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Lisa Nandy defends Yvette Cooper's decision to order urgent review following pressure driven by Elon MuskThe Liberal Democrats have attacked Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch over her comments on potential means-testing of pensions.When asked during an LBC phone-in whether she would look at" the triple lock, Badenoch said: We're going to look at means testing. Means testing is something which we don't do properly here."First Kemi Badenoch came for the mothers and now she has set her sights on the grandmothers.Millions of pensioners felt betrayed by Labour's cut to the winter fuel payment, now it's clear their pensions aren't safe with the Conservatives.[Labour] deceived the British public by going back to type of absolute massive increases in taxing and massive increases in spending. They didn't tell the British public that in advance of the election.And this is key to British politics at the moment. We understand why the British public were angry with us at the last election and booted us out. The problem is they are now angry with Labour as well, because they lied to the British public, and they are not doing the things they said before the election. They've gone back to type. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Democrat writes to transition co-chairs calling for steps to avert scandals involving administration officialsThe Massachusetts Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren has called on Donald Trump to institute new ethics rules to guard against scandals involving appointees such as Elon Musk, the SpaceX, Tesla and X owner who will jointly lead an effort to slash federal spending after the new administration takes power on Monday.Trump can and should top" Joe Biden's ethics standards for government officials, Warren told Trump's transition co-chairs in a letter exclusively obtained by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Callum Parslow said he was angry and frustrated' about Channel crossings when he stabbed young man at a hotelA Nazi-obsessed terrorist who tried to stab an asylum seeker to death in a protest over Channel crossings has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 22 years and eight months.Callum Parslow repeatedly stabbed Nahom Hagos, 25, in the attack at a hotel previously used to house asylum seekers in Worcestershire on 2 April last year. Parslow, who has Adolf Hitler's signature tattooed on his left arm, said he was exterminating the invasive species" in a terrorist manifesto" found on his phone after the attack. Continue reading...

Songwriter, 83, signs up to TikTok with platform facing Sunday deadline to sell US operationBob Dylan is TikToking on heaven's door after signing up to the social media app - days before it could disappear from his native US.The 83-year-old songwriter has set up an official account, which launched with a 50-second video montage accompanied by a soundtrack featuring Like a Rolling Stone, Knockin' on Heaven's Door and Hurricane. The post has attracted nearly 2m views. Continue reading...

Palestinians describe grief and anxiety as they seek news that the ceasefire is going ahead, and airstrikes continue

Aides signal his address will be noticeably more upbeat compared to grim American carnage' speech in 2017Donald Trump's aides have signaled that Monday's inauguration speech will strike a noticeably more upbeat tone than his equivalent address eight years ago, when he talked darkly about American carnage" and depicted the US as a country riddled by violent crime, drugs and economic degradation.News website Axios cited Trump associates as saying light" and unity" would be the guiding themes - exemplified by a one America, one light" prayer service for donors. Continue reading...

Oakland concert recording from 1967 features jazz standards alongside unheard Fitzgerald versions of the era's hits, including Alfie and Music to Watch Girls ByLost recordings of a 1967 Ella Fitzgerald concert, including her spin on the era's pop songs such as Alfie and Music to Watch Girls By, have been rediscovered and prepared for release.The iconic jazz vocalist was recorded live at the Oakland Coliseum, California, in June of that year, but until recently the tapes languished in the private collection of Norman Granz, the late founder of Verve Records. Continue reading...

Netanyahu's office says cabinet will convene on Friday amid concerns the delay could slow start of truce

Jake Fahri served 14 years in jail for the murder of the London schoolboyA rapper who served 14 years in jail for the murder of a London schoolboy has been recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions after media reports exposing the lyrics to his music.Jake Fahri, then 19, was given a life sentence in 2009 with a minimum term of 14 years for killing Jimmy Mizen by throwing an oven dish at him. The glass dish shattered and severed blood vessels in the 16-year-old's neck in a south London bakery. Continue reading...

Ministers prepared to back change in law to prohibit misuse of gagging clauses by employers, it is understood

Region hit by strong winds, flash flooding and giant hailstones, causing one death and widespread power cutsSevere thunderstorms have been wreaking havoc across eastern Australia this week, unleashing heavy rain, strong winds, flash flooding and giant hailstones.In some regions there were wind gusts of more than 100mph (160km/h) and strong winds caused operational disruptions at Sydney airport as well as extensive damage nearby, including roofs being torn off buildings. An 80-year-old man died after a tree fell on his car in New South Wales, and several other injuries have been recorded. The storms also triggered lightning strikes, leading to widespread power outages that affected more than 200,000 homes and suspending rail services. Continue reading...

Charities and experts call for national conversation to move away from sensationalism after Musk criticismKeir Starmer must move the conversation on child sexual exploitation away from sensationalism to support for victims who have had help and protection reduced in recent years, charities, campaigners and experts have said.A joint statement, whose signatories include government services contractors such as the Salvation Army and the Snowdrop Project, says changes in the law have made it harder for survivors to be recognised as victims and to access support services. Continue reading...

More than 1,000 trees have fallen in Sydney as wild weather causes problems around city

House in Dover Heights doused with red paint in what NSW premier labels a targeted' and disgusting and dangerous act of violence'

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Chancellor says she has the ideas needed to turn things around after week of speculation about whether she can remain in postRachel Reeves has said she is not going to let her critics get her down after a bruising week of speculation about whether she could be ousted as chancellor.Reeves said she is qualified for the job and has the ideas to turn things around, amid worries about falling business confidence and the rising cost of government borrowing. Continue reading...

Police believe 27-year-old Katie Tangey's death was a case of mistaken identity as friends rally to raise funds for her family

After 15 months of war, a ceasefire deal in Gaza has been reached. In his farewell address to the nation, Joe Biden tried to convince the US public that it was just one of many successes he'd had in the White House. But is that how his time in office will be remembered? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the author Franklin Foer about Biden's legacyArchive: CBS, PBS Newshour, CBS Chicago, CNC, WPLG Local 10, BBC Continue reading...

Experts criticise Defra's decision not to use OECD definition of PFAS, with one asking if move is politically based'

This blog is now closed, please follow live coverage on our new liveblogKey mediator Qatar said that 33 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza would be released in the first stage of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in the Palestinian territory.Israel earlier said it would release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in the first stage of a Gaza truce agreement, Israeli and Palestinian sources reported Tuesday. Continue reading...

Lawyers say impeached president will not attend questioning, with investigators expected to seek warrant to extend his detentionSouth Korea's arrested president, Yoon Suk Yeol, will not attend a new round of questioning by investigators on Friday, his lawyer said, as authorities face an imminent deadline to obtain a warrant to extend his detention or release the embattled leader.In order to hold Yoon in custody for longer, investigators are expected on Friday to ask a court to approve a detention warrant for up to 20 days, legal experts said. Continue reading...

Neighbours told to stay inside as police seek information on stabbing deaths of two men from same family

Sunshine Coast mother, 34, appears in court charged with giving her one-year-old unauthorised prescription medications

Calls for central bank to reduce unfair' costs for consumers and stop businesses being gouged'

Israeli prime minister's demand before expected cabinet meeting threatens to derail peace negotiations

PM visits Kyiv to agree partnership and says Putin shows no signs of wanting to stop unrelenting aggression'Keir Starmer has announced a historic" 100-year partnership with Ukraine, saying the UK would support the country beyond this terrible war" and into a future where it is free and thriving again".Speaking during his first trip to Kyiv as prime minister, Starmer said the unprecedented agreement reflected the huge affection between our two nations". He added that right now Putin shows no signs of wanting to stop" his unrelenting aggression". Continue reading...

Duties remain unclear for the three actors, who are Trump supporters and are no strangers to controversyDonald Trump has tapped three of his longstanding celebrity supporters - Mel Gibson, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone - to purportedly make Hollywood stronger than ever before" as special ambassadors" to the movie capital.The president-elect announced the new appointments, whose duties remain unclear, on Truth Social on Thursday, four days before his inauguration. It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California," he wrote. Continue reading...

Opposition leader says PM's woman problem is not my concern' when asked jokingly if she would back Starmer if he sacked the chancellorRichard Adams is the Guardian's education editor.Thirty-two sixth form colleges across England will be hit by more strikes over a pay disparity between staff employed by academies and those in standalone colleges.We will never accept a situation in which college teachers in non-academised colleagues are paid less than their academised peers for identical work. It is absurd and blatantly unfair to under-fund sixth form colleges in this way, risking lasting damage to longstanding collective bargaining arrangements.We cannot make a 5.5% pay offer for the whole year, because the government has not provided funding for the whole year. Students will pay the price for this through further disruption to their education. Continue reading...

Officials say review is not national inquiry ministers have been pressed for after series of X posts by Elon MuskYvette Cooper has announced an urgent national review of the scale of grooming gangs amid a raft of other new measures to tackle them, in a significant shift of approach on the issue after intense political pressure.The announcement does not create the full national inquiry the Conservatives have demanded. Continue reading...

Arab diplomats fear political vacuum and say PA should work in conjunction with UN relief agency UnrwaIsrael and the incoming Trump administration are being urged by Arab states to avoid a dangerous political vacuum in Gaza and allow the Palestinian Authority (PA), in conjunction with the UN Palestinian relief agency Unrwa, to oversee the territory's recovery.The future governance of Gaza is due to be discussed at the start of negotiations on the second stage of the deal 16 days after a ceasefire begins. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has refused to broach the subject since the war began, regarding any discussions on the day after" as likely to open destabilising internal political divisions inside his coalition. Continue reading...

Tory leader says her party offered policies without plans while in government and politicians are not being honest with public

Wellings, who was found guilty of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour, is sentenced to six and a half yearsA violent and controlling monster" who subjected his late partner, Kiena Dawes, to repeated assaults, bullying and belittling has been jailed for six and a half years.Ryan Wellings, 30, was on Monday found guilty of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour by a jury at Preston crown court. Continue reading...

UK prime minister meets Ukrainian president as they sign 100-year partnership agreement to deepen security ties between nationsStarmer hails closer than ever' partnership with Ukraine on visitCity officials say there have been no casualties after the reported Russian drone attack on Kyiv, but say a car was damaged by falling debris in one of the districts.As we have previously mentioned, Starmer is in Kyiv to sign a so-called 100-year partnership" treaty between Britain and Ukraine (see more details of what is in the agreement here). The UK, one of Ukraine's biggest military supporters, has committed 12.8bn in military and civilian aid to Kyiv over the war and has trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops. Starmer is to announce another 40m for Ukraine's postwar economic recovery. Continue reading...

Relief at news of deal to end war in Gaza, as UK government now urged to launch family reunification scheme

Judge adjourns case to 24 February and tells MP for Runcorn and Helsby he is leaving all sentencing options open

Jaymey McIvor, Reform UK's first Essex councillor, was suspended from Conservatives last year amid claimsA Reform UK councillor has been accused of being expelled from the Conservative party last year over allegations he sent an unsolicited picture of his private parts".Jaymey McIvor had been due to stand as a Tory parliamentary candidate in July but was suspended before the election. Sources say he was expelled after an investigation into the allegations. Continue reading...

Knife lodged in spine of actor during 2am attack at Mumbai property he shares with Kareena Kapoor and their two childrenSaif Ali Khan, one of Bollywood's most popular actors, is recovering in hospital after a knife became lodged in his spine during an attack by an intruder in his Mumbai home.Medical officials said Khan sustained six stab wounds in the attack, which took place during a 2am altercation with an intruder who had entered the family home he shares with his wife, the Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor, and their two children. Continue reading...

Tory leader to condemn predecessors' Brexit, climate and migration failings amid rising popularity of Reform UKKemi Badenoch will attack the Conservative party's record under Boris Johnson and Theresa May on Brexit, the economy, net zero and immigration in a speech aimed at rebuilding trust".The Tory leader, who is competing with the sharp rise in popularity of Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, will acknowledge the Conservative party made mistakes" under her predecessors. Continue reading...

Eastern NSW, particularly northern rivers, and Gold Coast at high risk for severe thunderstorms and winds on Thursday, BoM forecasts

Two arsonists wanted over death of woman who died in suspicious fire in Truganina in city's west

If Moscow's forces manage to take all of Donetsk oblast it would be a symbolic moment for Putin - and KyivIn an underground command post in eastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian soldier peered at a map. Russian positions were marked in red. A year ago enemy troops were at least 35 miles (60km) away from the administrative border between Donetsk oblast and the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region. Now they were on the doorstep: a mere 5 miles away.The situation is pretty bad," Valerii - call-sign Oves" - admitted, sitting in front of a bank of screens showing live footage from the battlefield. Reconnaissance drones zoomed in on Russian positions under a snowy tree-line. If a mouse moves, we can see it," he said. His brigade, the 110th, spent a year and a half defending the eastern city of Avdiivka. It fell in February 2024 after a long and brutal siege. Continue reading...

Melbourne-born surfer turned fashion visionary credited with designing yoke waist' boardshortsThe surfing community is paying tribute to the Quiksilver founder Alan Greeny" Green, who died from cancer on Tuesday at his home in Torquay, Victoria aged 77.Considered a pioneer of surfwear, Green started making wetsuits in 1969 along with friends and Rip Curl co-founders Brian Singer and Doug Claw" Warbrick. Continue reading...

Netanyahu says final details' of deal still being worked on; two American hostages to be free in first phase, reports say

Storms and industrial action cause more delays on Australia's busiest train system on Thursday

Surrey town saw 12.5% increase in asking prices last year with rest of UK rising just 1.4%, according to RightmoveIt's very name conjures images of warmth, and now Sunbury-on-Thames has been named as a property hotspot. According to listings website Rightmove, the Surrey town recorded the biggest rise in asking prices in Great Britain last year, registering a 12.5% leap in the average, from 527,005 to 592,976.The town has long been popular with commuters, as it takes less than an hour to travel into London Waterloo station, and is close to the recently expanded Shepperton Studios, which now claims to be the second biggest film studio in the world. Continue reading...

Royal College of Nursing says people routinely coming to harm' with vital equipment not available and staff too busyPatients are dying in hospital corridors and going undiscovered for hours, while others who suffer heart attacks cannot be given CPR because of overcrowding in walkways, a bombshell report on the state of the NHS has revealed.So many patients are being cared for in hospital corridors across the UK that in some cases pregnant women are having miscarriages outside wards while other patients are unable to call for help because they have no call bell and are subjected to animal-like conditions", said the Royal College of Nursing.Patients have died on trolleys and chairs in corridors and waiting rooms in settings where all the fundamentals of care have broken down".One nurse had seen cardiac arrests in the corridor with no crash bell, crash trolley, oxygen, defibrillator ... straddling a patient doing CPR while everyone watches on".Patients are being given drugs, intravenous infusions and, in one case, a blood transfusion in corridors which are cold, noisy and too cramped to allow them to have loved ones present.One nurse had to tell a patient he was dying as other patients were wheeled past and orders were shouted across the unit. They said: How is it fair to tell someone they are dying in a corridor?"Lack of space means patients also being treated in storerooms, car parks, offices and even toilets. Continue reading...

Deal to pause 15-month war expected to be officially accepted by Israel after cabinet meeting

Vaccine damage payment scheme inadequate and inefficient,' says Vaccine Injured spokespersonPeople who were severely harmed by Covid vaccines faced an inadequate and inefficient" process for obtaining a government payout, with many rejected and others waiting years for a decision, the Covid inquiry has heard.The vaccine damage payment scheme offers a one-off sum of 120,000 to people who have such serious adverse reactions to the vaccines that they are at least 60% disabled. But people affected by vaccine injuries told the inquiry they did not get the help and financial support they deserved. Continue reading...

US president-elect demanded a deal - while success against Iran and Hezbollah, and changed Israeli coalition arithmetic, gave Israeli PM room to make oneThe phone call from Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, surprised the aides of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.Calling from Doha in Qatar last Friday evening, after shabbat had already begun, Witkoff announced he was coming to Israel and would meet Netanyahu. Overruling the suggestion of Netanyahu's aides that they could meet once the Jewish day of rest was over, Witkoff, 67 - a billionaire lawyer and real estate developer - insisted brusquely that they meet in the morning. Continue reading...

Health secretary says treating patients in corridors because no beds available in wards is undignified' - but eradicating practice will take timeThe Mauritian government said talks will continue on the Chagos Islands deal, with attorney general Gavin Glover set to return to the UK for further negotiations, PA Media reports.A statement issued following a meeting of prime minister Navin Ramgoolam's cabinet said:The commitment and resolve of Mauritius to reach an agreement and end this long battle for the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago remains unshaken. Continue reading...