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Theresa May had warned bill will cause more people to be consigned to modern slavery while Geoffrey Cox also raised concerns. This blog is now closed

Controversial asylum law will now go to Lords despite criticism from leading ConservativesThe government’s flagship asylum bill passed its third reading in the Commons on Wednesday night and will now go to the Lords despite criticism from several leading Conservatives including Theresa May.The illegal migration bill, which is supposed to change the law so that those who arrive in the UK by irregular means can be removed to a third country such as Rwanda, was passed by 289 votes to 230. The bill is expected to face greater opposition in the Lords where it could be amended or delayed. Continue reading...

Adult Human Female, which asserts that women are defined solely by biological sex, stopped after activists block entrancesThe screening of a controversial film asserting that women are defined solely by their biological sex has been cancelled by Edinburgh University after trans rights activists occupied entrances to the venue.The screening of the documentary Adult Human Female was organised with the university’s support after a previous event in December was prevented from taking place when protesters confronted audience members and occupied a screening room minutes before it was due to be shown. Continue reading...

Seven men and three women detained on suspicion of murder after incident at an address in BrentfordSeven men and three women have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man died in west London.Police were called at 5.15am on Wednesday to reports of intruders at an address in Brentwick Gardens, Brentford. Continue reading...

Streaming firm reveals spend of close to $1.5bn a year on content such as new Keira Knightley seriesNetflix has spent $6bn (£4.8m) making TV shows and films in the UK since 2020, $2bn more than originally planned, as the streaming giant doubled down on must-watch content amid a global slowdown in new subscribers.In a rare public announcement on content-spend levels, Netflix has said that it had spent on average almost $1.5bn annually from 2020 through to 2023. Continue reading...

More than 300 British nationals have fled bombing and shelling to reach a rescue flight out of Khartoum

Bogdan Bitik was working as a fixer for Corrado Zunino, Italian correspondent for La Repubblica, who was woundedA Ukrainian journalist working with reporters for La Repubblica has been shot dead by Russian snipers in southern Ukraine, while his Italian colleague was injured, the Italian newspaper said on Wednesday.“Today, our correspondent Corrado Zunino and his fixer Bogdan Bitik were victims of an ambush near the bridge in Kherson by Russian snipers on the outskirts of Kherson, in southern Ukraine,” La Repubblica said. Continue reading...

Royal College of Midwives members vote for ‘improved’ two-year deal by 57% to 43%Midwives have voted to accept the latest NHS pay offer, their union has announced.In a turnout of 48% of eligible members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) working in the NHS in England, 57% voted to accept the deal – with 43% rejecting it. Continue reading...

High court judge rules Nina Cresswell’s account of Billy Hay’s attack is true on the balance of probabilitiesA woman who wrote about being sexually assaulted, naming her attacker, has defeated a libel action he brought against her after a judge ruled that her account was true on the balance of probabilities.Nina Cresswell was sued by Billy Hay over a blog and social media posts she wrote in 2020, as the #MeToo movement exploded, saying that he violently assaulted her 10 years earlier. She said Hay, a well-known tattooist, attacked her when she was aged 20 as she walked home from a nightclub in Sunderland where they had met earlier that evening. Continue reading...

Muslims are marginalised by being made to feel they have to frequently renounce terrorist acts, according to faith reviewSenior politicians must stop stigmatising Muslims by making them feel responsible for Islamist terrorism, according to a report which aims to reset the government’s entire approach to dealing with religious groups.Muslims are being marginalised in a number of areas of British life, according to the report by the government’s faith adviser Colin Bloom, including by being made to feel they frequently have to renounce terrorist acts. Bloom also urged ministers to develop Sharia-compliant student loans to help more Muslims into university, and to conduct an outreach programme to increase their representation in the armed forces.Giving every public servant, including doctors, teachers and police officers, mandatory religious trainingRegulating unregulated faith schoolsIntroducing Sharia-compliant student loansConducting a review of radicalisation in prisonsLaunching a campaign to recruit more Muslim soldiersCracking down on religiously motivated white supremacistsInvestigating Sikh extremismUsing the online safety bill to crack down on material that promotes religious hatredFunding a new programme to help people who are leaving coercive religious environmentsReforming and properly resourcing the government’s forced marriage unit Continue reading...

Protesters say decision-makers would be remembered for having paved over paradise in ‘Joni Mitchell moment’Controversial plans to build almost 200 homes on the site of Bristol’s beloved zoo gardens have been approved by councillors, who concluded that the development would help ease the city’s housing crisis.Protesters argued that this was Bristol’s “Joni Mitchell moment” and that the politicians who had backed the “monstrosity” would be remembered as having “paved paradise” and be a laughing stock. Continue reading...

Temporary pools will be placed at schools in areas where a large proportion of children are unable to swimOlympic swimmers including Adam Peaty, Ellie Simmonds and Matt Richards have launched a new pop-up pool programme at UK schools aimed at boosting low swimming attainment rates.Fully functioning temporary pools will be placed at schools in areas where a large proportion of children are unable to swim, starting in the Black Country in the West Midlands, one of the worst-affected areas in the country. Continue reading...

Court papers allege that Morgan, when he was NoW editor, and others knew about and concealed hacking of texts and phone callsPrince Harry has claimed Piers Morgan “knew about, encouraged and concealed” illegal targeting of Diana, Princess of Wales when he was editor of the News of the World.Harry alleges that his mother’s private text messages and phone calls were obtained by journalists working for Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid newspapers before she died, with the information used as the basis for multiple stories in the Sun and the News of the World.“Di’s cranky phone calls to married Oliver; She called 3 times in 9 minutes and hung up as she heard Oliver’s voice”, about Diana’s alleged relationship with the art dealer Oliver Hoare.“Di’s roam alone”, about Diana flying to the US on holiday and leaving behind princes William and Harry with other members of the royal family.“Di and Fergie bury the hatchet”, about a private meeting between Diana and the Duchess of York.“It’s Diana or me; Di: Will’s my dear friend – not my lover; Carling sneaked into palace when boys went out”, about Diana’s alleged relationship with the England rugby player Will Carling.“Di’s VJ Day fury over Tiggy”, about a supposed dispute between Diana and the royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke. Continue reading...

Rain Newton-Smith’s tweets come on day she became director general at Confederation of British Industry

Ukrainian president reports ‘long and meaningful’ call with Chinese president

UK all-party group says failure to bring to justice Darfur abusers 20 years ago has led to current violence

PM says ‘trying to unpick our history is not the right way forward’ in response to Labour’s Bell Ribeiro-AddyRishi Sunak has refused to apologise for the UK’s role in the slave trade or to commit to paying reparations.The prime minister was challenged in the Commons by the Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who said former prime ministers and heads of state had “only ever expressed sorrow or deep regret”, since the late MP Bernie Grant first asked the government for an apology 23 years ago. Continue reading...

London police commissioner accused of bungling job and not being ‘very honest’ at committee sessionA senior Conservative attacked the honesty and competence of the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, in furious scenes at a Commons committee, with the police chief denouncing the “pillorying” of his force.Lee Anderson MP, the deputy chair of the Tory party, accused Rowley of not being “very honest” and claimed he was bungling his job. Continue reading...

With partially held ceasefire due to expire on Thursday, UN says neither side ready to seriously negotiate

Much-delayed white paper expected to put most controversial measures out to further consultationOnline casinos will face tougher restrictions under government proposals to overhaul Britain’s gambling laws but the majority of measures will be subject to further consultation, signalling even more delay to long-awaited changes.A white paper, the result of a review launched in 2020, is due to be published on Thursday, after being postponed multiple times.A 1% mandatory levy on industry revenuesOnline slot machine stakes limited to between £2 and £15Measures to slow down online casino gamesLooser restrictions for land-based casinosGovernment-run safer gambling campaigns Continue reading...

Further flights expected to leave airfield north of Khartoum on Wednesday, but proportion of British evacuees is unclear

North West Leicestershire MP has sat as independent since losing Tory whip after comparing use of Covid jabs to HolocaustAndrew Bridgen, the formerly Conservative MP who lost the Tory whip after comparing the use of Covid vaccines to the Holocaust, has been expelled permanently from the party.Bridgen, who has been in parliament since 2010, has sat as an independent since his much-condemned vaccine comment in January, which followed an apparent embrace of wider Covid conspiracy theories by the North West Leicestershire MP. Continue reading...

Party vice-president says gesture demonstrates commitment to building good relations and advancing peace• UK politics live – latest updatesSinn Féin’s vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, is to attend the coronation of King Charles, marking another step away from the party’s strict Irish republican heritage.O’Neill said on Wednesday that she had accepted an invitation to attend the 6 May ceremony in London in order to further peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Continue reading...

Paul Russell, of West Derby, Liverpool, admitted driving Cashman after he fatally shot nine-year-oldA man has been jailed for 22 months for helping the convicted murderer Thomas Cashman after he fatally shot nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.Paul Russell, of West Derby, Liverpool, admitted driving Cashman from an address and disposing of his clothing in the aftermath of Olivia’s shooting, which happened at about 10pm on 22 August last year when the gunman chased the convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee into the family home in Kingsheath Avenue, firing through the door and also injuring her mother, Cheryl Korbel. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson’s ex-deputy chief whip, whose alleged misconduct was a factor in PM’s resignation, will not contest Tamworth seat

Proposals are ‘unsafe’, ‘a recipe for disaster’ and may worsen industrial relations and passenger outcomes, MPs toldPlans for minimum service levels during rail strikes could worsen industrial relations and outcomes for passengers, train operators have told MPs, while unions said the proposed laws were a “recipe for disaster”.Legislation that would force some staff to work during strikes is going through parliament, sponsored by the business secretary, Grant Shapps. Continue reading...

The award-winning director who was released from prison in February is rumoured to be a juror at the Cannes film festivalJafar Panahi, the acclaimed Iranian director whose life has been dominated by clashes with his country’s government, has left Iran for the first time in 14 years.Panahi’s wife, Tahereh Saeedi, posted a picture on Instagram on Tuesday night showing her arriving with her husband at an undisclosed airport. Continue reading...

Allies of opposition leader already serving 11 years say charges may be linked to death of pro-war blogger

Labour leader accuses prime minister of refusing to tackle ‘his beloved non-dom status’

Frankfurt judges said people would have to lean far out of window to see naked sunbathing in courtyardA German court has said that a landlord sunbathing naked in the courtyard of his building was not a reason for his tenants to reduce their rental payments.The case involved a building in an upmarket residential district of Frankfurt, which included an office floor rented by a human resources company. The company withheld rent because it objected, among other things, to the landlord’s naked sunbathing. In response, the landlord sued. Continue reading...

Home secretary also associates people who enter UK illegally with ‘heightened levels of criminality’

Higher mortgage rates and less loan choice hitting sales to people trying to buy first property, says developerSales of new homes to first-time buyers are struggling, according to housebuilder Persimmon, as higher interest rates make mortgages less affordable.The company, which is one of the UK’s largest domestic property developers, said people looking to get on the housing ladder were facing “stretched affordability” and less choice on home loans. Continue reading...

Growing number of people using Ma Dong-seok’s image as online avatar to get better response from customer service agentsChinese social media users are turning to a Korean American action star for help in their daily lives, with a growing trend of swapping out their online avatar for Ma Dong-seok’s photo to get better responses from landlords and customer service agents.In recent weeks a growing number of Chinese people have changed their profile photos to shots of Ma, who also goes by the name Don Lee and has starred in horror-action film Train to Busan and Marvel’s The Eternals, saying “it makes life easier”. Continue reading...

Months before 43 Ayotzinapa students vanished, army was repeatedly warned of criminal gang presenceThe Mexican military received nearly a dozen complaints about cartel activity in the region where 43 students were abducted in September 2014, emails hacked from the country’s defense ministry reveal, but the armed forces apparently did little to tackle organized crime in the area.The students’ kidnapping and disappearance, which took place in the city of Iguala in Guerrero state, was one of the most horrific and high-profile human rights abuses in Mexico’s recent history, and remains unsolved despite years of protests and a relentless pursuit of justice by the students’ parents. Continue reading...

Bashir, wanted by international criminal court on genocide charges, moved after attack by paramilitaries on prison where he was being held

Treasurer says government’s focus remains on jobs, as CEO of Acoss says increasing unemployment benefit still a ‘live debate’

Airport says people will be able to ‘travel as normal’ in peak period around coronation despite strikeHeathrow airport has said it is still loss-making, even as it continues to be Europe’s busiest airport, welcoming almost 17 million passengers in the first three months of the year.The airport also said that passengers would be able to “travel as normal” during the peak getaway period around the coronation of King Charles III, taking place on 6 May, despite a fresh planned strike by security staff. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: Amid gunsmoke and airstrikes, civilians must choose whether to travel towards uncertain safety, or risk violence by staying behind. What questions face anyone trying to leave – and what might happen if they go?

The consumer price index for the first three months of 2023 has come in at an annual rate of 7%, down from the 32-year high of 7.8%

Stephanie Bennett pleaded guilty to using Gold Coast pilot Ash Jenkinson’s identity after she was caught using mobile while driving

Concerns have been raised that religious institutions do not have to show how they are spending millions of dollars of federal funding

Interior minister says deaths in Malindi could be ‘tip of the iceberg’ as police exhume 17 more bodiesThe death toll at a ranch in Kenya owned by a pastor who is accused of leading a religious cult and ordering his followers to starve themselves in order to “meet Jesus” has reached 90, as the country’s interior minister announced an expanded operation at the site.The new figure came after police exhumed 17 more bodies. The total number of those rescued while starving at the ranch now stands at 34. The Kenya Red Cross Society’s latest figure on the number of missing is 213. Continue reading...

Artist formerly known as Cat Stevens urges help for the sick and homeless and to spread peace in 10-point planYusuf Islam, the musician formerly known as Cat Stevens, has addressed King Charles III ahead of his coronation with a 10-point list entitled Manifesto for a Good King.“Even if you are a King, you are still a servant of God”, the list begins, and goes on to include instructions to “feed the hungry”, “help the sick and homeless”, “beware of negative people in your circle” and “listen to constructive criticism”. Continue reading...

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa makes rare acknowledgement of centuries of forced transportation of millions of AfricansPortugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has said his country should apologise and take responsibility for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, the first time a leader of the southern European nation has suggested such a national apology.From the 15th to the 19th century, 6 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported across the Atlantic by Portuguese vessels and sold into slavery, primarily to Brazil. Continue reading...

Research rocket launched from Kiruna, northern Sweden, had plunged into mountainside in Norway’s far northThe Norwegian foreign ministry has expressed irritation with Sweden for not immediately informing it of a research rocket that crashed in Norway, in a rare spat between the two neighbours.The rocket, which was launched early Monday from the Esrange Space Centre in Kiruna, northern Sweden, plunged into a mountainside in the Målselv municipality in Norway’s far north, about 10km (six miles) from the closest inhabited area. Continue reading...

Venue could close permanently after two people were killed in a crowd crush in DecemberA music venue in Brixton could be closed permanently after the Metropolitan police called for its licence to be revoked after two people were killed in a crowd crush in December.The O2 Academy venue’s licence was suspended in January for three months by Lambeth councillors after the security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, and Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, died when a crush occurred after fans tried to enter a show by Nigerian artist Asake. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Simon Case pressuring watchdog to block Gray from taking up job until after next electionThe head of the civil service, Simon Case, has attempted to block former senior official Sue Gray from working with Labour as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff until after the next general election, the Guardian has been told.Whitehall sources said that Case, as Gray’s former civil service boss in the Cabinet Office, had “pushed for” the government’s appointments watchdog to delay her starting the new job for the maximum two years. Continue reading...

Comments by immigration minister criticised as being ‘straight from the far right’s playbook’The “values and lifestyles” of people crossing the Channel in small boats threaten the UK’s social cohesion, the immigration minister has claimed, in comments that have been described as “dog-whistling to the far right”.Amid predictions that there could be a new surge in crossings by people fleeing the conflict in Sudan, Robert Jenrick said “uncontrolled illegal migration” threatened to “cannibalise” the UK’s compassion and argued that recent protests at hotels should be heeded as a warning to politicians. Continue reading...

Security forces accused of massacre in Karma, which locals say was carried out by men in military dressAt least 150 civilians may have been killed and many more injured in an attack allegedly perpetrated by Burkina Faso’s security forces, the UN high commissioner for human rights has said.In a statement on Tuesday, the commissioner, Ravina Shamdasani, called for a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into what it called the “horrific killing of civilians” in the village of Karma, in northern Yatenga province. Continue reading...

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