Protest group’s co-founder wins legal challenge against decision to proscribe it under anti-terrorism laws

The co-founder of Palestine Action has won a legal challenge to the home secretary’s decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws.

The proscription of Palestine Action, which categorised it alongside the likes of Islamic State, was the first of a direct action protest group and attracted widespread condemnation as well as a civil disobedience campaign defying the ban, during which more than 2,000 people have been arrested.

Affected coastal regions experience heavy rain, high tides and strong winds, with farms and businesses left damaged

Tropical Cyclone Mitchell hit the coast of Western Australia last week. It initially developed as a weak tropical low over the Northern Territory in early February, then tracked eastwards over Western Australia’s Kimberley region and eventually reached the Indian Ocean.

Fuelled by warm waters, Mitchell intensified into a tropical cyclone and moved south-west, hugging the coast of Western Australia and eventually deepened to a category three storm.

If the British reviews are anything to go by, my rainy London tour bus ride was more stirring

It’s here, at last, the moment we’ve been waiting for: Wuthering Heights discourse! Officially released in the UK this Friday, Emerald Fennell’s movie adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel features the biggest female star in the world (Margot Robbie), the second-biggest male star (I’m putting Timothée Chalamet ahead of Jacob Elordi, don’t fight me), and Fennell’s unique writing and directing style that gave us so many memorable moments in Saltburn. On Monday the flag goes up and we’re off!

As athletes we try to focus on our event and the task at hand, but our lives do not take place in a vacuum

I’m deeply saddened by the IOC banning skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympics. His helmet depicting images of athletes and children who died in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some who he knew personally, was a human display of remembrance. The IOC’s response was not an appropriate one.

One only needed to look at the image of Heraskevych’s father when he was told the news of his son’s disqualification – doubled over with his head in his hands – to know the emotional toll. I cannot imagine what they are experiencing but, as both a former athlete and a just a fan watching on, I also feel emotional about it and cried when both Vlad and his dad messaged me on social media to say thank you for my messages of support.

Prosecutors’ office says two museum workers, several tour guides and suspected mastermind among those detained

French police investigating a suspected €10m (£8.7m) ticket fraud scheme at the Louvre museum in Paris have detained nine people, including two members of staff.

“Based on the information available to the museum, we suspect the existence of a network organising large-scale fraud,” a museum spokesperson told Agence France-Presse.

Texas A&M University is the latest school to end women’s and gender studies programs and teaching race. We know why

Last week, we learned of the decision of the Texas A&M University board of regents to end women’s and gender studies programs as well as the teaching of “divisive concepts” such as race. A&M was not the first university to do this. Florida’s New College made the move in 2023. Other red state legislatures have passed similar requirements and their public universities (in North Carolina, Ohio and Kansas) have followed suit.

The move to cancel gender studies is explicitly justified as a way to comply with Donald Trump’s executive order of last year titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. That document makes “the biological reality of sex” a matter not of science but of law.

The artist often swapped painting for etching as a way to rediscover his craft. Now a new exhibition shows these flashes of inspiration in all their intimate glory

At home one evening in 1951, Lucian Freud did three drawings of fellow artist Francis Bacon. The biographer William Feaver recounts the anecdote as Freud told it to him: Bacon had stood up, undone the buttons on his trousers, rolled up his sleeves and wiggled his hips a little, saying: “I think you ought to do this, because I think that’s rather important.”

By Freud’s own admission, the older painter was provocative in more ways than just this pose: “I got very impatient with the way I was working. It was limited and a limited vehicle for me,” Freud told Feaver. He felt his drawing stopped him from freeing himself, he said, “and I think my admiration for Francis came into this. I realised that by working in the way I did I couldn’t really evolve. The change wasn’t perhaps more than one of focus, but it did make it possible for me to approach the whole thing in another way.”

The classic flower of romance can be used in jams, tea, even turkish delight – and now is the time to start growing your own

I am extremely cynical when it comes to overly commercialised celebrations designed to pressure us into spending money. But when I realised that this column would appear on Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t resist the temptation to write about the plant that is perpetually intertwined with romance. Fortunately for me, roses happen to be edible.

While technically the entire plant can be eaten, it’s best to stick to the petals, buds and hips (as if I had to tell you not to chomp on their thorns and woody stems). Fresh or dried, rose petals can be used to make rosewater or rose syrup, as pretty garnishes for cakes, and to infuse into sweet treats such as ice-cream and panna cotta. Rosebuds can be used this way too, but beware that by harvesting an entire bud you’re not going to get the rosehip developing later. Rosehips appear once a rose has bloomed and faded, and while they can be eaten raw, the seeds inside are surrounded by irritating hairs that should be discarded. To coax the flavour and abundant vitamin C from rosehips, make them into jellies, jams or syrups, steep them in hot water as a tea, infuse them into vinegar or spirits, or cook them into soups or sauces. As with all foraging-adjacent activities, remember there are many creatures that rely on these flowers and fruit, so leave plenty behind for the pollinators and birds.

Brazil president to receive unprecedented honour at opening night of procession with a giant effigy of him

He is a giant of Brazilian politics and soon he will become a giant of Brazilian carnival too: a 22-metre metal figurine, to be precise.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who rose from rural poverty to become his country’s first working class president, is to receive an unprecedented tribute at the opening night of Rio’s annual carnival procession on Sunday.

MK Gallery, Milton Keynes
His work was so painstaking and slow to produce that the models – including a certain trainee barrister – often didn’t make it to the end of a portrait. It makes for paintings that seem drained of life

Euan Uglow, they say, is an artist’s artist, and therein lies the problem. If you were approaching his painstaking canvases out of curiosity – how to construct the figure, capture precise perspective, proportions – I can see how their visible workings (complex little dashes and crosses and plumb lines and geometric grids) would prove revelatory. But lots of us come to art to be inspired, transported, to feel. And for all their technical prowess, Uglow’s 70-odd regimented paintings at MK Gallery leave me cold.

First, some context, which we get immediately upon entering – in a slightly maddening move, the five-room retrospective of the artist opens with a room of seven paintings, of which only two are by him. After studying at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts in London from 1948 to 1950, he moved to the Slade. He was influenced by Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti, as well as three tutors, all of whom are represented here.

From sparks flying during The OC’s Spider-Man snog to love stories so powerful they make you weep, Guardian writers pick the television couples whose tales never fail to make hearts pound

As TV romances go, it’s not the most original. Nerdy teen boy finally gets the queen bee he’s loved since they still had baby teeth – and off we pop on a four-season cycle of dramatic breakups and grand-gesture-fuelled reunions. Yet through all of the faintly ridiculous plotlines, their romance is anchored by that most elusive of on-screen tricks: actual, palpable chemistry. There is the sarcastic sparring, the physical spark (who could ever forget that Spiderman snog?) but also a feeling of deep care and genuine friendship – one that helps both characters grow into promising mini-grownups by the end. Watching the pair navigate insecurities, battle identity crises and generally make some spectacularly poor choices, lets us all feel better about the emotional dumpster fires of our own adolescence. And the fact that they keep on choosing each other speaks to that part of our teen selves that longed to find someone who might jump on to a coffee cart and declare their love for us – or at least wait around all summer while we campaigned to save sea otters. Lucinda Everett

We want to hear people’s thoughts on reading the novel ahead of the new adaptation – and if you’ve watched the film how does it compare?

Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights came to theatres worldwide on 13 February, with the director Emerald Fennell saying she hopes it will “provoke a sort of primal response.”

But Brontë’s tempestuous 1847 novel itself has been described as too extreme for the screen and on its release it was certainly not interpreted as a love story. “I can’t adapt the book as it is but I can approximate the way it made me feel,” Fennell has said.

My praise for the movie Send Help drew brickbats. If it’s new Puritans versus liberal cavaliers, I know which side I’m on

• Ravi Holy is the vicar of Wye in Kent and a standup comedian

I posted a rave review of the new Sam Raimi film, Send Help, the other day and triggered a debate I didn’t expect: is it OK for Christians to watch horror films? Send Help – a “gore-laced plane-crash survival face-off”, according to the Guardian review (which was less kind than mine) – is more comedy-horror than horror, or maybe horror/thriller. But there’s definitely horror there – you get the point.

The most extreme response was the man who said that not only are horror movies verboten, Christians shouldn’t even watch soap operas. So, for him, Emmerdale is as bad as The Exorcist – which itself seems a bizarre film to rule out, given its hero is a priest. Who rediscovers his faith after an encounter with evil. Which he wins. I call that a positive religious message.

Ravi Holy is the vicar of Wye in Kent and a standup comedian

Cordless or corded, bagged or bagless – whatever vacuum you use, help is at hand to tackle blockages, trapped hair and loss of suction

• The best cordless vacuum cleaners, tested

No household gadget works harder to keep our homes spick and span than the vacuum cleaner. Most models can deal with all manner of everyday household dirt, but as with any tool or appliance, you can give yours a longer and more fruitful life by performing a few regular maintenance jobs.

Iwan Carrington, author of Clean in 15 and the cleaning expert from BBC’s Sort Your Life Out, explained to me that you should “give your vacuum a quick check before each use to avoid problems such as clogging or low power”. We’ll go through the list of things to look for below.

The higher you toss it, the more luck you’ll have this new lunar year. Chopsticks at the ready …

This Tuesday marks the start of the lunar new year and the year of the fire horse, which represents fresh opportunities, personal growth and good fortune. I, for one, am keen to usher that horse in, and to celebrate I’ll be making this noodle salad, which is a variation on one I first ate at Mandy Yin’s restaurant, Sambal Shiok. It’s a dish that’s eaten across Malaysia and Singapore, and the idea is that everyone around the table tosses the salad high into the air at the same time: the superstition goes that the higher the salad is tossed, the more luck will ensue. Come on, Nelly.

• Group B: Zimbabwe 169-2 bt Australia 146 by 23 runs

• Renshaw half-century in vain as Muzarabani shines

Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign is threatening to implode after suffering a shock 23-run loss to Zimbabwe in Colombo. Set 170 runs for victory after winning the toss, Australia slumped to a dismal 29 for 4 inside the powerplay and gave Zimbabwe, 11th on the ICC rankings, reason to dream.

Glenn Maxwell (31 off 32 balls) and top-scorer Matthew Renshaw (65 off 44 balls) spearheaded the rescue mission with a 77-run stand for the fifth wicket in pursuit of Zimbabwe’s 169-2. But when Maxwell chopped on and last recognised batter Marcus Stoinis (6) holed out, Zimbabwe were on their way to dismissing Australia for 146 with three balls left on Friday.

SemiCab platform by Algorhythm, previously considered a ‘penny stock’, sparks ‘category 5 paranoia’ across sector

Shares in trucking and logistics companies have plunged as the sector became the latest to be targeted by investors fearful that new artificial intelligence tools could slash demand.

A new tool launched by Algorhythm Holdings, a former maker of in-car karaoke systems turned AI company with a market capitalisation of just $6m (£4.4m), sparked a sell-off on Thursday that made the logistics industry the latest victim of AI jitters that have already rocked listed companies operating in the software and real estate sectors.

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Italian biathlete Rebecca Passler will be able to participate in the Winter Olympics despite failing a doping test, the Italian skiing federation (Fisi) said on Friday. Italy’s anti-doping body (Nado) upheld her appeal against a provisional suspension that followed a positive test for the banned substance Letrozole on 26 January.

Nado’s Court of Appeal acknowledged the possibility of unintentional ingestion or unknowing contamination of the substance. “Passler will rejoin her teammates starting Monday, February 16, when she will be available to the coaching staff for the subsequent competitions on the Olympic programme,” Fisi said in a statement.

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Brentford striker Igor Thiago has signed a new contract, extending his deal until 2031, with the option for an additional 12 months. The Brazilian was signed from Club Brugge in February 2024, but had to overcome a knee injury last season before hitting form this term, scoring 17 Premier League goals so far.

“I love the club and the people in the club,” said Thiago. “It’s a true love, a real love. When the fans support me, and I see them singing my name and singing my song, it gives me more power. It’s been a great season for us. Everybody has been on the same page. I hope we can get something special from it.”

Case brought by the group’s co-founder is challenging the organisation’s ban under the Terrorism Act

The High Court is set to rule on whether the Home Office’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group was lawful.

Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, took legal action against the government to challenge the decision by then-home secretary Yvette Cooper to ban the group under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

Paul Thwaite is now the highest earning CEO at NatWest Group since his disgraced predecessor Fred Goodwin was handed £7.7m in the lead-up to the financial crisis (and, let’s not forget, its £45bn bailout) in 2006.

I asked during the earnings media call this morning whether Thwaite was comfortable with his new £6.6m pay package for 2025, and whether it was an appropriate moment to be returning to pre-financial crisis pay levels.

This was Thwaite’s response:

The first thing I’d say is that I recognise that senior roles in financial services, in banking and actually in wider professional services, are very well paid. I appreciate that. I know that, I believe I’m very fortunate, and it would be churlish for me to suggest otherwise.

The exec pay policy is set by the board, It’s voted on by shareholders. There’s obviously a very close link between reward and performance. And it goes up and down depending upon performance. So that’s all I’ll say on that, really.

I’ve been here a long time and very proud of what we’ve achieved over the last couple of years as the bank. We have a fantastic team and we’re trying to make sure we support the UK economy, and that’s where all my time and energy goes.”

All stones in Cortina are made from granite found on tiny island in Firth of Clyde and crafted in East Ayrshire

“It takes 60m years and about six hours to make a curling stone,” shouts Ricky English above the whine of the lathes. The operations manager at Kays Scotland is surrounded by wheels of ancient granite in varying states of refinement.

It is a small business with a big responsibility: the only factory in the world to supply the Winter Olympics with curling stones. Competitors don’t travel with their own stones, which weigh about 18kg each, and with 16 required for a game. Instead, this year, 132 stones were crafted in the East Ayrshire town of Mauchline and shipped to northern Italy.

(Epitaph)
Even after 35 years, the intricacies and emotional pangs of these masters of technicality remain undimmed, drawing from a seemingly bottomless well of inspiration

Metalcore has become a diluted premise, associated more with bands that write processed, sing-along choruses than the mix of metal technicality and punk-rock fury it started as. Converge’s 2001 breakthrough Jane Doe remains the masterpiece of the genre’s pre-bastardisation days: vicious as a pit bull, yet played by men unafraid to test the limits, as evidenced by the tormented, 11-minute title track. The New Englanders have never rested on their laurels, either, with subsequent releases emphasising different shades of their trademark anarchy.

The band’s 10th album and first in nine years (Chelsea Wolfe collaboration Bloodmoon: I not included), Love Is Not Enough condenses their carnage, intricacies and emotional pangs into their shortest-ever run time. Distract and Divide and To Feel Something are incensed and tightly arranged, as if Napalm Death and Slayer had joined forces to strangle you through the speakers.