The Guardian

More than 12,800 stores shut in 2024, down on 2023, but extra costs expected to take toll this year, study suggestsThe UK’s high streets are expected to empty out at a faster pace this year as extra costs imposed on businesses by Rachel Reeves are blamed for shops closing and a slowdown in chain store openings.The rate of store closures is forecast to rise again as a result of the chancellor’s tax-raising budget last October, after a slowdown to 10 a day last year from 13 a day in 2023, according to research. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/20/rate-uk-shop-closures-rise-after-budget-tax-changes-report Author

Paul Thijssen stalked 21-year-old water polo coach as she ‘attempted to push back’ against his manipulation, court hearsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe parents of murdered water polo coach Lilie James have described their devastation in an emotional statement to the coronial inquest into her death.Peta and Jamie James also stressed the importance of teaching young boys to “respect and value a woman’s opinion and choices” and warned not doing so could have tragic consequences.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news emailIn Australia, the crisis support service

Detained after taking a leading role in pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University, the graduate has called himself a political prisoner. Chris McGreal reportsThis month Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate who had worked with human rights groups and even the UK government, was detained in New York. His wife, who is eight months pregnant, said her husband was not told why he was being detained and that officers assumed he was on a visa – but actually he has a green card, allowing him to stay in the US and protecting his constitutional rights.Khalil says his detention is part

Australian National Imams Council labels proposal ‘opportunistic’ as Jewish Council of Australia says opposition ‘pitting different communities against each other’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe opposition has been accused of “pitting” community groups against each other and using the Jewish community for political purposes, in suggesting citizenship tests should include questions on antisemitism.The Australian National Imams Council told Guardian Australia the proposal raises “significant concerns” and divides communities rather than bringing them together.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/20/coalition-citizenship-test-antisemitism-questions-ntwnfb Author

Lawyers for former judge say he has filed application with federal court disputing lawfulness of ACT Integrity Commission reportFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former Queensland judge Walter Sofronoff will challenge findings that he engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” by leaking his inquiry into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann to two journalists before it was made public.The Australian Capital Territory Integrity Commission’s report, released on Wednesday, found that Sofronoff’s conduct fell within “several elements of the definition of ‘corrupt conduct’”, through his disclosures to two journalists: Janet

Mother of Francisco Javier García Casique spotted him in a video showing scores of Venezuelan prisoners being taken to notorious El Salvador prisonDonald Trump’s White House has described the Venezuelan migrants deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador as “heinous monsters” and terrorists who “rape, maim and murder for sport”.But relatives of Francisco Javier García Casique, a 24-year-old from the city of Maracay, say he was a hairdresser, not a crook. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/19/venezuelan-deportations-families-trump Author : Tom Phillips and Clavel Rangel Publish date : 2025-03-19 23:10:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Federal Bureau of Prisons told to transfer women back and provide hormone therapy treatment for gender dysphoriaA judge on Wednesday ordered the federal Bureau of Prisons (BoP) to transfer two incarcerated transgender women back to federal women’s prisons after they had been sent to men’s facilities after Donald Trump’s executive order that truncated transgender protections.US district judge Royce Lamberth in Washington DC issued a preliminary injunction after the women were added as plaintiffs in ongoing litigation over the impact of the president’s executive order on trans women in federal prisons. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/trump-trans-women-prisons Author : Associated Press

Max Chandler-Mather says all 38,000 homeless must have access to a permanent home. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSharma weighs in on latest deadly strikes in Gaza from IsraelLiberal senator and former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, was up on ABC News Breakfast earlier to discuss the latest strikes carried out by Israel on Gaza.If any of us were in their position, we would be single-mindedly focused on the return of our loved ones. I can understand that. This is a politically contentious issue in Israel, there’s no walking away from that,

Navjot ‘Jo’ Sidhu KC ‘abused his professional position’ and trust of young woman he was mentoring, panel findsThe former chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has been disbarred over sexual misconduct towards a young aspiring lawyer.Navjot “Jo” Sidhu KC faced disciplinary allegations over inviting a woman in her 20s – referred to in tribunal proceedings as Person 2 – to stay overnight in his hotel bed during a mini-pupillage or work-shadowing experience in 2018. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/mar/19/barrister-jo-sidhu-kc-disbarred-tribunal-sanctions Author : PA Media Publish date : 2025-03-19 19:04:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

All the fight seems to have gone out of the Tory leader, but mood on Labour’s backbenches is frosty over benefit cutsIt’s come to something when the most striking sign of activity on the Conservative frontbench at prime minister’s questions is Chris Philp’s manspreading. Not a pretty sight, I grant you, but stick with me. Maybe the Philpster suffers from chafing. Maybe he’s just very insecure and territorial. Either way, his thighs are getting wider apart by the day. Too much further and he will dislocate his hips. God knows what his shadow cabinet colleagues make of it. By now

Ice-cream brand’s board says David Stever has been ‘removed’ for refusing to ‘oversee the dismantling’ of its valuesBusiness live – latest updatesBen & Jerry’s has accused its parent group, Unilever, of sacking the ice-cream brand’s chief executive for refusing to “oversee the dismantling” of its progressive values.David Stever – who led the company for almost two years having first joined it as a tour guide in 1988 – was “removed” from his post earlier this month, it has emerged in a court filing from the US-based brand. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/19/ben-jerrys-unilever-ceo-ince-cream-david-stever Author : Sarah Butler Publish date :

Nicholas Prosper, 19, who also plotted to carry out mass shooting at his former primary school, gets life sentenceA “truly evil” 19-year-old who murdered his mother and two younger siblings as part of a failed plot to kill 30 children and become the worst mass murderer in British history has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years.Nicholas Prosper admitted murdering Juliana Falcon, 48, Kyle Falcon, 16, and Giselle Falcon, 13, last month. Their murders were part of a wider plot to storm a morning assembly at his former primary school with a shotgun and “cause the

Judge also rules case of detained Palestinian activist should be heard in New Jersey, not LouisianaExclusive: Mahmoud Khalil says he’s being targeted for political beliefsDemocratic congressman Glenn Ivey told constituents at a town hall meeting in his Maryland district that Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic minority leader, should step down from his position after a bitter intraparty fight over government funding last week, HuffPost reports.Ivey is the first member of Congress to say Schumer should leave his leadership position, after the leader supplied enough votes to pass a Republican-backed government funding bill through the Senate. House Democrats had near-unanimously rejected

Prime minister takes questions in Commons after decision to slash disability paymentsLast night, to back up its analysis of the disability cuts, the Institute for Fiscal Studies published two charts illustrating aspects of the changes.This one shows how the £5bn cuts announced yesterday compare in scale to previous benefit cuts, listed here in order of how big they were, in current prices. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/mar/19/labour-dwp-further-benefit-cuts-disability-pmqs-conservatives-uk-politics-latest-news-updates Author : Andrew Sparrow Publish date : 2025-03-19 12:25:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Gaza health officials say five killed in two strikes as Israeli evacuation order may suggest plans for ground operationsIsrael has launched a new wave of airstrikes in Gaza on the second day of its resumed offensive in the devastated Palestinian territory.The attacks were far less intensive than the massive strikes early on Tuesday morning, which killed more than 400 and shattered the relative calm since a 19 January ceasefire paused the 18-month war. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/19/israel-launches-gaza-airstrikes-on-second-day-of-resumed-offensive Author : Jason Burke in Jerusalem Publish date : 2025-03-19 11:08:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Prime minister defends changes to welfare system but Labour MPs struggle to digest plans for disability payments The rising benefits bill is “devastating for public finances” and has “wreaked a terrible human cost”, Keir Starmer has said as he defended the government’s drastic changes to the welfare system.Writing in the Times, the prime minister said “the facts are shocking”, noting one in eight young people are not in education, employment or training and 2.8 million working age people are out of work because of long-term sickness. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/19/rising-bill-for-benefits-has-also-wreaked-terrible-human-cost-says-keir-starmer Author : Aletha Adu Political correspondent Publish date

German defence minister says Putin’s desire to render Ukraine defenceless is ‘very transparent’US envoy Steve Witkoff said in a televised interview overnight that US-Russia talks are expected to continue on Sunday, with the two sides meeting again in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.Speaking to Fox, he suggested that Russians have also signed up to a form of agreement on “the Black Sea maritime aspect of a ceasefire,” and added that he was “certainly hopeful that Ukrainians will agree to it.”“The point is that, up until recently, we really didn’t have consensus around these two aspects, the energy and infrastructure ceasefire and the

In today’s newsletter: what chance does a backbench rebellion have of shifting the government’s plans to cut benefits?Good morning. After weeks of leaks and speculation, in parliament yesterday the work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, set out the government’s plan to cut the benefits bill. Her announcement covered a lot of ground, and she said that it was necessary to fix a system that is “failing the very people it is supposed to help and holding the country back”.When the dust settled, the consequences of that mission looked stark. In order to claw back £5bn a year by the end

Counsel assisting NSW inquest says CCTV footage of Paul Thijssen in hours before attack at Sydney school ‘not easy to watch’Lilie James was smiling and happy in the moments before Paul Thijssen used a hammer to murder his ex-girlfriend in a school gymnasium toilet, a coronial inquest examining their deaths has been told.James’s body was found in the bathroom at St Andrew’s Cathedral school in Sydney on 25 October 2023 after she’d been to water polo training with students.In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800

Bill Browder says such visas ‘a way for dodgy people … to buy themselves legitimacy and insert themselves into countries’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSee all our Australian election 2025 coverageThe architect of global Magnitsky sanctions – which punish human rights abusers and corrupt officials – has warned Peter Dutton’s desire to bring back a controversial “golden ticket” visa scheme would be “a big mistake”.The significant investor scheme allowed foreign nationals who invested $5m in Australia access to a four-year visa that could be converted to permanent

Order calls for revising infrastructure policy to better assess risks instead of ‘all-hazards approach’, White House saidDonald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that seeks to shift responsibility for disaster preparations to state and local governments, deepening the president’s drive to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).The order, first previewed by the White House on 10 March, calls for a review of all infrastructure, continuity and preparedness and response policies to update and simplify federal approaches. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/18/trump-executive-order-fema-disaster-preparation Author : Reuters Publish date : 2025-03-19 02:12:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked

Rum’un growls like Nosferatu and sports fur made from recycled school polo shirts, track pants and backpacksFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA “cheeky” Tasmanian devil that poos out footballs, growls like Nosferatu and is covered in papier-mache-like recycled fur has been unveiled as the new mascot of the state’s long-awaited AFL team.Rum’un, which translates to Tasmanian slang for “an odd or eccentric person; a scallywag, or someone cheeky” in the Macquarie Dictionary, made his debut as the Tasmania Devils’ latest recruit at an event on Tuesday evening.Sign

Commission launched in 2022 says lagoon project, not full barrage, should be backed by UK and Welsh governmentsUrgent action is needed to harness the UK’s potential for tidal range energy in the Severn estuary but smaller lagoon models should be pursued over a larger dam-like barrage, a panel of experts has said.The Severn Estuary Commission said that harnessing the energy of the tides in the estuary could deliver predictable, renewable electricity that would work independent of weather conditions. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/19/urgent-action-needed-to-harness-tidal-power-in-severn-estuary-say-experts Author : Jamie Grierson Publish date : 2025-03-19 00:01:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the

New Mexico police say bicyclist was hit on video from inside a stolen car and boy, 13, believed to be the driverA 13-year-old boy has been charged with murder in an allegedly deliberate hit-and-run of a bicyclist that was recorded on video from inside a stolen car, police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said.The teenager, who is believed to be the driver, and a 15-year-old have been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, leaving the scene of an accident involving great bodily harm or death, and unlawful possession of a handgun by a person, according to a late Monday police

Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Suni Williams expected to splash down just before 6pm ET in Florida, along with Nasa astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr GorbunovNasa astronauts heading back to EarthFollowing along on the live narration of the mission, and wondering who is providing onscreen providing the commentary?On the left, it’s Kate Tice, quality systems engineering senior manager, SpaceX. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/science/live/2025/mar/18/nasa-spacex-landing-stranded-astronauts-latest-updates Author : Lois Beckett Publish date : 2025-03-18 21:44:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.