Prisons minister vows to end ‘toxic’ cover-up culture in England and Wales

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James Timpson says he will fight ‘normalised’ sexual harassment, bullying and racism within prison service

Sexual harassment, racism and bullying have become “normalised” in jails and probation offices across England and Wales, the prisons minister has warned, as he announced a plan to overhaul a “toxic culture of cover-up” among senior staff.

James Timpson said one in eight of HM Prison and Probation Service’s (HMPPS) 65,000 staff say they have been bullied. Sexual assaults on female staff have led to arrests while black and Asian staff have faced repeated racist comments amid a “vacuum of pastoral care”.

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Transgender people’s lives at risk of being made ‘unliveable’, says Nicola Sturgeon

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Former Scottish first minister expresses concern about interim advice from EHRC

The lives of transgender people in the UK are at risk of being made “unliveable”, Nicola Sturgeon has said in her first public comments about the supreme court ruling on the legal definition of a woman, which was prompted by legislation she oversaw in the Scottish parliament.

The UK supreme court ruled that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act referred only to a biological woman and to biological sex. This was the conclusion of a long-running court action by the gender critical campaign group For Women Scotland, who objected to a law passed at Holyrood aimed at improving women’s representation on public boards being extended to transgender women.

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Pakistan Says Clash With India ‘Imminent’ After River Flow Cuts – Bloomberg.com

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  1. Pakistan Says Clash With India ‘Imminent’ After River Flow Cuts  Bloomberg.com
  2. India and Pakistan face conflict again - how did they de-escalate in the past?  BBC
  3. Pakistan warns of an Indian attack, while quietly urging de-escalation  The Washington Post
  4. ‘Either we live or no one will…’: Pakistan defence minister issues doomsday warning  Hindustan Times
  5. With militaries upgraded, risks multiply in any potential India-Pakistan conflict  Reuters
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US agrees ceasefire with Houthis in Yemen after dozens killed in airstrikes

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The Houthis have agreed to stop targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea, but said attacks against Israel will continue

The US will halt its bombing campaign against Yemen’s Houthis after the Iran-aligned group agreed to stop targeting shipping in the Red Sea.

The halt – announced by the US president, Donald Trump, during an Oval Office meeting with Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, came on a day in which Israel claimed its jets had fully disabled Yemen’s main airport, including three civilian aircraft on the ground, in retaliation for a missile strike on Sunday that hit within the perimeter of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.

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Identity of second man illegally deported to El Salvador prison revealed

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Daniel Lozano-Camargo, 20, was deported in March in violation of a legal settlement over his asylum application

The identity of a second man illegally deported from the US by the Trump administration in defiance of a court order and now in detention in El Salvador has been revealed.

Daniel Lozano-Camargo, a 20-year-old Venezuelan, was deported to El Salvador’s notorious Cecot terrorism confinement facility in March under the White House’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, Politico reported.

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Israel attacks main airport in Yemen’s capital Sanaa – BBC

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  1. Israel attacks main airport in Yemen's capital Sanaa  BBC
  2. Israel calls to evacuate Yemen airport amid fight with Houthis  Fox News
  3. Israel attacks Yemen airport after Houthi missile strike near Tel Aviv airport  ABC News
  4. Israel hits Yemen's main airport in airstrike against Houthis  Reuters
  5. How much does a strike on Sanaa International Airport cost Israel?  The Jerusalem Post
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How Trump’s walkaway diplomacy enabled Israel’s worst impulses

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The common perception is that Trump has largely moved on, leaving an emboldened Netanyahu to his own devices

The Israeli plan to occupy and depopulate Gaza may not be identical to Donald Trump’s vision of a new riviera, but his inspiration and the US’s walkaway diplomacy have ushered Benjamin Netanyahu to the precipice of a dire new chapter in the Israel-Gaza war.

The common perception in both Washington and Israel is that Trump has largely moved on, leaving an emboldened Netanyahu to his own devices, while his offhand proposals for turning Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East” have provided cover for rightwing Israeli politicians to enthusiastically support the forced resettlement of the Palestinian population.

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Front row? Dublin orders tourists to leave statue’s cleavage alone

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Touching breasts of city’s Molly Malone statue is supposed to bring luck, but not everyone is happy with tradition

Each time a tourist sidled up to the statue and reached for the most famous cleavage in Dublin, a voice called out: “No touching please.”

Two city council stewards stood vigil over the landmark on Tuesday to notify would-be gropers that Molly Malone was to be left alone. After years of supposedly bringing good luck to whomever touched the breasts, they were now off-limits.

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Rwandan talks with US over deported migrants are chance to expand its influence

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African country looks to position itself as a useful option for countries’ anti-migration policies

Talks between Rwanda and the US to host deported migrants are the latest move by the African country to position itself as a useful option for the anti-migration policies of allied governments.

Previous high-profile attempts, however, including with the UK, Israel and Denmark, failed after becoming beset by controversy.

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Modi says India will retain share of water it once sent outside the country – Reuters

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  1. Modi says India will retain share of water it once sent outside the country  Reuters
  2. India-Pakistan fighting live: India fires missiles into Pakistan  Al Jazeera
  3. India advances Kashmir hydro projects after suspending pact with Pakistan, document shows  Reuters
  4. "India's Water Will Be Used For India's Interests": PM Modi's Message To Pak  NDTV
  5. India's strike will hit Pak where it hurts the most  The Economic Times
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Trump says ‘we just want to be friends’ as Canada PM torpedoes 51st state idea

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Mark Carney said country was ‘not for sale’ in much anticipated summit between leaders at White House

Donald Trump has said he “just want[s] to be friends with Canada” after his first post-election meeting with the country’s prime minister, Mark Carney – who used the gathering to shoot down any prospect of his country becoming the 51st state.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump praised Carney – whose Liberal party won the federal election last week – for one of the “greatest political comebacks of all time”, and described the prime minister’s visit as “an honour” for the White House.

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Denmark’s museum objects at risk from ‘extreme’ new mould, say conservators

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The ‘epidemic for Golden Age paintings’ may already be a global problem, with the fungi a possible health hazard

A new type of “extreme” mould is sweeping through Denmark’s museums, threatening some of the nation’s most important paintings and cultural objects, conservators have warned.

Described as an “epidemic for Golden Age paintings”, the highly resistant mould covers objects in a white coating and has been detected in 12 of the country’s museums, including the National Museum of Denmark and Skagens Museum.

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India Seeks to Block Auction of Buddhist Religious Relics – The New York Times

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  1. India Seeks to Block Auction of Buddhist Religious Relics  The New York Times
  2. Auction: India seeks to stop sale of jewels linked to Buddha remains  BBC
  3. India Is Trying to Stop the Sale of Hundreds of Ancient Gems Associated With the Buddha  Smithsonian Magazine
  4. India tries to halt auction of Piprahwa gems found with Buddha’s remains  The Guardian
  5. Controversy Erupts Over Auction of Gems Associated With Buddha  Artnet News
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