Chocolate treats reduced in size or weight as higher price of cocoa drives new wave of shrinkflation'Chocolate eggs are looking smaller than ever this year and it is not just because Easter is still so far away.Many of the Easter eggs already out on supermarket shelves this month not only cost more, but have been reduced in size or weight as the price of cocoa has driven a new wave of shrinkflation. Continue reading...

Taxpayers talk of having to borrow cash and wait for months amid significant backlogs' in processing of claimsSome people are waiting a year or more for HM Revenue and Customs to refund overpaid tax and national insurance contributions (NICs).In some cases, refunds thatwere previously processed within a fewweeks are taking 10months ormore, an investigation by Guardian Money has found. Continue reading...

Bruised and tainted by his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the Labour peer still has admirers - and the drive to go againThe BBC's interview with Peter Mandelson had offered ample evidence of the Labour peer's formidable political brain", according to Louis Mosley, UK head of the US data firm, Palantir Technologies.An indefensible error of judgment had been made by Mandelson, Mosley said in a panel discussion with Laura Kuenssberg after the airing of some of the 30-minute interview on her Sunday morning political show, but he is a masterful interpreter of Trump and we now live in a world where that man will determine much of what happens, and we need people who can be that translation function". Continue reading...

Bobi Wine flown to unknown location, his party says, hours after security forces allegedly killed 10 of his campaignersThe Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine was taken from his house and brought to an unknown location on Friday, his party said as President Yoweri Museveni closed in on a landslide re-election.Wine's National Unity Platform party said on Friday evening in a post on X that an army helicopter had landed in his compound in the capital, Kampala, and forcibly taken him away to an unknown destination". Continue reading...

Any Lucia Lopez Belloza was detained at Boston's airport in November and flown to Honduras two days later

Reza Pahlavi sets out ambition to lead country his father once ruled, but many question his level of popular supportReza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's former pro-western monarch, has predicted the country's Islamic regime will fall and claimed he is uniquely" placed to head a successor government.His bid to assume the leadership of a possible new Iran follows weeks of mass protests that have left thousands dead after being brutally suppressed by security forces. Continue reading...

Full-time carer Martina Karos and Eleni Edwards, eight, were found dead at home in SalfordA translator who became a full-time carer for her severely disabled eight-year-old daughter killed herself and her child after becoming overwhelmed" by loneliness, a coroner concluded.Martina Karos, 40, and Eleni Edwards were found dead at their home in Salford, Greater Manchester, after police were called when the girl did not turn up at school on 23 September 2024.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Reform's latest defector from the Tories is a politician whose eye has only ever been on his own ambitionIt's come down to this. Watch any reality TV show and it won't be long before you hear the lead presenter talking about how each contestant has been on a journey. It's as though we can't survive without a narrative structure. An attempt to give emotional meaning to something fundamentally meaningless.It feels as if everyone has to be on a journey now. If you're not, then you're somehow less interesting. Only half a person. Even our politicians are no longer exempt. In the last 24 hours there have been any number of talking heads lining up to tell us that Robert Jenrick has been on quite the journey. His former Tory colleagues. His new tribe at Reform. Even Honest Bob likes to talk about his journey. Makes him feel special and different. Important. Continue reading...

John Ratcliffe meets Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas less than two weeks after his agents helped to oust her precedessorThe CIA chief whose agents reputedly played a key role in abducting Nicolas Maduro has flown to Venezuela to meet his successor as the sidelined opposition leader Maria Corina Machado vowed she would become the country's first elected female president.Machado's comments were broadcast on Friday, a day after she handed her Nobel peace prize medal to Donald Trump in recognition of what she called a principled and decisive move against Maduro, who US special forces snatched on 3 January. Continue reading...

Laila Cunningham accused of endangering Muslims after saying: If you're hiding your face, you're hiding it for a criminal reason'Reform UK's mayoral candidate for London has been accused of endangering Muslims after she said women wearing the burqa should be subject to stop and search.Laila Cunningham, who was announced as Reform's candidate for the 2028 mayoral elections last week, said no one should cover their face in an open society", adding: It has to be assumed that if you're hiding your face, you're hiding it for a criminal reason." Continue reading...

Song that topped Spotify in Sweden has been ruled ineligible after its creator was revealed to be partly AI-madeA hit song has been excluded from Sweden's official chart after it emerged the artist" behind it is an AI creation.I know, you're not mine - or Jag vet, du ar inte min in Swedish - by a singer called Jacub has been a streaming success in Sweden, topping the Spotify rankings in the country. Continue reading...

Pair also launching digital channel Belta Box which will feature new entertainment and curated clipsAnt and Dec have announced they will front their first podcast series together from next week.The series, called Hanging Out With Ant and Dec, will feature the longtime friends catching up and reminiscing, and listeners will get the chance to ask the pair for advice and to relive TV moments and share anecdotes. Continue reading...

President raises pressure on European allies as US envoy says deal to take island should and will be made'

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

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

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...

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...