World news | The Guardian

The attacks on female students – called an act of ‘biological terrorism’ – are thought to be retaliation for protests against hijabs in the countryIranian authorities have confirmed they are investigating reports that several schoolgirls have been poisoned as “revenge” for the role young women played in recent protests against the mandatory hijab.Iran’s deputy education minister, Younes Panahi, told reporters yesterday: “After the poisoning of several students in [the city of] Qom … it was found that some people wanted all schools, especially girls’ schools, to be closed.” Continue reading...

Action on 15 March likely to coincide with PCS strike, taking number of civil servants participating above 100,000Tens of thousands of public sector workers will strike on 15 March and work to rule indefinitely after voting overwhelmingly for industrial action over pay.The civil service members of Prospect union work for organisations such as the Met Office, Health and Safety Executive and Natural England. Continue reading...

Occupant of flat above shop says crash involving two police vehicles was ‘like a bomb’ going offA collision involving two police cars has caused major structural damage to a parade of shops in Bradford, with one resident describing it as “like a bomb” going off.Pictures and video show the ground and first floors of the shops in Frizinghall extensively damaged after the incident on Monday morning. Continue reading...

Consumers will pay more because 1 April is also date for reduction of government support

Tinubu appears on course for victory despite Labour candidate Peter Obi taking Lagos in surprise resultEarly results in Nigeria’s presidential and parliamentary elections have put the ruling party’s candidate well ahead, but also revealed a surprise victory for the outsider Peter Obi in Lagos, the country’s biggest city and commercial powerhouse.Analysts speak of a “bellwether” election that could be a crucial turning point for Nigeria after several years of worsening insecurity and acute economic troubles. Many believe a credible poll and progress in tackling the country’s multiple problems are key to stability across a swath of Africa. Continue reading...

Birkenhead outsider art flat is up for auction but campaigners set hopes on rich benefactor or institutionCampaigners say the clock is ticking to prevent an extraordinary palace of outsider art created in a ground floor flat in Birkenhead from being lost forever.“Ron’s Place” is a one-of-a-kind property that stops you in your tracks because its former tenant, the late Ron Gittins, spent three decades obsessively decorating it in a manner no one else would. Continue reading...

Government terrorism laws reviewer Jonathan Hall KC joins growing number of voices opposing exclusionA top government terrorism adviser is to say that Shamima Begum should be allowed to return to the UK, as the number of expert voices opposing her exclusion from Britain grows.Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, will say in a speech on Monday that Begum, who fled her east London home aged 15 to join Islamic State (IS) in Syria, could still pose a risk even though she is oversees and that “repatriation, if it took place, should not be confused with moral absolution”. Continue reading...

Reza Pahlavi, whose father was deposed in 1979, urges west to give active support and proscribe Revolutionary GuardsThe Iranian revolution is at a do-or-die moment, requiring western governments to give their full, active support or risk seeing the movement’s impact wane, Reza Pahlavi, the oldest son of the former Shah of Iran who was deposed in 1979, has said in a Guardian interview.Pahlavi said there were signs that if the west imposed maximum pressure, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and some reformist politicians would desert the regime. Continue reading...

Lawyers for Sudanese man launching action say questionnaire being circulated to 12,000 asylum seekers is discriminatory

Labour leader tells business leaders he is determined ‘to fix the fundamentals’ of the British economy

First female speaker of the House of Commons was ‘one of a kind’, says Sir Lindsay Hoyle• Betty Boothroyd obituaryBetty Boothroyd, the first female speaker of the House of Commons, has died, aged 93.Lady Boothroyd, a former Labour MP, was speaker from 1992 until her retirement in 2000, and was the first person to be elected to the role after the Commons debates started being permanently televised in 1989. Continue reading...

In industry first, Melbourne Theatre Company has formed an advisory council of artists including Zoë Coombs Marr, Tony Briggs and Patricia Cornelius

Some clinics not accepting the gold card that entitles war veterans to free healthcare as rebates fail to keep up with cost of delivering care

Nuclear subs are the first ‘pillar’ of Aukus, but defence experts are pointing to the second pillar – hypersonic weapons, AI and drones

NT Racing Commission vows to continue its own low-tech system unless changes are made to federal government’s BetStop scheme

National science agency warns of a ‘post-antibiotic world’ in 2050, marked by declines in lifespan, quality of life and livestock production

Allies for Uluru to act as ‘conduit’ for organisations to support yes campaign, and include Fred Hollows Foundation and Oxfam

Two-part special will feature previously unreleased interviews with late television presenterThe life of Paula Yates, the television presenter who died at the age of 41, is to be the subject of a two-part documentary for Channel 4.The programmes will centre on four “extraordinarily compelling” interviews with Yates, recorded in 1998 and 1999 shortly before her death and have never been heard before. Continue reading...

Group says it used drones to hit early warning aircraft at Machulishchy airfield 12km from Minsk

Former minister speaks out as Rishi Sunak prepares to meet Ursula von der Leyen for ‘final talks’• UK politics live – latest news updatesThe former Northern Ireland secretary, Theresa Villiers, has said it is “crucial parliament has a vote” on the much-anticipated deal to end the dispute with the EU over post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland.Villiers was speaking hours before the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, was due to meet Rishi Sunak for what No 10 has billed “final talks” over a revised Northern Ireland protocol pact. Continue reading...

Oleksandra Matviichuk says putting Russians on trial for crime of aggression may prevent further atrocities

Associated British Foods says six-month figures helped by stronger-than-expected clothing performanceThe owner of the clothing retailer Primark said annual profits would be higher than previously expected after Britons started shopping early for the summer and as inflation eased.Associated British Foods (ABF) said people were planning for their holidays despite the cost of living crisis, with strong sales of luggage and beachwear. Continue reading...

Remains of wooden boat are strewn along Calabrian coast alongside passengers’ belongingsRescuers have recovered two more bodies from the sea after a wooden sailing boat believed to be carrying refugees wrecked against the coast of Italy’s Calabria region, taking the death toll to 62.The bodies of many victims, including children, were found washed up on a tourist beach in Steccato di Cutro, while others were found at sea, after the tragedy early on Sunday. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor says Coalition will fight any changes but Tasmanian MP Bridget Archer says we should not ‘shy away from having a conversation’

Hearing into Labor’s changes to the scheme told a 75% reduction in methane was possible using commercially competitive existing technology

Former staffer to the human services minister unable to say what action he took over a review that raised issues with the scheme

First female leader of Democratic party promises it will become ‘a problem’ for Gigoria Meloni’s far-right governmentItaly’s most prominent leftwing party has elected its first female leader.Elly Schlein, 37, defied poll projections and beat Stefano Bonaccini in the leadership race for the Democratic party (PD) on Sunday. Continue reading...

Police chiefs say delays in charging suspects are leading to backlogs of cases and guilty walking free

Freedom of information responses reveal damning findings of internal investigations into power cuts at Harmondsworth in 2022A catalogue of maintenance failures over more than a decade caused power cuts that triggered disturbances at Europe’s largest immigration detention centre last year, the Guardian has learned.The disturbances at Harmondsworth, the 676-bed centre near Heathrow, led to elite prison squads and the Metropolitan police being called to the scene to quell the protest. As a result of the power failure the centre had to be closed for several weeks and detainees relocated to other detention centres and prisons around the UK.No evidence of maintenance of air circuit breakers since installation and one had been tripping multiple times since June 2022Some equipment still at risk of failure because it is obsolete and no longer manufacturedSwitching strategy on some equipment not operational since 2008/9Excessive heat buildup in the electrical switch room Continue reading...

Takeover of collapsed company revives hopes for the construction of a £3.8bn ‘gigafactory’ in northern EnglandThe Australia-based company Recharge Industries will take over collapsed battery maker Britishvolt after finalising a deal with administrators late on Sunday in the UK.The agreement revives hopes for the construction of a £3.8bn (A$6.7bn) “gigafactory” in northern England, the backbone of a plan to modernise the British automotive industry and supply the next generation of UK-built electric vehicles. Continue reading...

Alessandra Sampaio preparing to visit remote area where husband and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were murdered last yearThe widow of British journalist Dom Phillips has spoken of her desire to raise awareness of the urgent and complex crisis facing the Amazon as she prepared to visit the remote jungle region where he was murdered last year with the Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.Alessandra Sampaio will travel to the Javari valley region on Monday with a delegation of Brazilian ministers, officials and activists as well as the British ambassador Stephanie Al-Qaq. Continue reading...

Eastern Front, shown at the Berlin film festival, offers an uncensored view from the frontline of conflictA frontline paramedic volunteer in eastern Ukraine who has made a documentary about the gruesome everyday reality of his battalion’s work has said he wanted to offer an uncensored view from the heart of the conflict in order to “wake up the world”.Yevhen Titarenko, a film director who has been part of a volunteer medical battalion, the Hospitallers, since 2014, said viewers may find his film Shidniy Front (Eastern Front) hard to watch but he believed it was a necessary means to tell the truth. Continue reading...

Barrister for NT police says force is ‘extremely concerned’ by 2,500 word statement by Rolfe, who was acquitted of all charges in relation to shooting of Kumanjayi Walker

Critics say energy giant’s windfall gain from price rises in wake of invasion of Ukraine will likely prove short-lived as markets accelerate shift to renewables

Research on justice and support systems says current approach creates further trauma, resulting in lifelong consequences

Exclusive: Officer’s submission to state’s youth crime bill describes adult prisoners exposing themselves to children and imitating sex acts

Newspoll shows primary support for Labor down four points since September, to 36%, with Coalition up two points to 37%

Little progress made within NHS since devastating 2017 report raised concerns, says health ombudsmanUrgent action is needed to prevent people dying from eating disorders, the parliamentary and health service ombudsman for England has warned, as he said those affected are being “repeatedly failed”.The NHS needs a “complete culture change” in how it approaches the condition, while ministers must make it a “key priority”, according to Rob Behrens. Continue reading...

European Commission chief heading to Britain for ‘final talks’ over Northern Ireland protocolRishi Sunak is to hold a Brexit summit with the president of the European Commission on Monday to sign off a revised deal on the Northern Ireland protocol.In what could be the most perilous week of his political life, the prime minister will meet Ursula von der Leyen in the early afternoon for what No 10 billed as “final talks”. Continue reading...

Bangkok to Melbourne flight diverted on Sunday morning with passengers moved to replacement plane after electrical fault found

Patrols dispatched to frontier as migration minister calls for fences and surveillance as well as aid to preempt migrationGreece has reinforced border controls along its land and sea frontier with Turkey amid expectations of a new wave of arrivals by people displaced in the earthquakes that have devastated south-east Turkey and northern Syria.Hundreds of extra border guards began patrolling the Greek-Turkish land frontier in the Evros region at the weekend as contingency measures were stepped up to stave off the expected flows. Continue reading...

Jordan hosts first such high-level talks in years aimed at defusing tensions in region before RamadanIsraeli and Palestinian security chiefs have met in Jordan for the first such high-level talks in years aimed at defusing tensions in the volatile region ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, which it is feared could act as the catalyst for a wider escalation.In a joint statement released at the close of the summit in the port city of Aqaba on Sunday, which was also attended by US, Jordanian and Egyptian officials, Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) expressed “readiness and commitment to work immediately” to prevent further violence. Continue reading...

Boat believed to be bringing refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan struck rocks off coast of CalabriaFifty-nine people, including a newborn baby and other children, have died after a wooden sailing boat believed to be carrying refugees crashed against rocks off the coast of Italy’s Calabria region.Many of the bodies were reported to have washed up on a tourist beach near Steccato di Cutro, while others were found at sea. Continue reading...

Firm set for clash with investors over possible payout to Bernard Looney from three-year share award planBP is set for a clash with investors after it emerged that its chief executive could be in line for a special bonus of up to £11.4m. The payment, in shares, would be on top of his £1.38m salary and annual bonus for 2022.Strong growth in BP’s share price means Bernard Looney is set for a multimillion-pound payout from a three-year share award plan set up in 2020, when countries around the world were in lockdown and the company was cutting jobs amid a global collapse in demand for oil. Continue reading...

Police have repeatedly warned against vigilantism but there are growing concerns that recent heightened debate might increase risk

Lack of timely and affordable medical care is exacerbating chronic health issues and causing mental distress among veterans, advocate says

Comments follow outcry after rival Kate Forbes said she would not have supported equal marriage legislationSomeone who would vote against equal marriage should not be first minister of Scotland, and could not be trusted to fight subsequent attempts to roll back rights, the SNP leadership candidate Humza Yousaf has said.His closest rival, Kate Forbes, caused an outcry last week when she revealed she would not have supported the Scottish government’s equal marriage legislation had she been an MSP at the time, and one of the party’s most prominent LGBTQ+ politicians this weekend said scrutiny of such views should not be dismissed as “abuse”. Continue reading...

Crusading pathologist Raquel Fortun finds evidence of multiple murder at the direction of ‘a madman’ in the exhumed remains of young FilipinosIt was in an old university stockroom, with wooden tables salvaged from a junkyard, that Raquel Fortun began to investigate the merciless crackdown launched under the former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.Fortun, one of only two forensic pathologists in the country, has now spent more than 18 months examining the exhumed remains of dozens of victims of the so-called “war on drugs”, revealing serious irregularities in how their postmortems were performed – including multiple death certificates that wrongly attributed fatalities to natural causes. Continue reading...

Justice secretary and deputy PM says he will resign if allegation of bullying civil servants is upheldDominic Raab has confirmed he will resign from government if an inquiry into his conduct concludes he bullied civil servants, as alleged by a series of officials.“If an allegation of bullying is upheld, I would resign,” the justice secretary and deputy prime minister told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday. Raab has denied any bullying or other mistreatment of staff. Continue reading...

Landmark judgment by family court president Sir Andrew McFarlane confirms anyone can use the title ‘psychologist’.England’s most senior family court judge has advised there is a “need for rigour” and “clarity” when instructing psychologists to give expert evidence – but has stopped short of saying the family courts should never appoint those who are “unregulated”.Instead Sir Andrew McFarlane claims it is a matter for the psychological profession, and ultimately parliament, whether a “tighter regime should be imposed” on what he has described as a “confusing system”. Continue reading...