World news | The Guardian

Government looking at limiting mental health claims to just PTSD cases after $1.1bn shortfall

Exclusive: Union decries failure to publish statistics as Labour claims ministers ‘burying their heads in the sand’ over attacksNHS staff have accused Steve Barclay of breaking a pledge to publish details of how many of them are abused and assaulted in the course of their work.In 2018, when Barclay was a junior minister in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), he promised he would resume publication of those statistics in the following year. Continue reading...

New UN report says there has been a 35% spike in 2020-21 in the production of coca, the drug’s base ingredientSouth American drug cartels have capitalised on the retreat of the Covid-19 pandemic to produce and smuggle record amounts of cocaine around the world.Production of coca, the drug’s base ingredient, spiked 35% in 2020-21, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Continue reading...

Exclusive: Coalition has denied Labor’s claims that privatisation was being sought

Train operators turn to contingency staff but fewer than half of services are expected to runAnother day of blighted rail services has begun in Britain as RMT members at 14 train operating companies take part in the first in a wave of four 24-hour strikes.Commuters across England are broadly the hardest hit by the latest action. Passengers have been urged to check before travel and in some places to take a train only if absolutely necessary, with most affected operators running final services by early evening. Continue reading...

Leaders expected to use first summit since 2011 to address Japan’s use of Korean forced labour, as well as threats posed by North Korea and ChinaYoon Suk Yeol will be treated to his favourite dish – omelette rice – when he becomes the first South Korean president to visit Japan in more than a decade on Thursday, as hopes rise for an end to years of animosity between the north-east Asian neighbours.Given that the menu for official dinners has been a diplomatic flashpoint between the two countries, efforts by Yoon’s hosts to accommodate his palate are evidence of the recent thaw in relations, as regional tensions rise over North Korean missiles and Chinese military activity. Continue reading...

After largest shareholder was unable to provide backing, Europe’s 17th largest lender says it will use government help to become ‘simpler and more focused’Credit Suisse has announced that it will take a CHF50bn ($53.7bn) loan from the Swiss central bank, in an action it says will “pre-emptively strengthen its liquidity” as it moves to stem a crisis of confidence a day after its share price plummeted.This additional liquidity would support the bank in taking the “necessary steps to create a simpler and more focused bank built around client needs”, its statement said. The bank said it was also making buyback offers on about $3bn worth of debt. Continue reading...

Deal with Australian Hotels Association raises prospect of more sport betting promotions in pubs amid rising criticism of gambling operations

Reserve bank had taken steps to engineer a ‘shallow recession’ in response to high inflation but shrinkage arrives earlyNew Zealand’s economy is shrinking, with gross domestic product down 0.6% last quarter, amid speculation a recession may be approaching.Gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.6% in the last three months of 2022, after a 1.7% rise in the September 2022 quarter. The drop at the close of the year was larger than predicted by any of New Zealand’s major banks. Annually, GDP is still growing – up 2.4% year on year, and despite the shrinking economy, unemployment remains close to record lows, at about 3.3%. Continue reading...

South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol says North will pay a price for launch on eve of Tokyo summitNorth Korea has test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a display of military might, just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan were to meet at a Tokyo summit that was expected to be overshadowed by Kim Jong-un’s nuclear threats.The launch on Thursday, the North’s first ICBM test in a month and third weapons test this week, also comes as South Korean and US troops continue joint military exercises that Pyongyang sees as a rehearsal to invade. Continue reading...

Economy adds almost 64,000 jobs, a figure that will be closely examined by the RBA as it decides whether to pause further interest rate increases

Ben Morton’s previously unknown appointment by governor general David Hurley revealed in documents published under FOI laws

Joshua Bowles, 29, will appear at Westminster magistrates court in London on ThursdayCounter-terrorism police have charged a man with attempted murder following the stabbing of a woman outside a leisure centre in Cheltenham.The incident took place at about 9.15pm in Tommy Taylors Lane last Thursday. Continue reading...

UN nuclear watchdog will check fuel usage in sealed power units to satisfy non-proliferation obligationsThe UN nuclear watchdog will insist on inspecting Australia’s future nuclear submarines before and after deployments as part of a “watertight” agreement to ensure no fissile material is diverted, the agency’s chief has said.Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the agency and the partners in the Aukus nuclear sharing agreement – the US, UK and Australia – will hold further negotiations on how to make sure it does not conflict with their non-proliferation obligations. Continue reading...

Audience in regional city of Ballarat were largely supportive of the voice to parliament but were keen to hear more detail

Protesters claim proposed increase in hours would risk health and fail to boost low birth rateSouth Korea’s government has been forced to rethink a planned rise in working hours after a backlash from younger people who said the move would destroy their work-life balance and put their health at risk.The government had intended to raise the maximum weekly working time to 69 hours after business groups complained that the current cap of 52 hours was making it difficult to meet deadlines. Continue reading...

Exclusive: sources close to ministers and health unions in England expect announcement as soon as ThursdayMinisters and health unions are on the verge of a breakthrough in talks to resolve their long-running pay dispute that has triggered a series of NHS strikes in England, with an announcement expected on Thursday, the Guardian has been told.Sources said positive progress had been made on discussions about the awards for ambulance workers and nurses for both 2022-23 and 2023-24, although uncertainty remained about whether union members would accept the terms when they are balloted. Continue reading...

Swiss bank’s shares fall to record low as top shareholder Saudi National Bank rules out more funding

Morning is Broken – showing boy opening corrugated iron curtains – appeared on building in Herne BayThe site of Banksy’s latest work, an outside wall of a derelict farmhouse in the seaside town of Herne Bay in Kent, has been demolished.The mural, titled Morning is Broken, depicted a silhouetted young boy – next to a silhouetted cat in a window – opening corrugated iron “curtains”. Continue reading...

US secretary of state Antony Blinken says collision of Russian fighter jet with US drone was ‘reckless and unsafe action’

Civilians are being killed by Russian weapons just like in Ukraine, says special rapporteur Tom Andrews in call for global actionMyanmar is a “failing state” and the crisis is getting exponentially worse, a UN special rapporteur for the country has warned, urging countries to adopt the same unified resolve that followed the invasion of Ukraine.“The same types of weapons that are killing Ukrainians are killing people in Myanmar,” Tom Andrews, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, told the Guardian in an interview, citing the supply of Russian weapons to the junta since the coup two years ago. The junta relies heavily on aircraft from China and Russia, and has increasingly resorted to airstrikes to attempt to quell determined resistance forces. Continue reading...

Annual rate of 102.5% is denting purchasing power, savings, economic growth and government’s chances in elections next yearArgentina’s annual inflation rate tore past 100% in February, the country’s statistics agency announced, the first time it has hit triple figures since a period of hyperinflation in 1991, over three decades ago.Inflation over 12 months clocked in at 102.5% in the second month of the year, according to government data released on Tuesday, with a higher-than-expected 6.6% monthly rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and a 13.1% year-to-date increase. Continue reading...

Chancellor pledges cash for businesses and parents, and says UK will avoid recession this year

Find out how Jeremy Hunt’s tax and spending plans will affect your personal finances

Unions and UCEA declare agreement ‘on terms of reference for detailed negotiations’ on pay and conditionsUniversity staff have made a breakthrough in their months-long dispute with employers during which lecturers have gone on strike, worked to rule and refused to cover for absent colleagues across the UK.A group of five higher education trade unions and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) announced agreement “on terms of reference for detailed negotiations covering a review of the UK higher education pay spine, workload, contract types and equality pay gaps”. Continue reading...

Small, sturdy purebred dog’s meteoric rise took it past labrador retrievers but critics say it is prone to numerous health problemsFor the first time in three decades, the US has a new favorite dog breed, according to the American Kennel Club.Adorable in some eyes, deplorable in others, the sturdy, push-faced, perky-eared, world-weary-looking and distinctively droll French bulldog became the nation’s most prevalent purebred dog last year, the club announced on Wednesday. Frenchies ousted labrador retrievers from the top spot after a record 31 years. Continue reading...

A survey found the number of gambling ads was the top concern among fans, ahead of umpiring and rule changes

Data from LinkedIn also indicates share of job postings for remote roles has shrunk in past 10 monthsMore than a third of UK workers have said they would quit their job if their employer demanded they return to the office full-time, according to research showing how much the world of work has changed since the first Covid lockdown.Six in 10 employees are considering changing their job this year, according to data gathered by the professional networking site LinkedIn. Continue reading...

Move follows reports alleging that the army used Pegasus spyware software to hack the phone of a prominent rights activistLawmakers in Mexico this week will launch a federal commission to investigate allegations of human rights abuses by the country’s military, including the use of powerful spyware technology, the head of the governing Morena party in the Senate has said.The commission, made up of lawmakers from both Mexico’s upper and lower houses of Congress, will request a report from the army in the wake of recent media reports alleging that it used Israeli software known as Pegasus to hack the phone of a prominent human rights activist. Continue reading...

Incident involving Vianne Timmons is latest high-profile case of apparent cultural identity fraudThe president of a Canadian university has apologized and is taking a leave of absence after allegations that she falsely claimed to be Indigenous, in the latest high-profile case of apparent cultural identity fraud.Vianne Timmons, who is president of Memorial University of Newfoundland, said that she would be taking a six-week leave after the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) published a report last week questioning her claims that her father’s great-great-grandmother was Mi’kmaq. Continue reading...

Alrico Nelson Martin also charged with conspiracy to wound with intent, say police investigating January shootingA man has been charged with possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life after a shooting outside a church in Euston, north London, in January, the Metropolitan police have said.Alrico Nelson Martin, 19, from Kilburn, who is also charged with six counts of conspiracy to wound with intent, will appear at Willesden magistrates court on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Aslef and RMT unions take action in protest against pensions review and planned job cutsCommuters in London are facing a day of transport chaos after a 24-hour strike by tube drivers and station staff started on Wednesday morning.Transport for London (TfL) urged passengers to check their route before travelling, with virtually all of the Underground network closed and other services likely to be much busier and liable to disruption and delay. Continue reading...

Match of the Day host decries Stoke-on-Trent North MP’s claim he called constituents ‘racist bigots’Gary Lineker has described accusations that he called northern voters “racist bigots” as “outrageous and dangerously provocative”.The recently reinstated Match of the Day host made the comments on Twitter in response to comments made by the Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis. Continue reading...

Promoter says title – Dawn French is a Huge Twat – is humorous and aims any offence at comedian herselfAn ad that read “Dawn French is a Huge Twat” – the title of her live show – has been cleared by the advertising watchdog after complaints it was offensive.The ad for the actor and comedian’s forthcoming UK tour, which featured in the Sunday Times Culture magazine on 4 December, also included a picture of French and text stating: “Back due to phenomenal demand.” Two people complained it was likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Continue reading...

Trend sees higher pollen levels and worsened allergy and asthma symptoms, though reduction in carbon emissions could reverse itAs the global temperature has increased in recent years due to climate change, allergy season in the US is starting earlier and the amount of pollen during such periods has increased, leading to worse allergy and asthma symptoms for some – and new symptoms altogether for others, according to scientists.That trend is projected to increase as average temperatures continue to rise, but could be reversed if humans are able to reduce carbon emissions, allergists say. Continue reading...

Government has promised not to enrich uranium or reprocess spent fuel as part of the nuclear-powered submarine program

Former Labor prime minister attacks Aukus, the media, post-Brexit Britain and his own side of politics

Over-50s who dropped out of work since pandemic say better and quicker NHS treatment is neededWhen chancellor Jeremy Hunt urged people over 50 who have dropped out of the workforce since the pandemic to get off the golf course, Julie*, 52, from Hertfordshire, “laughed out loud”.Julie has been waiting over a year for a knee replacement operation so she can get back into employment. She is one of many unable to work due to long-term illness who will be looking to the chancellor to provide much needed funding to tackle NHS waiting lists in his budget speech on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns correctly name their children in order of age, a welcome moment of clarity in a muted campaign

National Education Union going ahead with two more days of industrial action that will disrupt schoolsPay negotiations between teachers and the government could start in earnest as early as next week, after strikes that are expected to disrupt schools across England on Wednesday and Thursday.The National Education Union (NEU) is going ahead with its final planned two days of strikes in England, which will mean many pupils missing school or working from home, despite an offer by Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, to open talks if it called them off. Continue reading...

About 42% of men reported experiencing physical violence since the age of 15, report finds

The battle to replace Nicola Sturgeon is dividing the SNP and growing increasingly bitter, reports Libby BrooksWhen Nicola Sturgeon announced her imminent departure from the leadership of the Scottish National party, she assured her supporters that there was a wealth of talent vying to take her place.As Scotland correspondent Libby Brooks tells Hannah Moore, the resulting leadership contest has been a period of cold realisation for many supporters of Scottish independence. Not only do they not have a successor with anything like the stature of Sturgeon, the candidates are divided on economic as well as social policies and even the best route to independence. Continue reading...

British citizen Jagtar Singh Johal was detained and says he was tortured after alleged tipoff by UK intelligenceThe Foreign Office has asked for claims to be examined in a secret court that a British citizen was detained and tortured after the security services passed intelligence to the Indian government, newly filed court papers show.The government department is refusing to confirm or deny claims that Jagtar Singh Johal, a British Sikh activist, was detained in India in 4 November 2017 after an alleged tipoff to the Indian security services. Continue reading...

Labor backs the Coalition’s energy roadmap but accelerated coal plant closures and renewable project delays are raising concerns

Joshua Alan James Wootton, 32, admits one count of intimidation and one of accessing restricted data

TikTok clip shows PM’s pet near Serpentine in Hyde Park, where dogs must be kept on a lead to protect wildlifeRishi Sunak’s family have been spoken to by police after letting their dog roam free in Hyde Park.It came after the prime minister and his family were filmed apparently breaking the rules of the park in central London. Continue reading...

Internal study was commissioned in 2019 over concerns that sanctions have negative effect on claimants’ health and financesThe Department for Work and Pensions has been ordered to release “sensitive” research into whether fining benefit claimants is effective in getting them to take a job or work more hours.The internal DWP study was commissioned in 2019 after a cross party committee of MPs concluded that while there was no evidence benefit sanctions incentivised people to get work, they did have a negative effect on claimants’ health and finances. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Chancellor will promise to provide extra 30 hours a week to parents of one- and two-year oldsA £4bn expansion of free childcare for one- and two-year-olds in England is expected to be announced in the budget on Wednesday as part of a wider drive to help people into work and boost growth.The plan would provide an extra 30 hours a week to parents of one- and two-year olds, and increase funding for the existing programme of free childcare for three year-olds. Continue reading...

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Malicious communications sent to two people against ex-Top Gear host’s Diddly Squat farm expansionDeath threats have been made against two people who opposed Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat farm expansion, the local council has revealed.West Oxfordshire district council has said it is aware of malicious communications against an unnamed councillor and a member of the public who spoke out against the 62-year-old former Top Gear presenter’s plans. Continue reading...