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France has been urged to shun Maga America as #BoycottUSA hashtag spreads, but teenagers say they can't afford to join the actionOn the rainy Grands Boulevards in Paris on Friday, the branches of McDonald's and KFC were doing brisk business.There was little sign of le boycott" - a movement among French customers to reject American brands and products made in the US, in protest at Donald Trump's trade tariffs and anti-Europe rhetoric. Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands gather for Ekrem mamolu outside Istanbul centre in move to keep momentum after clashes with policeTurkey's main opposition has rallied in defence of the jailed Istanbul mayor, Ekrem mamolu, in a move to sustain the largest anti-government demonstrations in years.Hundreds of thousands of people attended the protest called by the head of the opposition Republican People's party (CHP) in a spot far from the Istanbul city centre. The party leader, Ozgur Ozel, claimed 2.2 million people attended. Continue reading...

Body of team leader found almost a week after six rescuers went missing, Gaza's civil defence agency saysIsrael's military admitted on Saturday it had fired on ambulances in the Gaza Strip after identifying them as suspicious vehicles", with Hamas condemning it as a war crime" that killed at least one person.The incident took place last Sunday in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood in the southern city of Rafah, close to the Egyptian border. Continue reading...

New emails reveal panic' inside the Home Office at the case of Ali Kololo, who was wrongly imprisoned for the 2011 murder of British tourist David TebbuttA Kenyan man who was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death over an attack on British tourists is suing the Metropolitan police over its role in the case.Ali Kololo was imprisoned for more than a decade in what his lawyers called appalling conditions" before being released when his conviction was quashed in 2023. Continue reading...

Aid agencies warn of extremely difficult' response amid Myanmar's continuing civil war with true scale of disaster yet to emerge

The high-stakes race will determine which party will control a court that will rule on abortion and voting rightsA race to determine control of the Wisconsin supreme court that has profound stakes for voting, abortion and labor rights in the state, is also shaping up to be a litmus test of Elon Musk's political power, making it one of the most consequential elections of Donald Trump's second term.Liberals currently hold a 4-3 majority on the state supreme court, but the liberal justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring. Susan Crawford, a liberal judge, is facing off on Tuesday against the conservative judge Brad Schimel for the seat. The winner will determine which party has control of a court that is set to rule on the future of the state's 1849 abortion ban, collective bargaining rights and the makeup of the state's six congressional districts. Continue reading...

Daughter of deceased graduate gives clock part back to Gonville & Caius College - but minute hand still missingThe hour hand of a university chapel clock that was taken in a student prank and replaced with a cardboard copy has been returned almost a century later.Trixie Baker inherited the hour hand on the death of her father, Geoffrey Hunter Baker, a Cambridge graduate who died in 1999 aged 83. Continue reading...

Brianna Stern details alleged abuse in lawsuit filed in Los Angeles and seeks restraining order against influencerAndrew Tate is facing a lawsuit from an ex-girlfriend, who has accused him of sexual assault and battery.Brianna Stern, a model, detailed alleged physical and emotional abuse that took place throughout their 10-month relationship in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles. She also sought a restraining order against Tate. Continue reading...

Governor Ron DeSantis leads push to loosen child labor laws as immigration crackdown leads to workforce shortageBeneath the smugness of Ron DeSantis, at Florida leading the nation in immigration enforcement lies something of a conundrum: how to fill the essential jobs of the scores of immigrant workers targeted for deportation.The answer, according to Florida lawmakers, is the state's schoolchildren, who as young as 14 could soon be allowed to work overnight shifts without a break - even on school nights. Continue reading...

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Drone raid sparks blaze in Dnipro hotel and restaurant complex and injures 19; Ukrainian president says too early to judge Washington's expanded proposal. What we know on day 1,130

Floodwaters have cut roads and isolated central and south-west communities after days of rain, forcing many to flee

Veteran pilot Glenn Collins was attempting a solo aerobatic manoeuvre at the Avalon Airshow when he lost control

This live blog is now closed. You can read our full report on Vance's Greenland visit here:

Billboards in Birmingham cite party leader's remarks about a new funding model as local elections campaigning beginsLabour has begun an all-out assault on Nigel Farage over his views on the NHS in the run-up to key elections in May, as the Reform UK leader prepared to host what is billed as his party's biggest ever rally in Birmingham.In a coordinated campaign before Farage spoke at a 10,000-person event in the city on Friday evening, Labour paid for nearly a dozen billboard posters around the city with messages about his talk about replacing the NHS with an insurance-based healthcare system. Continue reading...

Jing Lusi said Clarke had boasted of previous Bafta award at a dinner where he propositioned and threatened herA prominent actor said Noel Clarke's honorary award from Bafta was handing him a loaded gun" to seduce and silence women, the high court has heard.Jing Lusi, who stars in Gangs of London and Red Eye, is one of more than 20 women whose allegations of sexual misconduct by Clarke were reported by the Guardian in 2021-22 and which form the basis of Clarke's libel claim against the publisher. Continue reading...

Union leaders say president is union-busting as he seeks to eliminate collective bargaining across agencies

United States Geological Survey said the quake was shallow, at a depth of just 10km (six miles) with the epicentre near the central city of Mandalay

Milton, sentenced to four years in prison last year, had donated $1.8m to a Trump re-election campaign fundTrevor Milton, the founder of electric vehicle start-up Nikola who was sentenced to prison last year, was pardoned by Donald Trump late Thursday, the White House confirmed Friday.The pardon of Milton, who was sentenced to four years in prison for exaggerating the potential of his technology, could wipe out hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution that prosecutors were seeking for defrauded investors. Continue reading...

US president says he and Canadian prime minister agree on many things' after first talk since Carney assumed roleDonald Trump described a long-awaited call with the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, as extremely productive" amid a trade war between the two nations launched by the US president.The Friday morning call, requested by the White House, marks the first time the two leaders have spoken since Carney became prime minister on 14 March. Continue reading...

Plumes of smoke rise from suburb of Dahiyeh in Lebanese capital after airstrike that threatens fragile truceIsrael has conducted an airstrike on Beirut for the first time since signing a November ceasefire with Hezbollah.Huge smoke plumes rose from the site of the attack in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh and residents reported hearing the explosion from the mountains surrounding the Lebanese capital. Continue reading...

US rejects suggestion and Kremlin later clarifies idea is just one of the options' and has not been raised with TrumpVladimir Putin has suggested Ukraine could be placed under a temporary UN-led government to organise fresh elections as both Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of breaching an energy ceasefire agreed this week.The idea was quickly rejected by a US spokesperson, and it was not clear how far it was meant to be taken seriously, given that the Kremlin clarified that Putin had not raised this idea in recent phone calls with Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Justice secretary says all options are on the table' and threatens to change lawKeir Starmer has said that he is disappointed" at the Sentencing Council's refusal to agree to the government's request to withdraw the guidelines that have led to claims it is promoting two-tier" justice. (See 11.44am.) Asked about the Sentencing Council's letter this morning, he said:Look, I'm disappointed in this response, and the lord chancellor is obviously continuing to engage on this, and we're considering our response.All options are on the table. I'm disappointed at this outcome, and now we will have to consider what we do as a result.Farage wants you to eat chlorinated chicken just so he can keep licking the boots of his idol Donald Trump.

Dozens of royalists injured in clashes with police fuelled by political instability and economic discontentTwo people have been killed and dozens injured after protests in Kathmandu calling for the restoration of Nepal's monarchy ended in clashes with police.Thousands of protesters rallied in Nepal's capital on Friday to demand a return to the Hindu monarchy, which was abolished in 2008, and the re-establishment of the country as a Hindu rather than secular state. Pro-democracy and republican groups held a counter-protest that passed peacefully. Continue reading...

Concerns over sentencing guidelines are genuine but government also hopes to win admirers with tough attitude

Shareholder meeting turned into latest episode in battle between fashion retailer and Mike Ashley's retail empire

Junta makes rare call for aid as hundreds injured by 7.7-magnitude quake, which also brought down high-rise in Thai capital

New owner Modella says made-up moniker aims to evoke sense of family', but brand experts unconvinced

Justice secretary criticises response and threatens to change law over guidance to judges aimed at tackling biasThe Sentencing Council for England and Wales has rejected demands from Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, to review guidelines she called a two-tier" system of justice.Mahmood criticised rules drawn up by the independent body that devises judges' sentencing guidelines after claims they discriminated against white men. Continue reading...

Marcin Majerkiewicz, 42, sentenced to life for murder of flatmate Stuart Everett, 67, last yearA man who murdered and dismembered his friend before dumping parts of his body in public spaces across Salford and north Manchester has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 34 years in prison.Marcin Majerkiewicz, 42, was sentenced at Manchester crown court on Friday having previously been found guilty of the murder of Stuart Everett, 67, following a two-week trial at the same court. Continue reading...

Scores of poultry operations in the US have been reinfected by bird flu since 2022, costing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal payouts, according to documents obtained by the Guardian.The recurring outbreaks highlight the need for more aggressive prevention, including poultry vaccination and changes to how poultry is farmed, experts say. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Matthew Doyle is second senior member of PM's team to be in post for less than a year after election

Pilot lost control during an aerobatics display and crashed into tarmac at Avalon airport in Victoria

Under terms of deal with Hobbycraft owner, 233-year-old brand will become TGJones

Wettest March day for 15 years in some parts of northern Australian state, while storms and hail hit MediterraneanMore heavy rain has hit Queensland, Australia, just weeks after the devastation of Cyclone Alfred. Much of north and central Queensland was put under severe weather alert for heavy rainfall earlier this week, as six-hourly rainfall totals of 30-60mm were anticipated, with risk of seeing a total of up to 120mm locally in this time frame.In the north-west of the state, this rain allowed waters in the Haughton River to rise rapidly, with levels reaching 2.68 metres on Wednesday night, exceeding the 2.5-metre major flood level. Continue reading...

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What does the attack on an Oscar-winning Palestinian director say about the situation in the West Bank today? Adrian Horton and Lorenzo Tondo reportEarlier this month, No Other Land won the Oscar for best documentary feature. The film chronicles the West Bank community of Masafer Yatta as it resists being driven off its land by settler violence and the demolitions of the Israeli military. The film's two protagonists, Palestinian film-maker Basel Adra and Israeli film-maker Yuval Abraham, gave speeches when they accepted their award.Yuval Abraham: We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life ... There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people." Continue reading...

Albanese visits governor general to kickstart Labor's five-week election campaign, as Peter Dutton frames Coalition's pitch around living standards

Kristian White was convicted of manslaughter over death of Nowland whom he shot with a Taser at a Cooma aged care home in 2023

Man, 48, was riding in Sydney suburb of Waterloo when acting sergeant tried to pull him over at about 3am on Friday, assistant commissioner says

Yuval Abraham criticised the Academy's statement defending its silence after Israeli settlers attacked his co-director Hamdan BallalThe Israeli director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land has condemned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its response to a violent attack on his Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal, who was beaten by Israeli settlers and detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Monday.Earlier this week, Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Abraham criticised the Academy for failing to publicly speak out in support of Ballal. Now he has criticised a statement issued by the Academy to its members on Wednesday, in which it appeared to defend its silence. Continue reading...

Figures reveal 29% fall in operations in England to remove foreign bodies from children's airways, noses and throatsCashless societies may be a sad fact of modern life for those with a nostalgic attachment to the pound in their pocket, but doctors have discovered one unexpected benefit of the decline of coins.Far fewer children are having surgery after swallowing small items that could choke or kill them, and the scarcity of loose change is likely to be the reason. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Simon Blake says progress of government's bill could be exploited by those attacking rights globallyThe new head of Stonewall has pledged to fight for a ban on conversion practices that includes every member of the lesbian, gay, bi and trans community", as he said that the progress of Labour's bill may be exploited by those pursuing global attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.With the UK government expected to publish draft legislation this spring, Simon Blake said: It's really important that a conversion practices bill covers all practices designed to try to change or correct somebody's sexual or gender identity." Continue reading...

Home affairs minister leaves Ramadan event after federal police learn of possible disruption from protestors angry at Labor's response to Gaza war

King now back at Clarence House after temporary side-effects', with Friday engagements postponedKing Charles went into hospital on Thursday after experiencing temporary side effects" as part of his continuing medical treatment for cancer, Buckingham Palace has said.The monarch underwent scheduled treatment for cancer this morning, which required a short period of observation in hospital", according to a palace statement. Continue reading...

Prosecutors say Sheff G, who supported the president last year, used career earnings to fuel gang violence in BrooklynA New York City rapper who joined Donald Trump during a campaign rally last year has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and conspiracy charges after prosecutors say he used earnings from his music career to fuel gang violence in Brooklyn.Sheff G, whose legal name is Michael Williams, agreed to serve five years in prison as part of the plea entered in a Brooklyn court on Wednesday, Brooklyn district attorney Eric Gonzalez said. Continue reading...

Vice-chancellor Sasha Roseneil accuses Office for Students of seeking to persecute' rather than solve problemsThe University of Sussex is taking legal action to overturn a record fine levied by England's higher education regulator, accusing the regulator of seeking to persecute" it rather than solve problems.This week the Office for Students (OfS) said it would fine Sussex 585,000 for two historic" breaches of its regulations related to freedom of speech and governance. It comes after a three-and-a-half-year investigation into the resignation of Prof Kathleen Stock, who was the target of protests at Sussex over her views on gender identification and transgender rights. Continue reading...

Prosecutors allege suspects spiked victims' drinks with drugs at venues in Kortrijk between 2021 and 2024Belgian authorities are investigating the alleged rape and sexual assault of at least 41 women whose drinks are thought to have been spiked, with three bar managers identified as prime suspects, prosecutors have said.Officials believe drugs were mixed into the women's drinks, including ketamine, a general anaesthetic used for recreational purposes because of its hallucinogenic effects. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president has learned Trump's team demand positivity and there is little point in trying to inject reality'At a press briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday, explaining where initial US brokered peace negotiations had got to, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, struck a notably different tone. Long gone is the tetchiness on display in London in the aftermath of the Ukrainian leaders' catastrophic trip to the White House. In its place was a degree of optimism so high that it could only be interpreted as political positioning.Though he complained about comments made by Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's special envoy, that four Ukrainian regions wholly or partly occupied by Russia consisted of people who wanted Moscow's rule in an overwhelming majority" - these were in line with the messages of the Kremlin" Zelenskyy said - he insisted that had advantages too. Continue reading...