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No 10 blocks Russia EU referendum report until after election Decision to prevent publication described as ‘jaw-dropping’ by Dominic GrieveDowning Street has effectively blocked the publication of a potentially explosive parliamentary report on the security threat that Russia poses to the UK until after the general election.The 50-page document from the intelligence and security committee examines allegations that Kremlin-sponsored activity distorted the result of the 2016 EU referendum, but has to be cleared by No 10 before it can be released. Continue reading... Go to Source

General election: Lindsay Hoyle clear winner in first ballot for Speaker, but short of 50% of votes needed – live news Rolling coverage of the day’s political events as they happen, including 2019 general election campaigningSinn Féin steps aside for remain candidates in three key seatsJuncker: Boris Johnson told ‘so many lies’ in EU referendum campaignQ&A: how will MPs elect a new Speaker? 5.50pm GMTKen Clarke has just read out the results of the second round of voting. Here they are (with the results from the first round in brackets).Round 2... #speakerelection pic.twitter.com/qX7vHvQlNK 5.41pm GMTIn the Commons the division bells are ringing, which means the results of the next round of voting in the election of the new Speaker will be announced soon. Continue reading... Go to...

Age of criminal responsibility must be raised, say experts In England and Wales, children as young as 10 can be convicted of a crime – the lowest minimum age of any EU stateHundreds of primary school-aged children are being needlessly criminalised because of the “ridiculously young” age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales, according to experts who are calling for it to be increased.Representatives from youth services, the justice system and politicians are urging the government to raise the minimum age a child can be convicted of a crime by at least two years from 10 to 12, in response to the Guardian’s investigation into youth courts. Continue reading... Go to Source

Nasa's Voyager 2 sends back its first signal from interstellar space Nasa craft is second to travel beyond heliosphere but will give most detailed data yetTwelve billion miles from Earth, there is an elusive boundary that marks the edge of the sun’s realm and the start of interstellar space. Voyager 2, the longest-running space mission, has finally beamed back a faint signal from the other side of that frontier, 42 years after its launch.The Nasa craft is the second ever to travel beyond the heliosphere, the bubble of supersonic charged particles streaming outwards from the sun. Despite setting off a month ahead of its twin, Voyager 1, it crossed the threshold into interstellar space more than six years behind, after taking the scenic route across the solar system and providing wh...

Police find 41 migrants alive in refrigerated truck in Greece Driver arrested after seven people are rushed to hospital with respiratory problemsGreek police have found 41 people alive in a refrigerated truck in a discovery that has underscored the extraordinary risk migrants are prepared to take to get into Europe.At least a third of the people, of apparent Afghan origin, had developed breathing problems and seven were rushed to a nearby hospital with respiratory problems. Continue reading... Go to Source

Obey me on Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn warns shadow cabinet dissenters Exclusive: Labour leader says debate is over as he seeks to shift focus to social justice and climateJeremy Corbyn has told his fractious shadow cabinet “the debate is over” on Brexit, as he seeks to stamp his authority on the general election campaign and shift the focus to social justice and the climate emergency.Speaking to the Guardian in the south-west London seat of Putney, the Labour leader claimed he had instructed frontbench colleagues to fall into line, after divisions over Brexit sparked a furious row over whether to go for an election. Continue reading... Go to Source

Call for radical overhaul of online casinos after far-reaching inquiry MPs favour reforms such as £2 limit on stakes, with Boris Johnson seen as sympatheticOnline casinos should be subject to maximum stake limits similar to the £2 limits imposed on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), according to a report released by a group of MPs who are demanding a “root and branch” overhaul of gambling law.In a wide-ranging report, members of the cross-party group on gambling-related harm – who include high-profile Conservatives such as Iain Duncan Smith – called for a raft of measures to protect vulnerable people. Continue reading... Go to Source

Youth court system in 'chaos', says children's commissioner Vulnerable children in England and Wales waiting months for convictions, appearing without adult support and being wrongly placed in dock, Guardian investigation findsThe youth justice system in England and Wales is “chaotic and dysfunctional” following almost a decade of cuts and court closures, the children’s commissioner has warned, after a Guardian investigation found a system plagued by increasing delays, confusion and poor child protection.Anne Longfield called for a wholesale review of the youth justice system, saying the youth court was “not a child-friendly environment where you could really help a young person and is not meeting standards that we had hoped”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Drug reversing effects of opioid overdose to be handed out in England Exclusive: naloxone will be distributed on the streets as part of pilot scheme in Redcar and ClevelandA life-saving drug that reverses the effect of an overdose of an opioid, such as heroin, is to be handed out on the street to people in England under a pilot scheme to tackle the record numbers of drug-related deaths.The main life-threatening effect of an opioid overdose is to slow down or stop breathing – the drug naloxone blocks this effect and reverses breathing difficulties. Continue reading... Go to Source