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People from Black or minority ethnic background make up 34% of those held on remand, latest figures showThe likelihood that a prisoner held on remand is from a Black or minority ethnic background has increased by 17% over six years, new figures have disclosed.Data from the Ministry of Justice also shows that the proportion of BAME people held on remand has risen since the beginning of the pandemic in late 2019.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email 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 www.befrienders.org.

Pharma firm joins AstraZeneca and Pfizer in saying it will not enrol new patients into studies

Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams call off June auctions during traditional Russian art week

West used racial slur after Noah criticised his behaviour in the wake of the former’s divorce from Kim KardashianKanye West has been suspended from Instagram for 24 hours, after he used a racial slur to describe TV presenter Trevor Noah.A spokesperson for Instagram’s parent company Meta told TMZ and HuffPost that the suspension was due to West violating the company’s policy on hate speech, bullying and harassment.You’re an indelible part of my life Ye. Which is why it breaks my heart to see you like this. I don’t care if you support Trump and I don’t care if you roast Pete. I do however care when I see you on a path that’s dangerously close to peril and pain … Don’t ever forget, the biggest trick racists ever played on black people was teaching us to strip each other of our blackness whenever we disagree. Tricking us into dividing ourselves up into splinters so that we would never unite into a powerful rod. Continue reading...

Albanese promises to ‘show up and take responsibility’ as campaign begins; Scott Morrison says ‘further names’ added to sanctions list every day after Ukraine embassy calls for sanctions against two Russian oligarchs; at least 26 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed

Mark Bailey says emails to union secretary were ‘rookie error’ after Queensland CCC report finds no evidence of corrupt conduct

Witness tells defamation trial he knew appearing on 60 Minutes in 2019 breached defence force rules but does not regret it

Despite record infections and fatalities, public opinion appears to support plans to ease Covid curbs in the coming days

Covid-19 infections continue to rise in the state with a second day of over 20,000 cases as BA.2 Omicron subvariant spreads

Damaging winds and torrential rainfall strike Madagascar, Mozambique and MalawiTropical Cyclone Gombe affected parts of Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi last week, bringing damaging winds and torrential rainfall. Gombe made landfall in the Nampula province of northern Mozambique on Friday as a category three tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of about 120mph and more that 100mm of rainfall in places. Mozambique has already been hit this year by Tropical Storm Ana in January and tropical depression Dumako in February.A powerful late-winter storm system surged across eastern parts of the US on Friday night and Saturday, bringing heavy rain, widespread heavy snow, strong winds, thunderstorms and freezing temperatures. Snow was reported as far south as Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia, with 20-30cm falling quite widely across the Appalachians and northwards through parts of Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont. Damaging winds affected parts of Florida, with a tornado reported near Crescent City, Florida. Cold weather plunging well into the south has been a frequent feature of this winter in the US. Continue reading...

Report highlights inequalities in older age groups, and raises concerns for people nearing retirement ageOne in five pensioners – more than 2 million people – are living in relative poverty in the UK, an increase of more than 200,000 in the past year alone, according to a comprehensive review of national data.The Centre for Ageing Better’s annual State of Ageing report, published on Thursday, says inequalities within older generations are some of the most extreme in society today: the wealth of the richest 20% doubled between 2002 and 2018, while that of the poorest 20% fell by 30%. Continue reading...

Anti-slavery commissioner says change in law needed so that victims are more likely to be allowed to stay in UK

Claimants will have to prove malice, as government seeks to curb ‘Slapps’ that use wealth to deter scrutinyMinisters have set out plans to cap the costs of libel lawsuits and force claimants to prove “actual malice” in an attempt to deter legal action often used by Russian oligarchs to intimidate journalists and block publication of their links to Vladimir Putin.The UK government said it would seek legal reforms to discourage so-called strategic lawsuits against public participation (Slapps). Such lawsuits can be pursued by corporations or individuals with deep pockets, with the aim of deterring investigation and scrutiny by threatening years of costly and time-consuming legal action. Continue reading...

Acting education minister says teacher training needs overhaul as ‘bottom 10%’ are ‘dragging the chain’

Ukraine authorities say hundreds of people were hiding in theatre and that convoy of cars leaving besieged city was also shelled

The jobless rate for women fell to the lowest rate since May 1974 at 3.8%, as the economy added a net 77,400 jobs in FebruaryAustralia’s jobless rate sank to a new 13-year low last month with a big rise in full-time positions, as the economy shrugged off more of the Omicron Covid disruptions.The country’s unemployment rate fell to a seasonally adjusted 4.0% in February, compared with 4.2% in January. That’s the lowest rate since August 2008, the ABS said. Continue reading...

Ex-TV host, fired after assisting brother Andrew amid sexual harassment allegations, files request for arbitrationThe former CNN primetime host Chris Cuomo filed a request for arbitration on Wednesday, seeking $125m in damages for alleged wrongful termination.The network fired Cuomo in December, following an inquiry into his efforts to help his brother, the former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who was accused of sexual harassment. Continue reading...

Ukraine is holding out in the heavily bombarded port city and even as thousands of people try to leave, others are arriving

Release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashoori mixed serpentine statecraft, brutal realpolitik and occasional stubborn idealism

Transparency advocates ‘can’t make sense’ of decision to exclude resource industry figures from sanctions

Liz Truss says British-Iranian dual nationals are flying back to Britain after being released from custody in Iran

Rayleigh scattering phenomenon in the south comes as hottest day of year so far forecast for SaturdaySaharan dust moving across Europe has hit the UK, turning the skies orange over southern parts of the country, meteorologists have said.It comes ahead of what is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far on Saturday, with temperatures set to reach up to 18C in some areas.

Analysis: Putin’s rhetoric remains uncompromising and analysts are sceptical negotiations will yield a lasting solution

Government says 5,500 visas granted and 20,000 applications submitted

Ofsted criticises £37,905-a-year Ampleforth college for inadequate safeguarding of vulnerable studentsVulnerable students at a British boarding school had sex in front of another pupil and others were able to sneak out and drink themselves unconscious because they were so poorly supervised, inspectors have found.“Serious failures” were identified at Ampleforth college, a Catholic boarding school in North Yorkshire that charges £37,905 a year. Continue reading...

Government says it will modify legislation giving nationality to descendants of expelled Jews to prevent it being ‘manipulated’The Portuguese government is to tighten the law granting nationality to the descendants of Jews who were expelled from the Iberian peninsula 500 years ago, as concerns grow over the controversial decision to award Roman Abramovich citizenship because of his apparent Sephardic Jewish heritage.The Russian oligarch and Chelsea FC owner, who is now subject to UK and EU sanctions because of his ties to Vladimir Putin, was granted Portuguese citizenship last year under a 2015 law designed to make amends for the mass banishments at the end of the 15th century. Continue reading...

Foreign minister’s claim undermined by aggressive comments from Vladimir Putin

Leah Washington and Joe Pugh had been dating for a month when the accident happened in June 2015A couple who were seriously injured in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers have got engaged.Leah Washington and Joe Pugh had been dating for about a month when in 2015 they decided to go to Alton Towers and their rollercoaster carriage crashed into a stationary carriage on the same track at 90mph. Continue reading...

Judge says court in The Hague has seen no evidence to support Kremlin’s justification for the war

Former aide says PM was told intelligence services had serious reservations about peerage planDominic Cummings has accused Boris Johnson of lying over claims that intelligence officers’ security concerns about giving a peerage to a Russian media magnate and son of a former KGB were overridden.The prime minister dismissed as “simply incorrect” reports last week that he tried to intervene to hand Evgeny Lebedev a seat in the House of Lords and law-making powers for life against the advice of UK spy agencies. Continue reading...

Interior minister says government, faced with major crisis before April presidential election, open to talksParis could offer “autonomy” to Corsica, the French government has said, suggesting the state might be willing to loosen its historic, centralised grip on the Mediterranean island as it struggles to calm violent protests.“We are ready to go as far as autonomy – there you go, the word has been said,” the interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, told the regional newspaper Corse Matin before a two-day visit, that comes after two weeks of rioting in which 100 people were injured and public buildings and police were attacked with homemade explosive devices. Continue reading...

Farmers in Ukraine describe depleting potato stocks, slaughtering their own pigs, and Russian troops appearing at the gateThe Russian invasion of Ukraine has upended the farming industry, raising fears of disruption to domestic and international food supplies. The Guardian has spoken to three farmers about what life is like on the ground, with the Russian army hiding tanks in barns and stocks of potatoes expected to deplete within weeks.Andrii Pastushenko, 39, is a dairy farmer who lives 12 miles from Kherson in the south of Ukraine, a city that has been under control of the Russian military. Continue reading...

Museum says decision to retain funding for Holocaust Galleries complies with UK sanctions against Russian oligarch

Fifteen-year-old says incident has left her wanting to ‘scream, shout, cry or give up’ every day

Ninety-seven FTSE 100 companies have committed to scheme to improve diversity – but only six CEOs are from BAME backgroundMost of Britain’s top companies now have at least one ethnic minority board member, the government-backed Parker review, set up to improve the diversity of UK boards, said on Wednesday.Improving boardroom diversity has become a hot topic for policymakers and investors in recent years, as many believe it helps address social inequalities and leads to better decision-making and performance over time. Continue reading...

Lloyd’s issued its largest ever fine for mishandling of harassment case and ‘tolerating’ inappropriate staff eventThe insurance market Lloyd’s of London has issued the largest fine in its 336-year history after a member firm mishandled a bullying and harassment case and hosted an inappropriate “Boys’ Night Out” event for staff.Lloyd’s announced on Wednesday that it had fined Atrium Underwriters more than £1m due to “serious failures” by the firm, which was shown to have tolerated discrimination, harassment and bullying over a number of years. Continue reading...

Marina Ovsyannikova says she stands by her actions in first interview since live TV intervention

Logan Gray, nine, Kye Hollingworth, 13, and Harley Anderton, 14, were subject of huge police searchThree boys who prompted a huge police search after going missing from a remote Lake District village have been found.Officers said Logan Gray, nine, Kye Hollingworth, 13, and Harley Anderton, 14, disappeared from Witherslack on Tuesday. The three were believed to be together and police carried out searches overnight in the local area. Continue reading...

Over past seven days 262,593 cases have been recorded, but with testing facilities at capacity, number could be higherGermany has recorded its highest rate of Covid-19 infections since the start of the pandemic, as mask-wearing mandates in shops, restaurants and schools will come to an end in many parts of the country this weekend.The country’s disease control agency on Wednesday reported a record incidence rate of 1,607 new infections per 100,000 people over the past seven days, one of the highest in Europe. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute has recorded a total of 262,593 confirmed new cases over the same time period and 269 new deaths within 24 hours. Continue reading...

Women fear use of sexual violence as a ‘tactic’ against those protesting the coup, after attack on 18-year-old in KhartoumDemonstrations took place across Sudan on Tuesday in protest at the alleged gang-rape of a teenager by security forces.The 18-year-old said she was attacked in Khartoum on Monday by up to nine men dressed in the uniforms of the security forces involved in dispersing regular protests held across Sudan since October’s military coup. Continue reading...

The Restaurant Group mindful of impact of Russia-Ukraine war, while drinks maker lowers profit guidance

UN rights office warns military has shown ‘flagrant disregard for human life’ and has deliberately targeted civilians since it seized power on 1 February 2021Myanmar’s military junta has committed widespread and systematic abuses against civilians that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the first comprehensive report to be produced by the UN’s human rights office since last year’s coup.The UN rights office warns the military has shown “flagrant disregard for human life” and has deliberately targeted civilians since it seized power on 1 February 2021. Continue reading...

UK foreign secretary also says Kremlin could extend ambitions to other east European countries in effort ‘recreate the Soviet Union’

Proposals included a ban on transgender school students from confidentially coming out and restrictions on sports and toilets

PM says Australia ‘will move in lockstep’ with allies on sanctioning the country’s largest trading partner

Rebuke followed story in The Australian about alleged disagreements between Kimberley Kitching and a group of female Labor senators

Couple who believed they had dug up the world’s largest potato in the garden of their small farm near Hamilton have had their dreams turned to mashWhen is a potato not a potato? When it’s a tuber of a gourd, according to Guinness World Records.A New Zealand couple who believed they had dug up the world’s largest potato in the garden of their small farm near Hamilton have had their dreams turned to mash after Guinness wrote to say that scientific testing had found it wasn’t, in fact, a potato after all. Continue reading...

Supreme court trial hears death of man’s ex-wife was allegedly made to look like suicide