The Guardian

‘Almost every Finn has sat on a chair he designed,’ his studio says, with his postmodern creations gracing galleries around the worldYrjö Kukkapuro, a renowned Finnish designer whose postmodern style of chairs graced waiting rooms, offices and living rooms across Finland as well as collections in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, has died aged 91.Kukkapuro died on Saturday at his home outside Helsinki, his daughter, Isa Kukkapuro-Enbom, confirmed in an email on Sunday, as well as in a statement from Studio Kukkapuro, where she is the curator. The cause

Singer was due to perform Sunday night but authorities worried large blockage could cause sewage to back up in venue toiletsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn enormous fatberg in central Perth has forced a Bryan Adams concert to be postponed after authorities raised concerns that sewage may back up at the venue’s toilets.Adams was due to perform at the Western Australian capital’s RAC Arena on Sunday night, but the city’s water corporation said a “large blockage of fat, grease and rags” was causing wastewater overflows at nearby

President targets education department and military in pre-Super Bowl chat and repeats wish for Canada to be 51st stateSuper Bowl 2025 – live updatesDonald Trump said that he expects Elon Musk to find “billions” of dollars of abuse and fraud in the Pentagon during an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier that aired before the Super Bowl on Sunday.“I’m going to tell him very soon, like maybe in 24 hours, to go check the Department of Education. ... Then I’m going to go, go to the military. Let’s check the military,” the US president told the host from the rightwing

Synod was asked to bring in alternatives for Eucharist, but says believers can still take part without consuming bothIt’s the ancient ritual that unites millions of Christians in faith – but the Church of England is facing accusations that holy communion excludes non-drinkers or worshippers with dietary intolerances.C of E guidance determines the type of bread and wine that can be consecrated as part of the Eucharist ritual, which symbolises Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, death and resurrection and commemorates the Last Supper. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/09/church-of-england-gluten-free-wafers-non-alcoholic-wine-communion Author : Chris Osuh Publish date : 2025-02-09 18:33:00 Copyright for syndicated content

Misconduct hearing found Tyler Coppin had breached standards of professional behaviour over offenceAn Essex police officer has been sacked after admitting “tragedy chanting” at Liverpool fans during a Premier League match last year.Essex police instigated misconduct proceedings against Sgt Tyler Coppin after he pleaded guilty to the public order offence during the Liverpool game against Chelsea at Anfield last October. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/09/essex-police-officer-sacked-tragedy-chanting-anfield-liverpool Author : Donna Ferguson Publish date : 2025-02-09 18:44:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Ex-Foreign Office official says he saw conduct that ‘crossed the threshold into complicity with war crimes’Mark Smith: I saw illegality and complicity with war crimes. That’s why I quit the UK Foreign OfficeBritain’s system for controlling arms exports is broken, subject to political manipulation and has seen conduct that crossed the threshold into complicity with war crimes, a former UK diplomat has claimed.Writing for the Guardian, Mark Smith, who resigned from the Foreign Office in August, said officials were instructed to manipulate findings on the misuse of UK arms by allies, and if they did not do so, their reports

Industry insiders say it will be ‘tricky’ to find suitable candidate who would agree to location and civil service payBritain’s state-owned energy company faces a “challenging” task to find a chief executive for its Aberdeen HQ when it begins recruiting this month, senior industry sources have said.Great British Energy is poised to begin the hunt, but sources claim there are still no obvious frontrunners for the top job almost six months after the £8.3bn publicly owned clean energy company was formed. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/feb/09/gb-energy-recruitment-ceo-aberdeen-hq Author : Jillian Ambrose Publish date : 2025-02-09 16:38:00 Copyright for syndicated content

Trump tells the New York Post that he has a plan to end the war but declined to go into detailsDonald Trump has said he held talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, over a negotiated end of the three year Russia-Ukraine war, indicated that Russian negotiators want to meet with US counterparts.Trump told the New York Post that he had spoken to Putin, remarking that “I better not say” just how many times. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/09/trump-putin-ukraine-war Author : Edward Helmore Publish date : 2025-02-09 15:10:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Two-thirds of retirees in private rentals live in poverty, Grattan report finds, with more than half reporting net worth of less than $25,000Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo in three retirees who rent privately owned homes live in poverty and the problem will get worse, a new report has found.Most older working Australians who rent do not have sufficient savings to keep paying rent in their retirement, according to the report from the Grattan Institute.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/10/retirees-who-rent-really-struggling-financially-researchers-say-and-the-problem-is-getting-worse Author : Cait Kelly Inequality reporter Publish

Project 2025 architects are among those behind the American Accountability Foundation and their blacklists targeting people of color A rightwing non-profit group that has published a “DEI Watch List” identifying federal employees allegedly “driving radical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives” is bankrolled by wealthy family foundations and rightwing groups whose origins are often cloaked in a web of financial arrangements that obscure the original donors.One recent list created by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) includes the names of mostly Black people with roles in government health alleged to have some ties to diversity initiatives. Another targets education department employees,

Humanitarian groups worried north-east Syrian camps holding suspected IS members will lose basic facilitiesKurdish officials have warned of an Islamic State resurgence if US foreign aid cuts take effect on Monday, which would cripple essential services for tens of thousands of people detained in tented camps in north-east Syria, including suspected members of IS and their families.Blumont, a Virginia-based humanitarian aid group responsible for the management of two of Syria’s ISdetention camps, al-Hol and al-Roj, was given a stop-work order on 24 January by the US state department. The sudden cessation of services prompted panic in the camps after aid

Leading climate group warns of damage to green agenda if giant project goes aheadKeir Starmer will do huge damage to the global fight against climate change if he gives in to political pressure and allows the development of a giant new oilfield in the North Sea, according to an analysis by the country’s leading environmental institute.Chaired by Nicholas Stern, the Grantham Institute on Climate Change will fire a warning shot to ministers not to give the green light to the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, after suggestions that the Treasury is now in favour of allowing drilling to maximise economic growth.

Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his vow to eliminate Hamas and free remaining hostages; five Thai hostages released a week ago finally arrive homeSee all our Middle East coverageWelcome back to our live coverage of the latest news from the Middle East, here are the latest updates.Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered negotiators to return to Qatar to discuss the next stage of the ceasefire deal with Hamas after the fifth hostage-prisoner exchange was completed on Saturday. Substantial talks are not expected to start until after a security cabinet meeting on Monday, Israeli media reported. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/feb/09/middle-east-crisis-live-israel-negotiators-qatar-ceasefire-talks-latest-updates-news

One federal Labor MP said his party’s brand has ‘taken a dive’ in Victoria – but others at the state level believe time is on their sideGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCounting in the Werribee byelection is still under way. But even if Labor manages to scrape through, the Victorian government is just a few hundred disgruntled votes away from losing its grip on this heartland seat.That is a problem Jacinta Allan knows cannot be ignored.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/09/the-weekend-byelection-results-were-close-to-labor-and-the-greens-worst-case-scenario-but-its-not-all-good-news-for-the-liberals Author : Benita Kolovos Victorian state

The group of five workers were greeted at Bangkok airport by overjoyed family members and officials after being held for over a year in GazaSee all our Middle East coverageThe families of five Thai farm workers held hostage in Gaza for over a year wept with joy and hugged their loved ones as they arrived in Bangkok on Sunday.The group smiled as they walked into the arrivals hall at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport after being freed on 30 January as part of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the Israel-Gaza war. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/09/thailand-hostages-return-gaza-bangkok Author : Guardian staff

David Crisafulli says infrastructure to be replaced after floods needs ‘greater ability’ to withstand natural disastersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland’s premier has vowed to rebuild “more resilient” infrastructure after devastating floods in the state’s north, as Queenslanders were warned not to panic-buy while they are cut off.David Crisafulli said his government was here “for the long haul” of recovery, in an update on the state’s flooding on Sunday.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/09/towns-cut-off-by-queensland-floods-warned-against-panic-buying-as-premier-vows-resilient-rebuild Author : Kate Lyons Publish

One woman killed and another taken to hospital with injuries to hands and face, paramedics sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA woman has died after being hit by debris from a tree which exploded when struck by lightning in a town south-west of Sydney.A second woman in her 40s was taken to hospital in a serious condition after the strike during a storm on Saturday afternoon.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/09/woman-dies-after-lightning-bolt-explodes-tree-in-town-near-sydney Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date :

Birth control devices and HRT therapies to be listed on PBS alongside Medicare and bulk-billing changes, with Coalition immediately backing policyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian women will save hundreds of dollars thanks to new subsidies for contraceptive pills and hormone therapy, in a major investment announced by the federal government.The $573m package will put new contraceptive pills on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS) for the first time in decades. The move follows two parliamentary inquiries into reproductive health and menopause.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news

Weakened state of three freed Israelis shocks country, while several released Palestinians also need hospitalisationHamas freed three hostages from Gaza and Israel released 183 prisoners and detainees on Saturday, the fifth exchange under a fragile, three-week-old ceasefire deal.The gaunt appearance of the three Israeli men shocked the country, sparking anger and dismay that could increase pressure on the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to extend the agreement to a second stage, bringing home the remaining Israeli captives. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/08/fifth-ceasefire-exchange-sees-gaunt-hostages-and-prisoners-emerge-from-gaza-and-israel Author : Emma Graham-Harrison in Jerusalem Publish date : 2025-02-09 00:10:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the

Minister says Labor will put Australia’s national interest first when it comes to dealing with Trump. Follow today’s news headlines liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGallagher welcomed the opposition backing Labor’s package for women’s health this morning. She said on ABC Insiders:We know Peter Dutton wanders around saying he’s going to cut a whole range of things. He’s clear he sees a lot of our investments in Medicare as wasteful spending. But these are really good investments into women’s health. And it will make a difference for millions of people across the country including women

Demonstrators at the proposed site included Hongkongers who fear it could be used to illegally detain dissentersLarge crowds gathered outside the proposed site of a new Chinese “mega-embassy” in London on Saturday, as politicians and protesters expressed concerns it could be used to “control” dissidents.More than 1,000 people congregated outside the Royal Mint Court, the former headquarters of the UK’s coin maker, near the Tower of London. The site could soon be turned into a Chinese embassy. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/08/large-protest-against-chinese-mega-embassy-takes-place-in-london Author : Sammy Gecsoyler Publish date : 2025-02-08 21:49:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked

National Institutes of Health said the $4bn in cuts will affect ‘indirect’ funding of buildings, equipment and staffThe Trump administration is cutting billions of dollars in medical research funding for universities, hospitals and other scientific institutions by reducing the amount they get in associated costs to support such research.The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said that it was reducing the amount of “indirect” medical research funding going to institutions, which will cut spending by $4bn a year. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/08/trump-administration-medical-research-funding-cuts Author : Oliver Milman Publish date : 2025-02-08 20:32:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked

MP removed from government and suspended from Labour party over posts on internal group Andrew Gwynne, a minister in the Department of Health and Social Care, has been sacked from the government over comments posted on an internal WhatsApp group. Gwynne, 50, the MP for Gorton and Denton, has also been suspended by the Labour party over the messages reported by the Mail on Sunday.Gwynne, who has been an MP for 20 years, has been accused of making racist, sexist and antisemitic comments in messages posted to the chat group. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/08/health-minister-andrew-gwynne-sacked-over-whatsapp-comments Author : Nadeem Badshah

Reform has surged in the polls, panicking both Labour and the Conservatives. It’s a trap, and the risks are highNigel Farage is making trouble again. Reform, his latest political vehicle, has surged in the polls, moving into first place with some pollsters, and ruffling feathers on Labour back benches.While Farage has caused headaches for every prime minister since David Cameron, his recent rise is something new. Reform scored an average of almost 25% in January polls, past the peaks achieved by Ukip or the Brexit party in earlier parliaments. And while past Farage surges were spikes driven by circumstances –

Scotland’s botanic gardens suffer ‘unimaginable’ loss of rare specimensFor more than a century, whenever winter came to Scotland, they stood tall against the wind and rain and snow. But last month, battered by Storm Éowyn, hundreds of rare and historic trees in the living collection of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh were lost.The charity has four sites in Scotland. Its tallest tree in Edinburgh, a 166-year-old Himalayan cedar, fell during Éowyn’s gusts of up to 80mph, while Benmore Botanic Garden on the west coast has suffered “unimaginable” devastation. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/08/kew-rescue-mission-arborists-head-to-scotland-after-hundreds-of-trees-and-plants-felled-by-storm-eowyn Author : Donna Ferguson Publish date