World news | The Guardian

Experts point to crackdown on national security and legal system that encourages guilty pleasChinese courts prosecuted 8.3 million people in the five years to 2022, a 12% increase on the previous period. There was also a nearly 20% increase in the number of protests against court rulings.The figures released by the supreme people’s procuratorate (SPP) in March give a glimpse of how China’s notoriously opaque justice system has operated in recent years, amid a tightening domestic security environment. Continue reading...

Quake that struck Sunbury on Sunday night the strongest in more than 100 years with an epicentre in metropolitan Melbourne

Seven Network says a replacement for the breakfast television host has been selected and will be announced on 5 June

Item inscribed with ‘Eva’ in German and the initials ‘AH’ to go under the hammer at Belfast auction in JuneA silver-plated pencil purported to have belonged to Adolf Hitler is going under the hammer in Belfast next month and is estimated to sell for between £50,000 and £80,000.It is believed to have been a gift to the former Nazi dictator from his long-term partner Eva Braun for his 52nd birthday on 20 April 1941. Continue reading...

Party’s research shows police did not even find a suspect in 30,079 incidents in England and WalesSlightly more than 30,000 muggings in England and Wales did not even result in a suspect being identified by police last year, research released by the Liberal Democrats has shown.Just 8% of all offences of robbery of personal property reported to the police last year saw someone being charged, the data from the House of Commons library research showed. Continue reading...

People’s party strengthens hold on Madrid and could take regions of Valencia and Aragón, according to pollSpain’s opposition conservative People’s party (PP) is heading for an emphatic win in Sunday’s key regional and municipal elections, winning an absolute majority in the city of Madrid and in the surrounding area.It is poised to wrest the regions of Valencia, Aragón and the Balearic islands from the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE). Continue reading...

‘Equal pay generation’ of female workers abandoned by Tories, says Anneliese Dodds, who commissioned researchThe so-called equal pay generation of female workers born near the passing of the 1970 Equal Pay Act are unlikely to see the gap close during their working lives, a Labour analysis has shown.Research carried out for Anneliese Dodds, the shadow secretary of state for women and equalities, calculated that such is the slow rate of change with equal pay for women in their 50s, the gender pay gap will not close before 2050 at the current trajectory. Continue reading...

Re-elected president could take Nato country further towards Russia, or may instead be more open to alternativesWestern capitals remained silent through Turkey’s presidential campaign – privately hoping Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s erratic 20-year rule would come to a surprise close – but now he has been handed a decisive mandate to serve a third term, the west is caught between fear and hope.It fears he will exploit the result to take this Nato founder member further from the liberal secular west, but hopes against hope that, not being eligible to run again and thus freed from the need to pander to a nationalist electorate for the rest of his political life, he may at least be open to persuasion and base his foreign policy on something other than self-preservation. Continue reading...

Doctor also says he was ‘managed out’ of the show after raising concerns over how people were being treatedA TV doctor who previously worked on ITV’s This Morning has said the culture on the show became “toxic” and that he was “managed out” after he tried to raise his concerns.Dr Ranj Singh, who made regular appearances offering medical advice, said that, over 10 years on the show, he grew “increasingly worried about how things were behind-the-scenes and how people, including myself, were being treated”. Continue reading...

Australian musician told Hay festival we should not ‘eradicate the best of these people in order to punish the worst of them’Nick Cave has said that boycotting songs because of the actions of the artist “is not a very good way to go about things”.The Australian singer-songwriter told the Hay festival: “Making art – especially making music – it prevents you from becoming the worst aspects of your character, and that’s why I very much think we need to be very, very careful about the music we don’t think people should listen to any more because of what the artist who has made that music may have been like,” the Australian singer-songwriter said. Continue reading...

The live-action remake brought in nearly $100m over the Memorial Day weekend, knocking Fast X out of the top spotThe Little Mermaid live-action remake of Disney’s 1989 animated classic made a splash at the box office on Memorial Day weekend, bringing in almost $100m in North America, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.The film starring Halle Bailey, winning praise from critics as the titular mermaid Ariel, and Melissa McCarthy as her sea witch nemesis, Ursula, ranks as the fifth biggest Memorial Day weekend opening on record. Continue reading...

Two men in their 20s were pulled from the sea near Torbay as boy who died in Carlisle named as Lewis Michael Kirkpatrick, 15At least three people have drowned over the bank holiday weekend as the UK experienced the hottest day of the year so far on Sunday.Two men in their 20s died after being pulled from the sea off the coast of Torbay, Devon and Cornwall police said. Officers were called to assist the coastguard at about 9am on Saturday after reports of concern for two people off Oddicombe beach. Continue reading...

Pink Floyd co-founder rejects accusations before his Sunday night concert in former Nazi siteSeveral Jewish groups, politicians and an alliance of civil society groups gathered for a memorial ceremony and a protest rally against a concert by Roger Waters in Frankfurt on Sunday evening.They accuse the Pink Floyd co-founder of antisemitism – an allegation he denies. Continue reading...

Andrei Kelin tells BBC: ‘It is an idealistic mistake to think that Ukraine will prevail’

Exclusive: move will come into force on 31 August and will only be waived if a threat to life is fearedThe Metropolitan police will no longer attend emergency calls related to mental health incidents, the force’s commissioner has said.In a letter seen by the Guardian, Sir Mark Rowley says he will order his officers not to attend thousands of calls they get every year to deal with mental health incidents. Continue reading...

US novelist talks of ‘weird kind of identity politics in American publishing’ while at Hay festivalThe author of Babel and The Poppy War, Rebecca F Kuang, has said she finds the idea that authors should only write about characters of their own race “deeply frustrating and pretty illogical”.Speaking at the Hay festival, the author, who was born in China but moved to the US when she was four, said that there is a “really weird kind of identity politics going on in American publishing”. She is “sympathetic” to an extent, as it is coming from “decades of frustration of seeing the same racist, uncritical, under-researched, shallow stereotypes”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: upgraded Myki ticketing system could have been in place sooner, according to alternate proposals tendered

New report shows average households are spending a third of income on rent while lower income families pay more than half their earnings

Alysia Salisbury was described as ‘a beautiful daughter and sister’ in a tribute from her familyA five-year-old girl has died after a house fire in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales.Alysia Salisbury was described as “a beautiful daughter and sister” in a tribute from her family released through Dyfed Powys police. Continue reading...

Speculation climate protesters could be responsible for phosphorescent patch that appeared by Rialto BridgePolice in Venice are investigating the source of phosphorescent green liquid that appeared on Sunday in the city’s Grand Canal, amid speculation it was caused by climate protesters.Gondoliers could be seen punting through the phosphorescent waters while tourists took photographs of the green patch, from the Rialto Bridge up and along part of the canal. Continue reading...

Ukraine says it shot down 52 Iranian-made devices but debris killed one person and injured two

As the stalemate continues, union infighting has added a new dimension while universities are threatening to dock payWhen Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), stood at the podium of its annual congress yesterday, she said she had “never been so proud to be part of this union as I have in recent weeks, watching you all stand firm in the face of vindictive, bullying behaviour from employers.“Our wins this year have been achieved through unity,” she told the assembled lecturers. “Facing the fights ahead, let’s focus our energy on the real enemy: the employers.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: More than a dozen potentially dangerous devices on sale despite rise in fatal firesE-bike chargers that pose a risk of fire and electric shock have been found on sale on Amazon, eBay and Wish.com amid a sharp rise in blazes associated with battery-powered bicycles and scooters.More than a dozen low-cost devices, several with substandard, unfused plugs, were on offer on all three websites, a Guardian investigation with the charity Electrical Safety First (ESF) found. Continue reading...

Rescue operation off Torbay recovered two men in their 20s and one was declared dead at the sceneTwo men in their 20s have died after being pulled from the sea off the coast of Torbay, Devon and Cornwall police said.Officers were called to assist the coastguard at about 9am on Saturday after reports of concern for two people off Oddicombe beach. Continue reading...

‘The success of this referendum will depend on millions of conversations, between Australians of all backgrounds and faiths and beliefs’, PM to say

Ukrainian adviser says preliminary operations for major offensive underway; explosions shake Kyiv; Russian threat to Nato countries could get worse if Putin is ousted, says RAF chief

Two men charged with aggravated trespass after pitch invasion during Gallagher Premiership contestTwo men have been charged over a Just Stop Oil protest at the Gallagher Premiership rugby union final at Twickenham on Saturday when activists invaded the pitch and threw orange paint powder during live play.The Met police said Samuel Johnson, 40, of Reydon, Suffolk and Patrick Hart, 37, of Brislington, Bristol had been charged with aggravated trespass. Continue reading...

Broadcaster says show will return as normal on Monday amid speculation some hosts have threatened to quitITV has said there are no plans to take its This Morning show off air after reports it could be axed over the Phillip Schofield controversy.The broadcaster denied speculation in Sunday’s newspapers about the show’s future, with a spokesperson saying: “As we said on the record yesterday [Saturday], This Morning is not under review and there are no plans for the show to be axed. This Morning will return as normal tomorrow.” Continue reading...

Man in his 30s was detained on Friday after opening emergency exit at about 200 metres above groundA South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for a passenger who opened an Asiana Airlines plane door minutes before it landed, it has been reported.The man in his 30s was detained on landing on Friday after opening the door when the Airbus A321-200 was about 200 metres (700ft) above the ground in Daegu, South Korea, causing panic onboard. Continue reading...

Meeting of European Political Community in Chișinău will show solidarity in face of Russian threatThe EU is stepping up support for Moldova as 46 EU and European leaders descend on its capital in a show of financial and political solidarity in the face of the threat from Russia.Nestled between Ukraine and the EU, the country of 2.6 million people will be catapulted on to the international stage on Thursday when the European Political Community (EPC) meets for the second time, eight months after its inaugural meeting attended by Liz Truss. Continue reading...

Speaking at Hay festival former foreign secretary said some may see the west as being hypocritical in its anti-Russia stanceDavid Miliband has said that his support for the Iraq war was “one of the deepest regrets” from his time in politics.The former foreign secretary also said that the war and the period around it has subsequently caused “real damage” to western claims to stand up for core values of international order and justice. Continue reading...

Health secretary says projects instead involve ‘a range of things’ including new wings and refurbishmentsThe health secretary has admitted the government is not building 40 new hospitals by 2030, as long promised, but said the projects involved “a range of things” including new wings and refurbishments.Steve Barclay, who nonetheless sought to insist that this did not break the Conservatives’ manifesto promise for 40 new hospitals, also argued that the public were not concerned about the distinction as long as the facilities they used were new. Continue reading...

Criminal turf wars are a sign of deeper problems in country that has EU’s highest cigarette taxesOutside a station in Pantin, a town that nudges up against Paris’s north-eastern border, young men hollered “cigarettes!” at commuters. They flashed two or three packets of what looked like ordinary Malboros or Camels for €5 (£4.35), about half the legal price. “There are so many illegal cigarette sellers near stations, they’re taking over the pavements,” said a customer at a local bakery.The French government has warned of an “explosion” in contraband cigarettes since the Covid lockdowns, as the number of smokers in France remains stable and has even risen among women over 18. Men selling cheap contraband packets near stations in and around Paris, from the Gare du Nord to Barbès or Noisy-le-Sec and La Courneuve, are so commonplace that some residents’ groups deem greater Paris a “giant, open-air, illegal tobacconist’s”. Continue reading...

Relative of Harvey Evans, 15, says he and Kyrees Sullivan, 16, were ‘chased to their death’ by South Wales policeThe aunt of one of the teenage boys who died in a road traffic accident on an electric bike in Cardiff has accused South Wales police of causing their deaths.Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died on Monday night shortly after they were seen on CCTV being followed by a police van. Continue reading...

With public hearings into government’s handling of the pandemic set to the begin, here are some of the answers to the big questionsThe government is already at loggerheads with Heather Hallett, chair of the Covid-19 inquiry, over the scope of her remit. The inquiry will start public hearings shortly, with government decisions, political reputations and use of public funds “under the microscope”. Continue reading...

The only colour study by Frederic Leighton for his famous painting is set to go on show at restored museumFlaming June, surely the most romantic and summery of all well-known British paintings, is finally returning home, to the London house where Frederic Leighton first imagined his fiery image almost 130 years ago.Now, as temperatures rise in the run-up to June, the museum in the artist’s former home has been unexpectedly given the smaller, first version of the world-famous work that Leighton painted in 1894. Continue reading...

Man, 28, charged with domestic violence offences including stalking and contravention of an AVO

Independent senator also foreshadowed abstaining from Senate vote on Indigenous voice referendum in interview with ABC

She was 15 when she was last seen alive in Rome. Her brother explains why he backs a new theory featured in a TV showNot long before she disappeared in the summer of 1983, Emanuela Orlandi went to Piazza del Catalone, a small square just outside of the Vatican walls, to meet friends.There was still a party vibe during that sweltering June just a few weeks after AS Roma clinched the Serie A title. In a photograph taken at the time Orlandi, who was then 15, is wearing a headband in yellow and red, the football team’s colours, that her mother had made. It was one of the last photographs taken of the teenager before she vanished without trace on 22 June 1983, an image that has come to define the campaign of her older brother Pietro Orlandi’s unrelenting search for the truth. Continue reading...

Observer reveals that companies are getting big contracts in spite of paying penalties for corruption or fraudCompanies that have paid hundreds of millions in fines and penalties, have defrauded Whitehall or have faced corruption investigations are among those making the most money from UK government outsourcing, the Observer can reveal.Observer analysis of data from UK regulators has found the Strategic Suppliers, the 40 private companies that play the biggest role in running outsourced government services, have received well over £500m in financial penalties from regulators since 2010. Continue reading...

UK Conservatives are only party to charge press delegates for accreditation at annual gatheringIt looks as if there will be empty seats in the rows usually reserved for members of the press at the annual Conservative party conference in Manchester this autumn, with media organisations across the political spectrum refusing to pay recently imposed fees.No other British political party charges for press accreditation, but last year a fee was introduced by the Conservative party. This summer the charge of £137 for each journalist’s application is being challenged by a broad coalition of newsrooms, on the basis that paying for media access sets a bad and undemocratic precedent. Continue reading...

People in the Lincolnshire market town were enthusiastic leavers, but seven years on there’s growing disappointment and disillusionThe breeze of change is wheezing through Boston – although not nearly hard enough for most people here. Voters in the Lincolnshire market town were the most enthusiastic supporters of Brexit, with 74.9% backing leave in the 2016 EU referendum. Now even they are sceptical that Brexit will deliver the transformation they’re still waiting for seven years later.As the Best in Britain poll in the Observer reveals on Sunday, in the Boston and Skegness constituency more than twice as many people (40%) now want closer links with the EU against just 19% who want relations to become even more distant. Continue reading...

Speeding fines and immigration statements lead to fall in trust for UK home secretary, even among Conservative votersSuella Braverman has suffered a collapse in personal support among the public in the wake of rows over a speeding fine and her handling of immigration, a new poll for the Observer has revealed.With some Tories accusing the home secretary of positioning herself as a future leader, the latest Opinium poll found that her personal approval rating had slumped to -36 among voters. While 14% said they approved of the job she is doing, 50% said they disapproved. Continue reading...

Dramatic reversal in public opinion seen even in those constituencies that recorded the highest votes to leaveA clear majority of British voters now favours building closer relations with the European Union, according to new polling that highlights a dramatic reversal in the tide of public opinion since Brexit.Even in those constituencies that recorded the highest votes to leave the EU in 2016, more than twice as many voters now believe the best route forward is to move in the opposite direction – and forge closer ties with Brussels. Continue reading...

As outgoings exceed income, people can’t afford to pay for the support they need along with normal expensesDisabled people are paying “a tax on disability” by being forced to fund soaring care charges out of their benefits as the cost of living pushes care users into financial crisis.Charities and disabled people’s organisations (DPOs), including Mencap, Scope, the MS Society, Inclusion London, Dimensions, and WinVisible, told the Observer that disabled care users are being pushed into severe financial hardship with some forced to go without essential home care because they can’t afford the fees. Others face up to £20,000 of arrears to their local authority, with some seeing bailiffs called in over care fee debts. One DPO said some disabled women are being coerced into sex by acquaintances after turning to them for care because they couldn’t pay care charges. Continue reading...

Questions raised on loopholes in ban on foreign donations to political parties and their effects on the electoral systemThe head of the government’s ethics advisory body has called for an overhaul of the rules on political donations, warning stronger safeguards are required against the influence of foreign money.Lord Jonathan Evans, chair of the independent committee on standards in public life, told the Observer that the government needed to implement new measures which would establish the true source of donations and improve diligence checks. Continue reading...

Chair of the Covid inquiry has threatened legal action if the former PM’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and diaries are not releasedWhen Boris Johnson finally agreed to hold a judge-led public inquiry into the government’s handling of the Covid pandemic, he showered praise on the eminent former judge he chose to lead it.“She brings a wealth of experience to the role, and I know shares my determination that the inquiry examines in a forensic and thoroughgoing way the government’s response to the pandemic,” the former prime minister said of Heather Hallett and her future endeavours, back in December 2021. Continue reading...

Mayor confirms four of the victims were students at Baimbridge College in Hamilton, 300km west of Melbourne

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Police were called to a container logistics company in Port Botany after reports of a break and enter on Thursday night