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Kevin Hassett, a top contender to replace Jerome Powell, suggests he believes Powell told the truth about central bank renovation

Portland Communications, founded by Keir Starmer's communications chief, linked to so-called black hat' editsA high-profile PR company founded by Keir Starmer's communications chief has been accused of commissioning changes to Wikipedia pages to make them more favourable towards clients.Portland Communications, founded by Tim Allan, has been linked to the so-called black hat" edits, sometimes called Wikilaundering". Several changes were made to Wikipedia pages by a network of editors, allegedly controlled by a contractor working on Portland's behalf. Continue reading...

Jeff Landry, the US special envoy to Greenland, said Donald Trump is serious' about his plans to control GreenlandMeanwhile, Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto does not seem to be convinced about the merits of European military deployments to Greenland.Speaking to journalists, he wondered what a hundred, two hundred, or three hundred soldiers of any nationality could do" in Greenland. It sounds like the beginning of a joke."It's not a competition to see who sends the military around the world."A part of me is not sure how much of this is a distraction, to try and take the attention of the American people away from some very real issues that we have in the United States right now.The cost of living is a real concern for Americans [and] Donald Trump got elected saying he was going to address the cost of living. Continue reading...

Reform UK's newest MP said he made the decision to leave the Tories over Christmas

Kevin Hassett, chair of White House economic council, downplays inquiry into Fed building cost overrunsTrump began his remarks today by undermining the Affordable Care Act, and touted his newly unveiled Great Healthcare Plan".A reminder that Affordable Care Act subsidies, that were extended during the Covid pandemic, expired at the end of last year, and legislation to revive them has stalled in Congress. Continue reading...

Moderators accuse social media firm of unfair dismissal after it fired hundreds in UK just before vote to form unionTikTok moderators have accused the social media company of oppressive and intimidating" union busting after it fired hundreds of workers in the UK, beginning the process just before they were due to vote on forming a union.The moderators wanted to establish a collective bargaining unit to protect themselves from the personal costs of checking extreme and violent content, and have claimed TikTok is guilty of unfair dismissal and breaching trade union laws. Continue reading...

$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent diseaseThe controversial US-funded study on hepatitis B vaccines among newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been halted, according to Yap Boum, a senior official at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The study has been cancelled," Boum told journalists at a press conference on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

Jeff Landry says president serious about acquiring island as US politicians go to Copenhagen to show solidarity against Trump's threats

Original script from 1954 referring to troubles of this kind' to be brought to life on stage for LGBT+ History MonthAll the homosexuals I've known have been extremely eager, like alcoholics, to spread the disease from which they suffer," the barrister Lord Hailsham told the BBC in 1954.Other contributors to the BBC's first ever programme on male homosexuality largely agreed. A Church of England moralist warned any invert" who may have been listening in of transitory attachments, disillusionment and loneliness in his old age". Continue reading...

Former Conservative minister hits back at allegations of lying from his former party leader, Kemi Badenoch

Veteran president holding off main challenger Bobi Wine after campaign marred by violence at opposition ralliesAt least seven people have been killed in violence overnight in central Uganda, police have said, after national elections that looked likely to extend Yoweri Museveni's rule into a fifth decade.Results announced by the electoral commission showed the 81-year-old incumbent with more than 75% of the vote in Thursday's presidential election, based on tallies from 59% of polling stations. His main challenger in Thursday's election, the singer Bobi Wine, trailed on about 21%, with the remaining votes split among six other candidates. Continue reading...

Latest Labour U-turn follows concerns publicising of details could negatively impact children of offenders

Reform leader calls the child sexual abuse offender a good man, a really good guy' in 27-second Cameo video clipNigel Farage has fallen victim to another prank on the paid video service Cameo, this time paying tribute to the child sexual abuse offender Ian Watkins.Cameo allows fans to pay celebrities to make personalised video messages, with the Reform party leader offering his services from 78.45. Continue reading...

Andrew Bailey says he and heads of other institutions have duty to challenge back' populist narratives

Force paid to fly TikTok influencer back to UK after he avoided police custody for almost 12 monthsUsing a 16,000 private flight to extradite a TikTok influencer wanted on dangerous driving charges back to the UK was not necessary or proportionate", a judge has told Surrey police.Harrison Sullivan, 24, known as HSTikkyTokky, had to be repatriated to the UK last summer after he avoided police custody for almost 12 months after a car crash in Virginia Water, Surrey, in March 2024. Continue reading...

Five organisations whose work fosters community, tolerance and empathy will share proceeds of readers' generosityThe Guardian has raised more than 1m in its Hope appeal to support grassroots charities whose work offers a positive antidote to social division, racism and hatred.The appeal, which closed on Thursday, had five partner charities that will share the donations: Citizens UK, the Linking Network, Locality, Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust and Who Is Your Neighbour? Continue reading...

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Pleas for scrutiny of system fraught with accusations of negligence after one-year-old's death in hospitalNigerians have called for urgent reforms to the healthcare sector after the death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 21-month-old son prompted an outpouring of grief and accounts of negligence and inadequate care.In a leaked WhatsApp message, the bestselling author said she had been told by a doctor that the resident anaesthesiologist at the Lagos hospital treating her son Nkanu Nnamdi had administered an overdose of the sedative propofol. Continue reading...

Trump heaped praise on the Venezuelan opposition leader for presenting him with her Nobel peace prize for the work I have done'The Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has presented her gold Nobel peace prize medal to Donald Trump after meeting him in the White House, nearly a fortnight after he ordered the abduction of Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro.Machado, who received the award last year for her struggle against Maduro's brutal, authoritarian state", told reporters on Thursday she had done so in recognition [of] his unique commitment [to] our freedom". Continue reading...

How Kemi Badenoch managed to sack Jenrick before he could announce he was ditching Tories for ReformFour days before Robert Jenrick was kicked out of the Tories for planning to defect to Reform UK, he spoke at length" with Kemi Badenoch on the phone about party strategy. The week before he had sat through a shadow cabinet awayday taking copious notes.While the Tory leader had been aware for some time of speculation over her shadow justice secretary's future, she had no hard proof of his plans, so it was business as usual. That all changed just 24 hours after their one-to-one conversation. Continue reading...

Almost 2.5 tonnes of narcotic seized and 30 people arrested after 15-month investigation into drug-smuggling network

G7 members remain prepared to impose additional restrictive measures if Iran continues to crack down on protests and dissent'

Extent to which conditions deteriorated at Kent detention centre in 2022 is being investigated in public hearingA detention centre in Kent that processed the claims of asylum seekers who had arrived in the UK on small boats was overcrowded, squalid and insanitary", a public inquiry has heard.The hearing is investigating the decisions, actions and circumstances which led to the conditions experienced by those detained at Manston between 1 June 2022 and 22 November 2022. Continue reading...

Ruling delivers victory to Trump administration in its efforts to deport the pro-Palestinian activistA federal appeals court on Thursday reversed a lower court decision that ordered the release of the former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, delivering Donald Trump's administration a victory in its efforts to deport the pro-Palestinian activist.A 2-1 panel of the Philadelphia-based third US circuit court of appeals ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit Khalil filed challenging his detention after finding that federal immigration law stripped the lower court of jurisdiction over his claims. Continue reading...

Some brokers say monthly outgoings on drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro can knock thousands off the amount you can borrowRegularly spending large sums on weight loss drugs could reduce the amount people can borrow on a mortgage by thousands of pounds, some brokers are warning.When homebuyers apply for a mortgage, the lender carries out detailed affordability checks on their income and outgoings, which include regular payments such as subscriptions and memberships as well as amounts spent on things such as gambling. Continue reading...

Wine calls for voters to reject the criminal regime' on tense day of voting as some poll stations remain closed for hoursUganda's most prominent opposition presidential candidate has accused the government of ballot stuffing and arresting and abducting his party's officials during Thursday's general election, which took place against against the backdrop of an internet shutdown.The pop star turned politician Bobi Wine wrote on X: Internet switched off. Massive ballot stuffing reported everywhere. Our leaders ... arrested. Many of our polling agents and supervisors abducted, and others chased off polling stations. RISE TO THE OCCASION AND REJECT THE CRIMINAL REGIME." Continue reading...

Third of councils affected by overhaul from two-tier to unitary authorities ask for postponement

Newly-appointed Malcolm Offord, who became a Tory life peer in 2021, plans to stand for Holyrood in May

Conservative leader says she had irrefutable evidence' shadow justice secretary was plotting to defect in most damaging way

Presenter wants to unleash my inner entrepreneur' in creator economy but will still host University ChallengeThe presenter Amol Rajan is to leave BBC Radio 4's Today programme, revealing he will unleash my inner entrepreneur" by creating a company focusing on the creator economy.In a surprise announcement, he said he would continue to host the BBC's University Challenge quizshow and make his Radical podcast with the corporation. Continue reading...

Congressional Budget Office analysis says renaming - which Congress must approve - would cost US taxpayers millionsRenaming the Department of Defense the Department of War could cost US taxpayers as much as $125m depending on how broadly and quickly the change is made, according to an analysis released Wednesday from the Congressional Budget Office.Donald Trump signed an executive order in September that authorized the Department of War as a secondary title for the Pentagon. At the time, Trump said the switch was intended to signal to the world that the US was a force to be reckoned with, and he complained that the Department of Defense's name was woke". Continue reading...

Minister says West Midlands chief misled MPs and public and he will be horrified' if he does not resign by end of day

Moscow alleges unnamed diplomat is affiliated with the British secret service' as it gives them two weeks to leaveA British diplomat has been expelled from Russia after being accused of being a spy.The diplomat, who was not named, has two weeks to leave the country, the Russian foreign ministry said, after it received information regarding the affiliation of a diplomatic employee at the embassy with the British secret service". Continue reading...

Woman camping at flooded Wye River with her daughters says it's just heartbreaking, strangers are hugging strangers'

United Nations says man experienced serious violence' in detention but Australia argues it did not control PNG facilities

US president says important sources' told him executions are not going ahead. This live blog is now closed - our new blog is hereFor the first time in days, Iranians were able to make calls abroad from their mobiles on Tuesday, according to reporting by Associated Press. Texting services have not been restored, however, and nor has the internet.Although Iranians were able to call abroad, they could not receive calls from outside the country, several people in the capital told Associated Press. The internet remained blocked, they said, though it is possible to access some government-approved websites.

Police believe no one hurt but urge public not to pick up explosive devices and say more may be found

Items worth 59.7m allocated to museums, galleries, libraries and archives as part of Arts Council England schemeWinston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli's desk, a painting by Vanessa Bell and a rare artwork by Edgar Degas are among the items of cultural importance saved for the nation this year.The items, worth a total of 59.7m, will be allocated to museums, galleries, libraries and archives around the UK as part of Art Council England's cultural gifts and acceptance in lieu schemes. Continue reading...

Royal College of Nursing publishes dossier of evidence including case of elderly patient who choked to death in corridorCorridor care is a type of torture" that is leading to patients dying and causing NHS staff to have nightmares, the UK's nurses union has warned.In one case, an elderly patient choked to death in a corridor, unseen by staff, according to a new dossier of evidence highlighting the problem published by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Continue reading...

Tehran closes its airspace to almost all flights after threatening to strike US bases in Middle East if it carries out pledge to intervene in Iran

Ynyshir's Gareth Ward not embarrassed' by score and says it was due to concerns about the use of raw ingredientsThe chef behind a Welsh restaurant with two Michelin stars says it has the highest standards in the world", despite being given a one-star hygiene rating in a recent inspection.Ynyshir, a restaurant with rooms near Machynlleth on the southern edge of the Eryri national park, has been praised as one of the best in the world. Continue reading...

Family stayed up until dawn waiting for news of Erfan Soltani who was due to be executed on Wednesday

AI tool made by Elon Musk's xAI makes it easy to harass women with deepfake images, says state's top attorneyCalifornia authorities have announced an investigation into the output of Elon Musk's Grok.The state's top attorney said Grok, an AI tool and image generator made by Musk's company xAI, appears to be making it easy to harass women and girls with deepfake images on X and elsewhere online. Continue reading...

Apparent suicide of Alexei Panov comes after disappearance of oligarch Vladislav Baumgertner and amid corruption scandal

Loan will be repaid only if Moscow pays reparations and plan to use Russia's frozen assets still on table

Exclusive: Discovery comes amid growing concern over lax regulation and children being put at risk by rogue operatorsCircumcision kits have been found on sale on Amazon UK, highlighting lax regulation as concerns grow about deaths and serious harms to baby boys.In December, a UK coroner issued warnings about insufficient circumcision regulation after the death in 2023 of a six-month-old boy, Mohamed Abdisamad, from a streptococcus infection. Continue reading...

Greystanes man Greg Tait, 43, did not enter a plea and told the court he is seeking legal advice

Protests began over the fall in value of the currency have grown into wider demonstrations and calls for the fall of Iran's clerical establishment

Yoon is on trial for insurrection charges, after trying to declare martial law in late 2024South Korean prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law declaration in December 2024, in the first insurrection trial of a Korean head of state in three decades.Prosecutors characterised the case as the serious destruction of constitutional order by anti-state forces", telling Seoul central district court that Yoon had directly and fundamentally infringed upon the safety of the state and the survival and freedom of the people". Continue reading...

Plan will start with TransPennine upgrade with new line connecting Liverpool and Manchester in second phaseLong-awaited plans for better railways across the north of England have been given government backing with an undertaking to reverse years of chronic underinvestment" by spending up to 45bn building Northern Powerhouse Rail.Just over 1bn has been allocated to work up a detailed three-stage plan to connect cities from Liverpool to Newcastle, which could fulfil most of the demands of northern leaders, in a series of long-term projects. Continue reading...