World news | The Guardian

Sandra Mathison charged along with husband William Kamm after raids at Order of St Charbel's compound in BangaleeA day before raids on a cult compound after a probe into a decade of child grooming, the sect leader's devoted wife was making international phone calls to recruit a new member, police have alleged in court.Sandra Mathison was on Monday charged with grooming a child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity and grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity.In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...

Treasurer says falling iron ore prices and a weaker labour market mean the large upgrades to revenue seen in the last two budgets will not be repeated

Private members' club chooses unlikely location of Wakefield for inaugural branch outside capitalThe Groucho Club, the private members' club known for its hell-raising 39-year history in the heart of London's Soho is expanding for the first time to an unlikely location: the heart of the West Yorkshire countryside.The club's first outpost will be located at Bretton Hall in Wakefield, the former arts education facility that sits within the grounds of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, which will be converted into a club and hotel with about 60 rooms. Continue reading...

Ten years on from Russia's annexation, with all-out war making its dominance vulnerable, authorities are increasing a crackdown on pro-Ukrainian voices - while others simply want to live their livesTen years of the Crimean spring," say billboards around the Crimean peninsula. It all started with us."The Russian presidential election, to be held over three days at the end of this week, coincides with the 10-year anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The swift seizure of the peninsula in March that year, Vladimir Putin's response to the Maidan Revolution in Kyiv, was indeed the beginning of 10 years of military action against Ukraine. Continue reading...

Amnesty coordinator says move sends mixed messages' to refugees and government should clarify what has happened

European Commission will open office in the territory, made strategically important by rare resources and melting iceThe president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is heading to Greenland as melting Arctic ice, demand for green-technology raw materials and competition from China increase the territory's strategic importance.While not in the EU, the autonomous Danish territory is of strong interest to Brussels, especially for highly sought after raw materials - it believes it has 25 of the 34 that it needs. Continue reading...

Man, believed to be in India, is being sought over discovery of remains in a bin in Buckley

Two miners were pinned under a rockfall at the Mount Clear mine in Ballarat, Victoria, with one later rescued

Victim tells court she thought she was going to die when she realised Francesco De Luise was not her Uber driver

Leader of far-right Freedom party, which came first in election last year, was unable to get all partners in a potential coalition onboardGeert Wilders, whose far-right Freedom party (PVV) shocked the Netherlands by finishing first in elections late last year, has conceded that he will not be the next prime minister because his potential coalition partners do not back him.I can only become the prime minister if all the parties in the coalition support it. That was not the case," Wilders said on X late on Wednesday. Love for my country and voters is bigger and more important than my own position." Continue reading...

One witness says John Brownlee would bounce boys' heads off walls or desks, and tells of PTSD diagnosisA sadistic" former teacher at an elite Scottish private school has been accused in court of physically assaulting and throttling young boys in his care, some of whom were allegedly left unconscious.Former pupils at Edinburgh Academy, one of Scotland's most prestigious fee-paying schools, allege that John Brownlee, now 89, abused and terrorised boys as young as eight while teaching there and running a school boarding house between 1967 and 1987. Continue reading...

West Midlands mayor and Scottish Conservatives openly question PM's position that donor's apology to Diane Abbott closed matterRishi Sunak is facing pressure from senior Conservatives to return the 10m given to the party by Frank Hester, amid increasing disquiet over the donor's comments about Diane Abbott, which have been widely condemned as racist and misogynistic.As a series of Tories broke ranks to call for the donation to be returned, Sunak said in the House of Commons that Hester had apologised for his remarks and that remorse should be accepted". Continue reading...

Members of justice committee say 150m in EU funding went straight to country's president, Kais SaiedThe European Commission has been accused of bankrolling dictators" by senior MEPs who have claimed that the 150m it gave to Tunisia last year in a migration and development deal has ended up directly in the president's hands.A group of MEPs on the human rights, justice and foreign affairs committees at the European parliament launched a scathing attack on the executive in Brussels, expressing anxiety over reports that the commission's president, Ursula von der Leyen, was about to seal a similar deal with Egypt. Continue reading...

An incoherent response to the donor's remarks has raised questions about Rishi Sunak's political nousAs the first minister sent to defend Frank Hester after the Guardian revealed his comments about Diane Abbott, Graham Stuart could not hide his unease.Clearly it's uncomfortable, I'm uncomfortable talking about this now, because he was clearly wrong," the energy minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday morning. But we need to show understanding - and the important thing was he did apologise." Continue reading...

Hackney MP was not given chance to ask a question despite comments about her from Tory donor. This live blog is closed

Mark Drakeford criticises UK ministers and says there is plausible case' that Welsh government should have acted soonerThe Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has launched a scathing attack on the UK government's handling of the Covid crisis, but admitted his own administration should have taken more stringent action" sooner as the pandemic swept the world.Appearing at the Welsh leg of the Covid inquiry, Drakeford likened Boris Johnson to an absent football manager at the start of the pandemic. He also claimed it was Johnson's chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, who at one point blocked the banning of mass gatherings such as sporting events and concerts. Continue reading...

New legislation could thwart planned 600m purchase of media group by UAE-backed consortiumThe UK government plans to introduce legislation that would prevent foreign governments owning UK newspapers and magazines in a move that could scupper the planned 600m sale of the Telegraph to a UAE-backed consortium.RedBird IMI - a partnership between IMI, a fund backed by the UAE's vice-president, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the US investment firm RedBird Capital Partners - is seeking to acquire one of the UK's most influential newspaper groups. Continue reading...

Lindsay Hoyle faces fresh controversy after anger over his decision-making in Gaza debate last month

The double Oscar winner's film A Hero won the grand prix at Cannes in 2021 but was the subject of an alleged copyright infringement brought by a former studentIranian director Asghar Farhadi has been cleared of charges of plagiarism over his film A Hero brought by one of his students, the agency representing him said on Wednesday.The film, about a prisoner in the Iranian city of Shiraz, won the grand prix at the Cannes film festival in 2021. Continue reading...

Broadcaster shares energy provider's alleged incorrect billing on X, saying nothing but legal action will do'The writer and broadcaster Victoria Coren Mitchell has indicated she may take legal action after claiming that her energy provider, Ovo Energy, wrongly pocketed thousands of pounds that they were not owed".She is the most high-profile Ovo customer yet to apparently be on the receiving end of incorrect bills. Her case prompted the consumer group Which? to call for the worst performers" in the energy sector, which it said included Ovo, to take urgent action to improve their customer service. Continue reading...

Canberra expected to push for removal of remaining trade impediments after Wang Yi arrives next week

Report also found bias in illnesses where women present differently to men, such as heart disease and neurodiverse conditions

Apparent sacking of Adm Nikolai Yevmenov highlights fallout over Kyiv's ability to sink Russian warships

Billionaire says it's a lot more fun to do the Titanic than it is to sit at home and count my money'

Group including four children and two elderly drivers had set off from Kalgoorlie to Tjuntjuntjara on Sunday

Graffiti at medieval church and removal of York stone from bridge among incidents citedFrom York stone gouged from a 200-year-old bridge to graffiti sprayed on a medieval chapel, there has been a rise in theft and vandalism at the nation's most cherished historic sites, with the cost of living crisis expected to only worsen the problem.A major new report on the scale and extent of heritage and cultural property crime" is to be published on Wednesday by Historic England and the National Police Chiefs' Council. Continue reading...

Teachers and school leaders in England call government proposals vague, leaving them vulnerable to losing court casesTeaching unions and school leaders in England are calling for an overhaul of ministers' proposed guidance on the treatment of transgender pupils, saying the current version is incomplete and vulnerable to legal challenges.The unions and other organisations, including the campaigning group Sex Matters, are also critical of the guidance proposals for how schools should respond to children wanting to socially transition to a different gender by changing their names or uniform. Continue reading...

Grosvenor says it is prevented from making 3,000 visits a week as it pays migrant workers to sit at home because permits not renewedOne of the UK's biggest home care providers says it is paying dozens of migrant workers to sit at home and do nothing because the Home Office has not renewed key immigration permits.Thousands of workers, mostly from Africa, were welcomed into the UK to help fill the one in 10 care worker jobs vacant after the Covid crisis. But after scammers abused the system, leading to allegations of modern slavery, the government appears to have tightened the application of the rules. Continue reading...

We will not give up,' Volkov says in video after being discharged from hospital following attack in Lithuania that left him covered in bloodLeonid Volkov, a longtime aide to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has vowed to continue the struggle against Russian President Vladimir Putin after being attacked with a hammer outside his home in Lithuania.We will work and we will not give up," he said in a video clip posted on Telegram early on Wednesday, claiming that the attack that left him with a broken arm was a characteristic bandit hello" from Putin's henchmen. Continue reading...

Officials gave no indication of how detectives were found or whether they were freed from captivityTwo detectives looking for 43 students who went missing almost 10 years ago have been found unharmed, two days after they themselves disappeared in Mexico's Pacific coast state of Guerrero, officials have said.

Button faces 89 charges, including 10 counts of manslaughter and 16 of causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving'

Former PM says the reality is the US will not make their submarine deficit worse by giving or selling submarines to Australia

Exclusive: Union says Home Office staff could be in breach of international law if they implement deportationsCivil servants have threatened ministers with legal action over concerns that senior Home Office staff could be in breach of international law if they implement the government's Rwanda deportation bill.The FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, have warned they could also be in violation of the civil service code - and open to possible prosecution - if they followed a minister's demands to ignore an urgent injunction from Strasbourg banning a deportation. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Revelation comes as comments made about Diane Abbott are widely condemnedThe Conservative party's biggest donor asked if there was no room for the Indians" and suggested staff climb on a train roof during a crowded meeting, before saying he made a lot of jokes about racism".Frank Hester, who has donated 10m to the Tories in the past year, also said he wanted to find jokes about Malaysian people during a trip to the country, the Guardian can reveal. Continue reading...

Original star of hit slasher franchise will return after dispute over salary and with actor Melissa Barrera fired for pro-Palestine commentsNeve Campbell is set to return to the Scream franchise.The actor, who plays the role of Sidney Prescott, announced in an Instagram post that she was excited" to be leading Untitled Scream 7, to be directed by Kevin Williamson who wrote the 1996 original. Continue reading...

Tory stance on businessman who gave party 10m undermines narrative that UK is post-racial society'

Tate and brother Tristan arrested on warrant issued to Bedfordshire police but released while case in Romania concludesBritish police investigating allegations of rape and human trafficking have been granted a warrant to extradite Andrew Tate to the UK.Bedfordshire police said they had been granted the warrant by authorities in Romania, but would have to wait until proceedings there on allegations of sexual violence and trafficking, which Tate denies, are completed. Continue reading...

Andrew Mitchell responds to Labour question in Commons about reports of Israeli mistreatment of medical staff

Police have removed 35 bodies and suspected human ashes due to concern for care of the deceased' and have made two arrestsFamilies who used a funeral directors where 35 bodies have been recovered by police over concern for care of the deceased" are waiting to hear if ashes returned to them were those of their loved ones.Police said the remains, along with a quantity of what we suspect to be human ashes", had been removed from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors on Hessle Road in Hull and taken to the mortuary in the city. Continue reading...

Henry urges people to remain calm while his government is replaced by a transitional councilThe embattled Haitian prime minister, Ariel Henry, has resigned after a gang insurrection against his government plunged the country into anarchy and prevented his return from a trip to Kenya.Henry, who is now in Puerto Rico, said he would formally quit after the installation of a transitional council to lead the Caribbean state, which has been submerged in chaos since the assassination of its president Jovenel Moises in July 2021 by Colombian mercenaries. Continue reading...

John Barnett was one of several people who raised alarm in 2019 about concerns of safety lapses at Boeing's North Charleston plantA former quality manager at Boeing who became a prominent whistleblower and raised concerns over the planemaker's production line has been found dead.John Barnett died on Saturday from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to officials in Charleston, South Carolina.In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Serious Fraud Office raided sites in Dorset and Bucks as part of inquiry into Carlauren GroupThe Serious Fraud Office has raided two sites and made three arrests as part of a new investigation into an alleged 76m fraud around investments into luxury care homes.The raids in St Leonard's, in Dorset, and Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, form part of an investigation into a UK property developer called the Carlauren Group, which collapsed into administration in November 2019. Continue reading...

Chief executive David Duffy would be biggest winner on 3.5m, with large paydays for about 12 other staff if deal goes throughBanking bosses at Virgin Money are in line for a 6m windfall if Nationwide Building Society pushes ahead with a proposed takeover of the lender, with more than half of that sum to be pocketed by its longtime chief executive, David Duffy.Public shareholder data suggests that 13 executives, board members and senior staff are poised for big paydays from the potential 3bn deal, after accumulating stock through years of service at Virgin Money, which was co-founded by billionaire Sir Richard Branson in 1995. Continue reading...

Schools in Kursk switch to online classes after Ukraine-based armed groups claim to have crossed Russian borderFrench President Emmanuel Macron's Ukraine strategy will be put to a symbolic vote in parliament's lower house on Tuesday as political tensions rage in the run-up to June's European Parliament elections.AFP reports: Continue reading...

EU leaders set to outline concerns about humanitarian situation in Gaza and call for immediate humanitarian pauseTwo people died as they attempted to reach Spain's Canary Islands, while four others were evacuated to hospital in serious condition, the Spanish maritime rescue service said, Reuters reported.The 34 survivors comprised 27 men and seven women of sub-Saharan African origin, a spokesperson for the rescue service told Reuters. Continue reading...

Campaigners launch proposal for schools to have plan for play' that would be subject to Ofsted inspectionCampaigners studying play and childhood are calling for a major focus on reviving play in schools to tackle an escalating crisis" in child mental and physical health.The plan for play" launched on Tuesday outlines a vision for the Department for Education to require every school to have a play plan that would be subject to Ofsted inspection. Under the proposals, teachers would be taught about play-based learning for children of all ages, not only early years. Continue reading...

Salah Fustok alleged by UK prosecutors to have been a middleman for nearly 10m in payments to Saudi princeA Foreign Office official floated the idea of giving an honour to a businessman who was later alleged to have helped facilitate millions of pounds of bribes to a Saudi prince and his high-ranking associates.Salah Fustok was alleged by UK anti-corruption prosecutors to have been a middleman for nearly 10m of payments to Prince Miteb bin Abdullah and other Saudi officials as an inducement or reward" for the awarding of a contract by the Saudi Arabian national guard. Continue reading...

Ceremony was seen by 19.5 million Americans, making it the most watched since 2020 but it was down in key 18-49 demographicOscars ratings were up 4% for this year's ceremony with 19.5 million Americans tuning in.It makes it the most-watched since 2020 and meant that it was the third consecutive year of viewership growth with Covid affecting the logistics of and public interest in awards shows. Continue reading...

MP says to hear someone talking like this is worrying' after Hester's comments

Large chains could be squeezing out independent practices, says Competition and Markets Authority