Warmer weather has benefited some species in Britain, but others that rely on specific plants or habitats have struggled“Insectageddon” has not occurred, but there has been a loss of butterfly diversity over the past half a century, according to the world’s largest insect monitoring scheme.More than 44m butterfly sightings scientifically collected in Britain since 1976 show that of the 58 native species recorded, 33 species have declined and 25 have increased in number. Continue reading...
Food delivery services say the proposed laws will affect their workers, while shared e-vehicle schemes claim the laws could make them uninsurableFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLegislation that would crack down on ebikes and e-scooters in Queensland could curtail food delivery services and potentially end shared e-vehicle schemes, industry figures warn.The proposed laws would set an age limit of 16 on ebikes and e-scooters, require users to obtain a driver’s licence, and set a limit of 10km/h on almost all cycle lanes. Continue reading...
Galleries, theatres, museums and libraries to benefit from largest cash injection into the arts for a decadeMore than 100 cultural venues, museums, and libraries will share £130m extra funding as part of the largest cash injection into the arts for a decade, ministers have announced.The investment forms part of the Arts Everywhere Fund, a £1.5bn package to support cultural infrastructure projects over the course of this parliament, which was announced by the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, earlier this year. The fund aims to save more than 1,000 arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England. Continue reading...
Suspects allegedly bought 14 hospice companies and used stolen identities to fraudulently bill state health planSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxCalifornia authorities have filed felony charges against 21 people, who they say orchestrated a hospice fraud scheme that cost the state $267m, the state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, announced on Thursday.The suspects allegedly bought personal identifying information for non-California residents from the dark web and used the stolen identities to enroll in Medi-Cal, a state program that gives low-income residents free or low-cost health care. Continue reading...
• FBI arrested eight individuals, including three nurses, a chiropractor, and a psychologist, in a Los Angeles healthcare fraud operation targeting over $50 million from the US system.
• Gladwin and Amelou Gill allegedly created a hospice in their daughter's name, swindling over $7 million from taxpayers.
• Six defendants face initial appearances in US District Court in downtown Los Angeles, with one in Idaho; the scheme ties to broader hospice fraud concerns in LA.
Home Office will use mapping technology and crime data to identify up to 250 schools in areas of greatest riskSchools across England are to receive dedicated support to prevent knife crime incidents in a hyper-targeted Home Office programme that uses mapping technology to identify areas of risk down to the level of specific groups of streets.Under the £1.2m scheme – part of a series of initiatives launched under a government pledge to halve knife crime within a decade – a maximum of 250 schools will receive help. Continue reading...
Concerns raised over minors placed in adult detention centres since removals began under scheme in SeptemberMore than 70 children from various conflict zones whose ages were disputed by the Home Office have been held in detention centres in the UK in preparation for forced removal to France under the government’s “one in, one out” scheme, research shows.The one in, one out initiative means each small boat arrival can be forcibly returned to France in exchange for another person – who has not attempted the crossing – being brought to the UK legally. Continue reading...
• Eight defendants, including three nurses, a chiropractor, and a psychologist, have been arrested on federal charges for defrauding the health care system of more than $50 million through sham hospice care facilities.
• The scheme involved running hospice operations that billed Medicare by enrolling people without terminal illnesses as beneficiaries, with Valley Pacific Hospice Inc. in Simi Valley having its Medicare enrollment revoked in August 2024.
• The arrests were coordinated with the Vice President's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, with six defendants making initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and one in Idaho.
Fertiliser created from waste produced in block of toilets used by 700 revellers at Boomtown festival last yearScientists are aiming to grow 4,500 trees at a national park with the help of fertiliser made from urine collected from festivalgoers.The fertiliser was created by Bristol-based startup NPK Recovery, which connected their unit to a block of toilets used by 700 revellers at Boomtown festival in Hampshire in July last year. Continue reading...
Greens amendments to force new watchdog to scrutinise uni fees and the Jobs-Ready Graduates scheme rejected by federal governmentFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government is being accused of dodging promised reforms to bring down soaring university fees, after rejecting efforts to have them scrutinised by a new watchdog.On Monday, legislation to establish the independent Australian Tertiary Education Commission (Atec) passed the Senate with a number of amendments, including to improve its resourcing and ensuring it had a focus on research. Continue reading...
Scheme for accusers of store’s former owner Mohamed Al Fayed to close before end of retailer’s internal investigationHarrods has been accused of being “neither fair nor just” over its decision to close a compensation scheme for survivors of alleged sexual abuse by the luxury department store’s former owner Mohamed Al Fayed.Kingsley Hayes, partner at KP Law, which is representing nearly 280 survivors, questioned why the scheme was being closed on Tuesday 31 March, before Harrods had completed an internal investigation into what happened and who knew about it. Continue reading...
Redress programme for 14m motor finance agreements will be set out by regulator on Monday afternoonBusiness live – latest updatesMillions of drivers will discover how much can they claim over the car finance scandal on Monday, as the City regulator sets out the final terms of its compensation scheme.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will release the details of its redress programme for 14m motor finance agreements after 4:30pm, ensuring that the information comes out after stock markets close for trading. Continue reading...
UKHSA figures show the number of cases has fallen to 23 overallThe meningitis B vaccination programme will be expanded to include year 11 pupils at schools affected by the outbreak in Kent, health officials have said.Figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show the number of cases of the illness have fallen. Continue reading...
Close relatives of affected post office operators will be able to make claim over harm scandal caused families Family members of post office operators affected by the Horizon IT scandal will be able to claim compensation under a new government scheme.Campaigners have lobbied for compensation in relation to the harm the scandal has caused to the mental health and wellbeing of close relatives who have not been eligible under the redress schemes being run by the Post Office and the government. Continue reading...
Taith programme, set up after UK’s post-Brexit withdrawal from Erasmus+, faces uncertain future over fundingA “life-changing” international learning programme set up in Wales after Brexit is at risk of being closed down.Taith, which means “journey” in Welsh/Cymraeg, was established by the Senedd in 2022 after the UK pulled out of the Erasmus+ student exchange programme. Its reach is much wider: many participants get involved through schools, youth groups or adult education centres, and nearly half come from underrepresented backgrounds. Data suggests Taith has already funded approximately twice as many projects in Wales as Erasmus+ did, working with less money. Continue reading...
Flawed Home Office travel records identified thousands of parents suspected of claiming while living abroadThe UK’s public spending watchdog has launched an investigation into a controversial government anti-fraud scheme that resulted in thousands of families being wrongly stripped of their child benefit payments.The National Audit Office (NAO) will examine how HM Revenue and Customs designed and implemented a scheme that used flawed Home Office travel records to identify parents suspected of living abroad while still claiming child benefit. Continue reading...
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned six individuals and two companies on March 13, 2026, for facilitating North Korea's IT worker scheme infiltrating U.S. firms across multiple countries. The operation generates revenue for Pyongyang by placing covert workers in tech roles. This escalates enforcement against nation-state cyber economic activities. Further investigations target global networks involved.