Average man from Derbyshire' shocked to find photo of tattoo celebrating child's birth was used to deport migrantsA British man was shocked to discover that a photo of his tattoo was included in a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document used to identify alleged members of a notorious Venezuelan criminal gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA).Earlier this week, 44-year-old Pete Belton, who lives in the English county of Derbyshire, told the BBC that he was stunned to find a photo of his forearm tattoo featured in a DHS document among nine images of tattoos intended to assist in detecting and identifying" TdA members. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#6WJAM)
Exclusive: Action comes five years after lack of legal recognition for humanist marriage in England and Wales was ruled discriminatoryTwo couples are taking the government to court over its failure to legalise humanist marriage in England and Wales five years after a ruling that the lack of recognition was discriminatory.Engaged couples Terri O'Sullivan and Edd Berrill, from Coventry, and Nicole Shasha and Rory Booth, from Leicester, are preparing to go to court in their fight to be married in line with their humanist beliefs. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Zahid Safi, who is running in Melbourne seat of Bruce, listed as last author on 2021 Senate submission which says victims of Afghanistan war not based on ethnicity'
Judge passes suspended sentence on Lisa Davenport, who smothered Barrie Davenport in 2022 in an act of mercy'A woman who killed her terminally ill father has been spared an immediate prison sentence, with the judge saying he had taken a merciful course".Dr Lisa Davenport, 55, smothered Barrie Davenport, 88, with a pillow at his home in Banbury, Oxfordshire, in October 2022. Continue reading...
California music festival to see record highs and headlining sets from Lady Gaga, Post Malone and Green DayStars such as Lady Gaga, Charli xcx, Ed Sheeran and Missy Elliott will face blazing temperatures this weekend at an unusually hot Coachella festival.The California-based festival will soar to potentially record-breaking highs of 103F (over 39C) in its first of two consecutive weekends, around 10-20 degrees higher than what's typically expected at this time of year. Continue reading...
Kremlin is also quoted as saying the pair will talk about Ukraine and may discuss Putin's meeting with Trump'Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov has offered an update on talks and commitments made in Brussels, as he posted about Germany's declaration it would offer 11bn in further military help to Ukraine up to 2029.He said:The deliveries from in 2025 will help us defend our skies (IRIS-T systems with missiles, PATRIOT missiles) and strengthen our positions on the battlefield (Marders, Leopards, artillery systems). Thank you, Germany, for standing by our side. Together, we will ensure a just and lasting peace in Europe. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Lawsuit says unconstitutional' order violates right to share information with court's chief prosecutorDonald Trump's executive order imposing sanctions on the international criminal court (ICC) is facing a legal challenge from two US human rights advocates who argue it is unconstitutional and unlawful".In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Friday, the advocates said the order had forced them to stop assisting and engaging with the ICC out of fear the US government would punish them with criminal prosecution and civil fines. Continue reading...
HBO renewed Mike White's hit drama before third season aired and rumours abound about luxury settings and return of starsYou've only just got home from a holiday when you start planning the next one. So it is with the super-rich spa satire The White Lotus. The gunsmoke is still clearing from the finale of the third season but speculation is rife about where the HBO hit will head next.This week's climax of Mike White's drama might have divided critics, but it was still group chat-dominating, column inch-gobbling TV, notching its highest ratings yet. The show was renewed for a fourth trip before the third had even aired, with White reportedly pitching HBO execs his next idea while still filming in Koh Samui. Buzz is now building about the next chapter, expected on our screens in late 2026. Continue reading...
Social media, and specifically #CondimentTok, is fuelling trend, with everyone from Meghan to Heinz getting in on the actWhen the Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle brand As Ever launched last week, the 14 raspberry spread in keepsake packaging" - AKA a jam jar - sold out within half an hour. If the price seems a little eye-watering for something you could easily make at home, there is one thing Meghan got right: our appetite for condiments - from preserves to chilli oils and hot sauces - is bottomless. With the continuing rise of little treat culture, condiments that hover around the 10 mark have become the new lipstick effect".Delli, an online retailer for independent brands, has doubled its condiment sales in the past year, with bestsellers including a 10 croissant butter" and a 6.99 Malaysian Chinese chilli oil. Waitrose reported an 18% rise in condiment sales in the last month, with the Ottolenghi range of green harissa paste (5) and miso pesto (4) both up 13%. Marks & Spencer is echoing this uptick in premium condiments, with sales of truffle mayo (3.25 as opposed to 1.50 for their classic mayo) up 10% on last year. Now a range of swicy" (sweet and spicy) condiments including gochujang mayo, hot honey sauce and peach and jalapeno relish are in development. Continue reading...
Step is requirement for restructuring country's debt, including new IMF programmeZimbabwe has started to make compensation payments to white former farm owners, 25 years after Robert Mugabe's government began confiscating land.The government paid $3.1m (2.3m) to a first batch" of 378 farms, the ministry of finance said in a statement on Wednesday, the first payout under a 2020 agreement to pay $3.5bn in compensation. Continue reading...
by Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington on (#6WJ3H)
Senate finds efforts by Saudi Arabia and others to meddle in US policy growing in scope, sophistication and reach'The Trump administration has weakened tools the US government uses to combat foreign-influence campaigns, even as covert attempts by Saudi Arabia and other malign actors" to influence American policy are growing in scope, sophistication, and reach", according to a new Senate report.The report, which was written by Democratic staff on the Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations and is expected to be released today, follows a Senate investigation into the controversial proposed takeover of the PGA Tour by the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Government source confirms action at nine establishments including one near Windsor CastleHundreds of people seeking asylum are to be removed within weeks from nine hotels across England as the Home Office seeks to show that it has got to grips with the issue.The crackdown will include the closures of a hotel in a village near Windsor Castle after claims of community tensions and racism, and hotels in the West Midlands and Cheshire that have been targeted by far-right activists. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6WJ0H)
Vice-chancellors urge Office for Students to provide more clarity to protect students and academics from abuseA ruling by the higher education regulator for England on freedom of speech breaches at the University of Sussex has sparked anxiety in the sector, as vice-chancellors scramble to review their policies to avoid potential violations.Two weeks after the Office for Students (OfS) handed out a record 585,000 fine, many university leaders are still not clear what it means in practice. Continue reading...
Taiwan launches first such prosecution, alleging the captain of the Chinese-crewed Hong Tai 58 dropped anchor near an undersea cable that then damaged itProsecutors in Taiwan charged, for the first time, a Chinese ship captain with intentionally damaging undersea cables off the island in February, after a rise in sea cable malfunctions alarmed Taiwan officials amid tensions with China.Prosecutors say the man was captain of the Chinese-crewed Hong Tai 58, registered in Togo, which Taiwanese authorities detained after suspecting the ship had dropped anchor near an undersea cable off southwestern Taiwan, allegedly damaging it. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Opposition leader says he has no choice' but to challenge Yoweri Museveni's regime, despite threats and previous attacksThe musician turned opposition leader Bobi Wine has said he will stand again against Uganda's authoritarian leader, Yoweri Museveni, in next year's presidential elections. Despite being jailed, attacked, shot, and facing threats of violence, including from Museveni's son, Wine said he felt he had little choice but to try to advance the hope for change that was energising Ugandans, especially the young.We cannot just give the election to General Museveni," he said, in an interview with the Guardian. Continue reading...
Central Bedfordshire's report into Storm Henk fails to mention the rapid expansion of the built environmentEven though sunshine records are being broken at the moment, the nightmares for those whose homes were affected by record rainfall earlier this year continue and seem unlikely to end.Local authorities have a statutory duty to review what happened when floods occur and properties are damaged. One such authority was Central Bedfordshire council (CBC), in the middle of the government's growth corridor between Oxford and Cambridge. Its recent report into Storm Henk, which caused widespread flooding in January, said the cause was heavy rain on saturated ground overwhelming drains, sewers and streams. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Jewish Council of Australia's Sophia Kagan says she was told there were protests planned against the screening of No Other Land in Elsternwick
by Presented by Helen Pidd with Bethan McKernan; prod on (#6WHYN)
Israeli forces killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and civil defence workers in southern Gaza on 23 March. Bethan McKernan reports on the emerging evidence of what happenedIsraeli forces shot dead 15 Palestinian paramedics and civil defence workers on 23 March and buried them in a mass grave in the Tel al-Sultan district of Rafah.The Israeli military claimed their vehicles had been advancing suspiciously" and without headlights or flashing emergency lights. Continue reading...
Cesar Hernandez opens fire and hits Abigail Reyes, leader of unit focused on arresting US citizens on the run in MexicoA US fugitive has shot and killed a Mexican police officer in the elite international liaison unit - known as the Gringo Hunters" - which specialises in arresting US citizens on the run in Mexico.Mexico has long been seen as a place to escape US law enforcement. The Gringo Hunters was set up in 2002 to cooperate with US authorities, and have since arrested more than 1,600 fugitives. Continue reading...
Effort for new award category was lead by Fall Guy director David Leitch, who was also a stuntman for Brad PittAfter many years of impassioned calls for an Oscar recognizing the art of the stunt, the film academy has decided to give it an official award.An achievement in stunt design prize will be added starting with the 100th Academy Awards, which will recognize films released in 2027, the film academy said on Thursday. Continue reading...
Daughter of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, 79 and 75, says they have no idea' why they have been in jail for two monthsAn elderly British couple taken captive by the Taliban have been interrogated 29 times since they were imprisoned more than two months ago, and still have absolutely no idea" why they have been incarcerated, their daughter has said.No charges have been brought against Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife, Barbie, 75, who ran school training programmes and were arrested alongside an American friend, Faye Hall, as they travelled to their home in Bamyan province, in central Afghanistan, in February. Continue reading...
Visit came after prince spent two days at the high court appealing the government's decision to strip him of security protectionPrince Harry has visited amputees and wounded military personnel at an orthopaedic clinic in Ukraine, after spending two days at the high court in London appealing against the government's decision to strip him of his security protection while he is in the UK.The prince, 40, met with wounded veterans at the Superhumans Centre in Lviv, which treats and rehabilitates injured military personnel and civilians, including children, affected by the war. Continue reading...
Veteran Tory, who retired as an MP last year, is on list of honours due to be published this weekMichael Gove is among those to be awarded a peerage in Rishi Sunak's resignation honours list.The veteran Conservative politician and editor of the Spectator, who retired as an MP at the last election, is understood to be on the list due to be published as soon as Friday. Continue reading...
Thirty-five arrests after hundreds of barbershops and other businesses raided in UK money-laundering investigationPolice have frozen bank accounts containing more than 1m after uncovering cannabis farms and evidence of modern slavery during raids on more than 250 barbershops and other high street businesses.In a three-week crackdown on high street crime, known as Operation Machinize, the National Crime Agency (NCA) targeted cash-intensive" businesses that it believes are linked to money laundering. Continue reading...
Unite, the union representing the workers, has called the government's approach during the strike a disgrace'Bin workers will be balloted on a new deal to end the strike in Birmingham, although Unite has attacked the government and council's approach to the dispute as a disgrace".Unite, whose bin worker members in the city have been on strike since last month, criticised the government for constant attacks and briefings against these low-paid bin workers" which it branded frankly a disgrace". Continue reading...
Steve Bray, who regularly protests by playing music outside parliament, is in court after allegedly flouting a police banOn a traffic island in Westminster, he played a song titled Brexit Tragedy' to the tune of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, serenading MPs with the words: We all live in a Brexit tragedy, a Brexit tragedy, a Brexit tragedy."Now, the anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray has apologised after hearing in court that his music made Suella Braverman's chief of staff feel exhausted", intimidated" and harassed". Continue reading...
Prada has secured Versace at a 180m discount amid market turmoil and after months of speculationPrada has agreed to buy the Versace fashion brand for 1.25bn ($1.38bn) from the fashion conglomerate Capri Holdings.It comes after months of speculation about a potential deal to combine the two Italian fashion houses and, more recently, rumours that the acquisition was set to collapse after market upheaval in response to President Trump's tariff policies. Continue reading...
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, to stand trial for plotting multiday slaughter carried out by 10 Islamist gunmenA Pakistan-born Canadian citizen wanted for his alleged role in the deadly 2008 Mumbai siege has landed in New Delhi after his extradition from the United States.Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, arrived at a military airbase outside the Indian capital under heavily armed guard late on Thursday, and will be held in detention to face trial. Continue reading...
Philippa Baskwill, who worked on child protection, found to have weighed down laptop keys with phoneA detective working on child protection, who was found to have weighed down the keys on her laptop to give the impression she was working at home, has been sacked without notice for gross misconduct after a disciplinary hearing.Suspicions were raised when keystroke data - the record of the number of times the keys had been struck on the keyboard - revealed DC Philippa Baskwill had pressed the keys on her laptop nearly 3 million times in a single month - compared with the 80,000 to 200,000 average of her colleagues, the hearing was told. Continue reading...
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereDuring her BBC Breakfast interview Kemi Badenoch claimed that the government has dropped the plans for five local inquiries into grooming gang, or child rape scandals, that were announced in January. As she was trying to fend of the questions about Adolescence, she said:One of the things that I'm more bothered by is the fact that just yesterday, we had Labour telling us that they're not going to be investigating the rape gang scandal, something which had happened all across the country. That's real. That's happening right now. We're not talking about that.I am absolutely astonished that Labour has dropped what it said it would do in January. And, as I said to Keir Starmer at prime minister's questions, if he did not have a full national inquiry, people will start to think that there is a cover-up.They are clearly uncomfortable with having inquiries that are looking into this issue.As a rule I believe in mess ups rather than conspiracy.But if true that Labour have shelved even the most limited public enquiries into grooming gangs, it does suggest that powerful Labour politicians have something to hide.We are developing a new best practice framework to support local authorities that want to undertake victim-centred local inquiries or related work, drawing on the lessons from local independent inquiries such as those in Telford, Rotherham and Greater Manchester. We will publish the details next month.Alongside that, we will set out the process through which local authorities can access the 5m national fund to support locally-led work on grooming gangs. Following feedback from local authorities, the fund will adopt a flexible approach to support both full independent local inquiries and more bespoke work, including local victims' panels or locally led audits of the handling of historical cases.There's a huge information about this. This is completely wrong. We're actually increasing, not reducing, the action being taken on this.Child sexual exploitation, grooming gangs - these are some of the most vile crimes, things like rape or exploitation, coercion. We're increasing the action against that.I think that those are all important issues, and those were issues that I've been talking about for a long time.But in the same way that I don't need to watch Casualty to know what's going on in the NHS, I don't need to watch a specific Netflix drama to understand what's going on. It's a fictional series. It is not a documentary.I'm saying very clearly that my job is not to watch lots of TV. My job is to get out there and make sure that I'm talking about the issues that are happening in the country right now.Badenoch in the right. Stop basing public policy on telly Continue reading...
US original's creator Lorne Michaels to be executive producer of show that is due to premiere in 2026Over the last 50 years, Saturday Night Live has become a cornerstone of US television and a conveyor belt for new comedy talent, attracting A-list cameos and launching careers. British TV executives are now hoping it can bring some of that lustre across the Atlantic in a deal to bring the show to the UK for the first time.After numerous failed attempts to recreate the late-night comedy format that has proved so successful in the US, Sky has announced it is making a British version of the show to premiere next year. Crucially, the show's original creator and champion, Lorne Michaels, will be an executive producer. Continue reading...
Steve Wright says internal inquiries uncovered dozens of cases where members had used racist slurs or stereotypesTrade unions are becoming increasingly concerned by a rise in racist and bigoted" comments online from their own members and officials, the new leader of the Fire Brigades Union has told the Guardian.Steve Wright, the general secretary of the FBU, said internal inquiries into allegations of racism have uncovered dozens of cases where members have been found to use racist slurs or stereotypes, often regarding asylum seekers. Continue reading...
Former Tory leadership contender, who abstained on a vote on a smoking ban last year, will work for British American Tobacco on harm reduction'Penny Mordaunt has taken on a new job advising one of the world's biggest tobacco companies on harm reduction".The former Conservative leadership contender, who served in cabinet roles from defence secretary to leader of the House of Commons, will advise the British American Tobacco's transformation advisory group" in a paid role, after losing her seat in parliament last year. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#6WH65)
Israeli minister says plan is prize for terror' as French president says we must move towards recognition' and process could start at UN conference in JuneTurkish and Israeli officials began talks on Wednesday aimed at preventing unwanted incidents in Syria, where militaries of the two regional powers are active, Turkish ministry sources said on Thursday.According to Reuters, the sources said the technical talks, in Azerbaijan, marked the beginning of efforts to set up a channel to avoid potential clashes or misunderstandings over military operations in the region. Continue reading...
John Healey tells meeting of more than 30 countries that coalition is working on putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position'We're getting a bit more details from EU spokesperson, Olof Gill, speaking at the commission's press briefing right now (which, notably, got delayed by almost half an hour as that von der Leyen statement was being put out).He said:We are not going to offer any greater detail at this point about what we are not saying to the Americans beyond what we have already said.We want to negotiate, we want to talk. Continue reading...
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