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Senator Sarah Henderson has called for more NSW police patrols at Jewish schools following the latest antisemitic graffiti attacks. Follow today's news live

National Audit Office says government attempts to tackle misogynistic violence are hampered by poor coordinationAn epidemic of violence against women and girls" in the UK is getting worse despite years of government promises and strategies, a highly critical report from Whitehall's spending watchdog has said.The National Audit Office report comes four years after a major government response to violence against women and girls (VAWG) was launched after the murders of Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard.The Home Office did not have centrally coordinated funding" for VAWG, unlike that for the 2021 illegal drugs strategy, and had underspent on its own VAWG budget by an average of 15% between 2021-22 and 2023-24.There was no consistent definition for VAWG - the Home Office includes all victims, while police forces only include women and girls - which made it difficult to measure progress in a consistent way".While 78% of the commitments in the strategy had been met by July 2024, several were not new, and most" related to additional funding, holding meetings and publication of new guidance. Continue reading...

Complaint lists numerous public comments by the Liberal leader, a staunch supporter of Israel, which it alleges show discriminatory behaviour towards Palestinians, Muslims and Jews

Victoria police say Yarraville man, 21, is accused of vandalism on Flinders Street station clock and other prominent locations

Vessel commissioned by previous Tory government to house asylum seekers was decommissioned in NovemberEighteen months after it arrived at Portland Port in Dorset, the empty asylum seeker barge Bibby Stockholm has been towed away from its mooring.The barge, which only ever provided accommodation for about 400 single male asylum seekers a night at maximum occupancy, has cost the taxpayer at least 34.8m, according to the National Audit Office. Continue reading...

Claire Freemantle had been rearrested on Tuesday after bereaved families criticised original police investigationThe driver of a car that crashed into a primary school killing two eight-year-old girls has been released on bail pending further investigations.Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau died in the incident at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, in July 2023 while celebrating the last day of the summer term. Continue reading...

Discovery by coast guard comes five days after skiff containing five bodies found near Trinidad and TobagoThe coastguard of St Kitts and Nevis has discovered 13 decomposing bodies in a boat adrift off the coast, days after another five bodies were found in a skiff near Trinidad and Tobago.Officials of the two Caribbean countries said it was not immediately clear if there was any link between the two incidents, or who the deceased were. Continue reading...

Plans shelved include earlier cancer diagnosis, boosting women's health and expanding access to dental careNHS England is scrapping plans to diagnose more cancers early, boost women's health and ramp up childhood vaccinations after ministers told it to prioritise cutting waiting times.The health service is also abandoning pledges to expand access to dental treatment, give more people drugs to prevent strokes and enhance care for those with learning disabilities. Continue reading...

Bill introduced to parliament could mean asylum seekers crossing the Channel who refuse rescue could face five years in prisonKeir Starmer's planned people-smuggling laws risk criminalising" hundreds of asylum seekers, refugee charities have said, after it emerged that people who refuse to be rescued by the French authorities could be jailed for five years.Some parents who bring their children to the UK in small boats could also face prosecution, which could ultimately split their families, a human rights assessment of the border security, asylum and immigration bill has concluded. Continue reading...

The Human Authored online portal allows members to register their book and use a specially designed logo on covers and promotional materialsThe US body representing writers, the Authors Guild, has launched an online portal for members to confirm that their work emanated from the human intellect" and not from artificial intelligence.The initiative, called Human Authored, will allow authors to log on to the portal and register their book. They will then be able to use a specially designed logo on book covers and promotional materials to show that their work has been created without AI. Continue reading...

Albrecht Weinberg horrified' that MPs relied on far-right party to pass anti-immigration motionA 99-year-old Holocaust survivor has said he will return his federal order of merit to the German president in protest over MPs passing an anti-immigration motion in parliament with the support of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland.Albrecht Weinberg, whose parents were murdered in Auschwitz, told the Guardian he was horrified" on learning that a proposal submitted by the conservative parties had relied on the anti-immigrant, xenophobic AfD to get it over the line. Continue reading...

Deployment of special forces veterans is unprecedented and poses risk that Americans could be drawn into fightingA US security firm is hiring nearly 100 US special forces veterans to help run a checkpoint in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas truce, introducing armed American contractors into the heart of one of the world's most violent conflict zones.UG Solutions, a low-profile company founded in 2023 and based in Davidson, North Carolina, is offering a daily rate starting at $1,100 with a $10,000 advance to veterans it hires, according to a recruitment email. Continue reading...

Research shows voters losing faith in traditional centre-left and centre-right to deliver meaningful changeVoters in western democracies are turning away from mainstream political parties and towards populists because they are losing faith in their ability to implement meaningful change, a major report based on surveys of 12,000 voters has found.The popularity of traditional centre-left and centre-right parties across major democratic countries has plummeted from 73% in 2000 to 51% today, according to research by the Tony Blair Institute. Continue reading...

Alex Mahon accuses firms such as TikTok, Meta and YouTube of wanton abandonment of the pursuit of truth'The head of Channel 4 has called on the television industry to unite to battle the wanton abandonment of the pursuit of truth" by tech titans" seeking profits.Alex Mahon said tech giants are so hellbent" on making money from what they deem to be free speech that they are perfectly happy to eradicate truth and facts along the way". Continue reading...

Cross-party group on tax calls for HMRC to act after Guardian investigation finds former Chelsea owner may owe up to 1bn

The MPs said it was hard to justify the benefits of southern projects that may cause a northern skills shortage, especially if net migration to the UK dropsMPs from northern England have voiced fears of a brain drain" to southern infrastructure projects after Rachel Reeves announced a string of major developments in the south.The chancellor announced on Wednesday in a speech about driving growth that she would give backing to the expansion of Heathrow, as well as other London airports, as well as kickstarting the golden triangle" of scientific research between the capital and Oxford and Cambridge. Continue reading...

Leah Blyth, the party's state president, is most likely to take Simon Birmingham's former seat in the upper house with Alex Antic's backing

Scout leaders had launched judicial review over verdict of unlawful killing of Ben Leonard, 16, who fell from cliff on expeditionA high court judge has rejected an attempt by a scout leader and an assistant to overturn the findings of an inquest jury that concluded they were responsible for the unlawful killing of a 16-year-old boy who fell from a cliff during an expedition.Ben Leonard from Stockport, Greater Manchester, became separated from his group during a hike in north Wales and fell about 60m (200ft) from a ledge, suffering a fatal head injury. Continue reading...

Outpouring of grief after death of Chan, the son of a migrant Chinese father and Indigenous mother, who served as prime minister twicePapua New Guinea is mourning the death of Sir Julius Chan, affectionately known across the country as Sir J - the last founding father" of the country and its second ever prime minister.The Chan family released a statement on Thursday afternoon announcing the death of Sir Julius at the age of 85. Our father passed away peacefully this afternoon at 12.30pm at his beloved home at Manmantinut, Huris surrounded by family and friends. We thank all those who have stood by him, and those who have shared his legacy throughout his political life from pre-independence to the time of his passing. Continue reading...

A 4% dividend increase alongside share buybacks of $3.5bn for last three months of year awaits shareholders

The 40-year-old had a medical condition where people exhibit sexual behaviour during sleep, court heard

Caravan discovered in Dural on Sydney's outskirts had antisemitic material, investigators say, with registered owner in custody on unrelated charges

In today's newsletter: What we know so far about the deadly air crash involving passenger jet and military helicopterGood morning. Late last night near Washington DC, a jet carrying 64 people collided with a US army helicopter above the Potomac river. A frantic rescue operation got underway quickly and was still continuing a few minutes ago, with the precise number of fatalities unclear but multiple bodies seen being pulled from the water.There is no indication of what caused the crash yet, but there was no sign it was a terrorist incident. For the very latest developments, head to the Guardian's live blog. Today's newsletter explains what we know so far. Here are the headlines.UK economy | Rachel Reeves caused a furious backlash as she insisted a third runway at Heathrow was set up for success", despite scepticism in Whitehall that the plan can be reconciled with the UK's climate obligations. The chancellor made throwing the government's weight behind Heathrow expansion the centrepiece of a major speech on growth on Wednesday.Israel-Gaza war | The main UN agency serving Palestinians in the occupied territories, including Gaza, looks likely to be shut down on Thursday as Israel defied widespread international support for the agency in a move Unrwa predicted would sabotage Gaza's recovery and political transition".India | At least 30 people have been killed and scores injured in crowd crushes at the Kumbh Mela festival, Indian police have confirmed, as vast numbers of people went to bathe at one of the holiest sites of the Hindu gathering.US news | Robert F Kennedy Jr's combative Senate confirmation hearing for health secretary erupted into fierce exchanges on Wednesday as Democrats confronted one of the US's most prominent vaccine sceptics who possibly will be handed the reins of its public health system.Education | Some children are starting reception school unable to climb a staircase", while others use Americanisms in their speech because of too much screen time, according to a survey of teachers. The pandemic has been blamed for a decline in school readiness among reception-aged children. Continue reading...

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What do Greenlanders make of Donald Trump's interest in their island? Miranda Bryant reportsIn 2019, when Donald Trump first raised the prospect of the US acquiring Greenland, few people took it seriously. But today, at the start of his second term as president, when Trump says I think we're going to have it", his words ring alarm bells.To find out why the world's largest island is of such enduring interest to Trump, Miranda Bryant, the Guardian's Nordic correspondent, recently travelled to Greenland's capital, Nuuk. There, she tells Helen Pidd, Greenlanders are well aware of the minerals and strategic value that their island holds, especially as the changing climate is accelerating superpower competition in the Arctic. Continue reading...

Rise was partly due to more households using their credit and debit cards overseas as travel bounces back, analyst from central bank says

Documents also show plans to maintain services without bed closures and rely on bolstered' allied healthcare staff and nurses

Covid baby' explanation starting to feel like an excuse, say some teachers, as quarter of children begin reception in nappiesSome children are starting reception school unable to climb a staircase", while others use Americanisms in their speech because of too much screen time, according to a survey of teachers.The pandemic has been blamed for a decline in school readiness among reception-aged children, but some teachers who took part in the annual poll said the Covid baby" explanation was starting to feel like an excuse. Continue reading...

Number made fell to 780,000, the lowest for seven decades barring the pandemic, as carmakers battle weak demand and EV transitionBritish car production fell in 2024 to its lowest level in seven decades - barring the coronavirus pandemic - as the industry struggles with weak demand and prepares to shift away from fossil fuels to electric vehicles.The number of cars made in the UK fell to 780,000 during the year, the lowest since 1954, except for during the pandemic when first factories were forced to close and then supply chain problems caused shortages of computer chips, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group. Continue reading...

Number of people covered by a private medical insurance policy hit a record high of 4.68 million at the end of 2023Almost one in eight Britons now has medical insurance - the highest proportion since 2008 - with NHS care delays driving a rise in people using private healthcare.The number of people covered by a private medical insurance policy hit a record high of 4.68 million at the end of 2023, according to private healthcare analysts LaingBuisson. Continue reading...

Four Norwegians and one Swiss person died in the Savoie and Haute-Savoie regionsAn avalanche in the French Alps has killed four Norwegian skiers who were swept away by an off-piste torrent of snow and ice in the southeastern Savoie region.Also on Wednesday, a separate avalanche near Chamonix, in the Haute-Savoie region, killed a Swiss skier, according to the public prosecutor's office in Bonneville. Continue reading...

2,500-year-old Helmet of Cotofenesti among objects taken after thieves used explosives to enter buildingDutch police have arrested three men in connection with the robbery of ancient Romanian artefacts from a museum in the north-east of the Netherlands, after an intensive four-day hunt.The break-in on Saturday, during which the men used explosives to get into the Drents Museum in Assen, has angered Romania and prompted Dutch police to scramble to track down the culprits. Continue reading...

John Perumbalath's senior leadership team says he should step aside while claims investigatedThe bishop of Liverpool is under pressure to quit after senior clergy in his diocese said his position was untenable following allegations of sexual misconduct.John Perumbalath's senior leadership team said he should step aside from all ministry while a claim of sexual harassment by a female bishop was properly investigated. A separate allegation of sexual assault was also made against Perumbalath. Continue reading...

As Rihanna sits out of view of court cameras, A$AP Relli speaks about moment Rocky allegedly fired gun at himRihanna has made her first appearance at the Los Angeles trial of her partner, rapper ASAP Rocky.

USAid pause affects projects such as veteran rehabilitation, independent media and humanitarian assistanceUkraine is reeling from the shock decision by the Trump administration to pause all US foreign aid programmes immediately, as a variety of projects in the country - from military veteran rehabilitation programmes to independent media and anti-corruption initiatives - have effectively been stopped overnight.It was seen as inevitable that the incoming administration would overhaul USAid, the US development agency, but there was an expectation that spending on Ukraine, or at least some of the most critical programmes, would be subject to a waiver - or there would at least be a winding-down period. Continue reading...

UK foreign secretary issues direct warning during phone call with Rwandan president after escalation of conflictRwanda has put $1bn of global aid under threat by taking part in the invasion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, has said.He made the direct warning in a phone call to the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, on Sunday after also speaking to the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, about the crisis. Continue reading...

Narrow passage of controversial CDU-CSU motion ends longstanding boycott on cooperating with far-right partyThe German parliament has narrowly passed a motion urging tough restrictions on immigration that was highly controversial because it was backed by the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland party.The motion was brought by the conservative opposition CDU-CSU and backed by, among others, the AfD, breaking a longstanding taboo on cooperation with the anti-immigration party. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more of our Middle East coverage hereIn a statement given on Tuesday at the United Nations general assembly, in New York, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president, Mirjana Spoljaric, said she had seen so much devastation" on recent visits to Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.Spoljaric warned that respect for international humanitarian law (IHL) is in crisis" and threatening the very humanity that these laws seek to preserve".The evidence is clear: hospitals reduced to rubble, civilian neighbourhoods destroyed, and innocent lives lost. Across the globe, respect for international humanitarian law (IHL) is in crisis, threatening the very humanity that these laws seek to preserve.This is not an abstract issue. It is one that impacts millions of lives every day, and one that costs hundreds of billions of dollars to recover from. Continue reading...

India's prime minister Narendra Modi confirmed there had been fatalities at the world's largest religious gatheringDozens feared dead in India at Kumbh Mela religious festivalWednesday is when the sadhus (holy people), all 13 sects of them, take their holy baths in the Ganges.The holy bathing time is at 4am and that is around the time that the crowd crushes are thought to have started. It appears three separate crushes took place, as people surged forward, into groups of people who were sitting or lying on the ground on the banks of the river. Continue reading...

Australian Energy Market Operator also reports coal-fired power plants' contribution fell below 50% for the first time

Albanese government backbenchers among those pushing to add dental to Medicare despite the health minister saying it's not a priority

Man sent coordinates and photo of steering wheel to his girlfriend allowing officers to locate car and rescue himSpanish police have rescued a man who was kidnapped and bundled into the boot of a car after he managed to alert his girlfriend by sending her a photo of the vehicle's steering wheel and a set of coordinates.On 23 January Policia Nacional officers in the Andalucian province of Malaga received a report that a man had been kidnapped two days earlier on the promenade of the town of Sabinillas. The man had been taken by a group of men travelling in two cars who were looking for information on the whereabouts of a third man who had apparently swindled them out of 30,000 (25,000) in a drug deal. Continue reading...

Revenues rise at travel arm, where retailer has shops at transport hubs and hospitals across 32 countries

Government plans to remove legal recognition of gender-based killings in latest attack on women's rightsFemicide will be struck from Argentina's penal code, according to a vow from the administration of Javier Milei, the president. It is his administration's latest attack on women's rights.Mariano Cuneo Libarona, the justice minister, said the government will eliminate the figure of femicide from the Argentine penal code" adding that feminism was a distortion of the concept of equality". Continue reading...

NSW police investigating after explosives found in Dural with premier Chris Minns warning incident could have led to mass casualty event'

John Perumbalath denies allegations by two women from 2023, saying police investigated and took no further actionThe bishop of Liverpool has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by two women.John Perumbalath denies the allegations from 2023, which come months after the Church of England was embroiled in an abuse scandal that triggered the resignation of the archbishop of Canterbury. Continue reading...

Witnesses describe surging crowds that trampled people on the banks of the Ganges as they arrived to bathe on one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu festival

Magistrate allows release of 34-year-old charged with 11 offences related to treatment of her baby daughter

Company apologises over disclosure of information and collection of debts from vulnerable people

Inquiry chair says evidence will make clear the devastating and lasting impact' of Real IRA attack in August 1998The sister of a 23-year-old Spanish visitor killed in the devastating Omagh bomb has said the public inquiry into the atrocity is allowing the family to close a wound that has been open for 26 years".During the opening day of the resumed inquiry, Paloma Abad Ramos told of the mind-blowing shock" she and her family felt in 1998 when they learned the youngest of three daughters, Rocio, had been caught up in a bomb in a foreign country. Continue reading...