The Guardian

Chancellor says current welfare system ‘is not working for anyone’ after reports of unease within the Labour cabinet Good morning. Keir Starmer is likely to spend much of today preparing for the online summit of European leaders who might be part of the “coalition of the willing” prepared to help contribute to Ukraine’s defence in the event of a peace deal. But Russia’s response to the US/Ukraine ceasefire plan has not been promising, as Jakub Krupa on his Europe live blog, where he is covering all today’s developments in this story.Domestically, it is not much easier for the PM either.

Attorney general says legislation developed in response to Citipointe scandal could ‘create unnecessary burden on organisations and institutions’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland government is facing criticism after announcing an indefinite delay to the implementation of anti-discrimination law reforms designed to protect victims of domestic violence, homeless people, women at work and others.The state attorney general, Deb Frecklington, told parliament on Friday she would introduce legislation to delay implementation of the Respect at Work and Other Matters Amendment Act 2024.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/mar/14/lnp-anti-discrimination-law-reform-delay-ntwnfb Author

Adelaide set for high of 39C and Melbourne 36C on Saturday, while Sydney expects 36C on Sunday, bureau forecasts• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydney, Melbourne and Adelaide will bake this weekend as temperatures across the south-east are forecast to climb into the low 40s.On Saturday, Adelaide could reach a high of 39C and Melbourne 36C, the Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said. That warm weather would move north-east into New South Wales on Sunday, when Sydney could expect 36C.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s

Researchers who receive US funding are being asked to confirm they align with American interests, including only recognising two genders• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Trump administration has been accused of “blatant foreign interference” in Australia’s universities after researchers who receive US funding were asked to confirm they aligned with US government interests, including only recognising two genders.The questionnaire, sent to university researchers over the past fortnight, seeks a response within 48 hours to more than 30 questions to support “program determinations”, according to a

Israeli Oscar-winner Yuval Abraham speaks out after Miami Beach mayor proposed evicting a local cinema for screening the Palestinian-focused documentaryThe Israeli director of No Other Land has criticised a Florida mayor’s efforts to evict a local cinema after it screened his Oscar-winning documentary about Palestinian displacement in the West Bank, saying: “Banning a film only makes people more determined to see it.”Steven Meiner, the mayor of Miami Beach, has issued a draft resolution calling for the termination of the city’s lease agreement with O Cinema, and withdrawing $40,000 in promised grant funding for the nonprofit that runs the independent cinema.

University says cut in funding ‘forcing us to wind down critical work’ as academics rally against job lossesJohns Hopkins University announced it was planning to cut more than 2,000 jobs after the Trump administration slashed $800m in grants to the renowned academic institution.The funding for the positions had come from the US Agency for International Development, which the administration has gutted with massive cuts. A total of 247 domestic US workers and another 1,975 positions abroad in 44 countries will be affected by what amounts to the largest layoff in the history of the university. Continue reading... Source link :

Former Labor minister says Australia should consider applying its own tariffs in retaliation against those placed on steel and aluminiumFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer Labor minister Bill Shorten says the government should “push back” harder on Donald Trump by slapping our own “dollar-for-dollar” tariffs on American products, in retaliation for those placed on Australian steel and aluminium.Governments worldwide and global markets are still reeling from the dizzying array of tariffs and trade barriers enacted by Trump in the first months of his new presidency. Confirmation this

Zelenskyy says Russia is ‘manipulative’ and seeking to extend the war while Trump says he is ‘ready to call’ PutinVladimir Putin has said he has many questions about the proposed US-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine and appeared to set out a series of sweeping conditions that would need to be met before Russia would agree to such a truce.Speaking at a press conference at the Kremlin alongside the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin said he agreed in principle with US proposals to halt the fighting but said he wanted to address the “root causes of the conflict”. Continue reading... Source link

Key US stock index closes more than 10% down from February peak amid volatility caused by president’s tariffsThe S&P 500, a key US stock market index, closed in correction territory on Thursday as the volatility of Donald Trump’s trade wars rattled investors.The index closed more than 10% down from its 19 February peak as Wall Street approaches the end of a second week of pressure. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/13/sp-500-wall-street-trump-tariffs Author : Lauren Aratani in New York Publish date : 2025-03-13 22:10:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

‘We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders,’ says Jens-Frederik NielsenGreenland’s probable new prime minister has rejected Donald Trump’s effort to take control of the island, saying Greenlanders must be allowed to decide their own future as it moves toward independence from Denmark.Jens-Frederik Nielsen, whose centre-right Democrats won a surprise victory in this week’s legislative elections and now must form a coalition government, pushed back on Thursday against Trump’s repeated claims that the US will annex the island. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/13/greenland-new-prime-minister-jens-frederik-nielsen Author : Guardian staff and agencies in

Commonwealth grants commission to recommend to treasurer how vital tax revenue should be distributed next financial yearGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOn the ABC last night Kevin Rudd said he would continue fighting for tariff exemptions for Australian goods despite what appears to be an uphill battle in Washington.Optismism about winning a carve out seems to be fading with Australia’s ambassador to the US admitting that negotiaations had been difficult and that pointing out Ameroca’s historic trade surplus with Australia had not cut any ice.We’re up against a deep, ideological, strategic view of this Trump

RMT union wins 87% backing from members for improved package for train managers at Avanti West CoastTrain managers on Britain’s biggest intercity service, Avanti West Coast, have settled a dispute over rest-day working, ending a series of weekend strikes.The RMT union said 87% of its members had voted to accept a deal including additional pay for working weekends and an agreement on the allocation of staffing for extra shifts. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/13/pay-deal-ends-strikes-on-britains-biggest-intercity-rail-line Author : Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent Publish date : 2025-03-13 18:24:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

‘What more do you want from us?’ asks chancellor-in-waiting as he seeks urgent support for fiscal rule changesGermany’s chancellor-in-waiting has tried to win over the Greens to his ambitious but controversial plans to raise the country’s defence spending, promising to expand the scope of the plans and demanding of them: “What more do you actually want from us?”The outgoing parliament met on Thursday to debate the creation of a €500bn (£420bn) fund for infrastructure investment and radical changes in Germany’s borrowing limits in order to boost defence spending. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/13/german-parliament-to-debate-radical-borrowing-rule-changes-to-boost-defence Author : Kate Connolly in Berlin

Mahmoud Khalil described by former colleague at UK office for Syria as well liked and extensively vettedA detained Columbia University graduate threatened with deportation after the Trump administration claimed he poses a risk to US foreign policy is a former employee of the British government who was extensively vetted before working at the embassy in Beirut.Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate from a Columbia University master’s programme, was arrested at home on 9 March as he returned with his wife from a dinner to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/13/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-british-government-work Author

Trump pick Dave Weldon has faced scrutiny over anti-vaccine views and says RFK Jr is ‘very upset’ by withdrawalUS politics live – latest updatesThe Trump administration withdrew its nomination to lead the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday, the day he was due to face a confirmation hearing.Axios broke the news that Dave Weldon, a 71-year-old doctor and former Republican Florida congressman, would not face a hearing as planned. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/13/dave-weldon-cdc-nomination-withdrawn Author : Martin Pengelly Publish date : 2025-03-13 14:40:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Cash reward at staff-owned group ruled out for third year in a row, with focus on £600m plans to transform businessBusiness live – latest updatesThe owner of John Lewis and Waitrose has tripled its annual profits but workers at the staff-owned retail group have missed out on a bonus for a third year in a row.The John Lewis Partnership said group sales rose 3% to £12.8bn in the 12 months to 25 January 2025, as underlying profit rose from £42m to £126m. However, the company said it was prioritising investment over the bonus with plans to spend £600m on transforming

PM says he is ‘bringing management of the NHS back into democratic control by abolishing the arms length body NHS England’Starmer is now talking about regulatation, and giving examples of where he thinks it has gone too far.l give you an example. There’s a office conversion in Bingley, which, as you know, is in Yorkshire. That is an office conversion that will create 139 homes.But now the future of that is uncertain because the regulator was not properly consulted on the power of cricket balls. That’s 139 homes. Now just think of the people, the families, the individuals who want

Trump said he would impose additional penalties if the EU follows through with its plan to enact counter tariffs on some US goods next monthOlli Rehn, an European Central Bank (ECB) policymaker, said that the US administration must be encouraged to avoid leveraging “unnecessary and very harmful” tariffs on Europe through a negotiations solution, reports Reuters.“The simple conclusion is that we should aim at a negotiated solution,” said the Finnish central bank governor at a policy panel in Berlin on Thursday. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/mar/13/donald-trump-tariffs-canada-eu-us-politics-latest-news-updates Author : Amy Sedghi Publish date : 2025-03-13 10:16:00 Copyright for syndicated content

Peter Dutton also declines to say whether he would back a further extension of household energy bill rebates if he wins coming electionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHundreds of thousands of households face higher power bills after the energy regulator proposed lifting benchmark prices by up to 9% in some regions.The move prompted the energy minister on Thursday to concede power bills were “too high” and urge users to shop around for the best deal, while the opposition branded the price rise a failure of Labor’s energy

Sydney court finds leg-spinner arranged meeting between dealer and brother-in-law but jury dismissed he knew quantity Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer Australian Test cricket star Stuart MacGill might still be jailed, but he has been spared a potential life sentence over his role in a $330,000 cocaine deal that led to his violent kidnapping.The former legspinner, whose post-cricket life has been marred by regular cocaine use, was acquitted on Thursday of taking part in a large commercial drug supply that began under his restaurant in April

Russian operation to expel Ukrainian forces in final stage, claims Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, following visit to region by President Vladimir PutinTrump hints at financial repercussions if Russia rejects Ukraine ceasefireForeign ministers of leading western democracies will meet in Canada on Thursday after seven weeks of rising tensions between Trump and US allies over his upending of foreign policy on Ukraine and imposing of tariffs. The Group of Seven ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, along with the EU, meet in the remote tourist town of La Malbaie, nestled in the Quebec hills for

Kim Johnson tells parliament lessons must be learnt from poor treatment of children at institutions in 1960s and 70sThe historic injustice of a scandal in which black children were incorrectly labelled “educationally subnormal” and sent to schools for physically and mentally disabled pupils must be addressed with a public inquiry, an MP has said.Kim Johnson, the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, is calling on Keir Starmer to bring justice to survivors and to also expose the long-term effects it has had in the education system. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/13/mp-calls-for-inquiry-into-labelling-of-black-pupils-as-educationally-subnormal Author : Aletha Adu Political correspondent Publish date :

Police allege 41-year-old woman was practising as an unregistered midwife while another woman, 51, held no medical qualifications and was also unregistered when baby diedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo women who police allege practised as unregistered midwives have been charged with manslaughter after a baby died after a home birth on the New South Wales mid north coast.The women, aged 41 and 51, appeared in Coffs Harbour local court on Wednesday in relation to the newborn boy’s death in 2022.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news

Canadian government says it will follow ‘dollar-by-dollar’ approach and institute 25% tariffs on US importsCanada announced retaliatory tariffs on nearly C$30bn worth of American imports after US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports went into effect on Wednesday.The Canadian government said it will be following a “dollar-by-dollar” approach and institute 25% tariffs on American imports, including steel, computers and sports equipment. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/12/canada-tariffs-us Author : Lauren Aratani in New York Publish date : 2025-03-13 01:39:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Thunderstorms and high winds forecast for San Francisco Bay while southern California under flood watchA powerful atmospheric river storm was set to wallop California on Wednesday evening, drenching large swaths of the state with rain and bringing several feet of snow to the mountains – the latest in a wave of intense storms that new research shows are getting worse.Much of northern California was under a winter storm warning because of the gusty winds and heavy snow in the forecast that the National Weather Service (NWS) said would lead to “difficult to impossible travel conditions”. Severe thunderstorms and high winds