World news | The Guardian

Many more people injured as thunder and hail lead to flooding, power cuts and flight delaysOne woman has been killed and 14 people injured in France as thunder and hailstorms hit the country, ravaging vineyards and delaying flights.Residents of south-west France posted photos online of hail the size of tennis balls, and drivers in the Paris region shared images of flooded roads and daytime skies blackened by thunder clouds. Continue reading...

Transport secretary says he wants scheme similar to delay repay, as he rules out sending in army amid half-term travel chaosTravellers should get automatic reimbursement for cancelled foreign holidays like the delay repay scheme for trains, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has said.Shapps ruled out sending in the armed forces to help process holidaymakers after scenes of travel chaos over the half-term break, saying it was up to airlines and airports themselves to hire and train more staff. He said there should be a campaign “to attract people to the sector and make sure that people are properly paid”. Continue reading...

Exhibition brings together portraits, many held in private collections, of queens from Tudor times onwardsSeven queens of these islands have been gathered this month in an extraordinary grouping to mark the unrivalled length of Elizabeth II’s reign.Sotheby’s auction house has assembled portraits of all the regnant queens from the Tudors onwards, with the exception of Lady Jane Grey, the teenager who claimed the throne for just nine days. Continue reading...

‘Time is running out’ for blogger and activist who was given UK citizenship last yearInside Alaa Abd El Fattah’s cell in the Wadi al-Natrun prison complex – once nicknamed “the valley of hell” for its location in the middle of the desert – fluorescent lights stay on 24 hours a day, along with CCTV to monitor his every move. Now 65 days into a hunger strike, the blogger and activist has become a symbol of resistance against Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi’s regime.But despite becoming a British citizen last year, he is no closer to being released. His family fear that foreign secretary Liz Truss is failing to do enough to free him. “You would think that the moment he became a British citizen, something would change, not just because of the leverage of another citizenship but also the good relations between Egypt and the UK,” said activist Mona Seif, Abd El Fattah’s sister, who also acquired British citizenship last year. Continue reading...

If 54 Conservative MPs have turned against him, the PM will soon face a survival test. But it may be about more than winningMuch as the British people and their elected representatives may have wanted a break from politics during the platinum jubilee celebrations, the issue of the country’s political leadership has cropped up at many a street and garden party.“I would say that at all the events I have been to – and it is a lot – the vast majority have tried politely to avoid it where they can,” said one Tory MP with a southern constituency. Continue reading...

Increase in violence prompts protests and biggest exodus of Kashmiri Pandit families for two decadesHundreds of minority Hindus have fled from Indian-administered Kashmir, and many more are preparing to leave, after a fresh spate of targeted killings stoked tensions in the disputed Himalayan region.Three Hindus have been killed by militants in Kashmir this week alone, including a teacher and migrant workers, prompting mass protests and the largest exodus of Hindu families from the Muslim-majority region in two decades. Continue reading...

Simon Birmingham says Australian foreign policy should work with ‘one voice’; Anthony Albanese says Australia has ‘raised concerns’ with China after P-8A Poseidon intercepted by Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft; at least 30 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed

Angus Taylor becomes shadow treasurer, but Alex Hawke gets no position in a shadow cabinet with 10 women

Oscar-winner John Bright will put his vast collection of antique puppets, dolls and trains on show at new venue in East SussexJohn Bright is an Oscar-winning film costume designer whose talent for creating period clothing is well known to the likes of Emma Thompson and Judi Dench, or fans of Downton Abbey and Pirates of the Caribbean. But it is his collection of antique toys and puppets that is about to take centre stage.This week hundreds of highlights from the 82-year-old’s vast personal collection – including rare wooden dolls from the 1800s, a Steiff ride-on elephant and a train set last seen on the BBC’s adaptation of The Borrowers – will go on display for the first time at a museum and nearby puppet theatre he has founded in East Sussex. Continue reading...

Ahead of Jakarta trip, PM flagged push for deeper ties with neighbours while ‘recognising the challenges’ of China’s involvement in region

The row over the Greenfields recreation ground in could be a test case on selling English public land for housingIn the Greenfields recreation ground in Shrewsbury, a yoga class is wrapping up while, nearby, people walk their dogs and children play before school. It’s a peaceful scene … but away from the park a fierce battle has been waging between residents and the council, and it is now heading for the supreme court.In 2017, a section of the park was sold by Shrewsbury town council to a developer for high-end housing, but without consulting the community or even advertising the proposed sale, despite there being a legal requirement to do so. Continue reading...

Pyongyang’s 18th round of missile tests this year comes after US aircraft carrier leads exercises in the Philippine SeaNorth Korea has fired eight short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast, a day after South Korea and the US wrapped up military exercises involving an American aircraft carrier.Possibly setting a single-day record for North Korean ballistic launches, the missiles were fired in succession over 35 minutes on Sunday from at least four different locations, including from western and eastern coastal areas and two inland areas north of and near the capital, Pyongyang, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said. Continue reading...

Residents urged to avoid travel as cold front brings frigid temperatures, rain and damaging winds to several states

Police said the man lost consciousness after they deployed pepper spray while struggling with the man near the Moorebank Avenue off-ramp

Defence reports J-16 jet released ‘chaff’ including aluminium shards in front of Australian flight in South China Sea region

US embassy in Kyiv says ‘those responsible for war crimes must face justice’

British anaesthetist pleads for doctors and nurses to be allowed naps and limited night shifts, as in other critical workplacesAbout half of all hospital doctors and nurses have had accidents or experienced near misses while driving home after a night shift.The risks they pose to themselves and other road users have been calculated as the same as those posed by drivers who are over the legal alcohol limit, delegates at a European medical conference were told last week. Continue reading...

Survey puts Labour 20 points ahead in the constituency amid reports Boris Johnson could face no confidence voteThe Conservatives are heading for a potentially catastrophic defeat in the Wakefield byelection amid reports Boris Johnson could face a vote on his future next week, according to a new poll.A survey by JL Partners and reported in the Sunday Times gives Labour a 20-point lead over the Tories in the Yorkshire constituency. Continue reading...

‘We’re standing up for UK institutions,’ says shadow minister, pointing to booing of Boris JohnsonLabour has staked a bold claim to be the true party of patriotism and the best of British values, as four days of nationwide celebrations to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee draw to a close on Sunday.Senior Labour party figures said Boris Johnson – who was booed outside St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday – was no longer seen by the public as a leader who upholds the British standards of integrity, decency and honesty that the country has long been admired for across the world. Continue reading...

Australia’s new minister faces difficult challenges fixing laws, creating an EPA and curbing an extinction crisisThere was surprise last week when Tanya Plibersek was announced as Australia’s new environment and water minister. The portfolio, which had been held by Terri Butler in opposition before she lost her seat, comes with a long list of unaddressed challenges.Here are five that Plibersek will face as she gets up to speed in her new role. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Union-commissioned study finds cap will see wages fall by thousands of dollars a year

Pre-recorded segment features the Queen acting opposite the CGI bear, voiced by Ben WhishawPaddington Bear was the secret special guest for the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations on Saturday night, appearing alongside the monarch in a sweet-natured video segment.Just as she did at the 2012 London Olympics, when she appeared with Daniel Craig’s James Bond in a pre-recorded video, the Queen proved a good sport as she acted alongside the CGI bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw, who joined her at Buckingham Palace for afternoon tea. Continue reading...

Tina Brown, author of The Palace Papers, says monarch’s image stems from time before ‘great media age’The Queen’s iconic “mystique” is a result of her reign beginning before the “great media age”, and will not be something her successors are able to emulate, the author of The Palace Papers has said.

Russians ‘suffering huge losses’, region’s governor claims, amid heavy fighting

Dozens of police officers remove six female campaigners wearing sashes reading ‘Animal Justice’Six female protesters from the Animal Rebellion campaign group ran on to the track before the Epsom Derby on Saturday afternoon and were removed by police.Dozens of police officers could be seen working to remove the protesters, who were wearing sashes reading “Animal Justice”. Continue reading...

Call predicted airlines would fail to cope with huge demand as hostilities between government and industry deepen over appeal for special visas for EU workersThe aviation minister was warned at the start of the year that the widespread flight chaos witnessed last week was “inevitable” and government intervention was urgently required to prevent such disruption, union sources say.During a telephone call with aviation unions in late January, Robert Courts was told that the industry wouldn’t be able to cope with high demand unless it received help to offset chronic staff shortages. Continue reading...

The woman, now 61, took the stand during the civil trial over the lawsuit of Judy Hoth, who alleges she was assaulted during the same timeA woman testified Friday that she was 14 when Bill Cosby took her into a trailer on a movie set in 1975, grabbed her so she couldn’t move her arms, and kissed her aggressively.“I was struggling to get away,” she said. “It was very shocking.” Continue reading...

St Mark’s Road in Bristol is involving a rich mix of ethnicities and generations in its celebrationsWhen church cafe manager Lesley Wynne was contemplating how her street could mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee, her first instinct was cupcakes and tree-planting.But the more she thought about it, the more it dawned on her that for St Mark’s Road in Bristol, that would just be too boring. Continue reading...

More than 30 royals will gather to see acts including Diana Ross, Ella Eyre and George Ezra for Queen’s jubileeMusic artists and royals are gearing up for the Platinum Party at the Palace on Saturday evening, as part of the Queen’s four-day jubilee celebrations.More than 30 royals will gather at Buckingham Palace for the event to see performances by Diana Ross, Ella Eyre and George Ezra, who tweeted ahead of his performance on Saturday afternoon: “Here’s something I never imagined myself saying … I’m playing at Buckingham Palace tonight for the Queen’s Jubilee!!” Continue reading...

Investigation into Met police under way after incident on Chelsea Bridge on Saturday morningA man is in hospital in a critical condition after he was Tasered by police in London and had to be rescued from the River Thames.Police, who are being investigated after the incident, said they were called just after 9am on Saturday to reports of a man with a screwdriver shouting in Chelsea Bridge Road. Continue reading...

Clouds of thick smoke build over Greek capital’s southern suburbs as more than 100 firefighters fight blazeA wildfire on the outskirts of the Greek capital Athens is threatening homes and infrastructure, with some residents being evacuated by the authorities.The blaze has spread across the slopes of Mount Hymettus, which overlooks Athens, sending clouds of thick smoke drifting over the city’s southern suburbs. Strong winds have helped fan the fire. Continue reading...

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei uses televised speech to condemn ‘psychological war’ waged on countryIran’s supreme leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has blamed recent protests in Iran on foreign “enemies” seeking to overthrow the government in the Islamic republic.He said enemies were waging a “psychological war” against Iran by accusing it of piracy for seizing two Greek ships after the US confiscated Iranian oil from a tanker. Continue reading...

Gatwick and Bristol flights cancelled and rail and ferry passengers also advised to expect difficultiesTravellers returning to the UK at the end of half-term holiday faced another day of disruption and long delays on Saturday.Twenty-five departures and 22 arrivals from Gatwick airport were cancelled, affecting at least 7,000 passengers. Continue reading...

Songwriter Andy Stone claims he co-wrote song with the same name and did not give permission for it to be usedMariah Carey is being sued for $20m (£16m) for alleged copyright infringement over her festive megahit All I Want for Christmas Is You – nearly three decades after it was released.Since it came out in 1994, the song, which features on her album Merry Christmas, has become a global classic and a firm favourite in the pop Christmas canon. Continue reading...

Activist erect new version of commemorative statue that Hong Kong university removed last yearHundreds of people have gathered in Taipei to commemorate China’s crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square 33 years ago.A heavy security presence in Hong Kong prevents any sign of protest in the territory. Continue reading...

A vulnerable woman was killed by her violent partner on the night officers knocked at her door. Now her family wants answersOn the night Michaela Hall was murdered, police knocked on her door. They had received a report that the mother of two and former Virgin Airways flight attendant was being strangled by her partner, a known abuser recently released from prison.Michaela, 49, was speaking to a friend on the phone when she was attacked. “I heard her say, ‘Don’t come near me, Lee,’ and she just started screaming,” the friend, living abroad, told the Crimestoppers charity. “It was horrific, pure fear, like something out of a movie.” Continue reading...

Four of the dead are women, say police, with another 44 people injuredThe death toll from a German train derailment near a Bavarian Alpine resort has risen to five, police have said, after another body was recovered from the wreckage.Investigators were combing the overturned carriages for victims and clues as to the cause of the derailment on Friday near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a region preparing to host the G7 summit in late June. Continue reading...

Monarch recalls ‘little pond’ in Parliament House during newly released video call made in MayThe Queen displayed a “cheeky” sense of humour when she met virtually with several Australians of the Year and the country’s governor general as part of her platinum jubilee celebrations.During the Zoom call with the six Australians, which included the recently retired wheelchair tennis player Dylan Alcott, the 96-year-old monarch remarked on the “splendid” technology which enabled the virtual meeting to take place. Continue reading...

Saturday’s festivities will culminate in an open-air concert for 22,000 people headlined by Diana RossMembers of the royal family are attending events as the UK marks its third day of platinum jubilee celebrations, with Princess Anne attending the Epsom Derby on the Queen’s behalf.Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that the monarch, 96, would pull out of attending the Epsom Derby, where she is being officially represented by her daughter. The Queen is expected to watch the event on television instead. Continue reading...

Dmitry Kovtun was one of two Russian men accused over poisoning death of ex-spy in London in 2006Dmitry Kovtun, one of the two Russian men accused of assassinating the former spy and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London, died of Covid in a Moscow hospital on Saturday.Litvinenko died in 2006, weeks after drinking tea laced with the radioactive isotope polonium 210 at a London hotel, where he met Kovtun and the other suspect, Andrei Lugovoi. The case has since weighed on relations between Britain and Russia. Continue reading...

Campaigner says death is ‘life’s last taboo’ and that she hopes talking about may bring comfort to othersDeborah James has said she is angry at the fact she is terminally ill, and scared of dying.The campaigner, 40, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 and has documented her experiences since on social media, revealed that in the weeks since moving to end-of-life care she keeps “shouting at people and pushing them away”. Continue reading...

People continuing to cross Channel to reach UK, figures show, with a vessel of 40 brought ashore on FridayNearly 10,000 people have arrived in the UK on small boats from across the Channel so far this year, according to new government figures.A total of 9,988 have reached the UK after leaving the French coast in vessels such as dinghies since New Year’s Day. Continue reading...

Acclaimed sculptor calls leaving the EU ‘a practical disaster’ and a ‘betrayal’ as major retrospective opensThe acclaimed British sculptor Antony Gormley is to become a German citizen because of the “tragedy” of Brexit.Speaking at a major retrospective of his work at the Museum Voorlinden near The Hague, Gormley, who is half-German, said his strong feelings about Britain’s departure from Europe had prompted him to apply for German nationality. Continue reading...

Suspicious vehicle reported close to platinum jubilee concert site but police say incident not terror-relatedPolice have evacuated Trafalgar Square and carried out a controlled explosion after reports of a suspicious vehicle yards away from where part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations are to be held.Metropolitan police officers were seen asking people to leave the area after receiving a report from a member of the public at 9.22am on Saturday. Continue reading...

Yachtsman Kenichi Horie repeats trick after becoming first person to successfully take on feat in 1962Before he set off, Kenichi Horie said his only fear about sailing solo non-stop across the Pacific Ocean was his age. But on Saturday, the 83-year-old – known as “Japan’s most famous yachtsman” – proved it was not an obstacle after all as he became the world’s oldest person to complete the challenge.After more than two months at sea, the record-breaking octogenarian, who in 1962 also became the first person to successfully take on the feat, arrived in the waters off the Kii peninsula in western Japan at 2.39am local time. Continue reading...

Gardaí confirm body of woman in her 40s has been found after search involving Irish naval service dive teamA woman in her 40s has died and two children are in hospital after a car plunged into a river in Ireland.The incident happened at about 8.45pm on Friday, when the vehicle the three were travelling in entered the River Lee at Kennedy Quay in Cork city. Continue reading...

Industrial action will affect larger Crown branches, typically in city centres, run directly by Post OfficePost Office workers have gone on strike in a dispute over pay.Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) walked out on Saturday. The strike will affect Crown post offices – larger branches often sited on high streets. Continue reading...

Historian taking part in debate at Hay festival says he is labelled an activist to ‘delegitimise’ his voiceHistorian and TV presenter David Olusoga has said that rightwing newspapers characterise him as an activist and critical race theorist to “delegitimise” his voice, despite there being no basis for these claims.

BJP’s Tejasvi Surya’s comments come as Muslim student associations, religious groups and academics protest his visit

Event returns for first time in many years on Sunday as city appoints governor vocal in supporting LGBT communityKath Khangpiboon has seen many joyful Pride parades abroad. She has watched in Spain and Canada as young people and families joined celebrations under the rainbow flag. Now, she is looking forward to seeing Pride in her city: Bangkok.“I feel so much pride that an activity like this is happening,” says Kath, who is a lecturer at Thammasat University and a trans activist. Bangkok Naruemit Pride on 5 June – believed to be the first official Pride parade in the Silom area of Thailand’s capital for more than 15 years – comes as the city appoints its new governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, an independent politician who has been vocal in his support for LGBT rights. Continue reading...