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Yevgeny Prigozhin’s comments suggest Moscow is preparing for a long conflict, as Volodymyr Zelenskiy renews appeal for fighter jets• Ukraine war liveThe boss of the Russian mercenary Wagner group said it could take Russia two years to seize the entire east of Ukraine in a rare interview that suggests at least some key figures in Moscow are gearing up for a protracted conflict.Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has emerged from the shadows to become a high-profile figure since the start of the war, suggested Russia’s focus was now on capturing the rest of the Donbas region it has not occupied since the start of the war nearly a year ago. Continue reading...

Erkin Tuniyaz is head of the Xinjiang region, where there are claims of human rights abuses taking placeThe former Conservative party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has joined calls for a governor from a region of China where the UN has said there may be crimes against humanity to be arrested during a potential visit this week.The Tory backbencher said that the governor of Xinjiang, Erkin Tuniyaz, should be arrested if he arrives in the UK. The House of Commons heard this week that he was due to visit the UK next week and may meet Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials. Continue reading...

Belgian cartoonist’s black and white artwork from 1942 was used for the cover of Tintin in AmericaAn artwork by Tintin creator Hergé has set the world record for the most valuable original black and white drawing by the artist after selling at auction for more than €2m.The drawing, Tintin in America – created in 1942 – was used for the colour edition of the Belgian cartoonist’s 1946 book of the same name. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can read more about the earthquake hereRescuers in Turkey pulled two women alive from the rubble of collapsed buildings after they were been trapped for 122 hours following the region’s deadliest quake in two decades, authorities said on Saturday.The death toll exceeded 24,150 across southern Turkey and northwest Syria a day after the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said authorities should have reacted faster to Monday’s huge earthquake.Our main goal is to ensure that they return to a normal life by delivering permanent housing to them within one year, and that they heal their pain as soon as possible.”We focused all our energy to this project to serve people in the area impacted by the earthquake. We aim to provide a safe haven to them as soon as possible.” Continue reading...

The Tory deputy chair, who has also criticised nurses who use food banks and migrants, could prove toxic for voters in south-east seatsThe Liberal Democrats are to launch a digital advertising blitz in “blue wall” seats held by leading cabinet ministers to highlight the new Conservative party deputy chair Lee Anderson’s enthusiastic backing for capital punishment.The party believes that recent remarks by Anderson, who was promoted to the post last week by Rishi Sunak, will prove “toxic” among Conservative voters in dozens of south-eastern constituencies, including those held by the chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, and deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab. Continue reading...

Union leader Mick Lynch says offer from Network Rail and train operators would mean real-terms pay cutMick Lynch has said the RMT will ballot members again “soon” for future railway strikes, after the union rejected a pay offer on Friday.The union, which represents rail workers, rejected what had been described as a “best and final” offer from the body representing operators. Continue reading...

The ex-PM’s long-promised tome of the Bard looks set to be delayed again after he receives huge advances for his political diaries and public speaking“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,” begins Macbeth in his haunting final soliloquy. It also seems to be the sentiment adopted by Boris Johnson in regard to his long-promised tome on the works of William Shakespeare.By the time the book eventually appears, almost a decade is likely to have passed since the former prime minister was paid an £88,000 advance from the prospective publisher of the work, initially entitled Shakespeare: The Riddle of Genius. Continue reading...

Freedom of information watchdog’s investigation team called in after UK officials repeatedly refused access to government filesA criminal investigation team at the freedom of information watchdog has examined a complaint against the Cabinet Office, after it blocked the release of files concerning the intelligence agent Peter Wright and the Spycatcher affair.Tim Tate, a documentary-maker and author, complained to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) last June that the Cabinet Office had repeatedly given inaccurate information to justify withholding the files after he had requested their release. Continue reading...

The revered Mexican artist’s suffering was so great, she ‘probably’ asked her soulmate to assist in ending her life, documentary is toldPeople’s love of Frida Kahlo’s vibrant art is matched by fascination with her colourful private life. Now the battle to win greater attention for her talent – above and beyond her extraordinary, painful personal story – faces another potential knock.A documentary about the Mexican artist is to reveal a secret suspicion that endures within the family of her husband and great love, the renowned muralist Diego Rivera. Continue reading...

Stabbings in Hackney come as another man is fatally stabbed in Brixton, south-west London in unrelated incidentA man has died and another remains in hospital after they were stabbed in east London in the early hours of Saturday morning.The Metropolitan police said officers were called to an east London hospital at about 4.30am where two men had turned up with knife wounds. Continue reading...

Move comes after Fire Brigades Union postponed planned strike action for workers to vote on offerThe Fire Brigades Union has recommended that its members accept a revised pay offer, after it postponed planned strike action for workers to vote on the offer.The FBU said the new pay offer, for a 7% rise backdated to July last year and for another 5% increase from 1 July this year, was below inflation but still represented a “significant shift” from a previous offer of just 2%. Continue reading...

Parents of Kiernan Forbes pay tribute to ‘beloved son’ who was killed alongside another man while walking to carOne of South Africa’s top rap artists, known as AKA, has been shot dead outside a restaurant in the eastern city of Durban, his family said.Kiernan Forbes, 35, won multiple South African awards, was nominated several times for a Black Entertainment Television award in the US and was once nominated for an MTV Europe music award. Continue reading...

Anti-government hackers interrupted a televised speech by President Ebrahim Raisi, who appealed to the ‘deceived youth’ to repentThe Islamic Republic marked the 44th anniversary of the Iranian revolution on Saturday with state-organised rallies, as anti-government hackers briefly interrupted a televised speech by the president, Ebrahim Raisi.Raisi, whose hardline government faces one of the boldest challenges from young protesters calling for its ouster, appealed to the “deceived youth” to repent so they can be pardoned by Iran’s supreme leader. Continue reading...

Plans for Square Mile would create ‘brightness zones’ governed by curfews amid the darkened buildingsSkyscrapers in the City of London would be required to dim their lights at night as part of proposals to reduce visual pollution and save energy.Under the proposal from the City of London Corporation, property owners across the Square Mile – a 1.12 square mile zone in the centre of the capital whose boundaries stretch from the Temple to the Tower of London and from Chancery Lane to Liverpool Street – would be asked to switch off unnecessary building lights to create “brightness zones” governed by curfews. Continue reading...

IOPC says no inquiry needed into force’s contact with George Pattison before he, his wife and their daughter were found deadSurrey police will not face any further investigation over its contact with George Pattison days before he was found dead alongside his wife, Emma, the headteacher at Epsom College, and their seven-year-old daughter, Lettie, the police watchdog has said.A firearm, registered to Pattison, was found at the scene and police are treating the deaths as a homicide investigation. Continue reading...

California authorities ‘remain hopeful’ of finding British actor who was reported missing on Mount Baldy last monthAuthorities in southern California have said they are still “hopeful” of finding Julian Sands, but that the outcome of searches for the British actor “may not be what we would like”.San Bernardino county sheriff’s department said conditions in the area remained dangerous, but that ground searches were planned for the future. Continue reading...

Education secretary says UK ‘should be very proud of’ university sector, amid briefings with Suella BravermanGillian Keegan has signalled that she disagrees with the Home Office’s plan to cut migration by targeting overseas students, adding the financial boost from international students to British universities was “hugely valuable”.The education secretary has said the university sector is something Britain “should be very proud of”, amid briefings that the home secretary, Suella Braverman, is considering looking at cutting the number of international students coming to the UK, or changing the terms of their stay. Continue reading...

John Tory acknowledged relationship in a statement and apologised to his wife and family, and ‘all those hurt by my actions’The mayor of Toronto has resigned, shortly after the Toronto Star newspaper reported he had an affair with a former staff member.John Tory, 68, acknowledged the relationship in a statement announcing his departure, saying it had ended earlier this year and the employee had left city hall. Continue reading...

Wave of Russian missiles hit power facilities across Ukraine, causing blackouts across the country

In 2020 Iranian authorities sentenced Adelkhah to five years in jail on national security charges, which she deniedIranian-French academic Fariba Adelkhah was released from Iran’s Evin prison, France said, but it was unclear what the conditions of her release were.Adelkhah has been in prison since Iranian authorities arrested her in 2019 during a visit. She is one of seven French nationals detained in Iran, a factor that has worsened relations between Paris and Tehran in recent months. Continue reading...

Remains of Australian man and Australian woman identified by family members in Turkey, according to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Policy Exchange paper envisages sidestepping Human Rights and Modern Slavery Acts to eliminate legal challengesChildren fleeing conflict and persecution in other parts of the world should still be deported from the UK if they cross the Channel in small boats, according to hardline new proposals from an influential conservative thinktank.The paper from Policy Exchange – sometimes used as a platform by senior Tory ministers to trail new measures – envisages the sidestepping of the Human Rights Act and Modern Slavery Act in order to eliminate legal challenges to removing men, women and children. Continue reading...

Three people arrested as eyewitnesses say police van set on fire and counter-protesters surroundedDisturbances have broken out in Knowsley near Liverpool after several hundred far-right demonstrators protested against asylum seekers who have been housed in a local hotel by the Home Office.Merseyside police said three people had been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands more people have been left homeless in often sub-zero winter conditions

South American country has seen rise since Ukraine invasion in Russian women arriving to have children and thus gain citizenshipImmigration authorities in Argentina are cracking down on Russian women who since the invasion of Ukraine have started travelling to Buenos Aires to give birth in order to gain Argentinian citizenship for their children.The director of Argentina’s immigration office, Florencia Carignano, said on Friday that a judicial investigation has been launched into what she described as a lucrative business that promises Argentinian passports for the Russian parents. Continue reading...

Paul Ansell says family going through ‘unprecedented hell’ as search widens for missing womanThe partner of missing Nicola Bulley says he is “100% convinced” she is not in the River Wyre.Bulley has been missing for 14 days and a specialist underwater team searching the river suspended the operation on Wednesday after no body was found. A search of the surrounding countryside carried out by Lancashire constabulary also found no trace of her. Continue reading...

German sportswear company cut ties with rapper in 2022 over his antisemitic commentsAdidas has warned that it could take a revenue hit of €1.2bn (£1bn) and slump to a loss this year if it decides not to sell its remaining stock of products made in collaboration with Kanye West, after it cut ties with the rapper over his antisemitic comments.The German sportswear giant said its decision last year to end the partnership to produce the Yeezy range with West, now known as Ye, will hit operating profits by €500m in 2023. Continue reading...

Deputy prime minister says he sought high standards, as complaints of dozens of officials are investigatedDominic Raab has said he “behaved professionally at all times” as a minister, despite facing criticism of his behaviour from dozens of officials.In a rare interview, the deputy prime minister told the Telegraph he wanted to set high standards in office, and added that he believed in “zero bullying”. Continue reading...

The inquiry to be headed by Walter Sofronoff will hold as many hearings in public as possible

Government data shows Home Office use of hotels has risen tenfold since March 2020 despite pledges to end practiceHome Office use of hotels for asylum seekers in the UK has increased tenfold since the start of the pandemic, despite repeated pledges from the government to end use of this accommodation.According to the government’s own data there was a jump in contingency accommodation, which is largely hotels, from 2,577 people in March 2020 to 37,142 in September 2022. Continue reading...

Research finds that Black students must contend with challenges including high costs and racial discriminationBlack students have lower six-year completion rates for any kind of degree or certificate program than students in any other racial or ethnic group, a new study has found.According to the study by Gallup and Lumina Foundation, which was released on Thursday, Black students must contend with various challenges to completing post-secondary programs including high costs and racial discrimination. Continue reading...

Many corporate subscribers to major parties’ business forums are not required to declare payments, though some choose to

The main worry is workers might demand more pay, employers will pass that on to prices, and a wage-price spiral will take off

Indigenous groups say decision to nominate Murujuga cultural area is ‘deeply hypocritical’ because of government support for industrial projects in the area

The campaign will be a crucial early test for the opposition and leader Peter Dutton

Insaf Ali smuggled songbirds in hair curlers from Guyana to New York when JFK airport authorities discovered the ruseA man who repeatedly admitted scheming to smuggle finches from Guyana into New York for birdsong competitions was sentenced on Thursday to a year and a day in prison.It was Insaf Ali’s second time being sentenced in a Brooklyn federal court for a crime related to bird trafficking, and he vowed it would be his last. Continue reading...

Announcement comes after global company posted 47% decline in quarterly earnings in news media

Fast food chain reportedly experimented with mushrooms and chickpeas before settling on breaded cauliflowerChick-fil-A is jumping on the plant-based bandwagon.The Atlanta-based chain said on Thursday that it’s testing its first plant-based entree – a breaded cauliflower sandwich – at restaurants in Denver; Charleston, South Carolina; and the Greensboro, North Carolina, area. The test begins 13 February. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Queensland Police Service ‘exploring its legal options’ after several children granted bail

New Zealand city council says ‘you would be seriously injured or killed’ by lamps weighing up to 15kg, like a microwave or bulk sack of riceNew Zealand’s capital is being plagued by potentially deadly street lights that have begun dropping without warning and smashing on the footpath below.Wellington city council spokesperson Richard MacLean said the council was aware of the problem. The lamp heads weighed up to 15kg (33lb), he said – about equivalent to a bulk sack of rice, full-grown border collie or a microwave oven. They were falling from heights of 4-6m. Continue reading...

Damning report by MPs urges government to ensure safe passage for interpreters and contractors at risk from TalibanSeveral thousand Afghans who helped British forces before the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 remain stranded and at risk from the Taliban because of failures of the government’s settlement schemes, according to a damning report by MPs.The defence select committee’s report urged the government to set out what action it is taking to ensure safe passage to the UK for at least 4,600 Afghans, including interpreters and contractors, who worked for UK forces.A lack of preparedness for the number of potential applicants resulting in under-resourcing, backlogs in applications, and errors in decision making.Poor communications with applicants causing stress to them and increasing correspondence to MPs and others.Unclear and frequently changing eligibility criteria. Continue reading...

The communist party’s propaganda machine pulled out all the stops to ensure the public opinion was in accordance with party narrativeAmid the diplomatic spat over the high-altitude balloon that flew across North America before being shot down by the US air force, China is taking the opportunity to drum up nationalistic fervour among its citizens – and the tactic appears to be working well.The balloon incident has burst the facade of a three-month, uneasy peace between China and the US since the summit between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in November. Continue reading...

Labour candidate Ashley Dalton odds-on favourite to hold seat after resignation of Rosie CooperPolls have closed in the West Lancashire byelection, with Labour confident of retaining the seat it has held since 1992.The bookies have the party at 1/25 to keep hold of the seat where it had a majority of 8,336 in the last election. A result is expected between 2am and 4am. Continue reading...

Reduced ad spends due to rising inflation and higher interest rates have battered Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerateMedia conglomerate News Corp said on Thursday that it would cut 1,250 jobs after it missed estimates for second-quarter earnings due to weakness in its news and digital real estate businesses.Rising inflation and higher interest rates are forcing companies to curb their ad and marketing spend, denting one of the major sources of revenue for companies such as News Corp, which has major publishing platforms including the Wall Street Journal and New York Post in the US, The Sun and The Times in the UK, and The Australian. Continue reading...

Weather system off the Queensland coast predicted to intensify to category three, with winds of up to 224km/h

Footage showed girl being punched, kicked and having her hair pulled on MondayMPs have called for an investigation into a school after a black pupil was the victim of a serious suspected racist assault.Janet Daby, who represents Lewisham East, said that Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford, Surrey, should be investigated after footage showed a girl being punched, kicked and having her hair pulled on Monday. Continue reading...

Collette Bell says she thought ‘you don’t care’ when told of partner’s death by Ch Supt Garry McEwanA chief superintendent shrugged his shoulders when confronted over whether Sheku Bayoh had been killed by police officers, the inquiry into his death in custody has been told.Bayoh’s partner, Collette Bell, alleged that Ch Supt Garry McEwan, who has now retired, told her that the father of her baby had died during a “forceful arrest” using sprays and batons, and that she responded furiously: “So you battered him to death?” Continue reading...

Daughter of former foreign minister Francisco Aguirre-Sacasa says he is among detainees released, adding: ‘Everybody is on the plane’More than 200 prisoners jailed by Nicaragua’s authoritarian regime during a ferocious two-year political crackdown have been freed and flown to the United States.“This is huge,” Georgiana Aguirre-Sacasa, the daughter of one of the prisoners – the elderly former foreign minister Francisco Aguirre-Sacasa – said on Thursday morning as she digested the news of her father’s release. Continue reading...

Government evaluation of the legislation is the first official review of the policies that led to the Windrush scandalThe Home Office’s hostile environment policies appear to have had a disproportionately negative impact on people of colour, a government evaluation of the legislation has shown.The long-awaited impact assessment of the package of hostile environment measures which were introduced when David Cameron was prime minister, and later rebranded as “compliant environment” policies, reveals for the first time the government’s own assessment of the legislation’s potential risks. Continue reading...