World news | The Guardian

Data prompts speculation NHS inability to cut waiting lists could make private healthcare ‘new normal’Record numbers of people are paying for private healthcare, spending up to £3,200 on having a cataract removed and £15,075 on a new hip, amid growing frustration at NHS waiting lists.Across the UK last year 272,000 people used their own funds to cover the cost of having an operation or diagnostic procedure at a private hospital. That was up from 262,000 the year before and a sharp rise on the 199,000 who did so in 2019, the year before the Covid pandemic struck. Continue reading...

Bermondsey MP had whip removed last year after complaint by reporter Henry Dyer about racist commentsLabour is to restore the party whip to Neil Coyle after the MP was suspended for drunken abuse and making racist comments to a journalist.Coyle was suspended in February last year after a complaint by Henry Dyer, a political reporter for the Insider website who now works for the Guardian, about the behaviour of the MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark in London. Continue reading...

Yevgeny Prigozhin says children of Russian elite ‘shook their arses’ in sun while sons of poor returned in coffinsThe head of the Wagner mercenary force has said that 20,000 of its fighters have been killed in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, and warned that Russia could face another revolution if its leadership did not improve its handling of the war.Yevgeny Prigozhin said 20% of the 50,000 convicts Wagner had recruited, and a similar number of its regular troops, had been killed over several months in the fight for Bakhmut. Continue reading...

Washington has been clear with Kyiv it does not support use of US-made equipment outside Ukraine, White House spokesperson John Kirby says. This live blog is closed

Ibrahim Faraj, seven, was abducted and taken to Saudi Arabia in NovemberA woman whose seven-year-old son was kidnapped by his father and taken to Saudi Arabia has said she repeatedly warned authorities it would happen but “no one listened”.Ranem Elkhalidi has not seen or spoken to Ibrahim Faraj since November, when he was abducted by his father, Hamzah Faraj, in breach of a court order. Continue reading...

The paramilitaries who raided Belgorod include guerrillas with far-right connections, anti-Kremlin veterans and former members of Russia’s security services

Release on Thursday has already prompted responses from politicians but complex factors behind probable rise in numbers comingThe release of official statistics is often the focus of political scrutiny, but the latest annual figures for overall net migration to the UK, due Thursday at 9.30am, are sufficiently anticipated they have prompted two separate policy announcements already.On Tuesday, Suella Braverman rushed through a plan to reduce the number of people arriving via student visas by greatly limiting the scope for them to bring along family members. Continue reading...

Sunak and Starmer seem trapped in an endless loop at PMQs. The real action was elsewhereRemarkable, really. Call it the joys of cognitive dissonance. Listen to Rishi Sunak speak for more than a few seconds and you will get the impression you are living in some kind of nirvana. That the UK is a blissed-out superstate. A land of plenty, where joy is unconstrained.Prime minister’s questions appears now to be on an endless loop. A new dimension of space-time in which everything invariably comes back to the same point. The format is always the same. Keir Starmer asks some relatively straightforward question about an area of government policy he thinks isn’t working so well, and Rish! just denies it. Worse than that, he gets really upset if his reality is in any way challenged. Continue reading...

Retailer to restart dividend payments but warns of challenging year ahead as costs continue to rise

Moving people including asylum seekers to temporary regional centres would free up accommodationLocal politicians and charities in France have expressed concerns about a French government plan to encourage thousands of homeless people and asylum seekers to leave the Paris area before next year’s Olympic Games and move to other regions of the country to free up accommodation in the capital.The news agency Agence France-Presse reported that since mid-March, the government has asked local prefects to create temporary reception centres in every French region except the north and Corsica, which would free up space in hotels normally used as emergency accommodation centres in and around Paris. Continue reading...

The pioneering movie-maker had a major influence on queer culture and the 60s counterculture, and is also remembered for authoring the cult film history bookKenneth Anger, the artist and film-maker whose work offered a distinctively radical mix of paganism and homoeroticism, has died aged 96. Art gallery Sprüth Magers confirmed his death, saying: “Through his kaleidoscopic films, which combine sumptuous visuals, popular music soundtracks, and a focus on queer themes and narratives, Anger laid the groundwork for the avant garde art scenes of the later 20th century, as well as for the visual languages of contemporary queer and youth culture.”Anger’s films, which included Fireworks (1947), Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954), Scorpio Rising (1963) and Lucifer Rising (1972), made him a key figure in the counterculture over four decades, and later a hero to subsequent generations of film-makers grappling with similar themes. While he never found commercial success through his films, his book Hollywood Babylon – a compendium of often sleazy and largely unverifiable gossip about the film industry – became famous after first being published in 1959; it was followed by a sequel in 1984. Continue reading...

Operation on banks of reservoir 30 miles from where Madeleine went missing in 2007 had been due to end on WednesdayThe first major search for Madeleine McCann in a decade is expected to be extended into a third day as Portuguese and German police continued to dig into the wooded banks of a reservoir in the Algarve.The operation, 30 miles from where the then three-year-old went missing in 2007, had been due to end on Wednesday but sources close to the investigation indicated that a further day would be taken. Continue reading...

Scottish ministers pushing radical agenda to increase community ownership of large estatesCrown Estate Scotland, the body that manages land and seabed once owned outright by British monarchs, could help buy large Highland estates and then sell them back to local communities.Crown Estate Scotland has agreed to support a radical agenda being pushed through by Scottish ministers to increase community ownership of large estates, in an agreement struck with the Scottish Land Commission. Continue reading...

Footage puts more pressure on South Wales police who originally said there was no pursuitDramatic new footage has emerged appearing to show police following an e-bike moments before a crash in which two teenagers were killed, sparking a riot in Cardiff.The footage, which emerged on Wednesday, will heap more pressure on South Wales police and the force’s police and crime commissioner, Alun Michael, who originally said there had been no pursuit. Continue reading...

Three Britons, a Swede and a Croatian, released in 2022 in prisoner swap, will likely face trial in absentia on terrorism-linked claims

Campaigners say billions of fast-growing birds will be left to suffer as judge rejects claims animal welfare rules are being breachedAnimal welfare campaigners have said billions of chickens have been left to lead “utterly miserable lives” after the failure of a high court challenge to the legality of fast-growing breeds, which suffer a multitude of health problems.The Humane League UK (THL), represented by Advocates for Animals, argued that the environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, had erred in law by permitting farmers in England to keep so-called “Frankenchickens”, which reach their slaughter weight of approximately 2.2kg in 34 to 36 days. Continue reading...

Spokesperson says Rishi Sunak not involved in decision to hand over evidence of Chequers gatherings to police

NGOs dismayed at reduction in Britain’s contribution as crisis-hit region faces challenges from drought, rising prices and conflictThe UK has been accused of taking the “insulting and shortsighted” decision to cut humanitarian aid to east Africa at a time of chronic drought, conflict and rising food prices.At a United Nations pledging conference in New York on Wednesday, which the UK is co-chairing, Andrew Mitchell, the UK’s international development minister, announced a humanitarian aid package to the region of £143m. Continue reading...

Reliable sizing, sweet-spot pricing and contemporary – but not faddish – styles are helping high street retailer stand outFashion matters at Marks & Spencer. Clothes are an emotional purchase, and when M&S is successfully delivering clothes that its customers desire, it’s a strong sign that the retailer is on the right wavelength. Food may be a much larger part of the business these days but fashion is the bellwether.The strong sales figures for the past year that M&S revealed on Wednesday have been driven not just by the below-the-radar basics of underwear and T-shirts but in the fashion-forward categories of denim and dresses. Continue reading...

Allies say former PM has ‘lost faith’ in system after he was reported to police over fresh Partygate allegations

Deal to end bitter dispute over pay and conditions shelved until union satisfied ‘attacks’ on members have endedA ballot of Royal Mail workers on a deal struck last month to end a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions has been suspended as the row between the postal firm and its union threatened to reignite.The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said it had become clear the environment in which it was attempting to achieve the agreement remained “toxic”. Continue reading...

Traders at five banks found to have discussed British government bond trading between 2009 and 2013The UK’s competition watchdog has provisionally found that five major banks broke competition law by unlawfully exchanging sensitive information about British government bond trading in online chatrooms.In an investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority has found that the banks – Citi, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Morgan Stanley and Royal Bank of Canada – shared competitively sensitive information on pricing and aspects of their trading strategies through multiple one-to-one online chats. Continue reading...

Items removed from sale and others moved to back of stores after ‘confrontational behavior’ towards employeesThe US retail giant Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to LGBTQ+-themed merchandise ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from a minority of customers included some violent confrontations with shop workers.“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and wellbeing while at work,” Target said in a statement on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Cabinet Office warned of potential criminal punishments over refusal to provide former PM’s unredacted notes and diaries

Artists who live and work in area only found out about redevelopment plans from flyer on lamp-postSince Ata moved to the UK five years ago he has found his home in London’s warehouses. The aspiring actor was drawn to the community of musicians and artists who live and work in them.But after moving to a warehouse in north London, Ata heard about plans to demolish and redevelop the area. “My immediate thought was ‘oh no, not again’,” he says. The two other warehouses he had lived in were also pulled down to make way for luxury flats. Continue reading...

Nurse told court intensive care room at Countess of Chester hospital was ‘not a safe working environment’Raw sewage may have been a “contributing factor” in the unexplained deaths of babies on a hospital neonatal unit, a nurse accused of their murder has said.Lucy Letby, 33, told her trial that an intensive care room for babies at the Countess of Chester hospital was “not a safe working environment”. Continue reading...

Russian PM holds talks with Xi Jinping and signs bilateral pacts to further investment, exports and sports cooperation

Benson Lossing’s A History of the United States was checked out in 1927 and returned this monthA history book about the US has been returned to a library in California, almost 100 years overdue. The copy of Benson Lossing’s A History of the United States, published in 1881, was returned to St Helena public library in Napa Valley earlier this month. It had been due back on 21 February 1927.At the time the book was borrowed, fines for overdue titles were a nickel (five cents) a day, meaning Jim Perry, who had the book, theoretically owed about $1,756 (£1,417). Luckily for him, the library scrapped late fines in 2019. Continue reading...

Alun Michael refuses to say he was initially wrong to claim no pursuit took place before fatal crash that sparked riotsThe South Wales police and crime commissioner has conceded that officers may have pursued two teenagers shortly before they were killed in a road accident, sparking a riot in Cardiff.But Alun Michael said on Wednesday that no police vehicles were on the road where the fatal crash happened and refused to say he was wrong to have initially claimed that no chase took place. Continue reading...

UK home secretary was accused of seeking special treatment after she was caught breaking speed limit

Judges clear academic and Islam scholar of all charges in case brought by Swiss womanThe prominent Swiss academic and Islam scholar Tariq Ramadan has been acquitted of charges of rape and sexual coercion against a woman in a Geneva hotel in 2008.The lawyer for the complainant immediately announced that she would appeal. The woman, a Swiss convert to Islam, had told the court she was raped on 28 October 2008. Continue reading...

The 15-year-old boy fired three shots, according to Western Australia police

Helen Holland, 81, died from injuries sustained in accident with police motorcycle in Earl’s Court, LondonThe Duchess of Edinburgh has said she is “deeply saddened” by the death of a woman who was hit by her police motorcycle escort.Helen Holland, 81, was struck on West Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in Earl’s Court, London, on the afternoon of 10 May. Continue reading...

Health minister says he fears referendum could follow path of 2017 marriage equality plebiscite which saw LGBTQ+ people become targets for vilification

Body of Melbourne lawyer Jake Herd found at high altitude in poor weather near Big Almaty Lake

Premier says levy is ‘tax deductible’ as ATO says 304,942 Victorians used negative gearing in 2019/20

Holly Brown was 6 metres off the ground when she made the decision to leap from her seat on 14 May

Bacari-Bronze O’Garro, 18, charged with failing to comply with a community protection noticeAn 18-year-old man is to appear in court after an investigation into TikTok “prank” videos showing people entering homes in London without permission.Bacari-Bronze O’Garro was charged on Tuesday evening with failing to comply with a community protection notice, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Surviving victims of ‘farm school’ abuse will only receive £2,000 each from Prince’s Trust, which took over liabilities of Fairbridge Society

The Fairbridge Society, which merged with the trust in 2012, was among operators promising poor children a ‘better life’ abroad – but many suffered terrifying abuse

Coming rainy season threatens 80,000 living in ‘heartbreaking’ conditions in vulnerable border region after fleeing war at homeTens of thousands of Sudanese refugees, many of them children, who have crossed the border into Chad risk a “major humanitarian disaster” when the rainy season begins within weeks, a Red Cross official has warned.About 80,000 people have sought refuge in the country to the west of Sudan as weeks of fighting between two warring generals forces hundreds of thousands from their homes. Continue reading...

The 15-year-old was allegedly chased down and attacked with a metal pole as he walked home from school with friends in PerthFour people accused of fatally bashing Indigenous Perth teenager Cassius Turvey have pleaded not guilty to his murder and been committed to stand trial.Cassius, a 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, was allegedly chased down and attacked with a metal pole as he walked home from school with friends on 13 October 2022. Continue reading...

Revamped Wroxeter Roman City in Shropshire will display beauty items including a strikingly large number of tweezersAs Monty Python fans know, the Romans have done nothing for us apart from giving us sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system and public health.Roman experts may also suggest they have given us public relations, street food, town planning, currency, our calendar, underfloor heating and bureaucracy. Continue reading...

Problem drinking in England costs NHS £25bn a year, with deaths nearly doubling in two decades, Commons committee warnsThe government’s failure to tackle alcohol harm in England has led to a serious public health crisis affecting millions of people, MPs have warned.Problem drinking is fuelling violent crime and costing the NHS £25bn a year, with the number of deaths almost doubling in two decades, according to a damning report by the public accounts committee. Continue reading...

Fearing heavy election losses and Labour’s return to northern heartlands, Tory MPs are to exit parliament at above-average rateApproximately 10% of Conservative MPs have announced plans to retire at the next election, sparking suggestions that they are jumping ship in the expectation of losing the next election.Having resigned as justice secretary over bullying claims, Dominic Raab is the latest high-profile Tory politician to confirm they are serving their final term in parliament. Continue reading...

Campaigners call for rigorous testing of waterways to protect species after analysis reveals scale of problemChemical cocktails that are harmful to wildlife have been found in 81% of river and lake sites tested in England, a study has found.Wildlife organisations are calling on the government for more rigorous testing of waterways for chemical cocktails, and new legal protections against dangerous mixtures, including requiring assessments of potential hazardous chemical mixture impacts before any new chemical is allowed on the market. Continue reading...

Exclusive: clampdown flagged as part of wider leasehold overhaul for England and Wales being considered by partyProperty management companies would be banned from operating in England and Wales if they persistently ripped off leaseholders, under plans being considered by Labour.Lisa Nandy, the shadow housing secretary, is looking at proposals to clamp down on the sector, amid complaints from leaseholders about escalating fees and essential maintenance being left undone. Continue reading...

Hundreds of students and graduates vow not to work for ‘climate wreckers that insure those responsible for the climate crisis’Hundreds of students and recent graduates of top UK universities are pledging a “career boycott” of major insurers, saying they will not work for firms including Lloyd’s of London if they support controversial fossil fuel projects.More than 500 current and recent students from the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London, University of Edinburgh and others have warned they will keep a close eye on firms that fail to shift to climate-friendly policies. Continue reading...

‘We will not accept any elements that harm the friendly and warm ties between India and Australia by their actions or thoughts’, says Indian PM

Broadcaster says it received only 169 ‘good faith’ responses from viewers about coronation coverage, 59 of which have been referred to ombudsman