Luke D'Wit, 33, due to appear in court over deaths of Stephen and Carol Baxter on Mersea IslandA man has been charged with murdering a husband and wife who were found dead in Essex on Easter Sunday.Luke D'Wit, 33, has been charged with two counts of murder after Stephen Baxter, 61, and Carol Baxter, 64, were found dead at their home in Victory Road, on Mersea Island, near Colchester, at about 1.30pm on 9 April, Essex police said. Continue reading...
A musical tradition has more weight than ever as Estonia looks hard at its neighbour Russia following its invasion of UkraineAarne Saluveer recalls the time his cult Estonian rock band, Karavan, was invited to perform in Moscow in the 1980s, on condition they sang in Russian. We were on a roll, performing 250 concerts a year. We refused the Soviet authorities' request. Estonian and English only, we said, knowing that if we relented we'd lose our sense of self because if the music doesn't come from your heart, you die."Four decades on he is no less steadfast, but has swapped his keyboard and vocals to conduct more than 23,000 young choristers at Estonia's Laulupida youth song and dance festival in the capital Tallinn. The event, where Estonian choirs gather to sing the country's folk songs, is a key expression of the Baltic state's identity, and in the late 1980s played a vital part in bringing down communism when crowds took part in the country's singing revolution". Continue reading...
Heavy rain likely to disrupt Wimbledon and muggy weather, for which warning remains in placeThunderstorms are forecast to disrupt the first weekend of this year's Wimbledon after a yellow heat-health warning was issued for the weekend.Temperatures could peak at about 30C (86F) on Saturday, with the weather expected to be humid and muggy before fresher conditions arrive next week, the Met Office said. Continue reading...
Workers at Ivy Collection claim move offsets gains made from UK minimum wage riseWorkers at a chain of restaurants spun out of London celebrity haunt the Ivy say they are losing out after the company cut their share of the service charge paid by diners when the legal minimum wage rose in April.The Ivy Collection, which operates nearly 40 restaurants in the UK and Ireland, pays all waiters, chefs, some managers and support staff in its outlets the legal minimum wage of 10.42 for over-23s plus an hourly commission" rate graded to their position and location. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6CT28)
This week's headlines about a pool in the home of the late fundraiser's daughter have left the foundation far from where it began in the public's affectionsLess than two years ago, the Captain Tom Foundation was, in its own mind at least, on the brink of becoming a new British philanthropic force. The achievements of the eponymous war veteran, Covid fundraiser extraordinaire, were still fresh, and his family had grand plans for the charity that would bear his name.Captain Sir Tom Moore, who died in 2021 aged 100, had become a symbol of altruism and generosity after his sponsored 100-lap walk round his garden in April 2020 caught the world's imagination and raised 38m for NHS charities. He became a national treasure and was knighted. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Staff angry after charity apparently mishandled allegation against man in charge of one of its lifeboatsThe RNLI has been accused of sexism and misogyny for its apparent mishandling of a sexual misconduct allegation against a man in charge of one of its lifeboats.A staff member in the south-east of England was initially not suspended while being investigated for inappropriate behaviour, which he denies. Continue reading...
Porch piracy' increase put down to people returning to offices and fallout from Royal Mail strikesOnline shoppers are being advised to opt for named-day delivery services, or consider collecting their package, in the wake of a surge in doorstep parcel thefts. The problems are being blamed on the fallout from the Royal Mail strike, and the return to the office.The number of claims for missing parcels jumped by 59% in the year to June compared with the previous 12 months, according to figures from the technology firm Metapack. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Pacifist composer's intimate 1943 jail letter best Tippett discovery for 50 years'He was one of the greatest British composers of the 20th century and a staunch pacifist who spent two months in Wormwood Scrubs as a conscientious objector to the second world war.Now a previously unpublished letter written by Sir Michael Tippett in 1943 from his prison cell has been discovered and donated to the British Library. Continue reading...
US Treasury secretary says Beijing could have greater global impact if it worked with global climate institutionsUS Treasury secretary Janet Yellen has pressed China to do more to support international climate institutions that are helping finance green initiatives around the world, urging deeper cooperation in addressing the existential threat" of global heating.Climate finance should be targeted efficiently and effectively," Yellen said on Saturday in Beijing during a meeting with Chinese and international sustainable finance experts. I believe that if China were to support existing multilateral climate institutions like the Green Climate Fund and the Climate Investment Funds alongside us and other donor governments, we could have a greater impact than we do today." Continue reading...
PM Mark Rutte disbands cabinet after four parties in government coalition disagree over asylum seeker policyMark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, has announced his resignation and that of his cabinet, citing irreconcilable differences within his four-party coalition about how to control immigration.The decision on Friday by the Netherlands' longest-serving premier means the country will face a general election later this year for the 150-seat lower house of parliament. Continue reading...
A new Which? survey reveals that visitors are starting to look beyond the old overcrowded favourites such as Barcelona and MalagaAsk for a lineup of the most popular European coastal destinations and you might expect the usual suspects: Venice, Lisbon and Nice. Travellers from the era of the Grand Tour might have added Biarritz and Naples - but a survey of 3,500 readers by consumer organisation Which? suggests that visitors are starting to look beyond the old favourites and discover new destinations.The Spanish Mediterranean port of Valencia was the surprising winner in a recent poll that looked at 12 separate criteria, including quality of the beaches, seafronts and marinas; attractiveness; food and drink; and value for money. Respondents cited the city's history, futuristic architecture and gastronomy, but also its peace and quiet. With traditional favourites such as Barcelona struggling with overpopularity - numbers there are heading back towards the 2019 high of 13.9 million overnight visitors - that seems significant. Continue reading...
Images leaked by Russian security services are consistent with one another and appear distorted due to being pictures of a digital screenA raid on Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's mansion in St Petersburg by security services has revealed his possession of some interesting items.Among them was a wardrobe full of wigs, and photos of Prigozhin in various disguises wearing those wigs, which were allegedly taken from his personal album. Continue reading...
Pop-star had said she was struck by Victor Wembanyama's security when she tried to approach the basketball player for a photographNo charges will be filed following a brief investigation of the altercation involving pop star Britney Spears, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama and a member of the basketball player's security team, Las Vegas police said on Friday.Spears said she was struck by a security guard as she tried to approach Wembanyama on the way into a restaurant in a Las Vegas casino complex on Wednesday night. Wembanyama said a person - he later was told it was Spears - grabbed him from behind. Continue reading...
Eight-year-old described as an intelligent and cheeky girl adored by everyone'An eight-year-old girl killed when a Land Rover crashed through a school fence in south-west London on Thursday has been named by the Metropolitan police as Selena Lau.A family statement said: Selena was an intelligent and cheeky girl adored and loved by everyone. The family wishes their privacy to be respected at this sad time." Continue reading...
Emotional two-time champion says he doesn't know if he will be back and motivation is obviously a big thing'An emotional Andy Murray hinted that he may have played his last Wimbledon match after his hopes of reaching the third round were dashed on Friday.The two-time champion spoke of his disappointment after he was defeated by Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas, the fifth seed, in five sets as the temperature soared to 29C. Continue reading...
Perry took her own life in March after Caversham primary school was downgraded from outstanding to inadequateOfsted has replaced its inadequate" rating that may have contributed to the death of headteacher Ruth Perry after a new inspection praised staff for addressing previous weaknesses at the school in Reading.Perry died this year after an Ofsted inspection downgraded Caversham primary school in Berkshire from outstanding to inadequate, with Perry's family saying the grading was a factor in her taking her own life. Continue reading...
Workers charged with culpable homicide and destruction of evidence after one of country's deadliest rail accidentsThree men have been arrested in India over a triple-train collision that killed nearly 300 people last month, one of the worst rail accidents in the country's history, police have said.The train crash in eastern Odisha state occurred when a packed passenger train was mistakenly diverted on to a loop line and hit a stationary goods train. Continue reading...
Archbishop of York tells General Synod that Our Father' has patriarchal connotationsThe archbishop of York has suggested that opening words of the Lord's Prayer, recited by Christians all over the world for 2,000 years, may be problematic" because of their patriarchal association.In his opening address to a meeting of the Church of England's ruling body, the General Synod, Stephen Cottrell dwelt on the words Our Father", the start of the prayer based on Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 in the New Testament. Continue reading...
Latest updates: Scottish government says deal amounts to 61.3m investment in junior doctors' pay, the best offer for this group in UKQ: My fear is that sewage in water could lead to a typhoid problem?Ferrari asks if Labour favours water nationalisation. Continue reading...
No legal definition of word means foods labelled vegan do not have to be completely free of animal-derived productsThe vegan diet has soared in popularity in the last five years but some meat substitutes labelled as vegan contain milk or egg, according to an analysis of products.Market-research firm Mintel found that sales of products such as meat-free sausages had doubled from 289m in 2017 to 586m in 2021. Last year sales fell slightly by 6%, even though 49% of people eat meat substitutes regularly. Continue reading...
Businessman's barrister says money due to be paid to Hiroko Barclay is held up by lendersThe latest stage of a long-running legal battle between one of the UK's highest-profile businessmen and his ex-wife has been branded a charade" by a high court judge after another delay.Sir Frederick Barclay, 88, owned a number of interests in media, retail and property, with his now deceased brother, Sir David Barclay. Continue reading...
Police release 46-year-old woman on bail after incident in which an eight-year-old girl was killedAn eight-year-old girl and a woman in her 40s are in a critical condition in hospital after the driver of a Land Rover, who has now been released on bail, crashed her car into a preparatory school killing another eight-year-old.The woman, 46, who has not been named, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving in Wimbledon on Thursday. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6CSHK)
Stonegate Pub Company was found guilty of health and safety breach after death of Olivia Burt, who was injured in queue outsideA judge has fined the UK's largest pub group 1.56m after it was found guilty of a health and safety breach which contributed to the senseless and avoidable" death of a first-year university student queueing to get into a venue in Durham.Olivia Burt, a 20-year-old natural sciences student from Milford on Sea in the New Forest, died in February 2018 when a heavy decorative screen being used to manage the queue into the city centre's Missoula bar collapsed and fell on her. Continue reading...
Tournament director says tennis club needs to balance preserving traditions with technological innovationLine judges dodging serves at breakneck speed and arguing with hot-headed players could soon become a thing of the past.Wimbledon is considering replacing the on-court officials with artificial intelligence. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6CSER)
Jamie Barrow sentenced to life with minimum of 44 years for killing Fatoumatta Hydara and her daughters, aged one and threeJamie Barrow has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 44 years for murdering a mother and her two young children by pouring petrol through their letterbox and setting fire to it.Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, and her daughters, Fatimah Drammeh, three, and Naeemah Drammeh, one, died of smoke inhalation after the blaze at their flat in Clifton, Nottingham, in November last year. Continue reading...
Final vehicle built at factory in Cologne as carmaker moves over to electric vehiclesThe last Ford Fiesta leaves the assembly line on Friday, marking the end of an era for a model that sold 22m vehicles globally and is the UK's all-time bestselling car.As the final vehicle leaves production in its factory in Cologne, Germany, Ford will be ushering in a new line of electric vehicles. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6CSET)
Chapman sentenced to life with minimum term of 48 years for shooting Edwards, 26, outside pub on Christmas EveThe man who shot Elle Edwards outside a Merseyside pub on Christmas Eve has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 48 years at Liverpool crown court.Connor Chapman, 23, used a military-grade submachine gun to spray bullets at a group of people from a rival housing estate outside the Lighthouse Inn, in Wallasey, Wirral, his trial heard. Continue reading...
Broadcasters are barred from opinionated campaigning and regulator has been playing catch-upMedia regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into GB News after a complaint about its Don't Kill Cash" campaign.The move, which follows several other investigations into the controversial broadcaster, comes days after it launched a campaign to stop what it calls the UK's transformation into a cashless society", urging people to sign a petition and force a debate in parliament about the subject. Continue reading...
While South Korea offers official support, China and other voices in region continue to express concerns over discharge from nuclear plantThe publication this week of the UN nuclear watchdog's positive assessment of Japanese plans to pump more than 1m tonnes of water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean has failed to placate opponents.China is fiercely opposed to the plans, despite a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) backing the scheme, while the support of the government of South Korea has failed to quell widespread public opposition to the idea in the country. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6CSC6)
Drowning of Samuel and Finlay Butler, Thomas Stewart and Jack Johnson in frozen lake was terrible accident'Police officers risked their lives to form a human chain across a frozen lake in Solihull to try to reach four boys who drowned after falling through the ice, an inquest into their deaths has heard.Brothers Samuel and Finlay Butler, aged eight and six, and their cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, had gone to Babbs Mill Lake, Kingshurst, on 11 December last year to feed the ducks, while Jack Johnson, 10, was skimming stones with friends. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6CSC7)
Union at Eurocontrol network manager operations centre in Brussels warns of industrial actionAir traffic control managers in mainland Europe are planning to strike this summer, potentially exacerbating disruption to holiday flights should French strikes continue.One of the unions at the Eurocontrol network manager operations centre, the Union Syndicale Bruxelles (USB), has given formal warning of strikes in the next six months but has yet to set any firm dates. Continue reading...
Conservationists say reintroduction of reptile could contribute to restoring ancient biodiverse wetlandsThe European pond turtle could be swimming in British rivers and lakes again thanks to a new crowdfunded campaign as conservation scientists seek sites for an experimental reintroduction.Global heating is believed to be making Britain increasingly suitable for the enigmatic species, which may have vanished because of global cooling thousands of years ago but is now threatened by droughts in southern Europe. Continue reading...
At least two killed as strongest summer storm since 2017 fells trees and disrupts travelThe Netherlands and northern Germany have been battered by a rare and powerful summer storm this week.Storm Poly struck the south and east of England on Tuesday before intensifying over the North Sea overnight. It slammed into the Netherlands on Wednesday morning, bringing fierce winds and heavy rain. Continue reading...
Mary Bousted urges ministers to publish recommendation from pay body, thought to be 6.5%, and fund schools to pay itMinisters could ward off potential teachers' strikes in the autumn term in England if they accept a salary increase recommended by the teachers' independent pay review body, the head of the biggest education union has said.Teachers who belong to the NEU continued industrial action on Friday. Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the union, said: This could stop. What the government must do is publish the independent pay review body recommendations." Continue reading...
More than 80 injured after blaze believed to have started in a bedroom sweeps through first floorSix people have died and more than 80 were injured after a fire swept through a care home in Milan overnight.The blaze began shortly after 1am on Friday in Casa dei Coniugi, home to 167 residents. Continue reading...
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