Prosecution argue state of room and Kaylea’s physical deterioration reveal serious breach of parental dutiesA 16-year-old girl who died from complications of obesity was surrounded by food wrappers and had a dirty deep-fat fryer in her bedroom when her body was found, a court has heard.Kaylea Titford, from Newtown in Powys, Wales, was 146kg (22st 13lbs) when she died on 9 or 10 October 2020. She was born with spina bifida, a spine condition that meant she could not use her legs, and had hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain. Continue reading...
No 10 says PM ‘fully accepts mistake’ as Lancashire Constabulary say they are making inquiriesPolice are looking into Rishi Sunak’s admission that he failed to wear a seatbelt while filming a video for his Instagram account in the back of a moving vehicle – an apparent breach of the law.A spokesperson for Lancashire constabulary said on Thursday evening they were aware of matter and were making inquiries. According to his government’s own safety campaign, any driver or passenger not wearing a seatbelt is breaking the law and is liable to be fined up to £500. Continue reading...
Group says move due to ‘changing market conditions’ as industry warns of insufficient government fundingLloyds Pharmacy is closing all 237 of its outlets in Sainsbury’s supermarkets amid fears of insufficient government funding for the industry.The group said it was making the closures – which are thought to affect about 2,000 jobs – “in response to changing market conditions”, adding it was “currently exploring options for each individual branch”. Continue reading...
Observers expect Germany’s hesitant chancellor will soon say yes to allowing supply of Leopards to war effortLess than a year ago it would have seemed barely imaginable that the German state would be supplying arms in a conflict. Yet now the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, finds himself under mounting international pressure to give an unconditional green light for German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine – having tentatively signalled his readiness to do so, but only if the US agrees to do the same.Even though Germany is often reluctant to spread the message itself, it is among Ukraine’s leading supporters in terms of defence aid and humanitarian and economic help. It has given refuge to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, a very underreported aspect of its support. Continue reading...
Priory hospital Cheadle Royal provided ‘inadequate care’ for Beth Matthews, who killed herself last yearA private psychiatric hospital provided “inadequate care” for a woman who killed herself by swallowing a poisonous substance, a jury has found.Beth Matthews, a mental health blogger, was being treated as an NHS patient for a personality disorder at the Priory hospital Cheadle Royal in Stockport. Continue reading...
by Michael Goodier, Pamela Duncan, Josh Halliday and on (#6808M)
Exclusive: council leaders accuse Rishi Sunak of offering ‘pre-election bribes’ as many deprived areas miss outTory seats have been awarded significantly more money per person from the government’s £4bn levelling up fund than areas with similar levels of deprivation, a Guardian analysis has found.The disclosure is bound to provoke further fury from some regional leaders, who on Thursday accused Rishi Sunak of offering “pre election bribes”. Councils discovered that wealthy areas, including the prime minister’s Richmond constituency, will benefit from the new £2.1bn pot of funding while many deprived areas will miss out. Continue reading...
Labour leader likens scale of change needed to policing reforms in Northern Ireland after Good Friday agreementKeir Starmer has indicated the Metropolitan police might need to change its name as part of a much-needed “root and branch” review in the wake of the David Carrick case.The Labour leader likened the scale of change needed within the force to the policing reforms in Northern Ireland which took place after the Good Friday agreement. The Royal Ulster Constabulary was eventually replaced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Continue reading...
Cancellations far higher than official data suggests, says ORR, driven by use of unrecorded ‘pre-cancellations’The rail regulator has ordered train companies to stop abusing a loophole which means that any train they cancel the night before does not count in their official cancellation statistics.The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said train cancellations were at “record levels”, far worse than official figures suggest, driven by an increased number of unrecorded “pre-cancellations”, known as “p-coding”. Continue reading...
by Léonie Chao-Fong (now); Martin Belam and Helen Su on (#67ZD1)
Lithuanian defence minister says formal announcement will be made on FridayUkraine’s state broadcaster Suspilne is reporting that eleven people are still considered missing after Saturday’s attack on a high-rise building in Dnipro.Yesterday it reported that, according to deputy mayor of Dnipro, Mykhailo Lysenko, “municipal workers are still finding remains of bodies while sorting through the debris”, and the remains are being handed over to forensic experts for DNA testing.How can you escalate against a guy who is doing all out war against a civilian population? Continue reading...
Wrestlers including Olympic medallists stage sit-in demanding federation is disbandedTwo Olympic medal-winning wrestlers in India have accused the head of their sport’s governing body and its coaches of sexually harassing female players and have vowed to protest until the federation is disbanded and its leader investigated.Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, who have Olympic bronzes, Vinesh Phogat, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, and other athletes began a sit-in protest in the capital, Delhi, on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Devon and Cornwall force say they did not have enough staff to deal with number of licensing applicationsA police force that took the “high risk” decision to return a shotgun licence to a man who went on to kill five people in Plymouth has admitted it did not have enough staff to deal with the number of licensing applications it was receiving.Devon and Cornwall police also told an inquest on Jake Davison’s victims that there were no records of audits being undertaken to check decision-making in the firearms licensing department at the time. Continue reading...
Woman conceived through rape campaigned for law change after facing difficulties pursuing justice against her birth fatherA woman conceived through rape, who has campaigned for a change in the law to recognise people like herself as victims, is celebrating after achieving her goal.The government has announced that the victims’ bill will extend the definition of a “victim” to include people who are born as a result of rape. It means England and Wales will be among the first in the world to officially confer victim status to children born of rape. Continue reading...
Kennedy School dean initially refused ex-Human Rights Watch head Kenneth Roth a fellowship over criticisms of IsraelFollowing a storm of protest, Harvard’s Kennedy School has reversed its decision to deny a fellowship to the former head of Human Rights Watch (HRW), Kenneth Roth, over criticisms of Israel.The decision by the Kennedy School dean, Douglas Elmendorf, to refuse Roth a position at the school’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy drew widespread condemnation, including from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other free speech advocates, and hundreds of Harvard faculty and students. Continue reading...
Coffin is accompanied into church by estranged son, grandson and ex-husband who are embroiled in inheritance feudFans of the Italian screen legend Gina Lollobrigida shouted “goodbye, Queen of Rome” as they gathered for her funeral in the city while defending her against relatives embroiled in a bitter inheritance feud.Lollobrigida, one of the most glamorous actors of Hollywood’s golden age, died on Monday at the age of 95. Continue reading...
Labour says inflation may force more students to drop out, as those in England get just £200 more on averageStudents from Wales will get £1,000 more to help with the cost of living crisis while those in England get just £200 on average, as Labour MPs said inflation may force more students to drop out of university.The Welsh government said maintenance loans and grants for its students would rise by 9.4% from September, with support for full-time students increasing from £10,710 to £11,720 on average. Students in England will get a rise of just 2.8% in the next academic year after the Westminster government’s announcement last week, with the average maintenance loan increasing by about £200. Continue reading...
Volunteers mourning student doctor shot dead among those calling for Dina Boluarte to resign and hold fresh electionsPeru’s capital city is bracing for further unrest as thousands of protesters from across the country pour into Lima to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, after nearly six weeks of turmoil that has claimed close to 50 lives.Two more people were killed late on Wednesday and another seriously injured in Macusani, a city in the southern region of Puno. After the deaths, protesters torched a police station, forcing officers to flee in a helicopter. In Lima, police fired teargas after clashes broke out with protesters. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#67ZVR)
Family run business has traded in Louth, Lincolnshire, since 1781 but is closing due to ‘challenging times’One of the UK’s oldest department stores has announced it is closing its doors because of “challenging times” after trading for more than 240 years.Eve & Ranshaw, in the market town of Louth, Lincolnshire, has traded continuously since 1781 and is one of the oldest independent, family run department stores in the country. Continue reading...
A National win in New Zealand could bring minor changes to the relationship but the neighbours are expected to remain close no matter who the prime ministers are
Exclusive: Peak medical body claims Australia could collect $814m annually through a sugar tax, which it says 85 other countries have already implemented
Opposition says Tory chair must explain why he paid millions of pounds in backdated tax to HMRCLabour has called for an inquiry into whether Nadhim Zahawi broke the ministerial code or misled the public over his tax affairs during his time as chancellor.Anneliese Dodds, the chair of the Labour party, wrote to Rishi Sunak on Wednesday saying there should be an inquiry if Zahawi, the Conservative party chair, does not fully explain why he paid millions of pounds in tax to HMRC. Continue reading...
Ministers under pressure to ban IRGC in Europe but there are concerns it could lead to collapse of nuclear talksThe European parliament has called for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) to be blacklisted in Europe, a move some western politicians fear could provoke Iran to walk out of talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.The parliament has only an advisory role, but EU foreign ministers are due to meet on Monday to discuss further sanctions, and the Iranian diaspora is making the proscription of the IRGC its key demand. Continue reading...
Rights groups say Javad Rouhi, who was sentenced on charges including apostasy, was tortured so badly he can no longer speakA 35-year-old man from a small village in northern Iran has been sentenced to death on charges including apostasy for allegedly burning a Qur’an and “insulting holy things” during the early phase of the protests triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.Javad Rouhi has not been entitled to a lawyer of his choice in court and suffers from a severe mental illness. Human rights groups say he was tortured so terribly in a detention centre run by the feared Revolutionary Guards that he lost his ability to speak and walk, and became incontinent. Continue reading...
by Mark BrownNorth of England correspondent on (#67ZF7)
Coldest temperature of the year so far recorded near Inverness as snow and ice affect large parts of UKManchester airport closed its two runways for about two hours on Thursday morning as forecasters warned of widespread disruption across the UK because of snow and ice.The airport announced the closure at 6.20am, blaming heavy snow. At 8.43am it said the runways had been cleared and thanked passengers for their patience. Continue reading...
Bootmaker’s shares fall as US warehouse problems, along with strikes and staff shortages in Europe, dent profitsDr Martens has warned that “unseasonably warm weather” and problems at a US warehouse hit sales in the run-up to Christmas forcing the company to issue its second profit warning in two months.The British bootmaker said it now expected to make underlying full-year profits of no more than £260m, £26m less than previously expected as it had been forced to open temporary warehouses in the US after becoming overwhelmed with stock, partly because deliveries had arrived more quickly than expected. Continue reading...
Aristocrat’s daughter and Mark Gordon, a registered sex offender in the US, and their baby have been missing for 12 daysThe estranged father of a woman missing with her sex offender partner and their newborn baby has begged her to go to the police.Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their child have been missing for 12 days, prompting a police search. Continue reading...
The popularity of Peter Obi’s message of change with younger voters fed up with the status quo makes him a real contenderAt a recent campaign stop, Peter Obi responded to a regular criticism. Bola Tinubu, a rival candidate in next month’s presidential elections in Nigeria, had called him stingy. Obi told a crowd of supporters that yes, he has been stingy with public funds, and that made him a better fit for the country’s top job.Nigerians go to the polls on 25 February to choose a replacement for Muhammadu Buhari, whose eight-year rule has been sharply criticised for failing to get to grips with rampant insecurity and a cost of living crisis. Continue reading...
French coastguards claim British rescue services said they would help people in dinghy but failed to do soBritish Channel rescue services have been accused of abandoning 38 people in distress in a dinghy in UK waters, putting their lives in grave danger..French coastguards from the union Solidaires Douanes claim UK services told them they would begin a rescue effort but then failed to do so, allowing them to drift back into the French part of the Channel. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#67ZFA)
Poll shows pupils most likely to feel unsafe in corridors and playgrounds, with 13% saying it was because of a teacherOne in 10 pupils in England have missed school in the last six months because they have felt unsafe, according to the findings of a large-scale survey.The report, which is based on a poll of 70,000 English schoolchildren aged 7-18, looks at the connection between children feeling safe in school and attendance levels, which have fallen since the pandemic. Continue reading...
No progress found on 23 targets from 25-year green plan for England as wildlife declines at ‘eye-watering’ rateThe UK government is failing to keep its promises to improve England’s environment as wildlife declines at an “eye-watering” rate, according to its own watchdog.In 2018 ministers pledged a 25-year plan to protect the UK’s natural environment and leave it in a better state than when the government found it. They set out a range of priorities, including the abundance of wildlife species and habitats, air and water quality, access to the natural world, the treatment of waste, managing resource use and cutting pollution.Species abundance is in “inexorable” decline, despite a pledge to halt the decline of wildlife by 2030.Of 23 environmental targets examined, the government was demonstrably on track on none of them.On 14 of the targets,it was judged to be clearly off-track.The government is failing even to collect data on many key areas.Only 38% of sites of special scientific interest are in “favourable condition”, with “negligible” progress on this over the past decade.Farming policy has failed to focus on the environment.No joined-up approach across government.Only limited progress in improving air quality, and moves to reduce emissions, partly in response to the Covid-19 lockdowns.Concerns over plans to scrap EU laws that could reduce environmental protections. Continue reading...
Actor, known for roles in Leaving Las Vegas and Warlock, was reported missing on Friday eveningA hiker reported as missing in southern California has been named as the British actor Julian Sands.The 65-year-old was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel mountains on Friday evening, with searches by local authorities continuing over the weekend. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#67Z6C)
MPs and peers say draft mental health bill must go further to strengthen patients’ choicesMinisters must use legislation to address an “unacceptable and inexcusable” failure to address racial disparity in the use of the Mental Health Act, MPs and peers have said.The joint committee on the draft mental health bill says the bill does not go far enough to tackle failures that were identified in a landmark independent review five years ago, but which still persist and may even be getting worse. Continue reading...
Wind energy agreements have generated windfall that would normally go towards monarchyThe King has asked for profits from a £1bn-a-year crown estate windfarm deal to be used for the “wider public good” rather than as a funding boost for the monarchy.Under the taxpayer-funded sovereign grant, which is currently £86.3m a year, the King receives 25% of the crown estate’s annual surplus, which includes an extra 10% for the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace. Continue reading...
Comments range from ‘the monarchy is valuable’ to ‘Harry and Meghan are having their cake and eating it’Last week, the tell-all autobiography by Prince Harry, Spare, was released and sold a combined 1,430,000 copies on its first day on sale in the US, Canada and the UK.Here, readers from Commonwealth countries share their thoughts on Prince Harry, his new book and whether the controversies surrounding the royal family have changed their views towards the monarchy. Continue reading...
Ex-prime minister used £800,000 facility backed by a relative, wealthy Canadian businessman Sam Blyth, while at No 10Labour is calling for an investigation into an alleged arrangement by which Boris Johnson used a relative to act as a guarantor for an £800,000 credit facility when he was prime minister.The party has written to the parliamentary standards commissioner after the Sunday Times reported Canadian businessman Sam Blyth, a distant cousin, had agreed to act as a guarantor for a credit facility for Johnson. Continue reading...
Town in prime minister’s Yorkshire constituency to receive £19m from latest £2.1bn package, which Labour says overlooks neediestRishi Sunak’s wealthy rural constituency is receiving £19m of funding from the government’s latest round of levelling up funding, prompting accusations of favouritism towards Conservative seats.Catterick Garrison, a small army town in the prime minister’s Richmond constituency in North Yorkshire, will receive money to regenerate its town centre as one of 100 projects awarded a share of the £2.1bn package after months of delays. Continue reading...
Labour leader and shadow chancellor to promote green investment at forum in Sunak’s absenceKeir Starmer hopes to entice global finance leaders in Davos on Thursday by ensuring them Britain “will be open for business” under a future Labour government.With Rishi Sunak declining to attend this year’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland, the Labour leader will arguably be the most high-profile UK politician attending. Continue reading...
New policy after Carrick scandal would bring police in line with teachers under future Labour governmentPolice officers accused of rape or domestic abuse will be immediately suspended under a future Labour government, the party has announced, amid growing concern that other serial sexual abusers will be found in the UK’s forces.The announcement follows criticisms of the government’s response after the former police officer David Carrick was formally sacked on Tuesday after pleading guilty to 49 charges of sexual assault including dozens of rapes. He had been allowed to continue to work as a police officer despite multiple allegations. Continue reading...
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