World news | The Guardian

Ukraine president’s echoing of Winston Churchill in emotional speech to British MPs reverberates across the front pages

Taylor says Australia has ‘kept our foot on the accelerator’ when it comes to supply of oil and gasThe Australian energy minister, Angus Taylor, has criticised “activists” for opposing new oil and gas development in the Beetaloo Basin, declaring European nations are now regretting not pursuing a “gas-fired recovery”.After the United States banned Russian oil imports in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and the United Kingdom said it would phase them out by year’s end, Taylor told Sky News Australia that Australia had been correct to continue expanding fossil fuel development. Continue reading...

Documents show Probuild’s WBHO Infrastructure borrowed $48.7m from other parts of the group last year as it struggled to surviveAdministrators of the collapsed Probuild building empire say they will investigate a transaction last year in which almost $50m was transferred from other parts of the business to the group’s struggling civil construction division.Company documents show Probuild’s civil construction company, WBHO Infrastructure, borrowed $48.7m from other parts of the group last year as it struggled to survive massive losses caused by one of its key projects, the western roads upgrade in Melbourne. Continue reading...

Questions raised about how Coalition settled on its three potential locations

Transport secretary Grant Shapps says he has made it a criminal offence for any Russian aircraft to enter UK airspaceRussian planes that stray into British airspace could be detained by the British government, the transport secretary announced on Tuesday.Grant Shapps said he had made it a criminal offence for any Russian aircraft to enter UK airspace, as the government scrambles to sanction Russia for its brutal war on Ukraine. Continue reading...

Platforms to be required to protect users from pre-paid fraudulent adverts as well as user-generated scamsMeasures to protect people from internet scams will now be included in proposed online safety laws, the government has said.Under a previous draft of the online safety bill, platforms which host user-generated content would have a “duty of care” to protect users from fraud by other users. Continue reading...

Domestic intelligence agency can now tap communications and use undercover informants to spy on activitiesA German court has ruled that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) can be classified as a suspected threat to democracy, paving the way for the domestic intelligence agency to spy on the opposition party.The court dismissed a legal challenge brought by the AfD last March that delayed plans by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) to put the party under surveillance. Continue reading...

Former Royal Marine commando Ben Grant defying advice to Britons not to join war and says 100 more will follow

‘Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,’ says burger chain’s chief executive

Succession of Tory MPs condemn Home Office for ‘dragging its feet’ over visa applications

Independent Canadian investigators call for reinvestigation of 14 deaths of Indigenous people in northern OntarioA group of independent investigators have called for the reinvestigation of the sudden deaths of 14 Indigenous people in a north Ontario city, after finding that the original inquiries were hampered by sloppy police work and a legacy of institutional racism.The team have examined hundreds of deaths between 2003 and 2017 in Thunder Bay, the largest city in the northern reaches of the province – and one where the police force has long faced allegations of racism within its ranks. Continue reading...

Analysis: Ukraine’s president wants a no-fly zone but Britain could play a role securing alternatives

Ukrainian president delivers historic address to MPs in the Commons via video link as country resists Russian invasion

Health secretary says people should help relatives quit smoking, adopt better diets and stop taking drugsFamily members should help loved ones to quit smoking, adopt better diets and stop taking drugs to help relieve the huge pressure on the NHS, the health secretary has said.Sajid Javid urged relatives to do what they could to persuade each other to lead healthier lives so the health service could better cope with the rising tide of illness it is facing. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lt Gen David Leakey says ex-Speaker should be barred while he refuses to show contrition for bullyingJohn Bercow should never again hold public office or a position of leadership, a former Black Rod has said, as the former Speaker was found to have repeatedly lied and to have bullied staff during his tenure in the House of Commons.Lt Gen David Leakey, who made one of the complaints against Bercow and acted as a witness to others, told the Guardian he had been determined to ensure Bercow’s record was examined fully. Continue reading...

Ex-Speaker banned from holding Commons pass as standards commissioner upholds 21 complaintsJohn Bercow should have been expelled from parliament had he remained an MP, an independent inquiry has found, calling him a “serial bully” and a liar.The former Black Rod Lt Gen David Leakey told the Guardian Bercow should never again hold any form of public office. Labour suspended him from the party, pending an investigation. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president summons spirit of Winston Churchill and tells MPs his country ‘will fight to the end in the sea, in the air, whatever the costs’

Broadcaster had paused its reporting in country after passing of law that could impose jail terms over ‘fake’ newsThe BBC is to resume English language reporting in Russia after it suspended its coverage to assess the implications of a new law.On Friday, the BBC said it had paused its reporting in Russia after its parliament passed a law that could impose a jail term of up to 15 years for anyone found to be intentionally spreading “fake” news. Continue reading...

Number of people escaping Ukraine passes 2m and WHO says vital medical supplies are running out

Michelle Bachelet’s announcement comes as 192 groups call for release of long-postponed report into regionThe UN rights chief has announced that she will make a long-delayed visit to China in May, including to Xinjiang, where activists and western lawmakers say Beijing is subjecting Uyghur people to genocide.“I am pleased to announce that we have recently reached an agreement with the government of China for a visit,” Michelle Bachelet told the UN human rights council on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Tory MP Sir Roger Gale accuses home secretary of exaggerating help being offered by UK

Video shows Sergei Tsivilyov being blamed for deploying local riot police to Ukraine

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

Police hunting killer of Martine Vik Magnussen detain woman in her 60s on suspicion of assisting an offenderDetectives investigating the death of a Norwegian student they suspect was murdered by the son of a Yemeni billionaire in London in 2008 have made an apparent breakthrough, as they announced an arrest on Tuesday.Scotland Yard said a woman in her 60s had been taken into custody on suspicion of assisting an offender. Continue reading...

From an abortion rights campaigner in Poland to a protester in Myanmar, our correspondents choose some of the women they most admire to mark International Women’s DayGender-based violence is not just something I cover at work; it has also deeply affected my life. In 2017, I lost two friends, who were murdered by men. Those experiences reinforced my desire to write about the experiences and perspectives of women in the countries I have covered in the Middle East; highlighting the remarkable strength and resilience of women and girls I have met in the region is a powerful antidote. Continue reading...

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, members of Manchester’s Ukrainian community have been in constant contact with family caught up in the conflict. They’ve also been coordinating aid efforts that respond to what people are asking for – from flak jackets to thermals and first aid equipment – which are packed and driven directly to Ukraine by volunteers

Latest updates: follow reports from the UK and across the globe as well as data and research on IWD 2022

Official in north-eastern Ukrainian city says Russian airstrike hit residential street

I yearned for the partiers, the people posting as the virus raged, to be publicly shamed. But everyone is processing this differently, and I can’t change thatIf I followed me on Instagram, I would mute myself so quickly.I found myself thinking this often over the last two years, shame winding its way into the back of my brain after I’d log on to share my daily array of Covid-related information. Continue reading...

When a widower washes up in a remote Finnish town with his son, his culinary skills enchant the locals and mesmerise the cameraFinnish director Mika Kaurismäki (elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki) gives us a well-intentioned if watery and bland drama, a decently performed but tepid heartwarmer which can be filed under that dodgiest of sub-headings: “foodie”, that is, something with a supercilious tendency to showcase delicious-seeming food as a shortcut to being life-affirming and life-enhancing.A Chinese widower called Cheng (played by Hong Kong actor Pak Hong Chu) shows up out of the blue in a remote Finnish town with his young son Niu Niu (Lucas Hsuan), and walks into a roadside cafe run by Sirkka (Anna-Maija Tuokko), who is listlessly serving up dull grub for the locals. With no Finnish and only halting English, Cheng asks everyone in the place if they know of “Fongtron”: this mysterious person or business is the reason he’s here. No one can help (and weirdly, it doesn’t occur to anyone to use Google Translate to help with their communication difficulties). Continue reading...

Danish toymaker reports 25% rise in profit and increased global market share but warns growth will slowLego increased sales by more than a quarter last year while profits jumped by nearly a third as families turned to its plastic bricks for entertainment during pandemic lockdowns.The Danish toymaker said it had gained market share around the world in 2021 but warned that growth would slow to less than 10% this year as schools and workplaces reopen. Continue reading...

Court rules government failed to fulfil obligation to collect correct amount of customs duties and VATThe British government faces paying a hefty charge to the EU after the European court of justice ruled it had been negligent in allowing criminal gangs to flood European markets with cheap Chinese-made clothes and shoes.Publishing its final ruling on Tuesday, the court concluded that the UK as member state had “failed to fulfil its obligations” under EU law to combat fraud and collect the correct amount of customs duties and VAT on imported Chinese goods. The failures by HMRC date from 2011 to 2017. Continue reading...

Health authorities warn of serious risks of mosquito-borne disease as NSW and Queensland also report cases

We hear from a some of the members of the Black Women Photographers collective, a group facilitating greater diversity in editorial photography

Streets become rivers amid shocking deluge as Manly Dam spills and Roseville bridge flooded, with evacuation orders covering more than a dozen suburbs

With gags, tunes and dance, The Family Sex Show celebrates sexual pleasure, equality and independence. What is there to be embarrassed about, asks theatre-maker Josie Dale-Jones‘I remember the tampon dipped in Ribena,” says Josie Dale-Jones, her fingertips pressed together as if holding on to the string. “The way it swelled up immediately.” In school, Dale-Jones recalls her sex and relationships education as being “near to non-existent”. There was the purple-soaked tampon, the classic condom rolled on to a banana and the “general fear-mongering” of pictures of STIs pinned up on a board. “But never a mention of why you might want to have sex,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Never anything about empathy or pleasure, or how any of it might impact other people.”With a team of eight performers, Dale-Jones is making a show about sex and relationships for ages five and above. Accompanied by workshops and panel talks, The Family Sex Show tackles topics including boundaries, gender, relationships and masturbation. Through a series of artistic responses and conversations, the group want to help make it easier for anyone, of any age, to talk about these sticky, tricky topics. “I don’t know another subject that we only talk about once and then we tick it off as if it’s done,” Dale-Jones says. “The learning is never over.” Continue reading...

Former AFP assistant commissioner tells trial Rolfe had not acted against his training in shooting of Walker

While Chinese state media praises efficiency of diplomatic mission, stranded citizens tell a very different story

To mark International Women’s Day on Tuesday, these great women offer inspiration on how to power up your own adventuresRhiane launched the non-profit organisation Black Girls Hike in Bolton in 2019 to create a safe space for Black women to explore the outdoors and connect with nature. It’s now a nationwide organisation hosting hikes, training events and activity weekends, and she won a positive role model award for gender at the National Diversity Awards in 2021. Continue reading...

Analysis: women have found their voice, and are demanding to be heardWhere do women in the UK find themselves on International Women’s Day in 2022? In truth: more fearful about their safety, more anxious about their economic futures and wondering if the monumental gains made in gender equality over the last decades are at risk. But they are also louder and more determined than ever.It is impossible to reflect on the last 12 months without focusing on the seismic revolution of understanding of male violence against women and girls (VAWG). Continue reading...

Raja, who will be stuffed for posterity, was considered so important that when he travelled he had his own security detailSri Lanka is in mourning after the death of the country’s most sacred elephant, who is to be given a state funeral and his remains to be preserved and stuffed “for future generations” on orders of the president.Nadungamuwa Vijaya Raja, popularly known as Raja, was considered to be the largest tamed elephant in Asia and as a young calf he had been among those “chosen” as the elite elephants who carried sacred Buddhist relics during an annual parade in Sri Lanka. Continue reading...

As she returns to TV in the mind-bending Severance, the actor talks about life in the ‘never-ending emergency’ that is America, why she’ll never find Trump funny, and her need for a low-drama lifestyle‘How did I feel?” repeats Patricia Arquette, clearly irritated. I have just asked the actor how it felt to land a role in Medium, the supernatural drama series that won her an Emmy – only to be asked to lose weight for the role. Although it happened in 2005, it is still clearly a sore point. “I felt annoyed and crappy. But I feel like it’s been a conversation my whole life. When True Romance came out, some critics said I was too fat or too heavy. I changed channels recently, happened upon True Romance, and thought, ‘Oh my God, look how young I was! I had a beautiful body. What are you talking about?’”After True Romance, the Tony Scott-directed film in which she played a sex worker who falls in love with Christian Slater’s comic-book nerd, Arquette went on to star in plenty of acclaimed films, from David Lynch’s Lost Highway to Martin Scorsese’s Bringing Out the Dead. The latter starred Nicolas Cage, who she married in 1995. Their marriage lasted nine months. Continue reading...

Oligarch Dmitry Firtash is wanted by the FBI for bribery. Nonetheless, he was received into the heart of the British establishmentIf you want a physical manifestation of Britain’s unquestioning acceptance of oligarchs and its refusal to examine the origin of their wealth, you need to take a walk past Harrods towards the Victoria and Albert Museum.After about 200 metres, you will see on the right-hand side of the road the unmistakable burgundy glazed tiles of a tube station. That is your destination. You can’t get on the underground here, because the station stopped accepting passengers decades ago and became a Ministry of Defence office. But it still has the platforms and shafts of a tube station, and that’s why it came to the attention of a former banker called Ajit Chambers in 2009. Chambers had a plan, which he revealed at one of the public events that Boris Johnson used to hold when he was the mayor of London. Continue reading...

Labor leader Anthony Albanese questions why more help wasn’t given to flooded communities sooner

Australia’s welfare system is deeply imbued with misogyny and far too often traps women in unsafe situations

Review contains 56 recommendations urging reform to culture, training and structurePolice officers should work under a licence that must be renewed every five years and be subject to strict conditions to boost confidence in policing, an independent review has recommended.The Strategic Review of Policing in England and Wales, chaired by Sir Michael Barber and carried out by the Police Foundation thinktank, contains 56 recommendations urging radical reform to police culture, skills and training, and organisational structure. Continue reading...

Russian warships have been moving ominously in the sea between Odesa and Crimea. Each morning, Odesa’s remaining residents wake up and check their progressThe tourist cafes are behind barricades. The grand opera house is surrounded by a wall of sandbags. Tank traps block the approaches to the legendary Potemkin steps. Nobody in Odesa can quite believe that Vladimir Putin would launch an assault on this city, a place bound to Russia by family, literary and cultural ties, a place of almost mythical resonance for many Russians.But then, Putin’s armed forces have done lots of things in recent days that seemed unthinkable just two weeks ago. Continue reading...

Martin Eastwood, 22, used a stolen Ford S Max to kill Liam Dent after confrontation outside pubA driver has been found guilty of murdering a man by hitting him with a car and dragging him for more than half a mile.Martin Eastwood, 22, used a stolen Ford S Max to kill Liam Dent in the early hours of 26 July 2019 after a confrontation outside a pub in Chessington, Surrey. Continue reading...

Ukraine’s president is expected to plead for more arms and repeat call for no-fly zone over Ukraine