The Guardian

Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier called for ‘justice and strength’ in diplomacy after Russia hit Ukraine with 400 drones and 29 missiles hours before talksThe European Commission is just giving its daily midday press briefing, and it has confirmed plans to adopt the new, 20th, round of sanctions against Russia by 24 February, the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion on Ukraine.Foreign affairs spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said:“We keep on working on measures to deprive Russia of the funds, goods and technologies sustaining its war against Ukraine. This indeed includes the 20th package that you have mentioned, and indeed we aim to

Party leader tells FT journalist she should ‘write some silly story’ after press conference revealing roles for his top teamNigel Farage is speaking.He starts by saying that 4.6m voters will get the right to to vote in the local elections because of his party.I am writing a book on Nigel Farage for @headlinepg.No holds will be barred. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/feb/17/reform-farage-shadow-cabinet-local-council-elections-labour-starmer-latest-news-updates Author : Andrew Sparrow Publish date : 2026-02-17 13:27:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Ordained minister and activist who twice ran for the Democratic presidential nomination had been living with progressive supranuclear palsyAs well as being a prominent civil rights campaigner, Jackson became a focal point of black political power after running twice for the Democratic nomination for president in 1984 and 1988.He was the first African American to make the giant leap from activism to major-party presidential politics, firmly cementing his place in the history books in doing so. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/feb/17/jesse-jackson-tributes-died-84-civil-rights-latest-news-updates Author : Yohannes Lowe Publish date : 2026-02-17 10:50:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

ONS figures will hopes of further interest rate cut by Bank of England in the springBusiness live – latest updatesUnemployment in the UK has risen to 5.2%, the highest level in nearly five years, while wage growth continues to slow, raising the prospect of another cut to interest rates in the spring.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate of unemployment was 5.2% in the three months to the end of December, the highest rate since the quarter to January 2021. This was in line with what economists had been expecting and was up from 5.1% in the three

Liam Alexander Hall is the first person to be charged with terrorism offences in Western AustraliaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Perth magistrate has lifted a suppression order on the identity of Liam Alexander Hall, a 32-year-old man accused of attempting to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth.Magistrate Lynette Dias told the court on Tuesday that openness of the court is fundamental in the administration of justice. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/17/perth-man-accused-of-attempted-invasion-day-bombing-appears-in-court-on-terror-charges-ntwnfb Author : Narelle Towie Publish date : 2026-02-17 06:01:00 Copyright for syndicated content

Recognised with an honorary Academy Award in 2016, Wiseman directed and produced almost 50 films with a lifelong commitment to curiosity and naturalismFrederick Wiseman, the prolific film-maker whose documentaries primarily explored US public institutions and communities, has died aged 96.His death on Monday was announced in a joint statement from the Wiseman family and his production company, Zipporah Films. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/17/frederick-wiseman-dies-documentary-film-maker-dead-aged-96 Author : Dee Jefferson Publish date : 2026-02-17 01:44:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Three people stabbed in attack near Merrylands train stationA man is in custody after three people were stabbed near a train station in western Sydney, leaving one of them dead.Police responded to reports of the stabbing in Merrylands, about 10am on Tuesday. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/17/merrylands-stabbing-western-sydney-ntwnfb Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date : 2026-02-17 01:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Police confirm suspect is one of dead in incident at boys’ hockey game that injured four in PawtucketAt least three people are dead and three more hospitalized in critical condition in a mass shooting at an indoor ice rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, during a high school hockey match on Monday afternoon, the police said.The Pawtucket police chief, Tina Goncalves, told reporters at a news conference that the suspect is one of the dead. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/16/rhode-island-ice-rink-shooting-pawtucket Author : Sara Braun Publish date : 2026-02-16 22:23:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Seven in 10 experienced indirect racism, rising to nine in 10 Palestinian and Jewish students and staff, report finds. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Refugee Council of Australia has condemned a leaked proposal by the Liberal party to ban migrants from regions controlled by declared terrorist groups, describing the plan as an “appalling idea straight out of Donald Trump’s playbook”.Details of the leaked plan drafted under Sussan Ley emerged on Monday signalling a hardline approach to immigration as the party hemorrhages votes to One Nation.Any person applying to visit or migrate

Competing domestic priorities, Treasury borrowing limits and already nervous lenders are among the many obstaclesKeir Starmer has few options if he wants to increase annual defence spending by up to £14bn before the end of this parliament.In last summer’s spending review, the government set out plans to increase defence spending from 2.3% of national income, or gross domestic product (GDP), in 2024-25 – about £66bn, to 2.6% in 2028-29. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/16/keir-starmer-limited-options-further-defence-spending-rise Author : Phillip Inman Publish date : 2026-02-16 17:21:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

The government was warned by its lawyers that such a move could be illegalIn his Q&A with journalists, Keir Starmer was also asked to respond to a report by the BBC’s James Landale saying he is looking at plans to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP by the end of this parliament. In the past Starmer has just said that he would like to do this at some point in the next parliament.In his reply, Starmer said that at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend he was arguing that the UK, and Europe as a whole, needs to

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as Japan misses growth forecasts for the final three months of 2025UK consumer sentiment continued to sink this month, as households grow more worried about debt levels.A poll of consumer confidence from data firm S&P Global has found that morale continued to drop in February, although not as quickly as in January.Consumers signal stronger rise in debt alongside a quicker deterioration in loan availabilityAppetite for major spending recedes to weakest in ten monthsSentiment regarding labour market conditions at lowest since last June“The mood among UK households matches the dismal weather seen

Rubio visits Orbán, who has a warm relationship with the Trump administration, ahead of Hungarian elections in April with the two countries expected to sign civilian nuclear deal later todayWe have some images come through from the newswires of Marco Rubio in Budapest:Hungary’s 12 April election is set to be one of the year’s most consequential in the EU. Voters will choose a new 199-seat national assembly under the country’s mixed electoral system, with Viktor Orbán facing his biggest electoral challenge after 16 years of uninterrupted power. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/feb/16/marco-rubio-viktor-orban-hungary-ukraine-europe-france-germany-europe-live-news-updates Author : Yohannes Lowe Publish date :

ACCC alleges the supermarket breached the law by offering ‘illusory’ discounts on many products with ‘Down Down’ promotionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastColes disguised price increases on at least 245 products by offering discounts that were “literally true” but also “utterly misleading”, the competition regulator has argued at the beginning of a high-profile court case.A federal court battle between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Coles began on Monday, testing allegations the supermarket breached the law by offering “illusory” discounts on many everyday products. Continue

Leader vows to repay the ‘young martyrs’ who died as North Korea intensifies propaganda glorifying troops deployed to fight for RussiaNorth Korea has said it completed a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, the latest effort by leader Kim Jong-un to honour the war dead.State media photos showed Kim walking through the new street – called Saeppyol Street – and visiting the homes of some of the families with his increasingly prominent daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju-ae, as he pledged to repay the “young martyrs”

Police decided there was ‘no tangible benefit’ to conducting disciplinary action against the officer and opted not to investigateFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland police service refused to pursue disciplinary action against an officer accused of multiple acts of serious domestic violence against his heavily pregnant partner and “interfering with the course of justice” to weaken the terms of her protection order.The circumstances of the case, revealed in a Queensland tribunal judgment this month, prompted a legal challenge by state’s Crime and Corruption Commission. Continue reading...

Chris Baghsarian was alone in his North Ryde home on Friday when he was taken and bundled into an SUV allegedly by underworld figuresThe search continues for an 85-year-old Sydney man who police say was abducted by mistake in a botched underworld kidnapping.Chris Baghsarian was alone in his North Ryde home when he was taken and bundled into a dark-coloured SUV on Friday morning. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/16/chris-baghsarian-search-sydney-man-abducted-nsw-police Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date : 2026-02-15 23:45:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Retailers face penalties if they profited from promotions that breached consumer law. Follow today’s news liveIMF finds Australia managing ‘soft-landing’ on economic recoveryThe International Monetary Fund released a report on Sunday saying the Australian economy was managing a “soft landing” but said inflationary pressures had “re-emerged” in recent months.Executive directors welcomed Australia’s progress toward a soft landing and internal balance, notwithstanding uncertainties regarding residual excess demand and supply capacity in the context of weak productivity growth.It was a very positive report about Australia and about the government’s economic plan, it was a powerful endorsement. … It described our budget management

Ofelia Torres, 16, spotlighted her dad Ruben’s illegal detention last fall during Trump’s crackdown in ChicagoA Chicago teenager, whose father was detained by immigration authorities while she navigated cancer, died on Friday, a family spokesperson said.Ofelia Torres, a 16-year-old in Chicago, had been undergoing treatment for an aggressive and rare form of cancer since late 2024. As she and her family struggled with the medical procedures, her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by immigration authorities while at a Home Depot in October, leading to a contentious and public case that highlighted the human effects of the Trump administration’s aggressive

Cabinet Office minister commissioned report that made ‘baseless claims’ about reporters who were investigating Labour TogetherKeir Starmer is facing calls by MPs for an inquiry into the commissioning of a report that made “baseless claims” about journalists who were investigating a thinktank linked to the prime minister.The calls add to pressure on the Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons, who commissioned a report in 2023 on journalists investigating Labour Together, the thinktank that would help propel Starmer to power. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/15/labour-together-thinktank-inquiry-calls-journalists-investigation-keir-starmer Author : Ben Quinn and Henry Dyer Publish date : 2026-02-15 15:48:00 Copyright for syndicated content

Military official says Israel’s attack came in response to violations by Hamas of US-brokered ceasefire agreementAt least 12 Palestinians were killed and several more injured across the Gaza Strip on Sunday in Israeli airstrikes that the military said were carried out in response to ceasefire violations by Hamas.The Gaza civil defence agency said five people were killed and several others hurt when an airstrike targeted a tent sheltering displaced people in the northern city of Jabalia. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/15/palestinians-killed-injured-gaza-israeli-airstrikes-hamas Author : Sam Jones Publish date : 2026-02-15 13:24:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Mohan Karki – one of many people ICE has deported to countries with which they have little connection – leaves behind his wife and seven-month-old baby he has yet to holdTika Basnet sat facing the glow of her iPhone, a red tika pressed into the center of her forehead. Seven-month-old Briana slept on her lap, her breathing soft and uneven. On the other side of the screen was Mohan Karki, Basnet’s husband, who had yet to hold his daughter.For Karki, nearly 9,000 miles (14,500km) away, it was already morning. He was in hiding in south Asia, his exact location withheld

Acquisition by Premier Group Recruitment boss Andrew Woosnam appears to be example of ‘phoenixism’A recruitment business that went bust owing the tax authorities and other creditors almost £3m has promised to send its staff on an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas after being repurchased by its former owner for an initial £10,000.Premier Group Recruitment went into administration in September with debts of £2.9m – including £647,000 owed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which had commenced enforcement proceedings against the company. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/feb/15/bust-premier-group-recruitment-hmrc-las-vegas-staff-trip-andrew-woosnam Author : Simon Goodley Publish date : 2026-02-15 08:00:00 Copyright for syndicated

Prime minister commits $3.9bn as ‘down payment’ for Adelaide facility to eventually build nuclear-powered vesselsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAt least $30bn will be spent building a construction yard to eventually build nuclear submarines for Australia under the Aukus agreement, despite doubts over the deal.The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced on Sunday the federal government had pledged $3.9bn as a “down payment” to secure the future of the submarine construction yard in the northern Adelaide suburb of Osborne. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/15/albanese-dismisses-aukus-concerns-as-submarine-shipyard-cost-revealed-to-be-30bn Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date : 2026-02-15 05:13:00 Copyright

Residents who escaped violence tell of bandits riding in on motorbikes and shooting indiscriminatelyArmed assailants on motorbikes killed at least 32 people and burned houses and shops during raids on three villages in north-west Nigeria’s Niger state early on Saturday, local officials and residents who escaped the violence said.The dawn raids targeted the communities of Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso, and Pissa. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/14/assailants-kill-raids-northwest-nigeria-villages-residents-say Author : Guardian staff and agencies Publish date : 2026-02-15 03:14:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.