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Atrocity took place during Sunday mass in Essakane village and has been blamed on a jihadi group active in the regionAt least 15 people have been killed and two others injured in a terrorist" attack on a Catholic church during Sunday mass in Burkina Faso, a senior church official has said.Calling for peace and security in Burkina Faso, the vicar general of the Dori diocese, Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, denounced those who continue to wreak death and desolation in our country". Continue reading...

Officers were called to reservoir north-west of Leek after three boys were seen in the water, two of whom were taken to hospitalThe body of a missing 17-year-old boy has been recovered from a lake in Staffordshire by police.Staffordshire police were called to Rudyard Lake, a reservoir north-west of Leek, shortly after 9.30pm on Saturday after three teenage boys were seen in the water. Continue reading...

Irish court throws out Kamila Grabska's case for car crash injuries after she was pictured winning charity competitionA woman's 650,000 claim for injuries allegedly suffered during a car crash has been thrown out of court in Ireland after she was pictured winning a Christmas tree-throwing competition.Kamila Grabska, 36, sued an insurance company and said injuries to her back and neck meant she was unable to work for more than five years or play with her children. She claimed she was left with the disabling" condition after a car she was travelling in was hit from behind in an accident in 2017. Continue reading...

If you can't call Islamophobia Islamophobia, then how are we going to fix it?' says Sayeeda WarsiRishi Sunak has been urged to break his silence over a mounting Islamophobia row as senior Conservatives criticised the dangerous" rhetoric of the party's former deputy chair.Lee Anderson, the MP for Ashfield, lost the Conservative party whip on Saturday after refusing to apologise for saying Islamists had got control of" Sadiq Khan. Anderson claimed on GB News that the London mayor had given our capital city away to his mates". Continue reading...

Zimbabwe's national parks authority says a team, including police, sniffer dogs and drones, have been sent to search for the 67-year-old touristAn Australian tourist has gone missing in Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls national park, home to one of the world's natural wonders, according to the country's parks authority.Tinashe Farawo, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, said that the tourist went missing in the vast rainforest on Friday. Continue reading...

Labour shadow minister has extra security arrangements in place and says that is a very typical experience' for MPsA shadow cabinet minister has spoken about how she carries a police alarm with her everywhere amid heightened concerns over the security of politicians.Labour MP Lisa Nandy, the shadow international development secretary, has spoken about the extra security precautions she has had to take, including only seeing her constituents by appointment. Continue reading...

Archbishop of Canterbury describes Lord Cormack, who was an MP from 1970 to 2010, as unfailingly kind' and a vivid character'Tributes have been paid to Patrick Cormack, formerly a long-serving Conservative MP, who has died aged 84.The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, described him as a vivid character" and unfailingly kind". Continue reading...

Rose Hudson-Wilkin rebukes misuse of term by government ministers and others threatened' by social justice movement

Four ski mountaineers from a nearby club killed and three injured while off piste with a guideFour people have been killed in an avalanche in the mountainous Auvergne region of central France, local authorities said.The avalanche took place on Sunday at an altitude of 1,600 metres (5,250 feet) above the village of Mont-Dore in an area known as the Val d'Enfer, the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dome department said in a statement. Continue reading...

Political pressure at home, splintering international support and prospect of Trump's re-election make for existential threatsVolodymyr Zelenskiy has an unenviable task over the coming months. As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, the Ukrainian president has a very difficult balancing act to manage.Ukrainian society is exhausted by the war and international support is splintering, leading to a critical shortage of ammunition at the front. At the same time, most Ukrainians are not willing to countenance the idea of a peace deal, given that there would be few mechanisms to force Russia to abide by it, and would risk merely giving Moscow time to replenish its forces and strike Ukraine again. Continue reading...

Ukraine president makes announcement during news conference in KyivUkraine expects to receive $11.8 billion in economic support this year from the United States, its prime minister said on Sunday.Denys Shmyhal said during a televised conference in Kyiv that he was hopeful that US lawmakers would approve long-awaited economic and military aid.In the Donetsk direction, units of the Southern grouping of troops improved the situation along the front line and defeated formations of the 22nd, 28th and 92nd mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Klishchiivka, Dyleyevka and Kurdiumivka.In the Avdiivka direction, units of the Centre group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, and also defeated manpower and equipment of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 107th Air Defence Brigade. Continue reading...

Annual sum was not offered on appointment but approved later by Richard Holden in a sign of how much MP was valuedTory chairman Richard Holden actioned a 10,000 salary top-up for Lee Anderson last autumn, in a sign of how much he was valued as deputy chairman.Anderson, who is the MP for Ashfield, lost the Tory whip on Saturday after saying that Islamists had got control of" Sadiq Khan and that the London mayor had given our capital city away to his mates". Continue reading...

Louis Gray says he was racially profiled after trying to buy spray paint to make over his son's bicycle helmetA black man shopping for paint with his four-year-old son says he was racially profiled and refused service at Hobbycraft after staff said he may use the paint for doing graffiti".Louis Gray, who works for Sport Wales as equality, diversity and inclusion manager, said he wanted to buy spray paint in order to make over his son's bicycle helmet in the colours of his favourite mountain bike rider. Continue reading...

Muslim Council of Britain writes to Conservative chair over comments made by Liz Truss, Lee Anderson and Suella BravermanBritain's largest Muslim group has written to the Conservative party to call for an investigation into structural Islamophobia" within the party's ranks.In a letter addressed to the Conservative chair, Richard Holden, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said Islamophobia in the party was institutional, tolerated by the leadership and seen as acceptable by great swathes of the party membership". Continue reading...

Openings in past year include HMV, Under Armour and Rituals, with Ikea poised to join them in the autumnOxford Street has begun to bounce back, with the proportion of vacant shops down by 40% and almost a fifth of its troublesome candy and souvenir shops now closed.The revival of the central London shopping street has been spurred by a mix of factors, including the full reopening of Tottenham Court Road station at its eastern end and last May's official launch of the Elizabeth line, which stops there, a bounce back in tourist visitors, from the UK and elsewhere, and a concerted effort by Westminster council to take action against American candy stores. Continue reading...

Labour says government must come to the House of Commons to explain scheme that is a consequence of a lack of spaceA scheme that allows prisoners to be released early because of a lack of space has been extended for an undefined period".Leaked documents suggested the early release scheme - formally named the End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) - has been expanded to more prisons for an extended time. Continue reading...

Isaac Herzog said haters try to drive us off every stage' as lyrics to October Rain scrutinised by organisersIsrael's president, Isaac Herzog, wants to ensure the country competes in the Eurovision song contest after the event's organisers said they were examining whether the lyrics sung by the Israeli contestant were too political.I think it's important for Israel to appear in Eurovision, and this is also a statement because there are haters who try to drive us off every stage," Herzog said on Sunday, the Times of Israel reported. Being smart is not just being right," he added. Continue reading...

US national security adviser says outline in place for proposal for temporary ceasefire in GazaAl Jazeera reports that six bodies have been recovered after Israeli bombing near the southern city of Khan Younis. The outlet writes:The bodies of six people have been recovered from the al-Satr area east of Khan Younis after overnight Israeli bombardment, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.This follows reports of intense Israeli artillery shelling in and around the southern city, with attack drones. Continue reading...

For the Tories he was a useful counterpart to the party's pinstripes and privilege brigade, but then he went too far. Or did he?Lee Anderson, the former miner turned MP for Ashfield, has caused more controversy in his four-and-a-bit years in parliament than most of the 2019 intake combined.Before he was even elected, Labour was calling for him to be sacked, after he suggested nuisance social housing tenants should be evicted into tents and made to pick vegetables. Continue reading...

Members of Unite union reject UK regulator's offer and say it is failing to deal with salary shortfallStaff at the UK's financial regulator could be forced to rely on a hardship fund to make up for their objectively low pay", according to a union.Unite said a failure to address the salary shortfall at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) risked embarrassing the watchdog, whose workers supervise some of the country's largest banks and wealth managers. Continue reading...

Paris attraction was closed for six days after union criticised operator for seeking short-term profitability'The Eiffel Tower has reopened to visitors after a six-day strike by employees demanding changes to the landmark's business model and better maintenance of the 330m (1,083ft) structure, which is showing widespread traces of rust.The tower's operator said in a statement it had reached an agreement with unions under which parties will regularly monitor the company's business model, investment in works and revenue through a body that will meet every six months". Continue reading...

Move presents fresh challenge to speaker and Labour party after last week's chaotic scenes in parliamentThe Scottish National party will push for another vote on a Gaza ceasefire this week, creating a fresh challenge for the speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, and the Labour party after last Wednesday's chaotic scenes in the Commons.Hoyle faced calls to quit after his decision to break with precedent and allow Labour to table a vote during an SNP debate calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which prompted a walkout by Conservative and Scottish Nationalist MPs. Continue reading...

Robert Buckland said comments by Lee Anderson about Sadiq Khan were repugnant' and crossed a line'Robert Buckland has launched a broadside against Lee Anderson, Suella Braverman and Liz Truss and said that any Conservative politician intent on stoking division had better get out and join another party".Buckland, the Tory MP for South Swindon and a former justice secretary, criticised his colleagues for dangerous" rhetoric in the past week. Continue reading...

Rustem Umerov says F-16 jets are yet to appear and troops are running out of shells and air defence missiles

Lawrence Morgan has convictions for firearms and drugs offences and has lived in the UK since he was sixA Jamaican man whose deportation was halted last November after passengers on a BA flight from Gatwick to Kingston protested when they witnessed him being restrained on board, is due to be deported on Sunday.Lawrence Morgan, 27, has convictions for serious firearms and drugs offences. During the Home Office's attempt to deport him last November, passengers on the flight protested after seeing him being restrained by escorts at the back of the plane. Continue reading...

Canada has one of the highest rates of euthanasia in the world, with 4.1% of deaths aided by doctors, but moves to make it more accessible are being questionedWhen Canada's justice minister announced plans to legalise medically assisted dying nearly a decade ago, she acknowledged the proposed law might prove divisive. For some, medical assistance in dying will be troubling," Jody Wilson-Raybould told reporters in 2016. For others, this legislation will not go far enough."A fresh delay in expanding the scope of who can access a medically assisted death has once again put a spotlight on the system, which critics and advocates agree is one of the most liberal in the world. But the two groups remain sharply divided on what that means for improving the quality of life - and death - in the country. Continue reading...

Britain's benefits system needs urgent reform, at a cost of 12bn, charities and experts warnLabour is being warned by a powerful alliance of thinktanks and charities that poverty will soar if it comes to power and then fails to spend many billions of pounds on welfare reform to help those struggling most with the cost of living.The Observer understands that shadow work and benefits secretary Liz Kendall met representatives of several organisations, including the centre-left IPPR thinktank which is influential in Labour's policy debate, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the independent Resolution Foundation, whose president is former Tory minister David Willetts, and Save the Children at a round table last week at which serious concerns were raised. Continue reading...

President Alexander Lukashenko's crackdown on dissent has continued as many forced into early votesPolls have opened in Belarus's tightly controlled parliamentary and local elections that are expected to cement the rule of the country's authoritarian leader, despite calls for a boycott from the opposition, which dismissed the balloting as a senseless farce".Alexander Lukashenko, the president who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for nearly 30 years, accuses the west of trying to use the vote to undermine his government and destabilise" the country of 9.5 million people. Continue reading...

UNRWA chief says humanitarian work in Gaza compromised after donors froze funds over alleged Hamas linksThe UN agency for Palestinian refugees has been forced to stretch every dollar" and juggle its finances in order to continue vital work in Gaza after 18 donor countries suspended funding over allegations of links to Hamas.The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is facing a shortfall of $450m from a budget of $880m as it confronts the biggest humanitarian crisis seen in the organisation's 75-year history. Continue reading...

Study by University of Oxford says prosecutions include children and victims of trafficking and tortureHundreds of people, including children and victims of trafficking and torture, have been convicted and jailed for arriving in the UK in small boats to claim asylum, according to a report.The prosecutions have largely slipped under the radar, although the issue has been highlighted by the case of the Senegalese teenager Ibrahima Bah. He was sentenced to nine years and six months detention after being convicted of four counts of manslaughter and one of facilitating a breach of immigration law after steering an overcrowded dinghy that got into difficulty, leading to the drowning of at least four people. Continue reading...

Disappointment in the candidates is palpable in the town, where people feel let down and neglected by the main partiesByelections are traditionally a chance for voters to lodge a protest vote. But when the people of Rochdale go to the polls on Thursday, they have barely anyone to protest against.The Labour and Green parties have ditched their candidates. The Conservative was abroad on a long-planned family holiday the week before polling day. The Lib Dem remains, but pulled out of the most high-profile political event, a local BBC radio debate. Continue reading...

Demonstration against Welsh Labour policy included No Farmers No Food campaign calling for end to climate measures, and Welsh Tory leaderRishi Sunak attended a protest alongside a group which has posted conspiracy theories about climate change, and which campaigns against net zero, the Observer can reveal.The prime minister has been accused of pandering to extremists" by farmers and wildlife groups, who have asked him to listen to reason and logic" rather than conspiracy theories. Continue reading...

NSW police commissioner Karen Webb expresses heartfelt condolences' to the families and friends of alleged murder victims Jesse Baird and Luke Davies

Fears for impact on NHS workforce as leaked letter reveals ministers stall on aim to increase trainee doctors to 15,000 by 2031Ministers have dramatically stalled plans to double the number of doctors being trained in England by 2031 in a move that has caused dismay across the NHS, as well in medical schools and universities, the Observer can reveal.In June last year, ministers backed a long-term plan to expand the NHS workforce and pledged, amid great fanfare, to double medical school places by 2031 from 7,500 today to 15,000, with more medical school places in areas with the greatest shortages to level up training and help address geographic inequity". Labour is also committed to raising the number of doctors to 15,000 by 2031. Continue reading...

The earthquake hit parts of the Ishikawa region on New Year's Day killing 241 people and sparking a major fire, water remains cut off to some areasJapan will spend an additional $660m rebuilding areas ravaged by a devastating New Year's Day earthquake, prime minister Fumio Kishida said, taking the total amount of relief to $1.7bn.The new financial aid was announced by the prime minister on Saturday as he visited the quake-hit areas. Continue reading...

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SS Nemesis sank in rough seas with 32 crew off the coast of Wollongong in 1904

Christopher Nolan's historical epic picked up three major acting awards while The Bear and Succession shared the big TV winsChristopher Nolan's hit biopic Oppenheimer has dominated this year's Screen Actors Guild awards.The cast of the biographical epic won for best ensemble, ahead of Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon. Cillian Murphy picked up male actor in a leading role, which was also contested by Paul Giamatti and Jeffrey Wright. This is extremely, extremely special to me because it comes from you guys," he told the audience at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. Continue reading...

At a fundraising sausage sizzle ahead of the rally, Kennedy quoted the words of her father explaining why the US wanted to land a man on the moon

G7 leaders urge additional support after defiant Zelenskiy hosts western leaders; Navalny's body handed over to his mother

Police said the guard was allegedly punched by a patron who had been asked to leave the venue

Firefighters continue to battle blazes as they brace for temperatures to exceed 40C in western parts of the state this week

Joint statement says 18 sites across eight locations were targeted, including missile storage facilitiesThe US and UK carried out strikes against 18 Houthi targets including underground weapons and missile storage facilities in Yemen on Saturday in the latest round of military action against the Iran-linked group that continues to attack shipping in the region.The strikes were against Houthi targets across eight locations and also included air defence systems, radars, and a helicopter, officials said. Continue reading...

Jason Clare responds to the launch of a major review of Australia's tertiary sector

Politicians from Conservative and Labour parties get close protection and chauffeur-driven vehiclesThree female MPs have been given bodyguards and chauffeur-driven cars after concerns about their safety, it was reported. Representatives of the Conservative and Labour parties had their security upgraded after a risk assessment, according to the Sunday Times.The MPs, who have not been named, have been given close protection by private companies and chauffeur-driven vehicles. Many MPs are petrified by the abuse they are facing," a senior security source told the newspaper. Continue reading...

Froglets from species classed as near-threatened arrive for the second time at Cotswolds wildlife parkA frog species that is in a perilous state" due to an infectious disease has been successfully bred at a wildlife park in Oxfordshire.Keepers at the Cotswold wildlife park in Burford have again bred the near-threatened cinnamon frog, four years after it became only the second zoological collection in Europe to breed the species. Continue reading...

Ukraine's president met the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Belgium in a show of unity after recent battlefield defeatsVolodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed western leaders to Kyiv on Saturday on the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, declaring that Vladimir Putin must lose absolutely everything".Ukraine's president met the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Belgium - Giorgia Meloni, Justin Trudeau and Alexander De Croo - as well as the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Continue reading...

The sentence, passed in absentia, is part of the country's crackdown on opponents of president Kais SaiedA court in Tunisia sentenced former president Moncef Marzouki to eight years in prison in absentia as part of the country's crackdown on opponents of president Kais Saied.The judgment came as prominent opposition figure Jaouhar Ben Mbarek was sentenced to six months in prison. Continue reading...

Historic landmark closed for about an hour as activists call for ceasefire to the conflict in GazaPolice were forced to close Tower Bridge to vehicles and pedestrians following a protest by pro-Palestine demonstrators.Some activists were seen lighting flares and waving Palestinian flags and calling for a ceasefire to the ongoing violence in Gaza, according to footage on social media. The landmark was closed by City of London police at about 5.30pm on Saturday before being reopened approximately an hour later. Continue reading...

Dismay at blatant price gouging' and distrust of Woolworths and Coles are among the responses to a Guardian Australia callout