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Micheál Martin says UK asylum seekers fearful of being removed to Rwanda are seeking sanctuary in IrelandThe UK government’s Rwanda policy has been described as a “kneejerk reaction” to migration by Ireland’s deputy prime minister, who said an influx of asylum seekers could arrive in Ireland as a result.Micheál Martin, Ireland’s Tánaiste, reportedly said asylum seekers fearful of being removed from the UK to...

Exclusive: Action by organisation supporting migrants argues new rules are discriminatoryAn organisation that supports migrant workers has launched a legal challenge against the government’s new policy to bar care workers from bringing children and partners to the UK, warning that it is “tearing families apart”.According to Migrants at Work, care workers have to choose between family life with their children and partners or getting...

Co-leader of party says Humza Yousaf can ‘no longer be trusted’ as first minister reportedly plans to run minority administrationHumza Yousaf, the SNP leader and Scottish first minister, is holding a press conference now.He says he has been in the post for little more than a year.We are investing record [sums in the NHS], ensuring it can employ record numbers of staff delivering the...

Pre-tax profits drop to £2.3bn between January and March, down from £2.6bn last year• Business live – latest updatesProfits at Barclays tumbled by 12% in the first quarter, as higher UK interest rates weighed on demand for mortgages and loans while a backdrop of economic uncertainty affected its investment bank.The UK bank said pre-tax profits fell to £2.3bn in the first quarter, down from...

Cabinet votes to leave historic Bute House agreement after government abandons emissions targetUK politics – latest updatesThe historic power-sharing agreement between the Scottish National party and Scottish Greens is to end after a crisis over the government’s climate strategy.The Bute House agreement was signed in August 2021 by the then SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Scottish Greens co-leader, Patrick Harvie, bringing the Greens...

Defence minister Richard Marles welcomes confirmation of congressional funding that ensures US can produce Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines for AustraliaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA United States funding package authorising more military aid for Ukraine and Israel passed by Congress on Tuesday includes a A$5bn boost for the US domestic...

Fighting With Pride charity will lead work for memorial at National Memorial Arboretum in StaffordshireThe UK’s first memorial commemorating the “lost legion” of LGBT people who have served in the armed forces is to be built at the National Memorial Arboretum.The memorial will be built after a charity spearheading efforts to get justice for veterans affected by the pre-2000 ban on LGBT people serving...

Animals ran through rush-hour streets, colliding with vehicles and leaving four people in hospitalTwo of the military horses that broke loose during a morning exercise and bolted through central London on Wednesday are in “serious condition”, a minister has said.The runaway horses, including one white horse drenched in blood, ran through the rush-hour streets of the capital, colliding with vehicles and resulting in four...

Dissidents and broadcasters feeling unsafe after stabbing of Pouria Zeraati in London call for ‘deterrent signal’A former BBC journalist has said the UK government will “pay a heavy price” for its lack of action against the Iranian regime, which could lead to more “threats” and “operations” in Britain, after the stabbing of an Iranian journalist in London.Sima Sabet, a former journalist at the BBC...

Home secretary visits Lampedusa in Italy as National Audit Office says scheme could surpass £580m by 2030Several flights a month will deport asylum seekers to Rwanda “indefinitely”, the home secretary has said, as he argued that the £1.8m a person cost of the scheme was justified.James Cleverly, in his first interview since the government’s plan was approved by parliament on Monday, said he had...

Government U-turn as PM Mia Mottley acknowledges anger from reparations movement over plan to buy Barbados land from Dorset MP Richard DraxThe prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has halted plans for a multi-million-pound payout to the British Conservative MP Richard Drax for the purchase of 53 acres of the Drax Hall plantation, which he owns.As revealed in the Observer last Sunday, the payout...

Pictures and videos of riderless horses in centre of English capital shared on social mediaTwo escaped horses have been contained after they were seen running around central London, the City of London police force have said.The force said officers were waiting for an army horse box to collect the animals and take them to a vet. Continue reading...

Action could cause tube stations to close at short notice on Friday and into Saturday, says TSSA unionCustomer service managers on London Underground are to stage a fresh strike in a dispute over terms and conditions.Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) will walk out on Friday and ban overtime until 5 May. Continue reading...

Tributes paid to former Labour minister and welfare campaigner Frank Field, who has died at the age of 81Keir Starmer has said the death of Frank Field is “a profound loss to politics and to our nation”. In a tribute to the former minister, Starmer went on:Frank dedicated his life to being a voice for the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the country.Frank...

Defence secretary says PM will make case for spending boost at Nato’s 75th anniversary summit later this yearUK politics – latest updatesAll Nato countries should boost their defence spending to 2.5% of their GDP to meet the demands of a “more dangerous world”, the UK’s defence secretary has said.Grant Shapps said the prime minister would make the case at Nato’s 75th anniversary summit in...

‘No clear consensus’ from British public for outright ban on likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg hosting showsUK politics – latest updatesGB News can continue to use politicians as presenters, after the media regulator Ofcom concluded the British public does not want to ban the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lee Anderson from hosting programmes on news channels.Cristina Nicolotti Squires, the Ofcom executive responsible for broadcast...

£2.2bn-worth of oil processed in China, India and Turkey – to whom Russia supplies crude – was imported in 2023, data showsThe UK has been accused of “helping Russia pay for its war on Ukraine” by continuing to import record amounts of refined oil from countries processing Kremlin fossil fuels.Government data analysed by the environmental news site Desmog shows that imports of refined oil...

Long-serving MP dedicated Westminster career to tackling social issues including child poverty and modern slaveryTributes from across the political spectrum have been paid to the former Labour minister and welfare campaigner Frank Field, who has died at the age of 81.Lord Field, who dedicated his career in Westminster to tackling social issues, including child poverty and modern slavery, served as an MP for 40...

Attempt to cross via overcrowded dinghy from Wimereux aborted after engine stalls and five people drownThey could have been on a school trip. Fifty teenagers from Vietnam, dressed for the biting cold in puffer jackets, smart trainers and woolly beanies, sat on the pavement by the bus shelter outside Gare Calais listening to music and watching videos on their smartphones.They were waiting for the...

Claire O’Neill, a former climate minister, says PM’s move was to ‘try and create political division and dividing lines’The UK government’s decision to weaken some of its climate commitments was a “retrograde step” that will set back vital cross-party action to cut carbon emissions, Claire O’Neill, a former Conservative climate minister has said.O’Neill, who was known as Claire Perry when she served as a...

UK’s blue-chip index reaches 8,076, surpassing previous high of 8,047 in February 2023Business live – latest updatesThe UK stock market hit a record high on Tuesday, as shares were lifted by hopes of interest rate cuts and an easing of geopolitical tensions.The FTSE 100 index of blue-chip stocks listed in London hit 8,076 points on Tuesday, surpassing a previous high of 8,047 in February...

International concern over new law increases as UN high commissioner for refugees says it marks ‘step away from UK’s tradition of providing refuge’Three men, a woman and a child were killed attempting to cross the Channel in the early hours of this morning, according to a French coastguard statement.Enver Solomon, the Refugee Council’s chief executive, said this was “another devastating human tragedy” that should...

French coastguard says small boat was carrying more than 100 people during failed crossing attemptFive people have died in an attempt to cross the Channel near the town of Wimereux, south of Calais, French police have said.A spokesperson for France’s national police told Reuters that five asylum seekers had died, while the French coastguard confirmed there was a failed attempt to cross the Channel...

Shoppers spend more on promotions as Easter lifts sales of chocolate eggs and hot-cross bunsBusiness live – latest updatesGrocery price inflation in Great Britain has slowed to 3.2%, the lowest since November 2021, as the cost of toilet rolls, butter and milk fell and people spent more on store promotions.The decline in the four weeks to 14 April marked the 14th monthly drop in...