World news | The Guardian

Analysis: we take a look at Tory ministers jostling for top job with ratings out of 10 on chances of success• Stay up to date – UK politics liveBoris Johnson’s future could be sealed on Monday evening, after at least 54 Tory MPs submitted letters saying they had lost confidence in the prime minister. Conservative MPs will vote in a secret ballot to decide his fate, taking only 180 of them to vote to oust him.But one of the factors making some MPs hesitant is the lack of an obvious successor. Here are the main contenders jostling for position with a rating out of 10 on their current chances of success, although MPs are taking seriously the idea that a wild card candidate could end up winning in the event of a contest. Continue reading...

US hedge fund Elliott Management criticises decision to halt nickel trading after spike in pricesThe London Metal Exchange is being sued by the New York hedge fund Elliott Management for $456m (£363m), over its controversial decision to cancel nickel trades after a spike in prices linked to the invasion of Ukraine.Elliott’s case, which was filed at the high court last week, claims the LME acted “unreasonably and irrationally” when it cancelled trades originally made on 8 March, a move that the exchange said was meant to avoid disorderly trading. Continue reading...

Airline accused of discrimination after it introduces test due to ‘high prevalence of fraudulent passports’Ryanair is facing accusations of racial discrimination after forcing South Africans to take a test in Afrikaans before boarding flights home from the UK and Europe.The budget airline, which claimed the “simple questionnaire” was part of efforts to tackling fraudulent South African passport holders, is facing criticism for conducting the general knowledge test in a language that is the third most used in the country and had a controversial role in the oppression of black citizens during apartheid. Continue reading...

Analysis: the conflict in Europe has entrenched the differences between Beijing and the US and its alliesMore than 100 days into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s strategic assessment of the conflict is becoming clearer: it does not wish to be cast in the same light as Russia, but the war has deepened Beijing’s mistrust of the west.In Beijing’s view, the pessimism has been exacerbated by the US and its allies’ recent efforts, for example, to help Taiwan increase its international recognition. On Monday last week, Beijing made the second-largest incursion into Taiwan’s air defence zone this year with Taipei reporting 30 jets entering the area, including more than 20 fighters. Continue reading...

Chair of 1922 Committee says threshold of 54 letters seeking PM’s departure has been reached

‘Insulting’ comments by spokespeople for ruling Bharatiya Janata party met with anger in Middle EastThe Indian government has become embroiled in a diplomatic row with Gulf states after two ruling party spokespeople were accused of making Islamophobic and derogatory comments insulting the prophet Muhammad.The ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) suspended its national spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, and expelled its Delhi media head, Naveen Kumar Jindal, after their comments went viral in the Middle East, where they were met with a chorus of diplomatic anger. Continue reading...

Analysis: Even if the PM survives on Monday evening his plummet from grace has been extraordinary

Prime minister speaks in Jakarta after sharing bike ride with Indonesian president; Richard Marles says finding successor to Collins-class submarines is ‘No 1’ defence priority; Australia records at least 19 Covid deaths. Follow all the day’s developments

Brian Burston, who represented One Nation from 2016 to 2018, is suing his former leader for what he says were accusations of sexual harassment against him

Australia’s sanctions on oligarch Oleg Deripaska led to Rio Tinto taking responsibility for Gladstone refinery from Rusal subsidiary

There is a long history of nuclear energy being used as a delaying tactic for acting on climate change in Australia

High number of first 100 people to be sent to Rwanda are from Sudan, despite being small number of those crossing the ChannelThe Home Office is offering to fly asylum seekers back to the conflict zones they escaped from if they do not wish to be sent to Rwanda, the Guardian has learned.Documents issued to the first group of asylum seekers facing removal to the east African country state that the Home Office voluntary returns service can help them go back to their home country. Continue reading...

As details emerge, concerns grow about Treasury’s efforts to recover almost £5bn wrongly claimedWhen Keith Hamblett, a fruit and vegetable seller from Tyne and Wear, asked his bank for a government-backed loan in the autumn of 2020, the economy was still in trouble after lockdowns, and coronavirus cases were rising.The Covid bounce back loan scheme was a welcome relief for many smaller companies, and Hamblett received £28,000. Continue reading...

Sellers could pass off elephant products as derivatives from unprotected mammals, Born Free Foundation saysIvory peddlers may continue to sell elephant tusks after a new ban by disguising their products as walrus or narwhal derivatives, campaigners have warned.From Monday, trade in elephant teeth and tusks is illegal in the UK, punishable by fines of up to £250,000 or up to five years in prison under the Ivory Act. Pre-1975 musical instruments and antique items of “outstanding importance” are exempted from the act, as well as ivory from non-elephant species. Continue reading...

Exclusive: research finds black people are 38% less likely than white people to be diagnosed in this wayBlack people are more than a third less likely than white people to be diagnosed with cancer via screening in England, according to the first study of its kind, prompting calls for targeted efforts to improve their levels of uptake.Screening programmes save lives by preventing cancer from occurring or spotting it earlier, when treatment is more likely to be effective. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Report for Aberlour children’s charity reveals scale of school meal debt for first timeMore than £1m is owed by families across Scotland who are unable to pay for their children’s school meals, new research has found.The report for the Aberlour children’s charity, seen exclusively by the Guardian, reveals the scale of school meal debt for the first time, and details an “alarming” rise in hidden hunger among Scotland’s school pupils. Continue reading...

Only a quarter of shifts have the planned number of registered nurses on duty, according to Royal College of Nursing reportOnly a quarter of nursing shifts have the planned number of registered nurses on duty, a survey of more than 20,000 frontline staff has suggested.According to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), most nurses warn that staffing levels on their last shift were not sufficient to meet the needs of patients, and that some are now quitting their jobs.

Tech giant and comedian Jordan Shanks may face contempt of court charges over videos published during trial

President makes rare publicised visit outside Kyiv, close to Sievierodonetsk, where Ukrainian forces have taken back ground from Russian forces

Monday morning launches demonstrate ‘capability and readiness to carry out precision strikes’ on regime, a day after it carried out its own launchesSouth Korea and the US have fired eight surface-to-surface missiles into the sea in response to North Korea’s launch of a similar number of ballistic missiles the previous day, a South Korea defence ministry official said.South Korea said Monday’s tit-for-tat launch off its east coast was a demonstration of Seoul’s “capability and readiness to carry out precision strikes” against the source of North Korea’s missile launches or the command and support centres, the Yonhap news agency cited the South Korean military as saying. Continue reading...

Despite a few upticks in recent weeks, the current campaign has seen, on average, the lowest crowds in a quarter of a centuryNearly 44,000 people were at the MCG on Sunday, a reasonable turnout on a stinker of a day. There were 47,000 at Optus Stadium too, but AFL crowds, on average, are the lowest they have been since 1996. Just over 30,000 watched the reigning premiers on their home ground on Saturday night, while the crowd at the Adelaide Oval was well below par.One commentator suggested the game has become “too woke” with all its rule changes and crackdown on umpire dissent. Others believe the standard of play is driving punters away. But, arguably, the football has been far superior to that played half a decade ago, when crowd numbers peaked. West Coast’s dire year, the redevelopment of Kardinia Park, the floating fixture and a recent Arctic blast have also played a role. Here are some of the possible major contributing factors. Continue reading...

Champion of Māori rights honoured by Queen for life of work dedicated to improving ‘economic, cultural and social standing of Māori communities’A Māori leader, educator and historian who has dedicated his life to the betterment of Māori and was instrumental in developing Māori fishing interests has been awarded New Zealand’s highest honour.Tā (Sir) Tipene O’Regan, 83, has been made a member of the Order of New Zealand as part of the Queen’s birthday honours list. O’Regan was awarded the distinction alongside Dame Silvia Cartwright, a former governor general and the first woman in New Zealand to become a high court judge. Continue reading...

Putin warns that Moscow will hit new targets if west supplies Ukraine with long-range missiles as Kyiv reels from first attack in more than a month

Dominic Perrottet announces $4.5bn recruitment drive of 10,000 health workers in attempt to ease pressure on stretched hospitals

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war herePresident Vladimir Putin said Russia would strike new targets if the United States started supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles, the TASS news agency reported on Sunday.The TASS news agency reports:Putin said that if such missiles are supplied, that Russia will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting”, in an Rossiya-1 state television channelPutin did not name the targets Russia planned to pursue if western countries began supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles. Continue reading...

Analysts say the extent to which Australia will have to accelerate the uptake of renewables has not been appreciated – it’s extremely challenging, but not impossibleAustralia will need to double the pace of its renewable energy uptake to meet the 2030 target set by the Albanese government, even without any increase in demand, according to Bruce Mountain, head of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre.Labor’s main energy policy, Rewiring the Nation, includes the creation of a special corporation to funnel $20bn into new transmission links to accelerate the uptake of more clean energy. The plan is part of Labor’s pledge to cut Australia’s 2005-level greenhouse gas emissions 43% by 2030, projecting renewables reach an 82% share of renewables in the National Electricity Market by then. Continue reading...

New York-born Such played bass for American rock band in its 1980s heydayAlec John Such, the bassist and a founding member of Bon Jovi, has died. He was 70.Jon Bon Jovi on Sunday announced the death of Such, the New Jersey rock band’s bassist from 1983 to 1994. No details of when or how he died were immediately available. Continue reading...

PM accompanied by senior ministers and business leaders as Labor’s regional diplomatic offensive continues amid growing China assertiveness

Former Brexit negotiator criticises Irish government’s focus on ‘all-island’ economyBoris Johnson’s former Brexit negotiator David Frost has said the “weakness” of the UK’s position shaped the negotiations for the Northern Ireland protocol but blamed a lack of pragmatism in the EU’s approach for the current difficulties.Frost said the deal he negotiated while in Johnson’s government would have run smoothly only if it had never been fully applied by the EU. Continue reading...

Revellers near Davidstow Moor shelter in cars as rainfall turns the ground into mudAn illegal rave on Cornish moorland has gone into its third day, with several hundred people still at the site, according to police.Thousands of partygoers arrived at the site on Friday before the jubilee weekend. Residents complained about loud noise and music playing throughout the night near Davidstow Moor, near Camelford. Continue reading...

‘While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all,’ Queen’s statement says

In a message at the climax of celebrations, monarch acknowledges her fragility but commits to continue her reignThe Queen crowned her historic platinum jubilee celebrations with a last-minute appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Sunday, bringing to a close four days of festivities that revealed not only the contents of her handbag, but a nation’s undiminished appetite for a party.The 96-year-old monarch waved to cheering crowds gathered in the Mall for the carnival climax of the four-day bank holiday weekend. Continue reading...

PM will launch last-ditch attempt this week to win over critics in Tory ranks with health and housing policy announcementsBoris Johnson’s allies will switch their focus to winning a vote of no confidence, after conceding that they now have little chance of stopping one being triggered.The prime minister will this week launch a health and housing policy fightback in a last-ditch attempt to win over his critics. He is widely expected to face a vote on his leadership as soon as this week, with some MPs predicting that the threshold of 54 letters asking for one has already been exceeded. Continue reading...

Residents on Lancashire’s coast see event as opportunity to win visitors back to a town that tourists have largely forsaken“I’ve got my gin, so I’m all right now,” said Chez Ferdinand, a retired office manager in a crown and cape as she took a break from handing out plastic union-flag bowler hats and bow ties.“We’ve got all sorts here. We’ve got ploughman’s, Eton mess, jubilee cake, scones and clotted cream … We’ve got pink gin, we’ve got vodka, we’ve got wine, beer, Pimm’s. What would you like? Continue reading...

The Australian Tax Office is auditing Brazilian meat processor JBS over tax restructure

Peak rights group for older Australians demands urgent change after 530 incidents of sexual abuse reported in last quarter of 2021

Research shows many Australians find medical records not uploaded and clinicians fail to see benefits of using the national online database

Guardian photojournalists share their jubilee experiences – including beach, street and park parties from Glasgow to CornwallDriving around Cornwall on Saturday, you’d have thought the Queen’s Jubilee had been cancelled. Bunting was hard to find, fancy dress was nowhere to be seen and, due to the grim weather, only a smattering of people braved the street lunch in Falmouth where free Cornish pasties were being doled out. Continue reading...

At least 50 people killed and dozens more injured in assault during Sunday mass in Ondo stateGunmen launched an assault on a Catholic church in Ondo state in Nigeria during mass on Sunday, killing more than 50 people in a “satanic attack”, local officials and volunteers said.The attackers targeted the St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the town of Owo as the worshippers gathered on Pentecost Sunday, according to local officials. They gunned down parishioners and detonated an explosive device, local media reported. Continue reading...

IOPC watchdog launches independent inquiry into incident on Chelsea Bridge in west LondonA man who shot with a Taser by police in London and had to be rescued from the River Thames has died, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has said.Police were called to Chelsea Bridge Road in west London on Saturday morning after receiving reports that a man was armed with a screwdriver and shouting. Continue reading...

Force claimed it approached groups before launch of Project Alpha which scours social media sitesYouth violence experts have said they had no involvement with a police scheme that collects children’s personal data, despite the Met claiming to have consulted them.Project Alpha, involving more than 30 staff and launched in 2019 with Home Office funding, scours social media sites looking at drill music videos and other content. It has prompted concerns about racial profiling and potential privacy violations. Continue reading...

More holidaymakers caught up in travel chaos as nearly 200 flights are cancelled and roads clog upUK holidaymakers have faced yet more travel chaos as easyJet cancelled another 80 flights on Sunday and roads began to clog up with drivers returning from half-term and jubilee weekend breaks.Tens of thousands of British travellers are estimated to be stranded at airports across Europe after close to 200 flight cancellations over the weekend. Continue reading...

Huge blaze breaks out at container storage facility 40km from country’s main sea port, Chittagong, with toll expected to rise furtherAt least 49 people died and hundreds have been injured after a fire tore through a shipping container depot in Bangladesh, sparking a huge chemical explosion that engulfed many of those who had rushed to the scene to help. The death toll is expected to rise.More than 300 people were injured in the incident, many of whom sustained life-threatening burns, and many bodies remain unrecovered as the fire continued to blaze for a second night in Sitakunda, near the busy southern port of Chittagong. Continue reading...

Revival of Puccini classic seeks to be ‘both true to the spirit of the original and authentic in its representation’It’s a dramatic masterpiece and a key component of any opera house’s core repertory – but Madama Butterfly was also a product of its time, riddled with stereotypes and racist depictions of Asian people.So what does it mean to stage Giacomo Puccini’s 1904 classic in 2022? That’s the question the Royal Opera House set out to answer when it launched a year-long consultation on how to better respect Japanese culture in its production. Continue reading...

In Africa, celebrations in honour of the Queen stir nostalgia in some, resentment in othersThe jubilee has met with a muted response in much of sub-Saharan Africa, with commentators evoking the troubled history of the British empire, London’s diminished influence and the distraction of deepening economic problems on the continent to explain the apparent apathy.Buckingham Palace listed 18 official beacons lit in commemoration across Africa last week, and Seychelles president Wavel Ramkalawan described the Queen as “a remarkable global personality whose legacy transcends national borders” who was “loved and respected by the entire world”. But such sentiments are not universal. Continue reading...

TfL warns of severe disruption, while union sources call for entire network to be shut down over safety concernsLondon’s transport operator has warned people to expect “severe disruption” on the tube on Monday when 4,000 station staff are due to walk out in a 24-hour strike that will shut down much of the network.Transport for London said there would be problems across all lines from the start of service on Monday to 8am on Tuesday, with a limited number of stations open. It advised against travel on the tube throughout that period “unless necessary”. Continue reading...

Exhibition to show items the artist experimented with before larger wrapped pieces that defined himLong before scaling the heights of the Reichstag in Berlin or the Pont Neuf in Paris, the artist known as Christo started on a much smaller scale.Having fled communist Bulgaria for Paris and working in a maid’s room, the impoverished refugee began creating his first wrapped sculptures using everyday objects such as cans, bottles and – when he found a bigger studio – old oil barrels. Continue reading...

Carl Otto von Eicken, an ear, nose and throat specialist, treated Nazi dictator for 10 years from 1935The Swiss descendent of one of Adolf Hitler’s doctors has released details of letters that show how he treated the Nazi dictator for voice problems, the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag reported on Sunday.The letters show Hitler’s fear of serious illness. “If there is something bad, I absolutely have to know,” Hitler told the doctor after their first consultation in May 1935, according to the letters. Continue reading...

Jane Morris’s creative influence on her husband’s design empire has finally been revealed in a new bookRevered for his textiles, his art and his socialism, William Morris is the celebrated leader of the Arts and Crafts movement, a renowned intellectual who revolutionised decorative art and design in Britain. His wife, Jane, meanwhile, has been relegated to the status of a silent muse.Now, the first joint biography of the couple will shine a light on their personal and creative partnership, and reassert the rightful place of Jane Morris – a skilled embroiderer and talented designer – in the history books. Continue reading...

Minister says government shouldn’t be distracted by clips such as that of PM arriving at jubilee serviceThe transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has said “politicians don’t expect to be popular all the time” and people are “over-interpreting” the boos directed at Boris Johnson when he attended a service for the Queen’s platinum jubilee.Shapps, one of the prime minister’s closest cabinet allies, also argued that the government should focus on running the country rather than be distracted by short clips. Continue reading...