Charities urge chancellor to use spring statement to support disabled people through soaring energy prices and increasing fuel and food costsDisabled people will face “impossible choices in order to survive” amid a perfect storm of soaring energy prices, increasing fuel and food costs and cuts to government support, charities warn.As the UK steadies itself for a rise in energy bills next month at the same time as state benefits are cut in real terms, leading disability and poverty charities including Scope, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), Leonard Cheshire, and the MS Society have told the Guardian that disabled people and their families will be put under severe financial pressure. Continue reading...

Retailer backtracks after criticism for ‘reckless’ guidance amid new wave of infections and hospitalisationsWilko has admitted it “got it wrong” for telling staff they could come into work if they tested positive for Covid-19, and apologised after it was criticised for issuing “reckless” guidance amid a new wave of coronavirus infections and hospitalisations.The homeware retailchain, which has 414 stores and 16,000 employees across the UK, sent a memo to staff with guidance on its workplace policy after the government’s relaxation of rules as part of its “living with Covid” plan published last month. Continue reading...

Marina Ovsyannikova expressed deep unease over war in Ukraine before live protest in Channel One news studio

The travel industry has moved quickly to support refugees from Ukraine and British holidaymakers can play a major roleBritish holidaymakers eager to help the people of Ukraine are being urged to book with travel companies that are using their resources to support those fleeing the conflict.Dozens of transport providers, tour operators and accommodation websites have jumped into action. Eurostar is offering unlimited free tickets to Ukrainians travelling from any Eurostar station to the UK, while Wizz Air will provide 100,000 free seats on flights from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to any available destination. Continue reading...

Twenty-five-year-old woman arrested and treated for knife wounds after man, 39, found dead in streetA woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found stabbed to death in the street in Liverpool.The woman, 25, was treated for knife wounds in hospital before being taken into police custody on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

UN says 70% of the population will struggle through the coming season as humanitarian workers are killed and supplies raided

Infighting over preselecting candidates for the federal election previously led to a special committee briefly taking over the NSW branch

Gambling Commission names rival Allwyn as its preferred applicant to take over licenceCamelot is to lose its licence to run the UK national lottery after 28 years as the Gambling Commission named rival Allwyn as its preferred applicant to take over.Allwyn, which is owned by the Czech group Sazka, Europe’s largest lottery operator, is expected to take over from Camelot in 2024. Continue reading...

Police hold fears for a fourth person still missing after an explosion in Newtown that officers believe was deliberateA murder investigation is under way following the deaths of three people in a “cramped, crowded” and “dilapidated” boarding house fire in Sydney’s inner west.Emergency services were called to the fire at the corner of Probert and Albemarle streets in Newtown about 1am on Tuesday after reports of a loud explosion. Three people have been confirmed dead, and police hold fears for a fourth person who is still missing. Continue reading...

British PM hopes to persuade crown prince to raise oil and gas production to reduce reliance on Moscow

Penny Mackieson bonded for two decades with a woman she was told put her up for adoption

Civil society groups call for £3.6bn for insulation, £4bn for heat pumps and return of universal credit upliftThe UK government must urgently bring forward billions of pounds in pledged spending on insulation and heat pumps, and reinstate the universal credit uplift to help poor households cope with soaring energy and food prices, civil society groups have told ministers.Vulnerable households are already facing stark choices between heating and eating, with hardship set to become even worse before next winter as rises in the cost of living bite, fuelled by the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez said ‘there will be more’ after the seizure as the west targets Russia over its invasion of Ukraine

The redevelopment will feature 13,000 sq metres of exhibition space, a rooftop terrace and restaurant

Residential property prices surged 23.7% in 2021, according to the latest ABS report

No-fly zones are used to protect populations but implementing one over Ukraine risks sparking a wider, more dangerous conflict

Jake Sullivan’s Rome meeting with Chinese counterpart left US officials pessimistic about steering Beijing away from backing Moscow

Melbourne-based South Sudanese artist upturns the dehumanising lens of Eurocentric art history with her joyous and vivid workA new $80,000 art prize for Australian women has been awarded to a former refugee whose work – exploding in colour – is a response to colonial oppression.Atong Atem’s vivid photographic portraits have earned her the inaugural La Prairie art award, which will see the Art Gallery of New South Wales spend $50,000 acquiring the artist’s work and fund a $30,000 international residency in Zurich in June, for Atem to attend the Art Basel international art fair. Continue reading...

‘There should have been a steady graduated lifting of the risk mitigation strategies’, says teachers union chief

Analysis: Front line will move into heart of cities unless Ukraine gets more weapons that can target Russian artilleryBurning apartment blocks across Mariupol; shattered buildings in Kharkiv. Film and photographs circulating on Monday show the brutal consequences of Russia’s onslaught in eastern Ukraine, the result of a succession of air, missile and above all artillery strikes that frequently fall on civilian targets.Russian forces are still struggling to capture more of Ukraine’s cities – but while the defending forces are stocked with shoulder-mounted anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, they do not appear to have a counter to the indiscriminate artillery shelling from which civilians are desperate to escape. Continue reading...

Foreign affairs correspondent, Benjamin Hall, injured ‘while newsgathering’ and is hospitalized, says networkA Fox News journalist has been injured outside Kyiv, the network reported on Monday.In a statement sent to its employees on Monday afternoon, Fox News said that its foreign affairs correspondent, Benjamin Hall, “was injured while newsgathering outside of Kyiv in Ukraine. We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds.” Continue reading...

China had denounced reports that Moscow asked for military equipment as ‘malicious disinformation’

Red Cross chief says ‘history is watching’ as UN confirms almost 3 million people have fled country

WikiLeaks founder’s application ‘didn’t raise an arguable point of law’, UK supreme court saysJulian Assange has moved a step closer to a US trial on espionage charges after the UK’s highest court refused to hear his appeal against extradition.The WikiLeaks founder was attempting to appeal against a judgment by the high court in December that ruled he could be extradited after assurances from the US authorities with regard to his prison conditions there. Continue reading...

Members of the Kyiv City Ballet company stranded in France discuss their experience and fears for their homeIvan and Ekaterina Koslov are used to being away from home on tour with the Kyiv City Ballet company. What they are not used to is being stranded in a foreign country unable to return.The couple arrived in Paris on 23 February, with 38 young dancers for a short tour of a children’s version of The Nutcracker. Just hours later Russia invaded Ukraine and all flights to and from Kyiv Airport were immediately halted. Continue reading...

Door security error meant one of country’s largest city libraries was left open for hours, allowing hundreds to browse shelvesAs New Zealand celebrated a national holiday, one of the country’s largest city libraries was closed, with staff and security given the day off. But an error with the automated door programming meant Tūranga’s doors opened to the public as usual – and the unstaffed and unsecured library was happily used by the public, who browsed and checked out books for hours before someone realised the mistake.As well as its books, the library is home to a wide variety of artworks and sculpture – but staff say nothing was stolen, and there were no serious incidents to report. Continue reading...

Court hears that the unnamed 14-year-old threatened to kill the five-year-old child and members of his foster familyA teenager who is among three people accused of murdering a five-year-old boy had a “desire for violence” and threatened to kill the child and members of his foster family, a jury has been told.The 14-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, also used to “poke, pinch and kick” his social worker and would swear violently at her to try to aggravate her, the court heard. Continue reading...

IOPC launches investigation into shooting of Sean Fitzgerald during West Midlands police raid in 2019A police firearms officer is being investigated for potential homicide offences after an unarmed man was shot dead.Sean Fitzgerald, who was 31, was shot dead in January 2019 as he fled from a house in Coventry during an intelligence-planned raid by West Midlands police officers. Fitzgerald died after receiving a single gunshot wound to the chest. Continue reading...

Analysis: UK PM to try and succeed where Biden has failed but states are not jumping to increase oil production for the west

Car manufacturer also to build battery gigafactory in Turkey and phase out emissions from vans by 2035Ford has accelerated its electric vehicle plans for Europe, launching seven new models, announcing a battery gigafactory in Turkey, doubling investment in Germany and the phasing out emissions from vans by 2035.The US manufacturer had previously pledged to make all cars in Europe electric by 2030 but had not set an end date for commercial vehicles. The move casts further doubt on the future of Ford’s Dagenham plant in the UK, which makes diesel engines for Transit vans. Continue reading...

Diesel rationing a possibility after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Treasury select committee told

Sami Chokri says high court proceedings have been ‘the most horrible weeks of my life’Ed Sheeran “belittled” a songwriter who accused him of ripping off his song in the 2017 hit Shape of You, the high court has heard.Sami Chokri said he was hurt by the tone of Sheeran’s lawyers’ emails after he noticed similarities between his song Oh Why and Sheeran’s Shape of You. Continue reading...

With bidding still open, fundraiser whose lots include the chance to appear in books by Lenny Henry and Peter James and lunch with Jeremy Bowen has raised £37,000An auction of signed books, experiences and mentoring sessions from the British literary community to raise money for Ukraine has raised £37,000 in its first week.Lots include lunch at the Ritz with Pillars of the Earth author Ken Follett, the chance to name characters in new books coming from crime writer Peter James and comedian Lenny Henry, a signed, limited edition of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl’s memoir, and a 1945 first edition of Nancy Mitford’s novel The Pursuit of Love. Douglas Stuart is offering two tickets to the launch event in April for his new novel, Young Mungo, along with a signed, dedicated first edition of the novel, his hotly anticipated follow-up to his 2020 Booker prize-winning debut, Shuggie Bain. Continue reading...

The alleged perpetrator also wrote on the New York Post’s site that his victims were ‘in on the backstabbing’Police in New York were on Monday still looking for a suspect who stabbed two employees at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on Saturday, after being denied entry due to a revoked membership.The suspect, whom police identified as Gary Cabana, 60, was seen on surveillance video jumping over a reception desk and stabbing two employees, the New York Times reported. Continue reading...

Judge imposes nine-month sentence on Jasmine York after she was convicted for arson during protestsA judge has jailed a woman for the part she played in last year’s Bristol riot despite hearing she had mental health issues and had run out of medication.Jasmine York, 26, was given a nine-month sentence for pushing a bin into a burning police car during the disturbance, which followed a “kill the bill” protest. Continue reading...

Judges in Belfast dismiss appeal by unionists and say post-Brexit trade deal does not violate Acts of UnionThe Northern Ireland protocol of Brexit is not “simple or straightforward” but it is lawful, the court of appeal in Belfast has ruled.Northern Ireland’s lord chief justice, Dame Siobhan Keegan, along with two other judges in the court, concluded that the protocol had not illegally trumped the Acts of Union 1800, which established Northern Ireland’s place in the UK, or elements of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the peace deal that year. Continue reading...

Young fundraisers praised for their creativity and drive as they try to help children affected by war

Health secretary says jump in cases to be expected after scrapping of rules, but UK is in ‘good position’Britons should brace for a rise in Covid infections after the easing of restrictions, the health secretary has said, as the latest figures show rates are increasing as people socialise more.Sajid Javid said the UK remained in a “very good position” but rising infection rates were to be “expected”. To reduce the risk of serious infection, he urged adults eligible for a booster vaccine to have one, given that one in five had not yet received it. Continue reading...

Water firms commit to improving sewage discharge practices after government pressureSevern Trent and Anglian Water say they will accelerate efforts to protect rivers after the government and regulators called on the sector to do more.Last month, the environment minister Rebecca Pow called on water companies to significantly improve their practices in England and Wales to support the local environment. Continue reading...

With 2021’s races held behind closed doors, locals are welcoming this year’s festival with fervourOn the sort of crisp, bright day that Cheltenham festival regulars love, artists Emily Johnson and Andy Owen-Smith were to be found in a gallery in the Montpellier area of the Regency town, putting the final touches to an exhibition celebrating the power of the horse and the hustle and bustle of race day.“There’s real sense of excitement in Cheltenham,” said Johnson. “I’ve been dropping off flyers in the hotels and they are all packed.” Owen-Smith agreed: “I think there’s pent-up demand for the festival; the town can’t wait for it.” Continue reading...

Prime minister to host summit of Joint Expeditionary Force as he seeks to bolster European resilienceBoris Johnson is preparing to embark on a series of meetings with Nordic and Baltic leaders as he seeks to bolster European resilience after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The prime minister will host a summit of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in London, where he will urge leaders to work together to ensure no further nations fall victim to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s aggression, No 10 said. Continue reading...

Taoiseach Micheál Martin says there is an increasing view in Northern Ireland that agreement is workingBoris Johnson has told the Irish premier that “significant changes” are still needed with the controversial Northern Ireland protocol – after the taoiseach said there is an increasing view that it is working.The prime minister met taoiseach Micheál Martin in London where the pair discussed Ukraine and the protocol before watching Ireland beat England in the Six Nations at Twickenham. Continue reading...

Since the Ukraine crisis began, the prime minister’s net approval ratings have improved – but from very low levelsA majority of voters still want to see Boris Johnson resign despite the crisis over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.There has been a significant fall in the proportion of voters who want the prime minister to stand aside. However, the new poll showed that 53% still wanted to see him go – down 10 points since January. Continue reading...

Sister of singer Toni Braxton who had hits with Last Call and Broken Things was suffering from esophageal cancerThe singer Traci Braxton, who featured with her family in the reality television series Braxton Family Values, died on Saturday. She was 50.Her sister, Toni Braxton, and family said Braxton died “this morning as the snow was falling”. According to reports, Traci Braxton had esophageal cancer. Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskiy reveals that at least 1,300 Ukrainian troops have died as French and German talks with Vladimir Putin fail

Ukrainian troops with anti-tank weapons set ambushes, while their enemy slowly encircles cities to besiege them

A first-hand account of the Russian occupation of the city by two female journalists

Katharine Birbalsingh tells school leaders’ conference ‘all the problems start on smartphones’Schools and parents can improve the social mobility of disadvantaged children by restricting access to smartphones, the chair of the government’s social mobility commission has said.Katharine Birbalsingh told the Association of School and College Leaders annual conference: “If we genuinely want things to be fairer, and we want our disadvantaged children to be socially mobile, the best thing I can do for them is getting them not to have a smartphone.” Continue reading...

German chancellor Olaf Scholz and French president Emmanuel Macron called for an immediate ceasefire on call