NAO report raises concerns about lack of long-term planning after take-up remained flat from 2011 to 2019A public spending watchdog has criticised the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs amid concerns about a lack of long-term planning to tackle waste and boost recycling.A 56-page report, published by the National Audit Office (NAO), found that household recycling rates in England had stalled over the last decade. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6CKR0)
Which? calls for stronger legislation, saying no airline has been fined for breaching obligations in 20 yearsAirline passengers in the UK are being let down by toothless regulation, with no airline fined in the last 20 years for breaching obligations, the consumer group Which? has found.It called for urgent legislation to beef up the regulator's powers, contrasting the lack of action in the UK over unpaid refunds or compensation with fines issued in other countries. Continue reading...
Robert Malley expects investigation to be resolved favourably and soon' in wake of inquiry reportedly assessing his handling of classified documentsThe US special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, has said his security clearance is being reviewed and he is on leave in the meantime.I have been informed that my security clearance is under review. I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favourably and soon," Malley, a key figure in efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, told Reuters, Axios and CNN on Thursday. In the meantime, I am on leave." Continue reading...
by Angelique Chrisafis and Jon Henley in Paris on (#6CJQJ)
Police fire teargas at rioters as 6,000 march through Nanterre to protest against shooting of 17-year-oldViolence has erupted for a third consecutive night in France as Emmanuel Macron struggles to contain mounting anger after the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old boy of north African descent during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb.The officer concerned was charged with voluntary homicide on Thursday and placed in provisional detention in the capital as an estimated 6,000 people marched through the streets of Nanterre in memory of the teenager, identified as Nahel M. Continue reading...
Wagner forces won't fight in Ukraine any longer after Prigozhin refuses to sign ministry contract; Kremlin silent on whereabouts of Gen Sergei Surovikin after mercenary group's rebellion
People struggling in the swelter was a common sight, especially after day-long outdoor prayers at Mount ArafatMore than 2,000 people suffered heat stress during the hajj pilgrimage, Saudi officials said on Thursday, after temperatures soared to 48C (118F).Over 1.8 million Muslim worshippers performed the days-long hajj, mostly held outdoors at the height of the Saudi desert summer. Many elderly were among the pilgrims after a Covid-era maximum age limit was scrapped. Continue reading...
Rapper, promoter Live Nation and others had been investigated after 10 died and thousands were injured at Astroworld in 2021A Texas grand jury has declined to indict rap superstar Travis Scott in a criminal investigation of a deadly crowd surge at the 2021 Astroworld festival, his attorney said on Thursday.Lawyer Kent Schaffer confirmed that the Harris County grand jury had met and decided not to indict his client on any criminal charges stemming from the concert. Schaffer said he was not sure what charges the panel had considered. Continue reading...
by Tom Phillips and Analy Nuño in Michoacán on (#6CKH4)
One of the leaders of the violence-scarred country's self-defense' movement was cut down in rural MichoacanOne of the founders of Mexico's self-defense" movement, the lime farmer turned vigilante crusader Hipolito Mora, has been murdered in an ambush - the latest macabre chapter in the country's unabating crime conflict.Guillermo Valencia, a politician from the violence-stricken state of Michoacan, where Mora helped launch a rural revolt against narco-traffickers 10 years ago, announced the news on Twitter. Continue reading...
Christian website designer says she received email request from same-sex couple but author' says he did not send it - and is not gayThe veracity of a key document in a major LGBTQ+ rights case before the US supreme court has come under question, raising the possibility that important evidence cited in it might be wrong or even falsified.The supreme court is expected to issue a ruling on Friday in 303 Creative LLC v Elenis, which deals with a challenge to a Colorado law prohibiting public-serving businesses from discriminating against gay people as well as any statements announcing such a policy. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6CKH5)
NHS England could have 12,500 extra doctors and nurses by 2028 under the service's first long-term workforce planThousands more doctors and nurses will be trained in England every year as part of a government push to plug the huge workforce gaps that plague almost all NHS services.The number of places in medical schools will rise from 7,500 to 10,000 by 2028 and could reach 15,000 by 2031 as a result of the NHS's first long-term workforce plan. Continue reading...
Trans social media star says company largely abandoned her amid bullying responses to beer promotionDylan Mulvaney has spoken out against Bud Light, criticizing the brand for not supporting her amid transphobic backlash to an advertisement featuring the influencer.In a TikTok video captioned Trans people like beer, too", Mulvaney, who is trans, called out Bud Light for largely abandoning her after she was bullied for posting a sponsored video to Instagram with the beer brand. Continue reading...
Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifts south into US cities as Texas grapples with record-breaking temperaturesHere are some air and heat safety tips from Dr Nasim Rahman, an indoor air quality expert at Lennox International, a provider of climate control products.Keep windows and doors closed: When outdoor air quality is at its worst, keep the entry points to your home closed to preserve the air in your home - without unsafely blocking your ability to exit the home.Keep your system in on" or circulate" mode: When avoiding opening doors and windows in your home you should opt to turn your thermostat fan to on". In this setting, the air in your home will continuously move through the furnace filter and improve the quality of the air in your home. If you have a smart thermostat in your home, you should utilize the circulate" option, which will cycle your air for a few minutes every hour, using less energy than the traditional on" setting.Avoid activities that increase unhealthy air quality: Avoid activities that create or contribute to smoke or other pollutants in your home. You should avoid smoking, burning candles, or frying foods as these types of activities can significantly decrease the air quality in your home.Install a high efficiency carbon filter or air purifier: Carbon activated filters can filter out fumes, smoke (up to 99% efficiency), and other chemicals you want to avoid having in the home. While regular filters are capable of removing dust and other similar allergens, a carbon filter is the upgrade you need to keep your home's air the best it can be during wildfire season.Maintain seasonal maintenance to keep your unit at top performance: Contacting your trusted HVAC dealer for seasonal maintenance will ensure that your unit is in top condition and ready to perform at maximum efficiency. Continue reading...
Tory party's deputy chair used parliamentary rooftop setting to publicise TV show, in apparent contravention of rulesThe Conservative MP Lee Anderson faces a telling off for using a parliamentary rooftop to film a promotion video for his GB News TV show, with unauthorised photography or filming not permitted on the parliamentary estate.The serjeant at arms, who is responsible for upholding order in the Commons, will be contacting Anderson, the Conservative party deputy chairman, over the Twitter footage. Continue reading...
by Ben Quinn, Diane Taylor and Pippa Crerar on (#6CKE7)
Sunak insists Rwanda is safe country to be sent after court rules in favour of charities and 10 asylum seekersThe bitter legal battle over the government's flagship immigration policy is set to reach new heights after Downing Street insisted it would fight to overturn a ruling that sending refugees to Rwanda was unlawful.Charities and others were jubilant on Thursday after judges at the court of appeal ruled in favour of campaign groups and 10 affected asylum seekers, while the opposition claimed the policy at heart of Rishi Sunak's Stop the Boats" pledge was now unravelling. Continue reading...
Johanson was venerated as a forthright educator who filled voids left by the absence of sex ed curricula at US and Canadian schoolsSex educator Sue Johanson, who once declared that horny is a beautiful thing," has died at the age of 93 after more than two decades of giving frank advice to audiences in Canada and the US.Johanson gained an international audience with her plainspoken guidance to Canadians on her radio and TV programme Sunday Night Sex Show - and then Americans on her Talk Sex programme. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6CKAZ)
Gen Sir Patrick Sanders is said to have told defence secretary that the army cannot take more reductionsThe head of the British army could resign, allies say, amid a fierce row over further proposed cuts to land forces in the run-up to a special defence review responding to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Interviews have already begun to replace Gen Sir Patrick Sanders, who has served only a year as chief of the general staff, and friends of the military leader say he may quit even sooner if the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, imposes further cuts. Continue reading...
German man says he first contacted Scotland Yard about suspect Christian Bruckner in 2008The man who tipped off police about Christian Bruckner, the main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has said his initial approach to the Metropolitan police in the year after she disappeared was ignored and he was only taken seriously when he contacted them again nine years later.The German man, identified only as Helge B, said he had approached Scotland Yard in 2008, suspecting Bruckner's involvement in the child's abduction, but he heard nothing back from them. Publicity around the 10th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance in 2017 prompted him to contact them again, after which they acted on his information, he said. Continue reading...
NAACP accuses court of bowing to personally held beliefs of an extremist minority' as race-conscious admissions endsCivil rights advocates and progressives have expressed outrage and disappointment following a US supreme court decision that severely limits the right to consider race in college admissions.The court's conservative justices ruled on Thursday that admissions policies at Harvard University discriminated against Asian American applicants and at the University of North Carolina (UNC) against white and Asian American applicants, violating the constitution's equal protection clause. Continue reading...
Home secretary says government will seek leave to appeal against judgment as she gives statement to MPsJacob Rees-Mogg declined to comment on the privileges committee report when he was doorstepped by reporters this morning. He told ITV he was going to church, and then to the Test match.The Suella Braverman statement in the Commons on the court of appeal judgment on the Rwanda deportations policy will take place at about 5pm. Continue reading...
The firm, which manages the system, said it had taken three days to recontact each of the disconnected callersBT has revealed that it missed almost 11,500 calls to emergency services via the 999 number after technical faults shut down the platform last weekend.The company, which manages the urgent calls system, said it had taken three days to recontact each of the callers who had not been connected after what it described as a complex software issue crippled the service for several hours from 6.24am on Sunday morning. Continue reading...
Minister says weapon is important for rural work and pursuits, and that UK already has tough gun lawsThe UK government has been strongly criticised by anti-gun campaigners for rejecting calls from bereaved families, senior police officers and a coroner to put extra controls on shotguns in response to the Plymouth mass shooting.Ministers were accused of putting the rights of shooters before public safety after deciding against strengthening the shotgun laws on the basis that doing so could affect country sports and farmers and claiming the UK already had some of the strictest laws in the world. Continue reading...
Leftwing opposition leader who was PM during eurozone crisis says party needs profound renewal'Alexis Tsipras, the former student activist who rose to become Greece's first radical leftwing prime minister, has resigned as leader of Syriza four days after the party's crushing defeat in general elections.Eight years after taking Europe by storm, Tsipras said he was stepping down to make way for a new leader who could oversee Syriza's profound renewal". Continue reading...
Promises on inflation, debt and waiting lists are already looking shaky, but Tories will not give up small boats plan easily UK politics live - latest updatesIf the five pledges on which Rishi Sunak has pinned Conservative hopes of re-election were already looking shaky, the appeal court ruling on the government's Rwanda asylum policy is a major setback ahead of a general election that must take place before January 2025.With promises to halve inflation this year, reduce national debt and shorten NHS waiting lists all in doubt, his stop the boats" pledge is now bereft of the supposed deterrent effect of being able to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to have their claims processed. Continue reading...
Passengers held on trains for up to hour as services suspended between Heathrow and Abbey WoodServices on a major section of London's new 19bn Elizabeth line have been suspended because of a swan blocking the tracks.Transport for London (TfL) said there were no services between Heathrow airport in west London and Abbey Wood in south-east London - via the centre of the capital - due to an obstruction on the track". It said there were severe delays on the rest of the line. Continue reading...
Congress party accused Narendra Modi of abject failure' over two-month long crisis between majority Meitei and Kuki groupsRahul Gandhi, the leader of India's main opposition Congress party, has visited a north-eastern state beset by two months of violence, as a shootout there claimed two more lives.The shooting on the outskirts of Imphal, the state capital of Manipur, also left four wounded. Continue reading...
James Cleverly says global south deserves more powerful voice at top table and review needed into five permanent members' vetoThe global south deserves a more powerful voice at the world's top table by expanding the UN security council, the UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has said.Cleverly also called for a review of the use of the veto by the council's five permanent five members, adding that the world's poorest countries feel their voice is not heard even on issues of direct concern to them. Continue reading...
TravelSupermarket figures show steepest rises in Crete at 25%, followed by Tenerife at 22% and Mallorca at 21%Package holidays to popular Mediterranean destinations such as Majorca and Crete have soared in price by up to a quarter compared with last year amid high demand and rising costs for providers.All-inclusive deals for the most sought-after destinations for British holidaymakers - Spain, Turkey, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus - have gone up by nearly 12%, according to TravelSupermarket. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Economics correspondent on (#6CK0G)
Bank of England data shows families drew on 4.6bn in May to help them cope with the cost of living crisisUK households are pulling money out of their savings accounts at the fastest rate ever recorded, as they draw on rainy day funds to weather the cost of living storm.Figures from the Bank of England show households withdrew a net 4.6bn from banks and building societies in May, the highest level of withdrawals since it started collecting the monthly data in October 1997. Continue reading...
William O'Neill says survival of a nation' is at stake and also calls for deployment of an international forceA UN official has called for an immediate arms embargo for Haiti and an intervention force to combat endemic gang violence in the Caribbean state, after the killings of more than 200 gang members in recent months.William O'Neill, who was appointed in April as an expert on human rights in Haiti, added his voice to growing calls for an international intervention in the country, which has descended into crime-fuelled anarchy since the murder of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Continue reading...
Upbeat figures from discounter and fashion chain follow similar updates from Next and PrimarkShoppers searching for ways to trim their budgets have boosted sales at the discounter B&M and the fashion chain H&M in the latest sign of resilient trading on Britain's high streets.B&M said sales rose 9.2% at its core UK stores with trade in both groceries and non-food doing well. Continue reading...
Report says officers collected details of activists' sexuality and bank accounts and operations should have been shut down What is the spy cops' scandal and why was inquiry set up?Undercover operations to infiltrate leftwing groups in the 1970s and early 1980s were not justified and should have been closed down, a retired judge leading a public inquiry has concluded.In a critical report published on Thursday, Sir John Mitting found that undercover police officers collected a striking and extensive" amount of information about the personal lives of political activists, such as their holiday plans, sexuality and bank accounts. Continue reading...
by Aubrey Allegretti Senior political correspondent on (#6CJVF)
Committee points finger of blame at MPs including Nadine Dorries, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti PatelConservative MPs and peers close to Boris Johnson launched an unprecedented and co-ordinated" campaign to undermine the privileges committee, a new report has said.They came under scrutiny after concerns were raised during the investigation into Johnson's Partygate denials about a sustained and coordinated attempt to undermine the credibility of the committee. Continue reading...
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