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Remake of 2000 Molson beer ad has the same message as Trump threatens tariffs: Canada will not cower to the USFor the second time in 25 years, a lone figure takes to the stage, an oversized maple leaf flag rippling on a screen behind him as he approaches the microphone.His hair is perhaps a little greyer but the message remains the same: Canada will not cower to the United States. Continue reading...

In letter, the Massachusetts senator cautioned private firms would fill in the void and put Americans at risk'Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and 10 Democratic Senators have called on the government accountability office (GAO) to investigate the effects of the recent firing of federal probationary employees on the health and safety of the American public.The letter noted at least 25,000 probationary employees at the federal government appear to have been indiscriminately fired under the claims of poor performance, regardless of their performance. The firings put American people at risk", Warren warned. Continue reading...

Powis, who had a key role in advising ministers and public during pandemic, follows chief executive in resigning

CEO refuses to comment on deal speculation as broadcaster benefits from hits including Mr Bates vs The Post Office

Sentencing Council plans to make offenders' ethnic backgrounds a greater factor in deciding whether to jail themMinisters have criticised plans to make the ethnic background of offenders a greater factor in determining whether to jail them, saying they amounted to a two-tier system" of justice.Sarah Jones, the industry minister, said the government was opposed to guidance published on Wednesday by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, which is an independent arm's-length body. Continue reading...

Despite imminent federal election, Green, Liberal and union volunteers work side by side supporting Brisbane

Air force apologises and wishes a swift recovery to the civilians injured after eight bombs abnormally released'South Korea's air force has apologised after one of its fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs in the wrong place during a training exercise on Thursday, injuring 15 civilians and damaging several buildings.Eight MK-82 general purpose bombs were abnormally released from an air force KF-16 aircraft, landing outside the designated firing range," the air force said, adding that the bombs weighed about 225kg each. Continue reading...

Richard Dannatt told undercover reporters he could make introductions, despite House of Lords ban on lobbying

Victoria police called to airport outside Melbourne on Thursday afternoon after alleged incident on commercial flight

Law reform report says 92% of women choose not to go to police after being sexually assaulted

Frustrated Tesla drivers are selling cars or displaying anti-Musk bumper stickers as sales of the EV car brand slumped 72% in February compared with last year

Exclusive: Fundraiser at Macquarie Bank HQ and Pharmacy Guild lunch called off as Tropical Cyclone Alfred bears down on the opposition leader's home state

The student, who is transgender, said she feared deportation after allegedly writing protest messages on campus whiteboards

The news that the US had suspended military aid to Ukraine stunned world leaders and led to a rapid reassessment of how much we can really rely on our American ally. Is this the end of the western alliance? John Harris asks our diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour. Plus, as the UK pledges to boost defence spending by slashing our foreign aid budget, ActionAid's CEO, Taahra Ghazi, tells John about the fallout for organisations working on the ground.

GMC figures also show there are more ethnic minority doctors than white ones, first reported in November

Women and ethnic minorities now in the majority and evidence shows diversity benefits patient outcomes

Sky Shield proposal drawn up by military experts would be operated separately from Nato and deploy 120 fighter jetsA European air force of 120 fighter jets could be deployed to secure the skies from Russian attacks on Kyiv and western Ukraine without necessarily provoking a wider conflict with Moscow, according to a plan drawn up by military experts.Sky Shield, its proponents argue, would be a European-led air protection zone operated separately from Nato to halt Russian cruise missile and drone attacks on cities and infrastructure, potentially operating as part of the truce in the sky" proposed by Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this week. Continue reading...

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Phil Goff questioned Donald Trump's grasp of history at a Chatham House event in London, prompting the foreign minister to say his position is untenable'New Zealand's high commissioner to the United Kingdom has been removed from his role after publicly questioning US President Donald Trump's grasp of history - remarks that have rendered his position untenable" in the eyes of New Zealand's government.At a public Chatham House event in London this week, high commissioner Phil Goff asked a question of Finnish foreign affairs minister Elina Valtonen, who was speaking on how to keep the peace with Russia, with which Finland shares a border. Continue reading...

Musical's producer says show cannot in good conscience' perform at arts center whose leadership Trump has firedThe mega-hit Broadway musical Hamilton is pulling out of plans to perform at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington next year, citing Donald Trump's shakeup of the art institution's leadership.Our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center," producer Jeffrey Seller said in a statement on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Complaints detailing distressing incidents of racism reveal 2023 referendum one of Australia's darker moments', author saysWarning: this article contains distressing descriptions of racism

Officials accuse Mohammad Sharifullah of being a member of the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate

Man in his 40s arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving at rugby club in KendalA child has died and another has been injured after a car was driven on to a sports pitch in Cumbria, police said.Cumbria police were called at 4.58pm on Wednesday to reports of a collision involving a black BMW i40 and two children on a pitch at Kendal Rugby Union Football Club. Continue reading...

John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett join liberal justices to leave in place lower-court order on USAid cuts

Interventions follow US vice president's comments about 20,000 troops from some random country that has not fought a war in 40 years'. This live blog is closedIn response to a question about intelligence cooperation with the US, Sir David Manning, a former ambassador to Washington, said he thought this would become more difficult" because there was a problem of trust. He explained:If you have some of Trump's appointees in these key jobs who have very strange track records, and have said very strange things about Nato allies, the Nato alliance and so on, and you have people in the administration who seem to be, let's say, looking for ways of appeasing Russia, then you have a problem on the intelligence front, because these are not the values that we have. Continue reading...

Jorge Toledo's comments come after approvals for coal power projects increased in second half of 2024The EU's ambassador to China has urged Beijing to stop building coal-fired power plants, saying that its rapid approval of new projects was increasingly at odds with its green ambitions.Speaking at an EU-hosted event in Beijing, Jorge Toledo said the war in Ukraine had underlined the need for energy security, but that the EU had managed to navigate the issue without reverting to fossil fuels. Continue reading...

US no longer providing information about targets in Russia, in latest blow after halting military aid

A day after launch of contentious feature, its bias meter said some accounts see Klan as responding to societal changes'The Los Angeles Times has reportedly removed its new artificial intelligence (AI) tool from one of its articles, just a day after launching the feature.The publication unveiled a new AI-driven feature called Insights" this week, designed to accompany articles that express a particular viewpoint or are written from a personal perspective", such as opinion pieces, commentary, and reviews. Continue reading...

Supermarket broke rules more than 100 times across its property portfolio, competition regulator says

Zhenhao Zou, 28, who carried out attacks in London and China, described in court as every woman's nightmare'Warning: this article contains graphic details some readers may find disturbingA PhD student who charmed women so he could drug, video and attack them has been convicted of 11 rapes on 10 women in London and China.Zhenhao Zou, 28, was convicted by a jury at Inner London crown court on Wednesday, after more than 18 hours of deliberations. Continue reading...

Tropical Cyclone Alfred threatens the first direct hit on the area since 1954 and very few residents have any idea how bad it could be

Greens say Australia should introduce a 3% tax on revenues beyond $20m if a company makes more than 750m worldwide

Class action accuses International Distribution Services of abusing dominant position' in marketA 1.2bn class action claim accusing the owner of Royal Mail of abusing its dominant position" in the market for sending bulk mail has been given the green light to proceed to trial by UK competition authorities.Bulk Mail Claim Ltd, a recently formed company representing an estimated 290,000 customers who claim they were overcharged as a result of Royal Mail's behaviour, has won clearance to proceed with its legal challenge from the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). Continue reading...

Former prime minister says drive to stop Channel crossings was correct, but message wasn't quite right'Rishi Sunak has said the stop the boats" slogan during his time as UK prime minister was too stark".Sunak said the drive to stop migrants crossing the Channel was correct, but conceded the way the message was given to the public wasn't quite right". Continue reading...

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Dispute emerges after deputy prime minister Winston Peters questioned why MPs used the name Aotearoa in debatesThe speaker of New Zealand's parliament has told lawmakers to stop complaining about the use of the Mori name for the country, after the deputy prime minister strongly objected to hearing it in the house.In a ruling on Tuesday, Gerry Brownlee said that while New Zealand" is the official name, the Mori name Aotearoa" is used widely, including on currency and passports. Continue reading...

Economists believe that meeting the target will be challenging as Beijing grapples with Donald Trump's new trade war

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Number is nearly one in 10 of all women killed by men, leading to calls for government action to tackle matricide

Former Liberal staffer says sexual assault described by judge substantially inconsistent' with violent rape portrayed on The Project

Ahmed Rashid Nadir charged over two offences and granted bail to appear at Downing Centre local court on 19 March

More than 100 schools closed and thousands without power as Tropical Cyclone Alfred generates high winds - even before it makes landfall

Shona McCarthy says public authorities have routinely ignored needs of world's largest arts festivalThe Edinburgh festival fringe should be given the same status as major sporting events like the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games, its outgoing chief executive has said.Shona McCarthy, who stands down this week after nine years running the fringe, said its needs were routinely ignored by public authorities, who expected it to fend for itself despite its status as the world's largest arts festival. Continue reading...

John Healey to go through European peace proposals with his US counterpart Pete HegsethThe UK defence secretary, John Healey, will fly out to Washington on Wednesday for a two-day trip during which he will meet his counterpart, Pete Hegseth, after the Trump administration's decision to halt all military aid to Ukraine.Officials said the minister would go through the emerging peace proposals discussed in London by European leaders on Sunday, but it was not clear if he would press for a reversal of the military freeze, which appeared to have surprised the UK. Continue reading...

Sports ground exclusions and mandatory work for offenders in England and Wales part of mix' under sentencing reviewCriminals could be banned from pubs, sports grounds and social events under proposals being considered as alternatives to prison, a minister has said.Sarah Sackman, the courts minister, told the Guardian that such exclusions, as well as mandatory work for offenders, were very much part of the mix" under a review of sentencing being conducted by the former Conservative Lord Chancellor David Gauke. Continue reading...

Inquiry launched after pair was able to fly into state despite facing trial in Romania on rape and trafficking chargesThe attorney general of Florida has opened a criminal investigation of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan after the pair were able to fly into the state last week despite facing trial in Romania on charges of rape, sex with a minor, people trafficking and money laundering.James Uthmeier, appointed to be the state attorney general by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, said on Tuesday he had begun an active criminal investigation" of the brothers and was prepared to use the full force of law" in his examination of their conduct. Continue reading...

Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire shut due to rising costs and declining visitor numbers, owner saysThe largest theme park in Wales has closed with immediate effect after nearly 40 years, its owner has announced.Oakwood Theme Park, in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, announced on Tuesday that it will shut. Continue reading...

Zelenskyy says his country is ready to sign minerals and security agreement while admitting White House meeting did not go the way it was supposed to'New EU plans to strengthen Europe's defence industry and increase military capabilities could mobilise close to 800bn ($841.4bn), EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday in Brussels.The EU will propose to give member states more fiscal space for defence investments, as well as 150bn euros in loans for those investments, and will aim to mobilise private capital as well, Reuters reports von der Leyen said Continue reading...

Deal with US finance giant BlackRock, valued at almost $23bn, comes amid push to curb perceived China influenceCK Hutchison Holdings, the Hong Kong-based logistics giant, announced plans to sell a majority stake in a business that controls ports in Panama to investors including the US financial giant BlackRock in a deal worth almost $23bn.The sale of a 90% interest in Panama Ports Company, which holds the contract to run the ports of Balboa and Cristobal until 2047, is part of a wider deal for Hutchinson Port's global business. The deal comes at a time Donald Trump has piled on pressure to end what he sees as China's influence and control over the Panama canal. Continue reading...

Conservative alliance and Social Democrats to propose exempting spending of more than 1% of GDP on defenceThe prospective partners in Germany's next government have said they will seek to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending.They said they will also seek to set up a huge 500bn ($533bn ) fund to finance spending on Germany's infrastructure over the next 10 years. Continue reading...