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Member for Runcorn and Helsby quits two weeks after receiving a suspended sentence for punching a constituentMike Amesbury has resigned as an MP after being given a prison sentence for punching a constituent, triggering the first byelection of Keir Starmer's government.The Runcorn and Helsby MP was suspended by Labour and lost the party whip in October after a video of the incident on a night out was published online. He was given a 10-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. Continue reading...

Adrian and Joanne Fenton had called the police when they discovered the boy hiding inside a bike-rack coverA couple who discovered a boy hidden on the back of their motorhome after their journey from France to Essex have been fined 1,500 by the Home Office.Adrian and Joanne Fenton called the police when they found the person zipped inside the cover of a bike rack after pulling up on their drive at their home in Heybridge. Continue reading...

Ex-Barclays CEO says FCA made no attempt' to understand his relationship with child sex offender Jeffrey EpsteinThe former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley has accused the UK's financial regulator of seeking to destroy" his reputation built up over a 43-year career in banking and making no attempt" to understand his relationship with child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Staley took the witness box for the first time on a Monday at the start of the second week of a high-profile legal challenge in London. It marked the first time the former UK banking boss has given any detailed public account of his experience with Epstein or the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation. Continue reading...

Graham Stuart says other 36 mariners across both crews are safe and accounted for'

Estate agent manager, who had quit after being denied a symbolically significant' seat, was right to view it as demotion, panel saysAllocating a senior employee a desk that they believe to be associated with a junior position amounts to a breach of workplace laws, an employment tribunal has ruled.The panel said being made to sit somewhere in the office where junior staff work could logically" lead a senior employee to conclude they have been demoted. Continue reading...

Lowe's online presence, helped by Elon Musk, dwarfs that of Nigel Farage, but may not bring him new Reform votersIf you were to looking for answers as to why Rupert Lowe, a relatively little-known Reform UK MP, thinks he can lecture Nigel Farage about running a party and winning an election, there is one place you should probably start: X.For all that in person Lowe can sometimes resemble a slightly embarrassing uncle at a wedding, on the social media site formerly known as Twitter, the Great Yarmouth MP is a big name - and by some metrics, a notably bigger one even than his party leader. Continue reading...

Residents sought safety in a temporary shelter after the Fuego volcano spewed lava, ash and rocksGuatemalan authorities have evacuated around a thousand people after Central America's most active volcano erupted, spewing lava, ash and rocks.Residents sought safety in a temporary shelter after the Fuego volcano - located 35km (22 miles) from the capital Guatemala City - showed escalating activity on Sunday. Continue reading...

President tells Republicans to support measure boosting defense and deportation budgets before Saturday deadlineRepublican lawmakers are scrambling to avert a government shutdown set to begin on Saturday, with Donald Trump's backing for a temporary funding measure having suddenly silenced the usual conservative opposition.The stopgap funding bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), would maintain government operations at current funding levels through 30 September, the end of the fiscal year. Republican US House speaker Mike Johnson said he plans to hold a procedural vote on Monday, aiming for a passage vote on Tuesday before sending lawmakers home for recess. Continue reading...

Couple facing retrial at Old Bailey deny manslaughter of newborn by gross negligenceA wealthy aristocrat and her partner caused the entirely avoidable" death of their baby daughter through their reckless" and grossly negligent" conduct while on the run to evade authorities, a retrial has heard.Constance Marten, 37, and Mark Gordon, 50, of no fixed abode, deny manslaughter of their newborn by gross negligence and a second charge of causing or allowing the death of a child between 4 January and 27 February 2023. Continue reading...

Mali Bennett-Smith jailed for 10 years and five months after admitting he killed Luka, 19, because she was annoying'A 17-year-old boy who stabbed his older sister to death after telling her he wanted to practise a headlock on her has pleaded guilty to her murder.Mali Bennett-Smith, said his sister, 19-year-old Luka Bennett-Smith, had been annoying" and he wanted to kill her. Continue reading...

The prime minister has more reason than most to be the boots on the ground after 63% of voters said he is not in tune with ordinary Australians

Former chancellor's roles since becoming a peer in 2020 include working for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait

Middle East nations among those to have paid 27 members of Lords for work such as consultancy and legal advice

MP's wife and daughter describe Yvette Cooper's decision as insulting' and adding salt on to an open wound'

The Emilia Perez actor, whose offensive resurfaced tweets sank the film's hopes for awards glory, says public hatred left her on the edge'Karla Sofia Gascon, the first out trans actor to be nominated for an Oscar, whose hopes of winning were dashed after offensive social media posts were surfaced a month before the ceremony, has spoken out about the unexpected, devastating storm" of awards season.The Spanish actor says that the final stretch of the race, was the most exposed" period of her life. She faced widespread criticism for her tweets, and despite repeated apologies, was cold-shouldered by the cast and crew of Emilia Perez, while studio Netflix dropped her from campaigns and cut off funds allowing her to travel to ceremonies. A contract with her Spanish publisher was cancelled, and senior politicians in her home country spoke of their disappointment in her. Continue reading...

Campaigners say funding halt is a staggering blow' to vulnerable nations and to efforts to keep heating below 1.5CDonald Trump's withdrawal of US overseas aid will almost decimate global climate finance from the developed world, data shows, with potentially devastating impacts on vulnerable nations.The US was responsible last year for about $8 in every $100 that flowed from the rich world to developing countries, to help them cut greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the impacts of extreme weather, according to data from the analyst organisation Carbon Brief. Continue reading...

Watchdog warns that move, which also includes domestic abusers, must be closely watched to keep public safeDomestic abusers and sex offenders in England and Wales will be rehabilitated by less-experienced staff with fewer qualifications from June, prompting warnings from a watchdog that the plans must be closely monitored to ensure public safety.Proposals approved by ministers will roll out behaviour programmes for offenders to be delivered by band 3" staff who are not fully qualified probation officers. Continue reading...

Chief executive of Reach says he is committed to print, and higher online income will keep business afloatThe boss of the publisher of the Mirror, Express and Star newspapers has said that its print titles will become loss-making in six to eight years, but that its burgeoning digital strategy will save them from closure.The chief executive of Reach, which owns more than 100 news brands including the Manchester Evening News, the Birmingham Mail and the Liverpool Echo, said he intended to remain committed to print even when the operations became a drag on the business. Continue reading...

City received 275mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am, the BoM said, a level not seen since Tropical Cyclone Wanda flooded the Brisbane River

Sydney-based lawyer Zali Burrows will defend Lehrmann, who is accused of raping a woman twice in October 2021

People warn of growing lawlessness amid concerns that thousands of escaped convicts may try to exact revengeMass prison escapes during the chaos of fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured two of its largest cities over the past two months, have caused panic among the public.Jailbreaks involving thousands of people at four prisons in the region have accompanied the rapid advance that the militia started in January in its fighting against the Congolese army that also caused widespread chaos and confusion. Continue reading...

Former Lenin Museum in Tampere, which opened in 1946 as a symbol of Finnish-Russian friendship, has rebranded amid Ukraine warA Finnish museum dedicated to the Russian Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin has reopened under a new name and with new exhibits in response to rapidly changing relations between two neighbouring countries after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The former Lenin Museum in Tampere, which closed in November, reopened this month under a new name, Nootti, which refers to the Finnish word for a diplomatic note. Continue reading...

Human rights commissioner calls for investigation into extremely disturbing' attacks in Latakia provinceThe UN has condemned what it called extremely disturbing" reports of entire families being killed in north-west Syria as clashes between security forces and Assad regime loyalists resulted in the country's highest death toll since the start of its revolution in 2011.The UN commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, called on Sunday for investigations into the killings and for perpetrators to be held accountable. We are receiving extremely disturbing reports of entire families, including women, children and hors de combat [surrendered] fighters, being killed," he said in a statement. The killing of civilians in coastal areas in north-west Syria must cease, immediately." Continue reading...

Five people onboard survived small plane crash near Lancaster but officials say no details of their conditionA small airplane with five people onboard crashed in a parking lot near Lancaster airport in Manheim Township, Pennsylvania, on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the single-engine plane was a Beechcraft Bonanza, and the incident happened around 3pm in Lancaster county. Continue reading...

Crowds gather in park where Amen played football to remember remarkable' teenager, who died on WednesdayAmen Teklay, a remarkable" teenager who loved music and was light on his feet on the football pitch, was remembered by friends and family on Sunday afternoon at a vigil near his family home in Scotstoun, Glasgow.A crowd of more than 100 mainly younger people gathered to pay their respects to the 15-year-old Eritrean refugee, who died on Wednesday night in the St George's Cross area of the city, in the park where he played football. Continue reading...

But Friedrich Merz cautions such a move could not replace the US's existing protective shield over EuropeGermany's chancellor-to-be, Friedrich Merz, has said he will reach out to France and Britain to discuss the sharing of nuclear weapons, but cautioned that such a move could not be a replacement for the US's existing protective shield over Europe.The sharing of nuclear weapons is an issue we need to talk about," Merz said in a wide-ranging interview on Sunday with the broadcaster Deutschlandfunk (DLF). We have to be stronger together in nuclear deterrence." Continue reading...

Jean-Michel Aphatie stands by comments he made on broadcaster RTLA prominent French journalist has said he is stepping down from his role as an expert analyst for broadcaster RTL after provoking an uproar by comparing French actions during colonial rule in Algeria to a second world war massacre committed by Nazi forces in France.Jean-Michel Aphatie, a veteran reporter and broadcaster, insisted that while he would not be returning to RTL, he wholly stood by his comments made on the radio station in February equating atrocities committed by France in Algeria with those of Nazi Germany in occupied France. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Costs particularly acute in more rural areas, where many children with special needs have to use taxisCouncils in England urgently need more money to help them pay for school transport for children with special needs.Many councils have told the Guardian that their obligations under the wider special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system are financially unsustainable, with the rapid increase in pupil transport costs becoming a particular issue. Continue reading...

Commission president says something fundamental' has shifted and democracy and rule of law are under threatNothing is off the table" when it comes to raising money for defence, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has said, as she warned European values such as democracy and the rule of law were under threat in a increasingly transactional" world.Without mentioning Donald Trump by name, the head of the EU executive told reporters there was a new sense of urgency in the geopolitical sphere and that something fundamental" had shifted since she began her second term in office on 1 December, nearly 100 days ago. Continue reading...

Digital targets and performance-linked pay to be brought in under plans expected to be announced this weekPat McFadden has vowed to bring about radical" civil service changes including digitisation and stricter performance targets for officials to mirror private sector practices.Under the plans expected to be announced this week, under-performing officials could be incentivised to leave their jobs and senior officials will have their pay linked to performance. Continue reading...

Publishers and analysts say popularity of genres like manga and superhero comics is a gateway into readingThe best route to learning to love words in print could well be pictures. This, at least, is the hope of the publishing industry this spring, as it welcomes news that sales of children's comics and graphic novels have reached an all-time peak of almost 20m in Britain.While publishers and editors are celebrating this boom for its own sake, the popularity of these titles is also being hailed as a good omen for novels, ahead of the London Book Fair at Olympia this week. Over the last decade we've seen a significant rise in sales of graphic novels for both the adult and children's markets," said Philip Stone, media analyst at NielsenIQ BookData, as he revealed details of the latest trends, hits and flops this weekend. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Department told minister in November 2023 Palestinian and Muslim communities were extremely angry, hurt and betrayed'

Omar Prempeh, 32, from Forest Hill, charged after 16-year-old shot dead in Stockwell on TuesdayA man has been charged with the murder of a teenage boy who was shot dead in Stockwell, south London, the Metropolitan police said.Lathaniel Burrell, 16, was shot dead in south London on Tuesday. Officers were called to the scene at about 3pm after reports of a shooting on Paradise Road. The teenager died while being treated at the scene by paramedics. Continue reading...

Wingfield Manor is part-managed by English Heritage, but has fallen into a state of disrepairAt various points in history it has been a prison for Mary, Queen of Scots, a battleground in the English civil war, and the site of one the country's first flushing toilets.But despite its storied past, Wingfield Manor in Derbyshire has fallen into disrepair, and members of the public can no longer visit the magnificent ruins on a hilltop in Amber Valley. Continue reading...

Since becoming president, Trump has upended the US approach to Ukraine and treated Moscow more as an allyIn just seven weeks since returning to the White House for a second term, Donald Trump has upended the US approach to the invasion of Ukraine and treated Russia increasingly not as an adversary, but an ally.After tossing aside decades of alignment with Europe against Russian aggression, the US president suspended military assistance and intelligence to Kyiv and said on Friday he finds it easier" to work with Russia than Ukraine. Continue reading...

About 745 civilians among those killed in fighting in Latakia province between security forces and fighters loyal to former president AssadMore than 1,000 people, including 745 civilians, were killed in the two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and fighters loyal to the former Assad regime and ensuing revenge killings, a war monitor has said, one of the highest death tolls in Syria since 2011.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor, said 745 civilians were killed mostly execution-style, while 125 Syrian security forces and 148 Assad loyalists were killed. Death tolls from the two days of fighting have varied wildly, with some estimates putting the final death toll even higher. Continue reading...

Buyers say they were misled over likely rise in costs after they moved in, which are now ruining people's lives'Housing associations are facing allegations of mis-selling so-called affordable" homes, with service charges that have soared, in some cases by more than 400%, after residents moved in.Marketing and property documents examined by the Observer reveal how buyers who may be struggling financially are enticed to buy shared ownership homes with estimated monthly service charges as low as 120. Residents accuse housing associations of failing to accurately reflect the likely cost, which in some cases has risen to more than 650 a month. Continue reading...

Diplomats gasp as Keith Kellogg claims Zelenskyy to blame for soured relations with AmericaThere was an audible gasp in the room at the Council on Foreign Relations as Keith Kellogg, the White House's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, characterised the US decision to cut off intelligence sharing and military aid to Kyiv as like beating a farm animal with a piece of wood.Very candidly, they brought it on themselves, the Ukrainians," Kellogg said as the veteran diplomats, academics, and journalists in the room recoiled in surprise. Several held their hands in their faces. I think the best way I can describe it is sort of like hitting a mule with a two-by-four across the nose," he continued. You got their attention, and it's very significant, obviously, because of the support that we give." Continue reading...

Card giants processing payments for unlicensed operators as customers report losing thousandsMastercard and Visa are processing payments for illegal gambling websites accused of scamming UK customers out of thousands of pounds.An investigation has found that the payment giants are failing to stop their networks being used to make transactions on unlicensed sites despite a previous pledge to do so. Continue reading...

With internal politics at their most unstable for years, the risk of escalation is risingThe letter the US president, Donald Trump, says he sent to Iran's leadership offering to reopen talks on the country's nuclear programme comes at a point when Iranian domestic politics is at its most unstable for years.In the past month, the conservative-dominated parliament has asserted its power over the broadly reformist president elected last June by impeaching and sacking the experienced economy minister, Abdolnaser Hemmati, while Mohammad Javad Zarif, the vice-president and most prominent reformist, has also been forced out. Continue reading...

Germany, France and UK sweep away old rules in pledge to do whatever it takes' to defend Europe from Russian threatWhen he rose to his feet at prime minister's questions on Wednesday, Keir Starmer delivered a stirring tribute to six British soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan 13 years ago.He read out their names very deliberately, one by one. The House was silent. The prime minister then added a tribute to a 22-year-old British Royal Marine, also killed on 6 March, but in 2007 in Helmand province. Continue reading...

Both supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol and those who backed his impeachment rallied in Seoul ahead of his releaseSouth Korea's impeached conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been released from prison, a day after a Seoul court cancelled his arrest to allow him to stand trial for insurrection without being detained.After walking out of a detention centre near Seoul on Saturday, Yoon waved, clenched his fists and bowed deeply to his supporters who were shouting his name and waving South Korean and US flags. Yoon climbed into a black van headed to his presidential residence in the capital. Continue reading...

Michael Murphy outed himself as subject of Icac investigation that found he had mismanaged a conflict of interest

One truck rolled several times into a paddock and another tipped onto its side, attempting to avoid the first vehicle, at around 5pm on Saturday

Met Office says aurora borealis may be visible across north of country and possibly even further southThe northern lights are expected to be visible in Scotland this weekend, the Met Office has said, with a chance of sightings further south.Sightings of the aurora borealis, a naturally occurring light display caused when electrically charged particles from the sun collide with atoms and molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, are possible over northern Scotland and potentially over much of Scotland where skies remain clear" on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, according to the latest space weather" forecast. Continue reading...

Conservative bloc and SPD to start full coalition talks as chancellor-in-waiting plans to revive ailing economyGermany's conservative election winner, Friedrich Merz, came a step closer on Saturday to forming a government that he says will revive Europe's top economy and its armed forces with massive new spending.The bold moves are part of his plan to rebuild Berlin's standing in Europe, which Merz has said must respond to the sweeping changes driven by the US president, Donald Trump, that have rocked the transatlantic alliance. Continue reading...

Nominee for undersecretary for defense policy says Aukus deal to deliver Virginia class submarines could leave US sailors vulnerable'

Ayatollah Khamenei says US demand to reopen talks on Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at dominationIran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has criticised what he described as bullying tactics a day after Donald Trump threatened military action against Iran.Some bully governments - I really don't know of any more appropriate term for some foreign figures and leaders than the word bullying - insist on negotiations," Khamenei told officials after Trump threatened military action if Iran refused to engage in talks over its nuclear programme. Continue reading...

From Istanbul and Warsaw to Athens and Madrid, activists demand equality and the end of gender-based violenceWomen took to the streets of cities across Europe, Africa and elsewhere to mark International Women's Day with demands for ending inequality and gender-based violence.On the Asian side of Turkey's biggest city Istanbul, a rally in Kadikoy saw members of dozens of women's groups listen to speeches, dance and sing in the spring sunshine. The colorful protest was overseen by a large police presence, including officers in riot gear and a water cannon truck. Continue reading...