World news | The Guardian

In today's newsletter: how the war looks from inside the country four years on - and what the west's audience and leaders still misunderstandGood morning. Today marks four years since Russian tanks first rolled towards Kyiv as Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine - a war he insisted on calling a special military operation". The initial assault was repelled, almost certainly to his surprise, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government remained intact to marshal the nation's defences.What followed has been widely perceived as a grinding war of attrition. While Russia has made incremental advances across territory it had already destabilised through Moscow-backed separatist republics, Ukraine has been subjected to a relentless aerial assault on its infrastructure - one that western support, from sanctions to air-defence systems and fighter jets, has not been able to halt. Peace initiatives - with varying degrees of sincerity - have come and gone.Peter Mandelson| Peter Mandelson has been arrested and released on bail by detectives investigating claims he committed misconduct in public office during his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.Education | Hundreds of thousands fewer children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) will be given education, health and care plans (EHCPs) as a result of long-awaited changes announced by the education secretary.UK politics | Reform UK's plan to create an ICE-style deportation agency has been condemned as sadistic", after the party's home affairs spokesperson vowed to face down progressive outrage".Media | The BBC has issued a new apology for its handling of an incident at the Bafta film awards which saw the N-word broadcast during BBC One coverage of the ceremony and remain overnight on BBC iPlayer.Iran | Donald Trump's decision to order airstrikes against Iran will hinge in part on the judgment of Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Continue reading...

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Four-year-old's parents say even the smallest detail could give us the answers we so desperately need'

Rail line projected to cost taxpayers $61.2bn, with further line to Western Sydney international airport to cost extra $32.4bn

Exclusive: Documents show Andrea Jenkyns asked how she could help firm after major gas find in LincolnshireLincolnshire's Reform party mayor, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, has courted the head of an American oil and gas dynasty in the hope of bringing fracking to the county, the Guardian can reveal.Egdon Resources, a British subsidiary of the US fracker Heyco Energy, announced a major gas discovery in Lincolnshire's Gainsborough Trough last year. Jenkyns, who became the first mayor of Greater Lincolnshire in May, reached out personally to the company asking how she could help with your recent gas find in my county", according to records released by the mayoral authority in response to a freedom of information request. Continue reading...

British Retail Consortium warns over endemic' violence towards shop workers and says theft is causing anxietyCriminal gangs are systematically" targeting shops, retailers have warned, with 5.5m incidents of shoplifting detected last year, costing the industry an estimated 400m.The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned over endemic" violence towards shop workers - who faced an average 36 incidents of violence involving a weapon every day last year - and said high levels of theft was causing anxiety" among retail staff. Continue reading...

The actor killed himself, his family said in a statement that aimed to raise awareness of his nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder'Robert Carradine, a member of the famed acting family who was known for his roles in Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire, has died aged 71.Carradine killed himself after years of living with bipolar disorder, his family said in a statement which they said they hoped would raise awareness. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Some of the 11 mothers detained in Kurdish-controlled al-Roj camp say they want Australian government to repatriate children at any cost

Real inequality is between those who have assets and those without in same generation, not young versus old, says ANU academic

Country follows Australia in saying it would support any UK government proposals to remove former prince after arrestNew Zealand has become the second Commonwealth country to back the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.A spokesperson for New Zealand's prime minister, Christopher Luxon, said on Tuesday: If the UK government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it." Continue reading...

Killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader sparks wave of violence across western Mexico

Company had suspended account of Tumbler Ridge shooter in June 2025 over furtherance of violent activities'Canada's artificial intelligence minister says he has summoned representatives from the technology company OpenAI after the company declined to alert police after suspending the account of a user who became the perpetrator of one of the country's worst-ever school shootings.Evan Solomon says he is deeply disturbed" by reports that the company, which operates the popular ChatGPT chatbot, suspended the account of Jesse Van Rootselaar over the furtherance of violent activities" in June 2025 but did not reach out to Canadian law enforcement. Continue reading...

Government forces issued threat because Australian government failed to coordinate with them, official says

Designer Daniel Lee's trenchcoats and bomber jackets fizz with urban energy in collection that embraces bad weatherIn a winter of record-breaking rain, Burberry - purveyor of the stalwart British coat - is back in the zeitgeist. A season of downpours has provided an apt backdrop for a return to form, as the brand re-entered the FTSE 100 last autumn after an ignominious year out of the charts.The classic check scarf was ranked the fourth hottest fashion item in the last quarter of 2025 on the search, sales and social media metrics of the Lyst index, with overall demand for the brand up 239% year on year. Continue reading...

Controversial doctor steps down as contributor after Epstein files reveal communication between the two menControversial longevity expert Dr Peter Attia has resigned from his post as a CBS News contributor after correspondence between Attia and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was made public.The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news of Attia's departure. Continue reading...

Sinners film-maker's much-anticipated relaunch of the paranormal hit show finally receives official green lightRyan Coogler's reboot of The X-Files has received the official green light with Danielle Deadwyler set as the first co-lead.The film-maker behind Black Panther and Sinners has long talked about his love for the hit paranormal drama series and how he wants to make some new episodes that are really fucking scary". Continue reading...

Trump tells Mexico to step up' effort to combat cartels even after military operation kills drug lord known as El Mencho'

Education secretary and her team have won over some critics but obstacles remain in their attempt to overhaul systemIn her first week as a cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson held a meeting for new Labour MPs with one subject - special educational needs. Almost 100 MPs came to that first meeting.There were new MPs for whom the issue was personal to their own families - Jen Craft, Daniel Francis, Steve Race, as well as the then business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds. Dozens more knew the system was at breaking point because of their previous work in the charity sector, for unions and in the disability sector. Continue reading...

US state department official says it's prudent' to reduce their footprint to essential personnelWashington has evacuated dozens of non-essential personnel from its embassy in Lebanon as US ships and warplanes have been positioned in the region for a potential strike against Iran in the coming days.The diplomatic drawdown followed reports that dozens of US personnel had been evacuated through Lebanon's Beirut-Rafic Hariri international airport to protect them from a possible Iranian counterattack if tensions between the US and Iran escalate into war. Roughly 30-50 US embassy personnel have left the country, estimates suggest. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Former health secretary throws weight behind campaign to boost diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrumJeremy Hunt has urged leading doctors to do more to help maternity specialists detect a rare complication of childbirth that can lead to a women bleeding to death within minutes.The former health secretary has thrown his weight behind a new campaign, aimed at improving the NHS's identification of placenta accreta spectrum. The campaign was set up by Amisha Adhia and her husband, Nik, after five hospitals failed to spot that she had PAS. Continue reading...

Valdo Calocane released in 2020 after mental health staff considered research on over-representation of young black men in detentionMental health professionals decided not to detain the Nottingham triple killer Valdo Calocane despite a violent incident in 2020, after they considered research that addressed the over-representation of young black men in custody, a public inquiry has been told.Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, fatally stabbed 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and 65-year-old Ian Coates, and severely injured three others on 13 June 2023. Continue reading...

Deadliest start to a year in more than a decade, according to the International Organization for MigrationA least 606 people trying to reach Europe in search of refugee have been reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2026, marking the deadliest start to a year" in more than a decade, the UN's migration agency said on Monday.The figure includes at least 30 people who are feared dead or missing after their boat capsized in severe weather off the coast of Greece on Saturday. Authorities rescued 20 people, including four minors, and recovered the bodies of three men and one woman, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said. Continue reading...

Amid relief that changes will avoid significant disruption for families, there are fears some children will not benefitParents of children with special needs say they are relieved that the government's long-awaited overhaul will avoid significant disruption for their families - but told the Guardian they fear getting help will remain a struggle.Becky, whose son Kyllian has a number of disabilities including cerebral palsy and is registered blind, said she was cautiously optimistic" about the changes in England announced by Bridget Phillipson, and immediate relief that her son wouldn't have to move from his special school. Continue reading...

Video footage shows former peer being driven away shortly after being escorted from his London home by officers

Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the government's long-awaited plans for the special educational needs and disabilities system. Can the controversial overhaul convince parents and MPs? Plus, the latest on the Gorton and Denton byelectionTo read Jonthan Liew's Sunday Read on the Gorton and Denton byelection, click here Continue reading...

Repeat of BBC series gave clue to Paul Gostelow about 19th-century altar cards taken from crypt in HampshireTwo priceless artefacts stolen more than a decade ago from the crypt of Napoleon III in England have been recovered after an antiques dealer realised he had them while watching a repeat of the comedy drama Lovejoy.The wooden 19th-century altar cards were taken in a burglary at St Michael's Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire in February 2014 and were feared lost for ever. Continue reading...

Zia Yusuf sets out proposals and calls migration an invasion', as refugee groups decry grotesque' measures

Authorities mounted rescue operation after group of five lost control of ice sheet in Stockholm archipelagoFive people have been rescued from an ice floe carrying a sauna tent, a motorised saw and an onboard motor after they lost control of their DIY vessel in the Stockholm archipelago.Swedish authorities believe the ice sheet's passengers, who were German tourists, had been attempting to create their own motor-powered floating sauna when the swell from a passing passenger ferry broke the ice sheet and stranded them near Varmdo, an island near Stockholm. Continue reading...

Reiner, 32, charged with two counts of first-degree murder after parents were stabbed to death in DecemberNick Reiner was expected to return to court on Monday for arraignment on two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.A judge postponed the legal proceedings last month after his attorney withdrew from the case, and was replaced by a public defender. Reiner's former attorney, Alan Jackson, said at the time that he could not share why he was stepping down, but that his client was not guilty. Continue reading...

Call comes amid fresh scrutiny of Mountbatten-Windsor's alleged links to Epstein, including claims over security arrangements at his New York homeThe intense focus on the former Prince Andrew's association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has centred on the women who were trafficked for sex as young girls by the latter, and the police investigation into claims Mountbatten-Windsor handed him sensitive information while serving as the UK trade envoy.Over the weekend, it shifted slightly to the police officers who were tasked with guarding Andrew for years as he carried out his public role as a senior royal. They are now being told to come forward and speak to detectives about what they saw and heard while on duty. Continue reading...

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, known for lavish lifestyle, also accused of theft and being illegal immigrant after man was allegedly shot in backA son of the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has been charged with attempted murder after a 23-year-old man was allegedly shot in the back on 19 February in an upmarket area of Johannesburg.Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, 28, appeared in court on Monday for a brief hearing alongside co-accused Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze. Mugabe's lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni declined to comment when asked by reporters whether the two men were related. Mnguni said he would request bail for his clients at the next hearing on 3 March. Continue reading...

Finance campaigner marches on to set and tells Tory leader her policy to cut interest rates will only help top earners

Exclusive: One in four wait at least three years for diagnosis and many face treatment access lottery', report findsMillions of people living with rare genetic conditions across the UK are being systematically ignored" by the NHS and facing inadequate care, according to a report.Rare genetic conditions, such as Williams syndrome and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, affect more than 3.5 million people across the UK. One in 17 people are affected by a rare condition at some point during their lives. Continue reading...

Comments by Ted Sarandos follow Donald Trump's demand for company to remove Democrat from board

Transport minister Catherine King will pledge $230m for planning work for the first phase of a bullet train on Australia's east coast

New special educational needs regime to result in far fewer children being given education, health and care plans

Motorway stretch plays music as a safety feature but those close to it say intrusive' noise is constant and distressingResidents of one of India's most upmarket neighbourhoods say the country's first musical road" has turned their daily lives into a nightmare soundtrack.A stretch of Mumbai's recently opened Coastal Road seafront expressway has been engineered to play the pulsating Oscar-winning tune Jai Ho from the movie Slumdog Millionaire when vehicles drive on it at lower speeds. Continue reading...

Coroner to examine whether police told prison staff about Aboriginal woman's acute mental health conditions, despite previous arrest under mental health actWarning: This article contains reference to an Indigenous Australian who has died

Gold Coast mayor says he looks forward to considering a formal development application'

Further thunderstorms bringing heavy rain and flash flooding may hit Melbourne on Tuesday, Bureau of Meteorology warns

Tony Burke says he is still considering whether to deny visa application from TV journalist Zvi Yehezkeli

Footage of Punch, a seven-month-old Japanese macaque, has gone viral around the world after he was rejected by his mother and formed a bond with a soft toyA baby monkey in Japan has captured hearts around the world after videos of him being bullied by other monkeys and rejected by his mother went viral last week.Punch, a Japanese macaque, was born last July at Ichikawa zoo. He has drawn international attention after zookeepers gave him a stuffed orangutan toy after he was abandoned by his mother. Continue reading...

Corporation says there are no favourites' among MOTD trio Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby LoganWhen the BBC split the task of presenting Match of the Day between three prominent broadcasters, executives were clear - there were to be no favourites" among the new hosts Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman.That mantra is now being underlined as the corporation prepares its coverage for this summer's World Cup. It is understood producers are ensuring that the trio have an equal number of programmes to present once the tournament kicks off in Mexico City. Continue reading...

NSW police say they found links between the car and abandoned Dural property 11 days after man abducted in case of mistaken identity

Calls mount for Mountbatten-Windsor to be dropped from royal line of successionPolice searches of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's former home on the Windsor estate in Berkshire continued on Sunday as a government minister did not rule out having a judge-led inquiry into the former prince's links with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, representing the government, did not rule out such an inquiry but said it was premature because of the police investigation. Continue reading...

Generational' reforms are a key moment for Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, and for Keir StarmerMinisters will unveil a generational" overhaul of special educational needs and disabilities (Send) support, pledging 4bn to transform provision in schools in England and warning councils they could lose control of Send services if they fail to meet their legal duties.The reforms are expected to be a key policy moment for Keir Starmer and for the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson - who delayed the changes last autumn after a ferocious backlash from MPs and parents. Continue reading...

Nigel Farage's party plans to deport up to 288,000 people a year on five flights a day and expand stop and searchReform UK would create an ICE-style agency dedicated to deporting hundreds of thousands of people, as well as terminating the status of those with indefinite leave to remain (ILR), the party will say.It would also ban the conversion of churches into mosques and fund a radical expansion of stop and search, the party's new home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, will also say in a speech on Monday. The deradicalisation programme Prevent would also have its mandate redrawn to focus on Islamist extremism. Continue reading...

Paul Thomas Anderson drama scores six awards, as Jessie Buckley becomes first Irish woman to win leading actress prize

Investigation under way regarding death of Cpl Lucy Wilde, 25, who prince said served with courage and distinction'Prince William has paid tribute to a young army medic found dead in her barracks who served with courage and distinction".Cpl Lucy Wilde, 25, who posted videos on TikTok documenting her daily life in the army, was found dead in her barracks in Warminster, Wiltshire, on 5 February. An investigation is under way, the Ministry of Defence said. Continue reading...

Letter to Shabana Mahmood describes controls that could block British dual citizens' entry to UK as unacceptable'The Liberal Democrats have called on the home secretary to move at speed" to delay the rollout of new border controls that could result in British dual nationals being blocked from entering the country.A letter sent by the party to Shabana Mahmood echoes one sent by the former Conservative cabinet minister David Davis on Friday asking for a grace period to be implemented urgently after one of his constituents living in the Netherlands told how she could no longer visit her dying mother in a care home in Yorkshire. Continue reading...