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Trial date set for November as prosecutors reject teenager's plea over stabbing of 15-year-old last SeptemberA teenage boy has admitted to killing 15-year-old schoolgirl Elianne Andam in Croydon during the morning rush hour last year but denied murdering her.Elianne was stabbed at a bus stop outside Whitgift shopping centre on Wellesley Road in Croydon on 27 September at about 8.30am. Continue reading...

Group on outskirts of Geneina share stories from November when RSF and allied militias unleashed wave of sexual violenceTwice a week, a group of women gather together in a nondescript house in Ardamata, on the outskirts of Geneina in Sudan's West Darfur state, to tell their stories to each other, cry, and drink coffee.The women, who work or used to work in education, are all survivors of an ethnically targeted campaign of rape and sexual abuse carried out by fighters from Arab militias backed by the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group on 5 November, after the fall of the army garrison in Ardamata. Continue reading...

New map based on electoral roll not actual populations, meaning some MPs will be supporting 50% more people than others

Wooden villa in Jatiluwih hit by landslide after heavy rain the previous night, official saysTwo tourists, including an Australian woman, have been killed on the Indonesian resort island of Bali after heavy rain triggered a landslide that swept away their villa, an official said on Thursday.Large areas of the archipelago of 17,000 islands are prone to flooding and landslides during the wet season which starts around November. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Charities say Home Office should allow 56 days after near 1,000% rise in rough sleeping among accommodation leaversLeading homelessness and refugee charities have called on the government to double the number of days that newly recognised refugees are given to find a home before being evicted from asylum hotels, after a near 1,000% rise in rough sleeping among Home Office accommodation leavers since July.In a letter addressed to James Cleverly, 16 homelessness and refugee charities - including St Mungo's, Shelter and the Refugee Council - called on the home secretary to increase the number of days refugees granted leave to remain in the UK are given to move out of Home Office accommodation from 28 to at least 56 days. Continue reading...

Package of loans and grants to help can get this industry off the ground', resources minister says

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Concerns raised over election's integrity as Redland city council campaign draws state's largest number of complaints

Newly released documents also reveal worries that reducing troop levels in Iraq would squander the benefits' to US-Australia alliance

Library says decision to defer workshops not based on political beliefs or identity of anyone involved'

Facebook owner repeats its opposition to news media bargaining code and claims just 3% of content in feeds is news-related

Proposal under consideration aims to ease traffic congestion and speed up housing development

Jie Shao has been found guilty over the death of Jean Huang, who died after undergoing a procedure not approved in Australia

Man claiming to be a prophet arrested along with seven aides for criminal activities which include abuse of minors'Zimbabwe police have said they arrested a man claiming to be a prophet of an apostolic sect at a compound where more than 250 children were allegedly being used as cheap labour, and where authorities found 16 unregistered graves.In a statement, police spokesperson Paul Nyathi alleged Ishmael Chokurongerwa, 56, a self-styled" prophet, led a sect with more than 1,000 members at a farm about 34km (21 miles) north-west of the capital, Harare, where the children were staying alongside other believers. Continue reading...

Group's annual report notes rise in anti-migrant activism and asks if Tory voters are falling out of love with democracy'British voters are restless, angry and demoralised and more than half of them are pessimistic about the future, according to polling that a counter-extremism organisation has said shows warning signs of future unrest.More than one in four respondents (43%) described the UK as declining", just 6% agreed that the political system was working well and 79% said politicians don't listen to people like me". Continue reading...

New extremism definition to be published by Michael Gove is already being challenged by Muslim groups and expertsMinisters and civil servants will be banned from talking to or funding organisations that undermine the UK's system of liberal parliamentary democracy", under a new definition of extremism criticised by the government's terror watchdog and Muslim community groups.Michael Gove, the communities secretary, will tell MPs on Thursday that officials should consider whether a group maintains public confidence in government" before working with it. Continue reading...

Train maker Alstom plans fast service skirting Birmingham as Ryan Reynolds' football club takeover reaps in ever more benefitsDirect trains could next year connect Wrexham to London, with a new service capitalising on the town's Hollywood-meets-football mini-boom.The train manufacturer Alstom is bidding to set up the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway with a promise of cheaper, more comfortable trains straight to London. Continue reading...

Charity says findings from schools in England show need for early intervention and fewer exclusionsChildren who are suspended from school in England even for short periods see their GCSE results suffer, according to research that highlights the need for early interventions to reduce suspensions.Pupils who had been suspended were found to be lagging a year behind their peers and on average were unable to achieve a standard pass in GCSE maths and English. Continue reading...

Project finds police recorded 93 suspected domestic abuse-related suicides in a year - one every four daysCampaigners for women's rights in the UK are calling for more mental health support for domestic abuse victims after police recorded 93 suspected abuse-related suicides in a year.A report found 242 domestic abuse-related deaths were recorded between April 2022 and March 2023, of which 93 were suspected suicides, 80 were intimate partner homicides, 31 were adult family homicides, 23 were unexpected deaths, 11 were child deaths, and four others were deaths involving individuals living together who were not family members or intimate partners. Continue reading...

Where Spanish-flagged vessel Open Arms will dock, and how supplies will be distributed, is still unclearA ship carrying aid is nearing Gaza about 48 hours after it left Cyprus, with further aid preparations being made aboard a second much bigger" vessel. It came as the EU foreign policy chief said starvation was being used as a weapon of war.After the 240-mile voyage, the ship will dock at a jetty being built by the World Central Kitchen (WCK), the organisation that will distribute the aid.Guardian Newsroom: The unfolding crisis in the Middle East On Wednesday 20 March, 7-8.15pm GMT, join Devika Bhat, Peter Beaumont and Ghaith Abdul-Ahad as they discuss the fast developing crisis in the Middle East. Book tickets here or at theguardian.live Continue reading...

Starmer will set out new strategy for culture after analysis found 40% of recent British awards nominees were privately educatedKeir Starmer will pledge to make the arts more accessible to young people from all backgrounds in a speech stressing the economic contribution of the creative industries - and arguing it could be even greater with improved access.Speaking in London, days after a Labour analysis showed that almost half of all British cultural stars nominated for leading awards in the last decade were educated at private school, Starmer will set out an access to the arts" plan.Guardian Newsroom: What is Labour's plan? On Tuesday 16 April, 8pm-9.15pm BST, join Gaby Hinsliff, Tom Baldwin, Polly Toynbee and Kiran Stacey as they discuss the ideas and the events that might shape Labour in power. Book tickets here or at theguardian.live Continue reading...

MP says abusive words of Tory donor Frank Hester did not surprise her and that Tories have run out of options

IDF fired two rounds at clearly identifiable journalists' in Lebanon last year when there was no exchange of fire in areaAn Israeli tank that killed a Reuters journalist and wounded six others in Lebanon last year fired two 120mm rounds at a group of clearly identifiable journalists" in violation of international law, a UN investigation has found.The investigation by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), summarized in a report seen by Reuters, said its personnel did not record any exchange of fire across the border between Israel and Lebanon for more than 40 minutes before the tank opened fire, killing Issam Abdallah, a 37-year-old video journalist. Continue reading...

Plan for transitional council to rule after prime minister's resignation brings strong sense of deja vuScenes of unrest in Haiti, as Ariel Henry announced his resignation as prime minister amid a violent gang uprising, have brought a strong sense of deja vu.An international proposal for a transitional council to rule the country appeared to be crumbling on Wednesday. But those jostling for influence are familiar figures associated with political parties, coalitions, and the tiny oligarchic business elite that have been key players in the country's long-running crisis of political legitimacy. Continue reading...

Christina Robinson tells court she punished her son hours before he died, saying she was following the teachings of the BibleA mother who denies murdering her three-year-old son has admitted hitting him with a garden cane hours before he collapsed and died, saying she was following the teachings of the Bible.Christina Robinson, who is a follower of the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, had been watching a YouTube video which quoted scripture promoting the rod for correction. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Allegations of bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation' being examined, official figures showThe Ministry of Defence is facing fresh claims of harbouring a toxic culture as figures reveal that nearly 100 allegations by civil servants of bullying and harassment are being investigated. Eleven claims were made in the first month of 2024 alone.According to official government figures, 99 open cases of bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation" are currently being examined by ministry officials led by the defence secretary, Grant Shapps. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Granddaughter say she feels physically sick' after being given news by policeA bereaved woman has said she feels physically sick" after learning that her grandmother's body is believed to have been found along with the remains of 34 other people at a Hull funeral home at the centre of a police investigation.The woman said her grandmother was supposed to have been cremated three months ago but she had been told by police last week that what were suspected to be her remains had been recovered along with a name tag at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull. Continue reading...

Victoire Ingabire, who was pardoned for terrorism and genocide denial offences, denounces court's clearly politicised' rulingA Rwandan court has found the opposition leader and dissident Victoire Ingabire ineligible to run in the July presidential election because of previous convictions for terrorism and genocide denial.A fierce critic of Rwanda's long-ruling president, Paul Kagame, Ingabire spent eight years in prison before receiving a presidential pardon in 2018 that cut short her 15-year sentence. Continue reading...

Father calls on judge to block medically assisted death in case that highlights limits on family members' ability to interveneA Canadian man has called on a judge to block his 27-year-old daughter's medically assisted death, arguing she lacks the ability to fully consent to the procedure in a case that highlights the limits on family members' ability to intervene when a person has decided to die.The Alberta woman - known as MV due to a publication ban - was set to die on 1 February after receiving approval from two doctors. But her father, WV, successfully applied for an injunction, arguing that she has an undiagnosed mental illness that prevents her from fully consenting to the procedure. Continue reading...

Middlesbrough MP was placed on precautionary suspension in October over speech at pro-Palestinian rally

Unprecedented bill aimed to be passed in summer will exonerate hundreds of post office operators in England and WalesMinisters have introduced legislation to quash the convictions of hundreds of post office operators who were prosecuted during the Horizon scandal in a move described as an exceptional response to a factually exceptional situation".The government introduced a bill in parliament on Wednesday afternoon that will exonerate victims of the scandal in England and Wales. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Charities concerned at profits being made from government contracts to help victims

Richard Basson, accused of murdering Carrie Slater, said he had been defending himself in an argument, court hearsA man accused of shooting his girlfriend in the head told police she walked into a pool cue he had been brandishing at her to defend himself during an argument over half a cigarette.Richard Basson, 45, is accused of killing Carrie Slater, 37, who was taken to hospital on 21 September last year and died from a brain injury two days later. Continue reading...

Hester, who made comments widely condemned as racist, has seen his firm TPP paid over 400m by NHS and other state bodies since 2016The Conservative party's largest donor, Frank Hester, is facing calls from within the NHS to cut ties with his company after the Guardian revealed comments he made about Diane Abbott that have been widely condemned as racist.At a meeting in 2019, Hester said seeing Abbott on TV made him want to hate all black women" and that she should be shot". Hester has apologised for the remarks but denied they were motivated by race or gender. Continue reading...

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova says war could expand geographically. This live blog is closedLeonid Volkov told Reuters hours before an assailant attacked him with a hammer and tear gas outside his home in Lithuania that he and other exiles feared for their lives.Volkov, the top aide to Alexei Navalny, said leaders of the late Russian opposition leader's organisation knew they were facing high individual risks" in an interview filmed on Tuesday hours before an unidentified attacker assaulted him outside his home. Continue reading...

Latest annual accounts show supermarket paying price for debts taken on during 2021 takeover

CMA says government may have to step in to protect leaseholders, as thousands in England and Wales remain trapped in contractsBritain's competition watchdog has said ground rent is neither legally nor commercially necessary" and that government may need to step in to protect consumers from soaring costs.The housing secretary, Michael Gove, is considering capping all existing ground rents - possibly reducing them to a nominal peppercorn" level, effectively zero - and launched a consultation in early December. Continue reading...

Lai's supporters say evidence of Andy Li should not be relied upon as it was obtained through tortureA key prosecution witness in the trial of Jimmy Lai took the stand in a Hong Kong court on Wednesday, giving evidence that the UN's special rapporteur has said could be tainted because of allegations of torture.Andy Li, a computer programmer turned pro-democracy activist, gave evidence about his role in a crowdfunding campaign, Stand With Hong Kong, to rally support for the pro-democracy protests in 2019. The campaign, which ultimately raised more than $1.8m (1.4m), placed advertisements in several newspapers including the Guardian, the Washington Post and the Australian. Continue reading...

Lender nearly triples size of cost-cutting plan to 80m after autumn rescue deal

West Midlands mayor says he would return money, after No 10 says Hester's comments about Diane Abbott were racist

Rock star left Spotify in 2022 in protest over podcaster Joe Rogan, but says he can't keep up fight as Rogan broadens distribution to Apple, YouTube and AmazonNeil Young is to return his music to Spotify after keeping it off the streaming platform for more than two years.Young removed his entire catalogue from the world's biggest streaming company in January 2022, in protest against Joe Rogan whose chart-topping podcast was exclusive to Spotify. Continue reading...

Commission chief says organisation has actively condemned antisemitism as well as Islamophobia linked to Israel-Gaza war

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Coalition cites growing estimated costs, while minister cannot say how much the project will slug taxpayers

Sunshine Coast man charged with offences including rape, stalking and making child exploitation material

Former cycling champion Rohan Dennis charged with recklessly striking his wife with his car in Adelaide's inner north on 30 December

Employee of metal plant in Fukuyama spotted a trail of yellowy-brown paw prints leading away from a container of hexavalent chromiumIt could be the opening scene from a new Marvel film. Residents of a Japanese city have been warned not to approach or touch a missing cat that appears to have fallen into a vat of toxic chemicals before scampering off.The search for the unlucky feline began after an employee of a metal plating plant in Fukuyama, western Japan, arrived at work to find a trail of yellowy-brown paw prints leading away from a container of hexavalent chromium, a highly acidic carcinogen. Continue reading...

An Australian shepherd named Viking won best in show at Crufts, and the extremely smart' breed is increasingly popular for its temperament and beautyOn a property out of Tamworth in country New South Wales, the uncle of the Australian shepherd Viking - winner of the most prestigious title at the 2024 Crufts dog competition in the UK - is a champion in his own right.Bradley, who was born in Russia to the same litter as Viking's mother, is nine years old and a semi-retired multi-champion of dog shows overseas and in Australia. Continue reading...

Agency says bad intelligence led to the wrongful arrest of Nahi Al Sharify at his Sydney home in February, leaving him traumatised and distraught

Child suffered fatal gunshot wound after riots broke out at Shuafat refugee camp during RamadanA Palestinian boy has died after being shot by Israeli border police at a refugee camp in East Jerusalem in the first such fatality in the Israeli-annexed territory during Ramadan.The child - who was variously reported as being 12 or 13 years old - suffered a fatal gunshot wound during clashes between residents of the Shuafat refugee camp and police. Continue reading...