World news | The Guardian

Pilots reportedly adopting Russian tactics as statement in name of new Iranian supreme leader vows continued attacks on US bases

Two former members of Royal Ulster Constabulary testify at civil trial that Adams led proscribed organisationGerry Adams was the leader of the Irish Republican Army, two former police officers have told the high court.The former Sinn Fein leader is being sued for symbolic vindicatory" damages of 1 each by John Clark, Jonathan Ganesh and Barry Laycock, who allege he was culpable for three separate IRA bombings in which they were injured. Continue reading...

After latest concert cancellation, singer also describes Valencia hotel as indescribable hell' that will require one year to recover' fromBritish singer Morrissey has cancelled a concert in Valencia after being left sleep-deprived during the city's notoriously noisy Las Fallas festival.A statement on his website said: Having travelled for two days by road, Morrissey reached the hotel in Valencia late on Wednesday. Any form of sleep or rest throughout the night was impossible due to festival noise/loud techno singing/megaphone announcements." Continue reading...

Campaigners say campus near Scunthorpe could generate emissions close to those from all UK domestic flightsPlans for a new datacentre in Lincolnshire have been approved, despite warnings it could be a major new source of emissions.On Wednesday, North Lincolnshire council voted unanimously to approve planning permission for the Elsham Tech Park, a proposed AI datacentre campus near Scunthorpe, next to the Elsham Wolds industrial estate. Continue reading...

Vast release of emergency crude reserves fails to quell mounting fears about supply crunch, rattling markets

Tehran will keep strait of Hormuz closed and continue attacks on US assets, speech read out on state TV says

Information Commissioner's Office made aware of incident affecting Lloyd's, Halifax and Bank of ScotlandThe UK information regulator is examining an IT glitch that enabled some customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to see other users' transactions when they logged into their banking app.The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it was aware of an incident affecting some online banking services" and that it would make inquiries. Continue reading...

The US president says higher oil prices benefit the country as Iran war pushes petrol costs above $100 per barrel

Latest order comes after Hezbollah and Iran launched joint attack on more than 50 targets including Israeli military bases

Glasgow's only fire engine with a high-reach ladder was unavailable on Sunday as an office block was guttedConcerns have been raised about the capacity of Scotland's fire service to deal with large fires like the one that gutted a Victorian office block in Glasgow as it emerged that the city's only remaining fire engine with a high-reach ladder was unavailable on Sunday.The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that, while standard city-based fire engines were on the scene within minutes of the first 999 call, the nearest available high-reach appliance - which adds vital additional capacity to tackle a large blaze - came from Coatbridge, an 18km, 26-minute drive away in light traffic. Continue reading...

European Commission says it will suspend 2m grant if organisers of arts festival go ahead with proposalsThe European Commission has warned it will cut funding for the Venice Biennale if organisers go ahead with plans to include Russia.The commission reiterated that any breach of ethical standards by the art festival would be treated as a violation of contract, leading to suspension of the 2m (1.7m) agreement. Continue reading...

Iraq's national security adviser Qassim al-Araji says he told Australian ambassador that countries should repatriate prisoners

Chief executive of Acoss, who undertook the study, says it's clear this tax break funnels billions into the wealthiest parts of our country'

Sansevero Chapel Museum will host day of guided tours where visitors will be able to feel marble sculpturesThe Sansevero Chapel Museum in Naples will allow dozens of visually impaired visitors to take part in a rare tactile experience, letting them touch the celebrated works of art including the Veiled Christ, which is widely regarded as one of the most striking masterpieces in the history of sculpture.On 17 March, the museum will host an initiative called La meraviglia a portata di mano - Wonder within reach - organised in partnership with the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Naples, offering about 80 blind and partially sighted visitors a chance to encounter the marble masterpieces. Continue reading...

Over 80,000 people in appeal queue against initial rejection at end of 2025 - 91% more than a year beforeThe backlog of people awaiting asylum appeals after having their initial application turned down has nearly doubled in a year, threatening to undermine a key pledge of Keir Starmer's government.Home Office statistics released on Thursday show more than 80,000 cases were waiting to be reassessed at the end of 2025 - a 91% increase on a year before. The backlog significantly outnumbers the number of people waiting for their initial decision, which was 64,000 at the end of December 2025. Continue reading...

Rene Redzepi also steps down from non-profit board after accusations of physical and psychological abuseRene Redzepi, the head chef and co-founder of Noma, has announced his resignation from his internationally acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant following allegations he physically abused his staff.Redzepi had been facing protests in Los Angeles before a four-month pop-up that launched this week. His resignation on Wednesday comes after the New York Times detailed allegations of physical and psychological abuse, including claims that he punched employees in the face, jabbed them with kitchen implements and slammed them against walls". Continue reading...

Programme which supports schemes in six African countries was previously hailed as vital protection for Britain against future pandemicsA flagship health project in Africa, which UK ministers said would play a vital role in protecting Britain from future pandemic threats, is being axed due to aid cuts, the Guardian can reveal.The Global Health Workforce Programme (GHWP) which supported development and training for healthcare staff in six African countries, will close at the end of the month, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Judge describes Gerald Peck, who was banned from practising in the 1980s, as a charlatan and a fraud'A therapist who claimed he could heal birth trauma through sexual touching and oral sex has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.Gerald Peck, who has live profiles promoting his work as a bodywork psychotherapist, was convicted of five sexual offences on 2 February, after being charged in October 2024. Continue reading...

Vast release of emergency crude reserves fails to quell mounting fears about supply crunch, rattling markets

Court makes finding pending final hearing that trafficking victim likely to suffer harm to his mental health' if returnedA high court judge has halted the removal of an Eritrean trafficking victim to France under the UK's one in, one out" scheme, after raising concerns that forcibly sending him back could cause him harm.The controversial deal, under which one asylum seeker who arrives in the UK on a small boat is forcibly returned to France in exchange for another being brought over legally, was launched last summer. As of 5 March, 370 people have been brought to the UK legally and 354 sent back to France. The aim is to deter small boat crossings, but thousands of asylum seekers have crossed the Channel since the scheme started. So far this month, 1,200 people have made the perilous journey. Continue reading...

Florida investors featured in Guardian investigation claimed they lost most of their life savings after a financial adviser put their money into alternative' assetsIn a victory for everyday investors, arbitrators have awarded $3.8m to 13 Florida seniors who claimed a financial adviser squandered their retirement money by plowing it into risky investments.The award comes after the Guardian highlighted these investors' losses as part of an investigation into dangers that so-called mom and pop" investors face at a time when the Trump administration has thrown its support behind Wall Street's efforts to sell them more higher-risk alternative investments". Continue reading...

Campaigners say people unlikely to look favourably' on package for Wael Sawan, which rose to 13.8m in 2025The chief executive of Shell saw his pay jump more than 60% to almost 14m in 2025 despite a slump in profits at the oil company and prospects of rising pump prices related to war in the Middle East.The package for Wael Sawan, who took the top job in 2023 and has refocused the company on fossil fuels, rose from 8.6m in 2024 to 13.8m in 2025. Continue reading...

President delivered a vague and contradictory forecast on the future of the war in Middle East. Plus, how to recognize a psychopath

If regime holds, control of enriched uranium may be ultimate measure of US-Israeli success, insiders say

Under new Taliban laws, a husband is allowed to beat his wife as long as it is not done with obscene force', which the woman must prove in courtThe shocking level of physical violence against women permitted under the Taliban's new laws has been revealed this week by the case of a woman in northern Afghanistan, who said she was beaten with a cable wire by her husband and told by a judge: You want a divorce just because of that? ... A little anger and a few beatings won't kill you."Farzana* said her husband was quick-tempered and often resorted to beating her. He regularly humiliated her and called her disabled", she said, because her right leg was slightly shorter than the left. She had tolerated the abuse for the sake of their children, but one evening, she said, his violence went too far. Continue reading...

Comments in books, speeches and videos shed new light on defense secretary's personal commitment to war on IranThe US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has expressed a violent antipathy towards Iran for years in books, Fox News broadcasts, educational videos and a 2018 speech to an Israeli media conference in Jerusalem, a Guardian review has revealed.In a 2020 book, for example, Hegseth wrote that Iran's leaders were actively seeking the military means - especially nuclear weapons - to bring the West to its knees". And in a 2017 video for PragerU, the hard-right media platform, Hegseth described Iran as America's mortal enemy". Continue reading...

TV star announces birth of Ozzy Matilda Osbourne on social media, alongside image of cuddly batJack Osbourne, the only son of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, has honoured his late father by naming his baby daughter after him.Jack, 40, announced the birth of Ozzy Matilda Osbourne on social media alongside his wife, Aree, who he married in 2023. The newborn Ozzy was pictured lying next to a cuddly bat toy: another reference to his father, who famously bit the head off a real bat during a 1982 concert believing it was made of rubber. Continue reading...

Protester alleges that Iranian handler turned around and looked at us and then drew a line on his throat and pointed to us'

Prime minister makes claim as accusations mount that he is using row with Ukraine for political gain in run-up to electionsHungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, has accused Ukrainians of plotting to attack his family, as an increasingly bitter standoff between Kyiv and Budapest continues.Orban and his allies appear to be using the dispute for maximum political gain before the election due next month that could end the 16-year rule of his nationalist government. Continue reading...

Health minister Tim Nicholls corrects claim alleged Bondi terror attack gunman Naveed Akram used controversial phrase, as laws roundly criticised

The fox is said to be settling in well' after mischievous 3,400 mile journey from Southampton to New YorkA sly fox slipped on to a cargo ship and travelled from Southampton to New York, according to officials at Bronx Zoo.The zoo, which is looking after the animal, said it appears healthy after early examinations. Continue reading...

Party leader Ashton Hurn confirms Carston Woodhouse will not run for Liberals in SA's state election, but says people are entitled to have their views'

Payment of 2% at employee-owned partnership follows sales increase to 13.4bnThe owner of John Lewis and Waitrose has paid an annual bonus to workers for the first time in four years after underlying profits rose by 6%.The retail group's 69,000 employees - which it calls partners - will receive a bonus of 2% of salary after it recorded an increase in sales and profits. Continue reading...

The final report into the Centrelink debt recovery process that wreaked havoc on the vulnerable is not the full-stop many wanted. It has not restored the trust that was so fundamentally broken

Hail Creek is responsible for about 20% of Australia's coalmine methane, while only producing 1% of the country's coal

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Dennis Richardson quits Bondi attack inquiry a fortnight after its opening hearing, telling the ABC he felt surplus to requirements'

Cathay Pacific, AirAsia and Thai Airways join Qantas in increasing prices, as travellers flock to airlines that don't have Middle East stopoversCathay Pacific, AirAsia and Thai Airways are among a growing number of airlines hiking air fares as conflict in the Middle East boosts oil prices and sends travellers flocking to alternative stopover destinations in Asia.The US and Israel's war on Iran has sent the price of oil soaring while restricting access to refineries, with experts predicting air fares could be elevated for months even if the conflict ends. Continue reading...

Police discovered the bodies of the mother and daughter after reports of an injured man, covered in blood, in Logan, in Brisbane's south

Home Office targets 150 families whose asylum claims were refused and offers them up to 40,000 to leave or face forcible removalFamilies who received notices asking them to agree to return to their home countries are begging the Home Office to give them more time to make a decision that will significantly affect their children's futures.The Home Office has targeted 150 families whose asylum claims were refused and given them just seven days to make the decision, which would uproot their children from schools and adopted communities. Those who refuse to leave voluntarily may be forcibly removed in handcuffs, including children. Continue reading...

Former PM says schools deserve same moral status as hospitals' after 168 schoolgirls killed in US-Israel war on Iran

Irish artists, British indie legends and US stars such as Tom Waits also contribute, with Springsteen writing essay about the bottomless humanity' of the late Pogues frontmanBruce Springsteen has written an essay celebrating the flashing, alive and historically rich" songwriting of the late Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan, as an all-star covers album is announced featuring Springsteen, Kate Moss, Johnny Depp and others.Springsteen's cover of A Rainy Night in Soho is out now, the first song to be released from 20th Century Paddy: The Songs of Shane MacGowan, which is out 13 November.Many, unsurprisingly, led difficult lives not easily bound by the shackles of convention. They were natural rebels unable to stifle or heed the impulses that led them to their glory and personal hardships. Great art is by nature lawless. We do not get to choose our obsessions. We do not get to dictate our blessings or our transgressions. It's a little joke the gods play on us. Shane's voice was so deeply real, profane and honest, his writing so flashing, alive and historically rich its genesis appeared as a mystery to all including, I believe, its creator. The dangerous joy, the glee and courage, the humour in the face of fate, the wild ramble of a life driven towards the artistic heavens and the daily balm of self-obliteration. Shane was all naked bottomless humanity. Threatening to force us to ask ourselves if we were living deeply, authentically. He was raw, hilarious, no apologies and profound. His soul was filled with the transgressive and ecstatic properties of the saints. I don't know who'll be listening to my music in 100 years but I know they'll be listening to Shane's. Continue reading...

Viral video of girl being shoved by fellow pedestrian has reignited debate over butsukari - with experts blaming stress and gender dynamicsIt starts out as a heartwarming clip. A young girl, clearly delighted to be in Tokyo, beams as she makes a peace sign to the camera. Seconds later, she is shoved to the ground from behind by a woman wearing a surgical mask. The assailant doesn't skip a beat, striding out of shot of the clip filmed by the girl's mother.This was no accidental clash of shoulders in a crowded place, but one of the most visible examples of a spate of butsukari otoko - bumping man" - shoving incidents in Japan that experts attribute to a combination of gender dynamics and the stresses of modern life. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Oil at $100 a barrel means higher prices in the EU and UK, making savings for those with electric vehicles even greater, analysts sayEuropean drivers face paying an extra 220 (190) a year at the pumps because of the surge in oil prices caused by the war in Iran, analysts have warned. In the UK, a separate estimate puts the cost at an extra 140.A sustained oil price of $100 a barrel, the level seen on Monday, would mean motorists in the EU paying 55bn more over a year, researchers at the Transport & Environment (T&E) thinktank estimated. That is the equivalent of an average of 220 for each driver, with higher-mileage drivers facing even bigger hikes. The assessment was made by comparing data from 2022, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine pushed the oil price to the $100 mark, with data from 2017-2019. Continue reading...

Influential Treasury committee chair Meg Hillier says review follows growing concern over graduate debt

This blog is now closed- follow the latest news and live updates in the Middle East crisis here

From fuel caps to four-day work weeks, the Middle East conflict has left the world's top crude oil importing region desperate to shore up suppliesDonald Trump has scrambled in recent days to reassure the world that the economic impact of his war on Iran can be contained.Sure, one of the most important waterways in global trade has, in effect, been shut for almost two weeks - but it might reopen before long. In the meantime, US oil-related sanctions on some countries" will be lifted. And besides, the entire conflict could be over soon. Continue reading...

Global heating linked to rising risk of extreme rain that causes devastating landslides and rising coffee pricesThe record floods that have brought death and destruction to the heartland of Brazil's coffee industry are expected to intensify if people continue to burn fossil fuels, analysis has shown.Dozens of residents in the state of Minas Gerais have been buried alive in landslides or swept away as roads turned into rivers over the past month. Thousands more have been forced to evacuate their homes, while the wider, longer-term effects are likely to include higher prices for coffee across the world. Continue reading...

Layoffs to affect 10% of workforce amid Australian company's restructuring plan to push into artificial intelligence and enterprise salesSoftware giant Atlassian has announced it is laying off about 10% of its workforce, or roughly 1,600 positions, and replacing its chief technology officer as it restructures to invest further in artificial intelligence.More than 900 affected positions were involved in software research and development, a spokesperson said. Most of Atlassian's employees work in software engineering and design, accounting for over 50% of its 13,813 full-time workforce in June 2025. Continue reading...

President tells John Thune to force through Save America act, which requires proof of citizenship while registering to vote and curbs mail-in votingDonald Trump said that the US-Israel war in Iran will end soon" because there is practically nothing left to target" in a phone interview with Axios.Any time I want it to end, it will end," the president told the outlet. The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period." Continue reading...