Accounting firms offer extra training on face-to-face presentations and in-person meetingsTwo of the UK’s big four accounting firms are giving extra training to younger recruits after finding that those who spent large parts of their education remote working during Covid lockdowns struggled with communication and teamwork tasks.Deloitte and PwC said they were offering newer recruits training on skills that may have been neglected during the pandemic such as giving face-to-face presentations and participating in in-person meetings. Continue reading...
Bill retains harshest measures of legislation adopted in March, including death penalty for certain same-sex actsUganda’s parliament has passed a mostly unchanged version of one of the world’s strictest anti-LGBTQ bills after President Yoweri Museveni asked that certain provisions from the original legislation be toned down.Despite some changes, the bill retains most of the harshest measures of the legislation adopted in March. Those include the death penalty for certain same-sex acts and a 20-year sentence for “promoting” homosexuality, which activists say could criminalise any advocacy for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer citizens. Continue reading...
Hermann Hauser says UK chip designer rules could seek secondary listing in London laterBrexit “idiocy” is partly to blame for Arm’s decision to choose New York over London for its stock market listing, but a secondary listing in the UK at a later date would make sense, according to a co-founder of the Cambridge-based chip designer.Arm’s parent, the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, has officially filed for a US-only listing, in a blow to the UK government, which has lobbied hard for a London listing. Continue reading...
The cavernous club in an old Rotherhithe printing factory closed on Monday amid regeneration of the area. Its operators explain how they intend to keep the party goingAfter six years in which it’s established itself as London’s most ambitious and visually impressive new venue for electronic music, post-industrial superclub Printworks – a hulking 6,000-capacity complex in Canada Water, once home to the printing presses of the Daily Mail and Evening Standard – closed its doors for the final time on Monday night.Like countless inner-city club closures in recent memory, this was a decision prompted by the commercial demands of gigantic property developers: over the next four years the 53-acre site in which Printworks sits will be flattened and rebuilt by developers British Land and AustralianSuper, transforming it into a glittering array of upscale shops, restaurants, offices and luxury flats. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6BC0H)
Exclusive: Fires more than quadruple since 2020 after surge in popularity of battery-assisted travelFires sparked by faulty e-bikes and e-scooters have injured at least 190 people in the UK and killed eight, the Guardian can reveal, as a surge in public enthusiasm for battery-assisted travel is matched by a more than quadrupling in blazes since 2020.Overheating lithium-ion batteries create fierce fires, releasing toxic smoke, and are now occurring at the rate of at least six a week in the UK, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Fire and electrical experts are warning riders against buying batteries in less regulated online marketplaces, particularly from China, and are urging greater precautions when charging. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Michaelia Cash, who was a guest on the show, says Cory Bernardi’s comparison of voice proposal to apartheid South Africa ‘in no way reflects my view’
Adnan, who was affiliated with the Palestinian militant Islamic Jihad group, was found unconscious in his cell early on TuesdayMilitants in the blockaded Gaza Strip have launched rockets at Israel in response to the death after a hunger strike of a well-known political figure affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.Khader Adnan, a 44-year-old father of nine from near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, was found unconscious in his cell in the early hours of Tuesday after an 87-day-long hunger strike during which he refused medical treatment, the Israeli prison authority said. He was transferred from the maximum-security detention facility in the central Israeli city of Ramle to a local hospital, where he was declared dead. Continue reading...
Vivek Murthy urged public officials to treat isolation with the same urgency as substance abuse or tobaccoThere’s an ailment linked to increased heart attacks, depression, diabetes, crime and premature death in the US, and it’s impacting people no matter where they live or who they are: loneliness.US surgeon general Vivek Murthy released an advisory on loneliness and isolation on Tuesday and urged people and public officials to treat the matter with the same urgency as other serious conditions such as obesity or drug abuse as it continues to surge, affecting approximately half of the people living in the US. Continue reading...
King Charles’s sister responds to reports that monarch could reduce number of working royals and cut back staffingPrincess Anne, the 16th in line to the British throne, has said she does not think a slimmed-down monarchy is a “good idea”.Speaking to the Canadian public broadcaster, CBC News, the princess royal was asking about reports that her brother King Charles intends to overhaul the institution, in a move frequently referred to as a “slimmed down” monarchy. Continue reading...
Labour leader says he is confident Gray, offered the role of his chief of staff, has not broken any rulesThe Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has denied having recruitment discussions with the senior civil servant Sue Gray while she was investigating the former prime minister Boris Johnson.Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Starmer said he was confident Gray, who was offered the role of his chief of staff, to lead Labour’s potential transition into government, had not broken any rules. Continue reading...
The Writers Guild of America have announced a strike will begin tomorrow, after talks broke down with major studios and streamersHollywood’s writers are going out on strike for the first time in more than 15 years.The Writers Guild of America announced on Monday night that its 11,500 members will stop working on Tuesday afternoon, after negotiations between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a group representing most major studios and streaming services, broke down. Continue reading...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has overhauled rules around campaigning for Oscars after incidents involving Andrea Riseborough, Jerry Bruckheimer and Michelle YeohThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its “most significant overhaul” of rules around campaigning for Oscars, fresh after Andrea Riseborough’s controversial nomination for best actress.The changes and clarifications come after several incidents were flagged as possibly breaking the rules around campaigning for nominations at this year’s Academy Awards. These included Riseborough’s nomination for her performance in To Leslie, after an aggressive guerrilla campaign that saw actors including Kate Winslet, Amy Adams and Gwyneth Paltrow endorse the low-budget indie film. The British actor had not been considered a contender for a nomination, with some suggesting her inclusion had come at the expense of Black actors. Continue reading...
Pat Cullen urges health secretary not to disrespect nurses and to do the ‘decent thing for the NHS’Steve Barclay has “lost the public” and striking nurses “are not going to go away”, the head of the Royal College of Nursing, Pat Cullen, has warned.Her comments came after Barclay, the health secretary, described the industrial action by nurses as “premature” and “disrespectful” to other trade unions who are set to meet to discuss the government’s pay offer on Tuesday. Continue reading...
With under a week until the Big Help Out begins, data shows that volunteering is at a historic low‘I do what’s needed’: extraordinary UK volunteers doing the extraordinaryVolunteering is at a historic low in England, with two different pieces of research revealing the damaging, long-term effect the pandemic has had.There is just one week to go before the Big Help Out, an official part of the coronation weekend designed to create one of the biggest community activations in British history. Continue reading...
Despite 1.6 million fewer people volunteering than five years ago, there are everyday individuals making a differenceVolunteering in sharp decline in EnglandVolunteering is in crisis across Britain. Two separate pieces of analysis this weekend have revealed the long-term impact the pandemic has had on people’s willingness to come forward: with the number raising money or taking part in sponsored events falling by 48% since 2018; and the number organising or helping to run an activity down by 52%.In total, about 1.6 million fewer people volunteered last year, compared with five years ago. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6BBSH)
It is unclear where High Peak, which has a habit of swinging like a pendulum between Labour and the Tories, will land this timeSean Winterbottom does not like politics. But like all people who do not like politics, once he starts talking about it, he has a lot to say. “Last general election I voted Conservative, but I don’t know for this one. They all just spin you whatever they want to spin you,” he said, leaning over the counter in the plumber’s merchant on the high street in Glossop where he works.“I know it’s never going to happen but the parties should work together, contribute in areas that they’re good at and just work for the benefit of the country. There’s too much mudslinging and point-scoring, and they’re all as bad as each other. I don’t like drama.” Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security correspondent on (#6BBRA)
Long dispute creates unwanted uncertainties as increased migration and outside actors enter the conflictFears remain that Sudan – riven by fighting between the Sudanese army and its paramilitary rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – could plunge into a protracted crisis, prompting a humanitarian disaster with broad geopolitical implications.A string of failed or divided states already exist on Europe’s peripheries, a crescent of instability that stretches from the African Sahel, Libya, through to Yemen, Syria, and north into Ukraine, three countries where extended wars have been raging. Continue reading...
Russians in Tbilisi often arrive unaware of historical sensitivities and simmering hostilityAs midnight approached on a recent Saturday evening in Tbilisi, the animated chatter and joyous shouting on the city’s central Rustaveli Avenue was almost all taking place in Russian.A married couple from Rostov-on-Don headed home from dinner; passing them, a group of friends from St Petersburg were off for a late drink with some acquaintances from Moscow. Continue reading...
Extra 100,000 visitors expected amid £1bn lift for UK hospitality in May helped by coronation, bank holidays and EurovisionLiverpool is likely to receive a £40m boost as tens of thousands of Eurovision fans descend on the city to celebrate the annual song contest next week.Liverpool, which saw off Glasgow to be chosen as host after last year’s winners, Ukraine, were unable to hold the event amid Russia’s invasion, is expecting an influx of visitors. Continue reading...
Victim in her 30s pronounced dead at the scene in south London on Monday afternoonA woman was stabbed to death in broad daylight in Brixton, south London on Monday, the Metropolitan police has said.The force said it was called at about 4pm to reports of a stabbing in Stockwell Park Walk, just off Brixton Road. Continue reading...
Supporters claim government to rule she broke civil service code in bid to delay role as Keir Starmer’s chief of staffFormer senior official Sue Gray is facing a “political witch-hunt”, allies believe, with the government set to conclude that she broke the civil service code, in an alleged bid to delay her appointment as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff until after the next general election.Ministers are expected to announce on Tuesday that an internal inquiry into Gray’s departure from Whitehall has concluded that she breached the code by holding talks with Labour about the new role without informing civil service officials. Continue reading...
Seventeen-year-old boy had gone missing in the water near Lechlade-on-Thames in Gloucestershire on SundayA body has been found in the search for a teenager who failed to resurface while playing in the Thames with friends.Police were called at around 10pm on Sunday after a 17-year-old boy went missing in the river near Lechlade-on-Thames in Gloucestershire. Continue reading...
New Zealand group Half/Time to perform alongside artists who sing in Cymraeg as part of musical cultural exchangeThey will bring heavy riffs, pounding drums and lyrics delivered with a growl – but a punk band from New Zealand arriving in Wales this week also hope to spark important conversations about what it means to create pop songs in “minority” languages.The band Half/Time, who perform in Māori as well as English, will appear alongside artists and groups who sing in Cymraeg as part of a cultural exchange organised by the universities of Cardiff and Waikato. Continue reading...
Michael Allen, 36, died in early hours of Sunday morning after incident in which several people suffered knife woundsA man who died after an incident near a Cornish nightclub in which several people suffered stab wounds and a total of seven people were taken to hospital has been named.Family and friends paid tribute to 36-year-old Michael Allen from Bodmin, who died in the incident in the early hours of Sunday. Continue reading...
Shavkat Mirziyoyev will be able to remain in power until 2040 after Uzbeks backed changes in tightly controlled pollVoters in Uzbekistan have overwhelmingly approved constitutional changes that will allow the president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to remain in power until 2040.Mirziyoyev, 65, became president in 2016 after the death of dictator Islam Karimov. Continue reading...
New UN envoy to the region warns that humanitarian situation is ‘reaching breaking point’Sudan’s rival military forces have accused each other of violating a fresh ceasefire as the deadly conflict rumbles on for a third week despite warnings of a slide towards civil war.Both sides said a formal ceasefire agreement that was due to expire at midnight would be extended for a further 72 hours. The army said it hoped what it called the “rebels” would abide by the deal but it believed they had intended to keep up attacks. The parties have kept fighting through a series of ceasefires over the past week. Continue reading...
Investors claim sportswear giant failed to minimise their exposure to risk after the rapper and designer’s antisemitic comments led to a sharp decline in the share priceAdidas shareholders have filed a class action lawsuit against the sportswear brand, claiming it knew about Kanye West’s problematic behaviour years before it ended their partnership over his antisemitic comments.The shareholders also allege that Adidas failed to mitigate their financial losses or take precautionary measures to minimise their exposure, after the designer and rapper’s erratic behaviour and offensive comments saw him and his Yeezy brand dropped by Adidas, which resulted in a sharp decline in the company’s stock. Continue reading...
by Hosted by Lanre Bakare with Prof Hakim Adi, Dr Dia on (#6BANF)
Guardian journalist and Cotton Capital special correspondent Lanre Bakare examines Black Mancunian history, beginning with the 1945 Pan-African Congress that took place in the city and shaped independence movements across AfricaThe Guardian journalist Lanre Bakare travels to Manchester, the city where the Guardian newspaper was founded, to learn more about Black Mancunian history.He hears from Hakim Adi, a professor of history at the University of Chichester, about the 1945 Pan-African Congress in the city. This historic event would come to shape the independence movements across Africa – but despite its critical importance, many feel it remains largely forgotten. Continue reading...
Turkish president says Abu Hussein al-Qurashi was killed after long pursuit while northern Syria residents report clashes and large explosionTurkish intelligence forces have killed Islamic State’s leader, Abu Hussein al-Qurashi, in Syria, Turkey’s president has said.“This individual was neutralised as part of an operation by the Turkish national intelligence organisation in Syria yesterday,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in an interview with the broadcaster TRT Türk on Sunday. Continue reading...
Nurses union head clashes with Steve Barclay over plans to protect patients and RMT rows with Mark Harper about striking on eve of Eurovision finalThe Royal College of Nursing has clashed with the government over whether sufficient exemptions have been made to protect patient safety during the nurses’ strike in England that started on Sunday evening.The clash came as a row erupted between the leader of the train drivers’ union and the transport secretary, who had criticised a planned strike on the eve of the Eurovision song contest final for its impact on Ukraine. Continue reading...