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Largest assistance package Washington has provided marks Biden’s latest effort to help Ukraine beat back Russian forces. This live blog is now closed

Ukraine missile strike on Russian-held city kills 89 troops; Wagner counts costs in Bakhmut and new year on the frontline

Putin’s unilateral ceasefire comes into effect; reports of Russian attacks before and after start of truce

Kyiv’s deputy military intelligence chief says force will form part of new offensives over spring and summer

Exclusive: UK government set to implement hardline commitments to fast-track detention and removal of migrantsSuella Braverman is planning to abandon several of the key commitments made in the wake of the Windrush scandal as the UK government prepares to implement hardline promises to fast-track the detention and removal of migrants.Sources told the Guardian that the home secretary has dropped a pledge to create the post of a migrants’ commissioner, who was due to be responsible for speaking up for migrants and for identifying systemic problems within the UK immigration system. Continue reading...

Col Tim Collins says ‘we don’t do notches on rifle butt’ and kill-count talk could increase Harry’s personal security riskHigh-profile British veterans have criticised the Duke of Sussex’s claim he had killed 25 Taliban soldiers while serving with the British army in Afghanistan and warned the high-profile admission could increase the risk to his personal security.The retired army veteran Col Tim Collins, best known for delivering a rousing speech before the start of the Iraq war in 2003, said the prince’s kill-count talk was crass and “we don’t do notches on the rifle butt”. Continue reading...

More than 2,250 UK nationals ordered to leave bloc between January 2021 and September 2022

Information collected in 2021 is first that aims to show UK diversity, yet 7.5% of people did not fill in relevant questionsCensus 2021 was the first to collect information on the sexual orientation of residents aged 16 years and over in England and Wales. Of those who completed the survey, 1.54% identified as gay or lesbian, and approximately 1.51% identified as bisexual or pansexual. A further 0.06% identified as asexual, and 0.03% as queer. This is almost certainly an underestimation of the actual national diversity of sexual orientation.The item on sexuality was introduced for equity monitoring. The Office for National Statistics conducted extensive research, including the 2017 census test, to determine the exact wording and location of the item. Continue reading...

Angela Crawley’s private member’s bill aims to grant three days of statutory paid leave to grieving parentsMinisters have been urged to back proposals that would grant paid leave to parents who have experienced miscarriage.Under current UK law, people are not granted maternity leave or pay if they have had a miscarriage. Continue reading...

Light armoured vehicles arriving in Ukraine are good fit for tactics Kyiv has been deploying against Russia

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says UK capital is a place to ‘live, work and enjoy yourself’

Exclusive: Files raise questions about whether oligarch’s children were made beneficiaries to protect fortune from possible asset freezesTrusts holding billions of dollars of assets for Roman Abramovich were amended to transfer beneficial ownership to his children shortly before sanctions were imposed on the Russian oligarch.Leaked files seen by the Guardian suggest 10 secretive offshore trusts established to benefit Abramovich were rapidly reorganised in early February 2022, three weeks before the start of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Firm said in October it had not paid any UK windfall taxes because of heavy investment in North SeaShell has revealed it will pay about $2bn (£1.7bn) in UK and EU windfall taxes for the final quarter of 2022 – the first time it has paid UK tax for five years.The oil company had previously sparked anger in October when it said it had not paid any UK windfall taxes because of heavy investment in the North Sea. Continue reading...

All 30,000 BA staff to be re-kitted in Ozwald Boateng-designed workwear but no leeway to pick and mix gender-specific outfitsBritish Airways has announced its first change of uniform in almost two decades, with options including a tunic and hijab and jumpsuits for female cabin crew.The overhaul of the flag carrier’s work attire comes after a painstaking five-year rethink by the British fashion designer Ozwald Boateng. Continue reading...

Concerns raised over health of Pape Alé Niang, detained since 20 December on charges of revealing confidential government informationPressure is mounting on authorities in Senegal to release a journalist and human rights defender on hunger strike in detention, after reports of his deteriorating health.Pape Alé Niang, director of the Dakar Matin news website, has refused food since he was imprisoned on 20 December and has been in hospital since 24 December. A request for his immediate conditional release was turned down on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Pay package is drop of about £35m on previous year but she still ranks as one of world’s best-paid executivesThe Bet365 boss Denise Coates was paid more than £260m in salary and dividends in the year to March 2022, underlining her place as one of the world’s highest-paid executives.The best-paid Bet365 director, thought to be Coates, received remuneration of £213m for the year, about 15% lower than the £250m awarded in the previous year, according to the company accounts published on Friday. Continue reading...

Health department data shows deaths have progressively increased from October, with 738 outbreaks now active in facilities

Warning as cases of meningococcal disease and invasive group A streptococcus rise. This blog is now closed

Trucks normally travel direct from Perth to Fitzroy Crossing but new return trip halfway across Australia is ‘equal to a one-way trip from Paris to Vladivostok’

Users of Chinese social media have questioned the country’s official statistics after a surge in the number of public figures dyingA spate of deaths among celebrities and public figures across China has sparked concerns that the actual death toll from Covid-19 may be far higher than authorities are reporting.Many on Chinese social media have been mourning the death of actor Gong Jintang, who died aged 83 on New Year’s Day. He was known for his portrayal of Father Kang in the sitcom Kang’s Family, which first aired in 2000. Continue reading...

Bumper time for early bookings predicted as industry holds out for post-Covid return of foreign tripsUK travel firms are preparing for the busiest day of holiday bookings in years, as the traditional peak season arrives free of Covid restrictions and with demand fuelled by Britons hoping to escape strikes and constant crisis.The travel industry’s “Sunshine Saturday”, the first day off after the new year return to work, used to be the most popular time to book a foreign holiday before coronavirus. But foreign travel was largely off limits this time in 2021 and 2022, while hundreds of thousands of bookings made in January 2020 were postponed or refunded when the pandemic hit.SpainUSFranceItalyGreecePortugalGermanyAustraliaTurkeyCyprusAustriaThailandCanadaThe NetherlandsThe United Arab EmiratesIrelandCroatiaMexicoSwitzerlandNorwayEgyptIcelandBelgium Continue reading...

Jenny Green offers to exhibit her private collection at Museo Ruso, a Russian art museumA Russian art museum in Málaga has been saved from possible closure by a British enthusiast after she offered to exhibit her private collection of 76 works by Russian artists.The works, dating from 1876 to 1980, belong to Jenny Green, who began collecting Russian art 20 years ago. In the 1960s Green was one of a group of people behind Granny Takes a Trip, the trend-setting Kings Road boutique in London. Continue reading...

Remains of Todd Mooney and daughter Kirra found after shed fire at Biggenden on 20 DecemberA woman has been charged with murder over the deaths of a Queensland father and his 10-year-old daughter five days before Christmas.The remains of Todd Mooney, 54, and his 10-year-old daughter, Kirra, were found after a shed fire at Biggenden, about 78km south-west of Bundaberg, on 20 December. Continue reading...

Raad, who was repatriated from Syria to Australia in 2022, was forced to surrender her passport and will appear at court again in March

Southern Extremeties say four-city tour called off ‘for reasons beyond our control’, with two venues having pulled out prior to announcement

Road train rules eased to ensure supplies and three military planes join efforts to rescue communities in hard-hit Kimberley

The English Australian actor, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, died at home in Sydney in DecemberNeighbours and A Country Practice actor Joan Sydney has died at the age of 83.The English Australian actor, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, died at her Sydney home on 28 December. Her long-time friend and fellow actor Sally-Anne Upton confirmed the news on social media on Friday. Continue reading...

Legislation will allow bosses of key public services to sue unions and sack employees who refuse to workRishi Sunak’s new anti-strike legislation to enforce “minimum service levels” in key public sectors including the NHS and schools has drawn a furious reaction from unions as the prime minister scrambles to get a grip on industrial disputes.The law, which the government plans to introduce in the coming weeks, will allow bosses in health, education, fire, ambulance, rail and nuclear commissioning to sue unions and sack employees if minimum levels are not met. Continue reading...

Detainment of Navab Ebrahimi is speculated to be linked to post about cutlets, a possible taunt over general’s deathIran has detained a prominent chef and Instagram influencer, known for his videos promoting Persian cooking, in its crackdown on nationwide protests, human rights groups and supporters have said.Navab Ebrahimi was arrested in Tehran on Wednesday and taken to the city’s Evin prison, the Human Rights Activists News Agency said. Continue reading...

Robert Habeck says ‘half of our eggs were in the basket of Putin’ but Germany is now recovering capacity

New programme for primary school pupils will teach them about different jobs, training and skillsPrimary school pupils as young as five and six are to be the target of a new careers programme in England encouraging them to think about future jobs early, the government has announced.Children in years 1, 2 and 3, between the ages of five and eight, will be given age-appropriate lessons designed to introduce them to different careers, training and skills, and inspire them about the world of work. Continue reading...

Callum Baker-Osborne, 18, drowned after rescuing three young relatives caught in riptide and letting sister reach safety in 2021 incidentAn 18-year-old man sacrificed his own life by letting go of his older sister in the sea having just saved his two nephews and a niece from a fierce riptide off the Dorset coast, an inquest heard.Callum Baker-Osborne was exhausted after swimming to the rescue of the three young children and briefly clung on to his sister, Samantha Osborne-Ward, for help. Continue reading...

Bakery chain to pay shop staff at least £10.60 an hour after price of sausage rolls went up to £1.20Greggs has handed a 10% pay rise to workers as it warned of “material cost inflation” that prompted a third rise in the price of its sausage rolls in a year.The bakery chain said its shop workers would be paid at least £10.60 an hour from 1 January up from £9.62 brought in last year. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Harry writes in autobiography Spare of being told he was ‘living the life she couldn’t … the life she wanted for you’In his highly anticipated autobiography, Spare, Prince Harry describes how his sadness over the death of his mother, Princess Diana, led him to seek help from a woman who “claimed to have ‘powers’” and to be able to relay a message.“You’re living the life she couldn’t,” Harry says the woman told him. “You’re living the life she wanted for you.” Continue reading...

Regulator is looking into allegations of unlawful advertising of the drug amid huge demand

Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris says sorry after account posts ‘deeply unpleasant stuff’A second cabinet minister has said they fell victim to hackers and was forced to apologise after their Twitter account posted a series of offensive tweets about race, sexuality and gender identity.Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, said others temporarily gained access to his account and posted some “deeply unpleasant stuff”. Continue reading...

Two drivers in hospital after alleged ‘high-speed accident’ at four-way intersection near Shepparton

Police allege Mariam Raad knowingly entered ‘declared area’ of Syria in 2014 to be with her husband, who had joined the terrorist organisation

He calls himself a misogynist – and has millions of followers. Now the former kickboxer from Luton turned social media star has been arrested on charges that include human trafficking. What happened?Andrew Tate is everywhere and nowhere. While some may not have heard about the social media influencer, for many young people it can feel like he is all but inescapable – on chat shows, podcasts, YouTube and all over their social media feeds.Tate, a former reality TV star, is known for making controversial and misogynistic statements, while dispensing advice to his followers on how men should behave. Charities and teachers say his videos and interviews are normalising damaging attitudes towards women – but his fans insist he is misunderstood. Continue reading...

PM makes five pledges for public to judge him against, but gives little detail or timescale

Bloc recommends negative coronavirus tests from all arrivals despite warnings from Beijing of retaliationThe European Union wants all travellers from China to take pre-departure Covid tests, in response to surging levels of the virus after Beijing hastily abandoned strict controls.EU officials meeting on Wednesday in the “integrated political crisis response” format said there should be a requirement for a negative Covid test from all travellers from China, despite warnings from Beijing of retaliation. Continue reading...

Publication by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo ‘will not go without effective response’, says Tehran foreign ministerIran has summoned the French ambassador over publication of caricatures of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.The weekly magazine published dozens of cartoons ridiculing the highest religious and political figure in the Islamic republic as part of a competition it launched in December in support of the protest movement that began in Iran last September. Continue reading...

Critics warn changes will weaken supreme court and undermine country’s democracyBenjamin Netanyahu’s justice minister has unveiled the new government’s long-promised overhaul of the judicial system that aims to weaken the supreme court. Critics say the plan will undermine Israel’s democracy by giving absolute power to the most rightwing coalition in the country’s history.The justice minister, Yariv Levin, a confidant of Netanyahu’s and a longtime critic of the supreme court, presented his plan a day before the justices debate a new law passed by the government allowing a politician convicted of tax offences to serve as a cabinet minister. “The time has come to act,” Levin said. Continue reading...

Residents watched in amazement as tents, caravans and seven stages set up near village centreThe music blared for days, thumping through dozens of speakers hastily erected in the dusty fields. Against the backdrop of Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountains, thousands of revellers danced while others perused stands selling homemade soap, piercings and slices of pizza from a makeshift mud oven.The illegal rave began on Friday, choking off traffic and leaving pulsating beats wafting over the nearby village of La Peza. “It was 24 hours a day of chin chin boom,” said Fernando Álvarez, the mayor of the municipality. Continue reading...

Consortium spearheaded by Direct Line founder, Sir Peter Wood, have swooped for companyA consortium spearheaded by Direct Line founder Sir Peter Wood has swooped for the funeral services company Dignity in the first UK takeover attempt of the year.A subsidiary of Valderrama – a joint venture between Wood’s investment firm SPWOne and investment house Castelnau Group – has made a possible offer for the London-listed company, whose board recommended the deal to shareholders. Continue reading...

PM admits waiting times are too long as he makes five promises in new year speech

Company valued last year at £1.4bn says revenues rose almost threefold to £27mEuan Blair’s apprenticeship company, Multiverse, made a pre-tax loss of £14.2m last year – the sixth straight year of losses since the son of the former prime minister set it up in 2016.Despite the losses – including £10.9m in 2021 and just over £5m in 2020 – the company was awarded the coveted tech “unicorn” status when it was valued at £1.4bn in fundraising driven by US venture capital firms in June 2022. Continue reading...

Union leader Mick Whelan brands reported £2,000 rise per year just before latest 24-hour strike as ‘tokenism’The train drivers union has dismissed as “tokenism” a pay offer reportedly being drawn up by the government before a new strike by its members on Thursday.Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said the union had received no offer nor entered new talks, but said a possible £2,000 rise reported in the Sun “would not fly”. Continue reading...

Warnings of thousands of excess deaths this winter as official data highlights plight of most vulnerableMore than 700,000 people in England and Wales are living in homes without central heating this winter, one in 10 of whom are elderly and ill, according to figures that lay bare the plight of the most vulnerable.The new official data highlights the extreme end of the conditions being suffered by those who live in 4m homes the government rates as “non-decent” for failing to meet basic standards. Continue reading...

Defendants aged 21 and 22 ordered to stand trial on 3 July after fatal Boxing Day stabbing at Birmingham nightclubTwo men will go on trial in July for the murder of the 23-year-old footballer Cody Fisher, who was stabbed on the dancefloor of a Birmingham nightclub on Boxing Day.Kami Carpenter, 21, and Remy Gordon, 22, appeared at Birmingham crown court on Wednesday, where Judge Paul Farrer KC ordered a trial to start on 3 July. Continue reading...