Author: News Desk

Abbott investigation ‘designed to humiliate’ her, says Blair adviser | News The investigation process into Diane Abbott was “designed to humiliate” her, Tony Blair’s former director of political operations has said. John McTernan, who advised Blair from 2005 to 2007, said whoever is responsible for the investigation into Ms Abbott should “hang their heads in shame” when he was interviewed on Times Radio today (29 May). Ms Abbott has said that the Labour Party will ban her from standing as a candidate at the upcoming general election. The MP for Hackney North had the party whip restored on Tuesday after…

Zelensky urges Biden to attend Ukraine peace summit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged US President Joe Biden to attend a peace summit scheduled for mid-June in Switzerland. Zelensky emphasised that Biden’s absence would be a significant setback, potentially encouraging Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reports indicate that both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are likely to miss the summit, although some US representation is expected. The summit, planned for months, is set to take place at the luxury Bürgenstock hotel overlooking Lake Lucerne. The initiative for this event came from Zelensky’s suggestion to former Swiss President Alain Berset.…

Pope apologises over reported homophobic slur Pope Francis has issued an apology following reports that he used derogatory language towards gay men. According to a statement from the Vatican, the Pope did not intend to offend anyone and expressed regret to those who were “hurt by the use of a word.” During a private meeting at the Italian Bishops’ Conference, the Pope reportedly stated that gay men should not be allowed to train for the priesthood, using the term “frociaggine,” a highly offensive slur. The comments, initially reported by the Italian tabloid website Dagospia, were later confirmed by other Italian…

North Korea drops trash balloons on the South North Korea has released at least 150 balloons carrying waste into South Korea, prompting authorities to advise residents to stay indoors. South Korea’s military warned the public against touching the white balloons and attached plastic bags, which contain “filthy waste and trash.” These balloons have been discovered in eight out of nine South Korean provinces and are currently under analysis. The incident follows North Korea’s recent threat to retaliate against South Korean activists’ use of balloons for propaganda. North Korea’s vice minister of defence, Kim Kang Il, indicated that similar waste would…

US billionaire plans submersible trip to Titanic wreck US luxury real estate billionaire Larry Connor and deep-sea explorer Patrick Lahey are planning a submersible expedition to explore the Titanic wreck. Connor, an Ohio tycoon and adventurer, and Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines, aim to reach a depth of approximately 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) in the North Atlantic Ocean. The planned voyage will utilise the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer, a submersible certified for depths of up to 4,000 meters. This comes after the implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible in June 2023, which resulted in the deaths of all five on board,…

Israel’s operation in Rafah doesn’t cross US red lines – White House The US does not believe Israel has launched a full-scale invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, according to White House spokesman John Kirby. This statement followed reports of Israeli forces reaching the city’s centre and seizing a strategically important hill near the Egyptian border. President Joe Biden had previously indicated he would limit weapons supplies to Israel if it entered Rafah’s densely populated areas, where many civilians are sheltering. John Kirby also addressed concerns regarding an Israeli strike that killed at least 45 Palestinians at a camp for…

Hundreds of thousands without power after Texas storms Severe thunderstorms in Texas have left nearly 600,000 customers without electricity. The storms brought hurricane-force wind gusts up to 77 mph and golf ball-sized hail, compounding the impact of earlier severe weather that killed at least 24 people across five states, including Texas.  The extreme weather, which included tornado warnings in Dallas and surrounding areas, caused significant damage such as flooding, downed trees, and power lines. Dallas County declared a disaster as officials assessed the damage. At the peak of the outages, over 1,070,000 customers were without power, with Dallas County experiencing…

Rishi Sunak promises to create 100,000 high-skilled apprenticeships a year Conservatives’ policy would be funded by scrapping ‘rip-off degrees’ with high drop-out rates and low job progression Rishi Sunak has promised to create 100,000 high-skilled apprenticeships a year by scrapping “rip-off degrees” if he wins the general election. In the latest of a flurry of announcements as the Conservatives try to narrow Labour’s 20-point poll lead, the party pledged to replace “low-quality” university degrees with apprenticeships. Continue reading… https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/may/28/rishi-sunak-promises-to-create-100000-high-skilled-apprenticeships-a-year

Diane Abbott ‘to be banned from standing for Labour’ as it emerges race investigation finished five months ago Diane Abbott is to reportedly be banned from standing as a Labour candidate at the general election – as it emerged a party investigation into her finished five months ago. Sir Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that the party’s National Excecutive Committee will decide whether Ms Abbott, the longest-serving Black MP, will be able to stand for the party in the 4 July general election. But The Times is reporting that the party’s leadership has already made its decision on the 70-year-old,…

Labour pledge to boost sick pay rights for low-paid workers Labour has unveiled its first big general election offering on workers’ rights with a pledge to end discrimination on sick pay facing low-paid employees. Just 24 hours after wooing more than 120 business leaders with their economic plans, the Labour leadership is seeking to calm union concerns that they will water down their promises on workers’ rights. The intervention on sick pay will help an estimated 1.5 million who are not covered by the rules and either have to work through illness or stay at home without financial support. The…