West Highland service regulars say they have to wear heavy coats, gloves, hats and scarves to stay warmA train that runs through some of Scotland's most celebrated Highland scenery has been labelled the polar express" because it is so cold onboard that travellers bring extra clothing for the journey.Passengers who use the West Highland line service between Oban and Glasgow believe temperatures in its carriages regularly plunge below zero, forcing regular users to bring extra insulated coats, gloves, furry hats and scarves. Continue reading...
Nato secretary general says supporting Ukraine is not charity' but an investment in our own security'France and Ukraine will sign a bilateral agreement on security commitments tomorrow, the Elysee has announced, Reuters reported.The agreement was expected to be finalised in Ukraine, but the French president, Emmanuel Macron, had postponed his trip. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Charlie Moloney (earlier) on (#6JN19)
Medecins Sans Frontieres says staff forced to evacuate, leaving patients behind' after special forces entered the hospitalIsraeli forces have stormed Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, according to Al Jazeera journalist Hani Mahmoud who is reporting from Rafah in southern Gaza.In a breaking news update to the publication, Mahmoud said Israeli forces had given those in Nasser hospital until 7am (Gaza time) to evacuate and as of Thursday morning there is a presence of Israeli soldiers inside the facility". At the same time, there is heavy tank and machine gun fire," he added.Dozens have been wounded in attacks, some victims injured more than once. This is the largest health facility in southern Gaza. It is completely out of service now. The entire medical staff was rounded up, their hands tied behind their backs.Military checkpoints were set up and Palestinians were told to come in groups of five - doctors, nurses, those with injuries. A large number of young people were detained." Continue reading...
Judge in Manhattan to rule on several issues including Trump's motion to throw out case involving payment to adult film starDonald Trump's Manhattan state court hush-money criminal case involving the adult film star Stormy Daniels and the playboy model Karen McDougal will proceed to trial on 25 March.The judge in Trump's case, Juan Merchan, announced his decision moments after the ex-president appeared in his 15th floor courtroom at 100 Centre Street at 9.30am for a hearing in the case Continue reading...
by Carmen Aguilar García and Tobi Thomas on (#6JN80)
Experts blame outdated funding model as Guardian analysis shows huge disparity with areas that have the most white peopleAreas across England where the highest proportion of ethnic minorities live have the poorest access to GPs, with experts attributing this disparity to an outdated model being used to determine funding.As of October 2023, there were 34 fully qualified full-time-equivalent GPs per 100,000 patients in the areas with the highest proportion of people from ethnic minority backgrounds, according to a Guardian analysis of NHS Digital and census data. Continue reading...
Home Office criticised for shameful' move to separate Malwattege Peiris from husband and 10-year-old sonA woman is facing deportation, and being separated from her husband and 10-year-old son, despite a court ruling that the family has the right to live together in the UK.Malwattege Peiris has been told by the Home Office to leave the UK despite the court ruling in her favour and correspondence from the Home Office confirming this decision. Continue reading...
Relatives of victims say creation of commission is a great victory' but former ministers say it will be used as a political attackItaly will carry out an inquiry into its handling of the coronavirus pandemic in a move hailed as a great victory" by the relatives of people killed by the virus but criticised by those who were in power at the time.Italy was the first western country to report an outbreak and has the second highest Covid-related death toll to date in Europe, at more than 196,000. Only the UK's death toll is higher. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England correspondent on (#6JN65)
Infant was a passenger in a Toyota Auris taxi when it was involved in a head-on crash with a Vauxhall Vivaro vanA four-month-old baby boy has died after a collision between a van and a taxi in Leeds.The infant was a passenger in a Toyota Auris taxi when it was involved in a head-on crash with a Vauxhall Vivaro van at about 4.55pm on Monday. Continue reading...
Avon and Somerset police say teenager was attacked in St Philip's area by two people wearing masksA teenager has died after being attacked in Bristol by two people wearing masks, Avon and Somerset police have said.The boy, 16, was stabbed in the St Philip's area of the city on Wednesday evening, police said. The two people left the scene on bicycles, they added. Continue reading...
Tom Suozzi went on the offensive over border security in George Santos's old seat as Senate Republicans torpedoed a bipartisan dealWeeks before Tuesday's special House election in New York, Republican Mazi Pilip held a press conference outside a migrant shelter in Queens to assail Democrats' handling of the humanitarian crisis at the US-Mexico border that has led tens of thousands of people to seek refuge in the state.Moments later, her opponent, Democrat Tom Suozzi, arrived on the scene and staged a rival press conference, during which he sought to talk about this immigration crisis that is affecting so many families" and rebut" some of Pilip's claims. Continue reading...
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor on (#6JN3T)
West should address colonisation of the present' and not focus on past, argues David Van ReybrouckCities in the global north that curb their carbon emissions are doing more to address colonial injustices than those who focus their efforts on taking down statues and changing street names, one of Europe's leading historians has said.David Van Reybrouck, the Belgian author of a bestselling history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a new book on Indonesia's independence from Dutch rule, has become one of the key drivers of a nascent and often fraught debate about Europe's colonial legacies. Those who have lauded his work include the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the former UN secretary general Kofi Annan. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6JN2F)
Treasury looking at reducing projected rise in public spending from 2025, FT reports citing insidersJeremy Hunt is considering making billions of pounds of spending cuts to fund pre-election tax cuts in the next budget, according to a report.The chancellor is looking at further spending restraint" after 2025 if official economic forecasts suggest he does not have enough headroom to pay for smart tax cuts", the Financial Times reported, citing Treasury insiders. Continue reading...
WorkSafe Victoria has charged Monash Health for allegedly exposing a patient to health and safety risks while in its careVictoria's largest public health service is facing a criminal charge over the death of an Indigenous woman who took her own life while receiving mental health treatment at Dandenong hospital in 2022.WorkSafe Victoria on Thursday announced it had charged Monash Health for allegedly exposing a patient to health and safety risks while in its care. Continue reading...
Cross-border rocket fire raises fears of a broader conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militant groupEleven civilians, including six children, have been killed by Israeli strikes on villages across southern Lebanon, a hospital director and local security sources said, while the Israeli army said it lost a soldier in cross-border rocket fire.While the rocket attack was not immediately claimed, the exchanges of fire - and the worst single-day civilian death toll in Lebanon since cross-border hostilities began in October - raised fears of a broader conflict between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah. Continue reading...
More than 130 people working on criminal investigation into mulch supplied by Greenlife Resource Recovery. The company denies any wrongdoingAn investigation into the growing New South Wales asbestos scandal has become the state environmental watchdog's biggest-ever probe with hundreds of sites potentially contaminated including parks, schools, train stations and suburban back yards.A surge workforce of public servants and firefighters will assist the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) as it expands its criminal investigation into mulch found to contain asbestos across Sydney and regional NSW.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#6JMZS)
Campaigners are trying to rescue William Mitchell artwork in Blackheath conservation area from redevelopment planCampaigners are trying to save a rare early mural by one of Britain's most celebrated postwar artists after it emerged the building it is housed in is under threat from being torn down as part of a redevelopment project in south London.The work by William Mitchell, who produced dozens of large-scale public murals and sculptures from the 1950s onwards, is situated in a village hall within the Blackheath conservation area and could be demolished to provide space for several new homes. Continue reading...
Aurelius, the German restructuring specialist, has broken up two other UK retailersAurelius, the German restructuring specialist which bought The Body Shop last year and has now put it into administration, had previously broken up two other UK retailers. Staff at the ethical cosmetics group fear it will be next, with more than 2,200 jobs and 200 stores at risk.Aurelius, a specialist in distressed companies, has been active in the UK for some time. It bought the parent of the Lloyds Pharmacy chain in 2022, TV shopping business Ideal Shopping Direct in 2018 and the European and UK arm of retailer and office supplies business Office Depot in 2017, and went on to break up all three businesses. Continue reading...
by Helen Davidson in Taipei and agencies on (#6JMSV)
The vessel capsized while being chased by Taiwan's coastguard near the Kinmen islands, in what China called a malignant incident'Beijing has condemned Taiwanese authorities after two Chinesefishers drowned while being chased by Taiwan's coastguard off the coast of the Kinmen archipelago.The Chinese speedboat was carrying four people when it capsized on Wednesday, throwing all onboard into the water, Chinese and Taiwanese authorities said. Continue reading...
by Daniel Hurst Foreign affairs and defence correspon on (#6JMYK)
Israel must heed counsel of international friends to avoid devastating' effects of assault on Gaza's southernmost city, says Albanese, and Canadian and NZ leaders
589% increase in number of incidents described as watershed moment for antisemitism in the UK'The scale of the surge in antisemitism in the UK since Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October has been revealed, in data showing a 589% increase in the number of incidents compared with the same period in 2022.The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors anti-Jewish abuse and attacks and provides security for UK Jewish communities, said the unprecedented increase was a watershed moment for antisemitism in the UK". Continue reading...
Kattya Gonzalez, who had called out corruption and the country's fall to organized crime, was dismissed from her post on WednesdayParaguay's senate has expelled one of the few opposition voices in national politics, sparking protests in the capital Asuncion and prompting concerns over the fragile state of the country's democracy.Senator Kattya Gonzalez from the center-left National Meeting Party was dismissed from her position during an extraordinary session on Wednesday for the misuse of influence" while in office. Continue reading...
Theory that singer is plotting to help Biden win election has flourished in rightwing media after she started dating Travis KelceJust under a fifth of Americans believe Taylor Swift is part of a conspiracy to help Joe Biden win re-election in November, a new poll found.The supposed Taylor Swift psyop conspiracy has legs among a decent number of Trump supporters," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, in a statement on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene tells Cameron to kiss my ass' in response to his request to pass aid packageDavid Cameron has urged US lawmakers to pass a bill including support for Ukraine and warned them not to show the weakness displayed against Hitler".The foreign secretary said Congress should vote through the foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan for the sake of global security. The bill has passed through the senate but faces a deeply uncertain future in the House of Representatives, where Republicans aligned with presidential frontrunner Donald Trump oppose the legislation. Continue reading...
Pressure is mounting on Labour to overhaul its vetting to avoid damaging its relationships with communitiesSocial media is trawled, past comments examined and interviews undertaken, as political party candidates submit themselves to an intense vetting process that has only tightened in recent years.However, the case of Azhar Ali, the candidate Labour selected in Rochdale, once again underlines the difficulty of choosing parliamentary hopefuls who will be able to withstand the scrutiny of political life. Continue reading...
Ambreen Fatima Sheikh in vegetative state after husband and in-laws waited days to call ambulance after she fell unconsciousA man and his parents have been jailed after his wife was forced to take anti-diabetes medication and doused in a corrosive substance, leaving her in a persistent vegetative state from which she will never recover.Ambreen Fatima Sheikh, described as intelligent, bright, ambitious and happy-go-lucky", was 30 when she was given the anti-diabetes drug glimepiride after being brought to the UK from Pakistan after an arranged marriage. Continue reading...
Luke D'Wit is on trial for murder over the deaths of Stephen and Carol Baxter last yearA man poisoned a married couple with the opioid painkiller fentanyl and rewrote their will the day after they died, a court has heard.Luke D'Wit, 34, worked for and had befriended Stephen and Carol Baxter, saying in a statement to police that he was like an adopted son to both of them", Tracy Ayling KC, prosecuting, said on Wednesday. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6JMKT)
Investment adviser raises accountability' concerns regarding reward 37 times higher than average employee'sVirgin Money bosses could be at risk of an embarrassing investor backlash, after an influential adviser hit out at a 2.6m package for its chief executive, David Duffy, saying it was not appropriate" compared with the bank's average employee.Pensions and Investment Research Consultants (Pirc), which advises shareholders including UK local authority pension funds, also raised concerns over what it said was a lack of board-level accountability for sustainability issues" at Britain's sixth largest lender. Continue reading...
Abducted four-year-old boy in California reunited with family after Regan Dunn and Yenni Lee received alert and went to look for himA missing four-year-old boy was reunited with his family on Tuesday evening after two women, who had received an Amber alert about an abducted child, located him.The California highway patrol issued an alert for an abducted child in Long Beach and advised the public to be on the lookout for a gray Honda Accord. Police said the vehicle was stolen with Justin Chan inside after his parent left the car running while making a delivery. Continue reading...
Guy's hospital and Sheffield clinic may have used faulty freezing solution that could damage eggs and embryosScores of women have been affected by the use of a faulty freezing solution at fertility clinics in London and Sheffield, with frozen eggs and embryos potentially destroyed as a result, the fertility regulator has said.The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) confirmed the issue was limited to Guy's and St Thomas' assisted conception unit in London, and Jessop Fertility in Sheffield. Continue reading...
Lawyer for complainant hails moral victory' after court says proceedings fell short of required standards'A woman who claimed Greek authorities failed to conduct an effective investigation into her allegation of rape has won a resounding victory at the European court of human rights.Almost three years after lodging the case, the complainant, from West Yorkshire, was said to be delighted after learning that the Strasbourg-based tribunal had criticised Greece over criminal proceedings that it said had fallen short of the required standards". Continue reading...
The two actors will be joined by The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Stranger Things breakout Joseph QuinnMarvel has announced the cast for its much-anticipated reboot of Fantastic Four: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn.The film, about a quartet of superheroes with different powers, has been dated for 25 July 2025. Continue reading...
Post is credited as part of the Kellogg team to develop a pastry for the breakfast market and enclosing it in foil to keep it freshWilliam Bill" Post, a key figure in the creation of Pop Tarts, the pre-cooked, frosted Kellogg toaster pastries, has died at 96.Post is credited as part of the Kellogg team, responding to a process competitor Post had developed for dehydrating dog food to keep it fresh, to develop a pastry for the breakfast market and enclosing it in foil to keep it fresh. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6JMGH)
Robert Macfarlane, Feargal Sharkey and Matt Haig are among artists to react with fury to message about funding risksArtists, writers and musicians have reacted with fury to an Arts Council England (ACE) warning that political statements" could break funding agreements.In a series of updates recently made to its policies, ACE advised the organisations it funds to be wary of overtly political or activist" statements made in a personal capacity by people linked to them. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England correspondent on (#6JMA2)
Armed gang spent night drinking at safe house' and visited brothel before shooting of police officer, jury hearsAn armed robbery gang partied with champagne, vodka and sex workers on the eve of the raid in which PC Sharon Beshenivsky was murdered, a court has been told.Jurors heard that the men spent the night drinking at a safe house" in Leeds and visited a brothel before the fatal shooting. Continue reading...
Sentence on hold after lawyer says former president will contest guilty verdict at France's highest courtThe former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been given a six-month jail term on appeal, after being found guilty of illegal campaign financing for the vast, showman-style political rallies of his 2012 re-election attempt.The Paris court of appeal confirmed a lower court's guilty verdict for Sarkozy, who was convicted of hiding illegal overspending in the presidential election he lost to the Socialist candidate Francois Hollande. Continue reading...
One officer trapped in wreckage near Oval tube station rescued by firefighters and taken to hospitalNine people, including six police officers, have been taken to hospital after a collision between a doubledecker bus and a police van in south London.Emergency services responded to the incident on Kennington Park Road, near Oval tube station, at about 11.30am. Continue reading...
The homeland security secretary is the first cabinet official since 1876 to be impeached but the case against is so flimsy a trial is not a givenIn 1876, the last US cabinet official to be impeached, William Belknap, resigned before the House could vote on the matter. Ulysses S Grant's secretary of war was tried in the Senate anyway, on charges of corruption, but escaped conviction.Nearly 150 years later, in the House on Tuesday and at the second time of asking, Republicans corralled just enough votes to ensure Joe Biden's secretary of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, suffered Belknap's fate. But Mayorkas has not resigned - and nor is he likely to be convicted and removed. Continue reading...
by Martin Belam (now) and Rachel Hall (earlier) on (#6JM4H)
Former Tory home secretary tells House of Lords he hopes the bill will be struck down as unconstitutional'By the way I notice in the comments - see I promised that I do read them - some criticism of the reporting of the inflation figures saying that food prices fell when the headline inflation rate is 4%.While it is true that inflation falling from 11% to 4% doesn't mean that prices are going down, it means they are going up more slowly, my understanding is that the food price component of the inflation figures did show prices going down, albeit from a high base.However, food and non-alcoholic drink prices fell at a monthly rate of 0.4% in January, the first monthly decline since May 2021, driven by price cuts in January for bread and cereals, cream crackers, sponge cake and chocolate biscuits.Against a backdrop of a tough Christmas for UK retailers because of weak consumer spending, furniture prices also fell at the fastest monthly rate in four years amid steep reductions for kitchens, leather settees, dining tables and chairs.The ONS said that although food inflation fell on the month in January, prices had increased by 25% over the past two years - more than double the rate seen over the entire preceding decade. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Lili Bayer (earlier) on (#6JM4G)
Hit on Tsezar Kunikov, in waters off the occupied peninsula, hailed by Ukrainian militaryThe Netherlands is joining a military coalition with allies including Britain that will supply Ukraine with advanced drone technology and bolster its offensive capabilities in the war against Russia, the Dutch defence minister said.The pledge from the Netherlands comes in addition to F-16 fighter jets, artillery, ammunition and air defence systems provided by the Dutch to Kyiv, Reuters reports. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now); Lili Bayer (earlier) on (#6JM2V)
WHO says that fewer than half of its requested aid-delivery missions in Gaza have been approved by IsraelMilitants from the Islamic State (IS) group attacked military barracks in central Syria this week, killing nine soldiers, an opposition war monitor said. The Syrian army and officials have not confirmed the attack, reports news agency The Associated Press (AP).