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Labour amendment calling for immediate Gaza ceasefire passes after government and SNP walkoutNew 20mph limits are helping cut speeds and will save lives, the Welsh government has insisted. PA Media says:Drivers are travelling on average 4mph slower on main roads in Wales since the rollout of a new lower speed limit for built-up areas, data collected by Transport for Wales (TfW) shows.The Welsh Labour government, which implemented the change in September last year, insists the lower speeds will lead to fewer collisions and people injured. Continue reading...

Government boycotts precedent-breaking vote that saved Labour mutiny, leaving Tory and SNP MPs to aim fury at Lindsay Hoyle

Questions about speaker's future after he causes uproar by breaking convention over Gaza motion

As situation in Gaza worsens, diplomatic pressure is mounting on UK to follow other countries and suspend arms sales to IsraelThe UK government will consider suspending arms export licences to Israel if Benjamin Netanyahu goes ahead with a potentially devastating ground offensive on the Palestinian city of Rafah in southern Gaza.As the humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened, diplomatic pressure has been mounting on the UK to follow other countries and suspend arms exports to Israel. Continue reading...

Michael Tolbert, 44, of Flint becomes first person charged under Michigan's new law requiring safe storage of gunsA Michigan man whose two-year-old daughter shot herself in the head with his revolver last week pleaded not guilty after becoming the first person charged under the state's new law requiring safe storage of guns.Michael Tolbert, 44, of Flint, was arraigned on nine felony charges including single counts of first-degree child abuse and violation of Michigan's gun storage law, said John Potbury, Genesee county's deputy chief assistant prosecuting attorney. Continue reading...

Bank increases staff bonus pool by 12% despite hit from exposure to China real estate slump

Metropolitan police and Police Scotland decide to take no further action against broadcasterThe broadcaster Dan Wootton has been cleared of alleged criminal behaviour after the Metropolitan police decided to take no action following a six-month investigation.Last October, the Met said it was investigating a 40-year-old after the force was handed a 28-page dossier in June by journalists at Byline Times. Continue reading...

Specialist divers are continuing their third day of searches for Xielo MaruzivaA two-year-old boy believed to have fallen into the River Soar has been named as Xielo Maruziva, as police continued their search on Wednesday.Xielo's parents described their son as a cheeky, funny" boy and a bundle of joy" in a statement released by Leicestershire police. Continue reading...

Journalist seeks to flip Long Island seat as a Democrat to build broadest possible coalition to defeat Donald Trump'The former Daily Beast editor and CNN anchor John Avlon announced his candidacy for US Congress in New York as a Democrat, seeking to flip a seat on Long Island, where Republicans saw surprising gains in the 2022 midterm elections.In a video announcement, Avlon said he was running to help Democrats win back the House from Donald Trump's Maga minions". Continue reading...

World Food Programme says territory is hanging by a thread' as food supplies run out and efforts to deliver aid are derailedNew fighting and a deepening breakdown in public order in northern Gaza have derailed a major humanitarian effort to avert a famine in parts of the battered territory, with senior aid officials describing an incredible level of desperation" as food supplies run out.A UN attempt to deliver 10 convoys of food aid to northern Gaza over seven days was suspended earlier this week after trucks were looted by crowds, a driver was beaten and gunfire reported amid chaotic scenes. Continue reading...

Research is based on interviews with officials and first responders, media reports and confidential sources'

Tino Chrupalla says it is unbearable' the extent to which Putin has been blamed, with similar comments from Italian deputy PM Matteo SalviniThe Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a key ally of Donald Trump, has been added to a list of terrorists and extremists" kept by Russia's state financial monitoring agency.Tass, the state-run news agency, first reported the move by Rosfinmonitoring, which allows authorities to freeze Russian bank accounts, though in Graham's case is likely to be chiefly symbolic. Continue reading...

99 of 120 lawmakers voted to support declaration passed earlier this week by cabinet and say any accord would have to be reached by direct negotiationsThe International Court of Justice in The Hague will be sitting again today to here oral arguments in the case legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem."The session is due to begin at 9am GMT. The proceedings are live streamed which you can watch here, and you can find all the documents here. Continue reading...

Johnny Mercer tells inquiry his time working under then defence secretary was very difficult'A minister has told an inquiry that he was angry with the former defence secretary Ben Wallace after discovering that UK special forces officers knew about Afghanistan death squad allegations before he described them as untrue in the House of Commons.Johnny Mercer wrote to Wallace in August 2020 shortly after emails surfaced in the Sunday Times that showed senior special forces officers expressed serious concerns about the killings of 33 people in 11 night raids in the war-torn nation in 2011. Continue reading...

Actor, who has accused two directors of raping her as a teenager, aims to break omerta' surrounding abuse in film industryJudith Godreche, an actor who has accused two high-profile directors of raping her as a teenager, will address France's most prestigious film awards ceremony on Friday in an unusual move aimed at breaking what she calls the omerta" surrounding the abuse of women and girls in the industry.Godreche, whose autobiographical hit TV show about the grooming of a 14-year-old girl has sparked a national debate, will take to the stage at the Cesar awards, the French equivalent of the Oscars, which is broadcast live on television. Continue reading...

MacIntosh, best known for playing Keith in the classic British comedy, was an absolute original', says Ricky GervaisThe actor Ewen MacIntosh, best known for playing Keith in the classic British comedy The Office, has died at the age of 50.A statement from his management company, Just Right Management, said: With great sadness we announce the peaceful passing of our beloved comedy genius Ewen MacIntosh. Continue reading...

Telecoms group agrees sale of Grade II-listed tower to US operator MCR Hotels

PM declines to say Henry Staunton lied about government's handling of payments for Horizon scandal victims

Archbishop said he could not meet Bethlehem Lutheran Munther Isaac if he shared platform with former Labour leader, Isaac saysThe archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, cancelled plans to meet the Bethlehem-based Lutheran pastor Munther Isaac, saying he could not meet him if he shared a platform with the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at a pro-Palestinian rally, the pastor has said.Isaac, the pastor of the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran church in Bethlehem, who has been highly critical of Israel in Gaza, saw his Christmas sermon go viral when he said if Jesus Christ was born today it would have been under the rubble. Continue reading...

Ksenia Khavana faces up to 20 years in prison for treason amid Kremlin crackdown

Book by Tom Baldwin also describes Labour leader's cold fury' over homophobic attack on his niece in 2022Keir Starmer was beaten up in a nightclub in Cornwall as a teenager after trying to defend one of his friends who was attacked for being gay, a new book reveals.In an incident that the book's author, Tom Baldwin, suggests demonstrates Starmer's values, the Labour leader describes how he was disgusted that his friend had been kicked out of the family home in the 1980s for being gay by his father who told him you're no son of mine". Continue reading...

Shadow minister says Commons ceasefire motion is chance to lift debate away from party politicsLisa Nandy has said Labour's amendment to the Scottish National party's motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is a moment to lift our debate up" away from party politics and speak with one voice", ahead of what is likely to be a tense Commons vote on Wednesday.On Tuesday Labour explicitly called for a ceasefire in the region for the first time since fighting broke out in October, in an attempt to defuse a fresh crisis over Keir Starmer's stance that had led to some of the party's MPs rebelling in a vote over a ceasefire in November. Continue reading...

Rapper and mogul disputes genuineness' of alleged photo of him with plaintiff, and complains over timing of lawsuitSean Combs, the rapper and mogul known as Diddy, has filed a defence against allegations that he and two others sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl at a recording studio in 2003.New paperwork filed on Tuesday, reported by Rolling Stone, wholly denied the allegations from the unnamed plaintiff, who is suing Combs, and called for the lawsuit to be dismissed. The documents state that Combs never participated in, witnessed, or was or is presently aware of any misconduct, sexual or otherwise, relating to plaintiff in any circumstance whatsoever". Combs has previously denied a range of sexual assault allegations against him, saying on X: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth." Continue reading...

Labor hits back after opposition frontbencher questions how we can be doing adequate checks' of Gaza residents seeking to come to Australia

Dummy missile's first-stage boosters reportedly did not ignite in test off coast of Florida last monthLabour has called for assurances over the effectiveness of Britain's nuclear deterrent after concerning" reports about a Trident missile test failure.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that an anomaly occurred" during an exercise that took place on 30 January onboard the nuclear-powered submarine HMS Vanguard. Continue reading...

Makalie Watts-Owens, a 24-year-old Tagalaka, Kukatja and Worimi woman, voluntarily admitted herself to St Vincent's before her death WARNING: this story contains distressing contentThe family and friends of a young Aboriginal woman who took her own life in a Melbourne hospital within hours of presenting seeking psychiatric help are calling for a full investigation into her treatment.Makalie Watts-Owens, a 24-year-old Tagalaka, Kukatja and Worimi woman who was working in the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions and studying law, voluntarily admitted herself to St Vincents hospital on Thursday 15 February and was seen that evening.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundupFor information and support in Australia call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for a crisis support line for Indigenous Australians; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. International helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Chris Jordan tells National Press Club the ATO is legally obliged to recoup historical debts affecting up to 1.8 million taxpayers

Treasurer says highest annual growth since 2009 encouraging' but expresses concern over non-compete clauses for employees

State council will also consider motion pushed by the conservative faction to reopen preselection challenge against frontbencher Paul Fletcher

Exclusive: Shift in sentiment requires EU politicians to focus on defining an acceptable peace, say authorsSupport for Ukraine among Europeans remains broad, but nearly two years after the full-scale invasion barely 10% now believe it can defeat Russia, according to an EU-wide survey - with some form of compromise settlement" seen as the most likely end point.The shift in sentiment - this time last year, more Europeans than not said Ukraine must regain all its lost territory - will demand that politicians take a more realistic" approach that focuses on defining what an acceptable peace must actually mean, the report's authors argue. Continue reading...

Factories, nightclubs, lifesavers and pigeon-fanciers to be celebrated in films and community storytellingStories of an old bacon factory in Wiltshire, a rollerskating hotspot in Birmingham and a pigeon fanciers' enclave in West Yorkshire are to be celebrated as part of an attempt to preserve England's working-class heritage.A beloved north-west nightclub, a London pub that helped launch the careers of 1970s and 80s pop and rock stars, and the bravery of a volunteer lifesaving brigade will also star in more than 50 projects funded by Historic England. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Data shows costs have contributed to value of meat exports falling by 17% since 2019Food businesses sending products to the EU have had to fork out an extra 170m in export costs because of Brexit red tape, with the changes described as being catastrophic" for some exporters.Data shared with the Guardian shows that in the three years since leaving the single market, exporters of foods of animal origin have had to pay the sums to secure sign-offs by vets before they can send their shipments. Continue reading...

Woman, 61, from Tweed Heads charged over fire at Russell Island property that killed Wayne Godinet and his five sons in 2023A 61-year-old landlord has been accused of failing to install legally required and compliant smoke alarms after a house fire claimed the lives of a father and five children.Police said the woman was the owner of the Russell Island home that burned down in August 2023, devastating the local community near Brisbane.Andrew Messenger contributed to this report Continue reading...

Lily D'Ambrosio says it's unacceptable' that AusNet's website cannot take applications from those still without power

Thinktank says juicy cuts this year follow far bigger increases in 2023 and precede planned chunky rises'Jeremy Hunt's expected pre-election giveaway budget will be sandwiched between 20bn of tax increases already implemented and a further 17bn of hikes pencilled in for after polling day, a thinktank has said.The Resolution Foundation said it expected Hunt to freeze fuel duty and cut income tax on 6 March but warned the chancellor's tax sandwich" was based on the fiscal fiction" of 30bn of spending cuts in the next parliament. Continue reading...

Man aged in his 80s kept the substance in his home after it was no longer required for another person, coroner toldA man who took a voluntary assisted dying substance intended for someone else was found dead at home by his adult daughter, an inquest has heard.I thought he was asleep in the chair. I put my arms around him. He was cold," the woman said. Continue reading...

Figures show speeds on many roads have dropped by 4mph, but critics say policy is monumental' waste of moneyWelsh ministers have claimed their controversial 20mph limit rollout has proved successful after figures suggested speeds on many roads had dropped by 4mph.However, opponents of the scheme say the modest reduction shows the policy has been a monumental" waste of money and called for it to be scrapped. Continue reading...

James Cleverly gets top civil servant to fire David Neal after clashing over series of critical reportsRishi Sunak has been accused of total Tory chaos" over immigration policies, after Britain's borders watchdog was sacked in a hastily arranged Zoom call.David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, was told by a top civil servant on Tuesday that James Cleverly was terminating his job with immediate effect. Continue reading...

Campaigners to appeal after court declines to block export licences despite concerns about human rights breaches in Gaza warThe high court has dismissed a case urging the suspension of UK arms sales to Israel.The legal challenge against the UK Department for Business and Trade was launched in December by the Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq and the UK-based Global Legal Action Network (Glan). Continue reading...

Gabriela Rodriguez, who is taking former employer to tribunal, thanks trade union for its supportThe cleaner sacked for taking a discarded 1.50 tuna sandwich from a meeting room at a top City law firm has said it was common practice" for staff to take leftovers for their own lunches.Gabriela Rodriguez was let go by contractor Total Clean for taking client property ... without authority or reasonable excuse" after she was accused of taking a sandwich from the offices of Devonshires Solicitors from a platter after a meeting. Continue reading...

The Australian writer was found guilty on espionage charges in February after spending five years in prisonAustralian writer Yang Hengjun will not appeal against the suspended death sentence imposed by a Chinese court, with his family saying further legal challenges would be detrimental to his welfare.Yang was found guilty on espionage charges in China in February after spending five years in prison. Continue reading...

Crucial vote on party's new call for humanitarian ceasefire' goes before MPs on Wednesday as thousands of protesters expected in Westminster

Johnny Mercer tells UK inquiry of reports SAS had killed civilians between 2010 and 2013The UK's minister for veterans, Johnny Mercer, has effectively admitted in front of a public inquiry that he believed members of the SAS had engaged in dozens of unlawful killings of Afghan civilians between 2010 and 2013.Mercer told the inquiry on Tuesday that at one point, shortly after first becoming a minister in 2019, Mercer said he told the then defence secretary, Ben Wallace, that something stinks". His boss replied: There is no new evidence, Johnny," and the cabinet minster chose not to take any further action. Continue reading...

Stephen Flynn says decision by Labour is long-overdue' and Starmer was forced into position by public pressure and the SNP. This live blog is closed

Campaigners accused of criminal damage after draping black fabric over the property in North YorkshireThree Greenpeace activists who draped oil-black fabric over the side of Rishi Sunak's North Yorkshire mansion, in a protest responding to his promise to max out" UK oil and gas reserves, have been charged with criminal damage.Mathieu Soete, 38, of Hackney in east London, and Amy Rugg-Easey, 33, and Alexandra Wilson, 32, of Shiremoor, North Tyneside, were each charged with a single count of criminal damage over the stunt at the prime minister's family residence last August. Continue reading...

Ilya Yashin says Vladimir Putin ordered murder of Alexei Navalny, as Russian state opens new criminal case against latter's brotherA jailed member of Russia's opposition has said he fears for his life after the death of Alexei Navalny, as the Putin critic's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, demanded the Kremlin release his body so he can be buried with dignity".Yet as the appeals came, the Russian state opened a new criminal case on Tuesday against Navalny's brother, Oleg, signalling it would continue the pressure on his family and supporters as they seek to mourn the late opposition leader. Continue reading...

Lawyers seek permission at high court to appeal against WikiLeaks founder's extraditionJulian Assange faces the risk of a flagrant denial of justice" if tried in the US, his lawyers have told a permission to appeal hearing in London, which could result in the WikiLeaks founder being extradited within days if unsuccessful.Assange, who published thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, could be jailed for up to 175 years - a grossly disproportionate punishment" - if convicted in the US, the high court heard on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Gove enjoyed VIP hospitality at football match with owner of company awarded 164m of contracts after Gove's referralMichael Gove failed to register hospitality he enjoyed with a Conservative donor whose company he had recommended for multimillion pound PPE contracts during the Covid pandemic, the Guardian can reveal.While still minister for the Cabinet Office, in August 2021 Gove was entertained to VIP hospitality at a Queens Park Rangers (QPR) football match with David Meller, whose fashion products company had been awarded 164m PPE contracts following Gove's referral in May 2020. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak's charm offensive at the NFU conference has not won over rural voters who are also skeptical of LabourFarmers often feel ignored by Westminster politicians. Now, however, as a general election heaves slowly into view and the fight for the rural vote begins, it was not a huge surprise when the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, turned up at their annual conference.Sunak told farmers: I have your back" and waxed nostalgic about the bucolic British countryside and his experience milking a cow. Continue reading...

Vote in 15-member security council was 13-1 with UK abstaining, making it the US's third veto of such a resolutionThe US vetoed an Arab-backed UN resolution on Tuesday demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in the embattled Gaza Strip.The vote in the 15-member security council was 13-1 with the UK abstaining, reflecting the wide global support for ending the more than four-month war that started with Hamas's surprise invasion of southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. Since then, more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military offensive, according to the Gaza health ministry. Continue reading...