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Michael Safi travelled to north-east Syria to speak to IS foreign fighters imprisoned there. And discovered that a change in the US administration, and USAid funding cuts, means there is a growing fear of prison breaksA few weeks ago, Michael Safi travelled to north-east Syria, an area controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Here, suspected foreign fighters for Islamic State - including those from Britain - have for years been imprisoned without charge and with no idea of when they would be released.Few prisoners in the camp say they are IS members. Michael and fellow journalist, Will Christou, spoke to a former British surgeon from Leicester who told a surprising story of being tricked' into crossing into Syria from Turkey. They also met an Australian prisoner, who admitted to being an IS member, and whose family for years did not know his whereabouts. Continue reading...

Trump and Musk appear to make parallel efforts to distance tech billionaire from radical job slashing in governmentElon Musk is telling Republican lawmakers in private meetings that he is not to blame for the mass firings of federal workers that are causing uproar across the country, while Donald Trump reportedly told his cabinet secretaries on Thursday that they are ultimately in charge of hiring and firings at their agencies - not billionaire aide Musk.The two powerful figures appeared to be making parallel efforts to distance Musk from radical job slashing made over the last two months. This is despite the tech entrepreneur boasting about cuts, recommending the US delete entire agencies" and taking questions on the issue alongside the US president, then wielding a chainsaw at an event to symbolize his efforts - all amid legal challenges and skepticism from experts. Continue reading...

Immigration status is denying children equal access to early years education and pushing families deeper into poverty'Tens of thousands of children in migrant and refugee families in the UK are being denied access to government-funded childcare because of benefit restrictions linked to their parents' immigration status, a report says.Having no recourse to public funds" (NRPF) means parents are not entitled to 30 hours of free childcare and are having to stay home to look after their young children instead of working. This is pushing families into poverty and denying their children the benefits of the early years education available to their peers, the report finds. Continue reading...

European Union chiefs outline plan to scale up Europe's defence amid clear and present danger' from Russia as Zelenskyy plans to travel to RiyadhNorwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store has been speaking in the country's parliament in the last few minutes, announcing plans to significantly" increase spending to help Ukraine defend itself.He warned that the country was facing the most serious security situation ... since the second world war." Continue reading...

Descendants of enslaved Africans and Indigenous people interned on Baliceaux in 18th century hail historic victory'Members of the Garifuna community are celebrating a historic and long-awaited victory" after the Caribbean nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) announced the purchase of a privately owned island where thousands of their ancestors perished from disease and starvation.The uninhabited island of Baliceaux has long held great significance for the Garifuna people, the descendants of enslaved Africans and Indigenous Kalinago and Arawak people. Continue reading...

Pontiff nearing three weeks in hospital in Rome after being admitted with respiratory problemsPope Francis has recorded and released an audio message thanking those who have been praying for his recovery, his voice breathless as he nears three weeks in hospital with pneumonia.I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square, I accompany you from here," Francis said in a message broadcast in St Peter's Square. Continue reading...

Armed men loyal to ousted dictator attack checkpoints in Latakia province in deadliest strikes so far against new governmentThirteen Syrian security officers have been killed in clashes with remnants of the Assad regime in the deadliest attack against the country's new authorities since the dictator was toppled.Armed men attacked checkpoints and security officers in the coastal town of Jableh and the countryside of Latakia province, as part of a premeditated" attack on Thursday, according to the provincial head of Syria's general security directorate, Mustafa Knefati. Continue reading...

Police charged 17-year-old with unlawfully taking control of an aircraft, orchestrating a bomb hoax and possessing a firearm

Bank says it has fixed mobile and telephone service outages after people unable to make paymentsSantander has fixed the problems affecting its banking services after many customers were left unable to access their accounts.The bank apologised for any inconvenience caused" and said no customers would be left out of pocket" as a result of the outages. Continue reading...

Treasury secretary Scott Bessent defended the new administration's aggressive trade strategyBuying cheap products is not the essence of the American dream," Donald Trump's top economic official has declared, amid warnings that the US president's trade wars risk increasing prices.The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, defended the new administration's aggressive trade strategy on Thursday, two days after it imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico and hiked duties on China. Continue reading...

Head-spinning speed of events leaves EU adapting at pace while trying to infer Trump's possible geo-strategic aims

Ministers frustrated by failure to agree terms with Russian oligarch and court case may be only way to break impasseUK ministers are preparing to take Roman Abramovich to court in a final attempt to free up more than 2bn from the sale of Chelsea FC to spend as aid in Ukraine, the Guardian has learned.Officials say ministers have become increasingly frustrated by the failure to reach an agreement with the Russian oligarch about how the money should be spent and are now ready to fight him in the courts. Continue reading...

Police found boy, now 14, after responding to a burglary call and arresting his mother, who didn't have custody of himA boy who was allegedly taken by his mother, who didn't have custody of him, seven years ago from Atlanta was found last month in Colorado after the mother was arrested in an unrelated incident in suburban Denver, authorities said on Wednesday.Rabia Khalid, 40, was arrested on 23 February after sheriff's deputies were asked to investigate a suspected burglary taking place at a vacant home that was for sale, the Douglas county sheriff's office said. The deputies found two children in a vehicle outside the property and a man and a woman coming out of the home who initially told them they were working for a realtor, it said in a press release. Continue reading...

Jury was not told former soldier convicted of murder and now rape was interested in misogynist influencerLess than 24 hours before Kyle Clifford committed the triple murder that would leave his ex-girlfriend, Louise Hunt, her sister and mother dead, he searched the internet for misogynistic podcasts.What was not revealed to the jury - who have now found the former soldier guilty of rape, adding to his previous admissions of murder - was that the 26-year-old had listened to the influencer Andrew Tate. Continue reading...

House votes to censure Texas congressman for breach of proper conduct' for disrupting president's addressThe House voted on Thursday to censure Al Green for disrupting Trump's joint session address, with a handful of Democrats voting to condemn the Democratic Texas representative along with Republicans.The House voted 224-198, with 10 Democrats voting in favor of the censure, which accuses Green of a breach of proper conduct". Continue reading...

Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko denied they were part of a reported White House plot to remove Ukraine leader from powerUkraine's opposition leaders have confirmed they have held discussions with members of Donald Trump's entourage, but denied on Thursday they were part of a reported White House plot to remove Volodymyr Zelenskyy from power.Former president Petro Poroshenko said he had held talks with US representatives but added that he opposed Trump's demands for wartime elections. Poroshenko - who lost to Zelenskyy in the 2019 presidential vote - said a poll should only be held once martial law ends. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereLucy Powell, the leader of the Commons, defended the government's position on the new Sentencing Council guidelines (see 9.46am) during business questions in the Commons a few minutes ago.She was responding to the Conservative MP Luke Evans who said:When the law favours identity over principle, it ceases to be justice at all. Magna Carta taught us that.So will [Powell] ensure that the justice secretary comes to the house to ensure that under this government sentencing [doesn't] become about who you are, not what you have done?The sentencing guidelines were consulted on under [the Conservative] government last year. They were not ruled out. They were developed and consulted on under [the Conservative] government. The current justice secretary, the remarkable and formidable justice secretary, has made absolutely clear her position on that. And she's written to the Sentencing Council.So perhaps [Evans] might be better to refect on the actions of his own government, rather than attacking this one.Martin praised Starmer's leadership on the Ukraine issue in recent days. Referring to the challenging times" they were in, he said:You have borne the centre of gravity and stability to that situation which I think is appreciated, and I want you to know that.Martin said Northern Ireland has great untapped potential". Recalling what he and Keir Starmer were told during the breakfast meeting with business leaders, he said:It was interesting this morning, a number of business people said the greatest untapped potential is Northern Ireland, economically, very interesting.And that's something I think we can work on, move forward as two governments making sure we realise that potential for all those in Ireland and we do it in a kind of co-operative way and develop it as much as we possibly can.Martin confirmed that Ireland is increasing its defence spending.As we sit here today, I think we would all agree that the world is more uncertain and unstable than it has been for a very long time and there are huge benefits to strengthening our friendship and working together on geopolitical challenges. Continue reading...

Lynette Linton's successor at the new writing venue in west London promises to build on its bold legacyTaio Lawson has been appointed as the new artistic director of the Bush theatre in west London. He will succeed Lynette Linton, who is leaving after six years in charge of the venue which is known for nurturing new playwrights.Lawson, whose first season of work will be presented early next year, will also act as co-CEO in partnership with Mimi Findlay. He said he was honoured to be taking over at a time when the need for enduring original narratives is so important". Praising the work of Linton and associate artistic director Daniel Bailey, who has also stepped down, Lawson said he would build on their achievements and programme bold pieces that speak to our hearts and stimulate our minds, that both comfort and challenge us". Continue reading...

PostNord says it will end the service from next year and cut a third of its staff to focus on its parcels businessThe Danish postal service has said it will deliver its last letter at the end of this year, instead focusing on packages to respond to changing forms of communication.PostNord said on Thursday it would cut 1,500 jobs in Denmark and remove 1,500 red postboxes, citing the increasing digitalisation" of society. Continue reading...

Disability employment provider Help asked jobseekers to perform telephone appointments before later clarifying they were voluntary

The multi-billion dollar deal was heralded as ensuring the security of the Indo-Pacific. But with America an increasingly unreliable ally, doubts are rising above the wavesMaybe Australia's boats just never turn up.To fanfare and flags, the Aukus deal was presented as a sure bet, papering over an uncertainty that such an ambitious deal could ever be delivered. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Coles says plan benefits suppliers' but senator Nick McKim calls move blatant abuse of power' that will hit smaller suppliers hardest'

Blue Marine Foundation charity asks high court to declare quota decision unlawful amid concern over sustainability of fish stocksAt the start of 2024, Jerry Percy, who led the New Under Ten Fishermen's Association, dedicated to small boats, said he started to receive lots of calls from members. They were calling my office to report that a lack of fish in the inshore grounds were putting their livelihoods in peril," he said.The fishers said they had noticed a depletion of species such as pollack, typically caught off Britain's coasts. Continue reading...

The powerful new AI model is designed to analyze intercepted communications - but experts say such systems can exacerbate biases and are prone to making mistakesIsrael's military surveillance agency has used a vast collection of intercepted Palestinian communications to build a powerful artificial intelligence tool similar to ChatGPT that it hopes will transform its spying capabilities, an investigation by the Guardian can reveal.The joint investigation with Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call has found Unit 8200 trained the AI model to understand spoken Arabic using large volumes of telephone conversations and text messages, obtained through its extensive surveillance of the occupied territories. Continue reading...

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...