Decision welcomed by victim after judge decided not to jail Sean Hogg from South Lanarkshire for the offenceA man who was given a 270-hour community payback sentence for raping a 13-year-old girl in a park is to have his sentence appealed on the grounds it was “unduly lenient”, Scotland’s lord advocate has decided.There was widespread outrage expressed by campaigners and politicians when Sean Hogg was not given a jail sentence when he appeared at the high court in Glasgow earlier this month. Continue reading...
by Kevin Rawlinson (now) and Tobi Thomas (earlier) on (#6B85V)
Former commissioner for public appointments says ex-PM ‘was conflicted’ in the processHere’s Sharp’s full resignation statement:I would like to thank Adam Heppinstall and his team for the diligence and professionalism they have shown in compiling today’s report.Mr Heppinstall’s view is that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment.The British people won’t stand for any more of this. Everything Conservative politicians touch turns into a mess. They are not fit to govern our great country.Boris Johnson should never have been allowed to appoint Richard Sharp in the first place and what’s worse is Rishi Sunak didn’t show leadership by sacking him. Continue reading...
Vaughn Dolphin, from Walsall, West Midlands, had spoken of his desire for ethnic minorities to be shotA far-right extremist who accidentally set off a “fireball” in his own kitchen while experimenting with explosives has been convicted of terrorism offences.Vaughn Dolphin, who had spoken of his desire for ethnic minorities to be shot, was found guilty on a series of charges after a jury viewed videos and incriminating conversations on social media. Continue reading...
Olabisi Abubakar was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and mind was ‘thrown off balance’ during Covid lockdownA mother who starved her three-year-old son to death by causing him to join her in a religious fast when she was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia has been found not guilty of manslaughter and child cruelty by reason of insanity.Olabisi Abubakar’s mind was “thrown off balance” by the Covid lockdown and concerns about her immigration status and she began denying herself and her child, Taiwo, food, hoping fasting and prayers would save the world from coronavirus. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6B8HN)
Vote by members could lead to split among unions over whether to continue striking for better dealA major health union has accepted the government’s improved pay offer for NHS staff, in a move that could split unions over whether to keep on striking for more money.GMB members working in the NHS in England have voted by 56% to 44% to accept the deal that all 12 health unions hammered out last month with the health secretary, Steve Barclay. Continue reading...
PM tells Scottish Tory conference that Holyrood should instead be ‘held to account’ for not using existing powers enoughRishi Sunak has ruled out any further devolution of powers for Scotland after telling Conservative activists that Holyrood should be “held to account” more for underusing its existing powers.The prime minister claimed Holyrood already had significant powers, including over income tax rates, telling delegates at the Scottish Conservatives’ annual conference in Glasgow there was therefore no case for adding to them. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6B8F2)
New rail strike dates underline anger felt at lowball offers and the widening gulf between workers and ministersOf all the low moments in the long-running rail dispute, few have possibly been as dispiriting as the last 24 hours. After Network Rail and the RMT union reached agreement on a two-year deal in March, long-suffering passengers and workers might have assumed the truce was also leading to a wider settlement between train firms and their staff.The subsequent calm, with no further strikes on the horizon, abruptly ended on Thursday when first the train drivers union Aslef and then the RMT announced fresh action. Aslef’s move to three days of strikes and a week-long overtime ban is the union’s toughest single action yet, underlining the anger felt by drivers at a lowball offer with strings attached. Continue reading...
UN human rights commissioner intervenes; Turkey’s defence ministry says plane was shot at while landing at Wadi Seidna airstripThe US embassy in Khartoum has overnight reminded US citizens in Sudan to register in order to be informed of opportunities to evacuate when they arise. The US has previously evacuated its diplomatic staff from the country.The Sky News Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall has reported from Larnaca airport that the extended 72-hour ceasefire gives international partners a chance to press for a longer-lasting peace, and that the emphasis on aid efforts might switch from getting people out of Sudan to getting supplies in. He told viewers:I think, as many people predicted, it went quite close to the line before both sides came to an agreement that there should be a lull, or at least a lull of sorts, in the fighting. So that is good news.Now what needs to happen is that the evacuation flights need to continue apace to get as many people out as possible. But also, I think what you’ll find, is that the foreign diplomatic community tries to bring together the two factions, in order to find something more long lasting and stable, rather than these sort of multiple iterations of 72 hours that have got people living on edge. Continue reading...
The New York fashion spectacular is paying tribute to the flamboyant genius of the catwalkKarl Lagerfeld, fashion’s greatest showman, reinvented the catwalk as an entertainment channel. His Paris catwalks featured a supermarket selling Coco “Chanel” Pops, a replica Eiffel tower and a spaceship which blasted from the ground in a blaze of smoke.Likewise, the annual Met Gala has transformed the fusty tradition of black-tie museum fundraising dinners to become the most spectacular night of the fashion calendar. Forget little black dresses; think Rihanna as the pope, Kim Kardashian in a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe and Katy Perry wearing a cheeseburger. Continue reading...
Compared with other generations, members of Gen Z spend more time passively consuming social mediaNew data on the impact of social media use on mental health across the world shows just how damaging it is to Gen Zers.The study, conducted by the McKinsey Health Institute, reported: “Gen Zers, on average, are more likely than other generations to cite negative feelings about social media.” Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6B895)
NHS workers from Unite union vote to turn down latest government pay offerA leading health union has rejected the government’s improved pay offer to NHS staff, raising the prospect of prolonged strikes and disruption to health services.Members of Unite working in the NHS in England voted by 52% to 48% to turn down a deal that would have given them higher than originally expected pay rises for last year and this. Continue reading...
Large numbers march on Knesset in biggest rightwing protest in Israel in nearly two decadesMore than 150,000 Israelis in favour of the government’s divisive judicial overhaul have taken part in a demonstration outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, in the biggest rightwing protest in the country in nearly two decades.Protesters from all over Israel, as well as settlers who travelled in buses from the occupied West Bank, chanted “the people demand judicial reform” and danced and sang as the rally got under way at sunset on Thursday, sending a message before the beginning of the Knesset’s summer session next week. Exact numbers were hard to verify, but Israeli media reported between 150,000 – 200,000 people took part. Continue reading...
by Harriet Sherwood Arts and culture correspondent on (#6B8AW)
Karin Hindsbo vows to ‘continue the magnificent work being done’ at the landmark London venue as she prepares to replace Frances Morris in SeptemberThe head of Norway’s National Museum has been named as the new director of Tate Modern in London. Karin Hindsbo, who oversaw the consolidation of four Norwegian art institutions into the National Museum in Oslo, will take up her new post in September.She will succeed Frances Morris, the first female director of Tate Modern who announced last year that she was stepping down. Morris joined Tate as a curator in 1987. Continue reading...
Actor wins legal case against producers, with judge ruling she is entitled to million-dollar feeEva Green has welcomed her victory over what she described as a group of men who tried to use her as a scapegoat, after winning a bruising legal battle over the collapse of a sci-fi film.The actor had sued White Lantern Films and SMC Speciality finance for a $1m (£802,000) fee that she said she was owed. However, she faced a counter-claim alleging she pulled out of the making of A Patriot, which collapsed in 2019, and breached her contract. Continue reading...
Celebrities and TV characters are flexing their muscles in non-threatening cosy knitwearUntil recently, a man in a cardigan might typically have signalled “retiree”. But now the cosiest of knitwear items has been given a makeover.Fashion-friendly brands such as The Elder Statesman, Ami Paris and Studio Nicholson are pushing the cardigan. Marks & Spencer reports that sales of cardigans are performing well for spring – up 90% on 2022, possibly due to the current “inbetween” weather. A green “preppy” style is particularly popular. More styles will be launched by the retailer this autumn. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6B84V)
City’s businesses and LGBTQ+ community appeal to police for more help after rise in hate crimesSafety fears are rising in Manchester’s gay village after a shop’s windows were smashed with a crowbar for the third time in six weeks in what the owner has called a “premeditated, targeted hate crime”.Businesses and LGBTQ+ people on Canal Street and the surrounding neighbourhood have spoken about experiencing an increase in abuse and crime, and have appealed for more police help. Continue reading...
by Helena Horton and Patrick Greenfield on (#6B82A)
Exclusive: Projected emissions drop for agriculture and land use 58% below target in original net zero planThe UK government’s pledges on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming and land use fall short of promises made in its net zero strategy, analysis has found.Using figures from the government’s carbon budget delivery plan, analysts from WWF found that the total projected emissions reductions from now until 2037 for agriculture and land use were 58% less than the emissions reductions figures underpinning the original net zero strategy. This gap is equivalent to the emissions of the entire UK building sector. Continue reading...
US Coast Guard called off aerial and marine search on Friday after Tollemache fell from ship south of the Hawaiian islands on Wednesday nightThe devastated family of a Queensland man lost at sea after going overboard while on a Hawaii-bound cruise has posted loving tributes after search efforts were suspended.Brisbane man Warwick Tollemache, 35, disappeared from the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship hundreds of kilometres south of the Hawaiian islands on Wednesday night, Australian time. Continue reading...
Prime minister Fumio Kishida says diversity in listed companies is key to ‘achieving new capitalism and an inclusive society’Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has said he wants almost a third of executive positions at the country’s top companies to be occupied by women by the end of the decade.In an apparent attempt to address Japan’s poor record on gender equality ahead of the G7 leaders’ summit in Hiroshima next month, Kishida said more boardroom diversity would boost the world’s third-biggest economy. Continue reading...
by Helen Davidson in Taipei and agencies on (#6B7YQ)
‘Twin-tailed scorpion’ drone that entered air defence identification zone is touted as being capable of high-altitude, long-range missionsA Chinese combat drone that state media says can carry a heavy weapons payload has flown around Taiwan, according to the island’s defence ministry.The ministry said a TB-001 drone was one of 19 military aircraft that had entered the island’s air defence identification zone in 24 hours. Continue reading...
Former ambassadors and analysts say lasting ceasefire vital to thwart attempts to capitalise on unrestSecuring a lasting ceasefire in Sudan is essential in order to limit the opportunity for malign outside actors to intervene in the fighting on a greater scale, former diplomats and analysts have said.Foreign leaders including the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Israeli officials have offered to help mediate in Sudan, while the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said he had engaged the African Union in an attempt to ensure a long-term ceasefire. Continue reading...
British singer testifies about songwriting practices and plays guitar during trial over whether he copied Gaye’s classic Let’s Get it OnEd Sheeran played the chord progression to his hit song Thinking Out Loud and sang on the witness stand in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, during a trial over whether he copied Marvin Gaye’s classic Let’s Get it On.Testifying as the first witness in his own defense to a packed courtroom, the British singer-songwriter described his process for writing the song about everlasting love in 2014, shortly after he began a new romantic relationship and after his grandfather died. Continue reading...
Report expected imminently will detail how Sharp came to be recommended for job by Boris JohnsonA potentially damning report on how Richard Sharp was recommended for the job of BBC chair by Boris Johnson is expected to be published on Friday morning.Sources say the report, by the barrister Adam Heppinstall KC, could prove uncomfortable reading for Sharp. Continue reading...
Asking price at record levels inside and outside capital in first three months of 2023, Rightmove findsAverage monthly rents outside London soared to a record high of £1,190 in the first quarter of this year, with tenants in the capital paying more than £2,500 for the first time, according to figures from the property website Rightmove.National average asking rents outside London have risen for 13 consecutive quarters since the end of 2019, although the pace of growth has slowed over the last nine months, it said. Continue reading...
Stamps embrace causes close to king’s heart, with designs depicting Britain’s cultural diversity, Commonwealth and sustainabilityFour new stamps and a special postmark are being issued to mark the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, with the stamps embracing causes close to the king’s heart.Presented in a miniature sheet, it is only the third occasion in history that Royal Mail has issued coronation stamps, the previous two being for George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. Continue reading...
Complaints to parliamentary authorities and to police come after Met dropped investigation into MP last monthFour women have complained to the parliamentary authorities about MP Julian Knight since police dropped an investigation into him, it has been reported.The fresh complaints are thought to be about inappropriate comments and behaviour, according to the BBC. Continue reading...
by Nadeem Badshah (now); Martin Belam and Tom Bryant on (#6B6W4)
Army and paramilitary opponents the RSF agree to extend fragile truce that was due to end at midnightThe UK’s foreign secretary James Cleverly has been defensive about criticism of UK evacuation efforts from Sudan affecting and delaying efforts by Germany and other European nations to evacuate people.The BBC has reported that German authorities told it that the British operation to rescue diplomats at the weekend “jeopardised” the efforts of other nations, because it didn’t have the permission of the Sudanese authorities to take place. Cleverly told listeners:My understanding is we did have permissions for those overflights. I will, of course, look at the circumstances of that. My understanding is we’ve had permissions for those flights. We enjoy a very, very close professional relationship with the German government and the German armed forces that have been on the on the ground.The extremist putschist forces have attacked the camp of the RSF in the Kafouri area with aviation and artillery. Our forces confronted the aggressor forces … and inflicted heavy losses … and seized their military equipment. The attacks of the putschists and the remnants of the former regime on the camps of our forces come during the humanitarian truce that was allocated to open humanitarian corridors for citizens and residents of brotherly and friendly countries. Continue reading...
The English professor’s analysis of a pivotal year in the playwright’s life triumphed over a shortlist that included Craig Brown, Barbara Demick and Wade DavisA book about a pivotal year in William Shakespeare’s life has been named the Baillie Gifford Winner of Winners in a special announcement to mark the 25th anniversary of the prestigious nonfiction prize.James Shapiro’s 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare originally won the award in 2006, when it was known as the Samuel Johnson prize. He has been honoured again at a ceremony at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, and will receive £25,000. The chair of judges, the New Statesman’s editor-in-chief Jason Cowley, said it was a “poised and original reimagination of biography”. Continue reading...
Inspector of constabulary warns force is failing to investigate unexpected death after Stephen Port reportThe Metropolitan police could be failing to spot serial killers and identify murders because they are not properly investigating unexpected deaths, the inspector of constabulary has warned.Matt Parr’s comments came after a damning report concluded Britain’s largest force had still not learned from its “calamitous litany of failures” in the case of the serial killer Stephen Port – and warned “history could repeat itself”. Continue reading...
Other people selected are human rights barrister and former MI5 boss, Buckingham Palace saysDetails of who will carry the priceless regalia and take part in the coronation procession at Westminster Abbey on 6 May has been released by Buckingham Palace.The former TV presenter Floella Benjamin and the human rights barrister Helena Kennedy are among those selected for the historic roles, in which the crown jewels will be processed through the abbey ahead of King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort. Continue reading...
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