MoD says 696 people made journey in small boats on Monday, as concerns grow over government responseThe number of people crossing the Channel in small boats to seek refuge in the UK hit a record for the year so far on Monday, as Border Force staff braced themselves for thousands more arrivals this summer.The Ministry of Defence said 696 made the journey in 14 small boats on Monday. There were 460 arrivals on Saturday and 247 on Friday, with more than 1,000 people crossing last week. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#622Q8)
Data shows only 1,130 nightclubs remain in England, Wales and Scotland – a 20% drop on March 2020One in five nightclubs in Britain have closed over the past three years after the sector was badly hit during the Covid-19 pandemic and other economic pressures.Figures shared by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) – a trade body representing businesses in the night-time economy – revealed there are only 1,130 nightclubs left in England, Wales and Scotland. This is a 20% drop since the first lockdown in March 2020. Continue reading...
Jaswant Singh Chail, 20, was arrested while carrying weapon in grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas DayA man has been charged under the UK Treason Act after he was arrested while carrying a crossbow in the grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas Day, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.Scotland Yard said Jaswant Singh Chail, from Southampton, has been charged with an offence under section 2 of the Treason Act 1842, which is “discharging or aiming firearms, or throwing or using any offensive matter or weapon, with intent to injure or alarm Her Majesty”. Continue reading...
Majority of UK young people in low-income households going without essentials while others use savings to pay billsLike many people across the UK, Luke Downham, 26, has found himself living paycheck to paycheck as the cost of living crisis intensifies.During the pandemic, he was able to save money and pay off student debt. Relocating to Manchester in 2021, he started a new job as a biomedical scientist for the NHS with the belief that life was improving. Continue reading...
Rare public comments expose tensions inside the ranks of Russia’s army over the invasion of UkraineA group of Russian soldiers have accused their commanders of jailing them in eastern Ukraine for refusing to take part in the war, in a rare public exposure of tensions inside the ranks of Russia’s army over the invasion.Maxim Grebenyuk, a lawyer who runs the Moscow-based advocacy organisation Military Ombudsman, said at least four Russian soldiers had filed written complaints with the prosecutor general’s office, demanding punishment for the superiors who oversaw their detainment. Continue reading...
Decision causes controversy amid concern over funding for public service broadcastingFrance is to scrap its television licence fee after the Senate approved Emmanuel Macron’s election promise to cut the public broadcasting tax in order to boost households’ spending power.But during a heated Senate debate that ran into the early hours of Tuesday morning, opponents on the left raised what they called important concerns over the future funding and independence of public television and radio, warning that public broadcasting risked being weakened. Continue reading...
Two men, 23 and 27, arrested in Croydon area in search for missing student last seen on 7 JulyTwo men have been arrested on suspicion of murder by detectives searching for a student nurse who went missing nearly a month ago in south London.Owami Davies, 24, from Grays, Essex, left her family home on 4 July and was last seen just after midnight on 7 July on Derby Road in West Croydon. Continue reading...
Ismail Abedi failed to attend hearing at Manchester magistrates court after fleeing UK last yearA warrant has been issued for the arrest of the elder brother of the Manchester Arena bomber for failing to give evidence at the public inquiry into the attack.Ismail Abedi, who fled the UK last summer, did not attend a hearing at Manchester magistrates court on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Hundreds of angry workers say government’s 18-times increase will deter tourists and destroy incomesHundreds of Indonesian tourism workers have gone on strike over a hefty increase in ticket prices to see the country’s Komodo dragons, a rise the government says is needed to preserve the habitat of the world’s largest lizard.The fee to access two of the main islands of Komodo national park shot up 18 times overnight to 3.75m rupiah (£205) on Monday, a jump that local workers said would scare off tourists and cause their incomes to dry up. Continue reading...
US House speaker expected to arrive in Taiwan on Tuesday in visit likely to increase tensions between Beijing and WashingtonTaiwan’s defence ministry has warned it would dispatch forces appropriately in reaction to “enemy threats”, as China stepped up its military rhetoric on the day of a highly controversial expected visit to Taipei by the US speaker, Nancy Pelosi.In a statement on Tuesday, the defence ministry said it had a full grasp of military activity near Taiwan and the “determination, ability and confidence” to ensure Taiwan’s national security. It added that it had made various unspecified plans for an emergency. Continue reading...
Tokyo considers measures to ease pressure on hospitals as country struggles to contain outbreakJapan could soon overhaul its battle against coronavirus to relieve pressure on hospitals as it struggles to cope with its biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic.Japan has fared comparatively well during the pandemic, with about 32,000 deaths among a population of 126 million, but has recently reported more than 200,000 Covid-19 cases a day – more than any other country – as the BA.5 subvariant hits. Continue reading...
Suspects arrested at abandoned mine site in Krugersdorp where alleged victims were filming a music videoMore than 80 men suspected of the gang rapes of eight women and the armed robbery of a video production crew in the South African town of Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, have appeared in court.The men were arrested at an abandoned mining site following the rapes and robbery near the disused mine. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#622B6)
Minister blames France for recent problems and suggests Britons might go to Portugal insteadJacob Rees-Mogg has admitted he was wrong to say there would be no delays at the port of Dover caused by the UK leaving the EU.But the Brexit opportunities minister maintained the government line that the French, not Brexit, had caused the recent delays, in a radio interview on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Analysis: the terrorist leader had been ill and key tasks are likely to have been handled by others for several yearsAyman al-Zawahiri was a low-key but effective leader of al-Qaida whose death will cause the terrorist organisation some short-term turbulence but is unlikely to cause any major long-term problems.A decade ago, killing Zawahiri would have made a major difference. Now, though the nature of his death demonstrates the US’s continuing ability to strike individual enemies even in hostile environments and raises questions about the Taliban’s relationship with extremist groups, it is unlikely to weaken al-Qaida significantly. Continue reading...
Government’s £400 discount not enough to offset soaring bills and households may need more help, says analystEnergy bills in Great Britain could reach more than £3,600 a year this winter, experts have warned, with soaring wholesale prices expected to continue to push up household costs until at least 2024.The research firm Cornwall Insight predicts the energy price cap is on track to rise to £3,615 a year from January, an increase on its previous estimate of £3,363 made last month. Continue reading...
Labour says government is ‘totally wrong’ to give tax breaks to oil companies amid cost of living crisisBP will hand billions of pounds to shareholders after tripling its profits to nearly £7bn in the second quarter of the year amid high oil prices during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, even as families struggle in a cost of living crisis.The FTSE 100 oil company on Tuesday said its preferred measure of profit, which it describes as its underlying replacement cost profit, rose to $8.5bn (£6.9bn) between April and June. That is up from $6.2bn in the first three months of the year, and three times BP’s underlying profits of $2.8bn in the second quarter of 2021. Continue reading...
Record number of NI performers at this year’s festival, with C4 comedy hailed for raising awareness of nation’s comic giftsThe biggest ever cohort of playwrights, comedians and artists from Northern Ireland are bringing their work to the Edinburgh fringe this year, with performers crediting the success of Derry Girls for putting the country’s writing and comic talent on the map.There will be 17 shows from Northern Ireland at the fringe this year, which the festival’s chief executive, Shona McCarthy, said was the biggest ever showing for the nation.
Exclusive: secret deportations campaign, which separated families, was racially inflected, report saysChinese seafarers with British wives and children were “coerced” into boats leaving Liverpool after the second world war in a “racially inflected” secret government programme, the Home Office has admitted.After responding to calls to serve in the British merchant navy in the Battle of the Atlantic, about 2,000 Chinese seamen remained in Liverpool at the end of the war. They were subject to a secret Home Office campaign in 1945-46 to round up and ship them back east in the cargo holds of British ships. Continue reading...
Unesco says it has not been consulted on project and local experts are alarmed at Taliban plansThe Taliban have launched construction work on a tourism complex just metres from the cliff that held the Bamiyan Buddha statues, which archeologists and experts warn could cause permanent damage to the sensitive world heritage site.The project aims to “rebuild” a historic bazaar, which was destroyed in the civil war of the 1990s. Under the Taliban blueprint, the area will become a tourism centre with restaurants, guesthouses, parking, public toilets and handicraft and grocery shops. Continue reading...
Domestic and European flights withdrawn from sale until next Monday as airlines deal with airport’s passenger capBritish Airways has reportedly suspended selling short-haul tickets from Heathrow for at least a week.Tens of thousands of flights have already been cancelled this summer as the industry struggles to cope with the demand for air travel amid staffing shortages. Continue reading...
House speaker tells all parties not to use the app on parliamentary devices over data security fearsNew Zealand MPs have been warned off using TikTok, with concerns data could be accessed by the Chinese government.Last week, House speaker Trevor Mallard sent out a warning to all parties that MPs should not use the app on their parliamentary phones and devices. Continue reading...
Five men and a woman guilty of public order offences after Nicholas Watt was accosted in central London last yearFive men and a woman who verbally abused a BBC journalist at a protest have been convicted of a public order offence, according to police.A court previously heard how members of the group intimidated Newsnight’s political editor Nicholas Watt during the politically charged incident in Whitehall on 14 June 2021. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#62209)
Institute for Fiscal Studies says spend per pupil set to be lower in 2025 than in 2010, with budgets already under strain from rises in food, energy and wage billsSchools in England are facing a looming funding crisis, with spending per pupil in 2024-25 expected to be 3% lower than in 2010, according to research.After a decade of austerity cuts, ministers pledged to restore per pupil funding to 2010 levels by the end of the current parliament, but the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says the government is no longer on track to meet its objective because of the cost pressures on schools. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#62208)
Committee calls for licensing regime and warns non-surgical cosmetic procedures like anti-ageing fillers can be riskyVulnerable people worried about their appearance are being exploited by unregulated clinics offering potentially dangerous cosmetic procedures, MPs have warned.A rise in body image dissatisfaction, driven by social media and unscrupulous advertising, has fuelled the growth of an industry that promises to change how people look using lasers, injections of anti-ageing fillers, chemical peels and other non-surgical procedures. Continue reading...
Turkish actor and Italian business owner, both 27, share £50,000 prize after poll among viewersEkin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti have been crowned the winners of Love Island 2022, winning the £50,000 prize money after a public vote.Cülcüloğlu, a Turkish actor from Essex, 27, and Italian business owner, Sanclimenti, also 27, arrived in the Love Island villa early on in the series as bombshell contestants and won over viewers with their fiery but passionate relationship. Continue reading...
Friends of the Joiners Arms intend to create the UK’s first community-run LGBTQ+ venue to replace pub on Hackney RoadA fundraiser to replace a famed east London gay bar that was shut down by developers has hit its target of £100,000 and secured its future with more than 24 hours to go before its deadline.The Friends of the Joiners Arms (Fotja) campaign group confirmed that it had pulled off the feat – raising more than £30,000 since the weekend for what would be the UK’s first community-run LGBTQ+ venue. Continue reading...
Analysis: civil servants are frustrated with real-terms pay cuts, job losses, and political briefings against themWhile ministers have tried to distance themselves from blame over the wave of strikes bringing some public services to a standstill this summer, they may be forced to show more deference to another group threatening industrial action.Civil servants, whose morale is plumbing new depths due to real-terms pay cuts, 91,000 jobs being axed, and briefings against them by their political masters, have grown increasingly frustrated at how they are treated. Continue reading...
by Heather Stewart and Aubrey Allegretti on (#621X5)
Unions and experts attack Tory leadership candidate’s proposals for civil service savingsLiz Truss has been accused of making “ludicrous” claims as she vowed to cut civil service salaries and reduce expenditure to recoup £11bn a year in a “war on Whitehall waste” if she becomes prime minister.But the Conservative leadership hopeful’s campaign, which received another boost with the backing of Penny Mordaunt on Monday, was forced to redo some of its sums within hours of releasing a series of proposals to reduce the cost of the civil service. Continue reading...
Eliminated leadership candidate endorses foreign secretary as final two answer questions from membersMore from the work and pensions secretary, Thérèse Coffey, who said Liz Truss’s campaign had nothing to do with an image circulating on social media showing her rival, Rishi Sunak, stabbing Boris Johnson in the back.Speaking to Times Radio this morning, Coffey, who is Truss’s campaign manager, said Nadine Dorries “chose” to retweet the doctored image depicting Boris Johnson as Julius Caesar about to be stabbed by a knife-wielding Sunak.Well, I wouldn’t have done it. The Liz for Leader campaign certainly didn’t do it. Nadine chose to do it. I’ve made her aware that many colleagues were upset by it.It’s for Nadine to decide how she runs her social media. But all I say is that I’m really here to focus on Liz rather than other news.I’m not going to go into individual conversations, but she recognised that other people would have been upset by some of this, but she’s very keen to make the case herself.We were at the home of football and football came home with the Lionesses. I was there with Liz and we had a great time, cheering on the Lionesses, who really uplifted the mood of the nation and what a great tournament it’s been. Continue reading...
Blow to Rishi Sunak as Portsmouth North MP hails foreign secretary as ‘the hope candidate’Penny Mordaunt has backed Liz Truss to become prime minister, saying the Conservatives “may lose an election” if they made the wrong decision in the contest.Mordaunt, who was beaten by Truss to be Rishi Sunak’s challenger in the final stage of the Conservative leadership race, said Truss was “the hope candidate”. “Seeing her over the last few weeks has made me want to help her, to help her win, to help build the team we need to win the country, and to give ourselves as a party and as a nation the pride and confidence we need to reach our full potential,” the Portsmouth North MP said. Continue reading...
by Martin Chulov Middle East correspondent on (#621Q5)
Rallies in support of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr follow occupation of Iraqi parliament amid a political vacuumProtesters from rival Shia blocs have taken to the streets of several Iraqi cities in a show of force that sparked fears of a descent into violence amid a 10-month political standoff about naming a new government.The rallies followed a weekend occupation of the Iraqi parliament by supporters of the powerful Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has called for the post-2003 political system in Iraq to be overthrown through popular revolt in perhaps the most serious challenge Iraq has faced since the Islamic State terror group overran Mosul and nearly stormed Baghdad in June 2014. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#621P5)
Analysis: Government said to be considering inquiry into new ways of handling decisions, as religious groups accused of inflaming tensionsArchie Battersbee joins a list of tragic cases of children in which the courts have been called to take the grave decision on whether life support treatment should be withdrawn.Having a child suffer an injury that leaves them attached to a machine and a shadow of the lively child they were previously is every parent’s worst nightmare. As a result, cases such as Charlie Gard, Alfie Evans, Isaiah Haastrup, Tafida Raqeeb and Alta Fixler have struck a chord with the public. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Chief political correspondent on (#6218F)
Shadow ministers say Keir Starmer’s ban on visiting picket lines has ‘effectively broken down’ as frontbencher visits CWU membersShadow cabinet ministers have warned of a “breakdown in discipline” over Labour’s approach to strikes, as Lisa Nandy visited striking BT workers days after Keir Starmer reiterated that frontbenchers should not go to picket lines.Nandy and members of Starmer’s team are understood to dispute whether she was given tacit permission to attend the picket line. Sources close to the Labour leader said the matter had not been resolved and shadow cabinet minsters were furious. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#621J6)
Some of those waiting for community health services are facing delays as long as 120 weeksMore than 1 million people are waiting months, and sometimes years, for out-of-hospital care for back pain, foot problems and hearing loss, a leaked NHS England document reveals.While most of those waiting are adults, almost 300,0000 of them are children and young people who are seeking help with problems such as delayed development and long-term conditions. Continue reading...
Rhys Davies was sentenced after vets examined terriers kept at his tied cottage on Millden estate in ScotlandA former gamekeeper at one of Scotland’s best-known grouse moors has been jailed for eight months and banned for owning dogs for 15 years, after using dogs to fight badgers and foxes.Rhys Davies, from Gwynedd, north Wales, admitted earlier this year that he used five Patterdale terriers for illegal badger and fox-fighting at different locations across Scotland while he was a gamekeeper at Millden estate in Angus, near Dundee. Continue reading...
Boys understood to have been searched in Ilford and Bethnal Green without appropriate adult presentTwo more incidents involving the strip-search of children by the Metropolitan police will be investigated by its watchdog as the fallout from the Child Q case continues.The investigations launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) both involve 16-year-old boys who are understood to have been strip-searched in custody in 2020 without an appropriate adult present: one at Ilford police station in January and the other at Bethnal Green police station in October. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#621J9)
York council leader praises £540m deal that will involve York and North Yorkshire electing a mayorThe UK’s first devolution deal for a city and rural region combined should be seen as a stepping stone towards a bigger goal of devolution for the whole of Yorkshire, a council leader has said.On Monday the leaders of York city council and North Yorkshire county council joined the levelling up secretary, Greg Clark, to sign a “historic” deal that brings a radical shake-up of local government in the area. Continue reading...
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