World news | The Guardian

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...

Travellers from country now need visas with decision reportedly made in response to rising asylum claims

Despite pandering to Trump's ego, Labour finds itself in a trade war. At least Reform is still giving comic reliefWell, that went well, didn't it? Weeks of finding ever more ingenious ways to flatter the US president. Extolling the brilliance of Donald Trump being able to tie his own shoelaces. That's incredible, Mr President. No one has ever managed to do that so beautifully." No chance for flattery has been passed up. It is now the sign of the highest IQ not to be able to speak in joined-up sentences. To change your mind at a moment's notice. Yet at all times, Keir Starmer has remained a paragon of obsequiousness. Not a word out of place.And what do we get for it? The occasional hint of recognition from the Donald. Which we cling to. Attempting to find meaning in something essentially meaningless. Something that came with little thought. And now we also are landed with 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. A reward for obeisance. That's the thing with Trump. He gets angry if he's disrespected but has nothing but contempt for those who humour him. He's a complicated proposition. Continue reading...

Move is in response to similar Russian measures earlier this weekHere is the list of MPs down to ask a question.PMQs is about to start. Continue reading...

Heated exchange after subcommittee chair Keith Self calls first out trans representative Sarah McBride Mr McBride'The Republican chair of a US House subcommittee adjourned a hearing after he was challenged for misgendering Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress.McBride, a first-term Democratic congresswoman from Delaware, elected last November, shot back at the chair and a senior Democrat on the committee also spoke up to challenge the insult. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president would not be drawn on details of proposed deal and also steered clear of criticising Trump at press briefing

Omer Wenkert says he was held mostly in darkness - and his mistreatment was often sparked by events in warAn Israeli hostage freed by Hamas last month has described the distressing conditions and abuse he says he endured during 505 days held in Gaza.In an interview on Israeli television, Omer Wenkert, 23, said he had hidden in a bomb shelter with a close friend when it became clear the Nova music festival was under attack by Hamas and other militants from Gaza on 7 October 2023. Continue reading...

Mark Ross to be sentenced on Friday over killing of Claudiu-Carol Kondor during theft of vehicle in Armley areaA career criminal" has been found guilty of murdering an Amazon delivery driver who was trying to stop his van from being stolen.Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 42, was dragged along a street at high speeds as he clung to his vehicle to try to stop the theft on 20 August last year. Continue reading...

Katherine Kiefer lost her home to the Palisades wildfire, but her crafty kitty, Aggie, somehow lived through the disasterIt appears the tall tale that all cats have nine lives may be true for a California Maine coon named Aggie.The beloved feline was feared dead for two months after the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles left her family's home in ashes. But her owner, 82-year-old Katherine Kiefer, held out some hope. Continue reading...

Opposition centre-right party gains most votes ahead of Naleraq party, with coalition talks expected to beginGreenland has voted for a complete overhaul of its government in a shock result in which the centre-right Democrat party more than tripled its seats after a dramatic election campaign fought against the backdrop of Donald Trump's threats to acquire the Arctic island.Tuesday's election, in which the Democrats replaced Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), the party of the former prime minister Mute B Egede, as the biggest party in the Inatsisartut, the Greenlandic parliament, also led to a doubling of seats for Naleraq - the party most open to US collaboration and which supports a snap vote on independence - making it the second-biggest party. Continue reading...

It look so artistic under the water,' staff says of Pepper who has become the aquarium's most acrobatic sea lionA baby sea lion toting an artificial kelp strip was filmed performing intricate rhythmic gymnastics-esque circles through the waters of an aquarium in Washington state.Although only nine months old and still reliant on her mother's milk, Pepper has become the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium's most acrobatic sea lion, said Noelle Tremonti, a staff biologist for the aquarium. Continue reading...

FCA presents email evidence it claims shows bank boss and child sex offender were like family'Prince Andrew was among a number of high-profile contacts of Jeffrey Epstein who were told that the child sex offender considered the former Barclays boss Jes Staley to be a close friend and like family", a court has heardA package of emails presented at the upper tribunal in London marked the first time that the prince was explicitly mentioned in the case launched by Staley in hopes of overturning a lifetime ban from working in the City. Continue reading...

Police responded to a fistfight and shooting in which a 25-year-old man was injuredA man was shot outside a passenger terminal at a Chicago's O'Hare international airport, one of the busiest in the US, in the early hours of Wednesday, police said.The incident followed an altercation among multiple people, according to law enforcement Continue reading...

FCA and Bank of England's PRA join retreat from efforts to help underrepresented groups, citing regulatory burdens'

Mahmoud Khalil was detained by Ice agents on Saturday, part of Trump's crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus protestersMahmoud Khalil's wife, who is now eight months pregnant, issued a statement on Tuesday night after the Columbia University graduate student and activist was arrested in New York by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) as part of the Trump administration's attempt to revoke his green card and have him deported.I am pleading with the world to continue to speak up against his unjust and horrific detention by the Trump administration," Khalil's wife, who is a US citizen, said in her statement, remaining anonymous for fear of harassment. Continue reading...

Over 11 days of breakneck diplomacy, Kyiv was convinced of need to pacify Trump, but reconciliation may be all too brief

Scotland's former first minister, who led SNP from 2014 until 2023, says she will not seek re-election in 2026

Two people have died in outbreak in Gaines county, and doctors fear the spread of the extremely contagious diseaseTexas doctors say they are worried about measles spreading to population centers in an outbreak the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects to expand rapidly".Two people have died, including a child, and at least 208 people have been sickened across west Texas and New Mexico after an outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease took hold in rural Gaines county. Continue reading...

Captain of Solong, which was in collision with tanker, was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughterThe arrested captain of the Solong, a container ship that crashed into another vessel in the North Sea, is a Russian national, its management company has confirmed.The 59-year-old was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter on Tuesday after Monday's fiery collision about 12 miles off the East Yorkshire coast, which left one man presumed dead. Continue reading...