News

Majority of special education staff in US education department laid off – report

by

Layoffs ‘decimating’ office responsible for protecting rights of infants, children and youth with disabilities, says worker The majority of staff in the education department handling special education has been laid off, according to multiple reports. Friday’s total of 466 layoffs across the education department also affected the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, which … Read more

Former lord speaker faces suspension for ‘improper influence’ over speeding offence

by

Frances D’Souza wrote to Met commissioner in apparent attempt to evade sanction for exceeding 20mph speed limit Former lord speaker Frances D’Souza is facing suspension from the Lords after writing to the Metropolitan police commissioner to try to “influence a police investigation into alleged speeding offences”. Lady D’Souza wrote to Mark Rowley saying she feared … Read more

National grooming gangs inquiry stalls over remit wrangles and lack of chair

by

Exclusive: Source says senior legal figures appear reluctant to head investigation launched by Keir Starmer in June Keir Starmer’s national grooming gangs inquiry has stalled amid wrangles over its remit and difficulties in finding a senior legal figure willing to become its chair, the Guardian has been told. Terms of the statutory investigation are still … Read more

Border failings in Europe are eroding trust in nation states, warns Mahmood

by

Home secretary to tell meeting of interior ministers that international cooperation is way to curb irregular migration The failure to bring order to European borders is eroding trust in politicians and the concept of nation states, Shabana Mahmood will warn. As she hosts a meeting of fellow interior ministers to discuss migration routes through the … Read more

UK must prepare buildings for 2C rise in global temperature, government told

by

Climate advisers warn that current plans to protect against extreme weather are inadequate Britain must prepare for global heating far in excess of the level scientists have pegged as the limit of safety, the government’s climate advisers have warned, as current plans to protect against extreme weather are inadequate. Heatwaves will occur in at least … Read more

Exiled Hong Kong dissidents fear UK plan to restart extraditions will put them in danger

by

Legislative change comes five years after treaty suspended in response to city’s crackdown on pro-democracy activists Exiled Hong Kong dissidents say they fear UK government plans to restart some extraditions with the city could put them in greater danger, saying Hong Kong authorities will use any pretext to pursue them. An amendment to UK extradition … Read more

Watchdog rules Red Tractor exaggerated its environmental standards

by

The Advertising Standards Authority agrees with River Action that the food safety body’s 2023 advert misled the public The UK’s advertising watchdog has upheld a complaint that Britain’s biggest farm assurance scheme misled the public in a TV ad about its environmental standards. The Red Tractor scheme, used by leading supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and … Read more

Royal Mail fined £21m by Ofcom for missing delivery targets

by

Communications regulator finds ‘millions of important letters are arriving late’ and ‘persistent failures’ Royal Mail has been fined £21m for missing its annual delivery targets for first- and second-class mail, leading to millions of letters arriving late across the UK, according to the regulator Ofcom. This is the third time the 509-year-old postal service has … Read more