Belgian investigation into three Jewish men sparks diplomatic row with US

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US ambassador accused of interference after labelling inquiry into suspected illegal circumcisions ‘antisemitic’

A diplomatic row is escalating between Belgium and the US, with Donald Trump’s ambassador refusing to apologise for accusing his host country of antisemitism and reportedly threatening to bar a socialist politician from travelling to the US.

Bill White, a staunch ally of the president like many US ambassadors, on Monday demanded Belgium drop a “ridiculous” and “antisemitic” investigation into three Jewish men suspected of performing circumcisions without medical qualifications.

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‘Insidious shift’: Gobsmacked experts stunned as Trump admin trades Gulf access for cash – AlterNet

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  1. 'Insidious shift': Gobsmacked experts stunned as Trump admin trades Gulf access for cash  AlterNet
  2. Trump is privatizing US imperialism: His Board of Peace is the next step  The Hill
  3. 'A very MAGA agenda': Is Trump’s Board of Peace meant to replace the United Nations?  France 24
  4. What America forgets about the UN  Financial Times
  5. Everything you need to know about Donald Trump’s Board of Peace  BBC
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Britons living in Europe face repayment hikes amid Reeves student loans row

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Exclusive: UK graduates in Germany, Belgium and possibly other countries informed of rises as salary threshold is cut

Britons living in some European countries face a huge rise in their student loan repayments later this year, the Guardian can reveal, in a move that threatens to trigger a fresh backlash for Rachel Reeves.

UK graduates working in Germany and Belgium – and possibly other countries – have been told that their monthly repayments will increase from April, the Guardian can reveal.

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Shocking Footage Shows Moment ‘Flying Truck’ Crashes Into House – The Daily Beast

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  1. Shocking Footage Shows Moment ‘Flying Truck’ Crashes Into House  The Daily Beast
  2. Watch: Skier tells BBC of 'panic' as avalanche hit Italian slopes  BBC
  3. People Keep Dying in Italy This Winter. What the Heck Is Going on?  Outside Magazine
  4. Wild video shows avalanche spill down mountainside, engulfing skiers fleeing for their lives  New York Post
  5. Wall of Snow Swallows Group of Skiers During Powerful Avalanche  Yahoo
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Hungary, Slovakia stop Ukraine’s diesel supply with immediate effect – Euronews.com

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  1. Hungary, Slovakia stop Ukraine's diesel supply with immediate effect  Euronews.com
  2. Hungary will suspend diesel shipments to Ukraine over interruption to Russian oil supply  Associated Press News
  3. Ukraine’s Neighbors Threaten to Cut Off Energy Supplies  The Wall Street Journal
  4. Hungary, Slovakia look to reserves after Croatia cautions against Russian oil request  Reuters
  5. Hungary halts diesel supplies to Ukraine until Druzhba oil pipeline resumes work, Hungarian foreign minister  Українська правда
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Takaichi, reelected as Japan’s leader, wants to cooperate with US in rare earths development – Associated Press News

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  1. Takaichi, reelected as Japan's leader, wants to cooperate with US in rare earths development  Associated Press News
  2. Takaichi Formally Elected PM, Eyes Expedited Budget Deliberation  Bloomberg
  3. Takaichi, reelected as Japan's leader, wants to cooperate with U.S. in rare earths development  PBS
  4. The world’s most powerful woman  The Economist
  5. Opinion: After a stunning election, Japan will be unleashed. Or is it already too late?  The Globe and Mail
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‘Bored by all the sex and violins’: readers on Wuthering Heights film

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Reaction to Emerald Fennell’s movie adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi

My group of six English teachers – aged from 30 to 54 – saw the film on Friday. We are still processing our thoughts in a group chat. We agreed that the visuals were often delightfully shocking. We talked about the contrasts between the lavish costumes and the moor landscape, which we thought Fennell got right. We talked about the Charlie XCX music and how well it evoked the landscape and the spirit of the book.

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Household energy bills in Great Britain forecast to fall by £117 a year

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Consultancy’s prediction comes after Rachel Reeves said green subsidy costs would be removed from domestic bills

Household energy costs in Great Britain are expected to tumble by an average of £117 a year from April after Rachel Reeves announced in November’s budget that the cost of green subsidies would be removed from domestic bills.

The government’s quarterly cap on energy bills is forecast to fall after the chancellor’s decision to shift the levies used to support renewable energy projects into general taxation, and scrap a bill payer-funded energy efficiency scheme, according to Cornwall Insight, a leading energy consultancy.

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‘I will do you and him in’: Julian Ingram threatened former de facto partner a decade before Lake Cargelligo murders, court documents say

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Exclusive: Man accused of triple murders last month previously sentenced to prison after intimidating another partner

Julian Ingram told a former partner he had a “gun and a hole” for a man he assumed to be her new partner and made threats towards her, their child and her mother a decade before he allegedly murdered three people and went on the run, according to court documents.

Last month, Ingram – also known as Julian Pierpoint – allegedly shot dead his pregnant former partner Sophie Quinn, her new boyfriend and her aunt in Lake Cargelligo, about 450km west of Sydney. A large-scale manhunt for the 37-year-old is under way.

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With Australian private health insurance premiums set to jump by 4.41%, will policies deliver more or just cost more?

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The biggest premium hike in 10 years prompts questions, as government incentives continue to drive people to take out cover merely to avoid tax penalties

The government has approved a 4.41% private health insurance premium rise from April – the largest hike in almost 10 years.

With consumers already grappling with cost-of-living pressures, including an interest rate rise earlier in February, more Australians are likely to be wondering whether keeping their private health insurance is worth it.

Melissa Davey is Guardian Australia’s medical editor

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