Ex-PM's thinktank urges more drilling and fewer renewables, ignoring evidence that clean energy is cheaper and better for billsA thinktank with close ties to Saudi Arabia and substantial funding from a Donald Trump ally needs to present a particularly robust analysis to earn the right to be listened to on the climate crisis. On that measure, Tony Blair's latest report fails on almost every point.The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) received money from the Saudi government, has advised the United Arab Emirates petrostate, and counts as a main donor Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, friend of Trump and advocate of AI. Continue reading...

UK officials have seized almost 20m fake pills since 2021, many containing incorrect doses or toxic ingredientsMen have been warned against buying illegal erectile dysfunction pills online after nearly 20m pills - enough to fill two doubledecker buses - were seized in the last five years.The stigma and embarrassment" of erectile dysfunction is being exploited by criminals", according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Continue reading...

Angeliki Stogia tells Matthew Goodwin, who turned up to event with security, women are scared to leave the house'Labour and Reform candidates came head-to-head at a hustings in Greater Manchester for the Gorton and Denton byelection, with Labour's candidate saying women in the constituency were scared to leave the house because of her rival's rhetoric.Angeliki Stogia hit out at Reform's Matt Goodwin, who arrived at the offices of the Manchester Evening News, which was hosting the event, with security. Continue reading...

Unions accuse government of acting in bad faith after Wes Streeting announces details of increaseHealth unions have criticised the 3.3% pay rise imposed on 1.4 million NHS staff in England as an insult", with one threatening to strike over the below-inflation award.They described the increase announced by Wes Streeting, the health secretary, as a betrayal" of the frontline workers - including nurses, midwives and porters - who will receive it for 2026-27. The 3.3% is less than inflation, which stood at 3.4% last month, but above the rate of inflation that is expected during the next financial year. Continue reading...

Progressive Christians speak of pain and anger as issue is put in deep freeze after London meeting The General Synod debate on equal marriages - a timelineThe hopes of progressive Christians in the Church of England have suffered a big blow after years of bitter and divisive debate, with the C of E's ruling body agreeing to halt work on LGBTQ+ equality.At a meeting in London on Thursday, the General Synod backed a document from bishops concluding that consensus between conservative and liberal camps within the church could not be reached. Continue reading...

CMA and Ofcom to examine DMGT takeover amid fears merger could curb diverging editorial stances' in pressLisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has referred the Telegraph's proposed sale to the publisher of the Daily Mail to the competition and media watchdogs, weeks after she raised concerns about the consolidation of rightwing newspapers.Nandy said she was using her powers to refer the 500m deal for the Telegraph titles, which include the Daily Telegraph and its Sunday sister paper, to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the media regulator Ofcom. Continue reading...

Elbridge Colby tells meeting in Brussels that US plans to reduce conventional forces in Europe, but remains committed to Nato allianceThe Pentagon's policy chief, Elbridge Colby, has told European Nato defence ministers in Brussels that they need to step up their combat capabilities - and take the lead in protecting their continent from the Russian threat.The influential undersecretary for war, sent by the White House in place of his boss, Pete Hegseth, said the US would reduce conventional forces in Europe - but insisted Washington remained committed to the military alliance. Continue reading...

Monaco-based Manchester United co-owner responds to politicians' and football fans' anger at disgraceful' words

The commitment includes US-made interceptors and lightweight missiles for Ukraine's air defencesWhile Ukraine is reeling from last night's barrage of attacks, the Kremlin said it expected the next round of peace talks to happen soon.We have a certain understanding (of the details), and we will keep you informed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Continue reading...

Teenager is accused of stabbing pupil in neck in classroom and stabbing another child in playground at school in BrentA 13-year-old boy has appeared in court accused of stabbing a pupil in the neck with a kitchen knife in front of other children in a north-west London classroom.The child sustained three stab wounds, a spinal fracture and injuries to the neck and hands that required surgery, Westminster magistrates court was told on Thursday. Continue reading...

Supporters raise 73,000 to secure future of Welsh valleys chapel where beloved hymn was first sungThe Welsh valleys chapel where the beloved hymn Cwm Rhondda - also known as Bread of Heaven - was first sung is safe in the hands of local people after a successful fundraising campaign.A community group has taken ownership of Capel Rhondda in Hopkinstown, near Pontypridd, after raising more than 70,000. Continue reading...

At a press conference to open the 76th edition of the Berlin film festival, the jury president said cinema has an incredible power' but little influence on political decision makersVeteran director Wim Wenders has hailed the power of cinema to help heal a broken planet as he takes up the jury presidency of the Berlinale, the most politically charged of Europe's big three international film festivals.Asked about the role of movies in the current climate of war and social upheaval, the auteur behind Wings of Desire and the Oscar-nominated Perfect Days said he saw film-making as an act of bridge-building and generating empathy. Continue reading...

South Korea's spy agency monitoring whether girl, believed to be 13, will appear at political conference this monthSouth Korea's spy agency has told lawmakers it believes the teenage daughter of Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator, is close to being designated as the country's future leader, as Kim moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation.The assessment by the national intelligence service (NIS) comes as North Korea is preparing to hold its biggest political conference later this month, where Kim is expected to outline his main policy goals for the next five years and take steps to tighten his authoritarian grip. Continue reading...

Opposition leader ousted as Barbados Labour party wins all 30 seats in assemblyThe prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has won her third election victory, with her Barbados Labour party sweeping all seats in the House of Assembly, state TV reported.Mottley's BLP won all 30 seats available in the lower house of parliament, unseating the opposition leader, Ralph Thorne, after the prime minister - who has built one of the strongest global profiles of any Caribbean leader - won the support of voters across the island country, CBC Barbados reported early on Thursday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Countdown lexicographer urges families to read, talk and play word games to help language development

A handful of votes may decide the next Liberal leader, with Sussan Ley to stare down her challenger, Angus Taylor, on Friday morning

Prime minister stresses importance of repairs to graves in Gaza being conducted as soon as possible in meeting with Isaac Herzog

The call for a leadership ballot followed a wave of resignations from the shadow frontbench on Thursday morning

Police charge Kempsey man for alleged attacks between 1991 and 2002

Chris Minns doubles down on support for NSW police, stating officers would never have disrupted a prayer service ... unless it was in the middle of a riot'

Exclusive: Calls for urgent action' as study also finds stark ethnic and socio-economic disparities in child mortality and consanguinityOne in 14 children who died in England in a four-year period had parents who were close relatives, according to stark" figures revealed by the first study of its kind.The figures, published by the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), based at the University of Bristol, analysed all 13,045 child deaths in England between 2019 and 2023. Of these, 926 (7%) were found to be of children born to consanguineous parents, meaning the mother and father are close blood relatives, such as first cousins. Continue reading...

Rics surveyors report inquiries from new buyers, agreed sales and house prices were less negative in JanuaryThere are tentative signs" that the housing market in England and Wales is recovering from a months-long slowdown after uncertainty around the autumn budget and economic pressures, estate agents and surveyors have reported.The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said its members were feeling more optimistic about the year ahead than at any time since December 2024, as inquiries from new buyers, agreed sales and house prices became less negative in January. Continue reading...

Matt Murray defends paper's strategy as demoralized' staffers ask tough questions in contentious town hallTop Washington Post editor Matt Murray acknowledged a widespread sense of loss, of genuine trauma" in a contentious town hall meeting with staff on Wednesday after the company laid off nearly a third of its employees a week ago - though he expressed confidence that the Post was now on a path to success.There's no doubt that just the sheer depth of the cuts - and also, with that, the reality of what we face at the Post - has been a very hard thing to wrap our heads around and to grapple with," Murray said, according to a recording of his remarks obtained by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Thames Valley police lead assessment of allegations concerning former duke's links to Jeffrey EpsteinPolice have held discussions with specialist prosecutors over investigations into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's links with Jeffrey Epstein while the former duke was acting as the UK's trade envoy.Oliver Wright, assistant chief constable of Thames Valley police, said on Wednesday that the force was leading the assessment of allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor of misconduct in public office, specifically relating to documents within the Epstein files released by the US justice department. Continue reading...

Chancellor says stronger alignment with Europe is biggest prize' for trade and economic growthRachel Reeves has insisted Labour can win the political argument for a closer relationship with the EU, calling it the biggest prize" for UK economic growth.Some Labour strategists have been wary of making the case for stronger alignment with the EU, believing it could alienate pro-Brexit voters. Continue reading...

Remote coalmining community of Tumbler Ridge struggles to make sense of attack that has left Canada in shock

Labour council says flags must not be surrendered' to far right but there are concerns in town hit by racial tensionA Labour council has been accused of embracing flag terror" after offering 500 grants to groups to erect union jack and St George's flags in a town previously rocked by racial tension.The leaders of Rotherham council, in South Yorkshire, said they wanted the flags to be a symbol of unity" and did not want to surrender them to extremist or far-right groups". Continue reading...

Judges' verdict on embezzlement challenge will determine whether far-right leader can stand in 2027 electionDefence lawyers for Marine Le Pen have told a Paris appeals court she did not orchestrate a system to misuse European parliament funds, at the close of an embezzlement trial that will determine whether the far-right leader can run in the 2027 French presidential election.Le Pen's lawyer, Sandra Chirac Kollarik, told the court on Wednesday: At no moment did Marine Le Pen imagine that she broke the rules." She added: Never in her life would she have deliberately accepted making a false contract." Continue reading...

Masoud Pezeshkian tries to convey message of national unity as negotiations with US hang in balance

Jewish activists interrupt speech at synagogue and accuse party of paving way for persecution of other minoritiesJewish activists have heckled Nigel Farage at the launch of a Jewish members' organisation for Reform UK and accused the party of planning to use the new group as cover for persecuting other minorities.Farage spoke at the inaugural event on Tuesday night of the Reform Jewish Alliance (RJA), which he said would help the party target up to 15 parliamentary seats. Continue reading...

Kwok Yin-sang arrested after he tried to end pro-democracy daughter's insurance policy and withdraw fundsA Hong Kong court has found the father of a wanted activist guilty of a national security violation, after he tried to end her insurance policy and withdraw the funds, drawing international criticism for the targeting of relatives of pro-democracy campaigners.Kwok Yin-sang, 68, is the first person to be charged under a homegrown national security law, also known as Article 23, for attempting to deal with, directly or indirectly, any funds or other financial assets or economic resources" belonging to an absconder. Continue reading...

Shaista Gohir says every group has right to be protected after critics warn proposed definition risks breaking lawFailing to adopt a definition of anti-Muslim hostility would signal to British Muslims that their safety does not matter, a charity's head has warned, as critics argue that adopting a definition risks breaking the law.Shaista Gohir, a cross-bench peer and head of the Muslim Women's Network, was part of a working group on anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia launched by the government in 2025 to define what would constitute unacceptable treatment, prejudice and discrimination against Muslims. Continue reading...

Swedish company claims ruling is ruling is anti-competitive and solely benefits Big Dairy'

PM to use address to call out white supremacy ideology' behind alleged bombing attempt, as annual report shows 15 targets still off track

Jamaat e-Islami, oppressed under Sheikh Hasina's rule, could take unprecedented share of the vote on ThursdayAs the clock hit midnight, the women held their flame torches aloft and marched into the Dhaka night. The people have given their blood, now we want equality," they shouted above the roar of the traffic.For many in Bangladesh, the past few weeks have been a cause for jubilation. The first free and fair elections in 17 years have been promised for Thursday, after the toppling of the regime of Sheikh Hasina in a bloody student-led uprising in August 2024 in which more than 1,000 people died. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Norway's chief of defence Eirik Kristoffersen, who served in Afghanistan, rejects Trump's claim that Nato troops stayed off frontlinesNorway's army chief has said Oslo cannot exclude the possibility of a future Russian invasion of the country, suggesting Moscow could move on Norway to protect its nuclear assets stationed in the far north.We don't exclude a land grab from Russia as part of their plan to protect their own nuclear capabilities, which is the only thing they have left that actually threatens the United States," said Gen Eirik Kristoffersen, Norway's chief of defence. Continue reading...

Christos Flessas being detained in case seen as exposing Beijing's strategy of infiltrating western military and security servicesA Greek air force officer arrested on suspicion of spying for China has been detained pending trial after appearing before a military judge in a case that is seen as exposing Beijing's determination to infiltrate Europe's security and intelligence services.Surrounded by armed escorts, a squadron leader identified as Col Christos Flessas emerged late on Tuesday from the court after giving testimony for over eight hours. Continue reading...

Everyone around PM agrees chaos' at No 10 has to be sorted, but there are competing factions trying to gain upper handWith three vacancies opening up at the very top of Keir Starmer's operation, there is already a battle over who will win the war for his ear - and the direction of the government.The departure of Starmer's most important political advisers: his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who was focused on the fight against Reform in Labour's working class heartlands, and Tim Allan as director of communication, considered a Blairite, has immediately raised hopes on Labour's soft left of a shift in their favour. Continue reading...

Earl's Court performance of Heroes in 1978 is among highlights of exhibition exploring singer's life and workRare holy grail" footage of David Bowie performing Heroes at Earl's Court in 1978 is to feature in a new immersive show about the singer's life and creative practice.Extended footage of the performance has been pieced back together by the team behind the new Lightroom exhibition, who had access to new camera angles found on film reels discovered in the artist's archives. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester mayor calls for unity while setting out what he thinks the government's platform should be

Countries' drop in scores in annual table comes amid worrying trend' of backsliding in established democraciesThe UK and US have sunk to new lows in a global index of corruption, amid a worrying trend" of democratic institutions being eroded by political donations, cash for access and state targeting of campaigners and journalists.Experts and businesspeople rated 182 countries based on their perception of corruption levels in the public sector to compile a league table that was bookended by Denmark at the top with the lowest levels of corruption and South Sudan at the bottom. Continue reading...

Judges, including Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner, praise Georgina Duncan's play as the kind producers dream of and audiences yearn to watch'A work that explores what happens when trauma is left to fester, set in Troubles-era Belfast, has been named the winner of the Women's prize for playwriting 2025.Judges praised what they described as unflinching and moving writing in Sapling by Georgina Duncan, a working-class playwright from Lancashire. Continue reading...

While Trump has attacked the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican star, celebrities have come out in force to support the half-time showAs blue, red and white fireworks filled the sky at the end of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl half-time show, a message filled the screen in all capitals: The only thing more powerful than hate is love."It was the enduring statement from a 13-minute spectacle that invited an estimated 135.4 million viewers into Bad Bunny's world, with richly textured references to politics, history and Puerto Rican culture. The artist born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio transformed the pitch of the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, into his own love letter to the island, with cinematic set pieces including sugarcane fields, a house party, and a lively wedding ceremony featuring a surprise performance by Lady Gaga. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Home Office ruling means thousands more Hongkongers will be eligible to come to the UK over next five yearsMinisters have opened up visas to thousands more people from Hong Kong in the wake of the 20-year prison sentence handed down to the pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.Adult children of British national (overseas) status holders who were under 18 at the time of Hong Kong's 1997 handover to China will be eligible to apply for the route independently of their parents, a Home Office spokesperson told the Guardian on Monday. Continue reading...

Photograph, first published by anti-abortion campaigner Joanna Howe, purportedly taken at Townsville hospital

Ukrainian president says Trump administration has proposed to host next round of trilateral talks in USVolodymyr Zelenskyy has said the US has given Ukraine and Russia yet another deadline to reach a peace settlement, and is now proposing the war should end by June. The Ukrainian president also told reporters that both sides had been invited to further talks next week.Zelenskyy said the Trump administration will probably put pressure" on Ukraine and Russia to end the war by the beginning of the summer. They say they want to get everything done by June," he said. They will do everything to end the war and they want a clear schedule of all events." Continue reading...

YouTuber Sur Ronster issued with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving in relation to the bridge ride-out

Police investigating whether blast that injured at least 169 at Friday prayers in Islamabad was suicide attackAn explosion has ripped through a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital during Friday prayers, killing 31 people and injuring at least 169 others, according to officials. Police said they were investigating whether the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.There were fears the death toll from the blast at the Khadija al-Kubra mosque in Islamabad could rise as some of the injured were reported to be in a critical condition. Television footage and social media images showed police and residents transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. Continue reading...

Saif al Islam Gaddafi, shot dead by gunmen on Tuesday, appealed to a nostalgia for a past that is remembered as more secure'