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A lot of parents are feeling really angry and frustrated with the government,' director of Trans Justice Project says

Crooked Cross, Sally Carson's electrifying masterpiece' from 1934, to be republishedSally Carson was not an oracle or a prophet, just a young woman from Dorset, born in 1901. Yet she foresaw a dark and violent future for Europe and gave voice to those fears in a 1934 novel that is now being hailed as an electrifying masterpiece".Carson's book, Crooked Cross, predicted the scale of the Nazi threat and is to be republished for the first time this spring, ahead of the 80 anniversary of the end of the second world war. Controversial in its day, her novel had to walk a careful path to avoid the accusation that it was alarmist about the Fuhrer's aims. A stage adaptation of her story was even censored, shorn of all its Heil Hitlers". Continue reading...

Palestinians find moment of respite in going out to dinner or relaxing in cafes as devastated territory seeks to rebuildIt is a Thursday night in Khan Younis and business is good at the al-Sawafiri restaurant. Not far away, entire blocks have been reduced to rubble, but here, in this small corner of the city in the southern Gaza Strip, the damage is less extensive. Raed al-Sawafiri, the owner and manager, stands in front of chicken rotating on a grill and smiles. Every one of his plastic tables is occupied.Al-Sawafiri had no experience of the restaurant trade until very recently. Displaced 10 times during the 16-month conflict in Gaza, the 23-year-old opened his first establishment in Rafah, the southernmost city in the territory, early this year, after sourcing old equipment and sending his father to the border with Egypt to buy meat. Continue reading...

Leaders praise each other at White House but president warns Japan could face tariffs if it doesn't cut US trade deficit to zeroThe Japanese prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, and the US president, Donald Trump, struck a warm tone at their first meeting on Friday, with Tokyo avoiding tariffs that Trump has slapped on other allies - for now.Heaping praise on each other at the White House, the two leaders pledged to stand together against Chinese aggression" and said they found a solution for a blocked deal for troubled US Steel. Continue reading...

When asked if US will deliver nuclear submarines on time, US defense secretary says we sure hope so'

Prolonged period of oppressive heat' could push temperatures to mid 40C in South Australia, and mid 30C in Melbourne and Hobart

Monsoon trough and forecast heavy rain is a hammer blow to residents who have begun returning to their inundated homes

National Rail says incident will continue to cause major disruption to services between Manchester and LiverpoolRail lines between Manchester and Liverpool have reopened after a car driven on to train tracks by a suspected drunk-driver was cleared.Major disruption is still expected until the end of Friday because trains and crews have been displaced. Services operated by Northern, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales are affected. Continue reading...

Prosecutor argues Matildas star's claims about what happened in taxi do not make one blind bit of difference to what this case is about'

Andrew Searle, retired fraud investigator, and wife, Dawn, found dead in their rural home in south-west FranceFrench police are investigating the deaths of a retired British couple who were found in their renovated rural home in Aveyron, south-west France.The bodies of Andrew Searle, a retired fraud investigator, and his wife, Dawn, were discovered at about 12.30pm on Thursday at their home in the village of Les Pesquies, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue. Continue reading...

Proceeds from sale of 1714 instrument will be used to fund scholarships for violinists at New England ConservatoryA Stradivarius violin crafted in 1714 sold for $11.25m (9.1m) at a New York auction on Friday, missing the world record for a musical instrument that some predicted it might break, but still securing a solid financial future for a new generation of performers.The 311-year-old instrument, listed by Sotheby's of Manhattan as a masterpiece of sound", once belonged to the celebrated 19th-century Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, a close friend of the composer Johannes Brahms. It was gifted to the New England Conservatory in 2015 following the death of its most recent owner, a former student, Si-Hon Ma, with the understanding it would one day be sold to fund musical scholarships. Continue reading...

Inquest into deaths of three prisoners within three weeks at HMP Lowdham Grange in 2023 criticises poor leadership'There were several failings and missed opportunities at an overwhelmed prison where three inmates took their lives in the space of three weeks, an inquest jury has found.Anthony Binfield, 30, Rolandas Karbauskas, 49, and David Richards, 42, were found in their cells at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire between 6-25 March 2023.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Media group led by Guardian seeks release of document written by Dominic Hampshire in support of Yang TengboLawyers for an aide to Prince Andrew are fighting to prevent the release of a statement he made in support of a man accused of being a Chinese spy who became a trusted business partner of the prince.The Guardian is leading a group of media organisations seeking the release of a witness statement written by the prince's fixer and close friend Dominic Hampshire, originally at the personal request of the businessman Yang Tengbo. Continue reading...

Supermodel alleges concerted deception' by fellow trustee kept her in dark over running of Fashion for ReliefThe supermodel Naomi Campbell has claimed she knew nothing of the extensive financial misconduct and mismanagement at the anti-poverty fashion charity she created and sat on the board of for more than five years.Campbell was disqualified from running a charity in May 2024, before the publication of a devastating watchdog report that revealed a trail of administrative chaos, misuse of charity funds, and chaotic record-keeping. Continue reading...

President takes aim at agencies such as FBI and IRS in executive order cracking down on anti-Christian bias'

Exclusive: Bank holds crisis meeting to discuss response to news that Sir Evelyn de Rothschild left after allegation of sexual misconductSenior bankers at Rothschild & Co gathered on Tuesday in a meeting room at its St Swithin's Lane headquarters in the heart of the City of London to discuss a memo that would shake the storied financial group to its foundations.The memo, to be sent to staff on Wednesday morning, would admit for the first time that their celebrated former leader, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, had left the bank in 2004 after an allegation of sexual misconduct. Continue reading...

Hamas accuses Israel of delaying humanitarian aid trucks before next round of hostage and prisoner releases due on Saturday. This live blog is closedIran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Friday that his country would reciprocate if the United States threatened or carried out actions against Iran.If they threaten us, we will threaten them. If they carry out this threat, we will carry out our threat. If they attack the security of our nation, we will attack their security without hesitation," said Khamenei during a meeting with army commanders. Continue reading...

Former French president was found guilty of trying to bribe a judge in 2014 after he had left officeFormer French president Nicolas Sarkozy was fitted with an electronic tag on Friday after losing his appeal against his conviction for corruption and influence peddling.He will be required to remain at his Paris home between 8pm and 8am, but has been given a special dispensation to be outside until 9.30pm for three days a week when attending his current trial on charges - that he denies - of accepting millions in illegal campaign funds from the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Continue reading...

Rights groups say punishment is insufficient after first conviction for abuse in a system where dozens have diedAn Israeli soldier has been found guilty of severe assaults of Palestinian detainees from Gaza, the first conviction for abuse in a system where dozens of people have died in custody and whistleblowers say torture and violence is rife.Israel Hajabi, 25, repeatedly attacked bound and blindfolded detainees with his fists, a baton and his assault rifle, a military court found, describing his actions as serious and severe". On one day alone, 5 June last year, at the Sde Teiman detention centre he beat two men 15 times. Continue reading...

The work and pensions secretary said those who think they were unable to work probably could with the right supportLord Hermer, the attorney general, must be getting used to bad publicity, but there is an article in the Times today that ought to worry him more than others.A long-standing friend and barrister colleague of Keir Starmer (Hermer was Starmer's junior in countless cases), Hermer was a surprise choice for attorney general. Emily Thornberry thought she was lined up for the job. But Starmer appointed Hermer, who became the first person to be appointed attorney general in more than 100 years who was not already an MP or peer.On Chagos, the popular critique is simple. Hermer, an actual lefty lawyer who would wear that pejorative as a badge of honour, is putting international law - already an ephemeral and often disregarded thing even before the return of Donald Trump - before domestic politics ...One puts the case against the attorney-general like this: Richard seems to be under the impression that the government needs objective legal advice." Another senior figure now butting heads with Hermer adds: He genuinely doesn't realise that he is our lawyer." Trying to govern for voters who would otherwise be drawn to the radical right is proving much harder with Hermer laying down the law: pushing back, warning that this or that initiative can't go ahead for fear of judicial reviews ministers would happily fight to prove a political point.This week I asked a minister who knows Starmer well whether he might one day move Hermer if the politics of the moment demanded it. They answered yes, without hesitation. If my co-author and I have learnt anything about the PM from studying his leadership in often microscopic detail, it is that he is capable of moving hard and fast when political reality changes ...The legal architecture he and his radical contemporaries helped to build - Starmer at Doughty Street, Hermer at Matrix Chambers - is beginning to look distinctly old-fashioned. If it no longer serves his government, is this shapeshifting prime minister really prepared to lash himself to the mast of a sinking ship? Continue reading...

We have to ensure that only the right people have guns in Sweden,' says prime minister, Ulf KristerssonSweden's government has announced plans to strengthen its gun laws, including by restricting access to semi-automatic weapons, after the country's worst mass shooting.On Tuesday, a gunman killed 10 people at an education centre in Orebro, west of Stockholm. Police have not said what type of weapon he used but they have said he had a licence to own four weapons - three of which were found beside him. Continue reading...

Special minister of state Don Farrell has looked at increasing spending and gifts caps for candidates

With at most 12 weeks until election day, Dutton and the Coalition have announced few proactive ideas

Reserve Bank statistics show the national credit card debt sits at $17.8bn, up $236m in December 2024 alone

Nine Venezuelans including children found by police in Alberta with a second group apprehended in ManitobaMore than a dozen people have been caught making the hazardous crossing into Canada, renewing focus on the closely watched - and seasonally perilous - border with the United States.Police in Alberta this week intercepted two groups attempting to cross into Canada illegally, including one which included five children who were ill-prepared for the cold which can plunge as low as -30C (-22F) at this time of year. Continue reading...

Singer biopic wins best film and best actor for motion capture star Jonno Davies, while Trent Dalton adaptation wins in 12 of its 22 nominated categories

Industry figures say fate of Anglesey facility to have been built by Hitachi shows problems with planning system

Order comes after Donald Trump suggested US take over territory and resettle its residents elsewhere

ITV News investigation finds allegations of unacceptable' and distressing' behaviour on shows TV chef worked onThe TV chef Gino D'Acampo has denied accusations of inappropriate behaviour including using sexualised and aggressive language over a period of 12 years.An investigation by ITV News found dozens" of allegations of misconduct against the 48-year-old on TV shows he worked on, with his behaviour described as unacceptable" and distressing" by those making accusations. Continue reading...

Average property price increases by 0.7% in January to record 299,138 as market starts year on positive note'

AFP also allege man used social media to contact Victorian state politician

Arab Council Australia calls broadcaster's legal defence disturbing', while Australian Lebanese Association notes irony' considering nature of case

Chris Oliver-Taylor tells unlawful termination hearing of events leading up to decision to sack journalist three days into casual contract

This blog is now closed

This blog is now closed

Gambling Commission accidentally hands over thousands of sensitive documents to Richard Desmond's lawyersThe gambling regulator has accidentally handed over more than 4,000 sensitive documents to lawyers acting for the media tycoon Richard Desmond, in an unprecedented" blunder during its legal battle over the 6.4bn national lottery contract, the Guardian understands.Northern & Shell (N&S), the investment group owned by Desmond, is suing the Gambling Commission for 200m in damages over its handling of the lottery licence award process. Continue reading...

Prosecutor argues White has not expressed genuine remorse for his crime and does not accept that he is guilty of manslaughter

Between Donald Trump's suggestion that the US could take control of the Gaza Strip, forcibly removing Palestinians from their homes, and Elon Musk's continued efforts to dismantle the US federal government, the critics are lining up. The Democrat senator Andy Kim is one of them. But what can he, his party, or anybody else do to stop the president and his non-elected billionaire pal? He speaks to Jonathan FreedlandArchive: ABC News, CNN, NBC News, PBS Newshour, CBS News Continue reading...

Exclusive: Local authority in Surrey declared itself effectively bankrupt in 2023 after series of risky investmentsTwo former senior figures at bankrupt Woking council are to be investigated by the UK's accounting watchdog after it racked up more than 2bn in debt on a failed investment spree.The Surrey council declared itself effectively bankrupt in 2023 after ploughing vast sums of borrowed money into skyscrapers, a luxury hotel and other risky commercial investments, in what was one of the biggest financial failures in local government history. Continue reading...

Sudden suspension of aid funding a perfect opportunity' for Beijing to fill the gap and grow its own soft powerDonald Trump's shutdown of USAid has already had disastrous effects on humanitarian aid and development programmes around the world, but it has also ceded ground to the US's chief rival, China, analysts have said.The result of the sudden 90-day suspension of USAid funding - which accounts for 40% of global foreign aid - has been chaos: employees locked out of offices, humanitarian shipments left to rot, and lifesaving assistance stopped. Around the world, development programmes previously assisted by the USAid are panicking, warning of disastrous risks of escalating famine, death and disease. Continue reading...

Order says ICC issued baseless' arrest warrants targeting Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's ex-defense minister Yoav GallantSpain's foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares on Thursday rejected the suggestion by Israeli defence minister Israel Katz that Spain should accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza.More details soon ... Continue reading...

Five witnesses called in eight days, including accuser A$AP Relli, who was on stand for three day's worth of testimonyLos Angeles county prosecutors rested their case on Thursday at the trial of rapper and fashion mogul A$AP Rocky, who is charged with firing a gun at a former friend on a Hollywood street in 2021.They called five witnesses in eight days of testimony, including two police officers, a police detective and a firearms expert. Continue reading...

Union says viral email stuff-up downplaying junior doctors' concerns has become a focal point for what it labels toxic' and hazardous' workplace conditions

Shigeru Ishiba will seek familiar guarantees: that the US will continue to stand on Japan's side against China and North KoreaDonald Trump had yet to get his feet under the Oval Office desk when he held his first meeting with a foreign leader in late 2016. Shinzo Abe, then Japan's prime minister, arrived at Trump Tower in November that year bearing a gift of a gold-plated golf club and harbouring a determination to get the Japan-US relationship under Trump off to the best possible start.The success, or otherwise, of Abe's charm offensive had potentially serious repercussions. During the election campaign, Trump had suggested he would withdraw US troops from Japan, contingent on Tokyo's willingness to make a bigger financial contribution to their countries' postwar alliance. Continue reading...

London-based Vanya Gaberova, 30, tells Old Bailey she was lied to and manipulated by alleged spy ringAn alleged Russian spy tearfully told the Old Bailey she knew nothing of plans to deploy her as a honeytrap" and claimed she was lied to, manipulated, used, and exposed".London-based Vanya Gaberova, 30, is accused of being part of a spy ring which targeted people and places of interest to the Russian state over three years. Continue reading...

Robert Hendy-Freegard, the subject of a Netflix documentary, injured two gendarmes at his home in 2022A British conman who featured in a Netflix documentary has been sentenced to six years in prison by a French court for deliberately ramming two police officers with his car as he attempted a getaway.Robert Hendy-Freegard, 53, nicknamed the Puppet Master because of his career as a serial swindler, made his escape after injuring the gendarmes at his home in the Creuse, in central France. Continue reading...

Though heavily dependent on US aid, Amman and Cairo face political calamity at home should they comply

Struggling firm's resources to be depleted due to expensive fees and interest costs in restructuring dealStruggling Thames Water may gain less than 500m in usable cash while taking on 1.5bn in emergency debt because of expensive fees and interest costs, a Londonhigh court has heard.Thames Water is seeking approval from the court for a restructuring deal with existing creditors that would provide 1.5bn in immediate financing, potentially rising to 3bn, to stave off collapse by the end of March. Continue reading...

Government criticised after it gives landlords until 2027 before they have to fix all dangerous hazards quicklyCampaigners have criticised the government for putting lives at risk by delaying a law to make social landlords fix dangerous hazards quickly.Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, and Matthew Pennycook, her housing minister, announced on Thursday they were giving landlords in the social rented sector until 2027 before they have to start fixing all dangerous hazards within a set timeframe. Continue reading...

Elon Musk-led razing of US foreign aid agency led strong-arm rulers in Hungary, Belarus and elsewhere to celebrateMoscow has welcomed the impending dissolution of USAid, joining a chorus of strongman leaders declaring victory over an organisation they have long portrayed as a vehicle of American political interference.Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Thursday described USAid as anything but an aid, development and assistance agency" and instead branded it a mechanism for changing regimes, political order [and] state structure". Continue reading...