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Girl and boy, both 15, remanded into custody charged over death of transgender 16-year-oldTwo 15-year-olds have been remanded into custody after being charged with the murder of the transgender girl Brianna Ghey.Brianna, 16, was found stabbed to death in a Warrington park on Saturday afternoon. Police have said a few lines of inquiry are being pursued, including whether it was a hate crime. Continue reading...

One teacher accused of cutting hair of at least 100 students after relaxing of regulations last monthActivists in Thailand have called for clearer guidance and enforcement to stop the use of humiliating punishment haircuts in schools, after a teacher was accused of cutting the hair of at least 100 students as they sat in rows on the floor.For decades, students in Thailand have had to comply with strict rules regarding the length and style of their hair. Last month, however, in response to growing protests from young people, the ministry of education revoked its hair regulations, saying schools could instead develop their own policies. Continue reading...

Revelation shows dangers posed by bad actors and paid operatives in democratic systems across Africa

Outage causes flight delays and cancellations after cables damaged during construction workThousands of passengers worldwide have been stranded after an IT fault at Germany’s flagship carrier Lufthansa caused flight delays and disruption at airlines across the group.The company said the problem was caused by damage to several of Deutsche Telekom’s glass-fibre cables during construction work in Frankfurt. Repairs would take until Wednesday afternoon, Lufthansa said. Continue reading...

The 15% fall in profits follows costs of US trading blunder and money being put aside for defaults by borrowersBarclays staff will share £1.2bn in bonuses this year despite a 15% drop in the bank’s annual profits, having been hit by the costs of a US trading blunder and more money being put aside for a potential jump in defaults by borrowers.The bank revealed in its annual report on Wednesday that its staff bonus pool would go relatively untouched, with top performers to share £1.2bn between themselves for their work in 2022. That is down only 3% compared with last year. Including deferred bonuses, the pool was down 8% at £1.8bn. Continue reading...

Mining and commodities firm’s pre-tax profit climbed 60% to £28.2bn last year, up £10.6bn from 2021Glencore will give almost £6bn to shareholders after the mining and commodities company reported record pre-tax profits of more than £28bn in 2022, boosted by rocketing oil and coal prices.The Switzerland-based group, one of the largest companies listed on London’s FTSE 100 by market capitalisation, announced a payout of £5.9bn ($7.1bn) to shareholders, including dividends and a new £1.2bn share buyback programme. Continue reading...

Search under way for pair who fell into a large cavern – or stope – at the zinc mine in Dugald River near Mount Isa

Rachid M’Barki, one of channel’s longest-serving hosts, suspended during inquiry into news packages linked to ‘Team Jorge’France’s most-watched news channel, the 24-hour BFMTV, has suspended one of its longest-serving presenters and launched an internal investigation into news packages linked to an Israeli disinformation unit calling itself “Team Jorge”.Rachid M’Barki, an anchor at BFMTV since its launch in 2005, is on leave and at the centre of the inquiry into multiple stories broadcast on his show, Le journal de la nuit. Continue reading...

Moody’s says outlook for UK’s fifth-largest supermarket, which is £7.5bn in debt, has shifted to negativeMorrisons’ credit rating has been downgraded after the supermarket reported poor sales and profits in the latest blow for the UK’s fifth-largest supermarket.Moody’s, the credit rating agency, said the outlook for Morrisons’ ability to repay its £7.5bn of debts had shifted to negative from stable and its existing junk rating knocked down one notch, from B1 to B2, indicating higher risk. Continue reading...

UK defence secretary acknowledges he faces uphill battle in seeking £11bn increase ahead of March budgetNegotiations with the Treasury over public spending levels are always an uphill battle, the defence secretary has said, amid reports he is looking for up to an £11bn increase in defence spending.Ben Wallace admitted soaring inflation was hitting the Ministry of Defence’s real-terms budget particularly hard, but dismissed suggestions he would resign if the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, refused to provide the increase he was looking for. Continue reading...

Bundeena residents spotted snake slithering on their balcony before calling firefightersA two-metre diamond python has been removed from a home in Sydney’s south after the homeowners spotted the serpent on their balcony.The Bundeena residents had suspected something was wrong when they noticed their local ringtail possums were not around. Continue reading...

This online tool will help you discover what is contributing to your household’s cost of living increasesInflation is soaring in the UK as people are hit by higher prices for everyday essentials.Now in double digits, the latest inflation rate for the 12 months to January 2023 means that goods and services cost over 10.1% more than they did a year ago – in most cases, surpassing any pay rises workers can expect to receive. Continue reading...

Uluru statement signatory Barb Shaw joins lobbying effort in Canberra as yes and no referendum advocates visit Parliament House

Annastacia Palaszczuk says bill to create truth telling and healing inquiry will be introduced next week

Hollie Hughes says she is surprised only 10,000 people had abandoned Sky Muster as NBN executives face Senate estimates

Exclusive: Whitehall officials planning strategy to tackle disruption to global supply chains in the aftermath of an attackWhitehall officials have strategised a series of scenarios about the economic fallout that could follow if China were to invade Taiwan, sources have told the Guardian.Concerns about the major disruption to global supply chains and consequences of any coordinated western response have been examined by civil servants as part of what is said to be routine “forward-scanning” exercises. Continue reading...

Experts say small far-right group capitalising on local opposition to refugees and trying to co-opt anti-migrant campaignsFar-right activists, emboldened by riots outside a hotel near Liverpool accommodating refugees, have been targeting community and other campaign groups to try to exploit local tensions in Britain.The most active group is Patriotic Alternative, which grew out of splits in the BNP and other groups, led by a digital savvy younger generation seeking to present themselves as a “white pride” organisation concerned with the environment and heritage. Continue reading...

BoM forecasts parts of the country will reach the high 30s and low 40s on Thursday

High-end grocer to reduce prices of hundreds of items in its Essential range by average of 14%It has long had the reputation as Britain’s most luxurious supermarket.But even Waitrose customers are being squeezed by the cost of living crisis, leading to the store slashing the prices of some of its own-brand basics. Continue reading...

The Philippines accused a Chinese coastguard ship of directing a ‘military-grade laser light’ at one of its vessels, temporarily blinding a crew memberPhilippine president Ferdinand Marcos has summoned the Chinese ambassador to express serious concern over the “increasing frequency and intensity of actions” by China against Philippine vessels.The meeting came a day after the Philippines accused a Chinese coastguard ship of directing a “military-grade laser light” at one of its vessels, temporarily blinding a crew member and disrupting a mission in the South China Sea. Continue reading...

Human Rights Watch also demands trial for ‘appalling colonial crime’ of expulsion – and continuing ill treatment – of ChagossiansThe UK should pay full and unconditional reparations to generations affected by its forcible displacement of Chagos Islands inhabitants in the 1960s and 70s, an action that constituted a crime against humanity, Human Rights Watch has said.The NGO said that individuals should be put on trial for the expulsion of Chagossians when the UK retained possession of what it refers to as British Indian Ocean Territory, or BIOT, after Mauritius gained independence in 1968. Continue reading...

US officials who tracked balloon from launch on Hainan island reportedly examining possibility that unusual weather took it over North AmericaThe US is reportedly examining the possibility that the Chinese spy balloon was pushed off course by strong winds when it entered US airspace, having tracked it since its launch days earlier.Of the four flying objects shot down by the US in recent weeks, only the first has been attributed to Chinese surveillance efforts. The balloon took off from China’s Hainan island, before travelling on a path which appeared to go over Guam, according to the Washington Post on Tuesday. It then took an “unexpected” turn to the north, the report said, citing anonymous US officials. After it entered Canadian airspace, strong winds blew it south over the border, the Post reported. Continue reading...

North Island wakes to devastation, as flood waters continue to rise, hundreds rescued from rooftops and more than 10,000 people displacedNew Zealand was attempting to come to grips with the extent of destruction from Cyclone Gabrielle, as the severe weather system moves away from the country, leaving behind high flood waters, widespread damage, more than 10,000 displaced and at least four dead, including one child.Police have received more than 1440 reports of missing people, and while they expect many of those people to be found, prime minister Chris Hipkins said on Wednesday evening that “there are several people missing for whom the police do hold grave concerns”. Continue reading...

Neurosurgeon says he was acting in patients’ best interests and suggests complaints were prompted from within the medical system

Labor government blames Coalition for cutting the agency’s workforce by around 13% from 2016 levels

Number of students in independent sector grew 25% in last decade while overall rate of year 12 completion fell last year

Inflation is dangerous, corrosive and hurts people, RBA governor tells Senate estimates

Buoyed by a welcome return of international acts, the 70th Perth festival soars as artists dream of new worlds

Sixty-year-old former Richmond AFL player vehemently denies police accusations

Keir Starmer says party heading in right direction but there is still work to do, 18 months after watchdog’s reportLabour has been taken out of special measures by the equalities watchdog, with Keir Starmer hailing progress in tackling antisemitism as a watershed moment for the party.In a speech on Wednesday, Starmer will herald the party’s progress while saying there is still significant work to be done. Continue reading...

Theatre operators and producers changing marketing strategy as rowdy behaviour escalatesPopular musicals will be told to avoid phrases such as “best party in town” and “dancing in the aisles” after growing reports of rowdy and abusive behaviour from audiences.Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), the largest theatre operator in the UK, is working with producers to temper any ad campaigns that could encourage bad behaviour, the Stage reported. Continue reading...

Human Rights Act could be key factor in appeal against the release of a group of youths in Townsville

A pre-Super Bowl ad promoting ‘novelty bet’ markets on Rihanna’s halftime show is part of a trial on the social media platform

Crown, made for 1911 coronation, will be modified for queen consort and not feature the Koh-i-Noor diamondThe queen consort is to wear a recycled crown for the coronation that will not feature the Koh-i-Noor diamond, Buckingham Palace has announnced.Camilla will wear a modified version of Queen Mary’s crown, made by Garrard’s for the 1911 coronation and commissioned by Queen Mary, the consort of George V. Continue reading...

The victim, who was in her 70s, died in Darwin from the mosquito-borne virus for which there is no cure or vaccine

Kyiv denies retreat imminent as Kremlin throws troops at capturing city before one-year anniversary of war

Searches come weeks after release of documentary critical of PM that was later blocked by governmentBBC offices in India have been raided by tax department officials, just weeks after the release of a documentary critical of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, which was later blocked by the government.According to those working at the broadcaster, more than a dozen officials from the country’s income tax department turned up at the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai, where hundreds of employees are based, to conduct a “survey”. Documents and phones of several journalists were taken and the offices sealed. Continue reading...

Jens Stoltenberg urges members to ramp up production for Ukraine, saying Russian leader ‘is preparing for more war’

Authorities in French capital also want more affordable housing for working- and middle-class familiesParis authorities have proposed to combat the population drain from the French capital by pushing for higher taxes on second-home owners and introducing more affordable social housing for working- and middle-class families.The city’s population has dropped by more than 123,000 in the last decade, with many leaving in search of cheaper housing and green spaces, according to official figures. France’s statistics agency, Insee, says Paris is losing about 12,400 people a year and the city population – now at about 2.1 million – is at its lowest for 20 years. Continue reading...

Two-year-old local news startup had heady plans when founded, but now trims jobs while execs snipe at workers on TwitterNearly two years ago, a journalism startup made bold promises to reshape community news in Canada, announcing plans to hire more than 200 journalists and open 50 new publications across the country.But this month, as they culled nearly half the staff from their most successful publication, executives from the Overstory media group admitted that – despite the cascade of recent failures across the industry – they had thought turning a profit in local journalism would be “a lot simpler”. The job cuts have raised larger questions over the company’s future, and about that of alternative models of experimental journalism. Continue reading...

Michael Lawrence convicted of failing to maintain lookout and safe speed over Southampton Water incidentA speedboat pilot has been found not guilty of manslaughter after a crash with a buoy killed a teenage passenger.Emily Lewis, 15, sustained fatal injuries after the rigid inflatable boat (rib) collided with the 4.5-metre-high buoy at 36.6 knots in Southampton Water on 22 August 2020, with a number of other passengers seriously injured. Continue reading...

More than 500 people in Lostwithiel take part in music video to try to find doctor to join local practicePeople in the beautiful Cornish town of Lostwithiel have turned to song in a desperate effort to recruit a new doctor.More than 500 people, young and old (some musically gifted, others not) have appeared in a pop video urging a GP to join a local practice. Continue reading...

Squeeze on households continues as pay growth suffers one of its largest falls since records began in 2001More working days were lost to strike action last year than at any time since 1989, according to official figures that also show wage growth failed to keep pace with inflation amid the biggest real-terms fall on record.The figures from the Office for National Statistics provide more evidence for the squeeze on households amid the cost of living crisis. Continue reading...

FCA finds company put customers at high risk of harm by failing to assess whether they could repay loansThe sub-prime lender Amigo has dodged a £73m fine despite having put consumers at a “high risk” of harm, amid fears that the financial penalty could have led to its collapse.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) investigation found Amigo put business interests ahead of its customers’, by failing to assess properly whether customers, or their guarantors, could afford to repay loans they applied for – noting faults in both its automated tech and human oversight between November 2018 and March 2020. Continue reading...

US carmaker blames losses on rising costs and need to switch to electric vehicle productionFord is cutting nearly 4,000 jobs across Europe, including 1,300 in the UK, over the next three years amid plans to reinvent the brand and focus on a smaller range of electric vehicles.The US carmaker said it planned to eliminate 3,800 product development and administration jobs in Europe, citing rising costs and the need to speed up its switch from internal combustion engine to electric vehicles. Continue reading...

Authorities are requesting public assistance to locate the three men who told authorities their boat capsized while fishing

We haven’t touched the taste, only the packaging, promises owner Coca-ColaThe soft drink Lilt has vanished from the UK after 48 years and has been rebranded as a new type of Fanta.The tangy drink was launched in 1975 with the strapline “the totally tropical taste” and was sold only in the UK, Ireland, Gibraltar and Seychelles. Continue reading...

In letters tendered at inquiry, Folbigg also wrote she got a ‘raw deal’ after being convicted of murdering three children

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Federal emergency management minister Murray Watt criticises state cabinet over relief program