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Labour leader discusses footage of him drinking beer and says he was careful to follow lockdown rulesKeir Starmer has confirmed that Durham police have not contacted him about drinking a beer and eating a takeaway with staff in a constituency office last year as he said that said he was always “very careful” to abide by lockdown rules.The Labour leader gave his first full explanation of what happened on the night in April last year, after days of coverage from the Daily Mail and Tory MPs urging police to look into the incident. Continue reading...

Absence of people in tunnel key to Roberts-Smith’s claim in defamation action that alleged war crimes couldn’t have taken place

Labour brands George Eustice’s advice to shoppers facing rising prices as ‘woefully out of touch’Shoppers can deal with soaring food prices and cope with the cost of living crisis by choosing value brands in the supermarket, the environment secretary has suggested.George Eustice, the cabinet minister overseeing food and farming, told Sky News food prices were going up because of the knock-on effect of higher energy costs, pushing up fertiliser and feed costs. Continue reading...

Number of deaths described by senior officer as ‘unacceptable’ during budget estimates hearing

Citing claims of violence and rape by police, lawyers and activists mount legal challenge to laws brought in under British ruleA case has been filed against the government of Sierra Leone to overturn the country’s loitering laws, which activists and lawyers claim are discriminatory, and used by police to extract bribes from people and sexually abuse women.The laws are used to target poor and vulnerable people, say critics, and to subject them to criminal sanctions for potential conduct rather than actual harm caused. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Survey of Britons on continent shows ‘deep transformations’, shame and disappointmentThe first major study since Brexit of UK citizens living in the EU has revealed its profound impact on their lives, with many expressing serious concerns over their loss of free movement and voting rights – and a very different perception of Britain.The survey, of 1,328 British nationals across the continent, showed that if “the public narrative suggests Brexit is done and dusted, it has brought deep transformations to the lives of British citizens in the EU and EEA”, the study’s co-lead, said. “The long tail of Brexit is evident in its continuing impacts both on the way they live their lives, and in its lasting significance for their sense of identity and belonging,” said Benson, a sociology professor at Lancaster University. Continue reading...

Kim Jong-un had earlier vowed to quickly bolster nuclear arsenal and threatened to use it against rivalsNorth Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Wednesday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, a few days after the North Korean ruler, Kim Jong-un, vowed to bolster his nuclear arsenal “at the fastest possible pace” and threatened to use nuclear weapons against other countries.The launch, the North’s 14th round of weapons firing, also came six days before a new South Korean president takes office for a single five-year term. Continue reading...

Arrest of a man and woman in rural NSW follows offer of $1m reward for information about mother’s 2002 disappearanceA man and woman have been arrested in the New South Wales Riverina over the suspicious disappearance and suspected murder of teenager Amber Haigh almost 20 years ago.Last week NSW police announced the reward for information about the cold case had been increased from $100,000 to $1m. Continue reading...

BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 found as authorities warn winter is likely to bring a spike in coronavirus cases

TUC says saving £100m a year on maintenance workforce could lead to more serious accidentsCuts to rail funding could lead to more serious rail accidents as well as fewer, more crowded trains, unions have said.A TUC report said passenger safety will be compromised should Network Rail press ahead with reductions to its maintenance workforce to save £100m a year. Continue reading...

PM’s interview on Good Morning Britain causes concern about party’s performance in upcoming local electionsBoris Johnson’s fumbled defence of the government’s record on the cost of living has exasperated Conservative MPs and sharpened fears about the party’s performance in Thursday’s local elections.Asked about a pensioner forced to travel around on buses to stay warm and keep heating bills down, the prime minister’s first response was to boast that he introduced free travel for older people. During the interview on Tuesday, he admitted that the government had failed to do enough to alleviate the pain of soaring costs. Continue reading...

Reid challenged the PM about the 77-year-old’s financial predicament and increasing energy bills on GMBA 77-year-old woman who has only one meal a day and travels on buses during the day to keep her household bills down was “disappointed” with Boris Johnson’s response to her plight in an interview with Good Morning Britain, the show’s presenter Susanna Reid has said.The prime minister was challenged by Reid about Elsie’s financial predicament and increasing energy bills on the ITV programme. Johnson, the former London mayor, replied: “The 24-hour freedom bus pass [allowing free bus travel for over-60s in London] was actually something that I actually introduced.” Continue reading...

Russian state TV showed video of underwater missile and described possible destruction of Ireland and UKA Russian state TV report that simulated a nuclear attack launched off the coast of County Donegal has caused consternation in Ireland.Dmitry Kiselyov, a pro-Kremlin presenter on Channel One known as “Vladimir Putin’s mouthpiece”, on Monday showed a video of an underwater missile wreaking apocalypse on Ireland and the UK. Continue reading...

PM is reported to have given speech and poured drinks at leaving do for former spin doctor in November 2020 despite lockdownBoris Johnson has said he has not been contacted by police about a leaving party held for his former spin doctor Lee Cain in November 2020.The prime minister said he had not yet received a questionnaire in relation to his alleged attendance at the party for Cain, his former director of communications, even though other people present are reported to have got them. Johnson is said to have given a speech and poured drinks at the event on 13 November, despite it being at the time of a stay-at-home lockdown. Continue reading...

Two men convicted of killing Zak Kostopoulos but human rights groups express dismay as officers walk freeA Greek court’s decision to exonerate four police officers involved in the brutal death of an LGBTQ+ activist in Athens has alarmed human rights groups, which deplored the verdict as profoundly unjust.Two men were found guilty on Tuesday of participating in the killing of Zak Kostopoulos, but the four police officers, also accused of causing fatal bodily harm, were allowed to walk free. Continue reading...

The possible contenders remaining in the race to take the top job in London policing

Call for penalties to be scrapped in light of Boris Johnson’s defence of breaches, as 23 already struck down

Decision by Lynne Owens not to stand leaves contenders including Mark Rowley among favouritesA frontrunner to be the next Metropolitan police commissioner has said she will not apply, leaving a former top cop turned thriller-writer as one of the favourites for the role.Lynne Owens was the previous director general of the National Crime Agency and stood down last year to focus on her treatment for cancer. On Tuesday she wrote on Twitter that she had spent weeks considering whether to apply for the post of Britain’s top officer, but her decision was not health related. Continue reading...

Effort by state legislators follows California’s lead in responding to wave of Republican laws targeting transgender kids and familiesDemocratic lawmakers in more than a dozen states are following California’s lead in seeking to offer legal refuge to displaced transgender youth and their families.The coordinated effort, which was announced on Tuesday by the LGBTQ Victory Institute and other advocates, comes in response to recent actions taken in conservative states. In Texas, for example, Gregg Abbott, the governor, has directed state agencies to consider placing trans children in foster care, though a judge has temporarily blocked such investigations. And multiple states have approved measures prohibiting gender-affirming healthcare treatments for trans youth. Continue reading...

Analysis: While the budget seeks to repair the damage of the past two years, it’s clear some wounds are yet to heal

When Rob Sinclair tried to nominate for One Nation in his local electorate they pleaded for him to run in other states

Labour leader continues to be asked about claims he broke Covid rules, but legal and police consensus is he did not

Former colonies condemn ‘retrograde’ proposal that UK override local democracy to tackle corruptionSeven Caribbean states have condemned as “retrograde” the potential imposition of direct rule from London on the British Virgin Islands (BVI) amid allegations of corruption and the arrest of the former BVI premier last week in a drug-smuggling sting operation.The British Foreign Office minister Amanda Milling was greeted with street protests on Monday as she met BVI politicians and civil society to discuss the possible move to press ahead with direct rule as recommended by a commission of inquiry report last week. Continue reading...

Equity says ‘sacking by press release’ from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End show caused pain and distressCurrent and future cast members of Cinderella must be compensated for their losses after news of the West End show’s sudden closure, the UK trade union for creative practitioners has demanded.It emerged over the bank holiday weekend that the cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical learned they were being sacked minutes after a matinee performance. Actors who had been due to join the cast next month found out the news through social media. Continue reading...

Caroline Henry was elected to the post of PCC using the slogan ‘Make Notts Safe’ in 2021A Conservative police and crime commissioner who pledged to crack down on speeding has been caught breaking a 30mph limit five times within a 12-week period.The PCC for Nottinghamshire police, Caroline Henry, admitted the offences, including two committed on consecutive days, at a previous hearing in February at Nottingham magistrates court. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson shows ignorance of ITV ‘legend’ during bruising Good Morning Britain interview

Neurologist who treated Dorset teenager before her death in 2017 says he was not told when her mental health declinedA leading neurologist who treated the Dorset teenager Gaia Pope has told an inquest jury there was a “failure of communication” within the NHS, after revealing he was not told her mental health had declined shortly before she died.Matthew Walker, a professor of neurology at University College London, accepted that a chance to review Pope’s care when she was taken to hospital after a psychiatric episode a few weeks before her death was missed because the hospital did not contact him. Continue reading...

As Channel crossings pick up, asylum seekers seem undeterred by plan to deport people to east AfricaLegal challenges to the policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda could be a reason why the plan has not yet, as intended, started to deter unofficial Channel crossings, Downing Street has said.After a period without significant numbers of crossings amid bad weather, several hundred of people made the journey in recent days, bringing the total to more than 7,000 so far this year. It is the first time this has happened since the passing of the nationalities and borders bill, which set out the policy framework. Continue reading...

Tarek Namouz to be tried on charges including sending thousands of pounds to terror group in SyriaA former pub landlord has appeared in court accused of sending thousands of pounds in coronavirus bounceback loans to fund the terrorist group Isis in Syria.Tarek Namouz, a 42-year-old former pub landlord from London of no fixed address, faces eight charges of entering into a terror funding arrangement on dates between November 2020 and May 2021. He is also accused of two counts of possessing terrorist information relating to videos. Continue reading...

Kira Obedinsky, 12, was taken to Russian-controlled Donetsk after being injured in a blast in Mariupol that killed her father

Former Weakest Link presenter joined Channel 4 quiz show last year, the first woman to take the roleAnne Robinson is stepping down as the host of Countdown after a year, and said she hopes her stint helped TV bosses realise that not all women her age are “in care homes playing bingo”.Robinson, 77, last year became the first woman to regularly host the popular and long-running Channel 4 letters and numbers show. Continue reading...

Health ministry says symptoms match those of acute liver disease of ‘unknown origin’ found in almost 170 children worldwideThree children in Indonesia have died from a mysterious liver disease, the country’s health ministry has said, raising the global death toll to at least four.A severe type of acute hepatitis has been identified in almost 170 children across 11 countries in recent weeks, raising concerns from the World Health Organization (WHO) of the disease’s “unknown origin”. Continue reading...

Green spaces near new housing developments in England and Wales down in last 20 yearsNew homes have a dwindling amount of green space because property developers claim they cannot afford to build parks, research has found.Analysis from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) looked at data from the Office for National Statistics, data on the average age of local housing stock from Datadaptive and national survey data on public perceptions of local green space from the government agency Natural England. Continue reading...

Health body issues stark warning as report finds disease is causing 200,000 cancer cases a year in regionObesity has reached “epidemic proportions” in Europe, the World Health Organization has said, as a major report shows the disease is causing 200,000 cancer cases and 1.2 million deaths a year.In the first such study for 15 years, the WHO said rates of overweight and obesity had hit deadly levels and were “still escalating”. No country in the region was on track to meet the WHO global noncommunicable disease (NCD) target of halting the rise of obesity by 2025, it said. Continue reading...

Julie Crowther says family scheme is discriminatory because hosts cannot get support payments

Vessel docked in port of Lautoka is believed to be owned by Suleiman Kerimov, who is facing sanctions

Once-banned punk rock anthem finally has a chance to reach No 1 after it missed out in 1977 during the Queen’s silver jubileeSex Pistols’ God Save the Queen, arguably the most iconic single in punk rock history, is to be reissued to mark Elizabeth II’s upcoming platinum jubilee.The band’s second single after Anarchy in the UK, it was released in 1977 alongside the Queen’s silver jubilee with a decidedly anti-royalist bent, comparing the monarchy to a “fascist regime … She’s not a human being / and there’s no future / and England’s dreaming”. Continue reading...

Simple life of Wilf Davies touched on people’s ‘yearning to disconnect’, says director of Heart ValleyA Guardian article about a Welsh shepherd who works alone on his farm, has never left his valley and eats the same meal every day has been turned into a short documentary film which will premiere at Tribeca film festival.Heart Valley, directed by Christian Cargill, beat more than 7,000 submissions to secure its place in the competition. It follows a day in the life of Wilf Davies, who was the centre of an article by Kiran Sidhu in the Guardian last year. Continue reading...

Cruise operator confirms guests have contracted coronavirus since ship departed from Broome almost two weeks ago

With ultra-guarded, disciplined election strategy, party is cautiously edging towards potentially momentous winIn the 1997 general election Roy Jenkins compared Tony Blair to a man carrying a Ming vase across a slippery floor, tiptoeing gingerly towards a Labour victory.The same description fits Sinn Féin as it approaches Northern Ireland’s assembly election on Thursday, cautiously edging towards a potentially momentous win. The prize is to emerge as the region’s largest party and claim the post of first minister – a symbolic and psychological breakthrough for Irish nationalism given Northern Ireland was designed to have a permanent unionist majority. Continue reading...

ANZ and CBA raise mortgage rates after RBA lifts cash rate target from historic low; Philip Lowe says more interest rate rises to come; Scott Morrison defends economic ‘shield’; Jim Chalmers says central bank decision ‘a very serious development’; nation records 41 Covid deaths. Follow the latest updates live

US private equity group Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is seeking approval for deal from competition regulatorThe new owner of Morrisons has offered to sell 87 petrol station forecourts in an effort to gain the competition watchdog’s approval for its £7bn takeover of the UK’s fourth largest supermarket.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was “minded to accept” the plan by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a US private equity firm that owns a string of petrol forecourts, but will consult on it before making a final ruling. Continue reading...

If supreme court weakens Roe v Wade, some states will take aim at people seeking procedures and medications out of stateAs abortion bans proliferate in states around the US, some state legislatures are likely to go even further than just ending abortion in their jurisdictions – taking aim at the growing numbers of people seeking procedures and medications out of state, experts warn.If the supreme court weakens or overturns Roe v Wade – the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion – in an upcoming decision on Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, states will be left with a confusing patchwork of laws that will likely lead to legal challenges. Continue reading...

Scott Morrison says Reserve Bank has ‘made a very important statement about where we are now in our journey out of this pandemic’

Inputting mistake led to suspension of trading on several markets after sudden steep fallsThe US bank Citigroup has said that one of its traders made an error when European stock markets suffered a “flash crash” on Monday.Trading was briefly suspended in several European markets on Monday morning, after leading share indices recorded sudden steep declines. One of the hardest hit was Sweden’s benchmark OMX 30 index, which fell by nearly 8%, but recouped most of the losses and ended the day 1.9% lower. Continue reading...

Health groups welcomed $12bn investment in the sector, but not everyone is happy with the budget

PM rejects prospect of windfall tax on oil and gas companies but accepts ‘there is more that we can do’

Former deputy prime minister says colleagues voted him out to get cabinet positions, in live Q&A with Guardian Australia

Acting CCC chair Bruce Barbour attributes rise to review of domestic violence investigations and vaccine mandatesComplaints against Queensland police have increased by 25% so far this year, the state’s Crime and Corruption Commission told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.The CCC’s acting chair, Bruce Barbour, said the increase, which resulted in 1,426 complaints in total, was linked to “positive action” taken to review the handling of domestic violence investigations and the “failure of police staff to comply with the commissioner’s direction regarding Covid-19 vaccine and workplace health and safety”. Continue reading...