business 
Penny Wong says it’s “unsurprising” Peter Dutton would use an historical slur to attack the prime minister’s response to China, noting the opposition leader had opposed marriage equality. In a statement, a spokesperson for Dutton said: “It was a phrase that shouldn’t have been used, and no offence was intended from Mr Dutton.” At an … Read more
New South Wales police are investigating an alleged Islamophobic social media comment targeting Lakemba mosque in Sydney’s west, with the state premier calling the post “truly disgusting”. The mosque in Sydney’s west was targeted by a comment invoking an Australian man’s terrorist attack in New Zealand in which 51 worshippers were murdered during prayers. The … Read more
Australian prosecutors have dropped an assault case alleging a member of the Papua New Guinea cabinet assaulted a woman. Petroleum minister Jimmy Maladina, 58, was to face a hearing on Thursday over the contested allegation that he assaulted a 31-year-old woman known to him in an eastern Sydney home. But prosecutors instead withdrew the single … Read more
Pay growth remained high at 5.8% in the three months to January, according to official data, maintaining the pressure on the Bank of England not to cut the cost of borrowing when it reveals its interest rate decision today. The rate of pay growth fell slightly but remained well above inflation, indicating that employers continued … Read more
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Morning opening: Europe rallies to support Ukraine Jakub Krupa It’s another busy day in European diplomacy. European leaders are meeting in Brussels this morning to discuss Ukraine, Middle East, competitiveness, and European defence, building on a recent extraordinary summit. Dangling the … Read more
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Israeli strikes have killed at least 58 people in Gaza overnight, local hospitals say Hello and welcome back to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war in Gaza and the wider crisis in the Middle East. Israeli strikes have killed at … Read more
RSPCA Australia has revoked its accreditation of major Tasmanian salmon company Huon after the release of a video that it said showed the inhumane handling of live fish. The withdrawal follows an initial 14-day suspension after the Bob Brown Foundation published drone video that showed writhing live salmon being siphoned into a tub containing dead … Read more
The adult social care sector could collapse “in a matter of months” when the government’s rise in national insurance contributions (NICs) and the national living wage (NLW) comes in from April, providers have warned. Thousands of elderly and vulnerable adults rely on social care services that are often supplied on behalf of local authorities by … Read more
Amid the somewhat murky details emerging from Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s call on Tuesday – the two leaders discussed a halt on attacking energy infrastructure, then Russia immediately bombed Ukraine’s energy infrastructure – one deal, at least, was clear: the US and Russia would resume playing ice hockey. Although benign enough on the face … Read more
The 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 … Read more