The Guardian

Pete Hegseth supports cuts of up to 8% of civilian workforce as Trump bids to institute massive government cutsThe Pentagon announced plans Friday to fire 5-8% of its civilian workforce, staring next week with layoffs of 5,400 probationary workers, a Department of Defense official said in a statement.The initial civilian layoffs will be followed by a Department of Defense hiring freeze to analyze the military’s personnel needs in compliance with Donald Trump’s political goals, Darin Selnick, the acting under-secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said in the statement. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/21/pentagon-layoffs-civilian-workers

Author : Lois Beckett and agencies

Publish date : 2025-02-22 02:40:37

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Weather bureau forecasts temperatures as high as 39C in Adelaide, 36C in Melbourne, 30C in Canberra and 29C in HobartGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastExtreme fire danger and total fire bans have been declared for much of South Australia and Victoria, including Melbourne, as hot and dry winds bring sweltering temperatures to the region on Saturday, and cyclones threaten to form off the Queensland and Western Australian coasts.Forecast temperatures were between six and 12C above average in many places for Saturday, with expected maximums of 39C in Adelaide, 36C in Melbourne, 30C in Canberra and 29C in Hobart, ending a run of mild weather.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/22/extreme-fire-danger-across-most-of-south-australia-and-victoria-as-cyclones-threaten-to-form-near-queensland-and-wa

Author : Stephanie Convery

Publish date : 2025-02-22 01:36:18

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Rapper is a vocal supporter of Palestine but has received criticism over restaurant’s links to Israeli militaryStormzy has denied that he “compromised beliefs for commercial gain”, after his advertising partnership with McDonald’s was criticised over the company’s ties to Israel.In a new campaign, the rapper appears in filmed adverts and on billboards promoting the “Stormzy meal” featuring a selection of his favourite menu items. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/21/stormzy-denies-he-compromised-beliefs-with-mcdonalds-partnership

Author : Ben Beaumont-Thomas

Publish date : 2025-02-21 23:48:27

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Keith Kellogg takes different tone from Trump, who contrasted ‘very good talks’ with Putin with cooler relationship with Ukraine’s leaderThe US envoy to Ukraine, Gen Keith Kellogg, has praised Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war”, striking a dramatically different tone from Donald Trump, who has called Ukraine’s president a “dictator”.Kellogg left Kyiv on Friday after a three-day visit. Posting on social media, he said he had engaged in “extensive and positive discussions” with Zelenskyy and his “talented national security team”. “A long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine,” he said. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/21/us-envoy-ukraine-keith-kellogg-volodymyr-zelenskyy-embattled-courageous-leader

Author : Luke Harding in Kyiv

Publish date : 2025-02-21 23:01:33

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One person was dead at the scene and two others died at the hospital; no reported arrests nor information on the shooterThree people were shot and killed at a motor vehicle office in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, police said.Maj Donald Boeckman of Louisville metro police department told reporters that officers found one person dead at the scene and another two wounded. The two wounded were taken to hospitals and died there. He said there was no ongoing threat to public. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/21/kentucky-louisville-fatal-shooting

Author : Guardian staff and agency

Publish date : 2025-02-21 21:47:06

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Luigi Mangione faces state-level murder and terrorism charges, as well as federal countsLuigi Mangione appeared in Manhattan state court on Friday in the 4 December killing of the United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.Mangione, 26, faces state-level murder and terrorism charges, as well as federal counts, for allegedly gunning down Thompson in a brazen street assassination. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/21/luigi-mangione-manhattan-court

Author : Victoria Bekiempis

Publish date : 2025-02-21 19:46:01

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Jury convicts Hadi Matar, 27, charged with trying to kill author at literary gathering in New York state in 2022A jury on Friday afternoon convicted the man who was charged with stabbing and trying to kill the author Salman Rushdie as he delivered a lecture at a literary gathering in western New York state in 2022.Jurors in Chautauqua county quickly declared the defendant, Hadi Matar, 27, from New Jersey, guilty. They had received the case after lawyers delivered their closing arguments, wrapping up seven days of testimony that included a vivid account from Rushdie of how he was certain he was going to die after being rushed on stage by a man with a knife. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/21/salman-rushdie-stabbing-trial

Author : Guardian staff and agency

Publish date : 2025-02-21 19:24:01

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Singer and songwriter who had a longstanding partnership with Curtis Mayfield earned the nickname ‘Iceman’ for his cool demeanourJerry Butler, the US singer and songwriter who had a string of 1960s pop and soul hits before a long career in Illinois politics, has died aged 85.According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Butler died at home on Thursday. He had been living with Parkinson’s disease. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/21/jerry-butler-iceman-soul-singer-illinois-politician-dies-aged-85

Author : Ben Beaumont-Thomas

Publish date : 2025-02-21 18:06:01

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National security adviser Mike Waltz tells CPAC agreement is expected imminently as part of ceasefire negotiationsThe White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Friday that the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was expected to sign a minerals agreement with the United States imminently, as part of broader negotiations to end the war with Russia.“Here’s the bottom line, President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term,” Waltz said during remarks at CPAC. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/21/trump-zelensky-ukraine-rare-earth-minerals

Author : Joseph Gedeon in Oxon Hill, Maryland

Publish date : 2025-02-21 16:31:00

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Platform cites ‘legal requirements around when we remove data’ after lawsuit filed over deaths of children attempting ‘blackout challenge’Four British parents who are suing TikTok for the alleged wrongful deaths of their children say they are “suspicious” about the social media platform’s claim to have deleted their children’s data.The parents have filed a lawsuit in the US that claims that their four children died in 2022 as a result of attempting the “blackout challenge”, a viral trend that circulated on social media in 2021. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/21/uk-parents-suing-tiktok-over-childrens-deaths-suspicious-about-data-claims

Author : Rachel Hall

Publish date : 2025-02-21 15:00:39

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Trump administration expected to continue its mass downsizing of the federal workforce amid warnings of unlawful terminations and a ‘monumental’ billMass firings could cause ‘monumental’ bill, say expertsOver in Ohio, Republican congressman Troy Balderson told constituents that he was concerned about the scope of Donald Trump’s executive orders, particularly when it comes to doing away with federal agencies.Balderson represents a very red district, but the Columbus Dispatch reports that he told voters Trump’s rapid pace of orders was “getting out of control” and undercutting responsibilities delegates to Congress. Here’s more:Balderson, whose district includes the central and southeastern Ohio counties like Licking, Fairfield and parts of Delaware County, expressed some pushback to the idea of sole decision-making power lying with Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk.“Congress has to decide whether or not the Department of Education goes away,” Balderson asserted. “Not the president, not Elon Musk. Congress decides.”The Suwanee Republican’s staff expected a robust turnout for his first town hall since Trump took office. But they seemed caught off guard by the massive crowd of hundreds that gathered outside Roswell City Hall.Attendees set the tone early, with one accusing McCormick of “doing us a disservice” for supporting the budget-slashing initiatives by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency that have torn through all corners of federal government. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/feb/21/trump-administration-federal-government-politics-updates

Author : Chris Stein (now) and Fran Lawther (earlier)

Publish date : 2025-02-21 14:03:53

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Emilli Beck says army failed to protect her sibling and she would not advise other young women to enlistThe older sister of Gnr Jaysley Beck, the 19-year-old soldier who killed herself after allegedly being sexually assaulted and harassed, has said the army has “blood on its hands” and claimed her sibling would still be alive if the abuse she suffered had been properly investigated.Speaking to the Guardian, Emilli Beck, 25, said the army had swept Jaysley’s case under the carpet rather than protecting her, and said she would not advise any young woman to join the service. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/21/army-has-blood-on-its-hands-over-jaysley-beck-death-sister-says

Author : Steven Morris

Publish date : 2025-02-21 12:46:49

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This is ‘probably one of the most alarming times for Britain’s defence since the second world war’, says Lib Dem leader Ed Davey as he calls for more spendingWe have more from Ed Davey’s interview on the Today programme.He said the prime minister would not be reflecting the views of the British people if he did not speak frankly with Donald Trump during an upcoming a visit to Washington.It is a very difficult visit there’s no doubt about that, but I do think you have to speak to your friends honestly and openly.The threat that Donald Trump poses to our economy and security is as serious as I can ever remember.I’ve never known a time like this, it is probably one of the most alarming times for Britain’s defence and security since the second world war, with our closest ally changing their position. So we have to debate it, it is going to be difficult.I don’t think there’s an easy solution, but we have put some ideas on the table. One idea we have put is to increase the digital services taxes, a tax on about 20 multinational companies with turnovers of over £500m and we would raise it from the current 2% to 10%.Foreign secretary David Lammy is in South Africa for the second day of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting.Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has pledged to do “whatever it takes” to tackle the “waiting times emergency” in the NHS.The Scottish Labour party conference runs until Sunday. Today’s speakers include Scottish secretary Ian Murray and Labour party leader Anas Sarwar Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/feb/21/keir-starmer-defence-spending-david-lammy-g20-scottish-labour-party-conference-uk-politics-latest-updates-news

Author : Jane Clinton

Publish date : 2025-02-21 11:35:18

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Trump’s attempts to intervene in Tate’s rape and human trafficking cases in Romania might seem strange, but their worlds are intimately linkedEver since I began reporting on Andrew Tate four years ago (during which time my colleague Jamie Tahsin and I made two documentaries, wrote a book on him and interviewed his alleged rape victims), I’ve been sounding the alarm on the far-right disinformation network that connects him to Trump’s inner circle.

Earlier this month, US special envoy Richard Grenell, a vocal supporter of Andrew Tate pressured the Romanian government to remove judicial control restrictions on the Tate brothers, demanding that the alleged human traffickers be allowed to travel freely, according to sources who spoke to the Financial Times. The Romanian government has since confirmed this was a request but denied there was political “pressure”.The alliance between the Trump administration and the Tate brothers has been in the making for a long time. Paul Ingrassia, one of the lawyers Andrew Tate hired to fight his human trafficking case, was recently sworn in as the White House liaison for the Department of Justice. According to him, the Tate brothers were “sacrificed on the altar of the Matrix under the banner of egregious crimes they never committed”. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/feb/21/andrew-tate-trump-administration

Author : Matt Shea

Publish date : 2025-02-21 10:00:37

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French president and UK prime minister are due to meet Donald Trump next weekGoing briefly to a number of different false claims made by US president Donald Trump about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine, we have looked at some of them in detail and produced this short video explainer.French president Emmanuel Macron and UK prime minister Keir Starmer will lead Europe’s charm offensive next week as they both travel to the US to meet with president Donald Trump in an increasingly desperate bid to change his mind on Ukraine and European security. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/feb/21/europe-live-latest-news-ukraine-russia-war-trump-macron-starmer

Author : Jakub Krupa

Publish date : 2025-02-21 09:07:38

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