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Croatian Democratic Union and second-placed Social Democratic party both hoping to form governmentCroatia is heading for an extended period of political uncertainty after the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) emerged victorious in the parliamentary election, but with fewer seats than before and without a majority.Led by Andrej Plenkovi, who has served two terms as prime minister, HDZ won 61 seats in the 151-seat assembly with the votes from 99.8% of polling stations counted, the state electoral commission said on Thursday, down from 66 seats in the previous parliament. Continue reading...

Harry Potter star described wife, who founded dwarfism charity Little People UK, as greatest love of his life'Samantha Davis, the campaigner and wife of the Harry Potter star Warwick Davis, whom he called his soul mate", has died aged 53.Davis, who founded Little People UK - the dwarfism charity known as an essential resource for little people and their families" - was described by her husband as the greatest love of his life". Continue reading...

Mark Menzies allegedly spent 14,000 of campaign funds on medical costs and demanded 6,500 from aide to escape captors'A Conservative MP has lost the party whip over allegations he misused campaign funds and demanded thousands of pounds from an aide to pay off bad people" in the middle of the night.Mark Menzies, 52, was suspended from the Tory parliamentary party on Wednesday night while an investigation is carried out. Continue reading...

Study from University of California, Irvine and Brigham and Women's Hospital shows prison mortality rate spiked at least 50%When the Covid-19 pandemic began, it wasn't hard to predict that incarcerated people would be at higher risk. Many prisons and jails are crowded, dirty places with inconsistent access to healthcare - breeding grounds for the highly infectious virus. But the job of documenting the deaths has fallen to a patchwork of research groups and reporters.Now, a national study from one of these collaborations, between the University of California, Irvine and Brigham and Women's Hospital, shows that at the peak of the pandemic in 2020, people inside prisons died almost three-and-a-half times more frequently than the free population. Continue reading...

There were 830,000 unwanted moves in England over the past 12 months, meaning 40% have been forced to relocateUnwanted home moves cost renters over half a billion pounds a year, with tenants coughing up an average of 669 every time they are forced by landlords to leave their home, a survey has revealed.Analysis by the homelessness charity Shelter estimated that there had been 830,000 unwanted moves in England over the past 12 months, meaning 40% of renters who move house are doing so because they have been compelled to look for other accommodation. Continue reading...

Media executive's exit comes as broadcaster faces a number of controversies

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Dani Mansour, 19, charged after allegedly filming himself damaging two police vehicles amid anger over stabbing of bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel

Advocates say the boy took his own life, leaving his family devastated' and triggering a coronial inquest

Police say the sheep was shot dead after confronting officers called to the property in Waitakere, west of Auckland

Demand for private treatment booms as NHS waiting lists remain long, while more people also sign up for dental coverBritain's health cover market has grown by 385m in a year as the NHS crisis prompted more people to seek out private medical treatment and demand for dental insurance increased, according to a report.The total health cover market, including medical and dental insurance and cash plans, grew 6.1% to 6.7bn in 2022, the latest year for which figures are available, according to the health data provider LaingBuisson. Continue reading...

Disappointment and frustration as parliamentary inquiry into youth justice reform degenerates into a squabble'

Former secretary of the home affairs department recommends preparation of a war book' to allocate roles in the event of conflict

The US talks of Aukus as binding' the allies for decades to come, but Richard Marles says Australia must become more self-reliant'Australia's defence overhaul has accelerated some projects and cut others and has already prompted a plea from China to abandon a cold war mentality".But as the dust settles on a plan to increase overall military spending, the Albanese government has also sent some significant signals on how it sees the future of the Indo-Pacific region - and these aren't exactly how Australia's top security ally, the US, might see things. Continue reading...

Rate rose among middle-class women aged 18 to 45 and fell among working-class women of same ageThe number of younger middle-class women who smoke has jumped 25% over the past decade, according to research.Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and illness in the UK and accounts for 76,000 deaths annually. Experts from UCL examined data from nearly 200,000 adult participants in the Smoking Toolkit Study, a monthly survey of adults in England. Just over 44,000 were women aged 18-45. Continue reading...

Charities will offer free childcare essentials such as nappies and bedding, says Khan, promising to support city residents from birthBaby banks could be rolled out in every London borough for families to access free essentials for their children, as part of Sadiq Khan's bid to win a historic third term.The London mayor will launch his safer, fairer, greener London" manifesto in south-east London, pitching how his policies will support young Londoners from birth to securing a job and finding an affordable home to buy or rent. Continue reading...

Pope Francis to attend installation that includes short film featuring Zoe Saldana and Giudecca inmatesOriginally a convent dating to the 13th century, and once a reformatory for prostitutes, the Giudecca women's prison, set on an island in the Venetian lagoon, will this summer perform a quite different role: as the official pavilion for the Vatican at this year's Venice Biennale.Pope Francis is due to attend on 28 April - the first pontifical visit to the Biennale since it was founded in 1895. In the women's prison he will see a work by Maurizio Cattelan, who notoriously created a hyper-real sculpture in 1999 depicting Pope John Paul II struck down by a meteorite. Continue reading...

The prime minister says we need to do much better for the younger generation'

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel makes his first comments from hospital where he is being treated

Exercises starting on Monday will be the first to be held outside Philippines' territorial waters, and come amid a rise in tensions in the South China SeaPhilippine and US forces will carry out their first ever military exercises outside the south-east Asian country's territorial waters, in a move China has said will only lead to greater insecurity in the South China Sea.The annual Balikatan or shoulder-to-shoulder" drills - which will run from 22 April to 10 May - will involve 16,700 soldiers simulating retaking enemy-occupied islands in areas facing Taiwan and the South China Sea. Continue reading...

Retailer says it is filling advice gap on subjects such as menstruation and hormones amid wellness-focused revampIt used to be known mainly as a destination for dried fruit and vitamin tablets but now women can get advice on period pain, mood swings and sleep while shopping in Holland & Barrett.The retailer has trained 600 staff to act as women's health coaches after its research revealed demand for broader support on hormonal and menstrual issues, with menopause the tip of the iceberg". Continue reading...

Uri Berliner exits days after publication of an essay saying news organization no longer has an open-minded spirit'An editor at National Public Radio who publicly accused the news organization of having a liberal bias and a growing absence of viewpoint diversity" has resigned, days after being suspended without pay.On Wednesday, Uri Berliner posted a screenshot of his resignation letter to NPR's CEO, Katherine Maher, in which he wrote: I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years." Continue reading...

After decrying state supreme court ruling on ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, lawmakers ensure its potential to take effectAfter days of nationwide debate over the Arizona supreme court's recent decision to uphold a near-total abortion ban from the 19th century, Arizona's Republican-controlled statehouse has again quashed an effort to repeal the ban.Republicans, who hold a one-seat majority in both the Arizona house and senate, on Wednesday shot down a procedural measure in the statehouse that would have enabled the chamber to vote on a bill to repeal the ban. Just one Republican, the representative Matt Gress, voted with the house's 29 Democrats, but the 30-30 split was not enough to move forward. Continue reading...

Relief had been granted after president Nicolas Maduro promised to hold free and fair elections this yearThe Biden administration has reimposed crushing oil sanctions on Venezuela, admonishing the president Nicolas Maduro's attempts to consolidate his rule just six months after the US eased restrictions in a bid to support now fading hopes for a democratic opening in the Opec nation.A senior US official, discussing the decision with reporters, said any US company investing in Venezuela would have 45 days to wind down operations to avoid adding uncertainty to global energy markets. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss US policy deliberations. Continue reading...

IDS shares rise after reports that it rejected bid from Daniel Ketinsky's EP Group

Legislation to go back to Commons after peers stand up for rights of Afghans and scrutiny of refugees' treatmentThe parliamentary battle over Rishi Sunak's Rwanda deportation bill will spill into next week after the Lords refused to budge over the rights of Afghans and scrutiny of the treatment of refugees in east Africa.The move prompted an immediate backlash from the home secretary, James Cleverly, who blamed Labour for blocking the bill and being terrified" that the Rwanda plan would stop asylum seekers from travelling to the UK in small boats. Continue reading...

Move follows vote in Commons where MPs voted down four amendments inserted by Lords yesterdayHere is the list of MPs down to ask a question.PMQs is starting soon. Continue reading...

More than 800 people evacuated from Mount Ruang as alert level raised to four - highest in four-tier systemAuthorities in Indonesia have issued a tsunami alert after a volcano erupted several times in the country's southernmost region, spewing a column of smoke more than a mile into the sky and forcing hundreds of people to be evacuated from their homes.Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano in North Sulawesi province, first erupted at 9.45pm local time on Tuesday and then four times on Wednesday, Indonesia's volcanology agency said. Continue reading...

Alexander De Croo and Petr Fiala raise concerns about Russian interference as EU heads gather with Middle East also on the agendaFurther restrictive measures against Iran following Tehran's attack on Israel will be discussed over dinner tonight when the EU's leaders meet in Brussels.On the table are potential measures to impose sanctions on Iran's missile and drone programmes as well as Russia-style sanctions on individuals or companies that support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Man whose uncle died in 2017 disaster describes ad for pain relief gel Voltarol as insulting'Grenfell Tower has been edited out of a TV advert in a move described as insulting" by a family bereaved by the June 2017 disaster.Karim Mussilhy, whose uncle Hesham Rahman was among 72 people who died as a result of the fire, noticed the edit while watching the Channel 4 streaming service on Monday when an advert for the pain relief gel Voltarol showed people playing football on the Westway football pitches close to the council block. Continue reading...

Carers say Department for Work and Pensions warns financial penalties could increase if they challenge repayment ordersGovernment officials have been accused of using threatening and cruel" tactics towards unpaid carers by saying they could face even greater financial penalties if they appeal against vindictive" benefit fines.This month a Guardian investigation revealed that thousands of people who look after disabled, frail or ill relatives have been forced to pay back huge sums after being chased by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over honest mistakes" that officials could have spotted years earlier. Continue reading...

Shock in Brazil after woman is arrested and charged with violating a corpse and attempted theft through fraudWhen Erika de Souza Vieira wheeled her lethargic-looking uncle into a Brazilian bank, clerks quickly sensed something was amiss.I don't think he's well. He doesn't look well at all," remarked one distrustful employee as Vieira tried to get her elderly relative to sign off on a 17,000 reais ($3,250) loan. Continue reading...

IDF confirms buying thousands of tents for evacuation, raising fears over long-threatened attackIsrael has reportedly deployed extra artillery and armoured personnel carriers to the Gaza Strip periphery, suggesting that the military is preparing for its long-threatened ground offensive on Rafah, the only place of relative safety for at least 1.4 million displaced Palestinian civilians.Israeli daily Ma'ariv also said on Wednesday that troops had been put on alert and the governing principle of the operation" had been approved by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) general staff and Yoav Gallant, the defence minister. The IDF declined to comment on the reports. Continue reading...

Allan Leighton denies having received any warnings that the Horizon IT system was unreliableA former chair of Royal Mail has apologised for the tragic and diabolically unfair" prosecutions of post office operators, but denied ever having been informed of suspected problems with the Post Office's faulty Horizon computer system.Allan Leighton, who chaired Royal Mail from 2002 to 2009, when it also owned the Post Office, told a statutory inquiry that had absolutely not" received any warnings that the Horizon system was unreliable. Continue reading...

UK foreign secretary is probably first non-Israeli politician to admit military reprisal is inevitable but urges Israel not to escalateDavid Cameron has said it is clear Israel is making a decision to act" in response to last weekend's Iranian mass drone and ballistic missile attack, as Benjamin Netanyahu brushed off calls for restraint and said his country would make its own decisions about how to defend itself.Lord Cameron, the UK foreign secretary, speaking on a visit to Jerusalem, said he hoped the Israeli response would be carried out in a way that minimised escalation. Continue reading...

Record sum follows almost 320,000 train services being cancelled or part cancelled in past year in Britain

Andrzej Duda's visit comes as European leaders prepare for Trump's possible return to White HouseAndrzej Duda, Poland's conservative president, is expected to meet Donald Trump in New York on Wednesday evening, as some European politicians begin preparing for Trump's possible return to the White House.Many mainstream European leaders fear the potential impact of a US that is less engaged on the continent, and less committed to the future of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Actor had accused publisher of unlawful information-gathering in case that was due to go to trial alongside Prince Harry next yearHugh Grant has said he has settled a high court claim against the publisher of the Sun for an enormous sum".The actor had accused the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sun of phone hacking, unlawful information-gathering, landline tapping, bugging his phone and burgling his flat and office. His case was due to go to trial at London's high court in January 2025, alongside those of other high-profile individuals including Prince Harry and the Labour peer Doreen Lawrence. Continue reading...

Letter by William DeHart Hubbard, first black athlete to win an individual gold medal at tournament, is arriving in UK for first time everFor many people, the 1924 Paris Olympics will - thanks to the 1981 film Chariots of Fire - always be associated with slow-motion images of British runners beating the Americans against the odds, while Vangelis's haunting score plays in the background.But an exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, timed to coincide with the event's return to the French capital, aims to show that the Parisian games a century ago were a turning point, not just for British athletics, but also for race, politics and the rise of celebrity. Continue reading...

Steve Green says vehicle, bought in Australia in 1998, is on way to totting up million milesThe owners of VW campervans often become deeply attached to their characterful vehicles, regarding them as companions in adventure, workhorses, part of the family.But Steve Green is prouder than most of his van - rejoicing in the name Cecil - which is well on the way to totting up a million miles and still gainfully employed clearing the Cornish coast of plastic. Continue reading...

President says attack would not have happened if Ukraine had received sufficient air defence equipment'Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Polish president Andrzej Duda on Wednesday in New York, reports the Associated Press (AP).

Benjamin Netanyahu's comments came after UK foreign minister David Cameron and his German counterpart travelled to Israel for talks

Existence of whistleblower allegations added to scandal over Horizon computer systemThe Post Office has said that its chief executive, Nick Read, has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an investigation after the existence of whistleblower allegations was dramatically revealed in parliament.Read has been exonerated of all the misconduct allegations" brought by a whistleblower following an investigation by an external barrister. Continue reading...

Lloyds Bank says more than 600 of its customers have been tricked by fraudsters so farA rise in fraud cases involving Taylor Swift fans desperate to buy tickets to her sold-out UK shows has prompted Lloyds Bank to issue an urgent warning" after more than 600 of its customers were scammed.With the superstar due to arrive in Europe next month, the high street bank said its data suggested that UK fans had lost more than 1m to fraudsters so far. Continue reading...

Lords also press ministers to allow independent Rwanda monitoring as deportation bill returns to Commons

Campaign that began in Michigan aims to push president towards a ceasefire in Gaza even as critics say Trump could benefitThe uncommitted national campaign has brought in nearly half a million dollars to finance the movement that is aiming to push Joe Biden towards a ceasefire in Gaza.The shoestring movement started in Michigan's presidential primary, where more than 100,000 voters cast ballots for uncommitted, a signal to the Biden campaign that he is out of step with his likely voters on the war in Gaza. Since then, other states - such as Minnesota, Washington and Wisconsin - picked up the idea, organizing rapidly to turn out people who wanted to send Biden a message. Continue reading...

GMP says investigation does not imply hard and fast evidence', as Labour says it is confident Rayner complied with rules

An investigation is under way after reports alleging horses had been butchered at a private property near the NSW regional city

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Military funding to undergo major shake-up Albanese government says will ensure ADF can project power further from Australian shores