50 m. ago ‘You feel useful to society’: Italy’s busybody pensioners go professional

Once seen as a nuisance by construction workers, ‘umarell’ in Villasanta are now offically monitoring public worksAmong his circle of friends, Roberto Cremona says there are one or two umarell – a word coined to describe retired Italian men who spend their time peering through the mesh fencing of construction works, casting judgment and offering up unsolicited advice.“When we meet for coffee, they often say: ‘Did you see that construction site over there? They’re doing this or that wrong, we could do a better job’. These characters are everywhere,” Cremona adds. Continue reading...

Politics

70 m. ago Children with special needs in England may lose legal right to school support

Exclusive: Schools minister declines to rule out replacing EHCP documents as part of plans to change Send systemHundreds of thousands of children with special needs could lose their legal entitlement to extra support in schools in England under plans being considered by ministers, a move that campaigners warn could force thousands more pupils out of mainstream education.The reforms relate to education, health and care plans (EHCPs), statutory documents families have relied on for more than a decade to guarantee their children’s right to support for conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and mental health issues. Continue reading...

Politics

71 m. ago Emergency crews search Kyiv building after Russia strike injures 15

Watch as emergency workers search a building damaged by drone debris after Moscow launched its largest missile and drone attack to date on Kyiv.

Events

2 h. ago Mayfair residents blast illegal basement in £9 million townhouse as 'threat' to their homes

Owner of Grade II-listed home in one of London’s wealthiest areas has been ordered to fill in basement by Planning Inspectorate

Society

3 h. ago ‘Something has gone very wrong’: how the carers scandal was exposed

A Guardian investigation revealed how hundreds of thousands of people were plunged into debt – and some criminalised – for looking after their loved onesOne February afternoon in 2016, Sir Robert Devereux, at the time the most powerful official in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), was stopped by a junior colleague as he walked through the car park of a civil service office in Preston, Lancashire. Was he aware, the worker asked, about the problems with carer’s allowance?Devereux, on a flying visit to the DWP outpost, asked for details and promised to look into it. A few days later, Devereux’s office received a long and detailed note, complete with 80 anonymised case studies, setting out how years of shortcomings in the administration of the carer’s allowance benefit had wasted millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and inflicted untold hardship and misery on thousands of unpaid carers. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago 'Keir Starmer has got it wrong – here's why we're not an island of strangers'

Real Britain reports on All Souls church, which closed in 1986, became a magnet for anti-social behaviour, until community worker Inayat Omarji decided to try to do something about it

Politics

3 h. ago Trump may have skirted the law addressing his crypto investors using the presidential seal

It’s illegal to use the seal to convey a ‘false impression of sponsorship or approval’ by the government

Politics

4 h. ago Iceland confirms exact closure dates for two UK supermarket stores

The supermarket said it had entered into a consultation process with workers at the affected Iceland stores, and both groups have been offered other roles within the businesses

Economics

13 h. ago Trump administration releases people to shelters it threatened to prosecute for aiding migrants

The Trump administration has been releasing people charged with being in the country illegally to nongovernmental shelters along the U.S. border with Mexico after telling those organizations that providing migrants with temporary housing and other aid may violate a law used to prosecute smugglers

Events

14 h. ago Venezuelan workers at Disney put on leave after Trump stripped their legal protections

The impacted workers will still receive their Disney benefits

Politics

15 h. ago Serie A title decider: Napoli and Inter battle it out for the Scudetto – live

Como v Inter, Napoli v Cagliari kick off at 7.45pm BSTAny comments? You can email John your thoughtsThe setting of the game at Como is breathtaking. The players are warming up now, as the teams warm up. This is supposed to be Pepe Reina’s last game before retirement. As ever, Thunderstruck is pumping.To further clarify, via permutations guru, ESPN’s Dale Johnson: “If the two teams finish on the same points -- this will happen if Napoli lose and Inter draw -- there will be a one-legged playoff, hosted by the club with the best goal difference (Inter), to decide the title.” Continue reading...

Events

15 h. ago 'Bonnie Blue and Lily Phillips' stunts are getting boring – they can stay behind bars'

COMMENT: Daily Star's Senior Features Writer Layla Nicholson has spent the last four years interviewing sex workers - but she's had enough of Bonnie Blue and Lilly Phillips' string of cheap gags

Politics

16 h. ago Venezuelan workers at Disney put on leave from jobs after losing protective status

Almost four dozen Venezuelan workers who had temporary protected status have been put on leave by Disney after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to strip them of legal protections

Politics

16 h. ago Brits 'will turn to illegal options' when disposable vape ban comes into force next week

Brits might turn to the black market for their nicotine hit after the new disposable vape ban, a new survey suggests

Events

17 h. ago US university scholars and international students: are you considering working or studying elsewhere?

We’d like to hear from scholars and students from abroad in light of the Trump administration’s attack on universitiesInternational students at Harvard University were ordered this week to transfer schools or lose their legal status following the Trump administration’s revocation of the university’s eligibility to enroll students from abroad.While that order was swiftly blocked by a judge, it is one of a series of events creating uncertainty on campuses across the US. It follows the US government’s revocation of hundreds of student visas on various grounds, including minor infractions or participation in protests against the war in Gaza. (Some of those visas have been reinstated.) Academics have also felt the impact of funding cuts and subsequent hiring freezes, leading to hundreds looking to leave the US to work elsewhere. Continue reading...

Society

17 h. ago ‘I’m willing to do it again’: The students who could lose their diplomas due to pro

Students protesting Israel and supporting Palestinians in Gaza around graduation time have been the subject of investigations, suspended diplomas and bans from campus, Josh Marcus reports

Politics

17 h. ago Paul Danan's heartbroken brother insists troubled actor 'didn't mean to die' and had been sober before tragic final relapse

The Hollyoaks star, 46, was found unresponsive at his flat in Bristol on January 15 before being pronounced dead by emergency service workers at the scene.

Events

18 h. ago Warning for Fire Stick users as Netflix will stop working on some devices next month

Some of the popular Amazon streaming sticks are about to lose out on all their favourite Netflix binge watches.

Events

18 h. ago Reform UK promises to reverse ban on new North Sea oil drilling if elected

Party spokesperson says policy has ‘clear benefits for securing jobs and energy independence’Reform UK has promised to reverse the government’s ban on fresh North Sea oil and gas drilling as a “day one” priority if elected to power, with the taxpayer taking a stake in the projects.Richard Tice, the party’s deputy leader, has met with senior UK oil executives in recent weeks to pledge the party’s support for the industry, which has been hit hard by the government’s windfall tax and moves to block fresh North Sea exploration licences. Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago As mindful drinking rises in Scotland, premium no and low brand launches ‘Summer Cocktail’ on Ocado.com

With demand for non-alcoholic drinks continuing to rise in Scotland – particularly among younger consumers – ANON is launching its premium alcohol-free ‘Summer Cocktail’ on Ocado.com, the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket.

Politics