Ad campaigns hide investment in a huge expansion of oil and gas extraction, says InfluenceMap The largest five stock market listed oil and gas companies spend nearly $200m (£153m) a year lobbying to delay, control or block policies to tackle climate change, according to a new report. Chevron, BP and ExxonMobil were the main companies leading the field in direct lobbying to push against a climate policy to tackle global warming, the report said.

Victims were mostly women and children celebrating Kurdish new year, say officials At least 94 people, including 19 children, have drowned after a ferry overloaded with revellers celebrating the Kurdish new year and Mother’s Day capsized in the Tigris river near Mosul in Iraq. Col Hussam Khalil, the head of the Civil Defence Corps in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh, said the incident on Thursday occurred as scores of people – mostly women and children – were celebrating Nowruz, which marks the

PM fails to impress her counterparts but EU leaders ultimately agree UK can have an unconditional extension until 12 April

'We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now for remaining in the EU. A People's Vote may not happen – so vote now,' organiser says

Extra presence aims to reassure worshippers attending Friday prayers

Carmen Gloria Quintana and Rodrigo Rojas were beaten, sprayed with petrol and set alight in attack that left Rojas dead A Chilean court has sentenced three retired soldiers to 10 years in prison for their part in a horrific attack on two democracy activists who were doused with petrol and set on fire. The 1986 attack on Rodrigo Rojas and Carmen Gloria Quintana was

The 57-year-old faces life in prison

Open letter branded 'masterful trolling' of prime minister

The 21-year-old vanished last month after night out

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'The old ones that remained buried are now coming out'

'She's got more class that you could ever try and buy you pathetic horrible has-been,' notes one reply to Sam Newman

Defence officials say the preparations at their Whitehall HQ are part of wider cross government action.

Some 3,500 troops held 'at readiness' to aid in contingency plans

'I'm not able to go home this weekend, I am not safe', former Tory warns

Janina Findeisen was seven months pregnant when she travelled to the war zone A German woman who was abducted in Syria and held captive for nearly a year has revealed how her kidnappers were prepared to “cut off my head in front of a live camera”, but ended up pampering her with chocolate, toys and luxury nappies after she

Seven-year-old attacked in street while walking home from school in Basel, police say Police in Switzerland have arrested a 75-year-old woman on suspicion of killing a seven-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed on his way home from school. The child was attacked while walking alone in the north-western city of Basel at about 12.30pm local time (1130 GMT), police said.

An MP has blamed Theresa May after he says he was attacked in the street.

The proposed law is similar to one in effect in North Dakota

Fears situation far worse than official death toll, as communities ‘totally obliterated’ Entire villages have been destroyed in Mozambique and Zimbabwe and most of their inhabitants swept away, as rescuers race to save

'This advance is an important step towards offering young cancer patients around the world a chance at having a family in the future'

A draft EU document says the delay would come with the condition MPs approve the PM's deal next week.

At least 1,000 people are thought to have died and hundreds of thousands more have been displaced

Rescuers race to reach tens of thousands of people trapped by vast areas of flooding Idai first hit Mozambique on 4 March as a tropical depression with torrential rain that also affected southern Malawi. It then changed course, moving back over the sea where the storm strengthened to a cyclone with the equivalent force of a category 3 hurricane.

Neither 737 Max aircraft in Indonesia and Ethiopia crashes had sensors sold for extra cost Boeing reportedly sold the 737 Max planes that crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia without two safety features that the US aircraft manufacturer offers airlines for an additional cost. It is still not clear what caused

In the ocean of doubt that is Brexit, there is perhaps a little buoy of certainty about what will happen in the next few days.

Shapes were thrown as officers kept guns trained on suspect

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Orthodox Jewish children in fancy dress and adults take to the streets of Broughton in Greater Manchester to celebrate the annual feast of Purim, celebrated by Jewish communities around the world with parades and costume parties. Purim commemorates the defeat of Haman, the adviser to the Persian king, and his plot to massacre the Jewish people, 2,500 years ago, as recorded in the biblical book of Esther.

Requests for information about effect on staff numbers and supply of goods and services should be refused, advice says

Operation Yellowhammer described as the 'biggest peacetime project in the history of the civil service'

Forecasts suggest Forum for Democracy party (FrD) will become joint largest party in senate

Consumers 'numb to daily swings in the political debate', with little evidence that uncertainty is affecting demand for clothing, says chief executive and prominent Brexiteer Lord Simon Wolfson said

'It's a shocking use of education funding to try to bypass the law'

'If I'd have known things would be this complicated, I would have had an abortion'

Liverpool teacher avoids being barred from profession after admitting string of sexually explicit comments

Customers' to keep 1.5 per cent of purchase price as housebuilder aims to restore reputation that has been dogged by complaints of poor build quality

'It is clear that there is a range of views on assisted dying in medicine, just as there is in society'

Canadian prime minister rejects allegation it was mustard bagel

Guaido says chief of staff was arrested in pre-dawn raid in sign of potential crackdown by president Nicolas Maduro

50 people killed and dozens injured in Christchurch mosque attack

Though judges accepted ear removal had been 'done quite well', they said procedures were not comparable to tattoos and piercings

Officials at site remind public more than one million people were killed there

EU leaders from across continent says Commons must back deal to avoid crashing out

The Congresswoman also receives dozens of fans visiting her office daily

Hundreds of thousands voice frustration amid mounting backlash over PM's move to blame MPs for crisis

Mammals mimic facial expressions in a way previously thought to be unique to people and great apes

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Her most acclaimed book, 'We Are Eternal', was passionate and almost taboo – winning a feminist prize

Nearly 400 rescue workers and 86 fire engines dispatched to scene, authorities say

Move comes as part of sprawling police probe into alleged graft in construction of nuclear plant

Men found 'safe but cold' after getting lost in Bristol Channel

Her most acclaimed book, 'We Are Eternal', was passionate and almost taboo – winning a feminist prize

Subtlety and dexterity drew many admirers as well as work with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Gillan

The retailer even claimed there may be "modest" price reductions thanks to the government's emergency tariff plan that may be illegal under WTO rules

Tamara Lanier, of Norwich, Connecticut, is suing Harvard University to reclaim possession of the images

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'Each time when the Chinese man brought me meals, he raped me,' says Kachin woman

Hotel owner Michael McElhatton was de-arrested over what turned out to be an "innocent substance".

Police waiting for formal identification following postmortem examination

The company said the decision to end the trial was not based on safety concerns

Judge says 16-year-old is a 'cold, callous, calculating, remorseless and dangerous individual'

At least 40 people have died as an overloaded ferry has sunk in the Tigris River near Mosul in Iraq, according to police and medical sources.

Experiments suggest there is not such thing as objective reality

CCTV footage showed defendant cornering victim and leaping on her

World Food Programme halts distribution of fortified cereal as four people die and hundreds suffer suspected food poisoning The World Food Programme and Ugandan government have launched an investigation into deaths linked with the distribution of fortified porridge to refugees and people suffering from malnourishment. The health ministry was alerted to reports of possible food poisoning among people who had consumed Super Cereal, a blended food designed to prevent malnutrition, in the north-east region of Karamoja on 12 March.

In this extract from their new book, Jon Davis and John Rentoul, who teach a course in The Blair Years at King's College London, argue that many of the criticisms of New Labour in government are unfounded

When asked if he'll have to kill David Barnett if he tells him too much about his career in intelligence, King's answer is simple: 'No, they'll have to kill me'

Hospitals are overwhelmed, with increasing number of people needing treatment for severe burns or shrapnel wounds

Ralph's sister Edie caught his scent and alerted search team

Call to scrap withdrawal process takes just hours to attract double the signatures of petition calling for no-deal

Jeremy Corbyn has refused to rule out revoking Article 50 as a last resort in order to stop a no-deal Brexit.

Aaron Campbell was told that he would have to serve at least 27 years before he could apply for parole.

Petition calls for statue of Peckham wheeler-dealer to be installed at site of west London tower block due for demolition

Move comes as small number of schools halt education about same-sex couples

Four mosques targeted as police call for community to unite 'against those who seek to create discord'

'Authorities should focus on holding perpetrators of serious rights violations to account instead of jailing schoolchildren for doodles', rights group says

John Lawarren Williams charged with aggravated child molestation and cruelty to children

Plane maker said experienced pilots needed little training for new model before two planes fatally crashed

Prime minister on defensive after MP warns 'If any harm comes to any of us, she will have to accept her share of responsibility'

Call to scrap withdrawal process takes just hours to attract double the signatures of petition calling for no-deal

'Could be volume – or something more suspicious,' one Remain campaigner speculates, raising fears of a pro-Brexit DDoS attack

Hidden camera footage streamed live on internet

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A 16-year-old boy who abducted, raped and murdered six-year-old Alesha MacPhail has been jailed for a minimum of 27 years.

Bryony Frost will miss next month's Grand National meeting after it emerged she broke her collarbone in a fall just four days after making history at the Cheltenham Festival.

Mother of Rachel Johnston, 49, claims daughter did not have capacity to make decision and family should have been consulted

'We're trying to bring up tweets from a range of different people – no one is being positive about it,' says presenter Ros Atkins

One of the warmest winter months on record boosted spending, while Brexit stockpiling may have had 'modest' effect

US president in diatribe lasting almost five minutes against late senator

Petition to scrap withdrawal process attracts more signatures than no-deal petition within hours

Four mosques targeted as police call for community to unite 'against those who seek to create discord'

Fifty men and women are walking 270 miles from Sunderland to London to demand leave means leave on 29 March

Petition to scrap withdrawal process attracts more signatures than no-deal petition within hours

Officers apologise to person wrongfully named on charge sheet for alleged gunman's first court appearance

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Kirill Belorusov, 32, was detained in Tallinn, the capital of his home country Estonia

Huge creature found washed ashore in south Australia

Report finds highly qualified, non-British graduates do not take jobs from local residents International students who stay and work in the UK after graduation contribute £3.2bn in extra tax revenues, research has revealed. The first major report into the boost overseas students give the economy found non-UK graduates do not take jobs from local residents, because they largely obtain work in highly qualified areas such as economics or science, or in sectors that suffer acute shortages, such as teaching and nursing.

Prime minister announces gun buyback and says parts that can be converted into semi-automatic weapons are also now banned. Follow it live ...

Bernie Sanders is opposed, while Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker hesitate to voice outright support

Woman is the first person to be sentenced in Queensland for removing a child from the state for female genital mutilation An extremely sick Queensland woman who took her two daughters to Somalia for genital mutilation will go to prison as a deterrent to others. The woman, who cannot be named to protect the identities of her children, was found guilty of taking her daughters, then aged 10 and 13, to her birth country in April 2015 for the procedure.

Prime minister announces gun buyback and says parts that can be converted into semi-automatic weapons are also now banned. Follow it live ...

Buying back semi-automatic weapons may cost up to £100m but 'is the price we must pay to ensure safety of our communities', says PM

Prime minister announces gun buyback and says parts that can be converted into semi-automatic weapons are also now banned. Follow it live ...

Cameras were set up in hair dryer holders and wall sockets in 10 cities, say prosecutors Police in

‘We have to make sure that if we do the deal, China lives by it,’ says president ahead of resumption of trade talks Donald Trump has warned that the United States may leave tariffs on Chinese goods for a “substantial period” to ensure that Beijing complies with any trade agreement, while later emphasizing he wanted them to reach a “great” trade deal. Trade talks are set to resume next week and Chinese officials have been pressing for a full lifting of US tariffs as part of any deal.

Jordan Peterson had announced on Monday he would be joining the Faculty of Divinity to give a series of lectures, but after intense online backlash Cambridge did a U-turn today and pulled the offer.

Children from homes where there is domestic violence and substance abuse 'are most at risk of harm or criminal exploitation', Mr Hinds says

Kirill Belorusov, 32, was detained in Tallinn, the capital of his home country Estonia

Devin Nunes’ Cow has a herd of 498,000 followers on Wednesday night, surpassing the California congressman’s 396,000 A parody Twitter account that mocks Devin Nunes now has more followers than the California congressman does – all because of media attention brought by a defamation lawsuit Nunes brought against Twitter and users who make fun of him on the platform.

There’s a good chance Saturday’s poll will produce a hung parliament. Here’s how to make your vote count – and where to buy your democracy sausage Almost 5.3 million people are enrolled to vote at more than 8,000 voting stations in Saturday’s state election. New South Wales has fixed terms, with elections held on the fourth Saturday in March every four years since 1995. About a quarter of voters cast their ballot before election day in 2015, and this is expected to rise in 2019. Almost 850,000 people had voted by Thursday morning.

Rolling updates on the day’s political events, including PM’s statement at Downing Street and Labour leader leaving meeting

Western Australian government to compulsorily acquire properties in deadly Pilbara site, where there are fears for tourists who still visit the area Landowners who refuse to move from the most contaminated site in the southern hemisphere will have their properties compulsorily acquired by the Western Australian government. A bill to finalise the closure of the former asbestos mining town Wittenoom in the Pilbara, which was de-gazetted in 2007, was due to be introduced to state parliament on Wednesday.

Deductions made when claimants have outstanding debts with their utility companies or landlord

Jacinda Ardern asked New Zealand to remember the names of the victims of the Christchurch shooting, not that of the perpetrator. Here are their stories

Typical mixed spring on way as thousands prepare to take to London's streets

Staff believe London gang affiliations are fuelling violence at HMP Onley but inspection finds drivers are 'poorly understood'

Ministers accused of presiding over 'irresponsible' failures which see people wrongfully detained

Irresponsibility led to people being wrongly detained, committee chair says The Home Office approach to immigration detention is careless and cavalier and has led to people being wrongfully detained, an influential parliamentary committee has concluded. The home affairs select committee said in a scathing report that the department had overseen serious failings in almost every area of the immigration detention process.

'It is an absolute tragedy that the UK has failed to keep up with other countries'