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Court hears David Smith, 54, was motivated by antipathy towards UK and was paid for ‘treachery’The British embassy spy David Smith had an ongoing relationship with Russia and was paid for his treachery, a senior judge has ruled.Smith, 58, gathered secret documents and passed them on to Russian authorities while working as a security guard at the embassy in Berlin. He was caught after an undercover operation in 2021 and has admitted to eight charges under the Official Secrets Act. Continue reading...

Some of country’s most celebrated writers and journalists targeted as political crackdown intensifies

Discount supermarket plans to open 40 new stores as business expands during cost of living crisisAldi plans to hire more than 6,000 people across the UK this year, as the discount supermarket continues to expand following strong Christmas trading.The supermarket chain said it planned to open 40 new stores in 2023, with Norwich, Newcastle, Huddersfield and Shrewsbury among the locations. Continue reading...

Chris O’Shea urged to ‘look at his conscience’ amid cost of living crisis and prepayment meter scandalThe chief executive of Centrica has refused to say whether he will waive a £1.6m bonus, as the British Gas owner’s annual profits tripled to a record £3.3bn after a price surge triggered by Russia’s halt on gas supplies to Europe.The company’s “monster” profits angered campaigners who are calling for tougher windfall taxes, lower bills and better treatment of vulnerable customers, after British Gas and other energy suppliers were ordered by regulators to halt forced installations of prepayment meters. Continue reading...

Speech in Tokyo draws parallel with the Munich agreement with Hitler, and claims credit for urging others to stand up to Beijing ‘bullying’The former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has accused the west of “appeasing” Beijing and has claimed credit for rallying other countries to “call out the bullying of the Chinese ­government”.In a speech to be delivered at a conference in Tokyo on Friday, Morrison is also expected to urge the Albanese government to consider using Magnitsky-style targeted human rights sanctions laws to hold Chinese government officials accountable. Continue reading...

Advocates of Huang Xueqin accuse authorities of ‘trying to exert mental pressure and physical torture’Advocates for a Chinese journalist and activist who has been held in detention without trial for almost 18 months have said she needs urgent medical attention.Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing, a labour rights activist, were detained in September 2021 and formally arrested a month later. They have been accused of inciting subversion of state power, and held in Guangzhou without access to family or lawyers. Continue reading...

Work at National Archaeological Museum will be overseen by UK architect David ChipperfieldIt is slated to be the “western world’s museum of museums,” a showcase of Greece’s greatest repository of ancient art.Once completed, the revamped National Archaeological Museum in Athens will, say officials, not only have been expanded but “reborn” at a time of record tourism to the country. Continue reading...

Coin available to buy as part of 25th anniversary collection is first in series to feature King CharlesA coin featuring Prof Albus Dumbledore has been launched as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection from the Royal Mint.The collection was introduced in 2022 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Continue reading...

Agreement in principle believed to be in closing stages with announcement expected next weekRishi Sunak is to meet the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, over the weekend, raising hopes of an imminent deal to end the protracted Northern Ireland protocol dispute.They are expected to meet on the sidelines of an international security conference in Munich that will also be attended by EU leaders including the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron. Continue reading...

Westminster chief and president say conference on outgoing leader’s strategy should be delayed

Labour’s Stella Creasy among those questioning why Lancashire police told public of ‘issues with alcohol’MPs and campaigners have criticised the police for releasing personal details about the missing woman Nicola Bulley’s issues with alcohol and the menopause, with one describing it as “deeply troubling”.Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, was one of a number of people who questioned why Lancashire police took the unusual step of releasing private details about Bulley. Continue reading...

Aural clock, designed by Turner prize winner Susan Philipz for Curzon Street HS2 station, features sounds made by 1,092 city folk“I think your voice would suit an F sharp. So that will be six o’clock,” said composer Andy Ingamells as he listened to my feeble attempts to sing Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, my go-to karaoke song.He is in the process of recording the voices of 1,092 ordinary people from across Birmingham and Solihull so they can be immortalised in the chimes of a singing station clock, which will be placed in the centre of the HS2 railway station being built in the city. Continue reading...

Domain chief Jason Pellegrino says decline is worse than during Covid lockdowns and banking royal commission

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Dr Timothy Graham says his analysis shows that after the algorithm change was reported to have occurred, impressions of billionaire owner’s tweets went up 737%Data collected by an Australian researcher via Twitter’s API appears to support media claims that the reach of the tweets of the platform’s billionaire owner Elon Musk have been artificially inflated.On Wednesday, the tech news site Platformer reported 80 Twitter engineers had been engaged to tweak the platform’s algorithm after Musk noticed a tweet from the US president, Joe Biden, about the Super Bowl outperformed his own, despite Musk having more than three times the number of followers. Continue reading...

CPS agrees, following legal challenge, to record age and race data after studies show young men and black boys suffer mostJoint enterprise prosecutions in England and Wales are to be monitored after a legal challenge from campaigners who argued it disproportionately targets black males and young men.Under the doctrine, an individual can be jointly charged with the crime of another if the court decides they foresaw that the other party was likely to commit that crime. This has resulted in bystanders, or people involved in much lesser criminal offences, being convicted of murder or manslaughter. Continue reading...

Josh Frydenberg and Greg Hunt make endorsements for party’s candidates in Victorian seat being vacated by Alan Tudge

Friends of Duangpetch Promthep share emotional messages after the talented player was found dead in his dorm at a football academyTributes have been paid to Duangpetch Promthep, one of the 12 boys rescued from a flooded Thai cave in 2018, who died in the UK on Tuesday.Kiatisuk Senamuang, the founder of the Zico Foundation and a mentor to Duangpetch, known also as Dom, wrote in a message: “Have fun playing football in heaven, be what Dom wanted to be, just go for it, go to watch every match you want to.” Continue reading...

‘Racist’ inequalities leave sub-Saharan region bearing burden of more that half world’s new HIV infections, says Winnie ByanyimaThe head of UNAids, Winnie Byanyima, has attacked pharmaceutical giants for prioritising profits over saving lives, and warned that “racist” inequalities are undermining progress towards ending Aids, especially in Africa.Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than half of all new infections, with women and marginalised groups facing higher new infection rates. Aids-related illnesses were the leading cause of mortality among African women, and adolescent girls and young women were three times more likely than men to get HIV. Continue reading...

The inquiry will begin hearings into regional branch closures next month in Gippsland

Top bureaucrat defends Australian foreign minister’s comments amid opposition criticism that it was an unnecessary ‘distraction’

US man labelled an ongoing person of interest as Queensland police say there is no evidence of domestic accomplices

US deputy secretary of state says Beijing is claiming ‘a gazillion balloons by the US over China … That is absolutely not true’Diplomatic friction has worsened between the United States and China after Beijing claimed, without evidence, that US high-altitude balloons flew over its Xinjiang and Tibet regions, and threatened unspecified measures against US entities for undermining Chinese sovereignty.Washington and Beijing are locked in a tussle over flying objects after the US military this month shot down what it called a Chinese spy balloon over the coast of South Carolina. Beijing said it was a civilian research vehicle mistakenly blown off course, and that Washington overreacted. Continue reading...

Digital mapping leads to around 7,000 new islands being discovered though it’s unlikely to expand Japan’s territory, media reports sayIt can’t be easy keeping count of the number of islands scattered around an area of more than 370,000 square kilometres, in a country that is regularly subjected to volcanic activity and extreme weather.While Japan has seen the formation of new islands, and the quiet disappearance of another, geographers have said official statistics showing it is made up of around 6,000 islands are way off the mark. Continue reading...

Succession of interest rate rises by the RBA trims jobs growth as unemployment jumps to its highest level since May 2022

Interview by YouTuber Jordan Shanks with Troy Stolz sparked legal proceedings but the clubs lobby has sought leave to withdraw the charges

Newspapers react to the sudden departure of Scotland’s first minister and what it means for the SNP and the UKNicola Sturgeon’s surprise resignation as Scotland’s first minister fills newspaper front pages, along with what the move may mean for the future of Scottish independence.Scotland’s Daily Record splashes with “I want my independence” alongside a picture of a smiling Sturgeon waving from a window. The paper says the “physical and mental impact” of the job was a major factor in her decision. Continue reading...

In decision on bail for Aboriginal 12-year-old, judge says she has ‘disquiet’ about 2005 bail protocol between children’s court and youth justice

Thirty-year-old pleaded guilty and judge calls her choice to leave daughters in vehicle ‘inexcusable’A Queensland woman has been jailed for nine years for negligently leaving her two young daughters to die in a hot car.Kerri-Ann Conley, 30, of Waterford West in Logan, pleaded guilty in Brisbane supreme court this week to two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced on Thursday.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

National Australia Bank warns cash rate increase ‘also causing economic growth and house prices to soften’

Consumers are being warned not to drink Inside Out Unsweetened Almond Milk following a New South Wales recall

Tweed and Byron police establish crime scene after bodies discovered in neighbouring vans

Aircraft surveillance has been boosted and additional ships are on patrol, navy tells Senate estimates

Georgian Constantin was arrested on Tuesday and has now been charged with murder of Valentina CozmaA man has been charged with murder following the death of a woman after a house fire in Stoke-on-Trent.Georgian Constantin, 42, was charged on Wednesday with the murder of Valentina Cozma and with making threats to kill, Staffordshire police said. Continue reading...

Yvette Cooper to cite BBC’s Happy Valley star in major policy speech on restoring community policingLabour will pledge to restore thousands of community officers such as Happy Valley’s Catherine Cawood, saying the local knowledge to tackle antisocial behaviour, violence against women and gang culture has been lost under the Tories.Citing the BBC character as an inspiration, Yvette Cooper will say the Conservatives have “walked away” from community policing and taken a “laissez-faire approach” to vetting and police recruitment. Continue reading...

Woman, 54, accused of dangerous driving causing death outside Macarthur Anglican school at Cobbitty

High court judge rules ‘reasonable provision’ was not made for 83-year-old, ‘left with next to nothing’A widow whose husband of 66 years excluded her and their four daughters from his will, and left everything to their two sons, has won a high court case for a share of an estate worth more than £1m.Mr Justice Peel heard that Karnail Singh, who died in 2021, “wished to leave his estate solely down the male line” after writing his will in 2005. He heard that Harbans Kaur, who married Singh in 1955, estimated the estate to be worth £1.9m gross but one of her sons put the value at £1.2m. Continue reading...

Family members tell TMZ the actor, who rose to fame and sex symbol status in the 1960s, died after a short illness• A life in pictures

Angry protesters attack ATMs and block roads in frustration at lack of new banknotes days before electionRioters have attacked bank ATMs and blocked roads in three Nigerian cities as anger spilled on the streets over a scarcity of cash, just days before the country’s general election.Nigeria has been struggling with a shortage in physical cash since the central bank began to swap old bills of the local naira currency for new ones, leading to a shortfall in banknotes. Continue reading...

Scottish National party leader says she no longer has stamina to carry on in pressured and demanding role

Vehicle carrying families migrating to the US plunged off escarpment near town of Gualaca when driver lost control – reportsAt least 39 migrants have been killed in a gruesome bus accident in Panama after trekking for days through the Central American country’s southern jungles on their way to a new life in the US.The accident took place in the early hours of Wednesday as a convoy of buses traveled from Panama’s border with Colombia towards a migrant reception centre near the town of Gualaca. Continue reading...

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar says Russian attacks are constant

Local authority in Margate said it had removed installation to make it safeA Banksy artwork that was dismantled by a council in Kent “on the grounds of safety” just hours after its unveiling has had its chest freezer returned.The mural, titled Valentine’s Day Mascara, appeared to highlight the issue of domestic violence. It incorporated a freezer, a broken garden chair, a blue crate and an empty beer bottle, which were all removed from the site on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Former party leader hits back after Keir Starmer says he would not be allowed to stand for Labour in next electionJeremy Corbyn has accused Keir Starmer of a “flagrant attack” on democracy by barring him from standing as a Labour candidate, as allies said he was likely to run as an independent.It comes as Starmer confirmed the former Labour leader would not be allowed to run for the party. In a statement on Twitter, Corbyn said party members and constituents were being denied their choice for representation. Continue reading...

Cut-price retailer struggling as number of high street shoppers remains well below pre-pandemic levelsWilko plans to cut more than 400 jobs, including assistant store managers, retail supervisors, head office managers and call centre workers, in the troubled retailer’s latest effort to control costs.The value household and garden products retailer has told staff it plans to reduce hours for team supervisors in 150 of its 401 stores, leading to the equivalent of about 150 full-time equivalent job losses, after a fall in sales. Continue reading...

Kremlin is said to be pushing back against private army and curbing influence of Yevgeny Prighozin

Like ex-New Zealand PM, Scotland’s first minister speaks of duty to admit how ‘brutality’ of political life got to herShe was, she stressed, “a human being”, not just a politician. And as one who had wrestled with accepting she simply no longer had the reserves needed to do the job justice, it was her “duty to say so”.Just three weeks after insisting there was “plenty left in the tank”, Nicola Sturgeon’s shock announcement revealed the personal toll she said eight years as Scotland’s first minister had exacted on her and her loved ones. Continue reading...

Labour had been hoping to win 15 seats at the next general election but could now aim for double that numberSenior figures in Scottish Labour have said Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation has opened an unexpected opportunity for the party to regain ground north of the border.Party members and advisers said the decision by the first minister to stand down had handed them the perfect opportunity to win an outright majority at the next general election. Continue reading...

Half the contemporary artists will be women, with works by Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Bridget Riley and Tracey EminWomen artists from the 17th century to the present day will be displayed at Tate Britain when the flagship gallery unveils the first comprehensive rehang of its collections for 10 years in May.More than 800 works by more than 350 artists will feature at the gallery on the banks of the River Thames, including old favourites, recent discoveries and new commissions. Continue reading...

Zholia Alemi practised as psychiatrist without necessary qualifications after forging medical degree certificateA fraudulent doctor who worked in the NHS for 20 years has been convicted of a “deliberate and wicked deception” after forging a medical degree certificate and practising as a psychiatrist without the necessary qualifications.Zholia Alemi, who is believed to be 60, worked in hospitals across England, Wales and Scotland and received income and benefits of more than £1m across her career, Manchester crown court heard. Continue reading...