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Company challenged over advice that one expert says will enable families to avoid paying tax on private school feesA boutique tax advisory firm run by the Scottish National party’s new auditors has been accused of potentially running a tax avoidance scheme to help parents who are paying private school fees.Signature Tax, an offshoot of AMS Accountants Group, offers clients “tailored tax solutions” on its website, including advice on paying fees in a “tax efficient manner”. Continue reading...

PM calls results ‘disappointing’, while Labour says it’s on track to win power at next general election

Leonard Leo funneled funds to Ginni Thomas with instructions not to mention her, Washington Post reportsThe conservative supreme court justice Clarence Thomas is under renewed scrutiny after the Washington Post found that an activist with interests in the court’s decisions funneled tens of thousands of dollars to Thomas’s wife, with instructions not to mention her name.The report published on Thursday outlines instances in which activist Leonard Leo paid Clarence Thomas’s wife, Ginni Thomas, via the GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway. Citing documents it had obtained, the Post said that Leo told Conway to bill one of his non-profits and send the funds to Thomas, at one point mentioning that paperwork associated with the transaction should have “no mention of Ginni, of course”. Continue reading...

At least 176 die after heavy rainfall in South Kivu province causes rivers to overflowAt least 176 people have died in flash floods in an eastern territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a regional governor said on Friday, as heavy rain destroyed buildings and forced aid workers to gather mud-clad corpses into piles.The rainfall in Kalehe territory in South Kivu province caused rivers to overflow on Thursday, inundating the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi. Continue reading...

Lib Dem Chris Twells’ shock win in Cotswolds prompts calls to close loophole in electoral lawA Liberal Democrat councillor in Salford says he will resign after winning a second seat in the Cotswolds thanks to a loophole in electoral law.Chris Twells, who won a seat on Salford council last year in the Ordsall ward, stood as what his own party insisted was a “paper candidate” in the Cotswolds – and confounded expectations by winning. Continue reading...

Tory losses worse than expected, while Labour’s wins in Midlands and army towns suggest progress in urban south

Eccentric array of acts from the Vengaboys to the ENO and Hot Chip to play series of mostly free gigsThe Eurovision song contest always attracts an eclectic bunch of performers but this year’s host city, Liverpool, has tried to go one further for a “pre-party to end all pre-parties”.An eccentric array of acts including Jedward, the Vengaboys, the English National Opera and Katrina and the Waves will play to thousands of Europop fans before the grand final next Saturday. Continue reading...

Modern slavery team reveals further allegations of people being trafficked to London for body partsThe Metropolitan police is investigating more cases of organ trafficking in the UK after new victims came forward following the first conviction for the offence under modern slavery laws.Detectives from Scotland Yard’s modern slavery and child exploitation team have said they are investigating more allegations of people being trafficked for their body parts to London and other areas of the UK. Continue reading...

Despite attempts at positive spin, with Labour now in ascendancy the PM will be looking over his shoulder

Hauwa Maltha and Esther Marcus, both now 26, were among 276 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in NigeriaTwo Nigerian women abducted as schoolgirls by a jihadi militant group nine years ago have been rescued, the west African nation’s military has said. One had a one-year-old baby, while the second gave birth to her second child days after being freed.Hauwa Maltha and Esther Marcus, both 26, were among 276 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants in April 2014 from the government girls’ secondary school in the village of Chibok. Continue reading...

Warning comes after party ditched its promise to abolish university tuition fees in England

Thousands of Sudanese are crossing borders into countries already severely stressed by drought, conflicts and food insecurityThe UN is in a race against time to get food supplies to Sudanese refugees crossing the border into Chad before the rainy season begins, as neighbouring countries struggle to cope with the numbers of people fleeing the civil war.More than 110,000 people are now estimated to have crossed into other countries as patchy ceasefires fail to stop deadly clashes between Sudanese army troops and a paramilitary rival that have killed hundreds and forced more than 330,000 from their homes. Continue reading...

Teenager accessed electronic terminals at the Preston Hotel last year, the gambling watchdog has alleged in a series of charges against the pub

The city has evicted all the residents from Wood Street amid the worst housing and homelessness crisis everThe Wood Street encampment in Oakland, once northern California’s biggest, has been shut down, with officials on Wednesday removing the last handful of residents who remained as the city’s plan for a phased eviction comes to an end.Only months ago, the encampment spanned several city blocks under the off-ramp of the 880 interstate in West Oakland. In April, the city started a protracted eviction that swept through and scattered those who were living there. Up until last week, a dozen or so residents remained at the camp in what they called “the Commons”: the heart of a thriving community of outcasts. They saw themselves participating in a radical experiment in how to rethink helping the unhoused. Continue reading...

Opposition leader hails ‘very, very good’ outcome of local elections after his party takes control of key councils

Record minimum temperatures observed in northern India, as clashing conditions bring thunderstorms in USIt has been a historically chilly start to May in India, thanks to an unusually strong low pressure system that moved in from the west, sweeping humid air from the Arabian sea across the Indian subcontinent. The resulting overcast skies reduced the heating effect from the sun, which combined with the brisk winds and abnormally high rainfall to lower temperatures significantly.May is considered the final month of the Indian summer, before the monsoon season begins in June, and is the hottest time of the year for many parts of India. However, in the past week large parts of the country have been about 10C colder than normal, with many weather stations in northern India observing record minimum temperatures for the month. Continue reading...

Arrest follows hunt for shooter who fired automatic weapon from moving vehicle in town south of BelgradeA suspect has been arrested after at least eight people were killed and 13 injured in a second mass shooting in Serbia in as many days.The man – who has been identified only by his initials UB – was detained near the city of Kragujevac, the interior ministry said. Continue reading...

Re-edited version omits opening scene after claims of fatphobia and replaces original on ABC and BBC platforms

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Mohamed Nur, of south-west London, charged with murder and possession of offensive weapon, police sayA man has been charged with the murder of the stabbing victim Johanita Dogbey as well as offences connected to alleged knife attacks two days earlier.Mohamed Nur, 33, of Bond Way, south-west London, was charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Its abolition was long overdue and the Albanese government is to be commended for heeding the calls of experts and advocates

Rain band will bring showers for Sydney and Melbourne while snowfalls are forecast across alpine regions in Tasmania and Victoria

Broadcaster and friend calls invitation to pay allegiance ‘well-intentioned and rather ill-advised’King Charles finds the idea of people paying homage to him “abhorrent”, his friend Jonathan Dimbleby has said while seeking to pin the blame for the proposal on the archbishop of Canterbury.There has been a widespread backlash against the idea of a “homage of the people”, in which the general public is invited to swear allegiance to the king during the coronation on Saturday. Continue reading...

If you are a Conservative MP worried about the next general election, the results thus far will cause alarm

Energy minister says body will ‘focus like a laser on any obstacles to job creation and investment’

Hundreds of mourners, including Bill Shorten, John Pesutto and Mick Gatto, attend full requiem mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral

UN children’s agency welcomes drop in number of underage brides, but warns 12 million girls still getting married each yearThe number of child marriages is declining worldwide, but at too slow a pace for any hope of eliminating the practice this century, Unicef, the UN children’s agency, has said.In a new report, Unicef tentatively welcomed the reduction but warned that it was nowhere close to meeting its sustainable development goal of ridding the world of the practice by 2030. Continue reading...

Two-year study by Nuffield Trust and LSE says successive governments failed to make social care a priorityDistress and heartbreak for millions could have been avoided if the government had not missed opportunities to prepare social care for a pandemic, according to a big investigation into how the first wave of Covid hit care homes.A review of events in spring 2020, when almost 20,000 care home residents died with Covid in England and Wales, found it was the result of “letting one of our most important public services languish in constant crisis for years”.The government excluded social care from pandemic-planning exercises such as Exercise Alice and after problems were identified by Exercise Cygnus, which did include the sector, action was not taken.Social care leaders felt invisible at the start of the pandemic because there had been no dedicated director general for social care in government since 2016.No adult social care representatives sat on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and people leading the UK pandemic response lacked “deep understanding” of social care. Continue reading...

The TGA banned off-label prescriptions when floods of people sought out the drug in the mistaken belief it would treat Covid-19

Speaking of ‘iconic’ nature of event, Christian Bunt says he will use controversial new police powersThe police chief in charge of security in Windsor has said he will have “a lower tolerance” for disruption caused by protest due to the “iconic” nature of the coronation.The Thames Valley police assistant chief constable Christian Bunt, the gold commander for the policing operation over the coming weekend, also said he would make use of new public order laws. Continue reading...

Graham Galton, a Conservative councillor running for Coxford ward, died on Thursday after voting had startedHere is a comment from a reader.Just been to the polling station: tellers outside were turning people without ID away instead of sending them in to be recorded for the so called evaluation. Numbers will be meaningless if this is widespread. Continue reading...

Wrong documents and a requirement to remove masks leave some unable to vote in local elections

Clashes continue around presidential palace in Khartoum despite international calls to end hostilitiesFighting in Sudan has intensified as warring factions seek to secure strategic locations, as pressure grows from international powers to end hostilities and allow humanitarian assistance to reach millions of desperate civilians.Fierce battles on Thursday between the Sudanese army and its paramilitary opponents, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), reminded residents in Khartoum, the capital, of the fierce combat that marked the first days of the war almost three weeks ago. Continue reading...

Tributes were paid to Conservative candidate Graham Galton who died after the polls had opened in Coxford ward for the city councilA local election vote in Southampton has been called off after a Conservative candidate died after the polls had opened.In a relatively rare occurrence, the vote in the Coxford ward for Southampton city council has been completely cancelled. A new election will be held within 35 days, with a new nominations process taking place. Continue reading...

Call for ministers to implement 2019 rent reform pledge as 38 Degrees reveals 87 MPs making money from property

Finale involving 60 aircraft may be scaled back as Met Office forecasts cloudy and wet weather in LondonThe coronation flypast is at risk of being scaled back or cancelled because of poor weather forecast for Saturday, the Ministry of Defence has said.A tri-service, six-minute flypast of 60 aircraft, including the Battle of Britain memorial flight, the Red Arrows, modern F-35s and Typhoons, is planned as a finale to the coronation day celebrations. Continue reading...

Foreign minister quashes hope of reconciliation as he stresses trip to Goa is purely for regional summitPakistan’s foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, arrived in Goa on Thursday, the first visit to India by a senior Pakistani official in 12 years.Yet few held out hope that the trip signalled efforts for reconciliation between the two rival neighbours. Speaking as he boarded the plane to Goa, where India is chairing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) council of foreign ministers on Friday morning, Bhutto Zardari emphasised his presence would be “focused exclusively on SCO” and avoided any mention of India. Continue reading...

Latest figures show Albanian nationals account for almost a third of total, and British nationals a quarterThe number of potential victims of modern slavery in England and Wales is at the highest levels since records began, according to official statistics.A total of 4,746 people were referred to the Home Office from January to March as potential victims of exploitation, figures show – a rise of more than a quarter compared with the same period last year. Continue reading...

Consul general calls for ‘constructive engagement’ with territory as Chinese vice-president says he will attend king’s coronationBritain’s most senior diplomat for Hong Kong has called for an end to “megaphone diplomacy” between the UK and the Chinese territory, saying British and Hong Kong diplomats would make more progress with closed-door discussions.Brian Davidson, the consul general to Hong Kong and Macau, said in an interview with the South China Morning Post that the UK-Hong Kong relationship had weathered “some difficult headwinds” over the past four or five years, but that “we are looking to lean back into a constructive engagement to see where we can collaborate”. Continue reading...

Suzanne Henry, 54, died after being found with serious facial injuries in Madeley on MondayA man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a woman who was found with serious facial injuries.Suzanne Henry, 54, died on Wednesday night after being found in a house in Madeley, Staffordshire, at about 10pm on Monday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Johnny Briceño attacks his UK counterpart’s refusal to apologise for atrocities of slaveryThe prime minister of Belize, Johnny Briceño, has sharply criticised Rishi Sunak’s refusal to apologise for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, and said it was “quite likely” Belize would be the next member of the Commonwealth realm to become a republic.Speaking to the Guardian in the country’s capital, Belmopan, Briceño argued the British government had a moral responsibility to apologise for the atrocities of slavery and added to the calls throughout the English-speaking Caribbean for financial reparations from the UK. Continue reading...

‘No major issues’ reported so far, as most voters in Leicester say they were made well aware of change

Johanita Kossiwa Dogbey is believed to have been attacked by a stranger in daylight in south LondonThe family of a woman stabbed to death in south-west London in a daylight attack have paid tribute to the “smart, dedicated and loving girl”.The Metropolitan police confirmed the 31-year-old victim of the attack in Stockwell Park Walk, Brixton just after 4pm on Monday was Johanita Kossiwa Dogbey. Continue reading...

Treasurer says $112bn cost over five years is one of fastest growing pressures on budget, blaming Coalition for the ‘mess’ it left

Glasgow registrars unsure if UK will grant visas for immediate family members who also escaped KhartoumTwo NHS doctors who escaped from Sudan are now stuck in Saudi Arabia, unsure if or when the British government will allow them to also bring home immediate family members who were forced to flee the fighting in the country.Sabreen Elbakri and her husband, Mohammed Fadelalla, both registrars in Glasgow, escaped from Khartoum more than a week ago after night-time bombing “shook our house”. They took with them her young British children and her Sudanese mother and two sisters. Continue reading...

Group tells staff it will let most of them go, as it considers options for loss-making factoryLegal & General is to halt new production at its loss-making modular housing factory near Leeds while it reviews the future of the business, putting 450 jobs at risk and casting doubt over the pioneering sector’s prospects.The factory, one of the biggest in the UK, manufactures homes in prefabricated modules that are put together on site, which is faster than tradition construction and has been hailed as a possible solution to the housing shortage. Continue reading...

Men who have sex with other men urged to be aware of symptoms after infected person not found to have been overseas

Putin’s spokesperson claims, without providing evidence, that Washington was involved in alleged attempt to kill president

Camped outside Foreign Office, Beheshti is demanding Iran’s Revolutionary Guards be proscribedVahid Beheshti’s hunger strike outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office took a surreal turn on Wednesday – its 70th day – when he attended a royal coronation tea party at Buckingham Palace, arriving by wheelchair and wearing a suit and red tie.He has lost more than 17kg (37lb), or a quarter of his body weight, and he told the Guardian that “my body and joints are now racked in intense pain”. As he left his tent, draped in the Iranian flag and surrounded by flowers, he clutched an envelope containing a letter for the king. After carefully smartening himself up, he was wheeled to a taxi by his wife, Mattie Heaven, a Conservative councillor. Continue reading...

Billionaire tells of personally losing £1.5bn and ‘painful’ backlash after plea for state loan for Virgin AtlanticSir Richard Branson has revealed that things got so bad for his businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic that he feared he would lose his entire empire of planes, trains, hotels, health clubs and spaceships.“There was a time when it really looked like we were going to lose everything,” the British billionaire told the BBC. “We had 50, 60 planes all on the ground, and the health clubs all closed, the hotels all closed, and the worst [case] would have been 60,000 people out on the streets. I was certainly a little depressed.” Continue reading...