Peter Kassig, who was later killed, described paralysis and hope and offered words of comfort to his familyAn American hostage’s harrowing story about captivity at the hands of the Islamic State militants who would kill him was recounted in court in Virginia on Wednesday.A letter from the late Peter Kassig was read aloud during the terrorism trial of El Shafee Elsheikh, a 33-year-old former British citizen and alleged member of a kidnap-and-murder cell known to captives as the “Beatles” because of their British accents. Continue reading...

Letter signed by several MPs urges better enforcement of transparency law, as government accused of obstructing requestsMore than 100 journalists, politicians and campaigners have signed an open letter warning that the UK’s freedom of information (FoI) laws are being undermined by a lack of resources and government departments obstructing lawful requests.The signatories include the editor-in-chief of the Guardian, Katharine Viner, the editor of the Observer, Paul Webster, as well as the shadow solicitor general, Andy Slaughter, the former Brexit secretary David Davis, and the former Green party leader Caroline Lucas. Continue reading...

Human rights group argues law unfairly attaches gang motives to black and minority-ethnic young menThe human rights group Liberty is threatening to sue the government and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over the bitterly contested law of joint enterprise, arguing that it is discredited and racist in the way the authorities pursue it.Under the law, people present when a person is killed can be convicted of murder despite not committing any serious violence themselves, if they are found to have “encouraged or assisted” the perpetrator. Liberty is acting for the campaign group Joint Enterprise Not Guilty By Association (Jengba), which supports approximately 1,400 people in prison who believe they have been unjustly convicted of serious crimes perpetrated by somebody else. Continue reading...

Activists could face up to a year in prison for trying to intimidate women into not having terminationsSpain has criminalised the harassment or intimidation of women going for an abortion under new legislation approved by the Senate on Wednesday.The move, which involves changes to the penal code, means anti-abortion activists who try to convince women not to terminate their pregnancies could face up to a year behind bars. Continue reading...

El Salvador’s congress has authorised sentences of 10-15 years for media spreading gangs’ messagesEl Salvador’s congress has authorised prison sentences of 10 to 15 years for news media that reproduce or disseminate messages from gangs, prompting accusations of censorship from press freedom groups.The vote late on Tuesday was the latest in a flurry of legislative action against the gangs after 62 suspected gang killings on 26 March led President Nayib Bukele to seek and win a state of emergency. Harsh measures against imprisoned gang members and increased prison sentences followed, as well as the arrests of some 6,000 people accused of being gang members. Continue reading...

Tax status allows Akshata Murthy to avoid tax on foreign earningsRishi Sunak’s multi-millionaire wife claims non-domicile status, it has emerged, which allows her to save millions of pounds in tax on dividends collected from her family’s IT business empire.Akshata Murthy, who receives about £11.5m in annual dividends from her stake in the Indian IT services company Infosys, declares non-dom status, a scheme that allows people to avoid tax on foreign earnings. Continue reading...

Kantor is one of eight Russian oligarchs targeted in the latest round of UK government sanctionsThe Russian billionaire Moshe Kantor, who was sanctioned by the UK government on Wednesday, has long cultivated deep ties with British politicians and establishment figures, including Tony Blair and Prince Charles.With an estimated net worth of £3.48bn, Kantor is the largest shareholder in the fertiliser company Acron, which the Foreign Office said had vital strategic significance for the Russian government. Continue reading...

Pedro Castillo lifted a curfew in Lima but is still facing calls to resign after a rash of bad decisions and allegations of corruptionPeru’s beleaguered president, Pedro Castillo, is at the centre of a spiralling political crisis caused by rising fuel and fertiliser prices triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and his own heavy-handed efforts to quell the unrest.On Tuesday Castillo lifted a curfew in Lima that he had decreed less than a day earlier in an attempt to quell sometimes violent protests over rising fuel and food prices. But the move came too late to defuse public anger. Continue reading...

From today, large UK restaurants and cafes have to display calorie counts on their menus as part of the government’s drive to tackle obesityFrom Wednesday, restaurant and cafe chains with more than 250 staff will be required, by law, to display on their menus how many calories are in their meals.The new legislation has been introduced as part of the government’s attempt to address obesity in the UK. Here is a roundup of meals available on the high street that are surprisingly high – or low – in calories. Continue reading...

Analysis: Poor Russian tactics and Ukrainian determination gave early successes, but forces in east and south are more dug in

Exclusive: Assurances offered to Graham Brady may raise questions about why decision has not been made publicGrant Shapps has privately promised to scrap a controversial £3bn branch of the HS2 train line that carves through the constituency of the 1922 Committee chair, Sir Graham Brady, and two other Tory MPs, the Guardian understands.The link, known as the Golborne spur, would connect the main Crewe-Manchester HS2 line to the west coast mainline just south of Wigan. Continue reading...

Martin Eastwood ran over Liam Dent with stolen Ford and dragged him behind the vehicle for half a mile in revenge for altercation outside pubA driver who hit a pedestrian with a car and dragged him for more than half a mile has been jailed for at least 30 years for the “cruel” murder.Martin Eastwood, 22, used a stolen Ford S-Max as a weapon to kill 25-year-old Liam Dent in revenge for a minor confrontation outside a pub. Having knocked Dent down, Eastwood, from Epsom, Surrey, drove at speeds of up to 32mph, dragging his screaming victim along in the early hours of 26 July 2019. Continue reading...

Supplier to allow customers to use energy up to £10 over their pre-payment, after hike in energy pricesBritish Gas has doubled the emergency credit available to customers who are on pre-payment meters for their gas and electricity after this month’s hike in energy prices.The supplier has written to customers who have an electric key or gas card telling them that they can continue to use energy until they are £10 over their pre-payments, up from the previous £5. Continue reading...

As threat builds of renewed Russian assault, deputy prime minister says authorities can not help residents who delay

Ahead of election, Labor leader says Scott Morrison must act in lockstep with European partners in response to Bucha killings

Australian Council on Smoking and Health calls for ban on sale and promotion of e-cigarettes following most comprehensive study yet

Prosecutors open inquiry after ‘McKinsey affair’ row over public spending on consultantsFrench financial prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected tax fraud by global management consultancy firms, just as Emmanuel Macron’s re-election campaign has been hit by a row over the government’s use of private advisers.An investigation by the French Senate recently concluded that French public spending on consultants had more than doubled between 2018 to 2021, and reached a record level of €$1bn last year. Continue reading...

David Smith, 57, a security guard at the Berlin embassy, to appear in court on Thursday, say policeDavid Smith, 57, a security guard at the British embassy in Berlin who is suspected of spying for Russia, has been extradited from Germany and will appear in court on Thursday charged with nine offences under the Official Secrets Act, Scotland Yard has said.More details soon …

PM also says women should have ‘dedicated’ spaces, amid fallout over decision to exclude trans conversion practices from banBoris Johnson has said he does not “think that biological males should be competing in female sporting events”, amid the fallout from his decision not to ban conversion practices for people questioning their gender.Speaking on Wednesday, the prime minister said the issue “wasn’t something I thought that I would have to consider in great detail”. Johnson also said that women should have spaces in hospitals, prisons and changing rooms which were “dedicated to women”. Continue reading...

Eight more oligarchs will also face sanctions and UK oil and coal imports will stop by end of year, says foreign secretaryThe UK will impose a full asset freeze on Russia’s largest bank and end all imports of oil and coal by the end of the year, the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, has said.Sanctions will also be imposed on eight more oligarchs, including Moshe Kantor, the largest shareholder of the fertiliser company Acron and Andrey Guryev, the founder of another key fertiliser company, whom the UK described as a close associate of Vladimir Putin. Continue reading...

Blaise Compaoré sentenced to life imprisonment at military tribunal over role in 1987 killing of Thomas SankaraBurkina Faso’s former president Blaise Compaoré has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of complicity in the 1987 murder of his predecessor Thomas Sankara, concluding a landmark trial and a decades-long quest for justice.Sankara, a Marxist icon of pan-Africanism hailed across Africa and beyond, was gunned down along with 12 colleagues in the west African nation’s capital, Ouagadougou, at the age of 37, four years after he took power in a coup. Continue reading...

Angharad Williamson is accused with partner, John Cole, and teenager of murdering her five-year-old sonA woman accused of murdering her five-year-old son has told a jury his stepfather violently attacked her “beautiful, happy boy” two days before he was found dead in a river.Angharad Williamson, 31, claimed her 6ft 4in partner, John Cole, 40, punched 3ft 5in Logan Mwangi twice in the stomach, causing him to land hard on the floor. Continue reading...

Electricity System Operator, the division that keeps the lights on in Britain, will form part of a new public bodyThe job of keeping the UK’s electricity and gas flowing will be returned to public control by 2024, under government plans for the effective nationalisation of a division of National Grid.A new public body, the “Future Systems Operator” will have responsibility for planning and managing energy distribution, with a focus on the challenges posed by decarbonisation. Continue reading...

Wife still in critical condition while second son stable after landslide while on holiday in AustraliaTributes have been paid to a British lawyer and his nine-year-old son killed in a landslide while on holiday in Australia.Mehraab Nazir, 49, had been hiking with his family in the Wentworth Pass area of the Blue Mountains, a national park west of Sydney, on Monday when they were caught in the rockslide. His body and that of his nine-year-old son was recovered the next morning. Continue reading...

Fears of ‘Stalinisation’ of society after Irina Gen was called in by spy agency and prosecuted over recorded message

William Renny, Callum Lewis and Evan Lorne pleaded guilty to public order offences at December hunt in LacockThree hunt supporters have been fined for public order offences after admitting clashing with saboteurs at a post-Christmas meet in Wiltshire.William Renny, 30, Callum Lewis, 26, and Evan Lorne, 18, pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause unlawful violence. Continue reading...

John Lansdown seeking up to £76m, which he will use to set up trust to help fellow seafarersA former P&O Ferries chef is suing the company for £76m over its decision to sack almost 800 staff without notice last month.John Lansdown, the only seafarer to so far launch a legal action, has filed a tribunal claim against the company and its chief executive for unfair dismissal, racial discrimination and harassment. Continue reading...

People could write a message in a blank space on the census, to be read by future generations in 100 yearsSome were funny, some were angry, some were utterly heartbreaking and all were written in the same blank space of Ireland’s census form, a “time capsule” section.In what Ireland’s Central Statistics Office says is a world first, the official census left a blank space for people to leave messages for future generations. The voluntary section of the 27-page form is to be made public in 100 years but many people have shared their messages on social media. Continue reading...

EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urges bloc to send more arms to Ukraine to help end the war

Exclusive: Documents seen by Guardian show empire of Russian steel barons Alexander Abramov and Aleksandr FrolovThe lavish wealth of Roman Abramovich’s business partners can be revealed today, including offshore investments in a Caribbean island resort, plans to redevelop a Marylebone church and a vast array of property in the UK and beyond.Documents seen by the Guardian detail the sprawling business empire controlled by the Russian billionaires Alexander Abramov and Aleksandr Frolov. Continue reading...

Nicholas Billingham was identified by dental records, says coroner, after teacher Fiona Beal charged with murderThe body of a man found buried in the back garden of a Northampton house was identified by dental records, an inquest has heard.Nicholas Billingham, 42, is believed to have died from a stab wound, a short hearing held by the assistant coroner for Northampton, Hassan Shah, was told. Continue reading...

British singer ‘neither deliberately nor subconsciously’ copied a phrase from song by Sami Chokri, judge saysEd Sheeran has won a high court battle over whether he plagiarised another artist’s track for his hit single Shape of You, the most streamed song in Spotify’s history.At a trial last month, Sheeran and his Shape Of You co-writers, Snow Patrol’s John McDaid and producer Steve McCutcheon, faced accusations that they ripped off the 2015 song Oh Why by Sami Chokri and Ross O’Donoghue. Continue reading...

Health charity in an ‘untenable position’ in anglophone parts of the country as it is accused of taking sides in internal strifeMedical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has suspended its work in Cameroon’s south-west region and demanded the release of four staff members who have been detained for months, accused of helping secessionists.Two MSF staff were detained at a checkpoint in December when they were transferring a patient with gunshot wounds. Another two were held by Cameroonian gendarmerie in January. Continue reading...

Programme reveals Savile produced PR handbook for royals, some of which was passed on to the QueenPrince Charles repeatedly sought the advice of Jimmy Savile, who was later revealed to have spent decades sexually abusing women and children, even going so far as to take his suggestions to the Queen, a documentary has claimed.Notes from the the Prince of Wales to Savile uncovered by the producers show that, over the course of about 20 years, Savile became an unofficial adviser to Charles. And they shed light on the extent to which the disgraced former television presenter was able to influence the highest offices of the British state before his death in 2011. Continue reading...

McCartney’s demo version of Attention, destined for Ringo Starr’s 1981 album Stop and Smell the Roses, expected to sell for £10,000A previously unheard recording by Paul McCartney of his song Attention, later recorded by Ringo Starr, is going up for auction this month.The demo recording by McCartney was given to saxophonist Howie Casey, to reference ahead of the recording session for Starr’s 1981 album Stop and Smell the Roses. Casey’s wife Sheila would also perform backing vocals on the finished version of Attention, alongside Linda McCartney. Continue reading...

Matthew Camenzuli expelled from Liberal party after seeking leave to appeal preselections ruling in high court; Scott Morrison says he has been ‘upfront with Australian people’ about running full term; Albanese calls Berejiklian a ‘straight talker’ after second round of leaked texts; at least 23 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed

Heathrow and Gatwick cancellations a result of staff shortages because of Covid

Health secretary defends 1.25-point rise criticised for placing too much burden on lower earnersThe increase in national insurance payments for millions of people already struggling to deal with the cost of living crisis is both right and fair, the health secretary has said.Sajid Javid said the levy of an extra 1.25 percentage points, due from Wednesday, was needed to pay for health and social care after the pandemic. Continue reading...

Singer, drummer and actor had five US Top 10 hits, and inspired the Beatles to write She Loves YouBobby Rydell, who enjoyed numerous US hits during the teen pop craze of the early 1960s, has died aged 79. He suffered complications from pneumonia, and died in hospital in his native Philadelphia.With songs of decorous romance sung in his clean, hearty voice, Rydell reached the US Top 10 five times – with We Got Love, Swingin’ School, his version of the standard Volare, Wild One (also a UK Top 10 hit) and Forget Him. The latter is believed to be the inspiration for the Beatles’ She Loves You after Paul McCartney said the song was inspired by an unnamed Rydell number. Continue reading...

Hospital trusts urge people to visit emergency departments in only ‘genuine life-threatening situations’Hospital trusts in Yorkshire have warned patients they may have to wait for up to 12 hours to be seen at accident and emergency (A&E), after a sharp increase in demand.The West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), which covers six hospitals in West Yorkshire and Harrogate, has issued a plea for patients to attend their local A&E only in “genuine life-threatening situations”. Continue reading...

Auditor general finds ‘Our Fair Share’ campaign and several Big Build advertisements breached laws

London show will aim to uncover rich history of women’s game and address historical imbalanceThe rich history of women’s football needs to be taken more seriously so future generations of fans can learn about its heritage, the curator of a new exhibition at London’s Design Museum has said.Eleanor Watson, the curator of Football: Designing the Beautiful Game, called for “a concerted effort on all sides” to address the historical imbalance in football history, which is hugely tipped in favour of men. Continue reading...

An image of the Nazi dictator was ‘unintentionally used’ in training material for police officers about coercive control

Acting premier accuses PM of not caring about flood victims after Morrison says resilience package ‘outside the scope’ of federal responsibility

British supermarkets revive battle over prices amid cost of living crisisTwo Lidl adverts claiming shoppers could make big savings compared with Tesco have been banned after a complaint from the rival discounter Aldi.The advertising watchdog said it was banning the ads, one of which claimed it was possible to save more than 35% and another 30% compared with Tesco prices on a range of Scottish-themed products, as they were “likely to mislead”. Continue reading...

Law Enforcement Conduct Commission recommends officer be demoted, but Aboriginal Legal Service calls for him to be fired and charged with assault

Report paints bleak picture of journalist safety under leader who often criticises media and downplays violence against reportersAttacks against the press in Mexico have increased by 85% since President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office, making it the most deadly period for journalists since records began, according to a new report.Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists with 1,945 attacks – including 33 murders – between 2019 and 2021, according to the press freedom group Article 19. Another eight have been killed so far this year. Continue reading...

Petro Titenko was beaten, suffocated, shot at and left lying in a pit for hours after being captured

Inquiry has found unemployment a key compounding factor in people returning to jail

The good news is more places on offer in the first home guarantee scheme. The bad news could be higher mortgage repayments