by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#73K22)
The trees morph into sand dunes to protect homes on the seafront against rising sea levels and serve as habitat for rare speciesBritain's fight against climate breakdown may usually look like windfarms or solar energy. But on miles of Lancashire coast the frontline is rather more festive.Tens of thousands of discarded Christmas trees have been partially buried on beaches south of Blackpool as a frontier against rising sea levels. Continue reading...
Mette Frederiksen tells Munich Security Conference that Denmark is willing to work with the US, but there are, of course, things that you cannot compromise on'Rubio insists that the US do not seek to separate, but to revitalise an old friendship."He says we do not want allies to rationalise the broken status quo rather than reckon with what is necessary to fix it."We do not want our allies to be weak, because that makes us weaker.We want allies who can defend themselves, so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength. This is why we do not want our allies to be shackled by guilt and shame. Continue reading...
Concern grows over Narges Mohammadi's health, family says, after reports of life-threatening mistreatment'Iranian authorities have without prior warning transferred Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to a prison in the north of the country as concern grows over her health, her family said on Saturday.Mohammadi, who won the peace prize in 2023 in recognition for more than two decades of campaigning, was arrested on 12 December in the eastern city of Mashhad after speaking out against Iran's clerical authorities at a funeral ceremony. Continue reading...
Family pay tribute to Demi Edmunds, from Caldicot, saying she loved her friends, and she was loved by all'A 17-year-old girl who died in a collision involving three cars in Wales was funny, kind and caring", her brother said.
Speaking in Munich, Volodymyr Zelenskyy also called for a clear date for his country to be allowed to join the EUUkraine wants security guarantees for a minimum of 20 years from the US before it can sign a peace deal with dignity, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said ahead of talks with Russia and the US scheduled for next week.Speaking in Munich on Saturday, he also called for a clear date for Ukraine to be allowed to join the EU. Some EU officials have put the date as early as 2027. Continue reading...
At his official installation, Archbishop Richard Moth recognised the Catholic church's failures but insists it's a time of opportunity'The new leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales has said the church has failed vulnerable people, urging more work to be done to address the struggle of refugees and learn from victims of abuse.At a ceremony where he was officially installed in his new role as archbishop of Westminster, Richard Moth said: Here, I am most aware of every occasion on which members of the church, or the church as a whole, have failed - most especially when the vulnerable have been abused. Continue reading...
Social media account for Palmerston, who retired in 2020, announces death of Diplocat extraordinaire'Palmerston, a rescue cat who became the chief mouser of the Foreign Office, has died in Bermuda.The cat, adopted from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, retired in 2020 after four years of service in Whitehall. Continue reading...
Co-author George Cottrell is close aide to party leader Nigel Farage and served several months in US prisonAs a choice for a book title, How to Launder Money certainly caught the eye. But then again, its co-author George Cottrell claims to know what he's talking about.A close aide to Nigel Farage, Cottrell served several months in a US prison after being convicted there in 2017 for wire fraud - a chapter in his life he referred to at his book launch party on Thursday night. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#73JNX)
Senior policing source says tsunami' of claims expected after US release of papers relating to disgraced financierBritish police have set up a new national group to deal with allegations that Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking of women had ties to Britain, as well as claims against his associates, such as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.At least three British police forces are dealing with allegations triggered by the revelations about Epstein and his associates in documents released in the US, with more claims of wrongdoing expected by police officials. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#73JKY)
Huda Ammori calls for proscription to be lifted after high court finds it to be very serious interference with protest rightsThe co-founder of Palestine Action has said the ban on the group massively backfired" and called for its proscription to be suspended after the high court found it to be unlawful.Three senior judges ruled on Friday that the ban was disproportionate and constituted very serious interference with the rights to protest and free speech. Continue reading...
Pelicot says she wants to look Dominique Pelicot straight in the eye' over potential abuse of daughter and case of estate agent who was raped and murdered in 1991Gisele Pelicot has said she needs to visit prison to look her abusive ex-husband straight in the eye" after his conviction for drugging her and inviting dozens of men to rape her in a case that shocked France and the rest of the world.Pelicot, 73, said she needed answers" from Dominique Pelicot over the potential abuse of their daughter and the case of an estate agent who was raped and murdered in 1991, which he is under investigation for. Continue reading...
Rachel Reeves's inheritance tax changes encourage more people to invest in previously unloved productThe government's inheritance tax raid" on pensions has helped drive sales of retirement annuities to newhighs.Industry data this week revealed they enjoyed a record-breaking" 2025, with sales growing by 4% to 7.4bn and the average amount invested in an annuity surpassing 80,000 for the first time. Continue reading...
by Caroline Davies and Alexandra Topping on (#73JHH)
As calls for the former prince to cooperate with investigation become deafening, this may be the reckoning Andrew cannot escapeGordon Brown is a man who gets into the detail.In office, and since then, he has applied his forensic mind to the matters that concern him. Lately, he has been focused on the Epstein files. Continue reading...
For centuries in Ireland lifting huge boulders was a way to test strength and bond communities, says Instagram sensation Indiana StonesDavid Keohan surveyed the County Waterford beach and spotted a familiar mound half-buried in sand: an oval-shaped limestone boulder. It weighed about 115kg.He wedged it loose with a crowbar, wiped it dry with a cloth, dusted his hands with chalk and paused to gaze at the Irish Sea, as if summoning strength from the waves pounding ashore. Continue reading...
The Canadian prime minister told residents of Tumbler Ridge that the country is with you'Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has told residents of Tumbler Ridge that the country is with you, and we will always be with you", during a candlelight vigil for the eight victims of a mass shooting that has shattered the small mining town.The prime minister, holding hands with opposition leader Pierre Poilievre while flanked by First Nations chiefs and local officials, paid tribute to the families enduring the loss of loved ones, after the shooting at a local school that has become one of the most deadly attacks in Canadian history. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed.If you need a primer on what's on the agenda for the next three days, I spoke with the MSC's head of policy Nicole Koenig, the author of the European part of their security report published ahead of the meeting.I asked her what is most likely to be the focus of this year's forum, will Rubio deliver a JD Vance 2.0" speech or say something more (nomen omen) diplomatic, and what other topics are likely to come up.We have had years, decades of complaints by the US about the fact that in Europe, we were not spending enough on defence. That has changed since the summit in The Hague.The shift in mindset is that yesterday in the room, what we felt, all of us, there was a clear coming together of vision and of unity.They want [us] to perceive the Russians as a mighty bear, but you could argue they are moving through Ukraine at the stilted speed of a garden snail, so let's not fall the trap of the Russian propaganda." Continue reading...
A skier from France is also killed with manslaughter investigation to be carried out by mountain rescue policeTwo Britons are among three skiers to have been killed in an avalanche in the French Alps.The pair were part of a group of five people, accompanied by an instructor, off-piste skiing in Val d'Isere, in south-east France. A French national, who was skiing alone, was also killed. Continue reading...
German chancellor rebuts idea of American unilateralism and says democracies have partners and allies'The US acting alone has reached the limits of its power and may already have lost its role as global leader, Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, warned Donald Trump at the opening of the Munich Security Conference.Merz also disclosed he had held initial talks with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, over the possibility of joining France's nuclear umbrella, underlining his call for Europe to develop a stronger self-standing security strategy. Continue reading...
Nikhil Gupta faces up to 40 years over alleged India-backed attempt to kill Gurpatwant Singh PannunThe Indian man who US prosecutors accused of plotting to kill a prominent US-based activist after being recruited by an agent of the Indian government has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, according to a spokesperson for the US attorney's office in Manhattan.Nikhil Gupta faces a maximum 40 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and money-laundering charges in connection to the failed attempt to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US resident who is an advocate for a sovereign Sikh state in
Anas Sarwar said that he stood by what he said when he announced on Monday that he wanted the prime minister to stand downThe Equality and Human Rights Commission has welcomed a high court ruling defending the interim guidance it issued to organisations about the implications of the supreme court judgement saying that, when the Equality Act refers to sex, it means biological sex.The guidance - described as an interim update" - was controversial because it was seen as over-prescriptive, and the Good Law Project launched a legal challenge.We welcome the court's conclusion that the interim update was lawful and the EHRC did not act in breach of its statutory duties.We issued the interim update in response to a high level of demand immediately after the supreme court's ruling. We were concerned that organisations and individuals could be subject to misinformation and misrepresentation of the judgment and its consequences. That might have led to them failing to comply with the law: adopting or maintaining discriminatory policies or practices, to the detriment of those the law is supposed to protect.It is wrong because it reduces trans people to a third sex. It is wrong because it gives little or no weight to the harm done to trans people by excluding them. And it is wrong because it is not interested enough in the rights of people who are trans to keep their status private.The tragic irony for [Morgan] McSweeney [Starmer's chief of staff until Sunday] was that Starmer's 18 months as prime minister have only vindicated Blair's central analysis of their project. McSweeney and Starmer might have identified what they disliked most about the excesses of New Labour, but they never developed an alternative political economy of their own that might replace it. In place of Blairism there was no theory of political reform or coherent critique of British state failure, no analysis of Britain's future place in the world or any kind of distinct moral mission. All there was was a promise to clean things up" as Starmer put it to me. The mission became, in essence, conservative: to protect the settlement erected by Blair and eroded over the 20 years since his departure. Britain could thrive if it could only begin to live within its means, attract more foreign investment, reassure the bond markets and return a sense of service" to government. After years of chaos, mere stability would be change. And this would be enough.Where there was distinct radicalism - from McSweeney's Blue Labour instincts - there was no mandate. McSweeney and Starmer had not fought an ideological battle to bring Blue Labour to government, as Wilson had done for socialist modernisation in the 1960s and Blair for liberal progressivism 30 years later. This was largely because Starmer never really believed in it in the first place and McSweeney, though a reflective thinker, was always more of an operator than political theorist. And so, the pair offered a programme without a programme, a government without ideas or the mandate to enact them.Another of those who worked for [Stamer] adds: He's completely incurious. He's not interested in policy or politics. He thinks his job is to sit in a room and be serious, be presented with something and say Yes" or No" - invariably Yes" - rather than be persuader-in-chief.' Even before he fell out with Starmer, Mandelson told friends and colleagues that the Prime Minister had never once asked him What really makes Trump tick?' or How will he react to this?'.Others dispute the claim of incuriosity. There are subjects when he drills down and he's really, really good,' says another aide. The idea he can't think politically is also wrong. He will often think ahead.' But even these loyalists admit Starmer lacks a philosophical worldview'. Continue reading...
An undercover operative stopped Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein carrying out deadly terror attackTwo men have been jailed for life after attempting to stage one of the UK's deadliest terrorist attacks before it was thwarted by an undercover operative.Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, who had sworn allegiance to Islamic State (IS), planned a marauding firearms attack targeting Greater Manchester's Jewish community. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#73J2R)
Proscription of British direct action group has been fiercely controversial from moment it was proposed last JuneThe list of those who criticised the ban on Palestine Action and its consequences was disparate to say the least, taking in a Trump administration official, a former director of public prosecutions, a former director of the security services, Home Office officials, politicians of different stripes, and UN experts, not to mention a host of NGOs.Now a trio of senior judges can be added to the list, after they deemed the ban to be disproportionate" and impinging on freedom of speech and protest when the direct action group's activities could be targeted under the existing criminal law. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#73J29)
Ex-husband of Nicola Sturgeon and former CEO of party is due to appear in Glasgow court next FridayThe former chief executive of the Scottish National party (SNP) Peter Murrell has been accused of embezzling 459,000 from the party over a period of more than 12 years, according to court documents that emerged ahead of a hearing.Murrell, the ex-husband of the former first minister and party leader Nicola Sturgeon, is due to appear at the high court in Glasgow next Friday for a preliminary hearing in the case. Continue reading...
Roblox says it has removed account after massacre that left nine people including the shooter deadThe 18-year-old suspect in a high school shooting on Wednesday in British Columbia had previously created a mass shooting simulator on the gaming platform Roblox, it has been revealed.The simulator, set in what appeared to be a virtual shopping mall, allowed users - represented as Roblox-style avatars - to pick up weapons and shoot other players, 404 Media first reported on Thursday. Continue reading...
Dean Hamilton pleads guilty of rape of Joanne Young, former wife of ex-Tory Swindon councillor Philip YoungA man has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman who was also raped and drugged by her husband for years, police have said.Dean Hamilton, 47, appeared at Winchester crown court on Friday, where he admitted one count of rape, one count of assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault against Joanne Young, 48, who can be named as she has waived her right to anonymity. Continue reading...
by Taz Ali (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#73HSD)
Police acknowledge unusual circumstances' around the ruling and say they will focus on gathering evidenceThe high court upheld two grounds of challenge, including that the ban was a disproportionate interference with the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.The president of the king's bench division, Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn, said that Palestine Action is an organisation that promotes its political cause through criminality and encouragement of criminality", but that proscription was still disproportionate".I am disappointed by the court's decision and disagree with the notion that banning this terrorist organisation is disproportionate.The proscription of Palestine Action followed a rigorous and evidence-based decision-making process, endorsed by parliament. The proscription does not prevent peaceful protest in support of the Palestinian cause, another point on which the court agrees. Continue reading...
New border controls require certificate of entitlement' to attach to second nationality passport that costs 589Dual British nationals have been warned they may be denied boarding a flight, ferry or train to the UK after 25 February unless they carry a valid British passport.The warning by the Home Office comes amid scores of complaints from British people living or travelling abroad who have suddenly found themselves at risk of not being allowed into the UK.If you are affected by the change and want to share your story, email lisa.ocarroll@theguardian.com Continue reading...
Rai uses altered image with genitals removed in opening credits, prompting backlash from media and politiciansItaly's state broadcaster, Rai, has been accused of censorship after removing the genitals from the image of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man in the opening credits for its Winter Olympics coverage.The image of the 500-year-old drawing appears at the start of the clip before transforming into the bodies of ice skaters, skiers and other winter sports athletes. Continue reading...
by Brendan Wood and Claire Jones for MetDesk on (#73HTV)
Western Australia and Madagascar struck by destructive winds and rain, while Finland and Norway have coldest January since 2010Tropical Cyclone Mitchell hit the coast of Western Australia last week. It initially developed as a weak tropical low over the Northern Territory in early February, then tracked eastwards over Western Australia's Kimberley region and eventually reached the Indian Ocean.Fuelled by warm waters, Mitchell intensified into a tropical cyclone and moved south-west, hugging the coast of Western Australia and eventually deepened to a category three storm. Continue reading...
Logan Hayes jumped into pond to save Sheldy Apollon after she pulled over and accidentally drove into waterA passerby jumped into a frigid Florida pond to save a pregnant woman from her sinking car recently - giving her the opportunity to safely birth her baby hours later, according to authorities and those at the center of the riveting rescue story.As she told it to local news outlet WPTV, Sheldy Apollon of Florida's Port St Lucie community was 34 weeks pregnant, with pre-eclampsia, and driving to a prenatal massage arranged for her by her fiance on the morning of 6 February when she began feeling dizzy. Apollon, who was also celebrating her birthday that day, stopped to try to let it pass before resuming her trip. When she realized she wasn't feeling better, she attempted to pull over again. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#73HSE)
All stones in Cortina are made from granite found on tiny island in Firth of Clyde and crafted in East AyrshireIt takes 60m years and about six hours to make a curling stone," shouts Ricky English above the whine of the lathes. The operations manager at Kays Scotland is surrounded by wheels of ancient granite in varying states of refinement.It is a small business with a big responsibility: the only factory in the world to supply the Winter Olympics with curling stones. Competitors don't travel with their own stones, which weigh about 18kg each, and with 16 required for a game. Instead, this year, 132 stones were crafted in the East Ayrshire town of Mauchline and shipped to northern Italy. Continue reading...
Councillors vote for 3.99% council tax increase while mounting attack on the vulnerable', opposition saysReform UK's showcase council in Kent faces extreme risk" and instability", opposition politicians have warned, after it passed its first budget.The party's councillors voted it through on Thursday night after their leaders announced a 3.99% council tax increase, one percentage point under the limit before a referendum is required, despite promising before their election win not to raise tax. Continue reading...
Union urges Leonard Blavatnik to scrap Channel 13 deal, saying it is part of Netanyahu plan to capture the media'Israeli journalists have appealed to a British billionaire not to proceed with the sale of a stake in an Israeli television channel, which they warn would represent a severe blow to the independence of the country's media.Sir Leonard Blavatnik, listed by the Sunday Times as the UK's third richest person, is selling a nearly 15% share in Channel 13, a commercial channel that has run critical news coverage of Benjamin Netanyahu's government in recent years, including investigations into the prime minister's financial dealings. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Manufacturers tell European Commission proposed ban would cause unnecessary confusionMore than a dozen food companies have urged the European Commission not to ban the use of words such as sausage" and burger" for non-meat products.Companies including Linda McCarney Foods, Quorn and THIS have signed a joint letter calling on commissioners to let common sense prevail" ahead of a debate on the proposed ban, which they say would cause unnecessary confusion" for customers without helping anyone". Continue reading...
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...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#73HKT)
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...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#73HC9)
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...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#73H88)
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...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Taz Ali (earlier) on (#73GWX)
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...
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