This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereA Russian team shot and killed a brother and sister from the Khotin community of the Sumy oblast this morning, the regional military administration said.The brother and sister were living in the village of Andriivka, which is located in the 5-km border zone. Continue reading...
Arthur Shelby actor found with crack cocaine, amphetamines and prescription drugs on Boxing DayThe Peaky Blinders actor Paul Anderson has been fined for possession of drugs, including crack cocaine, after being found with that and other substances on Boxing Day.Anderson, who plays Arthur Shelby in the programme - the hell-raising brother who resorts to drug use - was reportedly said by his lawyer to sometimes slip into character to please fans who recognise him. Continue reading...
by Caroline Kimeu East Africa correspondent on (#6J64M)
Reports of at least a dozen cases of femicide since start of year prompt protests across the countryProtests against femicide have taken place across Kenya after a rise in killings this month.Reports of at least a dozen cases of femicide since the start of the year have prompted public outrage, debate and demonstrations across the country, including in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. Continue reading...
Wrestling mogul is accused of physical and emotional abuse and sexual assault and trafficking by former employeeWorld Wrestling Entertainment founder Vince McMahon resigned from his post with the organization and its parent company on Friday amid sexual misconduct allegations against him by a former employee. He has denied the allegations.WWE's president, Nick Khan, wrote in an email to employees announcing the 78-year-old's departure, noting he'd be resigning from his roles as TKO executive chairman and on the TKO board of directors and that he'd no longer have a role with WWE, per NBC News. (Last year, TKO Group Holdings was put together when WWE merged with Endeavor's Ultimate Fighting Championship.) Continue reading...
Four-year-old dog named Efruz loves the sea', according to his owner, and often perches on a surfboard to ride wavesClad in a yellow vest, little Efruz balances himself on the front of the surfboard as waves foam around him and his companion as they skim over the Pacific waters off Peru.Efruz is a four-year-old Jack Russell terrier and he is a common sight these hot days of the southern hemisphere summer. Continue reading...
Ministers consider measures to lessen appeal as data suggests one in five children have tried vapingVapes could be limited to just four flavours as ministers consider ways to stop children becoming addicted to nicotine.The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has repeatedly voiced concerns about the marketing and design of e-cigarettes, with colourful packaging and sweeteners that can appeal to young people. Continue reading...
Emma Webber describes fury' at sentence received by Valdo Calocane for deadly rampage last JuneThe mother of one of the students stabbed to death in Nottingham has called for an inquiry into any failings that led to the knife attacks.Emma Webber told the Times that her family fully support" calls for a public inquiry, which also has the backing of the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, into the killings of her son Barnaby Webber, fellow University of Nottingham student Grace O'Malley-Kumar and the 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates. Continue reading...
by Jason Burke and Quique Kierszenbaum in Lod on (#6J60B)
War has led to a crisis in relations in Lod - the town that both Arab and Jewish residents call homeFrom a distance the market looks like a scene of communal harmony. Jewish and Arab Israelis inspect the piles of pomegranates, oranges, pears and carrots. Israeli flags flap in the winter breeze from the balconies of shabby apartment blocks. A hundred metres away, a synagogue, mosque and Greek Orthodox church share acar park.The reality is very different. The tension in Lod, a town of 80,000 in the centre of Israel, is palpable. Other than at prayer time, the mosque bolts its metal gates shut. So too do the synagogue and the church. Everybody in the town, which is home to both Jewish and Arab Israelis, is very aware of what might happen if the growing anger, fear and grief among both communities prompted by events of the last four months get out of hand. Continue reading...
by Sarah Marsh Consumer affairs correspondent on (#6J60D)
Increasing preference said to be driven by desire to be healthier and is fuelling trend for 100ml taster bottlesAs the adage goes: good things come in small packages. According to alcohol industry experts British consumers are increasingly choosing to enjoy their beverages in smaller portions, but of higher quality - fuelling a trend for 100ml taster bottles.The shift comes from a desire to be healthier, experts say, with drinking among UK teenagers and young people falling. In June 2023, Tesco sold 25% more low- and non-alcoholic beer than in dry January. Continue reading...
Penny Wong says allegations are deeply concerning as UNRWA investigates several employees accused of taking part in Hamas attacksAustralia will temporarily pause its funding of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) while an investigation is under way into several employees accused of taking part in Hamas's 7 October attacks in Israel, the foreign minister has announced.Penny Wong on Saturday said Australia will join its likeminded partners in the US and Canada in pausing the funding. She said Australia was deeply concerned about the allegations. Continue reading...
A DNA test has helped Shalom Koray find relatives in the US after escaping the Holocaust in a rucksack at the age of twoIn 1943, a two-year-old boy found wandering the streets of the Warsaw ghetto at the height of the Jewish uprising was smuggled out in a rucksack, probably by a police officer.The identity of the child could not be known. There was no one to attest even to a first name. His early life would be spent hidden away in orphanages, still not safe from antisemitic persecution, and without any real understanding of what it was to have a parent. Continue reading...
by Australian Associated Press and Jordyn Beazley on (#6J54W)
Six members of the neo-Nazi group were arrested after dozens of men wearing black hoods and brandishing Australian flags were stopped at North Sydney station
Charles Michel's decision comes ahead of EU meeting where Hungary's PM is expected to block Ukraine support packageThe president of the European parliament, Charles Michel, has abandoned plans to quit the position early amid fears it could have led to Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, getting the role.His decision comes six days before a crunch meeting of EU leaders at which Orban is expected to once again block a 50bn support package for Ukraine. Continue reading...
Vincent Reynouard discovered living double life in Scottish village where he worked as a tutor, reports sayA Holocaust denier who was arrested in a Scottish fishing village will be extradited back to France after spending two years on the run from the authorities.Vincent Reynouard lost his extradition battle after his arrest in November 2022. He had been discovered living a double life in Anstruther, Fife, where he worked as a private tutor, according to reports. Continue reading...
Nine-year-old had been recorded as safe and well' in months before he was killed, review findsA nine-year-old boy who was tortured to death by his mother and stepfather had been recorded as safe and well" after visits by police and social services in the months before he was killed, a review has found.Family and neighbours of Alfie Steele from Droitwich, Worcestershire, made more than 60 calls about his welfare in the period leading up to his murder in February 2021, including a call saying it sounded as if he was being hit and held under the water". Continue reading...
Toni Schiavone, who refused to pay notice written in English, says car park firm threatened' him with 10,000 legal costs billA Welsh-language campaigner embroiled in a three-year legal battle after refusing to pay a car park fine written in English has claimed the management firm is threatening" him with a 10,000 legal bill.Toni Schiavone was given the 70 penalty notice in a car park managed by One Parking Solution in the seaside town of Llangrannog, west Wales, in September 2020. Continue reading...
Boy sent to mental health facility after Bae Hyun-jin left with cuts to her head from attack in SeoulA 14-year-old boy who attacked a South Korean lawmaker with a rock has been sent to a mental health facility, police have said, as they continued to investigate the incident that left the politician, Bae Hyun-jin, with cuts to her head.The suspect was arrested at the scene of the attack in southern Seoul on Friday and sent to a hospital after he was interviewed in the presence of his parents, said Cheon Young-gil, an official at Seoul's Gangnam district police station. Continue reading...
Police describe two people they want to speak to in connection with newborn girl found in NewhamThe Metropolitan police have urged the public to refrain from making unnecessary and unhelpful" comments about a newborn found alive in a shopping bag last week.The force used its latest appeal for information to say those commenting had no idea what the baby's mother was going through, and gave a description of two people they would like to speak to. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6J5ET)
Calls to prepare for war butt up against record on recent conflicts, pay and conditions, and changing youth cultureOn Friday, soldiers from the British army's Royal Anglian regiment were practising their part in a Nato exercise due to take place in Poland in March. It is expected to be the largest in eastern Europe in a decade, with 20,000 troops from the military alliance scheduled to take part in the show of anti-Russia strength.However, a rift between the army and the Conservative government meant Downing Street, unsure what ordinary soldiers might say, had instructed that no participants would be available for interview by journalists hoping to attend. Continue reading...
French government set to respond after being surprised by scale and fury of grassroots demonstrations in agriculture sectorSpeaking after a meeting with the food industry, the French finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, said today that the central issue is the farmers' revenue," Reuters reported.The government would double down" on enforcing a law aimed at guaranteeing fair prices for farmers, he said. Continue reading...
Talks that began in 2022 halted amid unhappiness on both sides about lack of access to agricultural marketsThe UK has halted trade talks with Canada, with discussions breaking down after a disagreement over beef and cheese.The two countries have been negotiating for the past two years in the wake of Britain leaving the European Union, with trade continuing under the same deal brokered when the UK was a member of the bloc. Continue reading...
More than 50,000 fake social media accounts found posting against Berlin's support for UkraineGermany has uncovered a significant pro-Russia disinformation campaign using thousands of fake accounts on X to try and stir anger at Berlin's support for Ukraine, a media report has said.The revelations, first reported in Der Spiegel, come amid growing concern about the impact increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaigns could have on elections. Continue reading...
After Phillip Schofield at ITV and Bernard Looney at BP, tendency to overcompensate' could create other serious problems, say HR expertsWe spend so much time in the workplace, it is hardly surprising that many relationships begin there. But after a string of high-profile office relationship scandals, many companies are trying to make it harder to find love, a relationship, or a fling at work.Research by the TUC, the unions umbrella body, has found that one in five people in the UK are married or in a civil partnership with someone they met at work. Continue reading...
William Finlay sentenced to minimum of 20 years for stabbing retired nurse Alyson Nelson in 2022A man has been jailed for 20 years for murdering his former partner in a vicious, unrelenting" attack at her home in Northern Ireland.William Finlay, 68, was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years at Belfast crown court on Thursday for stabbing Alyson Nelson, 64, a retired nurse, in April 2022 at her house in Whitehead, County Antrim. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6J56X)
Orla Baxendale, described by family as a beautiful, radiant, brave soul', died after going into anaphylactic shock in ConnecticutTributes have been paid to a dancer from Lancashire who moved to the US and died after eating a biscuit that contained peanuts.Orla Baxendale, 25, had a peanut allergy. She died on 11 January after going into anaphylactic shock caused by the mislabelled vanilla florentine cookie she ate. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Home Office licence will allow charity to check drugs such as heroin and crack to see if they are contaminatedThe UK's first regular drug testing service is to open on Saturday in Bristol with a Home Office licence, marking a significant progressive shift in government policy.The testing will allow people who are frequent or dependent users of drugs including heroin, crack, benzos and spice to check they are not contaminated with harmful cutting agents, or adulterated with high-strength synthetic opioids such as nitazines or fentanyl. Continue reading...
Cyclone downgraded on Friday after dense fog hits parts of the US and India while drought affects the Philippines and southern AfricaTropical Cyclone Kirrily made landfall on the coast of Queensland on Thursday night (local time). Kirrily originated as a tropical low over the Coral Sea, and gradually intensified over several days. The tropical cyclone then quickly intensified on Thursday, reaching a category 2 system by 10am AEST, and category 3 by 3pm, producing gusts of 170 km/h (105mph). As Kirrily moved inland only five hours later, it left over 34,000 homes and business without power in Townsville. However, the cyclone was quickly downgraded back to a category 1 by midnight.Earlier in the week, dense fog developed from Montana all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico, reducing visibility on Tuesday to less than a quarter mile for many. The combination of last weeks' arctic blast followed by the introduction of warmer air from the south this week allowed water vapour to condense closer to the surface, which is also known as advection fog. Dense fog was then widely seen again on Thursday morning, affecting just under 99 million people from North Dakota across to central Pennsylvania, and as far south as New Orleans. Continue reading...
Giles David to replace Shaun Wills, with sales falling at troubled fashion brandSuperdry has parted ways with its fourth finance boss in five years as losses widened at the troubled UK fashion brand.The company said Shaun Wills, who has been the finance director for three years, is leaving the business and being replaced next week by the interim finance boss Giles David. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Home Office accused of causing undue suffering as it admits mistake and says correspondence should be disregardedAsylum seekers have been left in despair" after receiving letters sent in error by the Home Office telling them they faced removal to Rwanda, the Guardian has learned.Labour accused the government of being in disarray after Home Office sources admitting to sending the letters out by mistake. Continue reading...
Poverty premium' penalises drivers who cannot pay one-off lump sum, say campaignersCar owners who pay for their insurance monthly rather than with a one-off lump sum are being charged interest of more than 30%, research has found, in what has been described by campaigners as a poverty premium".Insurers give customers the choice of paying one annual premium or breaking it up and paying over the course of the year. Continue reading...
Asbestos-like fragments found at newly-opened Regatta Park in Emu Plains sent for urgent testing, Penrith city council saysPenrith council has closed part of a park in western Sydney over fears it could contain asbestos-contaminated garden mulch from the same company that supplied the product used at Rozelle parklands.Penrith city council says the newly opened Regatta Park at Emu Plains in the city's west was partly closed after a review to determine if any mulch used by the council was provided by Greenlife Resource Recovery.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...
Exclusive: Test case likely against UK's seasonal worker scheme as charity alleges breach of right to be protected from labour exploitationWhen Ismael found himself sleeping rough at York station in the late October cold he struggled to understand how an opportunity to pick berries 7,000 miles from his home had so quickly ended there.He had left Indonesia less than four months earlier, in July 2022. He was 18 and ready for six months of hard work on a British farm to save for a science degree. I thought the UK was the best place to work because I could save up a little money and help my parents," he said. Continue reading...
by Presented by Nosheen Iqbal with David Conn; produc on (#6J505)
After the peer admitted to lying about her involvement in lucrative government PPE deals during the Covid crisis, the fate of her high-profile lingerie company raises further questions. David Conn reportsWhen Michelle Mone sat down for an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg last month it was against the backdrop of serious allegations that she had been facing since 2020. Mone and her husband, the Isle of Man-based businessman Doug Barrowman, are the subjects of a long-running National Crime Agency investigation into allegations of bribery and fraud in their securing of 200m in government contracts for a company, PPE Medpro.She admitted to Kuenssberg that she had lied for years when denying her involvement in the lucrative PPE deals, emphasising in the interview that she was a very successful individual businesswoman'. Continue reading...
William Burns and the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence service will reportedly meet Qatari prime minister in Europe as part of efforts to broker a deal
Rightmove says average advertised price outside London is up 9.2% on a year ago despite fall in some regionsAverage private rents in Great Britain have climbed to new record highs, though in some regions there has been a small fall in the amount new tenants are being asked to pay, data shows.The typical advertised private rent outside London for new properties coming on to the market rose to a record 1,280 a calendar month in the final quarter of 2023, according to the property website Rightmove. That is 2 higher than the 1,278 figure recorded in the third quarter - a sign that rental growth is slowing. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6J4VY)
Carlos Del Toro says present threats mean Britain may want to reinforce its armed forcesBritain should be prepared to review the size of its armed forces given the crisis in the Middle East and the threats from Russia and China, a member of the Biden administration has said during a visit to London.Carlos Del Toro, the US navy secretary, said the UK needed to consider more investment in its navy and reinforcing the army - a day after the head of the British army warned it was too small to fight an all-out war without conscription. Continue reading...
Officers took Bartlomiej Kuczynski to emergency unit in December, on the same day missing person report was filedA man who was found dead in a house alongside the bodies of his two daughters and sister-in-law had been escorted to hospital by police weeks before, it has been confirmed.Bartlomiej Kuczynski, 45, was found with a stab wound to his neck in Costessey, near Norwich, last Friday. His death is not being treated as suspicious, police said. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6J4K5)
Calocane detained in high-security hospital after pleading guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibilityThe mother of a Nottingham stabbing victim said true justice has not been served" after the killer was sentenced to indefinite detention in a high-security hospital.Emma Webber, the mother of 19-year-old Barnaby Webber who was killed alongside fellow student Grace O'Malley-Kumar in the violent attacks that left three people dead last year, also said the assistant chief constable of Nottinghamshire police had blood on his hands" over the force's failure to arrest the killer in the months before the killings. Continue reading...
As Valdo Calocane is sentenced for manslaughter of three people, UK political parties unveil plans to stem use of knivesTackling knife crime has become an urgent political debate after Valdo Calocane admitted to the manslaughter of three people in Nottingham on the grounds of diminished responsibility.Last June, he fatally stabbed Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19-year-old students, and a school caretaker, Ian Coates, 65. On Thursday he was sentenced to indefinite detention in a high-security hospital. Continue reading...
MPs told that new EU Entry-Exit System could lead to gridlocked roads in Kent town if scheme goes ahead as plannedTourists heading to Europe could face waits of up to 14 hours at border controls under a new scheme due to come in this October, MPs have been told.The Port of Dover and the surrounding area could be hit by major disruption when the EU Entry-Exit System launches unless measures are introduced to prevent delays, parliament's European scrutiny committee heard. Continue reading...
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