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Lancashire constabulary warns against using criminal damage or harassment to find missing womanPolice have urged the public not to “take the law into their own hands” in the search for Nicola Bulley, who went missing 12 days ago while walking her dog.Lancashire constabulary told amateur detectives not to abuse witnesses or attempt to break into empty or derelict buildings along the River Wyre near where she disappeared. Continue reading...

SNP politician and his wife claimed their daughter was denied a place because of her Muslim-sounding nameThe wife of Scotland’s health secretary has dropped legal action against a nursery the couple believed had discriminated against their daughter, allegedly because she had a Muslim-sounding name.Nadia El-Nakla and Humza Yousaf, one of Scotland’s most prominent Muslim politicians, had accused Little Scholars day nursery in Broughty Ferry, Dundee of refusing to give their two-year-old daughter a place while accepting children with western-sounding names. Continue reading...

Obinna Obeta’s successful transplant allegedly then inspired plot to bring man from Nigeria to donate a kidneyA doctor accused of organ trafficking was previously able to persuade an NHS hospital and the transplant regulator that he was the cousin of a man who donated him a kidney in an operation in 2021, the Old Bailey has heard.After this was successful, he trafficked a Lagos street trader to the UK in an attempt to transplant his kidney to the daughter of a powerful Nigerian politician at the same hospital, the Royal Free in London. Continue reading...

Decision on case of ex-Facebook moderator, who claims the work left him with PTSD, hailed as win for accountability of big tech in AfricaA Kenyan court has ruled that a case brought against Facebook by a former content moderator can go ahead.Daniel Motaung, who was hired as a Facebook content moderator by the tech firm’s subcontractor Sama in 2019, filed a suit against the two companies last year, alleging that he had been exposed to graphic and traumatic content at work, without adequate prior knowledge or proper psychosocial support – which he says left him with post-traumatic stress disorder. Continue reading...

Comment comes as MPs grill Sharp about role in facilitating loan for Boris Johnson

Many party MPs worry that trenchant views of ‘30p Lee’ mean his appointment will end badly

PC Jorden Brown is alleged to have committed offences between November 2018 and February 2019A serving Metropolitan police officer has been charged with rape and three counts of actual bodily harm.PC Jorden Brown, attached to the central east command unit, is alleged to have committed the offences between November 2018 and February 2019. Continue reading...

Johnson’s administration made promises over Northern Ireland deal that it knew were unworkable, former PM tells MPs

Britons will be able to fix monthly home loan costs at level below Bank of England base rateFive-year fixed-rate mortgages priced at below 4% are back on sale for the first time since just after the disastrous autumn mini-budget.HSBC has repriced its range and introduced a new five-year fix at 3.99% for customers remortgaging who are looking to borrow up to 60% of the property’s value. It means people are able to fix their monthly home loan costs at a level below the Bank of England base rate, which rose to 4% last Thursday. Continue reading...

Alun Titford convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence over 16-year-old’s death in October 2020A man has been found guilty of killing his disabled daughter by allowing her to become fatally obese during the first Covid lockdown.Alun Titford, 45, was convicted by a jury of manslaughter by gross negligence after the death of his “fiercely independent” and “funny” 16-year-old daughter, Kaylea. Continue reading...

Eoin Mac Giolla Ri in a separate case last month said children could be exposed to ‘drunk, abusive, psychotic’ detainees

Creating conditions in which people suffered shame and stigma was ‘cynical’ tactic to steer attention away from errors, says studyCreating an environment in which individuals and marginalised groups were shamed during the Covid pandemic was a “cynical” tactic to steer attention away from the UK government’s errors, an academic study has concluded.The research by medical humanities scholars at the University of Exeter said people from ethnic minority groups, those with medical conditions such as obesity and health professionals all suffered shame and stigma. Continue reading...

Harrowing footage thought to show Wagner group fighters beating commander with what appear to be shovelsWarning: video contains footage that some viewers may find distressing

Romario Henry sentenced to 15 years and Ali Sesay to 12 over knifepoint raid in which watches worth £700,000 were takenTwo men have been jailed for robbing the Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish and his wife, Peta, of their high-value watches in a knifepoint raid at their home.Intruders wearing balaclavas broke into their home in Ongar, Essex, at about 2.30am on 27 November 2021 and threatened to stab the athlete, a trial at Chelmsford crown court heard. They took items including two Richard Mille watches with a combined value of £700,000. Continue reading...

Omicron-specific dose will be available for over-18s who have not had a booster or a confirmed coronavirus case in past six months

The former Coalition staffer accused of raping Brittany Higgins has taken steps against the media outlets but exact nature of case remains unclear

Hundreds of thousands expected to take part in more than 200 street demonstrations across countryFrance is facing a third day of strikes and mass street demonstrations against Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular plan to raise the pension age to 64, after the government faced shouting and booing in parliament as lawmakers began debating the bill.Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to take part in more than 200 street demonstrations across France on Tuesday, from cities to small towns. Trains and urban transport will be severely disrupted, and one in five flights at Paris’s Orly airport will be cancelled. Some schools will close as teachers strike. Students are also blocking several university buildings across France. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Celebrities sign letter to Sunak after reports that proposed restriction on delicacy may be droppedMiriam Margolyes, Alesha Dixon, Mark Rylance and Jo Brand are among the famous names who have signed a letter to Rishi Sunak demanding an end to UK imports of foie gras.The letter comes after it was reported that the government has dropped a proposed foie gras ban – not for the first time – with the environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, suggesting it was not a priority. Continue reading...

Catholic charity Cafod says local NGOs are best placed to respond on the frontline but are being cut out of the processSouth Sudan is facing the world’s most severe food insecurity crisis, yet the local groups most effective at delivering aid are not being directly funded, according to a new report.Only 0.4% of humanitarian funding meant for food is directly channelled towards South Sudanese NGOs, despite them being the most effective at tackling hunger, according to the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (Cafod). Continue reading...

Ukraine president reported to be planning trip to Brussels this week to meet EU leaders in person

Dispute with Damascus over who controls aid hampers efforts to get supplies into rebel-held north

Rishi Sunak urged to ‘come to the table and negotiate’ after biggest strike day in NHS history

Virginie de Selliers pledges to stand by daughter Constance Marten, who went missing with sex offender boyfriendThe mother of a missing woman who vanished more than a month ago with her newborn baby and her convicted sex offender boyfriend has issued an open letter to her daughter.Virginie de Selliers pledged to stand by Constance Marten, 35, and her grandchild, telling her: “You are not alone in this situation. We will support you in whatever way we can.” Continue reading...

Sources say prime minister also wants to split Department for Business, Energy and Industrial StrategyRishi Sunak is planning a mini-reshuffle to replace Nadhim Zahawi as Conservative party chair as he tries to reassert his grip over his divided party, according to reports.The prime minister is also believed to be considering a shake-up of Whitehall by splitting the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy into two or three new departments to better reflect his priorities. Continue reading...

More than 70 rescue specialists and sniffer dogs to help with efforts after thousands killed in earthquake-hit region

Exclusive: advice was taken despite Lidia Thorpe’s objections but Adam Bandt says he still believes a treaty should come first

Beset by crumbling infrastructure and food shortages, Syria’s war-ravaged population was unprepared for the deadly quakeSyria bears the scars of 12 years of brutal war, the effects of which look set to hamper aid efforts in the areas worst hit by the quake. Beset by conflict, food shortages, economic collapse and a recent cholera outbreak, the country’s national infrastructure has been at crisis point for years, barely able to support its war-weary population.And that was before the worst earthquake to hit the region in decades struck. Continue reading...

Inquiry into LGBTQ+ hate crimes told a ‘mosaic of motives’ showed anti-gay bias in killing of John Hughes

Labor also seeks to overturn court decision that forced it to release 100 people from onshore detention despite character concerns

Daniel Suidani, premier of Malaita province, has been one of the most vocal critics of the Pacific country’s relationship with ChinaThe premier of one of Solomon Islands’ most populous provinces and one of the most vocal critics of the country’s relationship with China has been ousted in a vote of no confidence.The move led to protests in Auki, Malaita province on Tuesday. Police confirmed to the Guardian that they had used teargas to disperse protesters and said one police officer had been injured, but said the situation was now under control. Continue reading...

Ted O’Brien insists his tone was respectful and says government is seeking to malign his character

Shadow health secretary says it is wrong to think people with addiction or mental health problems do not want to workLabour plans to reach thousands of people with addiction or mental health issues “written off” by the Department for Work and Pensions to help them back into employment, with personalised support offered through treatment centres.Visiting a centre in Nottingham which offers wraparound treatment, benefits and employment support, the shadow work and pensions secretary, Jon Ashworth, said it was wrong to assume those undergoing treatment for drug and alcohol addiction did not want to find ways to work. Continue reading...

Public spending watchdog says £69bn package was applied so quickly it could be open to fraudA “significant number” of households in Great Britain received financial support they did not need through the government’s £69bn package to cushion the blow of rising energy bills, the public spending watchdog has said.A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) said the blanket nature of the financial support meant it helped a “deadweight” of households and businesses that could have afforded to absorb the price rises. It also warned that the speed at which it was distributed left the schemes open to fraud. Continue reading...

Triple threat sees Caribbean country in worst crisis since 2010 earthquake, with young people bearing the brunt, warns UnicefAn escalation of gang violence, political instability and a deadly cholera outbreak in Haiti has left half its children relying on humanitarian aid to survive, Unicef says.At least 2.6 million are expected to need immediate lifesaving assistance this year as the overlapping crises leave Haiti’s children in the worst position since the earthquake of 2010, Unicef’s Haiti representative, Bruno Maes, told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Mortgage holders likely to feel immediate pain but RBA indicates further increases to come in attempt to bring inflation under control

Victorian government seeks to differentiate its treatment of alleged violent and non-violent offenders

Quality education and exposure to different cultures identified as key preventive factors in African surveyHuman rights abuses committed by security forces and economic deprivation are among the most important drivers of recruitment to extremist groups in Africa, a survey has found.Researchers working for the UN Development Programme (UNDP) interviewed more than 1,000 active or recent militants across eight countries in Africa in the pioneering study. Continue reading...

A Paris show will focus on Claude’s little-known elder sibling Léon Monet and his impressionist collectionThe name Monet conjures up pictures of water lilies, Rouen Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and French haystacks, some of European art’s best known works.Now a Paris exhibition will focus on another, lesser known, Monet: Léon Monet, the artist Claude Monet’s long overlooked elder brother who supported him when he was poor and struggling to make his name. Continue reading...

The 79-year old, who is accused of sexually abusing a teenager, denies all allegations and is not facing criminal charges

Meriki Onus and Crystal McKinnon had been accused of breaching the chief health officer’s Covid directions by arranging a protest in Melbourne in 2020

Long-running case ends days after lobby group sacked its CEO over comments about the NSW premier’s Catholic faith

The funding measures, along with the reintroduction of alcohol bans, were called a ‘circuit breaker’ by federal NT senator, Malarndirri McCarthy

Sturdy leather bag known as randoseru can weigh 4-10kg when full, leaving students in pain and wanting something lighterIt’s a familiar sight every weekday morning and afternoon all over Japan: children as young as six creaking under the strain of a leather backpack crammed with textbooks.The randoseru – a Japanese derivation of ransel, the obsolete Dutch word for backpack – is a fixture of primary school education, a repository for everything a child needs to get through a day at school. Continue reading...

Some international students are frustrated by a lack of help from universities as they face ‘mind-blowing’ rents

Mountain rescuers say man who was climbing with two friends was ‘very, very unfortunate’A 23-year-old climber who died after falling 180 metres from a mountain ridge in Wales as he climbed with two friends was “extremely unfortunate”, mountain rescuers have said.The man, from Yorkshire, was ascending Y Gribin in Snowdonia or Eryri national park in north Wales at 5pm on Saturday when a handhold he was using to pull himself up broke, causing him to fall down the mountainside. Continue reading...

Fernando Báez Sosa, son of Paraguayan immigrants, was beaten to death outside a nightclub in a racially motivated attackEight amateur rugby players have been found guilty over the murder of a aspiring law student in Argentina, in a case that has outraged the public and shone a harsh light on racist attitudes in the country.Five of the attackers were sentenced to life in prison – which in Argentina is a maximum of 35 years – for their part in the murder of Fernando Báez Sosa, 18, the only son of two Paraguayan immigrants. Continue reading...

Fires have burned 270,000 hectares and killed 24 in south-central region as mega drought fuels second worst fire year on recordChilean firefighters are battling to hold back forest fires as authorities warned that persistent hot and dry weather could potentially exacerbate what are already the deadliest blazes in the country’s recent history.The fires, which have consumed 270,000 hectares (667,000 acres) of land, have killed 24 people so far in south-central Chile, and already made 2023 the second worst year in terms of hectares burned after the so-called “fire storm” that hit the country in 2017. Continue reading...

Home secretary reportedly believes European court of human rights will rule on policy by end of 2023

UK’s shortest-serving prime minister says she ‘learned a lot’ from time in government but does not want top job again. This live blog is now closedSharon Graham, the Unite general secretary, has also criticised ministers again for refusing to engage in meaningful talks on pay. She told PA Media this morning:This government has not at any time in this dispute come to the table about the substantive issue on pay, and that is the real issue. There isn’t going to be any other way to end this dispute until they come to the table and talk about pay.They said on many occasions that they’re in constructive talks; first of all, I don’t know what those constructive talks are – they are certainly not on pay.Nobody wants to see these strikes, nobody wants to be on strike – the last thing nurses want to do is to be on strike.What they do want is a government that can show leadership, get around the negotiating table and settle this dispute. Continue reading...

Lawsuit relates to a story about criticism she faced after taking Cayman Islands same-sex marriage caseA leading lawyer is suing the Times for libel over a report relating to a complaint against her to the barristers’ watchdog for England and Wales.The story concerned Dinah Rose KC representing the Cayman Islands government in opposing same-sex marriage in a case at the privy council, for which she was criticised by LGBTQ+ rights campaigners, including some students at the University of Oxford, where she is president of Magdalen College. Continue reading...