World news | The Guardian

Company suspends dividend payouts after shares dip by 8% with profits down by more than a third

A disabled man considers the potential impact that losing disability benefits could have on his lifeIt's just hours since the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, delivered her spring statement, which saw disability benefits slashed, and Lee, a 43-year-old man with autism is weighing the damage.I stand to lose so much," he said. If all these cuts happen, I could end up homeless. I'm going to lose my independence, I'm going to lose basically everything." Continue reading...

Fact that chancellor swerved climate crisis and net zero targets suggests sector has avoided the axe for nowThe climate crisis, the UK's target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions and the green economy received not a single mention in Rachel Reeves's spring statement on Wednesday.To green experts, this absence came almost as a relief, given that the chancellor was taking an axe to so many other aspects of public spending. There are still no guarantees that green investment will not be quietly cut in the near future. Continue reading...

Bloc's first preparedness strategy urges people to prepare for floods, fires, pandemics or military strikesPeople in the EU are being advised to stockpile enough food, water and essentials for 72 hours as part of a European strategy that aims to increase readiness for catastrophic floods and fires, pandemics and military attacks.Outlining its first preparedness strategy, the European Commission said it wanted to encourage citizens to take proactive measures to prepare for crises, such as developing household emergency plans and stockpiling essential supplies". Continue reading...

Hamdan Ballal says Israeli soldiers beat him with their rifle butts and threatened to kill himThe Oscar-winning Palestinian film director Hamdan Ballal has said that Israeli settlers who attacked him were aided by two Israeli soldiers, who beat him with the butt of their rifles outside his home and threatened to kill him.In an interview with the Guardian, Ballal, one of the four directors of the film No Other Land, which documents the destruction of villages in the West Bank and won best documentary at this year's Academy Awards, recounted how on Monday two Israeli soldiers first encircled him while a settler was assaulting him, before violently striking him on the head and threatening to shoot him. Continue reading...

Supreme court judges decide former president should face criminal prosecution alongside seven close alliesBrazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro will stand trial for allegedly orchestrating a violent plot to seize power through a military coup, after the country's supreme court decided he should face criminal prosecution.The ruling leaves the far-right populist, who governed Brazil from 2019 until the end of 2022, facing political oblivion and a possible jail sentence of more than 40 years. Continue reading...

Judge rules that law banning school libraries and classrooms from carrying books depicting sex acts had been applied unconstitutionallyA lawsuit brought by publishers and authors including John Green and Jodi Picoult has led to a portion of a law banning Iowa school libraries and classrooms from carrying books depicting sex acts being halted.On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the measure, writing that it had been applied unconstitutionally in many schools and that books of undeniable political, artistic, literary, and/or scientific value" had been caught up in it, including Ulysses by James Joyce, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Continue reading...

Opposition leader in a bind after Coalition votes against Labor's income tax cuts

Researchers say findings challenge myth' about monogamy while also showing no significant gap in sexual satisfactionNon-monogamous people are just as happy in their love lives as those with only one partner but are not significantly" more sexually satisfied than traditional couples, research suggests.Polyamory, open relationships and swinging are among the many forms of consensual non-monogamy. Polyamory has become increasingly mainstream, with a recent poll showing that one in 25 Britons have experienced it. A further one in 14 said they would be open to exploring it. Continue reading...

Slow-moving trough drags tropical moisture inland, dumping widespread heavy rain onto an already saturated landscape, Bureau of Meteorology says

Regulator finds people spending money on acupuncture and drugs when undergoing IVF or donor inseminationAlmost three-quarters of people undergoing fertility treatment in the UK are using unproven extras" to increase their chances of having a baby, despite little evidence that they work.The findings, from the UK's fertility watchdog, mean that about 40,000 people a year wanting to conceive are spending money on acupuncture, supplements and drugs, even though they are largely unproven.Some patients are facing increasingly long waits for care, of up to two years, especially for NHS fertility treatment.51% of patients who used donor sperm got it from abroad, where rules on the maximum number of families that can be created by one donor are looser than in the UK.While 73% of patients are satisfied with their fertility treatment, Asian and black patients are less likely to be satisfied. Continue reading...

Denial of compensation for Raymond Lee, denied re-entry to UK in after 2019 trip to Jamaica, deemed legal error' by judgeWindrush scandal victims who have been denied compensation could see their cases reconsidered after a landmark ruling against the Home Office.Raymond Lee, 67, was returning from a trip to Jamaica in 1999 when he was denied re-entry to the UK, detained and removed, separating him from his family and putting him out of work. Continue reading...

Messages inadvertently shared with Atlantic journalist lays bare the unvarnished truth about how Vance and Hegseth feel about European alliesIf Europe wasn't already on notice, the extraordinary leak of deliberations by JD Vance and other top-level Trump administration officials over a strike against the Houthis in Yemen was another sign that it has a target on its back.The administration officials gave Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic a front-row seat to the planning for the strike against the Houthis - a stunning intelligence leak that has caused anger against Republicans who called for criminal investigations against Hillary Clinton and others for playing fast and loose with sensitive information. Continue reading...

Canadian PM makes remarks on visit to Newfoundland town that sheltered US airline passengers after attacksMark Carney has lamented Canada's lost friendship with the United States as he visited the town that sheltered thousands of stranded American airline passengers after the 9/11 attacks.The Canadian prime minister's visit to Gander, Newfoundland, on the second day of a national election campaign comes against the backdrop of a trade war and sovereignty threats from Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Participants in pain management programme said singing and breathing exercises eased their symptomsWales is famed as the land of song, the music of the valleys and mountains providing a source of pride, joy and a sense of belonging.But a pioneering project led by Welsh National Opera has suggested music can also help people suffering with persistent pain. Continue reading...

Scientists say widespread damage to both world heritage-listed reefs is heartbreaking' as WA reef accumulates highest amount of heat stress on record

Prosecutors dropped case against Jamila A after protracted legal battle over tweet about footballer Alexander IsakA 22-year-old black student has accused police and prosecutors of misusing hate speech laws intended to protect minorities after she was charged for using the N-word in a tweet.Jamila A, who lives in London, was charged under the Communications Act 2003 in July 2023 after referring to the black Newcastle United footballer Alexander Isak as a nigga" in a tweet. Continue reading...

The 17-year-old was originally charged with 12 Victorian offences but is now facing further federal charges

Latest overpayment figures bring total number falling foul of cliff-edge' rules on earnings to 144,000More than 9,000 unpaid carers looking after ill and disabled loved ones have become the latest to be hit with carer's allowance overpayment debts in the past year, prompting calls for ministers to suspend the controversial practice.While the government has promised to tackle the carer's allowance scandal and launched a review, the latest figures show carers continue to be unwittingly caught by the system, landing them with debts often running into thousands of pounds. Continue reading...

Family describe student Aalia Mahomed, 20, as a kind and beautiful soul' as Met says incident not terrorism-relatedA woman who was killed when a van was driven on to a pavement in Aldwych, central London, has been named as Aalia Mahomed, a physics and philosophy student.The 20-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene near King's College London (KCL) at about midday on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

Administrators say unsecured creditors also including landlords and charities will get only between 16% and 27%The Body Shop's suppliers, including small charities, local councils and cosmetics manufacturers, are to receive no more than about a quarter of the 219m owed to them when the ethical beauty retailer fell into administration, a report has said.The retailer, founded by Anita Roddick in 1976, now operates about 113 UK stores after it was rescued from administration by a consortium led by the British cosmetics tycoon Mike Jatania in September last year, saving 1,300 jobs. Continue reading...

Artist behind giant piece of land art made using ancient Cornish hedging technique says work is a message to future generationsIt is an intriguing piece of land art, a hymn to the almost-lost craft of Cornish hedging and also - perhaps - an optimistic message from the early 21st century to future generations.As the sun rose over Bodmin Moor on spring equinox morning, a Cornish bagpipe struck up and Kerdroya, five years in the making and built to last four millennia, was officially opened. Continue reading...

Shaftesbury Capital sells stake in estate, which includes shops, market and transport museum site

After years of controversy regarding poor conditions, the site will no longer house asylum seekers from SeptemberNapier barracks, one of the first mass accommodation sites opened to house asylum seekers, is to be closed after years of controversy about conditions there, including a mass Covid outbreak, decrepit facilities and far-right protests.The news is buried in a Home Office document uploaded to parliament's cross-party home affairs committee on Tuesday as part of an investigation into the provision of asylum accommodation. In the document the Home Office states: The Home Office intend to occupy and deliver services at Napier until September 2025, at which point the site will be handed back to the Ministry of Defence." Continue reading...

Prime minister defends changes to welfare system but Labour MPs struggle to digest plans for disability paymentsThe rising benefits bill is devastating for public finances" and has wreaked a terrible human cost", Keir Starmer has said as he defended the government's drastic changes to the welfare system.Writing in the Times, the prime minister said the facts are shocking", noting one in eight young people are not in education, employment or training and 2.8 million working age people are out of work because of long-term sickness. Continue reading...

Shortly after call ended, about 45 drones targeted region around Kyiv with anti-aircraft fire audible across capital overnight

Investigation will not examine whether laws should be repealed, despite crossbench members' concerns they may have been misled'

South-west sees biggest jump, up 17% between 2020 and 2024, while rate in southern England increases by 10%Smoking rates in parts of England have increased for the first time in nearly two decades, according to research.Academics at University College London examined smoking data for more than 350,000 adults in England over an 18-year period. They found that while the proportion of adults who smoke cigarettes, pipes, cigars or other forms of tobacco fell from 25.3% of the population in 2006 to 16.5% in 2024, progress since 2020 has flatlined and in some areas smoking rates are increasing again. Continue reading...

Suzie Miller's award-winning monologue hits the road next year, with the Killing Eve actor playing a barrister who defends men of rape and is assaulted herselfJodie Comer is to reprise her Olivier and Tony award-winning performance in Prima Facie one last time" on tour next year, including a visit to her hometown of Liverpool.The monologue, written by Suzie Miller, stars Comer as a barrister who defends men of rape and is assaulted herself. The Killing Eve actor made her West End debut in 2022 in the show, which sold out and then broke box-office records when it played in cinemas for NT Live. Comer took it to Broadway in 2023 and also recorded an audiobook adaptation by Miller, who spent 15 years as a lawyer. Continue reading...

Minister Pat McFadden says at least half will be permanently cancelled in effort to reduce wasteful purchasesThousands of Whitehall officials will have their government credit cards" suspended this week in Labour's latest crackdown on what it regards as wasteful spending in the civil service.Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister, said on Monday he would freeze almost all of the 20,000 government procurement cards (GPCs) within days with a view to permanently cancelling at least half of them. Continue reading...

Many of 27 people who drowned in 2021 might have survived if rescue services had searched for longer, lawyers argueMany of the people who drowned in the biggest ever loss of life in a migrant dinghy in the Channel could have been saved if rescue services had searched for them for longer, lawyers for their families have said.Their comments came after the independent Cranston inquiry, which is scrutinising the circumstances surrounding the mass drowning, heard evidence from an expert into survivability in the water. Continue reading...

Edward Spencer, 19, had only passed his driving test five weeks before fatal crash in 2023A teenage motorist has admitted causing the deaths of three passengers, who died in a collision in Warwickshire five weeks after he passed his driving test.Police said the case of Edward Spencer showed the devastating consequences" that can occur if a car is driven carelessly. Continue reading...

Marcedes Myran's remains found in search mission after Jeremy Skibicki preyed on Indigenous women in 2022Canadian police have confirmed the identity of a second woman whose body was dumped at a private landfill near Winnipeg by a serial killer who preyed on Indigenous women and left their bodies hidden in trash.The Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted police said in a statement on Monday that the human remains found in the Prairie Green Landfill, north of Winnipeg, were those of Marcedes Myran, 26. Continue reading...

Canadian PM stresses importance of reliable allies' in Paris before travelling to London where he was received by kingCanada is the most European of the non-European countries", Mark Carney has said during his first overseas trip as prime minister to France and the UK, where he is seeking stronger alliances to deal with Donald Trump's attacks on his country's sovereignty and economy.Without mentioning the US president by name, Carney and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, made a joint appearance in Paris to show a united stance against what they said were economic and geopolitical crises - a reference to Trump's trade war and America first" diplomacy that has left longtime allies scrambling. Continue reading...

Changes could deny benefits to people who need help to wash or to remember to go to the toiletKeir Starmer will unveil drastic cuts to disability benefits on Tuesday, despite deep opposition from Labour MPs and poverty campaigners, and warnings from economists against making kneejerk savings to hit fiscal targets.In the government's most controversial move yet, it will announce a package of changes expected to affect some of the UK's most severely disabled people. Continue reading...

Fund is for UK and overseas emergencies but was used to help 12,000 people, some of whom had contracted scabiesThe British Red Cross had to use hundreds of thousands of pounds from its disaster fund to provide basic clothing for asylum seekers in the UK in what it described as an unprecedented intervention.The charity is the largest UK provider of services to refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants. It said the decision to seek 220,000 from its disaster fund, which is earmarked for emergencies in the UK and overseas, was to buy items for 12,000 asylum seekers who were struggling to clothe themselves. Continue reading...

Demonstrators call for change and justice for 59 victims after tragedy blamed on multiple safety violationsWith flags still flying at half mast in North Macedonia, grief over a fire that tore through a nightclub killing dozens of people turned to anger as thousands took to the streets in protest.In Koani, the town where the fire destroyed the Pulse venue early on Sunday, demonstrators demanded justice for the 59 people who lost their lives and called for an end to the corrupt practices blamed for the tragedy. Continue reading...

Ivy League school is latest US university to make step with aim to make it affordable to more students than ever'Harvard University is offering free tuition to more students, the Ivy League school announced on Monday, joining a growing number of higher education institutions in the US to take such a step.The announcement from Harvard says that undergraduate tuition at the institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will be free for students of families who make annual incomes of $200,000 or less. The university will also make schooling completely free for students from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or less, with financial aid that covers tuition, food, housing, health insurance and travel costs. Continue reading...

Amanda Spielman says outlined changes put unions and union members ahead of children'

We have more cards we can play,' foreign secretary tells MPs as he says G7 foreign ministers found common ground' when meeting last weekThe Reform UK press conference is about to start. There is a live feed here.Nigel Farage is going to announce that 29 councillors have defected to his party, according to the Guido Fawkes website. Continue reading...

Asda claims to have pretty significant war chest' but analyst says it is unclear if it can commit to months of cutsMore than 4bn has been wiped off the value of Tesco, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer stock since Friday amid fears that rival Asda will step up the grocery price war.Tesco, the UK's biggest supermarket, took the biggest hit as its share price fell more than 12% on Monday, while second-place Sainsbury's was down more than 8%, with M&S dropping 9%. Continue reading...

Kaja Kallas says the bloc cannot automatically fill the gap left by the USThe EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, expressed disappointment over US funding cuts to Radio Free Europe and said the EU could not automatically fill the gap.The US Agency for Global Media stopped grants over the weekend to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which was founded during the cold war and broadcasts to 23 countries, including Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Iran and Afghanistan. Continue reading...

Australian meteorologists and scientists will be impacted by mass firings at Noaa, experts warn

Imogen Nunn told support worker she had bought something online' before she died in Brighton, mother saysA TikTok star who died after consuming a poisonous substance she bought online told an NHS support worker about the purchase a month before her death, an inquest has heard.Imogen Nunn took a poisonous substance and died in Brighton, East Sussex, on New Year's Day 2023. The 25-year-old, who was deaf, raised awareness of hearing and mental health issues on her social media accounts, which gained more than 780,000 followers.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

US president says consequences of any future attacks by Yemen's Tehran-backed rebels will be dire'The US president, Donald Trump, on Monday declared he would hold Iran directly responsible for any future attacks by Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthi rebels, who have targeted US and other foreign ships in the Red Sea.Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. Continue reading...

Russian leader and US president to speak by phone and discuss Ukraine ceasefire planPolish prime minister Donald Tusk has commented on the Lithuanian prosecutor general's report on Russian-linked acts of sabotage and arson in the EU (9:42), linking it to peace negotiations with Russia, as he warned that such is the nature of this state."In a social media post in English, he said:Dear allies, the investigation of the Lithuanian prosecutor's office has confirmed our suspicions that [those] responsible for setting fires to shopping centres in Vilnius and Warsaw are [linked with] the Russian secret services.Good to know before negotiations. Continue reading...

Unrepentant paedophile' Richard Burrows, 80, abused boys in 60s and 70s and was found guilty of 97 offences by Cheshire courtA former boarding school housemaster and scout leader has been convicted of nearly 100 offences, including dozens of child abuse charges, nearly 30 years after he fled to Thailand.Richard Burrows, 80, was found guilty of abusing boys between the late 1960s and mid-1990s while working at a school in Cheshire and later as a scout leader in the West Midlands. Continue reading...

Project 2025 alarmed progressives by pushing deep cuts to government, LGBTQ+ protections and DEI effortsThe director of Project 2025, a rightwing plan to dismantle the federal government which Democrats warned about last year and forced Donald Trump to attempt to disown it, said Trump's actions in power were proving way beyond my wildest dreams".Paul Dans was director of Project 2025 for the Heritage Foundation, the hard-right group which has produced such policy plans for more than 40 years. Continue reading...

Divisions continue to simmer after suspension of MP and Farage's claims of outright racism' towards party chair