World news | The Guardian

Faith leaders say the proceedings, brought by a transgender woman, are an attempt to legitimise sinful acts'Scores of religious groups and churches took to the streets of several cities in Malawi on Thursday to denounce same-sex marriage before a constitutional court hearing next week.The court is expected to sit for two days from 17 July to consider a case brought by Jana Gonani, a transgender woman who was charged with unnatural" behaviour. Continue reading...

Ex-president of South Africa receives medical treatment day after court rules he should return to prisonThe former South African president Jacob Zuma is receiving medical treatment in Russia, his spokesperson has said, a day after the country's highest court upheld a ruling that he should return to prison.Zuma travelled to Russia last week for health reasons," Mzwanele Manyi said on Friday. Continue reading...

Thousands could be hospitalised and dozens die if MMR vaccine take-up doesn't rise, say immunologistsExplainer: Why are there fears of an outbreak and what can be done?London is at risk of a major measles outbreak that could result in tens of thousands of cases, the UK Health Security Agency has warned.Without an improvement in MMR vaccination rates, the capital could experience an outbreak of between 40,000 and 160,0000 cases, fresh analysis by the UKHSA suggests. Experts said an outbreak of this scale could lead to dozens of deaths and thousands of people hospitalised. Continue reading...

Over a third of Americans under extreme heat warnings as Vermont, still recovering from historic flooding, prepares for more stormsThe US is bracing for more extreme weather from coast to coast, with a heatwave hitting California, tornados in the midwest and the east expecting more rain as it continues to reel from historic flooding.Residents of Vermont, still suffering from an onslaught of dangerous weather in recent days, are preparing for another round of severe storms in the area beginning as early as Thursday night. Continue reading...

Actor was best known for portraying Sir Arnold Robinson in hit political satire and in sequel, Yes, Prime MinisterThe Yes Minister star John Nettleton has died aged 94, his representatives have confirmed.The actor was best known for portraying Sir Arnold Robinson in the political satire sitcom and in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, in the 1980s. Continue reading...

Finnish company lowers profit expectations, while Swedish firm expects flat or slightly up' marginsShares in Nokia and Ericsson fell after the telecommunications equipment suppliers warned that profits and sales were being hit by a slowdown in spending as the cost of living crisis hit consumer spending.Nokia moved to cut its annual sales forecast and lowered its expectations on profit margin this year citing the knock-on effect of high inflation and rising interest rates on consumer spending. Continue reading...

Two councils and a local man say home secretary should not use emergency' planning rule at RAF Scampton and WethersfieldA high court judge has ruled that two councils and a local resident can proceed with a legal challenge to the government about whether or not it is lawful to place thousands of asylum seekers on two military bases.West Lindsey district council is challenging the plans to move people into the RAF Scampton site in Lincolnshire, while Braintree district council and a local man, Gabriel Clarke-Holland, are bringing a case over moves to Wethersfield airbase in north Essex, where the Home Office started placing asylum seekers on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Saudi heir's official visit would be first since he was accused of being behind killing of Jamal KhashoggiThe Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has been invited to the UK on an official visit in late autumn, the first such visit by the heir to the Saudi throne since he was accused of masterminding the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post columnist and dissident.Numerous UK ministers have been to Saudi Arabia in the interim, and senior Saudi ministers have also come to the UK, including the foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Continue reading...

Tash Peterson yelled you have blood on your hands' as about a dozen activists stormed the dining spot, brandishing placards and shouting at diners

Bill going through parliament is latest example of crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights under Vladimir PutinA sweeping Russian draft law to ban legally or medically changing gender has been approved by the lower house of parliament in its final reading, part of a crackdown against LGBTQ+ rights under President Vladimir Putin.The bill would bar Russians from changing their gender on official identity documents, which had been legal since 1997. Health workers would be banned from performing medical interventions designed to change the sex of a person", including surgery and prescribing hormone therapy. Continue reading...

Health unions suggest industrial action likely to continue as Gillian Keegan defends 6% rise on the tableA senior cabinet minister has urged health unions to take the government's pay offer seriously", after union bosses warned the proposed deal would drive doctors out of the profession and could lead to further strikes.Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, defended the offer of a 6% pay rise for junior doctors a day after the government accepted the recommendations of the public sector pay review bodies. Continue reading...

Government says new regulations stipulating rents can not be raised more than once a year will be reviewed

Review of Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority followed claims senior member of staff urinated on colleagues at Christmas function

Australia's competition watchdog publishes draft guidelines in a bid to stamp out greenwashing

Voicing support for traffic schemes has no statistically significant effect on re-election chances, study findsCouncillors who publicly declare support for low-traffic neighbourhoods do not suffer at the polls as a result, research suggests, indicating that the schemes might not be as politically divisive as is often believed.The study also indicates that local politicians who openly express displeasure about LTNs do not suffer consequences in elections, although Labour councillors may benefit from a slightly positive effect. Continue reading...

Witnesses say some victims' bodies still lay uncovered two days after incident in OmdurmanAt least 30 people died when the Sudanese army shelled a market in Omdurman during what residents of the country's most populous city described as the worst week for civilian casualties since the outbreak of war in April.Most of the victims in the incident at the Shaabi souk on Tuesday were children and women, according to witnesses. Medical sources said the shells were fired from the Karri military base, which the army controls, during fierce fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Continue reading...

Rugby player pleads not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of sexual touching

Statement comes after US, Australia and New Zealand expressed concerns about new agreement with BeijingSolomon Islands has said that its policing pact with China poses no threat" to the Pacific, rebuking western powers that raised fears the deal could inflame regional tensions.Prime minister Manasseh Sogavare inked a raft of deals during a trip to China this week, including an agreement allowing Beijing to extend its police presence in the developing Pacific nation until 2025. Continue reading...

The Nanny star turned Sag-Aftra union president wins praise for her passion as performers join writers in action expected to halt majority of US film and TV productionFran Drescher has blasted Hollywood studios in a fiery speech after talks between the actors' union and studios failed to avert a strike, calling them disgusting" for claiming they're losing money left and right when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs".In a speech that was widely circulated on Thursday - particularly among many who did not know The Nanny star was heading up Sag-Aftra, Hollywood's biggest union - Drescher said actors were being marginalised, disrespected and dishonoured" by a business model that has been drastically changed by streaming and artificial intelligence. Continue reading...

Another big four consultancy firm confirms a conflict of interest breach during Senate inquiry, which could prompt further investigations

Application for subsidy follows results of a groundbreaking study into severe depression

British UN security council chair fears lack of monitoring will hand control' of aid to AssadSyria will let humanitarian aid flow through its main border crossing into rebel-held areas, reopening a conduit that had closed after a stalemate on the United Nations security council, the country's UN ambassador has said.Damascus had made a sovereign decision" to let aid move overland from Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa crossing in north-west Syria for six months starting on Thursday, ambassador Bassam Sabbagh told reporters. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese says when it comes to the next leader of the Reserve Bank we will make that decision as a cabinet'

Exclusive: Advance lobby group runs multiple Facebook pages that target different demographics, including one that purports to be a neutral news source

Shooting for House of the Dragon, Andor and Gladiator 2 will be delayed and many award shows and premieres will be postponedAfter negotiations between studio representatives the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the US actors' union Sag-Aftra (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) failed to make a breakthrough, Hollywood actors are going on strike.The decision means that actors will be joining writers on the picket lines, marking the first time in over six decades that both unions have taken simultaneous strike action. Continue reading...

Questions continue to be raised about 38,500 for travel to Tory events, now declared to be from millionaire Akhil TripathiRishi Sunak has changed his expenses declaration over the funding of private jet travel to Tory events after questions were raised about why they were recorded as coming from a small company linked to a multimillionaire businessman.Sunak's latest declaration now names the donor of 38,500 to pay for air travel by the prime minister and staff as Akhil Tripathi, a British-Indian medical tech entrepreneur who made a fortune from an anti-snoring device. Continue reading...

Pacific nation plagued by environmental effects of 67 bomb tests between 1946 and 1958, including Castle Bravo detonation in 1954The foreign minister of the Marshall Islands has called for more US compensation over the legacy of massive US nuclear testing to enable the renewal of a strategic agreement governing bilateral relations.Marshall Islanders are still plagued by health and environmental effects of 67 nuclear bomb tests from 1946 to 1958, which included Castle Bravo at Bikini Atoll in 1954 - the largest US bomb ever detonated. Continue reading...

Public service workers in England offered 5%-7% rises but departments must fund them from existing budgetsHealth union leaders have reacted furiously to a warning from Rishi Sunak that his offer of a 6% pay rise this year was final and that no amount of strikes" would change his mind, as they began their longest walkout yet in England.The British Medical Association said the government was driving doctors away" from the health service and had missed an opportunity to put a credible pay offer on the table to end strikes when it accepted all the recommendations of the pay review bodies. Continue reading...

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman was on shelves for young people and did not have closed packaging as required by controversial lawA government office in Hungary has levied a hefty fine against a national bookseller over a LGBTQ+ graphic novel series, saying it violated a contentious law that prohibits the depiction of homosexuality to minors.The bookseller, Lira Konyv, is Hungary's second-largest bookstore chain. It was fined 12m forints ($36,000 or 27,400) for placing Heartstopper by the British author Alice Oseman in its youth literature section, and for failing to place it in closed packaging as required by a 2021 law. Continue reading...

Tearful actor says there was a rush to judgment' in Hollywood after allegations were made against him in 2017Kevin Spacey broke down in tears on Thursday as he said his world exploded" when sexual abuse allegations against him first emerged in 2017, saying: I lost everything."The two-time Oscar winner tried to compose himself as he told jurors his acting work dried up and his fortune dwindled in the face of mounting legal bills. Continue reading...

Levelling up minister strongly denied work to leave EU hindered readiness for crisis at Covid inquiryMichael Gove strongly denied planning for a no-deal Brexit weakened pandemic readiness and claimed it actually helped in evidence to the UK Covid-19 public inquiry.Senior officials in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have previously told the investigation that as scores of civil servants were switched to planning for the UK to crash out of the EU, work to update and develop pandemic plans was sidelined. Continue reading...

Interview with couple understood to have been recorded for broadcast on sister TV station of the SunRupert Murdoch's News UK has offered tens of thousands of pounds to the parents who made allegations about Huw Edwards, in return for a television interview, according to sources at the media company.The Guardian understands that an interview with the couple has been recorded and is being edited for broadcast on TalkTV, the sister station of the Sun. Sources said the parents have been offered a significant sum for this. Continue reading...

BBC presenter would not have a strong claim around identification by tabloid, Godwin Busuttil believesA lawyer who helped Cliff Richard recover damages from the BBC has cast doubt over whether Huw Edwards would be able to successfully sue the Sun, despite growing criticism of its reporting.After days of speculation, Edwards was named on Wednesday by his wife, Vicky Flind, as the subject of Sun allegations that an unnamed BBC presenter had paid a 17-year-old for explicit photos. Continue reading...

Prosecutor suspends Movimiento Semilla after Bernardo Arevalo unexpectedly reached second roundGuatemala's presidential election has been thrown into confusion after the country's top prosecutor moved to suspend the party of a centre-left anti-corruption candidate who unexpectedly made it to the second round and officials from the attorney general's office raided the headquarters of the electoral authority.Observers had voiced fears that the Central American country's political establishment might try to force Bernardo Arevalo from August's runoff after he unexpectedly came second in last month's vote. Continue reading...

Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill given minimum terms of 18 and 16 years for killing Ronan Kanda, 16Two teenage boys have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 16-year-old in a case of mistaken identity.Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill, who are both 17 and can be named for the first time, were involved in a stabbing attack on Ronan Kanda. They set upon him from behind as he walked to a friend's house to buy a PlayStation controller in Wolverhampton last year. Continue reading...

Oleksiy Danilov says UK defence secretary misspoke when calling for more gratitude as he was emotional'

Spokesperson says ex-PM wants to hand over WhatsApp messages but experts describe latest development as pretty lame excuse'Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages are yet to be received by the Covid inquiry because he is said to have forgotten the passcode for his old phone.The former prime minister's spokesperson said Johnson still wants to cooperate with the inquiry and did not deny being unable to recall the code. Continue reading...

The Liberal National party's David Crisafulli has ruled out compensation, reparations, sovereignty, right of veto', described as key components of a treaty

Parents' secular education group wants chaplains scrapped and student wellbeing officers employed instead

Canberra has to listen to locals, minister tells a community meeting in WA, as Richard Marles says Indigenous affairs is an offence to the fair go'

Alan from England speaks of difficult fighting from the trenches, while Steve from the US hasn't registered with his embassyStanding on a steep grassy hill, a figure in uniform took aim with a rifle. Several shots pinged into a pile of tyres. Nearby, policemen took turns firing from a DShK heavy machine gun, mounted on a green-painted military vehicle. The rounds echoed around a rustic shooting range, scattering swallows. Down a track was a farmstead with cows.The sniper was not a Ukrainian soldier but a 58-year-old British former marine called Alan, from Plymouth in south-west England. He is one of a small group of foreign volunteers currently fighting in Ukraine, more than sixteen months after Russia's full-scale invasion. Alan declined to give his second name. He arrived last September. Soon he will go back to the frontline. Continue reading...

Commons speaker intervenes as MPs and unions challenge government plans to close offices across EnglandThe government has been challenged in the Commons over plans to close railway ticket offices, including by the speaker, who told the rail minister that he was being misinformed by train operators.Labour described the consultation over the proposals to close most ticket offices in England as a sham" and Conservative MPs also raised concerns, as unions staged demonstrations around the country. Continue reading...

Kevin Bakhurst says actions taken to rebuild trust after public misled over Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy's payThe scandal around the pay of Ireland's top TV presenter is one of the most shameful and damaging episodes" in RTE's history, the new director general of the Irish public broadcaster has told a parliamentary committee.Just four days into his new job, Kevin Bakhurst, a former BBC and Ofcom executive, has found himself at the centre of a storm over under-declared pay for the Late Late Show host, Ryan Tubridy. Continue reading...

Bodies of those allegedly killed by Sudanese paramilitary and allied militia found in shallow grave in West DarfurAt least 87 people including ethnic Masalits have been found buried in a mass grave in Sudan's West Darfur, the UN human rights office has said, adding that it had credible information that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were responsible.RSF officials denied any involvement, saying the paramilitary group was not a party to the conflict in West Darfur. Continue reading...

Protests feared after Pita Limjaroenrat of Move Forward fails to get parliamentary backing required to take officeThe leader of Thailand's pro-reform party, which won the most seats in May's election, has been blocked from taking power by a parliamentary vote that includes military-appointed senators, a move likely to provoke street protests.Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of Move Forward, a progressive party that has a strong youth support base, won the most votes and most seats in May's election. But Thailand's election rules, rewritten after a military coup in 2014, required him to have majority support from parliament to become prime minister - which meant he needed to win the backing of some military-appointed senators. Continue reading...

Co-chair of BMA junior doctor committee condemns government's obstinate approach' as five-day strike begins in England

President of American Medical Association says doctors must balance ethical obligation' to patients in face of restrictive lawsAs doctors struggle to comply with new state laws criminalizing certain kinds of medical care, Dr Jesse Ehrenfeld, the new president of the American Medical Association (AMA), says the organization will support doctors who feel ethically compelled to disobey.I expect there may be a moment where a physician is charged," he said in an interview last week. If that happens, we will certainly stand with them, as an association, to stand up for what's right for our patients." Continue reading...

Biden labels Putin craven' as Nato summit ends and Zelenskiy welcomes good result'; at least four injured in overnight attack on Kyiv

Indigenous leader says vote will lead to a more unified country, in rebuke to the no campaign, which claims voice will be divisive'

Boy, 16, said he felt threatened and fearful' after being approached by police while waiting with his girlfriend at a bus stop