The blaze happened in Kerzers in Fribourg canton, which is about 12 miles west of BerneAt least six people have been killed and five injured after a bus caught fire in a town in Switzerland.The blaze happened in Kerzers in Fribourg canton in western Switzerland, police said in a social media post. Several people injured and several are dead," the cantonal police said. Continue reading...
Despite progress, 2024 data suggests an ongoing humanitarian disaster, with more than six unhoused people dying every dayMore than 2,200 unhoused people died in Los Angeles in 2024, marking the first time in a decade that the homeless mortality rate decreased in the nation's most populous county, public health officials announced on Tuesday.The signs of progress come as the county has also reported decreases in the overall unhoused population in a region that has long struggled with a severe affordable housing shortage and one of the worst street homelessness crises in the US. Continue reading...
Billionaire's artificial intelligence company gets approval to run 41 methane gas turbines at its Colossus 2' in MississippiElon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI won approval on Tuesday to run 41 methane gas turbines at its Colossus 2" datacenter in northern Mississippi. That's nearly double the amount it has been operating.The turbines will help power xAI's massive datacenters, which house the company's AI supercomputers", or giant arrays of advanced chips, which in turn power the controversial AI tool Grok, the company's most recognizable product. Continue reading...
Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff has been spurned by leaders in Tehran who are standing firm on needing guarantees of no more future attacksIran has spurned two messages from Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, seeking a ceasefire as its leaders sense it is not losing the war and the US president is at the minimum feeling the political pressure.The foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has further said a unilateral declaration from Trump that the US had won the war would not bring an end to the conflict. The implication is that even if the US announced a willingness to end its attacks, Iran might be willing to continue the conflict in some form, or keep its chokehold on shipping seeking to navigate the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#7452V)
Safety checks needed after neighbouring building gutted by huge blaze on Sunday night, with only facade remainingGlasgow Central station's high level will remain closed for the rest of the week, after a fire devastated a neighbouring building on Sunday.Network Rail said it would not be possible to reopen the upper concourse of the station, where trains depart to destinations across the UK, because of the instability of the mid-Victorian block on the corner of Union Street and Gordon Street, much of which collapsed during the ferocious blaze. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper concerned about effect of student visa ban on female Chevening scholars from Afghanistan and SudanThe Home Office rejected an appeal from the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, that would have protected outstanding students in some of the world's most dangerous countries from changes to the UK's immigration system, the Guardian understands.Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, turned down proposals from the Foreign Office to maintain a carve-out for Chevening scholars, a government-funded programme for exceptional individuals" to study for a master's degree at a UK university. Continue reading...
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe among more than 100 signatories to letter urging PM not to get drawn further into the conflictNazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is among three of Iran's former political prisoners and more than 100 Iranians living in the UK who have urged the British prime minister not to get drawn further into the Iran conflict.They are all signatories in a letter to Keir Starmer saying the way the war is being conducted is strengthening the regime in Tehran. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#744YV)
Joani Reid denies any involvement in business activities of spouse, who was arrested last week by anti-terror policeJoani Reid, the MP who resigned the Labour whip last week after her husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China, received a donation from his company the previous month, it has emerged.Reid, who said after the arrest that she had no involvement in her husband's business activities, declared a donation in February worth 2,400 for media training from Earthcott Ltd, the lobbying company run by David Taylor. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday, Matthew Weaver and Robyn Vinter on (#744PH)
Former footballer accused of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm after incident outside Liverpool golf clubJoey Barton has been remanded in custody charged with attacking the headteacher of a school for children with additional needs.The former footballer was arrested after an alleged incident outside Huyton and Prescot golf club in Liverpool at 9pm on Sunday. Continue reading...
Conservative leader accused of taking confusing position after she said Starmer should do more than catch arrows'Kemi Badenoch has denied calling for the UK to join Donald Trump's war on Iran, after previously saying Keir Starmer should do more to stop the people who are attacking us".Labour accused Badenoch of having a confused position after the Conservative leader said she was not urging the government to join the US and Israel strikes on Iran but that the UK should do more than catch the arrows" and take out" missile launchers. Continue reading...
A billionaire is funding a sustainable development project on the west African island that makes the local population stewards of its futureAt the crumbling colonial farm buildings in Porto Real, agricultural worker Kimilson Lima, 43, has signed the agreement and he's happy. With this money we can have a proper floor in the house," he said. And an inside toilet."Lima is part of a ground-breaking experiment on the West African island of Principe, where villagers who agree to follow an environmental protection code will reap a quarterly dividend. To date nearly 3,000 have joined the Faya Foundation's project, more than 60% of the adult population. The first payment of 816 (708) has just been delivered, a large amount of money on the island. This will be truly transformative, both for nature and for the people," said the president of the self-governing region, Felipe Nascimento. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#744XH)
Union opposed to London Underground pushing ahead with four-day week planTube drivers in London are to strike across 12 days in the spring in a row over a four-day working week, the RMT has announced.The union said that London Underground bosses were pushing ahead with plans to condense the number of working days in the week, despite their members rejecting the proposals. Continue reading...
Justice secretary says changes designed to reduce courts backlog will benefit remand ratesWe can bring you some lines from the Reform press conference (see post at 10.10). Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby asked Nigel Farage about Reform's inconsistent position over the UK's policy in regard to the US-Israeli war with Iran. She asks how voters can trust the party's national security.Given that we can't even send a Royal Naval vessel to defend British sovereign territory and an RAF base, we certainly don't have the capability to offer anything of any value to the Americans or the Israelis," Farage said, describing the Royal Navy as a catastrophe". Continue reading...
Jockey Club says aim is to get more women watching racing and revival is not a response to woke' jibesFirst and foremost, it is a huge sporting event, billed by its fans as the Olympics of jump racing - but it can also act as a social barometer, giving clues as to the state and mood of the nation.This year's Cheltenham festival, which began on Tuesday, feels a little like a step back in time with the return of Ladies Day" after a five-year hiatus and a reduction in the price of a pint. Continue reading...
George Michael: The Faith Tour will receive a global cinema release alongside previously unheard music from his Wham! and solo discographiesA long lost film centered on George Michael's landmark 1988 Faith tour is set for cinema release later this year, in addition to a new album of previously unheard live performances.George Michael: The Faith Tour is being lined up for a global big screen rollout, with footage taken from a previously unseen 14 camera shoot of Michael's performance at Paris' Bercy Arena in 1988. A press release bills the project as a tour de force in archival film-making, celebrating Michael's ambition and artistry at its peak. Continue reading...
Multimillionaire begins case against FCA ban over handling of investigation into sexual misconduct claimsThe multimillionaire financier Crispin Odey was described by the head of his hedge fund as a sex pest" and a sociopath and blamed an incident in which he allegedly groped a female staff member's breasts on a sedative he had taken, a tribunal has heard.The Brexit-backing hedge fund chief's behaviour came under the microscope on the first day of a lawsuit he has brought against the financial services regulator over his exile from the City. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#744PG)
Campaigners say Wes Streeting's decision to name senior midwife as chair will begin to restore trustFamilies who lost babies at two hospitals in Leeds have said they are slowly regaining trust in the health secretary after the midwife Donna Ockenden was appointed to lead a review into the failing service, where 56 babies and two mothers died in five years.Ockenden, who conducted a similar review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust in 2020, was chosen to lead the investigation into Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust after a campaign by the families. Continue reading...
Government facing prospect of most serious backbench revolt yet over proposals for England and WalesPlans to curtail the number of jury trials in England and Wales have been described as unpopular, untested and poorly evidenced" by thousands of lawyers who have written to the prime minister.The letter to Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, from 3,200 lawyers, including 300 senior barristers, comes as his government faces the prospect of one of its most serious backbench revolts since coming to power. Continue reading...
Director rounds on actor, who acted in the cult film, saying he feels disrespected, and claiming cynical reasons behind her recent commentsQuentin Tarantino has responded to Rosanna Arquette's criticism of his prolific use of the N-word in his films including Pulp Fiction, saying Arquette show[ed] a decided lack of class".In a statement sent to numerous publications including Deadline, Tarantino said: I hope the publicity you're getting from 132 different media outlets writing your name and printing your picture was worth disrespecting me and a film I remember quite clearly you were thrilled to be a part of? ... After I gave you a job, and you took the money, to trash it for what I suspect is very cynical reasons shows a decided lack of class, no less honour." Continue reading...
HHS says the MIT professor is more than qualified' to serve on the agency's vaccine advisory panel and calls attacks' on him politically motivated'The MIT professor who has been appointed by Robert F Kennedy Jr to review the safety of Covid-19 vaccines has failed to meet basic scientific standards in his own research on the topic, according to more than a dozen scientists and public health experts.Retsef Levi, an operations management professor, is a member of the US health department's vaccine advisory committee (ACIP) which is meeting later this month and - many experts fear - could seek to rollback recommendations on who should receive Covid-19 vaccines. Continue reading...
Rachel Reeves said to be considering levy cuts for oil and gas firms, but economists say this would just fatten profitsEasing the windfall tax on the North Sea would do nothing for hard-pressed consumers, and merely fatten the profits of oil and gas companies, economists and experts have told the Guardian.Rachel Reeves, the UK chancellor, is understood to be considering reductions to the energy profits levy, or potentially scrapping it and replacing it with a lower duty. Oil prices rose to $100 a barrel on Monday, as the US-Israel offensive on Iran showed little sign of halting. Continue reading...
Rene Villarreal-Albe averted possible crash by pulling truck up to car and halting it as driver faced medical episodeA Texas man who recently was driving on a highway reportedly pulled his truck out in front of a car with an unconscious man behind the wheel, gradually slowed it down with his back bumper and ultimately stopped it to avert what could have been a major crash.Rene Villarreal-Albe's good deed was captured on dramatic cell phone video recorded by his wife, Andrea Walker, and then shared online by his sister, Cortney Trinidad, as the Texas news outlet Kens 5 reported. The video and action-movie-like story behind it gained widespread attention on corners of the internet dedicated to finding positive news, generating some comments that hailed Villarreal-Albe as a highway hero". Continue reading...
Government and motoring groups say there is no shortage of fuel supplies but stockpiling has left country service stations running dry, as Iran war sparks oil price fears
More than 200 applicants fear they will lose places after home secretary suspends study visas from four countriesSudanese scientists who have been promised research posts at leading UK universities have spoken of their shock" and sadness" that their hopes have been dashed after Shabana Mahmood's decision to end study visas for people from their country.More than 200 Sudanese postgraduates and undergraduates fear they will no longer be permitted to take up places at 46 universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London, with some claiming that their lives have been torn apart by the home secretary's blunt" intervention. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: In the wake of this year's Commonwealth Day, a look at the complex framework of voting rules in different parts of the UKGood morning. In the wake of the Green party's victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection, Nigel Farage claimed his party would have won if the vote had been restricted to British-born voters". The Greens dismissed the suggestion as dangerous, racist nonsense".But the argument has thrown fresh attention on a little-understood feature of the UK's electoral system: who is actually allowed to vote. As it stands, some non-UK citizens - including certain Commonwealth nationals - can cast ballots in general elections, while millions of long-term residents cannot.Middle East crisis | Donald Trump has said the war in Iran is very complete, pretty much", as the conflict disrupts global oil trade and threatens to engulf the Middle East in a regional war.AI | A multibillion-pound drive to mainline AI into the veins" of the British economy is riddled with phantom investments" and shaky accounting, a Guardian investigation has found.UK politics | Ministers need to act more quickly to combat fast-changing threats from technology such as deepfakes, the technology secretary has said, as she warned about the risks women and girls face online.UK news | A woman who alleged she was raped by Andrew Malkinson admitted to police 22 years ago that she wasn't too sure it was the right man", a court has heard. Malkinson spent 17 years in prison for an attack he did not commit in what jurors heard was a most terrible" miscarriage of justice.Technology | Liverpool and Manchester United have complained to Elon Musk's X after the Grok AI feature made offensive posts about Diogo Jota and the Hillsborough and Munich disasters. The posts were generated when users asked the AI tool to make hateful posts about the two football teams. Continue reading...
Both campaigns have been framed differently at different times, with dubious claims of defensive action and a curious reluctance to label it warShifting goals, unclear timelines and a flimsy pretext: at times, the US-Israel campaign against Iran carries curious parallels of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.The comparison is far from exact. In 2022, Putin sent a massive army across Ukraine's borders in an unprovoked invasion of a democratic state, a campaign that quickly resulted in heavy losses. The United States has so far largely limited its involvement to airstrikes against Iran's authoritarian regime. Continue reading...
Twin tunnels should be open but lead contractor wants out, blaming sinkholes and a reverse fault'. The NSW government insists there is a technical solution available'
Monitors admit they are struggling to keep track of the environmental disasters arising from widening warIsrael's bombing of Iran's oil infrastructure will have major long-term environmental repercussions, experts have warned, as monitors admitted they were struggling to keep track of the environmental disasters arising from the widening war.Even as Iranians filled the streets to mark the appointment of a new supreme leader, the Shahran oil depot north-east of Tehran and the Shahr-e fuel depot to its south continued to burn on Monday, two days after they were bombed by Israeli warplanes. Continue reading...
by Adam Fulton (now); Lucy Campbell, Nadeem Badshah, on (#743KB)
This liveblog is closed. Follow the latest on our new liveblog here.Donald Trump has said a decision on when to end the war with Iran will be a mutual" one he'll make together with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Times of Israel has reported.It said Trump also claimed in a brief telephone interview on Sunday that Iran would have destroyed Israel if he and Netanyahu had not been around. The US president said:Iran was going to destroy Israel and everything else around it ... We've worked together. We've destroyed a country that wanted to destroy Israel.I think it's mutual ... a little bit. We've been talking. I'll make a decision at the right time, but everything's going to be taken into account. Continue reading...
Anthony Albanese announces surveillance aircraft, air-to-air missiles and supporting personnel will be deployed to the UAE after request from their president
Royal commission says response led by Jacinda Ardern was broadly appropriate', in a wide-ranging report featuring recommendations for future pandemicsA royal commission into New Zealand's Covid response has found it was one of the best in the world but acknowledged the period had left scars".The second of two inquiry reports on the pandemic was released on Tuesday and focused on the period between February 2021 to October 2022, when the government changed from an elimination strategy to one of suppression and minimisation of the virus. It also examined vaccine safety and the government's immunisation programme, lockdowns and tracing and testing technology. Continue reading...
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