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Michelle Donelan had urged Research England to cut ties with a member of its advisory group over alleged Hamas supportUK taxpayers have financed a 15,000 payout to an academic after the science minister wrongly accused her of supporting Hamas, the department has said amid growing political anger at why public money was used.The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said 15,000 had been paid after a statement on Tuesday by Michelle Donelan, about a clarification" from Prof Kate Sang, of Heriot-Watt university in Edinburgh, about her views. Continue reading...

But racial and economic disparities contribute to the US's poor ranking in infant and maternal health internationallyA new report from the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics has found infant mortality declined 3% from 2019 to 2021. However, the good news is tempered by large racial and economic disparities and the US's poor ranking in infant and maternal health internationally.Black and Native mothers are consistently more likely than white and Asian mothers to have infants who die in their first year of life, a statistic that mirrors disparities in maternal mortality. Continue reading...

Police chiefs say 230m boost falls far short of extra funding forces need to deliver stable service'Drones will be increasingly used as first responders" when the public report incidents to emergency services, under plans announced by the chancellor in the spring budget on Wednesday.Jeremy Hunt told MPs 230m would be set aside for police to spend on time- and money-saving technology" such as unmanned flying vehicles and video technology. Continue reading...

Kathy Hochul's decision to counteract what she says is surge in crime met with dismay by residents and police reform activistsThe New York governor, Kathy Hochul, is sending in the national guard to New York City's subway system in order to counteract what she says is a surge in crime, to the dismay of some city residents and police reform activists.Hochul said on Wednesday that 750 national guard patrolmen as well as 250 state police and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officers will be deployed to patrol the stations and conduct bag checks. Continue reading...

Centre-right European People's party says it wants to create deportation deals with non-EU countries to head off rise of far rightThe European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, has given her support to controversial migration reforms that would involve deporting people to third countries for asylum processing and the imposition of a quota system for those receiving protection in EU countries.Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's party (EPP), said the policies - similar to the UK's Rwanda scheme - had been worked out with all the parties in the EPP political group, which includes von der Leyen's Christian Democrat Union in Germany. Continue reading...

Campaigners say measure will help tackle pocket money' pricing that attracts young children to vaping

Activists call for Dominique Boutonnat to step down saying allegations undermine his ability to lead changeDominique Boutonnat, the head of France's top cinema institution, is to be tried in June on charges of sexually assaulting his godson, prosecutors have said.The announcement came as French cinema reels from a renewed #MeToo reckoning in which several big names, including the actor Gerard Depardieu, have been accused of sexual abuse. Continue reading...

UK prepared to loan money on basis Russia will be forced to pay reparations to Ukraine at end of war, says foreign secretary David CameronInternational Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said that he would discuss the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, and that talks with other Russian authorities had been tense", Russian news agencies reported.State news agency RIA cited Grossi has saying that he had been able to assess the situation around the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine, which has been under Russian control since March 2022, Reuters reports. Continue reading...

Coalition of celebrities, also including J Robert Oppenheimer's grandson, comes together for an open letter imploring global leaders to disarmStars including Julianne Moore, Jane Fonda and Emma Thompson have added their names to an open letter insisting upon nuclear disarmament from global leaders.As Christopher Nolan's hit biopic Oppenheimer, which tells of the man who created the atomic bomb, is predicted to dominate this weekend's Oscars, a coalition of actors and activists has formed to educate people about the present nuclear danger around the world. Continue reading...

Jury acquits Jeffrey Cook and John Mason after lawyers argue payments were authorised by UK and Saudi governmentsTwo men have been acquitted of paying bribes totalling millions of pounds to high-ranking Saudis after they argued that they had been unfairly prosecuted.Jeffrey Cook and John Mason had been accused of bribing a Saudi prince and his associates to secure and maintain a huge defence deal for a British company. But on Wednesday, a jury acquitted them after lawyers argued the payments had been authorised by the British and Saudi governments. Continue reading...

Portugal's prime minister Antonio Costa resigned last November amid investigation into handling of green investment projectsWe've received a note from Miguel Barreira, a member of the Liberal Initiative party, which has polling at around 5%.More than Chega (or, as I call it, Ventura's one-person Party), who it seems to be losing steam and radicalising its campaign in these last few days, my party will probably be key to allow PSD to form a working majority, without accepting any kind of talks or negotiating with the far-right Chega.Well, time to get back to the campaign trail.We continue to believe that the most likely scenario is a right-wing coalition with the support of the far-right populist Chega. If the AD wins the most votes, there is a possibility that the PS will refrain from bringing down a centre-right minority government so as to keep Chega out of government.This arrangement would in any case be likely to last only until the 2025 budget comes to a vote towards the end of this year. Another snap election in 2024 or early 2025 is therefore a risk. Continue reading...

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen due to travel to Cyprus as bloc works to try to establish corridor through islandThe World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday that hunger and malnutrition were on the rise among children, breastfeeding women, and pregnant women in Gaza.In a post on X, the UN's health agency, said that the only paediatric hospital in northern Gaza was overwhelmed with patients" and was facing acute shortages of food, water, fuel, health workers, and medicines". It added: The need for access to humanitarian aid is dire."Malnutrition plays a major role in the number of children that come to us, and the number of deaths.When a child is supposed to eat three meals a day and ends up eating one meal, that's not enough; your body becomes deficient in carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, and defecient in fats that are necessary for the body. Then the body goes into a severe dehydration state. Continue reading...

Alexei Navalny's widow asks people to protest en masse at midday on 17 March by spoiling ballot papers or writing Navalny'The widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has called for people to protest against Vladimir Putin at polling booths in the forthcoming presidential election.Yulia Navalnaya urged her supporters to protest against Putin by voting en masse at noon local time in the 17 March election, forming large crowds and overwhelming polling stations. Continue reading...

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seeking permission to build temple in Sutton ColdfieldThe first new Mormon temple in the UK for 30 years is to be built in Sutton Coldfield as a venue for sacred ceremonies" and in pursuit of an ultimate goal" to have temples dotted around the UK.The large white edifice will feature a 314ft spire and an imposing entrance arch. Planning permission has yet to be granted, but the church hopes construction will begin this year and take up to three years to complete. Continue reading...

Extremist tells Emily Maitlis you're a conspiracy theorist' and dismisses interviewer over Jewish space lasers' questionFar-right Republican congresswoman, Trump ally and potential vice-presidential pick Marjorie Taylor Greene told a British interviewer to Fuck off", when asked about her frequent repetition of conspiracy theories.Emily Maitlis, formerly a senior journalist at the BBC and now a presenter of the News Agents podcast, spoke to Greene at Donald Trump's Super Tuesday celebration at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, as the former president closed in on the Republican nomination. Continue reading...

Despite efforts by Post Office there are 250 individuals who have not come forwardA substantial" proportion of victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal risk missing out on the compensation they are due, according to MPs and campaigners, who suggest the true number deserving redress may be significantly higher than estimated.An estimated 700 post office workers in England and Wales were prosecuted on the basis of evidence from the faulty digital accounting system. Despite efforts by the Post Office and, separately, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, there are still about 250 individuals - more than a third - who have yet to respond to contact. Continue reading...

Breach could disrupt Shein's reported plans to list in UK as firms are legally required to declare person with significant control' Business live - latest updatesThe UK business of the fast-fashion company Shein has failed to disclose its ultimate ownership, a breach of company law that could disrupt the firm's reported plans to consider listing in the UK.UK companies are legally required to declare their ultimate human beneficial owner - their person with significant control" (PSC). Continue reading...

Billionaire is fighting prosecutions by Asic involving his Leisure Coolum resort and his company Mineralogy

Growers group says supermarkets are marking up price of granny smiths by well over 100%, more than double that of other varieties

Chancellor's 5p freeze will save 60 a year for well-off motorists compared with just 22 for lower earnersRetaining the fuel duty cut in the budget is a regressive policy that benefits the wealthiest in society, who will save 60 a year, while those who earn the least will save just 22, according to analysis.Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce an extension of the 5p cut in fuel duty brought in during 2022, a proposal that has won him plaudits across the rightwing press. Continue reading...

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Brent Potter said he shared the Facebook posts as a way to connect' and the humour would not be understood by those who haven't served' in the military

Duggan's family and spy agency both confirm one negative finding but Asio says despite this IGIS found Asio acted both ethically and within the law at all times in matters regarding Daniel Duggan'

Omar Sakr, Jinghua Qian and Alison Evans have been left to speculate on whether cancellations relate to their pro-Palestinian stances

The chancellor's biggest giveaway is likely to be a further cut to national insurance contributionsJeremy Hunt is due to set out the government's plans for tax and spending in his budget on Wednesday. In what is expected to be the last budget before a general election, the chancellor's biggest giveaway is likely to be a further cut to the national insurance contributions paid by employees, after a 2p reduction in his autumn statement.Meanwhile, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will publish updated economic forecasts and an assessment of the government's finances for the next five years - running beyond the next election to 2029. Here is what to expect. Continue reading...

Video shared on social media shows man in driveway arguing with members of the public who are encouraging him to untie the children

Congestion charge comes amid boom in tourism that has put pressure on infrastructure and increased potential for accidentsPeople hoping to ascend Mount Fuji along its most popular route will be charged 2,000 (10.50, $13.35, A$20.50) when the climbing season starts in the summer, as local authorities try to ease congestion fuelled by Japan's tourism boom.The trails leading up Japan's highest mountain - a Unesco world heritage site since 2013 - are becoming increasingly overcrowded, prompting concern over littering and bullet ascents", in which often inexperienced climbers try to scale the 3,776-metre peak without resting. Continue reading...

Sweeping reform, which includes affirmative consent laws, is aimed at recentring victim voices'

Wayne Astill's file contained complaints of serious criminal misconduct before he was hired to work at women's prison, report says

Michael Crandon apologises for invading privacy of Labor's Ali King by making a snap decision' to take a photo of her phone while he sat behind her

Follow live as Republicans and Democrats vote in 16 states and one territory to choose their presidential election nominee

The district was created to strengthen Black representation after the supreme court ruled state had diluted power of Black voters

President condemns Republican rival as shameful' as slew of states go to the polls in primaries

Victorian ombudsman's report says prison system is failing to meet needs of Aboriginal people, which is wrong and discriminatory'

Singer accused regulator of double standards over claim she presented as a stereotypical sexual object'The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has backtracked on its decision to ban a Calvin Klein advertisement featuring the British singer FKA twigs, citing the strength of public feeling".The ASA said that after careful thought" it had decided that the image was not sexually explicit, that the ad presented FKA twigs as confident and in control and, therefore, that she had not been objectified". Continue reading...

Research suggests every extra step up to 10,000 reduces risk even if rest of the day is sedentaryWalking up to 10,000 steps a day lowers the risk of heart disease and early death, even when spending the rest of the day sedentary, research suggests.The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that every extra step above 2,200 steps a day - up to about 10,000 - reduces these risks, regardless of how much of the remaining time is spent sitting. Continue reading...

Case files recommending prosecution of murder charges have been sent to Service Prosecuting AuthorityFive members of the SAS have been arrested by British military police on suspicion of allegedly committing war crimes while on operations in Syria.The Ministry of Defence said it would not comment directly on the investigation but defence sources indicated that reports of the arrests, which had been circulating in military circles for some time, were accurate. Continue reading...

Chancellor's constituency office in Hindhead was defaced on eve of his spring budget statementJeremy Hunt's constituency office in Surrey has been vandalised with graffiti saying die Tory scum" on the eve of his spring budget statement.Police are investigating after the front door and two windows of the chancellor's local office in Hindhead were defaced. Continue reading...

Catherine's reported appearance at trooping the colour published without Kensington Palace's approvalThe army has removed a claim made on its website that the Princess of Wales will attend an event in June, it has been reported, after apparently publishing the information without approval from Kensington Palace.Tickets being sold for trooping the colour, which will take place on 8 June, were advertising an appearance by Catherine. Event details were reportedly published due to the Princess of Wales's role as colonel of the Irish guards, the regiment that is trooping its colour this year. Continue reading...

Barnet council finds 580 houses with similar panels that can spread fire and warns they are tip of the iceberg'A London council has warned of a potential new national fire safety crisis after it discovered hundreds of low-rise timber-frame homes had been fitted with plastic cladding that can spread fire.Barnet council has alerted the government and the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, that other homeowners in similar properties across the country could be affected. It said the 580 homes that needed fixing in its area were the tip of the iceberg". Continue reading...

National Association of Black Journalists condemns incident on First Alert 4 in St Louis as outdated, offensive and racist'A television station in St Louis has issued an apology after a white news anchor referred to minority homeowners as colored" while introducing a segment on racial discrimination in the housing market.It was in an original script as homeowners of color' and was inadvertently changed and mistakenly read on air," JD Sosnoff, the general manager of First Alert 4, formerly KMOV, Gray TV's CBS affiliate, said in a statement to the St Louis Post-Dispatch. We regret the error and apologized to our viewers." Continue reading...

Letter from former Post Office chair Henry Staunton gives new details on conversations. This live blog is closedSir Mark Rowley has hit back at Rishi Sunak's criticism of the policing of anti-war protests, dismissing claims officers are failing to enforce the law as inaccurate" and claiming officers were being branded as woke and fascist" at the same time.The Metropolitan police commissioner spoke out on Tuesday after police leaders were last week summoned to a summit at Downing Street.We're always operating in a very challenging political environments where tensions remain high and hate crime is still a long way above pre-October 7 levels.Policing is used to being criticised. But where it isn't justified, I do worry about the impact it has on our officers and staff, and on public confidence as we strive to operate without fear or favour.In February, two separate YouGov polls showed that most Britons would prefer the government prioritise public spending over tax cuts ...A variation of that same question which more explicitly notes that the cuts would be on taxes that everyday people pay" closes the gap considerably, with 41% supporting tax cuts in this scenario, although this is still lower than the 47% who would prefer to put money towards public services. Continue reading...

Bakery group says it plans no further price rises this year as it reports record annual profitThousands of Greggs workers will share a 17.6m bonus pot this month after the bakery chain famous for its sausage rolls and steak bakes said it had made a record annual profit and overtaken McDonald's to become the UK's most popular breakfast spot.Britain's biggest bakery chain said 25,000 employees - out of a total of 32,000 across the UK - would receive a bonus in their pay packets at the end of March, as it reported a 27% jump in profits to 188m. Continue reading...

Video shot near town hall shows officer deliberately stepping on man's stomach as he lay on the floorFootage of a Greater Manchester police officer dragging a homeless man across the ground in a sleeping bag has been called unacceptable" by the force.The video, which was taken near Manchester town hall, then shows the officer deliberately stepping on the man's stomach as he is lying on the floor. Continue reading...

Greatest increase in non-cigarette tobacco in past decade was among young adults, researchers sayThe number of people smoking pipes, shisha and cigars in the UK has risen fivefold over a decade, and experts say this could lead to a rise in smoking-related cancers such as mouth and lung cancer.Last year there were about 772,800 exclusive non-cigarette tobacco users, compared with 151,200 in 2013, according to a study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. Continue reading...

Five-month-old boy and girl born after 10 years of trying died in blast at home that also killed their father

Landmark research suggests people have an 85% chance of positive assessment at some centres in England and 35% in others

Nordic Response aims to strengthen cooperation between countries and bolster alliance's ability to defend regionA first-of-its-kind training exercise involving more than 20,000 soldiers from 13 countries has launched across northern Norway, Sweden and Finland as the region prepares to become a fully Nato territory within days.The joint defence exercise, which runs until 14 March, was previously known as Cold Response and held in northern Norway, a founding Nato member, every other year. In recognition of Finland's recent membership of the western military alliance, and with Sweden expected to join imminently, this year it is being designated Nordic Response for the first time. Continue reading...

Advisers say 100m originally earmarked by church is not enough to reflect scale of moral sin'The Church of England has been told to increase a proposed 100m fund earmarked to address the legacy of slavery to 1bn to reflect the scale of moral sin".The church should work in partnership with other organisations to create the fund that will be used to invest globally in black-led businesses and provide grants, says a report from an independent group of advisers commissioned by the C of E. Continue reading...

Adaminaby residents decry Snowy Mountains landmark's colour scheme, with new design set to go to community consultation