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Former first minister of Scotland admits to inquiry that she failed to properly record key discussionsNicola Sturgeon has admitted failing to properly record key discussions about the Covid crisis after being pressed at the UK Covid inquiry over claims that some decisions were too centralised and secretive.The former first minister, who led Scotland's response to the pandemic, pushed back tears when she admitted she found the pressure of the crisis incredibly stressful", and at times wished she had not been in charge.An admission that crucial discussions with her closest advisers during private gold command" meetings should have been recorded.That she regretted not telling people about Scotland's first outbreak, involving 38 cases linked to a Nike conference in Edinburgh in March 2020, as that had the potential to undermine public confidence".That she should not have promised journalists in August 2021 that all her WhatsApp messages would be kept, knowing she had been systematically deleting them.That it was inappropriate for her to give the public health expert Devi Sridhar her private SNP email address.That she had thought wrongly" that her chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, could remain in post after admitting she had breached lockdown rules by visiting her holiday home. Continue reading...

Bruce's Beach was a rare resort for Black residents of Manhattan Beach starting in 1912, until city seized it in 1924A plaque recognizing the racist history of a southern California beach town that seized land from a Black family in the 1920s has been stolen, police say.The monument was erected last year in Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles county to honor the history of Bruce's Beach, where a Black couple built a popular resort for Black Americans in the early 1900s before the local government took control of their land and destroyed their business. Continue reading...

Trust in Scotland's former first minister has ebbed since the height of the pandemic, as evidence reveals a presidential leadership style that came to exhaust herNicola Sturgeon cut a solitary figure as she walked into the UK Covid inquiry on Wednesday morning, sombre-suited and met by shouts of Where are your WhatsApps?"Over three weeks of evidence taken in Edinburgh, the inquiry had heard from those who worked most closely with Scotland's former first minster during the pandemic, and the picture pieced together - often with some difficultly given the paucity of detail forthcoming from the Scottish government - was a troubling one: mass deletion of informal messages by senior figures; unminuted gold command" meetings headed by Sturgeon that appeared to bypass cabinet decision-making; jokes from key civil servants about the suppression of information; accusations of politicising the pandemic to further the cause of independence. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Move follows high court ruling that it was reasonable for them to have called Iain Duncan Smith the termThe director of public prosecutions is appealing to the supreme court in an ongoing and expensive battle to overturn the acquittal of two protesters found to have acted reasonably in calling Iain Duncan Smith Tory scum".The unusual move will add to the cost to the public purse of a case that Lord Justice Popplewell, who heard the case at the high court, has said has already taken up significant and substantial legal resources". Continue reading...

Andrea Leadsom says businesses experiencing some friction' should adapt' to changes in trade rules

Intruder, understood to have been Bryce Hodgson, had restraining order placed on himA man shot dead by police in south London after forcing his way into a building with an arsenal of weapons had been convicted of stalking.The 30-year-old, who was armed with crossbows, a knife, a sword and a hatchet, is understood to have been Bryce Hodgson, who was given a suspended jail term last year, placed under supervision and subjected to a restraining order. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereBack at the home affairs committee James Daly (Con) asks why so few police investigations end up in people being charged.James Cleverly, the home secretary, says the Crown Prosecution Service is independent. He wants to make sure investigations are as professional as possible. Continue reading...

Nick Adderley faces gross misconduct hearing over accusations he wore medal from Falklands war, which took place when he was 15The chief constable of Northamptonshire police will face an accelerated gross misconduct hearing after allegedly misrepresenting his military service, including wearing a medal from a war he did not fight in.Nick Adderley, who served as police chief from August 2018 until he was suspended in October, has been accused of wearing a medal from the Falklands war - which took place when he was 15. Continue reading...

Cryptocurrency exchange founded by Sam Bankman-Fried an irresponsible sham created by a convicted felon', lawyer saysFTX has abandoned efforts to restart its crypto exchange, instead opting to liquidate all assets and return funds to customers, a company attorney said on Wednesday.The exchange, founded by Sam Bankman-Fried, has been negotiating for months with potential bidders and investors, but none were willing to put in enough money to rebuild it, FTX attorney Andy Dietderich said at a bankruptcy court hearing in Delaware. Continue reading...

Both sides confirm exchange of about 200 prisoners each a week after Russian transport aircraft shot down near border

Under pressure from the far right in upcoming elections, environmental concessions being made across continentExhausted by an energy crisis, burdened by bureaucracy and angry at efforts to curb their pollution, Europe's farmers say people are not listening to their plight.Over the last few years we've spoken out vigorously, but we haven't been heard," Europe's biggest farming lobby, Copa Cogeca, said on Wednesday in an open letter to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. The survival of European family farming as it is known today is in danger." Continue reading...

Scotland's former first minister says every death is a tragedy that I regret'Sturgeon once again says she wants to be very clear" that it was not her practice to have lengthy or detailed discussions through these means" - a reference to WhatsApp.It's not my style," she insists. Continue reading...

Leader of Hamas heads to Cairo talks, with many families of Israeli hostages pressing for a negotiated release

Bodies were found at remote crossroads on 23 January in California desert in what investigators say was dispute over marijuanaProsecutors filed murder charges Tuesday against five suspects in the fatal shootings of six men at a remote dirt crossroads in the southern California desert after what investigators said was a dispute over marijuana.The suspects each face six felony counts of murder with a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, the San Bernardino county district attorney's office said in a statement. They were each also charged with six felony counts of robbery. Continue reading...

Deal to swap around 200 PoWs from each side comes after contested claim that Kyiv downed plane carrying Ukrainian soldiersRussia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has told military manufacturers to stop fooling around" and further increase the production of self-propelled artillery systems.Shoigu visited arms-producing factories in the Urals industrial city of Yekaterinburg on Tuesday and said Russia was increasing production of air defence missiles after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks that have targeted cities and energy infrastructure.Listen, stop fooling around here, guys. We got busy with this in 2022. We should have had these machines operating at full capacity in 2023.I'd like to receive within a week a specific proposal on how we'll reach the indicators set by the president (Vladimir Putin) ... this must be done, because all these orders are connected with the performance of very specific work on the battlefield. Continue reading...

Proposals that new rule requiring farmers to set aside up to 7% of land to boost biodiversity should not come into force until 2025We spoke to a young Belgian farmer, Sylvain Dardenne.He was sitting in his tractor in a street lined with parked tractors and flanked by police cars a few blocks away from the European parliament, when we approached him with questions. Continue reading...

Market value of Danish drugmaker behind Wegovy and Ozempic tops $500bn as demand soarsNovo Nordisk shares hit a record high after the Danish company reported soaring sales of its obesity and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, pushing its market value past $500bn and cementing its position as Europe's most valuable company.Runaway demand for the drugs, which are taken by celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk, has left the company struggling to keep up with orders and scrambling to expand production sites. Continue reading...

Opposition leader rejects claims party is seeking to cause deterioration of monarchyThailand's constitutional court has ruled that the opposition party's pledge to reform the country's lese-majesty law is unlawful and that it must cease such efforts.The court ordered the Move Forward party and its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, to stop all forms of communication aimed at bringing reforms to the law, under which criticism of the powerful royal family can lead to up to 15 years in prison on a single charge. Continue reading...

Overcrowding crisis in south Gaza only set to worsen in coming days as Israeli forces push deeper into Khan Younis

Japanese macaque spotted 300 metres from wildlife park's entrance after third night of freedomA monkey who escaped from a wildlife park in the Scottish Highlands has been spotted about 300 metres from the park's entrance, raising hopes he will return to his enclosure of his own volition after a third night of freedom.The drone footage was taken just as the light was fading on Tuesday evening by a conservation consultant, Ben Harrower, who is assisting a search team from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs the park. It shows the Japanese macaque moving on the ground under dense tree cover. Continue reading...

The now-defunct blog of New York's Jamaal Bowman cast doubt on what actually happened during the 2001 terrorist attacksProgressive US congressman Jamaal Bowman is seeking to distance himself from conspiracy theories about the deadly September 11 terrorist attacks which he published on a personal blog that he ran before his career in elected office.The New York representative was linked to the blog in question by the Daily Beast on Monday as he faces a substantial primary challenge from a fellow Democrat over his criticism of Israeli military strikes in Gaza in response to Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack. Continue reading...

Tech firm says it will wait for inquiry into Horizon fallout to near end before deciding on compensation

Shadow chancellor says party aims to be champion of a thriving financial sector if it wins election

Serious animal welfare concerns over exporter's plan to resume journey, MP says, with animals set to spend 60 days on a stinking hot ship'

Rev Steve Chalke says killing of Mason Rist and Max Dixon was devastating' and calls for earlier intervention on knife crimeBanning zombie" knives and machetes will not end the trauma of knife crime, the founder of an academy trust has warned, after two pupils at one of his schools were fatally stabbed over the weekend.The Rev Steve Chalke, of Oasis academies, said the killing of Mason Rist, 15, and his 16-year-old friend Max Dixon in south Bristol was absolutely devastating" for family and friends, their school and the wider community in Knowle West. Continue reading...

Treatment for ailments including sore throats, earaches and shingles to be offered without a GP appointmentPatients can now get treatment for seven common conditions without needing to see a GP under a shake-up of pharmacy services in England.From Wednesday, thousands of pharmacists will be able to assess and treat patients for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women under 65, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription. Continue reading...

Travel website says some accommodation partners targeted by phishing emails but its backend systems have not been breached

Six states and territories co-write letter calling for waving of Hecs debt for teachers, more supported university places and more scholarships for students

Rugby union star has pleaded not guilty and denies sexually assaulting woman at Beach Road Hotel in December 2022

Campaigners call for Norfolk and Suffolk trust to be disbanded after killings linked to man with mental health issuesThe families of people who have died in the care of Norfolk and Suffolk mental health services have said the tragic case of a man believed to have killed himself and his family underlines the need for a statutory inquiry into the NHS trust.Bartlomiej Kuczynski, 45, was found dead in his home in Costessey near Norwich along with his two daughters and their aunt, earlier this month. Just over an hour before he had made a 999 call expressing alarm about his mental state, and was told to seek medical help. Continue reading...

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Exclusive: safety experts and a coroner made the request after a death in 1992, 30 years before Ukrainian refugee Albina Yevko diedRepeated calls 30 years ago from a coroner and safety experts for railings to be installed on a sea wall in Devon after a teenager lost his life were ignored, it has emerged, after the death last year of a young Ukrainian refugee in similar circumstances.Documents seen by the Guardian reveal that local authorities committed to painting a white line and installing warning signs - none of which remain today - after Brendon Burnage fell to his death at the age of 17 from Dawlish sea wall in Devon in 1992. Continue reading...

States say they will not take up co-funded deal, calling for commonwealth to unilaterally close funding gapA landmark" deal between the Albanese government and Western Australia to co-fund public school improvements has been rejected by all other states.The federal education minister, Jason Clare, on Wednesday announced the five-year deal in which the commonwealth and WA will jointly pay to lift the state's public schools to the schooling resource standard (SRS) by 2026 in return for the state implementing teacher quality and student wellbeing reforms. Continue reading...

Murderer Luay Sako has high risk of reoffending, forensic psychiatrist tells Victorian supreme court

As all Northern and TransPennine Express services stop, passengers in the region have been warned not to try to travel by rail on WednesdayRail passengers in the north of England face major disruption on Wednesday as strikes by train drivers stop all Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE) services.The 24-hour strike is the second in a series of rolling stoppages over a week by members of Aslef, the drivers' union, in the long-running pay dispute. Continue reading...

Taro Aso, vice-president of ruling LDP, said Yoko Kamikawa not that good looking', got her name wrong, used ageist jibe and mixed up her place in historyA Japanese former prime minister and vice-president of the ruling Liberal Democratic party has been accused of sexism after making insulting comments about the foreign minister's appearance and age.She's not that good looking," Taro Aso, who has a long history of inappropriate remarks, said of Yoko Kamikawa during a recent speech, before awkwardly praising her abilities as a politician. But she speaks with dignity, speaks properly in English and makes appointments with people she needs to see on her own, without help from diplomats." Continue reading...

Australia's aspirations to profit from global demand for electric vehicles are taking a hit thanks to a price crash for crucial battery minerals, such as lithium and nickel

UMG said it will remove all songs from TikTok after it accused the social media platform of trying to bully' them into a bad deal' over music rights feesUniversal Music Group's agreement with TikTok is set to expire in the next 24 hours after the companies failed to agree on issues including artist compensation and AI, meaning some of the world's most popular music - including Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and newly viral hit Murder on the Dancefloor - will be removed from TikTok's library.In a blistering open letter titled Why we must call Time Out on TikTok" published on Tuesday, UMG, the biggest music company in the world, accused TikTok of attempting to bully" and intimidate" them into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth". Continue reading...

Lawyer argues Walter Sofronoff's phone calls to Janet Albrechtsen show an apprehension of bias' against former ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold

Consumers advised to stop using seven supplements taken for sexual enhancement, including Tantra Jelly and Bullblood tablets

CPI came in at 4.1% in the December quarter, easing from the September quarter pace of 5.4%

Nature-based solutions such as parks and ponds are recommended - as is giving heatwaves namesThe UK urgently needs a plan to prevent thousands of heatwave deaths a year as the climate continues to warm, a cross-party committee of MPs has warned.More than 4,500 people died in heatwaves in 2022, the MPs' report said, and this number could rise to 10,000 a year by 2050 without action. Heatwaves are silent killers", the MPs said, pushing up heart rate and blood pressure, with those over 65 and with existing health problems most at risk. Continue reading...

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says national early warning score should be used to assess severity of illnessPeople who are severely ill with suspected sepsis should promptly be given life-saving access to antibiotics to prevent unnecessary deaths, according to updated guidance from a health watchdog.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has said that the national early warning score should be used to assess people with suspected sepsis aged 16 and over, who are not and have not recently been pregnant, and are in an acute hospital setting or ambulance. Continue reading...

Guild of Fine Food fears European suppliers of specialist produce will stop supplying UK because of red tapeThousands of delicatessens and other specialist food shops have said new border rules that come in from Wednesday are likely to mean reduced choice of products for consumers.The Guild of Fine Food (GFF), which represents 12,000 businesses, has raised fears that European suppliers of specialist foods such as cheeses and meats will stop supplying the UK as a result of the additional red tape for imported goods. Continue reading...

Internal emails reveal he also said his ethnicity and working-class background helped to make him a targetMartin Bashir blamed professional jealousy" and his background and ethnicity after allegations that he used deceit to secure an interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, it has been revealed.The BBC has released about 3,000 internal emails relating to the scandal over the 1995 interview with Diana, following a court order issued last December. Continue reading...

Hungarian ambassador summoned amid national uproar at treatment of Ilaria Salis, accused of attacking neo-NazisItaly's government has said that authorities in Hungary went too far" in putting in chains an Italian woman who is awaiting trial for allegedly attacking neo-Nazis.Italian ministers summoned Budapest's ambassador in protest on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Constitutional change could face fight in Senate after national assembly approves measure by 493 votes to 30France's lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a measure to inscribe abortion as a guaranteed freedom" in the constitution, a pledge made by the president, Emmanuel Macron, last year.But the controversial plan now goes to the upper-house Senate, where it faces resistance from the conservative Republicans and the far-right National Rally. Continue reading...

France and UK also agree to deploy more drones and sea barriers to stop small boats crossing ChannelUK security experts will help France to protect the Paris Olympics in a sign of closer cooperation, the Home Office has said.Both governments also plan to deploy more drones and sea barriers to prevent small boats carrying asylum seekers from crossing the Channel. Continue reading...

Officers allegedly joked about sex with wrongly arrested woman, while student officer claims he was dismissed for reporting misconduct

Government plans for fishery closures are window dressing' in face of appalling record' on meeting targets, experts warnMinisters are window dressing" with nature policies announced to cover up" the government's failings on environmental targets, wildlife groups have said.The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) found earlier this month that nature in England is at risk of falling into an irreversible spiral of decline" because of the government's failures to meet its legally binding targets on species abundance and water quality. Continue reading...