World news | The Guardian

Retailer says it plans to explore strategic options' for the future of cash generative' arm of the companyOne of the world's oldest retailers, WH Smith, has confirmed it is in talks to sell its city- and town-centre stores, which it has described as the hub of the high street".First established in 1792 in Little Grosvenor Street in London by Henry Walton Smith and his wife Anna, it expanded to become one of the UK's best-known retail chains. Company bosses said this weekend they were exploring potential strategic options", including a possible sale. Continue reading...

Second series of BBC drama was initially rejected by all the streaming services, Peter Kosminsky tells inquiry into UK film and TVMark Rylance took a significant" pay cut along with other members of the Wolf Hall team to get the second series made, the director Peter Kosminsky has said.The BBC drama, based on Hilary Mantel's final novel in her epic Tudor trilogy, returned last year with Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. Continue reading...

With four similar expansions set for take-off around the south-east of England, could the proposal finally get clearance?Two decades and 0.2C of global warming after a Labour government last weighed in on Heathrow, the answer appears the same: keep digging. Rachel Reeves's anticipated backing for a third runway would again prioritise growth and the global economy over climate. Interviewers are even asking Ed Miliband if he would resign in protest - a question that last troubled the headlines in 2009.Airport expansion in the UK, especially in the south-east of England, is coming regardless, with four other London-branded airports sneaking ahead in the queue. Stansted and City have both been granted permission to grow. Fully developed plans that will radically alter the scale of Gatwick and Luton have, meanwhile, been through the inspectorate and await ministerial signoff. Continue reading...

Arizona capital, made drier and hotter by climate crisis, edges towards longest streak without recorded rainThe US city of Phoenix is close to breaking another extreme weather record, this time the longest stretch without rain as drought conditions worsen across Arizona.As of Saturday, there had been no recorded rainfall in America's fifth largest city for 154 consecutive days - the second longest dry spell on record as the climate crisis collides with natural weather patterns. Continue reading...

Companies supplying freelance' workers contacted by minister over practices that could breach employment lawGig economy companies supplying freelance" workers to shops, restaurants and warehouses may be operating illegally, the government has warned, after a series of Observer reports highlighting their use.Justin Madders, the employment rights minister, last week wrote to YoungOnes and Temper, which provide thousands of purportedly self-employed workers to British businesses, to tell them their business practices could be breaching employment law and staffing agency regulations. Continue reading...

The young man who died in Ireland after a tree fell during Storm Eowyn has been named as Kacper DudekIrish premier Micheal Martin said every effort is being made to restore power and water supplies following Storm Eowyn.He described the destruction caused by some of the strongest winds on record as unprecedented". Continue reading...

Late Yolu Indigenous rights activist appointed companion of the Order of Australia, along with lawyer Megan Davis and refugee advocate Gillian Triggs

After 12 episodes, eight murders' and 14 banishments, winner or winners revealed on BBC One showWarning: this article contains spoilersAfter 12 episodes, eight murders" and 14 banishments, the winners of The Traitors were revealed after a nail-biting finale.Project manager Jake Brown and former soldier Leanne Quigley will share a prize pot of 94,600. Continue reading...

Owners claim singer blighted' sale of property she once rented but Partridge Green has no shortage of ghostly talesAt first it was the strange rumblings that would wake her. Then bright lights would fill the bedroom as a face appeared, looking down on her. Her husband, who worked nights, never believed her until one day, he saw it too.Shaken by the sightings, the couple sold the cottage and moved far away from Partridge Green, a quaint, isolated village in West Sussex. Thirty years later, a short distance away from where these night-time hauntings took place, the village welcomed a surprising new arrival. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Some bidders demand temporary renationalisation to help cut debts and oust bossesThames Water's potential rescuers are seeking a clean break with the company's past before they commit fresh funds, with some demanding a temporary renationalisation to help cut debts and replace bosses, the Guardian can reveal.There has been public outrage at the governance of England's water industry amid sewage spills into rivers and seas, mounting corporate debts and rising consumer bills. Continue reading...

Heat moving east with temperatures over 40C expected in South Australia and Victoria

Three properties lost near Arthur River, about 200km southeast of Perth, while another property near Yellanup destroyed and many homes without power

Advocate and 2021 Australian of the Year previously went viral for interaction with former PM Scott Morrison at 2022 event

Entries selling fast for inaugural UK Nationals in Bradford in April, when contestants will race against clockJigsaw puzzling is traditionally considered a relaxing activity associated with mindfulness benefits, but the gentle hobby has gone all Squid Game as competitive speed puzzling fever" grips the UK.Entries are selling fast for the inaugural UK Nationals event in Bradford on 5 April, when hundreds of contestants will race against the clock to solve never-seen-before puzzles. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Gaie Delap told she will have to serve 20 more days that correspond to period of time at home after recallA 78-year-old climate protester has had her prison term extended for being unlawfully at large" when government contractors were unable to find the right-sized tag for her wrist, which would have allowed her to complete her sentence in the community.Gaie Delap, a retired teacher and Just Stop Oil protester, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for her participation in a climate protest on the M25 in 2022 and was released last November under the home detention curfew (HDC) scheme. Continue reading...

Woman in intensive care as NSW Health urges community to only receive cosmetic injections from authorised practitioners

How a chain of events apparently beginning at school five years ago led to the murder of three girls in horrific atrocityWhen Axel Rudakubana returned to school after the summer holidays five years ago, something had changed. He had turned 13 weeks earlier but this was not the usual difficult transition to teenage life.In year 7 and year 8 he was fairly unassuming. Nothing that would be red flags," said a source close to Range high school in the seaside town of Formby, Merseyside. What happened that summer is the question." Continue reading...

Work that made its creator a superstar then mysteriously disappeared is mesmerising art lovers once moreIt was commissioned by a Greek king, made its creator a superstar and in his native Denmark attracted crowds like no other painting before. Then it mysteriously disappeared.Now, nearly nine decades after it was last seen gracing the stairwell of the royal palace that would become the Athens parliament, Carl Bloch's masterpiece, Prometheus Unbound, has found fame again in Greece. Continue reading...

Labour's recognition of soft power's intangible value should take in the crucial work of the British Council British Council could disappear within a decade, says chief executiveSomething is jarring when the foreign secretary, David Lammy, regards UK soft power as so important he establishes a council to promote the country globally, while one of the longstanding British institutions devoted to bolstering that power is on the verge of a form of bankruptcy.The financial plight of the British Council, and the collapse of its income from English language teaching during the pandemic, has hardly been hidden from view, so much so the organisation was chosen as one of the subjects of inquiry by the Commons foreign affairs select committee. The chief executive of the British Council, Scott McDonald, told MPs that the UK international cultural and educational organisation was at risk of disappearing in two years. Continue reading...

Long-awaited shadow cabinet reshuffle has David Coleman taking over foreign affairs portfolio from outgoing Simon Birmingham

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres demands unconditional' release of all staff held by Iran-backed rebelsThe UN has suspended all staff movement in Houthi-held areas of Yemen after the Iran-backed rebels detained another seven UN employees.The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, called for the immediate and unconditional" release of all aid staff held in Yemen, which is suffering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Continue reading...

Flights cancelled, main roads closed and millions told to stay at home due to rare weather bomb'

Exclusive: Her social media presence resonates with younger voters but it comes with a horrific' dark side that has made her consider quitting

PC Samuel McGregor, formerly attached to the central north command unit, will be sentenced on 10 MarchA Metropolitan police officer has been convicted of rape.PC Samuel McGregor, 33, was found guilty of raping a woman at an address in London on 11 May 2021 after a trial at Inner London crown court, Scotland Yard said. Continue reading...

Police in Pearl, Mississippi, say welcome aboard' to Jeremy Rast, who lost job last year from nearby Richland agencyA Mississippi police department has proudly announced its hiring of an officer who was fired from another agency last summer after video captured him telling at least one Latino man that he encountered on duty to go back to Mexico".A social media post on Thursday from the police department of Pearl asked community members to join the agency in giving a warm welcome" to its newest member, Jeremy Rast, whose recorded comments while patrolling the streets of nearby Richland, Mississippi, in June cost him his job as an officer there. Continue reading...

Progressive Conservative leader of Canada's most populous province seeks strong mandate' to counter 25% tariff planThe Ontario premier, Doug Ford, has said an early election is needed in the Canadian province in order to fend off an income attack" from Donald Trump as a trade war looms between the close allies.But opposition parties criticized the move, calling it a distraction" from an ongoing criminal investigation into the government's handling of a controversial multibillion-dollar land swap. Continue reading...

New dollar bills will honor national heroes including George Cadle Price, considered country's father of independenceBelize has taken a significant step" toward removing the remnants of colonialism by replacing the image of the late Queen Elizabeth on its dollar bills with those of national heroes.Unveiling the new design of the bank notes late on Thursday, the governor of Belize's central bank, Kareem Michael, said that along with improved security and anti-counterfeit features, the new family of notes also allows us to recognize and celebrate our heritage and the rich history of Belize". Continue reading...

Almost all the shortlisted movies this year can be seen as a critique of the incoming president. Accident or design?

Experts say everything is basically in chaos' and warn of disruption to sectors such as health, infrastructure and taxThe wheels of the US government have ground to a halt in parts under a hail of new orders from Donald Trump that have left vital services paralysed and raised alarm about damaging disruption to key sectors such as health, roads and tax collection.Meetings on cancer research to discuss federal funding and reports on how to fight bird flu were cancelled after the incoming administration placed a halt on all external communication at the health department. Continue reading...

Health secretary will say it is time to fight battle of ideas against populist right and repairing NHS is vital for successWes Streeting is to criticise Nigel Farage for pushing a miserabilist, declinist" vision of Britain, arguing it is time to start fighting a battle of ideas against the rightwing populists.In a speech on Saturday the health secretary will say failing public services have been a fertiliser of populism" because they have bred cynicism about the ability of politics to effect change. Continue reading...

Fauci had served as leading infectious diseases official for seven presidents and had broken with Trump on CovidDonald Trump on Friday said he had pulled federal security protection for the former top US health official Anthony Fauci.Fauci, who served as the nation's top infectious disease official during the Covid-19 pandemic and had served seven US presidents, coming from both parties, as a public health leader for decades, was provided security under the National Institutes of Health, according to CNN, which earlier reported the move. Continue reading...

Prosecutors had offered seven-year sentence, three years probation and 180 days in jail in exchange for guilty pleaThe trial for the star rapper A$AP Rocky, who is accused of firing a gun at a former friend in a November 2021 incident, kicked off in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Friday.The proceedings come a year after the rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. On Tuesday A$AP Rocky, 36, declined a plea offer from prosecutors who recommended a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and 180 days in jail in exchange for a guilty plea. Continue reading...

UN human rights office criticises use of methods and means used for war fighting' in assault on city of JeninThe UN has expressed concern that the ceasefire in Gaza could be endangered by Israel's assault on the West Bank city of Jenin, which has involved what the UN human rights spokesperson labelled unnecessary or disproportionate use of force".Thameen al-Kheetan of the UN human rights office called Israeli tactics in Jenin deadly operations", after Israel targeted a refugee camp in the centre of the city and besieged a nearby hospital. Continue reading...

Protest group says it targeted insurers due to their critical role underpinning the fossil fuel economy'A man has been arrested after environmental activists claimed responsibility for sabotage attacks on fibre optic cables outside major insurance companies.The 29-year-old was arrested by City of London police after activists said they had cut the cables to insurance company offices in London, Leeds, Birmingham and Sheffield on Monday. Continue reading...

Three-year-old bears Qing Bao and Bao Li can be seen on the zoo's giant panda cam' after arriving in US in OctoberTwo new giant pandas made their public debut at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington DC on Friday morning amid growing excitement about newcomers to the nation's capital, quickly dubbed by some media outlets as pandamonium".The three-year-old pandas, Qing Bao, whose name means green treasure" in Mandarin, and Bao Li, whose name means active and vital power", arrived in the US from China last October, making them the first pandas to come to DC from China in 24 years, but have been in quarantine since. Continue reading...

Captives to be freed are Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag, says Palestinian groupHamas has published the names of four Israeli women being held captive in Gaza who it says it plans to release this weekend as part of the continuing ceasefire agreement between the armed group and Israel.Following the release of the names, however, the office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to indicate it believed Hamas was in breach of the fragile ceasefire deal because the four names did not include that of the remaining female civilian hostage in Gaza. Continue reading...

Home secretary to decide whether Kimberlee Singler will be sent back after extradition challenge is rejectedAn American woman accused in the US of killing two of her children can be extradited from the UK, a court has ruled.Kimberlee Singler, 36, is accused of murdering her nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son at their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in December 2023. Continue reading...

Officers launch appeal nearly two years after unexpected death of performer Steven Grygelko in central LondonDetectives investigating the death of a well-known drag artist nearly two years ago have released CCTV footage of three men they want to speak to.Steven Grygelko, who was known by the stage name Heklina, was found dead in a flat in Soho, central London, on 3 April 2023, by friend and fellow drag performer, Joshua Grannell, known as Peaches Christ. Continue reading...

Downing Street says whole-life terms cannot be extended to killers under age of 18 because of international lawDowning Street has rejected calls for sentencing reforms, saying it does not have the power to extend whole-life sentences to killers aged under 18 because of international law.Alex Rudakubana was sentenced to 52 years in prison on Thursday for the murder of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, at a dance class last July, and the attempted murder of eight others, as well as two adults who tried to save them. Continue reading...

Artistic director collects award during Fashion Week while rumour mill suggests Gucci, Burberry or Margiela moveFriday afternoon in Paris was a big one for the British designer Kim Jones. Not only did the artistic director present his latest menswear collection for Dior, but he collected the prestigious Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, a rarity for someone from outside France. In a fashion moment par excellence, he was presented with the award by Anna Wintour, becoming a knight in the process.Jones has now been at Dior for six years, designing the brand's menswear. Over that time, he has explored the brand's rich archive and also his own historical interests, including TS Eliot's The Waste Land and Vanessa Bell's house, Charleston. This show was no different. It took Christian Dior's mid-50s Ligne H collection as its jump off but made Casanova - the 18th-century Italian author known for his multiple relationships with women - its muse. Continue reading...

President - and Republicans - have tied funds to policy agendas as Gavin Newsom fights for more recovery fundsDays into his new administration, Donald Trump is locked in a wrestling match with a familiar foe, the California governor, Gavin Newsom. And despite the high stakes in the wake of the wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles, neither man is showing any sign of backing down.Where many presidents in the past, regardless of party, have offered unconditional support and unlocked large sums of federal aid to help neighborhoods devastated by the fires to recover and rebuild, Trump appears unable to forget that he is a Republican and Newsom the outspoken Democratic leader of the most populous state in the union. Continue reading...

Move by Ian Murray comes as Labour prepares introduction of new workplace rights for parentsIan Murray, the Scottish secretary, has become the first cabinet minister to take full paternity leave as Labour prepares to roll out new workplace rights for parents.Murray and his wife Mariam are expecting their second child in the next few weeks, and he will be taking two weeks off work next month, using existing legal rights to paternity leave. Continue reading...

Relatives say Marcus Meade's mental health deteriorated before standoff and call for full accountability'The family of Marcus Meade, who was shot and killed by police on Christmas Eve while thought to be having a mental health crisis, have said officers showed no mercy for him", as they called for full accountability" of those involved.Meade, 39, was killed while alone in his home in Redditch on 24 December after a five-hour standoff with West Mercia police officers, and was allegedly in possession of a knife. Continue reading...

Forecast rain will aid firefighting efforts in Los Angeles but could cause mudslides and toxic ash run offSouthern California was preparing for some long-awaited rain this weekend, bringing some respite after enormous wildfires have raged for weeks, but with the potential to cause mudslides, flooding and toxic ash runoff.Rain is forecast for much of Los Angeles from Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. It said there was a 5-10%" chance of significant debris in burn scars, but officials have begun preparations for potential debris flows. Continue reading...

Miguel Arruda charged with theft after allegedly removing baggage from carousel and taking it home, reports sayA far-right politician in Portugal has been accused of stealing suitcases at several airports and kicked out of his political party as a result, the party has said.According to several news outlets, police questioned Miguel Arruda on Tuesday at Lisbon airport and charged him with luggage theft after some of the missing suitcases were allegedly found at his home. Continue reading...

The former Manchester City and QPR midfielder, 42, is accused of assaulting Georgia Barton in June 2021The former footballer Joey Barton pushed his wife to the floor before kicking her in the head during a drunken row at their family home, a court has heard.Georgia Barton was left with a lump on on her forehead and a bleeding nose after the alleged assault. Friends were forced to intervene in the argument between the pair, pulling Barton away from his wife, prosecutors say. The former Manchester City midfielder, 42, is accused of assaulting Georgia Barton, 38, in Kew, south-west London in June 2021, where they had been drinking with two other couples while their children slept upstairs. Continue reading...

Baseline' contamination study to inform Netherlands trial in which shops will sell drug produced by licensed growersLead, pesticides and potentially harmful bacteria were among the contaminants found during an investigation into cannabis sold in semi-legal coffee shops" in the Netherlands.The research, which aimed to establish a baseline" level of typical contamination , was carried out by the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction (Trimbos Institute). It will be used to inform a trial starting in April in which shops in 10 municipalities will sell cannabis that is produced by licensed growers and subject to limits on contaminants. Continue reading...

How can parents know when children are accessing violent material and how should they discuss the risks?The revelations about the internet activity of Axel Rudakubana, who murdered three girls at a Southport dance class last summer, have renewed concerns about the availability of extreme violence online.Experts, including child psychotherapists and internet safety advisers, agree that, although the details of the case are shocking, they present an ideal opportunity for parents to discuss the dangers of online violence, and its impact, with their children. Continue reading...

Met Office says 100mph winds could cause serious disruption with red, amber and yellow alerts in place

British luxury brand's shares rose by as much as 15% as sales of scarves and trenchcoats help it beat forecasts