Three-year-old bears Qing Bao and Bao Li can be seen on the zoo's giant panda cam' after arriving in US in OctoberTwo new giant pandas made their public debut at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington DC on Friday morning amid growing excitement about newcomers to the nation's capital, quickly dubbed by some media outlets as pandamonium".The three-year-old pandas, Qing Bao, whose name means green treasure" in Mandarin, and Bao Li, whose name means active and vital power", arrived in the US from China last October, making them the first pandas to come to DC from China in 24 years, but have been in quarantine since. Continue reading...
Captives to be freed are Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag, says Palestinian groupHamas has published the names of four Israeli women being held captive in Gaza who it says it plans to release this weekend as part of the continuing ceasefire agreement between the armed group and Israel.Following the release of the names, however, the office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to indicate it believed Hamas was in breach of the fragile ceasefire deal because the four names did not include that of the remaining female civilian hostage in Gaza. Continue reading...
Home secretary to decide whether Kimberlee Singler will be sent back after extradition challenge is rejectedAn American woman accused in the US of killing two of her children can be extradited from the UK, a court has ruled.Kimberlee Singler, 36, is accused of murdering her nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son at their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in December 2023. Continue reading...
Officers launch appeal nearly two years after unexpected death of performer Steven Grygelko in central LondonDetectives investigating the death of a well-known drag artist nearly two years ago have released CCTV footage of three men they want to speak to.Steven Grygelko, who was known by the stage name Heklina, was found dead in a flat in Soho, central London, on 3 April 2023, by friend and fellow drag performer, Joshua Grannell, known as Peaches Christ. Continue reading...
Downing Street says whole-life terms cannot be extended to killers under age of 18 because of international lawDowning Street has rejected calls for sentencing reforms, saying it does not have the power to extend whole-life sentences to killers aged under 18 because of international law.Alex Rudakubana was sentenced to 52 years in prison on Thursday for the murder of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, at a dance class last July, and the attempted murder of eight others, as well as two adults who tried to save them. Continue reading...
Artistic director collects award during Fashion Week while rumour mill suggests Gucci, Burberry or Margiela moveFriday afternoon in Paris was a big one for the British designer Kim Jones. Not only did the artistic director present his latest menswear collection for Dior, but he collected the prestigious Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, a rarity for someone from outside France. In a fashion moment par excellence, he was presented with the award by Anna Wintour, becoming a knight in the process.Jones has now been at Dior for six years, designing the brand's menswear. Over that time, he has explored the brand's rich archive and also his own historical interests, including TS Eliot's The Waste Land and Vanessa Bell's house, Charleston. This show was no different. It took Christian Dior's mid-50s Ligne H collection as its jump off but made Casanova - the 18th-century Italian author known for his multiple relationships with women - its muse. Continue reading...
President - and Republicans - have tied funds to policy agendas as Gavin Newsom fights for more recovery fundsDays into his new administration, Donald Trump is locked in a wrestling match with a familiar foe, the California governor, Gavin Newsom. And despite the high stakes in the wake of the wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles, neither man is showing any sign of backing down.Where many presidents in the past, regardless of party, have offered unconditional support and unlocked large sums of federal aid to help neighborhoods devastated by the fires to recover and rebuild, Trump appears unable to forget that he is a Republican and Newsom the outspoken Democratic leader of the most populous state in the union. Continue reading...
Move by Ian Murray comes as Labour prepares introduction of new workplace rights for parentsIan Murray, the Scottish secretary, has become the first cabinet minister to take full paternity leave as Labour prepares to roll out new workplace rights for parents.Murray and his wife Mariam are expecting their second child in the next few weeks, and he will be taking two weeks off work next month, using existing legal rights to paternity leave. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6TSXC)
Relatives say Marcus Meade's mental health deteriorated before standoff and call for full accountability'The family of Marcus Meade, who was shot and killed by police on Christmas Eve while thought to be having a mental health crisis, have said officers showed no mercy for him", as they called for full accountability" of those involved.Meade, 39, was killed while alone in his home in Redditch on 24 December after a five-hour standoff with West Mercia police officers, and was allegedly in possession of a knife. Continue reading...
Forecast rain will aid firefighting efforts in Los Angeles but could cause mudslides and toxic ash run offSouthern California was preparing for some long-awaited rain this weekend, bringing some respite after enormous wildfires have raged for weeks, but with the potential to cause mudslides, flooding and toxic ash runoff.Rain is forecast for much of Los Angeles from Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. It said there was a 5-10%" chance of significant debris in burn scars, but officials have begun preparations for potential debris flows. Continue reading...
Miguel Arruda charged with theft after allegedly removing baggage from carousel and taking it home, reports sayA far-right politician in Portugal has been accused of stealing suitcases at several airports and kicked out of his political party as a result, the party has said.According to several news outlets, police questioned Miguel Arruda on Tuesday at Lisbon airport and charged him with luggage theft after some of the missing suitcases were allegedly found at his home. Continue reading...
The former Manchester City and QPR midfielder, 42, is accused of assaulting Georgia Barton in June 2021The former footballer Joey Barton pushed his wife to the floor before kicking her in the head during a drunken row at their family home, a court has heard.Georgia Barton was left with a lump on on her forehead and a bleeding nose after the alleged assault. Friends were forced to intervene in the argument between the pair, pulling Barton away from his wife, prosecutors say. The former Manchester City midfielder, 42, is accused of assaulting Georgia Barton, 38, in Kew, south-west London in June 2021, where they had been drinking with two other couples while their children slept upstairs. Continue reading...
Baseline' contamination study to inform Netherlands trial in which shops will sell drug produced by licensed growersLead, pesticides and potentially harmful bacteria were among the contaminants found during an investigation into cannabis sold in semi-legal coffee shops" in the Netherlands.The research, which aimed to establish a baseline" level of typical contamination , was carried out by the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction (Trimbos Institute). It will be used to inform a trial starting in April in which shops in 10 municipalities will sell cannabis that is produced by licensed growers and subject to limits on contaminants. Continue reading...
How can parents know when children are accessing violent material and how should they discuss the risks?The revelations about the internet activity of Axel Rudakubana, who murdered three girls at a Southport dance class last summer, have renewed concerns about the availability of extreme violence online.Experts, including child psychotherapists and internet safety advisers, agree that, although the details of the case are shocking, they present an ideal opportunity for parents to discuss the dangers of online violence, and its impact, with their children. Continue reading...
Rebel group's advance has had a devastating toll on the civilian population, UN secretary general saysAntonio Guterres has voiced alarm over the M23 rebel group's advance towards eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo's largest city in a renewed insurgency that has displaced more than 178,000 people in the past two weeks.In a statement though his spokesperson, the United Nations secretary general said M23's advance had had a devastating toll on the civilian population and heightened the risk of a broader regional war. Continue reading...
Moody's changes outlook on firm from stable to negative as financial plans do not provide attractive risk-return balance'Thames Water's debt has been downgraded as the struggling utility company seeks to secure 3bn in emergency funding to stave off collapse, after it emerged that the government has approached potential administrators.The rating agency Moody's downgraded the company's debt rating, and increased its view of the probability of default, changing its outlook on Thames Water from stable to negative. Continue reading...
Pyongyang said to be planning to increase support despite high casualties among estimated 11,000 already sentNorth Korea is preparing to send more soldiers to fight in the Ukraine war, military officials in South Korea have said, despite reports of heavy casualties among troops from the communist state who have already been sent to the battlefield.The claim that Pyongyang could be planning to increase its support for the Kremlin came as Donald Trump suggested he would attempt to rekindle his relationship with Kim Jong-un, describing the North Korean leader as a smart guy" in an interview with Fox News. Continue reading...
Bridges collapse and houses and cars buried in thick mud after intense rainfall triggers landslides in central JavaHeavy rain across Indonesia has caused major flooding. On Java, the country's main island, flooding caused a landslidethat has killed more than 20 people, with several more missing. The landslide was triggered by particularly intense rainfall in the mountainous area close to Pekalongan in the central part of the island, leading to bridges collapsing and houses and cars being buried in the thick mud. Indonesia is vulnerable to flooding and landslides during its rainy season from November to April. However, the climate crisis appears to be increasing the intensity of the rainstorms, worsening the flooding, as well as allowing them to occur outside the usual season. Last May, 67 people died after torrential rain caused flash floods in West Sumatra.In stark contrast, a winter drought has been affecting parts of Pakistan. Eastern areas of Punjab province, where crop farming is the main activity and source of income, have received rainfall more than 40% below the average in the last four months. Agriculture accounts for nearly 25% of the country's GDP and employs nearly two in five workers. Many farmers are being forced to switch careers as the climate crisis brings increasingly unreliable rainfall during the winter months. Continue reading...
eSafety commissioner expresses great sadness' that Axel Rudakubana viewed video before murdering three girls in the UK, noting clear link' between online material and real-world violenceAustralia's online safety regulator has expressed great sadness" after it was revealed a British teenager who fatally stabbed three children in the UK had earlier searched for a video of a Sydney church stabbing on social media that her office had attempted to have taken down.An eSafety spokesperson on Friday said in attempting to have X remove the Sydney video it was guided by its mission to protect our community from harmful online material, including material that may severely traumatise, manipulate or radicalise vulnerable people, especially children and the young". Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6TSQ1)
Claims private sector taking advantage of long waits as cost of procedure rises sharplyWomen in Britain are paying up to 11,154 for a hysterectomy in a private hospital, amid huge delays for NHS gynaecological care, research reveals.The cost of undergoing the procedure privately has soared by 19% from 7,385 in 2021 to 8,795 last year, at a time when NHS waiting lists have risen sharply. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6TSNG)
Deteriorating security environment and incidents in Baltic have forced military reassessment in northern EuropeSubmarines normally operate in secret, lurking in the deep. So when the British defence secretary, John Healey, authorised a Royal Navy Astute-class attack sub to surface close to the Russian spy ship" Yantar south of Cornwall in November, it was unusual enough.What was even more notable, however, was that the minister went on to tell the House of Commons on Wednesday what he had done. It was, Healey said, conducted strictly as a deterrent measure", as was his decision to accuse the Kremlin of spying on the location of undersea communication and utility cables that connect Britain to the world. Continue reading...
Allegations of rape, beatings and collusion by EU-funded security forces prompt shift in migration arrangementsThe European Commission is fundamentally overhauling how it makes payments to Tunisia after a Guardian investigation exposed myriad abuses by EU-funded security forces, including widespread sexual violence against migrants.Officials are drawing up concrete" conditions to ensure that future European payments to Tunis can go ahead only if human rights have not been violated. Continue reading...
Tory leader backed 2015 inquiry but has now criticised Labour for having same concerns about counter-terror strategyKemi Badenoch, who criticised a Labour manifesto that warned the UK's Prevent programme could alienate communities, co-authored a report which expressed concern that the same anti-radicalisation scheme was alienating communities.The Conservative party leader backed an inquiry in 2015 that concluded the public must not be the forgotten partner in the fight against extremism" and noted that Prevent was subject to accusations of police heavy-handedness". Continue reading...
Randwick mayor says vandalism does disservice to reconciliation' but Greens councillor says statue marks devastating impacts of colonisation'A statue of Captain Cook in Sydney's eastern suburbs has been damaged and doused in red paint for a second year in a row.New South Wales police were investigating after the damage to the sandstone statue of the explorer and naval captain was discovered on Friday morning before the Australia Day long weekend. Continue reading...
Serge Atlaoui is expected to be transferred after an agreement was reached with the government in Paris, Yusril Ihza Mahendra saysA French man who has been on death row in Indonesia since 2007 for alleged drug offences is expected to return home in weeks after an Indonesian minister said an agreement would be signed on Friday to allow his transfer.Serge Atlaoui is expected to return to France on 5 or 6 February, the senior minister for law and human rights affairs, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, told Reuters on Friday. Continue reading...
General Osama Najim was released on a technicality and repatriated by Italy without any prior consultation, says international criminal courtItaly's interior minister said on Thursday a Libyan man detained under an international war crimes arrest warrant and then unexpectedly released had been swiftly repatriated because of his social dangerousness.Osama Najim, also known as Almasri, was detained on Sunday in Turin under an arrest warrant issued by The Hague-based international criminal court (ICC). Continue reading...
Homes in the city cost 8.5 times the annual earnings of the typical full-time worker, Nationwide saysChichester is the least affordable area outside London for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder, with homes in the cathedral city costing an average of 8.5 times the annual earnings of the typical full-time worker in the area, according to figures from Nationwide.The building society said there had been a modest improvement" in affordability across Great Britain over the past year, as wage rises had outpaced house price growth, and mortgage costs had fallen slightly. Continue reading...
by Guardian staff and agencies in Kingston on (#6TSB4)
Spanish Town brought to standstill amid gunfire on streets after police kill Othneil Thickman' LobbanSchools and businesses in a Jamaican city have been closed and taxis and buses stopped running after the police shooting of a powerful gang boss prompted a violent backlash.Gunfire echoed throughout Spanish Town on Thursday and at least one business was burned hours after police shot dead Othneil Thickman" Lobban, whom they described as a top leader of the One Order gang. Continue reading...
Teneo, Interpath and EY among those reportedly approached for the role if company falls into bankruptcyThe UK government has reportedly approached multiple restructuring advisers for the role of special administrator for Thames Water if the troubled utility falls into bankruptcy.Teneo, Interpath and EY are among the companies contacted by the government as it prepares contingency plans should Britain's largest water company be forced into nationalisation, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the process. Continue reading...
American Oversight has raised concerns over department of government efficiency' using encrypted appsA leading ethics watchdog has issued warnings to Donald Trump's billionaire ally Elon Musk and the department of government efficiency" (Doge), an agency Trump has stated he will create, claiming its use of encrypted messaging apps potentially violates the Federal Records Act (FRA).American Oversight, which uses litigation to obtain public records and expose government misconduct, argues that Musk's leadership of Doge raises significant ethical concerns about potential conflicts of interest", given his business empire and the substantial impact that Doge could have on federal agencies. Continue reading...
Federal government appeals against law critics say disproportionately affects hijab-wearing Muslim womenCanada's top court has agreed to hear a challenge to Quebec's controversial secularism law, paving the way for a fierce debate over provincial powers and the fundamental rights of ethnic and religious minorities.The supreme court signaled on Thursday that it would grant leave to appeal against the 2019 law which prohibits certain public workers in positions of authority - including judges, police officers, prison guards and teachers - from wearing religious symbols while at work. Other public workers such as bus drivers, doctors and social workers must only keep their faces uncovered. Continue reading...
Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins say they cannot support nominee, raising fresh doubts about confirmation chancesSenators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced that they would oppose the nomination of Pete Hegseth to become the next US secretary of defense, making them the first two Republican lawmakers to publicly reject one of Donald Trump's cabinet picks and raising fresh doubts about the controversial nominee's chances of confirmation.Murkowski indicated her opposition to Hegseth in a statement shared on social media on Thursday, in which she criticized the Fox News host and army veteran as lacking the experience and character needed to lead the Pentagon. Continue reading...
Rob Bonta is suing alongside other states to block birthright citizenship order he calls flagrant violation' of constitutionDonald Trump overreached by a mile" with his attempt to dismantle the longstanding constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, the California attorney general, Rob Bonta, said.California along with a coalition of states and the city of San Francisco are suing the administration over an executive order issued just hours after Trump was sworn into office on Monday that would deny automatic citizenship to some children born in the United States - a move they argue is in flagrant violation" of the US constitution. Continue reading...
Bridget Curtis, 71, admitted causing death of eight-month-old Mabli Cariad Hall after losing control of carA woman has been jailed for four years for causing the death of an eight-month-old baby in a crash outside a hospital after losing control of her car while reaching for a handbag.Bridget Curtis, 71, collided with a pram carrying Mabli Cariad Hall as she was being pushed by her father, Rob Hall, outside Withybush hospital in Haverfordwest, south-west Wales. Continue reading...
Man, 30, arrested after five people injured at distribution centre on south London industrial estateA man has described how he fought and fended off a knife-wielding attacker with a fire extinguisher after barricading himself and others inside a warehouse where five people were injured during a mass stabbing.Police arrested a 30-year-old man after the attack at a warehouse close to a supermarket in Croydon, south London, after they were called to the incident in the morning. Continue reading...
Rev Alex Frost calls for church to encourage vocations as an alternative to theological studiesPlumbers, builders and other people from working-class backgrounds who are called to the priesthood should be offered apprenticeships as an alternative to studying at theological college, a Burnley vicar has said.Rev Alex Frost, who left school at 15 and worked for Argos before becoming a priest, is calling for the Church of England to develop an urgent national strategy to encourage vocations among working-class people. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6TS7M)
Police to question 14-year-old arrested for alleged stabbing of Leo, 12, over separate assaults on elderly peopleA 14-year-old boy being held on suspicion of the murder of 12-year-old Leo Ross has been arrested for three assaults on elderly people in the same area of Birmingham shortly before the killing.Police said they had been granted more time to question the 14-year-old, who has now been arrested in relation to three assaults in the Hall Green area on 19, 20 and 21 January, with the last one taking place shortly before the stabbing of Leo. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6TS3Y)
Eighteen-year-old had pleaded guilty to murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe and 10 charges of attempted murderThe Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been jailed for a minimum of 52 years for the ferocious" and sadistic" murders of three young girls and attempted murder of 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.The 18-year-old refused to appear in the dock when a judge said the teenager would likely never be released and he will be in custody for all his life" for the harrowing and atrocious premeditated attack" last summer. Continue reading...
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