The Guardian

With construction overwhelmingly male, Refuge says tradeswomen help survivors of abuse feel safer One of the main challenges in maintaining the 64 homes for domestic abuse survivors run by Refuge is the reliance on a male-dominated workforce of electricians, plumbers and decorators. “The presence of men can be distressing and could trigger past traumas for our survivors,” said Lisa Cantwell-Hope,…

Nigel Farage’s man in Gorton and Denton has a huge public platform, and a taste for culture war. What happens when he concerns himself with bin collections? On a bracingly cold February night in Levenshulme, a black Volkswagen people-carrier draws up outside a little parish church, around which a small crowd has begun to gather. From behind the car’s darkened windows steps the Reform candidate fo…

Major chains agree to halve default sweetness, but street vendors and cafes remain outside sugar tax rules A crowd of customers, holding phones aloft, watch intently as Auntie Nid mixes up her bestseller: an iced Thai tea. Condensed milk is poured into a glass, followed by three heaped tablespoons of sugar, and then freshly strained tea. The end product – a deep orange, creamy treat – is poured i…

Trade minister Don Farrell says Australia has ‘consistently advocated’ against the ‘unjustified tariffs’, after the US president announced new levies Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australia will “examine all options” after the US president Donald Trump announced a temporary 15% tariff would apply to US imports f…

One woman is subject to temporary exclusion order over security concerns, but home affairs minister says group is ‘not consistent’ in their beliefs Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Tony Burke says authorities “know the state of mind” of each of the 34 Australian women and children stuck in a Syrian detention camp, …

Select committee says ‘late’ decision to overturn exclusion of fans ‘did little more than inflame tensions’ The government’s response to West Midlands police’s ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans was “clumsy”, “late” and “did little more than inflame tensions”, a group of MPs has found. A report by the home affairs select committee, published on Sunday, analysed the original decision to ban away fans fr…

Six additional skiers survived tragedy in Sierra Nevadas near Lake Tahoe, a popular winter sport destination ‘They were mothers, wives, friends’: how a ski trip turned deadly in the California mountains Officials announced on Saturday that the bodies of all nine missing skiers who were killed in a devastating avalanche in California had been recovered, following days of search efforts. The avalan…

‘Intelligence-based, selective operations’ carried out against Pakistani Taliban camps, says information ministry Pakistan carried out strikes along the border with Afghanistan on Saturday night, stating it was targeting hideouts of Pakistani militants it blames for recent attacks inside the country. Islamabad did not say in precisely which areas the strikes were carried out or provide other deta…

White paper proposes changing criteria under which schools get funding to support the most disadvantaged students Plans to halve the attainment gap between the poorest pupils in England and their more affluent peers will be set out by the government on Monday. The schools white paper will detail proposals to change the criteria under which schools receive funding to support the most disadvantaged…

Follow live updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The home affairs minister, Tony Burke , says the coalition is “just plain wrong” on the passport rights of Australian women and children in a Syrian detention camp . On Monday night, 34 Australian women and children – the wives, widows and children of dead or jailed Islamic State fighters – left from al-Roj camp, in …

Colón’s music combined jazz, rock and salsa, incorporating rhythms from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Africa American salsa legend Willie Colón, the pioneering trombonist, vocalist and composer, died on Saturday at age 75, his family said in a statement. “While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever,…

New Jersey and other east coast areas brace for storm threatening more than 1ft of snow and 55mph wind gusts Blizzard warnings were issued Saturday for New York City, New Jersey and coastal communities along the east coast for a late-winter storm set to arrive on Sunday that could dump more than a foot of snow and bring wind gusts of more than 55mph. The blizzard warning for New York City is the …

Agency statement comes one day after announcement of 6 March target for astronauts’ mission to circle the moon Nasa said in a blog post on Saturday it is taking steps to potentially roll back the Artemis II rocket launch after discovering an interrupted flow of helium. The agency said it is taking steps to roll the Artemis II rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the vehicle assembly building at th…

Fatalities and injuries reported in avalanches across Tirol after prolonged snowfall and windy conditions At least five people have been killed in a string of avalanches in Austria, authorities said on Saturday. The government office of the Tirol region said intense snowfall over the last week had led to accumulations of up to 1.5 metres (5ft). Combined with strong winds and weak snowpack below, …

DC Mark Luker used offensive language about Romas, Gypsies and Travellers in a WhatsApp group A police officer who was one of the first on the scene of the 2017 London Bridge terror attack has been sacked for gross misconduct after using “derogatory” language about Romas, Gypsies and Travellers. DC Mark Luker of the British Transport Police (BTP) used offensive language in a WhatsApp group he was…