Iran announced on Saturday that it had started up advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges at Natanz, in breach of its undertakings under a 2015 nuclear deal and days after the start of talks on rescuing the accord. The following day a spokesperson for Iran’s civilian nuclear programme said an 'accident' had happened at the facility's electrical distribution grid. Behrouz Kamalvandi says the reason for the loss in power is unknown and will be investigated but there were no injuries and no contamination
Whistler, in British Columbia, has nearly 200 of 877 confirmed cases in the province but officials have only a murky idea of how widely variant has spreadFor ski resorts, spring normally marks a final chance for visitors to carve sun-drenched runs before the season ends.But at Canada’s most famous ski resort, the gondolas have stopped, and the slopes are eerily quiet. Continue reading...
Former prime minister calls for any ‘friction’ within royal family to be swiftly resolvedGrief and emotions surrounding the death of the Duke of Edinburgh represent “an ideal opportunity” to mend rifts in the royal family, the former prime minister John Major has said, as he called for “friction” to be swiftly resolved.His comments came as Prince Harry prepared to fly from California to the UK for his grandfather’s funeral on Saturday, where he will be reunited with his relatives for the first time since he and Meghan, his wife, laid bare their anger and pain at alleged treatment by the royal family in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Continue reading...
Red alert called for 800km stretch of coast south of Carnarvon to Lancelin, as premier describes storm as ‘like nothing we have seen before in decades’Residents in Western Australia’s mid west have been told to take shelter during what their premier has described as a cyclone “like nothing we have seen before in decades”.
Jewellery, a wedding dress and tour outfits are among memorabilia up for grabs after the superstar decided on a cathartic clearoutIntent on making sure her birthday weekend will be one to remember for fans across the world, Janet Jackson has finally agreed to auction more than 1,000 pieces from a career spanning four decades.The star, who has sold over 185 million records and remains the only female artist in history to score seven top-five singles from one album, has partnered with celebrity auctioneer Julien’s to host the three-day sale in Beverly Hills from 14 May. Continue reading...
Stella Moris says Britain’s continued detention of WikiLeaks founder is compromising its global standingBritain would be on stronger ground campaigning against authoritarian regimes if it pressed the Biden administration to drop its call to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges, Stella Moris, Assange’s partner, has told the Guardian.Moris – who has had two children by Assange – is trying to broaden the campaign of support for him by pointing to the global damage to the UK’s reputation by keeping him in jail for so long. Continue reading...
Move over man caves! Now women are discovering what a life-saver their own private sheds can beAt the entrance to Angela Benjamin’s shed is a copper sign that reads: “She Cave”, and a deep purple clematis weaves its way through the letters. The shed is a simple wooden structure at the end of her garden in Ealing, west London that backs on to a cemetery – “so I don’t disturb anyone when I’m working!” Continue reading...
Prince Charles paid tribute to his ‘dear papa’, Prince Philip, whose death was announced on Friday.Charles said the royal family was ‘deeply grateful’ for the outpouring of support they have received and was touched by the number of people around the world who have shared the family’s loss and sorrow.The Duke of Edinburgh’s royal ceremonial funeral is expected to take place on 17 April at Windsor Castle and will be entirely closed to the public
Activists fear billion-dollar climate deal will bolster Bolsonaro and reward illegal forest clearance – but US says action can’t waitThe US is negotiating a multi-billion dollar climate deal with Brazil that observers fear could help the reelection of president Jair Bolsonaro and reward illegal forest clearance in the Amazon.That is the concern of indigenous groups, environmental campaigners and civil society activists, who say they are being shut out of the most important talks on the future of the rainforest since at least 1992. Continue reading...
by Toby Helm, Lisa O'Carroll and Michael Savage on (#5GEE4)
Irish government suggests talks after eight nights in which police have been attacked and cars torchedBoris Johnson’s government is resisting growing calls to hold a special crisis summit with Dublin to address rising tensions in Northern Ireland – amid growing international anxiety about a return to sectarian violence.The Observer has been told by senior sources that suggestions from Dublin to London that the crisis requires a high-level intergovernmental conference to help stabilise the situation have met with no enthusiasm on the British side. Continue reading...
Heavy rain reveals wooden beams of vessel, which smashed into shore on mid-north coast in 1893Heavy rain has fully uncovered a century-old shipwreck on the New South Wales mid-north coast over the weekend.The 39-metre sailing vessel, named the “Buster” wrecked on Woolgoolga beach north of Coffs Harbour on 17 February 1893. Locals can only see the Buster’s wooden beams, almost 120 years old, when wind or heavy seas wash away the sand. Continue reading...
An ambitious plan to take overnight services through the Channel tunnel reflects a growing interest in sustainable travelIt is being hailed as the latest evidence of a new dawn for the European sleeper train. Citing changes in attitude wrought by the two crises of the climate emergency and the Covid pandemic, a new night service in 2022 was announced last week between Brussels and Prague, stopping at Amsterdam, Berlin and Dresden, with tickets expected to cost from €60 one way.But an even more ambitious project could deliver Britons to continental Europe via surely one of the most romantic modes of transport around, Elmer van Buuren, a co-founder of the European Sleeper cooperative, told the Observer. Continue reading...
Ashmolean in Oxford turned down chance to buy exquisite paintings and drawings, which may now go to New YorkIndian paintings and drawings had been his lifelong passion and, before his death in 2017, the artist Sir Howard Hodgkin hoped that his collection would be acquired by the Ashmolean in Oxford – only for the museum to reject his offer amid concerns that some of the works should never have left India.Now Britain’s loss could be America’s gain. Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have discussed the possibility of acquiring works thought to be worth more than £7.2m. The collection contains more than 120 exquisite paintings and drawings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Continue reading...
Spokesman says accident hit the Natanz electrical distribution grid, a day after Iran switched on new centrifugesA spokesman for Iran’s civilian nuclear programme said an “accident” struck the electrical distribution grid of the Natanz nuclear facility, a day after the government announced it was starting up new uranium enrichment centrifuges.Behrouz Kamalvandi announced the accident on Sunday, saying there were no injuries and no pollution. A mysterious explosion in July 2020 damaged Natanz’s advanced centrifuge facility, with Iran later calling the incident sabotage. Continue reading...
Your mother won’t have forgotten the incident, says Mariella Frostrup. She’s probably paralysed by her inability to process what you enduredThe dilemma When I was 11, I was sexually abused over the course of a year. It was the 1980s, we trusted adults and I had private lessons at my teacher’s home. I eventually told my mum and the lessons stopped, but we never discussed it.I blanked it out until something sparked my memory when I was 18 and I brought it up with her. It turned out she’d blanked it, too. She apologised for not remembering. Continue reading...
Online condolence messages to be forwarded to Buckingham Palace from people across the countryAustralian dignitaries have commemorated the life of Prince Philip at a church service in Sydney.The Duke of Edinburgh died in his sleep on Friday, two months before his 100th birthday and a short time after a month-long stay in hospital. Continue reading...
by Sarah Martin Chief political correspondent on (#5GEAM)
Trade minister Dan Tehan says he will travel to Europe to discuss Covid vaccine supply deals, as Labor accuses government of being too reliant on AstraZeneca jabThe Morrison government wants all Australians vaccinated by the end of the year, but is warning there remain “a lot of unknowns” that could further derail the troubled rollout.After announcing a major shift in the government’s vaccine program last week following updated health advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine, the government said its initial October target would not be realised. Continue reading...
Quake hit offshore near city of Malang with country already reeling from cyclone disasterAt least eight people were killed after a 6.0 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s main Java island on Saturday, as the country reels from a cyclone disaster.The afternoon quake hit offshore about 45 kilometres south-west of Malang city in East Java, damaging homes as well as schools, government offices and mosques across the region. It did not trigger a tsunami. Continue reading...
About 28% of Peruvians wouldn’t choose any of the candidates, poll shows ahead of Sunday’s voteAn ultra-conservative millionaire who admits to scourging himself daily to repress sexual desire is just one of an assortment of low-polling candidates who all have a shot at becoming Peru’s next president.Rafael López Aliaga is technically tied with five other contenders in an unpredictable contest to make a runoff vote in June, including a former goalkeeper, a Sorbonne-educated socialist and the daughter of the country’s jailed former leader Alberto Fujimori. Continue reading...
Shares and revenues at UK-based Audioboom are soaring despite stiff competition from the world’s digital giantsA year ago, podcast producer Audioboom was facing an uncertain future as management sought, ultimately unsuccessfully, to find a buyer to inject cash to expand the business. When the company gives its latest financial update this week, it will be telling a very different story: in the past 12 months its market value has more than tripled and a maiden profit is looming as Audioboom joins the ranks of the pandemic winners.Digital entertainment services from Netflix to Spotify have been supercharged by lockdown viewing and listening, and Audioboom has been no exception. It now draws 25 million listeners a month with content from partners ranging from Formula One to the former Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins. Continue reading...
Australia’s bushfires were devastating for bee populations. But steady rain and community efforts are seeing the return of the pollinatorsYou could say that Adrian Iodice is something of a stickybeak neighbour. On Iodice’s once-lush bushland property, nestled within the Bega Valley of New South Wales, there stands a majestic rough-barked apple tree that the beekeeper used to, every now and then, jam his head into.In the hollow of the trunk lived a flourishing wild colony of European honeybees that Iodice had been keeping an eye on for years. “I’d have a chat with them,” he laughs. “Stick my head in and see how they’re getting on in life. They were very gentle bees; they never had a go at me.” Continue reading...
Gun salutes marking the death of the Duke of Edinburgh take place on Saturday in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, in Gibraltar and from Royal Navy warships at sea as people leave floral tributes outside royal residencies. Batteries of cannons fired 41 rounds at one-minute intervals from midday
Guardian cartoonist says Duke of Edinburgh said rival paper was ‘self-righteous rubbish’ during their meetingPrince Philip once raged at the “self-righteous rubbish” in that “bloody Murdoch rag” the Times, the cartoonist Martin Rowson has revealed.Rowson, whose cartoon for Saturday’s Guardian addresses Philip’s death, was one of many people to fondly recall their encounters with a man who rarely worried about voicing his true opinions. Continue reading...
Cargo-worshipping sect on Tanna in Vanuatu revered Duke of Edinburgh as the pale-skinned son of an ancient spiritOf the many honours and titles bestowed on the Duke of Edinburgh, the strangest was his status as a deity to a remote south-west Pacific people.The Prince Philip Movement, a sect followed by the Yaohnanen tribe on the southern island of Tanna in Vanuatu, believed him to be the pale-skinned son of an ancient mountain spirit. Continue reading...
The coroner says she has received an application for a fresh inquest into the fire that killed six boys and a man in SydneyThe New South Wales coroner will consider a fresh inquest into a fatal fire at Sydney’s Luna Park in 1979 after allegations the blaze was linked to an underworld figure.Seven people including six boys were killed in the blaze while riding the theme park’s ghost train. Continue reading...
Revealed: groups banned from other sites fundraising on GiveSendGo as data breach identifies high-dollar donorsA data breach from Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo has revealed that millions of dollars have been raised on the site for far-right causes and groups, many of whom are banned from raising funds on other platforms.Related: How the far-right group ‘Oath Enforcers’ plans to harass political enemies Continue reading...
The actor and rapper on social media, home-cooked curry and letting goBorn in London, Riz Ahmed, 38, studied politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University. His films include Four Lions, Rogue One and Venom; he won an Emmy for his role in the miniseries The Night Of. He has been nominated for a best actor Oscar for his role in the film Sound Of Metal, available on Amazon Prime from 12 April. Last year he released a rap album, The Long Goodbye. He recently married the American novelist Fatima Farheen Mirza.When were you happiest?
He made a film on Joe Exotic a decade before Tiger King, lulls interviewees into personal revelations – and can rock a leather suit. So why is he so anxious?“There’s no getting away from the fact that, even aged 50, I’m a slightly awkward person, a fearful person, worry-prone,” says Louis Theroux, wriggling in his seat. The film-maker picks up and puts down a coffee without drinking. He wears all blue: navy sweater, stock denim, one of those indestructible plastic Casio watches on his wrist. “I worry about what people think,” Theroux continues, “I worry about giving offence, being judged, not coming up to scratch, being thin-skinned.”We are in the corner of a photography studio in London, sheltering from rain on a Friday afternoon. The room has long emptied of people, but, even so, as Theroux chats, he snatches quick glances over his right shoulder, as if expecting to find somebody or something lurking there. “Everyone has things that preoccupy them, right?” he says. “I just tend to think, on a spectrum of people in general, I definitely skew, uh, anxious.” Continue reading...
The world has turned a blind eye to Denis Sassou Nguesso’s controversial re-election, which will extend his iron-fisted reign to more than 40 yearsThe result of last month’s presidential election in Congo-Brazzaville brought no surprises. After 36 years in power, Denis Sassou Nguesso, 77, clinched 88% of the vote with a turnout of more than 67%. Accusations of vote irregularities, including ballot box stuffing, were widespread. His closest rival, who had urged for a “vote for change” died of Covid on the day of the vote.Television showed a triumphant Sassou at home with his smiling henchmen, as the interior minister, Raymond Zéphirin Mboulou – instead of the head of the electoral commission – announced the win. The question now is whether or not the African Union, the US, the EU, the UK and former colonial power France will simply turn a blind eye to another disputed election result while Congolese are dying from extreme poverty? Continue reading...
I became obsessed as a boy and am still hooked. With the mental benefits of angling well documented, here are some of the best British spots to cast off your worries
by Lisa O'Carroll and Rory Carroll in Belfast on (#5GDG2)
After a week of unrest police and politicians voice fears that gangs are coercing children to take part in violenceAfter a turbulent week in Northern Ireland which raised questions about law and order and political stability, arguably the most disheartening sight was that of children as young as 12 and 13 being sucked into violence against the police.Naomi Long, the justice minister, said she felt “ill” watching footage showing adults “standing by cheering and goading and encouraging young people on as they wreaked havoc in their own community”. It was, she said, “nothing short of child abuse”. Continue reading...
Man in his 20s fell while climbing Mount Ngungun, the sixth-tallest peak in the Glass House MountainsA rock climber is feared dead after a 40-metre fall from a mountain in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland.The man, aged in his 20s, fell while climbing Mount Ngungun, the sixth-tallest peak in the Glass House Mountains, at about midday on Saturday. Continue reading...
In Kupang, Indonesia, residents wait for aid after torrential rain, destructive winds and flooding forced thousands into sheltersOn Sunday at midnight, Linda Tagie, 29, rested her three-year-old baby on the bed. Linda, who lives together with her husband, 79-year-old mother-in-law and only child in Sikumana, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, was shocked by a strong wind and heavy rain. The electricity suddenly went off.“I prayed and prayed in the dark,” she said. The wind eventually stopped on Monday morning. She walked out of the house and found the roof gone from the back part of the house. “Electricity cables, tin roofs, and trees lie on the street in front of our house,” she said. Continue reading...
When my first child was born, there were parties, flights, bus trips, visitors. My second son arrived into a very different worldMy son, 0, doesn’t know any different. One of around 600,000 babies born in Britain in the plague year of 2020, he has spent all eight months of his life (and most of his gestation) in a world defined by distance and disease.His circle is small. He doesn’t get out much. When he does, the faces that peer in at his pushchair are concealed by masks. A baby is usually a magnet for human touch; I’d guess around 300 people had held his older brother by the time he was eight months old. Perhaps 20 people have made physical contact with Aubrey. Continue reading...
The fox looks at me. ‘You have to go,’ I say. But it doesn’t moveThe dog is barking. I have no idea what time it is – I went to bed late and fell asleep abruptly – but, judging from the blackness on the other side of the window, I’m confident that if I were one of my neighbours, I’d be pissed off.I sit up in bed. The dog is still barking. My phone says it’s 3.30. I pick my trousers off the floor and pull them on, because there are no dangers or demons in this world I am prepared to meet trouserless. Continue reading...
Front-page coverage and pullouts across the world as Queen Elizabeth II’s husband is mournedNewspapers around the world have given Prince Philip a rousing send off, with the Queen’s husband remembered for his loyalty, sense of duty and his occasional politically incorrect comment.The British press has led the way with an assortment of banner front pages in the Saturday editions and no shortage of accompanying souvenir pullouts. Continue reading...
Australian prime minister says he hopes Queen Elizabeth will ‘find great comfort in your faith and your family’The Australian prime minister and governor general have paid tribute to Prince Philip, who has died aged 99, saying he was “no stranger to Australia”, having visited the country more than 20 times.Scott Morrison said Australians sent their love and deepest condolences to Queen Elizabeth and the royal family. He stated Philip “embodied a generation that we will never see again”. Continue reading...