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High commissioner for refugees says people crossing the border would be the nail in the coffin' for any peace process

PM insists he can cut taxes in a recession and says Conservatives' plan is working' despite heavy losses in Kingswood and Wellingborough

Alexander Smirnov falsely said executives linked to energy firm Burisma paid Joe and Hunter Biden $5m each in 2015 and 2016, prosecutors sayAn FBI informant has been charged with lying to his handler about ties between Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company.Alexander Smirnov falsely told FBI agents in June 2020 that executives associated with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5m each in 2015 and 2016, prosecutors said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Letters from immigration watchdog set out official warning over conditions at Wethersfield site

Christian Bruckner is charged with three counts of rape and two counts of sexual abuse of childrenChristian Bruckner, the main suspect in the disappearance of the UK toddler Madeleine McCann, has appeared in court in Germany over sexual assault and rape charges in separate cases.The 47-year-old appeared in court in Braunschweig, northern Germany, amid a flurry of media and public interest. The opening of the trial, where tight security was in place, was delayed by the sheer number of people trying to gain access to the courtroom. Continue reading...

The Wellingborough byelection was the Labour leader's fourth mammoth turnaround, as the Tories suffered a record fallThe Wellingborough byelection is one for the record books. The fall in the Conservative share of the vote - an enormous 37.6 percentage points - was the worst the party has ever suffered in a byelection.The previous record, established in Liverpool Wavertree in 1935, had stood for nearly 90 years, but the swing of 28.5 percentage points from Conservative to Labour was the second-highest since the 1930s, after Tony Blair's triumph in Dudley West in 1994. It came on the heels of other Labour gains in the last year with monster-sized swings of more than 20 points: Selby and Ainsty, Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire. Thatcher and Blair in opposition managed two such gains each; Starmer has notched up four. Continue reading...

Duke of Sussex, who flew to UK to see his father, said in US interview he was grateful for time with familyKing Charles's illness could reunify the royal family, Prince Harry has suggested, after flying in from the US to see his father following his cancer diagnosis.In an interview with a US television station on Friday, the Duke of Sussex discussed his relationship with his relatives, which has been strained to breaking point in recent years. Continue reading...

Aslef said train company's handout to women was insulting gimmick', while TSSA called it dismissive' and belittlingA gift bag designed for menopausal women working at Avanti West Coast containing a fan and a jelly baby has been denounced as demeaning" and an insulting gimmick" by rail unions.The pack included a fan for hot sweats, a jelly baby sweet in case you feel like biting someone's head off", a tissue if you're feeling a bit emotional" and a paperclip to help you keep it all together". Continue reading...

The once-in-a-lifetime show has finally come to Australia. For the millions who couldn't get tickets, might a slightly chaotic blog be the next best thing? We'll find out. But fair warning: setlist spoilers

Row centres on religious cohesion charity's appointment of trustee with links to Muslim Council of BritainA charity that has worked for 37 years for greater cohesion between different UK faith communities is expected to close down next week after the government signalled it will scrap its funding.The Inter Faith Network (IFN) is due to close after Michael Gove, the communities secretary, said he was minded to withdraw" 155,000 of provisional funding over concerns about a trustee connected to the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). Continue reading...

Husam Zomlot says family members who died while sheltering in the city include seven-year-old twins and 15-month-oldThe Palestinian ambassador to the UK has said that eight of his relatives who were sheltering in the southern Gaza town of Rafah have been killed in an Israeli strike.

Rosemarie Castoro's Trap a Zoid, last shown in Manhattan half a century ago, being restaged as part of retrospectiveA sculpture described by the artist as a painting you can walk in", which was only exhibited once almost half a century ago on the tip of Manhattan island, has reappeared on a north Wales beach.Rather than having a backdrop of skyscrapers as it did in 1978, Rosemarie Castoro's Trap a Zoid has been set up on a beach in Llandudno in front of the Great Orme, a headland perhaps best known for its wild goats which headed into the town during the first lockdown. Continue reading...

Environment minister says authorities are testing mulch in the area but any issues would be resolved before pop star's sold out shows at Accor Stadium

Tories want swing to right to lure back disillusioned voters after Starmer's wins in Kingswood and WellingboroughThe records continue to fall for Labour.The result in the Wellingborough byelection, where the party achieved a 28.5% swing from the Conservatives, was the biggest Labour victory over the Tories since 1994 and the second biggest since the war. Continue reading...

Pre-tax figure of 6.2bn comes as bank confirms Paul Thwaite will take over permanently as CEO

Court documents reveal details of emotional call with Beverley McGarvey in which Wilkinson blamed network for failing to stop bad press

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Gen Kitchen takes seat for party for first time since 2001 general election to temper fears after testing weekLabour has scored its largest swing in a byelection since 1994 after overturning a majority of more than 18,000 in Wellingborough, bolstering predictions that the party is on course for a landslide victory at the next general election.Labour's candidate, Gen Kitchen, won with 13,844 votes, beating the Conservatives' Helen Harrison who received 7,408 votes in the largest swing from the Tories to Labour since 1994 and second-largest since the second world war. It was Labour's fifth byelection gain from the Conservatives overall in this parliament. The party also gained a Tory seat in Kingswood, dealing a double blow to an embattled Conservative party that has lost 10 byelections in a single parliament, more than any government since the 1960s. Continue reading...

DWP briefing says jobcentres should no longer issue signposting slips' over concerns about data privacyJobcentre officials have been ordered to stop referring penniless benefit claimants to food banks because it breaches data privacy law, in a move charities have warned will cause delays in crisis help for thousands of hungry households.For years the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has allowed jobcentres to issue DWP-designed signposting slips", which allow claimants to access local food banks, many of which will not give out food parcels without a formal referral. Continue reading...

London judges to decide whether WikiLeaks founder, who could face life in prison in US, has reached end of road in British courtsIn a matter of days Julian Assange will find out if he has exhausted all potential challenges through the British courts to being extradited to the US, where he could spend the rest of his life in prison.The two-day hearing is scheduled to take place in London on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, as he seeks leave to appeal against his extradition for publishing thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents. Continue reading...

City's largest housing associations call for 15bn a year to be invested after 76% fall in homes being builtHousebuilding in London is grinding to a halt", housing associations have warned the government, with the number of affordable homes being built plummeting by three-quarters in the last 12 months.In a letter to the housing secretary, Michael Gove, the G15, which represents the capital's 11 largest housing associations, said his policies did not go far enough to increase supply and called for an injection of billions of pounds into an affordable homes building programme. Continue reading...

Number of homes lost set to rise as premier Jacinta Allan announces payments for thousands expected to be without power for more than a week

Quiz organisers were taken by 15-year-old Emily's enthusiasm and when she didn't win they decided to reward her anyway

Candidate in 2022 federal election facing up to 12 months' prison if found guilty of knowingly providing false or misleading informationA Liberal National party candidate in the last federal election has faced court accused of providing false information about his residential address to the electoral commission.Vivian Rakesh Lobo was issued a summons to appear in Brisbane magistrates court on Friday after a federal police investigation followed a referral from the Australian Electoral Commission.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Body of 28-year-old recovered from state's north-west, with more heavy rain forecast for Brisbane

Blow for Rishi Sunak as former Lewisham mayor Damien Egan elected in South Gloucestershire seatLabour has overturned an 11,000-plus Tory majority to win the byelection in the South Gloucestershire constituency of Kingswood.Damien Egan, who resigned as the mayor of Lewisham in south-east London to contest the seat even though it is being abolished at the next general election, is celebrating victory after a professional and energetic Labour campaign. He won with 11,1176 votes, to 8,675 for his nearest rival, the Conservatives' Sam Bromiley, a majority of 2,501. Labour won on a swing in the share of the vote of 16.4 percentage points - some way above the 11.4 point swing needed. Continue reading...

Surging prices reached $1,630 for a one-way Qantas business ticket from Sydney after airline added 64 extra flights to cope with increase in traffic for Eras tour

The 78-year-old says the demand for $307 came out of the blue and caused sleepless nights'

The 44-year-old called emergency services to say his wife had died at their Woodhill farm

The Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau say Congress needs to approve fresh support announced by Joe BidenLeaders of Pacific Island countries allied with the US have become increasingly anxious about the US congressional budget impasse that has delayed approval of vital new funding packages and warned that China is actively seeking to shift their allegiances.The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands (RMI) and Palau agreed to new 20-year funding programs with the United States last year under which Washington provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swaths of the Pacific. Continue reading...

Psychotherapist tells inquest she was told no hospital' after expressing concern for Jarrad Antonovich, who died later that night

Violin-shaped Hofner vanished around the time the Beatles split up but has now resurfaced after a global appealA guitar bought by Paul McCartney for 30 in 1961 has been returned to the former Beatle after a global search to find the stolen Hofner bass.The distinctively shaped instrument, bought by McCartney before his rise to stardom and reportedly his favourite, was last seen around the time the Beatles were recording their final album to be released, Let It Be. Continue reading...

High court rules Barnsley council does not have right to force man to take DNA test to determine parentage of sonA man who mixed his sperm with his father's to help get his partner pregnant will not be forced to take a paternity test, the high court has ruled.The man, identified as PQ as he cannot be named for legal reasons, and his partner (JK) had experienced fertility problems and were not able to afford IVF treatment, the court heard at a hearing last month. Continue reading...

Russian president says Biden is more predictable', in remarks likely to be attempt to make mischief in US electionVladimir Putin has said he would prefer a Joe Biden presidency to a Donald Trump one and mocked the former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson for a lack of sharp questions" during their interview at the Kremlin last week.Asked by a Russian state journalist on Wednesday to choose between Biden and Trump, Putin said without hesitation that the current US president was more experienced, predictable, an old-school politician", but added: We will work with any US president who the American people have confidence in." Continue reading...

Maricopa county supervisor who faced threats for doing his job to confirm votes in 2020 won't run for re-electionA Republican elected official in Arizona who protected the vote and withstood a barrage of pressure and threats in 2020 from within his own party to sway the election toward Trump announced on Thursday that he will not seek re-election.Clint Hickman, a supervisor in Maricopa county, the state's largest county that includes Phoenix, faced death threats for doing his job to confirm the county's vote totals in 2020, when the state narrowly chose Joe Biden. State Republicans then initiated a sham audit" of the county's results, a costly hand count that took months only to conclude that Biden did indeed win. Continue reading...

Foreign minister claims local office of UN high commissioner for human rights supported impunity for coup plottersVenezuela's government has ordered the local UN office on human rights to suspend operations, giving its staff 72 hours to leave, after accusing the office of promoting opposition to the South American country.The foreign affairs minister, Yvan Gil, announced the decision at a news conference in Caracas on Thursday. Gil's announcement came on the heels of the detention of the human rights attorney Rocio San Miguel, which set off a wave of criticism inside and outside Venezuela. Continue reading...

FDA doctor Peter Marks apologizes to viewers after far-right Republican claims children should not be given Covid vaccinesResponding to an expert's statement that about 3.2 million" American lives have been saved by vaccines against Covid, with over 14 million lives" saved globally, the far-right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene said: I'm not a doctor, but I have a PhD in recognising bullshit when I hear it."On Capitol Hill on Thursday, Greene attended a hearing staged by the House oversight select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading...

BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti told UK staff he was excited about deal, described as strategic partnership'The Independent is in talks to take control of BuzzFeed and HuffPost in the UK and Ireland, as part of a strategic partnership" that aims to boost the fortunes of two strikingly different players in the UK media landscape.BuzzFeed UK was once looked upon with envy by legacy publishers who coveted its reach with younger audiences, but its star has faded after huge losses at its parent company. Free online news publishers are facing a torrid financial time as social networks such as Facebook are no longer sending as many readers, while advertisers are cutting spending. Continue reading...

Simon Foster will go to court over plan to transfer his powers as police and crime commissioner to region's mayorThe West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC) has announced he is taking the home secretary to court over plans to scrap his role and transfer his powers to the region's mayor.Simon Foster, who took over as PCC in the West Midlands in 2021, said he had applied for a judicial review to challenge what he described as a hostile takeover of PCC powers by the mayor". Continue reading...

Staff say one person killed and eight injured in attack as UN aid chief warns Rafah offensive could cause refugee exodus into Egypt

Police confirm three people arrested after one killed and at least 21 injured in attack during Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade

Community Security Trust records rise of 232%, almost three-quarters of which took place after Hamas's 7 October attackThe anonymous letter that landed on the desk of a headteacher of a Jewish school in Hertfordshire in November did not pull its punches.Beware," it began. Jihadi is being fought and you are going to have your throat slit by us." Among the reasons it listed were we see you like music which is unIslamic"; you wear a tie and are western" and you are a Jew lover". It ended with the words: From the river to the see [sic] we shall be free, you Zionist." Continue reading...

Funding body says it believes in freedom of expression, after policy changes sparked fears of censorship of artistsArts Council England (ACE) has announced it will update guidance warning that political statements" could break funding agreements, after a backlash from the arts and culture sector.A series of recent updates to ACE policies had advised organisations that it funds to be wary of overtly political or activist" statements made in a personal capacity by people linked to them. Continue reading...

Naomi Klein, Laura Cumming and historian Tiya Miles among 16 authors in contention for prize, which aims to boost women's nonfiction award representationCapitalism, artificial intelligence, Renaissance history and motherhood are among the topics explored in the books on the inaugural Women's prize for nonfiction longlist.Sixteen women - including Guardian US columnist Naomi Klein, Observer art critic Laura Cumming and historian Tiya Miles - are now in the running for the 30,000 prize, launched last year to redress the relatively low numbers of women recognised in nonfiction prizes. Continue reading...

Organisers call for national effort' to protest against low supermarket prices and cheap imports from post-Brexit dealsFarmers unhappy at low supermarket prices and cheap food imports from post-Brexit trade deals have vowed to renew their French-style protests with tractors this weekend.Demonstrations modelled on those across the Channel in recent months have sprung up in the UK, most notably in Wales and southern England. On Thursday, Andrew Gibson, a farmer in Kent who has been centrally involved in organising previous actions, said more were to come. Continue reading...

The ex-president said that if they're not going to pay, we're not going to protect' at rally in South CarolinaDonald Trump has doubled down on his threat to undermine Nato, repeating his threat not to protect countries he believes do not pay enough to maintain the alliance and claiming such nations laugh at the stupidity" of the US.On Wednesday night, at a rally in South Carolina, Trump said: I've been saying, Look, if they're not going to pay, we're not going to protect, OK?' And [Joe] Biden who said, Oh, this is so bad. This is so terrible that he would say that.' No ... nobody's paying their bills. Continue reading...

The Oppenheimer actor spoke about the abuses at the homes for unwed women ahead of the premiere of Small Things Like These, the new film about the scandal, at the Berlin film festivalLearning about the abuses of the church in the dysfunctional Christian society" of 1980s Ireland amounted to a collective trauma" that has still not been fully processed, actor Cillian Murphy said as a new film set against the backdrop of the Magdalene Laundries scandal premiered at the Berlin film festival.In Small Things Like These, the Oppenheimer star plays Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man who accidentally becomes aware of abuse happening at the local convent in New Ross, southwest County Wexford, Ireland. Continue reading...

Twelve Jane Does' accuse agency of repeated and continual failures' that helped financier evade justice for more than 20 yearsThe FBI is facing a claim from 12 alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein over what they say was the agency's repeated and continued failures, delays and inaction" that allowed the disgraced financier to run his sex-trafficking operation for more than two decades.The lawsuit, filed against the United States in the southern district of New York, accuses the FBI of failing to do the job the American people expected of it and that the FBI's own rules and regulations required: investigate the reports, tips, and evidence it had of rampant sexual abuse and sex trafficking by Epstein and protect the young women and children who fell victim to him". Continue reading...

Labour aiming to win two byelections as chancellor defends Sunak's record, saying economy is turning a corner'On Sky News this morning Jeremy Hunt claimed that he would only cut taxes in a way that was responsible" in the March budget, and the chancellor refused to be drawn on specific measures.He told viewers:You will know that chancellors don't talk about budgets just a few weeks before and that is for a very good reason, because I don't yet know the final numbers that I will receive from the office for budget responsibility.I would only cut taxes in a way that was responsible, and I certainly wouldn't do anything that fuelled inflation just when we are starting to have some success in bringing down inflation.I am a passionate supporter of the NHS and all our public services, but in the long-run the best thing that I can do as chancellor for the NHS is to make sure that our economy is growing healthily. So what you will see in everything I do in the Budget on March 6 is prioritising economic growth. Continue reading...

Moscow has massively ramped up its industry, giving it advantages in the war and leading to a redistribution of wealthAs Ukraine has scrambled to source ammunition, arms and equipment for its defence, Russia has presided over a massive ramping up of industrial production over the last two years that has outstripped what many western defence planners expected when Vladimir Putin launched his invasion.Total defence spending has risen to an estimated 7.5% of Russia's GDP, supply chains have been redesigned to secure many key inputs and evade sanctions, and factories producing ammunition, vehicles and equipment are running around the clock, often on mandatory 12-hour shifts with double overtime, in order to sustain the Russian war machine for the foreseeable future. Continue reading...