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Liberal Jeremy Rockliff commits $12m and says chocolate experience' at Claremont would be the greatest thing to happen to tourism since Mona'

Cross-party group of peers expected to ask for more details about why minister made and withdrew claims about two academicsThe cabinet minister Michelle Donelan is to face more questioning this week over her judgment after taxpayers funded a payout to an academic she had falsely accused of supporting Hamas.The science secretary will appear before a cross-party group of peers on Tuesday, when she is expected to be questioned on the process that led her to make the accusation, which she has since retracted. The decision to leave taxpayers with the 15,000 bill is also likely to be raised. The sum was paid without admitting any liability", the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)said. Continue reading...

As Russians prepare to give the president another six-year term this week, an ex-rival has gone from protest candidate to grotesque war hawkTwo election cycles ago, in 2012, Sergei Mironov was loudly playing the role of opposition to Russia's ruling party, wearing the white ribbon of the protest movement in the State Duma and claiming his run against Vladimir Putin was serious".If made president, he said, he would even appoint the now deceased opposition leader Alexei Navalny as the head of Russia's accounts chamber as an anti-corruption measure. Continue reading...

Open letter signed by families of victims including Manchester Arena bombing says debate must not play into terrorists' hands'More than 50 survivors of terrorist attacks, including the Manchester Arena bombing and the London Bridge attacks, have signed an open letter warning politicians to stop conflating British Muslims with extremism.The signatories include Rebecca Rigby, the widow of soldier Lee Rigby who was murdered in south-east London in 2013, and Paul Price, who lost his partner, Elaine McIver, in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. They caution against comments which play into the hands of terrorists". Continue reading...

Key site is al-Aqsa mosque on what Jews call the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Peaceful access for Muslims could send a message of calmIsraelis and Palestinians are bracing themselves for a tense and potentially violent week, with no sign of a ceasefire likely in Gaza and calls from Hamas for protest marches around the Islamic world to mark the start of Ramadan on Monday.Earlier this month, a halt to hostilities before the Muslim holy month looked possible, but hopes have dimmed since indirect talks in Cairo ended without progress last week. Continue reading...

Taoiseach says government did not do enough to convince people over amending provisions on family and careIreland has overwhelmingly rejected proposed changes to references on family and women in its constitution, delivering a rebuke to a government that had urged voters not to take a step backwards".Voters repudiated the family referendum with 67% voting no", and buried the care referendum in an even bigger landslide of 74%. Continue reading...

Labour's lead over Tories increases to 16 points as chancellor's plans suffer reverse of a budget bounce, according to Observer Opinium surveyJeremy Hunt's budget appears to have backfired - with almost twice as many voters believing it will increase taxes overall, as those who think it will mean tax cuts.The latest Opinium poll for the Observer, conducted after the budget, also shows that the Tories have fallen two points in the past two weeks, suffering the reverse of a budget bounce". Continue reading...

Former PM apparently met autocratic leader Nicolas Maduro over concerns he may supply weapons to RussiaBoris Johnson flew to Venezuela in February for unofficial talks with its autocratic leader, Nicolas Maduro, according to reports.The former prime minister spoke to the Venezuelan president about the war in Ukraine, amid concerns that the socialist republic could supply weapons or military support to Russia, according to the Sunday Times. Continue reading...

Nationals' Bridget McKenzie and Andrew Willcox top list with more than $20,000 spent each on nights away from home

The communities secretary wants trailblazer' government departments to pilot a scheme to ban individuals and groups deemed extremist from public lifeMichael Gove is set to announce a controversial plan this week to ban individuals and groups who undermine the UK's system of liberal democracy" from public life, despite fears inside government that the scheme is at risk of a legal challenge, leaked documents reveal.Officials working for Gove, the secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, have drawn up plans for trailblazer" departments to pilot the scheme, according to documents that have been circulated to the Home Office and Downing Street and seen by the Observer. Continue reading...

HMS Richmond destroyed two targets with Sea Ceptor missiles, defence secretary Grant Shapps saidA Royal Navy frigate used its missiles to shoot down two attack drones as the US and its allies came under sustained Houthi attack in the Red Sea in the early hours of Saturday.The UK defence secretary, Grant Shapps, announced HMS Richmond's role in destroying the targets in a post on X. Continue reading...

Pilot and co-pilot unresponsive for nearly 30 minutes, prompting review of country's night flight operationTwo Indonesian pilots fell asleep for almost 30 minutes mid-flight, an investigation has revealed.A pilot and co-pilot were simultaneously asleep for about 28 minutes. The Batik Air flight was travelling from South East Sulawesi to the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, on 25 January, a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) said. Continue reading...

Marchers on Saturday came from wide range of backgrounds as rightwing press characterises city as no-go zone for Jews'As on previous Saturdays in the past six months, there were two marches taking place in London yesterday. The first, a gathering of tens of thousands of full-throated, flag-waving supporters of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza gathered at Hyde Park Corner at noon, and shuffled peaceably and patiently in the sunshine in the direction of the American embassy at Vauxhall, over the river.The second march was taking place mostly in the imaginations of right-wing commentators and politicians who increasingly choose to see these displays of solidarity with the Palestinian cause only as a provocation and a threat. Following the prime minister's Downing Street address on 1 March which represented these gatherings as representative of forces trying to tear apart" our democracy, the latest figure to loud-hailer that version of reality was the government-appointed commissioner for countering extremism, Robin Simcox, who argued on Friday the marches were a permissive environment for radicalisation", leading to a hysterical Daily Telegraph front-page headline that read: London is now a no-go zone for Jews". Continue reading...

Attackers force their way into school days after 300 children abducted in different Nigerian stateGunmen kidnapped at least 15 pupils from a school in Nigeria in a dawn raid on Saturday, days after about 300 children were abducted in another armed raid.The gunmen forced their way into the school premises in the Sokoto village of Gidan Bakuso, in the country's north-west, and started firing shots sporadically, waking and causing panic among the pupils, said the school's owner, Liman Abubakar Bakuso. Continue reading...

Gangs steal liquid gold' amid shortages and surging prices after extreme weather damages harvestsOlive oil has become the most stolen product in supermarkets across Spain, with organised criminal gangs targeting the liquid gold" to resell on the hidden market, according to new figures.Olive oil is now the most shoplifted product in regions that account for 70% of the country's population, the Financial Times reports. Continue reading...

Attenders reiterate call for ceasefire in Gaza and condemn PM's comments linking protests to extremism'

Promised provision, particularly for autistic children, was announced a year ago but few schools will open on timePlans to deliver thousands of new special school places by 2026 are falling seriously behind, with experts branding the building programme a mess", the Observer can reveal.The news calls into question the only announcement on schools the chancellor made in last week's budget - a commitment of 105m towards 15 additional special schools. Continue reading...

The actor also implored voters in the US to choose Biden in the upcoming presidential electionHe's played mobsters, murderers, vigilantes and psychopaths. But the one person Robert De Niro said was too irredeemable to play? Donald Trump.The outspoken Hollywood actor spoke about why he would not want Trump to become president again during an appearance on the Real Time With Bill Maher chatshow, in which he urged voters to vote for Joe Biden. Continue reading...

Melissa's children are now adults, but since 2002 the family has been stuck in so-called temporary accommodation in London Read more: homeless children spending entire lives in temporary housing in EnglandWhen Melissa's parents moved abroad in 2002, she and her one-year-old child needed help to find a place to live. Her local London council placed her in temporary accommodation. They told me I'd be in it for six weeks," she said. I'm still in it today."Shocking as it may seem, the housing crisis and lack of affordable rents in some parts of the UK mean a growing number of people have spent huge chunks of their lives in temporary accommodation. For some children, it is all they have known. Continue reading...

Thousands of families have not found permanent accommodation for more than a decade, according to alarming new research Read more: My children never had a place they could say was home'Some homeless children are now spending their entire childhoods in supposedly temporary accommodation", while thousands of families have been housed in it for more than a decade, according to alarming new evidence of a homelessness crisis spiralling out of control".One homeless household in London placed in temporary accommodation in 2000 is still there today, according to new research seen by the Observer. Among about 50 local authorities known to have high numbers in temporary accommodation, almost 14,000 households have been in it for more than five years. Continue reading...

The US singer has been called out by human rights activists for hosting a summit and performing on stage in the repressive statePerformer Alicia Keys projects a powerful position on women's rights, hosting a regular Women to Women summit and posting inspirationally on Instagram on Friday for International Women's Day. But the singer-songwriter's message is undermined for some by the revelation that she is hosting the third edition of her summit this weekend in Saudi Arabia.The American performer and her guests, including Pharrell Williams, best known for his worldwide hit Happy, are to discuss how women are pushing the culture forward in Saudi Arabia and around the world", she has announced, before the get-together in the coastal city of Jeddah. Continue reading...

Shibuya district is offering tours of its architect-designed public facilities that feature in Perfect DaysJapan's hi-tech toilets have long fascinated visitors who rave about their heated seats, bidet function, automatic flushing, even background noises to mask the unwelcome sounds that can accompany the call of nature.Now, international interest in the country's public conveniences is surging, thanks to the German director Wim Wenders, whose film Perfect Days - the story of Hirayama [Kji Yakusho], a Tokyo toilet cleaner - is in the reckoning for best international feature at Sunday's Academy Awards. Continue reading...

Just one of the messages that may surprise fans of Britain's chancellorEconomic growth... relies on employees being more effectiveThe Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) looks ahead five years in its forecast of economic growth and the public finances to help the chancellor judge what he can afford. Analysis to accompany the spring budget by the OBR claims productivity, as measured by the output per worker per hour, will increase significantly between now and 2029, despite being almost flat for the last 15 years. Continue reading...

Frontbenchers use social media to put pressure on PM after Commons report criticises military funding plansTwo serving ministers have called for a much greater pace" of investment in defence spending, putting pressure on Rishi Sunak one day after the Commons' spending watchdog warned that the Ministry of Defence had no credible plan to fund the military capabilities the government wants.The Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Home Office minister Tom Tugendhat said in a post on LinkedIn that the UK needs to lead the way" by increasing defence and security spending to at least 2.5% of gross domestic product, a measure of the size of the economy. Continue reading...

Bridget Phillipson said the education secretary's talk of punching inspectors demeans officeBridget Phillipson has accused Gillian Keegan of demeaning" the office of education secretary by saying she would probably have punched Ofsted inspectors, describing Keegan's remarks as pathetic".Keegan told a headteacher's conference on Friday that she would have probably punched" rude Ofsted inspectors, based on an account she had heard during a recent school visit. Continue reading...

Posthumous award for police, firefighters and others comes after campaign by fathers of murdered PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona BoneAn award for public servants killed in the line of duty has been announced by the UK government.The Elizabeth Emblem will be awarded as recognition to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the course of undertaking eligible public service", the government said on Saturday. It is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK armed forces who died in action or as a result of a terrorist attack. Continue reading...

Ksenia Karelina faces life in prison over what husband says stems from charity donation - and he's calling on the US to helpIt could be the making of a fairytale - a love story about a ballerina and a boxer. Instead, it turned into a nightmare. The amateur ballerina Ksenia Karelina, an American and Russian dual citizen who celebrated the new year with a trip to Istanbul with her partner Chris van Heerden, a South African professional boxer, before heading to Russia to visit family, was arrested and detained by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on 28 January in her hometown of Yekaterinburg, about 1,100 miles east of Moscow.Karelina may be the latest victim in a chess match over detainees between the US and Russia, which dates back more than 15 years when, in 2008, the US Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Viktor Bout, a former Soviet military officer and translator, on conspiracy charges. Bout was eventually traded in 2022 for the WNBA champion Brittney Griner, who Russian officials had arrested for possessing vaporizer cartridges containing less than a gram of hash oil. Continue reading...

Iran-backed group is attempting to strike ships it claims have links to Israel, in solidarity with Gaza

Cuttings were salvaged from world-famous tree by Hadrian's Wall after it was cut down last yearSeedlings have sprouted from the rescued seeds and cuttings of the world-famous Sycamore Gap tree which was unlawfully felled last year.A National Trust conservation team was able to cultivate about 45 seedlings from the seeds and twigs salvaged from the site by Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, Andy Jaspar, the trust's director of gardens and parklands, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Saturday. Continue reading...

Dangerous batteries and conversion kits still being sold online, new safety data revealsEleven people were killed in fires caused by e-bikes in the UK last year as ministers face calls for urgent action over the sale of dangerous products.E-bike fires can be particularly deadly because they can rapidly ignite in a fireball and are routinely left to charge overnight in hallways, blocking what may be the only exit. Campaigners compare the most dangerous products to unexploded bombs". Continue reading...

Matt Rosendale says his failed Senate run fueled false and defamatory rumors' about his familyA Republican congressman from Montana has announced that he is quitting politics after he says his failed recent bid for the US senate led to a death threat" against him as well as false and defamatory rumors" about him and his family.Matt Rosendale, a member of the far-right House freedom caucus, signed up in February to participate in Montana's Republican primary to challenge the Democratic incumbent, Jon Tester, in November. But Rosendale soon withdrew after Donald Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Committee each endorsed his opponent, Tim Sheehy, an aerospace millionaire and retired navy seal. Continue reading...

Whistleblower Ian Foxley alleges MoD had role in him losing his job while acquitted businessman John Mason seeks payment of legal costs

Duchess of Sussex finds the cruel' hatred being spewed' online disturbing and keeps her distance for her wellbeingThe Duchess of Sussex has said she received hateful abuse on social media while she was pregnant with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.Meghan gave a keynote speech as part of a panel that included the US actor Brooke Shields at the annual SXSW Conference in Texas to mark International Women's Day. Continue reading...

Guy Chambers says future albums may need disclaimers about how they were made amid rise of AI's use for writing songsThe songwriter behind hits for Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue has described the acceleration in use of artificial intelligence in the music industry as terrifying" because of its potential to replace songwriters.Guy Chambers, who has collaborated with Williams over more than two decades, said: I think we may get to a stage in the future where an album will need to have a badge saying this is an all-human record'. Continue reading...

Some of the Tories' anti-woke warriors' seem unaware that protection of speech in parliament does not extend to social mediaOn 28 October, Michelle Donelan, the secretary of state for science, published a letter expressing her disgust and outrage" that two academics who had been appointed to an advisory group had been sharing some extremist views on social media".It was an extremely serious accusation levelled against two researchers who had just joined a Research England advisory group on equality, diversity and inclusion. Donelan wanted the group disbanded. Continue reading...

Fifth major pro-Palestine rally of the year comes after government adviser warns against portraying protesters as extremistThousands of protesters are expected to gather again in central London to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the fifth major pro-Palestine demonstration in the capital so far this year.Saturday's protest comes a day after Dame Sara Khan, a UK government adviser on social cohesion, said attempts to portray protesters on pro-Palestinian marches as extremist were outrageous" and dangerous. Continue reading...

Gili Roman recalls worst days of my life' while sister was missing and relief after her release in NovemberFor five days, Gili Roman waited for a phone call to bring news of his sister's release among the first group of hostages freed from Gaza in November, after weeks of relentless violence in the war between Israel and Hamas.When the call came at two in the morning, he cycled from Tel Aviv to his father's home in a neighbouring town. There they waited, and when morning came he told his three-year-old niece of her mother's return, watching as she ran through the apartment smiling and laughing. Continue reading...

Problem rooted in staffing levels and unsustainable pressure on exhausted employees, complaints body for NHS in England saysCancer patients in England could be at risk because NHS staff are overstretched and exhausted, the official complaints body has warned.The parliamentary and health service ombudsman, which investigates complaints about government departments and the NHS in England, said that between April 2020 and December 2023, 185 of 1,019 investigations relating to patients with cancer were upheld or partly upheld. Continue reading...

Proceeds from sale - which is believed to be below $5 million - will be used to pay back some of the money stolen from investors

Large-scale gang assault on multiple government buildings in capital reported as violence causes political crisis to spiral out of control

Exclusive: Syndicate agreed to lend up to 640m to Allwyn in 2020, two years before contract awardedThe company behind the national lottery was borrowing millions from Kremlin-owned banks when it won the UK's largest public-sector contract, the Guardian can reveal.Russia's two largest lenders, VTB and Sberbank, were part of a syndicate that agreed to lend up to 640m (545m) to Allwyn in 2020, two years before the pan-European gaming specialist was named the preferred bidder" for the 6.5bn lottery contract. Continue reading...

Police say they acted appropriately' when they shot a 26-year-old woman who fatally stabbed her 53-year-old mother

Pitch music and arts festival attenders urged to delay arrival, with those already on site advised to head home

Bus mounted a kerb and pinned the 18-year-old against wall near one of the city's busiest intersections during peak hour

The 39-year-old has also been charged with improperly interfering with a corpse or human remains

Thirty-year-old arrested over death of three-month-old child in September 2011

PropTrack report finds availability at its lowest in 17 years, with only 39% of properties affordable for median income households

Investigation begins into Homerton Fertility Centre after errors discovered in freezing processesA fertility clinic in London has had its licence to operate suspended because of significant concerns" about the unit, the regulator has said.The Homerton Fertility Centre has been ordered by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to halt any new procedures while investigations continue. Continue reading...

Defense department releases report calling deluge of reports and claims about government reverse-engineering tech inaccurate'The US is not secretly hiding alien technology or extraterrestrial beings from the public, according to a defense department report.On Friday, the Pentagon published the findings of an investigation conducted by the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), a government office established in 2022 to detect and, as necessary, mitigate threats including anomalous, unidentified space, airborne, submerged and transmedium objects". Continue reading...

Ben Trotman had an invasive growth of cells called a glioblastoma, which leaves patients with an average nine-month life expectancyThe only person in the world to receive a groundbreaking treatment for brain cancer is doing well almost a year and a half later, a charity has said.Ben Trotman, 41, took part in a clinical trial that used immunotherapy to target his glioblastoma, an invasive growth of cells in the brain that gives an average life expectancy of nine months. Continue reading...