World news | The Guardian

Ever since Beatlemania, UK acts have set their sights across the pond. Now spiralling costs are pulling the plug“Breaking” America has been the goal of young British musicians since the days of Beatlemania, but that dream is being dashed. Hundreds of emerging artists could be affected by plans to hike visa fees by 250% – and music industry executives have criticised ministers for failing to act.The US immigration service wants to raise visa costs from $460 (£385) to $1,615 (£1,352) alongside other changes that artists and their managers say would make it almost impossible for anyone but the biggest stars to perform in the US. Continue reading...

Conservative Brexiters and DUP unable to back plan that retains any role for EU court, key backbencher saysConservative Brexiters and the Democratic Unionist party would be unable to back a Northern Ireland deal that left any role for the European court of justice, a key backbencher has said, setting Rishi Sunak on an apparent collision course with his parliamentary party.With ministers saying Sunak was “on the cusp of a deal” to change post-Brexit arrangements in the region, Mark Francois, who chairs the influential European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs, warned of chaos if the prime minister tried to push through an unsatisfactory plan. Continue reading...

Former trade secretary is chairman of Global Britain Commission and wrote to Rishi Sunak pressing for export tax break

Eight out of 10 British people say they are concerned about the war one year on, new poll reveals

The Showering brothers of Somerset want a new generation to love the famous perry invented by their grandfatherBabycham is as famous for its place in the history of advertising as for its sweet taste. It was cleverly targeted at women who wanted to enjoy a light drink with a touch of glamour while the menfolk downed pints, and was a marketing phenomenon in the 1960s and 70s.Now Babycham is back in the ownership of the family that invented it in the 1950s, with production just returned to its old headquarters amid plans to give the sparkling perry a new lease of life among the sort of younger audience that has embraced cider in recent years. Continue reading...

Writer Jesse Armstrong has suggested characters could live on ‘in allied world’ but HBO boss may need some convincingThe dark suspense that drives Succession, the hit HBO tale about a wealthy media dynasty, will have an extra twist of tension in the upcoming fourth series.Its creator, the British writer Jesse Armstrong, has revealed that the episodes aired in March will be the show’s final outing, but he has also hinted that he is considering a spin-off drama that would follow one of the popular show’s Machiavellian central characters or bleak themes. Continue reading...

After the Shamima Begum decision, figures show a dramatic increase in challenges to Home OfficeAt least 75 people successfully overturned Home Office orders to strip them of their British citizenship last year, according to records obtained by the Observer, which reveal a dramatic increase in challenges to the government’s use of the controversial powers.On Wednesday, Shamima Begum, 23, lost her appeal against the Home Office’s decision to remove her British citizenship and is stranded in Syria, barred from returning to the UK. Continue reading...

Mood among MPs turns to pragmatism but a whiff of rebellion remains, notably from the Boris Johnson campKey pro-Brexit Tory MPs suggested on Saturday night they would be prepared to back Rishi Sunak over any “sensible” deal on the Northern Ireland protocol as the prime minister battled to limit any rebellion by Conservative backbenchers.Several leading Conservatives, who were prominent in the 2016 leave campaign and who had strongly opposed Theresa May’s attempts to broker a solution, said what Sunak was prepared to put to parliament seemed to represent clear progress. Continue reading...

Tory leader of Local Government Association fears staff will be ‘overwhelmed’ by rush for voter authority certificatesStaff running local elections in May risk being “overwhelmed” by bureaucracy and complaints before and on polling day because of new rules requiring all voters to produce photo ID in order to cast their ballots.The warning has been issued by the Local Government Association (LGA) amid rising concern that the requirements are too strict, and inadequate preparation has been done to inform voters that the rules have changed. Ministers say the move, piloted in several local authorities at previous local elections in England – though with lighter touch restrictions – is essential to root out extremely rare cases of voter fraud. Continue reading...

Greens leader says party has already made significant compromises on the safeguard mechanism

Elton John, Hugh Jackman, Dolly Parton, Pink, Sir Barry Gibbs and Mariah Carey sent video condolences, which were played to the crowd in MelbourneA host of international stars and dignitaries paid tribute to the late Australian star Olivia Newton-John in at a state memorial service in Melbourne on Sunday.Thousands gathered at Hamer Hall and video tributes came from Elton John, Hugh Jackman, Dolly Parton, Pink, Sir Barry Gibbs and Mariah Carey. Continue reading...

Returning home was once seen as something shameful but new research finds a benefitMoving back into the parental home as an adult was once seen by many youngsters as a retrograde step and even something to be ashamed of. Now, a new study suggests that such a move actually improves the mental health of these “boomerang adults”, thanks in no small part to a stressful and increasingly expensive rental market.The findings of of the first study in the UK to look at the mental health impact of moving home on the adult children surprised demographers at the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), who were expecting to find it had the opposite effect on wellbeing. Continue reading...

Actor and ‘cultural icon’ honoured in state memorial service at Hamer Hall. This blog is now closed

Tests carried out on remains of young communist who confessed to arson attack that proved a gift to HitlerWhen flames enveloped Germany’s parliament on the evening of 27 February 1933, six days before national elections, it was a political gift to Adolf Hitler, the recently appointed chancellor. The arson attack on the Reichstag by an “enemy within” secured his re-election and gave him the pretext to grab the dictatorial powers he craved.Whether that gift fell into the Nazi leader’s lap by chance or was placed there via a covert false-flag operation has been the subject of bitter historical disputes ever since. Now, 90 years later, the body of the young communist whom historians have traditionally regarded as the sole perpetrator of the attack has been exhumed in the hope of finding a definitive answer. Continue reading...

Jeff Reitz started visiting the theme park in Anaheim in 2012, when he was unemployed, as an excuse to leave his house and exerciseThere are Disney adults – who are obsessed with the animation giant’s products despite being grownups – and then there’s Jeff Reitz.Reitz’s fascination with Disney drove him to visit the company’s world-famous theme park in Anaheim, California, daily for eight years, three months and 13 days. Continue reading...

Cost of living has made more than a third of adults reconsider cooking end of week meal, survey findsMore than a third of people in the UK have cut back on cooking Sunday roasts because of the soaring cost of energy bills, according to a survey.A total of 36% of UK adults said the cost of living crisis had made them reconsider a homemade roast dinner at the end of the week. The figure was even higher among those aged 16 to 34, with nearly half (47%) saying they have avoided cookingroasts. Continue reading...

Foreign minister Penny Wong says all hostages, including a New Zealand-born Australian academic, have been freedAustralia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has said all hostages taken by a Papua New Guinean criminal gang have been released, including an Australian academic, and will be reunited with their families.“Thank you to PNG’s Government for its leadership in securing a safe & peaceful resolution,” Wong tweeted on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading...

Jim Chalmers defends potential change to super rules for balances over $3m as Coalition vows to oppose it

Social media video shows senator laying in front of police float, temporarily blocking Oxford Street parade

Chris Minns says, if elected, Labor will spend $3.3m upgrading early warning systems for floods and fires

Police hold a 71-year-old man as DCI John Caldwell remains in a critical conditionPolice investigating the attempted murder of a senior officer in Northern Ireland have made a sixth arrest.DCI John Caldwell remains critically ill after the attack in Omagh on Wednesday night in which he was shot in front of his young son. Continue reading...

Jewish MP left party four years ago over its handling of the issue under Jeremy CorbynLuciana Berger has returned to the Labour party after an invitation and apology from Keir Starmer, four years after leaving the party over its handling of antisemitism cases.“The Labour party has turned a significant corner under Keir’s leadership,” Berger said in a tweet on Saturday. “I’m pleased to be returning to my political home.” Continue reading...

Far-right Patriotic Alternative leads demonstration in Lincolnshire while counter-protesters in Cornwall say refugees welcomeHundreds of protesters and counter-demonstrators have taken to the streets over asylum seekers staying in hotels in two English seaside towns.A rally of about 200 people took place in Skegness, Lincolnshire, while a protest and counter-protest occurred outside the Beresford Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall, on Saturday. Continue reading...

The designer of the glasshouses at Kew Gardens fell out of favour – but supporters of a new museum hope to change all thatOne major name is missing from the line-up of great British architects that students learn have shaped the way that Britain looks. And it is a name with quite a ring to it: Decimus Burton.Now members of the Decimus Burton Society believe they are about to put that right by establishing this Victorian classical revivalist’s place alongside better known titans such as Christopher Wren, John Nash and Edwin Lutyens. A new museum celebrating his achievements is on the drawing board and awaits approval this spring. Continue reading...

Parents and brother of Abby Choi’s ex-husband arrested after police make grisly discovery at rented village homeHong Kong police have made three arrests over the murder and dismemberment of a 28-year-old model after what authorities allege was a financial dispute with her ex-husband’s family.The partial remains of the influencer Abby Choi, who last week appeared on the digital cover of L’Officiel Monaco fashion magazine, were found in a village house, police said. Continue reading...

Epicentre of quake, which hit just before midnight on Friday, was north of Brynmawr and west of CrickhowellAn earthquake has shaken parts of south Wales.The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the 3.7 magnitude quake happened at 23:59 GMT on Friday. The epicentre was just north of Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent and west of Crickhowell, Powys. Continue reading...

Unions and fellow headteachers have condemned school leaders in England who have ‘named and shamed’ teachers for strikingUnions and headteachers have hit out at school leaders who have “thrown colleagues under the bus” by naming striking teachers in letters to parents or employing agency staff to keep classes open on strike days.As teachers across the country prepare to strike again this week, local union branches are reminding any staff who are being pressured by unsupportive heads or trust chief executives that they do not have to declare whether they are striking in advance. The National Education Union (NEU) condemned “naming and shaming” those taking action as an “appalling” attempt to put pressure on teachers not to make a stand on pay. Continue reading...

Conservationists say boats with propellers could destroy floating water-plantain on Montgomery canalConservationists are calling for only horse-drawn barges to journey along a section of the Montgomery canal when it is reopened, to protect rare aquatic plants and wildlife on the rewilded waterway.The naturalist and broadcaster Iolo Williams has joined the campaign to protect floating water-plantain as well as dragonflies, grass snakes, kingfishers and otters on the canal between Arddlin and Llanymynech, which has been unnavigable to canal boats for decades but is to be restored with £14m from the government’s levelling up fund. Continue reading...

Perth man dead after altercation in South Kuta bar

TUC analysis shows typical household monthly bill likely to reach almost £250 from AprilJeremy Hunt is under increasing pressure to cancel a planned cut to energy bill support as research showed that paying for heat and power will “eat up” nearly 10% of workers’ wages after the move in April.The chancellor has so far resisted calls to ditch the change to the energy price guarantee, which will push up the cap on the typical annual household bill from £2,500 to £3,000. Continue reading...

Firm responds to calls from vets who say pictures fuel demand for flat-faced breeds, which often have serious health complaintsMoonpig is to stop selling cards featuring pictures of pugs and French bulldogs after criticism from vets and campaigners who fear the images fuel demand for the breeds, which often have serious health complaints.Last year, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) wrote to the Greeting Card Association and card retailers, including Moonpig, Paperchase and WH Smith, urging them to stop using pugs and other flat-faced dogs on cards. Continue reading...

PSNI says four men being held and questioned in connection with attack on DCI John CaldwellThe police officer who was shot in an ambush Northern Ireland on Wednesday night is heavily sedated and “fighting for his life”, say colleagues.DCI John Caldwell, 48, is critically ill and suffered life-changing injuries, police said on Friday, as four suspects continued to be questioned. Continue reading...

Adler defends ‘courageous spaces to air opposing views’ as major sponsor and three Ukrainian writers pull out over comments from other invited authors

Despite this pushback, most crossbench MPs remain open to debate, and several independent senators have spoken in favour of curbing some super tax concessions to help budget repair

Owner of British Gas, E.ON and Scottish Power brings judicial review over deal between Octopus and governmentBritain’s biggest energy suppliers are set for a courtroom clash over whether the government handed preferential terms to Octopus Energy in allowing it to snap up Bulb from administration.Octopus acquired Bulb’s 1.5 million customers late last year after the supplier spent a year in a government-handled administration. Continue reading...

Houses have been destroyed, lives uprooted and loved ones lost but despite this terrible toll, Ukrainians remain upbeatLiudmyla Bikus recalled how she had tried to dissuade her son Andrii from joining the army. That was in March, weeks after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, one year ago today. “Andrii told me: ‘Mum if I don’t go then who will?’” Bikus said. She added: “He was a golden boy. The best son, husband, father and brother. He wanted to defend his country and his family.”Andrii was quickly dispatched to the eastern front. Less than three months later he was dead, fatally wounded on 6 June near the city of Lysychansk. A Russian shell landed on top of his artillery position. He was taken to hospital and died from blood loss on the operating table. Eight men from his company perished in the same lethal strike. Continue reading...

Former Department of Human Services official tells inquiry he can’t explain emails and other documents he saw referring to use of income averaging

Football team that has been exiled from its home ground and endured an exodus of star players pulls off stunning win against Rennes on anniversary of war

Strategic cruise missiles hit a target after travelling 2,000km, says state media, to demonstrate ‘war posture’ of nuclear forceNorth Korea test-fired four strategic cruise missiles during a drill designed to demonstrate its ability to conduct a nuclear counterattack against hostile forces, its state media said.The exercise on Thursday involved an apparently operational strategic cruise missile unit of the Korean people’s army, which fired the four Hwasal-2 missiles in the area of Kim Chaek city, North Hamgyong province, towards the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, the news agency KCNA said. Other units conducted firepower training at hardened sites without live firing. Continue reading...

Company accepted money from groups such as the Australian Christian Lobby, who labelled a drag queen event as an ‘attempt to sexualise innocent toddlers’

Kyle Sambrook, 33, was seen with his dog in the Lost Valley area of Glencoe on SundayThere has been a possible sighting of a man who is missing in the Glencoe area after leaving his Yorkshire home to climb a hill, police have said.Kyle Sambrook, 33, was seen with his beagle called Bane in the Lost Valley area of Glencoe at about noon on Sunday and police are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen him in the area at the time. Continue reading...

Media company was shuttered in 2021 after huge losses and COO’s alleged impersonation during pitch to potential investorThe founder of the startup Ozy Media was arrested on Thursday on fraud charges, more than a year after the troubled digital company shut down after losing millions of dollars.Authorities say Carlos Watson misled investors and lenders to prop up the financially struggling company, conspired to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, and committed identity theft with his role in the impersonation of several media executives. Continue reading...

Oscar nominated actor says a woman ‘put her hand on my ass’ after asking for photograph outside theatre where he is performingThe Oscar nominated actor Paul Mescal said he confronted a female fan who groped him outside the theatre where he was performing.He told ES Magazine that the woman “put her hand on my ass” as he posed for a photograph with her outside the Almeida theatre in north London. Continue reading...

Former prime minister says ‘best way forward’ is for Sunak to continue with bill drafted last year. This live blog is now closedStarmer says the missions being announced by Labour should seem bold at first glance, prompting people to ask if they really can be achieved.But then he hopes people will think: ‘Why not?’, he says.Let me give you an example. Zero carbon British electricity by 2030. A huge goal which will allow us to accelerate to net zero.Make no mistake. This goal would turn Britain into a clean energy superpower. It will put us ahead of any major economy in the world …Over 13 years by their actions, and crucially their inactions, the Tories have made Britain’s problems deeper, longer lasting and more painful than any of our competitors.Seriously, ask yourself this.Do I feel better off today than I did 13 years ago? Continue reading...

Party leader says it will take time to ‘fix the fundamentals’ as he set outs five 'national missions’ as basis of manifesto

Suspect alleged to have struck Spanish teacher Agnès Lassalle with kitchen knife brought to school inside kitchen rollPolice are continuing to question the teenager accused of stabbing a teacher to death at a school in south-west France.52-year-old Spanish teacher Agnès Lassalle died after a single wound from a kitchen knife. Continue reading...

Gabrielius Landsbergis expresses frustration at the number of loopholes being exploitedThe EU should consider appointing a full-time commissioner to oversee the drafting and enforcing of sanctions so they can be used effectively against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, told the Guardian in an interview.He was speaking in London as he met the foreign secretary, James Cleverly, on Wednesday to discuss the summer Nato summit in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, where the Baltic states will press for progress on Ukraine’s Nato application and for more to be done to defend the bloc’s European flank. Continue reading...

Numbers fall for first time since 2017 despite increased need due to cost of living crisisSocial workers are quitting in record numbers as they struggle to cope with more challenging caseloads stemming from austerity, the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.The scale of the crisis in children’s social work is revealed in figures for 2022 published by the Department for Education, which show the number of professionals has fallen for the first time since data collection began in 2017 – despite rising need. Continue reading...

Ministers to recruit new directors to fill five of eight seats on board, including role of chairBritain’s energy regulator, Ofgem, is facing a boardroom overhaul amid stinging criticism over alleged failures in its oversight of the prepayment meter scandal.Over the comings months, ministers will recruit new directors to fill five of the eight seats on the board, including the role of chair, but chief executive Jonathan Brearley is expected remain in position. Continue reading...

Forbes promises to protect the rights of all, while rival Humza Yousaf is criticised over hospital backlogsKate Forbes has apologised for hurt caused and promised to protect the rights of everybody in Scotland, “particularly minorities”, as she endeavours to reset her campaign for the leadership of the Scottish National party after her faith-informed views on equal marriage, transgender rights and sex outside marriage prompted a bruising backlash.Forbes, a member of the socially conservative, evangelical Free Church of Scotland, said on Twitter she felt “greatly burdened and heartsore that some of my responses to direct questions in the media have caused hurt to friends, colleagues and fellow citizens,” and she had listened carefully to the response. Continue reading...