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This blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereQ: Are doctors able to recognise depression? And can they decide if that affects someone's capacity to make a decision about their health?Whitty says doctors can identify depression. But he says it is harder for them to assess if that is affecting capacity.That's where help from colleagues from psychiatry, mental health more widely, is going to be useful. But that should be good medical practice, in my view, under all circumstances.Certainly what I wouldn't want is to be in a situation where the existence of the fact that someone who has a terminal diagnosis has some degree of low mood in itself just rules them out from any kind of medical intervention, this or any other. That shouldn't be the case. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Keir Starmer suspended the seven in July after they voted against two-child benefit capThe first of the seven Labour MPs who were suspended for voting against the two-child benefit cap are set to have the whip restored within days if they agree to avoid further rebellions in future, the Guardian understands.However, several of the MPs, including John McDonnell, who was shadow chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn, are not expected to have the whip restored at the same time as whips believe they have continued to be troublemakers". Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Israel-Gaza war coverage hereIn the UK, the chair of the House of Commons international development committee has issued a statement today on Israel banning the UN's aid agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa. As a reminder, Israel has ordered the UN agency to vacate its headquarters in East Jerusalem by Thursday, after the country's parliament passed a law in October banning its operations in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Israel's ban only directly covers Israeli territory, which Israel considers East Jerusalem to be. Unrwa also operates in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, but it was unclear how the law will affect Unrwa's work there.The international development committee, which scrutinises the aid policy of the British foreign ministry, has warned that the Unrwa ban could cause the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to deteriorate rapidly, possibly irreparably" and would almost certainly lead to further conflict and increased displacement".Let us be clear: this ban will be devastating for Palestinian refugees across the region. Food, water, education, even rubbish collection will all be affected.In the strongest possible terms, I urge the UK government to do everything it can to get all parties round the table and ensure that Unrwa can fulfil its UN-mandated work. The success of the current ceasefire hangs in the balance if not. Continue reading...

French president says world's most famous portrait will get its own room in the LouvreAs mentioned earlier, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen continues her European tour to show the EU's unity over Greenland, and she has just been to see French president Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.No comments to the press this time. Continue reading...

Office of National Statistics projects population will reach 72.5m by mid-2032, with growth driven by migrationThe UK population exceeded that of France for the first time on record, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).The UK population is projected to reach 72.5 million by mid-2032, up nearly 5 million from 67.6 million in mid-2022, according to figures from the ONS. Continue reading...

Gary Peters's decision not to run in 2026 midterms comes as Republican fortunes rise in stateThe Michigan Democratic senator Gary Peters said he would not seek re-election in 2026, a decision that could reshape the political battlefield in a state where Republican fortunes are rising.Peters, 66, told the Detroit News he planned to retire when his second term ends in January 2027, just as Michigan marks a dramatic political shift. His announcement comes as Democrats grapple with the state's return to swing status, highlighted by Donald Trump's recent presidential victory there - his second win in Michigan in three attempts. Continue reading...

Donald Trump says China's DeepSeek is a wake-up call' for American AI firms

Doug Gurr will lead board as watchdog rules on Microsoft and Amazon's dominance of cloud computing market

Milo Vuevi steps down in order to defuse tensions' as demonstrations continueMilo Vuevi, the prime minister of Serbia, has resigned, becoming the highest-ranking official to step down amid a wave of anti-corruption protests that have spread across the country.The anti-government demonstrations sprang up after the roof collapsed at a railway station in the city of Novi Sad, killing 15 people and leading to calls for Vuevi to quit., Continue reading...

Spoof fires back at supposed inauthenticity of Oscar-tipped screen musical with a song-and-dance tale of boulangeries at warThe war of words between Mexico and France over trans gangster musical Emilia Perez has heated up even more after the release of a spoof film called Johanne Sacreblu poking fun at French stereotypes.Emilia Perez, directed by Jacques Audiard and which is up for the best picture Oscar along with a best actress nomination for its star Karla Sofia Gascon, is the story of a cartel boss who hires a lawyer (played by Zoe Saldana) to enable a gender transition, and has attracted much criticism in Mexico, where it is supposedly set. Continue reading...

Top US Jewish advocate Halie Soifer calls Trump adviser's address to far-right Germany rally incredibly dangerous'Elon Musk's remarks to a German far-right party that Germans should not focus on their country's Nazi past should prompt deep concern" about the security of American Jews" and of Jews worldwide", a leading US Jewish advocate has told the Guardian.Speaking as a deeply concerned American Jew," said Halie Soifer, chief executive of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), I am deeply concerned about the security of American Jews, of Jews worldwide, given our president's clear alignment with dangerous rightwing extremists." Continue reading...

Karim Khan says civilians being targeted and communities destroyed in western region of SudanThe prosecutor for the international criminal court has said he is seeking arrest warrants for people accused of atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region, where the US and others have determined that a paramilitary group and its allies have perpetrated genocide.Karim Khan told the UN security council in New York: Criminality is accelerating in Darfur. Civilians are being targeted, women and girls are subjected to sexual violence, and entire communities are left in destruction. Continue reading...

Home Office to maintain focus on Islamist and far-right threats despite report's call for behaviour-based approachYvette Cooper will reject internal Home Office advice to potentially widen the definition of extremism to include violent misogyny and conspiracy theorists, the Guardian understands.A report commissioned in the wake of violent riots after the Southport murders last year suggests authorities should adopt a behaviour-based and ideologically agnostic approach" to combating extremism rather than ideologies of concern". Continue reading...

Prof Tony Haymet says nuclear industry will need to rebuild their social licence' while noting solar and wind are incredibly cheap'

Severe weather warnings remain in place as Somerset declares major incident after homes and businesses floodedParts of the UK are facing another day of weather-related disruption as more rain and wind sweep across the country, while hundreds of people are having to clean up after homes and businesses were flooded.Two Met Office severe weather warnings remained in place and there were concerns about further flooding in the south-west of England and parts of Wales. Continue reading...

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In today's newsletter: the US had a huge head start on artificial intelligence - but now a low-cost rival from Hangzhou has turned the industry on its headGood morning. Since the emergence of ChatGPT, OpenAI's groundbreaking artificial intelligence tool, American companies have appeared to have a huge head start in the development of the most significant technology of its generation.But now a small Chinese rival has emerged that appears to match what OpenAI and the other US giants can do at a much lower cost, and without the same hunger for computing power that has made the chip manufacturer Nvidia the most valuable company in the world. The result was a stunning collapse in the value of Big Tech stocks yesterday - and a $593bn fall in the value of Nvidia, the biggest in the US stock market's history.Gaza ceasefire | Tens of thousands of Palestinians flooded back into northern Gaza on Monday after Israel opened military checkpoints that had divided the strip for more than a year, ending a forced exile from homes and loved ones that many feared could become permanent.UK security | Hindu nationalism, misogyny and the manosphere" have been identified as breeding grounds for extremism in a leaked government report commissioned after last summer's riots. The rapid analytical sprint" also dismissed claims of two-tier policing" as a rightwing extremist narrative".Auschwitz | Elderly former inmates of Auschwitz gathered for perhaps the final time on the 80th anniversary of the concentration camp's liberation. In remarks at the event, four survivors warned world leaders against the danger of rising antisemitism.Roman Abramovich | An offshore scheme appears to have helped companies owned by the billionaire Roman Abramovich avoid duties potentially amounting to tens of millions of dollars. Abramovich's lawyers denied he had knowledge of or was personally responsible for any alleged tax evasion.Local government | Bristol city council could become the first local authority in England to collect black rubbish bins only once every four weeks. The Green-led council says switching from a two- to four-weekly collection would save it more than 2m a year and help reverse a dip in recycling rates. Continue reading...

Heat baked NSW capital before temperatures plunge during cool change

Pause comes as Crisafulli government launches independent review after reports gender-affirming hormones were given without proper consultation

Cyprus Confidential files suggest offshore scheme was used to evade tens of millions in VAT on long list of expensesWhen it came to his fleet of superyachts, the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was nothing if not generous.As 2011 drew to a close, his biggest boat yet - the 162-metre (533ft) Eclipse - lay moored in the glittering waters of St Barts, the picturesque Caribbean island where billionaires like to gather to see in the new year. Continue reading...

Typical advertised rent outside London dipped 3 to 1,341 a month in final quarter of 2024, says RightmoveAverage private rents in Great Britain have fallen for the first time since before the pandemic, with an improvement in the supply of properties helping to cool a ferociously hot" rental market.After several years of seemingly relentless rises, with fresh records being hit every three months, the typical advertised rent outside London slipped back in the final three months of 2024 to 1,341 a month - the first decline since 2019. Continue reading...

Current terms of the law for England and Wales passing through parliament will only aid those with terminal cancer, former judge to sayAssisted dying must be expanded to help those with dementia and Parkinson's disease in England and Wales, a former high court judge will tell MPs this week.Sir Nicholas Mostyn, who has Parkinson's, will argue that under the current terms of the law passing through parliament, the vast majority of people would need to have terminal cancer before being allowed an assisted death. Continue reading...

Boxer shot and killed in car park on High Street in Preston on Tuesday morning in what police believe was a targeted attack

Changes mean visitors and influencers working for foreign employers can stay longer in bid to boost tourismNew Zealand has relaxed its visitor visa rules to attract so-called digital nomads" in a bid to boost tourism and the economy.Visitor visas will now allow people to work remotely for a foreign employer while they are visiting New Zealand for up to 90 days. The visa can be extended up to nine months but visitors may need to pay tax during this time. Continue reading...

The woman, 34, is accused of torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations

Defence team of 29-year-old yet to review extraordinary volume' of evidence compiled by prosecutors

Journalist Shane Harrison and campaigner Michael Gallagher chart the long legal struggle for a public inquiry into the 1998 atrocity, which begins by hearing from survivors and bereaved familiesThe Omagh bombing was the single worst atrocity of the Troubles.As the journalist Shane Harrison explains, it was carried out when hopes were high in Northern Ireland that the country would never experience such violence again - four months after the signing of the Good Friday agreement in April 1998. Continue reading...

People begin long walk at dawn to what remains of their homes after 24-hour delay over release of Israeli hostageHundreds of thousands of Palestinians flooded back into northern Gaza on Monday after Israel opened military checkpoints that had divided the strip for more than a year, ending a forced exile from homes and loved ones that many feared could become permanent.In the dawn light, crowds that had waited by the road overnight began the long walk back to their homes and business - or what remained of them - as soon as the crossing opened. Continue reading...

The series about a family of blue heelers racked up an extraordinary 55.62 billion viewing minutes - but has yet to announce a new seasonAustralian-made animated series Bluey was the most streamed show in the US in 2024, topping Nielsen's annual year-end streaming charts, released this week.US viewers watched 55.62bn minutes of the 7-minute show on Disney+ according to Nielsen's reporting, just shy of the all-time yearly record of 57.7bn minutes set by Suits in 2023. Continue reading...

The film includes footage shot by Clarke Gayford, the husband of the former New Zealand prime ministerA documentary traversing former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern's leadership and personal life through home videos, archival footage and fresh interviews has premiered at Sundance.The film, Prime Minister, directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz covers Ardern's five-year tenure, after her abrupt ascension to leader of the Labour party in 2017, just six weeks out from an election her party was widely expected to lose. On a wave of popularity dubbed Jacindamania", the then-37-year-old led the party to victory, becoming the world's then-youngest ever female leader. Continue reading...

The development is the latest sign of thaw in diplomatic relations between the world's two most populous nationsIndia and China have agreed in principle to resume direct flights between the two nations, nearly five years after the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent political tensions halted them.The announcement on Monday came at the conclusion of a visit to Beijing by New Delhi's top career diplomat and heralds the latest signs of a thaw in the frosty ties between the world's two most populous nations. Continue reading...

Children's commissioner says young people involved in disorder felt disempowered and saw chance to retaliateA deep distrust of the police and a lack of youth opportunities fuelled the involvement of hundreds of disempowered" children in last year's riots across England, a report has found.Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner for England, said young people were not primarily motivated by far-right, anti-immigration or racist views" or by online misinformation, contrary to what she called the prevailing narrative". Continue reading...

After a major restoration, new theatre in east London announces opening programme with Sara Pascoe and Rosie Jones on the bill - plus panto and a new show by Bryony KimmingsIt opened as a Victorian music hall, had various incarnations as a picture house and hosted concerts by the Beatles, Dusty Springfield and James Brown. But for most of the 21st century, the site of the former Granada cinema in Walthamstow, east London, has remained shuttered.Now, after a major restoration in partnership with the local council, the Grade II* listed building in Hoe Street is set to reopen as Soho Theatre Walthamstow, with a 960-seat main auditorium, three studio spaces and a generous four bars. It will be operated by Soho theatre, which has run a lively venue in Dean Street, central London, for 25 years. The sister site will present a similar mix of comedy, cabaret and theatre from May onwards. Continue reading...

There were 55,033 diagnoses of prostate cancer in England in 2023 compared with 47,526 diagnoses of breast cancerProstate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed in England, surpassing breast cancer for two consecutive years, according to analysis by a leading charity.In 2023 there were 55,033 prostate cancer diagnoses compared with 47,526 breast cancer diagnoses, according to the Prostate Cancer UK's analysis of NHS England data. Continue reading...

The manosphere' and Hindu nationalism were also identified by report commissioned after last summer's riotsHindu nationalism, misogyny and the manosphere" have been identified as breeding grounds for extremism in a leaked report commissioned by Yvette Cooper after last summer's riots.The home secretary's rapid analytical sprint" also dismissed claims of two-tier policing" as a rightwing extremist narrative". It argued that the authorities should adopt a behaviour-based and ideologically agnostic approach" to clamping down on extremism rather than focus resources primarily on ideologies of concern". Continue reading...

Indiana state police say Matthew Huttle, who was given six months in prison, was shot after allegedly resisting arrest

Elderly former inmates gather for perhaps final time and urge vigilance against resurgent European far rightOn a day of startling blue skies, Auschwitz survivors stood before princes and presidents on Monday to remind the world, perhaps for the final time, of the horrors they suffered there during one of the darkest moments of human history.Beneath a white marquee erected in front of the gate to the former Nazi death camp, four former inmates - the youngest 86, the oldest 99 - warned world leaders on the 80th anniversary of its liberation against the danger of rising antisemitism. Continue reading...

Elizabeth Warren and fellow lawmakers slam president for not keeping promise to reduce grocery bills immediately'

Katrin Ivanova, giving evidence in UK court, pressed by prosecutor over her response to partner's messageA London-based lab technician accused of spying for Moscow has been questioned in court as to why she did not challenge her partner when he suggested they abduct or kill a man wanted by Russia for a 500,000 reward.Katrin Ivanova, 33, was forwarded a message on 23 February 2022 suggesting that the money was on offer if she and other members of an alleged spy ring of Bulgarians living in the UK could capture Kirill Kachur, a Russian, in Montenegro. Continue reading...

Group takes steps to protect members after traumatizing' reports of people being stopped or detained by agentsThe Navajo nation is taking steps to protect its community from federal immigration actions, amid reports that some Indigenous Americans have been swept up in US deportation raids being carried out early in Donald Trump's second presidency.In a statement, the Navajo nation president, Buu Nygren, said his office in Window Rock, Arizona, had received reports that tribal members had had negative, and sometimes traumatizing, experiences with federal agents targeting undocumented immigrants in the south-west". Continue reading...

In moving speech, Marian Turski warns that current conditions are similar to those which led to the Holocaust

Government lawyers say no need to include unnecessary pejorative words' after campaigners appeal against changeProducers of Scottish salmon can drop the word farmed" from the front of their packaging after government lawyers argued it was unnecessary and pejorative.The government amended the protected geographical indication (PGI) of Scottish farmed salmon" to Scottish salmon" last year, after lobbying from the industry. Continue reading...

Spokesperson denies decision to change name to HMS Achilles was made to avoid upsetting the French

People begin to return to areas such as Jabalia and Beit Hanoun following hostage agreementIsraeli defence minister Israel Katz has said the country will continue to firmly enforce the ceasefires in the north and south", in a post on X, referring to Lebanon and Gaza. He added:Anyone who violates the rules or threatens IDF forces will bear the full cost. We will not allow a return to the reality of 7 October. Continue reading...

M23's lightning advance into east DRC being supported by up to 4,000 Rwandan troops, say UN officialsFrance is seeking western support for a UN security council resolution that names Rwanda as being behind the M23 rebel group attacks inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the surprise weekend seizure of parts of Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC.UN officials said as many as 4,000 Rwandan troops were escorting the M23 rebels. The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, on Sunday called on the Rwandan defence forces to stop supporting the M23 and to withdraw from the territory of the DRC". It was his clearest statement of Rwandan responsibility for much of the violence. Continue reading...

Seven people, said by the judge to have plumbed the depths of human depravity', will be monitored for lifeSeven people involved in a Scottish child abuse ring that plumbed the depths of human depravity" have been jailed for minimum terms ranging from eight to 20 years.The two women and five men will be monitored for life after being convicted of gang-raping a child and violently abusing two other children in a flat in Glasgow where drugs were taken. Continue reading...

Researchers say companies have prolonged injustice and exaggerated cost of solving infrastructure problemsWater companies are adopting disinformation tactics similar to those used by the fossil fuel and tobacco industries with the widespread use of greenwashing to downplay the environmental harm they cause, a study says.Environmental scientists analysed the communications of the nine main water and sewerage companies in England, and compared them with a framework of 28 greenwashing tactics employed, researchers say, by the tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels and chemical industries. Continue reading...

Trump-era decision criticized by advocacy groups as being in direct conflict with freedom of speech'A decision by the US education department to end their investigations into book bans in the country has sparked backlash from advocacy and civil liberties groups.The DOE's Office for Civil Rights announced on Friday that it had dismissed 11 complaints related to book bans and it will no longer employ a book ban coordinator" to investigate local school districts and parents. Continue reading...

Rwanda-backed rebels have captured largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as United Nations reports mass panic'UN staff and their families were evacuating to Rwanda on Monday morning, where 10 buses were waiting to pick them up.Unverified videos shared on social media showed local residents looting merchandise outside the airport customs warehouse and columns of heavily armed men, believed to be M23 fighters, walking through the northern suburbs of the city. Continue reading...

Government figures show 1,300 people died on the roads last year in a worsening trend not seen since the 1960s