World news | The Guardian

Symbolic bill sponsored by cross-party group of lawmakers is hailed a ‘historic moment’ in fight for marriage equalityLawmakers in South Korea have proposed the country’s first same-sex marriage bill, in a move hailed by civic groups as a defining moment in the fight for equality.The marriage equality bill, proposed by Jang Hye-yeong of the minor opposition Justice party and co-sponsored by 12 lawmakers across all the main parties, seeks to amend the country’s civil code to include persons of the same sex in marriage. Continue reading...

Many in need of permanent protection remain stuck in ‘prison-like’ camps on Greek islands, leading refugee charity saysJust 271 Afghans were resettled in the EU in 2022, 0.1% of the 270,000 identified as in need of permanent protection, it has emerged.Leading charity the International Rescue Committee accused EU leaders of “staggering neglect” of Afghan refugees with many remaining trapped in “prison-like” conditions on Greek islands. Continue reading...

Kamal Fadel, a representative of the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara, was initially blocked from entering venue by Moroccan embassy staff

Cresenciano Bunduquin is the latest to be killed in a country that is one of the most dangerous places to be a journalistA radio broadcaster was shot dead outside his home in the central Philippines on Wednesday, police said, the latest in a long list of journalists killed in the country.Cresenciano Bunduquin, 50, was killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro province, Colonel Samuel Delorino told Agence France-Presse. Continue reading...

Underlying inflation dropped to 6.5% in April from 6.9% in March, reducing the chances of another Reserve Bank rate rise in June

The ruling cleared the way for the pharma company to settle cases tied to the epidemic that caused more than 500,000 deathsThe billionaire family behind Purdue Pharma, the maker of the powerful and highly addictive prescription painkiller OxyContin, can be protected from lawsuits related to their company’s role in the opioids crisis, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.The second US circuit court of appeals in New York determined the company can shield its owners from legal claims in exchange for a $6bn contribution to the company’s broader bankruptcy settlement, in a ruling that also cleared the way for Purdue to settle lawsuits tied to America’s devastating opioid epidemic. Continue reading...

Calvary Health Care threatens legal action as government expected to pass legislation giving it power to compulsorily acquire facility

Teenager from Hillside to face court accused of killing 16-year-old Pa Sawm Lyhym of Melton South

Ex-leader of Conservatives says Canadian Security Intelligence briefed him on a ‘Chinese-orchestrated campaign’ to manipulate the voteCanada’s spy agency told former Conservative party leader Erin O’Toole that China campaigned to discredit him and suppress votes ahead of the 2021 election he lost to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, O’Toole has said.In a briefing on Friday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (Csis) informed O’Toole about intelligence saying Beijing had targeted him in 2021, when he was Conservative leader and running to defeat Trudeau. Continue reading...

Creatures dubbed the ambulator roamed across the continent’s arid interior 3.5 million years ago, scientists sayScientists have identified one of Australia’s first long-distance walkers: a 250kg marsupial with “heeled hands” that roamed across the continent’s arid interior 3.5 million years ago.Using 3D scanning, Flinders University palaeontologists have described a new group of ancient marsupial, calling it Ambulator – meaning walker or wanderer – for its specific leg and feet adaptations that equipped it to efficiently roam long distances. Continue reading...

‘New chapter’ in economic ties means new opportunities for Australian businesses, minister says

Study of patients in England with neurological damage related to laughing gas finds group overrepresentedYoung people experiencing neurological harm after using laughing gas are most likely to be male and Asian, according to a small study of patients admitted to hospital in England.Nitrous oxide is the second most common drug used by 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK. It is typically released into balloons from small silver canisters before being inhaled. Rishi Sunak recently announced plans to criminalise the drug. Continue reading...

Police were called when the female, called Sundara, was spotted roaming the town on MondayAn 11-month-old red panda surprised workers in Cornwall after escaping from Newquay zoo.Police received a call on Monday morning about the escaped red panda strolling down the streets of Newquay. Workers at a fruit wholesaler had spotted the creature, whose name is Sundara, and distracted her with an apple to keep her from running off again. Continue reading...

Tighter rules could also demand plain packaging and more curbs on promotion of products• Vaping: quitter’s aid or addiction risk?Ministers are considering further vaping laws, such as a ban on colourful branding or flavours, to deter their sale to children amid calls for plain packaging to be extended to the products.No 10 said the government was considering “further steps” on vaping, with a call for evidence due to close next week. The government announced on Tuesday that it was closing a loophole in the law that allowed companies to give away free samples to children, as concern grows that usage of vapes among under 18s has been on the rise. Continue reading...

PM challenged as Cabinet Office battles to withhold Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages from Covid inquiryRishi Sunak has been accused of attempting to cover up the actions of ministers during the pandemic as the Cabinet Office intensified its battle to withhold Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages from the Covid inquiry.The prime minister insisted his government has been cooperating with the investigation but is facing increasing calls from experts and MPs – with some coming from within his own party – to hand over evidence without redactions. Continue reading...

Statutory caps were brought in under Heath, now the government wants a voluntary store scheme to meet Sunak’s pledge to halve inflationA cost-of-living crisis. Pressure on the government to step in to help hard-pressed consumers. Calls for supermarkets to cut prices on staple food items. Substitute Rishi Sunak for Ted Heath, step into a time capsule and journey back to Britain in 1972.Let’s be clear: ministers are not considering imposing the sort of statutory price controls on a loaf of bread, a pint of milk or a bar of soap that were put in place half a century ago. Not now and not ever, according to Whitehall sources. But it has emerged that Sunak and his team are certainly not averse to the big supermarkets coming up with their own voluntary agreement to reduce the cost of the weekly shop. Continue reading...

Reports say members of CMS committee will discuss the handling of the issue with executivesMPs are reportedly planning on questioning ITV executives over This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger male colleague.It came as the Prince’s Trust said it had dropped Schofield as an ambassador. “In light of Phillip’s recent admissions, we have agreed with him that it is no longer appropriate to work together,” a spokesperson for the charity said on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Gender-critical feminist’s speech temporarily stopped after protester glues themself to floorThe gender-critical feminist Dr Kathleen Stock was forced to temporarily halt her contested appearance at the Oxford Union after a trans activist glued themself to the debating chamber close to the speaker’s chair.Stock, who argues that transgender people cannot expect all the rights afforded by biological sex, had been speaking over the sound of up to 200 people protesting outside about her invitation when a group of activists stormed the debating chamber on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Scott Seddon, 26, from Liverpool was being filmed by his partner as the tragedy happened off coast of RhodesThe partner of a British tourist who died when he was struck by lightning while paddleboarding off Rhodes had beseeched him to return to shore when the storm hit.Scott Seddon’s girlfriend repeatedly shouted “come out” when it became clear the 26-year-old from Liverpool was struggling in the waters off Agathi beach. The woman, who has not been named, was on land filming Seddon, an accomplished sportsman, with her mobile phone as the tragedy unfolded. Continue reading...

René Olivieri tells Hay festival the charity is in process of deciding what to do about stolen objects in its propertiesThe National Trust is working on a policy on the return of stolen objects in its properties, the charity’s chair has told the Hay festival.The restitution or repatriation of objects that were taken from other countries during colonial rule was a huge issue, said René Olivieri, adding: “Provenance needs to come into public access, public benefit.” Continue reading...

Government is raising amount parents can claim by almost 50% from 28 JuneParents claiming universal credit will receive hundreds of pounds more from the end of June, the government has announced.The Department for Work and Pensions is raising the amount parents can claim by almost 50% from 28 June, it said on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Ukrainian-born artist who turned whimsical albums into installations moved to US in 1980s with wife and collaborator, EmiliaIlya Kabakov, a Ukrainian-born conceptual artist considered to be one of the most influential of the Soviet Union, has died at the age of 89.Kabakov created dozens of whimsical albums with imaginary, often impossible stories set in the drab but re-stylised surroundings of his Soviet past. He later transformed them into installations, including one about a man who slingshots himself through the roof of his communal flat in order to reach the moon. Continue reading...

Business lobby group requests guidance on restructuring options as it battles for survival after sexual misconduct allegationsBritain’s most prominent business lobby group has sought guidance on possible insolvency as it battles for survival in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.The legal advice was requested by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) before the publication on Wednesday of a prospectus setting out plans to turn around the organisation. Members will be asked to decide on its future in a confidence vote, with the results announced at a crunch meeting on 6 June, which will determine whether the CBI and its new director general, Rain Newton-Smith, have a mandate to continue their work. Continue reading...

Dyfed-Powys police detained 46-year-old man on suspicion of murder after body found near LlanidloesAuthorities have arrested a man on suspicion of murder after a 34-year-old woman was found dead in a river in central Wales.The woman’s body was discovered in the River Severn outside Llanidloes at about 4pm on Sunday, according to Dyfed-Powys police. Continue reading...

Five men who made over £7m streaming football matches to tens of thousands of customers jailed for total of more than 30 yearsFive members of an illegal streaming gang have been jailed for a total of more than 30 years for offering cheap subscriptions for Premier League games to tens of thousands of customers.The operation made more than £7m from at least 50,000 customers and resellers. Mark Gould, described by the judge as the driving force, was sentenced to 11 years at Chesterfield crown court on Tuesday after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and contempt of court. Continue reading...

Concern over children vaping is dismissed by one expert as ‘voice of moralists’ while others say there need to be stricter rules

Exclusive: Lack of ‘upstream accommodation’ for asylum seekers who have been processed is concernA controversial migrant centre which became dangerously overcrowded last year could again become overwhelmed within weeks, civil servants and union representatives have told the Guardian.Staff working at Manston processing centre have warned that there could be a return to conditions which led to disease and violence because of the lack of “upstream accommodation” for asylum seekers once they have been processed. Continue reading...

Notoriety-courting ‘prankster’ who filmed home trespasses charged with breaches of criminal behaviour orderTikTok “prankster” Mizzy, who is accused of breaking a court order with social media videos, has been granted conditional bail after his mother agreed to have him home.The 18-year-old, whose real name is Bacari-Bronze O’Garro, was charged with three breaches of a criminal behaviour order imposed on him last week – after he’d posted a video showing him invading an unsuspecting family’s home. Continue reading...

Nato chief announces further measures as situation in Serb-majority north remains ‘fragile’Nato has said it will send 700 extra troops to try to curb the violence in Kosovo a day after 30 Alliance-led peacekeeping soldiers and more than 50 ethnic Serbian protesters were injured in clashes.On Monday, Nato peacekeepers in riot gear had secured a town hall in the town of Zvečan as the situation remained tense. Continue reading...

Tourist boat was reportedly carrying more than 20 people when it was struck by a whirlwind on SundayTwo agents from the Italian intelligence services and a retired member of the Israeli security forces were among the victims when a tourist boat capsized and sank in a sudden, violent storm in a northern Italian lake, it has emerged.Claudio Alonzi, 62, and Tiziana Barnobi, 53, who both working for Italian intelligence, were officially named on Monday by officials. Continue reading...

Owner of house in Plumstead calls ordeal ‘frustrating’, with some guests having to stay in her living roomA woman has spoken of her frustration over tourists continually turning up on her doorstep after her home was mistakenly listed on Booking.com.Karin Arsenius, 37, who lives in Plumstead, south-east London, with her two children and partner, said more than 20 unexpected tourists had arrived at her home, expecting to find the accommodation they had reserved on the online travel agency. Continue reading...

The force is attending fewer incidents and has the best arrest rates in the country – and now the Met is copying its approachWhere Hull leads, London follows. At least, that is the case when it comes to a radical new approach to policing that has led to the Humberside constabulary achieving the highest arrest and crime detection rates in the country – by refusing to attend most mental health calls.When a letter from the Metropolitan police commissioner was leaked to the Guardian this week warning that from September his officers would no longer attend unnecessary mental health calls, Lee Freeman had a jolt of recognition. Continue reading...

Decision follows poor performance in Sunday’s regional and municipal electionsSpain’s centre-right Citizens party, once seen as a potential kingmaker, has announced it will not run in July’s snap general election after an abysmal performance in Sunday’s regional and municipal elections, ceding its space to the triumphant conservative People’s party (PP).Citizens attracted just 1.35% of the vote and lost its seats in 12 regional parliaments on Sunday, suggesting that the party is in its death throes. Its decline began in 2018 when it refused to back the socialists’ successful vote of no confidence in the corruption-mired PP government of Mariano Rajoy, and was exacerbated by its decision to abandon the centre ground and shift to the right. Continue reading...

Aslef members will hold widespread stoppages on Wednesday and Saturday, while RMT crew and station staff will strike on FridayPassengers are bracing for the first of three rail strikes this week as services in England come to a standstill amid a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.Members of the driver’s union Aslef will embark on a 24-hour strike on Wednesday. The union also plans to strike on Saturday. Continue reading...

Latest updates: vital evidence must be handed over if ‘whiff of a cover-up’ is to be avoided, says Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leaderDowning Street has refused to be drawn on “discussions we are or are not having with retailers” about prices – days after reports in the Telegraph suggested the government was looking at price controls.The story said that aides had started to work on an agreement with supermarkets, similar to a situation in France where retailers charge “the lowest possible amount” for essential goods. Continue reading...

Party leader and Alberta premier Danielle Smith used victory speech to attack the prime minister’s climate policiesAlberta’s United Conservatives have scraped a majority government, narrowly defeating the rival New Democrats in what proved to be the province’s closest ever election.The triumph for incumbent premier Danielle Smith foreshadows more friction between the western province and Canada’s federal government on environmental regulation, with Smith using her victory speech to attack the climate policies of the prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Continue reading...

Niloofar Hamedi appears in court over her reporting on woman whose death sparked mass protestsA revolutionary court in Iran has begun the trial of a female journalist behind closed doors on charges linked to her coverage of a Kurdish-Iranian woman whose death in custody last year sparked months of unrest, her husband tweeted.Mahsa Amini’s death while held by the “morality police” for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code unleashed a wave of mass anti-government protests for months, posing one of the boldest challenges to the country’s clerical leaders in decades. Continue reading...

Opponents claim Skelton Newby Hall school – which has just one pupil – is victim of ‘managed wind-down’

New data reveals the average return economy airfare to the most popular overseas destinations is now $1,827, compared with $1,213 in 2019

CoreLogic says units are now the only option for many tenants but supply is limited, forcing up rents

About 110 of the state’s top high-fee paying private schools will be required to pay tax on staff salaries, raising more than $420m over three years

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