Two more Tory peers take seats on red benches in House of Lords
A leading barrister and a former council chief have taken their seats on the Tory benches in the House of Lords.
Lord Banner KC wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in the Lords, where he swore the oath of allegiance to the King.
The 43-year-old, who was called to the Bar in 2004 and has lectured in law at Oxford, was supported by fellow Conservative peers Lord Blencathra and Lord Wolfson of Tredegar KC.
Also joining the unelected chamber was Lord Jamieson, who previously led Central Bedfordshire Council and chaired the Local Government Association.
Conservative MP says government makes it “difficult” for long-term sick to access financial support
The Government makes it “difficult” for the long-term sick to access financial support when they are unable to work, a Conservative MP told the Commons.
Duncan Baker (North Norfolk) said a constituent of his who is being treated for cancer had difficulty accessing universal credit and Personal Independence Payments (PIP). He added: “Why should she have to come to my office, an MP’s office to get help, when someone is seriously ill? Why do we make it so arduous and difficult to give people that need treatment help?”
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “My department does a great deal to support the long-term sick and disabled, including through the universal credit and health element and also through PIP.”
He added that he would meet with Mr Baker to look at his constituent’s circumstances in more detail.
Labour MP Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) called for the “flawed and outdated” PIP system to be replaced with a “framework that is fit for purpose”.
Mr Stride replied: “We always keep all benefits under review at the department, including PIP and the assessment processes. There is quite rightly as (Marsha De Cordova) points out, an appeals process for those who are not happy with the conclusions of those assessments, we keep those under review.”
Obama arrives at Downing Street for private meeting
Former US president Barack Obama has arrived at Downing Street for an undisclosed private meeting.
Mr Obama, who served in the White House from 2009 to 2017, smiled and waved at members of the press before he entered No 10 shortly after 3pm.
‘Controlling and coercive’ man jailed for 14 years for manslaughter of his baby
A “controlling and coercive” father who shook his three-month-old daughter, causing her un-survivable head injuries, has been jailed for 14 years.
Samuel Warnock, 29, of Devizes in Wiltshire, previously pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court to the manslaughter of Maya Warnock in 2021.
His wife and Maya’s mother, Jasmine Warnock, 29, was also sentenced to a three-year community order with 30 rehabilitation days after pleading guilty to child cruelty for failing to stop her husband from assaulting their daughter.
Sentencing the pair, the judge, Mrs Justice May, said that the death came against a background of domestic abuse by Warnock against his wife.
She described Warnock as a “reckless and irresponsible new father, prone to anger, easily frustrated, profoundly needy and dangerously incapable of caring properly for a tiny new baby”.
The judge told Mrs Warnock: “You are to some extent a victim of controlling and coercive behaviour and this impacted your ability to recognise what he was doing but it didn’t render you entirely powerless.”
Unions concerned at proposals for Channel 4 regional production budget
Unions have raised concerns about Ofcom proposals which could allow Channel 4 to allocate 91% of its production budget to projects in England.
The broadcasting regulator is consulting on the licence renewal for Channel 4 as the current licence ends on December 31 this year.
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), representing a number of unions which work in broadcasting, says the “made outside England” quota should be increased to at least 16%, with a specific Scottish quota of 8%.
Union leaders say Scottish production companies could lose out under the proposals and a joint letter has been sent to Channel 4 and Ofcom.
Francesco Acerbi leaves Italy camp in wake of racist abuse allegation
Francesco Acerbi has left the Italy national squad ahead of upcoming friendlies in the United States after he was alleged to have racially abused Napoli defender Juan Jesus.
The Inter Milan defender is alleged to have racially abused Brazil international Jesus in Sunday’s 1-1 draw in Serie A, something Acerbi has denied.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said Acerbi has explained his version of events to Italy coach Luciano Spalletti and his team-mates and it has been agreed he will take no part in games against Venezuela and Ecuador.
A statement on the FIGC website read: “Francesco Acerbi, who arrived at the national team camp in Rome this morning, explained to head coach, Luciano Spalletti, and his team-mates his version of the alleged racist expression reported by Juan Jesus during Inter vs Napoli last night, as required by the internal policy of Club Italia.
“From the Nerazzurri defender’s report, in waiting for what happened to be reconstructed in compliance with the autonomy of sporting justice, it emerged that there was no defamatory, denigrating or racist intent on his part.
“However, it was agreed that Acerbi should be left out of the squad for the next two friendlies scheduled in the United States in order to let things settle for the national team and the player himself, who will return to his club today.
“As a result, Roma defender Gianluca Mancini, who was already part of a reserved squad list, has been called up.”
An Inter statement added: “FC Internazionale Milano takes note of the official statement released by the FIGC in relation to the events involving Francesco Acerbi during last night’s match against Napoli, and of the fact that FIGC and Acerbi have agreed that the player will not be involved in the national team’s next two friendlies scheduled in the United States.
“FC Internazionale Milano will meet with the player as soon as possible to shed light on the exact details of what happened last night.”
Starmer praises Sadiq Khan’s push for clean air in London after Ulez controversy
Sir Keir Starmer has praised Sadiq Khan’s commitment to clean air in London after last year urging the mayor to “reflect” on the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez).
The Labour leader, who lives in north-west London, said he did not want his children to “breathe in dirty air” as he appeared alongside Mr Khan for the launch of the mayor’s re-election campaign.
The Ulez scheme was expanded last August to cover the entirety of Greater London, a controversial move overseen by Mr Khan.
Sheffield kebab shop food hygiene rating drops to zero
The food hygiene rating at a Sheffield kebab shop has dropped from one to zero after mouse droppings and mould were found on the premises.
Adnan’s Fried Chicken on West Street, which serves up kebabs, fried chicken, pizzas, burgers have been told “urgent improvements are necessary”.
Police appeal for missing Doncaster woman
South Yorkshire Police are appealing for information about a Doncaster woman that was last seen on 14 March.
Shirley, aged 66, who also goes by the name of Pam, was last seen at 7:40pm leaving a property on Winchester Avenue in the Wheatley area of Doncaster.
Anyone who has seen Shirley has been asked to contact South Yorkshire Police.
Police appeal for missing Doncaster woman
South Yorkshire Police are appealing for information about a Doncaster woman that was last seen on 14 March.
Shirley, aged 66, who also goes by the name of Pam, was last seen at 7:40pm leaving a property on Winchester Avenue in the Wheatley area of Doncaster.
Anyone who has seen Shirley has been asked to contact South Yorkshire Police.
Sheffield indoor market opens its doors for the first time in big boost for local business
A new independent indoor market in Sheffield welcomed its first customers today with the promise of hosting almost 100 local businesses and entrepreneurs.
Red Brick Market Sheffield opened at 10am today on Clough Road opposite Bramall Lane. It aims to provide a diverse experience for Sheffield's shoppers with up to 95 stalls selling a wide variety of goods.
Christopher Day, the founder of Red Brick Market, said: "This market gives the baby businesses an easier chance to grow without all the worries and hassles of a mega-long lease and stupid business rates.
"I think it's going be a good offering in terms of independence because there doesn't seem to be many options in Sheffield for small businesses."
Lower rates for retail units are being offered to stall owners to make the market affordable for local enterprises, with the company pledging to promote alternative products to what is offered on the high street.
The marketplace is the third of its kind in the UK after successful launches in Liverpool in 2018 and Birmingham in 2022.
Steve, whose business, The Binley People, has been operating in Sheffield for the last 15 years, said: "This is brilliant for the community, there's nowhere else in town you can do this. It's nice to actually have shops where people can buy things that they can put their hands on, rather than getting a load of crap through the internet."
The venue's unprecedented size also makes the market a unique opportunity for sellers as well as buyers, having previously been a trampoline park.
Steven, the owner of the Retro Sheffield stall, said: "This is a bit of a departure from the norm for me, I usually just work in flea markets but when I heard about this I thought I'd give it a try.
"Independent retailers need space like this to sell their stuff without the enormous overheads of fixed shop rents."
Red Brick Market Sheffield is open from 10am-6pm from Monday to Saturday, and 10am-4pm on Sundays.
Sparks fly as robots square off in Sheffield
Roboteers from across the UK descended on Kommune in Sheffield on Saturday for a day of Robot Wars-style combat.
Competing robots were equipped with a variety of different weapons, such as flippers, hammers, and spinning blades, with the aim of either incapacitating the other robots or causing the opposing team to ‘tap out’, and concede the fight.
Unlike the televised competition, in which the robots could weigh well over 100kg and be expensive and time-consuming to build, Saturday’s event was restricted to a maximum weight of 1.5kg, making the competition more accessible to roboteers from all walks of life.