Five arrested after Salwan Momika reportedly killed during TikTok live stream, hours before trial verdict dueSweden's prime minister has said a foreign power may have been involved in the fatal shooting of an anti-Islam campaigner just hours before a trial verdict over his burning of the Qur'an was due.Police arrested five people over the killing of Salwan Momika, 38, who was shot late on Wednesday in a house in the town of Sodertalje, near Stockholm. Authorities did not say whether the shooter was among those detained. Continue reading...
Trump's pick for health secretary says I don't think anybody can say' Covid vaccines saved millions of livesRobert F Kennedy Jr's nomination to lead America's top health agency faced strong headwinds as he struggled to provide clear answers on his past vaccine statements for a second straight day of bruising hearings on Capitol Hill.In a tense back-and-forth before the Senate health committee on Thursday morning, Kennedy dodged direct questions about whether he still believes vaccines cause autism, despite extensive scientific evidence to the contrary. When pressed by Senator Bernie Sanders about studies showing Covid-19 vaccines saved millions of lives, Kennedy claimed we don't have a good surveillance system" and said I don't think anybody can say that." Continue reading...
A number of people believed comedian would always get his way and therefore they stayed silent', review findsThe BBC has apologised after a review found a number of individuals had concerns about Russell Brand's behaviour during his time with the broadcaster which they felt unable to raise, believing the presenter would always get this own way and therefore they stayed silent".Brand, 49, denies historic allegations of rape, assault and emotional abuse, and has previously said all his sexual relationships were absolutely always consensual", following a September 2023 investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches which revealed four women had accused him of sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can find more of our European news coverage hereA spokesperson for the European Commission has just been asked about the German motion at their daily midday press briefing:Here is his answer in full:As you know, we don't comment on political debates, drafts and announcements, and I will not do that today.We will look at the texts when they're ready. Continue reading...
GDP grew by 2.3% in last quarter of 2024, down from 3.1% rate of growth in previous quarterThe growth of the US economy slowed in the last quarter, but capped another robust year of expansion, as Donald Trump pledges to lead a historic revival and bring down prices for millions of Americans.Gross domestic product (GDP) - a broad measure of economic health - grew by 2.3% in the last three months of 2024, according to official data released on Thursday; down from the 3.1% rate of growth in the previous quarter. Continue reading...
Online gambling firm's service issues' left bettors apparently unable to cash out' on busy night in European footballThe online gambling company Bet365 has been flooded with complaints after it suffered an outage during one of the busiest nights of European football this season.Customers claimed to have lost out on thousands of pounds owing to what the company called issues with our service" during the second half of Wednesday night's 18 Champions League games. Continue reading...
Largest price hike since privatisation is even more than the 86 predicted by Ofwat as companies add inflation on topWater bills will rise by an average of 123 this year in the biggest hit to customer pockets since the industry was privatised 36 years ago, as the public pays to replace ageing infrastructure and cut record sewage pollution.The price hike for millions of customers in England and Wales from 1 April will take the annual average bill from 480 to 603, and is higher than the 86 rise predicted by the regulator Ofwat in December, because water companies are adding inflation on top. Continue reading...
by Ruth Michaelson and Obaida Hamad in Suwayda on (#6TXZ9)
Assad's fall welcomed in southern province of Suwayda but community continues to press Damascus caretaker governmentSuwayda is well-equipped for protests. The central square of the city, home to one of Syria's larger minority communities, hosts the crowds of weekly - or sometimes even daily - demonstrators calling for the representation and public services they have demanded for years.Long before the fall last month of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the southern province of the same name had become a byword for resistance to rule by Damascus, unafraid to protest despite Assad's crackdown on dissent and his hollow pledges to protect communities like theirs. Continue reading...
Attempts in Japan to retrieve the man were temporarily halted early on Wednesday after a second sinkhole appearedRescue workers in Japan are battling water leaks, gas pipes and unstable ground as they attempt to reach a man whose truck fell into a sinkhole near Tokyo two days ago.The hole, which is reportedly 10 metres across and 10 metres deep, opened up at an intersection in Yashio, Saitama prefecture, on Tuesday morning, swallowing the 74-year-old truck driver and his two-tonne vehicle. Continue reading...
Removal follows batches being pulled from shelves across continental EuropeA small number" of cans of Coca-Cola and Appletiser have been recalled in the UK after testing abroad revealed elevated levels of the chemical chlorate.The recall includes imported multipacks of 250ml Appletiser cans, which were sent only to UK supermarkets, and imported cans of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, which were sent to cafes and restaurants during a limited time period. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6TXCR)
Health committee criticises Amanda Pritchard's evidence after scathing report from another Commons committeeThe head of the NHS in England is under fresh fire after a second influential group of MPs in barely 12 hours accused her of lacking the drive and dynamism" to radically reform the service.The cross-party Commons health and social care committee criticised Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, after taking detailed evidence from her on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6TXN9)
Judge rejects attempt to strike out publisher's defences after hearing application was absolutely hopeless'Noel Clarke has suffered a blow in his legal action against the Guardian after a high court judge rejected his attempt to strike out the publisher's defences in the case.In central London on Wednesday the actor and producer sought to prevent the Guardian relying on the defences of truth and public interest at a trial for defamation and data protection, but Mrs Justice Steyn rejected the application after hearing that it was absolutely hopeless". Continue reading...
Appointment of former leader of group that led operation to topple Assad comes amid other political changesThe former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist rebel group which led the military operation to topple the former president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, last month, has been appointed president of Syria for a transitional period".The appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has been acting as the de-facto leader of the country since early December, came after a meeting of rebel faction leaders on Wednesday and was announced by a military spokesperson. Continue reading...
Mary Grimes, Avril Monaghan, Maura Monaghan and Avril's unborn twins died in 1998 attack, inquiry hearsA family from which women of three generations were killed in the Omagh bombing have spoken about the immeasurable pain caused by the atrocity and said they hope no other family suffers as they have.They were speaking at a public inquiry established to determine whether the attack, the worst in the Troubles in Northern Ireland, could have been prevented. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6TXJ5)
Georgia Venables, who allegedly had sticker on her car featuring C-word, has pleaded not guilty to single chargeA woman is to stand trial after pleading not guilty to displaying a threatening bumper sticker on her car.Georgia Venables, of Prenton Place in Chester, allegedly had a sticker on her car that read: Don't be a cunt." Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6TXFX)
Zhenhao Zou, 27, a Chinese national, is accused of attacking women after stupefying' them with drink or drugsA PhD student accused of raping 10 women drugged his victims before filming his attacks as souvenirs" for his own sexual gratification", a court has heard.Zhenhao Zou, 27, a Chinese national, was described as seemingly charming and smart, but was in fact a predator, voyeur and rapist" who ignored pleas from his victims to stop, a jury was told. Continue reading...
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereAngela Giuffrida writes from RomeThere's much debate in Italy today as the country absorbs the news that prime minister Giorgia Meloni is under investigation over the unexpected release and repatriation last week of a Libyan warlord wanted for war crimes by the international criminal court. Continue reading...
Bassim Haidar says Nigel Farage's party worth considering' and Mohamed Amersi says energy at event was electric'Two major Conservative donors, Bassim Haidar and Mohamed Amersi, paid 25,000 each to attend a Reform fundraising dinner on Tuesday night, and sources say the party brought in pledges of more than 1m beforehand from businesspeople.Reform sources said ticket prices ranged from 10,000 for the dinner to 25,000 for a seat at the top table with Nigel Farage at Oswald's in Mayfair, central London. Continue reading...
Shares jump 15% in pre-market trading after president's social media startup announced launch of Truth.FiDonald Trump's social media startup has announced plans to branch out into financial services including cryptocurrencies, drawing the president's business empire further into crypto as his administration looks to boost the space.Shares in Trump Media & Technology Group, owner of Trump's Truth Social platform, jumped 15% during pre-market trading after it announced the launch of Truth.Fi, a financial technology brand Truth.Fi, in a brief statement. Continue reading...
Buckley space force base in Aurora will be used by Ice to process and detain undocumented immigrantsThe US military is allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) to process and detain arrested undocumented immigrants at Buckley space force base in Colorado, according to multiple reports and a statement by the US Northern Command on Tuesday.A spokesperson for the US Northern Command said in a statement shared by CBS News on Tuesday that, at the request of the Department of Homeland Security, facilities at Buckley space force base in Aurora, Colorado, had been made available to Ice officials for immigration operations starting on Monday 27 January. Continue reading...
Search under way after John Matthew Nigh, facing attempted murder charges, fled Craven county jailA search is under way for an inmate who escaped a North Carolina jail through its ventilation system, police have said.John Matthew Nigh, 37, was determined to be missing from the Craven county jail in New Bern, North Carolina, on Monday afternoon. Authorities say Nigh managed to remove a grating to wriggle into the ventilation system and onto the roof. Continue reading...
Letter to Ursula von der Leyen urges European Commission not to weaken enforcement of DSA and DMAA coalition of NGOs has urged the president of the European Commission not to be bullied by Donald Trump and Elon Musk into weakening the enforcement of the EU's tech regulations.The letter to Ursula von der Leyen comes after the EU executive played down reports that it was reassessing its investigations into Meta, Google and X, following the return of Donald Trump to the White House. Continue reading...
Rajan Naidu and Niamh Lynch pleaded not guilty to two charges after incident on 19 June 2024Two people have denied charges of damaging Stonehenge with orange powder during a Just Stop Oil protest.Rajan Naidu, 74, and Niamh Lynch, 22, pleaded not guilty to two charges of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance after the incident on 19 June 2024. Continue reading...
Joseph Rowntree Foundation calls for changes to benefits system amid pressure on Labour to scrap two-child limitChild poverty is on course to increase in most of the UK by the end of this parliament, with only Scotland bucking the trend, according to analysis by a poverty charity.Although Labour's election manifesto committed it to an ambitious strategy" to reduce child poverty, only in Scotland will rates have fallen by 2029 under current economic projections, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said. Continue reading...
Texas-born actor says Thanks for the laugh' after politician attacks her over video expressing sympathy for immigrantsSelena Gomez - the Texas-born pop star and actor whose paternal grandparents are from Mexico - has laughed off a failed Republican US Senate hopeful's call for her to be deported from the country after she recorded a video of herself expressing sympathy for people affected by Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.Responding to a comment from the former candidate that she should be deported" over her video, Gomez took to social media and wrote in part: Thanks for the laugh." Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: After Donald Trump's remarks, renewed alarm about what will follow the first phase of the ceasefireGood morning. Donald Trump presented his proposal as one rooted in a concern for the safety of Palestinians: it was time to find many of the residents of Gaza somewhere else to live. I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change," he said. You're talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say: You know, it's over.'"That was more than stream of consciousness: Trump doubled down on his comments on Monday. But the idea of cleaning out" Gaza is not welcomed by the Palestinians who live there - or the countries that Trump has in mind as their new home. And if they were to be forced to leave after Gaza was devastated by the Israeli military, it would appear to be a clear case of ethnic cleansing.Kumbh Mela festival | Dozens of people are feared to have died in crowd crushes at India's Kumbh Mela festival, local officials have said, as vast crowds went to bathe at one of the holiest sites of the Hindu gathering. People were crushed in the early hours of Wednesday as tens of millions flocked to immerse themselves in the sacred confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.UK economy | Rachel Reeves is unveiling plans to create Europe's Silicon Valley" between Oxford and Cambridge as she stakes the government's success on kickstarting economic growth. The chancellor will announce a blueprint to improve infrastructure across the region in the hope of adding 78bn to the UK economy within a decade.Extremism | Yvette Cooper will reject internal Home Office advice to widen the definition of extremism to include violent misogyny and conspiracy theorists, the Guardian understands. The home secretary is expected to reject a report saying that authorities should adopt an ideologically agnostic" approach in favour of focusing on Islamist and far-right violence.Tax | Roman Abramovich, the billionaire Russian oligarch, may owe British tax authorities as much as 1bn, according to analysis of documents that suggests his companies failed to pay tax on profits made through an elaborate offshore investment scheme.Technology | US tech stocks tentatively recovered on Tuesday after the emergence of the Chinese DeepSeek app wiped $1tn (800bn) in value from the leading US tech index. Nvidia recovered somewhat from Monday's 17% drop, rising 9%. Continue reading...
Police interviews shown during the extraordinary trial for the manslaughter of the eight-year-old Queensland child reveal the beliefs behind the inaction of her parents and others
More than 2,500 native trees have been planted to form a temperate rainforest in decades to comeThe first step towards creating a Celtic rainforest - a now extremely rare habitat that once covered large swathes of the west coast of Britain - has been completed in Devon.More than 2,500 native trees have been planted so far this winter at Devon Wildlife Trust's Bowden Pillars site, above the Dart valley and close to the green-minded market town of Totnes. Continue reading...
Protesters will gather outside court of appeal in support of activists, who say judges defied decades of precedentSixteen environmental activists jailed in the past year will appear at the high court on Wednesday to ask England's most senior judge to quash their unduly harsh" sentences.The appellants, from four separate cases, will appear before a bench of judges led by Lady Carr, the Lady Chief Justice, in a full session of the court of appeal in which they will argue that judges defied decades of precedent to hand them long jail terms for nonviolent protests. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Leaked papers suggest billionaire's overseas firms should have paid UK tax on profits from hedge fundsRoman Abramovich, the billionaire Russian oligarch, may owe British tax authorities as much as 1bn, according to analysis of documents that suggests his companies failed to pay tax on profits made through an elaborate offshore investment scheme.Leaked papers and court filings shed new light on how the income from a $6bn (4.8bn) cash pile amassed by one of the world's richest men was managed. Continue reading...
From China to Indonesia, the year of the snake symbolises wisdom and vitality and is marked by family gatherings and festive red banners across many parts of East and Southeast AsiaHundreds of millions of people across Asia will celebrate the lunar new year with their families on Wednesday, as they bid farewell to the year of the dragon and usher in the year of the snake.In China, people will enjoy eight days of consecutive public holidays for the 2025 Spring festival, an opportunity to share meals, attend traditional performances, and set off firecrackers and fireworks. Continue reading...
All 176 people onboard escaped safely after blaze began inside Airbus jet preparing to take off from Gimhae airportAn Airbus plane belonging to South Korean carrier Air Busan has caught fire on a runway at Gimhae international airport in the country's south while preparing for departure to Hong Kong, fire authorities said on Tuesday.All 169 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated, with three having minor injuries, fire authorities in Busan said. Continue reading...
Prediction by ex M16 counter-terror director comes as security paused around two main detention facilitiesDonald Trump has thrown into doubt the security and administration of the main two detention facilities in north-east Syria that hold thousands of Islamic State fighters, the former counter-terrorism director of M16 Richard Barrett says.The state of limbo has been caused in the short term by the US president unexpectedly suspending all USAid funding for 90 days, and by long-term uncertainty over his willingness to retain troops in Syria. Continue reading...
Crowds give life to the Paris museum and the painting is a silent, compelling mystery at the heart of the hubbubWhat a wonderful headache for a museum to have. The Louvre in Paris gets so many visitors it is taking drastic measures to cope, which include moving its most famous treasure to a dedicated space where fans can visit without entering the main museum at all. It will no longer suck the oxygen from other art. Nearly 9 million visitors a year stream through the Louvre and it's believed 80% of them are looking for Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, better known as La Gioconde, better still as the Mona Lisa.I'm worried the Louvre is trying to solve a problem that is not really a problem. Ask Britain's museums if high visitor numbers are a bad thing: they still haven't recovered their pre-pandemic crowds. The decision, dramatically announced by Emmanuel Macron, to move the Mona Lisa to a special hygienically isolated gallery where les idiots who flock to take selfies in front of it won't bother more cultured visitors who wish to study art in a hushed atmosphere, is a misguided act of snobbery. It may ruin the Louvre's ecosystem as a place where high art becomes popular culture. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6TWRA)
Prosecutor at Old Bailey says Katrin Ivanova was only member of Bulgarian spy ring able to pull off plotA lab technician has been accused of being the only member of a Bulgarian spy ring able to pull off a plot to steal the mobile numbers of Ukrainian soldiers training in Germany.Katrin Ivanova, 33, was told by prosecutor Alison Morgan KC at the Old Bailey that she had been described by the plotters' leader as the most technically adept member of the group and that she was necessary to the planned surveillance in Stuttgart. Continue reading...
Italy caused controversy over release of Osama Najim, who is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimesGiorgia Meloni has said she is under investigation in connection with Italy's unexpected release and repatriation last week of a Libyan general who is wanted for war crimes by the international criminal court.The Italian prime minister said in a video message posted on social media that she is suspected of aiding and abetting a crime and embezzlement in connection with the case of Libya's chief of judicial police, Osama Najim - also called Almasri. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent and Jennifer R on (#6TWB0)
Mette Frederiksen calls for greater cooperation as she visits Berlin, Paris and Brussels to shore up unityThe Danish prime minister said Europe must stand together" in the face of changing relations with the US during a tour of Berlin, Paris and Brussels to shore up support amid Donald Trump's threats over Greenland.After weeks in the spotlight over the US president's plan to take over the autonomous Danish territory, and days after a reportedly horrendous" call with Trump, Mette Frederiksen went on the whistle-stop tour in an attempted show of unity. Continue reading...
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