World news | The Guardian

Region braced for escalation in violence as attacks from both sides follow deadliest Israeli army raid in decades in NablusIsrael and militants in the Gaza Strip have exchanged fire just hours after the deadliest Israeli army raid in decades killed 11 Palestinians and wounded more than 100 more in the occupied West Bank, leaving the region braced for an escalation in violence.The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said early on Thursday morning that it had carried out airstrikes on two military sites operated by Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the strip, after the launch of six rockets from the blockaded enclave towards southern Israel. Continue reading...

Speech during reception for queen consort’s online book club follows backlash against rewrites of Dahl’s booksCamilla, the Queen Consort, has urged authors to resist curbs on freedom of expression in an apparent reflection on the backlash against changes to Roald Dahl’s books.Speaking at a Clarence House reception to mark the second anniversary of her online book club, Camilla told authors: “Please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination.” Continue reading...

Gangs among those buying up cheap houses and claiming housing benefit for vulnerable people who do not live there, police sayRogue landlords are conning the government out of millions of pounds by fraudulently claiming housing benefits for so-called “ghost tenants”, it has been revealed.Criminal gangs are among those buying cheap property to convert into housing for vulnerable people, in some cases claiming welfare payments for tenants who do not live there. Continue reading...

Thérèse Coffey advises consumers to opt for turnips as tomato and cucumber supplies dwindle

Kais Saied claims migrants are part of campaign to make country ‘purely African’ in move critics say is to distract from economic crisisTunisia’s president, Kais Saied, has told a meeting of security officials that migrants are part of a wider campaign to change the demographic makeup of the country and make it “purely African”.The president’s comments come alongside an extensive crackdown on critics and opposition figures in a campaign that human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have labelled a witch-hunt. Continue reading...

Deputy Liberal leader claims PM ‘would rather see the Liberal party say no and this referendum fail’ than a yes vote prevail

Industry sources say changes appear not to go far enough amid fears of ‘chilling effect’ on journalismA Home Office attempt to redraft controversial espionage legislation to tackle media concerns about its impact on investigative journalism has been greeted with scepticism across key parts of the industry.Ministers put down a series of amendments on Thursday aimed at eliminating concerns that the sweeping national security bill could be used to criminalise both reporters and whistleblowers. Continue reading...

Some producer bodies point finger at climate change, but others put it down to bureaucracy and logisticsFluctuating temperatures, increased production costs and the knock-on effects of Brexit are all contributing to the vegetable shortages that have led some UK supermarkets to introduce rationing, according to Spanish growers.While some large producer and export associations have put the shortages down to the cold weather in southern Spain, others have pointed the finger at the post-Brexit red tape and logistics problems that have helped to make the UK a less desirable market. Continue reading...

A third of those polled said they had sought medical care for heat stress while others who had air conditioning avoided using it due to cost of electricity

After three days of searching the River Wyre, Peter Faulding pulled out, saying he could ‘guarantee’ the missing 45-year-old mother-of-two was not there. Then her body was foundPeter Faulding arrived in Lancashire in the manner of a man who doesn’t lack confidence, promising answers to a mystery that was tormenting a family, and captivating a nation.Flying in from Surrey in his own helicopter , 10 days after the disappearance of Nicola Bulley, Faulding surveyed the River Wyre near the place where she was last seen. Continue reading...

The supermarket chains say they will take responsibility for the 12,000 tonnes of waste stockpiled after the collapse of the REDcycle recycling scheme

Tufan Erginbilgic outlines need for further changes after unveiling 57% rise in profits to £650mThe new boss of Rolls-Royce has launched a sweeping review of the aircraft engine maker pledging there was “much more” to come after last year beat expectations, sending shares up nearly 20%.Tufan Erginbilgic, who joined as chief executive 1 January, said the FTSE 100 manufacturer had been “underperforming financially for years” and outlined key areas for reform that he said would deliver “materially higher profit, cashflows and returns”. It followed his warning to employees last month that Rolls-Royce is a “burning platform” that must transform to survive. Continue reading...

Gillon McLachlan says other clubs ‘very close’ to supporting new team but emphasises it is contingent on stadiumAnthony Albanese has not ruled out federal funding for a new $715m stadium in Tasmania, as the head of the AFL visited the state to shore up faltering support for a new team.The prime minister said on Thursday that the government was considering proposals for the Macquarie Point stadium ahead of the May budget, but stressed that any commitment would not just be for a sporting facility. Continue reading...

Before Manchester speech, leader says some promises made in 2020 have been adapted given global events

Hundreds of advocates meet on Kaurna land in Adelaide to workshop referendum strategies ahead of official launch

Former supreme court judge overseeing royal commission put to a key witness that he and his colleagues may have ‘deceived’ the Department of Social Services, but the witness said it was ‘simply not my intent’

Gap reduces to 13.3%, which is slightly smaller than previous low recorded before Covid pandemic

Alan Joyce is keen to paint a rosy picture but he faces a public with higher expectations, less tolerance for poor service and a hunger for more affordable fares

‘The kisses and cuddles were always in the context of a thank you kiss … not to do it because of an obligation’, court told

Some argue a centralised system – with no ability to opt out – will remove people’s autonomy over their medical information

Shadow development secretary urged those calling Sikh temples unsafe to submit written apologiesGrassroots Labour supporters have complained about the behaviour of Preet Gill, the shadow international development secretary, whom they accuse of undermining Sikh victims of sexual violence.Sikh members have made a complaint to the party after Gill sent a series of messages on a WhatsApp group that appeared to cast doubt on allegations of sexual abuse within gurdwaras. Continue reading...

Bardsey Island is first site in Europe to receive certification, thanks to low light pollution and pristine night skiesThe sunsets are wonderful but the night that follows even more spectacular. If it is clear, the moon and stars illuminate the tiny island vividly; when it is cloudy, the darkness is thick and unbroken, “bible black” to quote Dylan Thomas.Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), two miles off the mainland of north-west Wales, has become the first site in Europe to receive international dark sky sanctuary certification, joining just 16 other spots in some of the most remote places in the world. Continue reading...

Campaigners say millions are struggling, in letter to Michael Gove signed by leaders of Manchester, Liverpool and LondonAn immediate rent freeze and a ban on evictions should be introduced in England to help renters deal with the cost of living crisis, the mayors of three of the biggest cities have said.It would bring the country into line with Scotland, where tenants have been protected under emergency measures designed to curb a “humanitarian emergency” announced by Nicola Sturgeon last September. Continue reading...

Labour leader to set out policy details for how to grow stalled UK economyKeir Starmer is to launch his five “national missions” which will form the building blocks of Labour’s next manifesto as the party starts to set out how it would transform the country if it wins the election.In a major speech in Manchester on Thursday, the Labour leader is expected to say the country needs a “serious plan” to provide more stability after years of Tory government “blowing with the wind” rather than fixing deep-rooted problems. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Claimants will have only 20 days to respond or face rejectionPlans to cut the asylum backlog by sending questionnaires to refugees instead of conducting official interviews will demand that claimants reply in English within 20 working days or risk refusal, a leaked document shows.The Home Office will on Thursday begin sending out copies of the 11-page document to about 12,000 people from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Libya, Syria and Yemen as part of Rishi Sunak’s plans to cut the “legacy backlog” of 92,000 asylum claims. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Taxpayers to foot another five-figure bill as government prepares to extend support for former PM for second timeTaxpayers are on the hook for another five-figure bill to cover Boris Johnson’s legal fees during the inquiry into Partygate, as Rishi Sunak’s government prepares to extend support for the former prime minister for a second time.Labour said the move would spark outrage given the hardship being experienced by many during cost of living crisis, and pointed to the millions Johnsonhas earned since he left No 10 in September. Continue reading...

Kevin Spaine, who delivered famous line in TV ad 34 years ago, given life sentence with minimum of 18 yearsA former child actor who appeared in a TV advert for milk in the 1980s has been given a life sentence for murder.Kevin Spaine wore a Liverpool football kit in the commercial for the Milk Marketing Board in 1989 and uttered the famous line “Accrington Stanley, who are they?” Continue reading...

New rules after some workers on zero-hours contracts last season – but rights bodies say more must be doneOrganisations supporting seasonal workers have welcomed the new government guarantee of at least 32 hours paid work a week to people coming to harvest British crops.In a speech at the National Farmers’ Union conference on Tuesday, the farming minister, Mark Spencer, confirmed changes to the conditions for 2023 visas. Continue reading...

Evangelical convention says church ‘not in friendly cooperation with the convention’ following appointment of Stacie WoodThe Southern Baptist Convention has expelled Saddleback church, one of its largest congregations, due to its appointment of a female pastor.On Tuesday, the SBC executive committee approved a recommendation from its credentials committee that the California-based megachurch be labeled as “not in friendly cooperation with the convention”. Continue reading...

The 24-hour strike kicks off on budget day in dispute over pensions and working arrangementsLondon Underground drivers are to strike on 15 March – budget day – in a dispute over pensions and working arrangements.The Aslef union announced on Wednesday that members would strike for 24 hours, in a row over changes to working arrangements and pensions. Continue reading...

Woman attacked in classroom at Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin school near BordeauxPolice have arrested a 16-year-old pupil after a teacher was stabbed to death at a secondary school in south-west France.The attack at the Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin, a Catholic private school in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, near Bayonne, happened in a classroom when a teenager allegedly pulled a knife from his bag at about 10am on Wednesday and stabbed the 52-year-old woman once. Continue reading...

The actor is to get the lifetime achievement honour and the choreographer the special award at this year’s theatre prizes in AprilSir Derek Jacobi and Dame Arlene Phillips are to be honoured for their illustrious stage careers at the Olivier awards in London in April.Jacobi, who was one of the first actors to appear with Laurence Olivier’s fledgling National Theatre company in the 1960s, is to receive the lifetime achievement award. He has won the best actor Olivier award twice, for his performances in Cyrano de Bergerac in 1983 and Twelfth Night in 2009. The 84-year-old star, whose career has included TV roles in I, Claudius and Last Tango in Halifax, was last on stage in the West End in 2016 as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet directed by Kenneth Branagh. Jacobi told the Guardian last year: “I’ve got a feeling I won’t be on stage again. It’s not stage fright exactly. But I’m not comfortable like I used to be.” Continue reading...

The treasurer suggested that the small percentage of people with pots over $3m should not receive tax benefits, but prime minister more cautious

Condition overtakes coronary heart disease with 62% rise in number of healthy years lost since 2011, report finds, causing significant impact on carers and families

Poll reveals west more united but gulf growing with countries such as India that do not subscribe to post-cold war view

The PM insists Australia will maintain its sovereignty in the event of a disagreement with the US or UK on military strategy

Only a third of low-carbon heating scheme’s annual budget has been used since launch in May 2022A scheme to encourage UK households to upgrade their gas boilers to heat pumps and other low-carbon alternatives is failing to deliver after suffering a “disappointingly low” take-up, a parliamentary report has said.Members of the House of Lords environment and climate change committee have written to ministers urging them to boost the profile of the £450m boiler upgrade scheme, after discovering just a third of its annual budget had been used since its launch last May. Continue reading...

Legal groups also criticise the push to override the state’s Human Rights Act to create the offence

Toowoomba magistrate rules media will have to adhere to Queensland laws that prevent naming him before he’s committed to stand trial

Exclusive: Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah says strategy is letting Australians down but medical groups back regulatory approach

Persistence pays off for WA quintet, who have had their sights set on song contest since 2015

Ibac finds Theo Theophanous, who rejects the report, improperly lobbied and received ‘in-kind benefit’ to Labor MP for Northcote Kat Theophanous. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Kat Theophanous

Second day of NSW Independent Planning Commission begins after NSW government stripped council of power to cap short-term rentals

Federal government had planned to split increase over two years, as union eyes push for further increase

Coalition of lawyers, doctors and activists hope to put the question of abortion directly to state voters after toppling of Roe v WadeToday, reproductive health advocates in Ohio are handing in language to the state’s attorney general, looking to bring a ballot initiative on abortion to voters in November 2023.Following the US supreme court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade last summer – which had secured a federal right to abortion – an Ohio ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy immediately came into effect. That ban was then put on hold by an Ohio judge in October 2022, restoring abortion rights in the state up to 22 weeks of pregnancy until further notice. Continue reading...

Authorities believe Constance Marten and Mark Godon have been sleeping rough and travelling around the UK by taxi for six weeksPolice have released new CCTV footage of an aristocrat who disappeared more than six weeks ago with her boyfriend, a registered sex offender in the US, and their newborn baby.Constance Marten, 35, and her partner, Mark Gordon, 48, have been travelling around the UK by taxi since their car was found burning on the M61 in Bolton, Greater Manchester, on 5 January. Continue reading...

New iced coffee and tea range introduced from April will be included in its £25 monthly subscriptionPret a Manger has announced it will stop making smoothies and frappes, with an expanded iced drinks range being introduced from April.The blended drinks, which can be more expensive and take longer to make, will be phased out altogether. Smoothies and frappes will still be available in select shops until 29 May. Continue reading...

Suspect Jamie Tran was arrested in nearby Riverside county after two men were wounded in separate shootings last weekLos Angeles was left reeling after alleged antisemitic hate incidents in which two Jewish men were shot and wounded as they left synagogues in the city last week.Law enforcement say that over the course of two days Jaime Tran, 28, shot two men who were wearing black coats and head coverings identifying their faith. Both men survived the shootings. Tran, who had a “history of antisemitic and threatening conduct”, allegedly targeted the victims in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood because they were Jewish. He has been charged with federal hate crimes. Continue reading...

Russian leader says war is about Russia’s right to exist, as US president describes it as a battle for freedom, in vastly different speechesIn their speeches, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin could not have been further apart in their interpretations of the past year, its culprits, causes, and consequence. But in one aspect they were agreed: this is a war intended to remain on the territory of Ukraine, but is being elevated into something far wider – a battle of survival between the west and Russia. Both men also implicitly tied their own futures to the outcome of this war, saying their opponent was bound to lose.While both men avoided setting out the specifics of what victory would constitute, or how the battle was faring on the frontlines, Putin said the war was about Russia’s right to exist, and Biden said it was a battle for freedom, a word he ultimately chose more often in his speech than democracy. Continue reading...

Some state schools had to close down permanently due to extensive safety concernsAt least 39 state schools in England have been forced to close either partially or entirely in the last three years because one or more buildings have been deemed unsafe, the government has confirmed.In three cases, concerns about building safety were so extensive that the entire school site had to be closed down permanently, with pupils moved off-site to alternative accommodation. Continue reading...