by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6XM78)
Disability benefit assessment rules may be relaxed after backlash from more than 100 Labour MPsMinisters are considering tweaks to soften their controversial welfare cuts before a crunch vote in parliament next month.The government is examining a potential change that could allow up to 200,000 people to keep their disability benefits by tweaking assessment rules. Continue reading...
Sean McGovern, wanted on charges of murder and directing organised crime, flown to Ireland in military aircraftA leader of the notorious Kinahan organised crime group has been flown from the United Arab Emirates to Ireland in the first extradition of its kind.An Irish military aircraft carrying Sean McGovern - who is wanted on charges of murder and directing organised crime - was due to land in Dublin amid heavy security on Thursday afternoon. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#6XM46)
Campaigners say failings have ruined lives' after figures show up to 2.5m people in country could have conditionADHD campaigners have accused the NHS of presiding over a widely failing system" as it emerged that as many as 2.5 million people in England could have the condition, with more than half a million people waiting for an assessment.According to the first figures of their kind published by the health service, 3-4% of adults, and 5% of children and young people, in the country have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Continue reading...
Markets have rebounded after Trump's numerous retreats - even if he has bitten back against chicken' labelTrump Always Chickens Out - or Taco for short. Investors like narratives to explain the financial world, and they appear to have seized on this one: whenever Donald Trump faces a market backlash, he will back down.It would be fair to say the US president did not take kindly to the suggestion he was being a chicken" when asked by a reporter at the White House about the term that is gaining traction on Wall Street. Continue reading...
Props from Twin Peaks, Dune and Mulholland Drive are for sale alongside furniture designed by the late director, scripts of uncompleted projects and a custom-built five-necked guitarIf you are in the market for a custom-built five-necked guitar, a pair of personalised walkie-talkies, or a set of 10 (nine unopened) VHS tapes of Eraserhead, then now is your chance. More than 400 lots of personal effects from the collection of the late David Lynch, the idiosyncratic and hugely influential film-maker who died in January, are going up for auction.Bidding has already opened on a wide variety of items for the sale organised by Los Angeles-based memorabilia specialists Julien*s, in conjunction with Turner Classic Movies. Lynch's highly individual style is very evident in many of the artefacts on offer, which include home furnishings, cameras and recording equipment, as well as relics of his film-making career. Continue reading...
University settles with Tamara Lanier, who says she is descendent of people featured in 175-year-old imagesHarvard University has agreed to transfer possession of 19th-century photographs of an enslaved man and his daughter to the International African American Museum in South Carolina as part of a settlement with a woman who says she is a descendant of the enslaved individuals.Tamara Lanier, who lives in Norwich, Connecticut, who says she is the great-great-great granddaughter of Renty Taylor and his daughter, Delia Taylor - two of the enslaved people featured in the daguerreotypes taken in 1850 that Harvard owned - sued the university in 2019 over wrongful seizure, possession and expropriation" of the images, which she says were taken without her ancestors' consent. Continue reading...
Sales at UK's third largest supermarket fell 3.1% in four months to April, as rival Aldi announces big expansionAsda is unlikely to see growth before the end of this year at the earliest, the supermarket's chair, Allan Leighton, has said, as sales continue to fall despite price cuts and more stock on its shelves.Meanwhile, Aldi, which is closing the market share gap with Asda, put further pressure on its rival by announcing significant expansion plans across the UK. Continue reading...
by Robert Mackey, Lucy Campbell, Léonie Chao-Fong an on (#6XK0A)
Three-judge panel rules president exceeded authority granted to him by 1977 emergency powers law. This blog is now closed.The vice-president, JD Vance, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Vegas, which will set out the Trump administration's turbocharged approach to the US crypto industry.If you cast your minds back, it's the same conference Trump spoke at last year in Nashville calling for America to become a bitcoin superpower" and the crypto capital of the planet" under his leadership.At 4:30pm ET, Trump's sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr will speak at the very same conference in Vegas. It's presumably an industry they feel invested in, given they back a major Bitcoin venture themselves, per Reuters. And it comes just a day after a separate family-linked business, the Trump Media & Technology Group, announced its intention to raise $2.5bn to invest in bitcoin, as the Wall Street Journal reports. And that in turn came after Trump offered out exclusive VIP dinner invites to the 220 top buyers of his personal $Trump memecoin, as an incentive to buy more stock. It's all head-spinning stuff for a president of the United States. Continue reading...
Search for family from Texas was launched in August after report came in that a boat carrying eight people had begun taking on waterNearly a year after the US Coast Guard suspended the search for a family of four missing after the boat they were on capsized in waters off south-central Alaska, the vessel along with human remains have been found, officials said Wednesday.The discovery came after three private Alaska companies, including one that uses sonar equipment to search underwater, offered in April to help look for the family, who are from Texas, according to a statement released by the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Continue reading...
The Motown singer and his wife have denied the allegations from the outset and say the claimants have fabricated their account for the purpose of extortionSmokey Robinson has filed a $500m (370m) defamation lawsuit against the four former housekeepers who accused the Motown star of sexual assault earlier this month.Retaining anonymity, the women characterised Robinson, 85, as a serial and sick rapist" who had assaulted them on multiple occasions between 2007 and 2024 at three different locations. Their lawyers said that as low-wage workers in vulnerable positions, they lacked the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from sexual assaults". Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan Wales correspondent on (#6XKV9)
Hywel Williams given 12-month suspended sentence after telling court he deeply' regretted stealing animalsA Welsh farmer has been handed a 12-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to stealing more than 70 sheep from a neighbour, citing financial stress.At least 73 ewes in lamb were rustled in March by Hywel Williams, of Llangadog, Carmarthenshire, from land belonging to Rhodri Llyr Evans near Llandysul. Continue reading...
British arm of Maximus is biggest provider of functional assessment services for DWPThe British arm of a US contractor that tests whether some people in the UK should receive disability benefits has reported a 23% rise in profits.Maximus, a Virginia-based business, reported an increase in pre-tax profits for its UK arm from 23.6m to 29.1m in its financial year to the end of September, accounts lodged at Companies House show. Its revenue rose 2%, from 294m to 300m. Continue reading...
Kelly Smith and two others convicted over disappearance of Joshlin Smith, who the court heard was sold to traditional healer for eyes and skin'A South African woman and two accomplices were sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday for trafficking her then six-year-old daughter, in a case that has gained international attention since the child went missing last year.Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn were convicted of kidnapping and trafficking the girl, Joshlin Smith, after she disappeared from a small township in the Western Cape. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6XKRC)
If private finance is used for road tunnel, analysis finds it would need to charge 8.10 for cars and 14 for lorriesTolls on motorists to cross the Thames east of London at Dartford could triple if the Lower Thames Crossing is built using private finance, campaigners have claimed.Plans for the 9.2bn crossing were signed off in March and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said the government was exploring options to privately finance the project, which is Britain's biggest roadbuilding scheme. Continue reading...
Patterson, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a fatal mushroom lunch in 2023. Follow live updatesEppingstall cross-examined about phone recordsMandy asks Eppingstall about the call charge records, previously shown to the jury, and if the time reflected for a changed IMEI number [International Mobile Equipment Identity, used to identify phone handsets] is accurate. Continue reading...
Earl of Shrewsbury is fifth peer to face an inquiry after Guardian reporting into upper houseThe House of Lords watchdog has launched an investigation into a Conservative hereditary peer who admitted he erroneously" made claims last year for travel expenses he did not incur. He is the fifth peer to face an inquiry after Guardian reporting into the upper house.The Earl of Shrewsbury is being examined for a potential breach of rules after revelations he received reimbursement for mileage for four journeys between his home in Derbyshire and Stafford station, which he cannot have made as he was either in London or Liverpool.Ian Duncan, a Conservative peer who helped to secure a meeting with a government minister for a Canadian nuclear technology company he was advising.Richard Dannatt, a former head of the army who offered to secure meetings with ministers for undercover Guardian reporters posing as commercial clients wanting to lobby the government.David Evans of Watford, a Labour peer who referred himself to the watchdog after facing cash-for-access questions following undercover filming with Lord Evans. Continue reading...
Campaign has raised more than 114m since 1965 to protect sites such as Wembury Point in DevonWembury Point has a colourful history. During the 20th century it was transformed from a farm into a bustling holiday camp and then converted into a military radar station and Royal Navy gunnery.But the last 20 years have been a little gentler as it has returned to nature, a haven for rare flora and fauna and a hugely popular spot for walkers, wild swimmers and rock-poolers. Continue reading...
by Presented by Gaby Hinsliff with Polly Toynbee and on (#6XKRG)
Nigel Farage seems to have upstaged the Labour government, pledging to scrap the controversial two-child benefit cap and reverse the cuts to the winter fuel allowance. So why hasn't the government - after almost a year in power - done more to end child poverty? Gaby Hinsliff, in for John Harris, speaks to the Labour MP Stella Creasy and columnist Polly Toynbee Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6XKRH)
Alison McGovern promises long-term career support in wake of Labour's significant cuts to disability benefitsJobcentres will no longer force people into any job" available, the employment minister has said, promising there will be long-term, personalised career support for those losing out due to welfare cuts.Alison McGovern said she was ending the Conservative policy under which jobseekers were obliged to take any low-paid, insecure work and that the service would now be focused on helping people to build rewarding careers. Continue reading...
Party takes second place in election after overseas votes counted, overturning decades of bipartisan politicsThe far-right Chega party has overturned decades of bipartisan politics in Portugal by squeaking into second place in the country's third snap election in three years, edging out the socialists to become the biggest opposition party in parliament.The centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD), led by the prime minister, Luis Montenegro, finished first in the election 10 days ago, but once again fell well short of a majority, taking 31.2% of the vote and winning 91 seats in Portugal's 230-seat assembly. But the race for second place was a closely fought contest between the Socialist party (PS) and Chega. Continue reading...
US president claims he told Tel Aviv he thought agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme could come within weeksDonald Trump has claimed he warned Israel against attacking Iran because he believed he was very close to a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme in which US inspectors will be given unparalleled access to sites to ensure the country is not planning to build a nuclear bomb.At a White House press conference on Wednesday, the US president confirmed he held talks last week with Israel and told them it was not appropriate" to attack Tehran because he believed he could reach a deal within weeks. Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo in Jerusalem and Manisha Ganguly on (#6XK1S)
Deaths from crushing and gunshot wounds come a day after Israeli forces opened fire at a food distribution pointFour people have died as thousands of Palestinians burst into a United Nations warehouse in Gaza, tearing away sections of the building's metal walls in a desperate attempt to find food.Two people were fatally crushed and two others died of gunshot wounds after the crowd forced its way into the World Food Programme warehouse in Deir al-Balah on Wednesday afternoon, health officials said. Continue reading...
Hamit Coskun, 50, held burning text outside Turkish consulate London, Westminster magistrates court heardProsecuting a man for burning the Qur'an is tantamount to reintroducing a blasphemy law" in Great Britain, a trial has heard.Hamit Coskun, 50, shouted fuck Islam", Islam is religion of terrorism" and Qur'an is burning" as he held aloft the burning Islamic text outside the Turkish consulate in Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, on 13 February, Westminster magistrates court heard. Continue reading...
Kenyan writer's death announced by his daughter, who wrote: He lived a full life, fought a good fight'The Kenyan writer Ngg wa Thiong'o, who was censored, imprisoned and forced into exile by the dictator Daniel arap Moi, a perennial contender for the Nobel prize for literature and one of few writers working in an indigenous African language, has died aged 87.It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, this Wednesday morning," wrote his daughter Wanjiku wa Ngg on Facebook. He lived a full life, fought a good fight." Continue reading...
Deysi Vargas, her husband and Sofia' entered US legally in 2023 on humanitarian grounds to seek medical careThe family of a four-year-old girl who is receiving life-saving treatment in the United States are fighting against deportation, as her medical team warns she will likely die within days" if forced to return to Mexico.Deysi Vargas, her husband and their daughter - whom lawyers identified by the pseudonym Sofia - came to the US in 2023, receiving permission to enter the US on humanitarian grounds to seek medical care. Sofia suffers from short bowel syndrome, requiring specialized care that includes IV treatments for 14 hours a day. She has seen significant improvement since arriving in the US and obtaining care at Children's hospital Los Angeles, her mother said. Continue reading...
The use of IEDs in a war between criminal groups in the Michoacan-Jalisco border region has increased drasticallyEight Mexican soldiers have died after triggering an improvised explosive device (IED) in the state of Michoacan, underlining the rising use of mines by organised crime factions.The soldiers were on patrol in an armoured vehicle in the municipality of Los Reyes, near the border with the state of Jalisco, when the mine detonated on Wednesday. Six soldiers were killed instantly, while two more later died from their wounds, according to El Universal. Continue reading...
Several in attendance say they weren't surprised a collision could take place, with access described as a free-for-all'Football fans who were at Liverpool's Premier League title victory parade, where a car ploughed into pedestrians injuring more than 50 people, have said they were staggered" by the traffic control measures in place before the incident.A 53-year-old man from the West Derby area of the city was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, driving while unfit through drugs, and dangerous driving. Merseyside police said detectives had been granted more time to question the man, with an extension until Thursday. Continue reading...
Defense lawyers argued prosecutors had improperly suggested Combs was involved in destruction of evidenceSean Diddy" Combs's lawyers on Wednesday morning called for a mistrial in the hip-hop mogul's federal sex-trafficking trial, alleging misconduct by prosecutors in the case - but their request was quickly denied by the judge.Defense lawyers moved to have the case declared a mistrial by arguing that prosecutors had improperly suggested and implied through questioning that Combs was involved in the destruction of evidence tied to the investigation into rapper Scott Mescudi's (also known as Kid Cudi) car being firebombed. Continue reading...
Mark Rowley, Met commissioner, had said plans for England and Wales were made without any analysis of the impact on policing'The justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has hit back at the UK's most senior police officer in a row over the impact of allowing thousands of criminals to serve their sentences in the community instead of being sent to jail.The Ministry of Justice insisted on Wednesday that officials consulted with police" including the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, over proposed changes to sentencing policies introduced to ease prison overcrowding. Continue reading...
Event commemorates estimated 75,000 Herero and Nama people killed under German colonial ruleNamibia has observed its first genocide remembrance day, honouring the estimated 75,000 victims who were massacred by soldiers or forced into concentration camps during German colonial rule.Between 1904 and 1908, an estimated 65,000 Herero people and 10,000 Nama people were killed when the groups rejected colonial rule. It amounted to 80% and 50% of their respective populations at the time. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Amy Sedghi (earlier) on (#6XJZ2)
German chancellor says there will be no restrictions to how far weapons can reach at press conference with ZelenskyyTurkey's foreign minister will travel to Kyiv on Thursday for a two-day visit after discussing peace efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine in Moscow earlier this week, a Turkish foreign ministry source told Reuters on Wednesday.Foreign minister Hakan Fidan held talks in Moscow on Monday and Tuesday, meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials, including Moscow's top negotiator at talks in Istanbul earlier this month aimed at ending the three-year war. Continue reading...
Stephen Smith and Rachel Comotto now face gross misconduct hearings for incident at Leonards-on-Sea care homeTwo police officers who used a Taser and synthetic pepper spray on a one-legged 92-year-old man in a care home have been cleared of assault but will now face gross misconduct hearings.PC Stephen Smith, 51, and PC Rachel Comotto, 36, were found not guilty of assaulting Donald Burgess during a confrontation at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, in June 2022. Continue reading...
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