World news | The Guardian

Exclusive: Northern Ireland secretary to get new powers to force executive to act, as women still crossing Irish Sea for helpThe UK government is to take unprecedented action to force Northern Ireland to speed up abortion services, using parliament to give the secretary of state new powers amid concern many women are still being forced to seek help in England.However, the news sparked an immediate response from the DUP which warned that it would “vigorously oppose” any further legislative action over abortion in the region. Continue reading...

New restrictions for capital and northern parts of country from Friday as virulent variants spread

Dan Hanks claims he compiled 90-page report about actor early in her relationship with Prince HarryA private investigator employed by the Sun has said he illegally accessed the Duchess of Sussex’s private information shortly after she met Prince Harry.Dan Hanks, who lives in Los Angeles, told the website Byline Investigates that he compiled a 90-page report on the future member of the royal family in October 2016, shortly after the tabloid newspaper first became aware of her relationship with the prince. Continue reading...

Biden administration has come under pressure to share vaccine, which has been authorized in other countries but not yet in USThe United States plans to send roughly 4m doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine that it is not using to Mexico and Canada in loan deals with the two countries.Mexico will receive 2.5m doses of the vaccine and Canada will receive 1.5m doses, the official said. Continue reading...

Committee ruled by five votes to four that first minister’s account of meetings with Salmond was ‘incorrect’Nicola Sturgeon misled the Scottish parliament over the Alex Salmond crisis, a Holyrood inquiry has concluded after a narrow majority vote, it is understood.A special Holyrood committee ruled, by five votes to four, that Scotland’s first minister gave an “inaccurate” account of her meetings with Salmond in 2018 during evidence on oath to MSPs earlier this month. Continue reading...

EMA says benefits outweigh risks but it is continuing to study possible link with very rare blood clotting disorder

London housing block residents choose location-led name, having rejected option to reflect black historical figuresCecil Rhodes House, which overlooks St Pancras rail station in London, is to be renamed after decades of unsuccessful attempts to rid the property of its association with the Victorian imperialist.But to the disappointment of some local historians, residents rejected renaming the building after a black historical figure, opting instead for Park View House. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson has said delays in vaccine supplies will not affect the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. ‘We’ve always said that in a vaccination programme of this pace and scale, some interruptions in supply are inevitable,’ he said. ‘The progress along the road to freedom remains unchecked.’

The Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is 'safe and effective' and its benefits outweigh the risks, Europe’s medicines regulator has said. The director of the European Medicines Agency, Emer Cooke, said the agency’s safety committee had reached 'a clear scientific conclusion' and had not found that the vaccine was associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots

European vice-president Maroš Šefčovič says claim about Brussels trying to erect barrier down Irish Sea undermines UK’s reputationBritain’s foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has been accused by Brussels of displaying a “total misunderstanding” of the Brexit deal after claiming the EU was trying to erect a barrier between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.Maroš Šefčovič, the European commission’s vice-president, said Raab’s comments raised major questions, and warned that Britain was tarnishing its global reputation by ignoring the terms of its agreements with Brussels. Continue reading...

Officials in Moscow go on offensive after Biden says Russian president will pay price for election meddlingRussian relations with the US have entered a new post-Trump period of smouldering hostility after Vladimir Putin shrugged off accusations from Joe Biden that he was a “killer”, saying: “It takes one to know one.”The Russian president responded in characteristically icy fashion to Biden’s remark, which followed an assessment by US intelligence agencies that Moscow was continuing to meddle in American democracy and had tried to help Donald Trump win last year’s US election. Continue reading...

Manizha’s song Russian Woman incites hatred towards men and should be banned from the contest, say criticsRussian investigators said they will examine the lyrics of the country’s entry to this year’s Eurovision song contest after it angered conservative groups who accused its Tajikistan-born singer of inciting hatred towards men.Manizha Sangin, known as Manizha, is set to perform the song Russian Woman at Eurovision in the Netherlands in May. The song praises the strength of Russian women, urging them to be more independent and to resist sexist views on beauty, age and bearing children. Continue reading...

Labor MP Ed Husic says some politicians want to elide the term to avoid confronting ‘ugly streak within conservatism’

Cease-and-desist letter sent to pop star, whose new album cover is accused of imitating Justice’s logoGrammy-winning French electronic music duo Justice have accused Justin Bieber of illegally infringing on a trademark with the cover design of his new album, Justice, released on Friday.The duo’s logo is their name with the letter T designed as a crucifix, a design trope that Bieber uses for his album cover. Bieber’s new merchandise also features a contested crucifix design. Continue reading...

Disney’s Avengers spinoff series offers up a patchy yet encouraging combination of exhilarating action and soapy dramaThere was every legitimate reason to feel a little daunted and wearied by Disney’s glut of small screen streaming announcements back in 2019 that was then compounded last year during another migraine-inducing investor day, an overlong list of shows expanding universes that were already stretched beyond necessity. But after The Mandalorian brought a surprising new edge to the Star Wars universe and, more recently, WandaVision found a certain offbeat creativity within the overly straitlaced world of Marvel, exhaustion was replaced with intrigue as Disney+ insisted itself as more than just a digital dumping ground.Related: Marvel's next wave of heroes will tear up tradition in the name of progress Continue reading...

In a new HBO series, Cullen Hoback falls deep into a rabbit-hole while investigating the conspiracy theory-spreading cultAnyone who spends enough time online will eventually have one of those rabbit-hole experiences, in which late-night hours slip away as one click after the other draws a person deeper into an engrossing vortex of information. Mostly, it’ll be a perfectly innocent obsession with the history of curling or the various shapes of pasta. But thousands of web-surfers have gone through this with the world of QAnon, a difficult-to-define movement combining cult-like religious fervency, the ideological action-plans of a political party, and computer games connecting the virtual dimension to reality.Related: Groomed: how a film-maker learned to confront a childhood of abuse Continue reading...

Maroon 5’s Adam Levine was scoffed at for suggesting there ‘aren’t any bands any more’ – but if you look at the numbers, he’s right. Wolf Alice, Maximo Park and industry insiders ask why“The moment that we started a band was the best thing that ever happened,” sings Matty Healy on the 1975’s recent single Guys. The song is an ardent love letter to the band, and to the romance of bands in general: the camaraderie, the solidarity, the joyous fusion of creativity and friendship. It’s an old sentiment but an increasingly rare one.“It’s funny, when the first Maroon 5 album came out [in 2002] there were still other bands,” the band’s frontman Adam Levine told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe this month. “I feel like there aren’t any bands any more … I feel like they’re a dying breed.” Levine was quick to clarify that he meant bands “in the pop limelight” but the internet doesn’t really do clarification, so his remarks sparked bemusement and outrage among the literal-minded, from aggrieved veterans such as Garbage (“What are we Adam Levine? CATS?!?!?”) to fans of newcomers such as Fontaines DC and Big Thief. Continue reading...

Health authority in Lombardy withdraws questionnaire for patients after sexism complaints

Proposed changes to immigration system welcomed by some of the victims of ‘outdated’ rules

Accused will face lesser offence of sexual assault in ‘Julie’ case that has sparked protests across FranceFrance’s highest court has ruled that firefighters accused of raping a girl aged between 13 and 15 years old should be charged with the lesser offence of sexual assault.A woman known as Julie claims she was groomed by a firefighter in 2008 when she was a girl aged 13 and that he later introduced her to his colleagues. Three accused men have admitted having sex with her but say it was consensual. Seventeen others have not been charged. Continue reading...

Mercenaries Peter McAleese and David Tomkins tell the story and backstory behind their contract on the Colombian kingpinHere’s a documentary that shines a light on squalid corner of British post-imperial legacy: the batches of mercenaries – largely former military personnel – who roamed the world’s trouble spots in the 70s and 80s, killing for hire in numerous civil conflicts in Africa and Latin America. (As this film suggests, these ex-SAS types weren’t politically neutral: they were actively keen on killing communists in places like Angola and Rhodesia.)The film focuses on an escapade that is – ethically speaking – a little less murky than cold war Africa: a plot to assassinate the super-powerful Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in the late 1980s. However, since it was organised at the behest of another super-powerful Colombian drug lord, any claims to the moral high ground are not really supportable. Continue reading...

Inquest in Maidstone adjourned until after trial of Wayne Couzens, accused of kidnap and murder

Surge in support for progressive parties with D66, led by Sigrid Kaag, finishing secondThe Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, will begin talks on forming a new coalition government after shrugging off setbacks to gain a comfortable win in a national election marked by a surge in support for progressive and pro-European forces.With 80% of votes counted, Rutte’s liberal-conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) was on course for 35 seats in the 150-seat Dutch parliament, two more than in the previous 2017 poll, securing him a fourth successive term. Continue reading...

Escalating media coverage ‘adding trauma to trauma’, writes Bea Jones in open letterThe mother of Moira Jones, who was abducted from a Glasgow street and murdered in 2008, has written an open letter expressing her concern over an “escalating media frenzy” around their daughter’s death.Jones’s mother, Bea, said she had been prompted to write after being inundated with media requests to comment on the national outpouring of grief and anger that followed the death of Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive who disappeared as she was walking home in south London. Continue reading...

Policeman accused of sex trafficking, while 12,000 women and girls vanish in ‘shadow pandemic’

Justin Gleeson QC was the solicitor general from 2012 to 2016 and served Labor and Liberal prime ministers

Country urged to improve its services amid concerns over alleged pushbacks as migrant crisis growsCyprus has been urged to improve its treatment of the growing number of asylum seekers landing on its shores in a strongly worded rebuke by Europe’s leading human rights watchdog.The country was singled out for censure amid increased concerns over alleged pushbacks at sea as government officials grapple with a worsening migrant crisis. Continue reading...

Reports suggest using Gibraltar or the Isle of Man or copying Australian model and paying third countriesThe Home Office is considering plans to send asylum seekers who arrive in the UK overseas to be processed, an idea modelled on a controversial Australian system, it is understood.Priti Patel, the home secretary, is expected to publish details next week of a scheme in which people who arrive in the UK via unofficial means, such as crossing the Channel in small boats, would be removed to a third country to have any claim dealt with. Continue reading...

The acclaimed and controversial Behemoth frontman faces possible prison time for a photo of his foot on a religious icon. He argues that Poland must become secular to evolveBlasphemy rather comes with the territory in the world of extreme metal. Since Venom proclaimed themselves In League With Satan in 1981, antagonising Christianity has been more or less compulsory to any extreme band worth its brimstone, though this has historically tended not to result in anything more than fulmination from a pulpit.But not in Poland, where last month, Nergal, the leader of the successful quartet Behemoth – whose album The Satanist cracked the US Top 40 in 2014 – was convicted of blasphemy after posting a photo on social media of him treading on an image of the Virgin Mary. He’s appealing, but if the conviction is upheld he faces a fine at least, possible imprisonment, and a criminal record that will make international touring difficult. Continue reading...

State Emergency Service respond to hundreds of callouts on mid-north coast, with heavy rain expected in Sydney and Illawarra by the weekendResidents in Sydney and along the New South Wales coast have been urged to prepare for the chance of flooding with torrential downpours expected to continue and spread over the coming days.Between midnight and midday on Thursday, NSW State Emergency Service had already responded to 254 callouts for the mid-north coast where a severe weather warning was issued from Gosford stretching up to Yamba. Continue reading...

The attacks are common in northern Argentina against women and children – including one victim who was just four years oldAna* was on her way home from school with her young cousin when it happened. “She managed to run away, but I didn’t,” she said, her voice trembling. “They put me in a car. They were white men. And they raped me.”Ana’s ordeal wasn’t an isolated incident, but part of a horrific pattern of brutal sexual violence inflicted on indigenous children and women in northern Argentina by non-indigenous men, often in groups. Continue reading...

Dozens of people have changed names to include ‘gui yu’ to take advantage of sushi promotionA Taiwanese official has pleaded with people to stop changing their name to “salmon” after dozens made the unusual move to take advantage of a restaurant promotion.In a phenomenon that has been labelled “salmon chaos” by local media, about 150 mostly young people visited government offices in recent days to officially change their name. Continue reading...

In joint appearance on ABC, two Australian prime ministerial spouses urge participation in Jenkins inquiry into parliamentary cultureThérèse Rein has declared she is “mad as hell” and “incredulous” that Australian women continue to face the same risks of rape and sexual harassment that they faced a generation ago, calling for an independent complaints handling facility in parliament to protect political staff.Guardian Australia reported on Wednesday that two prime ministerial spouses – Rein, wife of Kevin Rudd, and Lucy Turnbull, wife of Malcolm Turnbull – had backed a push by a bipartisan group of staff seeking to ensure their contributions to the looming Jenkins inquiry into parliamentary culture remained confidential. Continue reading...

Ed Husic urges government to ‘confront an errant, ugly streak within conservatism’; IR bill passes Senate; government faces scrutiny over its botched vaccine booking website. Follow all the latest updates

Side-effects have been reported for all three vaccines approved for emergency use in the US but most are mild and short-livedAs more people become eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine many are asking what side-effects they should expect, and if there are differences between the side-effects of the vaccines. The short answer to both questions is yes – the details are below – though any discomfort pales in comparison with contracting Covid-19.We used clinical trial data gathered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to explore the kinds of side-effects most commonly associated with the three vaccines currently authorized for emergency use in the US. Those vaccines were developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (Niaid) and most recently by Johnson & Johnson. Continue reading...

The poet recalls trips to the Arctic, Switzerland and the US via musical memories that add to the intensity of those life-changing tripsI never travel without a necklace that has a tiny bronze figure from the Finnish epic Kalevala. This talisman was given me by Anna-Kaisa, a teenage music prodigy, on a summer exchange when I was 15, which launched my love of all things Nordic. That summer I had my first sip of cloudberry vodka, took my first sauna, and learned to row a boat: all revolutionary for a kid from a family that had never taken holidays abroad. Anna-Kaisa and I became close friends, and I often returned to Helsinki for more saunas and vodka, and to hear her accompany the beguiling soprano Karita Mattila at the opera house. Continue reading...

Anti-rodent measures being used include baiting and trapping, odour repellents and blocking up doors and window sealsAt least three people have been bitten by mice in regional Australian hospitals, as farmers battle what they describe as “an absolute plague” tearing through regional and rural areas.Large swathes of inland New South Wales have been “inundated” with mice and rats, with the rodents getting into homes, hospitals and hotels. Continue reading...

Hiroshi Sasaki suggested a female entertainer should dress as a pig at the opening ceremonyPreparations for the Tokyo Olympics have again been thrown into turmoil after the creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies said he would resign over a sexist comment about a female entertainer, whom he likened to a pig.Hiroshi Sasaki said he would step down after a weekly magazine revealed he had proposed to his creative team that Naomi Watanabe, a popular celebrity, should be lowered into the Olympic stadium dressed as a pig in an opening ceremony segment he called “Olympig”. Continue reading...

Maung Waik alleges on state TV that he gave ousted leader $500,000 in cash in what appears to be an attempt to discredit the civilian governmentA Myanmar construction magnate with links to the country’s military rulers has claimed that he gave more than $500,000 in cash to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a broadcast on state television apparently aimed at discrediting the ousted civilian government.The statement by Maung Waik could pave the way for more serious charges against Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained since the 1 February military takeover while security forces increasingly use lethal force against a popular uprising demanding the restoration of democratically elected leaders. Continue reading...

In a 70-year career, Ringgold has shown the US its bloody, brutal side. And yet the artist started out wanting to paint landscapes … She talks about growing up during the Harlem Renaissance, her battles with the establishment and her latest Trump the Chump series

The 13 new constables have overcome society’s prejudice to win a place at Chhattisgarh’s training academyThe top police officer in Chhattisgarh state, Durgesh Awasthi, has nothing but praise for his new recruits. He suspects, he says, some of them will prove to be “the best cops” the force has ever enlisted.“They are sensitive, have a high emotional quotient and know not just how the other half lives but what it’s like being on the other side of the law,” said Awasthi. Continue reading...

Month-long restrictions to come into force as officials warn virus could rip through PNG’s fragile health system ‘like a tornado’Papua New Guinea will go into a month-long nationwide isolation in an effort to arrest a spiralling Covid-19 outbreak that threatens to rip through the country’s fragile health system “like a tornado”, health officials say, shutting hospitals and leaving wards without sufficient staff.Hospitals across the country have already been forced to shut wards and departments, overwhelmed by a combination of staff becoming infected with the coronavirus, surging patient demand, and swingeing budget cuts. Continue reading...

Exit polls suggest the prime minister’s VVD party increased its share of seats as it won a national ballot seen as referendum on handling of Covid crisisMark Rutte has claimed an “overwhelming” victory in national elections in the Netherlands, vowing to use a fourth term in office to rebuild the country after the coronavirus pandemic.Following a dull campaign fought during the pandemic and seen as a referendum on the government’s performance during the crisis, exit polls suggested the VVD had won 35 of the Dutch parliaments 150 seats, two more than in the previous election. Continue reading...

Medicines agency under pressure to clear up blood clot concerns and take brakes off Europe’s vaccination drive

Thinktank says government’s decision was a ‘huge mistake’ and should be central to any pandemic inquiry

Kamala Harris said the Atlanta massage parlour shootings were ‘tragic’ and spoke to the larger issue of violence in American society. ‘We must ... never tolerate it and always speak out against it,’ Harris said. Joe Biden said violence against Asian Americans was ‘very, very troubling’, but said was making ‘no connection at this moment of the motivation of the killer’.

Assessment said racially motivated extremists were most likely to attack civilians and that threats could grow in 2021Racially motivated extremists pose the most lethal domestic terrorism threats to the US, according to an unclassified intelligence report that warned that the threats could grow this year.The blunt assessment, in a report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, echoes warnings made by US officials, including the FBI director, Christopher Wray, who testified earlier this month that the threat from domestic violent extremism was “metastasizing” across the country. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Shadow minister Rachel Reeves says government should work with the bereaved on setting inquiry up

Analysis: The rapid development of battery-only cars is eclipsing petrol vehicles and even hybrids, leaving Japan’s big producers racing to catch upJapan’s traditional carmaking giants need to raise their game in the race to develop pure, battery-driven electric vehicles or risk being left behind by Chinese, American and European producers, analysts have warned.Despite dominating car production in Asia for decades, Japan’s big players have been slow to fully develop the battery-only technology that is now eclipsing hybrid vehicles as the most likely type of car to plug petrolheads into the automotive revolution. Continue reading...