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Rhodri Williams had told MPs he wanted to keep job last week amid fallout from bullying scandal at broadcasterThe senior leaders of the Welsh-language broadcaster will be replaced after a year-long crisis, after the chair said he would not stand for a second term.Rhodri Williams has written to the UK government asking not to be considered for the position as chair of S4C when his tenure runs out at the end of March, despite telling MPs last week that he thought he should remain in the job. Continue reading...

Michaela community school, run by Britain's toughest headteacher', Katharine Birbalsingh, introduced ban last MarchOne of England's highest performing state schools, famed for its top results, strict discipline code and charismatic headteacher, has been challenged in the high court for its policy of banning prayer rituals on school premises.The case against Michaela community school in Brent, north-west London, has been brought by one of its Muslim pupils, who claims the ban is discriminatory. Continue reading...

UN agencies issue joint plea for entry routes to Gaza, where Israel's war with Hamas has damaged swaths of territoryAid officials in Gaza believe that pockets of famine already exist in the territory, with parents sacrificing remaining food for their children, an apple costing $8 (6.30) and fuel for cooking almost impossible to find.UN agencies have said that Gaza urgently needs more humanitarian assistance as Palestinian authorities reported that the death toll in the territory during the Israeli offensive there had risen to more than 24,000. Continue reading...

Jane Stevenson joins Conservative party's deputy chairs in resigning on a bruising night for Rishi SunakMore than 60 Tory MPs have signed at least one of the various rebel amendments to the Rwanda bill tabled by hardliners. But very few of them have said publicly that, if the amendments are not passed, they will definitely vote against the bill at third reading. Suella Braverman and Miriam Cates are among the diehards in this category. But Simon Clarke, in his ConservativeHome, only says, that, if the bill is not changed, he will not vote for the bill at third reading, implying he would abstain.In an interview with Sky News, Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister who has tabled the rebel amendments attracting most support, said he was prepared" to vote against the bill at third reading. He said:I am prepared to vote against the bill ... because this bill doesn't work, and I do believe that a better bill is possible.So the government has a choice. It can either accept my amendments ... or it can bring back a new and improved bill, and it could do that within a matter of days because we know the shape of that bill. Continue reading...

Two deputy chairs of Conservative party resign after voting in favour of hardline amendment but No 10 believes PM can weather storm

Foreign minister of UN-recognised government takes same position as Houthis on call to British ministerThe UN-recognised government of Yemen has urged the UK to change its policy in Gaza and back an immediate ceasefire.The call was made by Ahmad bin Mubarak, the foreign minister of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, during a phone conversation on Tuesday with the British Middle East minister, Lord Ahmad. Continue reading...

England and Wales's first lady chief justice has rattled the cages of those in government who had declared open season on judgesLess than four months into her role, the first lady chief justice has already shown more inclination to stand up to politicians than many of her male predecessors managed across their entire tenures.In one fell swoop, in her first appearance before parliament's justice committee, Dame Sue Carr challenged the government on two of the main political stories of the day - the Rwanda refugee scheme and the Post Office IT scandal. Continue reading...

Most senior judge in England and Wales says government plans draw matters of judicial responsibility into the political arena'

PM will recall how Tory anger toppled May, Johnson and Truss as he seeks solution to party fractures

Viacheslav Morozov fired by University of Tartu, on the Russian border, but some academics question his caseAuthorities in Estonia have arrested a Russian professor on espionage charges in a case that his university said shows Russia's intent to orchestrate anti-democratic action" in the Baltic country. But some fellow academics have condemned the university for summarily firing him before a trial was held.Viacheslav Morozov, a professor of international political theory at the University of Tartu, a city on the Russian border, was detained on 3 January by Estonia's internal security service (ISS), public broadcaster ERR said. The arrest was only revealed on Tuesday. Continue reading...

European boss says company has moral obligation' to contribute but exact sum will have to wait until end of inquiry

UK's mobile and broadband firms were accused of greedflation' last year by the GuardianBT has become the first major telecoms company to scrap controversial above-inflation price rises for mobile and broadband customers - but not before pushing through a final increase this year.The owner of mobile operator EE has moved to address the pressure on consumers from rising household costs during the cost of living crisis, after telecoms companies were criticised for increasing bills. Continue reading...

Sam Melia, 33, accused of running far-right network Hundred-Handers from Pudsey in LeedsThe alleged leader of a white nationalist organisation displayed a picture of Adolf Hitler and Third Reich posters in his home, a court has heard.Sam Melia is accused of running the far-right network Hundred-Handers from his home in Pudsey, Leeds, and faces two public order charges: stirring up racial hatred by publishing written material and intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence. Continue reading...

Protests held across country and calls grow for party to be banned after meeting with neo-Nazis to discuss removing asylum seekersThousands of people across Germany have taken to the streets for the fourth consecutive day to voice their opposition to the far-right populist AfD party after politicians from the party met neo-Nazis to discuss a master plan" for the mass deportation of asylum seekers and German citizens of foreign origin.Protests have taken place in Leipzig, Rostock, Essen and Berlin in recent days. Continue reading...

Spending watchdog says smarter government can find huge savings for better public servicesBritain is wasting tens of billions of pounds on badly run projects, cold war-era IT systems and crumbling, poorly maintained infrastructure, parliament's spending watchdog will say on Tuesday.Gareth Davies, the head of the National Audit Office (NAO), will argue the government could save vast sums if it addresses maintenance backlogs and replaces out-of-date IT. Continue reading...

Marsh, representing the state of Colorado, is also a Harvard University graduate student studying public policyMadison Marsh had already made a name for herself as an officer in the US air force and a Harvard University graduate student when she took the stage at the 2024 Miss America pageant Sunday night.By the end of the evening, she had added another line to her resume: the first active-duty military service member to be crowned Miss America in the century-old pageant's history. Continue reading...

Lawyer says Austrian who raped and imprisoned his daughter for 24 years is no longer dangerousJosef Fritzl, the Austrian man who raped and incarcerated his daughter in a purpose-built prison beneath his home for 24 years, is applying for release from jail, according to his lawyer.Fritzl, 88, could be moved to a nursing home, if his lawyer, Astrid Wagner, is successful in her appeal on his behalf. Continue reading...

Post Office CEO Nick Read and Fujitsu Europe boss Paul Patterson give evidence to business committee about Horizon IT scandalTurning to Fujitsu, which manufactured the faulty accounting software used by the Post Office, Lord Arbuthnot said:I hope that Fujitsu would accept that they have played a part in the devastation that has been visited upon the subpostmasters and they might also like to accept that they should play a part in the redress that the subpostmasters need now.There are too many levels of bureaucracy.We need to give the sub postmasters the benefit of the doubt on key matters Continue reading...

Firm regrets comments made in internal presentation slides, including managers calling performance payments too good to be true'Avanti West Coast managers joked about receiving free money" from government and performance-related payments being too good to be true" in an internal presentation at the notoriously unreliable train operator, it has emerged.One slide, entitled Roll up, roll-up get your free money here!" described how the Treasury and Department for Transport supported the firm with taxpayers' money, provided third-party suppliers and inspections, and then paid Avanti fees on top. Continue reading...

Alexander De Croo says democracy and liberty will be put to the test in Europe this year but EU should not be afraid of going it aloneUrsula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said in Davos today that Europe needs to continue backing Kyiv, citing the need for predictable" funding.We must continue to empower their resistance. Ukrainians need predictable financing throughout 2024 and beyond.They need a sustained supply of weapons to defend Ukraine and regain its rightful territory. They need capabilities to deter future attacks by Russia. And they also need hope. They need to know that, with their struggle, they will earn a better future for their children. Continue reading...

More than 200 animals abandoned by farmers after the eruption have not been fed or watered for daysA daring operation is being launched to rescue more than 200 sheep left to their fate by farmers after a volcanic eruption near the evacuated Icelandic town of Grindavik.With molten lava setting homes ablaze and the ground surface cracking, rescue teams are seeking to bring out an estimated 270 animals from their fields and pens. Continue reading...

Foreign minister begins Middle East visit by announcing funding for those in Occupied Palestinian Territories affected by conflict and to address refugee crisis

Warning that bill is not compatible with international rules comes amid mounting revolt by Tory MPsRishi Sunak's revised Rwanda plan is still in breach of international law, the UN's refugee agency has said.The warning came amid a mounting revolt by Conservative MPs threatening to vote against the bill. They drew on a poll believed to be funded by rightwing opponents of Sunak's leadership. It found his constituency was one of 111 where voters wanted asylum seekers removed without right of appeal. Continue reading...

Mining safety regulator launches investigation after 27-year-old man killed at BHP-owned mine in the Bowen BasinThe mining safety regulator has begun an investigation after an employee was crushed to death at a central Queensland coalmine on Monday.The 27-year-old man was working at southern section of the BMA Saraji coalmine located in the Bowen Basin, near Dysart, south-west of Mackay. The mine is owned by BHP.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Improved technology allows officers to lay charges in decade-old sexual assault case as well as an unrelated commercial burglary in 2012

Higher costs as a result of Ukraine war, supply chain issues and effects of Covid force lunching office workers to tighten beltsEven in a city of tens of thousands of restaurants, including a large number with Michelin stars, is it really possible in Tokyo to spend as little as 500 (2.60) a day on lunch without eating the same modest meal day in, day out?The answer, according to increasingly cash-strapped office workers in the Japanese capital, is a resounding yes. Continue reading...

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Exclusive: Hospitals and GP surgeries forced to rely on agency personnel and paying staff for expensive extra shiftsMinisters are facing calls to tackle the NHS's chronic lack of staff as figures reveal that the bill for hiring temporary frontline workers has soared to more than 10bn a year.Hospitals and GP surgeries across the UK are paying a record 4.6bn for agency personnel and another 5.8bn for doctors and nurses on staff to do extra bank" shifts to plug gaps in rotas. Continue reading...

Exclusive: summary sent to UK supermarkets describes conflict between pineapple thieves and Del Monte security staffMajor human rights violations are being committed at a vast Del Monte pineapple farm in Kenya where there have been numerous deaths and violence, according to the conclusions of an unpublished report.The findings, seen by the Guardian, are highly critical of Del Monte Kenya and include claims that the company's employees are working with a cartel of thieves, providing them with intelligence. The report says the farm has serious problems with organised pineapple theft, losing crops to gangs at a large scale. Continue reading...

Saunders has not been charged with any offence and denies allegations he sexually assaulted and groomed young Aboriginal men in WA over 50-year career

Invasive Species Council says rare rafting behaviour seen on cane farms south of Brisbane

The TV ceremony, pushed back as a result of the strikes, also saw major and historic wins for actors of colourBeef, The Bear and the final season of Succession reigned supreme at the delayed 2023 Emmy awards.Jesse Armstrong's hit HBO drama picked up six awards, including for actors Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen and the night's biggest award for best drama series. Continue reading...

Teenage boys killed in crash at McGraths Hill in Sydney's north-west on Monday night as state's death toll soars

EV market analyst says Australia's charging network is now growing at a faster rate than the EV fleet

Civilians killed in strikes on Erbil include a millionaire Kurdish businessman and his family, medical sources sayIran's Revolutionary Guards say they have attacked the espionage headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media has reported, while the elite force said they had also struck Islamic State targets in Syria.Ballistic missiles were used to destroy espionage centers and gatherings of anti-Iranian terrorist groups in the region late tonight," Iran's Guards said in a statement late on Monday, naming Israel's Mossad spy agency. Continue reading...

Petrol station owners will have to provide near-live data amid concerns drivers are being ripped offFuel retailers will be forced to share near-live information on price changes at the pump to help drivers find the cheapest petrol and diesel, after the government accused them of treating motorists as cash cows".Petrol station owners will be required to provide data within half an hour of any change as part of a political effort to bring transparency to the sector amid concerns that drivers are being ripped off. Continue reading...

Change to franchise brings UK in line with other major democracies which allow lifelong voting rightsAn estimated 3 million Britons living abroad for more than 15 years will regain their right to vote in all elections in the UK from Tuesday, ending 20 years of broken promises by successive UK governments.The end of the so-called 15-year rule means millions more could be enfranchised in time for the next general election, the date of which has yet to be decided by the prime minister, Rishi Sunak. Continue reading...

More than 7,000 hospital admissions and deaths could have been avoided if people had been fully vaccinatedOlder people are being urged to become fully vaccinated against Covid as a world-first study shows thousands of hospital admissions and deaths in the UK could have been avoided if everyone had had all of their doses.The rollout began strongly in the UK, with 90% of the population over the age of 12 vaccinated with at least one dose by January 2022. However, rates of subsequent doses fell sharply, a study shows, with less than half the population fully jabbed by June 2022. Continue reading...

Persistent band of snow' likely across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England and WalesThe UK is set to experience its coldest night of the winter season this week, thanks to an Arctic blast that is travelling from the north to the south.Temperatures are expected to be 5C-6C lower than usual for this time of year, falling to -15C in some areas. Continue reading...

Move to offer the monarch's photograph to UK bodies has been described as a shameful waste of money' by criticsA new official portrait of the king has been unveiled, created to hang in public buildings across the UK under an 8m government-funded scheme that an anti-monarchy campaign group has described as a shameful waste of money".The Cabinet Office announced last year that it had set aside funds to offer every public body - local councils, courts, schools, police forces, and fire and rescue services - a free portrait of King Charles. Continue reading...

Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith defy prime minister by supporting rightwing challenges to legislationRishi Sunak is facing a Conservative meltdown over the Rwanda deportation bill after two deputy chairs said they would support rebel amendments aimed at blocking international human rights laws.Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith have defied the prime minister by backing rightwing challenges to the bill, which will be debated by parliament on Tuesday. They will join as many as 70 other MPs said to be considering abstaining or opposing the controversial legislation. Continue reading...

Isaac Levido tells backbench Tory MPs to end infighting and focus on narrow path' to general election victoryRishi Sunak's campaign director has told fractious Conservative MPs to unite or face losing this year's election in a blunt message designed to rally the backbenches before a long and gruelling campaign.Isaac Levido, the Australian political strategist, told MPs at the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives on Monday night they could still win the election, but only if they get serious" and end party infighting. Continue reading...

Navy searches Gulf of Aden for Seals who fell into the water when trying to board vessel carrying Iranian missile parts to SomaliaUS Navy ships and aircraft combed areas of the Gulf of Aden for two missing US Navy Seals on Monday as details emerged about their mission to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Somalia, a US defense official said.Officials have said that the Seal mission was not related to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the ongoing US and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the United States and the United Kingdom have conducted in Yemen over the past two days. Continue reading...

It is unclear how Ukraine succeeded in shooting down the command planes flying above the Sea of AzovUkraine's military has shot down two of Russia's command planes, in one of the most disastrous days for the Kremlin's air power since the start of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion.Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's commander in chief, said his air force had destroyed an A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and an Il-22 control centre plane. Both were flying above the Sea of Azov on Sunday when they were hit at 9.10pm local time. Continue reading...

US military says anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthi militants hit container ship; police describe incident in Raanana, north of Tel Aviv, as terrorist attackA video journalist from the Cairo-based television channel Al Ghad was killed in the Gaza Strip on Sunday in a strike that the channel blamed on the Israeli army.In a post on X, the station said it was announcing with a heavy heart" that Yazan al-Zwaidi was murdered by Israeli fire", Agence France-Presse reports. Continue reading...

Three members of a family receive notices from police amid concern about separatist campaigners' safetySikhs in the West Midlands have been issued threat to life" warnings, amid growing concern about the safety of separatist campaigners who Sikhs claim are being targeted by the Indian government.Three members of a family received Osman warnings in March from West Midlands police, meaning there is intelligence of a death threat or risk of murder but not enough evidence to justify an arrest. Continue reading...

Gibraltar Eagle vessel not seriously damaged in assault that raises some doubts over efficacy of UK-US action

Prime minister addresses MPs hours after Yemen-based group fires on another container ship in Red Sea

Amelie Oudea-Castera was accused of lying about why she enrolled her son in a private schoolFrance's new education minister has sparked the first major crisis for Gabriel Attal's new government following accusations she failed to give the true reason why she enrolled her children in a private school.The snowballing row threatens to derail French president Emmanuel Macron's attempt to give the government - which does not have an absolute parliamentary majority - a new lease of life before European elections in June. Continue reading...

Prime minister tells MPs that strikes were in response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red SeaIn his pooled TV clip this morning, Rishi Sunak refused to say whether he would sack Lee Anderson as the Tory deputy chair if he votes against the government on the Rwanda bill. Asked if Anderson and government frontbenchers might be sacked over this, Sunak claimed the Conservative party was united in wanting to stop the boats", but he avoided the question about potential disciplinary action.Asked a second time what might happen to Tory rebels, he replied:I'm talking to all my colleagues. I know everyone's frustrated, I'm frustrated about the situation, and they want to see an end to the legal merry go round. I'm confident that the bill we've got is the toughest that anyone has ever seen and it will resolve this issue once and for all.There have been lots of polls over the last year, there will be hundreds more polls.The choice at that election is clear, it's stick with our plan that is working, it's delivering change for people, ensuring they can have the peace of mind that there is a brighter future for their children and we can have renewed pride in our country.Absolutely. Look, the reason I think we can turn it around is because at least people know we have got a plan and we are working to it. There isn't a plan under Labour. Continue reading...