DWP pursued woman’s employer for nonexistent ‘benefit debt’

In state department cable, Jerusalem embassy told to issue protest to Palestinian Authority leaders, warning ‘consequences will follow’ if they failed to complyThe US has ordered its Jerusalem embassy to pressure the Palestinian leadership into dropping a bid for a UN general assembly vice-presidency, anxious that the role could allow Palestinians to chair high-profile debates on the Middle East.A 19 May state department cable seen by the Guardian instructed the US embassy in Jerusalem to issue a démarche (a formal protest) to the leaders of the Palestinian Authority (PA) pressuring them to withdraw the bid by 22 May, warning that “consequences will follow” if they failed to comply. Continue reading...

A decade after the referendum, EU leaders would welcome closer ties – once the UK has understood the ‘European deal’• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereBrexit’s back. Well, sort of. If it ever really went away. At any rate, an awful lot of ink has been spilled – in Britain, at least – over last weekend’s remarks by a would-be PM that Brexit was “a catastrophic mistake” and the UK’s future lay “back in the EU”.That reflects, first, just how deep the wounds of Brexit still run. A decade after the referendum unleashed an identity politics so powerful it still dominates UK debate, Britain’s voters remain divided into the two warring tribes of remain versus leave. Continue reading...

In first speech since quitting cabinet, Streeting says party must deliver change or it will hand keys of No 10 to ReformUK politics live – latest updatesLabour must be bolder and deliver real change, Wes Streeting has said in his first Commons speech since resigning as health secretary, saying that he quit the government because it was “currently losing” the fight against populist nationalism.Streeting reiterated his view that leaving the EU had been a damaging mistake for the UK, and argued that young people had been let down by a system stacked against them. Continue reading...

Amin Abdullah, 51, was one of the three victims of deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on MondayA security guard who was killed during the shooting at a San Diego mosque on Monday is being hailed as a hero after police said that his actions “undoubtedly” saved lives.On Monday, two teenagers opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, shooting and killing three men. The two attackers, aged 17 and 18, were found dead several blocks away, from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, officials said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Workers sign petitions over applications of AI by governments for defence and intelligence, and vote to unioniseGoogle DeepMind has agreed to enter formal talks with UK tech workers that could lead to trade union representation, in a groundbreaking move that comes amid growing staff concerns about the use of its AI by the US and Israeli governments’ defence and intelligence.The artificial intelligence arm of the multi-trillion dollar Google empire, led by the Nobel prize winner Demis Hassabis, has agreed to meet the Communications Workers Union and Unite at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) after several hundred workers based at its London headquarters earlier this month voted to unionise. Continue reading...

Family says Massachusetts Democrat entered hospice care last month, dealing with congestive heart failureUS politics live – latest updatesBarney Frank, a former US representative and Democrat of Massachusetts, died on Tuesday night, his family has told NBC10 in Boston. He was 86.“He was, above all else, a wonderful brother. I was lucky to be his sister,” Doris Breay, Frank’s sister, told the outlet on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...

Flash flood warnings and school closures in Texas as the US north-east breaks heat records before a dramatic cooldownHundreds of flight cancellations have been reported in Texas as storms roll over the state, leading to flash flood warnings and school closures, while punishingly high temperatures in the north-east break records before a dramatic cool-down.Nearly 150 flights were canceled or delayed at Dallas Fort Worth international airport on Wednesday and nearly 700 delayed on Tuesday, according to Flightaware. The FAA issued a ground stop in Dallas and Love Field. Continue reading...

Vilnius residents urged to take shelter during alert, after Nato and EU warn that Russia is diverting Ukraine’s dronesEurope live – latest updatesLithuania’s president and prime minister were rushed to underground bunkers and residents of the capital, Vilnius, urged to take shelter during a warning issued after a drone violated the country’s airspace.Air and train traffic in and around the city was suspended after the mobile phone “take shelter” alert, the first issued in an EU and Nato country since the start of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Choreography of back-to-back visits appeared deliberately mirrored but China made sure the differences were noticedDays after Donald Trump was greeted in Beijing with a military band, an honour guard and dozens of youths waving American and Chinese flags, Vladimir Putin arrived in China to an almost identical spectacle.The choreography of the two welcomes appeared deliberately mirrored, designed to showcase Beijing’s ability to host leaders from Washington and Moscow with equal grandeur. Continue reading...

Priya Dogra says she believes channel acted appropriately, but that she is ‘deeply sorry’ for distress of participantsChannel 4’s chief executive has stood by the broadcaster’s treatment of concerns raised by contestants on Married At First Sight, as she said she was “deeply sorry” for the distress of female participants making allegations of rape and sexual misconduct.Priya Dogra said she believed the channel had acted appropriately at the time of the allegations, but had commissioned an external review to ensure the show was safe for those taking part. Continue reading...

Exclusive: 3,500 social homes could switch to private sector after companies run by Heylo Housing group go into administrationMore than £52m in public money earmarked for social housing is at risk after the partial collapse of one of the England’s fastest-growing housing providers.Two of the investment companies run by the Heylo Housing group, which is backed by the asset managers Blackrock, have gone into administration leaving the government regulator scrambling to find a rescue deal to protect taxpayers’ money and prevent 3,500 social homes switching to the private sector. Continue reading...