World news | The Guardian

Labor leader chased by reporters asking questions on costings, while Scott Morrison challenged over refusal to appear on NITV

The current prime minister is unpopular in city marginal seats, so the Coalition is banking on robocalls and letterbox drops from Howard to sway voters

Northern Ireland secretary reiterates stance as Liz Truss prepares to tell MPs of plans to lift checksThe UK will not “shy away” from legislating to change the Northern Ireland protocol without agreement from the EU, the Northern Ireland secretary has said, as Liz Truss prepares to tell the Commons about plans to unilaterally lift checks.The foreign secretary will tell MPs of plans to bring forward the draft legislation after a cabinet discussion on Northern Ireland. However, the timetable for the draft laws has slipped, with the text now only promised before the summer break, according to Whitehall sources. Continue reading...

Rob Priestly says he has no ALP links and lodges complaint after messages appearing to be authorised by Nationals sent to Victoria constituents of Nicholls

Rocky Horror Show actor tells defamation trial McLachlan looked ‘very frail’ and ‘in shock’ the day ABC and Fairfax reports were published

Patricia Jenkins tells Chris Dawson’s murder trial that she had not seen or heard from her sister, Lynette, since New Year’s Day 1982

One in 25 people sentenced to prison on terrorism-related charges in Konasheher, Xinjiang province, where Communist party represses Muslim minorityNearly one in 25 people in a county of the Uyghur heartland of China has been sentenced to prison on terrorism-related charges, in what is the highest known imprisonment rate in the world, an Associated Press review of leaked data shows.A list obtained and partially verified by the Associated Press cites the names of more than 10,000 Uyghurs sent to prison in just Konasheher county, one of dozens in southern Xinjiang. In recent years, China has waged a brutal crackdown on the Uyghurs, a largely Muslim minority, which it has described as a “war on terror”. Continue reading...

‘Test tourism’ to begin in May in the form of limited package tours as a way of gathering information prior to full reopeningJapan will start conducting “test tourism” in the form of limited package tours in May ahead of a full reopening to tourism.Though tourism was a major pillar of Japan’s economy, tourists have not been permitted to enter since it adopted strict border controls in 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading...

RCP president says findings should ‘sound alarm bells’ as YouGov survey finds 55% of people already feel their health is worseMore than half of people in the UK have already seen their health deteriorate as a result of the cost of living crisis, a survey reveals as doctors warned some patients can no longer afford to look after themselves.A YouGov poll of 2,001 people commissioned by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) found 55% felt their health had worsened owing to issues such as higher heating and food costs. One in four of these people had been told this was the case by a doctor or other medical professional, with stress seen as a driving factor of ill-health. Continue reading...

Lucy Worsley, whose BBC TV series focuses on powerless people, says women continue to bear brunt of men’s ragePrejudices that led to witch-hunts hundreds of years ago have not disappeared and women are still on the receiving end of men’s anger, a leading historian has said.Writing in the Radio Times, Lucy Worsley, a historian and author, said: “[Although] we like to think we’re better than the people who hunted witches, witch-hunting still happens in some parts of the world today.” Continue reading...

Economists say tighter credit conditions, higher mortgage rates and increased housing supply behind sinking pricesNew Zealand’s house prices are on track to drop by up to 20% in the next year – the biggest drop since the 1970s – two of the biggest banks have predicted, which would take prices back to where they were just over a year ago.For years, the country has been plagued by a runaway housing market. The cities of Wellington and Auckland have some of the least affordable property markets in the world, and homeownership rates have been falling since the early 1990s across all age brackets, but especially for people in their 20s and 30s. Continue reading...

Review also recommends new procedures to address complaints about ABC staff use of social media to help overcome ‘perception problem’

Refugee advocate Shane Bazzi brought the appeal after being ordered by the federal court in November to pay $35,000 in damages to the defence minister

Four other government departments scrapped as cash-strapped regime faces $500m budget deficitTaliban authorities in Afghanistan dissolved five key departments of the former US-backed government, including the country’s human rights commission, deeming them unnecessary in the face of a financial crunch, an official said.Afghanistan faced a budget deficit of 44bn Afghanis ($501m) this financial year, Taliban authorities said as they announced their first annual national budget since taking over last August. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. Ukrainian president says evacuation of injured soldiers has begun; Erdoğan says no need for visits to try to persuade him

Action for Children says levels of severe and persistent hardship in cost of living crisis are among worst it has seenHard-up families are skipping meals, wearing coats indoors to stay warm, and living in the dark because they can’t afford to switch on the lights, according to a leading children’s charity.Action for Children said in one case a boy it worked with had been off school with sore feet caused by chilblains. The boy told charity workers that the house was cold all the time because the heating was not on, and he and his siblings were wearing coats inside and sharing beds at night to keep warm. Continue reading...

Nice endorses Magtrace to use with probe, which work in similar way to metal detectorWomen with invasive breast cancer could be injected with a magnetic marker liquid to tell doctors if their disease has spread, according to a recommendation by the government’s health advisers.The substance, called Magtrace, has been shown to locate the presence of sentinel lymph nodes, which show if the cancer has progressed beyond the breast. Continue reading...

Boss Tony Danker wants chancellor to aid households skipping or having smaller meals as energy bills soarPressure on the government to help those hardest hit by Britain’s cost of living crisis has intensified after the head of one of the country’s leading employers’ groups said immediate support was a “moral imperative”.Tony Danker, the director-general of the CBI, said Rishi Sunak should step in to provide assistance to households skipping meals as a result of rising food and fuel bills. Continue reading...

Latin patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa described the intervention as a ‘disproportionate use of force’ against mournersThe top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land has condemned the Israeli police beating of mourners carrying the casket of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, accusing the authorities of violating human rights and disrespecting the Catholic church.Latin patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa told reporters that Friday’s incident, broadcast around the world, was a “disproportionate use of force” against a large crowd of people waving Palestinian flags as they proceeded from the hospital to a nearby Catholic church in Jerusalem’s Old City. The attack drew worldwide condemnation and added to the shock and outrage over the death of Abu Akleh, who was killed during an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) operation in the occupied West Bank. Continue reading...

Speaking at memorial lecture, former Tory chair says what defines a nation is ‘deeper than flags and fanfare’Culture wars are “not just an ugly political phenomenon … they’re deeply dangerous”, Sayeeda Warsi has told the fifth annual Jo Cox memorial lecture at the University of Cambridge.The lecture was set up to memorialise the Labour MP who was shot and stabbed in a politically motivated murder in 2016. Cox was struck while campaigning in her Yorkshire constituency during the European referendum campaign, in which she supported remain. Continue reading...

Nearly 40% of doctors who trained abroad do not have legal representation, compared to 25% of doctors who qualified in UKDoctors from overseas working in the NHS are more likely to be suspended or struck off when they have no lawyer to represent them at a disciplinary hearing, new figures show.The findings have raised fresh questions about whether the General Medical Council (GMC) displays “systemic racial bias” in its treatment of foreign-born medics accused of wrongdoing. Continue reading...

Since 2017, counter-terrorism forces have foiled 32 plots: 18 were Islamist related, and 12 were from the extreme right wingIn MI5’s London headquarters there is a top secret grid, on which is ranked the top terrorist plots absorbing the attention and resources of the security services and police.While 15 years ago it was dominated by Islamist plotters, in recent years the most severe threats to the country’s national security feature people planning atrocities linked to extreme rightwing ideology. Continue reading...

Callum Wheeler, 22, convicted over killing of James, 53, as she walked her dog near her home in SnowdownA man who stalked women in the woods has been found guilty of bludgeoning a police community support officer to death.Callum Wheeler chased and ambushed Julia James, 53, with a 3kg metal railway jack as she walked her dog near her home in Snowdown, Kent, in April last year. The 22-year-old, who was described by police as a “loner”, was convicted of murder after a six-day trial at Canterbury crown court. Continue reading...

Exclusive: draft of Shawcross report calling for crackdown on Islamism raises concerns it will try to ‘politicise counter-terrorism’The government’s counter-terrorism programme has been too focused on rightwing extremism and should now crack down on Islamism, according to leaked draft extracts from a landmark review of the Prevent strategy.In one particularly provocative recommendation, seen by the Guardian, the review claims there has been a “double standard” approach to tackling different forms of extremism, with individuals targeted for expressing mainstream rightwing views because the definition of neo-nazism has expanded too widely, while the focus on Islamism has been too narrow.a renewed focus on Islamist extremism is needed, including when individuals do not yet meet the terrorism threshold.individuals have been referred to Prevent, the government’s anti-extremism programme, to access mental health support even when there is no evidence of extremism.some Prevent-funded groups have promoted extremist narratives including support for the Taliban. Continue reading...

Duke of Sussex calls for legislation to rein in socia media companies in their quest for profitsThe Duke of Sussex has urged world leaders to prevent social media companies from using children as “digital experiments to make money”, as he supported calls for legislation to rein in tech firms.Prince Harry said the social media industry makes unbelievable amounts of money by “vacuuming” up time and information from users, adding that children should “demand better”. Continue reading...

France’s first female PM in 30 years has been a regular in the corridors of power for several decadesÉlisabeth Borne, who has been appointed France’s first woman prime minister in more than 30 years, has a reputation as a technocrat with a long career in many different government ministries and local administrations. She is experienced in negotiating with trade unions, seen as crucial as Emmanuel Macron prepares an overhaul of the pensions and benefits system which could lead to street protests.The 61-year-old engineer, who had previously headed Paris’s state transport company, RATP, was fiercely loyal to the centrist president during his first term, when she served as minister for transport, environment and finally labour from 2020. Continue reading...

Three cases detected in London and one in the north-east, which all appear to have been contracted in the capitalFour more cases of monkeypox have been identified in the UK, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the disease to seven, health bosses have said.Three of the cases have been detected in London, and one in the north-east of England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced on Monday. It is working to find links between the latest four cases, which all appear to have been contracted in the capital. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can find our full report on the PM’s NI protocol plan hereThis is from my colleague Jennifer Rankin in Brussels on the UK government’s mixed messaging over the Northern Ireland protocol.Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Sinn Féin’s leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, have said they recognise there are “serious issues” in relation to the implementation of the Brexit protocol that Boris Johnson is planning to override in part.They expressed serious concern about possible unilateral moves on the protocol by the British government, which would have a destabilising impact on Northern Ireland.They recognised that there are genuine issues regarding aspects of the implementation of the protocol but these can be taken forward in the context of EU-UK discussions. Continue reading...

Here’s what is weighing on the minds of five undecided voters before the federal election on 21 May

The seat of Groom has been held by conservatives since federation, but Labor and independent candidates have shaken up the race this election

Diversity of opinions at the ballot box in western Sydney ‘defies prediction and conventional political logic’, report says

Exclusive: Spender-commissioned poll says independent will win on preference flows but is at odds with YouGov polling on the electorate

Union poll finds majority of members have not yet received any payment as aged care peak body says both parties fall short on policy

Ranil Wickremesinghe says country’s finances ‘extremely precarious’ in first address since appointmentSri Lanka’s new prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has warned that the financial crisis engulfing the country will get continue to get worse and “the next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives”.In his first address to the country since he was appointed as interim prime minister on Thursday, after Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down from the role amidst Sri Lanka’s worst economic crash since independence, Wickremesinghe was blunt as he described the conditions of the country’s finances as “extremely precarious”. Continue reading...

Extra £6.6m in support takes total to £10m, after criticism supermarket was not paying ‘fair price’ for porkTesco is to hand pig farmers £6.6m in additional support, taking the total to £10m, after warnings that a slew of producers could go out of business.The UK’s biggest supermarket said farmers would get £6.6m until August on top of £3.4m handed out since March under an “accelerated and enhanced payment plan”, after being criticised for not paying a “fair price” for its pork. Continue reading...

Rooney says she did not tell anyone about months-long sting operation on InstagramColeen Rooney has said Rebekah Vardy’s private WhatsApp messages were “just evil”, as she finished giving evidence in the “Wagatha Christie” libel trial.The court has previously heard that Vardy and her agent, Caroline Watt, had lengthy WhatsApp exchanges about Rooney’s personal life, in which Rooney was allegedly branded a “nasty bitch” and a “cunt”. Continue reading...

Actor denies putting human feces in couple’s bed and claims ‘he was talking to people who weren’t in the room’Johnny Depp was hallucinating and his sobriety had completely collapsed in the final months of his marriage, his ex-wife – fellow actor Amber Heard – testified on Monday in the civil lawsuit between the two.Heard was back on the stand as the trial resumed in a Virginia courtroom after a one-week hiatus. Continue reading...

Process spawned amid mass protests in 2019 will culminate in September plebiscite but polls show only 38% currently in favourAfter 10 months of fraught negotiations, Chile has finalised the draft of a new constitution that could replace the document drawn up during Gen Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship.María Elisa Quinteros, the president of the gender-equal, 154-member assembly will formally present the draft at a ceremony in the port city of Antofagasta on Monday afternoon. Continue reading...

Inquiry told officers’ practice of deceiving women into relationships was ‘endemic and common’All of the senior police managers giving evidence to a public inquiry have maintained they did not know that the undercover officers they were supervising had formed sexual relationships with women during their covert deployments.The inquiry, which is scrutinising the covert infiltration of political groups, has heard that the practice of undercover officers deceiving women into relationships was “endemic and common”. Continue reading...

Tribunal finds Babis Anagnostopoulos culpable of premeditated murder and perverting course of justiceA Greek helicopter pilot who claimed he killed his British wife, Caroline Crouch, 20, in a fit of anger following a row that had “blurred” his senses, has been found guilty of murder at the end of a trial watched closely in Greece and abroad.The seven-member mixed tribunal of judges and jurors concluded unanimously that Babis Anagnostopoulos was culpable of premeditated murder, and perverting the course of justice. Continue reading...

British government is threatening to override Northern Ireland rules if bloc does not show ‘requisite flexibility’The UK is saying it will have to take unilateral action to override part of the Northern Ireland Brexit protocol unless the EU shows the “requisite flexibility”. The EU has said it believes a deal can be done but only through negotiation.So what are the differences between the two sides and is the latest row more about politics than substance?Removal of checks on British sausages and other chilled meats. She also cited barriers to the supply of “Thai green curry ready meals, New Zealand lamb and Brazilian pork”.Removal of customs declarations for parcel post, which would mean the restoration of online shopping for some of the big high street chains that have stopped delivering to Northern Ireland.Removal of veterinary certificates for pets travelling from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.Ability to control the VAT rate in Northern Ireland. Truss complained that the protocol means some VAT cuts, including the relief on energy bills, which apply in the rest of the UK cannot be applied in Northern Ireland because of the protocol.Removal of the European court of justice as the arbiter in disputes.A green lane and red lane at ports to distinguish between goods destined for Northern Ireland and those travelling onward into the Republic of Ireland and the single market.It offered to do away with the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on chilled meats with a new “national identity” exemption for British sausages and other goods destined for Northern Irish supermarkets. It offered a “bespoke solution” it claimed would get rid of 80% of the SPS checks on food. In exchange the UK would have to complete the construction of border controls and ensure a new “for Northern Ireland” labelling system.It offered to reduce customs declarations by 50%.It offered an “express lane” out of ports for goods destined for Northern Ireland only.It offered an “enhanced” role for Stormont, business and civic stakeholders in the implementation of the protocol including attendance at meetings of specialised committees charged with overseeing the operation of the protocol.An uninterrupted supply of medicines was offered. Continue reading...

Luhansk governor says hospital hit in Severodonetsk and that Ukrainian forces repelled 17 attacks on Sunday

French carmaker joins other western firms leaving Russian market, with option to return within six years

Head of industry association hits out at children’s home owners ‘getting rich off taxpayers’ money’Children’s home providers in England should not be able to profit from caring for society’s most vulnerable children, the new head of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has said.Steve Crocker criticised private providers driving around in sports cars and buying racehorses with their profits after “getting rich off taxpayers’ money”. Continue reading...

Opposition wants to boost Australian content on streaming services in detailed policy that is light on funding commitments

London mayor, who was named in suspect’s 180-page ‘manifesto’, says he will not let terrorists change how he livesThe London mayor, Sadiq Khan, vowed he would not allow threats from “terrorists” such as the alleged Buffalo shooter Payton Gendron to change the way he leads his life after reportedly being named on a list of enemies the suspect said he wanted dead.Gendron, 18, is accused of shooting dead 10 people at a supermarket in the US city on Saturday. Continue reading...

Further rise likely if EU ban on Russian oil goes ahead, and petrol up 3p since start of month at 166.65pThe average price of a litre of diesel has hit a high of just over £1.80 a litre – and could rise even further if the EU ban on Russian oil goes ahead.The RAC reported that the price a litre in the UK has outstripped the previous record of £1.79, set in March after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Prime minister on ABC’s 7.30 program takes umbrage at question suggesting ‘your government used community sports grants as a slush fund’

Leigh Sales presses prime minister on sports grants and housing policy; AEC says two Advance Australia ‘Greens’ signs in breach of electoral act as David Pocock labels them ‘corrosive’ to democracy – Advance Australia do not believe the signs breach the Electoral Act. This blog is now closed

Depiction of 18th-century painter, famous as master of light and shadow, acquired in lieu of inheritance taxA self-portrait of Joseph Wright of Derby, the 18th-century painter famous as a master of light and shadow, has been acquired for the nation through a scheme that allows people to donate artworks in lieu of inheritance tax.Self-Portrait at the Age of About Forty is the only self-portrait by Wright in which he depicts himself as an artist. It will go on permanent display in the city where Wright was born and lived. Continue reading...