Critics say national security law cracking down on offences such as espionage will further erode civil libertiesHong Kong lawmakers have passed a new national security law that grants the government more power to quash dissent, widely seen as the latest step in a sweeping political crackdown that was triggered by pro-democracy protests in 2019.The legislature passed the safeguarding national security bill during a special session on Tuesday. It comes on top of a similar law imposed by Beijing four years ago, which has already largely silenced opposition voices in the financial hub. Continue reading...
by Lili Bayer in Brussels and Shaun Walker in Warsaw on (#6KEW8)
Report alleges that candidate sought invitation to Moscow in 2020 - when prime minister - to boost popularitySlovakia risks moving further away from the west, government critics have warned, as a report alleged that a presidential candidate aligned with the country's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, had previously sought an invitation to Russia to boost his position at home.Slovaks will vote in a presidential election on 23 March, in what many consider to be a test for the country's democracy and future within Europe. Continue reading...
by Daniel Hurst Foreign affairs and defence correspon on (#6KETQ)
The RAAF E-7A Wedgetail was deployed to monitor threats to assistance from Russia, but Australia says withdrawal does not mean it is scaling back supportAustralia is set to bring home a surveillance aircraft that has helped to protect the delivery of military and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine, but denies it is part of any broader scaling back of support for the country.The Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail - which has conducted regular flying missions to monitor threats since its deployment to Germany in October - is likely to end its current role within weeks. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Amid many other crises, the standard of NHS care for patients' families is declining - this is what it feels like Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. It is no secret that NHS England has many problems: it is crumbling (literally), patient care backlogs are at record highs, there is a recruitment and retention crisis, and quality of care is declining with the results for patients sometimes life-threatening.Over the last two decades a parallel problem has emerged. The NHS ombudsman Rob Behrens described to Guardian health editor Denis Campbell that the health service has a cover-up culture". Behren has identified an alarming practice where some trusts cynically [bury] evidence about poor care" to maintain their reputation. It is not the first time that cultural problems have been identified - over the years a number of reports and inquiries have highlighted practices of silencing and punishing whistleblowers.Rwanda bill | Rishi Sunak's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda took a step forward after MPs voted overwhelmingly to throw out a series of amendments made to the Rwanda bill by the House of Lords. The bill, which is designed to overcome the supreme court's objections to the plan, will return to the Lords later this week.Israel-Gaza war | The White House has said that Israel will send a group of officials to Washington to discuss its planned offensive on Rafah, as the Biden administration insists that an attack would be a mistake" and seeks to persuade Israel to allow in more aid in the face of an imminent famine in Gaza.UK news | The full membership list of the men-only Garrick Club, made public for the first time by the Guardian, reveals its central position as a bulwark of the British establishment, featuring scores of leading lawyers, heads of publicly funded arts institutions, the chief of MI6, the head of the civil service and King Charles.Environment | Only seven countries - Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand - are meeting an international air quality standard set by the World Health Organization, with deadly air pollution worsening in places due to a rebound in economic activity and the toxic impact of wildfire smoke, a new report has found.Energy | A 58bn plan to rewire Britain's electricity grid to connect up new windfarms off the coast of Scotland is expected to trigger tensions with communities along the route. It is the biggest investment since the 1960s. Continue reading...
Survey by Coram found nursery costs and dwindling places will put pressure on government plansRishi Sunak's plans to expand childcare provision in England are at risk of not living up to parents' expectations as nursery costs surge and available places dwindle, a charity has warned.The cost of 25 hours a week for a child under two has risen by 7% on 2023, with the most expensive area being inner London where the average cost is 218 a week, the latest annual survey of the Coram Family and Childcare charity found. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Former owners of Plas yn Rhiw stipulated insects be protected so given temporary home while work takes placeWhen the 17th-century manor house in the far north-west of Wales was bequeathed to the National Trust, it came with a clear condition: the bees in the roof, which sometimes produce so much honey that it oozes through cracks in the walls, should be left alone.However, the ravages of the wind and rain mean the slate roof of the house, Plas yn Rhiw, on the Lln peninsula, needs to be replaced and so about 50,000 rare Welsh black bees have been given a temporary home while the work is done. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6KES8)
Chair of Office for Space says move would boost prosperity, health and personal freedom and could help solve housing crisisA leading government adviser on cities has urged ministers to make urban areas friendlier for walking and cycling, saying this would boost prosperity, health and personal freedom, and could even help solve the housing crisis.In a report that takes a notably different stance to Rishi Sunak's recent plan for drivers", which seeks to prioritise car use at the expense of active travel and bus use, Nicholas Boys Smith, who chairs the government's Office for Space, said cars diminish liberty as well as enhancing it". Continue reading...
Court of appeal's removal of consent' defence means defendants on trial for criminal damage can no longer use itIt took a matter of minutes in the court of appeal, where demonstrators were strangely absent, for the dial to shift once more on the rights of protest in England and Wales.The decision taken on Monday by the court of appeal to, in effect, find in favour of the attorney general, the Conservative government's premier legal officer, has removed a defence for climate protesters that had been available on the statute books since 1971. Continue reading...
Families say they were promised details of relatives' whereabouts after contacting people they thought were linked to NGO in SpainFamilies of people who disappeared on the perilous journey from Africa to Europe have said they were asked to pay hundreds of euros in exchange for information about what had happened to their loved ones.In interviews with the Guardian, three families recounted how, as part of their searches for missing relatives that had gone on for years, they had made contact with people they believed to be connected to an NGO in southern Spain who said they were able to help them. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6KEK7)
All 10 amendments made by peers voted down, giving much-needed boost to beleaguered PMRishi Sunak's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda took a step forward on Monday night after MPs voted overwhelmingly to throw out a series of amendments made to the Rwanda bill by the House of Lords.MPs voted down all 10 amendments made by peers over the past few weeks to return the bill to the form in which it was initially passed by the Commons in January, giving a much-needed boost to the beleaguered prime minister. Continue reading...
One chef receives three stars at first attempt in 115th edition of the French foodies' bibleA record 52 restaurants in France - including 23 that only opened in the past year - have been awarded one or more Michelin stars for the first time, which the French foodies' bible said reflected the cultural dynamism" of a new generation of innovative young chefs.This year's is a generous vintage, and also true to our values," said Gwendal Poullennec, the director of the Michelin Guide, at the launch of its 115th edition on Monday. Well over half of the new laureates were under the age of 40, he said. Continue reading...
One site tweeted of monarch's purported demise only to later concede: Most likely, the information is fake'The news broke in the Russian media on Monday afternoon. King Charles III was dead. He was not, but no one really had time to check the details. The saga of the royal family finally had its latest twist: a viral Russian disinformation angle.The rumour went into overdrive when it was shared on a Telegram channel used by Vedomosti, once Russia's most respected business newspaper. There was a photo of Charles in ceremonial military uniform and the curt caption: British King Charles III has died." It made it through Russian internet channels, including Readovka, a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel with more than 2.35 million subscribers. Continue reading...
Committee will examine for at least three months a bill proposing repeal of ban on female genital mutilationA decision on whether to overturn a ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) in the Gambia has been postponed for three months after MPs called for more consultation.FGM was outlawed in the country eight years ago and is punishable by up to three years' imprisonment. Continue reading...
UK, US and Germany denounce poll that was said to give president vote share of 87.28% amid crackdown on dissentWestern nations have widely condemned Russia's presidential election, in which Vladimir Putin claimed a landslide victory that will keep him in power until at least 2030 amid a crackdown on dissent and opposition.These Russian elections starkly underline the depth of repression under President Putin's regime, which seeks to silence any opposition to his illegal war," said the British foreign secretary, David Cameron, as EU foreign ministers met to approve new sanctions against 30 individuals and organisations in response to the death of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Continue reading...
Nikesh Mistry, 34, caused serious injuries after using his BMW to try to force the motorbike off the roadA man has been jailed for ramming a motorcyclist off a Buckinghamshire bridge in what police described as an act of extreme" road rage.Nikesh Mistry, 34, repeatedly tried to force the motorcyclist off the road, which resulted in him sustaining serious injuries, police said. Continue reading...
Observers say Russian leader's election numbers approaching 90% mark final break with western conventionsVladimir Putin is approaching the electoral outer limits. Claiming a record landslide on Sunday of 88.48% of the vote on a 77.44% turnout, Putin has launched himself into the stratosphere of post-Soviet election results.It is a mathematical axiom for any president-for-life: support should never go down, only up; turnout should never go down, only up. And as Putin's one-man rule extends past a quarter of a century, Russian officials retain straight faces even as they post astronomical numbers that would make many convinced autocrats blush. Continue reading...
Tribunal finds that Dmitry Lima, who has never left the UK, is British citizen and should not be deported to PortugalThe Home Office acted unlawfully in trying to deport a British-born man who has never left the country to Portugal, from where his parents arrived more than 30 years ago, a judge has ruled.Dmitry Lima, 28, who was born in Lambeth, south London, does not speak Portuguese and has never travelled abroad but in 2022 he was given a deportation order by the Home Office after serving a prison sentence for drugs offences and for carrying a Taser. Continue reading...
Former environment minister told speeding drivers emit more harmful emissions' when handed 12-month disqualificationZac Goldsmith was warned by a judge that speeding drivers emit more harmful emissions" as he was banned from driving for a year for a number of motoring offences.The former environment minister, 49, broke speed limits seven times in his hybrid Volkswagen Golf on London roads in Paddington, Chelsea and Twickenham between April and November 2023. Continue reading...
Sinn Fein members pay tribute to Dugdale, who was also involved in 1974 art heist and police station attack using hijacked helicopterRose Dugdale, an English heiress turned IRA militant and bomb maker, has died in a Dublin nursing home aged 83.Dugdale was presented as a 17-year-old to Queen Elizabeth as part of the 1958 summer debutante season. Years later, in 1974, Dugdale was given a nine-year prison sentence, in part for her role in the theft of 19 paintings from the home of a wealthy British politician. Continue reading...
Former defence secretary tells colleagues there is no alternative to Rishi Sunak and to get on with' preparing for an electionOfcom has ruled today that GB News broke impartiality rules on five occasions by using Tory MPs as news presenters.But it has not imposed sanctions on the broadaster. It says these count as first offence, and that there may be sanctions if it happens again.Under the Broadcasting Code, news, in whatever form, must be presented with due impartiality. Additionally, a politician cannot be a newsreader, news interviewer or news reporter unless, exceptionally, there is editorial justification.In line with the right to freedom of expression, broadcasters have editorial freedom to offer audiences a wide range of programme formats, including using politicians to present current affairs or other non-news programmes. Politicians may also appear in broadcast news content as an interviewee or any other type of guest.These are the first breaches of Rules 5.1 and 5.3 recorded against GB News. Since opening these investigations, there has only been one further programme which has raised issues warranting investigation under these rules. We are clear, however, that GB News is put on notice that any repeated breaches of Rules 5.1 and 5.3 may result in the imposition of a statutory sanction. Continue reading...
Medecins Sans Frontieres says dangerous manoeuvres' by coastguard put refugees at even greater riskAn NGO performing search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean has accused the Libyan coastguard of hampering an attempt to save more than 170 people making the perilous journey across the sea to Europe.In a statement, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said its ship had come to the rescue of two boats in international waters on Saturday: a small fibreglass boat carrying 28 people and a double-deck wooden vessel with 143 people onboard, which appeared to be in distress. Continue reading...
Israel using starvation as weapon of war, says Josep Borrell, as UN report warns 1.1 million face catastrophic' food supply conditions. This live blog is closed
Crossbenchers including the Greens and the Jacquie Lambie Network back proposal that would ban $1.5m-plus donations and tighten the definition of gifts but does not include spending caps
More than 30 Americans arrive in Miami from Cap-Haiten as US urges citizens to leave as soon as possible' amid gang violenceA charter flight carrying dozens of US citizens fleeing spiraling gang violence in Haiti landed on Sunday in Miami, state department officials said.More than 30 US citizens were on the government-chartered flight, officials said in a statement. It arrived in Miami's international airport after the US embassy in Port-au-Prince earlier this month urged US citizens to leave as soon as possible" as chaos grips Haiti. Continue reading...
World-renowned street artist claims mural in Finsbury Park area as his own in an Instagram post on MondayA tree mural in north London that appeared on a residential building is the work of Banksy, the anonymous street artist has confirmed.The artist claimed the mural as his own in an Instagram post on Monday, following a morning of speculation after it appeared on a building on Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park overnight. Continue reading...
Meanwhile, South Sudan has ordered schools to shut amid extreme heatwaveA cyclone warning has been issued in northern Australia for coastal communities from the island of Groote Eylandt to the Northern Territory/Queensland border. Tropical Cyclone Megan, which developed in the Gulf of Carpentaria on Saturday, has been declared a category 3 cyclone by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Megan is forecast to make landfall on Monday, but has already brought gale-force winds and heavy rainfall to some areas over the weekend. Groote Eylandt was cut off after more than 400mm of rain in just 24 hours on Sunday.There is a chance that Megan could strengthen further into a category 4 storm before making landfall, with the potential for damaging wind gusts of up to 125km/h. Megan is the fifth named cyclone in Australian waters so far this season, which is below the average of about 10 by this stage of the year. Continue reading...
Figures show many still out of the habit' of visiting museums, galleries, cathedrals, castles and country housesVisitor numbers to the UK's museums, galleries, cathedrals, zoos, castles and country houses are increasing but remain stubbornly below pre-pandemic levels, with a significant number of people still out of the habit" of having a day out.Figures released by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) on Monday show a mixed picture. On the bright side, there was a 19% increase in visitor numbers in 2023 compared with 2022. The British Museum saw a 42% rise, making it the most visited attraction in the UK. Continue reading...
Civil liberties network says in states where far-right parties influence power, rule-of-law deterioration risks becoming systemicThe rule of law is declining across the EU as governments continue to weaken legal and democratic checks and balances, a leading civil liberties network has said, highlighting in particular a sharp rise in restrictions on the right to protest.Berlin-based Liberties said in its annual report, compiled with 37 rights groups in 19 countries, that in older democracies with mainstream parties in government, such as France, Germany and Belgium, challenges to the rule of law remained sporadic. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6KDXY)
Starmer's shadow cabinet less popular before election than Blair's and Britons have lost confidence in politicians and their prospectsBritish voters will go into the election this year poorer, more pessimistic and less approving of politicians than they did in 1997, according to data showing how difficult it will be for Keir Starmer to replicate Tony Blair's landslide victory.An analysis of economic and polling data by the political consultancy Public First shows the country has lower wage growth, higher levels of debt and less affordable housing than it did when Labour last ousted the Conservatives from power. All five of Labour's most senior shadow ministers are less popular than their 1997 counterparts, as are most of the top ministers in cabinet. Continue reading...
Rideshare company agrees to settle long-running class-action lawsuit, finally giving cab and hire-car drivers the compensation they deserve, lawyers say
Company founder Felix Barrett says Viola's Room, written by Daisy Johnson, will be an audio-driven production perfect for date nightsPunchdrunk's last immersive production, The Burnt City, drew more than 600 masked theatregoers each night to spend three hours venturing around a sprawling saga based on Greek myths. Their next show, announced on Monday, will invite them to take off their shoes and socks for a slumber party.This whole thing is a bedtime story," said the company's founder, Felix Barrett, of Viola's Room, which will open in May at their headquarters in Woolwich, south-east London. Audiences will wear headphones rather than masks and follow what Barrett called an audio-driven linear story" rather than explore the open world" of Punchdrunk's trademark shows, which let you roam freely around the space. Theatregoers will, according to publicity material, feel their way through a maze-like installation as an unseen narrator guides them on a sensory journey". Continue reading...
Russian president uses victory speech to say war in Ukraine and strengthening military will be his main tasksVladimir Putin has claimed a landslide victory in Russia's presidential vote, as thousands in the country and around the world protested against his deepening dictatorship, the war in Ukraine and a stage-managed election that could have only one winner.In a vote denounced by the United States as obviously not free nor fair", Putin won 87% of the vote, according to exit polling published by the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Center and the Public Opinion Foundation. Continue reading...
Re-elected Russian president makes first public comment on death of opposition leader, which he calls sad event'Vladimir Putin has claimed he had agreed to a prisoner swap involving Alexei Navalny before the opposition leader's sudden death in an Arctic prison last month.Speaking in central Moscow after early results indicated he had won Russia's presidential election in a landslide, Putin said unnamed people made an offer to release Navalny in a swap deal with the west a few days before he died. Continue reading...
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