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Whistleblowers: funeral firm described customers as ‘gazelles’ to be hunted Exclusive: Prosperous Life staff felt pressure to sign up clients regardless of income, former staff say‘Bring them home to the pack’: call centre’s Wolf of Wall Street cultureStaff at a call centre where customers were described as “gazelles” to be hunted have been subjecting elderly people to dozens of calls a week to sell them expensive funeral packages, whistleblowers have told the Guardian.Former employees at Prosperous Life, which sells more than 1,000 pre-paid funeral plans every month, said they had felt under pressure to push people to sign up for schemes with little regard for their income. They said that high-pressure sales tactics existed alongside a company culture inspired by The Wolf of Wall Str...

Don McGahn: former White House counsel must testify, judge rules – live Federal judge rules McGahn must testify to House judiciary committee, putting pressure on other Trump officials tied to impeachment inquiryIn this defining moment for America, support the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution 11.51pm GMT“Now that the court has ruled, I expect [McGahn] to follow his legal obligations and promptly appear before the Committee,” House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said in a statement. “McGahn is a central witness to allegations that President Trump obstructed Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, and the Administration’s claim that officials can claim ‘absolute immunity’ from Congressional subpoenas has no basis in law, as the court recognized today.”...

Uber loses London licence after TfL finds drivers faked identity Ride-hailing service to continue while it appeals against Transport for London decisionUber has been stripped of its London licence after authorities found that more than 14,000 trips were taken with drivers who had faked their identity on the firm’s app.Transport for London announced the decision not to renew the ride-hailing company’s licence at the end of a two-month probationary extension granted in September. Uber was told then it needed to address issues with checks on drivers, insurance and safety, but has failed to satisfy the capital’s transport authorities. Continue reading... Go to Source

Storms in France, Greece and Italy leave 'biblical destruction' Seven people die as weekend of heavy rain brings landslides, floods and collapsed overpassSeven people have died as violent storms swept through parts of France, Greece and Italy over the weekend, causing flash floods, landslides and the collapse of an overpass.Greek media described the storms as leaving a trail of “biblical destruction” in some areas of the country while the overpass collapse in northern Italy brought back a chilling reminder of Genoa’s Morandi bridge giving way during a thunderstorm in August 2018, killing 43 people. Continue reading... Go to Source

Stormzy backs Labour in election with call to end austerity Top grime MC and other artists write letter encouraging people to register to voteRead the letter in fullAll the day’s election news - liveStormzy has thrown his support behind the Labour party and called on people to register to vote to “end austerity, rebuild our communities and take back the means to change our lives for the better”.In a letter to the Guardian, the multiple award-winning grime MC from London joins a number of music industry artists – including Akala, Professor Green, Kano, Lowkey, Saskilla, Sharkey Major and Charlie Sloth – in saying they will be voting for Labour on 12 December. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump issued direct order to halt disciplining of Navy Seal Edward Gallagher US defence secretary said president gave him instruction for officer accused of war crimes to retain his right to wear Trident pinDonald Trump issued a direct order to halt disciplinary measures against a Navy Seal officer accused of war crimes in Iraq, the US defence secretary has revealed.Mark Esper said the president gave him an instruction on Sunday for Navy Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher to retain his right to wear the Trident pin, the insignia of the elite Navy Seal unit, reversing a demotion by a navy disciplinary board. Continue reading... Go to Source

Lorry driver pleads guilty over role in Essex deaths Maurice Robinson, 25, admits plotting to assist illegal immigrationA lorry driver charged with the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a refrigerated trailer has pleaded guilty to plotting to assist illegal immigration.Maurice Robinson, 25, who is known as Mo, was allegedly part of a global smuggling ring. He was arrested shortly after the bodies of eight females and 31 males were found in a trailer attached to his Scania cab in an industrial park in Grays, Essex, on 23 October. Continue reading... Go to Source

Uber loses licence to operate in London Ride-hailing service to continue while it appeals against Transport for London decisionUber has lost its licence to operate private hire vehicles in London after authorities found that more than 14,000 trips were taken with uninsured drivers.Transport for London announced the decision not to renew the ride-hailing firm’s licence at the end of a two-month probationary extension granted in September. Uber was told then it needed to address issues with checks on drivers, insurance and safety, but has failed to satisfy the capital’s transport authorities. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson under fire over 'vague' social care funding plans PM criticised for failing to produce promised plan to ‘fix social care once and for all’Follow the latest election news - liveNicky Morgan has defended Boris Johnson over his decision to shelve plans to overhaul social care funding in the Conservatives’ manifesto launch.The Tories have pledged to allocate an extra £1bn a year for the social care sector as part of a cautious manifesto, while guaranteeing that no one should have to sell their home to meet the costs. Continue reading... Go to Source

Treasures worth 'up to a billion euros' stolen from Dresden museum German police say thieves on the run after raid at historic Green Vault inside royal palaceThieves have broken into one of Europe’s largest collection of art treasures in the German city of Dresden and stolen objects worth up to one billion euros, police have said.The Grüne Gewölbe (or Green Vault) has been stripped of hundreds of artefacts, after the thieves reportedly started a fire in the early hours of Monday that led to a breakdown in the power supply and the failure of security alarms. Continue reading... Go to Source

Climate-heating greenhouse gases hit new high, UN reports Head of World Meteorological Organization says ‘no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline’The concentration of climate-heating greenhouse gases has hit a record high, according to a report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization.The jumps in the key gases measured in 2018 were all above the average for the last decade, showing action on the climate emergency to date is having no effect in the atmosphere. The WMO said the gap between targets and reality were both “glaring and growing”. Continue reading... Go to Source