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...
Reality star acquired amethyst cross for £163,800 in Sotheby’s royal and noble saleKim Kardashian has acquired the Attallah Cross worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, after the pendant went on sale at Sotheby’s London.The Attallah Cross, a 1920s pendant by luxury jewellery designer Garrard, which was worn on several occasions by Diana, sold for £163,800 in the Sotheby’s royal and noble sale on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Aristocrat’s daughter Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, a registered sex offender in the US, were last seen 11 days agoA couple missing for 11 days with their newborn baby have a substantial amount of cash, which is helping them evade the search effort, police have said.Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their baby have no luggage with them after most of their belongings were destroyed in a car fire, and are using cash to pay for taxis and places to stay. Detectives have also revealed that Gordon is a registered sex offender. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#67YWS)
Timetable piles pressure on EU and UK to resolve dispute over Northern Ireland protocolMinisters are giving themselves until 5 March to decide whether to call fresh elections in Northern Ireland, as the Democratic Unionist party continues to block power-sharing at Stormont in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.This allows the EU and the UK a six-week window to try to thrash out a deal to end the dispute over the Northern Ireland protocol. Continue reading...
Eight-year-old daughter of wealthy gem dealer follows family’s Jain faith to enter strict religious orderAn eight-year-old girl in India who was due to inherit a multimillion-dollar diamond fortune has instead been admitted as a nun to a strict religious order after renouncing worldly pleasures.Devanshi Sanghvi was, until this week, an heiress to the Sanghvi and Sons jewellery business in the western city of Surat, known locally as Diamond City for its prominence in the global gem trade. Continue reading...
Dominga project included insufficient efforts to mitigate impact on reserves for dolphins, whales and penguins, committee saysChile’s government has rejected a controversial $2.5bn iron and copper mining project proposed in an important area for biodiversity and marine life.The Dominga project, 70km north of the city of La Serena, would have seen an open-pit mine, processing and desalination plants, as well as a large port, installed just 30km from a famed Humboldt penguin reserve. Continue reading...
Star ‘smashed numerous records’ and raised close to 3% of the company’s revenues from recorded music in 2022Taylor Swift’s Midnights album, released in October, helped to generate $230m in sales for her label Universal last year, according to a report Wednesday.According to JPMorgan Chase, the music superstar raised close to 3% of the company’s revenues from recorded music in 2022. As a result, analysts at the bank raised their estimates for last-quarter sales growth at the music giant to 10% from 6%. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#67YFF)
Huw Merriman insists the need for reform to working practices made the standoff necessaryRail strikes have cost the UK economy more than £1bn and it would have cost less to settle the dispute with unions over pay and conditions months ago, a government minister has admitted.However, the rail minister Huw Merriman said the need for reform to working practices made the standoff necessary, as he told MPs on the Commons transport select committee on Wednesday that the government had not “torpedoed” a deal, nor “interfered in a negative manner”. Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo in Campobello di Mazara on (#67YHS)
‘Last godfather’ of Sicilian mafia Matteo Messina Denaro was arrested after 30 years on runItalian military police have found a possible secret bunker suspected of being used by Matteo Messina Denaro, the “last godfather” of the Sicilian mafia who was arrested on Monday after 30 years on the run.The structure is in Campobello di Mazara, a small town in Sicily where the apartment Denaro, 60, had been living in was discovered on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Ex-MEP allegedly called on friends to ask questions at meeting to lead Qatari minister ‘on a known path’Belgian police seized nearly €1.5m in cash from homes and hotels in Brussels last month, allegedly paid by Qatar to sway decisions in the European parliament. Now a series of reports have suggested what that money may have been attempting to buy.Investigators have homed in on a meeting of the European parliament’s subcommittee on human rights on 14 November 2022, where Qatar’s minister for labour, Ali bin Samikh al-Marri, defended his country’s record on workers’ rights. Continue reading...
David Carrick rape case prompts call for all officers to be checked against national police databasesUK police forces have been asked to check all officers and staff against national police databases to identify suspected misogynistic predators who have “slipped through the net” in the wake of the David Carrick rape case, the Home Office has said.The home secretary, Suella Braverman, has also asked the College of Policing to strengthen the statutory code of practice for police vetting, making the obligations all forces must legally follow stricter and clearer. Continue reading...
Alan Titford on trial over death in ‘horrific circumstances’ of his 16-year-old daughter Kaylea in WalesA man has gone on trial accused of manslaughter after his disabled teenage daughter became so obese that she died in “truly horrific circumstances” weighing 146kg (22st 13lbs).By the time of her death in October 2020, Kaylea Titford, who had spina bifida, was “living in conditions unfit for any animal let alone a vulnerable 16-year-old girl who depended entirely on others for her care”, a jury at Mold crown court heard. Continue reading...
Fans and bands fear regional network that helped launch careers of Ed Sheeran and Little Simz will be cut back as BBC confirms changes to schedulesIt is the nationwide network of weekly regional radio programmes and festival stages that has helped launch the careers of British superstars such as Ed Sheeran, Florence + the Machine, Celeste and Little Simz. But now, the future of BBC Music Introducing is believed to be under threat. For days, social media has been buzzing with reports that the local radio side of what the BBC calls its “platform supporting unsigned, undiscovered, and under-the-radar UK music talent” is to be scaled down, with claims that all 32 BBC Introducing presenters across the UK have been put on notice of redundancy.A source told the Guardian that the plan was to “rationalise” the network, with a two-thirds reduction in the number of shows, which would then operate across larger regional boundaries. Such changes would greatly increase competition and reduce the amount of airtime available for individual emerging artists. Continue reading...
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