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People have been given more time to plug gaps in their National Insurance record - to ensure they can maximise their state pension entitlement. Initially, people had until 5 April to make voluntary adjustments for gaps between 2006 and 2016, but the cut off has been extended to the end of July. The original deadline had led to blocked phone lines. In general, people need 35 years of qualifying contributions to get the full state pension. 'Surge' in calls Some people may have spaces in their National Insurance record, for example if they have lived abroad or taken time off for caring responsibilities. Top-ups have been permitted, as part of the transition to the flat-rate state pension which was introduced in 2016. But blocked phone lines to HM Revenue and Customs left some worried they would miss the April deadline, and led to the latest extension which the government said was to ensure nobody would miss out. "HMRC [HM Revenue and Customs] and DWP [the Departme

Surge in festivals after Covid lull risks making green spaces elitist as councils try to offset tightened budgets Cash-strapped councils are increasingly hiring out their green spaces to festivals, an expert has warned, blocking them off from residents for weeks at a time, damaging grass and causing congestion. Councils were “more desperate than ever” to attract commercial income to supplement their reduced budgets after a pandemic hiatus, risking making public parks “more exclusive and more elitist” in the process. Community groups have raised concerns about lack of access for local people during the recent unprecedented heatwave and the school holidays. Andrew Smith, professor of urban experiences at the University of Westminster, said there now seemed to be more festivals in some parts of the country than before the pandemic. A big factor driving this, he said, was that festival organisers were trying to make up for the financial shortfalls of 2020 and 2021, while local

                                  Good day 😊 Local authorities told to take measures and ‘use every unit of water carefully’ in effort to save autumn harvest  A drought in China is threatening food production, prompting the government to order local authorities to take all available measures to ensure crops survive the hottest summer on record. On Tuesday, four government departments issued an urgent joint emergency notice, warning that the autumn harvest was under “severe threat”. It urged local authorities to ensure “every unit of water … be used carefully”, and called for methods included staggered irrigation, the diversion of new water sources, and cloud seeding.  A record-breaking heatwave combined with a months-long drought during the usual flood season has wreaked havoc across China’s usually water-rich south. It has dried up parts of the Yangtze River and dozens of tributaries, drastically affecting hydropower capacity and causing rolling blackouts and power ration

Resources minister says exploration ‘central to alleviating future domestic gas shortfalls’ but Greens slam ‘mockery’ of climate target The Albanese government has launched its first offshore petroleum exploration permits, opening up nearly 47,000 sq km of Australian waters to oil and gas exploration. Ten areas stretching from the Ashmore and Cartier Islands in the Indian Ocean to Victoria’s Gippsland basin have been opened for exploration, in what the resources minister, Madeleine King, said would “play an important role in securing future energy supplies”. “At the same time as we strive to reduce emissions, it must be emphasised that continued exploration for oil and gas in commonwealth waters is central to alleviating future domestic gas shortfalls,” she said. “Australia’s energy sector also continues to support international energy security, particularly during the global turbulence caused largely by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”. But the move will further alarm enviro

Coalition claims scrapping cards could lead to ‘tsunami of trauma’ but federal department analysis of available data paints a different picture Crime rates have increased or remained steady in regions hosting cashless debit card programs, according to the department of social services, as the Albanese government prepares to abolish the controversial welfare program within weeks. Critics of the government’s decision have claimed the card’s axing would increase crime and alcohol abuse, but the department has claimed its analysis of police data has shown total crime rates, assault and property damage have gone up in areas where the income management tool was being trialled. Labor promised during the election campaign to abolish the cashless debit card, which quarantines between 30% and 80% of welfare payments and was designed to prevent money being withdrawn as cash or used to pay for alcohol or gambling. A bill to scrap the card passed the House of Representatives earlier thi

Ex-president’s lawyers indicate he unlawfully kept government papers after losing election. Plus, a raw veg row Good day ❤️. Donald Trump’s lawyers have indicated that he unlawfully retained official government documents after losing the presidential election and not handing the papers over to national archivists. In a motion submitted earlier this week, the former president’s legal team argued that some of the documents seized by the FBI in a search of Trump’s Florida resort could be subject to executive privilege. They are seeking the appointment of a so-called special master to determine what materials the justice officials can review. “It’s not clear that executive privilege would even be relevant to the particular crime he’s being investigated for and yet in this filing, he basically admits that he is in possession of them, which is what the government is trying to establish,” said Asha Rangappa, a former FBI agent and former associate dean at Yale law school. Potentia

Wardell suffered ‘cardiac arrest’, says partner Katie Archibald Scottish cyclist had won race at Kirroughtree Forest on Sunday   The mountain bike rider Rab Wardell has died at the age of 37, just days after competing at, and winning, the Scottish MTB XC Championships. Scottish Cycling confirmed on Tuesday evening that Wardell had died in his sleep. Wardell had appeared on BBC Scotland’s The Nine programme on Monday evening to talk about his victory on Sunday. “We are devastated to confirm the news that international mountain biker and former employee, Rab Wardell, has passed away today,” a statement from Scottish Cycling said. “We have very little information at this stage, but we send our love and support to his family, friends and all those in our community who knew him. We ask that you respect Rab’s family’s privacy at this incredibly sad time.” Wardell’s partner, the track cyclist Katie Archibald, tweeted on Wednesday that he had suffered a “cardiac arrest” on Tuesday

Environmental activists take action at Cobham services in Surrey, Clacket Lane in Kent and Thurrock in Essex Environmental protesters have blocked three service stations on the M25 in a second day of action this week attempting to put pressure on the government to end new oil and gas projects. According to the Just Stop Oil campaign, 32 of its supporters took action from 5am at Cobham services in Surrey, Clacket Lane services in Kent and Thurrock services in Essex. They blocked access to petrol pumps by sitting in the road with banners, while some sabotaged petrol pumps by breaking the display glass, covering them with spray paint or locking on to them. Surrey police said their officers made 20 arrests after attending Cobham and Clacket Lane services. Cobham has reopened, with limited access to petrol, but Clacket Lane remained closed in both directions owing to damage to pumps. Just Stop Oil said the protest was intended to “put further pressure on petrol and diesel suppli

Elon Musk has subpoenaed his friend and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey as part of an effort to back out of his $44bn agreement to acquire the social media platform. The subpoena was revealed in a court document on Monday. Musk and Twitter are embroiled in a legal battle after the billionaire businessman offered to buy the company – then tried to back out, claiming that Twitter had failed to provide adequate information about the number of fake, or “spam bot”, accounts on the platform. Twitter argues that Musk’s reasons for backing out are just a cover for buyer’s remorse.  Twitter and Musk are headed for a 17 October trial in Delaware that should determine whether or not the company can force him to go through with the acquisition. In recent weeks, Twitter has subpoenaed a host of tech investors and entrepreneurs connected to Musk, including the prominent venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and David Sacks, the founding chief operating officer of PayPal.  Bot and spam accoun

A nine-year-old girl has died after being shot in Liverpool. An unknown man was reported to have fired a gun inside a house in the Knotty Ash area at 22:00 BST on Monday. The girl was shot in the chest and died in hospital. A man also suffered gunshot wounds to his body and a woman was shot in the hand. Merseyside Police has put a cordon in place as officers hunt the gunman. Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said the shooting was "truly shocking".  "No parent should ever have to suffer the loss of a child in these dreadful circumstances," she said. "This crime is abhorrent and our communities must come forward and tell us who is responsible. "This cowardly individual does not deserve to be walking the streets and I would urge those who know anything to speak to us and tell us what they know so that we can put the person responsible behind bars where they belong." The girl's next of kin has been informed. The injured man and woman we

Mexico on Friday arrested a former attorney general who led a controversial investigation into the disappearance of 43 students in 2014 — one of the country’s worst human rights tragedies. Arrest warrants were also issued for dozens more suspects including military personnel, police officers and cartel members, prosecutors announced. Ex-attorney general Jesus Murillo Karam is the most senior figure detained so far in connection with the case, which shocked the nation and generated international condemnation. He is considered the architect of the so-called “historical truth” version of events presented in 2015 by the government of then-president Enrique Pena Nieto that was widely rejected, including by relatives.once-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), was arrested for the crimes of forced disappearance, torture and perverting justice, the attorney general’s office said. Arrest warrants were also issued for 20 members of the military, five administrative and ju

Merrick Garland, the US attorney general, was denied a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court by Republicans in the Senate. He now faces a decision arguably every bit as weighty as anything he may have faced on the nation’s highest court: the potential prosecution of a former president of the United States. The 69-year-old Garland personally approved the stunning August 8 FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida home and will have the final say on whether he is to be charged with any crimes. Such a move against a former president would be unprecedented — Richard Nixon was pardoned by Gerald Ford before any criminal charges could be brought stemming from the Watergate scandal. And while Nixon was a spent force anyway — having resigned in disgrace — the 76-year-old Trump retains an iron grip over the Republican Party and is openly mulling another run for the White House in 2024. “The idea of prosecuting a former president for anything is pretty extraordinary,” said Steven Schwinn, a

Ankara wants Nordic applicants to security alliance to address concerns on terrorism. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s president, said: ‘Until Sweden and Finland show clear, concrete and decisive steps we will definitely not change our stance on the Nato issu  Turkey has rejected invitations by Nato to participate in trilateral talks with Finland and Sweden aimed at finding a solution to Ankara’s opposition to the Nordic countries’ applications to join the western military alliance. Ankara has demanded concrete proposals from Helsinki and Stockholm to address its concerns over terrorism before agreeing to mediated talks, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions, forcing Nato officials to attempt to broker a deal through bilateral talks with each country. Prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied to join Nato last month, with alliance leaders stating that they expected their bids to pass the first stage of approval within a couple

Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu shakes hands with Sweden’s prime minister Magdalena Andersson, with Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, centre, and Finland’s president Sauli Niinistö, second right, in Madrid on Tuesday Turkey has dropped its opposition to Finland and Sweden becoming members of Nato, paving the way for the Nordic countries to join the alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The three countries signed a joint memorandum after hours of talks on Tuesday brokered by Nato, ending a six-week veto by Ankara linked to terrorism concerns. The agreement on the eve of Nato’s annual summit in Madrid ended a dispute that threatened to overshadow an event billed as a demonstration of unity against Russia, support for Ukraine and the alliance’s 10-year “strategic concept”, which is designed to revamp its approach to defending its eastern European allies.     “Our foreign ministers signed a trilateral memorandum, which confirms that Turkey will

Sanna Marin talks to the media in Helsinki on Friday. She said she had never taken any kind of drugs ‘even in my teenage years’   Sanna Marin, Finland’s prime minister, revealed she had taken a drugs test after a video emerged this week of her partying and dancing wildly with friends. Marin said she regarded calls for her to undergo a narcotics test as “unjust” but had agreed to it to dispel any suggestion she had taken drugs. In the clip that first appeared on social media this week, other partygoers reportedly mention the word cocaine. “In recent days, there have been quite grave public accusations that I was in a space where drugs were used, or that I myself used drugs,” Marin told a press conference in Helsinki on Friday.  “I consider these accusations to be very serious and, though I consider the demand for a drug test unjust, for my own legal protection and to clear up any doubts, I have taken a drug test today, the results of which will come in about a week.” Marin,

Services in the north-east and South Yorkshire were facing cuts as end of pandemic funding nears.  Regional bus services in England that were facing the axe have been given a reprieve after the government announced £130m of funding to keep them going for at least six months. Services in the north-east and South Yorkshire were at risk amid concern that many more routes could be cut back when Covid grants, which propped up routes during the pandemic, expire at the start of October. The Department for Transport said on Friday it would provide further support to ensure that services keep running until March 2023. The additional £130m of funding takes the total amount of pandemic support to £2bn as bus companies wrestle with rising costs and continued low patronage of their services. The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “At a time when people are worried about rising costs, it’s more important than ever we save these bus routes for the millions who rely on them for work,

Intervention expanded to include financial decisions and governance after report calls for urgent reform.  The government’s intervention in the running of Liverpool city council is to be expanded to include governance and financial decision-making. It comes after the publication of another critical report on the local authority by four commissioners appointed last year to work with the council staff in key areas after an inspection. The report, published on Friday and addressed to the communities secretary, Greg Clark, said certain services were “failing” and in need of “urgent reform”. It warns that poor performance in procurement, finance and auditing are limiting the “council’s ability to operate at a crucial time” and called for an added role of “finance commissioner”.  It comes after a report in June revealed that Liverpool city council’s failure to renew contracts across a number of services could cost it millions. Clark, in a letter to the commissioners, raises conce

More women are turning to sex work for the first time, while others who have managed to leave it behind are having to return in order to pay their bills,.. With inflation at a record high and wages failing to keep up with spiralling prices and energy bills, the number of calls to the English Collective of Prostitutes has increased by a third this summer. Based in north London, with a national helpline and hubs throughout several major cities, the network advises women in all lines of sex work on how to keep themselves safe and stay within the law where possible. Spokeswoman Niki Adams, who has helped thousands of women over 30 years, said: "The cost of living crisis is now pushing women into sex work in various ways - whether that's on the street, in premises or online. "Across the board what we're seeing is people coming to that work from a place of desperation. "That means they are much less able to protect themselves from violence and exploitation.

The hammer-headed bat is the largest bat species found in Africa. But while it may look like a carnivore, it only eats fruit. Throughout Equatorial Africa, the Hypsignathus monstrosus — better known as the hammer-headed bat — dominates the night sky with its monstrous wingspan and its pestilently loud noises. As one of the largest bats in the world, one would think that it would be a threat to humankind, especially since it cuts such an imposing figure.  While female hammer-headed bats look similar to other species of bats, the males are much more distinguishable due to their oversized lips and snouts. This unique appearance has even caused them to be dubbed one of the world’s “ugliest” creatures.  But despite its larger-than-life presence, the bat is nothing more than a fruit lover, subsisting solely on wild fruits indigenous to western and central Africa and serving no threat to humans or other animals. That said, the hammer-headed bat is a threat in another, perhaps more

Upgraded your Pixel phone to Android 13 and wondering what to do next? We've got you. After months of developer previews and beta releases, Android 13 has finally arrived on Pixel phones. Compared to the major overhaul that was Android 12, it's a relatively light release as far as new, user-facing features go, but it features a lot of tweaks to existing features—and not all of them are for the better. Here are seven tips and tricks for navigating the latest Android release on your Pixel. Get (even more) colorful with Material You  Android 12 introduced us to Material You, Google's exceedingly colorful, playful new software design language. One of the key components of Material You is dynamically generated themes that feature colors based on your phone's wallpaper. In Android 13, that feature gets a major improvement. In Android 12, there were only a handful of color palettes available to choose from, but now you'll see as many as 16 different

KEY POINTS Google's employee union sent management a petition requesting abortion care benefits be extended to contractors. A data center technician said her co-workers are seeking sterilization options as their state's abortion ban goes into effect. The company in June announced benefits for employees but it only applied to a portion of its workforce.  A Google employee marches towards City Hall during the Global Climate Strike in Seattle, Washington, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. Thousands of workers at Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. walked out without their bosses blessings to protest rising global temperatures.  Bambi Okugawa is a data center technician in one of Google’s data centers in a U.S. state with one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation: Tennessee. The state will ban abortions as early as six weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest, on Aug. 25 due to a “trigger law." If needed, Okugawa, could get an out-of-state abortion and could ev