The Guardian

Treasurer faces $26bn deficit in 25 March budget. Follow today’s news liveThe premier of Queensland, David Crisafulli, appeared on the Today show this morning following media reports suggesting tropical cyclone Alfred will cost the budget around $1.2bn.Asked if he was concerned the hit might signal a limit to the amount of financial assistance affected residents would receive, he said the state government’s focus was “to make sure we go from response to recovery”.We’ve got to do things differently. So I acknowledge it might cost a little bit more up front to do that. But why would you replace things to

Prime minister's move against Shin Bet’s Ronen Bar will prompt further accusations of authoritarianismBenjamin Netanyahu has announced he will seek to dismiss the director of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, through a cabinet vote later this week, in a move that will prompt further accusations of authoritarianism.The Israeli prime minister said in a video statement on Sunday that “ongoing distrust” made it impossible for him to continue to work with Ronen Bar, who has led Shin Bet since 2021. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/16/netanyahu-seek-dismiss-head-israel-internal-security-service-shin-bet Author : Jason Burke in Jerusalem Publish date : 2025-03-16 19:30:00 Copyright for syndicated

The Toxicator closed for about an hour on its first day after a burst pipe flooded the area nearby with sewageA toxic waste-themed ride at Alton Towers had to be temporarily closed on its opening day – after a burst pipe flooded the nearby area with sewage.Toxicator, the park’s newest ride, was shut for about an hour on Saturday after the area nearby was evacuated. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/16/alton-towers-new-toxic-waste-themed-ride-briefly-closes-due-to-sewage-leak-toxicator Author : Hannah Al-Othman Publish date : 2025-03-16 17:26:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Steve Witkoff says US discussions with Russian president ‘positive’ and ‘solution-based’ and leaders likely to speakDonald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he expected the US president to speak with Vladimir Putin this week, saying that the Russian president “accepts the philosophy” of Trump’s ceasefire and peace terms.Witkoff told CNN that discussions with Putin over several hours last week were “positive” and “solution-based”. He declined to confirm when asked whether Putin’s demands included the surrender of Ukrainian forces in Kursk; international recognition of Ukrainian territory seized by Russia as Russian; limits on Ukraine’s ability to mobilize; a halt

Exclusive: Doctor Who writer says he feels ‘a wave of anger heading towards us’ and hostility in UK as well as USRussell T Davies has said gay society is in the “greatest danger I have ever seen”, since the election of Donald Trump as US president in November.Speaking to the Guardian at the Gaydio Pride awards in Manchester on Friday, the Doctor Who screenwriter said the rise in hostility was not limited to the US but “is here now”. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/16/russell-t-davies-gay-society-greatest-danger-ever-seen-trump Author : Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent Publish date : 2025-03-16 15:27:00 Copyright for

Adrian and Joanne Fenton hit with penalty after calling police when they found a boy hiding inside bike-rack coverA couple who were fined £1,500 after reporting a boy who had stowed away on the back of their motorhome for their journey from France to Essex have had the penalty cancelled.Adrian and Joanne Fenton, from Heybridge, were fined by the Home Office for “failing to check that no clandestine entrant was concealed” when they returned to their home across the Channel. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/16/essex-couple-fine-reporting-channel-stowaway-cancelled Author : Hannah Al-Othman Publish date : 2025-03-16 14:04:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs

Numbers using satellite broadband system has been growing but users are having second thoughts due to Musk’s role in Donald Trump’s administrationTesla sales have tumbled, X has seen an exodus of users, and now it seems cracks are appearing among those who have turned to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system as a means of staying connected in remote areas.While the number of Starlink users has been growing, some subscribers have been venting their frustrations over Musk’s political machinations, saying they will no longer use the high speed satellite internet system. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/16/deeply-uncomfortable-uk-starlink-users-switch-off-over-musks-political-machinations Author : Ben Quinn

The pandemic forced many people to reflect how they might die with dignity, and the numbers of those wanting to die at home is on the riseWhen Marlene Viggers was told her newly diagnosed cancer was untreatable, she said she wanted to go home to die. “She was the matriarch of the family, she held everything together, and she wanted to have her family all around her,” said Neil Andrews, her son-in-law.For the next few weeks, until Marlene died in January 2022 at the age of 73, she was given round-the-clock care by her closest relatives supported by Marie Curie,

Blaze reportedly broke out in the early hours at Pulse club in town 60 miles from SkopjeRelatives of some of the victims have gathered in front of hospitals and Kocani’s city offices asking authorities for more information, according to reports.As a reminder, Kocani is a small town of around 30,000 people about 60 miles (100km) east of the capital, Skopje. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/mar/16/north-macedonia-nightclub-fire-pulse-kocani-europe-live Author : Yohannes Lowe Publish date : 2025-03-16 10:02:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Fire broke out at hip-hop concert attended by about 1,500 people in town of Kočani, state news agency saysAt least 50 people have been killed in a fire that broke out at a nightclub in North Macedonia where more than a thousand had gathered for a concert, the state news agency MIA reported.Citing the interior ministry, MIA said “at least 50 people died in a discotheque in Kočani”, a town about 60 miles east of the capital, Skopje, where “around 1,500 people attended a concert”. AFP could not immediately confirm this information with the Balkan state’s authorities. Continue reading... Source

Whistleblower says over 1,000 inmates in England and Wales considered for the scheme which bypasses Parole BoardCriminals who have reoffended or broken probation restrictions are being re-released from prisons early on the government’s direction under new measures to ease overcrowding.Justice sources say jails are hurtling towards another capacity crisis despite Labour’s ongoing early release scheme and attempts to shift more offenders into open prisons. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/16/alarm-over-early-re-release-of-recalled-prisoners-as-jail-overcrowding-crisis-deepens Author : Lizzie Dearden Publish date : 2025-03-16 07:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Home Office told Manikarnika Dutta to quit Britain for spending too many days abroad for studyA high-achieving academic has been threatened with deportation from the UK because the Home Office says she has spent too many days conducting her research requiring access to historic Indian archives stored in India.Manikarnika Dutta, 37, a historian, conducted the research as part of her academic commitments to the University of Oxford, which involved studying archives in cities in India and attending a series of international conferences. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/16/oxford-historian-deportation-india-manikarnika-dutta-home-office Author : Diane Taylor Publish date : 2025-03-16 06:00:00 Copyright for syndicated

New contraceptives, IVF and endometriosis treatments added to federal subsidy scheme, with Coalition leaders backing the moveFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNew medications related to contraception, endometriosis and IVF will be subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 May, with some women expected to save thousands of dollars each year.The announcement from the federal government on Sunday was welcomed by health campaigners, who said women’s health issues have been sidelined for far too long.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link

Blaze swept through rugged terrain at Montrose in Melbourne’s outer east on Saturday nightFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA well timed sprinkling of rain has come to the aid of firefighters battling a blaze that destroyed a home on the outskirts of Melbourne.The blaze swept through rugged terrain at Montrose in the city’s outer east on Saturday night, sparking an emergency warning for residents in its path after igniting about 9pm.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/weather/2025/mar/16/rain-comes-to-aid-of-firefighters-after-fast-moving-blaze-destroys-melbourne-home Author : Australian

Coalition opposes putting ‘boots on the ground’ in Ukraine saying peacekeeping is Europe’s responsibilityFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese says Australia may send a “small contribution” of peacekeepers to Ukraine if asked, but it was premature to discuss the details before Russia agrees to a ceasefire agreement.The prime minister joined a phone hook-up overnight that was chaired by the UK’s Keir Starmer and included the leaders of Canada, New Zealand and Europe, a collection referred to as the “Coalition of the Willing”. It also included the

Bridget McKenzie, Barnaby Joyce, Alex Antic, Matt Canavan and Keith Pitt were invited to speak at the annual showcase of rightwing political activismGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCoalition senators who addressed last year’s Australian Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) billed taxpayers thousands of dollars in flights, accommodation and car expenses on the weekend of the event.Guardian Australia can also reveal the former Labor senator Fatima Payman claimed more than $4,000 on a whirlwind Perth-to-Melbourne trip in which she appeared at a public meeting in solidarity with the embattled construction union.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking

Health secretary says the scrapping of NHS England is ‘beginning, not end’ of bid to slash ‘bloated bureaucracy’The health secretary has declared that scrapping NHS England is “the beginning, not the end” and has vowed to continue “slashing bloated bureaucracy”. Wes Streeting suggested hundreds more quangos could be in the line of fire after the prime minister announced this week the end of the body overseeing the health service in England. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Streeting said: “The abolition of NHS England – the world’s largest quango – is the beginning, not the end. “Patients and staff alike can

PM joined virtual meeting hosted by Keir Starmer along with Zelenskyy and leaders from Europe, Canada and New Zealand. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia willing will consider joining peacekeeping effort in UkrainePrime Minister Anthony Albanese has told European allies that Australian would consider contributing to a future peacekeeping effort in Ukraine.It is the right thing to do and it is in Australia’s national interest. Because what happens in the Euro-Atlantic has serious implications for our region – the Indo-Pacific – and vice versa. This is a struggle not just for the

Houthis reported series of explosions and images show plumes of smoke rising over the Sana’a airport complexDonald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranian-backed Houthi rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor.The Houthis reported a series of explosions in their territory on Saturday evening. Images circulating online show plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sana’a airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility. The extent of the damage was not yet clear. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/15/trump-yemen-airstrikes-houthis

‘The chanting you heard was not directed at you in any way,’ inspector tells Sydney man who complained about neighbour’s Christmas party in Glenmore ParkGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA NSW police internal investigation has found that off-duty officers who allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar boom” and “Hezbollah” at a Christmas party after a verbal dispute with a Muslim man who lived next door were indulging in “banter between friends”.The incident allegedly took place on 13 December at Glenmore Park in western Sydney, after the man complained to his neighbours about water from their swimming pool

Launched by Nasa and SpaceX, the Falcon 9 is picking up Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, whose eight days on board the International Space Station became nine monthsA long-awaited mission to return stranded US astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station has been launched by Nasa and SpaceX.The pair were due to spend eight days on the ISS in June, but technical problems with the experimental spacecraft that took them there have left them stuck on the orbital laboratory for nine months. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/15/rocket-blasts-off-to-bring-stranded-us-astronauts-home-from-the-iss-at-long-last Author : Robin McKie, science editor Publish date

President focused on CNN and MSNBC, which he accused of corruption and being in league with the Democratic partyDonald Trump expanded on his threats to the media on Friday, suggesting actions of the press should be deemed illegal and subject to investigation.“I believe that CNN and MS-DNC, who literally write 97.6% bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat party and in my opinion, they’re really corrupt and they’re illegal, what do they do is illegal,” the president said during a contentious speech at the Department of Justice. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/15/trump-media-attacks Author : Edward Helmore in

Michael Faraday’s illustrated notes that show how radical scientist began his theories at London’s Royal Institution to go online He was a self-educated genius whose groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of physics and chemistry electrified the world of science and laid the foundations for Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity nearly a century later.Now, the little-known notebooks of the Victorian scientist Michael Faraday have been unearthed from the archive of the Royal Institution and are to be digitised and made permanently accessible online for the first time. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/15/notebooks-michael-faraday-victorian-scientist-einstein Author : Donna Ferguson Publish date : 2025-03-15

London council’s policy of offering people homes far from the area led to England’s highest rate of refusalsA Labour-run London council left more than 100 families homeless without support last year after they refused to be relocated outside the borough, the Observer can reveal.Freedom of information data from about 80% of English councils shows that they ended their legal duties to 615 households who refused offers of housing outside the local authority area in 2024 – but this national total is heavily skewed. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/15/labour-enfield-homeless-council-housing Author : Chaminda Jayanetti Publish date : 2025-03-15 13:42:00 Copyright for

As cases of romance fraud soar by 27%, tricked woman tells of her £115,000 ordealThe first time Yvonne met Gary Rogers he arrived at her house in a shiny black Range Rover smelling of Armani Code perfume, with neatly gelled silver hair. It was August 2017, and Yvonne’s ex-husband had suggested she ask the motor dealer, known locally as the “Jag man”, to fix her car.Yvonne* says their relationship developed slowly. “Gary” boasted he had been spending time on his 42-ft boat, claimed to own two houses, and once turned up in a Porsche to take her for a drink.