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Axel Springer, owner of Bild and Die Welt, agrees all-cash deal for one of UK's oldest newspapers

National Capital Planning Commission cites large amount of public input', with a majority opposing the plan

Police say Masood Masjoody was most likely murdered; Iranian expats suspect he was killed for his criticism of the theocratic regimePolice in Canada have concluded that a missing Iranian activist was most likely the victim of murder, prompting fears that his disappearance has the hallmarks of a transnational repression campaign targeting critics of Tehran.Masood Masjoody, a mathematician critical of both Iran's theocratic regime and the exiled family of the former shah, went missing in early February in the city of Burnaby, British Columbia. Continue reading...

Sharaz Ali, 40, sentenced over arson attack in which his ex-partner's sister and her three children diedA man who killed his ex-partner's sister and her three children by setting fire to their house has been sentenced to a whole-life order.Antonia Gawith said she was haunted" because she was the intended target of the arson attack by her former boyfriend, Sharaz Ali. Continue reading...

With voting now closed, the months-long campaign for Oscar glory is over - but industry insiders are still dissecting every award-season clue in a tight best picture raceVoting for the Oscars closed at 5pm PT on Thursday, meaning that the months-long campaigns of the favoured films have hung up their spurs: the red carpets have been rolled up, hospitality pavilions shut down, the PR minders putting their feet up until the Oscars ceremony itself takes place. The prefatory campaign - on-stage Q&As, special-screening paparazzi shoots, the string of lesser awards ceremonies - is over, and there is now nothing for the nominees to do but kick back and count the days.Over the long haul of awards campaigning, which can reasonably be said to start with the near-simultaneous late summer film festivals in Venice, Telluride and Toronto and hits its peak in mid-February as Oscar voting opens, reading the runes has become a full-time activity across the entire film industry, and an absolute obsession for Hollywood insider publications such as Variety, the Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. Every ebb and flow of the process - a critics-awards nomination here, a trade-guild snub there - is endlessly picked over for what it might mean for the end result. Continue reading...

Company attacked for forcing people to dig deeper into their pockets' as second-class stamps increase to 91p

Counter-terrorism police say investigation linked to alleged spying on locations and people linked to Jewish communityArmed police have arrested four men suspected of spying for Iran and allegedly targeting synagogues as well as Jewish individuals in London.Counter-terrorism detectives are investigating why the alleged surveillance of Jewish locations and individuals was being carried out, and whether it was linked to a wish to carry out attacks on British soil. Continue reading...

Officers have decided former minister is not a flight risk, but he remains under investigationPolice have released Peter Mandelson from his bail conditions after deciding he was not a flight risk, the Guardian has learned.Sources say the Metropolitan police have decided to drop the conditions they applied after arresting him on suspicion of misconduct in public office last month, though he remains under investigation. Continue reading...

After years of court action and official complaints, Spain's trademark office rules brand must change its nameA Spanish restaurant chain called The Mafia Sits at the Table may soon have to change its name after the country's patent and trademark office heeded objections from the Italian government and ruled that the brand's nomenclature ran counter to both public order and morality".Italy has pursued its claim against the chain - known in Spanish as La Mafia se sienta a la mesa - through various courts and official bodies over the past few years, alleging that the name trivialises both organised crime and efforts to fight it. Continue reading...

Investigation finds three were hacked by Paragon spyware at same time, potentially fuelling questions for governmentItalian prosecutors investigating a domestic spying scandal say they have independently confirmed that two immigration activists and a journalist were hacked at the same time in late 2024, suggesting all three were part of the same infection campaign".The development could bring more questions for the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni, who has denied any involvement in the hacking of the journalist, the Fanpage editor-in-chief, Francesco Cancellato. Continue reading...

Move is part of scheme to target families for expedited voluntary removals before enforced removal proceedingsChildren may be forcibly removed from the UK in handcuffs to overcome noncompliance" as part of proposals Home Office is considering to send more asylum seeker families back to their home countries.Since coming into office, the government has pledged to deport more migrants and has increased both voluntary and enforced returns, although some of those who have left the UK voluntarily did so without informing the Home Office. Continue reading...

Justice secretary calls for inquiry into reports of cabinet splits at national security council over use of British bases

Yuin man Gregory Merriman did not have a chronic health screening before suffering a fatal heart attack in Silverwater prison in 2022

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South-east Asian country limits air conditioning and travel for public officials amid soaring fuel prices

UK house price growth slowed in February as value of typical home rose 0.3% to 301,151

Inquest into fatal shooting of Steve Pampalian told statement by assistant commissioner he was known to police' was incorrectA man shot dead by a NSW police officer after he ran at him with two knives was not known to police, a coroner says, despite a very unfortunate" claim to the contrary made by the assistant commissioner of the force immediately after the incident.Steve Pampalian, 41, was shot three times by a police officer in the driveway of his home on a quiet suburban street in Sydney's North Willoughby on 25 May 2023 after he had a psychotic episode. Continue reading...

Moreton Bay council's clearing of tent city breached human rights, supreme court rules

Adam Tickell, of University of Birmingham, says money is loaned to people who are not really capable of graduating'A leading vice-chancellor has questioned whether students without A-levels should be eligible for government-backed student loans, as part of an effort to solve England's university funding crisis.Adam Tickell, vice-chancellor of the University of Birmingham, said universities face an almost existential challenge" and falling public support that requires a radical review of higher education funding. Continue reading...

Head of government-commissioned review says adult social care is held together by sticking plasters and glue'England's creaking" adult social care system is confusing and impenetrable to the people that rely on it and held together with sticking plasters and glue", the head of a government-commissioned review has said in a withering critique.Louise Casey said the country faced a moment of reckoning" over its failure to effectively and fairly meet the needs of Britain's ageing population and rising numbers of people with chronic conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's. Continue reading...

Iraq emerges as key front in new and often clandestine confrontation after launching dozens of attacksIran-backed militias around the Middle East are intensifying attacks against Israel, the US and their allies, in retaliation for the ongoing joint US-Israeli offensive against Tehran as the war draws in new armed actors, threatening wider chaos and violence.Israel and the US have targeted Iran's network of militant groups, with Iraq emerging as a key front in this new and often clandestine confrontation. Continue reading...

Recusal application against district court judge Penelope Wass yet to be determined amid row with DPP

Decision marks end of years-long legal saga for 78-year-old critic of Chinese Communist partyJimmy Lai, the prominent pro-democracy activist who was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong, has said he will not appeal his conviction.The decision marks the end of a years-long legal saga for the 78-year-old critic of the Chinese Communist party (CCP), and opens the door for political negotiations to his release. Continue reading...

Several sites now state they are not currently accepting new account registrations in your region' when accessed from Australia

Anthony Albanese confirms ADF members were on vessel but says no Australian personnel' took part in attacks on Iran

Cause of death of 19-year-old in January was drowning in the setting of multiple injuries, due to, or as a consequence of a dingo attack'Canadian backpacker Piper James died as a result of drowning" following a dingo attack at K'gari, the Queensland coroners court says.The court on Friday said Piper's cause of death had been determined by a forensic pathologist and accepted by the investigating coroner. Continue reading...

This liveblog is closed. Follow live coverage of the Middle East crisis hereIran says it has targeted Kurdish groups in Iraq and warned separatist groups" against action in the widening war.Tehran said on Thursday it had hit Iraq-based Kurdish groups opposed to the revolution", as reports said the US was looking to arm Kurdish militias to infiltrate Iran.We will not tolerate them in any way. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president orders equipment and expertise to be provided to US in return to diplomatic support against Russia, saying we help to defend from war those who help us'The United States and its allies in the Middle East are seeking Ukraine's expertise in countering Iran's Shahed drones, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.Various countries, including the US, have approached Ukraine for help in defending against the Iranian drones, Zelenskyy said late on Wednesday. He said he has spoken in recent days to the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait about possible cooperation. Continue reading...

Briton with cancer operated on by doctor located 1,500 miles away using four-armed robot fitted with 3D cameraThe patient was in Gibraltar. The surgeon was in London. The outcome was a remarkable triumph for remote robotic surgery that saved the life of a 62-year-old football fan with prostate cancer.Inside the operating theatre at St Bernard's, the only hospital in the British overseas territory, a hi-tech robot with four arms, and fitted with a 3D camera, removed the prostate of Briton Paul Buxton, who moved to Gibraltar 40 years ago. Continue reading...

Meta CEO, grilled about children's safety, says in taped deposition a user pool of billions will include bad actorsHarms to children, such as sexual exploitation and detriments to mental health, are inevitable on Meta's platforms, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram leader Adam Mosseri said in taped depositions played at a trial in New Mexico on Tuesday and Wednesday.I just think if you're serving billions of people, the unfortunate reality is that some very small percent of them are going to be criminals, and we should work as hard as we can to stop that activity from happening," said Zuckerberg. I don't think that the standard for our platforms would be that you should assume that it will ever be perfect." Continue reading...

Reports say talks have resumed between defense department and startup over military's use of company's AI

Lawsuit says president does not have authority to impose levies and demands refunds from federal governmentA coalition of Democratic attorneys general and governors across 24 US states are suing Donald Trump to block his latest round of tariffs.The White House is planning to enact a new 15% tariff on all imports after the supreme court declared Trump's liberation day" tariffs illegal. The tariffs have yet to go into effect, though the White House said the new rate would start this week. Continue reading...

Joani Reid steps back while internal inquiry takes place following freeing of husband David Taylor on bail until MayThe MP whose husband was arrested this week on suspicion of spying for China has resigned the Labour whip while an internal investigation is carried out.Joani Reid, the MP for East Kilbride, said on Thursday night she would temporarily stand down from the parliamentary party while the inquiry takes place. Continue reading...

John Healey says its unpatriotic' for opposition politicians to turn the US against Starmer

Lower house votes in favour of polarising law after rapid increase in population and attack on grazing farm animalsWolf hunting will be allowed in Germany under legislation passed by the lower house of parliament in response to a rapidly growing population and a sharp rise in attacks on livestock.The return and growth of the wolf population in the last three decades has emerged as a wedge issue in Germany, the land of the Brothers Grimm who popularised the spectre of the Big Bad Wolf. Continue reading...

Lawyers for Oren, Alon and Tal Alexander argued that the brothers were womanizers but not rapists

Global health body investigating reports that four medics are among the 1,230 people killed in Iran since start of war

PM also confirms that the first repatriation flight for Britons in the region has taken offShe says we will always offer protection to genuine refugees" and outlines how the UK has taken in Ukrainian and Hong Kong refugees.She says restoring control at our borders is not a betrayal of Labour values". She says we must attract high-skilled workers. And that the privilege of living in this country forever must be earned". Continue reading...

Keir Starmer describes Middle East evacuation operation as one of the biggest of its kind

Maggie Oliver Foundation taking action over government's alleged failure to adopt changes recommended by inquiryCampaigners have accused the UK government of in effect allowing child abuse to continue by having an inconsistent and arbitrary" approach to implementing recommendations from a seven-year statutory inquiry.The claim was made at the high court in London, where a judge said a legal action against the Home Office could continue. Continue reading...

Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan, 54, and Maj Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, were from California and Iowa, respectivelyThe Pentagon has released the names of the final two of the six soldiers who were killed during a recent drone strike in Kuwait. They were killed on Sunday, the day after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Their names were released by the US Department of Defense on Wednesday.The two soldiers were identified as Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan, 54, and Maj Jeffrey O'Brien, 45. They were from Sacramento, California, and Indianola, Iowa, respectively. Continue reading...

The 114-page document backs licence fee but suggests its current funding model is being tested to breaking pointIt's that time again. The BBC published its opening salvo in the current talks over its royal charter. The tortuous negotiations with the government, which take place every 10 years, are often accompanied by tough talk about radical change.This time is no different. However, it also comes with data suggesting the BBC's funding model is on an unsustainable course, fundamentally challenged by a transformation in how media is consumed. Continue reading...

Urgent request submitted by vessel after US submarine sank Iranian warship in same area with torpedo on Tuesday

The US president previously threatened to stop all trade with Spain after it said it didn't back the US-Israeli military operation against IranMeanwhile, France has allowed US aircraft on some of its bases in the Middle East during the conflict opposing the United States and Israel with Iran, the French military said.As part of our relations with the United States, the presence of their aircraft has been temporarily authorised on our bases" in the region, a spokeswoman for the military general staff told AFP.These aircraft contribute to the protection of our partners in the Gulf."The frigate Cristobal Colon joined the Charles de Gaulle Naval Group on 3 March to carry out escort, protection, and advanced training duties in the Baltic Sea. The group will now head to the Mediterranean, arriving off the coast of Crete around 10 March.The supply ship Cantabria will also briefly put to sea to provide fuel and logistical support during the Naval Group's transit through the Gulf of Cadiz. Continue reading...

Early results may be released from Friday after first election since gen z protests forced Nepal's then-PM to quitNearly six months after a wave of unprecedented gen Z-led protests forced Nepal's then prime minister to quit, people have voted in a general election that is shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown between the entrenched old guard and a powerful youth movement.The voting process has been concluded peacefully and enthusiastically," said the chief election commissioner, Ram Prasad Bhandari. It appeared the turnout was only about 60%, according to initial estimates, the lowest in more than two decades. Continue reading...

Christopher Harborne's gift is latest to party's election war chest and comes amid calls for cap on political donations

Experts say the Iran war could cause an energy price shock that pushes up UK inflation, in turn forcing up interest ratesHSBC and Coventry building society are the first big lenders to announce they are increasing rates on their fixed mortgage deals after the Middle East crisis, with brokers predicting others are likely to follow.Experts have said the war could trigger an energy price shock that pushes up UK inflation, which may in turn force the Bank of England to increase interest rates. Continue reading...

Paul Quinn researched case despite having little interest in news websites, jury hears at Manchester crown courtAn alleged rapist who is suspected to have evaded justice for nearly 20 years carried out an exponential" rise in online searches about the case when it emerged police were investigating a new suspect, a court has heard.Paul Quinn, 51, is accused of raping and violently beating a woman in 2003 in an attack that led to the wrongful conviction of Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison in what jurors were told was one of the worst miscarriages of justice in Britain. Continue reading...

As number of cases climbs past 1,000, experts say CDC is not taking obvious steps amid funding cutsExperts say that the Trump administration has failed to take obvious steps to contain the spread of measles, which is continuing to accelerate in the United States as the number of cases has climbed past 1,000.The administration has revealed a relaxed attitude toward the highly contagious virus both in terms of messaging and funding allocation, experts said. Continue reading...