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Politicians from Conservative and Labour parties get close protection and chauffeur-driven vehiclesThree female MPs have been given bodyguards and chauffeur-driven cars after concerns about their safety, it was reported. Representatives of the Conservative and Labour parties had their security upgraded after a risk assessment, according to the Sunday Times.The MPs, who have not been named, have been given close protection by private companies and chauffeur-driven vehicles. Many MPs are petrified by the abuse they are facing," a senior security source told the newspaper. Continue reading...

Froglets from species classed as near-threatened arrive for the second time at Cotswolds wildlife parkA frog species that is in a perilous state" due to an infectious disease has been successfully bred at a wildlife park in Oxfordshire.Keepers at the Cotswold wildlife park in Burford have again bred the near-threatened cinnamon frog, four years after it became only the second zoological collection in Europe to breed the species. Continue reading...

Ukraine's president met the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Belgium in a show of unity after recent battlefield defeatsVolodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed western leaders to Kyiv on Saturday on the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, declaring that Vladimir Putin must lose absolutely everything".Ukraine's president met the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Belgium - Giorgia Meloni, Justin Trudeau and Alexander De Croo - as well as the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Continue reading...

The sentence, passed in absentia, is part of the country's crackdown on opponents of president Kais SaiedA court in Tunisia sentenced former president Moncef Marzouki to eight years in prison in absentia as part of the country's crackdown on opponents of president Kais Saied.The judgment came as prominent opposition figure Jaouhar Ben Mbarek was sentenced to six months in prison. Continue reading...

Historic landmark closed for about an hour as activists call for ceasefire to the conflict in GazaPolice were forced to close Tower Bridge to vehicles and pedestrians following a protest by pro-Palestine demonstrators.Some activists were seen lighting flares and waving Palestinian flags and calling for a ceasefire to the ongoing violence in Gaza, according to footage on social media. The landmark was closed by City of London police at about 5.30pm on Saturday before being reopened approximately an hour later. Continue reading...

Dismay at blatant price gouging' and distrust of Woolworths and Coles are among the responses to a Guardian Australia callout

Hundreds of premature deaths of Australians experiencing homelessness a national tragedy', AMA president Prof Steve Robson says

French president greeted by whistles from hundreds of demonstrators as some clash with policeHundreds of protesting farmers clashed with police in Paris as Emmanuel Macron toured the annual agricultural fair on Saturday. The French president had opened the fair as angry farmers blew whistles and shouted insults.Riot police initially kept the protesters at a safe distance as he toured the fair, tasting honey from Normandy and cheeses from the Alps, and shaking hands with exhibitors. But as he entered the fair's livestock area, hundreds of demonstrators crashed the gates and clashed with police. Continue reading...

In Doncaster, at the insurgent rightwing party's biggest ever' gathering, one absence is on everybody' lipsOn a sunny day at Doncaster racecourse, those gathered for Reform UK's biggest ever party conference" were presented with a dizzying array of pledges to cut tax and freeze non-essential" immigration as its leading lights published a programme to save Britain". Yet even as the sun beamed down, the shadow of one absent figure seemed to hang over proceedings.There was a jubilant mood at the South Yorkshire gathering as they cheered leader Richard Tice's demands for an inquiry into vaccine harms, to break with the World Health Organization and to fire headteachers who refused to drop critical race theory". Continue reading...

Closed-door negotiations in Paris and UN efforts in New York yield conflicting reports of progress, but city of Rafah remains in Israel's firing lineA closed-door meeting of spy chiefs, military officials and diplomats has briefly renewed hopes of a potential ceasefire deal amid fierce debates at the United Nations, but observers have warned that time is running out to make progress and prevent a looming Israeli offensive on Gaza's southernmost city.The secretive talks at an unknown location in Paris involved David Barnea, the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence service, conducting separate meetings with Egyptian spy chief Abbas Kamel, head of the CIA William Burns and Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. Continue reading...

London mayor condemns Rishi Sunak for ignoring comments that accused him of being controlled by Islamists'Sadiq Khan has accused Lee Anderson of pouring fuel on the fire of anti-Muslim hatred" after the former Tory deputy chair said Islamists had got control" of London and its mayor.The mayor of London said Anderson's comments were Islamophobic and put across the notion that Muslims were fair game" when it came to racism. Continue reading...

Spokesperson for the Russian opposition politician, who died in prison last week, said funeral arrangements are still to be determinedKing Charles III praises the determination and strength" of the Ukrainian people in a message marking the second anniversary of Russia's invasion. The monarch said he was greatly encouraged" by the UK's efforts to support Ukraine and commended their true valour". He has said:The determination and strength of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire, as the unprovoked attack on their land, their lives and livelihoods enters a third, tragic, year.Despite the tremendous hardship and pain inflicted upon them, Ukrainians continue to show the heroism with which the world associates them so closely.Right now, it looks as though Russia will not take part in a first round of the conference.We're in the process of starting off with a very broad alliance consisting of the BRICS countries, countries from the Arab world, as well as from the global south. Continue reading...

RMT boss says getting rid of Tories is his number one priority' but he will not give a Labour government a free pass'Mick Lynch has said voters have to grow up a bit" and recognise Keir Starmer as the only realistic alternative to the current government, the removal of which he described as my number one priority".Last week, Labour's shadow Scottish secretary, Ian Murray, challenged prime minister Rishi Sunak to put the country out of this Tory misery" and call a general election now. Continue reading...

Remains handed to Lyudmila Navalnaya nine days after Putin critic's death in Arctic prison, say supportersThe body of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been handed over to his mother nine days after he died in an Arctic prison, his spokesperson announced on Saturday.In a post on X, Kira Yarmysh thanked all those who had demanded" the return of his body, but added that she did not know if the authorities would allow a public funeral to be held. Continue reading...

Claim by Ashfield MP that London mayor had given our capital away' to Islamists prompted widespread outrageLee Anderson has been stripped of the Conservative whip after refusing to apologise for remarks about Sadiq Khan on GB News that the London mayor described as Islamophobic, anti-Muslim and racist".The MP for Ashfield's comments on Friday night caused widespread outrage, and Khan accused the former Tory deputy chair on Saturday of pouring fuel on the fire of anti-Muslim hatred". Continue reading...

Critics of Ukraine war among dozens who may be at risk in penal system, say campaigners and journalistsJust days after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison colony, human rights activists and journalists are warning that dozens of other political prisoners may be at risk of death from deliberate abuse of ill convicts in the Russian prison system.Dmitry Muratov, the Nobel-prize winning editor of Novaya Gazeta, told the Observer that Navalny's death had sent a clarion call for the world to save the Russian political prisoners who could die next. Continue reading...

Pressure has mounted on Netanyahu government to negotiate a ceasefire and secure the release of those kidnapped on 7 October

PM says UK will renew our determination' to support Kyiv as political leaders praise country's spirit of resistance

Universities accord also urges government to dramatically scale up access to higher education for disadvantaged groupsAccess to higher education among disadvantaged Australians must be dramatically scaled up and the financial burden of studying eased if the country is to meet acute skills shortages, a major report has found.The highly anticipated universities accord final report, being released by the education minister, Jason Clare, on Sunday, was expected to lay out the blueprint for the tertiary sector over the coming decades. Continue reading...

A new biography has revealed how the Labour leader and his allies planned his challenge in advance of the electionKeir Starmer had assembled a leadership team about six months before the Ddecember 2019 general election that led to Jeremy Corbyn's resignation as Labour leader.The team, codenamed the Arlington Group", began planning in earnest how Starmer could capture the leadership from June of that year - including a detailed breakdown of how Labour's membership could be convinced to support him. Continue reading...

Desperation of people searching for food in southern areas is making journeys north unsafe, says UN

Move comes as church faces scrutiny from politicians over conversions of asylum seekers to ChristianityA review into guidance for clergy on supporting asylum seekers is under way as a matter of urgency", the Church of England's parliament has heard alongside a claim of buck-passing" between the government and the church.The church has recently faced scrutiny from politicians over conversions of asylum seekers to Christianity, with a Conservative MP even suggesting taxpayers are being scammed" by the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on the issue. Continue reading...

Government refused to publish review of system that allowed Russians now sanctioned due to Ukraine war to live in BritainThe government has been accused of a cover-up for refusing to publish a review of the so-called golden visa scheme that allowed wealthy investors, including at least 10 sanctioned Russian oligarchs, to take up residency in the UK.The Tier 1 visa scheme, whereby super-rich individuals could buy the right to live in the UK by investing in British-registered companies, was closed in February 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, amid concerns that the system was being abused. Continue reading...

Media appearances by ex-PM and former deputy Tory chair attract ire of Labour frontbench and within Tory ranksLiz Truss and Lee Anderson should both lose the Conservative whip over controversial media appearances that have caused unrest and anger within Tory ranks, campaigners and opposition politicians have said.In a letter to the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, on Friday, the shadow paymaster general, Jonathan Ashworth, said egregious" remarks made by the pair cannot go unchecked or unchallenged". Continue reading...

As teenage victims are mourned across the English city, some believe the return of youth centres would keep children saferTerre Baptiste has been checking her teenage son's whereabouts compulsively since a 16-year-old boy was fatally stabbed two weeks ago in a park a mile away from their home in the east of Bristol.It is very worrying," says Baptiste, in her living room. Bristol isn't a perfect city. But there weren't stabbings one after the other. It was few and far between. Now it is on our doorstep." Continue reading...

Three women found with fatal knife wounds in brothel, while bodies of another woman and daughter discovered in apartmentAustrian authorities are investigating the killings of four women and a 13-year-old girl in Vienna within a day, including three found stabbed to death in a brothel.The bodies of three young women were found with fatal knife wounds in a brothel in the Austrian capital's Brigittenau district on Friday night after a witness alerted police. Continue reading...

Former BBC One controller Paul Fox says anti-Catholic prejudice was deeply embedded at the corporation during the TroublesThe British public were not told the truth about the Troubles in the 1960s and 1970s because the bloody Protestants were running the BBC in Northern Ireland", the then controller of BBC One has claimed.This is the damning judgment of one of television's most distinguished former top executives, Sir Paul Fox, who was editor of Panorama and then controller of BBC One. He firmly believes this meant that British viewers were not told the truth of what was really happening in Northern Ireland and in particular to the Catholics. Continue reading...

Ofcom is accused of not treating all broadcasters the same and of dragging its feet with investigations into the rightwing channelGB News is being allowed to violate broadcasting impartiality while Ofcom is failing to take tough action against the channel, senior broadcasting veterans have claimed.They include former ITN chief Stewart Purvis and broadcaster Adam Boulton, who expressed unease over Conservative MPs fronting GB News shows, in some cases interviewing each other. They were also concerned over the prominence of Nigel Farage, who has yet to rule out an election run for Reform. Continue reading...

Two former Labour MPs are back to haunt the party in what has been called the most radioactive byelection in living memory'Every day at 10am George Galloway rallies his troops at a Suzuki showroom just outside Rochdale town centre. In one room, boxes of leaflets are piled high against second-hand cars. In another, he takes his campaign to the airwaves.Earlier this week when MPs raised fears for their safety amid the increasingly fraught votes on Gaza, Galloway told thousands of supporters online that the names of Keir Starmer's team were dripping in blood". Continue reading...

Leeds building society believes it is the first to restrict new lending for holiday homes in Norfolk and YorkshireA leading building society is trialling a ban on new holiday-let mortgages in some popular tourist destinations.Campaigners say the move by Leeds building society could improve the situation for local residents currently struggling to buy or rent in parts of Norfolk and Yorkshire that have seen a surge in the number of properties turned into holiday rentals. Continue reading...

As many as 10,000 people are disputing wills every year, according to estimates by specialist solicitorsThousands of families are becoming embroiled in a soaring number of inheritance disputes leading to a record volume of ruinously expensive" and emotionally gruelling court cases.As many as 10,000 people in England and Wales are disputing wills every year, according to estimates by specialist solicitors. In 2021-22, 195 disputes went in front of judges, up from 145 in 2017, but these are the tip of the iceberg, with most disputes settled out of court. Continue reading...

Concerns that draconian' plans, which are intended to prevent confusion among shoppers, would push up pricesDairy alternatives such as I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and Alpro's This Is Not M*lk may have to change their names if draconian" new rules to prevent shoppers confusing plant-based with real dairy products are imposed.With trading standards officials thought to be on the brink of issuing new guidance, including a ban on the use of words and phrases like m*lk", cheeze" and not milk" on labels, the Plant-based Food Alliance UK (PbFA) will next week make a last-ditch appeal to the environment secretary to intervene. Continue reading...

Ukrainian military claims it shot down Russian spy plane; Ukraine marks second anniversary of war; Russian drones kill one in Odesa attack

Agency says an unnamed supplier may have provided contaminated mulch at Cranebrook and Bardia

On 900 miles of track between the frontline and the edge of the EU, soldiers and civilians reflect on their experiencesThe opening bars of the Cossack March rang out from the platform speakers at Zaporizhzhia-1 train station, jaunty trumpets transitioning into a rousing military march, heralding the departure of train number four, the 17.53 to Uzhhorod.Carriage attendants slammed shut the heavy metal doors, a few people on the platform waved forlorn goodbyes in the evening gloom, and the train clattered off on its journey across the entire breadth of Ukraine, a 900-mile ride from close to the frontline all the way to the border with the European Union. Continue reading...

The blaze started on the first floor where electric bikes had been placed, according to officials, but the cause is still unknownAt least 15 people were killed and 44 injured in a fire at a residential building in eastern China's Nanjing city, local authorities said.The fire broke out early Friday morning, officials said at a press conference, with a preliminary investigation suggesting the blaze started on the building's first floor, where electric bikes had been placed. Continue reading...

Warnings remained in place for a group of communities west of Ballarat as crews work to get blaze under controlAt least three homes have been confirmed destroyed by a bushfire in western Victoria, with fire authorities warning that some towns remain under threat.There were fears that as many as 10 houses may have been claimed by the fire burning west of Ballarat, and watch and act" warnings remain in place for Bayindeen, Chute, Elmhurst, Mount Lonarch and surrounds, Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) said. Continue reading...

Police say three men and a woman died after vehicle left the road in Wardell, near Ballina, on Saturday morning

Urgent investment of 12.2bn needed to reverse effects of 14 years of austerity, unions sayAlmost three-quarters of schools in England are facing real-terms cuts since 2010 due to government funding decisions, analysis from a coalition of education unions has shown.New data released from School Cuts suggests before the spring budget next month that 12.2bn of investment is needed to reverse the cuts 70% of English state-funded schools have faced in the last 14 years under the Conservatives. Continue reading...

Residents tell of concerns and community spirit after discovery and removal of 500kg second world war explosiveUsually as the weekend approaches, the streets, shops and pubs around Devonport, the largest naval dockyard in western Europe, hum with life.But an eerie hush fell over the area on Friday after more than 10,000 people were evacuated from homes and workplaces so a second-world-war bomb dropped on Plymouth by the Luftwaffe could be extracted from a back garden. Continue reading...

More prematurely victorious candidates in 2024 - 15 mayors and 46 councillors - than any time since 2012

Campaigners say Ibrahima Bah should be treated as a victim of trafficking after he was forced to steer a boat. Instead he faces at least six years in jailIbrahima Bah will spend at least the next six years and three months in custody. He will do so for manslaughter, and for smuggling dozens of people into the UK on a perilous small-boat journey across the Channel during which at least four died.In the words of the migration minister Michael Tomlinson, it was right that he has been brought to justice" because Bah put dozens of lives in extreme danger by taking charge of a perilous and illegal small boat crossing". Continue reading...

Authorities lower count of victims in multi-storey fire in Valencia, with one more person considered missingSpanish police have said the final death toll from a devastating fire that tore through a 14-storey block of flats in the eastern city of Valencia is nine, with one person thought to have died now considered missing and all others accounted for.El Pais daily cited national police as saying that after forensic analysis of the bodies found in the charred building, they had lowered the number of victims from the 10 previously reported by the Spanish government's representative in the region. Continue reading...

Second world war bomb now in the water by Plymouth after its removal from a gardenThe large Naval Dockyard at Devonport and the presence of the Air Force and Army in the city made it a prime target for Hitler's Luftwaffe. The people of Plymouth experienced their first air raid alert at 12.45am on 30 June 1940.Between July 1940 and April 1944, the people of Plymouth experienced 602 alerts and 59 bombing raids, resulting in the deaths of 1174 civilians. More than 4,000 properties were destroyed with a further 18,000 damaged. Continue reading...

Children formally identified as Fares Bash, seven; Joury Bash, three; and Mohammed Bash, nine monthsThree children, including a baby, who were allegedly murdered at a house in Bristol all died of knife injuries, police have revealed.Avon and Somerset police said the siblings had formally been identified as Mohammed Bash, aged nine months, Joury Bash, three, and Fares Bash, seven. Continue reading...

Sheriff's office said victims, pronounced dead at the scene, were caught in debris and fell down the northern California hillsideTwo children were killed when a hillside collapsed along a river in northern California, which has been hit by a series of winter storms.The Shasta county sheriff's office said in a statement that the two victims were caught in debris that came down from a hillside near Shasta dam on Thursday morning and had fallen down the hillside. They were pronounced dead at the scene, the office said. Continue reading...

Government will back bill to curb spurious lawsuits often used by very rich to stop exposure of wrongdoingMinisters are to support a crackdown on spurious lawsuits aimed at intimidating journalists, academics and campaigners, known as strategic litigation against public participation, or Slapps.Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, said on Friday that the government would support a private member's bill brought by the Labour backbencher Wayne David aimed at reducing the use of Slapps in the British courts. Continue reading...

Scarlet Blake, 26, brutally attacked Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, and left him to drown in July 2021A woman who livestreamed herself killing, dissecting and blending the body of a cat before brutally attacking a man and leaving him to drown to death in a river months later has been convicted of murder.Scarlet Blake, 26, targeted Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, as he walked home from a night out in Oxford in July 2021. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Firm's denial comes after weeks of intense criticism, including accusations that it misled parliament Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastConsultancy firm KPMG Australia has rejected claims it conducted due diligence on the wrong company" before the federal government gave nearly half a billion dollars to a controversial company with no track record.The firm's objection to comments by a member of a Senate inquiry examining its conduct come after weeks of intense criticism and accusations it repeatedly misled parliament over its use of so-called power maps, which identify influential decision makers within departments.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

President faces uncertain reception at Salon d'Agriculture after weeks of protests by furious farmersMost politicians kiss babies; French leaders pat cows and make a fuss of lambs.The Salon d'Agriculture, the country's annual farm show that opens on Saturday, is a date presidents cannot afford to miss. Continue reading...