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France, Netherlands and Germany all announce plans to reduce or remove Covid controls

Prince Andrew is facing fresh calls to be stripped of his Duke of York title after agreeing an undisclosed financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. The surprise out-of-court agreement means the prince makes no admission of guilt over the claims made by Giuffre, but leaves many questions unanswered

Bloc’s highest court rejects countries’ cases objecting to law tying EU funds to democratic standardsThe European court of justice has dismissed complaints from Hungary and Poland against a law that ties EU funds to democratic standards.In a milestone in the battle for the rule of law in the EU, the bloc’s highest court rejected the cases brought by Hungary and Poland “in their entirety”, confirming that countries can be deprived of EU funds when they fail to meet democratic standards. Continue reading...

Labour MP Rachael Maskell calls for royal to lose title after settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assaultPrince Andrew is facing months of pressure to relinquish his Duke of York title after an MP vowed to pursue “a number of paths” in parliament, including amending legislation, to strip the royal of his last major honorary position.Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, said she had met Commons officials to explore ways of forcing Prince Andrew to give up his Duke of York title after his out-of-court settlement with a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. Continue reading...

‘The couple were just strangers blocking my view. But as they reached out and embraced each other, it seemed an optimistic image representing the young people of a city that had suffered’I first visited and photographed Sarajevo in 1996. I had been volunteering in neighbouring Croatia and managed to hitch a ride in to Bosnia in a UN vehicle. The war and siege had ended a few months before and the city was enjoying its long-awaited peace. Sarajevans took to its scarred streets in huge numbers, meeting with friends and drinking coffee safe in the knowledge that they wouldn’t be struck down by a sniper or shell.The destruction of the city at that time was jaw-dropping, surreal and seemingly total: rows upon rows of broken, bombed-out high-rise flats; shell craters and explosion indents everywhere; hospitals, offices and factories all in ruins. This was urbicide, a late-20th-century Dresden or Stalingrad. Everyone who lived through the nearly four-year siege had a nightmare to share. Continue reading...

Woman’s answerphone recorded officer for three minutes questioning her caseThe French government has condemned the actions of a Paris police officer who was suspended after he was allegedly recorded saying a Parisian teacher who made a sexual assault complaint was a “whore”.Lawyers and rights groups reacted with outrage after a recording was released on the investigative website Mediapart of the police officer repeatedly insulting the woman and questioning her case. Continue reading...

Attempt to target Iranian and Syrian officials includes evidence from civilians forced to flee to JordanA groundbreaking attempt to make Iranian and Syrian military officials answerable for war crimes they may have committed in Syria is being launched, as part of an effort to have the cases brought before the international criminal court.The request includes evidence of Syrian victims forced to flee into Jordan due to attacks and intimidation by the Syrian government and Iran-backed militia groups. It is being brought by the US-based Iran Human Rights Documentation Center in conjunction with Haydee Dijkstal, a UK barrister. Continue reading...

New Amnesty report details ‘mounting evidence’ of repeated war crimes including gang-rape, summary killings and lootingTigrayan soldiers killed civilians and gang-raped women and girls in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region, a human rights organisation has claimed, in the latest accusation of atrocities made against fighters engaged in the country’s civil war.Troops with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) shot dead at least 24 people in the town of Kobo in one day last September, according to Amnesty International. Continue reading...

First minister says work under way to determine how best to vaccinate children, after similar move in Wales

In her latest work, the South African actor and writer Lebogang Mashile tackles the exploitation and sexism faced by Black womenMama’s WarMama’s gone viral

Prime minister labels Labor frontbencher a ‘Manchurian candidate’ as he continues partisan rhetoric on China

Court also hears that victim Kumanjayi Walker had been told by a family member to surrender to police

Question time starts with focus on aged care deaths; Dfat says China ‘seeks to exploit’ social divisions; Alex Hawke says government would be ‘open to’ waiving Djokovic ban; questions over leaked message from French president; Victoria bids for 2026 Commonwealth Games; elective surgery to resume in Victoria by end of February; at least 57 Covid deaths recorded. Follow all the day’s news live

People with albinism across Africa face the harsh sun as well as social exclusion and suspicion. Photographer Maroussia Mbaye hopes to bring greater understanding through her workAn estimated 10,000 people are living with albinism in Senegal. Albinism is genetically inherited and, while prevalence varies from region to region, some of the highest rates are found in sub-Saharan Africa. The deficit in melanin is characterised by the absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism can lead to skin cancer, visual impairment and sun sensitivity. About 90% of people with the condition across Africa die of skin cancer before they are 40.Myths surrounding people affected by albinism have led to extreme practices involving the use of body parts. Hundreds of attacks including horrific mutilations, ritual killings, sexual violence, kidnappings and trafficking of people and body parts have happened in many countries across the continent. Many people with the condition are at risk every day because of superstition and witchcraft practices.Franco-Senegalese photographer Maroussia Mbaye is a graduate from the London School of Economics and the London College of Communication. She was raised in a politically active family and her experiences fuelled an interest in social division and justice, leading her to pursue documentary photography, through which she aims to capture human life in new, perspective-shifting ways Continue reading...

Abuse of the policing body’s ‘red notice’ system is blamed as an activist is forced to return to life in prison in the Gulf stateMarko Štambuk arrived at Belgrade district prison on a Monday morning in late January, only to be told his client was no longer inside. “Immediately I knew something had happened,” he said.Štambuk, a lawyer, had spent the previous Friday frantically obtaining an injunction from the European court of human rights (ECHR) demanding Serbian authorities halt the extradition of his client, Ahmed Jaafar Mohamed Ali, a Bahraini dissident. This banned the Serbian authorities from extraditing Ali until late February, and warned them that doing so would constitute a rare breach of the European convention on human rights. Continue reading...

Across the continent, young Africans are using their unique local knowledge and bargaining power to challenge beliefs about female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation cannot be considered solely a ‘women’s issue’ if it is to be stamped out by 2030, say male campaigners in Guinea, Somalia, Kenya and Nigeria

Fast-fashion retailer ‘objectified’ women by using photos of model wearing bikini bottoms to sell T-shirtA promotion by the fast-fashion retailer Boohoo that used “sexually suggestive” images of a model in an oversized T-shirt and thong-style bikini bottoms has been banned by the UK advertising watchdog for objectifying and sexualising women.The online retailer used several images of the model, including a shot taken from the rear of her kneeling and another of her sitting with her legs apart, which prompted a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the promotion was offensive, harmful and irresponsible. Continue reading...

Bumper payouts are ‘kick in the teeth for everyone else suffering with the cost of living crisis’, say criticsThis week British bankers will start collecting the biggest bonuses since before the 2008 global financial crisis as their employers fight an “increasingly intense war for talent”.As most Britons face the biggest squeeze on their incomes since at least 1990, already very highly paid bankers are celebrating “particularly obscene” bonuses in the City’s pubs and wine bars. Continue reading...

A prison rights activist who spent decades in jail remembers the longing and fury she felt when sex and touch were suppressedI am in the heady throes of a new relationship. That buoyant, lusty state that’s so electrified we sometimes mistake it for love. We are illegally in her cell, on her bed, mostly naked, so deep into our lovemaking that we are deaf to the guard’s keys jingling down the long corridor. By the time we realise, she is at the doorway, snatching down the curtain. We are scrambling to put on our clothes and sit up in some semblance of propriety. Sweaty, embarrassed, scared.“Give me your IDs,” she says, sternly. We hand them to her, knowing she is going to write us up for numerous charges that will lead to our being separated into different housing units, possibly removed from our jobs. “Get dressed, go to your rooms and stay there,” she says. Continue reading...

The veteran designer’s New York fashion week collection bets on a return to going out and post-pandemic exuberanceWhen it comes to ways to warm up a fashion crowd on a cold New York evening, singer Miguel performing Prince covers is probably a pretty safe bet. That’s what was served up at Michael Kors’ autumn/winter 2022 show at New York fashion week on Tuesday evening.If Kors’ shows are typically razzle-dazzle affairs with lots of invitees and celebrity guests – a February 2019 extravaganza had Barry Manilow singing Copacabana and a glitter gun – this had the star performer but it was a more intimate affair. Continue reading...

Reports that some Russian troops are withdrawing boosts investors; but Biden warns that invasion still a ‘distinct possibility’

US president says 150,000 Russian troops remain despite Kremlin’s claims, in televised address ahead of Wednesday’s ‘day of unity’

Domestic birds are competing for the same food and nest space as natives and can also introduce diseaseExotic parrots are on a non-stop flight to becoming a menace in New Zealand, as pet owners release hundreds of them into the wild each year and, in doing so, put the survival of native birds at risk.Roughly 6% of New Zealanders own pet birds and an average of 331 of the animals are lost each year; 92% of these are exotic parrots, mostly in the Auckland region, according to the University of Auckland. Continue reading...

Figures vary about the size of the deal, and some report it will mean a lifetime of exile from royal duties for the princePrince Andrew’s decision to settle his sex assault case takes precedence on most of the front pages on Wednesday, with many papers reporting that the Duke was ordered by the Queen and Prince Charles to make a deal.The out-of-court settlement in the US civil case means Andrew makes no admission of guilt over claims by Virginia Giuffre that he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, allegations he has repeatedly denied. He had previously said he intended to fight to clear his name in court. Continue reading...

Human Rights Watch says the average is 12 times longer than the US, showing ‘how completely alone Australia is in the world’

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Two family members also suffering from acute viral infection endemic in parts of Africa but very rare in UKA patient in the UK who died last week from Lassa fever, an acute viral infection endemic in parts of Africa, was a newborn baby, according to reports.The child, who died at the Luton and Dunstable hospital last week, was one of three confirmed cases of the disease all within the same family, the BBC reported. Continue reading...

Courts sentenced 20 people in eastern Holguín province for sedition after last July’s anti-government protestsCuban courts have handed out sentences of up to 20 years in prison to a group of people accused of taking part in protests that swept across the island in July.The 20 defendants sentenced in the eastern province of Holguín were convicted after trials last month on charges of sedition. Hundreds of other people await verdicts following trials elsewhere. Continue reading...

Wales becomes first UK nation to confirm rollout of jab to younger cohort

Tehran is keen to see Britain do more to help with Afghan refugee crisisLiz Truss has said she hopes Britain will soon be in a position to pay the £400m debt overdue to Iran, according to an Iranian account of the phone call between the foreign secretary and her Tehran counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.UK government officials have been exploring legal ways to pay Britain’s historical debt, although international economic sanctions on Iran have made it difficult. Continue reading...

As a young opera singer, I was snobbish about the Three Tenors – but a legendary Pavarotti performance made me realise that the key wasn’t vocal pyrotechnics, but emotional connectionThe iconic tenor of my lifetime – and in terms of sheer voice, the very best – was Luciano Pavarotti. I only heard him once in the flesh, in a production of Verdi’s La Forza del Destino at London’s Royal Opera House. His interest in the stage action was limited, but his vocal resources were only marginally depleted after decades of shining high Cs, and I felt the magic.What had propelled Pavarotti into the stratosphere of international celebrity was a celebratory event at the 1990 World Cup in the Baths of Caracalla in Rome: the famous Three Tenors concert in which he sang Puccini’s aria from Turandot, Nessun Dorma, with its climactic high B on the word “vincero” – “I will win”. Continue reading...

Tensions in Europe have risen in recent weeks amid fears Russia is planning to invade Ukraine.So why has Russia amassed thousands of troops and weapons at its border with Ukraine? The Guardian's Moscow correspondent, Andrew Roth, looks at what Russian president, Vladimir Putin, may be hoping to achieve – and why now

Coalition funded at least 10 projects from $187m Safe Communities Fund after applicants were visited by Peter Dutton’s assistant minister

Turbine collapses outside village near Bridgend while motorists warned of further bad weatherA 300ft wind turbine has been blown over in a south Wales valley as the UK braces for more dangerous stormy weather and high winds later this week.Residents of the village of Gilfach Goch, near Bridgend, were woken at 6.50am on Monday when the £20m turbine – double the height of Nelson’s Column – snapped apart and crashed into the valley below. Continue reading...

Player’s mother, Mercedes Taffarel, tells jury her son ‘felt in the middle of the dispute’ over transfer to Cardiff CityThe footballer Emiliano Sala was put under pressure to complete his multimillion-pound transfer to the Premier League before he died in a plane crash as he headed to his new club, an inquest jury has been told.Sala’s mother, Mercedes Taffarel, said the weeks before the private plane he was in crashed into the Channel as he travelled from Nantes in France to Cardiff seemed “very intense”. Continue reading...

Nine endangered animals killed after injunction lifted on cull of 25 wolves living in conservation zoneNine endangered wolves were shot in one day in Norway after a court ruled that a controversial hunt could go ahead.Fifty-one wolves were originally due to be slaughtered – a significant proportion of the 80 animals thought to live in Norway. But last month, activists secured a stay of execution when they got an injunction halting the hunt until an appeal over its validity could go ahead. They claimed that allowing hunters to kill wolves in a conservation zone would be against EU nature protection laws. Continue reading...

Russia's defence ministry says some of its troops are returning to base after carrying out drills near the Ukraine border. Nato's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, says the alliance has yet to see 'real de-escalation' from Russia, but will continue to monitor the situation

I have blood cancer and continue to isolate, living without touch, hugs, intimacy or love. It is heartbreakingBefore the pandemic, I was an artist, activist, teacher, director and producer – living fully, despite having had blood cancer for 10 years. Today, I am classified as “A3” (a person with comorbidities) in the Philippines. In the UK, I am classified as extremely clinically vulnerable.I don’t believe in labels, yet all of a sudden, I am one. Although I am fully vaccinated and boosted, there are no guarantees that the vaccines work in a body that has a suppressed immune system, like mine. Continue reading...

Economic reforms include allowing staff to earn three-day weekend by working longer hoursBelgians will have the right to work a four-day week without a loss of salary under a government overhaul of the country’s labour laws prompted by the Covid pandemic.The option for employees to work longer days in order to earn a three-day weekend was among a package of economic reforms agreed within the governing coalition on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Russian opposition leader in fresh trial at penal colony far from support base on charge of embezzlement

UK ‘laughing stock’ for failure to stem dirty money, says Lord Faulks QC, who was told to drop register by Theresa May’s No 10A former Conservative minister, once at the heart of efforts to clamp down on money laundering in London, has revealed that during Theresa May’s premiership, No 10 “leant on him” when he tabled amendments to introduce a public register of overseas property owners.Lord Faulks said he had first tried to put the register into the criminal finances bill in 2017 and then again into a government bill on money laundering in 2018. He had described the overseas ownership of dirty money in London as an obscenity. Continue reading...

When I was pregnant, I discovered that I had developed breast cancer – just like my mother before me. One day, the child I was carrying may face the same hard choicesWhen I was five, I would talk to my mother while she was in the bath. When she stood to get out, the water fell from her, her skin pink from the heat. Her body was miraculous to me. Women’s bodies are miraculous, with the things they can do, but I didn’t know any of that then. I just knew that she was soft and perfect, and mine.By the time my mother developed breast cancer, I was 30. She was double that age and there was an ocean between us: I was married and living in New York, so when the news came, I couldn’t hold her to me, or be a practical support. I sat on my bed and cried. The next time I saw her, it was all over. One breast removed and carefully reconstructed. The cancer gone. My husband asked me, as we approached my parents in the airport, whether it was OK to give my mum a hug. The surgery was recent; I wasn’t sure. But it was OK. She seemed the same. Continue reading...

From portraits of the Seri people to depictions of LA gangs, this major figure of Latin American photography has always looked for ‘surprise in the ordinary’ Continue reading...

The western leaders says Russia ‘can still step back from its threats’ as Germany’s Olaf Scholz heads to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin

Morrison government ramps up pre-election bid to wedge Labor on national security issues as Kevin Rudd condemns ‘rancid lies’ on China