World news | The Guardian

From HBO’s hit series to Shakespeare, the stage to Spooks, the actor’s global star status has been sealedAs Succession fans still reel from the relentless assault of quickfire one-liners, plot twists, betrayals and pathos that was its final episode, one thing is indisputable: this was Matthew Macfadyen at his stellar best.So compulsive was he as the venal, unctuous, morally moribund Tom Wambsgans in the hit HBO series, it is hard to reconcile with his past role as period drama leading man Mr Darcy in Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice. Continue reading...

Chair extends deadline after Cabinet Office claims not to have copies of messages or notebooks that former PM insists he sharedThe Cabinet Office and Boris Johnson are at loggerheads over a trove of information requested by the Covid inquiry, as officials said they did not have the material but allies of the former prime minister insisted he had shown it to government lawyers.The cache is at the centre of a huge battle after the official inquiry, chaired by Heather Hallett, asked the Cabinet Office to provide Johnson’s appointment diaries, notebooks and WhatsApp messages. Continue reading...

Celebrated in Austria for his theatre work, the actor made his international breakthrough aged 69 in the Oscar-nominated film about an ageing pranksterAustrian actor Peter Simonischek, who played a whimsical patriarch in the Oscar-nominated film Toni Erdmann, has died in Vienna aged 76, a spokeswoman for the Austrian Federal Theatres said on Tuesday.Born in Graz in 1946, Simonischek received great acclaim in the German-speaking world for his performances, including numerous appearances at the famous Salzburg festival. Continue reading...

Concerns raised over £770m of new loans and £450m in new funds from Issa brothers and TDR CapitalAsda is poised to acquire 350 petrol forecourts and 1,000 takeaways in the UK and Ireland from its sister business EG Group, in a deal worth £2.27bn, helping the retailer in its ambition of overtaking Sainsbury’s to become Britain’s second biggest grocer.The supermarket group’s chair, Stuart Rose, said the acquisition would create a “powerful consumer champion” that was committed to being a “price leader” on fuel and the lowest price of the UK’s big four supermarkets on groceries. Continue reading...

Watchdog investigating incident at woman’s home in Peckham in which she was also handcuffedA 90-year-old black woman was handcuffed and had a spit hood placed over her head and a Taser pointed at her by the Metropolitan police.The woman was reportedly left with cuts and bruises to her wrists and one of her arms after being restrained at her home in Peckham, south-east London, on 9 May. Continue reading...

Unrest breaks out in Muslim town of Nagu in Yunnan as people object to removal of dome and minaretsHundreds of police have clashed with protesters in a Muslim town in south-west China amid anger at plans to partially dismantle a 14th-century mosque.The unrest broke out on Saturday, seemingly in response to attempts by the authorities to dismantle parts of Najiaying mosque in Nagu, a town in Yunnan province. Continue reading...

Transition to post-Brexit farming payments means scheme to protect hedgerows could be lostHedgerows in England are under threat, farmers and nature groups have warned, as the government prepares to cut funding that protects them.Hedges are vital habitat for many species, providing food and shelter for mammals, birds and pollinators, with the EU paying farmers under its farming subsidy scheme to have them on their land. Continue reading...

Outsourcing group runs pensions schemes for firms including Royal Mail and AxaAbout 90 organisations have reported breaches of personal information held by Capita after the outsourcing group suffered a cyber-attack, Britain’s data watchdog has said.The company, which runs crucial services for local councils, the military and the NHS, experienced the hack, which caused a significant IT outage, in March. Continue reading...

Rare strike on Russian capital unnerves Muscovites who had been told conflict would not threaten them

Overnight attack on Kyiv leaves one person dead; two people require medical assistance after drone strike on Moscow Continue reading...

The Environmental Research Center says it tested five products and found toxic ‘forever chemicals’ linked to serious diseaseKOS Nature-Powered Organic Plant Protein drinks and powders contain toxic “forever chemicals”, a recent filing with the California department of justice charges.The filing, made by the Environmental Research Center (ERC), a San Diego-based consumer protection nonprofit, states that its testing found PFOA, a dangerous PFAS compound, in five KOS products. Continue reading...

Calls grow for marriage equality as another court rules ban is unconstitutionalPressure is building on Japan’s government to legalise same-sex unions after a court ruled that a ban on them was unconstitutional.Rights advocates said the ruling on Tuesday by Nagoya district court was a step forward in the campaign to end Japan’s status as the only G7 country not to fully recognise same-sex unions. Continue reading...

The 57-year-old is expected to replace Mark McGowan after Amber-Jade Sanderson withdrew from leadership race

Shoppers slam proposed changes to supermarket giant’s rewards program and say it could mean ‘paying more but getting less’

Angus Campbell said he had encouraged the defence minister, Richard Marles, to ‘seek independent views’ before making any decision on the issue

The £25m port facility was built to fit government plans but stands empty while new border strategy is delayedAs white elephants go, few come larger than £25m. That is the cost of the hi-tech border control post, built to government specifications to handle post-Brexit checks on goods entering the UK, that sits near the waterfront at Portsmouth international port.The building has sat empty and unused for almost a year since its completion, after the UK government announced in April last year that the introduction of post-Brexit import checks would be delayed for a fourth time. Continue reading...

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Senator Barbara Pocock has requested PwC release the names of partners understood to be involved, saying she is ‘confident they will reach the public’

Dozens of Italian and Hungarian soldiers from Kfor mission and more than 50 Serbs were injured in clashes over ethnic Albanian mayors taking officeMore than 30 Nato peacekeeping soldiers defending three town halls in northern Kosovo have been injured in clashes with Serb protesters, while Serbia’s president put the army on the highest level of combat alert.The tense situation developed after ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo’s Serb-majority area after elections that the Serbs boycotted – a move that led the US and its allies to rebuke Pristina on Friday. Continue reading...

The stage version of the much-loved sitcom, which finished on TV 25 years ago, will be written by the duo behind the original series and feature several members of the original castSnooty news anchor Sally Smedley, gung-ho reporter Damien Day and eternally crestfallen editor George Dent are set to return as the Channel 4 sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey has inspired a new stage version.Twenty-five years after it concluded on television, the newsroom satire will tour the UK and reunite seven of its original cast members including Stephen Tompkinson, Neil Pearson, Victoria Wicks and Jeff Rawle. Continue reading...

Liberal leader says he will speak to the MP about her claim that Indigenous people should be grateful for ‘wonderful things’ enabled by colonisation

Woman tells court former teacher said he wanted her in his class to get to know her, telling her that numerous times

Search of vessel registered in Fuzhou, China, reveals cannon shell suspected to date from second world warMalaysia’s maritime agency has said it found a cannon shell believed to be from the second world war on a Chinese-registered vessel and was investigating if the barge carrier was involved in the looting of two British warship wrecks in the South China Sea.The agency said it detained the vessel registered in Fuzhou, China, on Sunday for anchoring without a permit off southern Johor state, and that an inspection revealed scrap metal and a cannon shell it suspected dated from the second world war. It said there were 32 crew members aboard, including 21 Chinese, 10 from Bangladesh and a Malaysian. Continue reading...

Transport minister Jo Haylen says drivers had been warned that enforcement officers would be out in force, especially during events like Vivid

In today’s newsletter: From September the force will stop attending to non-urgent mental health care calls – but should they? And who will step in now?

Special rapporteur Olivier De Shutter calls for action on neglected crisis after finding ‘absolutely terrible’ conditions on visit to Cox’s Bazar camps in BangladeshRohingya refugees in Bangladesh are at risk of becoming “the new Palestinians”, according to a UN head, who said they are trapped in a protracted and increasingly neglected crisis.Olivier De Schutter, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the almost 1 million people living in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar should be given the right to work in their host country of Bangladesh, and that forcing them to rely on dwindling international support was not sustainable. Continue reading...

Crown casino and Austrack agree to penalty, which still must be approved by court

The two parties reportedly settled with News Corp saying it had not paid any damages and the articles in dispute would remain online

Fumio Kishida criticises actions of eldest son, Shotaro, after photos show him lying on the stairs and posing at a press conference podiumThe eldest son of Fumio Kishida, the Japanese prime minister, is to step down as his executive policy secretary amid public outcry over his use of the leader’s official residence for a private party.Photos published by the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine showed his son Shotaro and about 10 relatives posing or lying on the symbolically important red-carpeted stairs of the residence in an imitation of group photos of newly appointed cabinets. Shotaro is at the centre – the position reserved for the prime minister. Continue reading...

Footage uploaded to Snapchat shows the Toyota Corolla travelling along a narrow road near Bochara apparently at 130km/h

Senator’s comments come as leader Adam Bandt says the party is yet to see the complaint of racism foreshadowed by Lidia Thorpe

‘Massive’ strikes early on Tuesday morning, with falling debris setting an apartment building on fireAt least one person has died in Kyiv and three were injured when falling debris reportedly from a destroyed Russian drone hit a high-rise apartment building early on Tuesday and started a fire, officials in the Ukrainian capital said.The attack on Kyiv was the third in 24 hours and came after a rare daytime attack on Monday that sent people running for shelter. Continue reading...

Atherton hospital staff were offered blood tests but the state’s chief health officer says he would be ‘very surprised’ if they showed high levels of lead

Legislation will be introduced to state parliament on Tuesday freezing the salaries of MPs and executives from July

The US and Saudi Arabia have called out both sides for specific breaches to the previous week-long ceasefireSudan’s warring sides have agreed to extend a shaky ceasefire in their battle for control of the country, after the two key international mediators signalled impatience with persistent truce violations.The five-day extension of the ceasefire between Sudan’s military and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, was announced in a joint statement late Monday by Saudi Arabia and the United States. Continue reading...

Promotional samples dodge rules forbidding sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s, who are vaping in rapidly increasing numbersRetailers will no longer be able to hand out free samples of vapes to children after ministers announced plans to close a legal loophole.Although it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s, it is not illegal for retailers and marketing firms to hand out free samples. This is because vapes are not covered by the tobacco advertising rules prohibiting free distribution, as they are not considered a tobacco product. Continue reading...

The broadcaster left Radio 4’s Saturday Live in March after 12 yearsThe Rev Richard Coles has said he “felt rather hurtled towards the exit” after leaving the BBC this year.The broadcaster, 61, stepped down from his Radio 4 programme Saturday Live in March after 12 years. Continue reading...

But property website warns that rebound in activity could be hit by rising mortgage ratesMore prospective house sellers are returning to the UK’s property market, pushing agreed home sales to their highest point of the year in May, according to Zoopla, although it warned that the rebound in activity could be knocked by rising mortgage rates.House prices have fallen by 1.3% nationally over the past six months, the property website found, but the speed of price falls has been decreasing as buyer confidence slowly improves. Continue reading...

Members of the Unite union will picket in London, Brighton, Bristol and Oxford after ‘pitiful’ pay offerWorkers at the homelessness charity St Mungo’s will begin a month-long strike on Tuesday in a dispute over pay.Members of Unite who work at the organisation will mount picket lines outside its head office in Tower Hill in London and in Brighton, Bristol and Oxford. The union said the industrial action was over a “pitiful” pay offer of 2.25%, which was made in April 2023. Continue reading...

Former professor who argues trans people cannot expect all rights afforded by biological sex is due to speak at Oxford UnionKathleen Stock, the gender-critical feminist whose forthcoming address to Oxford university students on Tuesday has prompted planned protests, has insisted that she is a “moderate” and has a right to upset people.Before her contested appearance at the Oxford Union, Stock said it was her trans activist opponents, who want the event cancelled, who were extreme. Continue reading...

Comedians perform at Lake District event in campaign to highlight ‘national scandal’ of volume of sewage being pumped into lakeComedians Steve Coogan, Lee Mack and Paul Whitehouse called sewage pollution a “national scandal” as they joined campaigners to protest about the water quality at Windermere.The comics performed at The Glebe in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria at an event on Monday for environmental charity Friends of the Lake District to highlight the issue. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak told that research from Onward thinktank suggests party is facing ‘existential’ threatThe Conservatives’ failure to win over young voters poses an “existential” challenge to the party, Rishi Sunak has been warned, as new polling found nearly two-thirds of millennials said it deserves to lose the next election.Research from the centre-right thinktank Onward found that millennials – which it defined as those aged 25 to 40 – think the Tories are dishonest, incompetent and out of touch. Yet despite this, it said there was hope younger voters could be attracted back to the party. Continue reading...

Local media say man, 26, was being filmed in sea off Agia Agathi beach in Rhodes when lightning struck water nearbyAn investigation has been launched into the death of a British man who was reportedly struck by lightning while paddleboarding in Greece.The unnamed man was in the sea off the beach in Agia Agathi, Rhodes, as his girlfriend filmed him from the beach, according to local media. Continue reading...

Police have accused the teenager of starting the blaze in a dormitory that killed 18 schoolmates and a five-year-old boyA teenage student whom police in Guyana accuse of deliberately setting a fire in a girls’ dormitory that killed 18 schoolmates and a five-year-old boy has been charged as an adult with 19 counts of murder.The 15-year-old girl appeared virtually at the hearing on Monday in a court south of the capital, Georgetown, and was ordered to be held in custody pending further court proceedings. Continue reading...

Human rights group’s 107-page report details human cost of President Nayib Bukele’s controversial ‘war on gangs’The human cost of El Salvador’s controversial “war on gangs” has been laid bare in a new report which claims dozens of prisoners were tortured and killed in jail after being caught up in the year-long security crackdown.The detailed 107-page report from human rights group Cristosal said at least 153 people had died in custody after being arrested as part of President Nayib Bukele’s year long offensive against the Central American country’s notorious “pandillas”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: If elected next year, party would allow officials to buy up land at fraction of potential cost as part of ‘pro-building’ agendaLabour is planning to give local officials sweeping new powers to buy land cheaply and develop on it, as part of the party’s new “pro-building” agenda.Party sources say that if elected next year, they will pass a law to allow local development authorities in England the power to buy up land at a fraction of its potential cost if they want to build on it. Continue reading...

Peak is forecast for parts of the country, passing the 24.4C recorded in Plymouth on SundayTuesday could be the UK’s hottest day of the year so far, with 25C predicted in parts of the country, which would surpass the temperatures reached on Sunday.Dan Stroud, a Met Office meteorologist, said forecasters were expecting temperatures to reach 25C in “one or two spots … most likely across west Scotland” on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Beluga whale was first spotted in Norway wearing a harness marked ‘Equipment St Petersburg’ in 2019A beluga whale that turned up in Norway wearing a harness in 2019, prompting speculation it was a spy trained by the Russian navy, has reappeared off Sweden’s coast.First discovered in Norway’s far northern region of Finnmark, the whale spent more than three years slowly moving down the top half of the Norwegian coastline, before suddenly speeding up in recent months to cover the second half and move on to Sweden. Continue reading...

‘It feels great,’ said Canadian Delaney Irving, victor of the women’s race at Coopers Hill, near GloucesterA woman was knocked unconscious while running down a hill to chase a 3kg (7lb) cheese wheel, but still managed to win her race at the bank holiday event.Video footage posted on social media showed Delaney Irving falling while pursuing the double gloucester down the almost-vertical Coopers Hill in Brockworth, near Gloucester. Continue reading...