Paid police paternity leave to double after fathers reported being ‘ostracised’ pred 9 urami in 8 minutami Exclusive: Pay increases to two weeks in England and Wales after Guardian revealed officers ‘mocked’ for taking time offPaid paternity leave for police in England and Wales is to double, after the Guardian revealed last year that officers were “mocked and ostracised” for taking time off to spend with their babies.The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has increased the amount of paid parental and adoption leave for officers from one week to two across all forces, with fathers’ leave upped to be in line with mothers’. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Eerie silence and ‘still surviving’: what happened next after steel town’s last blast furnace shut down pred 9 urami in 8 minutami Exhibition in Port Talbot is part of project exploring how communities experience endings and transitionsMargaret Heggett, 95, does not remember a time when Port Talbot was ever quiet. Born and raised in the shadow of the steelworks, with a father, brother and husband who worked there, she never imagined what the town could look or sound like without its blast furnaces.“I’m not saying it was beautiful, but there were jobs. We did know the closure was coming and we have to move with the times but it’s affected the town a lot and it’s very sad,” she said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK extreme heat prompts Cobra emergency meeting pred 9 urami in 13 minutami High temperatures continue with forecasts reaching 38C on Thursday and wildfires stretching emergency servicesThe prime minister will chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee on Wednesday in response to extreme heat, which has caused wildfires and plunged many parts of Britain into drought.Andy Burnham will meet with ministers, officials and agencies as high temperatures continue across the UK on Wednesday afternoon, with temperatures of 33C forecast, and up to 38C on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Members of Liberal group received ‘kickbacks’ from lobbying company’s Catholic Schools NSW contract, Icac hears pred 9 urami in 30 minutami Lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood gives evidence about allegations linked to Reformers at Independent Commission Against Corruption hearingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMembers of a conservative Christian Liberal party faction received a “kickback” from consultancy payments made by the governing body for more than 600 schools in New South Wales, an inquiry has heard.Consultant and lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood gave his third day of evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (Icac) Operation Rosny on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
All-British chocolate bar made by scientists using Reading-grown cocoa pred 10 urami in 8 minutami Master’s student made first bar with 100% UK ingredients since 1932 to highlight affect of climate crisis on cocoa plants The late queen was the only person in history to have ever eaten a chocolate bar made with 100% British ingredients, after she was given one as a six-year-old in 1932 by the confectioner Rowntree’s.The bar was created from a glasshouse-grown cocoa plant, at Rowntree’s headquarters in York. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mass evacuations in Beijing as Typhoon Dolphin brings more torrential rain to China pred 10 urami in 25 minutami Forecasters warned the Chinese capital could receive more than one-third of its average annual rainfall over 24 hoursThousands of people have been evacuated from areas at risk of flooding and landslides in Beijing, as the remnants of Typhoon Dolphin continue to bring torrential rain to northern and central China.Forecasters warned on Tuesday that the Chinese capital could receive more than 150mm of rain over the following 24 hours, with some districts forecast to exceed 200mm – more than one-third of Beijing’s average annual rainfall of 528mm. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Massive bailout for Australia’s largest aluminium smelter expected to be announced by PM and NSW premier pred 10 urami in 38 minutami Rio Tinto said in December it may cease operations at the Tomago aluminium smelter at the end of its current electricity supply contractFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese and the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, are preparing to mount a major bailout of Australia’s largest aluminium smelter, in a deal worth as much as $2.5bn.Resources giant Rio Tinto said in December it was contemplating ceasing operations at the Tomago aluminium smelter in NSW at the end of its current electricity supply contract. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Francesca Hong aims to ride progressive wave in Wisconsin primary for governor pred 10 urami in 54 minutami Democratic socialist is frontrunner in four-way race to face Republican Tom Tiffany in test of anti-establishment moodWisconsin voters will decide on Tuesday whether to nominate a democratic socialist for the state’s highest office in the latest test of an anti-establishment wave among Democratic primary voters.Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist state lawmaker, emerged as the frontrunner in a four-way race to succeed Tony Evers, the Democratic governor who is not seeking another term. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK heatwaves may have cost economy £4.4bn in lost output so far this year, analysis finds pred 11 urami in 8 minutami Verdant thinktank says cost could top £25bn a year by 2030 and calls for maximum temperature for working and urban redesign to cool down citiesRepeated debilitating heatwaves this summer are likely to have cost the UK economy more than £4bn in lost economic output by the end of July, new analysis shows.Green thinktank Verdant had suggested June’s unseasonally hot weather had an economic cost of £2.36bn. Updating its assessment to include last month’s high temperatures, it finds a £4.4bn hit to output. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israel deliberately starting wildfires in southern Lebanon, firefighters say pred 11 urami in 8 minutami First responders, residents and environmental groups say military dropping flares to destroy forests and cropsFirefighters and residents of south Lebanon have accused the Israeli military of lighting wildfires in the region, as forested areas burned down in blazes sparked by Israeli bombing.Environmental groups said the fires in recent weeks were part of a longstanding Israeli practice of targeting Lebanon’s natural environment. Continue reading...(The Guardian)