post office, has led to new calls for victims to be exonerated. Continue reading...
Data shows 14 of 25 blocks built by development arm of Rydon have issues and only two have had repairs completedMore than half of the residential blocks built by the company responsible for installing the deadly cladding on the Grenfell Tower have been found to have life-critical" fire safety issues, it can be revealed.Government figures analysed by the Guardian show the development arm of Rydon, the company that installed the flammable cladding which was the primary cause of the spreading fire that killed 72 Grenfell residents, has built 25 residential blocks across England and 14 have been found to have issues. Continue reading...
US secretary of state meets Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv in start of tour aimed at de-escalating war across regionIntense fighting, shelling and aerial bombardment has continued across the south and centre of Gaza as the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, met top Israeli officials in Tel Aviv on a regional tour aimed at reaching a consensus on the territory's future and stopping an escalation of the war across the Middle East.US officials said Blinken told Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, on Tuesday that his forces must avoid inflicting further harm on civilians in Gaza. Continue reading...
Rules reintroduced as commonsense measure' despite opposition from some regional administrationsFace masks will be mandatory in hospitals and health centres in Spain from Wednesday as the country experiences a surge in cases of flu, Covid and other respiratory illnesses.The government decision, which comes six months after the use of masks ceased to be obligatory in health facilities and pharmacies, has been met with opposition from some regional administrations. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6HQ9Q)
The prosecution case against Bethany Cox, 22, relied on 1861 law condemned as cruel and outdated by campaignersProsecutors have offered no evidence against a woman accused of using drugs to bring about an illegal abortion as the first UK coronavirus lockdown ended.Bethany Cox, 22, was on Tuesday formally found not guilty of charges that had been brought under a Victorian law condemned as cruel and outdated by campaigners - the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. Continue reading...
Online fashion retailer wants to ensure efficiency at sites including Leicester as its sales fallThe fast fashion company Boohoo is considering closing a factory that it set up in Leicester as a model for its efforts to improve the treatment of workers making its clothing.The struggling online retailer is consulting with up to 100 workers at the site just two years after it was opened to great fanfare with the intention of using it for supplier learning and development", creating 170 jobs. Continue reading...
Attorney for Michael Roman, an ex-staffer for the former president, claims Fani Willis continues to benefit' from litigationOne of Donald Trump's co-defendants in his Georgia election interference case has alleged that Fani Willis - the district attorney leading the proceeding - has been engaged in a personal, romantic relationship" with one of the top prosecutors she brought in for the case.In a court filing seeking to have charges against him dismissed, an attorney for Michael Roman - an ex-staffer of the former president - has accused Willis of intentionally failing to disclose a relationship with the prosecutor, Nathan Wade, and personally benefiting from his appointment to the case. Continue reading...
by Jonathan Barrett and Elias Visontay on (#6HQ2Y)
The industry's revival is remarkable for a sector once synonymous with the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus pandemicThe cruise line industry has come roaring back to life, marking a remarkable revival for a sector once synonymous with the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.The record number of passengers now cruising to Australian ports, which surpasses the pre-pandemic era, is credited to aggressive pricing strategies enticing customers away from high air fares and expensive hotels.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brussels correspondent on (#6HQ30)
Artificial intelligence enables criminals to target thousands of victims at once, say Europol expertsArtificial intelligence, combined with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, is fuelling a boom in fraud on dating and social media apps, officials at Europol have said.Speaking to the Guardian, the agency's top financial crime experts said scripts generated by artificial intelligence enable criminals to target multiple victims at once. Continue reading...
Majority of flood warnings in south of England and Midlands, with some snow flurries overnightMore than 100 flood warnings remain in place after last week's Storm Henk deluge as large parts of the UK endured a cold, frosty morning.The Environment Agency (EA) said there were 126 flood warnings in England where flooding is expected, including a flood warning on the River Thames south-west of London in Wraysbury. Continue reading...
MSG says it cannot continue to take part in process that was political football between rival parties'The US company behind a proposed huge Las Vegas-style Sphere entertainment venue in east London has withdrawn its plans.Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG) said it could not continue to participate in a process that was merely a political football between rival parties". Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Since Mr Bates v The Post Office aired on ITV, dozens of people affected have come forward to seek recompense for their ruined lives Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. It is almost a quarter of a century since a new digital accounting system was rolled out across the Post Office. In 2000, sub-postmaster Alan Bates first reported his concerns about unexplained discrepancies in the Horizon software. It is 15 years since Computer Weekly first revealed the stories of some of the sub-postmasters who had been wrongly fined or imprisoned after convictions for false accounting, five years since the first tranche of 555 workers won a landmark legal victory against the Post Office, and two years since a public inquiry started to hear evidence into the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history.And yet the story is far from over. Today, only 93 of 736 convictions have been overturned, and only 30 people have accepted final compensation settlements. Now, an ITV drama centred on Bates' story has brought a new focus to the scandal - and yesterday, ministers agreed urgent plans to clear the victims' names.Gaza | The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has arrived in Tel Aviv for potentially difficult meetings with Israeli leaders and officials who have repeatedly resisted pressure from Washington over their conduct of the war against Hamas. Tensions in the region continued to rise on Monday with an Israeli airstrike killing an elite Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon.Education | Student loans in England will cost the government an extra 11bn a year - equivalent to 16% of all schools spending in England - because of higher interest rates increasing the cost of borrowing, new analysis suggests. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says that a spike in rates paid by the government means that it will now lose money even on loans that are repaid in full.Climate crisis | The internationally agreed threshold to prevent the Earth from spiraling into a new superheated era will be passed for all practical purposes" during 2024, the man known as the godfather of climate science has warned. James Hansen told the Guardian: We are now in the process of moving into the 1.5C world."Boeing | United Airlines has found loose bolts and other installation issues" on multiple 737 Max 9 aircraft, it said yesterday, referring to the Boeing model that was grounded after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated plane mid-flight. As Boeing shares fell 8% on Monday, Alaska Airlines said its technicians had found loose hardware" on some of its 737 Max 9 aircraft.Conservatives | Rishi Sunak has refused to endorse Helen Harrison, partner of the disgraced former MP Peter Bone, to replace Bone as the Conservative candidate in the Wellingborough byelection. Harrison's selection drew controversy after local voters triggered a recall of Bone because of revelations about his behaviour. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspon on (#6HPV2)
After being elected to Valencia's regional assembly, Galceran says she wants to be seen as a person, not for her disabilityFor decades she battled to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities were part of the conversation. The extent of the progress she had made, however, was laid bare recently when Mar Galceran became Spain's first parliamentarian with Down's syndrome.It's unprecedented," the 45-year-old told the Guardian. Society is starting to see that people with Down's syndrome have a lot to contribute. But it's a very long road." Continue reading...
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