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At least six people killed as energy and other infrastructure damaged in biggest Russian missile attack in weeks• Ukraine war live – latest updates

Exclusive: Up to 50% of British-based diplomatic jobs for key countries cut despite ‘Indo-Pacific tilt’British-based diplomatic posts for key Indo-Pacific countries have been cut by up to 50% in recent years, new figures reveal, sparking accusations that the headline aim of the government’s national security strategy is “hollow rhetoric”.The numbers working for embassies and consulates in Pakistan, China and India have all been diminishing over the last seven years, despite those countries being identified as key places to deepen ties with over the coming decade. Continue reading...

Labour MP takes more than five minutes to name the 109 women killed in UK by men or where a man is the principal suspect

Scottish Refugee Council head says under government’s plans thousands of refugees would have been denied sanctuaryThe head of the Scottish Refugee Council, Sabir Zazai, who arrived in the UK in the back of a lorry 23 years ago, has said Rishi Sunak’s illegal migration bill would have denied sanctuary to thousands of refugees such as him and Sir Mo Farah.The home secretary, Suella Braverman, struggled to clarify on Wednesday whether the Olympic gold medallist Farah would have been deported as soon as he turned 18 years old under the latest immigration proposals. Continue reading...

Witnesses described the chaos and panic of the 2021 US departure during the Republican inquiry, which had people in tears at timesMilitary members and veterans of the Afghanistan war offered harrowing eyewitness testimony of the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from the country’s longest conflict, during an hours-long congressional hearing on Wednesday. They also pleaded with Congress to help the Afghan allies left behind.In searing, sometimes graphic detail, several witnesses recounted their experiences as active-duty service members sent to assist with the evacuation of US troops and civilians from Afghanistan as the Taliban swept to power in August 2021. Continue reading...

Singer-songwriter comes to song contest with large following on TikTok and other social mediaSinger-songwriter Mae Muller has been announced as this year’s British entry for Eurovision, after an “extensive search” for an entrant capable of bettering last year’s runner-up, Sam Ryder, and finally bringing the title back to the UK.The 25-year-old Londoner declared herself “so excited” to have been selected by the same process as last year, in which the BBC worked with the management and publishing company TaP Music to choose the UK entry. Continue reading...

Prime minister faces accusations of not taking issue seriously amid reports of 11 candidates receiving Chinese money• Canada roiled by leaked intelligence reports of Chinese election ‘meddling’Justin Trudeau is under mounting pressure to explain how seriously his government has responded to the threat of Chinese interference in Canadian elections in the wake of damning intelligence leaks.Allegations that the prime minister’s government has failed to act on meddling efforts featured prominently in a raucous session of parliament on Wednesday, as concern over Beijing’s efforts to undermine Canadian elections continues to dominate the country’s politics. Continue reading...

Hiring costs for presenters such as Nigel Farage and Jacob Rees-Mogg balloon while advertisers stay wary of right-leaning channelGB News made a loss of more than £30m in its first year on air, as the right-leaning news channel invested in hiring presenters to combat the launch of rival TalkTV.The controversy-prone channel which launched in June 2021 racked up a pre-tax loss of £30.7m in the year to the end of May 2022, a period in which it hired former Ukip leader Nigel Farage to host a nightly primetime show. Continue reading...

MoJ guidance found to be wrong after woman trying to enforce custody agreement denied funds as son no longer lived with herA decision to deny a single mother legal aid to enforce a child custody agreement against her abusive ex-partner was unlawful, the high court has ruled.When Susie (not her real name) separated from her ex-partner, who would physically and verbally abuse her when he had been drinking, they initially shared custody of their son equally. But when he breached their agreement, limiting her access, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) refused her application for funds because it decided that as her son was not then living with her, he was not her dependant. Continue reading...

First minister’s comments come after one contender, Kate Forbes, was accused of ‘trashing’ her own government’s record

Figure is at five-year high as research also reveals high levels of burnout and concerns over shortages and payThe proportion of NHS staff in England who are thinking of leaving reached a five-year high in the health service’s 2022 survey.Amid high levels of burnout, stress and shortages of staff, more than 30% said they often thought about leaving, and 17% said they wanted to leave as soon as they could find another job. Continue reading...

Chair of health committee was said to have tried to persuade the NHS to hire anaesthetists through firm he worked forA senior Conservative MP has been urged to stand down as chair of parliament’s health select committee after a leak of text messages exchanged with Matt Hancock sparked questions about whether he broke lobbying rules.According to the leaked messages from 2021, Steve Brine, a former health minister, said had been “trying for months” during the Covid pandemic to liaise with the NHS to hire anaesthetists through a recruitment company he worked for. Continue reading...

Exclusive: party plans to give areas devolved powers to reinstate cancelled routes and set affordable fares

Questions raised over viability after company says revenue for 2022 could plunge from reported $24m to $9mThe British software company WANdisco has discovered “potentially fraudulent irregularities” in its sales and revenue, and has asked for its shares to be suspended from trading.In an unexpected trading update to the stock market on Thursday, WANdisco said bosses had uncovered “significant, sophisticated and potentially fraudulent irregularities with regard to received purchase orders and related revenue and bookings, as represented by one senior sales employee”. Continue reading...

At least £2bn extra needed for London-Birmingham section as inflation fuels yet more budget overruns on troubled rail projectMinisters are set to delay construction of key sections of the HS2 rail line, with a statement expected imminently outlining the extent of budget overruns amid soaring inflation.It is understood that parts of the high-speed network between Crewe and Birmingham are likely to be delayed or trimmed, while full running of trains into London Euston may also be held off further. Continue reading...

Actor says divorce judge asked her young son: ‘Do you know your mother makes sex movies?’The actor Sharon Stone has said that judicial prejudice caused her to lose custody of her son after the presiding judge in her 2004 divorce case asked the four-year-old whether he knew his mother made “sex movies”.Stone was speaking on the Table for Two podcast and alleged that her role in Paul Verhoeven’s 1992 psychological thriller Basic Instinct was “weaponised against her” in the fight for custody of the son, Roan, whom she had adopted with her then husband Phil Bronstein in 2000. Continue reading...

Proposals to neuter the country’s judiciary have spooked entrepreneurs who had seemed immune to the political weatherAbout 20 years ago, the skyline of Tel Aviv began to change. The city’s collection of elegant white Bauhaus buildings has been joined by tower after tower, each one a salute to Israel’s rapid transformation into one of the world’s most important advanced technology centres.It is no accident that the rise of the “startup nation” has dovetailed with the career of its longest serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Bibi, as he is widely known, is a firm believer in the free market and has championed Israel’s vaunted hi-tech sector as his own personal achievement. At 15.3% of GDP, it is now Israel’s main engine of economic growth, employing 10% of the country’s salaried workforce, and generating about a quarter of income taxes. Continue reading...

Electricity system operator struggled to keep lights on during one of the coldest weeksNational Grid paid some of the highest prices this winter for gas-generated power on Tuesday night as it scrambled to keep the lights on during one of the coldest weeks of the year.Data from the electricity system’s administrator, Elexon, showed the Coryton power station in Essex had bids accepted to produce power at £1,950 per megawatt hour (MWh) on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...

Deputy PM Richard Marles says ‘true intent’ of deal with US and UK is to defend the rules-based order across region

Australian spy agency tells court it can’t share information with Sayed Abdellatif, who denies allegations

John Robertson warns lumping together all children in contact with the justice system risks undermining community safety

Detention of 34-year-old followed examination of footage taken from within police cordonA man has been arrested in connection with footage shot from inside a police cordon on the day the body of Nicola Bulley was found. Lancashire constabulary said the footage was then posted online.The 34-year-old man from Kidderminster in Worcestershire was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice in connection with the investigation to find Bulley, the force said. Continue reading...

Thomas Waring charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and two others arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murderThree people have been arrested in connection with the killing of the beautician Elle Edwards inside a pub in Wallasey on Christmas Eve.Edwards, 26, was shot in the head shortly before midnight as she celebrated with friends at the Lighthouse pub in Wirral last year. She later died in hospital. Continue reading...

EU commissioner Ylva Johansson warns new migration bill breaches international law, potentially reigniting hostilitiesRishi Sunak faces a fresh clash with the EU after a senior comissioner warned that his contentious new migration bill will be in breach of human rights laws.The intervention comes as the prime minister prepares to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, where he is expected to be asked to guarantee regular payments to stop boats carrying asylum seekers from crossing the Channel.Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, was accused by Sunak at prime minister’s question time of being “another lefty lawyer” trying to block efforts to curb migration.MPs accused the prime minister of forsaking women smuggled for sex on International Women’s Day by pushing forward a bill that undermines trafficking laws.The BBC was dragged into another political row over impartiality after Gary Lineker, the Match of the Day host, refused to backdown after comparing the government’s rhetoric to 1930s Germany.The United Nations’ refugee agency warned it cannot step in as a “substitute for the right to seek asylum” after the government said it would expand its partnership with the organisation after outlawing small boat crossings. Continue reading...

Demonstrators voice fury after revelations of staff shortages and substandard equipment revealed state of rail networkTens of thousands have staged protest rallies in Greece as anger over a train disaster that plunged the country into mourning a week ago intensified amid widespread industrial action.In cities nationwide, as workers staged a 24-hour general strike, demonstrators voiced fury over an accident that left 57 dead when two locomotives collided head on and at high speed outside the town of Tempe. It was the deadliest train crash on record in Greece. Continue reading...

Former prime minister reportedly interviewed by lawyer investigating Raab bullying allegationsBoris Johnson previously warned Dominic Raab about his conduct, according to reports that claim the former prime minister has given evidence to the bullying investigation.Johnson has been interviewed by Adam Tolley KC, the independent lawyer who is investigating formal complaints made against Raab about his treatment of staff, according to the Daily Telegraph (paywall). Continue reading...

Police fire teargas at protesters rallying against ‘Russian law’ critics say could harm efforts to join EUThousands of people have taken to the streets of Georgia’s capital for a second day to rally against a “foreign agents” law that critics say would limit press freedom and undercut the country’s efforts to become a candidate for EU membership.Protesters carrying Georgian, EU and Ukrainian flags gathered outside the parliament building in Tbilisi on Wednesday and shouted: “No to the Russian law.” Demonstrators also blocked the city’s central Rustaveli Avenue, after a call from the main opposition party, the United National Movement, to gather there. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can read more of our coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereThat’s it from me, Helen Sullivan, for today. My colleagues in London will be taking you through the rest of the day’s news.Last night Kharkiv’s street lights were switched on for the first time since the start of the war, the city’s Mayor said. Continue reading...

Presenter mocks ‘freedom of speech champions … demanding silence from those with whom they disagree’A defiant Gary Lineker has hit back at his critics and thanked his supporters after reports the BBC will have a “frank conversation” with the Match of the Day presenter following comments he made comparing Home Office immigration policy to Nazi Germany.Lineker tweeted on Wednesday: “Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.” Continue reading...

Avril Haines tells of ‘grinding, attritional war’ but sounds cautious note over Ukraine’s prospects in expected counter-offensiveWashington does not believe the Russian military can recover from its losses in Ukraine to make territorial gains there this year, the top US intelligence official has said, but she warned that Vladimir Putin still believes that time is on his side.The assessment, presented by the director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, at a Senate hearing on Wednesday morning, was noncommittal on whether Ukraine could take back significant amounts of occupied land in its planned counter-offensive this spring. Haines said that would depend on multiple factors, including the loss of Ukrainian troops and equipment in resisting Russian attacks. Continue reading...

Met Office says heavy snow may cause serious travel disruption as freeze forecast to continue across UK until at least FridayParts of the UK will be blanketed in white as heavy snow and blizzards are forecast for the Midlands and north England in a return of wintry weather and sub-zero temperatures.The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for “strong winds bringing blizzard conditions” between Stoke-on-Trent and Durham from 3pm on Thursday until 2pm on Friday, while much of the rest of the country will see rain and sleet. Continue reading...

Law weakens state’s oversight of child labor and represents latest attempt in mostly Republican-led states to ease regulationsThe governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, on Tuesday signed a bill that significantly rolls back protections against child labor, eliminating state requirements to verify that children are at least 16 before they receive a job.A spokesperson for Sanders, who before becoming governor was White House press secretary under Donald Trump, told the Washington Post state law had been “burdensome and obsolete”. Continue reading...

Call for ministerial code inquiry over message blaming civil servants for failure to stop Channel crossings

Kyle Bevan, boyfriend of child’s mother, blamed family dog for her injuries and denies murderA two-year-old girl was killed in a “frenzied and extremely violent attack” by her mother’s boyfriend, who blamed the family dog for her death, a jury has heard.Lola James, described as a “happy, beautiful and busy little girl”, was found to have 101 external injuries, “catastrophic” head trauma and extensive damage to both her eyes, the court was told. Continue reading...

About 150 free tickets to sports, shows and hospitality have been given to politicians since the 2019 election, according to analysis

UK regulator says breaches found in ‘every area’ looked at in relation to audit of engineering firm’s accountsThe consultancy group PwC has been hit with a £7.5m fine over a string of serious breaches while auditing the engineering company Babcock’s accounts, including faking evidence related to a sensitive government contract.The accounting regulator, the Financial Reporting Council, said breaches were found in “every area” it had investigated in relation to the audit of Babcock’s accounts for 2017 and 2018, with PwC repeatedly failing to either challenge management, gather sufficient evidence to confirm financial statements, or follow basic audit requirements. Continue reading...

‘Tonmai’, 26, given two-year sentence over cartoons of yellow ducks that became symbol of democracy protestsA 26-year-old man in Thailand has been sentenced to three years in prison, reduced to two years, for selling satirical calendars featuring pictures of cartoon ducks that officials say insult the monarchy.The man, a legal officer known by the nickname Tonmai, was arrested on 31 December 2020 after police raided his home and confiscated desk calendars that included images of yellow ducks – one of the symbols of youth-led pro-democracy protests that began more than two years ago. Officials said the calendars, which were being sold through a Facebook protest group, defamed the king. Continue reading...

In interview with Guardian Australia, Jonathan Mead moves to allay concerns as Aukus partners prepare to announce detailed plans

Decision by Civil Aviation Authority comes despite airport having argued for higher feesHeathrow airport has been ordered to cut average passenger charges by about 20% next year, in a move that could translate to lower ticket prices for travellers.The decision by the UK regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) comes despite Heathrow having argued for higher fees, which are charged to airlines and are used to fund baggage handling, security and other costs across the airport’s terminals. Continue reading...

Justin Lewis began his closing address on Wednesday afternoon after four weeks of evidence about Leifer’s alleged abuse of three Melbourne sistersUltra-Orthodox Jewish school principal Malka Leifer allegedly used her position of power to sexually exploit her teenage students, taking advantage of their vulnerability, a jury has been told.Leifer, 56, is facing 27 charges over the alleged abuse of Melbourne sisters Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper when she was head of religion and principal of the Adass Israel School in the city’s eastern suburbs between 2003 and 2007. Continue reading...

Debra Haigh tells hearing she now understands she should have stood in front of cell for longer and used a torch to look for movement

Follow all the news live on International Women’s Day

Ferocious STV battle revealed fissures within Scottish National party as Forbes, Yousaf and Regan traded blowsIt was billed as the first chance for candidates for Scottish National party leadership to speak directly to the country.But at Tuesday’s first televised debate, after five fairly bland party hustings, the message the three prospective first ministers screamed loud and clear at Scotland was “We are a party at war with ourselves”. Continue reading...

Consumer champion and charities seek a policy that supports UK households hit hardest by high billsCharities and the consumer champion Martin Lewis have ramped up pressure on the government to implement a “social tariff” for energy, which new research estimates could save 12m households on the lowest incomes up to £1,500.Citizens Advice and Lewis have backed a push to introduce a special tariff for those struggling to pay gas and electricity bills by next year, while energy suppliers have said they are “ready” to work up the proposals. Continue reading...

BCC says tackling barriers to work such as soaring childcare cost vital for a strong economy as well as equalityTwo-thirds of women with childcare responsibilities believe they have missed out on career progression as a direct result, business leaders have warned, amid growing pressure on the government to boost support for parents.Ahead of next week’s budget, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said tackling barriers to work posed by soaring childcare costs and a lack of support for elderly or disabled relatives was vital for equality and the economy. Continue reading...

Met Office says parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and northern England to see worst of cold weather conditions from early Thursday, with Scotland and northern England expecting snow later in the dayMore sleet and snow is expected across southern England and south Wales on Wednesday while scattered snow and hail showers will affect Scotland’s northern coasts as the Arctic blast intensifies.The Met Office’s early morning radar showed an area of rain moving in from the south and west which was starting to turn increasingly to sleet and snow as it pushed north and east. Continue reading...

Ex-prime minister says he will remain in politics as he seeks to retain his opposition party’s share of parliamentary seatsFormer Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimarama has resigned from the Pacific nation’s parliament, weeks after he was suspended for sedition and insulting the president.Bainimarama said he was tendering his resignation “with immediate effect”, but had no intention of resigning from politics, in a post on his FijiFirst party’s Facebook page. Continue reading...

The media outlets, which are being sued by Bruce Lehrmann, say their teams took great lengths to verify the story

Independent’s comments made in support of proposal to bring to Australia 150 refugees and asylum seekers held in PNG and Nauru

The popular chocolate and peanut butter treat is one of two new ‘plant based’ offerings from the chocolatier in the next two monthsReese’s Peanut Butter Cups are getting the vegan treatment.The Hershey Company said on Tuesday that Reese’s plant-based peanut butter cups, which go on sale this month, will be its first vegan chocolates sold nationally. A second plant-based offering, Hershey’s plant-based extra creamy with almonds and sea salt, will follow in April. Continue reading...