World news | The Guardian

Rights group’s annual report accuses Britain of setting ‘worrying reverse course’ in bills on refugees, policing, protest and welfareThe government’s attack on fundamental rights and protections enshrined in UK law is an “act of human rights vandalism” that would curtail the ability of people to hold the state to account, Amnesty International has claimed.In its annual report on the state of human rights across the world, Amnesty strongly criticised the British government for its attempts to dismantle the Human Rights Act and a battery of new “draconian” legislation on refugees and policing. Continue reading...

Proposals will require mainstream schools to become more inclusive of children with Send and disabilitiesMainstream schools in England will be required to “change their culture and practice” to become more inclusive of children with special educational needs and disabilities, under government proposals designed to end the current postcode lottery.The government will set out plans to overhaul the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system in a green paper published on Tuesday, including proposals to beef up accountability and boost earlier intervention to ensure that children’s needs are better met in local settings. Continue reading...

Catherine Dunn tells disability royal commission the absence of an Auslan interpreter meant she was forced to speak

Putin spokesman accuses Nato of backing Russia into a corner as UK warns Moscow’s stalled offensive means mercenaries are expected to head to Ukraine

Billionaire lost his sight for several hours, according a source with direct knowledge of the incident; Ukraine president saying his people are ‘paying with their lives’ if sanctions don’t work

Perther and colleague Khalid Radwan sentenced to five years’ prison after business dispute with Central Bank of Iraq

Manasseh Sogavare says it is ‘utter nonsense’ that China’s presence is a threat to regional stabilitySolomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has dismissed foreign criticism of the country’s security negotiations with China as “insulting” and called those who leaked the draft agreement “lunatics”, in his first comments to parliament on the proposed treaty.“We find it very insulting, Mr Speaker, to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs,” Sogavare said on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Both Daniel Andrews and the opposition leader are now in isolation as Covid cases rise across the state

Actor says attacking the comedian was ‘out of line’ and calls violence of all kinds ‘poisonous and destructive’Will Smith has issued an apology to Chris Rock, the Academy and viewers after slapping the comedian on stage at the 94th Academy Awards, saying he was “out of line” and that his actions were “not indicative of the man I want to be”.The fallout from Sunday’s show continued on Monday as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences condemned Smith’s onstage assault and said it would launch an inquiry. Smith apologised to the Academy during his best actor acceptance speech, which notably didn’t include an apology to Rock. Continue reading...

Director of Chatham House says Britain’s role in Ukraine crisis is an opportunity to work more formally with Brussels

Deliveries will start in Reading, as the takeaway service continues its expansion into new areas.Books, stationery, phone chargers, toys and exam study guides are the latest items to be ferried to customers on fast-track delivery bikes via a partnership between WH Smith and Deliveroo.The high street retailer will offer 600 products for delivery in as little as 20 minutes, joining similar services offered by supermarkets, pharmacies and takeaways. Continue reading...

Briefing to Peter Dutton five days after fall of Kabul reveals department’s concern over Afghan officers who had studied in Australia

A 1C rise in summer night temperature linked to 3.1% increase in risk of CVD mortality among men aged 60 to 64, study saysMen in their early 60s have a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease on warmer than usual summer nights, according to new research.Previous studies have focused on the potential for warm spells of weather that involve extreme or sustained periods of high temperatures to coincide with surges in deaths and hospitalisations due to heart conditions. However, until now, findings related to age and gender have been inconsistent. Continue reading...

Angela Rayner to force binding vote on release of information, including on PM’s involvement in decisionThe government could be forced to reveal private advice over the appointment of Evgeny Lebedev to the House of Lords, amid evidence the security services had concerns about the peerage.Labour will force a binding vote on releasing information about Boris Johnson’s involvement in the decision to award the peerage to the Evening Standard owner. Angela Rayner, the party’s deputy leader, will demand the information concerning the appointment from the Cabinet Office. Continue reading...

Legacy of ‘colonial-era ideologies’ is condemned as community leaders demand reparations for imperialismThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s recent tour was in “sharp opposition to the needs and aspirations of the Caribbean people”, a human rights alliance from the region has said.The British monarchy’s historic role in the slave trade continues to damage the Caribbean’s society and economy, Jamaica’s Advocates Network said in an open letter published jointly with representatives from Belize and the Bahamas. Continue reading...

The government declared a state of emergency after arresting more than 600 gang suspects and ordering food restrictionsThe government of El Salvador said it had arrested more than 600 gang suspects and ordered reductions in food for prison inmates, after a wave of killings over the weekend.The government declared a state of emergency and locked down prisons after 87 murders were committed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. By comparison, there were 79 homicides in the entire month of February. Continue reading...

SES issues evacuation orders for parts of Lismore, Billinudgel, Mullumbimby and Tumbulgum as severe weather lashes parts of NSW and Queensland

Exclusive: Scotland Yard investigation reportedly finds laws were broken at heart of governmentThe first fines for lockdown breaches in Downing Street are expected to be issued imminently after Scotland Yard concluded that laws were broken at the heart of government, sources have told the Guardian.Multiple government insiders said the Metropolitan police had made referrals for the first tranche of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) connected with parties and gatherings being investigated by police in No 10 and the Cabinet Office. It is understood the Met are expected to issue around 20 fines related to the most straightforward cases, though more are expected to follow. Continue reading...

Firm must lift this week’s deadline for workers to reply to redundancy offers, says transport secretaryP&O Ferries has “one last opportunity” to U-turn on the sacking of 800 crew before a package of legal measures is brought in to force its hand, the government has warned.The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, is expected to unveil an eight-point plan on Wednesday that will include tightening employment laws for ship operators in UK waters, including on minimum pay and consulting on redundancies. Continue reading...

Producer released numerous albums of material and experimented with installations, sculptures and scores for Shakespeare playsMira Calix, the electronic producer celebrated for her complex, highly imaginative music and sound art, has died.Her label, Warp Records, announced the news, and did not give a cause of death, nor her age. A statement posted to social media said in part: “Mira was not only a hugely talented artist and composer, she was also a beautiful, caring human who touched the lives of everyone who had the honour of working with her … she pushed the boundaries between electronic music, classical music and art in a truly unique way.” Continue reading...

Campaigners frustrated as actor avoids criminal probe into allegations of groping, harassment and bullyingWomen’s rights campaigners and women who claimed they were sexually harassed and bullied by the actor Noel Clarke have responded with dismay to the Metropolitan police’s decision not to launch a formal criminal investigation into the allegations against him.The Met said on Friday that no further action would be taken against Clarke, who was accused of groping, harassment and bullying by 20 women in the Guardian in April 2021. Clarke has consistently denied the allegations, but subsequently apologised if his “actions have affected people in ways I did not intend or realise”. Continue reading...

Hopes were high after blunders of Williamson’s tenure, but 60-page vision for future offers little to inspireNadhim Zahawi is a minister with a reputation for getting things done, thanks in large part to his involvement in the rollout of the Covid vaccine programme. But the education secretary’s long-awaited schools white paper, published on Monday after months of speculation, left many in the sector feeling underwhelmed.After exams mayhem and mishaps overseen by Zahawi’s predecessor, Gavin Williamson, and damage done by the pandemic, hopes were high for Zahawi’s first big outing, but immediate reaction to the 60-page white paper setting out the government’s vision for schools for the next eight years was muted. Continue reading...

The cut-price range comes after the retailer was criticised over shortages of its cheapest itemsAsda faces a legal wrangle with Waitrose after unveiling a new £70m cut-price grocery range with a similar name to its pricier rival’s established discount brand.Waitrose, which has used the Essential Waitrose brand for about 13 years, said it had sent a legal letter to its bigger rival over its new brand name Just Essentials by Asda on Monday. Continue reading...

Analysis: overstretched Russian forces are trying to concentrate on the east, but Kyiv is doing its best not to let them

Two babies have died in women’s prisons in UK in the past three years, when their mothers gave birth without medical assistanceFifty babies, accompanied by their parents, have gathered outside parliament as part of a protest calling for an end to custody in prison for pregnant women.The protest on Monday, attended by women who had previously been in prison when pregnant or after having given birth, or who had been threatened with custodial sentences, along with midwives and advocates for an end to the imprisonment of pregnant women, was organised by Level Up, a feminist organisation fighting gender injustice in the UK, and the campaigning organisation No Births Behind Bars. Continue reading...

Kyiv taking allegations ‘very seriously’ after unverified footage emerges of three prisoners of war apparently being shot in the legs

Federal budget to commit $3.9bn for transport infrastructure, including fast rail and new line

Disability advocate Elly Desmarchelier says NDIS issues are not just about money, ‘it is about attitude and respect’

Hilary Alflatt, who has dementia and was judged unfit to stand trial, treated his victim like a slave, court toldA retired vicar accused of sadism repeatedly beat a woman with a bamboo stick for nearly a decade, a crown court jury has found.Hilary Alflatt, 87, had been accused of treating his victim like a slave and forcing her to take a vow of obedience when he worked at a church in Sheffield during the 1980s. He was said to have punished her for looking him in the eye, making her prostate herself before him, kiss his feet and call him “master”’ Continue reading...

Renaming of traditional lunch labelled ‘woke’ online, but was playful nod to local female farmers, says landlordIt was meant as a gentle nod to the women who farm the often bleak uplands of south-west Britain. But the landlord of a Dartmoor pub has been forced to rethink a decision to bill one of their lunchtime staples not as a “ploughman’s” but a “ploughperson’s”.“It’s caused something of a Twitter storm, hasn’t it?” said Dicky Harrison, landlord of the Tors pub in the Devon village of Belstone. Continue reading...

China will shut down city in two stages as it sticks to a ‘zero-Covid’ strategy amid growing outbreaksShanghai has begun its phased lockdown as an Omicron-fuelled Covid-19 wave spreads through mainland China’s most significant financial hub, resulting in the highest caseloads in the country since the early days of the pandemic.The eastern side of the Huangpu River, which divides Shanghai, would be under lockdown between Monday and Friday, officials said, followed by similar restrictions across its western side from 1 April. Massing Covid testing across the city is also under way. Continue reading...

Government urged to scrap visa requirements as Homes for Ukraine applicants express concern at system

With no space available at a mental health facility, man was shot after brandishing scissors at medical hospitalA 29-year-old man being held for his mental health in a Florida hospital was fatally shot after he grabbed a pair of scissors and threatened to stab sheriff’s deputies.The man was among a number of people being held in the hospital despite threatening to harm themselves or others because there were no beds at the local mental health facility, said the Indian River county sheriff, Eric Flowers. Continue reading...

Justyna Wydrzyńska, who gave a woman experiencing domestic violence miscarriage-inducing pills, could be jailed for three yearsThe first person to be charged in Poland for breaking the country’s strict abortion law by providing miscarriage-inducing tablets to a pregnant woman is due to face trial next week.Justyna Wydrzyńska, from the Polish group Aborcyjny Dream Team (ADT), is charged with illegally aiding an abortion and faces up to three years in prison if she is found guilty. Continue reading...

Treasurer’s office says dip set to last years, as Labor points to stagnant wages and vows to lift themJosh Frydenberg’s pre-election budget will project Australia’s unemployment rate will drop to 3.75% this year, its lowest figure in 50 years, with the Coalition to talk up a “remarkable” post-pandemic recovery.The treasurer’s fourth federal budget will also fund an extra 15,000 subsidised training courses for aged care workers, in a nearly $50m promise to boost the sector’s workforce. Continue reading...

Russia and Ukraine to hold fresh talks; Ukrainian military claims Russian troops withdrawn from around Kyiv after heavy losses

Jeck was celebrated for his use of dilapidated vinyl records and players, across 12 albums and numerous collaborationsPhilip Jeck, the experimental British composer who deployed sampling and DJing to highly imaginative ends, has died aged 69 after a short illness.The founders of Touch, the record label that released his music, announced the news, writing that Jeck was “a remarkable man and a wonderful artist,” and that “he has been one of the kingpins of our work for 30 years. But with Philip it was never just the work, more the love, the spirit and the dedication. He touched so many with his wit, his zest for life and his wisdom.” Continue reading...

Bank has softened language in research documents, according to report, amid pressure to exit Russia

Jana Stewart to take Kimberly Kitching’s Senate spot amid factional in-fighting in Victoria over federal intervention

Mining billionaire alleges social media giant failed to stop clickbait advertising scams using his image on its platform

Tina Weymouth in ‘a lot of pain’ after she fractures sternum and three ribs in car crash, says husband Chris FrantzChris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, the husband and wife musicians who were core members of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, have survived a serious car crash after a collision with a drunk driver.According to a post from Frantz on Facebook, accompanying an image of their wrecked Ford SUV, the incident happened two weeks ago on US Route 1. He wrote:We were struck head on by a drunk driver who was driving on the wrong side of the road. Incredibly, we walked away from the collision. Tina had a Cat scan and suffered three fractured ribs and a fractured sternum. She’s been in a lot of pain but she will get better with time. I give thanks to our guardian angels and to the Ford Motor Company for building a car that protected us from getting killed. Continue reading...

Lismore and NSW SES issue evacuation orders; man dies in flood waters at Kingsthorpe; Victorian premier to isolate for seven days after positive Covid test; Star casino group chief steps down; nation records three Covid deaths, all in NSW. Follow all the day’s news

Assistant defence minister tells court he was troubled by ‘warrior culture’ in elite SAS regiment when he and Roberts-Smith were comrades in Afghanistan

Butler says prognosis is good as condition was detected at an early stageThe Labour MP Dawn Butler been diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram, she has said.Butler said she would be taking time off to recover fully from an operation, but suggested the prognosis was good because the condition has been detected at a relatively early stage. Continue reading...

Former competition watchdog also calls for five-year budget guarantees, as pledged by Labor, and stronger ABC governanceThe ABC should have a guaranteed five-year funding cycle and its budget and board should be at arm’s length from government influence, former competition tsar Rod Sims has said in a speech.Ahead of Tuesday’s budget, when the ABC will have its $84m indexation restored, Sims called for “strong and clear” ABC governance and stable funding for the public broadcaster. Continue reading...

Talks set to start in Turkey as Ukraine president seeks peace ‘without delay’ and Biden denies seeking regime change in Russia

In texts to police, murdered mother of three said her estranged husband ‘wouldn’t hesitate to kill me, I can see it in his eyes’

Transport infrastructure minister Jacinta Allan says two-thirds of $3.3bn in spending already promised