World news | The Guardian

Visitors joining in tradition of touching the breast of the artwork to bring them fortune in relationships have worn a hole in itTourists in the northern Italian city of Verona have once again created a hole in the right breast of a statue of William Shakespeare's heroine Juliet.The bronze statue sits beneath the balcony in a tiny courtyard where Romeo is said to have wooed Juliet, attracting hundreds of visitors each day who flock there for a selfie and to touch the breast as part of a ritual that is believed to bring luck in love. Continue reading...

PM says people trust me on these things' and refuses to be drawn on whether government would forgo entire 46bn raised from measureKeir Starmer has accused Jeremy Hunt of repeating the budget mistakes made by Liz Truss during her disastrous premiership.In comments on the budget during a visit to a building site this morning, Starmer focused on Hunt's proposal to abolish employees' national insurance over time, saying that this was a bigger unfunded tax promise than those in Truss's mini-budget. (See 9.28am.)How humiliating was that for the government yesterday?We've argued for years that they should get rid of the non-dom tax status, they've resisted that. And now, completely out of ideas, the only decent policy they've got is the one that they've lifted from us.Nothing that Jeremy Hunt did yesterday, nor anything the OBR said, changes anything very significantly. Which is a shame. Because that means we are still:-heading for a parliament in which people will on average be worse off at the end than at the start, Continue reading...

Woman on trial with her partner, Mark Gordon, for manslaughter of infant Victoria says she gave her the best any mother would'Constance Marten, whose daughter Victoria died after she and the baby's father went off the grid in freezing winter weather to evade authorities, has denied ever harming her child, telling a jury she had shown her nothing but love during her short life.Marten was giving evidence at the Old Bailey on Thursday, as she and her partner, Mark Gordon, stand trial for the manslaughter of the child in 2023. Gordon declined to give evidence earlier in the week. Continue reading...

According to official forecasts, measures in Wednesday's budget have left tax as a share of national income at 37.1%In 1948, the country was in the midst of reconstruction following the second world war - and had the tax levels to show for it. Ration cards were still in use and the NHS still on the maternity ward, having been born that July.The previous month, the Empire Windrush had made its historic arrival in Tilbury. Earlier that year, Myanmar and Sri Lanka - then named Burma and Ceylon - had gained independence from the British empire. And, in the summer, Portsmouth ascended the summit of domestic football for the first time - winning the English title. Continue reading...

Scottish government says judge-led public inquiry will look at serious failings' of police investigation, as killer appeals convictionAn independent judge-led public inquiry will be held into how police handled the investigation into Emma Caldwell's murder, the Scottish government has announced. The announcement came as Scotland's most senior law officer said she believes there was sufficient evidence in 2008 to prosecute Caldwell's killer, who was convicted only last week.Caldwell's mother, Margaret, has campaigned tirelessly for nearly two decades to bring her daughter's murderer to justice. She listened from the public gallery as Scotland's justice secretary, Angela Constance, told MSPs on Thursday afternoon: There can be no doubt of the serious failings that brought a grieving family to fight for justice." Continue reading...

Hungary dropping opposition allows historically neutral country to become member, cementing alliance's control of Nordic regionSweden has officially became the 32nd member of Nato, in a landmark moment for the historically neutral country and the western military alliance.Stockholm's ratification process was finally completed in Washington on Thursday, as Sweden and Hungary - the last country to ratify Sweden's membership - submitted the necessary documents after a drawn-out process that has taken nearly two years. Continue reading...

Klette, 65, allegedly took part in three violent Red Army Faction attacks in the 1990sA former member of the radical anti-capitalist Baader-Meinhof gang arrested in Berlin last week after 30 years on the run has been remanded in custody over three violent attacks in the 1990s.Police swooped on Daniela Klette, 65, at an apartment in Berlin's Kreuzberg district on 26 February. They called it a milestone" as Klette was one of the most wanted people in Europe. Continue reading...

Five people died in attack that struck near Ukrainian president and visiting Greek leaderRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday that a Belarusian man who had been planning an act of terrorism" inside Russia on behalf of Ukraine had been killed in the Russian region of Karelia, Reuters reports citing the RIA news agency.There is no further information in the report but we will update when more details are released. Continue reading...

UN special representative for divided island says time is running out to settle decades-long disputeEfforts to reunite Cyprus are approaching a decisive moment, a top UN official has said, as he urged leaders on both sides to show political courage and warned civil society groups: It's now or never."In a week marking 60 years since the arrival of a UN peacekeeping force on the eastern Mediterranean island, Colin Stewart, the UN's special representative in Cyprus, said time was running out to settle the decades-long dispute. Continue reading...

Hamas statement says talks over deal will continue after official earlier said Israel was rejecting demands to end offensive in GazaFamily members of hostages still being held in Gaza are holding a news conference in London. You can watch it here.At least 30,800 Palestinians have been killed and 72,298 have been wounded since Israel began its military assault on Gaza after the 7 October Hamas attack inside Israel, according to the latest figures from the health ministry. Continue reading...

2023 survey shows ambulance workers reported highest rate of sexual harassment from the publicMore than 58,000 NHS staff reported sexual assaults and harassment from patients, their relatives and other members of the public in 2023 in the health service's annual survey.For the first time ever, the NHS staff survey for England asked workers if they had been the target of unwanted sexual behaviour, which includes inappropriate or offensive sexualised comments, touching and assault. Continue reading...

Hungary's PM arrives in US this week without a White House invitation as he pursues what critics call his fantasy' foreign policyHungary's Viktor Orban is putting his chips on the table with a trip to visit Donald Trump, as the US and Europe prepare for key elections later this year.The longtime Hungarian prime minister, who has faced repeated criticism from the US government over democratic backsliding and his friendly relationship with the Kremlin, will be arriving in the US this week without an invitation from the White House. Continue reading...

Tories and Labour boosted by mega-donors, and fundraising gap between two parties appears to be narrowing

Russian forces don't care' whether targets are military or civilians, says Zelenskiy; Greek PM describes experience as very intense'

Revelations about payments by Ministry of Defence are culmination of decades of British deal-making with SaudisThe revelation that the Ministry of Defence paid millions of pounds to a firm that would later be accused of being a conduit for secret payments to high-ranking Saudi officials is the culmination of a scandal that has been half a century in the making.The 8m paid from an MoD bank account between 2014 and 2017 was in connection with a large defence deal, Sangcom, first struck in the 1970s. Continue reading...

Project Arrow contract signed amid scramble to keep on track 1.6bn defence deal and ran until at least 2017The UK Ministry of Defence paid millions of pounds to a company later alleged to have been a conduit for secret payments to high-ranking Saudi Arabian officials including a member of the royal family.The MoD payments, worth 8m, were made under a contract codenamed Project Arrow that ran until at least 2017, according to documents that surfaced in a criminal trial. Continue reading...

Thousands of police mobilised for Srinagar rally seen as Modi's campaign event for elections in few week's timeIndia's prime minister, Narendra Modi, has made his first visit to Kashmir since the government revoked the region's autonomy in 2019, claiming the state was finally breathing freely" despite allegations of systematic repression.Thousands of police and paramilitary officers were mobilised before Modi's first rally there for more than five years, held in the state's largest city, Srinagar. Continue reading...

Annual event to encourage young readers has revealed research finding that significant numbers feel discouraged from following their own tastesAs World Book Day runs its annual event to promote reading for pleasure among children, it has revealed new research showing that more than a third of children cannot choose what they want to read, and one in five feel judged for what they do read.Children have told us that they think that reading choices are judged by the adults around them," said Cassie Chadderton, CEO of World Book Day. It discourages them, it puts them off reading for pleasure and by choice". Continue reading...

The president, battling a 38.1% approval rating, is expected to tout record-low unemployment, lower interest rates and legislationJoe Biden will deliver the final State of the Union address of his presidential term on Thursday evening, giving the incumbent Democrat an opportunity to tout his accomplishments and pitch his re-election campaign as he prepares for a rematch against Donald Trump in November.Biden will address a joint session of Congress to deliver the annual update on the nation's welfare at at time when the US faces numerous challenges at home and abroad. Although the rate of inflation has eased, and unemployment is at a record low, only 27% of Americans rate the country's current economic conditions as excellent or good, according to a Gallup poll conducted in January. Meanwhile, a growing number of Americans cite immigration as the nation's most important problem, and support for abortion access has neared record highs even as dozens of Republican-led states have enacted severe restrictions on the procedure following the overturning of Roe v Wade. Continue reading...

Labour says chancellor's ambition to eventually abolish NI would cost 46bn a year, and party questions how move would be paid for

Lenders reach preliminary agreement on key terms in deal to create new competitor with 366bn in assets

Difference between the west's responses to human suffering in Ukraine and Palestine defies reasoning, Anwar Ibrahim says

Chancellor refuses to disclose number of houses owned but says he will pay higher tax rate on proceeds from sales

Departure of longtime leader would pave way for new elections and much needed reform of Palestinian AuthorityLast month the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, flew to the Qatari capital, Doha, for talks on securing a ceasefire in the war in Gaza. That in itself was unusual; the West Bank-based Abbas, who is also chair of the Fatah party and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), has been all but sidelined by local and international actors since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out.According to three sources with knowledge of the meetings, which involved Palestinian and Qatari officials as well as diplomats from around the region, it was suggested that Abbas, 88, should consider shifting to a ceremonial presidential role. Such a move would pave a path for new Palestinian elections and help heal the long-running rift between Fatah and Hamas. It would also allow US-led hopes for a revitalised", single structure" Palestinian Authority (PA) that could take charge in Gaza to move forward, with the eventual aim of restarting peace talks aimed at a two-state solution. Continue reading...

National Farmers' Federation council member says the food sector should not be held to ransom' by Coles and Woolworths

Nurses and midwives will be allowed to dispense MS-2 Step as state grapples with postcode lottery' for women's healthcare

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Australian uniform features designs by Indigenous artists - and women will be able to wear uniform dresses around the village for the first time

Man, 22, faced court on one count of murder on Thursday, a month after 51-year-old was last seen leaving home

Chancellor disappointed some conservatives with only limited rise in threshold, but said he was restricted by Northern Ireland protocolJeremy Hunt has privately admitted to colleagues that he cannot further raise the VAT threshold for UK businesses because of EU rules.The chancellor announced in his budget on Wednesday that businesses would no longer have to pay VAT if they had a turnover of less than 90,000, an increase from the previous threshold of 85,000. Continue reading...

Leading Republican, who blamed Trump for January 6, says he will support likely nominee despite ex-president's personal tauntsMitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate, on Wednesday endorsed Donald Trump for president despite years of acrimony between the pair including Trump calling McConnell a piece of shit" and using racist invective in attacks against his wife.It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States," McConnell, 82, said in a statement to the Washington Post, the morning after Trump dominated the Super Tuesday primaries and as Trump's last rival, Nikki Haley, dropped out. Continue reading...

ACCC chief Gina Cass-Gottlieb wants legislaltion changed to enable it to force businesses to give up data without the need for government backing

Five-miles of London orbital motorway will close for an entire weekend with four more dates to followDrivers have been warned of unprecedented traffic jams with the first planned full closure of part of Britain's busiest motorway, the M25, in March.A five-mile stretch of the London orbital motorway will be shut for an entire weekend from late 15 March, affecting the journeys of an estimated 200,000 vehicles. Continue reading...

Activists welcome sanction on Sarah Achieng Opendi and other legislators against a backdrop of anti-LGBTQ+ oppression in AfricaThe Ugandan MP Sarah Achieng Opendi, who called for homosexuals to be castrated during a parliamentary debate on the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws has been denied a visa to attend a UN meeting in New York next week.Opendi expressed shock" after the US embassy in Kampala rejected her application to travel to the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women , pending administrative" review. Continue reading...

Grassroots groups organized quickly after similar effort in Michigan brought in more than 100,000 uncommitted' votesA protest vote against Joe Biden gained more traction around the country on Super Tuesday as voters in several states sought to send a message to the Democratic president to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.Grassroots groups organized quickly after a similar effort in Michigan last week far exceeded its goal of 10,000 votes for uncommitted" brought in more than 100,000 votes, or 13% of the vote. Continue reading...

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones,' peer told after he said Labour leader could boost election chances by losing weight

In a vast futuristic greenhouse at the Louvre, 4,000 guests were shown why the brand is the biggest of them allTen years to the day after his first show for Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquiere celebrated a remarkable anniversary in the same Paris landmark where he made his debut. In the ruthless spit-em-out churn of fashion, and in the eye of that storm as the designer of the biggest brand of all, Ghesquiere's is quite the run.A vast futuristic greenhouse lit from within with 13 vast globe-shaped chandeliers - Louis Vuitton, travel, get it? - filled an entire quadrangle of the Louvre, rising almost to the mansard roof of the museum. Continue reading...

Research suggests every extra step up to 10,000 reduces risk even if rest of the day is sedentaryWalking up to 10,000 steps a day lowers the risk of heart disease and early death, even when spending the rest of the day sedentary, research suggests.The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that every extra step above 2,200 steps a day - up to about 10,000 - reduces these risks, regardless of how much of the remaining time is spent sitting. Continue reading...

Feedback during Canberra staff engagement session also covers senators' rude behaviour, uncompetitive pay and brain drain

A culture of covering up' in education department led to a woeful' failure to ensure student safety between 1960 and 1994, report says

Children are reported to be starving in Gaza as insufficient aid supplies crawl into the territory. Meanwhile, as Ramadan approaches, peace talks are faltering. Patrick Wintour reportsThe scenes were chaotic: hundreds of people crowded around aid trucks desperately trying to grab what they could amid a hunger crisis that international observers feared could turn into famine. By the end of the night, according to Gazan health authorities, 112 would be dead and more than 700 people injured.As the Guardian's diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, tells Michael Safi, the events of that night are under investigation amid an international outcry. The incident has brought the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza into sharper focus and led to increasing pressure from Israel's allies to intensify their efforts in getting food through the crossings and to the people who need it most. Continue reading...

Founder Jeremy Hershan says brand - famous for its Utility Tote bags - was intended to be an antidote to mass fashion'A brand that was founded as an antidote to mass fashion" has won Australia's national designer award for 2024.Haulier - a Sydney-based fashion label best known for its Utility Tote bags - was founded by the former Saville Row apprentice and ex RM Williams creative director Jeremy Hershan.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...

A list of when polls are scheduled to close in the states voting on this Super Tuesday

More than 180 alleged rape victims have faced more than two years of delays since case first went to courtMore than 180 alleged rape victims in England and Wales have faced more than two years of delays since their case first went to court, with a senior judge announcing plans to clear the serious stain" on the justice system by the end of July.The senior presiding judge for England and Wales, Lord Justice Edis, said that most of the targeted cases were sent to the crown court by magistrates courts in the summer of 2021 and so were now approaching their three-year anniversary, calling it a significant injustice". Continue reading...

Chancellor set to cut 2p off national insurance but some Tories say more is needed to bolster election chancesJeremy Hunt will use his final budget before the election to promise voters lower tax and higher growth, with the chancellor set to announce a 2p cut to national insurance, even at the expense of public services.Sources said on Tuesday Hunt had decided to reduce national insurance for the second time in less than six months, having defied calls from some in Downing Street and across the party for a more expensive pre-election income tax cut. Continue reading...

Two days of negotiations in Cairo break up with Hamas accusing Israeli PM of not wanting to a dealNegotiations aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war appear to have stalled, days before an unofficial deadline of the beginning of Ramadan.Two days of talks between Hamas and international mediators in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, have not yielded any significant breakthroughs, Palestinian officials said, after Israel declined to send a delegation to the latest round of negotiations. Continue reading...

Michelle Donelan had accused two members of Research England's advisory group of sharing extremist views' in letter to UKRIMichelle Donelan, the science minister, has apologised and paid damages after accusing two academics of sharing extremist views" and one of them of supporting Hamas.In a statement posted on X, the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology said she had deleted a tweet and letter published last year, and accepted what she termed a clarification" from one of the academics, Prof Kate Sang at Heriot-Watt university in Edinburgh. Continue reading...

Washington says no despite frantic' talks between diplomats, as bodies lie in street and army battles gun-toting gang members

Up to 600 council jobs to be lost, arts grants scrapped, libraries closed and bin collections reduced to fortnightlyCouncillors in Birmingham have approved what are thought to be the biggest budget cuts in local authority history, with residents warning that the consequences could be disastrous" for the city.Birmingham city council met on Tuesday afternoon to debate and vote on a proposed set of cuts that will see the loss of up to 600 council jobs, arts grants scrapped, libraries closed and bin collections reduced to fortnightly. Continue reading...

Amount proposed is described as just a start' to rectify the evil' of enslavementThe 1bn fund proposed to address the Church of England's historic links to slavery would just be a start up" to rectify the evil" of enslavement, Black faith leaders have said.A report by an oversight group led by descendants of enslaved Africans found the 100m earmarked for the Church's new investment fund is not enough" and instead proposed for 1bn to be raised for a broader healing, repair and justice initiative." Continue reading...