World news | The Guardian

Dutton, his deputy Sussan Ley and shadow treasurer Angus Taylor have made differing statements on the Coalition policy, before and after Cyclone Alfred

Queensland Law Reform Commission will no longer deliver recommendations to government despite two-year inquiry

This blog is now closed

Institute for Fiscal Studies says half of the rise in working-age people claiming the benefit last year is linked to mental healthMore than half of the increase in disability benefits is due to more mental health claims, according to research.Since the pandemic, the number of working-age adults in England and Wales paid disability benefits has increased by nearly 1 million people to 2.9 million in 2024, with 7.5% of 16- to 64-year-olds claiming. Continue reading...

First such study finds laws on abortion, debt and dress help increase rate of women being jailed twice as fast as for menPoverty, abuse and discriminatory laws are driving a huge rise in the number of women in prison globally, according to a new report.With the rise of the far right and an international backlash against women's rights, the research said there was a risk that laws would increasingly be used to target women, forcing more behind bars. Continue reading...

Proposed changes, which include scrapping principle of remand as last resort' for youth, condemned as backwards step'

Exclusive: Under-qualified professionals being asked to treat patients in England as NHS leans on third sectorMental health charities in England are struggling to cope with the number of sick patients referred to them by GPs, with under-qualified professionals increasingly tasked with treating the seriously ill.Experts told the Guardian that some desperate GPs were signposting" patients to services not always equipped to deal with them. Continue reading...

Deanne Mathews fined $3000 after pleading guilty to trafficking psilocybin at Clunes wellness retreat where Rachael Dixon fell ill and died

Barni Evans laments being involved in an advertising arms race' and says company did not do enough to stop integrity threats to major sports

High court upholds ruling against commonwealth that Gumatj clan's land was not acquired on just terms', in case initiated by renowned land rights activist

Over the next few days police will be present' in the remote Marokopa area where Tom Phillips and his three children are believed to be hidingNew Zealand police are launching a fresh operation in the rugged North Island wilderness to track down a fugitive father and his three children who have been missing for more than three years.Just before Christmas 2021, Tom Phillips fled into a remote area of Waikato with his children Ember, thought to be now aged 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 11, following a dispute with their mother. Phillips does not have legal custody for his children. Continue reading...

This live coverage has ended. You an find the latest in our full report here.As the talks in Jeddah take place behind the closed doors, let's catch up with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's comments at the European Parliament in Strasbourg earlier this morning.She told EU lawmakers that the European security order is being shaken, and so many of our illusions are being shattered," with increasingly aggressive posture from Russia and the shift in US defence policy. Continue reading...

Joint statement says ball is now in Russia's court' as two countries also revive plans for minerals deal

Remains brought to Britain as part of colonialism, such as Egyptian mummies, should be repatriated, a report saysThe public display of human remains in the UK, including the ancient Egyptian mummies in the British Museum, is offensive and should be stopped, according to a group of MPs.A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations (APPG-AR) said it should become an offence to sell ancestral remains or publicly display them without consent. Continue reading...

Committee warns of serious injustice to disabled motorists and those reliant on public chargersThe rollout of electric vehicle chargers across Britain is patchy", behind deadline and ignores the needs of disabled drivers, the parliamentary spending watchdog has found.A report published by the public accounts committee (PAC) warned that the charging points needed to give drivers confidence for the switch to EVs were still lacking, particularly on Britain's biggest roads. Continue reading...

Japanese company announces two new EVs and promises another three by 2026, as well as new Lexus modelsToyota has said it plans to build battery vehicles in the UK in the future as it seeks to keep all of its European plants open, although it will be cautious before switching away from fossil fuels.The Japanese company, the world's largest carmaker by sales, said it wanted to retain all eight of its European factories through the transition to electric cars, as it announced two new electric models and promised another three by 2026 under its main brand. It also showed a new electric model under its premium Lexus brand, with two more to come this year. Continue reading...

Research has found that the number of ADHD prescriptions in England increased from around 25 per 1,000 people in 2019/20 to 41.55 in 2023/24The number of prescriptions being issued in England for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication has risen by 18% year on year since the pandemic, with the biggest rise being seen in London, according to research.Experts said increased public awareness via social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok could be a factor behind the substantial rise in prescription rates, encouraging more people to seek assessment, diagnosis and treatment". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Proposals also include cutting thousands of civil service jobs and restructuring NHS EnglandA radical blueprint for reforming the state is being drawn up by government officials, including a crackdown on quangos and thousands more civil service job cuts, the Guardian understands.Proposals to restructure NHS England, with entire teams axed to save money and avoid duplication, could be replicated across a range of arm's length bodies that spend about 353bn of public money. Continue reading...

Two-party alliance led by the Social Democratic party was in power for less than a yearPortugal's minority government has lost a vote of confidence in parliament, forcing its resignation and bringing the EU country's third general election in three years.

Westchester county has laws limiting cooperation, but Ice has accessed trove of data that holds license plate readersAs Donald Trump's administration ramps up its crackdown on undocumented immigrants to the US, advocates are increasingly worried immigration agents will turn to surveillance technology to round up those targeted for deportation, even in so-called sanctuary cities" that limit the ways local law enforcement can cooperate with immigration officials.That's because US Customs and Immigration Enforcement (Ice) in past years has gained access to troves of data from sanctuary cities that could aid its raids and enforcement actions. Among that information is data from the vast network of license plate readers active across the US, according to documents obtained by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Jessica Brosche to join Lucas Sielaff, who is reported to have returned to Germany on 6 MarchA German tourist detained by US immigration authorities is due to be deported back to Germany on Tuesday after spending more than six weeks in detention, including eight days in solitary confinement.Jessica Brosche, a 29-year-old tattoo artist from Berlin, will reportedly join Lucas Sielaff, 25, from Bad Brida in Saxony Anhalt, who is reported to have returned to Germany on 6 March, after being arrested at the Mexican border on 18 February before being detained for almost two weeks. Continue reading...

Books about Banksy and by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe were removed, and one of the owners detainedIsraeli police have raided the leading Palestinian bookshop in East Jerusalem for the second time in a month, detaining one of its owners for several hours and seizing some of its stock.The deputy state attorney's office had warned police that they overstepped their authority with the first raid on the shop in February. Officers again arrived at the Educational Bookshop without a warrant on Tuesday morning, staff said. Continue reading...

Putin may well stick to previous demands over Ukrainian elections and a rejection of European peacekeeping forces

Baloch Liberation Army claims to have killed 30 military personnel after blowing up tracks in Balochistan regionA separatist militant group in Pakistan's south-western Balochistan province says it has taken 214 hostages including military personnel after hijacking a train, as the country's security situation continues to decline sharply.The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) blew up the tracks and fired on the Jaffar Express train as it travelled through a tunnel in a remote and mountainous area, bringing the train to a halt. Continue reading...

During the sentencing of Clifford for the murders of Carol Hunt and her daughters Louise and Hannah, the court heard from their family and partnerThe sentencing of Kyle Clifford for the murders of Carol Hunt and her daughters Louise and Hannah has heard emotionally charged victim statements, paying tribute to the women and describing the ex-soldier as a monster".Clifford was given a whole-life order at Cambridge crown court for the murder and rape of his ex-partner, Louise Hunt, and the killings of her mother and sister. Continue reading...

Kyiv ready to do everything' to end fighting after Trump cut support for Ukraine in its war with Russia

Police launch criminal investigation as local leaders call on Starmer to prevent environmental catastrophePolice have launched a criminal investigation into the collision between two ships in the North Sea, with one man arrested, as experts voiced growing fears over the environmental impact of the crash.A 59-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after the search was called off for a sailor onboard the Solong cargo ship, which drifted ablaze off the coast of Yorkshire on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Interim principal says drastic measures needed to tackle 35m shortfall in day-to-day spendingDundee University has announced plans to cut more than 600 jobs and reduce its teaching by a fifth to help cope with a 35m deficit in its accounts.The university's interim principal, Prof Shane O'Neill, said that nearly 200 academic staff and 435 support staff would be made redundant, with every department hit by the cuts. Continue reading...

Poll takes place against backdrop of threats by Donald Trump and growing demands for independenceVoters on the vast Arctic island of Greenland are going to the polls after a dramatic election campaign that the territory's prime minister said had been burdened by geopolitical tensions".The vote on Tuesday has attracted global attention after Donald Trump's repeated assertions about acquiring the autonomous territory, using military and economic force if necessary. Continue reading...

Higher costs from April on course to derail prime minister's plan for 300 bill reduction, warns Energy UK

Since pontiff was hospitalised conspiracy theories have swirled online claiming he has diedWhile Pope Francis was being treated for double pneumonia, Italian TikToker Ottavo made his way unchallenged into a ward at Gemelli hospital in Rome, followed by a camera. His aim was to bolster a conspiracy theory circulating on social media for weeks: that the 88-year-old pontiff was dead and the Vatican refuses to tell us".There's no security at all - nothing whatsoever," he told his 10,000 followers in the video. I would never have been able to get this far if he were there. For that reason, in my opinion, Pope Francis passed away." Continue reading...

Louise Haigh and Layla Moran cite broadcaster in arguing for amendment that would ban such agreements that stopped staff revealing harassmentIn the Commons Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, is asking Shabana Mahmood about the Sentencing Council's decision to refuse her request to change what he described as its two-tier guidance".Jenrick says Mahmood briefed the papers that she was incandescent". Was she incandescent about her officials, or about her failure to read the papers about what the Sentencing Council was proposing.We will never stand for a two-tier approach to sentencing, but I am actually getting on with fixing the problem, rather than looking for a bandwagon to jump on. That is why I have already written to the Sentencing Council. I will be meeting with them later in this week, and I have made it very clear I will consider their role and their powers, and if I need to legislate, I will do so.But I will make sure that whatever changes I bring forward are workable and they deliver the fair justice system that we all need and deserve, and one his government did not deliver. Continue reading...

At least 91 drones targeted Russian capital, according to officials, disrupting flights and train servicesUkraine has launched its largest drone attack on Moscow since the start of the war, only hours before US and Ukrainian teams convened for key peace talks in Saudi Arabia.The Russian defence ministry reported that 337 drones were launched at Russia overnight on Monday, including 91 targeting the Moscow region, killing two people, sparking fires and disrupting flights and train services. Continue reading...

Steven Payne, 37, was fatally attacked at remote beach in Western Australia while on a six-month holiday with his partner and dog

Ben Habib, an ex-Reform deputy leader who was also forced out by Nigel Farage, makes offer to Great Yarmouth MPThe ousted Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe could join forces in a breakaway rightwing party with a former deputy leader of the party who was also forced out by Nigel Farage.The offer came from the former Brexit party MEP Ben Habib, an outspoken critic of Farage, who said he was constantly in touch" with Lowe. Continue reading...

Australian Community Media, publisher of the Newcastle Herald, removes ad promoting Clive Palmer's party from digital edition, saying it does not meet the company's values Sign up for Guardian Australia's free weekly media newsletter hereThe Newcastle Herald has apologised for publishing a front page ad from Clive Palmer's new Trumpet of Patriots party which says there are only two genders", as journalists at the Age say they are furious" the Melbourne newspaper has apparently accepted the same ad for publication.In the past week the Age has published Palmer's anti-immigration and anti-welcome to country advertisements, which have also appeared in News Corp publications.Sign up to get Guardian Australia's weekly media diary as a free newsletter Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. You can read the latest in our full report:

Member for Runcorn and Helsby quits two weeks after receiving a suspended sentence for punching a constituentMike Amesbury has resigned as an MP after being given a prison sentence for punching a constituent, triggering the first byelection of Keir Starmer's government.The Runcorn and Helsby MP was suspended by Labour and lost the party whip in October after a video of the incident on a night out was published online. He was given a 10-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. Continue reading...

Adrian and Joanne Fenton had called the police when they discovered the boy hiding inside a bike-rack coverA couple who discovered a boy hidden on the back of their motorhome after their journey from France to Essex have been fined 1,500 by the Home Office.Adrian and Joanne Fenton called the police when they found the person zipped inside the cover of a bike rack after pulling up on their drive at their home in Heybridge. Continue reading...

Ex-Barclays CEO says FCA made no attempt' to understand his relationship with child sex offender Jeffrey EpsteinThe former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley has accused the UK's financial regulator of seeking to destroy" his reputation built up over a 43-year career in banking and making no attempt" to understand his relationship with child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Staley took the witness box for the first time on a Monday at the start of the second week of a high-profile legal challenge in London. It marked the first time the former UK banking boss has given any detailed public account of his experience with Epstein or the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation. Continue reading...

Graham Stuart says other 36 mariners across both crews are safe and accounted for'

Estate agent manager, who had quit after being denied a symbolically significant' seat, was right to view it as demotion, panel saysAllocating a senior employee a desk that they believe to be associated with a junior position amounts to a breach of workplace laws, an employment tribunal has ruled.The panel said being made to sit somewhere in the office where junior staff work could logically" lead a senior employee to conclude they have been demoted. Continue reading...

Lowe's online presence, helped by Elon Musk, dwarfs that of Nigel Farage, but may not bring him new Reform votersIf you were to looking for answers as to why Rupert Lowe, a relatively little-known Reform UK MP, thinks he can lecture Nigel Farage about running a party and winning an election, there is one place you should probably start: X.For all that in person Lowe can sometimes resemble a slightly embarrassing uncle at a wedding, on the social media site formerly known as Twitter, the Great Yarmouth MP is a big name - and by some metrics, a notably bigger one even than his party leader. Continue reading...

Residents sought safety in a temporary shelter after the Fuego volcano spewed lava, ash and rocksGuatemalan authorities have evacuated around a thousand people after Central America's most active volcano erupted, spewing lava, ash and rocks.Residents sought safety in a temporary shelter after the Fuego volcano - located 35km (22 miles) from the capital Guatemala City - showed escalating activity on Sunday. Continue reading...

President tells Republicans to support measure boosting defense and deportation budgets before Saturday deadlineRepublican lawmakers are scrambling to avert a government shutdown set to begin on Saturday, with Donald Trump's backing for a temporary funding measure having suddenly silenced the usual conservative opposition.The stopgap funding bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), would maintain government operations at current funding levels through 30 September, the end of the fiscal year. Republican US House speaker Mike Johnson said he plans to hold a procedural vote on Monday, aiming for a passage vote on Tuesday before sending lawmakers home for recess. Continue reading...

Couple facing retrial at Old Bailey deny manslaughter of newborn by gross negligenceA wealthy aristocrat and her partner caused the entirely avoidable" death of their baby daughter through their reckless" and grossly negligent" conduct while on the run to evade authorities, a retrial has heard.Constance Marten, 37, and Mark Gordon, 50, of no fixed abode, deny manslaughter of their newborn by gross negligence and a second charge of causing or allowing the death of a child between 4 January and 27 February 2023. Continue reading...

Mali Bennett-Smith jailed for 10 years and five months after admitting he killed Luka, 19, because she was annoying'A 17-year-old boy who stabbed his older sister to death after telling her he wanted to practise a headlock on her has pleaded guilty to her murder.Mali Bennett-Smith, said his sister, 19-year-old Luka Bennett-Smith, had been annoying" and he wanted to kill her. Continue reading...

The prime minister has more reason than most to be the boots on the ground after 63% of voters said he is not in tune with ordinary Australians

Former chancellor's roles since becoming a peer in 2020 include working for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait