World news | The Guardian

US charity preparing vessel with hopes it could leave for territory this weekendThe UN's top aid official has renewed his call for a ceasefire in Gaza and outlined six priorities in the humanitarian response.In a social media post via the account of the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (Ocha) on Friday, Martin Griffiths, the UN emergency relief coordinator, wrote:The hostilities in Gaza entered their sixth month. These six facts should keep us all awake at night:1) More than half a million people are on the brink of famine. Children are dying of hunger.1) A ceasefire and full adherence to the rules of war.2) Additional entry points, supply routes and storage capacity in Gaza. Continue reading...

Open Arms vessel, loaded with humanitarian supplies, is waiting for approval from Israel before leaving

Royals will be hoping that Gary Goldsmith, who faces eviction on Friday, will not generate headlines about the Prince and Princess of WalesIt's the reality TV show that gives a fly-on-the-wall peek at how celebrities - a term used here in its loosest form - look when they're lounging on the sofa in their pyjamas.But the bit of hidden-camera footage we'd have really liked to see this week is the one showing the reaction of the royal family as Gary Goldsmith, the Princess of Wales's bad uncle", walked into the celebrity Big Brother house. Continue reading...

Latest and most serious claim against hedge fund manager emerges in high court documents as three new claimants come forwardCrispin Odey has been accused of rape in a civil lawsuit in the latest and most serious claim to be made against the prominent City financier.The allegation came to light on Thursday when the high court in London heard an application to decide whether three women could join two others in a legal action alleging misconduct by the founder of Odey Asset Management. Continue reading...

Stakeknife report finds army's top agent's links to murder and torture and calls for government and IRA to apologiseMore lives were lost than saved because of the activities of a man alleged to have been the highest-ranking British intelligence agent in the IRA during the Northern Ireland Troubles, according to a seven-year investigation into his activities.The Kenova report published on Friday finds that the agent Stakeknife saved between high single figures and low double figures" of lives but nowhere near hundreds [as] sometimes claimed". Continue reading...

Retail chain's boss declares office a much more fun and inspiring place' with everyone in attendanceBoots is ordering administrative staff back into the office for five days a week from September as it tries to gear up the business before a potential sale or flotation.The CEO, Seb James, said the employees - who had been asked to work at least three days a week in the group's various bases in Nottingham, Weybridge in Surrey, and London - should return for the full working week, arguing that the office was a much more fun and inspiring place" with everyone in attendance. Continue reading...

No 10 years were plagued by in-fighting as she tried to deliver a Brexit that would placate hard-right and centrist factions

Rishi Sunak spoke of a shocking increase in extremist disruption' - but critics warn voices are being silenced and that the UK's pluralist tolerance' is at riskIt's not what anyone would want for a school. As well as educating more than 1,300 children, the teachers at Barclay primary school in Leyton, east London, have been meeting weekly with police to discuss new evidence of online abuse and criminality".A bitter row over whether children may wear pro-Palestinian pins, flags and badges on their uniforms prompted a war of words involving parents, with one protester standing outside the school gates with a placard saying: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free". The school even had to close early for the Christmas break amid fears over the wellbeing of staff. Continue reading...

What appeared to be relatively low-stakes amendments could turn into embarrassing defeat for governmentWhen the Irish government announced it would hold two referendums on International Women's Day it billed the votes as opportunities to embed inclusivity and equality in a constitution dating from 1937.Voters will on Friday be asked to delete article 41.2, the so-called women in the home" provision, and enshrine two proposed amendments on care and family. Continue reading...

Andre Ventura is hoping discontent with mainstream politics will hand his Chega party a kingmaker roleTempting as the tables of savoury pastries were, and strong as the voice of the shaven-headed singer belting out Phil Collins was, they were not the lure that had drawn 200 people to a remote wedding venue in northern Portugal on a cold and ink-black Wednesday evening.Despite the sign at the opposite end of the hall reading Let's get this party started", the audience's attention was more focused on a huge campaign poster behind the singer that offered a less hedonistic exhortation: Portugal needs a CLEAN-UP." Continue reading...

Fears over NHS waiting lists contribute to 41% increase in sales of policies, contributing to 1.5bn operating profitBooming demand in the UK for private health insurance, as NHS waiting lists remain at near-record levels, has boosted annual profits at Aviva, with more frequent claims and higher medical costs driving up premiums.Britain's biggest general insurer said sales of health insurance had risen 41% in 2023 compared with the previous year, with strong demand from businesses and individual customers, who were taking out policies as the crisis in the state health service continues. Continue reading...

Some employees angry at supermarket being temporarily able to pay under 11.44 an hourA month-long delay to a promised pay rise at Tesco has been condemned by some staff because it leaves them on less than the minimum wage, while saving the supermarket more than 17m.Tesco, one of the UK's biggest employers with more than 330,000 staff, has pledged to increase the minimum pay for its shop workers from 11.02 an hour to 12.02 next month, but the rise will not be implemented until 28 April, almost a month after the legal minimum wage for those aged 21 and over increases to 11.44 on 1 April. Continue reading...

Union criticises Doncaster academy for sending staff to homes to track movements of bins and carsA secondary school in South Yorkshire has been accused of snooping by monitoring families' bins, cars and post in an attempt to crack down on pupil absences.Staff at Astrea Academy Woodfields in Balby, Doncaster, have been visiting the homes of absent pupils to check bins are being put out, cars are on driveways, or if steam is being released from the boiler flue. Continue reading...

Only five in 101 statues in Copenhagen depict women, with 26 of animals and 70 of menDenmark has pledged to put up more statues of women, with the country's culture minister saying the capital has more statues of mythical beasts and horses".According to the Danish government, only 31 of 321 statues and busts in Danish cities are of women. Continue reading...

Foreign minister Wang Yi - speaking at the Two Sessions - said it was unacceptable some countries are at the table while others are on the menu'China's top foreign affairs official has accused the US of trying to suppress China and has vowed to deepen relations with Russia, as Beijing continues to assert the importance of what it calls a multipolar" world order.Foreign minister Wang Yi accused the US of imposing sanctions on Chinese companies to a bewildering" and unfathomable" level, referencing Beijing's opposition to unilateralism and protectionism", complaints that have become buzzwords in China's official statements of late. Continue reading...

Changes to language about women in the home' and definition of a family will be put to referendum on FridayIreland will be taking a step backwards" this week if it votes against two changes to the constitution that are designed to remove old-fashioned" language about women and formally recognise families beyond those involving marriage, the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has said.In a double referendum on Friday, the Irish public will be asked to support the deletion of two clauses in the 1937 constitution, including the women in the home" provision, and the enshrining of two proposed amendments. Continue reading...

Family members pay emotional tribute to Ricky Hampson Jr, Dougie', who died less than 24 hours after leaving Dubbo Base hospital

Sally Dowling announced audit of all sexual assault cases after judicial concern over secret policies'

Reynolds said she proposed a fortnight's pause in the defamation case after a tiring and difficult day' of discussions on Tuesday

Katy Gallagher announces businesses with more than 500 employees won't get Australian government business without targets for their boards and workforces

Questions asked over the place of protest in professional sport after Hurricanes Poua team in Wellington changed the lyrics for their haka just before a gameA row over the role of protest in professional sport has erupted in New Zealand after a women's rugby team called the coalition government rednecks" during a pre-match haka.The Hurricanes Poua - the women's rugby union team for Wellington - added lyrics to their haka just before their Super Rugby Aupiki match against the Chiefs Manawa in Hamilton on Saturday. Continue reading...

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed convicted over death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on New Mexico movie set in October 2021Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for the film Rust, has been found guilty for her role in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico film set.Hutchins was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin while the actor was rehearsing a scene for the neo-western. Baldwin, who also served as a co-producer on the film, was pointing a prop gun at Hutchins during an October 2021 rehearsal when the weapon fired, hitting the 42-year-old and wounding the film's director, Joel Souza. Continue reading...

Biden administration not required to disclose sales below set dollar amount, in addition to public shipments worth over $573mThe US is reported to have made more than 100 weapons sales to Israel, including thousands of bombs, since the start of the war in Gaza, but the deliveries escaped congressional oversight because each transaction was under the dollar amount requiring approval.The Biden administration has become increasingly critical of the conduct of Israeli military operations in Gaza and the failure to allow in meaningful amounts of humanitarian aid, with the death toll now over 30,000 and with famine looming. But it has kept up a quiet but substantial flow of munitions to help replace the tens of thousands of bombs Israel has dropped on the tiny coastal strip, making it one of the most intense bombing campaigns in military history. Continue reading...

Incident marks first fatalities of commercial shipping crew since militants began launching strikes off Yemen last yearThree sailors have died and others have been injured after a Houthi missile attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden, US officials have said - the first fatalities of crew of commercial shipping since the Houthis began launching strikes at ships in waters off Yemen last year.The officials told US news agencies that the crew of the MV True Confidence had abandoned ship after the attack, which was claimed by the Houthis. Continue reading...

Kohli did not enter a plea during the hearing at the sheriff court and was released on bailThe comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli has appeared in court accused of sex offences.The 55-year-old, who has appeared on TV shows including Celebrity MasterChef, Loose Ends and Question Time, was released on bail after a private appearance at Glasgow sheriff court. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak's bill was opposed in 10 votes by peers, two days after five amendments were forced throughRishi Sunak has suffered further setbacks in the House of Lords over his controversial Rwandan deportation bill after peers defeated the government on all 10 votes.Wednesday's vote comes two days after the prime minister endured his heaviest defeat in the House of Lords after the archbishop of Canterbury and former Conservative ministers had joined forces with the opposition to force through five amendments. Continue reading...

UK foreign secretary repeated request to Benny Gantz for Israel to allow delivery of more aid refrain from a full-scale assault on Rafah

The question for the Trump campaign is how to get Haley onside and win back as many of her supporters as possible, as quickly as possibleNikki Haley's withdrawal from the Republican presidential primary on Wednesday was not a shocker", a leading anti-Trump conservative said, in a contender for understatement of the political year.As we've said for months," Tara Setmayer added, she has no path and [Donald] Trump will be the GOP nominee." Continue reading...

Labour candidate will stand in Mid Sussex against Conservatives who currently hold seatModern Life is Rubbish, Blur once famously pronounced. Well, after the band's drummer was selected as a Labour candidate at the next general election, they may hope to change the situation.Dave Rowntree will stand in Mid Sussex, the party announced on Wednesday evening. The constituency covers Burgess Hill, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and the Mid Sussex villages. Continue reading...

Michelle Donelan had urged Research England to cut ties with a member of its advisory group over alleged Hamas supportUK taxpayers have financed a 15,000 payout to an academic after the science minister wrongly accused her of supporting Hamas, the department has said amid growing political anger at why public money was used.The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said 15,000 had been paid after a statement on Tuesday by Michelle Donelan, about a clarification" from Prof Kate Sang, of Heriot-Watt university in Edinburgh, about her views. Continue reading...

But racial and economic disparities contribute to the US's poor ranking in infant and maternal health internationallyA new report from the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics has found infant mortality declined 3% from 2019 to 2021. However, the good news is tempered by large racial and economic disparities and the US's poor ranking in infant and maternal health internationally.Black and Native mothers are consistently more likely than white and Asian mothers to have infants who die in their first year of life, a statistic that mirrors disparities in maternal mortality. Continue reading...

Police chiefs say 230m boost falls far short of extra funding forces need to deliver stable service'Drones will be increasingly used as first responders" when the public report incidents to emergency services, under plans announced by the chancellor in the spring budget on Wednesday.Jeremy Hunt told MPs 230m would be set aside for police to spend on time- and money-saving technology" such as unmanned flying vehicles and video technology. Continue reading...

Kathy Hochul's decision to counteract what she says is surge in crime met with dismay by residents and police reform activistsThe New York governor, Kathy Hochul, is sending in the national guard to New York City's subway system in order to counteract what she says is a surge in crime, to the dismay of some city residents and police reform activists.Hochul said on Wednesday that 750 national guard patrolmen as well as 250 state police and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officers will be deployed to patrol the stations and conduct bag checks. Continue reading...

Centre-right European People's party says it wants to create deportation deals with non-EU countries to head off rise of far rightThe European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, has given her support to controversial migration reforms that would involve deporting people to third countries for asylum processing and the imposition of a quota system for those receiving protection in EU countries.Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's party (EPP), said the policies - similar to the UK's Rwanda scheme - had been worked out with all the parties in the EPP political group, which includes von der Leyen's Christian Democrat Union in Germany. Continue reading...

Campaigners say measure will help tackle pocket money' pricing that attracts young children to vaping

Activists call for Dominique Boutonnat to step down saying allegations undermine his ability to lead changeDominique Boutonnat, the head of France's top cinema institution, is to be tried in June on charges of sexually assaulting his godson, prosecutors have said.The announcement came as French cinema reels from a renewed #MeToo reckoning in which several big names, including the actor Gerard Depardieu, have been accused of sexual abuse. Continue reading...

UK prepared to loan money on basis Russia will be forced to pay reparations to Ukraine at end of war, says foreign secretary David CameronInternational Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said that he would discuss the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, and that talks with other Russian authorities had been tense", Russian news agencies reported.State news agency RIA cited Grossi has saying that he had been able to assess the situation around the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine, which has been under Russian control since March 2022, Reuters reports. Continue reading...

Coalition of celebrities, also including J Robert Oppenheimer's grandson, comes together for an open letter imploring global leaders to disarmStars including Julianne Moore, Jane Fonda and Emma Thompson have added their names to an open letter insisting upon nuclear disarmament from global leaders.As Christopher Nolan's hit biopic Oppenheimer, which tells of the man who created the atomic bomb, is predicted to dominate this weekend's Oscars, a coalition of actors and activists has formed to educate people about the present nuclear danger around the world. Continue reading...

Jury acquits Jeffrey Cook and John Mason after lawyers argue payments were authorised by UK and Saudi governmentsTwo men have been acquitted of paying bribes totalling millions of pounds to high-ranking Saudis after they argued that they had been unfairly prosecuted.Jeffrey Cook and John Mason had been accused of bribing a Saudi prince and his associates to secure and maintain a huge defence deal for a British company. But on Wednesday, a jury acquitted them after lawyers argued the payments had been authorised by the British and Saudi governments. Continue reading...

Portugal's prime minister Antonio Costa resigned last November amid investigation into handling of green investment projectsWe've received a note from Miguel Barreira, a member of the Liberal Initiative party, which has polling at around 5%.More than Chega (or, as I call it, Ventura's one-person Party), who it seems to be losing steam and radicalising its campaign in these last few days, my party will probably be key to allow PSD to form a working majority, without accepting any kind of talks or negotiating with the far-right Chega.Well, time to get back to the campaign trail.We continue to believe that the most likely scenario is a right-wing coalition with the support of the far-right populist Chega. If the AD wins the most votes, there is a possibility that the PS will refrain from bringing down a centre-right minority government so as to keep Chega out of government.This arrangement would in any case be likely to last only until the 2025 budget comes to a vote towards the end of this year. Another snap election in 2024 or early 2025 is therefore a risk. Continue reading...

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen due to travel to Cyprus as bloc works to try to establish corridor through islandThe World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday that hunger and malnutrition were on the rise among children, breastfeeding women, and pregnant women in Gaza.In a post on X, the UN's health agency, said that the only paediatric hospital in northern Gaza was overwhelmed with patients" and was facing acute shortages of food, water, fuel, health workers, and medicines". It added: The need for access to humanitarian aid is dire."Malnutrition plays a major role in the number of children that come to us, and the number of deaths.When a child is supposed to eat three meals a day and ends up eating one meal, that's not enough; your body becomes deficient in carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, and defecient in fats that are necessary for the body. Then the body goes into a severe dehydration state. Continue reading...

Alexei Navalny's widow asks people to protest en masse at midday on 17 March by spoiling ballot papers or writing Navalny'The widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has called for people to protest against Vladimir Putin at polling booths in the forthcoming presidential election.Yulia Navalnaya urged her supporters to protest against Putin by voting en masse at noon local time in the 17 March election, forming large crowds and overwhelming polling stations. Continue reading...

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seeking permission to build temple in Sutton ColdfieldThe first new Mormon temple in the UK for 30 years is to be built in Sutton Coldfield as a venue for sacred ceremonies" and in pursuit of an ultimate goal" to have temples dotted around the UK.The large white edifice will feature a 314ft spire and an imposing entrance arch. Planning permission has yet to be granted, but the church hopes construction will begin this year and take up to three years to complete. Continue reading...

Extremist tells Emily Maitlis you're a conspiracy theorist' and dismisses interviewer over Jewish space lasers' questionFar-right Republican congresswoman, Trump ally and potential vice-presidential pick Marjorie Taylor Greene told a British interviewer to Fuck off", when asked about her frequent repetition of conspiracy theories.Emily Maitlis, formerly a senior journalist at the BBC and now a presenter of the News Agents podcast, spoke to Greene at Donald Trump's Super Tuesday celebration at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, as the former president closed in on the Republican nomination. Continue reading...

Despite efforts by Post Office there are 250 individuals who have not come forwardA substantial" proportion of victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal risk missing out on the compensation they are due, according to MPs and campaigners, who suggest the true number deserving redress may be significantly higher than estimated.An estimated 700 post office workers in England and Wales were prosecuted on the basis of evidence from the faulty digital accounting system. Despite efforts by the Post Office and, separately, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, there are still about 250 individuals - more than a third - who have yet to respond to contact. Continue reading...

Breach could disrupt Shein's reported plans to list in UK as firms are legally required to declare person with significant control' Business live - latest updatesThe UK business of the fast-fashion company Shein has failed to disclose its ultimate ownership, a breach of company law that could disrupt the firm's reported plans to consider listing in the UK.UK companies are legally required to declare their ultimate human beneficial owner - their person with significant control" (PSC). Continue reading...

Billionaire is fighting prosecutions by Asic involving his Leisure Coolum resort and his company Mineralogy

Growers group says supermarkets are marking up price of granny smiths by well over 100%, more than double that of other varieties

Chancellor's 5p freeze will save 60 a year for well-off motorists compared with just 22 for lower earnersRetaining the fuel duty cut in the budget is a regressive policy that benefits the wealthiest in society, who will save 60 a year, while those who earn the least will save just 22, according to analysis.Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce an extension of the 5p cut in fuel duty brought in during 2022, a proposal that has won him plaudits across the rightwing press. Continue reading...

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