World news | The Guardian

Vertical Aerospace's total taxpayer backing rises to 37m but investors largely remain scepticalBritain's flying taxi pioneer, Vertical Aerospace, has been handed another 8m grant from the government, taking its total taxpayer backing to 37m as it tries to get its electric aircraft off the ground.The company said the funding to develop the propellers for its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVtol) aircraft was a vote of confidence" in its technology, despite recent struggles. Continue reading...

Families of three people stabbed to death welcome review into Calocane's indefinite hospital orderThe families of the three people stabbed to death in the Nottingham attacks last year have welcomed a court of appeal review of the unduly lenient" sentence of the perpetrator, Valdo Calocane.The killer was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order last month for the attacks on university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and a school caretaker, Ian Coates, 65, in the early hours of 13 June last year. Continue reading...

Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski accused of conspiring to own and try to sell Eagles manuscriptsIn the mid-1970s, the Eagles were working on a spooky, cryptic new song.On a lined yellow pad, Don Henley, with input from his band co-founder Glenn Frey, jotted thoughts about a dark desert highway" and a lovely place" with a luxurious surface and ominous undertones. And something on ice, perhaps caviar or Taittinger - or pink Champagne? Continue reading...

Environment secretary Steve Barclay says incident is deeply concerning' and reiterates government commitment to combatting antisemitismA statue of Amy Winehouse in her former home of Camden has had a pro-Palestinian sticker placed over a star of David necklace, prompting condemnation from many including environment secretary Steve Barclay.Metropolitan police acknowledged the incident would cause upset to many people", and said they were making inquiries with Camden Market to establish the circumstances and what evidence, such as CCTV footage, may be available". Continue reading...

Bank announces drop in profits to 6.6bn as it says it plans to return more to shareholders

Entertainment company pays tribute to performer's impeccable dancing' and vibrant spirit'The former Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor has died at the age of 44.He most recently appeared in the stage show Come What May, a tribute to Moulin Rouge. Continue reading...

Competition and Markets Authority launches full-scale investigation after finding costs have risenThe cost of infant milk remains at historically high" levels despite some price falls in recent months, Britain's competition watchdog has said, as it launched a full-scale investigation into baby and toddler formula.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found in November that the average price of infant formula had risen by 25% in the past two years and families could save more than 500 over the first year of a baby's life by switching to cheaper powders. The findings were part of an analysis of pricing in 10 food categories, which also included milk and ready meals. Continue reading...

Martine Moise alleged to have conspired with former PM to kill president and replace him herselfA Haitian judge in charge of the investigation into the assassination in 2021 of the country's last president, Jovenel Moise, has charged 50 people including his widow and a former prime minister, according to a document leaked to local media.According to the 122-page document from Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire, made public by AyiboPost, the president's widow, Martine Moise, conspired with the former prime minister Claude Joseph to kill the president in order to replace him herself. Continue reading...

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Exclusive: Group of London toilet cleaners and attendants at court of appeal over legality of outsourced contractsA group of toilet cleaners and attendants for London's most famous parks could be about to make legal history in the court of appeal by arguing that their outsourced contracts amounted to indirect race discrimination.While Royal Parks' mostly white in-house staff were paid at least the London living wage, its outsourced cleaners, who were almost all black, only received the minimum wage until they went on strike in 2019. Continue reading...

Senator says two emergency operations in 2019 after abscess erupted behind her tonsils have left her with speech challenges

While analysts are asking why the licence was not cancelled after the first inquiry in 2022, thousands of jobs are at stakeThe Star Entertainment Group may be about to find out how low it can go before its casino licence is cancelled.Almost 18 months since Star was fined $100m after being found unsuitable to run a casino, and after the appointment of an external manager and criticism for not taking its responsibilities seriously, the New South Wales regulator has taken action - with another review. Continue reading...

A complacent incumbent, an insurgent rightwing challenger - but key differences mean talk of wipeout may be overblownOverseas elections from more than 30 years ago are rarely hot topics of conversation in modern UK politics. But whisper Canada 1993" into a Conservative MP's ear and don't be surprised if they break into a sudden cold sweat.This is the model for the extinction-level event" experienced by a previously dominant rightwing party - one that some Tory opponents of Rishi Sunak warn he risks emulating at the next general election. Continue reading...

New data from consumer group reveals four in five shoppers say it is hard to know whether markdowns represent value for money

Prime minister James Marape to seek help from Australia to support police after the deadly killings in Enga provinceAuthorities in Papua New Guinea are bracing for an escalation of violence after dozens of men were killed in a tribal massacre on Sunday.In the wake of the killings, the prime minister, James Marape, is facing calls to declare a state of emergency to address the ongoing fighting. Continue reading...

Police said the man, found inside the chute of a bin near Westfield Tuggerah, had died at the scene

Exclusive: FOI request reveals fears many would sell up if they saw assessment of post-Brexit farming payments schemeGovernment officials have buried an analysis of the financial prospects for some of the most vulnerable farmers in the UK after realising it was almost entirely bad news, the Guardian can reveal.The analysis was to have been part of an optimistic look at the financial situation for upland farmers, some of the poorest in the country, but minutes from meetings about the plans obtained through a freedom of information request have revealed concerns were raised about the negative findings.One official commented: Could end up with no pathways to success at the end. We only want to publish if we have something which is positive to tell people."Government officials admitted that upland farmers were falling into financial crisis and may go out of business.Officials feared that when upland farmers saw the data showing how much money they would make they would sell up.Officials believed upland farmers were dismissive of the environment. Continue reading...

Independent experts to review energy firms' response to storms that left more than half a million customers without power

In defamation case brought by Mina Greiss Seven network succeeded in arguing contextual truth defence but lost argument of honest opinion

Coroner pauses inquest into death of Jarrad Antonovich, who died after drinking ayahuasca and partaking in a kambo' ritual

Proposed $4.9bn takeover of Queensland company's banking arm gets green light as tribunal rules that it will not lessen competition

Carroll says she raised intentions with police minister early due to heightened speculation and commentary'

Sgt Benedict Bryant to face charges of dangerous and negligent driving occasioning death after incident in Sydney in February 2022

Animal welfare groups say smell from the build-up of faeces and ammonia on the ship are indicative of the conditions animals endureAuthorities in Cape Town have launched an investigation after a foul stench swept over the South African city.Officials inspected sewage facilities for leaks and an environmental health team was activated before the source of the smell was discovered: a ship docked in the harbour carrying 19,000 live cattle from Brazil to Iraq. Continue reading...

Six large, heavily armed warships capable of being operated remotely, will be added to fleet under $11bn shake up which comes after damning review

Sport's governing body confirms that the three-time medallist has not breached its code of conduct

NHS bowel screening programme will offer specialist assessment every two years to people with conditionThousands of people in England with Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that increases the risk of cancer, are to be offered gamechanging" screening on the NHS.The world-first programme aims to reduce the number of cancer cases and identify them earlier when successful treatment is more likely. Continue reading...

Agricultural sector hit by post-Brexit turmoil with protests over trade deals, environmental legislation and rising costsRishi Sunak will promise farmers the largest ever" grant scheme tomorrow, as well as the creation of a food security index, after criticism that Brexit trade deals and poor responses to flooding and rising costs have put England's ability to feed itself at risk.Against a backdrop of turmoil in the agricultural sector, with farmers in the UK and across the continent causing havoc with tractor protests against environmental regulations and a perceived lack of support, Sunak will respond to farmers' calls for a commitment from government that the UK's food self-sufficiency will remain at or exceed the current estimated level, which is about 60%. Continue reading...

Washington supports appeal with draft resolution to UN security council calling for temporary ceasefireThe US has proposed a UN security council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire and for Israel not to go ahead with a planned offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza.The draft text marks the first time the US has explicitly backed a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, though it adds that the temporary truce should be begun as soon as practicable", leaving some room for manoeuvre by the Israeli military. Continue reading...

People urged to avoid location for their own safety' as officers search River Soar for missing two-year-oldThe search for a two-year-old boy who fell into a river in Leicester will continue overnight as police urged the public to avoid the dangerous" waters.People were told not to jeopardise the very professional, very coordinated" search as specialist divers searched for the boy on Monday night, more than 24 hours after he fell into the River Soar at Aylestone Meadows nature reserve, which had flooded during recent heavy rain. Continue reading...

Leo Docherty, Foreign Office minister, says government working at pace' to hold those responsible for Russian opposition leader's death to accountNo 10 has declined to repeat Kemi Badenoch's claim that the former chair of the Post Office gave an interview full of lies" about the conversation she had when she sacked him.At the morning lobby briefing, the PM's spokesperson would not adopt the language used by Badenoch in a post on X yesterday and instead claimed that Badenoch believes that the account of what she said given by Henry Staunton is a misrepresentation".Obviously this referred to a conversation that she had with Henry Staunton, and you'll have seen her words on this; she's very clear that the interview that he gave was a misrepresentation of her conversation with him and the reasons for his dismissal.And the government has being clear, and will refute the allegations [that it wanted to slow down compensation to victims]. The government has taken action to speed up the compensation to victims, and we've consistently encouraged postmasters to come forward with their claims. Any suggestions otherwise [are] not correct. Continue reading...

Business minister criticises Henry Staunton after he claimed the government wanted to stall payouts to scandal victimsKemi Badenoch has accused the Post Office chair she sacked of a blatant attempt to seek revenge" after he made explosive allegations about the government's handling of the Horizon scandal.The business secretary launched an extended attack on Henry Staunton in the Commons on Monday, and claimed that he was under investigation for bullying when she fired him. Continue reading...

Maksim Kuzminov, who changed sides in secret operation, killed after allegedly moving to Alicante, reports suggestA Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine last year in a secret operation has been found dead in Spain, according to the main military intelligence agency in Kyiv.Reports in Russian and Spanish media on Monday said Maksim Kuzminov was found dead after allegedly moving to the town of Villajoyosa in Alicante on the Mediterranean coast, in an area popular with holidaymakers. His body was discovered last Tuesday, it was said, on the car park ramp underneath an apartment block. Continue reading...

Widow of Alexei Navalny says she wants to build a free Russia' and says she will reveal why Putin killed him'Yulia Navalnaya has published a video address in which she vowed to continue her late husband's political work and called on Russians to rally around her as Alexei Navalny's family were told they would not get access to his body for another two weeks.I will continue Alexei Navalny's work ... I want to live in a free Russia, I want to build a free Russia," Navalnaya said in a powerful nine-minute video published on social media. Continue reading...

Scottish first minister says raising and extending windfall tax would be throwing workers on scrapheap'Humza Yousaf has accused Labour of behaving like Margaret Thatcher by throwing oil and gas workers on the scrapheap", as he announced the Scottish National party would not back proposals for extending the fossil fuel windfall tax.In a campaign speech delivered in Aberdeen, the UK's oil capital, Scotland's first minister accused Labour of risking 100,000 jobs after Keir Starmer promised a proper" windfall tax on oil and gas firms this month when he scaled back his party's 28bn green investment pledge. Continue reading...

Riyad al-Maliki tells international court of justice that Israel has subjected Palestinians to decades of discrimination and apartheidThe Palestinian foreign minister, Riyad al-Maliki, has accused Israel of colonialism and apartheid" at a world court hearing on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands since 1967.For over a century, the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self determination has been denied and violated," Maliki told a bench of judges at the international court of justice (ICJ), the UN's highest court, in The Hague. Palestine was not a land without people. It was not, as Israeli leaders have described it, a wasteland. There was life on this land." Continue reading...

Gabriela Rodriguez cleaned the offices of Devonshires Solicitors for two yearsA cleaner is taking legal action against a top City law firm for indirect race discrimination after being fired for eating a leftover tuna sandwich from a discarded platter.Gabriela Rodriguez from Ecuador cleaned the offices of Devonshires Solicitors for two years. Continue reading...

Minister says fighting will reach southern border city if remaining hostages not released in next few weeks

Ministers hope a registration scheme for holiday lets on sites such as Airbnb will increase the supply of homes for localsNew rules for short-term holiday lets in England were unveiled by the government on Monday, with the aim of reining in a sector that campaigners claim is out of control".Amid growing concern about an explosion in the number of properties being let out on a short-term basis, leading to local residents being pushed out of their communities, ministers are proposing to introduce a registration scheme for holiday lets, and will also require them to get planning permission. Continue reading...

Failure to tackle post-pandemic needs was massive missed opportunity', say council directors

Defendant, 31, met two female tourists on a hiking path in Marienbrucke and lured them off the trail, prosecutors sayAn American man has admitted to charges of murder and rape after he allegedly pushed two US women down a ravine, fatally injuring one of them, near Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany last year.The 31-year-old defendant admitted to the charges during the start of his trial, the German news agency dpa reported. Defendants in the German legal system do not formally enter pleas to charges. Continue reading...

MoD conducts review but stands accused of conflict of interest while public inquiry investigates conduct of SAS in AfghanistanElite Afghan commandos who fought alongside the British military have had their applications to relocate blocked by UK special forces despite evidence that they had served alongside them in dangerous missions against the Taliban.Documents leaked and shared with BBC Panorama show that Britain's secretive special forces were given a veto power over resettlement, prompting claims that hundreds of Afghan veterans have been left in limbo or danger in their native country. Continue reading...

Florence museum boss compares process to cleaning a bathroom as media are granted privileged accessMichelangelo's David is recognised as one of the most sublime works in the history of sculpture, but according to the director of Florence's Accademia Gallery, dusting it is much like cleaning a bathroom.You know when you clean a bathroom, you clean and clean and think you've done a great job but then you spot some dust and wonder where did that come from?'," Cecilie Hollberg said on Monday. This is what it's like. Dust is everywhere." Continue reading...

Nato's newest member, which shares 830-mile border with Russia, plans to open hundreds of new shooting rangesFinland plans to open more than 300 new shooting ranges to encourage more citizens to take up the hobby in the interest of national defence.It is hoped that shooting in the Nordic country - which last year became Nato's newest member and which shares a 830-mile (1,330km) border with Russia - could become as popular as football or ice hockey. Continue reading...

42-year-old woman held on suspicion of their murder sustained non-life-threatening injuriesThree children found dead at a suburban semi-detached house in Bristol were a seven-year-old boy, a girl of three and a 10-month-old boy, police have said.Avon and Somerset police said on Monday that a 42-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of their murder also sustained injuries but that they were not life-threatening. Continue reading...

Carved wooden tabot has been at Abbey since British forces looted it at Battle of Maqdala in 1868Westminster Abbey has agreed in principle" to returning a sacred tablet to the Ethiopian Orthodox church, igniting a debate around restitution claims made by the East African nation.The tabot - a blackened flat piece of wood featuring a carved inscription that symbolically represents the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments - has been at the Abbey since British forces returned with it from the Battle of Maqdala, where it was looted in 1868. Continue reading...

Defensive maritime security operation launched in Red Sea and Gulf as crew evacuated from Belize-flagged ship and UK maritime body reports another attack

Johannesburg-based Amplats says one-in-five jobs will be cut in South Africa amid plunge in profitsThe platinum arm of Anglo American is to cut 3,700 jobs in South Africa as the British mining company attempts to improve performance in the troubled division.Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) said on Monday it aimed to cut jobs after a sharp drop in platinum metal prices, which had led to a collapse in profits last year. Continue reading...

Call made for more ambitious legislation to protect children from harmful content on tech platformsBanning mobile phones in England's schools will not address the harms caused by tech platforms to children, according to leading internet safety campaigners.Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell, and Beeban Kidron, an influential figure in online regulation, said limiting phone use in schools would do nothing to make social media services safer. Continue reading...

Ibrahima Bah, who told jury he had been forced by people-smugglers to pilot boat, convicted of manslaughterA man who piloted a small boat across the Channel on a crossing during which at least four fellow passengers drowned has been found guilty of manslaughter.Ibrahima Bah was convicted by a jury at Canterbury crown court on Monday after a retrial. The court had heard Bah's claim to have piloted the boat under duress from a people-smuggling gang. Continue reading...