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Paul Patterson questioned by MPs as firm continues to make millions from UK government contractsFujitsu's European boss has told MPs the company is not a parasite", after being criticised for continuing to make hundreds of millions of pounds from UK government contracts while refusing to give a compensation figure for victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.Two years ago Paul Patterson said Fujitsu had a moral obligation" to pay financial redress to the victims of Horizon - admitting it had known the accounting IT system was faulty since the 1990s - with the government estimating the final cost to taxpayers of payouts to be 1.8bn. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Tender posted for construction of 3,401 homes in settlement designed to bury idea of a Palestinian state'Israel is moving to start construction on a vast illegal settlement in the heart of the West Bank, designed to bury the idea of a Palestinian state".The Israel Land Authority in mid-December quietly posted a tender for construction of 3,401 homes in the E1" project, which will effectively sever the north and south of the occupied West Bank for Palestinians, and further cut off East Jerusalem. Continue reading...

Heba Muraisi having muscle spasms and Kamran Ahmed losing hearing, with both well into critical phase'Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners taking part in a hunger strike have shown an alarming deterioration in their health as one of them has entered the third month of refusing food, supporters have said.Heba Muraisi, 31, who is on day 65 of her hunger strike, is said to be suffering from muscle spasms and breathing problems, while Kamran Ahmed, on day 58, has reported intermittent hearing loss. Continue reading...

Statement of support comes after presidential aide says no one will fight US militarily over future of Greenland'

Opposition leader says her movement is ready to win a fair election and praises Trump for toppling the president

The internationally acclaimed film-maker was renowned for beautifully shot cinematic epicsBela Tarr, the Hungarian film-maker renowned for lengthy, challenging and beautifully shot films including Satantango, Werckmeister Harmonies and The Man from London, has died aged 70. The Hungarian Film Artists Association said in a statement that Tarr died on Tuesday after a long and serious illness" and that the grieving family asks for the understanding of the press and the public, and that they not be contacted for a statement during these difficult days".Tarr became renowned internationally in the 90s and 00s as his films were shown more widely - partly because of their inordinate length (including the seven-and-a-half-hour Satantango), and partly because of what appeared to be his definitive expression of middle-European black and white miserablism. But in an interview with the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw in 2024, well after Tarr had retired from active film directing in 2011, he said his films had been misunderstood: My opinion is that we were doing comedies. You can laugh a lot." He added that they were not pessimistic. I only ask this - how did you feel when you came out of the movie theatre after watching my film? Did you feel stronger or weaker? That's the main question. I want you to be stronger." Continue reading...

Songsmith's comments come after his brother Liam stoked rumours Oasis had been courted for the roleNoel Gallagher has said that he would absolutely" write the theme song for the next James Bond film if asked, saying that doing so would be an honour.Speaking to TalkSport, the Oasis songwriter revealed that while there had not been any contact between himself and the producers of the franchise, he would leap at the opportunity to contribute music for the film, adding that he thought the theme songs the series is known for should be made by British artists. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Western metropolitan region MP to battle Dinesh Gourisetty ahead of November state election as Ann-Marie Hermans also challenged

Princess of Asturias Foundation issues warning about fraud using fake profiles and videos purporting to show heir to Spanish throneA foundation representing Princess Leonor, the 20-year-old heir to the Spanish throne, has warned that scammers are using AI-generated videos of the princess posted by fake profile pages to cheat social media users out of money.In the posts on TikTok Leonor" promises users payments running to thousands of dollars in return for an upfront fee" of a few hundred dollars. Once this fee" has been paid, the fraudster typically keeps demanding more before disappearing from sight. Continue reading...

Nobel winner's supporters disappointed by US refusal to back her but remain hopeful that in time she can win powerThere was unbridled joy among members of Venezuela's opposition on Saturday morning as their country's president, Nicolas Maduro, was dragged into US custody after an audacious raid on his compound. The military strategy was brilliant," said Ricardo Hausmann, a former minister and opposition supporter, said of the deadly nocturnal assault during which dozens of Maduro's guards - but not a single US soldier - were reportedly killed.That elation was short-lived. Hours after Donald Trump announced Maduro's capture during Operation Absolute Resolve, the US president dashed opposition hopes that their leader, the conservative activist Maria Corina Machado, would now be able to return home to inaugurate a new democratic era. Continue reading...

John Argento, 47, appeared in court charged with Christmas Day attack on car with a billboard reading Happy Chanukah'

Retailer warns that growth this year will be slower amid continuing pressures on UK employment

President says a tremendous amount of money' will need to be spent repairing country's infrastructure

Aim to permit' rule places legal duty on licensing authorities to err on the side of allowing new bookmakers or 24-hour slot machine shopsKeir Starmer has been urged to abolish an outdated" rule that limits the power of communities to prevent bookmakers and 24-hour slot machine shops from opening on high streets.In a letter to the prime minister, nearly 300 politicians and campaigners called for an end to the aim to permit" policy, introduced when Tony Blair's Labour government liberalised gambling laws in 2005. Continue reading...

President wants to placate demonstrators calling for political change, action on corruption and help with cost of livingThe Iranian government is attempting risky economic concessions as it tries to meet the escalating demands of protesters seeking fundamental political change, a clampdown on corruption and an easing of the squeeze on living standards of the poor.Now entering their ninth day, the protests have spread to 27 of Iran's 31 provinces, with a human rights group claiming that the death toll has passed 35 with more than 1,200 arrested. Continue reading...

Police were responding to reports of alleged domestic violence incident when 52-year-old suffered medical episode at Homebush property

Party will also teach MPs how to be community leaders' and take credit for government's work, Lucy Powell saysLabour will switch to an incumbency first" model to protect MPs at the next election rather than targeting seats, the deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has told Labour MPs.Powell said the party would support MPs to become leaders in their communities" and learn how to benefit politically from changes made by the government, which MPs have so far gained little credit for. Continue reading...

In a letter to Keir Starmer, they say MI5 failed them and the Security Service must be included in a law to stop cover-upsFamilies affected by the Manchester Arena bombing have said MI5 failed them and must be more open to scrutiny.In a letter sent to the prime minister seen by the BBC, the families demanded the Security Service be fully included in a new law designed to stop cover-ups in public life. Continue reading...

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Law Council of Australia joined calls from families of victims, business community, sporting identities and some former Labor MPs to launch inquiry

Appeal - entering its last few days - is fundraising for five charities that promote tolerance and hope

Practice where companies are liquidated and reacquired, free of debts, thought to cost taxpayers about 800m a yearInsolvent recruitment businesses shorn of their debts then reacquired from administration by the directors or shareholders that presided over their demise are costing the exchequer tens of millions of pounds in lost taxes, a Guardian analysis suggests.The practice of phoenixism" - the art of liquidating a company and allowing the directors to rise from the ashes with a new entity, free of debts - is estimated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to have cost taxpayers about 800m a year. Continue reading...

Planned legislation could hand ministers significant powers to forge closer regulatory ties with BrusselsKeir Starmer is set to face fresh battles over his EU reset" with his plans to lay a bill that could lead to closer regulatory ties with Brussels.The legislation aims to introduce an alignment mechanism for the agrifoods and electricity trading deals agreed with EU leaders but still under negotiation. Continue reading...

Venezuelan opposition leader says she plans to return to her country as soon as possible

Former Liberal staffer alleges initial findings against him were compromised' in latest chapter of high-profile legal case

In mid-December PNG said the company did not have a licence to operate in the country and ordered it to halt operationsFrustration is growing in Papua New Guinea weeks after the government ordered Starlink to shut down operations in the country as businesses, health providers and communities struggle without access to internet services.Starlink, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, is a satellite internet company that provides internet to remote places. In mid-December, the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (Nicta) ordered the company to halt operations because it was not licensed in PNG. Continue reading...

Perception that Chinese-made weapons could not stop a decapitation strike' may give Beijing pause for thoughtThe sight of a hostile regional superpower launching an overnight raid to depose the leader of a smaller neighbouring country could easily have sent pulses in Taiwan racing.The US on Saturday revealed the details of a surprise raid to capture Venezuela's leader, Nicolas Maduro, who was whisked away to the US, where he was frogmarched into a court in New York on Monday. Continue reading...

Mette Frederiksen criticises Donald Trump's unacceptable pressure' as Greenland counterpart condemns fantasies'

Campaigners call for action to make manufacturers reduce salt in food, which can contribute to high blood pressure and deathsAdults in England eat the same amount of salt every week as is found in 155 bags of crisps, according to analysis by a leading health charity.The British Heart Foundation, which carried out the study, said this also equated to 22 bags a day of ready salted, lightly salted or sea salt crisps. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper challenged for refusing to criticise Trump's raid despite widespread doubts about legalityMPs have attacked UK ministers over their refusal to criticise Donald Trump's attack on Venezuela, as Keir Starmer attempts to walk a fine line between defending international law and keeping the US president on side.Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs rounded on the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, on Monday night as frustration grew over the government's cautious response to the US capture of the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro. Continue reading...

Prime minister assures colleagues he may one day stand up to Donald Trump - but not yetKeir Starmer has got used to walking a diplomatic tightrope with Donald Trump. But the US president's Venezuelan adventure, whisking its leader out of the country after a late-night raid, has pushed that cautious approach to its limits.The clues were all there. Ever since Trump confirmed that he had authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela against drug traffickers - and blockaded oil tankers - the military campaign had been mounting. Continue reading...

The degrading pictures are being posted to X despite the platform pledging to suspend people who generate themDegrading images of children and women with their clothes digitally removed by Grok AI continue to be shared on Elon Musk's X, despite the platform's commitment to suspend users who generate them.After days of concern over use of the chatbot to alter photographs to create sexualised pictures of real women and children stripped to their underwear without their consent, the UK's communication's watchdog, Ofcom, said on Monday that it had made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK". Ofcom added that it would assess whether an investigation is necessary based on the company's response. Continue reading...

PM's spokesperson did not contest report claiming that the UK will abstain on a possible UN voteSpeaking to reporters this morning, Keir Starmer said Nicolas Maduro, who was president of Venezuela until he was arrested by the Americans on Saturday and taken to a US jail, was not a legitimate ruler. He said:What's happened here in Venezuela is obviously really important. We have long championed a peaceful transition to democracy, because the president was illegitimate.International law is really important. It's the framework, and it's for the US to set out its justifications for the actions that it's taken. But it is a complicated situation. It remains a complicated situation. The most important thing is stability and that peaceful transition to democracy ...I think the vast majority of Labour MPs would say that they want to see democracy in Venezuela. That is hugely important. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Chronic lack of consultants across UK health service means patients do not get drugs or surgery in timeThousands of people who have had a stroke are ending up severely disabled or dying because the NHS has too few specialists to treat them quickly enough, senior doctors are warning.A chronic shortage of stroke consultants across the NHS means that patients are suffering horrendous consequences because of delays in getting clot-busting drugs and surgery, they said.70% of stroke units are short of at least one consultant in stroke care, and many are two down.53 of 84 hospitals that responded had vacancies for a total of 96 consultants.The NHS relies heavily on locum doctors to fill holes in the workforce caused by the difficulty in recruiting new consultants.10% of the NHS's 423 substantive (permanent) consultants are due to retire in the next five years, exacerbating the existing shortage. Continue reading...

Vasyl Malyuk reportedly unwilling to leave post as head of the Security Service but will now lead special operationsThe spy chief who led Ukraine's most audacious behind-the-lines operations in its war with Russia has been forced to resign by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Vasyl Malyuk, who was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine last year, reportedly fought to stay in post as head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) but relented on Monday at a meeting with the president. Continue reading...

Four Reform-led councils want to raise tax by maximum allowed amount with more areas not being ruled outA Reform-led local authority has confirmed it is planning to increase council tax by the maximum allowed amount, despite promises during the local election to reduce taxes.Derbyshire county council confirmed the rise after predicting a 38m gap in its budget, with overspends in children's social care and adult social care. Continue reading...

First minister announces plan for bank holiday on Monday 15 June after opening game against HaitiFootball fans needn't worry about the hangover when they celebrate, or otherwise, into the wee hours after Scotland's first match in the 2026 World Cup - because the day after the 2am UK time fixture looks likely to be a national bank holiday there.The first minister, John Swinney, announced that Monday 15 June will be designated a national bank holiday to mark Scotland's participation in the tournament for the first time since 1998. Continue reading...

Venezuela's interim leader offers to work with US after Trump threatened she could pay very big price'

Mette Frederiksen says Denmark and Greenland have made it clear they reject US president's statementsin ParisLate last year, Brigitte Macron's daughter has told a Paris court that false claims online that the French first lady was born a man had damaged her mother's quality of life, leaving her worrying every day about the clothes she wears and how she stands. Continue reading...

Maduro had just affirmed strong bonds of brotherhood' with Beijing when US made its shocking intervention

Announcement comes after ongoing fraud of social services cases became focus of ire for Republicans and Trump

Snowfall will be increasingly confined to far north of Scotland but ice risk to linger across many areasThe full list of train disruptions and timetable changes can be viewed on the National Rail site here.Timeframes for the delays are being amended all the time - and on some routes, bus alternatives are also being offered, so it's worth checking back in regularly. Continue reading...

Jonathan Carley, 65, ordered to pay nearly 800 after pleading guilty to attending ceremony in Royal Navy uniform without permissionA man has been fined after he admitted dressing as an admiral without permission at a Remembrance Sunday event.Jonathan Carley, 65, pleaded guilty to wearing uniform bearing the mark of his majesty's forces without permission and was fined 500, and ordered to pay 85 costs and a 200 surcharge, at Llandudno magistrates court on Monday. Continue reading...

Aristocrat, 70, gives address as Blenheim Palace and indicates he will plead not guilty to three charges of intentional strangulationThe Duke of Marlborough has appeared in court and indicated not guilty pleas to charges of strangling his estranged wife.Charles James Spencer-Churchill, a distant relative of Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, is accused of three charges of intentional strangulation against Edla Marlborough between November 2022 and April 2024. Continue reading...

British prime minister says Donald Trump should stop raising idea of US annexation he claims necessary for security

Teacher and publicist among those convicted of maliciously posting or sharing false claims French first lady is a man

Failure to condemn US intervention risks encouraging others to take similar action, warns senior Labour MPThe lack of western condemnation of the US military intervention in Venezuela could embolden China and Russia to take similar action against other countries, a senior Labour MP has warned.Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee, said that without a coherent and strong response to Donald Trump's move at the weekend to remove the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, and bring him to the US, the norms of international law could break down. Continue reading...

Subzero temperatures, heavy snowfall and powerful gusts mark a harsh start to 2026 for manyIt has been a cold start to the year across much of Europe, particularly in central regions, where temperatures dropped to double-digit negatives. Heavy snowfall hit parts of eastern and central Europe on New Year's Eve, notably in Poland and Ukraine, with similar conditions across the Alps on the first few days of the year.The cold is likely to continue this week as an Arctic air mass sinks south across Europe, pulling temperatures well below the seasonal average outside south-east Europe. Temperatures are expected to fall widely by about 5C (41F) below average, with some areas - such as parts of central and north-eastern Europe - up to 10C lower than the norm. When wind chill is taken into account, it will feel even colder. Continue reading...

US class action alleges Stake's anonymised design enabled rapper to fund automated streams on music platformsDrake and American livestreamer Adin Ross have been accused in a US civil case of using online casino money to pay for automated streams in a bid to artificially inflate the singer's royalties and popularity on music streaming platforms. No one has been charged criminally with regard to the allegations in the lawsuit.Two women in the US state Virginia have filed a class action seeking US$5m from e-casino Stake.com, the celebrities and another Australian internet personality for alleged breaches of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (Rico) and consumer protection laws. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: Saturday's capture of Nicolas Maduro by the US was as unexpected as it was swift - but what led Trump to topple the South American regime?Good morning. Over the weekend, the US attacked Venezuela with a series of airstrikes and captured the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife, Cilia Flores, seizing them from their bedrooms and flying them to New York on Saturday evening. Donald Trump announced that the US would run" Venezuela for an unspecified period.Perhaps most striking was how explicit Trump was about the reasoning behind the military action. He said the aim was for US companies to take control of Venezuela's oil infrastructure for their own benefit. We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we're going to be very much involved in it," Trump said.Venezuela | The prospect of the United States seizing direct control of Venezuela appeared to recede on Sunday after the shocking seizure of President Nicolas Maduro - but US officials said Washington was keeping a 15,000-strong force in the Caribbean and might make a fresh military intervention if Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, did not accommodate their demands.EU | Keir Starmer has said closer ties with the EU single market are preferable to a customs union in his clearest sign yet that the UK government is seeking to further deepen links with Brussels.Weather | Transport delays, treacherous driving conditions and school closures will greet many people as they return to work and study after the Christmas break, with winter weather warnings in place across the UK.Crans-Montana fire | Investigators have identified the last 16 people who died in the New Year's Eve bar fire at the Swiss mountain resort of Crans-Montana, police said on Sunday.Germany | German leftwing militants protesting over the climate crisis and AI have claimed responsibility for an arson attack that cut power to tens of thousands of households in Berlin. Continue reading...