‘Sudden explosion of billionaire wealth’ at the expense of the rest of society is ‘grossly unjust’, says Equality TrustThe number of UK billionaires has increased by a fifth since the onset of the Covid pandemic, according to a report calling for a progressive wealth tax to tackle rising inequality amid the cost of living crisis.The Equality Trust charity said interventions by governments and central banks during the pandemic allowed for an “explosion of billionaire wealth” in Britain at the expense of the rest of society, after fuelling a boom in property values and on the stock market. Continue reading...
PSNI believe same two gunmen were responsible for deaths of Mark Hall in December 2021 and Sean Fox in October 2022The “horrifically violent” murders of two men who were killed almost a year apart in west Belfast have been formally linked by police. Both Sean Fox and Mark Hall were shot at close range in broad daylight, and detectives believe the murders were carried out by the same two gunmen.Hall, 31, was shot dead at his family home in Rodney Drive, Belfast, on Saturday 18 December 2021. Two men approached the house and one fired shots through the front window. Continue reading...
Patrons of French capital’s bars go through gamut of emotions as Argentina eventually win out on penaltiesIt was a rollercoaster. By the end they were standing on the tables outside, roars of “allez les Bleus” and “liberté, égalité, Mbappé” rising hoarsely into the freezing early evening air, hugging each other fiercely, cheering on their heroes.It was standing room only in Le Napoléon and Le Mondial cafes, facing each other across the Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis in Paris’s 10th arrondissement – both rammed to the rafters inside with flag-waving, face-painted, red-white-and-blue bewigged fans. Continue reading...
Outcry after presenter writes he is ‘dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets’A Jeremy Clarkson column in the Sun about the Duchess of Sussex has provoked outcry online, with social media users labelling it “vile”, “horrific” and “abusive”.In an article for the paper published on Friday, Clarkson wrote that he loathed Meghan “on a cellular level”. He said he was “dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”. Continue reading...
Lorna Tucker says not enough is being done to help Britain’s homeless people, and what is being done is not workingThe film-maker Lorna Tucker was once a teenage runaway, sleeping rough in London for 18 months. Twenty-five years later, she has relived the harrowing experience for a documentary, returning to her former haunts and speaking to homeless people at a time when record numbers are living on Britain’s streets.She was reunited with some of those she left behind, including “Darren”, who has been on the streets since his alcoholic mother was unable to care for him. “Darren sleeps where I used to sleep under Waterloo Bridge,” she said. “He still has the same eyes he had as a 15-year-old boy. He’s still got this beauty, but obviously he’s been very affected by it.” Continue reading...
Law courts will deliver their verdict on Monday on whether plans to export asylum seekers are lawfulIt has been more than three months since two of the UK’s most senior judges sifted through thousands of pages of evidence and heard opposing arguments from some of the country’s lawyers about whether or not the government’s controversial plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda are lawful. On Monday at 10.30am, at the Royal Courts of Justice, they will deliver their judgment.The government’s plan to export asylum seekers from one of the world’s richest countries to one of the world’s poorer nations, 4,000 miles away, is so radical that no other country has attempted anything like it. Continue reading...
Search takes place after man and woman arrested on suspicion of causing or allowing death of a childPolice have found a child’s body during searches of a garden in Birmingham.West Midlands police said last week they were searching the garden of a home in Clarence Road, Handsworth, after receiving information about the death of a child in the area. Continue reading...
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin suggests army personnel should be allowed to get on with their day-to-day jobsThe UK armed forces are not “spare capacity” for striking workers, the chief of the defence staff has said as he cautioned against relying on the military as the “ultimate backstop” during industrial action.Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of Britain’s armed forces, said it would be “slightly perilous” to expect them to be used routinely in the event of strikes by public sector workers. Continue reading...
Blast in Salang Tunnel, a key route linking north and south of country, killed at least 19 people, says officialAt least 19 people were killed and 32 injured when a fuel tanker exploded in a tunnel north of the Afghan capital, Kabul, a local official has said.The Salang Tunnel, about 80 miles (130km) north of Kabul, was originally built in the 1960s to assist the Soviet invasion. It is a key route linking the country’s north and south. Continue reading...
A year after he helped his terminally ill wife die, David Hunter is still in jailIn the hills above Paphos, at the end of a cul-de-sac in the village of Tala, Chris Jones is giving a guided tour of what has become his life’s work: transforming a two-storey villa into a palliative care facility.As the late afternoon sun shimmers over the sea beyond, Jones, a retired headmaster, points out the areas that will soon become the hospice’s lift and nurses’ station, oxygen and buzzer systems. Continue reading...
As the climate warms, and with up to 23 hours of summer sun to ripen innovative varieties, commercial wineries are boomingAcross most of the northern hemisphere, the grape harvest finished months ago. But in a small vineyard not far from Stockholm, in temperatures of -8C and 15cm of snow, it’s only just begun.“It’s perfect,” said Göran Amnegård, whose Blaxsta winery claims to be one of the world’s most northerly vineyards, as they started the harvest last week. Continue reading...
Clinicians say there is concern that the country’s healthcare system is inadequate to protect most vulnerableCanada is delaying plans which would allow people with mental illness to access medically assisted death amid concern from some clinicians that the healthcare system is not prepared to handle the complicated cases.Starting March 2023, Canada is expected to become one of the few countries in the world to allow physician-assisted death for chronic mental disorders. Continue reading...
The popular sausages in bacon now appear in pizzas, gravy, milkshakes and even dog treats as retailers vie for our Christmas food spendIt may be a stuffed turkey, a side of salmon or a nut roast at the centre of your Christmas Day table. But this year retailers are throwing everything at those little sausages wrapped in bacon that usually sit on the side, in the hope of clawing back some much-needed revenue.The food industry has gone berserk over pigs in blankets, offering dozens of new varieties as well as spin-offs such as gravy, pizzas, milkshakes and even dog treats. Continue reading...
The master craftsman was once lauded in Ditchling, Sussex. Now, as the grotesque truth of his life is acknowledged, all that has changedEric Gill was one the most celebrated British artists of the 20th century – and for decades his work held pride of place in the small museum based in the village where he once lived.But after his death, details emerged of his grotesque sexual conduct – including sustained abuse of two of his daughters and his younger sister – and there has been increasing clamour since for his work not to be shown. Continue reading...
Leading charity accuses Scottish government of failing on pledge to support women trapped in domestic violence by rising costsA leading charity in Scotland has accused Nicola Sturgeon’s government of making women and children suffering domestic abuse “a footnote” in its response to the cost of living crisis.Scottish Women’s Aid (SWA), a domestic abuse charity, warned that “the needs of women and children experiencing domestic abuse have slipped down the priority list”, as the organisation launched a campaign to highlight the cost of leaving an abusive relationship. Continue reading...
Turner prize-winner Tony Cragg defends decision to lend to Istanbul museum after criticism from leading Turkish artistOne of Britain’s leading sculptors, Sir Tony Cragg, has defended his decision to loan a work to Istanbul’s top art museum following criticism from a prominent Turkish artist of the country’s restrictions on freedom of expression.After four years in construction, the new five-storey, 15,000 sq metre Istanbul Modern will open this year, with Cragg’s white sculpture, entitled Runner, in a prime spot at its entrance. Continue reading...
by Shanti Das, Simon Bowers and Malia Politzer on (#66Z12)
Overseas branches of UK-registered firm also let clients pick their baby’s sex, investigation findsWomen recruited by an international surrogacy agency to carry babies for wealthy clients are being asked to undergo “unethical” medical procedures that increase their risk of serious complications, an investigation suggests.New Life Global claims to have brokered more than 7,000 cross-border deals between clients mostly based in the UK, western Europe and North America and surrogates in countries including Mexico, Colombia, India, Ukraine and Georgia. Continue reading...
In the capital, where Maradona is worshipped as a god, World Cup victory would take on a spiritual dimensionIn June, Tomás Kuklis visited family in his native Argentina from his home in New York. When conversation turned to the upcoming World Cup, it brought back the happiest memories of his childhood. He was rocked by a wave of nostalgia for friends and food, but especially for his lifelong passion: football.So, he took a bold decision: he would sell all his things and move back to Buenos Aires to watch the tournament. It was a choice some might consider radical. But in this South American country where football is arguably a spiritual experience, it felt like keeping the faith. Continue reading...
Instagram generation views ‘tweakments’ as a status symbol says King of Botox, but safety concerns won’t go awayA leading cosmetic doctor known as the “king of Botox” claims young people have “lost the plot” by overdoing treatments in an attempt to recreate filtered social media aesthetics in real life. He also criticised colleagues, some of whom he said have had so much work done he no longer recognises them, for fuelling the trend.While Botox and fillers were once most popular among older patients seeking discreet anti-ageing solutions, Dr Michael Prager said that a “visibly enhanced” look had become a fashion trend among under-30s who wanted the work to show. Continue reading...
Conservative supporters disillusioned with the lack of a Brexit dividend are unclear what Labour stands for, and the radical right is rising• Read more: Brexit failures are hauting ToriesThree years ago, Boris Johnson assembled a unique big tent coalition, delivering the Conservatives a once in a generation majority. That coalition is no more. Current polling points to a 17-point Conservative to Labour swing, far larger than Tony Blair achieved in 1997, with roughly half of 2019 Tory voters now backing someone else. Rejection of the Conservatives spans the length and breadth of the country, from the red wall to the blue wall, among Remain voters and among Brexiters.The Brexit coalition has collapsed because the forces holding it together – frustration over Brexit and fear of a Corbyn-led government – have dissipated and nothing has replaced them. Johnson fulfilled his Brexit pledges early, passing his “oven-ready” deal in the first months of the government, and following it with a trade agreement within a year. Those early successes have left a growing void. “Getting Brexit done” was supposed to change things for the better. Even the most ardent Brexiters now find the reality disappointing. Half of Leave voters say the government has handled the issue badly, while a record one in five Brexiters now think the decision to depart was a mistake. Continue reading...
by Mark Townsend and Isobel Koshiw in Kyiv on (#66Z05)
Military commander warns Moscow may again try to seize Kyiv after invading from Belarus in the northRussia may attempt to re-enact a version of its original invasion plans, Ukrainian military officials believe, as Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned this weekend Vladimir Putin still has enough missiles to order more heavy strikes.The Ukrainian president was speaking in the aftermath of the latest wave of missiles to target his country’s critical energy infrastructure after Russia launched 98 rockets at 20 cities and towns on Friday. Continue reading...
Sir John Tomlinson wades into row over cut to English National Opera’s grant as signs indicate Arts Council may review decisionThere can be no true “levelling up” of culture across Britain unless we hang on to the places where top performers work together, the veteran opera star Sir John Tomlinson has argued. The international singer’s plea for Arts Council England to think again about moving the English National Opera (ENO) from its London home comes as rumours build that it is to go back on its shock decision to withdraw annual funding from the company.“Every singer needs a thriving musical world around them,” said Lancashire-born Tomlinson, who is president of the Royal Northern College of Music. “You cannot develop your talent in a vacuum.” Continue reading...
Hamouri, a Jerusalem resident without Israeli citizenship, was detained under administrative detention without charge in MarchIsrael has deported French-Palestinian human rights lawyer Salah Hamouri, accusing him of security offences against the state of Israel, the Israeli interior ministry said in a statement.Hamouri was escorted early on Sunday morning to the airport, where he boarded a flight to France, with his campaign saying there was no legal recourse for him to take. Continue reading...
by Nino Bucci (now) and Royce Kurmelovs (earlier) on (#66YT0)
Sport governing body says ‘such behaviour has no place in Australian football’. Follow the day’s news live‘We will look at the facts’James Johnson is asked whether Melbourne Victory has any outstanding sanctions for past incidents. He says he is not aware of any but past events may be considered as an “aggravating factor” as an investigation into the incident unfolds:There is no other suspended disciplinary action that I’m aware of, but what I will say is that we will be working through that today. We have already started working on the show cause process as of late last night, and we will be moving forward as quickly and swiftly as possible to finalise it, because it is important we get ahead of this issue as a sport.What I can say is that we will look at the facts, we’ll look at it objectively and we will take a decision that we believe is in the overall best interest of the game but I prefer not to comment on the specifics of the outcome because we have to go through that process first.What happened during the game last night and what happens with the result;A “show cause letter” to Melbourne Victory;An attempt to identify individuals involved in the pitch invasion.This is an element that … infiltrates our game and tries to ruin it for the people who love us was in. We’ll be looking to weed out those people from the sport. Continue reading...
Poverty puts thousands into the grip of people smugglers plying a deadly trade in the MediterraneanYoussef initially doesn’t want to remember the treacherous boat journey that took him from Egypt, then to Tobruk in Libya and finally to Italy, but he knows clearly why he left.A young man in his 20s, Youssef is recently married and expecting a baby in a few months, and fears about the increasing cost of living in Egypt overwhelmed him. He gave in and contacted a people smuggler on the internet, using a Facebook group where those looking to migrate can post information about crossings. Continue reading...
Sodelpa negotiating with government and People’s Alliance on who it will support with its balance of powerFiji’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, has lost his parliamentary majority with the election’s final ballot count being returned.The former opposition Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa) is in negotiations with the FijiFirst government and People’s Alliance over which it will support with its balance of power. Continue reading...
Launches come days after Pyongyang said it tested a new ‘high-thrust’ motor as it seeks to advance its nuclear and missile programmesNorth Korea fired two ballistic missiles, Seoul’s military said, days after Pyongyang announced a successful test of a solid-fuel motor for a new weapons system.Military tensions on the Korean peninsula have risen sharply this year as Pyongyang has carried out an unprecedented blitz of weapons tests, including the launch of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile ever last month. Continue reading...
Saju Chelavalel, 52, accused of killing Anju Asok, 35, and her six- and four-year-old childrenA 52-year-old man has been charged with the murders of an NHS nurse and her two children in Kettering.Saju Chelavalel is accused of the murder of Anju Asok, 35, Jeeva Saju, six, and Janvi Saju, four. Continue reading...
Incumbent faces Zweli Mkhize, whom he suspended as health minister over corruption allegations, in a party voteSouth Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) nominated just two candidates to run for its top job on Saturday, leaving President Cyril Ramaphosa facing the health minister he suspended over corruption allegations in a party vote.The winner will have the ANC’s blessing to run for president in 2024 elections under its banner, historically a shoo-in for the country’s top job since the party’s leading light Nelson Mandela ended white minority rule in 1994. Continue reading...
Government accused of prioritising contingency planning ahead of securing a deal with workersUnions have lashed out at plans for the armed forces to cover for striking public sector workers in the run-up to Christmas, claiming the military are not “sufficiently trained” to plug staffing gaps on the frontline.The government is deploying 1,200 troops from the army, navy and RAF to fill in for ambulance drivers and border staff during widespread strikes over the festive period, with more than 1,000 civil servants also drafted in to help. Continue reading...
Ambulance workers and nurses are taking action in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Here’s what to expect• Nurses pledge tougher strikesNurses will hold their second day of strike action on Tuesday in more than 70 trusts and health organisations in England, Wales and northern Ireland. On Wednesday, three unions, the GMB, Unison and Unite, will take strike action at ambulance trusts across the country. More than 10,000 ambulance workers in the GMB have voted to strike at nine trusts in England and Wales. Continue reading...
Nursing union gives ministers until Thursday to open pay talks as first signs emerge of bid to end dispute and prevent NHS collapse• How will NHS strikes affect you?Union leaders threatened on Saturday night to order a fresh wave of more severe strikes in the new year in which nurses would offer “less generous” support inside hospitals, in a dramatic escalation of their pay dispute with the government.The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), in a marked hardening of its line, said there would be “more hospitals and more nurses taking part than at present” in strikes throughout January, unless ministers backed down by Thursday. Continue reading...
Detention of one of Iran’s most famous performers sign state wants to crack down on celebrities who challenge regimeTaraneh Alidoosti, one of Iran’s most famous actors, has been detained by security forces in Tehran days after she criticised the state’s use of the death penalty against protesters.She had previously posted a picture of herself on her Instagram page in which she was not wearing the hijab and holding a piece of paper reading “women, life, freedom” – the slogan that has come to encapsulate the fight against the current Iranian regime. Continue reading...
‘Considerable portion’ of priceless treasures from Green Vault museum recovered amid trial of suspectsGerman authorities said they have found a “considerable portion” of items stolen in a spectacular 2019 robbery of priceless 18th-century jewels from a state museum.The authorities retrieved 31 individual items in the capital, Berlin, the police and prosecutors said. Continue reading...
Local authority leaseholders have to share costs, have no say over who does the job and can face financial ruinAn artist who bought a flat in a council-owned block faces homelessness after his local authority demanded he pay nearly £98,000 towards building repairs.Jamie Harris, 47, purchased the leasehold on a one-bedroom flat owned by Lambeth Council in 2007. Eight of the 10 flats in the converted Victorian villa are rented to council tenants and, unbeknown to him, he and the one other leaseholder share liability with the council for any building work. He’s now been threatened with legal action unless he pays £97,860 and says he will have to sell his home to settle the bill. Continue reading...
Firefighters put out blaze at Latin American restaurant MNKY HSE in Mayfair after flames rapidly spreadDiners were forced to flee a fire caused by Christmas decorations at a Latin American restaurant in London’s West End on Friday night.Video footage of the blaze showed people rushing to escape MNKY HSE in Dover Street, Mayfair, after the flames spread quickly. Two people were treated by ambulance staff for their injuries. Continue reading...
Government shelves plan to secure long-term contracts because ‘locking in while gas prices are this high doesn’t make sense’An energy security taskforce launched by Liz Truss has been scrapped by her successor, Rishi Sunak, after three months.The taskforce, announced by Truss towards the beginning of her brief tenure as prime minister, was created as part of a package of measures announced in September to reform the “broken” market. Continue reading...
Former England captain, whose role as ambassador was criticised by LGBTQ+ community, said he believes sport is ‘force for good’David Beckham has made his first public statement on his controversial involvement with the World Cup host nation Qatar, telling a US newspaper through a spokesperson that he “has always believed that sport has the power to be a force for good in the world”.“We understand that there are different and strongly held views about engagement in the Middle East but see it as positive that debate about the key issues has been stimulated directly by the first World Cup being held in the region,” the statement continued. Continue reading...
One wheelchair user reported that pre-booked accessible spaces were filled with luggage and no staff were presentDisabled passengers travelling on Avanti services in the north of England say they are finding pre-booked accessible spaces filled with luggage and are having to resort to sitting in toilets while others are abandoning travelling on trains altogether.Haydn Smith, 26, a wheelchair user, and Alex Winstanley, 30, his non-disabled business partner, boarded an Avanti service from Wigan to London Euston last month. He said as they boarded the train, an Avanti member of staff warned them they would “struggle to get on”. Continue reading...
The legislation aims to tackle problems as wide-ranging as misogyny, disinformation and consumer fraudNearly two decades after the birth of Facebook ushered in the social media era, the EU is introducing ambitious legislation designed to clean up the world’s biggest online forums.Intended to tackle misogyny, protect children, stop consumer fraud, curb disinformation and protect democratic elections, the Digital Services Act (DSA) is wide-ranging. The UK is introducing its own statute, the online safety bill, but the EU’s rules are likely to have a bigger impact because they cover a bigger market, and the EU is more influential as a regulatory power. Continue reading...
Police say Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, of Newham, died in hospital on SaturdayA woman has died after being injured in an apparent crowd crush at a concert in Brixton, south London, on Thursday.Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, was one of three people critically injured after fans attempted to gain entry without tickets to a show by the Nigerian artist Asake at the south London venue on Thursday. Continue reading...
by Martin Chulov Middle East correspondent on (#66Y5W)
Opposition groups are boycotting vote that one prominent party leader describes as ‘a still-born farce’Tunisians have gone to the polls to elect a new parliament, 11 years to the day since a vendor’s self-immolation sparked the fall of their ruling tyrant and triggered a wave of popular revolts across north Africa and the Middle East.In the troubled decade since, other regional states that once cracked under the strain of popular revolts have been increasingly smothered by counterrevolutions that clawed back civic gains and political freedoms championed by their citizens. Continue reading...
Micheál Martin hands over to Fine Gael leader after two years at head of coalition governmentLeo Varadkar has become Ireland’s taoiseach after swapping posts with Micheál Martin, who took over as tánaiste, or deputy prime minister.The Dáil, the Irish parliament, approved Varadkar’s nomination in a vote on Saturday that drew a line under Martin’s two-year premiership and put Varadkar at the head of the coalition government for the rest of its term. Continue reading...
Rise in infections across the UK has led to patients being offered alternative antibiotics to meet demandFive new serious shortage protocols (SSPs) have been issued to pharmacists in an attempt to offset penicillin supply issues caused by the rising number of strep A infections across the UK.The government introduced SSPs for three penicillin medicines earlier this week and has now increased the total to give pharmacists the flexibility to supply an alternative antibiotic or formulation of penicillin. Continue reading...
Observer survey shows half of state schools struggle to recruit vital teaching assistantsAlmost every state school in England is struggling to provide proper support for children with special educational needs because of insufficient support staff, a new survey has revealed.In a poll of 922 special educational needs and disabilities (Send) coordinators in primary and secondary schools across England, conducted exclusively for the Observer by education consultancy Sendco Solutions, only six schools said they did not have a problem with numbers of support staff for children with additional needs. With teaching assistants typically able to earn more working at their local supermarket, schools say crucial support workers are leaving “in droves”, and they cannot find anyone to replace them because the pay is too low. Continue reading...
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