Senior reporter for @guardian; visiting lecturer at @cityjournalism; freelance editorial trainer.
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Articles by David Batty
UK law could deny Fayed accusers recognition as victims of human trafficking
Mohamed Al Fayed in 2003. Under the legislation, Home Office officials must view any striking similarities in trafficking claims as reasons for disbelief. Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian Survivors of sexual violence could wrongly be denied recognition as victims of human trafficking under credibility tests in a new UK law, the independent anti-slavery commissioner has warned.
UK law could deny Fayed accusers recognition as victims of human trafficking Original
Survivors of sexual violence could wrongly be denied recognition as victims of human trafficking under credibility tests in a new UK law, the independent anti-slavery commissioner has warned. Eleanor Lyons said the measures in the immigration and asylum bill were fundamentally unfair and could lead to many more victims of slavery and trafficking, including those allegedly abused by Mohamed Al Fayed, being denied support.
Almost half of Fayed abuse accusers are potential trafficking victims, MPs told
Almost half of the women who reported allegations of sexual abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed to the Metropolitan police are potential victims of human trafficking, MPs have been told. In a briefing for the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for the survivors of Fayed and Harrods in July, senior Met officers said a review earlier this year found 70 survivors’ accounts bore the hallmarks of trafficking.
Firms fined £1.3m after man killed by falling window from luxury property in London
Two companies have been fined a total of £1.3m over health and safety breaches after a coach driver was killed by a falling window pane. Mick Ferris, 53, was crushed when a window fell 26 storeys from the Corniche, a luxury development in Vauxhall, London, on 2 October 2018. The property developer St James Group Ltd was fined £1m and the specialist facade contractor Lindner Prater was fined £300,000 at a sentencing hearing at Inner London crown court on Thursday.
Luxury firms fined £1.3m after man killed by falling window in London
Two companies have been fined a total of £1.3m over health and safety breaches after a coach driver was killed by a falling window pane. Mick Ferris, 53, was crushed when a window fell 26 storeys from the Corniche, a luxury development in Vauxhall, London, on 2 October 2018. Property developer St James Group Ltd was fined £1m and specialist facade contractor Lindner Prater was fined £300,000 at a sentencing hearing at Inner London crown court on Thursday.
Harrods seeks to recover abuse compensation costs from Mohamed Al Fayed’s estate
Harrods is seeking to recover the cost of the compensation paid to hundreds of women allegedly sexually abused by Mohamed Al Fayed from his estate, the Guardian understands. The luxury department store is seeking full indemnity from the late billionaire’s estate for any settlements it is required to pay, according to evidence seen by the Guardian.
Mohamed Al Fayed abuse compensation claims could reach £150m, says law firm
Compensation claims by 275 survivors of alleged sexual abuse by the former owner of Harrods Mohamed Al Fayed could reach between £100m and £150m, according to a law firm representing the women. The combined value of their claims, calculated by KP Law (KPL), which represents more than half of known survivors, is around two to three times greater than the amount the luxury department store has set aside for all abuse payouts.
Woman, 47, charged after four men stabbed in Covent Garden
A 47-year-old woman has been charged after four men were stabbed in central London. Stella Gollovena, of no fixed address, was charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, the Metropolitan police said. Officers were called to Endell Street in Covent Garden, at about 12.30pm on Wednesday after four men, aged 34, 39, 42 and 56, were found with stab wounds.
Britain's apology for the scandal of forced adoption won't – on its own – heal the wounds of survivors like me
After my adoptive father died in November last year, my adoptive siblings found a short story by Enid Blyton among his possessions. The Child Who Was Chosen was read to us as children to explain the circumstances of my adoption. It follows a nice middle-class couple whose domestic bliss is marred by childlessness, prompting them to go to a “very kind lady” who helps them to find a “chosen baby” instead.
My mother was forced to give me up for adoption. But when we finally met decades later, it was far from a fairytale ending
David Batty: ‘Much remains unresolved.’ Photograph: Lydia Goldblatt/The Guardian One morning in late September 2023, I discovered by chance that my birth mother had been killed almost a year earlier. The revelation came while I was searching my work email for a stray message. In the bin folder, amid a slurry of irrelevant press releases, lay an unopened email, flagging a long-forgotten Google alert I had set up for her name, Susan Barras.
My mother was forced to give me up for adoption. But when we finally met decades later, it was far from a fairytale ending
David Batty Sat, June 6, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. UTC 23 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. David Batty: 'Much remains unresolved.'Photograph: Lydia Goldblatt/The Guardian One morning in late September 2023, I discovered by chance that my birth mother had been killed almost a year earlier. The revelation came while I was searching my work email for a stray message.
My mother was forced to give me up for adoption. But when we finally met decades later, it was far from a fairytale ending
One morning in late September 2023, I discovered by chance that my birth mother had been killed almost a year earlier. The revelation came while I was searching my work email for a stray message. In the bin folder, amid a slurry of irrelevant press releases, lay an unopened email, flagging a long-forgotten Google alert I had set up for her name, Susan Barras. We had been estranged for almost 15 years, so this in itself provoked trepidation.
My mother was forced to give me up for adoption. But when we finally met decades later, it was far from a fairytale ending
One morning in late September 2023, I discovered by chance that my birth mother had been killed almost a year earlier. The revelation came while I was searching my work email for a stray message. In the bin folder, amid a slurry of irrelevant press releases, lay an unopened email, flagging a long-forgotten Google alert I had set up for her name, Susan Barras. We had been estranged for almost 15 years, so this in itself provoked trepidation.
how groups affected by HIV found power, comfort and joy in Aids activism
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Tenderness and Rage: how groups affected by HIV found power, comfort and joy in Aids activism
From photos of a mass “die-in” by Aids activists in Trafalgar Square, London, in the 1990s to plushie breasts, lips and vulvas hand-stitched by HIV-positive women, a new exhibition explores how care and protest have improved the rights and dignity of those living with the disease.
Sick British crew member to be urgently evacuated as hantavirus-hit cruise ship heads to Canary Islands
A British crew member who became ill after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a luxury cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean will be medically evacuated, as the World Health Organization (WHO) said rare human-to-human spread of the deadly virus may have occurred on the vessel. The crew member is being prepared for medical evacuation from the MV Hondius along with a Dutch colleague, with Dutch authorities overseeing the operation.
Unwell British crew member to be ‘urgently’ evacuated from cruise ship after hantavirus cases
David Batty Tue, May 5, 2026 at 9:29 p.m. UTC 3 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. There have been a total of seven suspected cases of hantavirus onboard the MV Hondius, including three people who have died.Photograph: AFP/Getty Images (Photograph: AFP/Getty Images) A British crew member who became ill after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a luxury cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean is to be medically evacuated, officials have said.
Unwell British crew member to be ‘urgently’ evacuated from cruise ship after hantavirus cases
There have been a total of seven suspected cases of hantavirus onboard the MV Hondius, including three people who have died.Photograph: AFP/Getty Images A British crew member who became ill after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a luxury cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean is to be medically evacuated, officials have said. The crew member is being prepared for medical evacuation from the MV Hondius along with a Dutch colleague, with Dutch authorities overseeing the operation.
'Not democratic': Opponents and backers of assisted dying bill remain divided
David Batty Amid the failure of an attempt to bring in new laws allowing assisted dying for terminally ill people with less than six months to live, campaigners on both sides of the debate vented theiranger and frustrationwith the opposing side. Its supporters, including terminally ill people, blamed thefailure of the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill, which passed in the House of Commons, on sabotage by a handful of unelected peers.
What human remains are held in UK museums - and where?
Human remains in storage at The British Museum, London.Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian An investigation by the Guardian found 241 UK museums, universities and local authorities hold more than 263,228 items of human remains. Due to the complex way some institutions catalogue their collections, and gaps in their records, the actual figure is likely much higher.
Vast scale of overseas human remains held in UK museums decried by MPs and experts
Egyptian mummies at the British Museum. Photograph: Dpa Picture Alliance/Alamy The vast number of overseas human remains held by UK museums is a shameful legacy of colonialism, with many items kept in ways that are sacrilegious, according to MPs and archaeologists.
Descendants of Zimbabwe resistance heroes urge UK to locate looted skulls
The Natural History Museum holds at least 3,375 items of human remains from Africa, second only to the University of Cambridge with at least 6,223. Photograph: Dave Gadd/Sportsphoto/Allstar Descendants of freedom fighters executed and beheaded in southern Africa by colonial British forces have called on the Natural History Museum in London and the University of Cambridge to help them find their ancestors’ looted skulls.
Parents of children taken in to care should get more help, say experts after Victoria Marten death
The safeguarding review said there needed to be more focus on parents, as well as their vulnerable baby or unborn infant.Photograph: Image taken by Mayte Torres/Getty Images Parents whose children are taken into care should receive trauma-informed support to reduce the risk of harm to any further babies they have, according to child protection experts.
Charter to tackle sexual harassment across NHS in England has failed, say unions
There are fears that the NHS’s sexual safety charter, launched in 2023, is not being properly implemented.Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA A flagship strategy to tackle sexual harassment across the NHS in England has failed to improve the safety of female staff, according to legal experts and healthcare unions. The NHS sexual safety charter, launched in September 2023, was supposed to improve how hospitals, GP surgeries and other organisations address sexual harassment.
How common is violence against NHS staff in England and what is being done to stop it?
A Guardian investigation into violence and sexual harm by patients against NHS staff has revealed tens of thousands of alleged incidents reported over the past three years. Here is what we know from the findings. What counts as violence against NHS workers? The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines work-related violence as “any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work”.
‘People think abuse comes with working in A&E. It shouldn’t be like that’
From left, Darren Pearson, chair of Great Western hospital’s Never OK working group, Sue Morgan, GWH’s associate director of health and safety, and PC Becky Berni, Wiltshire police liaison officer.Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian Hugo (not his real name), an advanced clinical practitioner, was on the night shift in A&E at Great Western hospital, Swindon, when a drunk patient started swearing aggressively at a nurse.
NHS staff face ‘national emergency' as patient violence hits 285 incidents a day
Nurses, doctors and paramedics are reporting tens of thousands of violent and sexual assaults by patients every year, amid warnings that the abuse of NHS staff has become a national crisis. More than 295,000 incidents of physical violence and aggression by patients against staff were recorded by 212 NHS trusts in England between 2022 and 2025, freedom of information requests by the Guardian found. Healthcare unions warned of a spike in assaults on staff over Christmas and the New Year.
‘Spat at, pushed, punched’: medics tell of soaring levels of violence in hospitals
Nurses say abuse from patients has forced colleagues to leave the NHS or take extended sick leave.Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian A Guardian call-out to NHS staff in England to share their experiences of violence in hospitals has revealed that doctors, nurses, paramedics and managers are being overwhelmed by a torrent of physical assaults and sexual abuse by patients.
Das Johannes-Evangelium
Fernsehen Quotenduell heute im TV: Silbereisens „Schlagerboom“ vs. Kiewels „Willkommen 2026“, wer bietet mehr? Zwei Sender, zwei Konzepte, ein Primetime-Duell. Am Silvesterabend setzt Florian Silbereisen im Ersten auf große Schlager-Gefühle und einen spektakulären Überraschungsgast, Andrea Kiewel kontert im ZDF mit internationalem Star-Aufgebot und Hamburg-Premiere. Wer überzeugt die Zuschauer mehr?
CRASH! Live 2025 and the QL/Next...
Hi everyone! Having just returned from Kennilworth near Birmingham for this year's CRASH! Live event, I thought to share a few words about the experience and meetings with some old - and new - QL friends... The event ran over both Saturday and Sunday this year, though I was only able to get along for the second day, travelling-up with my good friend Carlo from West London.
Software Preservation
Andrew wrote: Mon Nov 10, 2025 7:52 pm I have a recent copy of Dilwyn's site, 10 days old. I kind of guested how the wind is blowing in the QL community, so I downloaded the full site as a precaution. I zipped it (32Mb) and can upload the zip, if someone can provide a temporary host. Or I can upload it to WeTransfer.com an post the download link here, but the link will only be active for 3 days. I only just returned to the forum after a long time away from the QL and found Dilwyns site gone.
The Sinclair QL Forum
Post by David Batty » Sun Nov 09, 2025 12:24 pm Is anyone going to Crash Live 2025 at Kenilworth next week? I expect there will be one or two QL owners/users at the show looking at the Spectrum Next KS3.
Mohamed Al Fayed accuser criticises Met refusal to investigate trafficking claims
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Mohamed Al Fayed accuser criticises Met refusal to investigate trafficking claims
A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed has criticised the Metropolitan police for not investigating human trafficking claims against him relating to alleged abuses against her and other women. Pelham Spong, 40, from South Carolina, hit out at the Met after French police interviewed her this week as part of an investigation into alleged human trafficking and pimping in connection with Fayed, who died two years ago.
Equity threatens mass direct action over use of actors’ images in AI content
Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy Microsoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Equity threatens mass direct action over use of actors’ images in AI content
The performing arts union Equity has threatened mass direct action over tech and entertainment companies’ use of its members’ likenesses, images and voices in AI content without permission. The warning came as the union said growing numbers of its members had made complaints about infringements of their copyright and misuse of their personal data in AI material.
Equity threatens mass direct action over use of actors’ images in AI content
The performing arts union Equity has threatened mass direct action over tech and entertainment companies’ use of its members’ likenesses, images and voices in AI content without permission. The warning came as the union said growing numbers of its members had made complaints about infringements of their copyright and misuse of their personal data in AI material.
My Generation 2017 1080p BluRay x264-OFT
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Baby food firms given 18 months to improve quality of products in England
Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy Microsoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Baby food firms given 18 months to improve quality of products in England
Baby food manufacturers have been given 18 months to improve the quality of their products in England, amid mounting concerns that leading brands are nutritionally poor. The new voluntary guidance from the government calls for a reduction in sugar and salt levels in food for infants and toddlers. It also requests clearer labelling of products to address misleading marketing claims that make baby foods seem healthier than they are.
experts unveil spaceships to take us to the stars
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Beam me up, jellyfish: experts unveil spaceships to take us to the stars
Spaceships modelled on jellyfish, 3D-printed homes, polyamorous relationships and vegetarian diets are among the ways in which experts have envisaged making interstellar travel feasible. The ideas from scientists, engineers, architects and social theorists came in response to a global competition to develop plans for “generation ships”, self-sustaining crafts capable of supporting up to 1,500 people on a 250-year journey to a habitable planet.
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