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Nieuwe regels zouden boekingen met één ticket mogelijk maken bij meerdere spoorvervoerders in heel Europa

• Richard Adam, Zafar Khan en drie anderen zijn ook beboet door de Financial Reporting Council • Vijf voormalige bestuurders van de ingestorte overheidscontractant Carillion zijn verboden door de Britse accountancy-toezichthouder, wat effectief een einde maakt aan de carrière van de voormalige financieel directeur, nadat zij "roekeloos hebben gehandeld". • Voordat Carillion in januari 2018 in een verplichte liquidatie ging – een van de grootste bedrijfsfaillissementen in de Britse geschiedenis – was het een grote multinationale onderneming in de bouw en facilitair management met 43.000 werknemers wereldwijd.

• Antwoorden op informatieverzoeken (FoI), verzameld door een verzekeraar, tonen aan dat brandweerkorpsen in 2025 1.760 batterijgerelateerde branden hebben bestreden, een stijging van 147% in drie jaar. • Brandweerkorpsen in het hele Verenigd Koninkrijk bestrijden lithium-ionbatterijbranden in een tempo van één per vijf uur, volgens cijfers waarbij brandweerchefs waarschuwen dat het publieke bewustzijn en overheidsregulering niet zijn meegegaan met de alomtegenwoordigheid van dit nieuwe gevaar. • Lithium-ionbatterijen voeden de meeste oplaadbare apparaten, waaronder mobiele telefoons, elektrische tandenborstels, speelgoed en vapes, evenals e-bikes, e-steps en elektrische voertuigen. Lees verder...

• Eén man is kritiek gewond geraakt na een incident in Arnold en een verdachte wordt vastgehouden op verdenking van poging tot moord • Een man is gearresteerd op verdenking van poging tot moord nadat vijf mensen werden aangereden door een auto in een centrum in Nottinghamshire, heeft de politie laten weten. • Eén man liep levensbedreigende verwondingen op en verkeert nog steeds in kritieke toestand in het ziekenhuis, terwijl vier andere mannen minder ernstig gewond raakten na het incident in Arnold kort voor 01:10 uur op zaterdag.

Organisatoren, waaronder voetvolkers uit Selma, stellen dat de uitspraak het nieuwste hoofdstuk is in een lange strijd tegen de ontneming van het stemrecht van zwarte Amerikanen in de VS.

• Southeast Asian nations are warming to the idea of easing Myanmar's international isolation following the 2021 military coup, with diplomats signaling a potential diplomatic opening to reintegrate the crisis-affected nation. • Regional sentiment has shifted as some countries explore conditions for Myanmar's return to normal diplomatic relations and potential participation in regional forums. • The thaw reflects changing geopolitical calculations in Southeast Asia and could affect ASEAN's cohesion and approach to Myanmar's political crisis.

While Labour losses and Reform gains are obvious, the nature of how people actually voted is much more nuancedElections 2026 – live updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesEnglish local election results require careful interpretation. Not all places have them at the same time, a relatively small proportion complete their counts overnight and the early headlines may not reflect outcomes later in the day.But the headline number on Friday morning – that Labour has lost more than 250 councillors - will only grow as the day progresses. While Labour will want to stress that these “mid-term” elections often go badly for the incumbent Westminster government, they rarely go quite as badly as this. Continue reading...

Crowds were invited to stand in silent solidarity with the family of the Warlpiri girl who was allegedly murdered in Alice Springs last weekWarning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have diedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe national body representing First Nations children has called for an end to the politicisation of the death of Kumanjayi Little Baby, as hundreds of people gathered around the country to mourn her passing.Community vigils were held across Australia on Thursday to honour the five-year-old Warlpiri girl, whose body was found one week ago after a frantic five-day search. Continue reading...

Shoppers concerned about effect of Middle East conflict, as UK retailers say government running out of time to cut costsFour in five people are worried that the Iran war will make food more expensive, according to a new poll, as businesses warned the “window is closing” for ministers to cut energy costs for UK retailers.Research by Opinium found that 80% of people are worried about the rising price of groceries, which would come from retailers passing on cost increases to consumers, while 73% expect the conflict to push up prices of other products. Continue reading...

Russian attack on gas facility in Poltava region kills three energy firm employees and two emergency service workersVolodymyr Zelenskyy has accused the Kremlin of “utter cynicism” for killing five people in overnight strikes at the same time as seeking a truce so it can stage a military parade in Moscow.Three employees of the state energy firm Naftogaz were killed in an initial attack on a gas facility in Ukraine’s central Poltava region, and two emergency service workers died at the scene in a follow-on bombing. Thirty-seven people were injured in the strikes. Continue reading...

All people onboard Cessna 421C dead after crash late at night in city 40 miles south-west of state capital AustinA small plane crashed among trees in Texas Hill Country, killing all five people onboard, officials said on Friday.The crash happened in the dark late on Thursday night in Wimberley, a city about 40 miles south-west of the state capital, Austin, the Hays county judge, Ruben Becerra, said in a post on Facebook. Continue reading...

Mother of Kumanjayi Little Baby, whose body was found after five-day search near Alice Springs, says ‘it’s going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you’• Warning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have diedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice in the Northern Territory are searching for a man they suspect of murder after finding a body believed to be that of a five-year-old girl who went missing from Alice Springs on Saturday.The NT police commissioner, Martin Dole, told reporters the tragic discovery was made just before noon local time on Thursday. The girl’s family requested she be referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby, in line with cultural protocols. Continue reading...

Campaigners saying public spaces protection orders also being used to criminalise wide range of everyday activitiesOne in five local councils have banned swearing under new “busybody” orders, up from one in 20 councils in 2022.A new report by the Campaign for Freedom in Everyday Life has found that public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) – originally intended to tackle serious anti-social behaviour – are being used by councils in England and Wales to criminalise a wide range of everyday activities, including standing in groups, shouting and picking up stones. Continue reading...

Top civil servant reveals more details of vetting process and lack of paper trail for approval of Mandelson’s appointment UK politics live – latest updatesIn more than 90 minutes of evidence to the foreign affairs select committee about the Peter Mandelson scandal, Cat Little, the head civil servant in the Cabinet Office, was low key and often cautious.But she did reveal several pieces of new information – or at times information different to that given to the same committee by Olly Robbins, the former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office. Continue reading...

There are now 3,110 billionaires but analysis shows ‘deep structural acceleration’ in wealth creation around worldThe number of billionaires in the world could reach nearly 4,000 by 2031, figures suggest, as the super-rich accumulate wealth at an accelerating rate.There are now 3,110 billionaires globally, according to analysis by the estate agent Knight Frank. This is forecast to rise by 25% over the next five years, taking the total to 3,915. Continue reading...

ONS data for three months to February is not expected to alter Bank of England’s decision on interest ratesUnemployment in the UK unexpectedly fell in the three months to February, according to official figures – but the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East is expected to cause a rise in job cuts.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the rate of unemployment was 4.9% in the three months to February. This compares with 5.2% in the three months to January, a rate that economists had expected to also see in February. Continue reading...

Rising sea levels and ecological damage caused by heavy use of flood defence system force city authorities to consider next moveThe Arsenale, the colossal shipyard that was the engine of the Venetian Republic’s domination for seven centuries, remains the nucleus of the city’s control over the water. Its northern section is made up of cavernous brick warehouses called capannoni, which in the 16th century could produce a warship a day through a rigorously ordered assembly line.Now, one of them houses the operations centre of the Mose, the sprawling flood defence system that protects the city. Continue reading...

Voters broadly split along generational lines as pro-Russian former president leads in pollsAnna Bodakova’s days tend to be rather hectic at the moment. Hopping between meeting voters on the street, political debates and recording videos for social media, the 23-year-old is standing to become an MP in Bulgaria’s general election.Last year she was among the many young Bulgarians who participated in countrywide mass protests over the government’s economic policies and perceived failure to tackle corruption. Those protests ultimately resulted in the resignation of the prime minister, Rosen Zhelyazkov, and his cabinet in December. Continue reading...

How did the PM’s chosen US ambassador fail security vetting but still get approved, what exactly did he know, and who is to blame?Downing Street has tried to do a lot of explaining, as has Keir Starmer himself. But there are still plenty of things we do not know about how Peter Mandelson failed security vetting, and what the prime minister did or did not know about it. Continue reading...

Leader of leftwing Economic Freedom Fighters was convicted last year for firing rifle in the air at 2018 rallyThe South African leftwing politician Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison for firing a rifle in the air at a political rally in 2018.Lawyers for the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, South Africa’s fourth largest political party, immediately sought leave to appeal. Legal arguments are ongoing. Continue reading...

• New York Yankees lost 7-1 to the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, reverting to offensive struggles after a prior 11-run win. • Angels slugged back-to-back-to-back home runs in the first inning off Ryan Weathers by Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler, with five solo homers total. • Weathers allowed five runs and five hits over five innings, striking out 10; first pitcher since 1893 to yield four homers and 10 strikeouts in five or fewer innings.

Scottish Labour leader pledges more homes and tax cuts as party tries to reverse slump in support before May electionsUK politics live – latest updatesAnas Sarwar has appealed to voters to give Labour five years “to fix the Scottish National party’s mess” as he pledged more homes, tax cuts and a smaller public sector.The Scottish Labour leader is fighting a last-ditch attempt to reverse a steep slump in support. Recent polls put Sarwar’s party third or fourth behind Reform and the Scottish Greens, dragged down by the UK government’s unpopularity. Continue reading...

Attacks on Saturday bring number of people killed in boat strikes by US military to at least 168The US military said that it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor, as the Trump administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America while preparing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.The attacks on Saturday bring the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the US military to at least 168 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September. Continue reading...

Oxford team’s technology picked up danger signs with 86% accuracy in study of 72,000 patients in EnglandOxford scientists have developed a simple AI tool that can predict the risk of heart failure five years before it develops.More than 60 million people worldwide have the condition in which the heart cannot pump blood around the body as well as it should. Spotting cases before they develop into heart failure would be a big step forward, experts say. Doctors could prepare better for and manage the condition at an earlier stage or even prevent it entirely. Continue reading...

• American Medical Association research reveals that over 80% of physicians are integrating AI tools into their clinical practices, reflecting widespread adoption across the medical profession. • Doctors express both optimism about AI's potential benefits and concerns about implementation, emphasizing the importance of physician involvement in AI development and deployment. • The survey highlights the transformative role of artificial intelligence in modern medicine while underscoring the need for continued physician oversight and ethical governance.

• CMS announced the Accelerating State Pediatric Innovation Readiness and Effectiveness Model (ASPIRE), a 10-year voluntary program for up to five states. • ASPIRE targets Medicaid and CHIP enrollees up to age 21 with complex medical and behavioral needs through early identification, care coordination, and quality accountability. • A Notice of Funding Opportunity will be released later this year to solicit state participation.

Foreign ministers Ishaq Dar and Wang Yi met in Beijing as Pakistan pushes for peacemaker roleMiddle East crisis – live updatesPakistan and China have released a joint five-part proposal for peace in the Middle East, after Pakistan’s foreign minister flew to Beijing on Tuesday to seek Chinese support for the country’s faltering efforts to negotiate an end to end the war.The one-day meeting between Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, came as Pakistan continues to push for the role of peacemaker between the United States and Iran, even as the war shows little sign of relenting. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia actively pursue regressive policies, watchdog findsGovernments in five EU member states are “consistently and intentionally” eroding the rule of law, Europe’s leading civil liberties group has warned, while democratic standards are deteriorating in six more, including historically strong democracies.Drawing on evidence from more than 40 NGOs in 22 countries, the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) described the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia as “dismantlers” that were actively weakening the rule of law. Continue reading...