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One HSBC banker was paid up to 16.6m in 2024 while figure at Barclays was 14.8m after loosening of pay rulesThe demise of the UK banker bonus cap has sent pay soaring at Barclays and HSBC where the highest-paid bankers have received their biggest payouts since at least 2014.Analysis of pay documents released this month shows payouts for their most expensive staff surged more than 50% to nearly 20m (16.6m) last year, after the banks took advantage of looser pay rules and allowed staff to be paid bonuses worth 10 times their salary. Continue reading...

Government must scrap English baccalaureate to make arts more accessible to working-class children, critics sayLeading cultural figures have expressed doubts about the government's commitment to restoring the creative arts in English schools, with one warning that Labour has lost the plot" and the current signs are they are worse than the Tories".When Labour won the election, it promised to expand opportunities for working-class children by broadening the school curriculum to include more drama, art, music and sport alongside the core academic subjects. Continue reading...

Officers in Operation Castle attend every reported break-in and no longer treat such crimes as low level'When Sean Edwards found his car and his neighbours' houses had been broken into in Longsight, Greater Manchester, in 2022, he was not expecting much from the police based on previous experiences.I expected them to dust for prints and take statements, then give us a crime reference number and nothing else happen," he said. Continue reading...

Russian attacks on Ukrainian city that was initially spared worst have increased since Washington-Moscow detente

Visceral videos of people playing with slime or braiding hair soothe those who feel overwhelmed by in-person contactYounger adults are increasingly overwhelmed by in-person interaction and soothing themselves instead with sensory online content, according to a report on the wildly popular online content known as ASMR.ASMR - autonomous sensory meridian response - describes a particular sensory phenomenon that is triggered by specific sights or sounds, which usually begins with a tingling sensation across the scalp and results in feelings of deep calm and relaxation.47% of those aged 25-34 said they felt overwhelmed in noisy or busy places such as shopping centres or train stations, compared with 35% of those aged 55-64.39% of those aged 18-24 felt the need to shut out noise, for example using noise-cancelling headphones in public, compared with only 21% of those age 45-54.Younger age groups were also more likely to prefer chatting to people online rather than face to face and to prefer to work alone rather than around other people. Continue reading...

Tommy Cash says he did not expect Espresso Macchiato to cause such offence with references to the mafia and coffeeEstonia's entry for this year's Eurovision song contest has said he never intended to offend Italy with his song that pokes fun at Italian stereotypes of coffee-drinking, spaghetti-eating mafiosi - and said he submitted the song after his grandmother cried over it.There have been calls in Italy for Tommy Cash's catchy song, Espresso Macchiato, to be banned from the competition, which takes place in Basel, Switzerland, in May. Continue reading...

Harris running mate discussed campaign missteps after saying he'll run for third term as Minnesota governorTim Walz, Kamala Harris's running mate in the November presidential election won by Donald Trump, says he deplores how much time he spent addressing the opposing campaign's decision to spread false, racist rumors of pets being abducted and eaten in Springfield, Ohio.They sucked me in on" that, Walz said in a recent episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour podcast. Echoing similar remarks that he made on a recent episode of the Fast Politics With Molly Jong-Fast podcast, he added: I was just horrified and angry when they were demonizing folks in Springfield, Ohio. [And] there I was talking for almost a week about immigration, right where they wanted us to be." Continue reading...

President bullying countries' leaders into collaborating with his deportation agenda that critics say violates rightsCentral America has long been a source of immigrants, and in recent years, it's also become a major transit route for those from around the world heading to the United States.That shift led to record numbers of immigrants arriving at the US border, and contributed to the supposed crisis that helped Donald Trump win the election this past November. Continue reading...

Total shows scale of dishonesty in undercover operations over more than three decades

Director says Seven Jewish Children by Caryl Churchill, which provoked fury at its first production in 2009, is a family story' at heartThe premiere of Caryl Churchill's short play Seven Jewish Children at the Royal Court theatre 16 years ago proved to be one of British theatre's most controversial opening nights.Audiences were immediately divided by the British playwright's deliberately stripped-back treatment of Jewish generational fear and Israel's history of conflict. Continue reading...

Officers infiltrated a variety of movements and leftwing groups, with some fathering children with women they met on deployments

Credit cards, passports and ingenuity led to the identities of undercover police who were loved under false pretences

PM says he and Macron have agreed to begin own talks as Europe scrambles to respond to White House disaster

Widespread shooting and looting preceded arrival of M23 rebels, overwhelming city's poorly resourced facilitiesPatients at hospitals in the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have described how they sustained serious injuries during the chaotic withdrawal of the Congolese army and its allies in the days before Rwanda-backed M23 rebels marched in.Widespread shooting and looting preceded the arrival of the rebels in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, on 14 February, overwhelming the city's poorly resourced hospitals. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Zhou Bo says harm done to US image may make Taiwanese reconsider their attitude towards Beijing but says he sees Trump as overall being rather friendly'The damage caused by Donald Trump to the United States' reputation is creating opportunities for China, particularly with regards to Taiwan, according to a retired senior colonel from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).Speaking to the Guardian in Beijing, Zhou Bo said that Trump was damaging the US's reputation more than all of his predecessors combined". Continue reading...

Netanyahu's office says it is imposing blockade as Hamas will not accept plan that Israel says US envoy put forwardIsrael has cut off humanitarian supplies to Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas into accepting a change in the ceasefire agreement to allow for the release of hostages without an Israeli troop withdrawal.The office of the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Sunday it was imposing a blockade on Gaza because Hamas would not accept a plan which it claimed had been put forward by the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to extend phase one of the ceasefire and continue to release hostages, and postpone phase two, which envisaged an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Continue reading...

Campaigners say if government can find money to freeze fuel duty for motorists they can do similar for railwaysRail passengers in England and Wales face a steep increase in the cost of travel from Sunday, with fares rising by 4.6% and most railcards going up by 5.The government said the rise is needed because of the dire financial state of the railway, but transport campaigners contrasted it with Labour prolonging the freeze on fuel duty for motorists. Continue reading...

Emergency meeting called over strictness of discipline at Essex schools run by Mossbourne FederationParents and teachers have voiced alarm about the treatment of children at three Essex schools after they were taken over by a high-profile academy trust which is under investigation.The Mossbourne Federation, known for strict discipline and high grades, runs four schools and a sixth form in Hackney, and began a takeover of two failing secondary schools and one primary in Essex late last year. Continue reading...

Pioneering startup technology allows camera operators to see on-screen graphics while filming in real world, rather just imagining themEven the most talented visual effects artists would struggle to make their profession sparkle right now.Technicolor, one of the most famous names in movies, went into administration last week, a symptom of a malaise hanging over a British film industry hit by budget cuts and competitors overseas. Continue reading...

Victims commissioner tells chancellor cutbacks and national insurance hike creating existential crisis' for rape and domestic abuse charitiesThe government has cut millions of pounds in funding for victims' services, prompting warnings that criminals will go unpunished" unless it urgently changes its position.The Victims' Commissioner has written a letter to chancellor Rachel Reeves, shared exclusively with the Observer, saying a combination of funding reductions and the upcoming employers' national insurance increase was creating an existential crisis" for charities. The commissioner and charities in the sector are calling for an urgent funding increase in the next spending review, which concludes this spring. Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology says guidance favours landfall on Thursday' as premier David Crisafulli warns large system presents big challenge'

City damaged during occupation by Islamic State group reopens 850-year-old mosque in time for Ramadan as reconstruction gathers paceIn the small courtyard of Sara's grandmother's house, children are running and playing as if time had never passed. The house kept our memories," Sara says, sitting on the sofa of the courtyard. It seems like we never left. On the contrary, when we came back, we felt we belonged to this house."Located in the old Iraqi city of Mosul, right behind the Great Mosque of al-Nuri, their home is part of the local cultural heritage. It was heavily damaged during the occupation by Islamic State (IS) and the battle to reclaim the city by Iraqi armed forces, backed by US coalition airstrikes. Sara and her family were forcibly displaced during the fighting in 2017 and for many years feared they would never see their home intact again. Continue reading...

Australian navy ship heading to Coral Sea after Aurimas Mockus calls for help one week out from reaching Queensland

Directive allows government organisations that receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer services in languages other than EnglishPresident Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States.The order on Saturday allows government agencies and organisations that receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer documents and services in languages other than English. Continue reading...

Federal opposition refuses to reveal where money will come from to purchase 28 extra F-35s if it wins election

Minns government says contract with prison operator MTC Australia will end in late 2026

Ukraine leader embraced in No 10 and given 2.26bn defence loan one day after his White House dressing downKeir Starmer has described his meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy as meaningful and warm", according to Downing Street.The British prime minister met the Ukrainian president on Saturday evening, just 24 hours after Zelenskyy's meeting with the US president, Donald Trump, and vice-president, JD Vance, in Washington. Continue reading...

Dance-pop artist picks up album and artist of the year prizes, while Ezra Collective see off big names to become first jazz artists to win British group The Brit awards - in pictures

Veteran director, who originally opposed adapting 1967 film for the stage, is very proud' as Menier Chocolate Factory production will move to London's Garrick theatreThe Menier Chocolate Factory has announced that its acclaimed production of The Producers is to transfer to the West End this autumn. Having sold out its three-month run at the 180-seat London venue before first night, it is set to move to the Garrick theatre. But according to its original creator Mel Brooks, the musical might never have happened at all.The 98-year-old Brooks has told the Guardian he was initially reluctant to adapt his 1967 movie for the stage. Only through the persistence of a producer did he relent. Continue reading...

The star, who had been in the Sequence before solo hit Wish I Didn't Miss You, has died from her injuries in AlabamaSinger Angie Stone, known for her hit Wish I Didn't Miss You, has died at the age of 63.A representative for the singer confirmed to Variety that Stone was killed in a car crash in Montgomery, Alabama. She had reportedly been on her way home from a show and was the only person who died in the crash. Continue reading...

No sooner had the PM charmed the president in the Oval Office than consensus over Ukraine - and the future of Nato - was starting to fall apartEven as Keir Starmer and his entourage heaved sighs of relief and tried not to grin too broadly as they filed out of the Oval Office after the prime minister's meeting with Donald Trump, there were some in British circles who were, even then, anxious.The invitation from King Charles for a second state visit had been handed over to Trump in person and opened before the cameras. Trump, for once, had seemed genuinely lost for words. Starmer had at one point put his hand on Trump's shoulder like a close friend or relative to emphasise their closeness as the UK delegation looked on, stony-faced but amazed. Continue reading...

King Charles to hold official audience for Ukrainian president as show of support after Trump clashKing Charles will hold an official audience at Sandringham with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday as the UK and EU demonstrate their unwavering" support after his humiliation at the hands of Donald Trump and JD Vance in the White House.Keir Starmer will also host European heads of government and the leaders of Canada and Turkey at a special defence summit aimed at presenting a united front on the Ukrainecrisis. Continue reading...

Pontiff, 88, spends long periods off noninvasive ventilation, showing improving lung function as he battles pneumoniaPope Francis remains in stable condition a day after a respiratory crisis, and has spent long periods off the noninvasive ventilation he initially needed, in a sign that his lung function was improving as he battles double pneumonia.

Flamboyant singer helped point his city's music scene towards punk, before a successful solo career and eye-catching acting rolesDavid Johansen, the swaggering, peacocking frontman with glam rock band New York Dolls, has died aged 75.Last month he had announced he was living with cancer, and recently suffered a broken back. David Johansen passed away peacefully at home, holding the hands of his wife Mara Hennessey and daughter Leah, in the sunlight surrounded by music and flowers," reads a statement on a website created to raise funds for his medical care. Continue reading...

Peer argues that national trickledown' approach will fail to benefit those in most needKeir Starmer's government must strictly target the delivery of its core missions" at areas of maximum deprivation or lose huge numbers of votes to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, an independent commission led by a former Labour cabinet minister will suggest this week.The Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON), chaired by Labour peer Hilary Armstrong, a former party chief whip and housing minister, will say the government risks wasting billions of pounds in higher public spending while failing to transform the places that need it most" unless it adopts the targeted approach. Continue reading...

Fredi Reviro was attacked in Islington on Thursday night, and died in hospital the following dayThree teenage girls, aged 14, 16 and 17, have been charged with manslaughter after a 75-year-old man died in north London.The Metropolitan police said the man, named as Fredi Reviro, was attacked on Seven Sisters Road in Islington at about 11.35pm on Thursday, and died in hospital the following day. Continue reading...

Guyanese president says Venezuelan coastguard patrol approached oil facility in latest incident in longstanding feud between the two nationsGuyana's president has triggered a military response and diplomatic action after a Venezuelan coastguard patrol entered its waters and approached an off-shore oil facility, breaching international maritime agreements.President Irfaan Ali issued a strongly worded statement after the Venezuelan vessel transmitted a radio message claiming that it was operating in disputed international waters". Continue reading...

Philip Foster lives in Spain and was sentenced in his absence after defrauding more than 6,000 peopleA former TV soap actor has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after masterminding a 13.6m fraud that targeted aspiring models.Former Brookside actor Philip Foster, 49, ran an operation involving a network of sham modelling agencies for more than eight years. Continue reading...

Europe can't wait to react to Trump's mood swings but must show we have the will and the wallet to take back control Ukraine war liveIt's exhausting and humiliating to have no control - watching every meeting in the Oval Office for a glimmer of Trump's approval or displeasure, our security resting on a perceived slight or a mood.The last week of meetings between Trump, Macron, Starmer and finally Zelenskyy always felt like crawling across a minefield. Some might agonise about whether Zelenskyy could have played things differently. It's the wrong question. The point is that we can't carry on being so dependent on every meeting at the White House. Until we start taking charge of our future, we will always be one heart palpitation away from dreading doomsday. Continue reading...

Nice may be at the heart of France's upmarket Mediterranean coast, but violent drug gangs making 1.5m a month are colonising part of itThe sight of the gun tucked into the man's trousers told us it was time to go. We had been in one of France's most notorious estates for several hours, trying to understand life on the frontline of the country's spiralling drug war.Seeing three people he did not know and a camera, he decided enough was enough. You, where do you live?" he said, rushing towards us from the foot of a tower block where he had parked his scooter. Don't talk back to me, I'll break your head in. Get out of here." Continue reading...

As he attempts to repair relations, the prime minister is being forced closer to a choice between the US and EuropeAs Keir Starmer surveys the wreckage of the US-Ukrainian relationship caused by the Oval Office bar-room fight, the UK prime minister is clearly intent on trying to repair the diplomatic damage, but it may be that the mood of mutual antagonism not just in the US, but in Europe, is too great.It is not as if Starmer, to use Trump's blunt phraseology, has many cards left to play. He had already played them, and his hand was not strong enough to prevent the US-Ukraine breakdown. Continue reading...

Revolutionary leader's derelict Adriatic getaway is on verge of a new life after starring in Kate Winslet film and hit Mr Beast YouTube videoWith its spectacular views over the Adriatic and a half-moon beach, Kupari, near Dubrovnik, was regarded as the Monaco of what was once called the Yugoslav Riviera.In the 1960s, the country's Communist leader, Josip Tito" Broz, ordered the building of a vast holiday complex exclusively reserved for members of the military on this hilly stretch of the Dalmatian coast. For the top brass there were individual villas; for the lower ranks, a choice of six hotels, while the foot soldiers were relegated to a camping site surrounded by palm trees and lush greenery. Continue reading...

This year's 16 fatal accidents fall below average rate of 20 per month, yet recent crashes were US's deadliest in a decadePeople across the US are worried about flight safety after several high-profile plane crashes this year, including a commercial crash in Washington DC that killed 67 people. Google searches for is flying safe" have jumped in recent weeks. But the numbers suggest 2025 has actually been a relatively safe year to fly - at least in terms of the overall number of accidents.January and February typically have about 20 fatal aviation accidents per month, according to numbers from the National Transportation Safety Board. By contrast, this January, there were only 10 fatal aviation accidents, and in February there were six. The data covers all US civil aviation, from large commercial planes to private jets. Continue reading...

Health secretary earlier said outbreak was not unusual' but with first US measles death in decade steps up responseTwo days after initially downplaying the outbreak as not unusual," the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, on Friday said he recognizes the serious impact of the ongoing measles epidemic in Texas - in which a child died recently - and said the government is providing resources, including protective vaccines.Ending the measles outbreak is a top priority for me and my extraordinary team," Kennedy - an avowed anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist who for years has sown doubts about the safety and efficacy of vaccines - said in a post on X. Continue reading...

Kurdish militant group responds to call from its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, to lay down armsA Kurdish militia has declared a ceasefire in its 40-year insurgency against Turkey after its imprisoned leader called for the group to disarm and dissolve earlier this week.We are declaring a ceasefire to be effective from today on. None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked," the executive committee of the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) said in a statement. Continue reading...

Police launch a murder investigation after officers were called to an incident in Holloway on Thursday nightThree teenage girls have been arrested over the death of a 75-year-old man in north London.Police launched a murder investigation after officers were called to an incident on Seven Sisters Road at 11.35pm on Thursday. Continue reading...

Ukraine president also due to meet other European leaders as he attempts to mitigate fallout from Washington fiasco

Back home there was widespread support for Ukraine's president, but also dismay at his car-crash encounter in the Oval Office

Negotiations on next part of truce have begun in Egypt, but militant group has accused Israel of procrastinationThe latest round of talks on the second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has yet to make any progress and it was unclear whether they would resume on Saturday, a senior Hamas official has said.The ceasefire took effect on 19 January after more than 15 months of war following Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, the deadliest in the country's history. Continue reading...

Local MP writes to authorities over irresponsible' motorists flocking to see sunrise and sunset at Mam torAn MP has called for action on irresponsible parking at Peak District beauty spots that he says is being fuelled by a TikTok craze.Jon Pearce, the Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, said people had been flocking to the area to see the sunrise and sunset at Mam tor. Continue reading...