Phew! Rescuers deflate football-sized swollen hedgehog pred 6 urami in 18 minutami Creature with balloon syndrome spotted from passing bus in Gloucestershire is in charity’s care and has been named BounceA hedgehog that had swollen to the size of a football – so big that it was spotted in a field by a passenger on a passing bus – has been deflated by rescuers.The female hedgehog, which has been named Bounce, had blown up to twice its normal size when it was seen in Gloucestershire. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rishi Sunak says he will make Commons ‘sit and vote until it’s done’ on Rwanda – UK politics live pred 6 urami in 31 minutami Prime minister says his ‘patience has run thin’ over failure to get deportation plans through parliamentRishi Sunak is arguing that not getting people into work is an “irresponsible burden” on future generations and taxpayers. He says:We risk not only letting those people down [the people who are long-term sickness benefits], but creating a deep sense of unfairness amongst those whose taxes fund our social safety net in a way that risks undermining trust and consent in that very system.We can’t stand for that. And of course, the situation as it is, is economically unsustainable. We can’t lose so many people from our workforce whose contributions could help to drive growth. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nine-year-old among four killed in car crash in Western Australia pred 7 urami in 18 minutami Three brothers and family friend died at the scene in Clackline in the state’s wheatbeltThree brothers, one of them only nine years old, and a family friend have been killed in a car crash in the Western Australian wheatbelt region.The brothers, aged 21, 19 and nine, died at the scene in Clackline in the early hours of Friday morning, along with a 45-year-old man, who was visiting from NSW. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A lot of stories that will now go untold’: outback NSW newspaper closes after almost 130 years pred 7 urami in 18 minutami Broken Hill’s only newspaper, The Barrier Truth, closes due to cashflow problems, with staffer saying loss is ‘really sad for the community’Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastBroken Hill’s only newspaper has closed after almost 130 years of operation in a major blow to the outback NSW community.The Barrier Truth’s board told staff the union-run bi-weekly paper would shut down as its final edition went to press.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israel has mounted airstrikes on Iran, US confirms, as Tehran plays down attack pred 7 urami in 19 minutami Iranian official indicates no ‘immediate’ plan for retaliation after explosions reported in sky over Isfahan and TabrizMiddle East crisis: live updatesWhat we know so far about Israel’s strike on IranWhat’s in Isfahan? The city home to Iranian nuclear facilitiesUS officials have confirmed that Israel has carried out airstrikes against Iran, as explosions were reported in the sky over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz, while the Iranian government sought to play down the scale of the attack.As an Iranian official indicated that it had no “immediate” plan for retaliation, calls mounted internationally – including from the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen – for Israel and Iran to de-escalate their confrontation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tory activist ‘appalled’ by party’s response to Mark Menzies claims pred 7 urami in 19 minutami Katie Fieldhouse says Conservative party failed to act after she reported incident in early JanuaryThe Conservative activist who has accused a Tory MP of making a late-night demand for money has said she is appalled by the party’s response.Katie Fieldhouse has said Mark Menzies called her one night in December at 3.15am asking for £5,000 to pay “bad people” who had detained him in a flat and were not letting him leave. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Retail sales in Great Britain flatline as households continue to feel squeeze pred 7 urami in 57 minutami Shoppers cut back in March, with data likely to increase pressure on Bank of England over interest ratesBusiness live – latest updatesRetail sales in Great Britain unexpectedly stalled in March as consumers cut back on spending because of the cost of living, according to new data.British retail sales volumes stagnated at 0% in March after an increase of 0.1% in February, according to the Office for National Statistics. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia ‘extremely concerned’ after Israeli airstrikes on Iran confirmed by US pred 7 urami in 59 minutami Acting foreign minister Katy Gallagher says government is worried about potential for ‘further escalation of conflict in the region’Middle East crisis: live updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government has urged all parties to “exercise restraint and step back” after the US confirmed Israel has launched retaliatory strikes on Iran, bringing the Middle East closer to a regional war.Officials in Washington said Israeli forces were carrying out military operations against Iran but did not describe the character or scale of those operations. Iranian state media said that drones had been shot down over Isfahan province in the early hours, and showed live shots of morning traffic in Isfahan city after sunrise to show that the situation was calm.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Those signed off feeling depressed classed as incapable of work, says Stride pred 8 urami in 5 minutami Work and pensions secretary attacks system of dealing with minor mental health problems as PM takes aim at ‘sicknote culture’Nearly everyone who gets signed off work for feeling “a little bit depressed” is classified as incapable of work, according to a senior government minister, as Rishi Sunak prepares to announce a new drive to get sick people back into employment.Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said on Friday morning that 94% of people who were signed off by their GP with minor mental health problems were listed as unable to work, contributing to what the prime minister will say is a “sicknote culture”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran and Israel playing with fire as old rules of confrontation are torn up pred 8 urami in 12 minutami Reported Israeli drone strike on Isfahan may signal that this widening conflict has become more dynamicWhile the details remain vague, and Iranian denials strong, it seems very likely, given past history and strong comments from US officials, that a limited Israeli drone strike was launched against the Iranian city of Isfahan on Friday morning.Isfahan is significant for its military-industrial facilities, the presence of an important facility in Iran’s nuclear programme and a major airbase hosting the Islamic Republic’s ageing fleet of F-14 “Tomcats”, making the importance of any strike, whether carried out from beyond Iran’s borders or from within but backed by Israel, more than symbolic. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
