World news | The Guardian

Qantas comes 24th in Skytrax world airline awards, a month after $100m fine for allegedly selling flights to customers which did not exist

Dismissal of Lt Gen Yuriy Sodol comes amid series of personnel changes by Ukrainian presidentPresident Volodymyr Zelenskiy has replaced the commander of the Joint Forces Command of Ukraine's military, after a well-known soldier accused the commander of causing mass casualties in the war with Russia.In his nightly video address on Monday, Zelenskiy said Lt Gen Yuriy Sodol had been replaced by Brig Gen Andriy Hnatov, without giving a reason for the shake up. Continue reading...

Hiker, whose body was discovered near a ravine in Crete, is sixth tourist to die in the country this month amid soaring temperaturesA German hiker has been found dead on the island of Crete, the fire department said - the latest tourist fatality during a period of unseasonably high temperatures in Greece.The man had been declared missing on Sunday and was found near a ravine in the south of the island, the fire department said in a statement. Continue reading...

Prime minister says he fought against predecessor's plans and warns of migration surge if Labour scraps Rwanda planKeir Starmer has defended serving in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet, saying he wanted to help preserve the Labour party and that he always knew there was going to be a day after".Speaking in separate interviews hosted by the Sun newspaper that included questions from a watching audience, Rishi Sunak and Starmer underwent at times difficult interrogations, including over migration and the NHS. Continue reading...

Iain Duncan Smith and Tobias Ellwood make case for new rules as questions raised over 500 wagerSenior Conservatives and campaigners are calling for a ban on political bets by MPs, as the Gambling Commission was urged to look into another 500 wager connected with the growing election gambling scandal.The former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said parties should examine the rules when parliament returns amid growing outrage over Tory candidates and aides allegedly staking money on politics. The former defence minister Tobias Ellwood also said there should be new restrictions. Continue reading...

Latest snapshot also finds half of households have had to sell or swap clothes for food, despite pressure on Israel to improve aid deliveriesMore than half of households in Gaza have had to sell or swap their clothes to be able to buy food, the UN is to report, as a high risk of famine remains across the whole of the territory after a new round of violence in recent weeks.The latest Special Snapshot" of Gaza from the UN's hunger monitoring system, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), that will be published on Tuesday also says that one in five of the population - more than 495,000 people - are now facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity" involving an extreme lack of food, starvation, and exhaustion". Continue reading...

Activists and candidates sent to campaign for Cleverly, Dowden and Barclay, who all hold 20,000-plus majorities

Rishi Sunak says his party will act on any relevant findings or information' as he denies placing any bets himself

State security service said last month it had caught two guard service colonels accused of cooperating with Russia to plot Zelenskiy's assassinationUkraine's state security service (SBU) said it had detained a mole" spying for Russia who passed on information about Ukrainian troop positions on the border with Belarus.The SBU wrote on Telegram:At the instruction of the occupiers (Russian military), the mole' established the locations of fortified areas and the approximate number of Ukrainian troops defending the border with Belarus.He also tried to transmit the coordinates of warehouses with weapons and ammunition of the armed forces of Ukraine in the region.For the first time, the EU has adopted a measure targeting specific vessels contributing to Russia's warfare against Ukraine, which are subject to a port access ban and ban on provision of services.These vessels can be designated for various reasons such as the transport of military equipment for Russia, the transport of stolen Ukrainian grain, and support in the development of Russia's energy sector, for instance through the transport of LNG components or transshipments of LNG. Continue reading...

Nurse convicted last year of seven murders takes stand for first time in attempted murder trialLucy Letby has denied ever having murdered babies as she gave evidence in her trial over the alleged attempted murder of a two-hour-old infant.The nurse also said on Monday that she had never tried or intended to harm any newborn in her care at the Countess of Chester hospital in north-west England. Continue reading...

Many describe Hunt as a good local MP but some are looking to tactical voting to punish the Conservatives

Princess Royal in hospital for observation after being injured by horse at Gatcombe Park estate, it is understoodThe Princess Royal is in hospital with a head injury and concussion after an incident in which she was understood to have been injured by a horse.Princess Anne, 73, suffered a concussion and minor injuries, thought to possibly have been caused by being either headbutted or kicked by a horse on her estate at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire on Sunday. Continue reading...

Three days of mourning declared after 15 people reportedly killed during multiple assaults in restive provinceFive people responsible for multiple gun attacks targeting churches and synagogues in Russia's Dagestan region have been eliminated", said the authorities as the region began three days of mourning.A criminal investigation has been launched under anti-terrorism laws after gunmen killed 19 people in co-ordinated attacks in two cities in the restive region in the North Caucasus. Continue reading...

Independent candidate Akhmed Yakoob pledges to fight misogyny' after outcry over podcast comments

Racing Post describes shake-up as significant blow' to profile of sport as it struggles to stay relevantBBC Radio 4's Today programme is axing its daily horse-racing tips, which will now be offered only for the biggest days in the racing calendar, the presenter Amol Rajan has announced on air.Racing tips have been part of the news programme for 47 years and the decision to scrap them was described by the Racing Post as a significant blow for the profile of the sport as it battles to maintain relevance with the wider public". Continue reading...

Sports Direct owner to acquire luxury goods sites and sell online retailer's protein powder in its shops

Labour candidate and police urge witnesses to come forward after frontage smashed with hammer and sprayed with graffitiThe Labour candidate Stella Creasy has said she will not be intimidated after a window and door of her office in north-east London was smashed by an attacker.Creasy, who is standing again for her former Walthamstow seat, posted CCTV photos of a man dressed in black who she said had attacked the office with a hammer and sprayed it with graffiti. If you know who this is please stand up for democracy and come forward," she wrote on X. Continue reading...

Government's original proposal would have made vapes a prescription-only product but Greens raised concerns about criminalising users and cost of seeing a GP

Albanese government wants bill passed to lift Sam Mostyn's salary by 43%, in line with estimated average of chief justice of the high court's salary

Brazilian man, whose fate is uncertain, allegedly spent month hiding out at property in Lurnea after alleged bungled drug plot at Newcastle harbour

Zambia's Mubita Nawa, who is on shortlist for top job, is accused of involvement in an attempted extortion in 2022A candidate to be the next head of Interpol has been accused of involvement in the kidnap, detention, assault and attempted extortion of two Indian businessmen.Lawyers for Vinod and Uddit Sadhu have written to Interpol saying the allegations against Mubita Nawa, a deputy commissioner of police in Zambia, suggest he is plainly unsuitable" to be its next secretary general. Continue reading...

Images, which have not been widely seen before, are part of exhibition to mark 40th anniversary of the fireDramatic photographs showing just how close York Minster came to being destroyed by fire after a freak lightning bolt are to go on public display to mark the day's 40th anniversary.Many of the images have not been widely seen before. They include photographs taken by a neighbour through a bedroom window, which vividly show the intensity of the blaze at its height. Continue reading...

Six volunteers shared their phone activity to give a snapshot of how voters keep themselves abreast of current affairsIs this the first post-mainstream-media election? The Guardian asked six volunteers to record their phone screens for three days - and the results provide a glimpse of what news, if any, the British public is consuming as they go to the polls.Zoya, 28, a British-Pakistani woman in Birmingham, used to be a loyal Labour voter who knew nothing about Palestine. After watching TikTok videos and AI-generated Instagram posts, she is now a Green supporter who feels Gaza is her top issue. Continue reading...

Exclusive UK accused of trying to head off condemnation of Gulf ally over alleged aid to forces accused of genocide in DarfurUK government officials attempted to suppress criticism of the United Arab Emirates and its alleged role in supplying arms to a notorious militia waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Sudan, sources have told the Guardian.Claims that Foreign Office officials put pressure on African diplomats to avoid criticising the UAE over its alleged military support for Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) will intensify scrutiny of the UK's relationship with the Gulf state. Continue reading...

Adult cats were released into national park last year after British population had come close to extinctionThe birth of wildcat kittens in the Cairngorms national park has been hailed as a major milestone" in efforts to rescue the secretive mammals from extinction in the UK.In footage exclusively shared with the Guardian by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), two of the kittens can be seen playing in grassland with their mother and leaping on to a fallen tree branch. Continue reading...

Employers told to prepare for wave of sickies or last-minute requests for time off as warm weather coincides with Euros matchA surge in workers taking a day off, working from home or calling in sick is being forecast for Wednesday as the aftermath of England's last group game in the Euros combines with an expected heatwave.After a cold, damp start to June, warm weather is predicted across the UK from Monday, and temperatures of up to 31C are likely in south-east England. Continue reading...

Transfer of seven detainees to custody 17,000 kilometres away on charges tied to deadly unrest criticised as political deportation'Buildings, including a police station and a town hall, were set on fire in New Caledonia overnight, authorities said, as the French Pacific territory was hit by a new surge of unrest.It comes after seven independence activists linked to a group accused of orchestrating deadly riots last month in the French Pacific territory were sent to mainland France for pre-trial detention, a local prosecutor said. Continue reading...

Hany Bebawy wins bid to overturn suspension, after two women alleged they were inappropriately touched at one of his three clinics in Victoria - claims that he denies

South Australia police investigate after reports of two groups of young males fighting in food court area of the Westfield Marion centre

Riyadh says more than four-fifths did not have permit to make pilgrimage to Mecca, where temperatures hit 51.8CAt least 1,300 people have died during the hajj pilgrimage, which took place during intense heat, Saudi Arabia has said, adding that most of the deceased did not have official permits.Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301, with 83% being unauthorised to perform hajj and having walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort," the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Continue reading...

Officers search around two structures at bottom of ravine in rugged Rural de Teno parkOutbuildings close to where the missing teenager Jay Slater's phone last picked up signal are the current focus of a police search in Tenerife.As the hunt for the 19-year-old continued for a seventh day on the Canary island, his mother thanked those who had together donated more than 30,000 to a GoFundMe page, exceeding its target. Continue reading...

Company is looking for help from next government to upgrade to less polluting technologyChinese-owned British Steel has reportedly submitted a request for a package of taxpayer support worth 600m as it looks for assistance from the next government to upgrade to less polluting technology.Government officials are due to review plans that set out the costs of switching from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces at the company's steelworks in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, the Sunday Times reported. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Party has pledged to abolish House of Lords but plans initial appointments to bolster its benchesLabour is to appoint dozens of peers within weeks in an attempt to push through its policies and improve the representation of women in the House of Lords, the Guardian has learned.Senior Labour figures have drawn up a list of peerages to bolster the party benches and help implement its legislative programme if it wins the election on 4 July. The Conservatives have 104 more peers than Labour, while fewer than a third of the 784 members of parliament's second chamber are women. Continue reading...

Moscow's renewed assault on Ukraine's energy grid has seen worst rolling outages since full-scale invasion beganUkrainians are having to cope with widespread emergency blackouts as Russia continues to pound critical infrastructure.In recent months, Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy grid. On Friday night, energy facilities came under a massive attack", Ukraine's energy ministry said. Several workers were injured as a result of shelling at one of the facilities. Continue reading...

Anas Sarwar says not a single vote has been cast' after Grant Shapps said Tories fighting to prevent Labour landslide even bigger than 1997The SNP leader John Swinney said at the manifesto launch that a win in Scotland for his party would be a mandate to push for a second vote.The Labour party leader, Keir Starmer, widely expected to become the prime minister after 4 July, said categorically last week that he would refuse to participate in negotiations for another independence referendum even if the SNP won a majority of seats.So what I am saying in this election is that if people in Scotland want to be an independent country, then they've got to support the Scottish National Party as the only means of ensuring that can come about and we cannot allow the westminster political parties to deny the people of Scotland their democratic rights and the democratic opportunity to decide their own constitutional future.Because I think it's an essential solution to the issues that people face in their lives today. If you look at the challenges of public spending cuts, which you've talked about in this programme, the devastating effects of Brexit on our country and our economy, and the impact of the cost of living these are all issues that have been delivered by westminster.Well, I've obviously discussed this with my staff. I've been assured that no parliamentary stamps that have been provided by parliament have been used to support election purposes.And it obviously the parliament has said that they're looking into this matter, and obviously we will provide parliament with any assistance they require as they undertake those inquiries.We campaign on a regular basis in my capacity as a member of parliament. So we're engaging with the public on a countless range of different issues. So I think these are sort of humorous remarks made in a WhatsApp channel. And what's important is the reassurance that I've had that parliamentary stamps have not been used for election purposes. Continue reading...

Government to adopt recommendations of conduct review in full amid consumer and supplier complaints about soaring profits

Exclusive: AMA president says party's push to regulate vapes like cigarettes is a tax grab' that shows complete disregard' for health

Exclusive: Two-thirds of housing benefit claims marked as high risk in last three years were legitimate, figures showMore than 200,000 people have wrongly faced investigation for housing benefit fraud and error after the performance of a government algorithm fell far short of expectations, the Guardian can reveal.Two-thirds of claims flagged as potentially high risk by a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) automated system over the last three years were in fact legitimate, official figures released under freedom of information laws show. Continue reading...

Yoav Gallant to meet top officials as Benjamin Netanyahu repeats claim of dramatic drop' in US arms shipments

Starmer vowed to bulldoze through' planning restrictions and experts say it will put money in people's pocketsLabour appears poised to win a historic election victory on 4 July. In the series Life under Labour we look at Keir Starmer's five key political missions. We ask what is at stake and whether he can deliver the change the country is crying out for.* * * Continue reading...

Staff at Essex primary describe struggle to secure support and the difference a charity's specialist training madeWhen a hotel in the village of Birchanger started hosting refugees in 2022, a group of the fathers turned up at the local school one day and asked: Can our children join?"It was both an easy and a difficult decision for Birchanger Church of England primary school in Essex. The school sees itself as a welcoming space rooted in the community, yet staff feared that, like most schools, they would be left on their own to integrate the new pupils. Continue reading...

Last summer the Swedish carmaker announced it would limit UK sales to its more popular SUV modelsIt is not the kind of risky manoeuvre any self-respecting Volvo estate driver would execute but the Swedish carmaker has performed a sharp U-turn on the decision to stop selling them here after an outcry from drivers devoted to a car synonymous with British middle-class family life.Last summer Volvo dropped the bombshell that it would no longer market its estates or saloon cars in the UK and would instead concentrate on its sports utility vehicles (SUVs), which are increasingly favoured by drivers who like the higher seating position and off-road styling. Continue reading...

The defiant Russia-North Korea friendship pact raises big questions for Washington and Seoul - but also for BeijingA quarter of a century ago, Vladimir Putin flew to Pyongyang to sign a friendship treaty" with Kim Jong-il that helped revive Russia's relations with North Korea without obliging the two sides to come to each other's aid in case of a military attack.With his visit last week, Putin has in effect gone further into the past, signing a deal with Kim Jong-un reminiscent of the 1961 security pact that existed under the Soviet Union during the cold war. But today Russia is engaged in a hot war in Ukraine that Putin has made his foreign policy priority, and a nuclear North Korea has become a crucial lifeline of munitions for his military. Continue reading...

Watchdog has reportedly told chief data officer he is part of inquiry and party says he has taken leave of absence

Conservatives are desperate to halt the rise of Reform UK, which is splitting their party in twoRishi Sunak and a string of senior Conservatives have condemned Nigel Farage for claiming the west provoked the Russian invasion of Ukraine, amid a growing internal Tory battle over how to deal with the Reform UK leader.The prime minister accused Farage of playing into Putin's hands" after he made the claim in a BBC Panorama interview on Friday, in which he linked Nato and EU expansion to the conflict in eastern Europe. Tom Tugendhat, the security minister went further, telling the Observer: It doesn't matter whether you're Jeremy Corbyn or Nigel Farage - if you parrot the Kremlin's lies, you cannot be trusted with our national security." Continue reading...

The MPs standing down and those at risk of losing their seats mean the parliamentary Conservative party could look very different after the electionThe new parliament after the election may no longer be home to many of the Conservative big beasts" who have sat on the green benches for decades, Guardian analysis shows.Not only are many big Tory names standing down, but the latest polling-based projections suggest those who are standing may find it difficult to hold their seats. Continue reading...

The Kilmarnock postman behind the song blaring out in Germany reveals his inspiration for No Scotland, no Party'In a taxi on Wednesday night in Cologne, after watching Scotland draw with Switzerland in the Euros, 40-year-old Kilmarnock postman Nick Morgan experienced a surreal moment.His taxi stopped at a red light next to a nightclub. And it was blaring out my song," Morgan said. Continue reading...

The Socialists, Greens and Communists have put aside their differences to form a New Popular Front'The posters strung across the street in Montreuil, east of Paris, were still fluttering in the breeze days after the stage, the microphones and the politicians at the launch of France's newest political force had gone.Here, out of the smouldering ashes of the country's bickering left, a coalition had risen to take on the far right. Continue reading...

Verified video shows Jenin resident Mujahed Azmi on vehicle that passes two ambulances during raidIsraeli army forces strapped a wounded Palestinian man to the hood of a military Jeep during an arrest raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Saturday.A video circulating on social media and verified by Reuters showed a Palestinian resident of Jenin, Mujahed Azmi, on the Jeep that passes two ambulances. Continue reading...

Ferries from Naples and Sorrento had been forced to return to port as mayor described situation as real emergency'The Italian island of Capri has lifted a ban on tourists after problems with the water supply to the holiday hotspot were resolved.The ban had been announced early on Saturday, forcing several morning ferries from Naples and Sorrento to return to port. Continue reading...