Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko denied they were part of a reported White House plot to remove Ukraine leader from powerUkraine's opposition leaders have confirmed they have held discussions with members of Donald Trump's entourage, but denied on Thursday they were part of a reported White House plot to remove Volodymyr Zelenskyy from power.Former president Petro Poroshenko said he had held talks with US representatives but added that he opposed Trump's demands for wartime elections. Poroshenko - who lost to Zelenskyy in the 2019 presidential vote - said a poll should only be held once martial law ends. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereLucy Powell, the leader of the Commons, defended the government's position on the new Sentencing Council guidelines (see 9.46am) during business questions in the Commons a few minutes ago.She was responding to the Conservative MP Luke Evans who said:When the law favours identity over principle, it ceases to be justice at all. Magna Carta taught us that.So will [Powell] ensure that the justice secretary comes to the house to ensure that under this government sentencing [doesn't] become about who you are, not what you have done?The sentencing guidelines were consulted on under [the Conservative] government last year. They were not ruled out. They were developed and consulted on under [the Conservative] government. The current justice secretary, the remarkable and formidable justice secretary, has made absolutely clear her position on that. And she's written to the Sentencing Council.So perhaps [Evans] might be better to refect on the actions of his own government, rather than attacking this one.Martin praised Starmer's leadership on the Ukraine issue in recent days. Referring to the challenging times" they were in, he said:You have borne the centre of gravity and stability to that situation which I think is appreciated, and I want you to know that.Martin said Northern Ireland has great untapped potential". Recalling what he and Keir Starmer were told during the breakfast meeting with business leaders, he said:It was interesting this morning, a number of business people said the greatest untapped potential is Northern Ireland, economically, very interesting.And that's something I think we can work on, move forward as two governments making sure we realise that potential for all those in Ireland and we do it in a kind of co-operative way and develop it as much as we possibly can.Martin confirmed that Ireland is increasing its defence spending.As we sit here today, I think we would all agree that the world is more uncertain and unstable than it has been for a very long time and there are huge benefits to strengthening our friendship and working together on geopolitical challenges. Continue reading...
Lynette Linton's successor at the new writing venue in west London promises to build on its bold legacyTaio Lawson has been appointed as the new artistic director of the Bush theatre in west London. He will succeed Lynette Linton, who is leaving after six years in charge of the venue which is known for nurturing new playwrights.Lawson, whose first season of work will be presented early next year, will also act as co-CEO in partnership with Mimi Findlay. He said he was honoured to be taking over at a time when the need for enduring original narratives is so important". Praising the work of Linton and associate artistic director Daniel Bailey, who has also stepped down, Lawson said he would build on their achievements and programme bold pieces that speak to our hearts and stimulate our minds, that both comfort and challenge us". Continue reading...
PostNord says it will end the service from next year and cut a third of its staff to focus on its parcels businessThe Danish postal service has said it will deliver its last letter at the end of this year, instead focusing on packages to respond to changing forms of communication.PostNord said on Thursday it would cut 1,500 jobs in Denmark and remove 1,500 red postboxes, citing the increasing digitalisation" of society. Continue reading...
The multi-billion dollar deal was heralded as ensuring the security of the Indo-Pacific. But with America an increasingly unreliable ally, doubts are rising above the wavesMaybe Australia's boats just never turn up.To fanfare and flags, the Aukus deal was presented as a sure bet, papering over an uncertainty that such an ambitious deal could ever be delivered. Continue reading...
Blue Marine Foundation charity asks high court to declare quota decision unlawful amid concern over sustainability of fish stocksAt the start of 2024, Jerry Percy, who led the New Under Ten Fishermen's Association, dedicated to small boats, said he started to receive lots of calls from members. They were calling my office to report that a lack of fish in the inshore grounds were putting their livelihoods in peril," he said.The fishers said they had noticed a depletion of species such as pollack, typically caught off Britain's coasts. Continue reading...
by Harry Davies and Yuval Abraham in Jerusalem on (#6VQP7)
The powerful new AI model is designed to analyze intercepted communications - but experts say such systems can exacerbate biases and are prone to making mistakesIsrael's military surveillance agency has used a vast collection of intercepted Palestinian communications to build a powerful artificial intelligence tool similar to ChatGPT that it hopes will transform its spying capabilities, an investigation by the Guardian can reveal.The joint investigation with Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call has found Unit 8200 trained the AI model to understand spoken Arabic using large volumes of telephone conversations and text messages, obtained through its extensive surveillance of the occupied territories. Continue reading...
Remake of 2000 Molson beer ad has the same message as Trump threatens tariffs: Canada will not cower to the USFor the second time in 25 years, a lone figure takes to the stage, an oversized maple leaf flag rippling on a screen behind him as he approaches the microphone.His hair is perhaps a little greyer but the message remains the same: Canada will not cower to the United States. Continue reading...
In letter, the Massachusetts senator cautioned private firms would fill in the void and put Americans at risk'Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and 10 Democratic Senators have called on the government accountability office (GAO) to investigate the effects of the recent firing of federal probationary employees on the health and safety of the American public.The letter noted at least 25,000 probationary employees at the federal government appear to have been indiscriminately fired under the claims of poor performance, regardless of their performance. The firings put American people at risk", Warren warned. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6VQMA)
Sentencing Council plans to make offenders' ethnic backgrounds a greater factor in deciding whether to jail themMinisters have criticised plans to make the ethnic background of offenders a greater factor in determining whether to jail them, saying they amounted to a two-tier system" of justice.Sarah Jones, the industry minister, said the government was opposed to guidance published on Wednesday by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, which is an independent arm's-length body. Continue reading...
by Raphael Rashid in Seoul, Justin McCurry in Tokyo, on (#6VQFA)
Air force apologises and wishes a swift recovery to the civilians injured after eight bombs abnormally released'South Korea's air force has apologised after one of its fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs in the wrong place during a training exercise on Thursday, injuring 15 civilians and damaging several buildings.Eight MK-82 general purpose bombs were abnormally released from an air force KF-16 aircraft, landing outside the designated firing range," the air force said, adding that the bombs weighed about 225kg each. Continue reading...
by Elias Visontay Transport and urban affairs reporte on (#6VQGF)
Frustrated Tesla drivers are selling cars or displaying anti-Musk bumper stickers as sales of the EV car brand slumped 72% in February compared with last year
Exclusive: Fundraiser at Macquarie Bank HQ and Pharmacy Guild lunch called off as Tropical Cyclone Alfred bears down on the opposition leader's home state
by Presented by John Harris with Patrick Wintour and on (#6VQF6)
The news that the US had suspended military aid to Ukraine stunned world leaders and led to a rapid reassessment of how much we can really rely on our American ally. Is this the end of the western alliance? John Harris asks our diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour. Plus, as the UK pledges to boost defence spending by slashing our foreign aid budget, ActionAid's CEO, Taahra Ghazi, tells John about the fallout for organisations working on the ground.
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6VQF9)
Sky Shield proposal drawn up by military experts would be operated separately from Nato and deploy 120 fighter jetsA European air force of 120 fighter jets could be deployed to secure the skies from Russian attacks on Kyiv and western Ukraine without necessarily provoking a wider conflict with Moscow, according to a plan drawn up by military experts.Sky Shield, its proponents argue, would be a European-led air protection zone operated separately from Nato to halt Russian cruise missile and drone attacks on cities and infrastructure, potentially operating as part of the truce in the sky" proposed by Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this week. Continue reading...
Phil Goff questioned Donald Trump's grasp of history at a Chatham House event in London, prompting the foreign minister to say his position is untenable'New Zealand's high commissioner to the United Kingdom has been removed from his role after publicly questioning US President Donald Trump's grasp of history - remarks that have rendered his position untenable" in the eyes of New Zealand's government.At a public Chatham House event in London this week, high commissioner Phil Goff asked a question of Finnish foreign affairs minister Elina Valtonen, who was speaking on how to keep the peace with Russia, with which Finland shares a border. Continue reading...
Musical's producer says show cannot in good conscience' perform at arts center whose leadership Trump has firedThe mega-hit Broadway musical Hamilton is pulling out of plans to perform at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington next year, citing Donald Trump's shakeup of the art institution's leadership.Our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center," producer Jeffrey Seller said in a statement on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Complaints detailing distressing incidents of racism reveal 2023 referendum one of Australia's darker moments', author saysWarning: this article contains distressing descriptions of racism
Man in his 40s arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving at rugby club in KendalA child has died and another has been injured after a car was driven on to a sports pitch in Cumbria, police said.Cumbria police were called at 4.58pm on Wednesday to reports of a collision involving a black BMW i40 and two children on a pitch at Kendal Rugby Union Football Club. Continue reading...
Interventions follow US vice president's comments about 20,000 troops from some random country that has not fought a war in 40 years'. This live blog is closedIn response to a question about intelligence cooperation with the US, Sir David Manning, a former ambassador to Washington, said he thought this would become more difficult" because there was a problem of trust. He explained:If you have some of Trump's appointees in these key jobs who have very strange track records, and have said very strange things about Nato allies, the Nato alliance and so on, and you have people in the administration who seem to be, let's say, looking for ways of appeasing Russia, then you have a problem on the intelligence front, because these are not the values that we have. Continue reading...
Jorge Toledo's comments come after approvals for coal power projects increased in second half of 2024The EU's ambassador to China has urged Beijing to stop building coal-fired power plants, saying that its rapid approval of new projects was increasingly at odds with its green ambitions.Speaking at an EU-hosted event in Beijing, Jorge Toledo said the war in Ukraine had underlined the need for energy security, but that the EU had managed to navigate the issue without reverting to fossil fuels. Continue reading...
A day after launch of contentious feature, its bias meter said some accounts see Klan as responding to societal changes'The Los Angeles Times has reportedly removed its new artificial intelligence (AI) tool from one of its articles, just a day after launching the feature.The publication unveiled a new AI-driven feature called Insights" this week, designed to accompany articles that express a particular viewpoint or are written from a personal perspective", such as opinion pieces, commentary, and reviews. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6VPRX)
Zhenhao Zou, 28, who carried out attacks in London and China, described in court as every woman's nightmare'Warning: this article contains graphic details some readers may find disturbingA PhD student who charmed women so he could drug, video and attack them has been convicted of 11 rapes on 10 women in London and China.Zhenhao Zou, 28, was convicted by a jury at Inner London crown court on Wednesday, after more than 18 hours of deliberations. Continue reading...
Class action accuses International Distribution Services of abusing dominant position' in marketA 1.2bn class action claim accusing the owner of Royal Mail of abusing its dominant position" in the market for sending bulk mail has been given the green light to proceed to trial by UK competition authorities.Bulk Mail Claim Ltd, a recently formed company representing an estimated 290,000 customers who claim they were overcharged as a result of Royal Mail's behaviour, has won clearance to proceed with its legal challenge from the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). Continue reading...
Former prime minister says drive to stop Channel crossings was correct, but message wasn't quite right'Rishi Sunak has said the stop the boats" slogan during his time as UK prime minister was too stark".Sunak said the drive to stop migrants crossing the Channel was correct, but conceded the way the message was given to the public wasn't quite right". Continue reading...
by Eva Corlett in Wellington with agencies on (#6VPJ7)
Dispute emerges after deputy prime minister Winston Peters questioned why MPs used the name Aotearoa in debatesThe speaker of New Zealand's parliament has told lawmakers to stop complaining about the use of the Mori name for the country, after the deputy prime minister strongly objected to hearing it in the house.In a ruling on Tuesday, Gerry Brownlee said that while New Zealand" is the official name, the Mori name Aotearoa" is used widely, including on currency and passports. Continue reading...
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