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Much of the money allocated to unite and level up' the UK is unspent while some funding decisions have been criticised for impartiality

Aid worker among seven people from World Central Kitchen charity killed in an Israeli drone attack

A cabinet split over military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews and large street protests demanding the release of hostages are threatening the prime minister's grip on power. Bethan McKernan reports from JerusalemAs the war in Gaza approaches its seventh month, tens of thousands of protesters in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities in Israel have demanded the release of hostages held in Gaza and called for new elections.The Guardian's Jerusalem correspondent, Bethan McKernan, tells Michael Safi it is a moment of political danger for the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who also faces pressure from within his ruling coalition over the issue of exemption from military service granted to the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Israel's allies, including the US, are piling pressure on Netanyahu to urgently allow aid into Gaza, which faces a famine, and to spell out how he will address the aftermath of the conflict. Continue reading...

Oversized' apartment is footsteps away from surf - but renters warned of noise from 7am to 5pm weekdays and 8am to 1pm Saturdays

More than 250kg of the class-A drug has been found on NSW beaches since December as soaring Australian demand drives the illegal tradeFive suspected cocaine blocks have been found on Sydney beaches, joining a mass that has washed ashore in New South Wales since December.The five parcels were discovered early on Monday morning at Freshwater beach and North Curl Curl beach, and have been seized for forensic examination by officers from the Northern Beaches police area command. They have a street value of close to $1m. Continue reading...

ASA says sneering bank manager character wrongly suggests building society has not closed any branchesAdverts featuring the actor Dominic West as a sneering bank manager will be pulled from TV in their current form after the advertising watchdog ruled they were misleading because they wrongly suggest that the building society had not closed branches.The Advertising Standards Authority (Asa) received 281 complaints, including one from rival lender Santander, about the advert, which ran in October and November. The Nationwide campaign took a swipe at high street banks that have been closing branches. Continue reading...

Business leader and advocate to be sworn into role as 28th governor general in July

In Instagram post clarifying earlier statement, singer says performing is the joy of my life'Lizzo has clarified a statement last week in which the musician appeared to be declaring her intention to leave the entertainment industry. In a video posted to her Instagram on Tuesday, Lizzo said that her I quit" statement was in reference to giving into negativity, and not creating or performing her music.When I say I quit, I mean I quit giving any negative energy attention," the four-time Grammy award winner said. What I'm not gonna quit is the joy of my life, which is making music, which is connecting to people." Continue reading...

Humanitarian groups say they cannot operate safely after Israeli targeting of food charity convoy prompts international outcry

Met says suspects travelled directly to Heathrow and left within hours of attack on Pouria ZeraatiThree men linked to the stabbing of an Iranian journalist outside his south London home are believed to have fled the country within hours of the attack, Scotland Yard has said.Pouria Zeraati, 36, sustained an injury to his leg after being attacked in Wimbledon on Friday afternoon. He has since been discharged from hospital. Continue reading...

Original cast member of Canadian sketch show also known for roles in Back to the Future II, Happy Gilmore and Family GuyJoe Flaherty, the actor, writer and sketch comedian known for his roles on Freaks and Geeks, Back to the Future II, Happy Gilmore and the landmark Canadian series SCTV, has died of an undisclosed brief illness, his daughter, Gudrun Flaherty, told the Canadian Press. He was 82.After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I've been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss," Gudrun said in a statement through an organization called the Comedic Artists Alliance, which along with Toronto's Second City had previously helped raise funds to assist Flaherty in his illness. Continue reading...

Amanda Spielman says agency did not get it wrong in school downgrade that contributed to headteacher's deathOfsted's former chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, has refused to concede that her organisation made errors in its handling of the inspection that contributed to the death of the headteacher Ruth Perry.Perry killed herself last year after Caversham primary school, which she had led for more than a decade, was downgraded from Ofsted's highest grade of outstanding, to inadequate, its lowest. Continue reading...

Bertha Gisela Gaytan is one of at least 22 mayoral candidates murdered in Mexico since September 2023A candidate running to be mayor in one of Mexico's most violent cities has been killed on the first day of her campaign, adding to the death toll in what experts say could be the country's bloodiest elections in history.Bertha Gisela Gaytan was shot in a town just outside of the city of Celaya, where she was running for Morena, Mexico's governing party. A video on social media shows a group of activists and supporters of Morena walking through the streets before shots ring out. Continue reading...

President under investigation over allegedly owning jewellery worth $500,000 despite earning a monthly salary of $3,320Peru's first female president, Dina Boluarte, is embroiled in a scandal over her alleged possession of a collection of Rolex watches and luxury jewellery that has put her at the centre of a corruption investigation.The unpopular leader shook up her cabinet on Monday, swearing in six new ministers, after a rash of resignations following report that she owned jewellery worth 400,000 ($502,700) despite earning a monthly presidential salary of around $3,320. Continue reading...

Three others injured after aircraft slid down slope during drop-off near summit of Petit Combin mountainThree people have been killed and three others injured after a helicopter crashed while dropping off skiers on the Petit Combin mountain in the Swiss Alps.The B3-type helicopter crashed at a landing site during a heliski drop-off on Tuesday, the Wallis regional police force said in a statement. Continue reading...

Late-night host reveals Apple advised not to invite tech regulator on his Apple TV+ show and podcast the Problem with Jon StewartJon Stewart has accused Apple of urging him not to interview the United States' head tech regulator, the Federal Trade Commission chair, Lina Khan, on his erstwhile Apple TV+ show and podcast The Problem with Jon Stewart.In an interview with Khan on The Daily Show, which Stewart is guest-hosting on Monday nights through the November election, Stewart asked Khan about her office's pursuit of anti-trust litigation against such major companies as Amazon and Kroger. When the conversation came to the rise of artificial intelligence as backed by major tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft, Stewart told Khan: I wanted to have you on a podcast, and Apple asked us not to do it." Continue reading...

No further action' over posts by author and gender-critical activist despite complaintsComments by JK Rowling challenging police to arrest her for online misgendering do not amount to a crime, Police Scotland said.As the Scottish government's contentious hate crime law came into force on Monday, the author and gender-critical activist posted a thread on X saying the legislation was wide open to abuse" after listing sex offenders who had described themselves as transgender alongside well-known trans women activists, describing them as men, every last one of them". Continue reading...

Supreme national security council met to decide on action after strike on Damascus consulate that killed IRGC commanders

Venue was closed for renovations when fire broke out, with victims believed to have been working in the buildingA daytime fire at a central Istanbul nightclub that was closed for renovations has killed at least 29 people, as five people, including managers, were detained for questioning.Firefighters and other first responders surrounded the charred and smoking entrance to the Masquerade nightclub, which occupies two floors underneath a 16-storey residential building in the Gayrettepe area of the Beikta district on the European side of the Turkish city. Continue reading...

Rival parties accuse prime minister of indifference towards voters after awkward local radio appearanceIt is the question he can't escape from - but Rishi Sunak's habit of trying to laugh off queries about the general election date may finally be coming back to haunt him.The prime minister was asked why is that funny?" by a BBC local radio presenter after breaking into laughter in the first of several interviews on Tuesday, when he was pressed on when voters could expect to cast their verdict on his government. Continue reading...

Maimouna Jawo launches online campaign from UK after Gambian move to rescind female circumcision banA woman who stood up against her community and refused to be a female genital mutilation cutter" is launching a campaign to protect tens of thousands of girls who are at renewed risk of female circumcision in her home country, the Gambia.Maimouna Jawo, 50, who was herself subjected to FGM, has recently been granted leave to remain in the UK by the Home Office after more than a decade of waiting. Continue reading...

Kyiv officials say attack in Tatarstan was on a facility producing long-range dronesTwo weeks before the deadly terrorist attack at a Moscow theatre killed more than 130 people in March, the United States intelligence community notified its Russian counterparts of an imminent assault.But on Tuesday Russian spy service chief Sergei Naryshkin has said that while the US did send Moscow intelligence, it was far too general. Continue reading...

Leftwinger one of a group of opposition politicians freed from prison 10 days before presidential ballotBassirou Diomaye Faye, a leftwing pan-Africanist, has been sworn in as Senegal's youngest president, pledging systemic change, greater sovereignty and calm after years of deadly turmoil.The 44-year-old, who has never held an elected office, swept to a first-round victory on a promise of radical reform just 10 days after being released from prison. Continue reading...

Family of Frances Dwyer, 48, found dead on Saturday, say she will be missed so much' as Anthony Hoey, 48, is charged with murderA man has been charged with the murder of a 48-year-old woman who was found dead at a house in Birmingham.West Midlands police said Anthony Hoey, 49, had been charged with the murder of Frances Dwyer, who was found at a property in Tile Cross, east Birmingham, just before 1pm on Saturday after concerns were raised for her welfare. Continue reading...

Campaigners welcome move as survey suggests they have become too bright and risk causing accidentsCampaigners have hailed the government's announcement of independent research into headlight glare, which comes as a survey suggests many drivers believe they have become too bright and risk causing accidents.The RAC, which has been highlighting the problem in recent years, said it was a key concern among motorists and welcomed the move as an opportunity to fix it. Continue reading...

Struggling retailer announced decision by Julian Dunkerton after markets closed on ThursdaySuperdry's share price has been almost cut in half after its chief executive decided against making an offer for the struggling fashion retailer.The company announced after markets closed on Thursday that Julian Dunkerton, the founder and chief executive of Superdry, had opted against a takeover after a two-month pursuit. Continue reading...

Lou Conter, who was a quartermaster on battleship that exploded and sank during bombing, died following congestive heart failureThe last living survivor of the USS Arizona battleship that exploded and sank during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor has died. Lou Conter was 102.Conter passed away on Monday at his home in Grass Valley, California, following congestive heart failure, his daughter, Louann Daley, said, adding she was beside him along with two of her brothers, James and Jeff. Continue reading...

Gillian Keegan appears to join growing band of Tory MPs with misgivings about proposals in flagship crime billRough sleepers should not be arrested if they smell, a cabinet minister has said, as she apparently joined a growing rebellion by Conservative MPs against plans to criminalise homelessness.Police in England and Wales are to be given powers to fine or move on rough sleepers deemed to be causing a nuisance" under proposals that form part of the UK government's flagship crime bill. Continue reading...

PM claims staffing levels have increased but says it will take time for the sector to grow

LGA makes call in run-up to English local elections amid concerns about rising intimidation and abuseMinisters are being urged to amend a law requiring councillors to publish their home addresses amid rising concerns about the scale of intimidation and abuse in local government, and the impact it is having on women in particular.Ahead of elections to councils across England on 2 May, the Local Government Association (LGA) has argued that a 1972 law setting out that addresses are given by default is out of date, and has left councillors feeling under threat. Continue reading...

Group in Lancashire claim national party wants to control anything that any councillor wants to say'

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The 700,000 visa holders helped push the total of temporary entrants to 2.8 million, another record

Average price of home down 0.2% from February to March, at 261,142, says NationwideThe UK housing market was subdued" in March, with prices edging down on the previous month as high mortgage rates continued to affect the market, according to Nationwide building society.It is the first time in three months that house prices have fallen, after gains of 0.7% in the previous two months. Continue reading...

GoCatch operator Taxi Apps also accuses rideshare giant of serious misconduct as Victorian supreme court trial begins

Calculation includes policy U-turns, reshuffles, wasted time and expenses such as scrapped HS2 leg and VIP' helicopter ridesConservative turmoil under Rishi Sunak has cost the taxpayer 8.2bn and nearly a year in lost time, according to calculations by Labour's political attack team.On Tuesday the Labour party unveiled a website and a bill totting up the cost of ministerial reshuffles, policy U-turns, byelections and unnecessary ministerial expenses incurred under Sunak's premiership. Continue reading...

Sato will become the only option by 2531, suggests modelling as part of campaign to overturn outdated law requiring spouses to have same surnameJapanese citizens will all have the same family name in 500 years' time unless married couples are permitted to use separate surnames, a new study has suggested as part of a campaign to update a civil code dating back to the late 1800s.The study, led by Hiroshi Yoshida, a professor of economy at Tohoku University, projected that if Japan continues to insist that couples select a single surname, every single Japanese person will be known as Sato-san" by 2531. Continue reading...

Codes of conduct are on the rise, and have a focus on reputational risk as well as on harassmentWhen more than 1,300 lending bosses, regulators and MPs descended on Grosvenor House hotel on Park Lane in London for a black-tie dinner in late February, they arrived informed.Invitees to the Financing & Leasing Association event had been handed an annual dinner code of conduct" telling guests about a new policy on discrimination and sexual harassment. The trade body would not tolerate any such behaviour and will, along with our event agency, take immediate action to stop it". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Refusal to approve antibiotic prophylaxis for those at risk of infective endocarditis may have increased deaths

Doctors have warned of devastating consequences of not giving antibiotics to those at risk of the heart condition. A co-author of a Lancet paper on the subject explains

Charities and law firms sign letter to home secretary saying existing immigration routes are not workingA letter signed by almost 60 charities, law firms and organisations will be sent to the home secretary calling for the creation of a Ukraine-style visa scheme for Palestinians trapped in Gaza who have family in the UK.The letter, signed by the Refugee Council, Care4Calais and the Helen Bamber Foundation, says existing immigration routes are insufficient and not working" and describes how a Gaza family scheme would enable Palestinians in Gaza to reunite with their immediate and extended family members in the UK". Continue reading...

Hilary Charlesworth further explains ruling calling on Israel to permit aid deliveries to Palestinians, saying ICJ was too opaque' in its wording

Single largest donor to the yes side was the Paul Ramsay Foundation, which gave more than $7m

Leaked risk assessments by Airservices Australia found airports ill-equipped for emergencies due to a lack of firefighting resources

Benjamin Netanyahu says after approval of bill he will act immediately ... to stop channel's activities'Israeli legislators have approved a bill paving the way for a ban on Al Jazeera and other international news outlets perceived as posing a threat to security.After the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised to take prompt measures to force the end of Al Jazeera's operations within the country, parliament granted senior ministers authority to shut down foreign news networks. Continue reading...

Pouria Zeraati feeling better' and recovering under supervision of Met policeThe Iranian International TV presenter who was stabbed outside his home in west London last week has said he has left hospital and is staying in a safe place.Pouria Zeraati, 36, said he was on the mend after his traumatic ordeal on Friday afternoon and thanked people for the kind messages and love" they had sent him during his stay in hospital. Continue reading...

Authorities warn there could be more deaths as strong winds and heavy snowfall continuesAn avalanche at the top Swiss ski resort of Zermatt has killed three people and injured one, as authorities warned of the risk of more disasters due to heavy winds and snowfall.Video images on social media showed a wall of snow crossing an off-piste sector of the Riffelberg sector of Zermatt, one of the most luxurious ski resorts in the Alps. A major rescue operation was launched despite the bad weather. Continue reading...

Several people killed in airstrike, including Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputyIran has vowed revenge after Israeli war planes destroyed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing at least 11 people, including a senior commander in the al-Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).Iran's leaders in Tehran described the targeting of a diplomatic mission late on Monday as unprecedented and promised a harsh response. Continue reading...

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Patient who is being treated with an antiviral drug had been in contact with dairy cows presumed to be infectedA person in Texas has been diagnosed with bird flu, an infection tied to the recent discovery of the virus in dairy cows, health officials said Monday.The patient is being treated with an antiviral drug and their only reported symptom was eye redness, Texas health officials said. The person had been contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected, officials reported. Continue reading...