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Cottrell, who served eight months for fraud, paid 15,000 for Reform party leader's flight to US in DecemberNigel Farage's trip to Florida where he met Elon Musk was part-funded by his friend and former fraudster George Cottrell, who paid for his 15,000 flight.The Reform leader accepted the flight for his visit in December last year, when he was pictured smiling with Musk and the Reform party treasurer, Nick Candy. Continue reading...

Announcement prompts concerns that PM is pandering to US president and warnings over consequences of aid cutsKeir Starmer has announced that Britain will fight for peace in Europe" with a generational increase in defence spending paid for by slashing the foreign aid budget.The move, just two days before the prime minister is due to meet Donald Trump, raised immediate concerns that he was pandering to the US president, and fury from aid groups that say it could cost lives in countries that rely on UK support. Continue reading...

Corporation apologises as inquiry finds it missed opportunities that could have led to action over former Radio 1 DJ's behaviourThe BBC has admitted it fell short and failed people" - including its own staff - and apologised after finding evidence of bullying and misogynistic" behaviour by its former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood.A 3.3m external inquiry published on Tuesday found the broadcaster missed opportunities" during the DJ's two decades at the organisation that could have led to action. The inquiry was triggered by a 2022 Guardian and BBC News joint investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour by the DJ. Continue reading...

After Sunday's election the far-right party has decided to allow Maximilian Krah and Matthias Helferich to return to the parliamentary groupTwo politicians for the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) who were sidelined over remarks they made relating to the Nazis have been welcomed back into its parliamentary group after the party's historic performance in the German general election.Maximilian Krah resigned from the AfD's federal executive board before the European elections last June after telling an Italian newspaper that not all members of Adolf Hitler's SS had been automatically criminals". Continue reading...

Head of lobbying firm Blakeney says industry concerned about perceived lack of transparency and trust

PM confirms rise in military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 - three years earlier than planned

Cost of damages over three years is almost three times estimated GDP of Ukraine for 2024, says report by Ukraine government, World Bank, European Commission and UNUkraine's presidential press service has issued a photograph showing president Volodymyr Zelenskyy introducing the world leaders visiting Kyiv some new developments in Ukraine's defence industry.British prime minister Keir Starmer is set to announce a cut to the country's aid budget to immediately hike defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, ahead of his visit to the White House on Thursday, according to The Sun. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer says now is the time to deepen European security, as he announces new defence budget by 2027The rightwing historian Niall Ferguson is in the audience for Badenoch's speech, according to James Heale from the Spectator.Niall Ferguson spotted at Kemi Badenoch's big speech on foreign affairs... hearing we might get some policy tooTractors' horns interrupt Badenoch's speech shortly after she begins speaking. Attendant spinner heard swearing furiously Continue reading...

Kyle Diamantas, a Florida attorney with ties to Trump Jr, will oversee about 80% of US food supply, per Vanity FairThe acting federal government official overseeing the vast majority of the US's food supply is a Florida attorney who reportedly is a hunting buddy of Donald Trump Jr, the president's eldest child and namesake.As Vanity Fair reported, acting deputy commissioner for human foods at the Food and Drug Administration Kyle Diamantas will be responsible for overseeing all FDA activities related to nutrition and food safety for the elder Donald Trump's second presidential administration. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our European news coverage hereThe London summit is understood to be still in planning and would serve as a forum for European leaders to get debriefed on both Macron and Starmer's conversations with Trump during their respective visits to the White House and to consider implications for European and Ukrainian security.It so happens that Starmer is due to speak in UK parliament in the next half hour, so we could get an official confirmation of what Tusk said.I hope that this greater [defence] mobilisation of Europe, of member states and Europe more broadly, will become a fact.[Before meeting at the next European Council,] we will be in London on Sunday, together with our British friends and a group of leaders, to talk about these joint plans on defence. Continue reading...

Bhim Kohli died the day after allegedly being assaulted while walking his dog in a Leicester parkTwo children used racist taunts during a fatal attack on an 80-year-old man in which he was slapped in the face with a shoe while kneeling on the ground, a court has heard.Bhim Kohli died on 2 September last year, the day after he was allegedly assaulted by a balaclava-clad 14-year-old boy in Franklin Park, in the Braunstone Town area of Leicester, while walking his dog near his home. Continue reading...

Israel ready to resume fighting if there is no progress in crucial talks this week, reports sayIsrael is seeking to extend the first stage of the ceasefire agreement in the war with Hamas in Gaza and is prepared to resume fighting if there is no progress in crucial talks this week, according to reports.Israel's Kan Radio, along with Ma'ariv, a daily newspaper, reported on Tuesday that informal talks were under way aimed at extending the first 42-day stage of the ceasefire, which expires on Saturday. Official internationally mediated negotiations on how to implement the second stage - which would involve a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territory - were supposed to begin weeks ago, but have been repeatedly postponed as the fragile truce has lurched from crisis to crisis. Continue reading...

Man had been arrested but not charged after claims he attempted to engage in sexual activity during a livestreamed videoA man who is believed to have killed himself on the M4 outside Bristol on Saturday had been arrested recently after being accused online by a self-proclaimed online child protection team".Avon and Somerset police said they had made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after previous police contact with the deceased. Continue reading...

Data from UN agency's Missing Migrants Project should serve as wake-up call', say officialsA record number of children died in the Channel last year according to UN data shared with the Guardian that officials have said should serve as a wake-up call".Last year, the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) Missing Migrants Project recorded the highest number of deaths and missing persons in the Channel, with 82 people losing their lives, at least 14 of whom were children - also a record high. Continue reading...

Democrats in Nevada push bill that would provide further relief for tipped workers who can be paid as little as $2.13Donald Trump began the second term of his presidency last month with a victory lap at a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, a key swing state he flipped in 2024, by reaffirming his campaign promise to pass a proposal to abolish taxes on tips.Nearly 6 million workers around the US rely on tips for most of their income. Under federal law, tipped workers can be paid as little as $2.13 an hour, a minimum that has not changed since 1991. Only seven states, Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, have banned the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers. Continue reading...

Moscow praises Washington for siding with it at UN, as European nations abstain in deepening rift with US

Ofgem's bigger than expected 111 rise is third consecutive increase in energy price cap

Broadcaster's chief people officer Deena Amorelli tells Senate estimates ABC will apologise' for argument

This blog is now closed

Murder trial begins more than six years after 24-year-old's body was found half-buried in sand at Wangetti beach, north of Cairns

In Reynolds' final Senate estimates, Gallagher defends her actions and declares my conscience is clear'

Poverty charity urges Keir Starmer to focus on living standards instead of culture wars and immigrationLabour is losing support fastest among voters who feel economically insecure, according to a report urging Keir Starmer to focus on boosting living standards, rather than on culture wars and immigration.The prime minister has faced calls from some backbench Labour MPs to take a tougher stance on migration and crime amid growing concern over the rise of Reform UK, Nigel Farage's rightwing populist party, in the opinion polls. Continue reading...

Dog walker's close encounter prompts debate over whether the animals, once native to UK, should remainSightings of wild boar on Dartmoor have raised suspicions a guerrilla rewilder has been releasing them - and prompted a debate over whether they should be allowed to remain.Videos of a group of boar on the moors in Devon were posted online earlier this month, and a dog walker has recently complained of a close encounter with one of them, which frightened his pet. Continue reading...

Yindjibarndi people allege mining giant did not get permission from native title holders, while company says community disharmony' is not its fault

Senior doctors claim they were subjected to months of physical abuse, as UN calls for release of those still detained

Mixing flattery and firmness, the French president sought to heal the transatlantic schism over Ukraine, giving Keir Starmer a tough act to followIt was a delicate balancing act for the man once considered Europe's Trump whisperer".Emmanuel Macron, the French president, was seated in the Oval Office gently trying to factcheck Donald Trump in real time as the US president pushed a narrative that Ukraine had taken advantage of US support during its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. Now, said Trump, it is time to get paid back. Continue reading...

US property conglomerate CoStar offered $4.20 a share, valuing the Domain business at $2.7bn - but sometimes silence speaks louder than words

Report by Environmental Justice Foundation has found evidence that at least 12 Chinese fishing vessels had employed North Korean crew between 2019 and 2024

In this adapted extract from What's the Big Idea? Louise Adler looks at the failure of Australian cultural leaders shying from risk and artistic vision - and letting the tail wag the dog

Outgoing chair Kathy Shand says freedom of expression cannot and should not be used as a justification to accept language and conversations that compromise the festival'

Network Ten agrees to pay journalist more than $1.1m to cover legal costs of defending defamation case by Bruce Lehrmann

This blog has now closed. In the meantime you can read our full report on French President Emmanuel Macron's talks with Donald Trump here and all our coverage of the war in Ukraine here.The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas earlier said that she would be travelling to the US tomorrow to meet with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, adding that what she called the Russian narrative" is strongly represented" in comments being made by the second Donald Trump administration.She told reporters I think it's good that we have as many interactions with the new administration in US as possible. I'm also travelling tomorrow to the US to meet Marco Rubio and others there to discuss these issues, because it's extremely important." Continue reading...

Architect who was once highly critical of King Charles is part of team that is one of five finalists for schemeThe shortlist of teams competing to design a national memorial to the late Queen Elizabeth II has been unveiled and includes an architect once highly critical of King Charles.Five finalists are in the running for what has been described as one of the most significant design initiatives in modern British history, in tribute to the UK's longest-serving monarch. Continue reading...

Watchdog recommends use of hash-matching' to allow images to be identified at scale wherever they are sharedTech platforms should combat the rapid rise in explicit deepfakes and revenge porn" by using a database of images to protect women and girls online, according to new guidance being drawn up by the UK communications watchdog.The move is part of a raft of measures proposed by Ofcom to tackle online misogyny, harassment and the sharing of intimate images without the subject's consent - often referred to as revenge porn".Women are five times more likely to be victims of intimate image abuse.Nearly 70% of boys aged 11-14 have been exposed to online content that promotes misogyny and other harmful views.Almost a quarter of teenage girls (23%) regularly see content that objectifies or demeans women.Online domestic abuse is under-reported - half of survivors (49%) told no one about it.Nearly three-quarters of respondents in a survey (73%) had experienced online threats and abuse. Continue reading...

Warrant will not be required where tracker shows an item is present, as part of raft of measures in crime and policing billPolice will be able to search properties without a warrant for stolen phones or other electronically geotagged items under the government's crime and policing bill.The measure is among dozens in the bill, which will be put before parliament on Tuesday and would mostly apply to England and Wales. It has a particular focus on lower-level offences such as theft and wider antisocial behaviour. Continue reading...

Clip allegedly posted online by Nicholas Prosper says he was chosen' by video game characterNineteen-year-old Nicholas Prosper spent much of his time online. This is hardly uncommon for modern teenagers, but Prosper - who rarely left home - was so immersed in the digital world that some of his neighbours reportedly had no idea he existed.That changed last September when people in Leabank Tower, Luton, were startled by the sounds of screams and gunshots in the early hours. Prosper, who was 18 at the time, had shot his mother, Juliana Falcon, 48, and siblings Kyle Falcon, 16, and Giselle Falcon, 13, in the head. Police said that when they arrived at the scene they were met with such awful circumstances". Continue reading...

Director and peer decries government's shameful' copyright rules policy and role of tech investor Matt CliffordBeeban Kidron, the film director who is campaigning against government plans to overhaul copyright rules for AI companies, has become the latest high-profile figure to complain about the role being played by the prime minister's AI tsar, Matt Clifford.Lady Kidron, an award-winning film director whose work includes Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, said ministers were only listening to people who stood to benefit from the controversial proposals, which will take another step forward on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Starmer's spokesperson says US intervention could bring lasting peace' as No 10 treads carefully before White House visitDonald Trump has changed the global conversation around Ukraine for the better", Downing Street has said, as the UK imposed further sanctions on Russia to force Vladimir Putin to make concessions.As world leaders marked the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Keir Starmer's spokesperson said the US president had opened the door to talks that could bring lasting peace. Continue reading...

Campbell Scott, a senior director at Fico, was reported missing while in Nairobi for a three-day conferencePolice searching for a British businessman missing in Kenya have recovered a body, found in a sack in scrubland about 60 miles from Nairobi, reports said.Campbell Scott, 58, a senior director at the data analytics company Fico, went missing on 16 February after arriving in the Kenyan capital to attend a conference at the JW Marriott hotel. Continue reading...

Leader of victorious conservative alliance says continent must build defence capability as US moves towards America alone' mottoThe man expected to be Germany's next chancellor has said Europe must act swiftly to increase its defence capability in the face of a US administration whose motto is moving towards America alone", adding: This is really five minutes to midnight for Europe."In a wide-ranging press conference after his conservative alliance's victory in Sunday's federal election, Friedrich Merz made it clear his focus was on the turbulent geopolitical landscape, saying that although he would seek good ties with the US he was also ready for the worst-case scenario". Continue reading...

Foreign secretary says the UK co-sponsored the motion, voted for it and will support Ukraine but refused to criticise USHere are comments from some of the other UK political parties on the third anniversary of the invastion of Ukraine.From Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leaderFor three years, the brave Ukrainian people have heroically defended their country against Putin's war machine. Now we face an era-defining moment which will determine the future of our continent for generations to come.Now, more than ever, we must stand firmly in support of our Ukranian friends, resist Trump's alarming attempts at a stitch up with Putin and work with our European neighbours to defend freedom and democracy.Across the world today, people will be standing in solidarity with Ukraine. Yes, Russia started the war and yes, Ukraine is a democracy with an elected President. These basic facts need restating loud and clear because US President Donald Trump has chosen to buy into and amplify the lies and disinformation of the Russian state.Vladimir Putin is a dangerous tyrant. It is deeply worrying that President Trump is now joining him in sowing division and chaos, and undermining the rule of law.Today we remember the sacrifices made by the people of Ukraine to resist the illegal invasion by Russia. We stand in solidarity to protect the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We welcome and hold dear the Ukrainian people who have come to Scotland.Today, on the third anniversary of Russia's inhumane and illegal invasion of Ukraine, Plaid Cymru reiterates our unwavering support for Ukraine's security and its sovereignty. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.We are deeply concerned about the decision by the President of the United States to exclude Ukraine from discussions whilst engaging directly with Russia. Decisions about Ukraine's future must include Ukraine itself. We also believe it is vital that the UK does not capitulate to continued Russian aggression. Continue reading...

I took the discussion too far,' says commerce minister Andrew Bayly, calling his own behaviour overbearing'A New Zealand government minister said on Monday he has resigned from his post after placing his hand" on a staff member's upper arm during an animated" discussion.The country's minister for commerce and consumer affairs, Andrew Bayly, told reporters his behaviour towards the staff member had been overbearing". Continue reading...

Amesbury, 55, admitted the charge after punching a man to the ground on a night out in Frodsham, CheshireMike Amesbury, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, has been sentenced to 10 weeks in prison for punching a man to the ground.Amesbury, who was suspended by the Labour party after an investigation, last month admitted a single charge of section 39 assault in relation to the incident after a night out in his constituency. Continue reading...

Daughter of Peter and Barbie Reynolds says government must do everything in their power' to secure their releaseThe family of a British couple arrested by the Taliban in Afghanistan have called on the government to do everything in their power" to secure their release.Peter and Barbie Reynolds, 79 and 75, who run education and training programmes in Afghanistan, were detained by the Taliban on 1 February while returning to their home in the central province of Bamiyan. Continue reading...

The hip-hop legends will kick off US tour in June, and hint at further dates to spread the Wu swag, music, and culture'After more than 30 years of music, during which they created an entire martial mythology as well as some of the greatest hip-hop records of all time, Wu-Tang Clan have signalled a possible end to the group.They have announced the start of their final tour", entitled Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber, which will initially visit 27 US cities, beginning 6 June in Baltimore. Bandleader RZA has alluded to later worldwide dates, saying in a statement:This is a special moment for me and all my Wu brothers to run around the globe together one more time and spread the Wu swag, music, and culture. Most importantly to touch our fans and those who have supported us throughout the years. On this tour we're playing songs we've never played before to our audience and me and our production team have designed a Wu-Tang show unlike anything you've ever seen. Continue reading...

Most likely next German chancellor warns against rise of far right and says he intends to form new government by Easter

Stance of German alliance's leader could herald closer ties with France but debt brake' poses obstacle to spending

No injuries reported after incident on Monday, which marks third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Hamas official Basem Naim says Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing atmosphere' to return to war with GazaAccording to a report from Hebrew media outlet Ynet, Israel has told international mediators that it will release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners who were initially scheduled for release on Saturday if Hamas returns four bodies today without any ceremony. The Guardian has not confirmed this report.Israel suspended the handover of 620 Palestinians it was due to free from its prisons on Saturday, putting the ceasefire agreement in jeopardy after Benjamin Netanyahu criticised what he called disgraceful ceremonies that dishonour our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda".We have fulfilled all our obligations according to the deal.Unfortunately, all the time Netanyahu and his government have been trying to undermine and sabotage the deal.They have committed a lot of violations - killed more than 100 Palestinians, prevented most of the basic needs of the Palestinians to enter the Gaza Strip, and lastly refused to release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.We have conveyed a clear and strong message to the mediators: We cannot continue talking or discussing any further steps if these 620 Palestinians are not released. Continue reading...