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Independent review asked to recommend cuts to public service to reduce workforce by 5%-6%

Ships' presence off east coast follows incident in South China Sea in which a Chinese fighter jet released flares in front of Australian military plane

Israel's war has left many Lebanese people contemplating what once seemed unimaginable: is Hezbollah finished? Michael Safi reports from BeirutMichael Safi was in Lebanon in the summer, when it was on the brink of war between Israel and Hezbollah, the most powerful force in the country. Months later, in October, Israeli troops invaded Lebanon amid a wave of airstrikes and assassinations of top Hezbollah leaders and commanders.Michael returned this month and visited destroyed villages in southern Lebanon as civilians were returning to their homes. On the ground, it appeared the Israeli military had a political strategy too: splintering Lebanese society by driving a wedge between the community that traditionally supports Hezbollah and everybody else. Continue reading...

Man was trekking with another Briton in Dhauladhar range on trail from Dharamkot to Triund in northern IndiaA British tourist has died after seriously injuring himself while trekking in the Himalayas.The man, who had gone on a short hike to the foot of the Dhauladhar mountain range in northern India with another British tourist, fell during his descent on Sunday evening and was taken down the mountain on a stretcher. Continue reading...

Six cartels added to list as part of Trump's plan to wage war' on drug trafficking groups to address fentanyl crisis in USThe US has added six Mexican cartels to its list of foreign terrorist organisations (FTOs), as it calls for the total elimination" of the criminal groups trafficking drugs to the US.Mexico's two biggest organised crime groups, the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels, were among those added, as were Tren de Aragua and Mara Salvatrucha, groups with ties to Venezuela and El Salvador. Continue reading...

Florida lawsuit accuses Alexandre de Moraes of violating free speech rights of far-right Brazilian influencerDonald Trump's media group and the video platform Rumble have jointly filed a lawsuit against a Brazilian supreme court justice, alleging that he violated the right to free speech of a far-right Brazilian influencer residing in the US.The suit against justice Alexandre de Moraes was filed in a federal court in Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday morning, just hours after he received the indictment of Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, formally accusing the far-right leader of leading a plot to cling to power after losing the 2022 election. Continue reading...

Police arrested prolific criminal after homeowners showed CCTV footage of him tripping on string tied to pail of waterA bungling burglar has been jailed after he was caught out by a Home Alone-style bucket trap.The homeowners in Northumberland had set the snare after several recent reports of attempted break-ins in the local area. Continue reading...

Eli Sharabi learned his wife and daughters had been killed after his release from captivity in Gaza but is mentally strong', says British brother-in-lawDon't worry, I will be back. Whatever they do to me, I will be back," was one of the last things Eli Sharabi told his wife and daughters before he was abducted by Hamas. And when the 52-year-old was freed after 16 months in captivity in Gaza, he was desperate to know if his family were waiting for him.It was only then that he was told that his British wife, Lianne Sharabi, 48, and daughters Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, had been murdered at their home in the Be'eri kibbutz in Israel on 7 October 2023. Continue reading...

Lady Carr defends judiciary's independence after Starmer said decision to accept case resulted from a legal loophole'England and Wales's most senior judge has written to Keir Starmer about an unacceptable" exchange with Kemi Badenoch at prime minister's questions, saying she was deeply troubled" by the discussion on the case of a Palestinian family's right to live in the UK.Lady Sue Carr, the lady chief justice, criticised the Conservative leader's questions about the case, in which a family from Gaza had applied through a scheme designed for Ukrainian refugees. Continue reading...

The singer is being charged with defamation of the far-right Italian prime minister leader while performing at a festival in Turin in 2023Placebo frontman Brian Molko is being charged with defamation after appearing to call the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, a piece of shit, fascist, racist" in Italian while performing at a festival in Turin in 2023.In August 2023, Meloni sued Molko over the comments. Prosecutors subsequently opened an investigation into the claims and have charged Molko with contempt of the institutions". Continue reading...

Fire broke out on Valentine's Day, partially destroying London venue that had been due to host Bafta partyA fire that tore through a luxury London hotel popular with celebrities was caused by wood falling from a pizza oven.The Chiltern Firehouse, which had been due to host a post-Bafta film awards party on Sunday evening, was partially destroyed by the fire on Friday Continue reading...

Jacket potato seller, who has 4 million followers, says the council want to replace him with a flower bedMore than 65,000 people have signed a petition urging a council to reinstate the pitch of a wildly popular jacket potato seller.Spudman, also known as Ben Newman, has 4 million followers on TikTok who watch as he serves potatoes with generous toppings that include cheese, beans, tuna mayonnaise and chicken curry. One customer asked for his bag of Chilli Heatwave Doritos to be topped up with cheese, minced beef, nacho cheese sauce, crispy onions and honey. Continue reading...

The Colombian star went to the emergency room in Peru's capital on Saturday night, days after launching her first worldwide tour in seven yearsShakira cancelled her concert in the Peruvian capital on Sunday after being hospitalised with abdominal pain, a setback that comes days after she launched her first worldwide tour in seven years.The 48-year-old Colombian star posted on her social media accounts that she had gone to the emergency room on Saturday night and remained in hospital. Continue reading...

Kevin Flanagan, headteacher at Pensby High School, said Keith and Stephanie Critchley harassed him in person and onlineA secondary school headteacher has been paid damages in the settlement of a legal claim against abusive parents who he alleged launched a campaign of harassment against him, including turning up at his family home and verbally abusing him at the school gates.Kevin Flanagan, the headteacher of Pensby High School in Birkenhead, was successful in his claim against Keith and Stephanie Critchley, the parents of two former pupils, who he said had been harassing him since May 2023. Continue reading...

French president calls for urgent talks in Paris amid fears US leader is sidelining alliesThe French president, Emmanuel Macron, was on Saturday night seeking to convene an emergency meeting of European leaders, including the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, as concerns grew over Donald Trump's attempts to seize control of the Ukraine peace process.Speaking at the Munich security conference, Poland's foreign minister, Radosaw Sikorski, said he was very glad that President Macron has called our leaders to Paris" to discuss in a very serious fashion" the challenges posed by Trump. Continue reading...

MP previously organised leave during Victorian parliament's sitting week prior to returning to Liberal partyroom

Exclusive: former Police drummer and the naturalist Martyn Stewart collaborate on album inspired by migration of Arctic ternChirping Arctic terns and howling wolves are among the birds and animals that will be heard in a pioneering composition that fuses sounds from nature with the playing of traditional instruments.Birdsong and animal calls will interact with orchestral music on an album by Stewart Copeland, the former Police drummer and a seven-time Grammy-winning composer, who has drawn on field recordings made by the British naturalist Martyn Stewart. Continue reading...

There may be less snow but the number of callouts has surged, and often involve ill-prepared novice hikersWhen Neil Barrow first volunteered with mountain rescue 40 years ago, for weeks on end the Lake District fells would be capped with snow.Winters with the Patterdale mountain rescue team, of which he is now deputy leader, would involve big and complicated rescues, during which he would bring down the experienced hikers who had become injured or ill tackling the national park's famous peaks in snow and ice. Continue reading...

French president says yielding to Vladimir Putin would be bad news for everyone' amid fears of US and Russia deciding continent's future securityEmmanuel Macron has warned against a peace deal over the Ukraine war that would amount to capitulation" as Donald Trump suggested Russia might not make any concessions in negotiations.The French president said only the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, could negotiate on behalf of his country with Russia to end the war, warning in an interview with the Financial Times that a peace that is a capitulation" would be bad news for everyone", including the US. Continue reading...

On the first day of his second term in office, Donald Trump suggested he wanted the US to expand' its territory. Few thought he could actually mean taking Canada and making it the 51st state. But could he actually do that?Jonathan Freedland speaks to the reporter Leyland Cecco in Toronto about the possibility of the two North American allies merging, what Canadians think about it, and why this existential threat has had an impact on Canadian national politics

Recipes for offal and spice-heavy dishes in Book of Sent Sovi show how transatlantic travel reshaped cuisineForget gazpacho, patatas bravas or the tang of paprika in your chorizo. Such dishes may be considered staples of the Mediterranean diet but a new exhibition celebrating Spain's oldest surviving cookbook suggests medieval Spanish cuisine was nothing like its modern successor.Dating from 1324, almost 170 years before Christopher Columbus made his first voyage to the Americas and sparked a new transatlantic trade in foodstuffs, the Book of Sent Sovi is a collection of 72 recipes written in Catalan by an unknown author. Continue reading...

Consumption in wealthy countries including US and UK is responsible for 13% of global forest loss beyond their borders, study findsThe world's wealthiest nations are exporting extinction" by destroying 15 times more biodiversity internationally than within their own borders, research shows.Most wildlife habitats are being destroyed in countries with tropical forest, according to the study which looked at how wealthy countries' demand for products such as beef, palm oil, timber and soya beans is destroying biodiversity hotspots elsewhere. Continue reading...

Departments making stretched links between programmes and government missions' amid fears of budget cutsMinisters are trying to mission-wash" every item of spending in their departments, according to officials, before a spending review at which Rachel Reeves has demanded they justify every pound they receive.Sources have told the Guardian that secretaries of state and their officials are looking for ways to link their spending to one of Labour's main priorities - growth, net zero, crime, education, immigration and the NHS - in order to avoid sharp budget cuts this summer. Continue reading...

Mahmoud and Ahmed Muna remain under house arrest until Sunday, despite lack of evidence against themTwo Jerusalem booksellers detained this week on charges their books were causing public disorder" have said the experience reflected an intensifying campaign by the Israeli government against Palestinian culture and free speech.Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmed, whose family has owned the Educational Bookshop for more than 40 years, spent two days in detention and will remain under house arrest until Sunday, despite the absence of evidence to support the vague accusations against them. Continue reading...

Jayde Struhs, who escaped Toowoomba group the Saints' in 2014, delivers victim impact statement as judge considers sentences

Exclusive: Charity says it has made drastic changes to safeguard future as Guardian finds it spent 100m more than it raised over last six yearsMacmillan Cancer Support has axed a quarter of its staff, downgraded its helpline and scrapped its flagship financial hardship scheme that provides millions of pounds in grants to thousands of patients, the Guardian can reveal.The UK's most popular charity says a tough financial climate" has led to it making drastic changes to safeguard its future and ensure it can still support the most vulnerable cancer patients.50,000 low-income cancer patients a year with less than 1,000 in savings will lose access to 200 hardship grants with the closure of the scheme.Macmillan has spent 100m more than it raised over the last six years.In 2023, spending on wages and salaries surged to 80m, up by almost one-fifth (18%) from 68m in just 12 months.In 2024, Macmillan told 1,200 staff - about 60% of its workforce - they were at risk of redundancy, with 431 leaving. Continue reading...

Jaysley Beck's friends tell inquest she did not report her boss because her previous complaint had been squashedColleagues of a 19-year-old soldier found dead in her barracks room after allegedly being sexually assaulted by an officer twice her age have strongly criticised how her complaint about the incident was dealt with.One colleague of Gunner Jaysley Beck confirmed at her inquest he was incensed" that Warrant Officer Class 1 Michael Webber was only subject to a minor sanction" after he allegedly pinned the teenager down and tried to kiss her during an adventure training exercise. Continue reading...

Move follows Gambling Commission review of online casino's practices, including promotion fronted by porn actorStake.com, the online casino that sponsors Everton Football Club, is to give up its licence to operate in Great Britain, amid a regulatory review of the company's practices, including a promotion fronted by a porn actor.The Gambling Commission began an investigation in response to the appearance on the social media platform X of a video featuring the adult star Bonnie Blue, featuring Stake's branding. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison, says he plans to use interim payment to visit family in AustraliaAndrew Malkinson has been given a payout by the Ministry of Justice, more than a year and a half after the court of appeal declared his innocence.Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape in Greater Manchester that he did not commit, was cleared in July 2023. Since then he has been struggling on benefits. Continue reading...

Putin's spokesperson rejects Zelenskyy's plan for transfer of Kyiv-held pockets of Kursk to help end war

Rapper's fashion brand Yeezy taken offline by Shopify after he sold T-shirt with swastika design and praised Hitler Warning: this article contains offensive language and viewsKanye West has been sued and dropped by his talent agency after he posted a stream of antisemitic abuse, put T-shirts with a swastika on sale in his online shop, and was alleged to have described himself as Hitler to a Jewish employee.Last week West, also known as Ye, wrote a barrage of antisemitic posts on X including, I'm a Nazi ... I love Hitler". Continue reading...

Average one- or two-bedroom home is 119,000 in Scottish city, as Liverpool tops list in England and Blaenau Gwent in Wales

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Abuse survivors likely to be dismayed by decision to transfer only national safeguarding staff to independent bodyThe Church of England has decided to hold off on full independence for its safeguarding operations in a move that is likely to dismay victims and survivors of abuse and falls short of expert advice.Its ruling body, the General Synod, voted overwhelmingly to transfer most national safeguarding staff to an independent body, but to delay a parallel move for local staff until further work" had been undertaken. Continue reading...

No cause of death has been given for the Nasty Crew producer, who was heralded as a pioneer of grime from the early 2000s onwardsThe pioneering grime artist Terror Danjah, much admired for his lush, playful and propulsive style of production, has died. A label representative confirmed the news to the Guardian via a family member, though a cause of death, and his age, have not been given.Among those paying tribute was Kevin Martin, AKA producer the Bug, who wrote: A fantastic producer, big hearted person and criminally underrated outside of grime circles ... a positive force, sorely missed." Continue reading...

The songwriter, who has reunited with Andrew Lloyd Webber for a Christmas mystery, said popularity of TV subtitles may have a welcome effect in theatresSurtitles should be routinely used for stage musicals as audiences are often unable to fully appreciate the lyrics, the leading songwriter Sir Tim Rice has said.It's very frustrating at times, especially if you're the words man," said Rice, 80, whose hits with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber include Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar. The pair have reunited to write songs for a comedy play, Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas, to be staged at Birmingham Rep this winter. Continue reading...

Singer will visit US, UK and Europe later this year alongside members of the original band who recorded the classic punk textPatti Smith is to perform her classic album Horses in full on a tour to mark the album's 50th anniversary.Playing gigs across the US, UK and Europe, Smith's band will feature guitarist Lenny Kaye and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, each of whom played on the original recording. The tour includes two UK dates, at London's Palladium on 12 and 13 October, with Dublin, Madrid, Bergamo, Brussels, Oslo and Paris also featuring on the European run. The US tour will visit Seattle, Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington DC and Philadelphia. Continue reading...

US vice president will meet Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen later todayNow, an immediate disclaimer on that advice I got from chatbots.New research found that leading artificial intelligence assistants create distortions, factual inaccuracies and misleading content in response to questions about news and current affairs. Continue reading...

Russia's deputy foreign minister says talks must recognise reality on the ground'Here are some photos coming to us over the wires.We have more on the upcoming Munich Security Conference (MSC). (see 10.48 entry).We hope that Munich will be used - and we have signs that it will - to make progress with regard to peace in Ukraine.We assume that talks will take place on the sidelines. I will leave it open whether a plan will be announced at the conference.I hope we will make progress in Munich... the fact that the person responsible for this, Kellogg, will attend is an indication of this for me. Continue reading...

Author of books including Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and Another Roadside Attraction, was known for his outlandish tales of sex, drugs and mysticismTom Robbins, whose novels read like a hit of literary LSD, filled with fantastical characters, manic metaphors and counterculture whimsy, has died aged 92.The author of works including Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Another Roadside Attraction and Still Life With Woodpecker, died on Sunday, his wife, Alexa Robbins, wrote on Facebook. The post did not cite a cause. Continue reading...

Ex-Foreign Office official says he saw conduct that crossed the threshold into complicity with war crimes'

In a world first, the actor will feature with a recording of his younger self in the time-lapse drama Krapp's Last TapeWhen it comes to forward planning, a new arts festival is going well beyond normal expectations.The organisers of the Beckett Biennale, which from next year will celebrate the great Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, are this weekend naming the actor who is signed up to star in a 2036 production of Krapp's Last Tape at their sixth festival. And, in a unique coup de theatre, Samuel West will be giving a performance that he has already partially recorded: in fact, he did it 19 years ago. Continue reading...

Charismatic father of the nation led the fight for independence from South Africa and ruled for 15 years as the country's first presidentSam Nujoma, the fiery freedom fighter who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years, has died aged 95.Nujoma's death was announced Sunday by current Namibian president Nangolo Mbumba. Mbumba said Nujoma died on Saturday night after being hospitalised in the capital, Windhoek. Continue reading...

Cleanbill report also reveals four out of five GPs will charge a gap fee for new adult patients without concessions

As humanitarian aid organisation is gutted by Trump administration, Rudd's office says neither he nor Asia Society received funding

Karim Khan, court's British chief prosecutor, said to be focus of move decried as attack on international rule of lawGovernments around the world have rushed to defend the international criminal court (ICC) after Donald Trump launched sanctions against the global body, which is seen as a vital last resort to prosecute powerful individuals accused of atrocities including war crimes and genocide.Set up more than two decades ago to serve as an impartial and incorruptible body that had the heft to take on criminals - from militant warlords to heads of state - the ICC has found itself under attack from Washington at a time when it is investigating shocking violence in Gaza. Continue reading...

Prime minister says US president covets northern neighbour's vast resources as Canadians rally against threatDonald Trump's recent fixation on absorbing Canada is a real thing", Justin Trudeau has told business leaders, warning that the US president wants access to his northern neighbour's vast supply of critical minerals.The outgoing prime minister was in Toronto for a hastily called summit of business and labour leaders, seeking to coordinate a response Trump's looming threat of a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports. Continue reading...

Idea of US occupying Gaza and pushing out the Palestinians delights Israel's pro-settler movement and its US alliesWhen Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington this week, his first stop was to meet evangelical Christian leaders, who have cheered on Israel in the war in Gaza in an alliance with the country's pro-settler rightwing government. For both constituencies, Israel's right to annex the occupied Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank is a matter of faith and, they hope, a matter of time.Both constituencies cheered this week as Donald Trump announced his half-baked plan to take over" Gaza, an idea he had only tinkered with before Tuesday evening, when it tumbled out to the obvious surprise of his closest aides. Continue reading...

Greenlandic parliament calls for snap election for 11 March as ruling party, Siumut, proposes accelerating independence process. This live blog is closedGerman chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that US president Donald Trump was wrong to impose sanctions on the international criminal court (ICC) as it jeopardized an important institution.Sanctions are the wrong tool. They jeopardize an institution that is supposed to ensure that the dictators of this world cannot simply persecute people and start wars, and that is very important," Scholz said at a campaign event, as per Reuters. Continue reading...