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Alex Chalk urges local council where racing festival takes place to stop granting licences to such venuesThe presence of pop-up strip clubs at Cheltenham is making women feel threatened and intimidated" at one of Britain's biggest race festivals, the justice secretary has said.Alex Chalk, the MP for Cheltenham, challenged the local council to stop granting licences to so-called sexual entertainment venues (SEVs). Continue reading...

Latest round of negotiations end without breakthrough and next round will not take place until after India's election campaignThe UK and India have formally closed their 14th round of trade negotiations without reaching a deal and will put the discussions on ice until later this year.The UK government ended the latest round of talks on Friday night after two weeks of intensive negotiations with Indian officials failed to bear fruit. Continue reading...

Union for health workers also calls on Tory donor to stand down from contracts, claiming his racist' comments breach guidelinesUnions representing GPs and health workers have called on Conservative donor Frank Hester to stand down from running NHS contracts, claiming his racist and misogynistic comments" breach its fit and proper person' test.Hester's company TPP runs the electronic patient records of almost half the medical practices in the UK, but his remarks about Diane Abbott have prompted calls for him to step aside amid a growing political row. Continue reading...

Testimony contained in documents released by supreme court details alleged plot to overturn result of 2022 Brazilian electionBrazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro presented top military officials with a plan to carry out a coup d'etat after his defeat in the October 2022 election, two former commanders have told the police, according to newly released judicial documents.In testimonies made public on Friday, former army commander Marco Antonio Freire Gomes and former air force commander Carlos Baptista Junior said Bolsonaro held several meetings in December 2022 in which he presented a document that would have served as the basis to overturn the results of the election, which he lost to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Continue reading...

Stephen Shrimpton, 40, and student Jessica Baker, 15, died when the coach he was driving crashed in September last yearThe driver of a school bus that crashed on a Merseyside motorway last year died of natural causes, a coroner's office has said.Stephen Shrimpton, 40, died when the coach he was driving crashed on the northbound M53 in Wirral on 29 September. One of the passengers, Jessica Baker, 15, was killed in the crash. Continue reading...

At least six people killed as overnight storms flatten towns in parts of eastern Indiana and western OhioA cluster of more than 10 tornadoes that swept through five states has killed at least three people and injured more than 100, with others still missing early on Friday and first responders searching through rubble, after severe storms left neighborhoods splintered and brought down power lines.Parts of eastern Indiana and western Ohio were hit especially hard in the deadly weather overnight, and the extent of the destruction and the toll on residents was still not clear as first light illuminated flattened towns on Friday. Continue reading...

President also condemns US surge in Islamophobia in comments that could portend broader shift in sentiment towards Gaza warJoe Biden on Friday said Senator Chuck Schumer made a good speech" that reflected many Americans' concerns when he publicly broke with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over his handling of the war in Gaza.While the US president announced no changes in his administration's policy towards Israel, his views on the speech Schumer made Thursday from the floor of the US Senate, where the New York Democrat is the majority leader, could portend a broader shift in sentiment. Continue reading...

Exclusive: former guards tell of clashes on farm that is facing civil claims over allegations of killing, rape and beatingsFormer security guards at a vast Del Monte pineapple farm in Kenya have spoken for the first time describing violent clashes between guards and thieves at the plantation, which is facing civil claims over allegations of killing, rape and beatings by its guards.Earlier this month Del Monte announced it would be outsourcing its security operations at the farm to G4S, sacking its 214 in-house guards. Continue reading...

Rallies take place in Idlib region, held by rebels against Bashar al-Assad, whose repression sparked civil war in 2011Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Syria's rebel-held north-west to mark 13 years since pro-democracy protests swept the country, chanting against President Bashar al-Assad and the region's jihadist rulers.The government's brutal suppression of the 2011 uprising triggered a civil war that has killed more than half a million people, drawn in foreign armies and jihadists, and divided the country. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. You can read our latest coverage on the Israel-Gaza war hereReuters has a breaking news line about the Gaza aid ship, the Open Arms, that set off from Cyprus on Tuesday. According to the news agency, witnesses have reported that the ship is close to Gaza's coast now.More details soon ... Continue reading...

Military powers agree to step up purchase of ammunition for Kyiv in effort to dampen mutual tensions over Russia stanceIn an ostentatious show of unity designed to ease the tensions between France and Germany over the threat posed by a resurgent Russia, leaders of Europe's three leading military powers agreed to step up the worldwide purchase of ammunition for Ukraine and improve their offer of long-range artillery.The hastily arranged meeting in Berlin between France, Germany and Poland did little to disguise the fact that Paris and Berlin now hold different perspectives on the twin spectres of Russian military advances in Ukraine and the US Congress's refusal to approve substantial further military aid for Kyiv. Continue reading...

More than 75 injured in Black Sea city during deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilian area in weeks

Industry minister says review of popular video app that is planning to expand in country has been ongoing since September 2023Canada is conducting a national security review of Chinese-owned TikTok's proposed expansion of the popular video app in the country, the industry minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne, said on Friday.In a teleconference from Italy after meeting with his G7 counterparts, Champagne said the review under the Investment Canada Act had been quietly initiated in September 2023. Continue reading...

Hackney MP endorsed a post saying it was unlikely she would be allowed to rejoin Labour despite the support of senior figuresA reader asks:Is there anything other than convention which says elections must be on a Thursday?The reason for choosing Thursday, it is said, was as follows. On Fridays the voters were paid their wages and if they went for a drink in a public house they would be subject to pressure from the Conservative brewing interests, while on Sundays they would be subject to influence by Free Church ministers who were generally Liberal in persuasion. Therefore choose the day furthest from influence by either publicans or Free Church clergymen, namely Thursday. Although these influences are much less significant today, the trend towards Thursday becoming a universal polling day has continued, because Urban District Councils and Rural District Councils all polled on a Saturday until they were abolished under the 1972 Local Government Act. Their successor District Councils poll on a Thursday and the Parish Council polling day was changed from Saturday to Thursday at the same time.If it ends up being an autumn election as Sunak has indicated, how does that impact the conference season - do they still go ahead? - and does the summer recess have any affect on when a government can call an election? Continue reading...

Potential move by RedBird IMI follows UK government plan to ban foreign state ownership of newspapersThe United Arab Emirates-backed consortium RedBird IMI is considering a sale of its stake in the Telegraph, after its attempt to take over the media group was effectively scuppered by UK government plans to ban foreign state ownership of newspapers.It paid 600m last November to clear the debts of the group's owners, the Barclay family, but within days the transfer of control was put on hold amid an investigation into whether it raises public interest concerns. Continue reading...

Deal between Japanese carmakers involves components and software amid race to catch up with Chinese EV firmsHonda and Nissan have put aside the traditional approach" of fierce rivalry to join forces and work together on electric vehicle technology as Japan's carmakers try to catch up with Chinese competitors.The Japanese manufacturers will work together on technology for EVs, including components and software, after signing a memorandum of understanding on Friday. Continue reading...

Health Services Union secretary says new benchmark pay rate will make sector competitive with public health system

Apocalyptic cautionary tale' imagining violent conflict in US and released in tumultuous election year premieres at SXSWAfter months of online speculation, writer-director Alex Garland's button-pushing thriller Civil War has premiered at this year's SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.The film imagines what America would look like in the midst of full-scale civil war with broken supply lines, abandoned highways and a national military cleaved into opposing factions. Set to be released during a fractious election year, it shows a dystopian near future in which the US is riven by military conflict from within. Continue reading...

Conservative who has held Wells seat since 2015 says he has taken painful decision' not to stand at next election

Firefighters responded to blazes set off by an ebike, an EV charging station, a garden hedger and a loose battery in a garbage truck

Friday's decision to unpause' $6m in funding to UNRWA follows similar moves by Canada and Sweden

From Friday, non-compliant cars, vans and minibuses can be sent to country which is short of vehicles to transport casualtiesMotorists planning to scrap vehicles that do not meet ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) standards in London can instead donate them to Ukraine from Friday, as a scheme is launched after a protracted campaign to win the support of the mayor and central government.The proposal dates back over a year, but was initially rejected by the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, on legal grounds, and only reversed after a vigorous and at times acrimonious lobbying effort which succeeded when it was approved by the transport department. Continue reading...

Public accounts committee report shows hardly any of 71 projects due to be completed this month are on trackRishi Sunak's levelling up agenda is beset by an absolutely astonishing" level of delay, and the government cannot give any compelling examples" of what it has delivered, parliament's spending watchdog has found.The public accounts committee (PAC) said barely any of the 71 shovel-ready" projects due to be completed this month were on track. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Charity seeks to minimise the impact' of the cuts on beneficiaries living with cancerMacmillan Cancer Support, one of Britain's biggest and best known charities, is planning to axe 150 jobs - one in 14 of its workforce - saying that it is getting harder to raise money to cover rising demand for its help due to increasing numbers of people living with cancer.The charity, whose services play a vital role in local NHS provision, spends 250m a year funding about 11,000 specialist cancer nurses and care workers and providing financial, practical and emotional support and advice to the public, including thousands of 200 grants to patients needing help with energy and travel costs. Continue reading...

Eighty plaques stolen from Garden of Little Angels at Altona Memorial Park in a bid to sell bronze for scrap metal, police say

Video recovered from passenger's phone revealed pilot was distracted during pre-takeoff checks and did not complete them

Researchers compared the symptoms and impairment of Covid and influenza patients a year after they tested positive

Seven people who allegedly suffered injuries after a door-sized panel blew off mid-air file suit against airline and manufacturerSeven passengers of the harrowing Alaska Airlines flight that had to make an emergency landing after a door-sized panel blew off the plane are suing the airline and the aircraft's manufacturer Boeing.One of the plaintiffs is Cuong Tran, a passenger who was seated in a window seat right behind the door plug that blew out mid-air, causing rapid depressurization in the cabin of the Boeing 737 Max 9 jet. He was saved by his seatbelt as air rushed out of the hole, tearing off a pair of socks and one shoe and sucking away his iPhone. Continue reading...

Douglas Hilton says he will staunchly defend' scientists as opposition leader repeats incorrect claim that CSIRO report does not accurately represent cost of renewables

DWP figures reveal thousands of people a month are assessed as unable to work because of mental health problemsThousands of people in the UK are being deemed incapable of any work every month due to mental health problems, figures have shown.According to official data published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), at least 20,000 incapacity benefit claims are for mental health problems - making up more than two-thirds of the total. Continue reading...

James Bond star fined $500 and told to donate $1,000 to non-profit that supports park after stepping out of bounds in a thermal areaPierce Brosnan, whose fictitious movie character James Bond has been in hot water plenty of times, pleaded guilty Thursday to stepping off a trail in a thermal area during a November visit to Yellowstone national park.Brosnan, who called in to the court hearing, was fined $500 and ordered to make a $1,000 donation to Yellowstone Forever - a non-profit organization that supports the park - by 1 April, court records showed. Continue reading...

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Scottish Tory leader says all of Hester's donations should be reviewed after racist and misogynistic commentsRishi Sunak faces increasing pressure over donations from Frank Hester, whose comments about Diane Abbott have been condemned as racist and misogynistic, after it was reported he has given another 5m to the Conservatives.The additional money, not denied by the party or Downing Street, would take Hester's contributions to Tory party coffers in less than a year to 15m, almost as much as the Conservatives spent in the entire 2019 general election campaign. Continue reading...

Calls during Yemen briefing come as missile believed to have been launched by Houthis strikes a vessel off AdenThe US and UK have called for a UN maritime inspectorate to do more to prevent Iranian missiles reaching Houthi-controlled ports in the west of Yemen.The calls during a UN security council briefing on the crisis in Yemen came as a missile believed to have been launched by Yemen's Houthi militia struck a vessel off the southern city of Aden - but caused no damage - and US forces fired missiles on to Hodeidah international airport. Continue reading...

Community secretary's new definition of extremism attracts criticism in parliament, including from Tory former ministerMichael Gove is facing threats of legal action after naming Muslim organisations that could fall foul of a new definition of extremism.Amid free speech fears among Conservatives, the communities secretary told MPs that the advocacy groups Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), Mend and Cage were organisations with Islamist orientation and beliefs" that could be included on a list of groups banned from access to public money, ministers and civil servants. Continue reading...

Deputy leader also says she does not know why Abbott has not received an apology about racism she has faced within party

Dancehall star was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 for the murder of an associateThe Jamaican musician Vybz Kartel's conviction for the murder of an associate more than a decade ago has been quashed, with a London court ruling that attempts to bribe the trial jury meant the conviction was unsafe.The dancehall star, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is one of Jamaica's most popular artists and has collaborated with performers such as Jay-Z and Rihanna. Continue reading...

One of UK-French supersonic planes, which stopped flying passengers in 2003, returns by barge to museum after restorationA Concorde jet has been floated down the Hudson River in New York after months of refurbishments.The retired British Airways plane was stored in the Intrepid Museum in Manhattan after supersonic flights came to an end in 2003 and it was taken away for restoration last August. Continue reading...

As a result of consultation with local people, visitors must make deliberate choice to see toppled statue of slave traderIt is undoubtedly the most well-known artefact in Bristol's waterside museum, but rather than being given a prominent position it has been tucked away in a modest case at the back of a first-floor gallery.Finding the right setting in M Shed for the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston, which was pulled from a plinth in the city and thrown into the harbour during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, has been a delicate task. Continue reading...

Pallets with 50% more supplies than first boat, Open Arms, being loaded in Cyprus

If Beale Street Could Talk star says sadness at death of son Ian in January 2022 is a reminder of how much he means to me'Regina King is a different person" after her son's death by suicide, the actor and director said in her first interview about her son since his death.Grief is a journey," King told Good Morning America's Robin Roberts in a segment that aired on Thursday morning. I understand that grief is love, that it has no place to go. I know that it's important for me to honor Ian in the totality of who he is."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 counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Holyrood standards committee to examine findings of inquiry that upheld three complaints against ex-minister

Michael Gove has named five groups to be examined but some fear many more will ultimately be includedFar-right and Islamist groups are among those expected to be included in a list the government will publish in the coming weeks as part of a new definition of extremism.The communities minister, Michael Gove, named five groups to MPs on Thursday - three Muslim-led and two far-right - which he said would be examined under the new legislation. Continue reading...

Paris Club of creditor nations agrees $2bn cancellation as Mogadishu moves towards financial normalisation amid ongoing conflictThe Paris Club, a collection of some of the world's wealthiest creditor nations, has announced the cancellation of 99% of Somalia's debt, in a major boost as the country continues its fragile economic recovery from an ongoing three-decade conflict.The announcement came after officials from Somalia's finance ministry held meetings with creditor countries organised by the Paris Club, which is run by senior officials from the French Treasury. Continue reading...

US Senate majority leader says that Israel has lost its way in its war in GazaLebanon's National News Agency reports Israeli planes have overflown Jezzine in southern Lebanon. There are unconfirmed images circulating social media appearing to show airstrikes have been carried out. Israel and anti-Israeli forces in Lebanon have repeatedly exchanged fire since 7 October.The aid ship from Cyprus expected to arrive on Gaza's shores is only a drop in the ocean" of what is needed to address the acute crisis in the territory, the International Rescue Committee's lead on the crisis said late yesterday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Names, photos and migration status being mixed up, preventing people applying for jobs and housing Their system is broken': the people caught up in IT chaosMajor flaws in a huge Home Office database of migrants has resulted in more than 76,000 people being listed with incorrect names, photographs or immigration status.Leaked internal documents reveal the scale of the database fiasco at the Home Office, which has recently been criticised for delays in immigration application processing, long queues at borders and the distribution of incorrect identity cards. Continue reading...

Judge says evidence for his conclusion that Craig Wright did not create bitcoin is overwhelming'Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of bitcoin, is not the Australian computer scientist Craig Wright, a high court judge has ruled, ending a fractious two-month trial in London.In a highly unusual decision, the presiding judge, Mr Justice Mellor, issued the verdict within seconds of the case concluding, promising to issue a fairly lengthy written judgment" in due course. Continue reading...

Designer was responsible for classic luxury sports cars such as Lamborghini Countach, Alfa Romeo Carabo and Lancia StratosMarcello Gandini, the Italian car designer who pioneered the use of scissor doors" in luxury sports cars and drew the sleek outlines of several eye-catching designs for manufacturers including Lamborghini, has died aged 85.Gandini, whose designs for fast and furious machines like the Alfa Romeo Carabo, the Lancia Stratos, or the Lamborghini Countach and Miura adorned millions of teenage bedroom walls, died suddenly in the Rivoli municipality of Turin on Monday, Italian state broadcaster Rai said. Continue reading...

Officials could put forward proposal before meeting of prime ministers in Brussels next week

Trial date set for November as prosecutors reject teenager's plea over stabbing of 15-year-old last SeptemberA teenage boy has admitted to killing 15-year-old schoolgirl Elianne Andam in Croydon during the morning rush hour last year but denied murdering her.Elianne was stabbed at a bus stop outside Whitgift shopping centre on Wellesley Road in Croydon on 27 September at about 8.30am. Continue reading...