World news | The Guardian

Fijian police escort the men from media space where US vice-president Kamala Harris was making virtual addressTwo Chinese defence attaches have been kicked out by Fijian police from a Pacific Islands Forum meeting at which the US vice-president, Kamala Harris, was giving a virtual address.The men were sitting in on a session of the forum’s fisheries agency at which Harris announced the step-up of US engagement in the region, believed to be in response to China’s growing influence. Continue reading...

Hospital bosses issue warning as government moves to end technical qualifications for healthcare studentsThe NHS will miss out on recruiting thousands of nurses every year as a direct result of the government scrapping BTec courses in health and social care, hospital bosses have warned.NHS Employers wrote in a letter to the education secretary, James Cleverly, that it had “serious concerns” about the plan, which it fears will exacerbate the health service’s acute staffing problems. Continue reading...

Show will feature immersive re-creation of set from Oscar-winning film Parasite as well as props from Squid GameAn immersive re-creation of the Oscar-winning film Parasite’s bathroom set, as well as costumes and props from the hit Netflix series Squid Game are to go on display as part of the first major exhibition on Korean culture in the UK.Hallyu! The Korean Wave will open at London’s V&A in September to celebrate the colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea, from its early origins to its place on the global stage today. Continue reading...

Passengers must record a rapid antigen test before disembarking but crew remain onboard

Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Tom Tugendhat and Nadhim Zahawi garner enough support

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will bind a future Labour government to strict borrowing limitsLabour has committed to “ironclad discipline” with the public finances and cutting Britain’s debt burden if it gets into power, in an attempt to draw a clear dividing line with Tory leadership hopefuls promising billions of pounds in tax cuts.Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, will use a speech on Wednesday to bind a future Labour government to strict borrowing limits designed to protect the public finances while allowing it to lay the foundations for a growing economy. Continue reading...

The reductions are being trialled in eight communities but will be rolled out nationally in 2023The speed limit in built-up areas will be reduced from 30mph to 20mph in Wales from next year in a UK first that the Labour-led Welsh government says will improve both safety and the quality of life for its citizens.Some opposition politicians and motorists have opposed the move to lower the default national speed limit on residential roads and busy pedestrian streets. Continue reading...

The eight candidates who got through to the first round come from across the party, with Rishi Sunak the early favourite

Met Office predicts heatwave will continue into next Monday with temperatures in mid to high 30sThe Met Office has extended an extreme heat warning for Sunday and Monday, with temperatures forecast to build to over 35C (95F) in south-east England, as an under-pressure hospital declared a major incident.The amber warning comes as extremely high temperatures in Spain and France are expected to push north into the UK this week. Temperatures reached 43C in central Spain on Monday and are forecast to rise further. Continue reading...

Home Office does U-turn and grants baby visa 24 hours after Guardian revealed family’s plightA British resident stranded in Jamaica with her baby, who was told by the Home Office the boy could not come to the UK because he had an “established life” on the Caribbean island, has now been told by the Home Office that she can bring him, after the Guardian exposed the family’s plight.Just 24 hours after the Guardian’s article was published, the Home Office granted the baby’s visa and informed his mother, Tiffany Ellis – who has indefinite leave to remain in the UK, where she has lived since the age of eight – that it was ready for immediate collection. Continue reading...

Show’s creator wants to ‘give something back’ to New Mexico city and hopes statues will attract ‘busloads of tourists’Officials at the New Mexico city of Albuquerque are planning to unveil bronze statues honoring the two main characters of Breaking Bad, the popular TV show about a chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer and starts to distribute crystal meth with a former student to secure his family’s financial future.The statues, portraying protagonist Walter White and his sidekick Jesse Pinkman, were commissioned in 2019 by the show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, as a way to “give something back” to Albuquerque, according to a news release from the city’s government. Continue reading...

Some 6,500 health staff are off work in Queensland, NSW and Victoria as Covid and flu place pressure on hospitals

Amid sluggish wage growth, chief executive pay among the top 100 listed companies rises to about 100 times average adult earnings

Absence of Kiribati from the meeting is ‘really devastating’ to the body’s long-term strategy, security expert says

Charity workers hope Sir Mo Farah’s decision to reveal he was trafficked would encourage more victims to come forwardAfter it took Sir Mo Farah decades to summon the courage to speak about his childhood experiences, trafficking experts warned that the fear of being criminalised prevents many other child victims from coming forward to seek help.Charity workers commended the Olympic champion’s decision to reveal he was trafficked to the UK using another child’s name, then exploited and forced into domestic servitude, expressing hope that high-profile revelations would highlight the widespread nature of such abuse and encourage more victims to speak out. Continue reading...

HBO’s hit drama is out in front with The White Lotus, Ted Lasso, Hacks and Only Murders in the Building running close behindSuccession is leading the way in this year’s Emmys race after today’s announcement that the acclaimed HBO drama picked up 25 nominations.The hit show, which has previously won nine Emmys, was nominated for best drama series, with stars including Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin all receiving noms. Continue reading...

Labour criticises ‘unprecedented’ refusal to allow debate time for motion of no confidence in Boris Johnson

Most of toymaker’s staff in Moscow to lose jobs and partnership with retailer to be wound up due to invasion of UkraineLego is to end all operations in Russia “indefinitely” after pausing deliveries to its 81 stores in the country in March.The world’s largest toymaker said it was ending the employment of most of its staff in Moscow and terminating a partnership with Inventive Retail Group, the company that runs stores on its behalf in the country. Continue reading...

Unions say figures showing teacher and pupil attendance dropping are reminder virus has not gone awaySchool attendance in England has fallen to the lowest level since January, according to the latest government data.Nearly one in five secondary pupils was off last week, while teacher absences are also on the rise, figures show. Continue reading...

Several people reportedly killed in strike – possibly from Himars system – on ammunition store in Nova Kakhovka

From Rishi Sunak’s use of a Max Bygraves catchphrase to the weirdly robotic Penny Mordaunt and the fantastically self-satisfied Liz Truss, the first crop of Conservative leadership campaign videos are very odd indeedSajid Javid★☆☆☆☆ Continue reading...

Prof Jonathan Tonge, who accurately predicted confidence vote result, says it’s a ‘51/49 call’The “Mystic Meg” professor who accurately predicted the number of Tory MPs who would back Boris Johnson in last month’s confidence vote has tentatively cast his runes for the final outcome of the Conservative leadership election.“Without any confidence at all, I’d say Rishi Sunak will become the next prime minister,” said Jonathan Tonge, who teaches British politics at the University of Liverpool. “But I think it’s a 51/49 call because Liz Truss plays pretty well with the Tory party members too. Continue reading...

Lawyers advise supreme court that Sturgeon not entitled to a ruling on legality of holding a vote without Westminster’s consentNicola Sturgeon’s request for a supreme court ruling on the legality of holding a second Scottish independence referendum without Westminster’s permission should be thrown out as “premature”, the UK government has suggested.Scotland’s lord advocate, Dorothy Bain QC, wrote to the supreme court at the first minister’s request two weeks ago seeking clarity on whether the Holyrood parliament can legislate to stage a second referendum without clearance from Westminster under a section 30 order, which Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to grant. Continue reading...

Blow for industry as government backs WHO data and vows to cut additives in ham and cured sausagesFrench health authorities say they have confirmed a link between nitrates added to processed meat and colon cancer, dealing a blow to the country’s prized ham and cured sausage industry.The national food safety body Anses said its study of data published on the subject supported similar conclusions in 2015 from the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...

Greater Manchester mayor’s well-worn navy worker’s jacket acquired by People’s History MuseumThe jacket Andy Burnham wore for a defiant al fresco speech telling the government that Greater Manchester would not accept any more Covid restrictions is to go on display this week.The mayor’s navy worker’s jacket, described by one politics professor in a broadsheet think piece as “a political statement of his working-class credentials”, will be shown at the People’s History Museum in Manchester from Wednesday. Continue reading...

The backbench 1922 Committee has set the rules and timetable for picking the next UK prime minister

White House says US has evidence Tehran is going to supply Moscow with weapons-capable drones

Home secretary had previously made it clear she was considering competing for the top job

Photos dating back to 1800s made free to allow telling of black history stories beyond enslavement and colonisationA collection of almost 30,000 rarely seen images of the black diaspora in the UK and the US, dating from the 19th century to the present, has been launched as part of an educational initiative to raise awareness of the history of black people in the UK.The Black History & Culture Collection includes more than 20 categories of images including politics, hair, education, female empowerment and LGBTQ+. Continue reading...

Ex-PM tells MPs that senior ministers share responsibility for harm done to democracy at home and Britain’s standing globally

Government criticises broadcaster for documentary alleging Afghan civilians were shot in cold bloodThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) has taken the extraordinary step of accusing the BBC of engaging in “irresponsible, incorrect” journalism hours before a Panorama documentary that will accuse SAS soldiers of killing Afghan civilians in cold blood.The product of a four-year investigation, the programme due to be broadcast on BBC One on Tuesday night concludes that 54 people were killed in suspicious circumstances by one SAS unit in Helmand province between 2010 and 2011. Continue reading...

Investigation into Nadine Dorries’ claims reality show used paid actors has found no evidence of fakery, says Alex MahonThe government tried to intervene to alter the wording of Channel 4’s annual report to fit its privatisation plans, according to the broadcaster’s chief executive.Alex Mahon also told a committee of MPs on Tuesday that the broadcaster’s investigation into culture secretary Nadine Dorries’ claims a 2010 Channel 4 reality show she appeared on used paid actors has found no evidence of fakery. Continue reading...

Deputy PM and transport secretary throw weight behind frontrunner in bid to succeed Boris Johnson

Airport admits it is struggling to cope with surge in demand and its new staff are ‘not yet up to full speed’Heathrow has asked airlines to stop selling summer tickets and imposed a daily limit of 100,000 passengers departing the airport, as it struggles to cope with the surge in travel.Heathrow and other airports have experienced chaotic scenes in recent weeks, with long queue times amid shortages of ground staff, and airlines have cancelled thousands of flights. Continue reading...

Contestants will enter a writers’ retreat and be given 30 days to write a novel while completing ‘live-wire’ challengesReality TV producers have exhausted singers, dancers, drag artists, potters, tailors, and beautiful young people hoping to find love. Now, it seems, the spotlight has fallen on writers. This week, a call has appeared on social media for contestants to apply to be on the pilot of a new show called America’s Next Great Author (ANGA).Billed as “the groundbreaking reality TV show for writers”, ANGA will give its contestants one minute to pitch their novels to a panel of judges that includes New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds, Fox5 TV presenter Angie Goff, and stage writer and comedian Marga Gomez. Continue reading...

Other high earners such as Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel have left corporation helping to reduce wage billGary Lineker has retained his title as the BBC’s highest paid presenter, although the continued exodus of big-name stars from the broadcaster has led to the departure of some high earners.The former footballer earned £1.35m last year for hosting Match of the Day and coverage of Euro 2020, putting him comfortably ahead of second-placed Radio 2 breakfast show host Zoe Ball, who took home £980,000 from the BBC. Continue reading...

Head of Mulanay municipality in Quezon threatens disciplinary action for failing to follow ‘smile policy’A mayor in the Philippines has ordered all local government workers and officials to smile while serving the public – and threatened disciplinary action against those who fail to comply.Aristotle “Aris” L Aguirre, the mayor of Mulanay municipality in Quezon, has sought to tackle an apparent problem of low spirits among staff by signing an executive order adopting a “smile policy”. Continue reading...

Evgeny Lebedev’s London freesheet reports £14m loss for last year as Covid continues to hit advertisingThe Evening Standard has reported a loss of £14m for last year as the Covid pandemic continued to dent advertising income and commuters remained at home – taking the London freesheet’s losses to almost £70m over the past five years.The newspaper, which is majority owned by Evgeny Lebedev, embarked on a big cost-cutting drive during the pandemic which has resulted in staff numbers falling by more than a quarter from 320 to 236 in the 53 weeks to 3 October last year. Continue reading...

Vice president Kamala Harris to announce postings in Kiribati and Tonga during Pacific Islands Forum address

A senior professor says no links have been found between the first four deaths, and the fifth is under reviewFive students at the University of Cambridge have died as a result of suicide or suspected suicide over the past four months, prompting a rapid review by university authorities.Prof Graham Virgo, the senior pro-vice-chancellor for education, said inquiries had found no links between the first four deaths of students who were all at different colleges. The fifth death happened since and is the subject of further review. Continue reading...

Doctors accuse government of ‘mixed messages’ as hospitalisations rise, saying they should be open to more preventive measures

New regulations require scam messages to be traced, identified and blocked and for information to be shared with authorities

Just 70 MPs and peers saw Sir Patrick Vallance showcase data that converted Boris Johnson to climate cause before Cop26Only 70 MPs and peers attended an emergency climate briefing by the UK government’s chief scientific adviser in parliament on Monday, the Guardian has learned.The briefing, organised by the climate change all-party parliamentary group, was an updated version of the slides that the chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, showed Boris Johnson before the UN climate summit Cop26 in Glasgow in November. Continue reading...

Joint letter says Andrea Jenkyns’ excuses for raising her middle finger to crowds outside No 10 would not be acceptable from teaching staff or pupilsEducation unions have written to the newly appointed education minister, Andrea Jenkyns, warning that her use of an obscene gesture and her excuses since would be unacceptable from a pupil or member of staff.Jenkyns, Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood, was widely criticised after she was pictured raising her middle finger at a crowd gathered at the entrance to Downing Street on the day of Boris Johnson’s announcement that he was to step down as prime minister. Continue reading...

Attack on tavern near Johannesburg in which 15 were killed was one of several similar incidents over the weekendCampaigners in South Africa have called for a crackdown on increasingly powerful organised criminals armed with military-grade weapons, blamed for a string of recent deadly attacks.Police are looking for suspected gang members who killed 15 people in a tavern near Johannesburg, the country’s commercial capital, using an assault rifle and 9mm pistols on Saturday night. Continue reading...

Union members overwhelmingly back industrial action that could be as disruptive as RMT strikes in JuneDrivers at eight train companies have voted to strike over pay, raising the prospect of significantly more travel disruption this summer.Members of the train drivers’ union Aslef at Chiltern, Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway, London Overground, Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine Express and West Midlands all voted overwhelmingly to go on strike. Continue reading...

Tech firm wooed owners of publications in Europe and India as it sought favourable treatment from governments, documents showUber courted leading media barons across Europe and India with the aim of using their clout to secure more favourable treatment from governments, leaked documents reveal. It asked existing media investors to lobby on its behalf and offered others prized stakes in the company.The tech company’s charm offensive targeted the owners of publications including the UK’s Daily Mail, France’s Les Echos, Italy’s La Repubblica and L’Espresso, Germany’s Die Welt and Bild and the Times of India. The German deal was discussed internally as a way of gaining political “support and influence” in Germany and Brussels, according to the Uber files, a leak of more than 124,000 documents to the Guardian. Continue reading...

Chancellor vows to slash spending if he gets top job as rival Liz Truss says she would cut taxes ‘from day one’

Former Formula One boss to appear in court in August after HMRC investigation, says CPSFormer Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone will face charges of fraud by false representation after an investigation by UK tax authorities that allegedly found undeclared assets worth more than £400m overseas.The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Monday it had “authorised the charging of Bernard Charles Ecclestone with fraud by false representation, following a [HM Revenue and Customs] investigation”. The investigation was dubbed Operation Gallic by the authorities. Continue reading...