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Corbyn resists calls to apologise to British Jews after rabbi's claims Labour leader denies antisemitism in the party has increased under his leadershipJeremy Corbyn has insisted antisemitism in Labour has not risen under his leadership and resisted calls to apologise to Britain’s Jews, after the country’s chief rabbi claimed he had let poison take root in the party.In an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Neil, the Labour leader declined four opportunities to apologise for the party’s approach to dealing with antisemitism, which has led a string of Labour MPs to resign and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to launch an investigation. Continue reading... Go to Source

Third Maltese minister quits amid fallout from journalist's murder PM Joseph Muscat under pressure after arrests in relation to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s killingThe future of Malta’s prime minister, Joseph Muscat, hangs in the balance after his chief of staff and two ministers stepped down in rapid succession amid controversy over the murder of the anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.The ministerial departures on Tuesday followed a series of arrests in the hunt for those behind the assassination of Caruana Galizia, a renowned investigative reporter who was killed by a car bomb near her home in October 2017. Continue reading... Go to Source

Two White House budget officials resigned over Ukraine aid freeze, witness says – live Office took steps to withhold funds from Ukraine on same day as Trump’s call with president, according to testimonyIn this defining moment for America, support the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution 11.45pm GMTIt’s been a rough news day for Pete Buttigieg. First, he came under fire for saying in 2011 that people of color undervalued education. Now, a HuffPost piece has revealed that the political action committee he launched in 2017 to boost other Democrats mostly boosted his own presidential bid. The PAC had done relatively little to help Democrats during the 2018 midterm elections, when the party waged its hard-fought battle to win control of the U.S. House. But it had paid sig...

Irish novelist Edna O'Brien wins lifetime achievement award Country Girls author receives £40,000 David Cohen prize seen as Nobel precursorEdna O’Brien has been awarded a £40,000 lifetime achievement prize regarded as a precursor to the Nobel, for having “moved mountains both politically and lyrically through her writing” in a career spanning almost 60 years.The Irish author was presented with the £40,000 David Cohen prize at a ceremony in London on Tuesday night. Continue reading... Go to Source

Men given suspended sentences for 'releasing fox into path of hunt' Members of Kimblewick Hunt in Oxfordshire guilty of causing animal unnecessary sufferingTwo men convicted of animal cruelty offences after being filmed dragging a fox out of a tunnel and releasing it “into the path of a hunt” have been given suspended sentences.Mark Vincent, 53, president of the Kimblewick Hunt, and Ian Parkinson, 65, had denied the charges, despite being caught on camera. In the video, the pair had appeared to use a rod to force a fox out from a hunting set – believed to have been built to attract the animals – before reaching in and pulling one out by its tail. Continue reading... Go to Source

Antisemitism is vile, says Corbyn after rabbi's criticism Labour leader says there is no place for antisemitism in party and it will not be toleratedLatest election news – live updatesJeremy Corbyn has reiterated his belief that there is no place in Labour for antisemitism and vowed it would not be tolerated following claims from the chief rabbi that he has allowed the party to become poisoned with antisemitism.Ephraim Mirvis on Tuesday accused the Labour leader of allowing a “poison sanctioned from the top” to take root in Labour, saying Jews were justifiably anxious about the prospect of the party forming the next government. Continue reading... Go to Source

Maltese PM's aide and minister quit amid turmoil over journalist's murder Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi resign, as police continue inquiry into 2017 death of Daphne Caruana GaliziaThe Maltese prime minister’s chief of staff and the country’s tourism minister have resigned in an escalation of the political turmoil surrounding the investigation into the murder of the prominent anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.“Yesterday evening, my chief of staff informed me that from today he would be relinquishing his post,” the prime minister, Joseph Muscat, said at a brief press conference on the steps of his office on Tuesday morning. Continue reading... Go to Source

European parliament split on declaring climate emergency Draft resolution will be voted on this week before crucial UN climate summitThe European parliament is split over whether to declare a global climate emergency before next week’s crucial UN summit.If passed, the climate emergency resolution – to be voted on on Thursday – would throw down the gauntlet to incoming European Union leaders. The European commission’s president-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, is expected to take office on 1 December, having promised “a European green deal” in her first 100 days. Continue reading... Go to Source

Dresden museum heist: police release dramatic CCTV footage of suspect Footage shows man using axe to smash display case in Green Vault of Royal PalacePolice in Germany have released dramatic CCTV footage of one of two suspects in the Dresden jewellery heist using an axe to smash a display case in the state museum’s Green Vault.Two robbers snatched priceless 18th-century jewellery in an astonishing smash-and-grab raid from the Grünes Gewölbe’s jewel room at the Royal Palace in the east German city on Monday morning. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK organised crime gangs profit most in Europe from darknet drugs sales – report EU drugs agency estimates UK dark web vendors sold illegal drugs worth more than £24mOrganised crime groups based in the UK generate more money from selling illegal drugs on the dark web than in any other country in Europe, according to the EU’s drugs agency.Darknet vendors in the UK were estimated to have sold drugs worth more than £24m with a total weight of 2,825kg in 2017-18. Continue reading... Go to Source

Justin Welby backs chief rabbi after Labour antisemitism remarks Archbishop says Ephraim Mirvis’s comments highlight fear felt by many British JewsLatest election news – live updatesThe archbishop of Canterbury has in effect backed the chief rabbi’s comments on the Labour leadership’s record on antisemitism with a tweet highlighting the “deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews”.Justin Welby does not explicitly refer to the Labour party, but his intervention a few hours after the chief rabbi’s excoriating public criticism of Jeremy Corbyn is significant. Continue reading... Go to Source

Malta PM's chief of staff quits as Daphne Caruana Galizia inquiry continues Keith Schembri understood to be assisting police in case of journalist killed in 2017The Maltese prime minister’s chief of staff has resigned in an escalation of the political turmoil surrounding the investigation into the murder of the prominent anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.“Yesterday evening, my chief of staff informed me that from today he would be relinquishing his post,” the prime minister, Joseph Muscat, confirmed at a brief press conference on the steps of his office on Tuesday morning. Continue reading... Go to Source

Albania earthquake: at least nine dead and hundreds injured Magnitude 6.4 quake strikes at shallow depth, bringing down buildings in Tirana and nearbyAt least nine people have died and 600 people have been injured after a powerful earthquake hit Albania in the early hours of Tuesday, causing damage along the country’s Adriatic coastline and in the capital, Tirana. Several buildings collapsed, burying residents in the rubble.The 6.4-magnitude quake struck shortly before 4am local time (0300 GMT), the US Geological Survey said, and was the second powerful tremor to hit the region in two months. It was centred 19 miles west of Tirana, at a shallow depth of 12.4 miles. Scores of aftershocks included three with preliminary magnitudes of between 5.1 and 5.4. Continue reading... Go to Sourc...

Birmingham anti-LGBT school protests: judge makes ban permanent High court rules that exclusion zone around Anderton Park primary will remain in placeA high court judge has permanently banned activists against LGBT equality lessons from demonstrating outside a Birmingham primary school.Protesters went head to head with a local authority during the five-day trial to stop protests outside Anderton Park school. The school, in the Sparkhill area of the city, has become the focus of a long campaign to halt LGBT equality messages being taught in the classroom. Continue reading... Go to Source

Man pleads guilty to New Year's Eve knife attack in Manchester Mahdi Mohamud admits terrorism offence and three counts of attempted murderA man who launched a knife attack on commuters and police at Manchester Victoria railway station on New Year’s Eve has pleaded guilty to attempted murder.Mahdi Mohamud, 26, raised a fillet knife and walked up behind James Knox, shouting Islamist slogans as he stabbed him repeatedly in the back, shoulders and head. He then turned on Knox’s companion, Anna Charlton, and slashed her across the face. The couple, in their 50s, had been heading for a tram platform shortly before 9pm on 31 December. Continue reading... Go to Source