Nigel Farage calls for royal commission as data shows big jump in customers being debanked'Banks are closing more than 1,000 accounts every working day, according to new data that has fuelled the growing row over so-called debanking" and prompted Nigel Farage to call for a royal commission to investigate what he said was a scandal.Hours after the former Ukip leader revealed he was spearheading a website to campaign on behalf of people whose accounts had been shut, data revealed a big jump in the numbers of customers dumped by their bank. Continue reading...
Review of spinal expert John Bradley Williamson identifies poor surgical technique, record-keeping and communication with patientsA leading spinal surgeon's botched operations left patients with serious blood loss, long-term pain and mobility problems, a damning report has revealed.It found that John Bradley Williamson's unacceptable and unprofessional behaviour" severely or moderately harmed 20 patients at Salford Royal hospital, once regarded as one of England's safest. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6DDAZ)
Exclusive: moves against what PM terms anti-motorist' policies follow order of review into low-traffic neighbourhoodsMinisters are considering restrictions on councils' ability to impose 20mph speed limits as part of a new shift against green policies and traffic schemes, a stance condemned by safety and travel groups as shortsighted and divisive.The Guardian has been told the push against what Rishi Sunak has termed anti-motorist" policies could be extended to find ways to stop local authorities taking other measures, such as installing bus gates, that have been used routinely for decades. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6DDCF)
Overlapping concepts of LTNs and modal filtering' - a staple of postwar planning - creates challenge in how to categorise schemesWhile the concept of the low-traffic neighbourhood, or LTN, first entered the UK political mainstream during the Covid pandemic, the basic concept - filtering streets for different types of traffic - is older. Much, much older, in fact.Some ancient Roman cities, including Pompeii, used stone posts set in the road to stop carriages reaching the central plaza, while allowing unimpeded access for pedestrians and less cumbersome forms of transport. Continue reading...
David Quigley, 69, died in October after being beaten in his own home by a 15-year-old boyThe brother of a man who died after being assaulted in his own home has said he has been excluded from justice" after magistrates barred him from court on the grounds that his presence would put the teenage attacker under undue stress".Tom Quigley called on the Ministry of Justice to ensure bereaved relatives are not excluded from the court process after he was prevented from reading out a victim impact statement detailing his devastation at the lonely death of his older brother, David. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6DD8Y)
Any help the community gets pales in comparison with their loss and traumaFalse economy does not begin to describe the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's approach to the Grenfell Tower refurbishment.It was not just how the council shaved a few hundred thousands pounds from the cladding budget by switching from zinc, that was expected to be fire-retardant, to plastic-filled combustible panels. Continue reading...
Bloc issues ultimatum authorising potential use of force if Mohamed Bazoum is not released within weekA powerful bloc of west African states has suspended ties with Niger after a coup there and authorised the possible use of force if the country's democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, is not released and reinstated within a week.The ultimatum was delivered by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) as France warned that any attacks on French citizens or its interests in Niger - a former colony - would provoke an immediate and stringent" reaction. France's embassy in Niamey, Niger's capital, was targeted during pro-junta and pro-Russia protests on Sunday. Continue reading...
Town's civic society wants to mark bicentenary with mini salt and pepper pots but can't decide which is whichNew York has the Empire State Building; Sydney has its opera house. Goole has its salt and pepper pots", a pair of water towers that are the closest thing the east Yorkshire town has to a landmark.The towers have been a source of local pride for almost 100 years, but now a debate has ignited over which structure is which after the local historical society announced plans to immortalise them in a cruet set. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6DD8Z)
Exclusive: Costs now 4,000 times amount saved by replacing fire-retardant materials with combustible claddingThe financial cost of the Grenfell Tower disaster has reached nearly 1.2bn - 4,000 times the amount that was saved by replacing fire-retardant cladding with a cheaper combustible alternative during the disastrous refurbishment.The bulk of the cost is being met from the public purse, dwarfing the compensation to bereaved and survivors paid by companies involved in wrapping the west London council's block in combustible materials before the fire in June 2017 that killed 72 people.481m has been spent or budgeted for its Grenfell response by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which owned the tower and authorised cost-cutting decisions that contributed to the scale of the disaster. A large part of this was required to buy new homes for survivors.291m has been allocated by central government for costs associated with its ownership of the site, which will become a memorial.The public inquiry and police investigation, neither of which have yet concluded, have so far cost a combined 231m.Arconic, which made the combustible cladding, has spent 35m on lawyers and other advisers, and it recorded a liability of 47m in its accounts for settling civil claims.Close to 900 bereaved and survivors have so far received 150m in compensation through civil court proceedings, a figure confirmed in the latest annual accounts of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Continue reading...
Diners dig in at the Bank Tavern, rated as the hardest place in the world to get a reservationIf anticipation heightens pleasure then diners at one Bristol pub must be ecstatic by this point. With customers waiting up to four years to sample its award-winning meals, the Bank Tavern in central Bristol looks to be one of the hottest tickets not just in town but anywhere.So popular are Sunday roasts at this 19th-century pub that it long ago closed its reservation system to new bookings. Only the very patient, lucky few have been able to secure one of the just seven tables inside for its famed Sunday roast sittings. Continue reading...
Problems with first two phases, from London to Birmingham and then to Crewe, do not appear to be resolvable'The HS2 rail project, which has been beset by severe delays and soaring costs, has been branded as unachievable" by the government's infrastructure watchdog.Having analysed plans for the construction of the first two phases of the high-speed line, from London to Birmingham and then on to Crewe, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority said the project wass not, in its view, deliverable in its current form. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Labour is benefiting from drop-off but must up its game', says countryside organisationRural voters are becoming increasingly politically homeless", ministers have been warned, as polling suggests that support for the Conservatives in the countryside has rapidly declined.Labour is the main beneficiary but must up its game" to see the change translate into votes at the next general election, said Jonathan Roberts, the director of external affairs at the Country Land and Business Association (CLA). Continue reading...
Searches carried out after report of a man falling down embankment into River WyeThree men have been arrested on suspicion of murder as police investigate whether a missing man was involved in an altercation before falling into a river in Hereford.A man called West Mercia police at 12.05am on Saturday and said his friend, a man in his 20s, had fallen down the embankment into the River Wye near Victoria Bridge. Continue reading...
Committee concerned illegal migration legislation will jeopardise sharing of DNA, fingerprinting and criminal recordsThe UK's post-Brexit policing pact with the EU on sharing DNA, fingerprinting and criminal records could be put at risk by Suella Braverman's migration laws, a House of Lords committee has said.Lady Hamwee, the chair of the Lords justice and home affairs committee, has written to the home secretary to say its members are particularly concerned" that the new illegal migration legislation along with new data laws could lead to the termination and/or suspension" of the security cooperation elements of the Brexit trade deal. Continue reading...
Brian Bell says ministers have let social care become reliant on low-paid and vulnerable foreign workersMinisters have allowed England's creaking social care system to become too heavily reliant on low-paid foreign workers who are vulnerable to exploitation, the government's migration adviser has warned.In a strongly worded intervention, Prof Brian Bell, who has just been reappointed by the home secretary, Suella Braverman, as chair of the migration advisory committee (MAC), called the government's tacit acceptance of exploitation in the sector appalling". Continue reading...
Votes from overseas means left and right blocs now neck and neck in race for powerSpain's socialist party has suffered a setback in its efforts to form a new leftwing coalition government after this month's inconclusive election as a count of overseas votes handed a crucial seat across to the opposition conservatives.The result means the left and right blocs are now neck and neck as MPs prepare for a vote in congress that will determine who gets to govern. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6DD3P)
Estate agents selling Twickenham property' believe it could have development potentialIf climbing the property ladder seems stressful to you, why not consider taking the stairs?A disused four-storey stairwell at the back of a branch of Starbucks in south-west London has become the latest peculiar piece of property to go on sale in London's feverish housing market. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6DD3R)
Prime minister accuses Labour of being anti-motorist' and says Keir Starmer is a political opportunistRishi Sunak has ordered a formal review into low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) schemes, as he sought again to use green policies as a wedge issue with Labour and Keir Starmer.In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the UK prime minister also made a notably personal attack against Starmer, accusing the Labour leader of lacking any guiding principles and being a political opportunist. Continue reading...
Secret portrait of woman likely to be wife of Belgian surrealist found during examination of artist's workA painting by Rene Magritte has been discovered beneath another painting by the Belgian surrealist master - to the excitement of experts.A portrait of a woman had been hidden under La Cinquieme Saison (The Fifth Season), from 1943, now held in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB) in Brussels. She was discovered using infrared reflectography. Continue reading...
Emergency services clear debris after storm hits site in Mari El, along northern bank of Volga RiverEight people died and another 10 were hospitalised in Russia when trees crashed into a campsite during a severe storm described as a hurricane", authorities said.According to the latest information, eight people died in Mari El due to the hurricane that took place the day before," said Yevgeny Maslov, the mayor of the city of Yoshkar-Ola. Continue reading...
Anton Wallich-Clifford set up homeless venture the Simon Community in the 60s, inspiring other charities. Now supporters want belated recognition for his achievementsHis work with people on the streets in 60s Britain dragged the country's approach to tackling homelessness out of the Victorian era.Anton Wallich-Clifford was an ex-probation officer whose work with the down-and-outs who regularly appeared before Bow Street magistrates court convinced him a top-down, paternalist approach to tackling homelessness was doomed to fail. Instead, he believed there was a need for charities to meet homeless people on their level and earn their trust, a revolutionary approach at the time but one now widely employed. Continue reading...
Poverty charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation warns of debt timebomb' as interest rate rises hit low-income householdsMillions of families are borrowing to cover basic bills and expenses, according to analysis that warns Britain is entering a dangerous new phase of the cost of living crisis.Interest rates are expected to rise again this week and there are warnings about a timebomb of debt" among poorer households. Reports suggest companies are targeting struggling single parents, using social media ads, to offer inappropriate debt repayment schemes that will leave them worse off. Continue reading...
by Nicola Davis Science correspondent and Clea Skopel on (#6DD1B)
Experts and patients concerned over off-label prescribing of drug famous as celebrity slimming jabPatients, charities and health officials have called for prescribers to stop issuing a diabetes drug for weight loss amid a national shortage for those most in need.Ozempic, which contains the active ingredient semaglutide, is licensed for managing blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. However it has quickly become famous as a celebrity slimming jab, with online pharmacies prescribing it off-label" for those seeking to lose weight. Continue reading...
The city's livable neighbourhood' initiative is threatened by the shock Uxbridge byelection result blamed on the ultra low emission zoneOn Bristol's Church Road, in the east of the city, cars, buses and lorries rumble past African-Caribbean hairstylists, eastern European bakeries, and cafes and restaurants selling a selection of Middle Eastern, Somali and Jamaican cuisine. Women talk on phones tucked into their hijabs, while a halal butcher takes a delivery of freshly cut beef.Behind the high street bustle, however, tensions are growing about a delayed trial for a livable neighbourhood" - a low-traffic initiative intended to provide an opportunity to work with local communities to co-design residential streets that are better balanced for all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists", according to Bristol councillor Don Alexander, who is responsible for transport in the city. Continue reading...
Families grant permission to name the four service members who went missing during military exercises off the coast of Whitsundays on Friday - this blog is now closedAsked about the surplus the government now finds itself overseeing, Rishworth is asked whether there will be any further assistance in the next budget.Of course, the changes we're making - whether it's to rent assistance, jobseeker - are structural changes. They're ongoing increases that will be applied. So when you talk about the surplus from last year, that's a very different circumstance to the reforms that we've made which are ongoing and structural. We have calibrated these to be responsible to help people that are doing it tough. But also, that they're sustainable into the long-term.The economic inclusion committee was providing a very specific advice on the level of jobseeker to inform the budget process. Of course, the budget process has to take in a range of different factors, including a responsible structural adjustment. But also, of course, as the treasurer has said, making sure that we're not adding to inflation. So there is a lot of issues that we do have to weigh up in a budget process. Continue reading...
All aspects of artificial intelligence will get the comic treatment at this summer's festivalA comedy show is probably not the first place to hear about a burning new issue, but standup routines have a habit of swiftly reflecting the worries of our times. This summer's Edinburgh festival fringe lineup of acts has taken up the threat of artificial intelligence and run with it.A string of performers at the month-long festival, which begins on 4 August, will either use the technology to generate a show or play with the fears prompted by the rapid surge in its use. Continue reading...
The ex-Ukip leader has been hailed as a consumer champion after vowing to create a guide on how to flood banks with data requestsNigel Farage has vowed to help thousands of people flood big banks with demands for details about why they were denied an account, as allies said his treatment by Coutts and NatWest had turned him into Britain's newest consumer champion".The former Ukip leader is to spearhead a website assisting anyone who wants to find out why they have been denied a bank account. Farage used a subject access request to discover that, despite initial denials by Coutts, his political views had played a part in the closure of his account. Continue reading...
Magenta Marshall claims victory in former Western Australian leader's seat but opposition leader says plunge in ALP's primary vote should be a wake-up call'
Taipan helicopter was taking part in joint military training Talisman Sabre when it crashed in waters off Queensland's Whitsunday Islands on Friday night
Heads of state will meet in Nigeria on Sunday where they will decide on further actions to pressure army leaders to restore constitutional orderMilitary leaders in Niger have warned against any armed intervention in the country, as west African leaders were set to meet on Sunday for an emergency summit to decide on further actions to pressure the army to restore constitutional order after a coup last week.The heads of state of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union are set to meet in Nigeria, where they could suspend Niger from their institutions, cut off the country from the regional central bank and financial market, or close borders. Continue reading...
About 60% of bouquinistes along the Seine River will be moved on during the Games next year for security reasonsBooksellers in Paris have hit out at plans to hide" them during the 2024 Olympics, after they were told by local authorities to remove their stalls for the opening ceremony for security reasons.The bouquinistes along the River Seine make up the largest open-air book market in Europe and represent a 400-year-old tradition. Continue reading...
Police have arrested two 19-year-olds after Matthew Daulby, also 19, died in hospital after attack in Ormskirk town centreA compassionate, loving and funny" teenager who died after a double stabbing in Lancashire has been named by police.Matthew Daulby, 19, from Liverpool, was stabbed in the market town of Ormskirk during an altercation shortly after midnight on Saturday and died in hospital, Lancashire constabulary said. Continue reading...
Watchdog warns that admin errors, unexplained cancellations and delayed scan reports all contribute to longer waits for patientsPatients with suspected cancer are waiting months for diagnosis because of hidden waiting lists or falling into a black hole" after referral, England's patient champion warns this weekend.Admin errors, unexplained cancellations and delayed scan reports are among factors contributing to longer waits, according to Healthwatch England, a committee of the Care Quality Commission. Continue reading...
Chris Lewis began his walk while facing homelessness in 2017 and acquired a fiancee, baby son and dog en routeA former British paratrooper, who set out alone on a 19,000-mile UK coastline walk has completed the challenge, raising 500,000 for charity and returning home with a partner, dog and baby son in tow.Chris Lewis, 43, was joined by hundreds of cheering supporters as he completed the final mile of his walk, which began on Llangennith beach on the Gower peninsula, near his home city of Swansea, south Wales, on 1 August 2017. Continue reading...
Police appeal for witnesses to incident in Hoylandswaine involving ambulance responding to emergency callA man in his 30s has died after a collision between a scooter and an ambulance responding to an emergency call.The driver was taken to hospital but later died of his injuries. South Yorkshire police said the ambulance driver was helping police with their inquiries. Continue reading...
Covert government strategy to install electronic surveillance in shops raises issues around bias and data, and contrasts sharply with the EU ban to keep AI out of public spacesHome Office officials have drawn up secret plans to lobby the independent privacy regulator in an attempt to push the rollout of controversial facial recognition technology into high street shops and supermarkets, internal government minutes seen by the Observer reveal.The covert strategy was agreed during a closed-door meeting on 8 March between policing minister Chris Philp, senior Home Office officials and the private firm Facewatch, whose facial recognition cameras have provoked fierce opposition after being installed in shops. Continue reading...
Thousands of people may have perished on Alderney during the second world war but their murderers never stood trialThe official inquiry into Nazi atrocities committed on Alderney in the Channel Islands is under pressure to investigate why those responsible for committing war crimes on British soil were never brought to trial in the UK.Prof Anthony Glees, the security and intelligence expert who advised Margaret Thatcher's war crimes inquiry, told the Observer: This is a vital opportunity to establish all the facts, and it must examine why those who perpetrated such heinous war crimes were never brought to trial in this country. The review into the atrocities on Alderney is to be warmly welcomed, but I believe it should not just focus on the numbers killed, as important as that is." Continue reading...
Nicolas Petro held as part of investigation into funds he allegedly collected from drug traffickers during 2022 election campaignThe son of the Colombian president has been arrested as part of a high-profile money-laundering investigation into funds he allegedly collected from convicted drug traffickers during last year's presidential campaign.The president, Gustavo Petro, a former rebel who rose through Colombia's political ranks as an anti-corruption crusader, said he would not interfere with the investigation. Continue reading...
Article calling him cheating husband who broke the lockdown rules he wrote' was compliant with press codeThe press watchdog has ruled it was not inaccurate to refer to Matt Hancock as a failed health secretary and cheating husband who broke the lockdown rules he wrote".The Daily Mirror piece from November 2022 was among four articles the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) has said did not breach the accuracy clause of the editors' code of practice, after it investigated a complaint made by Hancock. Continue reading...
City continues relationship with Ukrainian capital forged when it hosted Eurovision song contestThousands took to the streets of Liverpool on Saturday as the city hosted KyivPride on behalf of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and an organiser praised the amazing friendship" between the cities.The joint march continues a relationship built when Liverpool hosted the Eurovision song contest on behalf of the war-torn country earlier this year. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian