World news | The Guardian

Environmental group seeks damages from Welsh Water and two chicken producers, alleging responsibility for pollution in Wye, Lugg and UskAlmost 4,000 people in England and Wales are taking legal action over what they allege is six years of sewage pollution that has devastated three rivers, including the Wye.In the largest environmental group action of recent times, 3,943 residents and business owners are seeking substantial damages from Welsh Water and the leading chicken producers Avara Foods Ltd and Freemans of Newent Ltd, alleging they are responsible for extensive and widespread pollution" in the Wye, Lugg and Usk. Continue reading...

Shadow ministers have announced far-reaching and often radical proposals - here is a roundup of some of themKemi Badenoch warned her shadow cabinet in January not to expect any detailed policies until 2027. We're not creating policies for 2028 in 2025," a Tory spokesperson said at the time.This week that changed. At the Conservative party's annual conference in Manchester, shadow ministers have lined up to announce detailed, far-reaching and often radical new policies. Continue reading...

White House says it is important that we get this done quickly' as indirect talks restart in Sharm el-SheikhA US delegation led by envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to join talks in Egypt on Wednesday to reinforce President Donald Trump's involvement in the newly restarted negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at ending the war in Gaza.The indirect talks at Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian resort city on the Red Sea, entered their second day on the second anniversary of the Hamas surprise attack into Israel that triggered the bloody conflict. Continue reading...

Hackers stole names and photos of 8,000 children from Kido nursery chain and posted 10 profiles with threat to publish moreA man and a boy have been arrested in connection with an alleged cyber-attack on a set of nurseries in Greater London.The man, 22, and boy, 17, were arrested on suspicion of computer misuse and blackmail at residential properties in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire on Tuesday and remain in custody for questioning. Continue reading...

Jack Watkin flaunted millionaire' lifestyle after defrauding victims including his father and friends of nearly 200,000A convicted paedophile who described himself as the Kardashian of Cheshire" has been jailed for fraud after he used an elaborate luxury handbag scam to steal nearly 200,000.Jack Watkin, 26, of Alderley Edge, portrayed himself as a millionaire with a glamorous lifestyle" on social media and duped six victims, including his own father and friends, into believing he was a wealthy" and well-connected" reseller of Hermes handbags. Continue reading...

Israelis gather to commemorate the second anniversary of the Hamas-led attack in which 1,200 people were killed. This live blog is closedDeborah Cole is Berlin correspondent for the GuardianGermany marked the two-year anniversary of the 7 October attacks with sombre commemorations across the country and official flags pulled to half mast. Continue reading...

Carmaker also announces new financing scheme to give suppliers cash upfront during restart phase

Artemios Mintzas, 60, charged with 25 offences, including 18 counts of shooting with intent to murder after Croydon Park incident on Sunday

Canadian prog-rockers will play seven concerts in summer 2026 in the US, Canada and Mexico, after hiring new drummer Anika NillesRush, the Canadian prog rockers whose epic and detailed songcraft continues to attract a large and heartfelt fandom, are to reform for the first time since the death of drummer Neil Peart.Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, both 72, will tour the US, Canada and Mexico, playing seven concerts in summer 2026 beginning in Los Angeles on 7 June. Continue reading...

Proposed government overhaul of house purchase process looks at shifting some costs from buyers to sellersMinisters are attempting to cut the time it takes to buy a home by four weeks under new proposals aimed at overhauling the housebuying process.The UK government will also consult on plans to shift costs from buyers to sellers, including compelling sellers and estate agents to provide buyers with vital information - such as the condition of the home and the scale of any leasehold costs - upfront. Continue reading...

Fire at mosque in Peacehaven on Saturday night left front entrance damaged and a car burnt outA suspected arson attack on a mosque in an English seaside town is being investigated by police as a hate crime.The front entrance to the mosque in Peacehaven, East Sussex, was damaged and a car parked outside was entirely burnt out after the incident on Saturday night, which has been condemned by political figures and faith groups. Continue reading...

Hundreds of trekkers stranded by blizzard on eastern face of mountain in Tibet already guided to safety by rescuersRescue efforts are under way on Mount Everest after a snowstorm trapped nearly 1,000 people in campsites on the eastern side of the mountain, according to Chinese state media.Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of the mountain in Tibet were guided to safety by rescuers on Sunday, as unusually heavy precipitation including rain pummelled the Himalayas. Continue reading...

Home secretary says police can consider cumulative impact' of demonstrations as Palestine Action ban opponents vow escalation'Civil liberty groups have expressed concern over government plans to hand police greater powers to restrict protests as organisers of mass demonstrations against the banning of Palestine Action pledged a major escalation" of their campaign.Shabana Mahmood said on Sunday that repeated large-scale demonstrations over Gaza had caused considerable fear" for the Jewish community in the wake of a fatal terror attack on a synagogue last week. Continue reading...

Party leader uses conference speech to outline proposal for UK to exit ECHR as part of wider bonfire of protectionsA future Tory government would be open to dismantling more treaties as a means to deport people from the UK, Kemi Badenoch has said at the start of a Conservative party conference focused almost exclusively on immigration policy.Making the first of two addresses to the gathering in Manchester, the Tory leader formally set out her proposal for the UK to quit the European convention on human rights (ECHR) as part of a wider bonfire of protections including an end to legal aid in immigration and asylum cases and the right to take migration decisions to tribunals or judicial review. Continue reading...

Party leader says Britain has allowed extremism to go uncheckedThe polling firm Opinium has released some research this morning suggesting that some Conservative party policies are popular with voters - but that, if people are explicitly told that they are Kemi Badenoch policies, their popularity goes down.There is some evidence that Keir Starmer's unpopularity has the same effect - and that, once a policy is associated with him, voters are less inclined to back it. Continue reading...

Talks on Monday expected to focus on release of hostages and end to war, after Israel kills 63 people in Gaza in past dayNegotiators have arrived in Cairo before talks on Monday expected to focus on the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and a broader end to the war, as Israel continued strikes on the Palestinian territory, killing 63 people in the last 24 hours.The talks on Monday would focus on the first phase of Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, the Egyptian foreign ministry said, which is the release of the remaining 48 hostages held by Hamas in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Continue reading...

Billionaire faces tricky task trying to secure enough support to become PM after ANO wins elections without majorityAndrej Babi has met the Czech president, Petr Pavel, and is to hold talks with other party leaders as the billionaire populist begins the tricky job of trying to form a stable government after his ANO (Yes) party won parliamentary elections, but failed to secure a majority.Final results showed ANO won 34.5% of the vote, held on Friday and Saturday, translating to a provisional 80 seats in the 200-member parliament. The centre-right Spolu coalition of the outgoing prime minister, Petr Fiala, came second on 23.4%. Continue reading...

Study looks at how workouts can help those with hip, knee and back pain - and benefit UK economy to tune of 34bnPeople with sore joints who exercise for two hours a week have less pain, visit their GP less and take less sick leave, a study has found.The findings are from an analysis of how 40,000 people in Greater Manchester with hip, back or knee pain fared when they did two one-hour exercise classes for 12 weeks.Had on average 35% less pain.Went to see their GP 29% less often.Took almost half as many sick days from work.Needed their family to look after them 21% less. Continue reading...

Israelis in Tel Aviv cautiously optimistic but show little sympathy for Palestinians in war-ravaged GazaDonald Trump was the guest of honour on Saturday night at what could be the final rally at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. Demonstrators took turns shaking the hand of the US president, or rather, a woman wearing a papier-mache Trump mask, while another woman stood silently holding a sign reading we love Trump."For nearly two years, Israelis have gathered in front of the ministry of defence and demanded the government bring home their loved ones. Now, as Israel and Hamas seem to be on the cusp of a deal that could end the war and bring the hostages home, many Israelis are thanking Trump, not the Israeli government, for the potential peace. Continue reading...

Hat Trick pays out interim dividend of 1m, 900,000 of which goes to founder Jimmy Mulville and wifeThe production company behind Have I Got News For You has bounced back into the black after launching the hit panel show in the US for the first time.Hat Trick, which also makes Mastermind, Derry Girls and Whose Line is it Anyway?, reported pre-tax profits of almost 857,000 last year. In 2023, the company reported a pre-tax loss of 377,000. Continue reading...

Mary Attenborough's nightmare began when the police raided the flat she and Michael Gallagher shared, their memoir reveals, but their relationship prevailedWhen police thundered into their London home in 1996 and arrested Michael Gallagher on suspicion of IRA activity, Margaret Attenborough was shocked and indignant.She was an English academic who wrote books on geophysical software and her Scottish partner was a former civil servant who helped homeless alcoholics. The idea of him as an IRA man seemed ludicrous. Gallagher was romantic and cerebral - he had wowed Attenborough by completing the Guardian's cryptic crossword in three minutes. Continue reading...

The communications minister plans to press companies on their legal obligations to protect community safety and procedures to avoid outagesThe federal government will grill the bosses of Australia's biggest telecommunications companies over the reliability of triple-zero services in the looming summer bushfire season, as Labor fast-tracks laws to protect the emergency call system.On the back foot over Labor's response to recent Optus triple-zero outages which have been linked to three deaths, the communications minister, Anika Wells, has ordered the chief executive of the company, as well as the chief executives of Telstra and TPG, the owner of Vodafone, to travel to Canberra on Tuesday to discuss safeguards for the system. Continue reading...

Irakli Kobakhidze accused EU ambassador of supporting attempt to overthrow constitutional order'Georgia's prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, has announced a sweeping crackdown on dissent, accusing demonstrators who tried to storm the presidential palace of aiming to topple his government and blaming the European Union for interference in his country.Kobakhidze levelled his allegations a day after protesters attempted to breach the presidential palace as local elections were being held. They were stopped by riot police using pepper spray and water cannon. Continue reading...

La Magie Noire, bought by family of wartime resistance heroine 90 years ago, expected to fetch more than 7mA painting by the surrealist artist Rene Magritte that has been held in a private collection for more than 90 years will go on sale later this month.La Magie Noire was bought by the family of the second world war resistance heroine Suzanne Spaak, who were Magritte's benefactors at a time when he was struggling financially and had failed to sell a single work for two years. Continue reading...

Officers arrest activists at silent vigil in support of banned organisation, as demos go ahead despite PM's pleasPolice have arrested almost 500 people in London at what organisers hoped would be the biggest demonstration so far against a ban on the proscribed organisation Palestine Action.Officers began arresting demonstrators at the silent vigil in support of the group, which has been classed by the UK government as a terror organisation since July this year. Continue reading...

BirdLife WA calls consequences of Alcoa's proposals to clear 11,000ha of jarrah forest irreversible and catastrophic' for endangered bird

Online bookmaker's offer, one of a series texted during finals, was valid only if customer took up a suggested same-game multi bet

With Babi's victory the Czech Republic looks set to join Hungary and Slovakia in refusing support for UkrainePopulist billionaire Andrej Babi has won the Czech Republic parliamentary elections, preliminary results show, but fallen short of the overall majority.This win marks a political comeback for Babi, who was prime minister from 2017 to 2021. He is set to put the country on a course away from supporting Ukraine and towards Hungary and Slovakia, who have taken a pro-Russian path. Continue reading...

Hamas's agreement to release all hostages and surrender power hailed internationally as Israeli attacks continueWhen Arij al-Farra heard that Hamas had partially agreed to Donald Trump's plan and that the US president had ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza, the first thing she felt was a flicker of hope. The second thing she felt was an explosion. An Israeli aircraft had dropped a bomb close to her tent in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.Though it was luck that saved al-Farra from death, she took the attack as a bad omen for the prospects for peace in Gaza. Continue reading...

Six people have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism after attack that left three deadCounter-terrorism police have been given permission to hold four suspects in custody until Wednesday after this week's attack at a Manchester synagogue.Six people have been arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism after Jihad al-Shamie killed a worshipper and seriously injured several others on Thursday. The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Continue reading...

Man dies in weather-related incident' in Co Donegal, while Met Office issues yellow wind warning for whole of UK

Acoba advised Richard Fuller he could take up post with Investcorp Securities, a subsidiary of private equity firm backing Sense TimeA government watchdog advised a former minister that he could work with a subsidiary of a company linked to Chinese surveillance technology, the Guardian can reveal.Richard Fuller, who served as economic secretary to the Treasury in the governments of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, wrote to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) before joining Investcorp Securities as an advisory board member in 2023. Continue reading...

Two trains were hit in Ukraine's northern Sumy region, killing one and injuring about 30 others, officials sayTwo Russian drones struck trains at a station in Ukraine's northern Sumy region, killing one person and injuring about 30 others, officials said on Saturday, with Ukraine's foreign minister accusing Moscow of deliberately hitting passenger trains.A brutal Russian drone strike on the railway station in Shostka, Sumy region," wrote the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Telegram, posting a video of a wrecked, burning passenger carriage and others with their windows blown out. Continue reading...

IDF says it was directed to ready for first part of Donald Trump's plan to end war in Gaza after Hamas agrees to release hostagesThe Israeli military has been ordered to halt its campaign in Gaza City by its political leadership, Israeli army radio reported on Saturday, while it was preparing for the first phase of Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza and release all hostages.In a statement, the Israeli military said it was directed to advance readiness" for the first part of the Trump plan. Army radio reported that operations in Gaza would be reduced to the minimum" with troops meant only to carry out defensive strikes. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe Environment Agency has issued two flood alerts where flooding is expected" for Keswick Campsite in the Lake District and locations near the River Ure, particularly around Boroughbridge Camping and Caravanning Site in North Yorkshire.Avoid using low-lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses. Take care and avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water," it advises. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereTurkey said 36 of its citizens were expected to return home via a special flight on Saturday afternoon, after Israel intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.We expected 36 of our nationals on the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels seized by Israeli forces in international waters will return to our country this afternoon via a special flight," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on X, adding that the final number has not been finalised. Continue reading...

Marcus Fakana, 19, died in hospital after police pursued a vehicle in Tottenham, London, which was then involved in a collisionA British teenager who was jailed in Dubai for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl while they were on holiday has died in a car crash three months after he was released, a campaign group has said.Marcus Fakana, 19, died in hospital in the early hours of Friday after police pursued a vehicle in Tottenham, north London. Continue reading...

Faraj al-Shamie expresses deep shock and sorrow' at actions of son but in 2023 Facebook post he praised Hamas's 7 October attacks on IsraelThe father of Jihad al-Shamie, the man shot dead by police as he attacked a Manchester synagogue, has condemned his son's heinous act".Faraj al-Shamie, in a statement said to have been made on behalf of the wider family, said they wished to distance themselves from Thursday's attack, during which two people were killed and three seriously injured. Continue reading...

With Islamist militant group 40km from Mogadishu, a strategic stalemate' has been reached, but some fear worst is yet to comeOne night in early July, Maryan Abdikadir Geedi decided it was finally time to abandon her small shop in the town of Moqokori in the Hiiraan region of Somalia.Though she had heard of the rapid recent gains made by al-Shabaab, the Islamist militant movement, the 46-year-old had hoped to stay. Since getting married in 2013, Geedi had seen control over Moqokori change hands repeatedly. Continue reading...

Shadow Home Office minister who tweets in language of hard-right populism is talked of as future of conservatismPictured on her official website smiling on a country walk with her golden retriever, Katie Lam looks every inch the traditional Conservative MP. But make no mistake: this is a very modern breed of Tory, and one whose rise gives a clue to the current direction of UK politics.Still only 34 and in parliament for little over a year, Lam is named almost ubiquitously by fellow Conservatives as a likely future leader - even, some venture, a direct replacement for Kemi Badenoch. Continue reading...

Michael Ben'Ary says he was fired based on a social media post by a January 6 conspiracy theoristA senior national security prosecutor in the eastern district of Virginia said in a farewell note taped to his door to colleagues on Friday that he was apparently fired this week because a January 6 conspiracy theorist denounced him on social media for having worked for the deputy attorney general in the Biden administration.The veteran federal prosecutor, Michael Ben'Ary, was fired on Wednesday, the same day that Julie Kelly, a pro-Trump commentator who once called a Capitol police officer beaten by the pro-Trump mob on January 6 a crisis actor", suggested on social media that Ben'Ary was an ally of his former boss, Lisa Monaco, a senior justice department official who helped drive the investigation of Donald Trump's role in the Capitol riot. Continue reading...

Head of policy at Community Security Trust calls Saturday's planned protest against ban on Palestine Action self absorbed and insensitive'Antisemitism has been allowed to grow" by politicians and across wider society, the main Jewish security group has said in the aftermath of the attack on a Manchester synagogue, which left three people dead.Speaking before planned pro-Palestine marches on Saturday, Dave Rich, head of policy at the Community Security Trust, said it was remarkably self absorbed and insensitive" for people to attend a silent vigil for Gaza after Thursday's attack. Continue reading...

New work by Ben Crick and Kamal Kaan suggests we could benefit from knowing more about the machine-wreckers'If you ask artificial intelligence when in history we can learn lessons about the global challenges of AI it does, thankfully, agree with the composer Ben Crick: 200 years ago in the north of England.Crick believes we could all benefit from knowing more about the luddites, the Industrial Revolution machine-wreckers", and we need to draw lessons from them to address what is, for some, the biggest existential question of our time. Continue reading...

Mansfield Carpets (Contracts) Limited faced Companies House action over four consecutive years of delayed filingsThe carpet fitting business belonging to the family of Mick Barton - the Reform UK leader of Nottinghamshire county council who barred the main local paper - has been threatened with a compulsory strike off from Companies House for four consecutive years.Mansfield Carpets (Contracts) Limited, which is owned by Barton's wife Gail, is two months late filing its 2024 accounts. For the previous three years the business also appears to have been late publishing its confirmation statement, which provides details of a company's shareholders. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Executives at corporation say media monitoring and anti-disinformation are vital to national securityBBC bosses are lobbying to use the UK's defence budget to help pay for the embattled World Service, arguing that aspects of the service should qualify as vital for national security.Senior executives at the corporation are in talks with officials over whether parts of the service, such as media monitoring and anti-disinformation, should count towards Britain's security, as they attempt to avoid cuts of tens of millions of pounds. Continue reading...

Office of public prosecutions says decision has not yet been finalised', four months after judge referred comments including Kyle Sandilands saying lock that bitch up'

Sergiy Kyslytsia says Kremlin already at war with Europe and predicts that Vladimir Putin will escalate escalating'Europe needs to get serious" about the existential threat posed to it by Russia, Ukraine's deputy foreign minister has said, warning that Vladimir Putin will escalate escalating".In an interview with the Guardian, Sergiy Kyslytsia - Kyiv's former ambassador to the UN - said the Kremlin was already at war with Europe. He said Russia's recent drone incursions against several EU countries were well-calculated and an attempt to move the red lines". Continue reading...

About 6,500 passengers stranded as interior minister says earlier drone incident a wake-up call'Munich airport was forced to halt operations for the second day in a row on Friday over drone sightings, with dozens of flights and more than 6,000 passengers affected.Airports in Denmark, Norway and Poland have recently suspended flights due to unidentified drones, while Romania and Estonia have pointed the finger at Russia, which has brushed off the allegations. Continue reading...

Dozens of students remain unaccounted for at Sidoarjo boarding school as rescuers bring in heavy excavators to clear large slabs of concreteThe death toll from a school collapse in Indonesia rose to 14 on Friday after recovery crews pulled multiple bodies from beneath the rubble. Dozens of students remain unaccounted for and the death toll is expected to rise.Rescuers initially searched by hand for survivors after the building caved in on Monday. But with no more signs of life detected by Thursday, they turned to heavy excavators equipped with jackhammers to help them progress more rapidly. Continue reading...