World news | The Guardian

Israeli Oscar-winner Yuval Abraham speaks out after Miami Beach mayor proposed evicting a local cinema for screening the Palestinian-focused documentaryThe Israeli director of No Other Land has criticised a Florida mayor's efforts to evict a local cinema after it screened his Oscar-winning documentary about Palestinian displacement in the West Bank, saying: Banning a film only makes people more determined to see it."Steven Meiner, the mayor of Miami Beach, has issued a draft resolution calling for the termination of the city's lease agreement with O Cinema, and withdrawing $40,000 in promised grant funding for the nonprofit that runs the independent cinema. Continue reading...

Zelenskyy says Russia is manipulative' and seeking to extend the war while Trump says he is ready to call' PutinVladimir Putin has said he has many questions about the proposed US-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine and appeared to set out a series of sweeping conditions that would need to be met before Russia would agree to such a truce.Speaking at a press conference at the Kremlin alongside the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin said he agreed in principle with US proposals to halt the fighting but said he wanted to address the root causes of the conflict". Continue reading...

This live coverage has ended, thank you for following along. You can find all of the latest Ukraine news here.Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, reports that Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Odesa, and partially occupied Zaporizhzhia were the Ukrainian regions that suffered overnight Russian attacks. Ukraine's military has claimed it shot down 74 of 117 drones overnight, and that Russia also launched an Iskander-M missile.Russian media reports that Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, has arrived in Moscow. Continue reading...

Nineteen people died in the Mariana disaster, prompting a claim of up to 36bn claim against the mining firm BHPWith tears in their eyes, mothers of children who died in Brazil's worst environmental disaster - the 2015 Mariana dam collapse - demanded justice for their loved ones as submissions in their London lawsuit came to an end on Thursday.Nineteen people were killed when the Mariana dam in south-eastern Brazil collapsed and unleashed a wave of toxic sludge, leaving thousands homeless, flooding forests and polluting the Doce River. Continue reading...

Health secretary consistently rejected notion of axing NHS England on the basis of legal challenge he must now tackleSince Labour won power last July, Keir Starmer has repeatedly affirmed his deep affection for the NHS, close family ties to it, intention to fix" it - and also his determination to change it.In a speech last September, he said the health service in England is in such dire straits that it's reform or die" and his government's plans to overhaul how it works could amount to the biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth" in 1948. Continue reading...

Giving evidence in her husband's libel case against the Guardian, Iris Clarke says he always tried to help peopleNoel Clarke's wife has said his accusers are liars who have deliberately fabricated sexual misconduct claims about him.Giving evidence in the actor's libel case against the Guardian, Iris Clarke said her husband was generous and caring, and that people he had worked with and helped had taken advantage of him. Continue reading...

Reforms proposed by health secretary predicted to save as much as 500m but could be distraction for ministersWes Streeting has ordered a high-stakes" reorganisation of the NHS that will scrap 10,000 jobs in an attempt to free up cash for frontline care.Experts warned that the move to abolish NHS England and fold it into the Department of Health could distract ministers from the urgent job of ending long waits for treatment, while trade unions expressed concern about the shambolic" announcement of job cuts for public servants.Join Wes Streeting in conversation with Pippa Crerar discussing England's health and social care system and how Labour plans to turn it around on Tuesday 25 March 2025, 7pm-8.15pm (GMT). Book tickets here or at guardianlive.com Continue reading...

Influential Labour figure says cuts not a Labour thing to do', while George Osborne says when chancellor he resisted move as step too far'The former shadow chancellor Ed Balls has criticised plans for cuts to disability benefits, saying on his podcast that it was not going to work".George Osborne, the architect of welfare cuts during the coalition years, also told the same podcast that he had resisted freezing personal independence payments (Pip) - a move currently under consideration - because he felt it was going too far. Continue reading...

RMT union wins 87% backing from members for improved package for train managers at Avanti West CoastTrain managers on Britain's biggest intercity service, Avanti West Coast, have settled a dispute over rest-day working, ending a series of weekend strikes.The RMT union said 87% of its members had voted to accept a deal including additional pay for working weekends and an agreement on the allocation of staffing for extra shifts. Continue reading...

Union says staff will have been left reeling after surprise news that body will be scrappedStarmer is now talking about regulatation, and giving examples of where he thinks it has gone too far.l give you an example. There's a office conversion in Bingley, which, as you know, is in Yorkshire. That is an office conversion that will create 139 homes.But now the future of that is uncertain because the regulator was not properly consulted on the power of cricket balls. That's 139 homes. Now just think of the people, the families, the individuals who want those homes to buy, those homes to make their life and now they're held up. Why? You'll decide whether this is a good reason because I'm going to quote this is the reason because the ball strike assessment doesn't appear to be undertaken by a specialist, qualified consultant'. So that's what's holding up these 139 homes.When we had those terrible riots ... what we saw then, in response, was dynamic. It was strong, it was urgent. It was what I call active government, on the pitch, doing what was needed, acting.But for many of us, I think the feeling is we don't really have that everywhere all of the time at the moment.The state employs more people than we've employed for decades, and yet look around the country; do you see good value everywhere? Because I don't.I actually think it's weaker than it's ever been, overstretched, unfocused, trying to do too much, doing it badly, unable to deliver the security that people need. Continue reading...

Food and Drink Federation say businesses are struggling to deal with added complexity and bureaucracy'British food and drink exports to the EU have tumbled by more than a third since Brexit, according to new trade body figures highlighting how bureaucratic barriers have changed the relationship between the UK and its most important trading partner.Products including whisky, chocolate and cheese remain popular with EU customers, however overall food export volumes to the bloc fell to 6.37bn kg in 2024, representing a 34% decline compared with 2019 levels, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) found. Continue reading...

Homes searched in inquiry into alleged corruption at European parliament relating to Chinese technology giantSeveral people have been arrested and homes searched as part of an investigation into alleged bribery and corruption at the European parliament relating to the Chinese technology giant Huawei, Belgian prosecutors have said.The investigating judge in charge of the case has asked for seals to be fixed to the offices of two European parliament assistants alleged to be involved. Continue reading...

Lydia Mugambe, 49, was found guilty of forcing someone to work and conspiring to breach UK immigration lawA UN judge has been convicted of forcing a young woman to work as a slave who she exploited and abused".Lydia Mugambe, 49, took advantage of her status" over the victim in the most egregious way" by preventing her from holding down steady employment and forcing her to work as her maid and to provide childcare without payment, prosecutors said. Continue reading...

Mahmoud Khalil described by former colleague at UK office for Syria as well liked and extensively vettedA detained Columbia University graduate threatened with deportation after the Trump administration claimed he poses a risk to US foreign policy is a former employee of the British government who was extensively vetted before working at the embassy in Beirut.Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate from a Columbia University master's programme, was arrested at home on 9 March as he returned with his wife from a dinner to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Continue reading...

Photographer in coma and scores injured as police use teargas, rubber bullets and water cannon against retireesArgentina's hardline security minister is facing calls to resign after the violent police response to a protest by pensioners left a photographer in a coma and scores of other people injured.More than 1,000 riot police used teargas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse demonstrators late on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Miami Beach mayor also proposes withdrawing grant after O Cinema screened Palestinian-focused film No Other LandThe mayor of Miami Beachis attempting to evict an independent cinema from city-owned property after it screened No Other Land, the film about Palestinian displacement in the West Bank that just won the Oscar for best documentary.Steven Meiner's proposal would terminate O Cinema's lease and withdraw $40,000 in promised grant funding. In a newsletter sent to residents on Tuesday, Meiner condemned the film as a false one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our City and residents". Continue reading...

Film will be directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, the pair behind NYC music doc Meet Me in the Bathroom and LCD Soundsystem concert filmSteven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, will oversee a film documenting Oasis's 2025 reunion tour.Knight is described as the creator of the film and will produce it, though it is being directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace. Continue reading...

Dawn Robinson, of the R&B group that sold more than 20m albums, moved in during the pandemic after a family falloutDawn Robinson, a founding member of the widely popular R&B girl group En Vogue, has revealed she has been living out of her car for years.In a video she uploaded to social media, the singer said she moved into her vehicle out of necessity during the pandemic. Robinson added that she has since become devoted to the lifestyle. Continue reading...

Health secretary says end of biggest quango in world' is final nail in coffin of Andrew Lansley's 2012 reorganisation

Chancellor-in-waiting attempting to garner support for fiscal rule changes before new parliament convenesGermany's would-be chancellor has attempted to win the support of the Greens for his proposed fiscal rule changes, offering to expand the scope of defence spending and demanding to know: What more do you want from us?"The outgoing parliament is meeting to debate the creation of a 500bn (420bn) fund for infrastructure investment and radical changes in Germany's borrowing limits in order to boost defence spending. Continue reading...

Cash reward at staff-owned group ruled out for third year in a row, with focus on 600m plans to transform business

Twenty minutes after arriving on holiday in Italian city, Yanis Tereshchenko drew on experience of war to interveneA Ukrainian soldier who insists on always carrying a first-aid kit - even while on holiday - has been praised for saving the life of a stabbing victim during a trip in Venice, Italy.Yanis Tereshchenko, a 32-year-old teacher who enlisted in the Ukrainian army's third assault brigade immediately after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, was on his way to his hotel with his wife and his five-year-old son in the Rialto district when he witnessed an altercation between two young men. Continue reading...

Performers can fight cynicism in age of Trump, says Nicola Benedetti as she announces 2025 programmeMusicians and artists should challenge disinformation and cynicism in global politics by standing up for fundamental truths, the violinist Nicola Benedetti has said.Benedetti, the director of the Edinburgh international festival, said the arts played an essential role during periods of turmoil by showing the best of human achievement. Continue reading...

David Baszucki says company is vigilant about protecting users amid reports of bullying and grooming on platformParents who are worried about their children gaming on Roblox should not let them use it, the platform's chief executive has said.There have been reports of bullying and grooming, and fears that children are being exposed to explicit or harmful content, on the site, which is the most popular platform in the UK among gamers aged eight to 12. Continue reading...

The defense secretary has empowered his lawyer Tim Parlatore to remake the judge advocate general's corpsThe US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is expected in the coming weeks to start a sweeping overhaul of the judge advocate general's corps as part of an effort to make the US military less restricted by the laws of armed conflict, according to two people familiar with the matter.The changes are poised to have implications across the military, as Hegseth's office considers changes to the interpretation of the US rules of engagement on the battlefield to the way that charges are brought under the military justice system. Continue reading...

Australia's ambassador to the US tells ABC's 7.30 that he has thrown everything' at trying to get an exemption to levies

The 3m 2024 figure compares with 32m loss in 2023 and comes despite uncertain consumer environment'Deliveroo has made an annual profit for the first time, after a bumpy few years since a disastrous stock market listing that earned the takeaway delivery company the nickname flopperoo".The 12-year-old company, a member of the FTSE 250 index of mid-sized companies, made a profit of 3m in 2024, compared with a loss of 32m in 2023, it said in a statement on Thursday. Continue reading...

Peter Dutton also declines to say whether he would back a further extension of household energy bill rebates if he wins coming election

Sydney court finds leg-spinner arranged meeting between dealer and brother-in-law but jury dismissed he knew quantity

Questions raised over whether premier and Yasmin Catley misled parliament over Dural caravan plot as Labor rushed through hate speech and places of worship laws

This blog is now closed Coalition criticises Labor over skyrocketing' power price rises - but Dutton won't guarantee lower bills Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJacinta Allan defends new bail lawsThe Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has defended her government's decision to implement what she says are the toughest bail laws in the country".Through the attorney general, there has been contact made with Veronica Nelson's family.What happened through the circumstances around [her] death was an absolute tragedy.Well it's a really disappointing. There's no doubt about that.It's disappointing because it is an act of self-harm for the US, but it's also disappointing in the context of our relationship with the US. Continue reading...

Opposition leader and shadow treasurer Angus Taylor add confusion to party's position ahead of federal election

NFER says pupil behaviour, stagnant pay and inflexible working practices contributing to exodus from workforceTeachers in England are abandoning the classroom over worsening pupil behaviour, stagnant pay and inflexible working practices, leaving vacancies at their highest rate on record, according to a report.It warned that this month's spending review was the government's last chance" to meet its manifesto pledge of hiring 6,500 additional teachers in state schools, as younger teachers continue to abandon the profession since the Covid pandemic and fewer graduates sign up as trainees. Continue reading...

Minicab drivers say Uber's bid to apply tax to all rides would put many out of business and leave people strandedTwo British taxi companies have launched a crowdfunding drive for the last leg of a lengthy legal battle with Uber that could result in higher cab fares.Uber will seek, at a supreme court hearing in July, a ruling on contractual models that affect whether VAT applies to private-hire companies outside London, which it has argued would level the playing field across the UK. Continue reading...

Kim Johnson tells parliament lessons must be learnt from poor treatment of children at institutions in 1960s and 70sThe historic injustice of a scandal in which black children were incorrectly labelled educationally subnormal" and sent to schools for physically and mentally disabled pupils must be addressed with a public inquiry, an MP has said.Kim Johnson, the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, is calling on Keir Starmer to bring justice to survivors and to also expose the long-term effects it has had in the education system. Continue reading...

A similar number have also seen staff abused as shops say crime is spiralling out of control with 55,000 thefts a dayNearly a quarter of Britons have witnessed shoplifting in the past year and seen physical or verbal abuse of shop workers as criminals become bolder and more aggressive".A survey carried out for the British Retail Consortium (BRC) by the market research firm Opinium found Nottingham to be a UK hotspot for retail crime where 32% of residents said they had witnessed shoplifting. London was close behind on 29%. Continue reading...

Police allege 41-year-old woman was practising as an unregistered midwife while another woman, 51, held no medical qualifications and was also unregistered when baby died

Review concluded extending definition to cover extreme violence by loners' such as Axel Rudakubana is unhelpfulThe decision not to classify Axel Rudakubana as a terrorist following the Southport murders was right because it would be unhelpful to stretch the definition of terrorism to cover all extreme violence, the UK's terror watchdog has concluded.Jonathan Hall KC wrote that the legal definition of terrorism is already wide and should not be changed any further" in his post-Southport review of how extreme violence is legally classified. Expanding the definition would increase the possibility of inaccurate use and, in theory, abuse", he said. Continue reading...

Relugolix-estradiol-norethisterone can be taken at home, eliminating need for trips to clinics for injectionsA new daily pill that could transform the way endometriosis is treated has been approved for use on the NHS across England, the medicines watchdog has announced.About 1,000 women a year living with endometriosis will be able to access relugolix-estradiol-norethisterone. The first-of-a-kind" treatment, which was initially rejected by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), works by blocking the specific hormones that contribute to endometriosis while providing necessary hormone replacement. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Jotham Napat said pact must be taken back to the drawing board' and should reflect climate change as security issueVanuatu's new prime minister has said his government intends to revisit" a security agreement with Australia, arguing it does not reflect his country's priorities including climate change and travel mobility for its citizens.Jotham Napat, who was elected in February, said the pact with Canberra had to be taken back to the drawing board" as he sought a win-win situation" in a renegotiated deal. Continue reading...

Russian president makes threats in first visit since Ukrainian incursion as world waits for Kremlin's reaction to ceasefire proposal

US president's comments come after Ukrainian counterpart said he believed strong steps' were under consideration

On third day of cross-examination, the actor claimed accusers voluntarily engaged in sexual conversationNoel Clarke is trying to create moral equivalence" between his alleged sexual misconduct and the behaviour of his accusers, the high court has heard.Giving evidence in his libel claim against the Guardian, the 49-year-old actorclaimed that some of his accusers voluntarily engaged in or initiated sexually loaded banter, were promiscuous and bragged about their sexual exploits.Touched her on her thighs including between her legs.Said they should go to the mezzanine floor above to have sex.Rated women out of 10 for their sexual attractiveness.Said of a pregnant woman that he would bang that" because she could not get pregnant again. Continue reading...

US president claims Dublin took' pharma industry as he holds White House press conference with Micheal MartinDonald Trump has accused Ireland of stealing the US pharmaceutical industry and the tax revenue that should have been paid to the US treasury, in a blow to the Irish premier, Micheal Martin, who had hoped to emerge unscathed from a visit to the White House marking St Patrick's Day.The US president showed grudging respect for Martin, alternately ribbing and complimenting him, while also launching several broadsides against the EU. Continue reading...

Some feel the party is moving away from the working class, but others argue ministers must show new Labour voters the system can work

The founder of an animal sanctuary, which is now caring for the royal pythons, has called for improved laws to protect reptiles reared as petsThe founder of an animal rescue charity who discovered 70 starving pythons and dozens of dead snakes on a couple's property near Durham has called for better laws to protect reptiles reared as pets.Daniel Holmes, of Knaresborough Exotic Rescue, said the condition of the snakes - some of whom he thinks had not been fed for a year - was so poor that it made him and a fellow volunteer break down in tears after the rescue. Continue reading...

Security services claim to have rescued about 190 people being held by Baloch Liberation Army in remote areaAn operation to rescue hundreds of people taken hostage when a train was hijacked by a separatist militant group in remote south-west Pakistan has ended with dozens killed in the onslaught, a spokesperson for the army has said.Pakistan's security services claimed late on Wednesday to have rescued about 190 people who were being held captive after militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) blew up a railway line and launched an attack on the Jaffar Express train. Continue reading...

The tone of relations with the US may depend on whether second-placed Naleraq ends up inside the governmentIt was an election that was fought on the global stage with sporadic commentary from Donald Trump. But in the end, it was domestic issues that drove Greenlanders to the polls to vote overwhelmingly for change.Ever since his son, Donald Trump Jr, touched down in a Trump-branded plane at Nuuk's new airport in January, the US president has made no secret of his renewed desire to gain control of the Arctic island, refusing to rule out economic or military force to do so. Continue reading...

Foreign Office issues strongly worded statement as it responds to expulsion of two diplomats with tit-for-tat moveRussia is attempting to push the UK embassy in Moscow towards closing and has no regard for the escalatory impact of such a move, the Foreign Office has said.The UK expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse on Wednesday in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of two British diplomats for alleged espionage, a claim UK officials strenuously deny. Continue reading...

Former Philippine president expected in court within days as daughter accuses Manila government of kidnapping'The former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has landed in the Netherlands and been taken into the custody of the international criminal court (ICC) on allegations of overseeing death squads in his bloody war on drugs".Duterte was arrested in Manila on Tuesday and placed on a private jet to Rotterdam by police. The plane landed on Wednesday afternoon and taxied into a hangar. An ambulance dropped medics nearby before they wheeled a gurney inside the aircraft. Continue reading...