World news | The Guardian

New first minister announces appointments as he seeks to move past divisive leadership contestScotland’s new first minister, Humza Yousaf, has revealed a majority-female cabinet, with half its members under the age of 40, as his attempts to unite the party stalled after a divisive leadership contest.Kate Forbes, whom Yousaf narrowly beat to secure the SNP leadership on Monday, confirmed on Tuesday evening she would be leaving the Scottish government rather than accept a cabinet demotion. Continue reading...

Protesters call for justice as blaze at detention facility in Ciudad Juárez highlights tough US immigration policiesA loud voice cut through the thick quiet of the night: “¡Justicia! ¡Justicia! ¡Justicia!” Frark Martín Pérez Pérez, 32, chanted angrily, and hundreds followed.Justice is what the crowd of about 400 migrants from Latin America gathered to protest about on Tuesday outside the migrant processing centre in Ciudad Juárez, a Mexican city on the US border, where at least 40 were killed in a fire on Monday night. Continue reading...

Planned visit to St Nikolai memorial in Hamburg contrasts with approach taken by his motherKing Charles will this week become the first British monarch to lay a wreath to the German victims of allied air raids in the second world war.The move is a departure from his mother’s handling of the historically sensitive subject on previous royal visits to the country. Continue reading...

Minister sets out plans to use old army bases and possibly ships to save money and dissuade people from coming to UK

Prime minister’s failure to raise wife’s childcare agency when questioned by MPs raises concern

Senior family judge hears charity’s urgent bid to have ‘world’s most vulnerable children’ declared wards of courtLawyers for the home secretary have disclosed to a family court that 66 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children remain missing from just one local authority – Brighton and Hove – after disappearing from a hotel.The number was revealed at an urgent hearing to address the fact that no agency has parental responsibility for the missing youngsters. Continue reading...

Exclusive: extensive consultations since idea was proposed 18 months ago have found it would not be commercially viablePlans to boost domestic tourism by introducing a rail pass for British staycationers have been axed, the Guardian can reveal.The idea was initially heralded by the government as a way to help struggling businesses get back on their feet as the final Covid restrictions were being lifted in the summer of 2021, but extensive consultations since have found it would not be commercially viable. Continue reading...

Council of Europe’s experts say bill is ‘step backwards’ in fight against modern slaveryEurope’s human rights watchdog has warned the UK government that its plans to curb the rights of trafficking victims in its illegal migration bill is a “significant step backwards” in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery and demonstrates a lack of compliance with international law.In a highly unusual move, the Council of Europe’s group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings (Greta) have on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the bill and its lack of compliance with core elements of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Continue reading...

Allegations of attempted meddling by China put uncomfortable spotlight on publicity-shy CSISMost Canadians have no idea where the country’s spy agency is located, nor do they know much about its daily operations. This is not because the Canadian Security Intelligence Service operates in a particularly clandestine fashion, it’s because most Canadians don’t care.The CSIS, a civilian-run organisation based in a triangular structure of concrete and glass on the outskirts of Ottawa, lacks the intrigue of Britain’s MI5 and the notoriety of America’s Central Intelligence Agency. Continue reading...

John Nicolson’s tweets were assessed by parliament’s grievance scheme in six-month investigationA Scottish National party (SNP) MP has been cleared of bullying the former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries after a six-month investigation.John Nicolson, the SNP’s culture secretary, is understood to have been cleared after parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) assessed a series of tweets he made about Dorries while she was culture secretary in Boris Johnson’s cabinet. Continue reading...

Pair appeared at PMQs while Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer attended funeral of Betty Boothroyd

Exclusive: Files reveal €117m in loans for Vitesse Arnhem originated with then owner of Chelsea, despite repeated denialsRoman Abramovich secretly funded the takeover of a Dutch top division football club and bankrolled it for years during the period that he also owned Chelsea, leaked documents appear to show.Two investigations by the Netherlands football association were unable to uncover any financial ties between Abramovich and the club, Vitesse Arnhem, and concluded that the Russian oligarch had no managerial influence on Vitesse. Both Vitesse under its then owners, and Chelsea under Abramovich, repeatedly denied the oligarch was involved in funding the Dutch club. Continue reading...

Bank wants to avoid repeat of situation that followed Kwasi Kwarteng’s calamitous mini-budget

Sergio Ermotti, who stepped down in 2020, will rejoin Swiss bank as it prepares to absorb troubled rivalThe Swiss bank UBS has announced the surprise return of Sergio Ermotti to oversee the takeover of its rival Credit Suisse, amid global concerns over the stability of the banking industry.Ermotti served as chief executive from 2011 until 2020, overseeing UBS’s recovery from the global financial crisis. He will take over again on 5 April, when his main task will be to implement the complex merger with Credit Suisse, which was forced through by Swiss financial regulators in an attempt to prevent a chaotic collapse. Continue reading...

Host of Blind Date and Blankety Blank described as someone who stuck up for the underdog – particularly if they were canine

Deputy prime minister confirms barge accommodation an option, as Jenrick announcement expected

Retailer reports record annual profits of £870m after stronger-than-expected sales but says 2023 could be ‘very challenging’Next said it expected to raise prices more slowly in the coming year in a sign of easing inflation, as the clothing and homeware retailer reported record annual profits of £870m.The FTSE 100 company increased profits by 5.7% in the year to 31 January, while total sales from trading rose by 8.4% compared with the previous year to £5.1bn, it said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Decision affecting 1,200 staff follows NHS recruitment struggle and ‘systemic challenges’ for industryBupa Dental Care is to cut 85 dental practices this year in a move that will affect 1,200 staff across the UK, amid a national shortage of dentists and “systemic” challenges across the industry.The private healthcare group said patients at the affected practices had not been able to access the NHS dental service they needed. Continue reading...

Robert Redlich claimed members of Andrews government told consultants to ‘dig up dirt’ on anti-corruption body

A week out from settling sale, businessman who had signed contract and paid $5,000 deposit is nowhere to be found

Expert panel says statements don’t relate to complaints, while Teo’s lawyer tells board to avoid ‘hindsight bias’ over surgeries

Counsel tells NSW inquiry blood and semen samples related to Gerald Cuthbert’s 1981 death went missing the following year

Watchdog finds Home Office reliance on private contracts to house refugees, often in hotels, forced Foreign Office to slice its budgetA third of the UK’s overseas aid budget was spent by the Home Office on housing refugees in a poorly managed programme that contained few cost-saving incentives, the government’s independent watchdog on aid has found.In a bid to control soaring costs, Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) recommends introducing a cap on the proportion of the aid budget that can be spent on in-donor refugee costs. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: The Guardian’s owner has apologised for the newspaper’s historic links to the trade of enslaved people – this is why

Opponents claim that bill put forward by Labour government amounts to fear-mongering in an election yearLarge groups of asylum seekers arriving to New Zealand by sea could be detained in prison for up to 28 days without a warrant, under a law change that was proposed even though a refugee boat has never reached the country.The bill – put forward by the Labour government – passed its first reading on Wednesday. It also determines that asylum seekers who arrive in groups of 30 or more by sea would have no possibility of attaining the entry permissions or temporary visas conferred on other travellers to New Zealand – including asylum seekers who enter the country by air. Continue reading...

Beijing has urged the US not to allow Tsai Ing-wen to transit through the US, saying it would be a ‘provocation’

Houston says at the time of the incident in 2022 ‘all hell had broken loose’ within the church but ‘that is no excuse’

Prospector discovers 4.6kg nugget using metal detector as gold prices near global record highs

Partner announces ‘unexpected but peaceful’ death of personality who fronted Blind Date, Blankety Blank and was known for his drag persona Lily SavagePaul O’Grady, the beloved TV presenter and comedian who broke on to the scene with his drag act persona Lily Savage, has died at the age of 67.His partner Andre Portasio confirmed in a statement that O’Grady died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...

New bill also aims to ensure those who commit crimes motivated by prejudice face tougher penalties

Police believe the Sunshine Coast home may have been set alight early Wednesday morning

Mexico’s president says fire was caused by migrants lighting mattresses in protest at planned deportationsRights groups have blamed poor conditions and overcrowding for a fire that killed at least 40 migrants from Central and South America at a migrant detention centre in Ciudad Juárez, a Mexican city on the US border.The fire, which broke out late on Monday, was caused by migrants setting fire to mattresses in protest after discovering they would be deported, Mexico’s president said. “They didn’t think that would cause this terrible tragedy,” Andrés Manuel López Obrador told a news conference. He did not provide more details about how so many died. Continue reading...

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John says people with condition struggle with ‘cost, wait time and stigma’Assessment and support services for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder will be the subject of parliamentary scrutiny after the Australian Senate backed a Greens proposal for an inquiry on the issue.The Senate community affairs references committee will examine barriers to “consistent, timely and best practice assessment” of ADHD and related services, including the adequacy of access to diagnosis and support, biases inherent in ADHD assessment and research, and the cost of medication.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Prime minister praises US president’s commitment to Israel but will not be swayed by ‘pressures from abroad’Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed Joe Biden’s call to “walk away” from a proposed judicial overhaul that has led to massive protests across Israel, with the Israeli prime minister responding that he does not make decisions based on pressure from abroad.Netanyahu on Monday delayed the proposal after large numbers of people spilled into the streets. The White House initially suggested Netanyahu should seek a compromise but the US president went further in taking questions from reporters on Tuesday. “I hope he walks away from it,” Biden said. Continue reading...

Michael Miller tells conference that sport stars who reject sponsorships have ‘a negative impact on the growth of the game’

The sportswear company claims the BLM Global Network Foundation’s yellow-stripe design would be confused with its three-stripe logoSneaker giant Adidas AG has asked the US trademark office to reject an application for a Black Lives Matter trademark featuring three parallel stripes, arguing it could mislead the public.Adidas told the office in a Monday filing that Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc’s yellow-stripe design would create confusion with its own famous three-stripe mark. It sought to block the group’s application to use the design on goods that the German sportswear maker also sells, such as shirts, hats and bags. Continue reading...

National Audit Office estimates bill of £246m for saving energy supplier as result of sharp fall in gas pricesThe bailout of the bust energy supplier Bulb is expected to cost the government billions of pounds less than originally feared because of a sharp fall in wholesale gas prices, according to the National Audit Office.The public spending watchdog said the government may end up spending £246m on saving the supplier, which has 1.5 million customers and was acquired by Octopus Energy late last year. Continue reading...

Mark Rowley says he accepts the report but will not use the term because it has become politicisedLouise Casey has told the Metropolitan police commissioner it would “mean so much” if he accepted the term “institutional” regarding the failings in the force, as the war of words over the use of the word showed no signs of slowing down.It came as the mother of two sisters whose dead bodies were photographed and shared on a WhatsApp group by two officers said she was “gobsmacked” he refused to use the term. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ministers facing growing anger from Tory backbenchers over use of hotels in their constituenciesThe Home Office is planning to use disused cruise ships to house asylum seekers amid growing anger from Conservative backbenchers over the use of hotels in their constituencies.Ministers are looking at possible vessels including a former cruise ship from Indonesia, which would be moored in south-west England, the Guardian understands. Continue reading...

Government to roll back section 40 legislation, recommended by Leveson, as part of media billMinisters will push ahead with plans to abolish a key piece of press regulation law, unpicking one of the main recommendations of the Leveson inquiry into the culture of the British newspaper industry.The government said they would roll back a rule that could require news outlets to pay the costs of the people who sue them unless the news outlet is signed up to a state-backed press regulator. Labour indicated that opposition MPs will not object to the plan, meaning it is likely to sail through the House of Commons. Continue reading...

Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich provoked outrage by saying there was ‘no such thing as a Palestinian people’

West Midlands fire service had sealed off area outside government building, halting trams in both directionsRoads that were closed in Birmingham after a spillage of an unknown substance at a government building have reopened after it was found to be harmless.West Midlands fire service sealed off an area outside Birmingham’s Civil Justice Centre after being called to the scene, near the West Midlands Metro Bull Street tram stop, at 4.07pm on Tuesday. Continue reading...

John Birt says appointment process for chairman ‘fatally flawed’ due to ‘cosiness’ of Boris Johnson loanFormer BBC director general John Birt has said chairman Richard Sharp’s appointment should not stand as he was an “unsuitable candidate” in a “fatally flawed” process.Lord Birt said the “cosiness” of the £800,000 loan that Sharp facilitated for Boris Johnson makes him unsuitable for the role, despite the BBC chairman denying wrongdoing. Continue reading...

Former prime minister said Sunak’s immigration proposals could deny support to modern slavery victimsThe UK’s illegal migration bill could mean modern slavery victims are less likely to give evidence against traffickers, Theresa May has said.The former Conservative prime minister warned MPs that slave drivers and traffickers will find it easier to escape justice under Rishi Sunak’s immigration plans. Continue reading...

Despite setback Scotland’s first Muslim leader says victory sends strong message to those who feel they ‘don’t belong’Humza Yousaf has said becoming Scotland’s first Muslim leader sends a strong message “to every single person out there who feels that they don’t belong”, after he was voted in by MSPs.But the first minister’s attempts to reunited his party after a bitter leadership campaign fell at the first hurdle after his main rival, Kate Forbes, turned down a position in his cabinet, saying she preferred to support him from the backbenches. Continue reading...

Charles and president likely to instead stage back-to-back visits to mark 25 years of Good Friday agreementHopes that Joe Biden’s landmark trip to Belfast next month will be rounded off by a meeting with King Charles are fading after the US president brought forward by a week his trip to celebrate 25 years of peace.It now appears likely the king and the president will stage back-to-back visits in an echo of historic visits to Dublin by Barack Obama and the queen in 2011. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can read more of our coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereSuspilne, Ukraine’s state broadcaster, reports on its official Telegram channel that this morning the border village of Chernatske in Sumy oblast has been struck. It writes: “Twenty hits were recorded, probably from barrel artillery. The infrastructure of the village was damaged – a cultural centre and a children’s playground, as well as five private houses.”The UK Ministry of Defence says Russia’s 10th tank regiment has borne the brunt of the assault of Avdiivka and has likely lost a “large portion of its tanks” while attempting to surround the town from the south. Continue reading...

NHS ombudsman says more tragedies will occur unless decisive action in takenMothers and babies are being put at risk because maternity services are still providing unsafe care, despite a series of scandals that have cost lives, the NHS ombudsman has warned.More tragedies will occur unless the health service takes decisive action to put an end to repeated and deeply ingrained problems which lead to “the same mistakes over and over again”, he said. Continue reading...

Mexican president says protests to blame for fire in Ciudad Juárez, the latest example of dangers facing those taking route to USMexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has blamed protesting migrants for causing a fire at an immigration detention centre that has killed at least 39 people in Ciudad Juárez, a Mexican city on the US border.Images of the aftermath showed dozens of lifeless bodies on the ground, some covered by silver thermal blankets. Television footage showed emergency workers attending to stunned survivors, who sat on white sheets gasping for breath. Continue reading...

Prime minister tells MPs ‘no one has promised’ flights by summer, after Home Office source said plans were on trackRishi Sunak has raised doubts that asylum flights to Rwanda will take off by the summer, despite official briefings during Suella Braverman’s trip to the African country that plans were on track.During an appearance at the Commons liaison committee, the prime minister told MPs that “no one has promised flights by the summer” after he was pressed over the deterrent effect of the policy so far. Continue reading...