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Ex-Commons Speaker John Bercow was a serial bully, says report

John Bercow was a “serial bully” while House of Commons Speaker, and would be banned from getting a parliamentary pass, a report has said. The Independent Expert Panel said “his behaviour fell very far below that which the public has a right to expect” from an MP. It also said his evidence showed he had been “a serial liar”. However, Mr Bercow said the inquiry into the complaints was “amateurish” and based on “tittle-tattle”. Mr Bercow was Speaker of the House of Commons from 2009 to 2019 and presided over a turbulent period during which the House of Commons debated

Cost of living: Warning UK faces biggest income squeeze in nearly 50 years

War in Ukraine will push up energy prices and see UK families squeezed even further, a think tank has warned. The Resolution Foundation forecasts that a typical household’s income will fall by about £1,000 this year once the effect of inflation is accounted for. That would be the biggest real-terms fall in incomes since the mid-1970s, it added. A government spokesperson said it recognised the pressures households are facing. Many families were already expecting their monthly spend to go up when the energy price cap jumps in April, and National Insurance contributions rise. But in a new report, the Resolution Foundation

Martine Vik Magnussen: Woman arrested over Norwegian student murder

Detectives investigating the 2008 murder of a Norwegian student feared to have been killed by a billionaire playboy have made a breakthrough, the Met said. Martine Vik Magnussen, 23, was found dead among rubble in a basement in Great Portland Street, Westminster, after a night out with friends. On Wednesday, the Met Police said officers had arrested a woman aged in her 60s on suspicion of assisting an offender. The Regent’s Business School students had been celebrating the end of their exams at Maddox nightclub, Mayfair. Ms Magnussen’s body was found two days later. The prime suspect for her rape

Uganda’s preachers who take religion to the streets of Kampala

With the aid of a loud speaker, Kayemba Stephen’s voice booms out above the noise of the traffic and bustle as people make their way to work in this busiest part of Uganda’s capital, Kampala. “Receive Jesus today!” the preacher, known on the streets as Sulphur Teacher, urges passers-by with a swagger as if he believes everyone is closely listening to what he has to say. Some hurry on, others stop and stare, and enthusiasts join in, shouting “hallelujah” and “amen” in response. His work – as well as that of the many other street evangelists – has been the

War in Ukraine: Russia says it may cut gas supplies if oil ban goes ahead

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Russia has said it may close its main gas pipeline to Germany if the West goes ahead with a ban on Russian oil. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said a “rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market”, causing prices to more than double to $300 a barrel. The US has been exploring a potential ban with allies as a way of punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. But Germany and the Netherlands rejected the plan on Monday. The EU gets about 40% of its gas and 30% of its oil from Russia, and

Ukraine: Russian general killed near Kharkiv, say defenders

A senior Russian military commander has been killed in a battle on the edge of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s defence ministry says. Maj-Gen Vitaly Gerasimov, 41st Army chief of staff, died along with other Russian officers, the report says. Russia has not commented, but if confirmed he would be their second officer of this rank to be killed. Ukraine has begun evacuating civilians from the town of Irpin near Kyiv and the northern city of Sumy. It comes after Russian and Ukrainian officials agreed to establish humanitarian corridors. “As of 09:30 [07:30 GMT], more than 150 people have

War in Ukraine: World Bank approves $723m financial package

The World Bank has approved $723m (£551m) in loans and grants for Ukraine, as the country fights against a Russian invasion. The bank said it is continuing to work on another $3bn package of support in the coming months for the country. It also promised extra help for neighbouring countries that are taking in more than 1.7m refugees, which are mostly women, children and the elderly. The financial package for Ukraine includes a $100m pledge from the UK. “The World Bank Group is taking quick action to support Ukraine and its people in the face of the violence and extreme

War in Ukraine: Crisis is unleashing ‘hell on earth’ for food prices

The head of the World Food Programme, David Beasley, has warned the conflict in Ukraine could send global food prices soaring, with a catastrophic impact on the world’s poorest. Ukraine and Russia are both major exporters of basic foodstuffs, and the war has already hit crop production, driving up prices Mr Beasley said it was putting more people at risk of starvation worldwide. “Just when you think hell on earth can’t get any worse, it does,” he said. Russia and Ukraine, once dubbed “the breadbasket of Europe”, export about a quarter of the world’s wheat and half of its sunflower

War in Ukraine: ‘It’s hell, it’s really hell’ – Families flee bombs in Irpin

They came on foot, in an endless stream – trying to outpace the Russian shells laying waste to their hometown. There were families with children in strollers clutching stuffed toys, young mothers with babes in arms, and the elderly moving as fast as their years would allow. Most were silent. Some were weeping. At the edge of Irpin there was urgency, panic, and anguish. It felt like we were witnessing the death of a city. “Everything is bombed,” said Valentina, as she rushed past us, fleeing her home and her life with just a single bag over her shoulder. “There

Ukraine war: Chernobyl workers’ 12-day ordeal under Russian guard

More than 100 workers at Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant – the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986 – have been stuck there for more than 12 days, unable to leave after Russian forces seized the plant on the first day of the invasion. Another 200 Ukrainian guards, who’d been in charge of security at the time of the assault, also remain trapped. Workers continue to go about their duties and the atmosphere is said to be calm, but the BBC has been told that the conditions inside are difficult, with food and medicine limited. There are

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