Conversation with Francis Bacon emerges amid the row over updating controversial language in the children’s author’s booksOne of Roald Dahl’s best-known characters was the Enormous Crocodile, “a horrid greedy grumptious brute” who “wants to eat something juicy and delicious”.Now a conversation the author had 40 years ago has come to light, revealing that he was so appalled by the idea that publishers might one day censor his work that he threatened to send the crocodile “to gobble them up”. Continue reading...

Dressed in open-necked shirt and jeans, premier joins 12,500 paraders on original route of Oxford StreetAmid the rainbow tulle, sequins and sparkles of Sydney’s 45th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade emerged the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, in a simple open-necked shirt and jeans.Albanese is the first sitting prime minister to join the parade, which celebrates and continues to push for equality for the LGBTQIA+ community. Continue reading...

Arctic mammal that drew crowds in Hampshire, North Yorkshire and Northumberland is spotted 850 miles further northA walrus that drew crowds when spotted on the south and east coasts of England appears to have arrived in Iceland.The arctic mammal appeared in Hampshire in December before spending new year in Scarborough and then heading 70 miles further north to the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club in Blyth. Continue reading...

The tech giant is carrying adverts styled to look like real internet search results for women seeking pregnancy adviceWomen seeking online advice about abortions are being directed to pregnancy counselling services run by anti-abortion campaigners, an Observer investigation has found.Google adverts that are styled to look like real search results and appear above genuine listings are routinely being shown to people searching key terms relating to pregnancy and abortion. Continue reading...

Not too late for Jeremy Hunt to ‘end the political obsession of regulation, high taxes and interference with business’ in spring budgetFormer home secretary Priti Patel has called on the chancellor to reverse plans for a rise in corporation tax for big businesses.Jeremy Hunt is due to give his spring budget on 15 March, a day being targeted by transport and civil service unions for strikes, with corporation tax set to rise from 19% to 25% in April. Continue reading...

PM has been deeply involved in Northern Ireland protocol talks and must now face a possible Tory backlashRishi Sunak has found out the hard way what it is like to become embroiled in the cycle of the Brexit forever wars. Despite desperate attempts to keep his party in line, a row that plagued his predecessors is at risk of erupting again over a reworking of the Northern Ireland protocol which he hopes to announce next week.The wariness of some in government was betrayed by the foreign secretary, James Cleverly, who told a group of journalists at the start of the week – when momentum towards getting a deal on the protocol appeared to be stalling – that it would be announced at some point between “now and the end of time”. Continue reading...

About 3,000 tickets to be made available to people displaced by war so they can attend live shows in LiverpoolThousands of tickets for the Eurovision song contest are to be allocated to Ukrainians who have fled to the UK.The international music show will take place at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool in May after the city was chosen to host the competition on behalf of the 2022 winner, Ukraine, which is unable to host the event after the Russian invasion. Continue reading...

Defence secretary Ben Wallace says much delayed project to build 589 of the vehicles has turned a cornerThe “troubled” £5.5bn programme to build the British army’s new Ajax fighting vehicle has turned a corner, the defence secretary has said.Better seat cushions and ear defenders are among improvements being hailed by Ben Wallace. Continue reading...

Developer amends Ralli Quays plans after criticism that right of way was being ‘sacrificed for private gain’A developer has scrapped plans to divert a 300-year-old riverside footpath through a hotel lobby after public outcry that a right of way was being “stolen” and “sacrificed for private gain”.Salford council came under huge public pressure last year after councillors granted planning permission to Legal & General (L&G) to close a towpath by the River Irwell to make way for an office complex and a 16-storey, 260-bed hotel. Continue reading...

The ethical label has become mainstream, and is thriving despite the rising cost of livingFairtrade tea, coffee and chocolate was once the mainstay of church hall fetes and upmarket delis but is now popping up in supermarket value ranges as the demand for affordable and sustainable groceries goes mainstream.Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Waitrose are among the high street names whose budget ranges include the ethical label, making it possible for shoppers to make a “small switch” when shopping during Fairtrade Fortnight, which starts on Monday. Continue reading...

Only two of thousands of PFAS are regulated, while the EU is already contemplating stricter standards

Sydney Opera House among buildings lit up with Ukraine’s national colours amid vigils to mark year since Russia’s invasion. This blog is now closed

Hundreds of thousands of people expected to line the parade’s famous route, which last ran along the street in 2020 due to Covid

Ukrainian president shows steel and emotion in marathon press conference, as Joe Biden says having China as peacemaker is ‘just not rational’

Health minister Yvette D’Ath says state will introduce pill testing at mobile and fixed sites following success of trials in Canberra

Perth man, who worked for Rio Tinto, dead after altercation in South Kuta bar

The first Polish Leopard 2 tanks arrive in Ukraine and western allies step up assistance as the Russian invasion enters second year

Albanese government under pressure to move ambassador to Kyiv after shift to Poland at start of Russia’s invasion

Veteran presenter says BBC has brought forward his last show to beginning rather than end of MarchKen Bruce has suggested he has been forced to leave the BBC earlier than he intended with his final Radio 2 show scheduled for next week rather than at the end of March.The 71-year-old Scottish broadcasting veteran will present his final 9.30am-to-midday show on 3 March. Continue reading...

US secretary of state warns peace plan proposed by China draws ‘false equivalence’ by calling on both sides to stop fightingThe US has launched a fresh bid to win over abstaining and neutral states by urging them not to be fooled by Russian calls for a temporary or unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, warning that a peace plan proposed by China drew “false equivalence” by calling on both sides to stop fighting.US secretary of state Antony Blinken was speaking at a highly charged meeting of the UN security council where he reminded his fellow diplomats that the Russian envoy only a year ago had dismissed his warnings that Moscow was about to launch an invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy says some points in Chinese statement for peace ‘understandable’ while Kremlin adds Beijing’s involvement appreciated

Much of Portland, Oregon, also shut down due to icy roads and nearly a million buildings without power in MichiganA slow-moving winter storm intensified over California on Friday, triggering the first blizzard warning in parts of the Los Angeles area since 1989 and creating the extraordinary sight of snowflakes swirling around the iconic Hollywood sign.The National Weather Service warned of a “cold and dangerous winter storm” that would last through Saturday in California. Blizzard warnings were posted in the Sierra Nevada and southern California mountain ranges, where as much as 5ft (1.5 meters) of snow was expected. Continue reading...

Poland’s PM visits Kyiv as allies demonstrate support on first anniversary of invasionThe first Polish Leopard tanks have arrived in Ukraine, as western allies including the G7 and EU announced a range of further economic, military and financial sanctions against Russia, in a renewed effort to weaken Vladimir Putin’s war machine.Speaking on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, Poland’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, confirmed that four Leopard tanks had been delivered to Ukraine. “Poland and Europe stand by your side. We will definitely not leave you, we will support Ukraine until complete victory over Russia,” he said, standing alongside the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, during his visit to Kyiv. Continue reading...

Singer said he wanted to pay for scans elsewhere in the UK to help people get treatment more quicklyRod Stewart visited his local NHS hospital on Friday and paid for a day of scans for patients to help reduce waiting lists.The singer-songwriter, 78, said he wanted to “prove I’m not all mouth and trousers” and added he would like to pay for scans elsewhere in the UK. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can read more on this story hereForbes interrupted her maternity leave following the birth of her baby daughter last summer to run to be the next SNP leader.I want to lead Scotland into better days. I have a vested interest in achieving this, not least for the sake of my daughter’s future.Scotland needs a leader who is bold, brave and energised. My vision centres on delivering a strong growing economy that expands the tax base and reinvests in tackling poverty and making our public services sustainable.We need somebody competent, who voters trust, who speaks the truth, who has integrity and commitment … I’m the only candidate with a strong grip on the economy and our finances.If anything, can be said of me in the past week it is that I am willing to be honest and open, even at the cost of my leadership bid and my career. Continue reading...

Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains frontrunner for president but a new voice has captured the youth voteThe posters lining the roads of Lagos show the face of a smiling, bespectacled 70-year-old above a slogan promising renewed hope. Vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, pedestrians and drivers negotiating the chaos of the Nigerian commercial capital are told. Vote for peace, justice, unity.On Saturday, the 6 million inhabitants of Lagos who have collected their voting cards will have to decide whether Tinubu and his ruling All Progressives Congress might fulfil any of these promises. So too will another estimated 81 million voters among the 220 million inhabitants of Africa’s most populous country. Their collective decision will determine the result of Nigeria’s seventh presidential elections since the end of military rule in 1999. Continue reading...

President says start of Russian invasion was ‘longest day of our lives’ and urges allies to ‘respect promises’

Move would come after four months of intense negotiations and mark an end to two-year standoff with EU

Family pay tribute to man they described as ‘journalist to his bones’Sir Bernard Ingham, Margaret Thatcher’s press secretary, has died at the age of 90 after a short illness, his family has said.Ingham was a former journalist with the Guardian in the 1970s before going into communications for the government. He served as press secretary for Thatcher for almost her entire time in office. Continue reading...

TV presenter will take over in May when veteran Scottish broadcaster steps down after 31 yearsVernon Kay is returning to the BBC to replace Ken Bruce on his Radio 2 mid-morning weekday show, the broadcaster has confirmed.The 48-year-old TV presenter will take over in May to replace the Scottish broadcasting veteran, who announced last month he would be stepping down from presenting on Radio 2 after 31 years. Continue reading...

Move will increase pressure on larger RMT union to put similar offers to full vote by its membersMembers of the TSSA union have voted to accept pay offers made by train operating companies, ending their part in the long-running national rail dispute.In an online ballot, 80% of participating members in management grades and 60% in other grades voted in favour of deals worth 9% over two years. Turnout was 57%. Continue reading...

Candidate to become SNP leader and first minister also pledges to scrap gender recognition reform bill in campaign launch

Defenders of LTNs in Oxford report antisemitic and conspiracy-theory chanting at confrontations over traffic reduction measuresFar-right activists and other extremists are attempting to hijack local issues such as low-traffic schemes by linking them to conspiracy theories, campaigners have warned.It comes after Covid-19 protestors joined thousands demonstrating against Oxford’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) scheme, one of the most ambitious in the country and the source of long-running local debate. Continue reading...

Ukraine fears Russia intends to mark anniversary of invasion with new attacks on key cities; western officials estimate Russia’s military casualties at nearly 200,000

Concrete multistorey threatened with demolition but C20 launches campaign to keep ‘innovative’ buildingThe NCP Rupert Street car park in Bristol has a one-star rating on Parkopedia, its stairwells stink of urine and a four-hour stay costs £15.80.But C20 (Twentieth Century Society), a charity that campaigns to protect “outstanding” buildings, has submitted an application to list the city centre car park and save it from threatened demolition. Continue reading...

Chemicals company says disruption from Ukraine war, rising costs and inflation will continue this yearThe German chemicals company BASF has said it will cut 2,600 jobs as Europe’s largest economy braces for recession triggered by the energy crisis that intensified after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine a year ago.The year was “dominated by the consequences of the war in Ukraine and in particular by increased raw material and energy prices”, BASF said in a statement on Friday. It paid additional energy costs of €3.2bn (£2.8bn) globally during 2022. Continue reading...

Government claims a bipartisan approach to respond to community concerns, but experts warn of increased pressure on the buckling youth detention system

Exclusive: High-speed rail advocates support call from Andrew Barr, saying even gradually beginning track duplication could cut travel times in half within a decade

Powerful pro-gun groups plan to lobby ministers as calls mount to raise shotgun ownership barriers following Plymouth killingsThe powerful UK shooting and countryside lobby has vowed to fight demands to tighten the rules around shotgun ownership that followed the conclusions of the Plymouth shooting inquests.Organisations that promote shooting and other countryside pursuits are planning urgent meetings with UK ministers, arguing many people would be “regulated or priced out” of the activity and may even be tempted to keep guns without a licence. Continue reading...

Series will be released alongside controversially amended versions to leave readers ‘free to choose which version they prefer’A collection of Roald Dahl’s books with unaltered text is to be published after a row over changes made to novels including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Witches.Dahl’s publisher, the Penguin Random House children’s imprint Puffin, was criticised this week for hiring sensitivity readers to go over his books, resulting in the removal or change of language deemed to be offensive. In response, it is to release Dahl’s works in their original versions, alongside its new texts. Continue reading...

Semi-autobiographical story receives unprecedented number of five-star reviews, making it the best-scoring film in decadesSteven Spielberg’s new film The Fabelmans attracted more cinema-goers than any other film in France on its release on Wednesday after an unprecedented number of five-star reviews from the country’s critics.French media gave the film, a semi-autobiographical story based loosely on the director’s childhood and his early years behind the camera, an average score of 4.9, one of the best scores for any film in more than two decades. Continue reading...

Mike fled Ukraine with his wife and young son last year. Now in the UK, he describes the family’s past year

British Medical Association announces industrial action in dispute over pay and conditions

Five scenarios for the end of the war, from a Russian or Ukrainian breakthrough to a frozen conflictUkraine’s war reaches the one-year mark with no immediate end in sight. Both sides want to carry on fighting, and any negotiated peace looks a long way off. So how might the war end? Here are five scenarios to consider. Continue reading...

Any bankruptcy rescue deal for London-listed group would wipe out shareholdersShares in Cineworld have plunged further after the movie chain said it had received no all-cash offers from potential suitors to save its global business, and any bankruptcy rescue deal would wipe out shareholders.The London-listed group, which was forced into bankruptcy in the US despite a wider recovery in cinema-going fuelled by hits such as the sequels to Avatar and Top Gun, said it has received non-binding proposals from a “number of potential transaction counterparties” for its business. Continue reading...

Australia swelters while in Brazil there have been record downpoursSouthern Australia has recorded significant heat over the past week with maximum temperatures widely reaching in excess of 35C (95F), as well as more than 10C above the climatological average. Many stations in the south, across Western Australia and South Australia, recorded temperatures in excess of 40C with Eucla and Red Rock Points recording their highest February temperature of 46.8C on 22 February. Two large blocking high pressure systems south and west of Australia have allowed heat to stall across western and southern parts. This will be pushed further eastwards through this week, although lessening in severity.In addition to this, many parts of the west coast have had high sea surface temperature anomalies throughout February, about 1-2C above normal. Because of this there is a chance that further cyclogenesis off the north-west coast may take place in the coming weeks – bringing further tropical storms. Continue reading...

Archbishop says Russia cannot be treated like Germany after first world war, nor Ukraine forced into unjust compromise

Inquest hears Michael Suckling struggled with drug addiction, back pain, mobility issues and significant weight gain in prison

IAG makes £1.1bn in 2022 on ‘sustained leisure demand and markets reopening’British Airways’ owner bounced back to a €1.25bn (£1.1bn) profit in 2022 and said the figure could almost double in the year ahead as leisure and business travel recovers further from the coronavirus pandemic.International Airlines Group (IAG), which ran up losses of almost €11bn through 2020 and 2021 as Covid crippled the aviation industry, said revenues almost tripled to €23bn last year as the lifting of restrictions fuelled a holiday and travel boom. Continue reading...

Expansion to include 15-year-olds is part of a suite of measures to crack down on youth crime, including making breach of bail an offence for children