The Guardian

Decision was widely expected after data showed inflation rose to 3.4%, well above Bank’s 2% target Business live – latest updates UK inflation rises for first time in five months to 3.4% in December Bank of England policymakers have left interest rates on hold at 3.75%, amid concerns about persistent inflation. The central bank’s nine-member monetary policy committee (MPC) has decided to leave bo…

PM says he is sorry for believing ‘lies’ told by former Labour minister when he appointed him US ambassador UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer has apologised to victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse as he sought to reboot his stuttering leadership after one of his most turbulent days in office. The prime minister said he was sorry for having believed what he said were “lies” told …

Elizabeth Caisaguano and her mother released from Texas facility hit by measles outbreak. Plus, the Epstein stories you may have missed Good morning. A 10-year-old Minnesota girl has been released from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a month in detention in Dilley, Texas, school officials said, one of hundreds of children detained at the facility. What are the condition…

At least two cases confirmed at detention center for children and their parents in Texas At least two cases of measles have been confirmed at a major immigration detention center for children and their parents in Texas as cases of the dangerous virus in South Carolina, Arizona, Utah and other US states continue growing and alarming experts. In January alone, the US saw 25% of the total confirmed …

Experts say Tom Homan’s charge, replacing Greg Bovino’s aggressive tactics, may change the tone, but not the mission In his clearest attempt yet to “de‑escalate” tensions in Minneapolis , Tom Homan, Donald Trump ’s “border czar”, announced on Wednesday that the administration will draw down 700 federal immigration officers as the statewide crackdown continues. The Twin Cities remain on edge, wait…

Charity praises effort to stop Ramsgate’s Pie Factory Music closing but calls for more youth services in coastal towns The last remaining youth centre in one of England’s most deprived coastal places has been saved from being sold after a long campaign by the charity that has for 13 years called it home. In November the Guardian revealed how the centre in Ramsgate on the Kent coast was facing bei…

FBI and Venezuela’s intelligence agency also reportedly arrest billionaire media mogul Raúl Gorrín at same address A close and powerful associate of the deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has reportedly been detained during a joint operation by Venezuela’s intelligence agency and the FBI. Alex Saab, a wealthy Colombian-Venezuelan businessman long considered Maduro’s frontman, was removed…

Cranston report highly critical of systemic failings and missed opportunities around deaths of more than 30 people Loss of life was avoidable in the worst mass drowning from a small boat crossing in the Channel, a public inquiry has found. The 454-page report by the former high court judge Sir Ross Cranston is highly critical of failings around the deaths of at least 24 men, seven women and two c…

Clinical reports show the children had consumed batches of recently recalled products, UKHSA says There have been 36 clinical reports of children suffering symptoms consistent with toxin poisoning linked to recent baby formula recalls, the UK Health Security Agency has said. The UKHSA said it and partner agencies had received 24 notifications in England, seven in Scotland, three in Wales, one in …

The move is among several measures the acting president has touted since Maduro’s capture – yet critics say it erases Venezuela’s long history of repression It was designed in the 1950s to be the world’s first “drive-through shopping centre”, a futuristic structure with more than than two miles of ramps looping past 300 shops, as well as cinemas, a hotel, a private club, a concert hall and a heli…

Peter Mandelson ‘lied, manipulated and deceived everybody,’ said Steve Reed in a staunch defence of the prime minister and his chief of staff Hello and welcome to the UK politics blog. After fierce criticism of in the Commons last night over the Peter Mandelson scandal, the prime minister’s housing secretary has been out defending Keir Starmer in the media this morning. The person at fault here i…

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian envoy, said the group had made ‘positive movement forward’ but warned against additional foreign interference In other news, Air Force Two carrying the US vice-president JD Vance is currently on approach to Milan’s Malpensa airport. The vice-president, together with the US state secretary Marco Rubio , is coming to Italy to take part in tomorrow’s opening ceremony of the …

Parliamentary Budget Office figures show top 1% of taxpayers will receive nearly 60% of the benefit this financial year Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australia’s capital gains tax discount will cost nearly $250bn over the next decade, more than twice as much as the concession has cost in its entire 25-year histo…

Resort where family was staying conducting a safety review after mother and two children found drifting in ocean Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast WorkSafe WA is making ‘initial enquiries’ into the hotel that hired out a kayak and inflatable paddleboards to a family who was washed out to sea and later rescued. The Appelbee family was on holiday in Quindalup, 200km (125 …

Taiwanese president says ties with Washington ‘rock solid’, hours after leaders of US and China share first call since November In their first call since November, Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned US president Donald Trump to be “prudent” about supplying arms to Taiwan, according to a readout of their call provided by China’s foreign ministry. “President Xi emphasised that the Taiwan question is …