France preparing ‘survival manual’ for every household, report says

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Booklet to give guidance on preparing for ‘imminent threats’ including armed conflict and natural disaster

The French government is reportedly planning to send a “survival manual” to every household in the country with instructions on how to prepare for an “imminent threat” including armed conflict, a health crisis or a natural disaster.

If approved by François Bayrou, the prime minister, the 20-page booklet will be sent to households before the summer, French media reported.

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Woman found Noel Clarke ‘sexually threatening’ at dinner, court told

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Accuser, who was 20 at the time, says she was frightened of the actor when he propositioned her in 2014

A “wide-eyed” 20-year-old woman found Noel Clarke “sexually threatening” and was frightened of him when he propositioned her over dinner, the high court has heard.

Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) for libel over seven articles and a podcast published between April 2021 and March 2022 accusing him of sexual misconduct.

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Hungary bans Pride events and plans to use facial recognition to target attenders

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Amnesty International describes legislation as ‘full-frontal attack’ on country’s LGBTQ+ community

MPs in Hungary have voted to ban Pride events and allow authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attenders and potentially fine them, in what Amnesty International has described as a “full-frontal attack” on the LGBTQ+ community.

The legislation – the latest by the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and his rightwing populist party to target the community – was pushed through parliament on Tuesday. Believed to be the first of its kind in the EU’s recent history, the nationwide ban passed by 136 votes to 27 after it was submitted to parliament one day earlier.

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Hungary bans Pride events and plans to use facial recognition to target attenders – The Guardian

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  1. Hungary bans Pride events and plans to use facial recognition to target attenders  The Guardian
  2. Hungary's parliament passes law banning LGBTQ+ pride events  DW (English)
  3. Hungary's ruling party submits bill to ban Pride march  Reuters
  4. Orbán bans Pride in Hungary as polls show rival surging  POLITICO Europe
  5. Hungary’s use of facial recognition violates EU AI Act  EURACTIV
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Democrat vows to ‘stop Doge’s illegal power grab’ at non-profit peace institute

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Congressman Don Beyer refused entry to US Institute of Peace after independent body taken over by Musk group

A senior Democratic congressman vowed to “stop Doge’s illegal power grab” after operatives from Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” gained entry to the US Institute of Peace in Washington – an independent organization established by Congress – and forced out its leaders.

“I was at USIP tonight to conduct congressional oversight over Doge’s break-in,” Don Beyer of Virginia said on Monday. “I spoke with [removed] acting president & CEO [George] Moose. USIP is an independent, non-profit entity and I will work to stop Doge’s illegal power grab.”

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Luton triple-murderer wanted to gain notoriety with school plot, court hears

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Nicholas Prosper, 19, planned to kill 30 pupils and two teachers after shooting his mother, brother and sister dead

A 19-year-old man who shot dead his mother and two younger siblings had planned to kill 30 children at a primary school, a court has heard.

Nicholas Prosper, from Luton, Bedfordshire, had wanted to carry out the killing at his former primary school to gain notoriety as a mass murderer, and had been planning it for months.

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Tesla stake is no longer Elon Musk’s most valuable asset amid stock market sell-off

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SpaceX, Musk’s private rockets and satellites business, is now largest asset for the first time in five years

Elon Musk’s vast stake in Tesla is no longer his most valuable asset as the electric car company continues to endure a sharp stock market sell-off.

Musk’s stake in SpaceX, his private rockets and satellites business, is now the billionaire tycoon’s largest asset for the first time in five years, according to Forbes, which still pegs his net worth at $323bn – more than anyone else in the world.

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How every German MP voted on reforming the debt brake

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German MPs have voted to pass a motion to loosen the country’s strict borrowing rules, altering the constitution. The measure had been proposed by Friedrich Merz, the presumptive incoming chancellor, in the outgoing Bundestag, or federal parliament

A motion put before the outgoing Bundestag to alter the German constitution to allow for greater investment and borrowing, in part to fund higher defence spending. The vote needs a two-thirds majority to pass.

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Downing Street rejects Lammy’s claim Israel broke international law in Gaza

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Foreign secretary receives rare public rebuke as No 10 rows back by saying Israel ‘at risk’ of breaching rules

Downing Street has rejected David Lammy’s assessment that Israel has broken international law by blocking aid to Gaza, in a rare public censure for the foreign secretary.

A spokesperson for the prime minister said on Tuesday morning Israel was “at risk” of breaching humanitarian law, despite Lammy having told the Commons on Monday that the country had definitely done so.

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BBC Verify: Mapping Israel’s wave of strikes

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More than 400 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. BBC Verify’s Nick Beake has been assessing footage of the strikes and building a picture of the damage done.
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German man with green card ‘violently interrogated’ by US border officials

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Berlin checking if US immigration policy has changed after Fabian Schmidt becomes third German to be detained

Berlin is investigating whether US immigration policy has changed, after a German national who is a permanent US resident was detained and “violently interrogated” by US border officials.

Fabian Schmidt, 34, is being held at a detention centre in Rhode Island after attempting to return to his home in New Hampshire after a trip to Luxembourg.

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North Sea ship collision: First photo of oil tanker crew released – BBC.com

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  1. North Sea ship collision: First photo of oil tanker crew released  BBC.com
  2. North Sea collision: operation to clear up plastic pellets begins  The Guardian
  3. Russian captain of a cargo vessel involved in North Sea collision appears in UK court  The Associated Press
  4. Stena Bulk tanker’s jet fuel spill limited to one tank after collision  TradeWinds
  5. ‘Heroic’ Stena Crew Praised for Quick Thinking After Dramatic North Sea Collision  gCaptain
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Israeli protesters say airstrikes are ‘cover’ for Benjamin Netanyahu to keep power

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Groups representing Israeli hostages plan protests and issue statements calling for an immediate ceasefire

Protesters in Israel have accused Benjamin Netanyahu of ordering the airstrikes that shattered the ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday to provide “cover” for a campaign to dismantle Israel’s democratic system and to maintain his own grip on power.

Political tensions in Israel surged after the Israeli prime minister announced on Sunday that he would seek to fire the head of the Shin Bet internal security service, an unprecedented move that legal experts said may be unlawful.

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France to reopen fourth nuclear air base as Europe rushes to rearm – POLITICO Europe

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  1. France to reopen fourth nuclear air base as Europe rushes to rearm  POLITICO Europe
  2. Macron speeds up Rafale warplane orders as France invests in nuclear deterrence  Reuters
  3. France to Boost Orders for Rafale Fighter Jets, Macron Says  Bloomberg
  4. France To Expand Its Nuclear Deterrent With New Air Base  The War Zone
  5. Macron says France will increase orders for Rafale fighter jets  Euronews
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Canada’s Liberals on course for political resurrection amid trade war, polls show

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Mark Carney-led ruling party projected to form majority months after political wipeout seemed inevitable

In January, Canadian pollsters and political pundits struggled to find fresh ways to describe the bleak prospects of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party, musing whether it would be a wipeout of existential proportions, or merely a catastrophic blowout.

But fresh polling released by three companies this week shows a stunning reversal of fortunes for the party: newly minted prime minister Mark Carney’s Liberals are projected to secure a majority government.

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