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Data from Moneyfacts shows average cost of two-year deal now at 6.23% with five-year at 5.86%The average price of two and five-year fixed-rate mortgages in the UK has hit its highest level for seven months, putting further pressure on borrowers who are reaching the end of their deals.Data from financial information firm Moneyfacts showed the cost of a two-year deal for homeowners rose to 6.23% on Monday, up from 6.19% at the end of last week and its highest since last November. Continue reading...

Mayo was 15 when she killed son she gave birth to at her home in Herefordshire to hide pregnancy from her familyA woman has been detained for a minimum of 12 years for murdering her newborn baby when she was 15 to prevent her family discovering she had been pregnant.Paris Mayo, now 19, gave birth to her son, Stanley, alone and in silence in the living room of her home in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, while her parents and brother slept upstairs. Continue reading...

Bernardo Arevalo will face off for presidency against Sandra Torres, a veteran politician who has faced corruption accusationsGuatemala's presidential election has thrown up a major surprise with the centrist Bernardo Arevalo claiming a spot in the second round amid growing anger over political corruption and the erosion of democracy in Central America's most populous nation.Alongside El Salvador and Nicaragua, Guatemala is one of several Central American countries which has taken an alarming authoritarian turn in recent years, with activists denouncing growing attacks on the media and more than two dozen judges and prosecutors forced into exile. Continue reading...

Pro-Russian Telegram channels say Ukrainians crossed Dnipro River in apparent advance towards Crimea

Met urged to re-examine case after new suspect is named and evidence emerges of police mistakesThe father and best friend of Stephen Lawrence have called for the criminal investigation into his murder to be reopened after evidence emerged of bungling by the Metropolitan police.The force on Monday named a significant new suspect in the case, admitting too many mistakes were made in the initial investigation. Continue reading...

Sarah Henshaw was last seen at her home in Derbyshire last Tuesday morningA body believed to be that of a missing 31-year-old woman has been found after a murder investigation was launched, police said.Sarah Henshaw was last seen at her home address in Norman Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, at about 9pm last Tuesday. Continue reading...

Writer and playwright talks about cooking rabbit stew with her mother and passing First Nations' food knowledge to her daughter

Decision could make inmates' contact with family and friends unaffordable, despite studies showing it reduces recidivism

Kevin McCarthy threatens impeachment proceedings in a tweet after president's son accepts plea deal

White, who died in 2021 aged 50, was convicted of an assault on a black shop worker near where Lawrence was murderedThe BBC has identified a new suspect in the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence 30 years ago: the now deceased Matthew White.White died in 2021, aged 50. According to the BBC's findings, he was a drug user at the time of Lawrence's murder in 1993 and later became a heroin addict. Continue reading...

Speaking at launch of UK's first museum created with and for young people', Tristram Hunt said it could help fill gapA horrible disparity" is opening between state and private schools in the provision of creative education, the director of the V&A, one of the country's leading museums, has said.Speaking at the launch of the Young V&A museum, aimed at children from birth to 14 years, Tristram Hunt said creative education was being downgraded or excluded in many state schools, leading to a 60% fall in the numbers of young people taking art and design subjects at GCSE. Continue reading...

Government knew in 2016 that major disease outbreak would overwhelm health system, officials sayMinisters knew in 2016 that even a moderate pandemic would overrun the system" and the government's emergency response function would be very rapidly overwhelmed" by a major disease outbreak, the UK Covid-19 public inquiry has heard.A meeting of the Department of Health and Social Care board, which included the permanent secretary, Sir Chris Wormald, and the then chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, concluded there would be significant issues if it became necessary to track or quarantine thousands of people", newly disclosed documents revealed. Continue reading...

Christine Dawood said Suleman, 19, was so excited' and planned to break a Rubik's cube world recordThe mother of the teenager who died on the Titan submersible has said she gave up her place to her son because he really wanted to go".

The groom, unaware of the joke, was bundled into a van by friends sporting balaclavas, pellet guns and helmetsA stag party ended with nine men being charged with causing public alarm" after they engaged in an ill-advised but well-curated prank kidnapping of the groom.Armed with pellet guns and wearing balaclavas and black helmets, the group, aged between 23 and 31, turned up at their friend's home in Trofarello, a small town on the outskirts of Turin, gagged him and loaded him into the back of a van before speeding off. Continue reading...

Central Council of Jews says it is devastated by populist party's first victory in eastern town of SonnebergThe far-right Alternative fur Deutschland has won a district council election in Germany for the first time, in what is being referred to as a watershed moment in the country's politics.The eastern town of Sonneberg, in the state of Thuringia, elected Robert Sesselmann to the post of district administrator, the equivalent of a mayor, with 52.8% of the vote, ousting the Christian Democrats' (CDU) Jurgen Kopper on 47.2%. Continue reading...

The bank, which aims to move to the former head office of BT, says it wants to reduce its global office space by 40%HSBC is to move out of its global headquarters in Canary Wharf after more than two decades to considerably smaller offices in the City of London, in response to post-pandemic hybrid working arrangements and a cost-cutting drive.The financial services giant, which had up to 8,000 staff at the 45-floor tower at Canada Square during peak times before the pandemic, is to move to the former head office of telecoms company BT near St Paul's cathedral. Continue reading...

Mikhail Mishustin says Russia has faced a challenge to its stability' after Yevgeny Prigozhin's failed mutiny

Josep Borrell says Putin is facing consequences of working with Wagner and Russian military power is cracking'

Senior prosecutor says it had enough evidence against Gareth Wyn Jones for harassing his ex-partner in WalesThe Crown Prosecution Service has admitted it had enough evidence to charge a stalker three months before he held his former partner hostage at gunpoint for eight hours.A senior prosecutor conceded Gareth Wyn Jones should have been prosecuted for harassing Rhianon Bragg in north Wales before he ambushed her, and apologised for its failure.In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org Continue reading...

Reserve aircraft flew to Manila amid reliability concerns after ex-leaders Ardern and Key suffered breakdownsThe New Zealand defence force plane ferrying the country's prime minister to China this week has been judged so unreliable that a backup plane flew in reserve, prompting criticism of Chris Hipkins by the opposition.The use of a backup plane follows previous mishaps involving aircraft carrying New Zealand leaders. Continue reading...

Record temperatures will continue to put stress on power grids with blackouts reported in some areasExtreme and prolonged heat looks set to continue across the southern states of the US and Mexico through this week. This heatwave, which has already brought record temperatures across Texas through the past two weeks, will extend into states such as Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana over the coming days.At least 50 million people have been placed under extreme heat advisories as temperatures are forecast to soar at least 5-10C above the climatological average, with daily maximum temperatures reaching 40-45C (104-113F). San Angelo airport in Texas has already recorded two consecutive days where the temperature hit 45.6C (114F), which surpasses its highest ever temperature by three degrees. Continue reading...

England footballer recalls childhood emergency housing as royal launches five-year UK schemeHomeless people are to be helped into permanent accommodation, regardless of their circumstances, as part of a five-year project to be run by Prince William's foundation and supported by the England footballer Tyrone Mings.The project, called Homewards, which emulates one run in Finland, will be launched initially in six areas around the UK and is aimed at preventing homelessness where possible and ensuring any incidence is rare, brief and unrepeated". The Prince of Wales's charitable foundation is giving 3m of startup funding to the project. Continue reading...

Indian finance minister hits out after former US president said Modi government should protect rights of MuslimsIndia's finance minister has derided comments by the former US president Barack Obama that Narendra Modi's government should protect the rights of minority Muslims, accusing Obama of being hypocritical.During the Indian prime minister's state visit to the US last week, Obama told CNN that the issue of the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority-Hindu India" would be worth raising in Modi's meeting with the US president, Joe Biden. Continue reading...

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Prime minister says we have got to explain what it is about' as he shrugs off polls showing slipping support

CEO Kristin Stubbins says once internal investigation is complete there will be appropriate accountability' for those found to have acted inappropriately

Technology will allow conservators to use fluorescence to identify and remove ageing varnish with total accuracyScientists have developed technology that will revolutionise the restoration of historic works of art by allowing conservators to identify and remove ageing varnish with total accuracy.A team at King's College London's department of physics has harnessed the power of fluorescence to bring unprecedented clarity" to the conservation process, said Prof Klaus Suhling. Continue reading...

Matthew White, who died in 2021, reported to have been central to the case, a BBC investigation has foundThe Metropolitan police have named a major new suspect in the Stephen Lawrence murder, admitting too many mistakes were made in the initial investigation.Matthew White, who died in 2021 aged 50, was named after a BBC investigation into the killing of the black teenager, who was murdered in a racist attack in south-east London in April 1993. Continue reading...

Counsel assisting LGBTQ+ hate crimes inquiry criticises unexplained' delays in prosecution in the 2009 Centennial Park murder

CBA says issue resolved without reporting cause, but advises delay in some payments as services brought back online

Hundreds of law firm's clients waiting on confirmation of whether they are affected by data leaked in cyberattack

American Express said there were issues half an hour before some Sydney packages became available, directing fans to Ticketek sites

Two-thirds of those seeking family reunion in the UK who are initially turned down succeed at appeal, says Ramfel charityCampaigners have raised concerns about the high proportion of refugees seeking to join family members in the UK who have their applications rejected by the government, despite using the safe and legal routes" touted by the home secretary.Data obtained via freedom of information request by the charity Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London (Ramfel) showed that 1,386 refugee family reunion applications rejected by the Home Office were overturned on appeal between 2019 and 2022. That represents 66% of the total of 2,106. Continue reading...

Six officers restrained Ashley Charles Washington, who had stabbed an officer and police dog with scissors

In today's newsletter: Over the weekend, Russian mercenary group Wagner marched on Moscow - only to turn back at the last moment. Why did one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies turn on him - and how was bloodshed averted?

Merseyside charity worker whose children are stuck in Khartoum says Foreign Office delays have trapped many in conflict zoneA British charity worker has called on the government to help evacuate his children from Sudan's capital, Khartoum, stressing that hundreds of people with the right to reside in the UK remain stuck in the conflict zone.Alhussein Ahmed, 32, who works for the Merseyside Refugee Support Network in Liverpool, is concerned that the Foreign Office should be doing more to assist hundreds of people who have UK residency rights who remain stuck in Sudan. Continue reading...

Judge suggests Russia's case against federal laws cancelling lease appears weak and difficult to understand'

Anthony Albanese said the package, which also includes humanitarian funding, would make a tangible difference on the battlefield'

The Rapid Support Forces says it has seized a key police base and captured a large amount of military equipmentSudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) says it has seized the main base of a heavily armed police unit and captured a large amount of military equipment, during heavy fighting against the army in the capital Khartoum.In a statement on Sunday, the RSF said it had taken full control of the large base belonging to the Central Reserve Police southern Khartoum and posted footage of its fighters celebrating inside the facility, some removing boxes of ammunition from a warehouse. Continue reading...

Since 2023's influenza season started, children have made up almost 80% of those admitted to hospital

Beijing says it supports Russia in maintaining national stability, without explicitly referring to Vladimir Putin personallyChinese officials have described an aborted rebellion by the Wagner group of mercenaries as Moscow's internal affairs", while one state media mouthpiece dismissed the divisions in Russia as an illusion" being exploited by the west.Russia's deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko held talks in Beijing on Sunday after the most serious challenge to president Vladimir Putin's grip on power since he came to power in 2000. Continue reading...

NHS pilot scheme to be rolled out nationwide in drive to save lives by detecting and treating cancer earlierEveryone who has ever smoked in England is to be offered lung screening in middle age under plans to detect and treat cancer earlier.Lung cancer kills about 35,000 people every year, and is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for one in five. It also has one of the worst cancer survival rates, which is largely attributed to diagnoses at a late stage when treatment is less likely to be effective. Continue reading...

Major King's Fund report finds Britons more likely to die of biggest killer diseases than in many other richer countriesNHS's mounting failures and political neglect laid bare in sobering studyBritons die sooner from cancer and heart disease than people in many other rich countries, partly because of the NHS's lack of beds, staff and scanners, a study has found.The UK underperforms significantly" on tackling its biggest killer diseases, in part because the NHS has been weakened by years of underinvestment, according to the report from the King's Fund health thinktank. It performs poorly" as judged by the number of avoidable deaths resulting from disease and injury and also by fatalities that could have been prevented had patients received better or quicker treatment. Continue reading...

With its 75th anniversary fast approaching, the UK health service is not by any means where it should be', thinktank concludes

Kyriakos Mitsotakis of centre-right New Democracy party says he now has strong mandate' to modernise nationGreece's new prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, vowed to immediately press ahead with his ambitious reform programme after winning a decisive victory in the general elections on Sunday.The New Democracy leader said his commanding 24-point lead over the leftist main opposition Syriza party had given him a strong mandate" to modernise a country long seen as resistant to reform. Continue reading...

Shadow arts minister highlights stark drop in number of students taking arts GCSEs, which has fallen by 40% since 2010Labour has accused the government of stifling children's creativity and damaging the talent pipeline" for Britain's creative industries by failing to provide proper arts and culture education.The party said the arts were being squeezed out of schools as a result of tightened budgets, teacher shortages and the decreasing importance of arts and culture subjects through school accountability measures such as English baccalaureate entries. Continue reading...

Driven by his feud with the defence minister, Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion has petered out ... for now

Muscovites tell of shock and anxiety in city blindsided by Prigozhin's short-lived revoltA sense of normal returned to Moscow on Sunday after Yevgeny Prigozhin halted his assault on the Russian capital under a deal that defused an unprecedented challenge to the authority of president Vladimir Putin.Security forces were seen disassembling barricades that had been hurriedly put up as Prigozhin's Wagner troops approached along the M4 road from Rostov-on-Don, while workers began repairing roads leading up to the capital that were destroyed to stop the warlord's advances before he ordered their withdrawal. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Channel 4 film says officials contacted the palace in 2020 owing to concerns about Lord Lebedev's father's links to Putin regimeGovernment officials asked whether the late Queen would block Evgeny Lebedev's peerage because of concerns that he could be a national security risk due to his father's links to the Putin regime, a documentary has claimed.The aides contacted Buckingham Palace in July 2020 to request that the monarch intervene, which she was constitutionally entitled to do, after Boris Johnson decided to press ahead with the controversial peerage despite warnings from the intelligence agencies, according to the film-makers. Continue reading...

Sarah Ferguson told by doctors her prognosis is good after routine mammogram revealed diseaseThe Duchess of York has had surgery after being diagnosed with breast cancer, her spokesperson has said.