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Exclusive: Insiders believe depth of inquiry and severity of some claims means deputy PM will struggle to keep jobDominic Raab is facing a much broader bullying investigation than originally anticipated with at least 24 civil servants involved in formal complaints against him, the Guardian understands.Government insiders believe the depth of the inquiry and severity of some of the claims means the deputy prime minister will struggle to survive in post, and throws further doubt on Rishi Sunak’s judgment for having him in such a senior position.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or by emailing jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...

President lauds ‘unflagging commitment to Ukraine’ as officials approve 31 M1 Abrams tanks to add to Germany’s 14 Leopard 2A6sJoe Biden has approved sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, a significant escalation in the US effort to counter Russian aggression as international reluctance to send tanks to the battlefront falls away.The reversal of the US’s previous position came after Germany confirmed it will make 14 of its Leopard 2A6 tanks available for Ukraine’s war effort, and give partner countries its permission to re-export other battle tanks to aid Kyiv. Continue reading...

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Politicians, campaigners and UN special rapporteur concerned by case of Isla Bryson, who offended before she had transitionedPoliticians, campaigners and a UN special rapporteur have all expressed grave concerns that a transgender woman found guilty of raping two women before transitioning is being remanded in a female prison.Opponents of the Scottish government’s gender recognition reforms – which the UK government has blocked from going for royal assent because of “safety issues for women and children” – said that the case vindicated their concerns about lack of safeguards in the bill. Continue reading...

Police say 61-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting ex-minister at Westminster stationA man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting Matt Hancock on the London Underground.The former health secretary and reality TV contestant is not thought to have been hurt in the incident, but his spokesperson said it was an “unpleasant encounter”. The alleged assault began on Tuesday morning at Westminster station before continuing on a busy tube train. Continue reading...

Sudden restart of investigation sets off developments leaving doubts justice for victims will be deliveredMore than two years since the huge explosion that levelled Beirut’s port and horrified the world, a blazing row has broken out that has seen Lebanon’s leading judges file charges against each other and all suspects in the stalled investigation released.The surprise moves come after Tarek Bitar, the judge tasked with investigating the blast, suddenly resumed his work. The probe had been stalled for more than a year, opposed by the country’s political factions, which have shown no interest in delivering justice for the 202 people killed and the hundreds more maimed. Continue reading...

YouTuber who posted videos on how to be an alpha male knifed woman 80 times and tried to kill her new partnerA self-styled expert in “seduction” and “masculinity” has been jailed for life for the murder of his ex-girlfriend in a town outside Paris in 2020.Mickaël Philétas, 41, a former French railworker who retrained as an aerobics coach and posted videos online about living the life of an alpha male, was found guilty of stabbing to death his 34-year-old ex-girlfriend at her home in Ecquevilly. Continue reading...

Labour MP on trial for fraud ‘appeared to be on some sort of substance’, says former caseworkerA former Labour MP held a constituency staff meeting where he was gurning, grinding his teeth and “talking a million miles an hour”, a court has heard.Jared O’Mara “appeared to be on some sort of substance,” said Kevin Gregory-Coyne, a former caseworker for the MP. Continue reading...

The group behind the awards faced widespread criticism after nominating the young star of FirestarterThe organisers of the Razzie awards have removed the 12-year-old actor Ryan Kiera Armstrong from the worst actress category after backlash.The young actor, also known from Black Widow and The Tomorrow War, was included in the annual list of worst of the year nominees for her performance in the thriller Firestarter, a remake of the Stephen King adaptation starring Drew Barrymore. Armstrong was 11 at the time of filming. Continue reading...

Campaigners welcome vote by MSPs to close loopholes they say were smokescreen for illegal foxhuntingAnimal welfare campaigners have hailed the decision by the Holyrood parliament to toughen anti-hunting laws as a wake-up call to Westminster.Màiri McAllan, the Scottish government’s environment minister, said chasing and killing a wild mammal with a dog had “no place in modern Scotland”, as MSPs voted 90 to 30 for the hunting with dogs bill, which aims to close loopholes 20 years after a ban on foxhunting was first put in place, in 2002. Continue reading...

German chancellor’s hesitation about sending Leopard 2 vehicles finds sympathy among public

Hindenburg Research says world’s third-richest person, Gautam Adani, is pulling ‘largest con in corporate history’More than $9bn (£7.3bn) was wiped off the fortune of companies partly owned by the world’s third-richest person, after an activist investor accused him of “pulling the largest con in corporate history”.Shares in listed companies tied to Adani’s empire Adani Group lost $9.4bn in market value on Wednesday after short seller investment firm Hindenburg Research published a detailed investigation into accusations of “brazen stock manipulation”, “accounting fraud” and “money laundering.” Continue reading...

We would like to hear what parents and carers have planned for the school break in FebruaryIn February, school aged children across the country will break for the half term holidays.As the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze families’ budgets, we want to know how you plan to keep your kids occupied. Maybe it is a visit to your local library, or a sports camp to fit with your work schedule. Continue reading...

Washington joins Berlin in agreeing to send tanks – but offer will only go so far to keep Russians at bay

Exclusive: Solicitors launch case on behalf of civil servant dismissed after calling for resignation of cabinet secretaryA GCHQ employee who was sacked after calling publicly for the resignation of the UK’s most senior civil servant during the final weeks of Boris Johnson’s government is launching a legal claim under whistleblowing legislation.The former mandarin of 17 years, known as Stuart, was forced out of his job at the spy centre after using a radio interview with James O’Brien to demand that the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, step down. Continue reading...

Nurse denies murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at neo-natal unit in ChesterA “smiling” nurse offered to take photographs of a baby soon after murdering her on the fourth attempt, a court has heard.Lucy Letby, 33, is accused of harming the newborn by injecting air into her feeding tube and bloodstream before she died at the Countess of Chester hospital on 23 October 2015. Continue reading...

Convicted triple killer sought asylum in UK while on run from murder charges in SerbiaA convicted triple killer who sought asylum in the UK has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 29 years after murdering an aspiring Royal Marine outside a Subway takeaway shop.Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai was on the run from murder charges in Serbia when he arrived in the UK, but his violent past went undetected and he even managed to dupe officials into believing he was 14 – up to six years younger than his actual age. Continue reading...

Key Putin ally who founded Wagner mercenaries tried to ‘subvert sanctions and silence journalist’, says Pat McFaddenThe Treasury is reviewing its procedures after the Russian founder of a mercenary army was given permission to circumvent sanctions to attempt to silence a British journalist.The Treasury minister James Cartlidge said changes could be made after an outcry over the case, which the shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, called an “unconscionable” decision to make it easier for Yevgeny Prigozhin to pursue an unfounded claim. Continue reading...

Berlin’s decision could unlock offers from Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland and Norway to provide German-made machines

Coca-Cola claimed juice was healthy despite toxic ‘forever chemicals’ levels ‘hundreds of times’ above federal limits, suit saysA new class-action lawsuit in the US alleges Coca-Cola and Simply Tropical fruit juice deceived customers with claims of an all-natural, healthy product when the juice has been found to be contaminated with toxic PFAS at levels “hundreds of times” above federal advisory limits for drinking water.PFAS are a class of about 12,000 chemicals typically used to make thousands of consumer products resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and they are linked to cancer, fetal complications, liver disease, kidney disease, autoimmune disorders and other serious health issues. Continue reading...

Australian peak GP body says ‘overall picture’ of patients’ health will be lost if Medicare changes split care across multiple providers

Entonox gas and air is safe for pregnant women but exposure to staff over long periods could pose health riskA hospital in Harlow has withdrawn painkilling gas and air for women because of the air quality of its maternity unit after high levels of nitrous oxide were found.The Princess Alexandra hospital in Essex is the latest to withdraw the treatment. The Health and Safety Executive is already investigating Basildon hospital amid concerns over staff exposure to high levels of nitrous oxide used in Entonox. Continue reading...

Delays, cancelled flights and dangerous road conditions possible, with 24 flood warnings in placeFlooding and travel disruption has been forecast as cold temperatures continue to set in across southern England.The Met Office said on Wednesday: “Mist, fog and freezing fog – including freezing drizzle – will be slow to clear across southern parts of England this morning.” Continue reading...

Move leaves British Museum and Science Museum isolated as arts institutions with fossil fuel sponsorsCampaigners have hailed a “seismic shift” in arts funding after the Royal Opera House confirmed it had severed its sponsorship relationship with BP after more than three decades.The oil and gas multinational has been a sponsor of the ROH since 1988, most recently under a five-year deal that began in 2018. However, in a statement on Wednesday the opera house said there had been an “agreement” that the funding would not be renewed. Continue reading...

Olaf Scholz confirms decision after weeks of pressure, with Berlin providing 14 tanks and allowing partners to re-export others

Labour leader and SNP make reference to former non-domiciled status of PM’s wife at question time in Commons

Mark Rowley tells London assembly that police bracing for corrupt officers in court until 2025 as ‘systemic failings’ rooted outThe commissioner of the Metropolitan police has predicted that “two to three” officers a week will face trial for crimes such as violence against women and dishonesty, as he said hunting down wrongdoers in the ranks would be long and painful.Mark Rowley was speaking after the scandal of the Met officer David Carrick, convicted last week of 85 rapes and serious crimes despite repeated reports to the force that he was a potential danger to women. Continue reading...

Nick Sands, the brother of Julian Sands, who has been missing for 12 days in California, has said ‘I know in my heart that he has gone’A brother of Julian Sands, the actor who went missing while hiking in California almost two weeks ago, has spoken of his fears that his sibling may not be found.In an interview with Yorkshire paper the Telegraph & Argus, Nick Sands, a financial adviser who still lives and works in Gargrave, the North Yorkshire town where they grew up, has detailed the regular trips home his brother would make, which often involved considerable amounts of hill-climbing. Continue reading...

Adelaide writer and speaker directed Netflix documentary about women’s body loathing and her path to accepting her own skin

Man suspected of being author of letter sent to Pedro Sánchez and several institutions in late 2022, reports saySpanish police have arrested a 74-year-old man suspected of being the author of the letter bombs sent in late 2022 to several institutions and embassies in Spain, sources have told Spanish and French media.The devices were sent to targets including the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid, government offices, a European Union satellite company and the US embassy between 24 November and 2 December. One person was slightly injured. Continue reading...

Treasurer vows to ‘throw the book’ at people responsible for breach after unauthorised disclosures of multinational tax consultations

Robert Hurman tells royal commission it was ‘not my intention’ to be anything other than full and frank with the watchdog

Survey contradicts Priti Patel’s claims that people crossing Channel are ‘not genuine’ asylum seekersNearly half of asylum seekers facing removal to Rwanda are married and a fifth have children, according to a new survey.The findings were released by the campaign coalition Together With Refugees, a coalition of more than 500 national and local organisations representing refugees, on Wednesday. The charity Care4Calais carried out the analysis. Continue reading...

Beau Newell from Pride in Sport says it’s naive to expect all players to wear rainbow logo and does not undermine inclusivity

CPI rose by 1.9% in the December quarter driven by surging electricity prices and the cost of holiday travel and accommodation

After last year’s countdown was topped by a band for children, Saturday’s countdown is anyone’s guess – but we do have a few hunches

Mayor says she is concerned for safety of staff, but senator says he knows nothing of the group, which used his video warning of ‘climate lockdown’

Fake cryptocurrency or forex broker websites the most common scam in what has ballooned into a billion-dollar industry

Index on Censorship lists UK as only ‘partially' open’ in every key metric for the year 2021The UK has been ranked only in the third tier of a new global index of freedom of expression due to what was described as the “chilling effect” of government policies, policing and intimidation of journalists in the legal system.Countries including Israel, Chile, Jamaica and virtually every other western European state were all ranked ahead of the UK in the measure compiled by the advocacy group Index on Censorship. Continue reading...

Polling comes amid Conservative backbench unrest at government plan to ban conversion practicesMore than 400,000 people who are gay, transgender or non-binary have been subjected to someone trying to change, “cure” or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity, according to new research that suggests a proposed ban on conversion practices will have a wider impact than previously thought.Polling for Galop, an LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity, found that one in five LGBTQ+ people and more than a third of trans people in the UK have been subjected to attempted conversion, which campaigners describe as abuse. Continue reading...

Thinktank says of advanced economies, only Greece would have lower public and private investmentIf the north of England were a country, it would be second bottom of a league table showing levels of investment in advanced economies, according to a report by a leading thinktank.Only Greece has lower levels of public and private investment in a ranking of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries compiled by researchers at IPPR North, the northern branch of the influential Institute for Public Policy Research. Continue reading...

Experts urge governments to reprioritise public health messaging amid fears the anti-vaccine lobby ‘has the floor’ on immunisation

Adult Swim will reportedly recast the titular roles, both voiced by Roiland, while Dan Harmon will become sole showrunnerRick and Morty’s Justin Roiland has been dropped as the voice of the titular characters on the animated series and will no longer work on the show, after it emerged he had been charged with felony domestic abuse in Orange County.The 42-year-old has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial after being charged with corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, fraud, violence or deceit. The charges relate to a 2020 incident against an unidentified woman Roiland was living with and dating at the time. Continue reading...

Billionaire mogul says in letter that proposal to reunite companies he split up a decade ago ‘not optimal’ for shareholdersFox Corp said on Tuesday that Rupert Murdoch had scrapped a proposal to combine the company with News Corp, in a deal that would have reunited the media empire he split nearly a decade ago.Murdoch sent a letter to News Corp and Fox withdrawing his proposal to reunite the companies, according to a regulatory filing. He indicated that he and his son, Fox Corp chief executive Lachlan Murdoch, had determined that the combination is “not optimal” for shareholders. Continue reading...

Foreign Office confirms Chris Parry, 28, and Andrew Bagshaw, 47, killed carrying out humanitarian work on frontlineTwo Britons missing in Ukraine were killed while trying to carry out a humanitarian evacuation in the east of the country, the Foreign Office has confirmed.Chris Parry, 28, and his colleague Andrew Bagshaw, 47 – who held dual UK and New Zealand citizenship – had been attempting the evacuation of an elderly woman from Soledar when their car was hit by an artillery shell, Bagshaw’s family said in a statement. Continue reading...

Melbourne reportedly the most expensive city for government school costs, such as electronic devices and uniforms

Scrutiny of potential conflicts of interest among assessors for BBC job follows allegations over Boris Johnson loanThe government-appointed panel that approved Richard Sharp as a prime candidate for the role of BBC chair included a Conservative party donor and prospective MP, as well as the wife of the former chair of the Spectator who worked with Boris Johnson when he edited that political magazine.As Sharp faces multiple investigations, amid allegations he helped Johnson secure a loan of up to £800,000 weeks before he was recommended for the job by the latter, the potential conflicts of interest among panel members responsible for interviewing and recommending candidates for the job have come under scrutiny. Continue reading...

Isla Bryson ‘preyed’ on vulnerable women whom she met online, prosecutors saidA transgender woman has been found guilty of raping two women when she was a man.Isla Bryson, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, committed the crimes before she transitioned to female. Continue reading...

Germany will send its 2A6 battle tanks in conjunction with other countries such as Finland, Sweden and Poland, say reports citing government sourcesBerlin has reportedly succumbed to huge international and domestic pressure and is set to announce that it will send German-manufactured tanks to Ukraine that Kyiv says it needs to push back Russian forces, according to media reports on Tuesday evening citing government sources.It is reported to be planning to send a company of Leopard 2A6 battle tanks – usually comprising 14 of the vehicles – in conjunction with other partners, namely Scandinavian countries in possession of the units. Berlin is also understood to have said it would give its permission for export licences for countries such as Finland, Sweden and Poland who have bought the tanks from Germany, allowing them to be sent to Ukraine. Continue reading...

Leeds crown court hears how invoices submitted by former Labour MP who is facing eight fraud charges were ‘amateurish’Jared O’Mara, the former MP on trial for submitting fraudulent expenses, tried to falsely claim thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money through the parliament disability budget, a court has heard.O’Mara, who served as MP for Sheffield Hallam from 2017 to 2019, is facing eight counts of fraud totalling £30,000 and is accused of submitting fabricated invoices from a fictional autism organisation. Continue reading...