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Victoria also recorded its highest daily coronavirus case total in five weeks as the more-infectious Omicron subvariant spreads

Promise of ‘light touch’ checks prompts fears traffickers could see arrival of mostly women and children as opportunity

Rebel enclave hopes global outcry against Russia, the Syrian regime’s main backer, will renew interest in their causeThousands of protesters in the rebel enclave of Idlib have marked 11 years since the start of Syria’s anti-government uprising, buoyed up by the global outcry over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.More than 5,000 people gathered on the main square in the north-western city on Tuesday in one of the largest rallies the region had seen in months. Many demonstrators hoped the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the Syrian government’s main backer, would rekindle interest in their cause. Continue reading...

British-Iranian woman has endured almost unbearable psychological stress since her arrest at Tehran airport in April 2016In White Torture, a book about the horror of solitary confinement in Iranian jails, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe recalled her first night in jail following her arrest at Tehran airport on 3 April 2016.“The first night of detention I did not know where I was,” she explained. “I don’t remember what happened or what I did. I was shocked. I didn’t know why it had happened. No one gave me any explanations. Nobody told me why they were treating me like that, why they took my child away from me or where I was. The interrogation began.” Continue reading...

Former management for Sami Chokri allegedly made ‘huge effort’ to bring song Oh Why to singer’s notice, court hearsEd Sheeran was targeted with a “concerted plan” to secure his interest in a songwriter who later accused him of copying one of his songs, the high court has been told.The former management company for Sami Chokri, a grime artist who performs under the name Sami Switch, allegedly made a “huge effort” to bring the 2015 song Oh Why to Sheeran’s notice, the copyright trial heard on Tuesday. Continue reading...

The bright yellow Troxler density and moisture gauge was stolen from a van 25km south of MadridSpain’s Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) has appealed for people to be on the lookout for a soil-testing kit containing radioactive material that was stolen from a van in the Madrid region.In a statement released on Tuesday, the CSN said it had been notified of the theft of the bright yellow Troxler density and moisture gauge, which was taken after the van’s rear door was forced open in the town of Humanes, 25km south of the capital. Continue reading...

Labour leader warns about replacing dependence on Russia with reliance on Saudis, as PM prepares for Gulf visitKeir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of “going cap in hand from dictator to dictator,” as the prime minister prepares to fly to Saudi Arabia to seek alternatives to Russian oil supplies.Johnson has a personal relationship with the Saudi leader, Mohammed bin Salman, and government sources suggest he could help persuade the Saudis to increase oil production. The prime minister defended the trip on Tuesday, saying he had to build a coalition of countries to help the west reduce its dependence on Vladimir Putin, likening the Russian leader to a drug dealer who had got the west hooked on his hydrocarbons.

Alice Springs mass poisoning claimed two lives and left many in hospital but remains unsolved, showing challenges of verifying frontier killings

Full House and America’s Funniest Home Videos star died from accidental blow to the head, medical examiner concludedFractures around Bob Saget’s eye sockets and bleeding around his brain were possibly caused by the comedian hitting “something hard, covered by something soft”, such as a carpeted floor, according to a report released on Tuesday that provided more details of the death of the TV star.The 65-year-old star of Full House and America’s Funniest Home Videos was found by a hotel security officer on his bed at the Ritz Carlton in Orlando on 9 January, after he failed to check out and his family asked for a wellbeing check. Continue reading...

Boss of state TV protester among individuals targeted, as investment and luxury exports are banned

Irish cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova killed in attack outside KyivTwo Fox News journalists – producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova and cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski – were killed in the attack outside Kyiv which injured correspondent Benjamin Hall, the US network and its journalists confirmed on Tuesday.Fox News in a statement only announced the death of Zakrzewski. Ukrainian officials and Fox News reporters confirmed that Kuvshynova was also killed in the attack. Continue reading...

Lord McFall’s comment follows calls for parliamentary pass of Russia-born peer to be revoked

Accepting donations from lobbyists ‘defeats the purpose of donation transparency’, says public policy expert

Maxine Davison, who was killed with four others, voiced concerns before Jake Davison successfully applied for shotgun licenceThe mother of Jake Davison, who shot her and four other people dead in Plymouth, Devon, had reported him to the government’s counter-terrorism Prevent programme months before he applied for a shotgun licence, a coroner has heard.Maxine Davison, 51, contacted the programme in November 2016 with concerns about her son but Davison applied for a shotgun certificate in July 2017 and a certificate was issued to him in January 2018. Continue reading...

The story of the British-Iranian woman’s arrest and imprisonment, and the efforts to free herAs Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has her British passport returned amid reports the UK government has paid a decades-old £400m debt to Iran in a move that could facilitate her release from Tehran, we take a look at the British-Iranian woman’s continuing nightmare, which has lasted nearly six years.3 April 2016 Continue reading...

Which? describes number of bank closures as ‘alarming’, with many customers unable to go digitalHSBC is to shut a further 69 branches, on top of the 82 it axed last year, claiming the pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital banking.It is the latest in a line of banks to announce it is reducing its network in response to changing customer habits. Consumer organisation Which? said the number of closures during the last few years was “alarming” and that millions of people were not yet ready or able to go fully digital. Continue reading...

Gallery owner and his husband filled Chelsea apartment with paintings, ceramics and other artOver more than four decades, Neil Zukerman, a New York gallery owner, and his husband, Tom Shivers, filled their Chelsea loft with paintings, books, ceramics, glassware, figurines, silk flowers and countless other treasures. “We only ever had things in our house that we loved. And if we loved it, we found a place for it,” said Shivers.But after Zukerman’s death at the age of 81 last year, Shivers decided to sell some of the couple’s extraordinary collection, including 90 works by Leonor Fini, the 20th-century artist famous for her depictions of powerful and erotic women. Continue reading...

Manuel Murillo, a 66-year-old gun enthusiast from Catalonia, says he was overworked and had been drinking heavilyA 66-year-old gun enthusiast accused of suggesting the murder of Spain’s Socialist prime minister “to force a change in the political life of the country” has told a court he was never serious about the assassination, blaming his words on too much wine, brandy and bravado.Manuel Murillo, a security guard from Terrassa in Catalonia, could face 18 and a half years in prison if convicted of proposing the murder of Pedro Sánchez and of possessing illegal weapons and ammunition. Continue reading...

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