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Exclusive: New police efficiency' laws planned amid political pressure to devote more frontline resources to youth crime

Wage growth from higher employment and hours worked without output gains could fan inflation, Productivity Commission warns

Sam Varley's body was found at house in Harehills, Leeds, on 12 February after police received reports of concernTributes have been paid to a woman described as a light within the community" after a man was charged with her murder.Sam Varley, 44, was found dead at a house in the Harehills area of Leeds on 12 February after the police received reports of concern for a woman believed to be inside. Continue reading...

Russian president threatens tragic' consequences for war interventionists during state of the nation speech

Administrators say closures will take place over next six weeks amid plans to right-size UK store portfolio'

Eight-metre statue dating from fifth century BC restored and assembled piece-by-piece to be displayed in Valley of the TemplesA colossal statue of Atlas that lay buried for centuries among ancient ruins has been reconstructed to take its rightful place among the Greek temples of Agrigento in Sicily, after a 20-year research and restoration project.The statue, standing at 8 metres (26ft) tall and dating back to the fifth century BC, was one of nearly 38 that adorned the Temple of Zeus, considered the largest Doric temple ever built despite never being completed. Continue reading...

I always knew those lyrics were my property,' says rock band's co-founder at trial of three collectibles experts in New YorkThe lyrics to Hotel California and other classic Eagles songs should never have ended up at auction, Don Henley told a court on Wednesday.I always knew those lyrics were my property. I never gifted them or gave them to anybody to keep or sell," the Eagles co-founder said on the last of three days of testimony at the trial of three collectibles experts charged with a scheme to peddle roughly 100 handwritten pages of the lyrics. Continue reading...

Secret Garden Glamping in Lymington caused harmful level of disturbance to neighbours, planning officers ruleIt was billed as a peaceful glamping retreat designed to provide visitors to the New Forest with a taste of life's simple pleasures, perfect for romantic getaways or family breaks.But Secret Garden Glamping in Lymington, Hampshire, has been ordered to close after neighbours complained about late-night parties, noisy sex and blaring karaoke sessions that featured delusional" versions of the song Islands in the Stream. Continue reading...

Broadcaster who has cancer says she wants the choice of a pain-free, dignified, private' deathEsther Rantzen has described UK law on assisted dying as a mess" as she renewed her calls to legalise the procedure.On Thursday a report by MPs said the government must make plans for if the law is changed in Scotland, the Isle of Man or Jersey, where new measures on the issue are being considered. Continue reading...

Among lowest taxpayers were companies whose CEOs have become high-profile advocates for corporate social responsibilitySome of the US's most profitable corporations, including General Motors, Citigroup, and Netflix, have slashed their tax bills in the years since the passage of the Trump tax cuts, with nearly a quarter paying rates in the single digits and 23 paying nothing, a report has found.The 2017 law cut the top corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. But the new assessment of corporate tax avoidance, published today by the non-profit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (Itep), found that during the first five years the law was in effect, many profitable public companies in the US paid a far lower rate in practice. Continue reading...

People in West Darfur's capital still step over residue from the bodies of some of the 10,000 dead, and thousands have fledGeneina, the capital of West Darfur state in Sudan, can feel like two cities in one. There are mass graves, abandoned armoured vehicles and homeless children, but also newly opened restaurants, bustling markets and factory-fresh Toyotas, nicknamed Kenjcanjia - meaning stolen in the local dialect - owing to their lack of registration plates.Since war broke out between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April last year, the city has witnessed two major massacres. Decomposing bodies lay out on the streets for up to 10 days on both occasions, their flesh eaten by dogs and chickens. Residues from the bodies of the dead remain even now, stepped over by people as they go about their daily business. Continue reading...

University leaders accuse ministers of wanting to diminish our success' as figures show a plunge in visas issued to overseas studentsImmigration restrictions imposed on international students threaten to damage the UK economy, according to university leaders, with the number enrolling from overseas falling by a third.Universities UK (UUK), which represents mainstream universities and colleges, said the government's new curbs, coupled with steep visa fee increases and threats to cut back on graduate work entitlements, are having a negative impact on the UK as a study destination. Continue reading...

Youpla Group schemes, formerly known as Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund, left thousands families unable to pay for funerals

Spy agency says former Australian politician recruited by foreign regime once proposed bringing a prime minister's family member' into their orbit

Lib Dem leader fears war will spread to West Bank if those pushing for more settlements are not penalisedThe UK should impose sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers who have pushed for more settlements on Palestinian land, Ed Davey has argued, saying this is vital to stop fighting in Gaza spreading to the West Bank.The Liberal Democrat leader, who returned on Wednesday morning from a visit to Israel where he spoke to charities, politicians and relatives of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, said there was a risk of the prospect of a two-state solution collapsing altogether. Continue reading...

Sako avoids life sentence for stabbing former colleague to death at her Melbourne home after stalking and harassing her

Police say CCTV footage indicates another man, not the 44-year-old former detainee, involved in alleged sexual assault in Melbourne

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The standards target generative AI's misuse potential but Microsoft says its ability to flag problematic material could be hurt too

Premiers say events won't go ahead, with concern over those in the community grieving over the war in Gaza

Minns government says wind, solar and battery projects will generate enough clean energy to power more than 1.5m homes

Darlinghurst event will celebrate lives of former TV presenter and Qantas flight attendant who were allegedly murdered by Sen Const Beau Lamarre

One accused of terrorism and three of helping Cherif Chekatt procure weapons for deadly assault at Christmas marketFour men go on trial today accused of involvement in the 2018 terrorist attack on Strasbourg's Christmas market, in which a gunman killed five people and injured 11 others in an assault that was later claimed by Islamic State.Cherif Chekatt, 29, who was born and raised in the city, opened fire with a 19th-century revolver on 11 December in the historic centre. Continue reading...

Dozens of foreign staff have had to leave and new specialists can't be brought in, says group representing aid agenciesIsrael has stopped issuing visas for international staff of humanitarian organisations that work in occupied Palestinian territories, hampering efforts to get food and other vital supplies into Gaza.Dozens of foreign aid workers, including heads of organisations, have had to leave Israel and the Palestinian territories, or are overstaying their visas and risking deportation so they can continue working, an alliance of aid groups has warned. Continue reading...

Authorities say they're investigating how the fire started, after it was bought under control after intense firefights

Lawyer tells Kumanjayi Walker inquest current and former officers in tactical response group rejected claims and said they were hurtful

Hundreds of sites including schools are being investigated by the EPA for asbestos removal amid the contaminated mulch crisis across NSW. This map shows confirmed contaminated parks and other locations

Assistant commissioner alleges Lamarre bought single surfboard bag ahead of shootings with Baird's partner, Luke Davies, killed due to presence at house'

Coroner finds Ric Blum lied and deceived inquest, but does not recommend charges against him

The 25-year-old actor was among 30 demonstrators taken into custody during Joe Biden's appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, organisers confirmedEuphoria actor Hunter Schafer was among dozens of protesters arrested at NBC's headquarters in Manhattan during the president Joe Biden's appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers earlier this week, organisers confirmed Wednesday.The 25-year-old star was part of a group of more than 100 demonstrators who packed the lobby at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Monday afternoon to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war, the group Jewish Voice for Peace said. Continue reading...

Parliamentary inquiry highlights likelihood of Scotland, Jersey or Isle of Man passing new lawsLaws to allow assisted dying may pass in Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man in the next few years, leading to a divergence between different parts of the UK and British Isles, MPs have warned.The government must consider the repercussions of this, a parliamentary inquiry into assisted dying has said. Continue reading...

The 40-year-old was taken to Westmead hospital in a stable condition after the shooting in Guildford

Bill, if passed, will see government agencies's funding extended into March in the fourth such stopgap measure since SeptemberWith government funding set to partially expire on Friday, House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement to prevent a shutdown.In a joint statement, congressional leaders of both parties confirmed that the House and the Senate would vote this week on a short-term funding bill to allow lawmakers more time to finalize full-year appropriations bills. The leaders said that negotiators have already reached a deal on six full-year spending bills for agriculture, and the remaining six bills are expected to be finalized before 22 March. Continue reading...

Officials say 179 people trying to cross Channel were rescued after four French-led operationsOne person has died and two others are missing in the Channel after an incident involving a small boat, French rescue services have said.According to the Prefecture maritime Manche et mer du Nord, four French-led rescue operations took place in the Channel on Wednesday, coordinated by the regional operational surveillance and rescue of Gris-Nez. Continue reading...

Suspected explosives found after arrest of Daniela Klette, the last living female member of the terror groupPolice in Berlin have ordered the evacuation of the apartment block in which a fugitive from the Red Army Faction (RAF) was arrested on Monday, telling the residents they had found suspected explosives in the building.Already reeling from the arrest of Daniela Klette, the last living female member of the RAF, neighbours at the property in Berlin were told to leave their homes on Wednesday as police and fire brigade reinforcements were drafted in to help clear nearby buildings. Continue reading...

Warden calls off execution of convicted murderer Thomas Creech, 73, minutes after he was wheeled into execution chamberIdaho on Wednesday halted the execution of serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech, one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the US, after a medical team repeatedly failed to find a vein where they could establish an intravenous line to carry out the lethal injection.Creech, 73, was imprisoned in 1974 and has been convicted of five murders in three states and suspected of several more. He was already serving life in prison when he beat a fellow inmate, 22-year-old David Dale Jensen, to death in 1981 - the crime for which Creech was to be executed more than four decades later. Continue reading...

Prime minister says France stands up' to defend women as rights are attacked around the worldFrance is preparing to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right at a joint session of parliament next week, after the senate voted in favour on Wednesday night.France would write into its constitution the guaranteed freedom" of women to choose an abortion. Continue reading...

Ombudsman says papers show EU agency made four offers to help Greece with surveillance of boat that sank, but got no response

Protesters gather in cities to demand justice for victims of collision, which killed 57Tens of thousands of people have joined protests in Greece, with strike action bringing the country to a standstill, on the first anniversary of a deadly train crash blamed on decades of poor railway management.As church bells tolled in memory of the 57 men and women who lost their lives in an accident deemed entirely preventable, protesters gathered in major cities to demand justice for the victims. Continue reading...

Court of appeal hears Oliver Campbell was convicted on basis of inconsistent confession made under police pressureThere is a growing crescendo of concern" from psychological experts that a vulnerable man was convicted of murder on the basis of a false confession, the court of appeal heard on Wednesday.Oliver Campbell was convicted of murdering east London shopkeeper Baldev Hoondle 33 years ago after telling police he had shot him. But Campbell, 53, suffered profound brain injuries as a baby, leaving him with significantly impaired cognitive ability. Continue reading...

Levelling-up secretary dismisses complaints he is appeasing Tory landlord backbenchers'James Cleverly, the home secretary, is considering further tightening the law around demonstrations, including a requirement for protesters to increase the amount of notice they give police before large demonstrations, Aletha Adu reports.Two thirds of councils in England say they will have to cut services to residents this year, despite the government providing them with an extra 600m in January, the Local Government Association has said.Two-thirds (67 per cent) of respondents anticipated making cost savings in at least one neighbourhood service, despite the additional funding: more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of social care councils reported this, as well as three in five district councils (59 per cent). [Neighbourhood services means things like waste services, road and pavement repairs, sport and leisure services, parks and green spaces, library services, museums, galleries, and theatres", the LGA says.]Of the respondent social care councils, three-quarters (75 per cent) reported that even with this funding, cost savings would be needed in their adult social care budget, and almost seven in 10 (69 per cent) reported that savings would be needed in their children's social care budget.Extra government funding will help councils this year, but acute funding pressures remain and are forcing many councils to make stark choices about what popular services to cut.This will not go unnoticed by our local communities. It means less potholes filled, more streetlights dimmed or turned off, and fewer library or leisure services. Continue reading...

Thousands take part in demonstration as concerns grow that groups denying climate crisis are seeking to exploit campaignThousands of farmers have staged a demonstration on the steps of the Welsh parliament to protest against climate policies they say will wreck their industry.Flanked by Welsh Tory and Plaid Cymru politicians, farmers gave emotional accounts of trying to keep businesses going and accused the Labour-run government of betraying communities who produce the country's food. Continue reading...

Residents were shocked when Tower Hamlets council shuttered a much-loved resource in the gentrifying areaIn the summer of 1896 work was completed on a groundbreaking public laundry in London's east end, part of what is thought to be the first-ever social housing estate.The communal facilities to wash clothes on the estate evolved over the decades but have now been abruptly halted by the local council who have closed down the community launderette. Continue reading...

Activist's widow tells European parliament Putin is the leader of an organised criminal gang - poisoners and assassins ... and keepers of mafia money'According to a breaking news line on Reuters, citing the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, the Russian defence ministry are claiming its forces have capture Petrovske in eastern Ukraine. Petrovske was formerly renamed by Ukraine as Stepove.More details to follow ... Continue reading...

Operation will try to uncover why abuse at Durham detention centre went on unchecked for over 25 yearsInvestigators looking into one of the UK's biggest abuse scandals have said they hope to find answers into how it was allowed to happen and provide some level of closure" for the victims.Details of an expected 18-month investigation into the history of Medomsley detention centre for young male offenders were announced on Wednesday. Continue reading...

The two sides have been negotiating a deal that would reportedly see a six week pause in fighting and the release of hostagesAl Jazeera reports Gaza's al-Awda hospital has had to suspend all surgical operations after its operating theatres were destroyed. Acting director Mohamed Salha told the news agency:This means that all medical services related to obstetrics and gynaecology have stopped completely. We were the only hospital in northern Gaza for orthopaedic surgeries. There is no other alternative place in northern Gaza or Gaza City because the health ministry's hospitals are out of service completely. Continue reading...

Belgian insurer Ageas confirms it is considering 3.1bn offer for troubled British rivalShares in Direct Line have rocketed by more than 20% after a Belgian rival confirmed it was considering a 3.1bn offer to buy the British motor insurer.The Brussels-headquartered insurer Ageas said in a statement on Wednesday that it was in the preliminary stages" of a possible offer to acquire the Kent-based motor insurer. Continue reading...

Crisis could cost economy 830m for each school year group, according to new researchLack of support for early years language and communication development is leading to a literacy crisis" that could be costing the economy 830m for each school year group, according to new research.The report, led by Pro Bono Economics (PBE) and commissioned by KPMG UK in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust (NLT), also found that there are about 106,000 five-year-old children in England each year who are not currently meeting the expected standard for literacy but could with adequate support. Continue reading...

MSP hits out at authoritarian' party leadership after losing appeal against disciplinary action

Media initially reported that sensitive data on summer Games had gone missing at Gare du NordParis city hall has said that a computer and a USB memory stick stolen from one of its engineers on a train at the Gare du Nord did not, as first feared, contain police security plans for the Paris Olympic Games.A city hall worker contacted police on Monday night to say his bag was stolen on a train after he put it in a luggage compartment above his seat at the station in the French capital. Continue reading...