M&S calls for crackdown on ‘brazen, organised, aggressive’ retail crime pred 1 dnevom, 18 urami in 46 minutami Bosses write to home secretary and London mayor listing series of incidents staff have faced in past week Marks & Spencer has called on the government and London’s mayor to crack down on retail crime, saying it has become “more brazen, more organised and more aggressive”, after reporting an increase in shoplifting and violence at its stores.The M&S chief executive, Stuart Machin, has written to the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and its retail director, Thinus Keeve, has written to the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, saying greater resources are needed for police to tackle the crime effectively and target repeat offenders and crime hotspots. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Storm Erminio lashes much of Greece as Saharan dust blankets Crete pred 1 dnevom, 18 urami in 55 minutami South-east Italy also affected by heavy rain, and snow at higher altitudes, while deadly flooding hits AfghanistanParts of the Mediterranean have been lashed by Storm Erminio this week. Heavy rain, thunderstorms and occasional bursts of hail affected much of Greece throughout Wednesday and Thursday, with the most severe conditions across south-eastern parts of the mainland and several islands in the southern Aegean Sea, including Crete, with streets flooded and vehicles stranded.Some of the heaviest rain fell on Wednesday across Attica, a region encompassing Athens, with one weather station near the city’s international airport recording 132mm (5.2 in) in 24 hours. The most intense downpours were overnight, when the coastal town of Nea Makri was particularly badly affected; an unofficial weather station recorded about 50mm falling within just two hours. One person died in the town; a man found beneath a car was believed to have been swept away as he escaped his flooding basement home. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour challenges Farage over cost of private jet trip to Maldives pred 1 dnevom, 19 urami in 34 minutami Anna Turley questions revised £25,000 figure for failed attempt to reach Chagos Islands on jet linked to billionaireLabour has queried Nigel Farage’s claim that a return trip to the Maldives on a private jet linked to a billionaire donor cost as little as £25,000 as the Reform leader attempted to reach the Chagos Islands.Farage initially recorded his two-day trip to the Maldives as costing £12,500 funded by Thailand-based Reform megadonor Christopher Harborne, before upgrading this to £25,000 in the latest register of interests. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Every night they are bombarding’: at border crossing, some Iranians are fleeing war and some are heading home pred 1 dnevom, 20 urami in 55 minutami People leaving Iran for Turkey tell of impact of bombs and internet blackouts, while others are travelling the other way to be closer to relatives in perilHe could not help but splutter out a laugh at the question. Amir, whose name has been changed for his safety, had just crossed the Kapıköy border point in eastern Turkey, a mountain pass between snow-topped peaks that is one of the few gateways to the west from Iran.Until a few weeks ago, this was a busy place, popular among Iranian daytrippers coming across to Turkey to do some shopping in the lively city of Van, a further two hours drive west, or to spend a couple of nights out in its discreet Iranian-only nightclubs and bars serving alcohol. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Middle East crisis live: Iran warns against UN vote on use of ‘defensive force’ in strait of Hormuz pred 1 dnevom, 21 urami in 42 minutami Iranian foreign minister criticises security council vote on military protection for shipping in the strait a ‘provocative action’Full report: Trump warns Tehran ‘more to follow’ after strike destroys Iran’s largest bridgeIran has said a second US F-35 fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, with the state news agency saying it’s unlikely the pilot survived, Reuters reports.The incident comes as Iran has been firing on targets across the Middle East, on Friday, including firing missiles at Israel and Bahrain, and setting alight an oil refinery in Kuwait with drone attacks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
