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Annie Bot by Sierra Greer wins 2,025 for compelling tale that, like all good stories about robots, is ultimately about the human condition'A novel told from the perspective of a robot girlfriend has been named winner of the Arthur C Clarke award for science fiction.Annie Bot by Sierra Greer is a tightly focused first-person account of a robot designed to be the perfect companion, who struggles to become free," said chair of judges, the academic Andrew M Butler. The speculative novel follows Annie, the narrator, programmed to cater to the needs of her boyfriend/owner Doug, who treats her in a way that would be abusive if she were human. Continue reading...

Inquiry concludes college's management failed to help Jewish students feel welcome and safe from antisemitism'Goldsmiths College in London has apologised to Jewish students and staff after an independent inquiry found it had allowed a culture" of antisemitism to build up on its campus over a number of years.The inquiry concluded that Jewish students were subjected to antisemitism during their studies at Goldsmiths and that the college's management failed to help Jewish students and potential applicants to feel welcome, included and safe from antisemitism". Continue reading...

Police clashed with people marching in Nairobi and other areas to honour those killed in protests last yearAt least 16 people have been killed and 400 injured in Kenya as a nationwide demonstration to honour those killed during last year's anti-government protests turned chaotic, with police clashing with protesters in different parts of the country.Amnesty Kenya's executive director, Irng Houghton, said the death toll had been verified by the government-funded Kenya national commission on human rights. Most were killed by police," he said. Continue reading...

Allies agreed to raise defence spending to face uncomfortable reality of Russian remilitarisation after Ukraine warThe price was high, but for now, at least, a crisis in Nato has been averted. Donald Trump may like to take the credit for almost all of the 32 allies agreeing to a sharp increase in defence spending, but the reality is that the dramatic change in the Nato mindset was as much brought on by Vladimir Putin.The Russian president's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was the first jolt, but there is a second uncomfortable reality. If there is a sustainable ceasefire in Ukraine, it will mean the deployment of a European-led peacekeeping force in the country - and after a while, Russia's military might will inevitably recover. Continue reading...

Rapper recognised for his transformative' scholarship programme helping black students into higher educationThe rapper Stormzy has been awarded an honorary degree from Cambridge University for his work helping black students get into higher education.The 31-year-old received a doctorate in law for his transformative" scholarship programme, which funds black UK students to study at the institution. Continue reading...

Dr Michael Ross was involved in multiple private healthcare firms and withdrew after a review of financial holdingsA member of the health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's newly overhauled federal vaccine advisory panel withdrew after a conflict of interest review, a spokesperson has told the Guardian.Dr Michael Ross, who was involved in multiple private healthcare companies, withdrew after review of his financial holdings. Continue reading...

Five-year 1.25bn pledge to Gavi is 40% cut in real terms, which experts say will cost lives in developing countriesThe UK has cut its funding to a leading global vaccination group by a quarter, a move that experts say will directly lead to the avoidable deaths of many thousands of children in developing countries.The Foreign Office billed the 1.25bn commitment over five years to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) as a major boost to the group's work as well as to the UK's status as a developer of vaccines. A series of aid agencies praised the decision. Continue reading...

Move makes it harder to verify degree of damage inflicted on Iran's three key nuclear sites by joint US and Israeli bombingIran's parliament has unanimously agreed to suspend all cooperation with the UN nuclear inspectorate the IAEA, making it harder for an independent expert assessment to be made about the degree of damage inflicted on Iran's three key nuclear sites by the joint US and Israeli bombing. It also makes it harder for the location of any highly enriched uranium to be known.The vote is a sign that Iran wants to harden its negotiating position on cooperation with the west in the wake of the 12 days of attacks mounted by Israel, and the US, but supported by European governments only with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Continue reading...

US president appears relaxed and reaffirms commitment to military alliance - though Spain criticisedA relaxed Donald Trump said Nato's decision to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP was a big win" for western civilisation in a digressive press conference at a summit in The Hague where he reaffirmed the US's commitment to the military alliance.There was every sign that the careful setup of the summit - in which most allies in Europe and Canada committed billions more on defence - had worked to keep Trump bound in to the alliance, with the US president praising Mark Rutte, its secretary general, and a night where he slept beautiful" in the Dutch king's palace. Continue reading...

About 200 people were brought to the country in February under an agreement with the Trump administrationA court in Costa Rica has ordered authorities to release foreign migrants who were locked up in a shelter after being deported by the US, according to a resolution issued on the eve of a visit by the US secretary of homeland security.About 200 people from Afghanistan, Iran, Russia as well as from Africa and some other Asian countries, including 80 children, were brought to the Central American nation in February under an agreement with the US administration of Donald Trump, a move criticized by human rights organizations. Continue reading...

Pakistani government had credited US president with pivotal leadership' in its ceasefire negotiations with India

New defence spending target will be realised by 2035, Nato countries sayAsked about his commitment to Nato's Article 5, Trump says:We are with them all the way. Continue reading...

Trump's claim runs counter to a leaked US intelligence report which said the damage had only set Iran's nuclear programme back a few months'At the Nato summit in the Netherlands, tensions between Israel and Iran could dominate discussions among world leaders amid the fragile ceasefire.Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, is among those in The Hague for the gathering, having called on Middle Eastern nations to maintain the pause in hostilities.Look, I think what we've seen over the last few days is the Americans alleviating a threat to nuclear weaponry by the Iranians and bringing about a ceasefire in the early hours of today.I think now what needs to happen is that ceasefire needs to be maintained, and that will be the focus of our attention, our engagement, our discussions, because that ceasefire provides the space for the negotiations that need to take place. Continue reading...

PM committed to reforming system' as more Labour MPs join opposition to plan to cut universal credit and PipKemi Badenoch has said it would be pathetic" for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer must not pull this bill. We've offered to support him in the national interest if our reasonable conditions are met.If he pulls the bill, it proves Labour isn't serious about fiscal responsibility. If Labour backbenchers are too scared to deliver welfare changes that make only limited savings, how can they solve bigger problems like the national debt?There is a view forming among ministers and PPS' that the government will have to pull the welfare bill.However, the message from the centre is very clear it will go ahead regardless of the opposition from MPs because the issue has to be forced.There is widespread speculation in Government that No 10 will pull the entire welfare bill before the end of Wednesday, sources told The i Paper Continue reading...

Sex offender was arrested after alleged hiring of Disneyland Paris for fake ceremony with nine-year-old bride'A British sex offender accused of staging a mock wedding with a child at Disneyland Paris has been charged with money-laundering and fraud offences in France.Jacky Jhaj, 39, who in 2016 was found guilty of sexual activity with two 15-year-olds, was arrested this weekend at Disneyland Paris after the theme park was hired for a private wedding. Staff are said to have called police when they saw that the bride" in a wedding dress was a nine-year-old girl. Continue reading...

Capitol Christian Music Group drops Christian rock band after former singer Tait was accused of sexually assaulting three menNewsboys, the legendary Christian rock supergroup, have been dropped from their record label following investigations by the Guardian and other media outlets into their former singer Michael Tait, who has been accused of sexually assaulting three men in the early 2000s, two of whom said they believed they had been drugged by the rock star.The 40-year-old band has struggled to retain its once-massive fanbase in the wake of the allegations and a flurry of public questioning about what individuals in Tait's circle might have known about Tait's own recent admission that he has led a double life".Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

Casualties arrive at Kenyatta national hospital, Nairobi, as parliament buildings barricaded and government orders TV and radio stations to stop coveragePictures from Nairobi city centre show police firing water cannon at protesters:The protests on 25 June 2024 saw police relying on teargas and water cannon to disperse the crowd of thousands of protesters. Continue reading...

UK purchase of F-35A squadron means US nuclear warheads are likely to be stored on British soil once againBritain is to obtain air-launched nuclear weapons by buying a squadron of 12 F-35A fighter jets, which are capable of carrying the US B61-12 gravity bomb as well as conventional arms, Keir Starmer has announced at the Nato summit. Continue reading...

Hamas militants plant bomb on Israeli military vehicle in Khan Younis, causing it to catch fire

Expansion decision undermines democracy' and will mobilise new generation of protesters, groups warnThe biggest expansion of the UK's nuclear deterrent in a generation will put the nation on the nuclear frontline" and mobilise a new generation of anti-nuclear weapons protesters, campaign groups have warned.Anti-nuclear and anti-arms campaign groups are planning mass protests against nuclear weapons - of a kind not seen since the days of the Greenham Common peace camp in the 80s - in response to government plans to significantly expand its nuclear deterrent by buying a squadron of American fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Continue reading...

Deputy PM says vote will happen next week, despite more than 120 Labour MPs signing amendment to pause cuts

Death of 29-year-old considered unusual because the lightning came from a storm several miles away'A newlywed man visiting Florida on his honeymoon recently died after reportedly being struck by lightning while standing in shallow water with a blue sky over him.The death of Jake Rosencranz, 29, in New Smyrna Beach was considered unusual because it is rare" for someone to be struck by lightning from a storm that is several miles away, local beach safety director Tammy Malphurs told Florida news outlet WKMG. Though that occasionally happens, Rosencranz, of Colorado, was the first person to be killed by lightning in Florida in 2025. Continue reading...

Lee Saunders and Randi Weingarten say party not standing up for working people amid existential battle' under TrumpAs the Democratic party fights to rebuild from a devastating election defeat, the abrupt exit of the presidents of two of the nation's largest labor unions from its top leadership board has exposed simmering tensions over the party's direction.Randi Weingarten and Lee Saunders quit the Democratic National Committee, saying it isn't doing enough to open the gates" and win back the support of working-class voters. Ken Martin, the new DNC chair, and his allies told the Guardian that the party was focused on doing exactly that. Continue reading...

Job search site says number of roles advertised for recent graduates is at lowest level in seven years

Pro-Israel lobbyists allege newspaper editors Bevan Shields and Patrick Elligett are among eight individuals who broke name suppression order

Labor MP says situation in Middle East is not black and white ... all I see is grey' in departure from party's stance

This blog is now closedBeale says Fox-Henry testified that in May 2022 a user on the Cooler Master entered the term iNaturalist" on the search engine Bing.A user also visited the Korumburra Middle Pub website shortly after a visit to iNaturalist in the same month, Fox-Henry told the court. Continue reading...

Deprived and coastal areas to get extra cash this year for staff and resources in effort to improve health outcomesEngland's poorest areas will get billions in extra health funding under new government plans to tackle stark inequalities in access to care and health outcomes.NHS services in deprived and coastal places will receive a 2.2bn boost this year to pay for more staff and equipment to help them close the wide gap in resources between them and well-off areas. Continue reading...

Government's defence plans include 30% expansion of cadet forces, seen as critical to understanding' of defenceIt is a balmy Thursday evening in north-east London and a dozen teenagers in combat fatigues are practising first aid on each other inside an army cadet training centre.Remember, never leave a casualty alone as they might freeze to death," an instructor reminds them as a newer group of recruits in the yard outside get to grips with marching under the watchful eye of L/Cpl Erik Hanuschi, a cadet veteran at 17. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: Europe's leaders unveiled sweeping new defence spending pledges designed to satisfy Donald Trump and signal a new era of militarisationGood morning. The Nato summit that started last night in the Netherlands could hardly be better timed for Donald Trump: after declaring himself the saviour of world peace as Iran and Israel agreed a tentative ceasefire, he now intends to take a victory lap in Europe. European leaders, for their part, will be desperate for him to feel like he is getting his due.That is part of why member states signed up to a new defence spending commitment that Trump has long demanded - and part of why the UK is buying a squadron of US-made fighter jets to carry nuclear warheads. But as well as anxieties about the US's reliability, all of that also reflects Europe's recognition that it faces a serious new threat to the east.Iran | A classified assessment of US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities says they did not destroy two of the sites and likely only set back the nuclear program by a few months, according to two people familiar with the report. Donald Trump had claimed that they had totally obliterated" the facilities.Welfare | Keir Starmer has said the government will not shift on its welfare plans as ministers and party whips struggled to contain a growing Labour rebellion before next week's vote. By Tuesday night the tally of rebels stood at 123 Labour MPs.New York | Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist, stunned former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary, a remarkable upset that sets him on course for the city's mayoralty. The result will be viewed as a rebuke to the Democratic establishment, with wealthy donors and establishment figures like Bill Clinton supporting Cuomo.Climate | The UK can reach its net zero targets for 2050, and its interim carbon budgets for 2030 and beyond, the government's statutory climate advisers have reported. The Climate Change Committee also found that net zero would not destroy the UK economy, instead providing long term benefits.Health | Tobacco killed more than 7 million people worldwide in 2023. It remains the leading risk factor for deaths in men and ranks seventh for women, according to analysis presented at the World Conference on Tobacco Control. Continue reading...

First female opposition leader says she will personally try to recruit more women but is agnostic about party's approach

Rishi Sunak's ex-chief of staff lands role at Anthropic, which has memorandum of understanding on working with governmentA former chief of staff to Rishi Sunak who was made a Conservative peer has taken a job as external affairs" chief at an artificial intelligence company that he encountered while working at No 10.Liam Booth-Smith, who entered the House of Lords last year, has joined Anthropic, which recently signed a memorandum of understanding about working with the government on AI. Continue reading...

At least 600,000 relating to Horizon IT scandal remains unclaimed, with officials reluctant to recontact victimsPost office operators yet to claim compensation of at least 600,000 relating to the Horizon IT scandal have not been chased up by officials because the government did not want to harass" them with letters, it has emerged.In a report criticising the speed and handling of payouts after the Post Office scandal, the House of Commons public accounts committee (PAC) said the government is taking insufficient action" identifying all the operators eligible to claim some of the 1.7bn being paid out across four compensation schemes. Continue reading...

Consumer group's quarterly report examined the costs of 14 common items at 104 stores from four supermarkets chains

Falconio was killed while travelling in the Northern Territory with his girlfriend Joanne Lees in 2001 but his body has never been foundNorthern Territory police are offering a $500,000 reward for information on the location of the remains of British backpacker Peter Falconio, whose murder in the Australian outback more than 20 years ago captured worldwide attention.In July 2001, Falconio, then 28, was travelling Australia with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, on a remote stretch of highway about 300km north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory when he was pulled over by Bradley John Murdoch, who said their van might have an engine problem. Continue reading...

Journalist was taken off air three days into five-day contract in December 2023 after sharing Gaza post on social media

This blog is now closed. Our live coverage continues hereAs dawn broke in Israel and Iran, confusion reigned as to whether the two countries were still at war. Israelis, who fell asleep to the news that a ceasefire had been agreed to, woke up to four consecutive missile warnings, heading back and forth to the shelters as a missile hit a residential building in Be'er Sheva, killing three, according to the Israel fire and rescue centre.

Sumo wrestler Nicholas Tarasenko, 15, gets rare chance to break into professional ranks after winning amateur tournaments and learning JapaneseA teenager from Hull has arrived in Japan to pursue his dream of becoming a grand champion sumo wrestler, as only the second Briton to win a place at one of the ancient sport's professional stables.Nicholas Tarasenko, 15, left Yorkshire for Japan straight after finishing his GCSEs, to become the first British hopeful to join a stable since Nathan Strange - a Londoner who fought under the ring name Hidenokuni - in 1989. Continue reading...

Rights activists plan to march countrywide in honour of those killed during anti-government protestsKenyans plan to march countrywide on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the historic storming of parliament by protesters, to honour those killed during last year's anti-government protests, but there are fears that the march could escalate into unrest.Rights activists, family members of killed and missing protesters, and young Kenyans, who were the main drivers of last year's protests, have mobilised online and offline, with opposition leaders terming the day a people's public holiday" and the government warning against attempts to disrupt public order. Continue reading...

Daily average for watching all types of screen is now almost 7.5 hours, annual survey for IPA findsThe amount of time adults in Great Britain spend using their mobile phones has finally overtaken that spent watching TV, according to a report that calculates the daily average for watching all types of screen is now almost 7.5 hours.For the first time a typical person aged 15 or over spends longer each day on their mobile (three hours and 21 minutes) than on watching a traditional set (three hours and 16 minutes), the annual TouchPoints survey found. Continue reading...

Party big-hitters including Sadiq Khan urge PM to pause legislation as ministers and whips fail to contain rebellionKeir Starmer has said the government will stand firm on its welfare plans as ministers and party whips struggled to contain a growing Labour rebellion before next week's vote.By Tuesday night the tally of rebels stood at 123 Labour MPs, up from 108, plus 11 MPs from opposition parties, all from Northern Ireland. As Labour heavy-hitters waded into the row, there were fears inside government that the number would rise and scupper Starmer's changes to benefits. Continue reading...

Chronic exposure to inflammation may explain link to conditions including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, researchers sayLiving with an autoimmune disease may almost double the risk of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, a study suggests.The link may be explained by the chronic exposure to systemic inflammation that the autoimmune disease causes, researchers at the University of Edinburgh said. Continue reading...

Staff for premier Chris Minns and police minister Yasmin Catley to appear voluntarily after upper house president indicated warrants would be sought

Defense for 55-year-old music mogul indicates they do not intend to call any witnesses of their ownAfter more than a month of testimony from over 30 witnesses, the government rested its case in Sean Diddy" Combs's federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial on Tuesday afternoon.Shortly after, the 55-year-old music mogul stood up at the defense table and confirmed to the court that he would not be testifying in this case. Continue reading...

Prime minister deployed ministers to contain rebellion after more than 100 Labour MPs signed amendment to billWhen a prime minister is forced to deploy his cabinet to try to contain a rebellion, it is not a sign that things are going well. For one with a working majority of 165 MPs, it suggests that things are, in fact, going very badly.This was the scenario Keir Starmer faced on Tuesday after more than 100 Labour MPs signed an amendment to his welfare bill which could blow up his attempts to reform the disability benefits system. Continue reading...

Force says it disposed of papers last year despite forthcoming inquiry into scenes of violent policing in 1984Police have destroyed documents relating to the Battle of Orgreave in 1984 during the miners' strike, which is the subject of a forthcoming official inquiry.Northumbria police disposed of the papers less than a month before Rishi Sunak called last summer's election, which brought the Labour party into government with a longstanding manifesto pledge to hold an inquiry into the scenes of violent policing at Orgreave. Continue reading...

Despite Iranian missiles killing people and destroying buildings, many Israelis say they are happy with the current situation Live updates: Trump says it was great honor to stop war' after angry outburst at both sidesThe Iranian ballistic missile landed a little over an hour before the ceasefire was to take effect on Tuesday morning, crumpling the seven-storey apartment block in Beersheba, south Israel, killing four residents and wounding 30.Jessica Sardinas felt the blast 300 metres away in her safe room, where she had slept every night for the past 10 days. She had read the news of a ceasefire before sleeping, but did not believe it. Continue reading...

Shootings by Israeli forces raise death toll of such incidents in Gaza in last two weeks to more than 500At least 40 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza have died in new shootings by Israeli forces, local medics and officials said, raising the total killed in the last two weeks in such incidents in the devastated territory to more than 500.Though the fragile ceasefire declared between Israel and Iran has boosted hopes in Gaza that the 20-month-long war there might end soon, there were further Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday and reports of at least two incidents involving Israeli troops opening fire on civilians seeking humanitarian assistance. Continue reading...