Cornish campaigners back calls for greater walking freedom
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 sets out the existing space where people are free to roam - but much woodland and farmland is excluded.Labour said in 2023 that it wanted to extend the current provision - but stepped back from that commitment after farmers raised concerns.However, in a written question to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, Rachel Gilmour asked "if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the right to roam in England".
'Access islands'
Holly Astle, from campaign group Right to Roam Kernow, said just 3% of countryside in Cornwall was currently accessible."A lot of that is the moors or south west coastal path - leaving very little access for the rest of Cornwall," she added.She conceded walkers would have to show responsibility with any extra freedom - but said the current rules penalised them."We've got these things called 'access islands' where we're supposedly allowed to access them but they're surrounded by private land. So people can't even get to the places they're allowed to," she explained.
Andrew Williams, from the South West Country, Land, and Business Association which represents the interests of people who own, farm and manage the land, said the group was not opposed to an extension.He said: "We've got to have a common sense approach that means people can do this responsibly and we don't have to worry about the flora, fauna, and ecosystems."We know where the right and the wrong places are to go - so work with us." In response to Gilmour's question, Nature Minister Mary Creagh insisted: "The government committed in its manifesto to improving responsible access to nature."The department is currently assessing the best way to deliver this, and further information will be made available in due course."
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Middle East crisis live: malnutrition in Gaza on ‘dangerous trajectory', says WHO, as airdrops of aid begin
Update: Date: 2025-07-27T17:38:10.000Z Title: Oxfam Content: WHO calls for urgent, sustained efforts to flood the Gaza Strip with food after Israeli military announces pause in activity Hayden Vernon (now); Yohannes Lowe and staff and agencies (earlier) Sun 27 Jul 2025 13.38 EDT First published on Sun 27 Jul 2025 01.36 EDT From 9.28am EDT 09:28 has said the airdrops into Gaza are wholly inadequate for the population's needs and has called for the immediate opening of all crossings for full humanitarian access into the territory devasted by relentless Israeli bombardments and a partial aid blockade. Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for the Occupied Palestinian territory, said: Deadly airdrops and a trickle of trucks won't undo months of engineered starvation in Gaza. What's needed is the immediate opening of all crossings for full, unhindered, and safe aid delivery across all of Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. Anything less risks being little more than a tactical gesture. Updated at 9.28am EDT 1.37pm EDT 13:37 Here are some more of Donald Trump's comments from that press conference: Trump said he had met with some families of Israeli hostages still trapped in Gaza. On the return of the hostages, he said: 'When you get it down to a certain number, you're not going to be able to make a deal with Hamas, because once they give them up, then they feel that that's going to be the end of them. 'And what I said is exactly true. You know, they had a routine discussion the other day and all of a sudden they hardened up. They don't want to give. them back. And so Israel is going to have to make a decision. I know what I'd do, but I don't think it's appropriate that I say, but Israel is going to have to make a decision.' On the images of starving children in Gaza, Trump said: 'Well, it's terrible. You know, when I see the children and when I see, especially over the last couple of weeks, and people are stealing the food, they're stealing the money, they're stealing weapons. They're stealing everything. It's a mess. That whole place is a mess.' Updated at 1.38pm EDT 1.19pm EDT 13:19 Speaking at a press conference alongside European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen ahead of their meeting in Scotland over a US-EU trade deal, Donald Trump was asked whether Israel should be doing more to get food into Gaza. He replied: 'You know, we gave $60m two weeks ago – and no one even acknowledged it – for food. And, it's terrible. You really at least want somebody to at least say thank you. No other country gave anything. We gave $60m two weeks ago for food for Gaza and nobody acknowledged it, nobody talks about it. And it makes you feel a little bad when you do that and you have other countries not giving anything.' The comments echo US vice president JD Vance's chiding of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky in front of news cameras in February, when he asked Zelensky 'have you said thank you once?' for US military aid. Updated at 1.21pm EDT 1.00pm EDT 13:00 Prime Minister Keir Starmer will recall his cabinet from their summer break to discuss the situation in Gaza, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, amid growing pressure on the Labour government to recognise a Palestinian state, Reuters reports. The FT said the move to recall his cabinet of ministers next week was set out on Sunday by Downing Street. The UK parliament and cabinet are currently in a summer recess until 1 September. The recall comes after Starmer said on Friday the British government would recognise a Palestinian state only as part of a negotiated peace deal, disappointing many in his Labour Party who want him to follow France in taking swifter action. French president Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France would recognise a Palestinian state, a plan that drew strong condemnation from Israel and the US after similar moves from Spain, Norway and Ireland last year. Starmer's approach to the issue has been complicated by the arrival in Scotland on Friday of Donald Trump, with whom he has built warm relations. In foreign policy terms, the UK has rarely diverged from the US. Starmer's office did not immediately reply to a request for comment from the news agency. Updated at 1.01pm EDT 12.50pm EDT 12:50 Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July, the World Health Organization has said in a statement posted on social media. Of 74 malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 occurred in July –including 24 children under five, a child over five, and 38 adults. Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting. The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives. Nearly one in five children under five in #Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, as reported by Nutrition Cluster partners. Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM), which measures the percentage of children aged 6–59 months suffering from acute malnutrition, has tripled since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Gaza Strip. In Khan Younis and the Middle Area, rates have doubled in less than one month. These figures are likely an underestimation due to the severe access and security constraints preventing many families from reaching health facilities … WHO calls for urgent, sustained efforts to flood the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food and to expedite the delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, as well as essential medicines and supplies. This flow must remain consistent and unhindered to support recovery and prevent further deterioration. WHO reiterates its call for the protection of civilians and health. WHO also calls for the release of our detained colleague, the release of hostages, and for an immediate #ceasefire. Updated at 12.52pm EDT 12.31pm EDT 12:31 US president Donald Trump said on Sunday Israel would have to make a decision on its next steps in Gaza, adding that he did not know what would happen after moves by Israel to pull out of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with Hamas, Reuters reports. Trump underscored the importance to Israel of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying they had suddenly 'hardened' up on the issue. 'They don't want to give them back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision,' Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland. 11.43am EDT 11:43 Syria is expected to hold its first parliamentary election under the new administration in September, the head of the electoral process told state news agency SANA, Reuters reports. Voting for the People's Assembly is expected to take place from 15-20 September, added the official, Mohamed Taha. Ahmed al-Sharaa has led Syria since the fall of the Assad regime late last year. Sharaa had previously said it could take up to four years for election to be held. 11.20am EDT 11:20 As reported earlier, Israeli forces seized the pro-Palestinian activist boat Handala in international waters and detained the crew late on Saturday. The boat was then taken into the port of Ashdod early on Sunday, AFP reports. The legal rights centre Adalah told AFP its lawyers were in Ashdod and had been allowed to speak to 19 members of the 21-strong international crew, which included two French parliamentarians and two Al Jazeera journalists. The remaining two of those detained were dual US and Israeli citizens and had been transferred to police custody, Adalah said. 'After 12 hours at sea, following the unlawful interception of the Handala, Israeli authorities confirmed the vessel's arrival at Ashdod port,' said the group, set up to campaign for the rights of Israel's Arab population. 'Adalah reiterates that the activists aboard the Handala were part of a peaceful civilian mission to break through Israel's illegal blockade on Gaza. The vessel was intercepted in international waters and their detention constitutes a clear violation of international law.' Earlier, the Israeli foreign ministry said the navy stopped the Handala to prevent it from entering the coastal waters off the territory of Gaza. 11.00am EDT 11:00 British foreign secretary David Lammy has said Israel's decision to pause military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and allow new aid corridors falls short of what is needed to alleviate suffering in the territory. Lammy said in a statement that Israel's announcement was 'essential but long overdue', and that access to aid must now be urgently accelerated over the coming hours and days. 'This announcement alone cannot alleviate the needs of those desperately suffering in Gaza,' Lammy said. 'We need a ceasefire that can end the war, for hostages to be released and aid to enter Gaza by land unhindered.' 10.45am EDT 10:45 The Israeli military said it had began a 'tactical pause' in the densely populated areas of Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid' into the Gaza strip. The pause would be repeated every day from 10am to 8pm local time until further notice and Israel would continue fighting in other areas of Gaza. The Israeli military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6am and 11pm starting from Sunday. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said staff would step up efforts to feed the hungry during the pauses in the designated areas. Jordan and the UAE have reportedly carried out air drops into Gaza but said the amount of food being allowed to trickle into the devastated territory is totally inadequate for the population's need. Israel's pause in military action in parts of Gaza and the creation of humanitarian corridors has been cautiously welcomed by the UN but fuller access has been urged as calls for a permanent ceasefire were reiterated. The UN's food aid programme has warned that almost one in three people in the Gaza Strip are going for days without eating. There is a starvation crisis and widespread malnutrition in Gaza caused by the restriction of aid into the territory by Israel. At least 133 people, including 87 children, have died from malnutrition since Israel's war on Gaza began in 2023, the territory's health ministry said. You can read our latest report on Israel's war in Gaza here. 9.59am EDT 09:59 In a video statement released ahead of a conference on Palestine opening in New York tomorrow, the UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, has urged governments around the world to pressure Israel to end its assault on Gaza – and said those that don't use their 'leverage' may be complicit in 'international crimes'. Here is what he said in full: I urge immediate steps by Israel to end its unlawful continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, and for all parties to work for tangible progress towards a two state solution. I urge governments to use the opportunity of this conference for concrete action that puts all possible pressure on the Israeli government to end the carnage in Gaza permanently. Countries that fail to use their leverage may be complicit in international crimes. Every day we are watching the unspeakable tragedy in Gaza and the West Bank with horror and frustration. Every day we see more destruction, more killings and the further dehumanisation of Palestinians. The people of the world will judge this conference on what it delivers. I call again for an immediate, permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and all others arbitrarily detained, immediate and unhindered humanitarian access, and the delivery of massive humanitarian aid to Palestinians wherever they are. 9.28am EDT 09:28 has said the airdrops into Gaza are wholly inadequate for the population's needs and has called for the immediate opening of all crossings for full humanitarian access into the territory devasted by relentless Israeli bombardments and a partial aid blockade. Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for the Occupied Palestinian territory, said: Deadly airdrops and a trickle of trucks won't undo months of engineered starvation in Gaza. What's needed is the immediate opening of all crossings for full, unhindered, and safe aid delivery across all of Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. Anything less risks being little more than a tactical gesture. Updated at 9.28am EDT 8.54am EDT 08:54 In a post on X published after his phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu, Friedrich Merz added: We will closely monitor developments and, in coordination with France, the UK, other European partners, the United States, and Arab states, decide in the coming days how we can contribute to improving the situation.
Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Telegraph
Is this Britain's most wasteful council?
Every failure is a lesson learnt, unless a local council is involved. In which case, a failure is more likely than not to be seen by its leadership as an opportunity to rehearse unconvincing excuses as they navigate the council towards its next failure, secure in the knowledge that taxpayers will continue to pick up the bill for their salaries and expenses, no matter what. Take Guildford Borough Council, for example. It is a local authority with which campaigners are familiar, as it keeps appearing on our radars for all the wrong reasons. This week, a report revealed that the Council overspent £1.6 million on a fire door replacement scheme for its stock of housing. Originally estimated to cost £2.5 million, the Borough Council had already spent £4.1 million on the fire safety project. According to local media, a further £1.6 million is required to complete the scheme, which would bring the total cost up to £6.5 million. The Leader of the Liberal Democrat-controlled local authority – Cllr Julia McShane – has 'labelled the unexpected cost as a 'slight overspend' but reassured the executive how important fire safety is.' According to local media, '[t]he overspend seems to have stemmed from a failure to properly assess the scale of the work needed before signing the contract in 2022'. Referencing the report investigating the matter, it is also reported that, '[o]fficers relied on incomplete data and so were not fully aware of the sheer number of doors which were non-compliant.' A failure to carry out a proper assessment and relying on incomplete data before embarking on a capital project is a devastating charge for any council to address, but it is particularly so for Guildford. In January, an independent report based on investigations carried out by a law firm into alleged defrauding of multi-million pounds at the Council pointed at a crisis of management, 'known poor governance'. It condemned the senior executives' 'failure to act on red flags' which 'may have given Guildford officers the opportunity to spend significant amounts of money with contractors' to address compliance issues around housing. '[T]his was without having governance and oversight over the issues to ensure good value, or even to confirm what the money and budget were actually being spent on.' The report, as quoted in the local media, is excruciating. 'Officers became aware of a £6.6m overspend on an electrical safety contract (worth £2.4m) in December 2022, yet the contractors were still given a new contract in June 2023. This was not raised as an issue.' And then comes the sucker punch of a revelation: '[o]f the 8,000 transactions of work carried out by the contractor, the council does not know how many were necessary, unnecessary, completed, incomplete or not to a good enough standard. That is for the police to find out in its investigations and report back. It still leaves a huge question mark over how much of the £24.5m budget was spent appropriately.' Did this result in any disciplinary action being taken? No, we are told. Because '[n]one of the people named in the report are still employed at the council'. At the time, the Chief Executive Pedro Wrobel (whose role was reported to be worth £165,000 in 2023) had declared, '[a]ll senior leaders have to be vigilant every day, all the time. That's the accountability that we sign up for and we carry every day.' So what did Mr Wrobel – a career civil servant, with not a day's experience of working in the private sector in his entire career, judging by Mr Wrobel's LinkedIn profile – have to say about the fire safety debacle exposed in July? 'Whilst it is frustrating we did not catch this before breaching the budget, at the very least we caught it very shortly afterwards.' The waste itself is abhorrent, particularly as taxpayers are hit by higher council taxes and crumbling services at the same time. But what is truly chilling is how casually the wider, unholy alliance of career civil servants and career politicians seems to dismiss dismal failures with apparently no regard for the nation at their mercy.
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- The Guardian
Israel announces daily military pauses as fury mounts over starvation in Gaza
Israel has said it will halt military operations each day for 10 hours in three areas of Gaza and allow aid to come in through new corridors as it sought to quell international fury over a growing starvation crisis. Scores of Palestinians have died of starvation in recent weeks in a crisis attributed by humanitarian organisations and the UN to Israel's blockade of almost all aid into the territory. The World Food Programme said 90,000 women and children were in urgent need of treatment for malnutrition and that one in three people were going without food for days. The Israeli military said it had began a 'tactical pause' in the densely populated areas of Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid' into the strip. The pause would be repeated every day from 10am to 8pm local time until further notice and Israel would continue fighting in other areas of Gaza. Israel said the measures were designed to improve the humanitarian situation and 'refute the false claim of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip'. Israel released footage of an airdrop of aid conducted overnight, which included flour, sugar and canned food. It also said it would establish humanitarian corridors to allow the UN to deliver food and medicine to the population, as well as turn on the power to a desalination plant to provide water to residents of Gaza. The UN said on Thursday that humanitarian pauses would allow 'the scale up of humanitarian assistance' in the strip. Egyptian aid trucks had begun to enter Gaza on Sunday morning and Jordan's police force posted a video showing trucks laden with aid on their way in to the territory. At least 128 people have died from starvation in Gaza, more than half of them children. A 10-year-old girl, Nour Abu Selaa, died of hunger on Sunday morning. Images of bodies hollowed-out from hunger and of dead infants whose stomachs had distended shocked the world and led to a wave of global condemnation of Israel's conduct. The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, accused Israel of flouting international law by blocking aid into Gaza and warned the country was losing support internationally. 'Quite clearly it is a breach of international law to stop food being delivered which was a decision that Israel made in March,' he said on Sunday. A boat, the Handala, carrying aid to Gaza, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was intercepted 100km off Gaza's shore on Sunday by Israeli security forces and the passengers arrested. Israel has denied there is a starvation crisis in Gaza and blamed any hunger issues on the UN, claiming a failure of the organisation to adequately distribute aid. The UN said that the majority of their requests to transport aid into Gaza are rejected by the Israeli military. Israel initially blocked all aid into Gaza for two and a half months, before allowing a small amount of aid to enter the territory. It has allowed in 4,500 UN trucks into Gaza since then, about 70 trucks each day, a far cry from the 500 trucks needed daily to feed its population. Israel has publicly disparaged the UN-led aid system in Gaza, accusing it of allowing Hamas to systematically siphon aid – a claim that the UN has rejected. Israel has supported the private US-led Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as an alternative to the UN, but its two months in Gaza have been marred by consistent killings of aid seekers. More than 1,000 people have been killed while trying to get aid, mostly at GHF distribution sites, the UN says. Humanitarians have warned that the scale of malnourishment means aid needs to flood the territory in order to save the lives of people whose bodies are already shutting down. 'This truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives,' Dr Muneer al-Boursh, the director general of Gaza's health ministry, told the Associated Press. As Israel announced its new humanitarian measures, it continued to bombard the Gaza Strip, killing 16 people in separate strikes. One strike killed at least nine people, including three children, hitting a tent sheltering displaced people in southern Gaza. The Israeli military announced that two soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since the conflict began to 898. The humanitarian pause comes as ceasefire negotiations continue to flounder, after both the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams from Qatar on Friday. The US and Israel accused Hamas of not being serious about a truce, while Hamas and mediators claimed the withdrawal was merely a negotiating tactic. Israel launched the war in Gaza after the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas-led militants which killed about 1,200 people. Almost 60,000 people in Gaza have been killed during Israel's military operation over the last 21 months.
