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Exclusive: Hester allegedly used term token Muslim', imitated people of Chinese descent and said a person was attractive for a black womanThe Conservative party is facing questions over its decision to keep more than 15m given by its biggest ever donor, Frank Hester, after former employees made a series of fresh allegations.Hester is alleged to have referred to a staff member as the token Muslim", imitated people of Chinese descent and remarked that one individual was attractive for a black woman, according to former employees who spoke to the Guardian. Continue reading...

Agent says columnist and presenter has been missing since he went for a coastal hike on Greek island of SymiA search is under way for the TV doctor and newspaper columnist Michael Mosley, who went missing after going on a coastal walk on the Greek island of Symi.The 67-year-old, known for his appearances on The One Show and This Morning, was last seen when he set off hiking along St Nicholas beach at 1.30pm local time (1130 BST) on Wednesday. His wife, Dr Clare Bailey, alerted authorities after he failed to return by 7.30pm, but they were unable to locate him overnight. Continue reading...

Prosecutors say Manhattan architect Rex Heuermann, 60, now charged with six murder counts, planned out his kills'The suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann has been indicted on new charges in Long Island, New York, of second-degree murder in the killings of two women.The charges were brought by the Suffolk county district attorney, Ray Tierney, and come in addition to charges Heuermann faces in the killings of four women whose remains were discovered in scrub and marshland on the Long Island coast nearly 14 years ago. Continue reading...

Centrist party says political discourse has hit serious low' as intimidation of politicians rockets before electionsNearly all of the minority candidates running for Ireland's centrist Fine Gael party have been targeted by threats and racists abuse, the party has said, in what it described as a very serious low" in the political discourse before local and European elections.This is appalling and must be called out for what it is - wrong, sexist and racist," Damien English, the party's director of elections, said in a recent statement. Sixteen of the party's 339 candidates for upcoming elections have a migration background. Continue reading...

Thinktank says at least half of houses are in the wrong band' with those in the north of England and Midlands paying too muchAnneliese Dodds, the Labour party chair, has said the revelation that the Tories are still taking money from Frank Hester shows Rishi Sunak has no integrity". In a statement she said:Rishi Sunak has proven he is a man with no integrity.He is too weak to return the money donated by a man who has made violent, misogynist, and racist remarks which belong nowhere near our politics. Continue reading...

Border Force and others respond to boat in difficulty, as high court hears case over Rwanda deportation policyAbout 80 people, including a baby and two other children, have been rescued after a boat got into difficulty while crossing the Channel.Some of the group are thought to have been pulled from the water, with coastguard and lifeboat crews called to help Border Force off the Kent coast on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

Chancellor says violent, foreign-born criminals, even from Syria and Afghanistan, may be forced to leaveThe German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has told parliament he backs the deportation of violent, foreign-born criminals even if they come from Syria or Afghanistan, as he signalled a more hardline stance three days before Germans vote in European elections.In a heated debate days after an Afghan asylum seeker allegedly killed a police officer at a far-right rally, Scholz responded on Thursday to accusations by the conservative opposition and the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) that his government was lax on deportations. Continue reading...

Local members voice anger in Basildon and Billericay, where Richard Holden was put forward as only candidate at last minuteThe Conservative chair, Richard Holden, has been selected at the last minute for a safe seat 300 miles from his former constituency, triggering anger among members.Holden was chosen to stand in Basildon and Billericay in Essex on Wednesday night after being the only candidate on the list. Continue reading...

Voting in the EU elections begins Thursday and ends on Sunday with turnout slightly up as polls open in the NetherlandsTurnout in the Netherlands stood at 7% at 10:30am, according to Ipsos, NOS reported.This is in line with turnout during the time in the previous election.I made a concept called Europe first, instead of made in China. This was trying to focus on industrial production in Europe and to ramp it up and to become more independent ... So we need more investment in our future, meaning also in industry and in production, in green projects, saying we need solar panels on our roofs, but not imported from China, but to produce them in Europe and to put it on our European roofs.Secondly, social Europe: defending what we achieved, for minimum age, platform workers, pay transparency, working time limitations for truck drivers, but also asking for abolishing unpaid internships, and also having something like Erasmus for the elderly, and fair taxation. Continue reading...

Unrwa chief says 6,000 displaced people were sheltering at school when it was hit and at least 35 have been killed

Insults and arguments show the social divisions opened up by recruitment drive and years of warWhen Pavlo Pimakhov and Yuriy Pikhota walk through the suburbs of Kyiv, men who spot them approaching from afar often turn on their heels and scurry off. The military uniforms, the police escort and the black folder tucked under Pikhota's arm combine to make the pair immediately recognisable: they are one of the Ukrainian army's mobilisation squads.These officers roam streets across the country checking the papers of men and handing out military summons, as Ukraine tries to boost the ranks of its army to continue the fight against Russia. Continue reading...

Claims of looting as dozens injured during Rapid Support Forces clash with Sudanese army in Gezira provinceAt least 100 people were killed and dozens more were injured after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked a village in Gezira province in Sudan on Wednesday.Women and children were among the victims in the RSF attacks on Wad al-Noura village in Gezira, Mini Arko Minawi, the governor of Darfur province, said on X. Continue reading...

Reunite Families UK applies for judicial review of policy it says discriminates against women and minoritiesOne of Rishi Sunak's measures for cutting net migration is being challenged in the high court on the grounds that it is separating children from their parents and discriminates against women and minorities.The Home Office has raised the minimum income requirement (MIR) so that anyone applying for a visa to bring a loved one from overseas must earn 29,000 a year, which will increase to 38,700 next year. Continue reading...

Artistic director's departure opens up one of fashion's top jobs at brand hoping to become a talking point againVirginie Viard, the artistic director who replaced Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel after his death in 2019, is to exit the French luxury brand, leaving open one of fashion's top jobs.Viard was just the third artistic director at the 114-year-old brand after Lagerfeld and its founder, Gabrielle Coco" Chanel. She will leave after five years in the role and three decades with the fashion house. Continue reading...

Douglas Ross says he will lead from the front' after David Duguid not selected in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East

Video shows The Australian's Liam Mendes fall to the ground during encounter with Nine Entertainment chairman at Canberra airportPeter Costello, the former federal treasurer and current chairman of Nine Entertainment, has been accused of assaulting a journalist from The Australian newspaper as he refused to answer questions about the embattled media company.But Costello has dismissed the allegations, saying there was no assault" and that the journalist fell over an advertising placard". Continue reading...

Action against five accused, including Jeremy Corbyn's former chief of staff, estimated to have cost 1.5m

Israel says it targeted Hamas fighters in strike on school where hospital officials say displaced Palestinians were sheltering

BoM issues severe weather warning for the Illawarra and far southern suburbs of Sydney

Data also shows party accepted 150,000 from Hester days after comments about Diane Abbott condemned as racist were revealedFrank Hester, the businessman at the centre of a row about comments condemned as racist and misogynistic, gave the Conservative party a further 5m in January, figures released by the Electoral Commission show.The donation, made by his company, the Phoenix Partnership (TPP), cements his status as the Tories' single biggest donor with a total of 15m now given by Hester either personally or through his company. Continue reading...

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Woman's body found to have been interfered with' after death but insufficient evidence to identify anyone involved

Disclosure in Senate estimates comes in response to David Pocock's questions about astounding' out of pocket fees for private surgery in ACT

Nacc says it decided not to launch corruption probe as it would not add value in the public interest'

The KX100 design caused controversy when it replaced the classic red phone box - but now a handful may be given listed statusCampaigners are trying to secure listed status for the boringly ugly" telephone boxes that BT controversially used to replace thousands of red phone boxes in the 1980s.The Twentieth Century Society, which champions outstanding examples of modern design, has applied for listed status for one KX100 box each in England, Scotland and Wales before they are removed next year.In England, the 100,000th box to be installed in the country, located at Dunsop Bridge in Lancashire, which sits at the geographic centre of Great Britain and its 401 associated islands.In Scotland, a contender for the country's most remote and scenic payphone near Maaruig, on the Isle of Harris. It is believed to be the only example still bearing the full original yellow British Telecom livery.In Wales, an experimental model at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, which is uniquely powered by a solar panel atop the kiosk and an adjacent 18ft-high wind turbine. Continue reading...

Jury begins deliberations over whether Stein, 33, murdered his former partner's daughter. He has pleaded not guilty

Troy Armstrong was accused of killing Kristy Armstrong by deliberately driving his ute towards her sedan in 2023

Former Jetstar pilot describes struggle that led to deaths of Russell Hill and Carol Clay, after pleading not guilty to murder

Review confirmed in state parliament after Guardian Australia revealed Forbes mother did not receive promised help to intruder-proof' home

Overpayments - many from welfare recipients - were held as credit to pay a future bill that AGL knew was never coming', federal court told

Naval exercises spurred by US support for Ukraine are likely to include port calls in Cuba and Venezuela, says officialRussia plans to send combat vessels into the Caribbean region this summer as part of naval exercises that will probably include port calls in Cuba and possibly stops in Venezuela, a senior US official said on Wednesday.As part of Russia's regular military exercises, we anticipate that this summer, Russia will conduct heightened naval and air activity near the United States. These actions will culminate in a global Russian naval exercise this fall," the official said. Continue reading...

Greens leader says he has written to attorney general to object to what he considers defamatory statements' made on ABC TV

Ben and Annie Vautier's children say in statement their father killed himself just after their mother died of a stroke on WednesdayFrench artist Ben, best known for his ironic painted slogans, has died aged 88, killing himself just hours after the death of his wife of 60 years, his family said Wednesday.His wife, Annie, suffered a stroke on Monday evening and died on Wednesday, the couple's two children, Eva and Francois, said in a statement. Continue reading...

Dizziness, headache and nausea among common symptoms, which occur more frequently with some medications than othersJust under one in seven people who stop taking antidepressants will experience withdrawal symptoms, according to a study.Researchers in Germany analysed data in 79 studies involving 21,000 patients and found that 15% of people experienced one or more withdrawal symptoms that were directly caused by coming off antidepressants, while about 3% experienced severe symptoms. Continue reading...

Recovering PM posts video in which he calls would-be assassin messenger of evil' but offers forgivenessThe Slovak prime minister, Robert Fico, has blamed the country's opposition for fostering the hatred" that led to his assassination attempt in his first appearance since he was seriously wounded in a shooting three weeks ago.In a pre-recorded speech posted on Facebook on Wednesday, in the run-up to the European elections, Fico described the shooter as an activist of the Slovak opposition ... a messenger of evil and political hatred that the politically unsuccessful and frustrated opposition has fanned to unmanageable proportions". Continue reading...

Man, 26, questioned under suspicion of participating in terrorist conspiracy after explosion in hotel north of ParisFrench anti-terror prosecutors have launched an investigation after a Ukrainian-Russian man detonated explosive materials in a hotel room north of Paris.A source at the French anti-terrorism prosecutors office (PNAT) said that on Monday night the 26-year-old man was given medical treatment by fire officers in a hotel in the Val-d'Oise, north of Paris, for significant burns after an explosion". Continue reading...

Ruling by European court of justice ends 17-year legal tussle between Irish chain and global rivalThe small Irish takeaway chain Supermac's has won a David v Goliath court battle with McDonald's over the use of the Big Mac trademark, paving the way for it to open outlets across Europe.The ruling also means the US-founded fast food multinational has lost the right to use the name Big Mac" in the EU in relation to chicken burgers. Continue reading...

Liam McCarthy, 33, jailed for seven months after continually' sending emails and leaving voicemails for then MPA 33-year-old man has been jailed for seven months after sending threatening emails to a female politician.Liam McCarthy, of Copperfield Road, Southampton, continually" sent emails and left voicemails for the Conservative politician Caroline Nokes between 15 May 2022 and 4 March 2023. Continue reading...

Horror after leaders' debate galvanises party into fierce counterattack, labelling PM a liar and linking conduct to Partygate

But, says Jose Maria Neves, this should not stop governments trying to build solutions using diplomatic corridorsCape Verde's president, Jose Maria Neves, said the rise of rightwing populism has made it difficult to hold a serious debate over colonial reparations but argued that should not stop governments from having those conversations behind closed doors.In an interview with the news site Brasil Ja, published online on Wednesday, Neves said debating reparations in the public arena" could lead to more political polarisation in countries such as in Cape Verde's former coloniser, Portugal, where the far right is on the rise. Continue reading...

Strongman-style leader set for historic third term but with authority diminished after loss of majority

Exclusive: Chancellor says Conservative party is broad church' and criticises Nigel Farage's claims over immigrationJeremy Hunt has warned the Conservatives that elections are won from the centre ground, amid fears that the party could lurch to the right in response to Nigel Farage's return to frontline politics.In an interview with the Guardian, the chancellor suggested the party must remain a broad church" despite concerns that Reform UK could cost the Tories as many as 60 seats at the general election. Continue reading...

Party says it has reached out to opposition leaders after election result as it looks to form coalitionAn influential committee in the African National Congress (ANC) has recommended the party form a government of national unity, as the group tries to build a coalition after losing its parliamentary majority in South Africa for the first time since it swept to power at the end of apartheid.The second largest party, the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA), has ruled out working with the fourth-largest, Marxist-inspired Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). However, some analysts said that the lure of power may end up bringing most of the largest parties together. Continue reading...

Extreme hunger already leaving huge toll, say food security reports, regardless of delays to possible declaration of famineMonths of extreme hunger have already killed many Palestinians in Gaza and caused permanent damage to children through malnutrition, two new food security reports found, even before famine is officially declared.The US-based famine early warning system network (FEWS NET) said it was possible, if not likely" that famine began in northern Gaza in April. Two UN organisations said more than 1 million people are expected to face death and starvation" by mid-July. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Siyabonga Twala looking forward to reunion with his son after government withdraws exclusion orderA man who has been exiled in Turkey and separated from his British son for more than a year can return home after the UK government conceded it should never have excluded him.Siyabonga Twala has spent the last 18 months living in limbo in Ankara after he was prevented from boarding a flight back to Manchester with his family in December 2022. Continue reading...

Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative leader, says vote reflects badly on Keir Starmer as Labour says vote is a stunt. This live blog is closed

Academic tortured in UAE tells families of Britons arrested in controversial circumstances abroad to go public promptlyFamilies of Britons arrested in controversial circumstances abroad should raise concerns promptly in public because Foreign Office quiet diplomacy" is not effective, an expert has warned after the arrest of a former British Royal Marine in Dubai.Matthew Hedges, a British academic who was detained and tortured in the United Arab Emirates in 2018, said the case of Matt Croucher, a military veteran held in the country for seven months, also showed how far the international influence of the UK had disappeared" in the Gulf region. Continue reading...

Politician to go up against her former party in London's Chingford and Woodford Green constituencyFaiza Shaheen, the candidate blocked by Labour from standing in Chingford and Woodford Green, has announced she will stand as an independent.In a move that will pit her against Labour in one of the party's target seats, she said she was standing in response to hundreds of messages from local people who said there were no options left for them. Continue reading...

Anger at rampant unemployment, stagnant wages and inflation led to surprise losses in Uttar PradeshIt was less than six months ago that Narendra Modi walked solemnly through the ornate surroundings of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state and one of its most politically crucial. His appearance in the holy city to inaugurate the newly constructed Hindu temple, built on the ruins of a mosque demolished two decades earlier, was cast as the pinnacle of the prime minister's decade in power - the crowning glory of his Hindu nationalist agenda and his ticket to a third term in office. The ceremony was deemed to mark the unofficial launch of his election campaign.But on Tuesday evening Modi was faced with a rude awakening. His Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), which has ruled India with an iron grip for a decade, has lost its majority as a single party and will have to rely on coalition partners to return to government. The losses were particularly heavy in Uttar Pradesh, long considered to be the BJP's bastion - and nowhere more so than in Ayodhya. Continue reading...