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Former footballer on trial over offensive' social media posts about broadcastersBroadcaster and former footballer Lucy Ward was left intimidated" and physically scared" by social media posts made by Joey Barton, a jury has heard.Ward, 51, was giving evidence to Liverpool crown court on Tuesday in a case against former footballer and manager Barton, 43, who is accused of 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety. Continue reading...

Cheney, who served under presidents from Nixon to George W Bush, will be remembered for key role after 9/11Dick Cheney, the divisive US vice-president under George W Bush who helped lead the country into a disastrous invasion of Iraq, died on Monday, his family has said. He was 84.Cheney at various times held the roles of member of Congress, White House chief of staff and secretary of defense, but it was as one of the country's most powerful vice-presidents that he had the biggest impact, wielding great influence over the less experienced Bush. Continue reading...

Top lawyers call for change in rhetoric that has left minority ethnic Britons fearful as politicians target migrants

This live blog is now closedWe will formally get the EU's commentary on the enlargement ratings (9:26) in just over an hour - when EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU enlargment commissioner Marta Kos are due to speak to journalists - but we have just had a brief glimpse of what's coming during Kos's appearance in the European parliament.She said these have been significant advances on the EU path achieved so far by Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine," stressing that reforms pay off."I can say that these four candidates have matched their ambitions with concrete actions. Continue reading...

I made a mistake' says artist who included cloned archway on Halloween float for a Catholic schoolA Pennsylvania artist's efforts to create a Halloween float for a local Catholic school went awry when he inadvertently included a replica of the gateway arch from a Nazi concentration camp, prompting a hasty apology from the diocese of Harrisburg.In apologizing for the fiasco, Galen Shelly told PennLive that a lighted archway and lanterns he ordered to decorate a parade float he was building for Hanover's St Joseph's school did not arrive in time - so he searched the internet for images of cemetery gates to represent the idea that none of us get out of this life alive". Continue reading...

Boy had sought court order to force his return, after parents took him on trip to Ghana and returned without himA British teenager whose parents left him in Ghana, fearing he was at risk from gang culture" in the UK, should stay there until at least the end of his GCSE exams, a judge sitting at London's high court has ruled.The boy took legal action against his parents, seeking a court order that would force his return, after they enrolled him in a boarding school and arranged for him to live with extended family in Ghana without telling him. Continue reading...

Billionaire businessman's family owns Hinduja Group, which has interests across oil, banking and real estate

George Weston tells chancellor to tax rich folks instead' as ABF says it could split fashion chain from food arm

About 32,000 volunteered to fight Franco dictatorship, including 2,500 men and women from Britain and IrelandThe Spanish government has granted citizenship to 170 descendants of volunteers in the International Brigades in recognition of their fight against fascism during the Franco dictatorship that followed the civil war.An estimated 32,000 volunteers from around the world joined the anti-fascist brigades during the civil war, including approximately 2,500 men and women from Britain and Ireland, of whom 530 were killed. Continue reading...

Prisoners in police cells often have less access to healthcare and less chance of being visited by family and lawyers

We now know that the central bank doesn't think inflation will be back in its 2 to 3% target range until 2027

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says doctors concerned at being 100% reliant on government funding decisions'

Exclusive: University says Elbit Systems, whose drones have been used extensively in Gaza, not on any controversial weapons list when shares bought and sold this year

Contractor was trapped for 11 hours under fallen masonry at medieval landmark near the ColosseumProsecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation over the death of a worker trapped when a medieval monument in central Rome partly collapsed.Octav Stroici, 66, was rescued on Monday night after 11 hours under fallen masonry but died of his injuries at the city's Umberto I hospital. Romanian foreign affairs officials, who said he came from their country, thanked rescuers for their efforts to save him during a long, complex and delicate operation. Continue reading...

Defence argued police engaged in fishing expedition' when they stopped far-right activist in Folkestone in July 2024Tommy Robinson has been cleared of a terror-related offence after being accused over a refusal to give police access to his phone during a border stop.A judge ruled that the stop was unlawful because it was based on what the far-right activist stood for" and his beliefs, rather than suspicions of a connection to terrorism. Continue reading...

Oil and gas company says it will review its portfolio and push to sell off assets faster

With polls showing signs of recovery after a popularity slump, Tuesday's results will test whether the party can rebuildOne year after Donald Trump won his way back into the White House, voters are going back to the ballot box in a test of the president's popularity and whether Democrats are able to rebound from their catastrophic losses of 2024.With governor's mansions, mayoral offices, statehouses and mid-cycle redistricting on the line in closely watched contests from Trenton, New Jersey and Richmond, Virginia to New York City and beyond, the party is pinning its hopes on locally rooted campaigns aiming to blunt a national conservative message that has surged in recent years. Continue reading...

Spy chief Mike Burgess says it's possible the unnamed regimes would try to hide their involvement' in any killings

Health minister Ryan Park promises the two closures are just the beginning' as NSW tries to stem sharp rise in illicit cigarettes and vapes

Spokesperson says company prepared to share names of those who bought dolls before they were removed from saleThe Asian e-commerce company Shein has pledged to cooperate with French prosecutors who have opened an investigation into the sale of childlike sex dolls on its platform.We will cooperate fully with the judicial authorities," Shein's spokesperson in France, Quentin Ruffat, told RMC radio, adding that the company was prepared to share names of those who had bought such dolls. Continue reading...

Thirteen arrested during demonstration with both police and protesters reporting injuries

Nasser Abu Srour says prisons became like another front' in Gaza war and tells of struggle to adjust to life outsideA celebrated Palestinian author who was freed last month after more than 32 years in Israeli prisons has said the use of torture increased dramatically during his last two years of captivity as Israel came to treat its jails as another front in the Gaza war.Nasser Abu Srour, whose prison memoir has been translated into seven languages and is tipped to win a major international literary prize this month, was among more than 150 Palestinians serving life sentences who were freed as part of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and then immediately exile to Egypt, where most remain in limbo. Continue reading...

Reserve Bank's decision to leave cash rate on hold was widely expected and major banks predict no interest rates cut until 2026

This blog is now closed

Minister says obligations for school boards to give effect' to the treaty are unfair while critics argue the move will sideline Indigenous education

Minister responds to calls from watchdog's chair to approve new guidance on transgender rights as soon as possible'Bridget Phillipson has urged the equalities watchdog to focus more on helping ministers do their jobs and less on having public debates as a row continues about how long it will take to implement new rules on gender recognition.The comments by Phillipson, who is the equalities minister as well as the education secretary, come after the Equality and Human Rights Commission took the unusual step of urging the government to act with speed" in approving its statutory guidance on responding to a landmark supreme court ruling on transgender rights. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sources say a Sudanese national and another man were chartered to the former regional processing centre last week, joining one other person

Romanian worker was taken to hospital in serious condition' after being saved from Torre dei Conti rubble, but died soon afterA Romanian worker who was trapped for hours under rubble in Rome after the partial collapse of a medieval tower has died in hospital, just a short time after he was pulled free by emergency services.I express deep sorrow and condolences, on behalf of myself and the government, for the tragic loss of Octay Stroici, the worker who was killed in the collapse of the Torre dei Conti in Rome," Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement after midnight. We are close to his family and colleagues at this time of unspeakable suffering." Continue reading...

Sheffield Hallam University ordered professor to cease human rights study into Uyghurs forced labour in ChinaAn investigation into allegations that a British university was subjected to pressure from Beijing authorities to halt research about human rights abuses in China has been referred to counter-terrorism police.The Guardian reported on Monday morning that Sheffield Hallam University, home to the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice (HKC) research institution, had ordered professor Laura Murphy to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in the country in February. Continue reading...

Scientists say almost all have weaknesses in at least one area that can undermine validity of resulting claims'Experts have found weaknesses, some serious, in hundreds of tests used to check the safety and effectiveness of new artificial intelligence models being released into the world.Computer scientists from the British government's AI Security Institute, and experts at universities including Stanford, Berkeley and Oxford, examined more than 440 benchmarks that provide an important safety net. Continue reading...

Chancellor to promise fairness and opportunity' but will not repeat manifesto pledge on tax, after PM's hint at breachRachel Reeves will lay the groundwork for a tax-raising budget that could break Labour's election promise on income tax, in a major speech in which she will be candid" about the tough choices ahead.The chancellor will give the speech as the markets open on Tuesday, when she will promise to make fair choices at this month's budget but decline to repeat her manifesto pledge of no rise in income tax, VAT or national insurance. Continue reading...

Lawyers lodge challenge to conviction of triple murderer who served relatives beef wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms in regional Australia

The death of the three-time Oscar nominee, whose starred in films including Chinatown, was announced by her daughter Laura DernOscar-nominated actor Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89.The actor, whose credits included Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Chinatown and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, died at her home in Ojai, California. The news was announced in a statement shared by her daughter, Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern. Continue reading...

Law aimed at tackling harassment will criminalise protests outside homes of MPs in England and Wales amid rise in complaintsActivists could be jailed for up to six months for protesting outside MPs' homes in England and Wales under a new law aimed at tackling harassment of politicians after a surge of intimidation complaints.The law would criminalise protests outside the homes of MPs, peers and councillors as well as others who have stood for public office - and is likely to draw further criticism that the government is squeezing the right to protest. Continue reading...

Punta Peuco - where military human rights offenders enjoy privileged conditions - set to join public prison networkInmates at an infamous high-security military prison in Chile, which houses the perpetrators of dictatorship-era human rights crimes, are set to lose their privileged conditions under plans to incorporate the prison into the public prison network.President Gabriel Boric announced on Monday that Punta Peuco is being transformed into a regular prison to help deal with overcrowding in the penitentiary system. Continue reading...

Kent county council says union flags and flags of St George must come off street lights because of safety concernsA Reform-led council has ruled that union and St George's flags must come down in order for a village's traditional Christmas lights to go ahead, in a decision described as beyond ironic".Kent county council - whose leader once vowed not to remove flags put up unilaterally by the people of Kent" - told Harrietsham parish council that flags must come down from street lights before festive lights could go up because of safety concerns. Continue reading...

Questions mount for officers as Anthony Williams, 32, appears in court on charges of attempted murderPolice investigating the mass stabbing on a high-speed train in Cambridgeshire are examining four other knife incidents, alleged to have taken place hours before passengers fled in terror on Saturday evening.Questions mounted for police as Anthony Williams, 32, appeared in court on Monday charged with a series of attempted murder charges, related to two stabbing incidents. Continue reading...

Nassim Mimun, who left with Lammy's and his wife's bags after tone escalated', acquitted due to lack of evidenceA French taxi driver accused of stealing money and luggage from David Lammy has been acquitted due to lack of evidence, a prosecutor said.Nassim Mimun, 40, drove the deputy prime minister and his wife, Nicola Green, more than 600km (370 miles) from Forli, near Bologna in northern Italy, to the ski resort of Flaine in the French Alps on 11 April. Continue reading...

Former footballer on trial over social media posts about pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko and broadcaster Jeremy VineThe former footballer Joey Barton crossed the line between free speech and a crime" with social media posts aimed at female pundits, a jury has been told.Barton, 43, is accused of 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety, related to posts he made between January and March in 2024 on X that targeted Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko as well as the broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Continue reading...

Resolution may be delayed without agreement over the force's mandate and a timetable for Israeli withdrawalA UN security council resolution mandating the introduction of an international stabilisation force into Gaza is likely to be ready within two weeks, but may be delayed if disputes cannot be resolved over the force's mandate, including the question of US military leadership, its relationship with the Palestinian civil police force and a timetable for Israeli military withdrawal.At a meeting in Istanbul of Muslim countries considering offering troops on Monday, the Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said: The countries will shape their decisions based on the mission and authority of the International Stabilization Force. I believe that if the mission conflicts with the principles and policies of the countries that will send troops, it will be difficult for these countries to send troops." Continue reading...

PM had been given summary of reputational risks' but did not know about contents of emails before PMQs, MPs toldKeir Starmer was briefed on details of Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before he decided to make him US ambassador, senior civil servants have said.The prime minister received a Cabinet Office report that contained a summary of reputational risks" associated with appointing Lord Mandelson, including his prior relationship with Jeffrey Epstein" and past resignations as a Labour minister. Continue reading...

Panorama spliced together clips to make it appear clearer US president encouraged January 6 attack, former external adviser saysThe BBC has been accused of selectively editing a Donald Trump speech to make it appear clearer that he encouraged the US Capitol attack, according to a former external adviser to the corporation.An edition of Panorama, broadcast a week before the US election, spliced together clips of a Trump speech made on January 6. The spliced clip suggested that Trump told the crowd: We're going to walk down to the Capitol and I'll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell." Continue reading...

Shabana Mahmood says crew member remains in critical but stable conditionFarage is speaking now. He says another depressing budget hoves into view". It will be a budget that doesn't have the guts to cut public spending".He says Britain has been living under an illusion.I think for some years we've actually been living under an illusion. We've not been prepared to face up to just how much of an economic mess we genuinely in.As we slipped down the global league tables, we kid ourselves that it's OK, we've got GDP growth. Continue reading...

UK government alerted after RedBird Capital's boss allegedly threatened to go to war' with the title's newsroomThe boss of the US private equity group bidding for the Daily Telegraph has been reported to the UK government for potentially breaching rules protecting the newspaper's editorial independence, after allegedly threatening to go to war" with the title's newsroom.The Guardian understands that the independent directors of Telegraph Media Group (TMG) have alerted the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) about supposed comments made by RedBird Capital's Gerry Cardinale to the Telegraph's editor, Chris Evans. The government department is thought to be considering if there has been a breach of the legislation. Continue reading...

International Organization for Migration says displaced are heading to Tawila, which is already sheltering 652,000 displaced peopleMore than 36,000 people have fled Sudan's Kordofan region since Saturday amid a surge in fighting, the UN's migration agency has said, after the capture last week of the city of El Fasher in neighbouring Darfur by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after more than a year under siege.The strategic central area between the country's Darfur provinces and the Khartoum-Riverine region that includes the capital, Khartoum, to the east, has in recent weeks become the latest battleground in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group. Continue reading...

Pair were thrown to the ground after the bucket in which they were seated flipped overTwo girls were injured in a fall from a ferris wheel at a Louisiana fairground on Saturday, the latest in a series of similar episodes calling to question the safety of carnival and amusement park rides.The pair were thrown to the ground after the bucket in which they were seated flipped over during the Harvest Festival event at New Roads, 30 miles north-west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana's capital. Continue reading...

Rightwing politicians and pundits have called the soldiers accused of attack on Palestinian detainee heroes' and military investigators traitorsPolice in Israel have arrested and detained the military's top legal officer after she admitted leaking footage of soldiers allegedly attacking a Palestinian detainee and then in effect lying about her actions to Israel's high court.The military advocate general, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, said in a resignation letter last week that she had authorised publication of the video to defuse attacks on military investigators and prosecutors working on the case. Continue reading...

Mazon faced daily calls for his resignation after flooding in October 2024 killed 229 peoplein BerlinElsewhere, Germany's foreign minister, Johann Wadephul of the co-ruling Christian Democrats (CDU), made waves with comments signalling a softer position on returns of Syrians who arrived during the 2015-16 influx than espoused by much of the government Continue reading...

Jonathan Gjoshe sustained non-life-threatening injuries in Saturday's incident and remains in hospital, club saysOne of the people attacked during a mass stabbing on a busy train in Cambridgeshire has been named as the Scunthorpe United footballer Jonathan Gjoshe.Gjoshe sustained non-life-threatening injuries and remains in hospital, the club said. Continue reading...

Michael O'Leary says Rachel Reeves needs tax cuts to create growth, as airline's profits jump 42% in first half