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Internet Watch Foundation says worrying' trend shows criminals are casting their nets wider to trap victims Our son was targeted by sextortionist online - here's what we didChildren as young as 11 to 13 are being targeted by sextortion criminals for the first time, according to data.The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said the worrying" trend showed that criminals behind extortion attempts were casting their nets wider in an attempt to trap victims. Continue reading...

Richard Tice tries to calm party row in Sunday media round after pair attack each other in newspaper articlesThe fierce clash at the top of Reform UK has escalated as Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe launched fresh attacks against each other and the party denied its suspension of Lowe was politically motivated.Richard Tice, Reform's deputy leader, was dispatched to the Sunday media studios to try to calm the row that has engulfed the party less than two months before a pivotal set of local elections. Continue reading...

Rupert Lowe row highlights split over direction of party, and threatens Farage's ambition to be UK's main rightwing forceOn the face of it, the clash at the top of Nigel Farage's Reform UK is a battle of egos. When Rupert Lowe, the MP touted by Elon Musk as a potential Reform leader, had the temerity to criticise Farage in an interview, the party's machinery quickly moved against him.Lowe complained to the Daily Mail last week that Reform remained a protest party led by the Messiah" and that it was too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods" by winning power. Continue reading...

A giant of political drama, Fugard captured the injustices of apartheid in works such as Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The IslandThe South African playwright and director Athol Fugard, whose works included the plays Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island and the novel Tsotsi, has died at the age of 92.A major political dissident playwright of the 20th century, Fugard wrote more than 30 dramas including Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act (in 1972) and Master Harold" ... and the Boys (1982). Both of those drew upon the time in the 1950s when he could only find employment as a clerk in one of the courts where black South Africans were charged (and inevitably convicted) of breaches of the pass laws", designed to control the movements of a racially segregated population under the apartheid system. There, he witnessed hourly the dehumanisation of those who had chosen the wrong" streets or people. Continue reading...

There is little middle ground in the battle over zonal pricing - and the energy secretary has only months to settle disputeHow would you prefer your electricity prices to be set - nationally or locally? There is little middle ground in the bitter lobbying battle over zonal pricing, the proposal that Great Britain's electricity market should be split into regions with prices set by local supply and demand. The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, must decide in the next few months, in time for this summer's auction for new wind and solar projects.One camp - led by Greg Jackson, the politically plugged-in founder of Octopus Energy, the UK's biggest retail energy supplier - argues that customers' bills will skyrocket" unless zonal pricing is adopted. It points to the wasted money spent paying windfarms to shut down when, for example, it is blowing a gale in Shetland and the local grid is overloaded with more power than can be transported south. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president calls for strengthened sanctions as he highlights weapons used against his countryLocal officials from Russia's ruling party have caused controversy by presenting mothers of soldiers killed in Ukraine with gifts of meat grinders, an appliance widely used to describe Russia's brutal tactics on the frontline.The United Russia party in the northern Murmansk region posted photos on social media showing officials smiling as they visited bereaved mothers with gifts of flowers and boxed meat grinders for International Women's Day on Saturday, which is widely celebrated in Russia. Continue reading...

Moscow claims it is close to surrounding thousands of Ukrainian troops in Kursk regionRussia has taken control of several villages in the Kursk region and claims its forces are close to surrounding thousands of Ukrainian troops fighting on Russian territory.For seven months, Ukraine has controlled a pocket inside western Russia. Last week, Russian and North Korean troops launched a major offensive, shortly after Donald Trump pulled the plug on military support, intelligence and satellite feeds with Kyiv. Continue reading...

Art lovers catch last glimpse of prestigious art collection before gallery shuts for five years for major revampVisitors from around the world have been flocking to the Pompidou Centre in Paris this weekend, seizing the last opportunity to enjoy Europe's largest temple of modern and contemporary art before it closes its doors for a five-year overhaul.In one of the most complex closures of its kind, the task of removing the museum's 2,000-strong permanent collection will start on Monday. The Pompidou's Chagalls, Giacomettis and myriad other treasures will be relocated to other sites in Paris and museums elsewhere in France and around the world. Continue reading...

Critics say perception that peerages may be a reward for donations harms upper house's reputation - especially when peers do little to participate

Conservatives benefit most from donations provided either before or after peers secured their seats

Affected roads include vital routes for holidaymakers, including A2 towards Folkestone and parts of A303 and A30A quarter of England's most important A-roads have electric car charging cold spots", according to government figures that suggest significant gaps remain in the infrastructure needed to switch away from fossil fuels.Twenty-nine out of 107 A-roads that are part of the strategic road network have at least one cold spot, according to data obtained by charging company Zest from the Department for Transport. Cold spots are defined as points where a vehicle with only 10% of its battery remaining would not be able to reach a site with at least six rapid or ultra-rapid devices. Continue reading...

Richard Branson's group plans rail routes linking London to Paris and Brussels, and maybe AmsterdamRichard Branson's Virgin Group is aiming to raise 700m to fund its plan to launch new cross-Channel rail services that would compete with Eurostar.Virgin, which previously operated intercity trains in Britain including between London and Glasgow, plans to start rail services connecting London with Paris and Brussels. It would also look to run trains to Amsterdam. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Jake Richards says government needs to focus on issues such as immigration and welfare to fight off ReformKeir Starmer could be heading for the same fate as Olaf Scholz, the recently defeated German chancellor, unless his government is able to deliver on issues such as immigration and welfare, a Labour MP has warned.Jake Richards, the MP for Rother Valley, said he had seen uncanny" parallels between Labour and Scholz's party during a recent fact-finding trip to Germany to study the rise of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD). Continue reading...

After fears 11m would be diverted to Treasury, money will be spent on restoring polluted areas where penalties issuedMillions of pounds of fines imposed on water firms will fund environmental schemes to protect the country's waterways after fears the money would be diverted to the Treasury.The water restoration fund was set up by the Conservative government to ensure that polluting water firms paid for the damage they caused. The fund received 11m in fines and penalties from April 2022 to October 2023. Continue reading...

Internal row in party over messianic' leader becomes public amid competing members' allegations of bullying and dirty tricksJust a few short weeks ago, Nigel Farage's Reform party was riding high. It was consistently polling above Kemi Badenoch's Conservative party and in some surveys had even edged ahead of the Labour government.Donors who had previously handed over large amounts to the Tories were switching sides, while Farage was relishing having the ear of US president Donald Trump, touting himself as a far better representative to the leader of the free world than Keir Starmer. Continue reading...

Members of Putin's United Russia party in Murmansk said gifts were initiative of the women's wingLocal officials from Russia's ruling party have caused controversy by presenting mothers of soldiers killed in Ukraine with gifts of meat grinders, an appliance widely used to describe Russia's brutal tactics on the frontline.The United Russia party in the northern Murmansk region posted photos on social media showing officials smiling as they visited bereaved mothers with gifts of flowers and boxed meat grinders for International Women's Day on Saturday, which is widely celebrated in Russia. Continue reading...

Two personnel in serious condition after accident near city lashed by torrential rain brought by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred

Barefoot protester had breached parliament security and flown Palestinian flag from tower ledgeA pro-Palestinian protester who climbed the clock tower of Big Ben barefoot and spent more than 16 hours perched on a ledge has been safely brought down by emergency services.He flew the Palestinian flag from a ledge on the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben in the Houses of Parliament, after breaching security measures by climbing over a fence. Continue reading...

Police inform family of man suspected of murdering Lisa Smith on Valentine's Day, after car abandoned on bridgePolice searching for the remains of a man who is suspected of murdering a woman outside a Kent pub on Valentine's Day have recovered a body from the River Thames.Lisa Smith, 43, from Slough, was shot dead near the Three Horseshoes pub in Knockholt just after 7pm on 14 February. Continue reading...

Around 30% of voters say they prefer Labour for dealing with allies against threats to the UK' in boost to party leaderKeir Starmer's approval ratings have shot up since Donald Trump returned to the White House and shocked Europe by withdrawing political and military support for Ukraine, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.Starmer's Labour government as a whole has also gained public support for its response to the global turbulence caused by Trump's return - on security and economic issues. His personal ratings have risen by 10% - albeit from an alarmingly low point - compared with a month ago. Continue reading...

Much of the security is on the passenger side of the terminal, Geoff Askew says, not on the tarmac

Coercive' tariffs and federal funding cuts could worsen flow of illicit drugs into US, ex-government officials warnDonald Trump's policies could leave the US more vulnerable to dangerous synthetic drug trafficking from abroad, even as the administration has vowed to stop fentanyl from entering the country, former government officials say.This week, Trump imposed tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, ostensibly as a tactic to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed but you can read Luke Harding's report from Ukraine hereAccording to Reuters, Two Majors, a pro-Russian war blogger, wrote on Telegram on Saturday that Russian troops had begun an assault on Sudzha, a major town about 6 miles (9.5 km) from the border, and that the situation for Ukrainian troops in Kursk was close to critical".The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the report. Continue reading...

Study found that 7% of Americans have been present at a scene of a mass shooting and 2% had been injured in oneOne in 15 Americans has witnessed a mass shooting, a new study shows, revealing the depth and impact of the epidemic of gun violence that has washed over the US in recent decades.The study found that about 7% of US adults have been present at the scene of a mass shooting in their lifetime, and more than 2% have been injured during one, according to new a report from the University of Colorado Boulder. Continue reading...

Latest attacks came hours after Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin was doing what anybody would do'

After the US president's vow to take over the Arctic island, pro-independent voices are growing louder but some want to work with WashingtonWhen it comes to the issues on the table - schools, healthcare, independence - Tuesday's election is not that exceptional", says Greenlandic politician Aaja Chemnitz Larsen. And yet, it will potentially be the most consequential in the Arctic island's history.What makes this general election unlike any other, says the Inuit Ataqatigiit member of the Danish parliament, is the global spotlight on it. What we're seeing is influence from the US, Denmark and other places, it is not the same as other elections." Continue reading...

Police say suspects are male, with one in a black balaclava seen fleeing the scene at the Piper Arms in a silver carThree suspects are at large after a mass shooting at the opening night of a pub in Toronto that left a dozen people injured, Canadian police say.The shooting at the Piper Arms pub near Scarborough town centre in eastern Toronto happened at 22:39pm on Friday local time (03:39 GMT). Continue reading...

Files deemed sensitive in 144-page manual include those dealing with royal family, the Gurkhas - and UFOsThe Ministry of Defence has revealed its blueprint for censoring official documents under legislation to make government records more transparent.The MoD's blue guide" for officials deciding which public records can be published was obtained under a Freedom of Information Act (FoI) request. It shows documents classified as top secret are housed at the MoD's sensitive archive, whose location is redacted, while about 20m more routine documents are stored at Swadlincote in Derbyshire. Continue reading...

Former UK defence secretary suggests Ukraine can still win the war if it continues holding off Russian forces

MP accused of threatening party chair says dealing with leadership is like smashing his head against a brick wallRupert Lowe has compared dealing with the Reform party leadership to smashing his head against a brick wall amid a public war of words that has revealed deep tensions at the heart of the rightwing party.Lowe posted a statement on X asking the party leader, Nigel Farage, to have dinner with him less than 24 hours after Lowe lost the Reform whip, having been accused of threatening the party chair, Zia Yusuf. Continue reading...

Nationalist parties have tended to praise the US president's politics, but many voters dislike his treatment of UkraineEurope's rightwing populist parties are split over how far to distance themselves from Donald Trump's pressure on Ukraine, with some fearing unflinching solidarity with the US president's brand of nationalism will damage their efforts to widen their domestic support.Broadly, unease over Trump's treatment of Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the ominous encroach of authoritarianism by the new US administration, is strongest among the populist parties in western Europe and some Nordic countries. Continue reading...

Exclusive: More than a dozen authorities have bought more than 850 properties in English towns and cities since 2017London councils and housing companies they own have spent more than 140m buying up homes to relocate homeless people out of the city.More than a dozen councils in the capital have collectively spent millions buying up more than 850 properties in towns and cities across England since 2017, Guardian analysis of property ownership data found. Continue reading...

President Slava Kir appeals for calm while analysts say escalating tensions could lead to full-blown conflictA South Sudanese general and dozens of soldiers have been killed after a United Nations helicopter trying to evacuate them from the northern town of Nasir came under attack, the government has said.The UN said Friday's incident, which could deal a blow to an already fragile peace process, was utterly abhorrent" and a possible war crime. Continue reading...

PM Donald Tusk says country needs army of 500,000 and backs withdrawal from treaty banning landmines

State named 57% of new commemorative places after women in 2024, up from 35% in 2023

Cause of Betsy Arakawa's death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome while Hackman died of heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease contributingThe actor Gene Hackman died of natural causes days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, succumbed to a rare respiratory virus, authorities said on Friday.Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome while Hackman died of heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease contributing, said Dr Heather Jarrell, the chief medical investigator for the New Mexico office of the medical investigator. The couple's partially mummified bodies were discovered last month at their home in New Mexico. Continue reading...

Worries mount for health of media mogul and pro-democracy activist, 77, as his trial nears endThe son of the jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has called for an urgent meeting with the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, saying he was desperate" as his father's defence drew to a close in a high-profile trial.Sebastien Lai said a fresh diplomatic push was now needed to free the 77-year-old pro-democracy activist, who holds British citizenship and has been kept behind bars in Hong Kong since December 2020. Continue reading...

UK reviewers described the homely show from the Duchess of Sussex as smug, syrupy' and narcissisticIt received a toe-curling" one-star review in the Guardian, was written off as smug, syrupy and endlessly spoofable" in the Times and denounced as an exercise in narcissism" in the Telegraph.But according to Netflix, there's more joy to be shared". Continue reading...

Former Alexander McQueen protege's show a major fashion moment as it is first by a new female creative directorThe obvious place to start at Givenchy would be with Audrey Hepburn, but Sarah Burton is a more subtle designer than that.Instead of rewatching Breakfast at Tiffany's, Alexander McQueen's protege-turned-successor studied old photographs of Hubert de Givenchy's first ever show in 1952. She was struck by the minimalism of stripped back, not fussy" clothes, she told Vogue before the show. It is quite clean, quite pure, obviously postwar," she said. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereMeanwhile, in Ukraine... Russia launched a massive" drone and missile attack on Ukrainian energy facilities early Friday, just days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European allies proposed that Moscow and Kyiv halt strikes on critical infrastructure, AFP reported.The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched at least 58 missiles and nearly 200 drones, damaging energy facilities across the country from Kharkiv in the east to Ternopil in the west. Continue reading...

Jury convicts Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova and Tihomir Ivanchev over alleged plots around Europe

Nigel Higgins asked if FCA would drop investigation into Staley's relationship with Epstein if CEO quitThe Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, was accused by the Barclays chair of having destroyed" Jes Staley, a court heard on Friday, after the City watchdog led by Bailey at the time launched an investigation into the banker's ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Nigel Higgins, who made the accusations and is still the Barclays chair, also asked in 2019 whether the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) would be willing to drop its investigation if Staley resigned. Continue reading...

Trump's abandonment of Ukraine has led even Farage to praise Starmer's lead role in European diplomacyBarely a day passes, it seems, without Keir Starmer talking to another European leader or preparing for a continental summit. The crisis over Ukraine has very much pushed the UK closer towards the centre stage than at any point since Brexit. But is this a new era or a false dawn?One thing is certain: the optics of engagement have changed. Starmer never shared Boris Johnson's almost active pride in stoking a row with Brussels, but particularly before the election his advisers were wary of reminding voters about his past as a diehard remainer. Continue reading...

Pair among 12 charged with bribery or misconduct relating to council contracts, say Merseyside policeA total of 12 people, including the former Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson, have been charged with offences related to bribery and misconduct over the awarding of contracts from Liverpool city council between 2010 and 2020.Anderson, who stood down in 2021 after he was arrested, is charged with one count of bribery, one count of misconduct in a public office and one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office. Continue reading...

Cost of second-class service to rise to 87p in sixth increase in little more than three years

Transparency advocates raise concerns over survey' that asked loaded questions about Climate 200-backed MPs Zoe Daniel and Allegra Spender

The biggest unknown in the largely predictable Western Australia election campaign is the extent to which Libby Mettam's Liberals can re-emerge from the political wilderness

Wang Yi hits out at 20% levy on Chinese goods and warns law of the jungle' could emerge from Donald Trump's policyChina's foreign minister has accused the US of two-faced" behaviour, condemning the imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods and warning against the law of the jungle" that could emerge from Donald Trump's America First" policy.Speaking at the sidelines of China's annual parliamentary gathering, Wang Yi said China would firmly counter" US pressure. No country should think that it can suppress China and maintain good relations," he added. Continue reading...

Ahead of his potential release, police and supporters of the impeached president were seen gathering around the presidential residence in SeoulA South Korean court has cancelled President Yoon Suk Yeol's detention warrant, paving the way for his potential release after being held since mid-January on charges of leading an insurrection relating to his failed attempt to impose martial law in December.The Seoul central district court accepted Yoon's petition to cancel his custody in a ruling delivered on Friday, though the president still faces the serious criminal charges that could result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty if convicted. Continue reading...

This week, Donald Trump picked fights with Canada, Mexico, Ukraine, US veterans and every Democrat sitting in Congress for his State of the Union address.Chris Michael and Joan E Greve discuss why the US president is turning up the heat on longtime allies, whether Democrats are responding successfully and, in the end, who loses out if Trump's tactics fail?