Maryland man receives 20-year sentence for pet crematorium scam 02. April 2026 (23:09) Rodney Ward returned debris instead of pets’ ashes and stored animals’ bodies in hearse or threw them out on roadSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA Baltimore county man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of defrauding pet owners through his fake crematorium business, returning rocks and sand to grieving victims instead of ashes.On Tuesday, 56-year-old Rodney Ward was also ordered to pay $12,510 in restitution to victims. He had pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft and five counts of malicious destruction of property over $1,000, according to the Baltimore county state’s attorney’s office. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
CPS considering 13 suspected cases of assisted dying in England and Wales 02. April 2026 (22:00) Data shows 209 cases recorded as assisted dying referred to CPS by police between 1 April 2009 and 31 March this yearThirteen cases of suspected assisted dying are being considered by prosecutors in England and Wales, according to the latest data.Encouraging or assisting the suicide or attempted suicide of another person is against the law in England and Wales, under the Suicide Act 1961.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK drug exports to US spared tariffs under deal critics say will cost NHS billions 02. April 2026 (21:27) ‘Partnership’ on drug pricing also gives patients in Britain greater access to potentially life-extending treatments British drug exports to the US will escape tariffs imposed by Donald Trump as part of a controversial UK-US medicines deal that critics fear will mean less money for the NHS.The deal will also give patients in Britain greater access to potentially life-extending drugs because the rules have been relaxed to allow the NHS to pay more for particular treatments. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump warns Tehran ‘more to follow’ after strike destroys Iran’s largest bridge 02. April 2026 (21:23) Eight people reported killed in attack on newly completed suspension bridge after strike splits structure in halfMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump claimed responsibility for destroying Iran’s largest bridge, a day after he threatened to bomb the country “back to the stone ages” if a deal to end the five-week-long war he started was not reached.The US president shared footage of part of the newly built 136 metre-high $400m B1 suspension bridge between Tehran and Karaj collapsing dramatically on to the causeway below amid a rising plume of black smoke. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Alleged maple syrup scam in Quebec uncovered by Canadian broadcaster 02. April 2026 (21:07) A Radio-Canada reporter noticed his maple syrup tasted odd; testing revealed it was adulterated with cane sugarAn investigation by Canada’s national broadcaster has found that a major Quebec producer has been diluting its maple syrup with cane sugar and selling the fraudulent product to grocery chains.In a sting operation that involved false identities and covert recordings, journalists from Radio-Canada’s Enquête programme found that a low-cost syrup sold in major grocery store chains was heavily diluted. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Children as young as 12 buying and selling knives and weapons via the internet 02. April 2026 (20:53) Government must ‘come down very hard’ on online trade in knives and weapons, says policing and crime minister Sarah JonesChildren are setting up online businesses selling knives in the same way they trade clothes, the policing and crime minister Sarah Jones has said.Jones heard how children as young as 12 were buying and selling the weapons on the internet and social media at the opening of the new National Knife Crime Centre in Bloomsbury, central London, on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump fires Pam Bondi, a loyalist and ally, as attorney general 02. April 2026 (20:29) Bondi earned president’s ire over handling release of Epstein files and failing to prosecute his political enemiesUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US emailDonald Trump has fired Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, dismissing a loyalist who reshaped the justice department, but still failed to please a president fixated on prosecuting political enemies and frustrated with the politically explosive release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sadiq Khan warns of ‘zero-tolerance approach’ to any repeat of Clapham disorder 02. April 2026 (20:01) London mayor says more arrests will be made after young people stormed into shops as part of social media trendSadiq Khan has warned against any repeat of “utterly unacceptable” scenes of disorder in Clapham earlier this week, saying culprits who assault and intimidate shop workers will face the full force of the law.The mayor of London said more arrests would be made in the coming days, and urged anyone considering more violence over the Easter weekend to think again. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
CDC temporarily halts testing for several infectious diseases amid staffing shortages 02. April 2026 (19:52) Federal agency, which normally supports state and local public health labs, has been hobbled by staff departuresSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US federal agency responsible for monitoring diseases has temporarily halted certain diagnostic testing, including those for rabies, human herpesvirus and several other infectious illnesses.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list on Monday showing that more than two dozen types of testing are now unavailable. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘You have to be serious’: Macron criticises Trump’s mixed messages about Nato and Iran 02. April 2026 (19:34) Speaking in South Korea, the French president defended the transatlantic alliance and called for return to peaceMiddle East crisis – live updatesEmmanuel Macron has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s inconsistent and often contradictory pronouncements on the Iran war and Nato, saying if “you want to be serious” it was better not to come out with a something different every day.“There is too much talk … and it’s all over the place,” the French president said on Thursday during a state visit to South Korea. “We all need stability, calm, a return to peace – this isn’t a show!” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
