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Analysis of civil service spending includes Rishi Sunak’s Treasury department spending £3,000 on Tate photographsSpending on government-issued “credit cards” has risen 70% since 2010, when the Conservatives first warned they were generating “hideous waste”, according to a Labour analysis of civil service spending.Civil servants at 14 of the 15 main government departments spent nearly £150m on government procurement cards (GPCs) in 2021, the figures show, a steep rise since 2010-11, when David Cameron warned about the lax rules and oversight governing their use. Continue reading...

RCN says nearly 43,000 nurses in UK have quit early in their careers over past five yearsThe UK’s largest nursing union warned of a workforce “exodus” with tens of thousands of young staff leaving the profession, as NHS bosses backed calls for ministers to meet unions to agree on a pay deal and avoid further strike action.Nearly 43,000 nurses across the UK in the early stages of their careers have quit over the past five years, figures from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) show – almost equal to the record 47,000 nursing posts now vacant in NHS England. Continue reading...

Labour analysis shows use of GPCs has risen under Tory government despite David Cameron decrying ‘hideous’ spending levels in 2010Nestled inside a shaded courtyard, Plataran in south Jakarta offers diners the promise of authentic Indonesian food “with the atmosphere of Javanese royalty”. Five miles to the north, Kaum gives guests a taste of tribal Indonesian cooking with modern inflections.Together, these are two of the city’s finest restaurants, and they are where Liz Truss and her team decamped, first for lunch and then for dinner, during a whistle-stop trip to the Indonesian capital in 2021. The two meals cost the taxpayer £1,443 – all paid for conveniently by handing over one of the thousands of government procurement cards (GPCs) that officials can use to pay for anything under £20,000. Continue reading...

Nigel Farage, John Redwood and Lord Frost rail against news of senior Tories joining cross-party summit to tackle failings of BrexitProminent Brexit supporters have hit out at senior Conservative figures after the Observer revealed they had taken part in a private cross-party summit entitled: “How can we make Brexit work better with our neighbours in Europe?”John Redwood, the prominent Brexit-supporting Tory MP, and Nigel Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence party, criticised those attending the summit at Oxfordshire’s Ditchley Park retreat, including the cabinet minister Michael Gove. Continue reading...

Officials and medics say 29,605 people have died in Turkey and 3,574 in Syria; Baby girl rescued in Hatay. This live blog is now closedRanda Ghazy, the middle east regional media manager at Save the Children told the BBC long term there would be a “second disaster” as the rescued struggle to survive.She said the charity has been delivering hot meals, water, blankets and mattresses, adding that many people “are still sleeping in their cars.”Of course, in the long term, there will be a second disaster, which is the survival of those who managed to get out of the rubble, supporting them and supporting children in accessing for example, education, with all the schools closed. And having a warm shelter. We are here to make sure that all children of course, are safe and protected and their families as well.” Continue reading...

Counter-extremism workers dealing with incidents including verbal harassment of female teachers and other pupilsCounter-extremism workers have warned of a rapid rise in the number of cases being referred to them by schools concerned about the influence of the self-styled misogynist influencer Andrew Tate.Incidents include the verbal harassment of female teachers or other pupils and outbursts echoing Tate’s views, which are disseminated and spread mainly on social platforms TikTok and Instagram despite him being banned from them. Continue reading...

Calls for federal government to mandate the checking of account details before money transfers are made

Polish president casts doubt on supplying fighter jets to Ukraine; UK MoD says Russian casualty rate may be at highest since invasion

Andrew Mitchell says disorder in Merseyside ‘totally unjustifiable’ as government faces criticism over ‘dehumanising’ languageViolence outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Knowsley was “completely unacceptable” and “totally unjustifiable”, a minister has said, after growing criticism over the government’s use of “dehumanising” language to describe people seeking refuge in the UK.The international development minister, Andrew Mitchell, said the violent scenes in Merseyside on Friday night, in which a police van was set alight and stones were thrown, were “totally unjustifiable … and the government condemns it absolutely”. Continue reading...

Route linking two cities is part of concerted infrastructure push to catch up with geopolitical rival ChinaIndia has inaugurated the first stage of its longest expressway, a route linking Delhi and Mumbai, as it makes a concerted infrastructure push to catch up with its geopolitical rival China.The $13bn (£10.8bn) project will eventually cut the road travel time between the country’s two biggest cities in half, to 12 hours. Continue reading...

Fontaines DC, Aitch, Becky Hill and the 1975 also won gongs, while Tom Grennan flubbed it. Here’s all the action from the 43rd annual music awards• Read the full report here

Hollywood actor in Welsh town to watch team co-owned by fellow actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenneyWill Ferrell was pictured having a pint of beer with football fans on his first visit to Wrexham to watch the local team, co-owned by fellow Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds, continue their winning run in the National League.Pictures posted on social media showed Ferrell enjoying a drink in The Turf pub, which featured in the Disney+ documentary about the north Wales club, Welcome to Wrexham. Continue reading...

UK’s biggest nursing union prompts alarm among senior officials by calling on intensive care workers to join walkoutsThe UK’s biggest nursing union is preparing an escalation of its pay dispute with the government that will see members working in emergency departments, intensive care units and cancer care services being asked to join the next round of strikes.The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is also planning to announce the first continuous 48-hour strikes running through two days and two nights, rather than limiting walkouts to the 12 hours from 8am to 8pm, as they have done to date. Continue reading...

After the far-right demonstration in Knowsley, 13 men and two women were arrested, Merseyside police saidFifteen people, aged between 13 and 54, have been arrested after violent disorder outside a hotel housing asylum seekers on Friday night, Merseyside police have said.A demonstration outside the Suites hotel in Knowsley descended into violence with a police van torched and stones thrown. Continue reading...

Cost-of-living pressures, disadvantage and ‘oversaturation’ of machines in the region leading to higher levels of gambling-related harm, researchers say

Those like Peter Dutton who now regret walking out on the stolen generations apology should grasp the opportunity offered by the Uluru statement

UK appeal to support rescue efforts raises £50m as self-sufficient polyclinic expected in disaster-struck country

Yevgeny Prigozhin says Moscow’s stated aim of capturing eastern regions unlikely to happen in 2023

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...