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Our food environment has been built to put profit over health - Australians can't overcome that without stronger regulation and accountability

The tax has climbed by 60% since 2020 and accounts for three-quarters of the legal cost of a packet of cigarettes

Consular officials told son of unconscious, critically ill man they could not discuss the situation for privacy' reasons

Experts question convicted sex trafficker's motivations as she claims she can reveal truth' in exchange for freedomWhen Ghislaine Maxwell refused to testify before Congress last week, she nonetheless insisted on her willingness to help.Maxwell, who was convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein draw teenage girls into a world of sexual abuse, dangled the prospect of revealing truth before Congress and American public - so long as she was freed from jail. Continue reading...

High court said the then home secretary had not followed her own policies when bringing in the ban last summerShadow foreign secretary, Priti Patel, said she was appalled" by the high court's ruling on Friday that the proscription of Palestine Action was unlawful and supports the government's intention to appeal against the decision (see post at 09.35 for more details).Speaking to Sky News this morning, Patel, a former home secretary between July 2019 and Septmeber 2022, said:I'm pretty appalled by that ruling, and clearly it's now going to be subject to a legal appeal. And I think it's right that it should be appealed ...It is right that they feel the full force of our laws, including the proscription that has been put in place. They are on par with how terrorist organisations conduct themselves, and they plan their attacks.Four directors of communicationsTwo chiefs of staffTwo cabinet secretariesUS ambassador Continue reading...

Doctor Hilary Cass, who led youth gender identity services review, warns of unrealistic images and expectations'The expert who led the review into youth gender identity services has said young people are being misinformed by unrealistic" portrayals of transitioning on social media.Hilary Cass, the British paediatrician whose review of NHS gender care led to a significant shift including a ban on puberty blockers, warned of unrealistic images and expectations on social media" when it came to what transition would really mean and how hard it would be", including quite intensive medical treatments" and sometimes quite brutal surgeries". Continue reading...

Foreign secretary says Reform not taking Russian threat seriously while Green leader leaves open possibility of leaving alliance

EU's foreign policy chief says many countries still want to join our club'EU's Kallas appears to be slightly sceptical about the idea of appointing an EU envoy for talks on ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine.She earlier said that what matters more than having a seat at the table is knowing what to ask [for] when you are sitting there."That's why I proposed to the member states [a] concrete mandate [of] the asks that we would have to Russia. So whoever goes to that table, whether it's individually or bilaterally, they should ask [for] these things from the Russians.We have a saying in Estonian that if you demand a lot, you get little; if you demand little, you get nothing, and if you demand nothing, you pay on top." Continue reading...

Trades Union Congress says women have worked a month and a half for free this year and legislation is neededWomen in the UK will not be paid the same as men until 2056 at the current rate of progress, according to a Trades Union Congress report.The gender pay gap, which stands at 2,548 a year, means that women have in effect worked for free so far this year, the TUC said. Continue reading...

Mohan Karki - one of many people ICE has deported to countries with which they have little connection - leaves behind his wife and seven-month-old baby he has yet to holdTika Basnet sat facing the glow of her iPhone, a red tika pressed into the center of her forehead. Seven-month-old Briana slept on her lap, her breathing soft and uneven. On the other side of the screen was Mohan Karki, Basnet's husband, who had yet to hold his daughter.For Karki, nearly 9,000 miles (14,500km) away, it was already morning. He was in hiding in south Asia, his exact location withheld for his safety, his face breaking into pixels as he watched his daughter sleep. Continue reading...

Egyptian with history of disruptive behaviour was taken to hospital and then returned to detentionA Home Office private deportation flight for one man had to be cancelled on Thursday morning after he was able to swallow a lithium vape battery shortly before being taken to the plane.Officials are now investigating the circumstances around the incident. The man, an Egyptian foreign national offender with a history of being disruptive during removal attempts, was due to take a flight from the UK via Albania to Egypt. Continue reading...

Acquisition by Premier Group Recruitment boss Andrew Woosnam appears to be example of phoenixism'A recruitment business that went bust owing the tax authorities and other creditors almost 3m has promised to send its staff on an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas after being repurchased by its former owner for an initial 10,000.Premier Group Recruitment went into administration in September with debts of 2.9m - including 647,000 owed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which had commenced enforcement proceedings against the company. Continue reading...

Jim Boyling gave evidence under his fake identity during prosecution of activists he had infiltratedSenior police officers praised an undercover officer who had lied to a court about his real identity during a prosecution of environmental activists, secret documents aired at the spycops public inquiry have revealed.Jim Boyling, an undercover officer, gave evidence under his fake identity when he was prosecuted while masquerading as an activist. He was prosecuted alongside six campaigners for public order offences, but senior officers decided not to tell the court that he was actually a police spy. Continue reading...

Worst weather forecast to hit late on Sunday, a day after floods caused power outages, road collapses and home evacuationsNew Zealand's weather bureau has warned more flooding could hit the country's North Island, a day after floods caused power outages, road collapses, home evacuations and caused the death of a man whose vehicle was submerged on a highway.There was threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips" as a deepening low-pressure system east of the North Island brought heavy rain and severe gales to several regions, the weather bureau said. Continue reading...

Man charged after 2,600-year-old cat sculpture, mummy mask and necklace stolen from Caboolture museum

Diplomats in Havana are preparing for an alternative Trump tactic: the country being starved until people take to the streets and the US can step inAmong the verdant gardens of Havana's diplomatic quarter, Siboney, ambassadors from countries traditionally allied to the United States are expressing increasing frustration with Washington's attempt to unseat Cuba's government, while simultaneously drawing up plans to draw down their missions.Cuba is in crisis. Already reeling from a four-year economic slump, worsened by hyper-inflation and the migration of nearly 20% of the population, the 67-year-old communist government is at its weakest. After Washington's successful military operation against Cuba's ally Venezuela at the beginning of January, the US administration is actively seeking regime change. Continue reading...

Prime minister commits $3.9bn as down payment' for Adelaide facility to eventually build nuclear-powered vessels

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Residents who escaped violence tell of bandits riding in on motorbikes and shooting indiscriminatelyArmed assailants on motorbikes killed at least 32 people and burned houses and shops during raids on three villages in north-west Nigeria's Niger state early on Saturday, local officials and residents who escaped the violence said.The dawn raids targeted the communities of Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso, and Pissa. Continue reading...

Some female Liberal members incredibly worried' after Sussan Ley's ousting, with one saying: The boys are back in charge'

Letter signed by 25 rebel MPs claims approach from the top is increasingly unpopular' with publicUnion leaders and 25 Labour MPs have urged Keir Starmer to end a narrow, factional agenda" within the Labour party.A letter signed by the MPs, by the leaders of several Labour-affiliated trade unions and by campaign groupings within the party, claimed the approach from the top was increasingly unpopular with the public". Continue reading...

Cases reported in seven schools and a nursery in Enfield amid concern over low levels of MMR vaccination in capitalMore than 60 children have been infected by a measles outbreak in north London, it has been reported.Seven schools and a nursery in Enfield reported the cases, with some children treated in hospital, according to the Sunday Times. Continue reading...

Magistrates will analyse evidence that could implicate French nationals and re-examine case of Jean-Luc BrunelThe Paris prosecutor's office on Saturday announced it was setting up a special team of magistrates to analyse evidence that could implicate French nationals in the crimes of the convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.With Epstein's known circle extending to prominent French figures after the release of documents by the US authorities, the prosecutor's office said it would also thoroughly re-examine the case of former French modelling agency executive Jean-Luc Brunel, a close associate of the US financier, who died in custody in 2022. Continue reading...

Brewer last month said it was closing its distilling brands, prompting concerns for jobs at its Scottish facilityThe beer-maker BrewDog could be broken up after consultants were called in to help find new investors.The Scotland-based brewer, which makes craft beer such as Punk IPA and Elvis Juice, has appointed consultants AlixPartners to oversee the sale process. Continue reading...

HMRC figures show 11% rise in young million-pound earners, with influencers and tech pay cited as keyTheir generation is often derided for being work-shy, self-centred and overly sensitive. But when it comes to making money, people under 30 are proving they are something else entirely: successful.A record 1,000 taxpayers under 30 earned more than 1m last year, an 11% increase on the year before, HMRC records show. Continue reading...

Militant group's infrastructure and weapons storage facilities were hit, as Washington praised Damascus for fresh coalition roleThe US military conducted 10 strikes on more than 30 Islamic State targets in Syria between 3 and 12 February as part of a campaign against the extremist group in Iraq and Syria.US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement on Saturday that the US had struck IS infrastructure and weapons storage targets. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a souffle rise once?' the prime minister said in a speech to a Labor conferenceThe prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: Can a souffle rise once?"Albanese played on an infamous insult from former prime minister Paul Keating, who asked whether a souffle rises twice when Liberal Andrew Peacock mounted a challenge to regain the party leadership in 1989. Continue reading...

USS Gerald R Ford will take about three weeks to sail to region, amid push for Iran to curb its nuclear ambitionsDonald Trump has ordered the world's largest aircraft carrier to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East in an effort to increase pressure on Iran amid discussions over curbing its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.The USS Gerald R Ford and its supporting warships should take about three weeks to return to the region, where they will join the USS Abraham Lincoln, dramatically increasing the military firepower available to the US leader. Continue reading...

US homeland security eyeing 24 buildings, some as primary locations' for deportations, in escalation of Trump agendaUS Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) expects to spend an estimated $38.3bn on a plan to acquire warehouses across the country and retrofit them into new immigration detention centers with capacity for tens of thousands of detainees, according to documents the agency sent to the governor of New Hampshire.The documents, published on the state's website on Thursday, disclose that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates it will spend $158m retrofitting a new detention facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and an additional estimated $146m to operate the facility in the first three years. Continue reading...

Letter says it is clear the former US ambassador holds critical information' for their investigation into EpsteinPeter Mandelson has been asked to testify to the US Congress over his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Robert Garcia, ranking member of the committee on oversight and government reform, and congressman Suhas Subramanyam have written to Mandelson requesting he be questioned as part of the investigation into Epstein. Continue reading...

Tree has never been granted preservation order to protect it under law and prevent it from being cut downThe future of the original Bramley apple tree, which is responsible for one of the world's most popular cooking apples, is at risk now that the site where it grows has been put up for sale, campaigners have warned.The tree is situated in the back garden of a row of cottages in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, which has been owned by Nottingham Trent University since 2018 and has been used as student accommodation. Continue reading...

Annex holding 6,000 women and children is now mostly empty, raising security and humanitarian concernsMost of the foreign families of suspected Islamic State fighters have left al-Hawl camp since the Syrian government took control of the facility, prompting security and humanitarian concerns over their whereabouts.About 6,000 women and children from 42 different countries were previously held in the foreigners' annex of al-Hawl camp in northeast Syria, which housed some of the most radical former members of the extremist group. The foreigners' annex was separate from the part of the camp that contained about 20,000 Syrians and Iraqis. Continue reading...

The co-founder of Palestine Action has won a legal challenge to the home secretary's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. Palestine Action was the first direct action protest group to be proscribed.The decision was widely condemned and was defied by a civil disobedience campaign, during which more than 2,000 people have been arrested. From July last year, being a member of - or showing support for - the group became an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian columnist Owen Jones - watch on YouTube Continue reading...

In Canadian town stunned by shooting perpetrated by one of its own, there is anger, but also a prevailing sense of dutyResidents of the Canadian mining town Tumbler Ridge largely agree that Tuesday 10 February began like a normal day. The cloudy haze that settled over the valley was typical. So, too, was the chill of winter.There were no hints that the quiet and comfortable routine of daily life in the mountains would be irrevocably shattered in one of Canada's worst acts of mass violence. Continue reading...

Voting was largely peaceful in an election seen as a test of Bangladesh's democracy after years of political turmoilThe Bangladesh Nationalist party, led by Tarique Rahman, has won a sweeping victory in the country's first election since a gen Z uprising toppled the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina.Results from the election commission confirmed the BNP alliance had won 212 seats, returning the party to power after 20 years, while the rival alliance, led by Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, won 77 seats. Continue reading...

Customers flock to Daoxiangcun to pick up cakes selected by the president during lunar new year tour around cityA Beijing pastry shop visited by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, on a lunar new year tour this week has been swarmed by customers hoping to get their hands on Xi-approved sweet treats.Traffic was brought to a standstill in Beijing's capital as the president took a tour around the city on Monday and Tuesday. Continue reading...

Thousands arrested for supporting group since proscription are now in legal limbo as Mahmood says she will appealThree senior judges have ruled that the ban on the direct action group Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws was disproportionate and unlawful, handing the home secretary a humiliating defeat.Shabana Mahmood was urged to respect the court's decision after the judges said the ban, introduced by her predecessor Yvette Cooper, impinged on the right to protest and should be quashed. Continue reading...

Night at the opera theme for Kors' autumn-winter collection features elegant gowns draped in opulent coatsFive years ago, Covid prevented Michael Kors celebrating 40 years as a fashion designer, so nothing was going to stop him partying when that figure reached 45. It's crazy, I've been in fashion 45 years, but I'm only 32," said Kors, 66.The sweeping double staircase of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York became the catwalk for a fashion week show dedicated to the chic women of the city. On Kors' best dressed list is the amazing, remarkable" Rama Duwaji, the city's first lady as wife of the mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Continue reading...

Nat West chief executive's 6.6m pay package for 2025 is largest since disgraced predecessor's 7.7m in 2006

Judge rejects argument that advice is legally flawed and excludes trans people from services they have long usedThe Good Law Project (GLP) has lost its legal challenge to interim advice released by the UK equalities watchdog that in effect said transgender people should be banned from using bathroom and changing facilities according to their lived gender.The advice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which has since been withdrawn from its website, was published soon after the landmark supreme court ruling on biological sex last April. Continue reading...

Prosecutors' office says two museum workers, several tour guides and suspected mastermind among those detainedFrench police investigating a suspected 10m (8.7m) ticket fraud scheme at the Louvre museum in Paris have detained nine people, including two members of staff.Based on the information available to the museum, we suspect the existence of a network organising large-scale fraud," a museum spokesperson told Agence France-Presse. Continue reading...

Section of A66 closed and warning of travel disruption amid freezing temperatures in Scotland and northern EnglandA major road across the Pennines has been closed as an Arctic blast brought snow, ice and freezing temperatures to Scotland and northern England.The Met Office said widespread travel disruption was likely on Friday as it issued two yellow warnings that will remain in place until noon. Freezing temperatures have led to a four-day health alert for cold weather. Continue reading...

More than 500 deals now offer 95% loans as banks and building societies loosen their borrowing rulesWould-be first-time buyers have the biggest choice of low-deposit mortgages for at least 18 years, new data shows, suggesting that 2026 is looking positive for those trying to get a foot on the property ladder.In recent months many banks and building societies have been loosening their affordability rules or launching deals that let people borrow 95% of the property's value, and in some cases more than that. Continue reading...

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Kremlin's repeated targeting of infrastructure has left thousands without heating, reliant on shelters and desperate home hacksNatalya Pavlovna watched her two-year-old son, Danylo, play with Lego. We are taking a break from the cold," she said as children made drawings inside a warm tent. Adults sipped tea and chatted while their phones charged. The emergency facility is located in Kyiv's Troieshchina district, on the left bank of the Dnipro River. Outside it was -18C. There was bright sunshine and snow.Russia is trying to break us. It's deliberate genocide against the Ukrainian people. Putin wants us to capitulate so we give up the Donbas region," Natalya said. Kyiv didn't use to feel like a frontline city. Now it does. People are dying of cold in their homes in the 21st century. The idea is to make us leave and to create a new refugee crisis for Europe."Natalia and Danylo near the resilience point' in Troyeshchyna district Continue reading...

Destined to a perilous life with no right to an education or to vote, state recognition gives them hope', campaigners sayThrough the decades that the Daulatdia brothel in Bangladesh has existed, children born there have been invisible, unable to be registered because their mothers were sex workers and their fathers unknown. Now, for the first time, all 400 of them in the brothel village have their own birth certificates.That milestone was reached after a push by campaigners who have spent decades working with Bangladesh's undocumented children born in brothels or on the street. It means they can finally access the rights afforded to other citizens: the ability to go to school, to be issued a passport or to vote. Continue reading...

A sign for the northern beaches Hop, Skip and Jump bus says clothing must be worn over swimwear'

Prime minister to meet mourners in mining town as families speak of their loss in one of Canada's deadliest mass shootingsCanadian prime minister Mark Carney is to join mourners in Tumbler Ridge on Friday, as authorities and relatives released details of the six children and assistant teacher killed by a shooter in the remote mining town's high school.Carney will attend a vigil in Tumbler Ridge in memory of the victims, and he invited leaders from all political parties to join him in the town, the site of the country's deadliest mass shooting in years. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer was on the brink of a leadership contest this week, but he pulled it back. That does not mean his rivals have gone away. Nosheen Iqbal speaks to Kiran Stacey about one of the most hotly tipped contenders: Wes StreetingKeir Starmer was on the brink of a leadership contest this week, but he pulled it back. That does not mean his rivals have gone away, with one of the most hotly tipped leadership candidates the health secretary, Wes Streeting.Earlier this week, Labour's leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, held an astonishing press conference calling for Starmer to resign. Meanwhile, in Westminster, Streeting was preparing to publish all his messages with Peter Mandelson to get ahead of swirling rumours about his friendship with the disgraced former ambassador to the US. But this kicked off speculation that Streeting had co-ordinated with Sarwar's team to put pressure on Starmer. While Streeting has denied this, the whole affair has put the health secretary back in the spotlight for his potential leadership plans. Continue reading...