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Leeds building society believes it is the first to restrict new lending for holiday homes in Norfolk and YorkshireA leading building society is trialling a ban on new holiday-let mortgages in some popular tourist destinations.Campaigners say the move by Leeds building society could improve the situation for local residents currently struggling to buy or rent in parts of Norfolk and Yorkshire that have seen a surge in the number of properties turned into holiday rentals. Continue reading...

As many as 10,000 people are disputing wills every year, according to estimates by specialist solicitorsThousands of families are becoming embroiled in a soaring number of inheritance disputes leading to a record volume of ruinously expensive" and emotionally gruelling court cases.As many as 10,000 people in England and Wales are disputing wills every year, according to estimates by specialist solicitors. In 2021-22, 195 disputes went in front of judges, up from 145 in 2017, but these are the tip of the iceberg, with most disputes settled out of court. Continue reading...

Concerns that draconian' plans, which are intended to prevent confusion among shoppers, would push up pricesDairy alternatives such as I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and Alpro's This Is Not M*lk may have to change their names if draconian" new rules to prevent shoppers confusing plant-based with real dairy products are imposed.With trading standards officials thought to be on the brink of issuing new guidance, including a ban on the use of words and phrases like m*lk", cheeze" and not milk" on labels, the Plant-based Food Alliance UK (PbFA) will next week make a last-ditch appeal to the environment secretary to intervene. Continue reading...

Ukrainian military claims it shot down Russian spy plane; Ukraine marks second anniversary of war; Russian drones kill one in Odesa attack

Agency says an unnamed supplier may have provided contaminated mulch at Cranebrook and Bardia

On 900 miles of track between the frontline and the edge of the EU, soldiers and civilians reflect on their experiencesThe opening bars of the Cossack March rang out from the platform speakers at Zaporizhzhia-1 train station, jaunty trumpets transitioning into a rousing military march, heralding the departure of train number four, the 17.53 to Uzhhorod.Carriage attendants slammed shut the heavy metal doors, a few people on the platform waved forlorn goodbyes in the evening gloom, and the train clattered off on its journey across the entire breadth of Ukraine, a 900-mile ride from close to the frontline all the way to the border with the European Union. Continue reading...

The blaze started on the first floor where electric bikes had been placed, according to officials, but the cause is still unknownAt least 15 people were killed and 44 injured in a fire at a residential building in eastern China's Nanjing city, local authorities said.The fire broke out early Friday morning, officials said at a press conference, with a preliminary investigation suggesting the blaze started on the building's first floor, where electric bikes had been placed. Continue reading...

Warnings remained in place for a group of communities west of Ballarat as crews work to get blaze under controlAt least three homes have been confirmed destroyed by a bushfire in western Victoria, with fire authorities warning that some towns remain under threat.There were fears that as many as 10 houses may have been claimed by the fire burning west of Ballarat, and watch and act" warnings remain in place for Bayindeen, Chute, Elmhurst, Mount Lonarch and surrounds, Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) said. Continue reading...

Police say three men and a woman died after vehicle left the road in Wardell, near Ballina, on Saturday morning

Urgent investment of 12.2bn needed to reverse effects of 14 years of austerity, unions sayAlmost three-quarters of schools in England are facing real-terms cuts since 2010 due to government funding decisions, analysis from a coalition of education unions has shown.New data released from School Cuts suggests before the spring budget next month that 12.2bn of investment is needed to reverse the cuts 70% of English state-funded schools have faced in the last 14 years under the Conservatives. Continue reading...

Residents tell of concerns and community spirit after discovery and removal of 500kg second world war explosiveUsually as the weekend approaches, the streets, shops and pubs around Devonport, the largest naval dockyard in western Europe, hum with life.But an eerie hush fell over the area on Friday after more than 10,000 people were evacuated from homes and workplaces so a second-world-war bomb dropped on Plymouth by the Luftwaffe could be extracted from a back garden. Continue reading...

More prematurely victorious candidates in 2024 - 15 mayors and 46 councillors - than any time since 2012

Campaigners say Ibrahima Bah should be treated as a victim of trafficking after he was forced to steer a boat. Instead he faces at least six years in jailIbrahima Bah will spend at least the next six years and three months in custody. He will do so for manslaughter, and for smuggling dozens of people into the UK on a perilous small-boat journey across the Channel during which at least four died.In the words of the migration minister Michael Tomlinson, it was right that he has been brought to justice" because Bah put dozens of lives in extreme danger by taking charge of a perilous and illegal small boat crossing". Continue reading...

Authorities lower count of victims in multi-storey fire in Valencia, with one more person considered missingSpanish police have said the final death toll from a devastating fire that tore through a 14-storey block of flats in the eastern city of Valencia is nine, with one person thought to have died now considered missing and all others accounted for.El Pais daily cited national police as saying that after forensic analysis of the bodies found in the charred building, they had lowered the number of victims from the 10 previously reported by the Spanish government's representative in the region. Continue reading...

Second world war bomb now in the water by Plymouth after its removal from a gardenThe large Naval Dockyard at Devonport and the presence of the Air Force and Army in the city made it a prime target for Hitler's Luftwaffe. The people of Plymouth experienced their first air raid alert at 12.45am on 30 June 1940.Between July 1940 and April 1944, the people of Plymouth experienced 602 alerts and 59 bombing raids, resulting in the deaths of 1174 civilians. More than 4,000 properties were destroyed with a further 18,000 damaged. Continue reading...

Children formally identified as Fares Bash, seven; Joury Bash, three; and Mohammed Bash, nine monthsThree children, including a baby, who were allegedly murdered at a house in Bristol all died of knife injuries, police have revealed.Avon and Somerset police said the siblings had formally been identified as Mohammed Bash, aged nine months, Joury Bash, three, and Fares Bash, seven. Continue reading...

Sheriff's office said victims, pronounced dead at the scene, were caught in debris and fell down the northern California hillsideTwo children were killed when a hillside collapsed along a river in northern California, which has been hit by a series of winter storms.The Shasta county sheriff's office said in a statement that the two victims were caught in debris that came down from a hillside near Shasta dam on Thursday morning and had fallen down the hillside. They were pronounced dead at the scene, the office said. Continue reading...

Government will back bill to curb spurious lawsuits often used by very rich to stop exposure of wrongdoingMinisters are to support a crackdown on spurious lawsuits aimed at intimidating journalists, academics and campaigners, known as strategic litigation against public participation, or Slapps.Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, said on Friday that the government would support a private member's bill brought by the Labour backbencher Wayne David aimed at reducing the use of Slapps in the British courts. Continue reading...

Scarlet Blake, 26, brutally attacked Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, and left him to drown in July 2021A woman who livestreamed herself killing, dissecting and blending the body of a cat before brutally attacking a man and leaving him to drown to death in a river months later has been convicted of murder.Scarlet Blake, 26, targeted Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, as he walked home from a night out in Oxford in July 2021. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Firm's denial comes after weeks of intense criticism, including accusations that it misled parliament Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastConsultancy firm KPMG Australia has rejected claims it conducted due diligence on the wrong company" before the federal government gave nearly half a billion dollars to a controversial company with no track record.The firm's objection to comments by a member of a Senate inquiry examining its conduct come after weeks of intense criticism and accusations it repeatedly misled parliament over its use of so-called power maps, which identify influential decision makers within departments.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

President faces uncertain reception at Salon d'Agriculture after weeks of protests by furious farmersMost politicians kiss babies; French leaders pat cows and make a fuss of lambs.The Salon d'Agriculture, the country's annual farm show that opens on Saturday, is a date presidents cannot afford to miss. Continue reading...

Sanctions come as part of Biden's broader effort against Russia which he announced on the second anniversary of Russia's war on UkraineU.S. President Joe Biden on Friday announced a fresh wave of more than 500 sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine and the death of Alexei Navalny, the White House said.More information to come ... Continue reading...

Rapper and producer posted antisemitic comments to social media in 2020 and 2021, and was later charged with assault and burglaryGrime music pioneer Wiley has been stripped of his MBE on the grounds of bringing the honours system into disrepute". A notice posted to the Cabinet Office website announced the change.In 2020 Wiley - AKA Richard Cowie, 45 - caused hurt and outrage with an antisemitic rant posted to social media, in which he stated: There are 2 sets of people who nobody has really wanted to challenge #Jewish & #KKK ... Red Necks Are the KKK and Jewish people are the Law." He also wrote: Israel is ours ... The Star of David that's our ting." He later apologised for generalising and going outside of the people who I was talking to within the workspace and workplace I work in," following a dispute with his Jewish manager, but didn't retract the comments and denied being racist. Continue reading...

It is hoped that telling of personal stories in New York will resonate with Republicans at a time when US military aid package is stalledA small group of Ukrainian child survivors of war will address a private meeting at the UN in New York, timed to coincide with a meeting of the security council on Friday, as part of an effort by Kyiv to remind Americans of the human costs of a conflict increasingly affected by US domestic politics.Those due to address the event include Kira, 14, and Ilya, 11, from the besieged city of Mariupol, and the hope is that their personal stories will resonate with Republicans at a time when a military aid for Ukraine package is stalled in the House. Continue reading...

Vennells had said she would return honour after fresh fallout over wrongful prosecution of post office operatorsThe former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has forfeited her CBE for bringing the honours system into disrepute" over her handling of the Horizon crisis.Vennells was named on Friday in a list published on the Cabinet Office website as an individual whose honour had been revoked by King Charles. Continue reading...

Far-right party trying to capitalise on third-place byelection finishes and is vetting prospective MPs' social media outputReform UK will seek to capitalise on its momentum in the polls and third-place finishes in two recent byelections by launching new policies and new candidates at a rally in Doncaster on Saturday.After the havoc wreaked on Ukip and the Brexit party by candidates who had to be suspended over racist and offensive comments, a vetting team at the rightwing populist party is trawling through would-be MPs' past social media output. Continue reading...

Labour politicians taking extra precautions while support staff say row about speaker has increased riskMPs have spoken about the lengths they are going to to keep safe amid heightened tensions over the war in the Middle East.Some Labour MPs who have been vocal on Israel and Palestine said they were fearful there could be a violent attack on a politician. Continue reading...

Biometric data of more than 2,000 staff at 38 leisure centres was unlawfully processed to check attendance, watchdog findsBritain's data watchdog has ordered a Serco subsidary to stop using facial recognition technology and fingerprint scanning to monitor the attendance of staff at the leisure centres it operates.The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that the biometric data of more than 2,000 employees had been unlawfully processed at 38 centres managed by Serco Leisure to check up on their attendance. Continue reading...

Lawyers sought to overturn ruling last year that revocation of her citizenship was lawfulShamima Begum, who left Britain as a schoolgirl to live under Islamic State (IS), has failed in a fresh attempt to overturn a decision to remove her British citizenship after the court of appeal ruled against her.Three judges unanimously concluded that the then home secretary, Sajid Javid, had the power to set aside concerns she may have been a victim of child trafficking when she travelled in secret with two friends from east London to Syria in 2015. Continue reading...

Ibrahima Bah, who was also being smuggled to UK, was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter and facilitating illegal entryA man who steered a small boat across the Channel on a crossing during which at least four fellow passengers drowned has been sentenced to be detained for more than nine years.Ibrahima Bah was found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter and facilitating illegal entry to the UK on Monday, after a trial at Canterbury crown court. Continue reading...

Letter to staff from building society's union says move will lead to about 125 job losses, taking cuts over past year to nearly 800Nationwide building society has put more than 300 people's jobs at risk in the lender's third round of cuts over the past 12 months as bosses push ahead with a major restructuring plan.A letter sent to staff by Nationwide's employee union, and seen by the Guardian, explains that the latest redundancies will affect workers across its retail service, customer resolutions, support and retail-risk divisions. Continue reading...

Ex-PM appears with former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and talks of deep state' ousting her from powerRishi Sunak should take action against Liz Truss for appearing alongside the far-right commentator Steve Bannon and spreading conspiracy theories about the deep state" ousting her from power, Labour has said.During appearances at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac), the former prime minister, who spent only seven weeks in power in 2022, appeared to be making the case for a comeback and relaunching her career in the UK. Continue reading...

Law allows growth of up to three plants for private consumption, holding 50g of cannabis at home, or 25g in publicGermany's parliament has passed a law allowing individuals and voluntary associations to grow and hold limited quantities of cannabis, making it the latest in a small group of countries and jurisdictions to legalise the drug, at least in part.The law passed by the chancellor, Olaf Scholz's ruling three-party coalition, legalises cultivating up to three plants for private consumption, the possession of 50g of cannabis at one time at home, and 25g in public. It follows a heated debate about the pros and cons of allowing easier access to the drug. Continue reading...

Home secretary says it is nonsense' for protesters outside lawmakers' residences to claim they are not seeking to intimidate themShamima Begum, who left Britain as a schoolgirl to join Islamic State, has lost an appeal against the decision to remove her British citizenship.Begum travelled to Syria in 2015 at the age of 15. Her citizenship was revoked on national security grounds shortly after she was found in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019. Continue reading...

Israel wants security control over all land west of Jordan, including occupied West Bank and Gaza; MSF says idea of humanitarian response in Gaza an illusion'The paramedics arm of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group says two of its members were killed in an Israeli strike on a southern border village early on Friday, reports AP.

Up to 15 people still to be located as Pedro Sanchez visits Valencia to express affection and empathy' to victims' familiesValencia is holding three days of mourning following a fire in a residential building where at least 4 people died.A spokesperson for the Spanish government said the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, will be visiting Valencia today to learn first-hand the details of the tragic fire that affected two buildings in the Campanar neighbourhood." Continue reading...

Predicted thunderstorm arrives at Homebush venue less than an hour before show's scheduled 6.20pm start, prompting a short evacuation

Ukrainian ambassador to Australia also urges west not to succumb to fatigue' in its support for Ukraine

Actor best known for his role in the children's TV drama also appeared in Brookside and Doctor WhoThe Grange Hill actor Stuart Organ has died aged 72, his representative has confirmed.The British actor was best known for playing the firm but fair Peter Robson in the children's TV drama, and was the longest-serving member of staff at the school. Continue reading...

A trip to A&E and more awards for actors while MPs struggled to hold an adult debate on GazaThere was a time not so long ago when Rishi Sunak used every available moment to talk about his Five Promises. Now he has gone rather quiet on the subject. Presumably not unrelated to the fact that four of them are dead in the water. Only the promise to halve inflation has been kept, and that is the one over which he had no control. Continue reading...

Mitchell, who had dementia, announces her death in letter published posthumously on her blogThe assisted dying advocate and bestselling author Wendy Mitchell, who spent years documenting her dementia, has died, her family has said.Mitchell, 68, discussed her death in a letter published posthumously on her blog on Thursday. Continue reading...

PM speaks out over MPs' safety, saying it is unacceptable' for politicians to feel intimidated

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Military industrial complex and companies aiding Moscow in third countries will be targeted, treasury says

Bill Winters' pay rises to 7.8m as bank says annual pre-tax profits rose by 19% in 2023 to 4bn Business live - latest updatesStandard Chartered has handed its chief executive his largest pay package in nearly a decade as the lender reported a jump in profits, despite bracing for up to 1bn in potential losses due to China's property downturn.The profit bump helped push the longstanding chief executive Bill Winters' pay up 22% to 7.8m - from 6.4m in 2022. It is the most he has been paid since 2015. Continue reading...

Mild winter and falling wholesale gas prices lead to lower level, in boost for household financesThe energy price cap in Great Britain will fall by 238 to 1690 this spring as a mild winter and lower gas prices ease pressure on household finances.The 29 million households in England, Wales and Scotland can expect to pay the average annual bill from April after the energy regulator Ofgem dropped the price cap by 12.3% from 1,928 in the current quarter. Continue reading...

Announcement comes after student survey found one in 20 students had been sexually assaulted since starting university and one in six had reported being sexually harassed

Authorities say in eight overdose cases where drug samples were available, heroin was the opioid identified

Indigenous leader says yes campaign lacked necessary bipartisanship and federal reform for Aboriginal people has come to a complete standstill'

The 39-year-old died suddenly and violently after a ritual involving Amazonian frog poison in Mullumbimby in 2019