World news | The Guardian

State's top cop - who was first woman to hold position in NSW history - expected to step down on 30 September

UAE insists it does not provide arms to paramilitary group as Sudanese ambassador recalledSudan's security and defence council has declared that it will break diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates over its alleged backing of the paramilitary Sudanese Rapid Support Forces.During a televised speech on Tuesday, Sudan's defence minister, Yassin Ibrahim, said Sudan was severing diplomatic relations with the UAE" and recalling its ambassador, claiming the Gulf nation had breached Sudan's sovereignty through its RSF proxy", which has been fighting the army in a bloody civil war since April 2023. Continue reading...

James Timpson says he will fight normalised' sexual harassment, bullying and racism within prison serviceSexual harassment, racism and bullying have become normalised" in jails and probation offices across England and Wales, the prisons minister has warned, as he announced a plan to overhaul a toxic culture of cover-up" among senior staff.James Timpson said one in eight of HM Prison and Probation Service's (HMPPS) 65,000 staff say they have been bullied. Sexual assaults on female staff have led to arrests while black and Asian staff have faced repeated racist comments amid a vacuum of pastoral care". Continue reading...

Former Scottish first minister expresses concern about interim advice from EHRC

Several paid roles at party are not in office despite Nigel Farage's comments promising no more work from home'Reform UK has been accused of hypocrisy after it emerged the party is advertising several jobs offering home working despite promising a clampdown on the policy.The party's leader, Nigel Farage, told reporters he hoped to emulate Elon Musk's department of government efficiency" (Doge), which has attempted to slash federal spending in the US, after a record performance in the local elections last week. Continue reading...

Vivienne Stern says universities face critical moment' amid reports students from abroad could be targeted for restrictionsNew proposals to crack down on student visa applications in order to reduce asylum claims will make the financial crisis facing beleaguered UK universities considerably worse", the government has been told.Ahead of the publication of an immigration white paper, there have been reports that student visa applications from nationalities considered likely to overstay and claim asylum in the UK could be targeted as part of a new government crackdown. Continue reading...

Donald Trump said the Houthis don't want to fight any more', following air raids by the US, Israel and the UKThe US will halt its bombing campaign against Yemen's Houthis after Donald Trump claimed the Iran-aligned group had agreed to stop targeting shipping in the Red Sea.The halt - announced by the US president during an Oval Office meeting with Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, came on a day in which Israel claimed its jets had fully disabled Yemen's main airport, including three civilian aircraft on the ground, in retaliation for a missile strike on Sunday that hit within the perimeter of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. Continue reading...

Radio 4's Today programme did not include responses from Home Office and Buckingham Palace to stitch-up' claimsThe BBC has admitted to a lapse in our usual high editorial standards" over its coverage on Radio 4's Today programme of the broadcaster's recent interview with the Duke of Sussex.The admission came after it failed to include responses from the Home Office and Buckingham Palace to allegations made by the duke. Continue reading...

Ministers claim sale in Hong Kong is unlawful and are demanding repatriation of sacred relics buried in third-century BCThe Indian government has issued a legal notice to halt the unethical" auction of ancient gem relics, which it said should be treated as the sacred body of the Buddha.Its Ministry of Culture said the auction of the Piprahwa gems in Hong Kong this week violates Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions", and demanded their repatriation to India for preservation and religious veneration". Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereIn his interviews this morning Wes Streeting, who is seen as a Blairite, said that if the Labour government did not deliver change for voters, it would be out. (See 9.08am.) According to Politico, at a conference in Los Angeles yesterday, Tony Blair made the same argument himself. Talking about progressive parties generally, he said.If you end up just being the managers of the status quo and the status quo isn't working for people, they're going to put you out.Two senior backbenchers have confirmed to The Independent that they are calling meetings with fellow parliamentarians to discuss ousting the Conservative Party leader.We cannot continue as we are and she [Ms Badenoch] is just not up to the task," one of the MPs said ...To those few @Conservatives now briefing journalists that another leadership election is the answer I say, if after four leadership elections and utter disarray amongst MP's over the last five years, another leadership election is what they believe the public voted for, then they are deluded.This election result was frankly the second signific tremor after the first devastating political earthquake last year. It underscored the level of anger too many Conservative voters still had for our mistakes and failures. Not to mention the terrible behaviour of too many Conservative MPs at times appearing to care more for their careers than the lives of those they were sent to serve.Conservative voters haven't forgotten. Continue reading...

Carmakers say there needs to be more focus on smaller, affordable vehicles in Europe as SUVs gain popularity

UK system makes it a real outlier' among liberal democracies, according to study examining 62 countriesThe UK has one of the most difficult voter registration processes among liberal democracies, according to research that examined 62 countries.Requirements to actively register to vote, meet strict deadlines before polling day and cast a ballot at specific polling stations make the UK a real outlier internationally", academics at the University of Manchester found. Continue reading...

The draft bill is modelled on Australian laws and would force digital platforms to verify the age of users or face heavy finesNew Zealand's prime minister has proposed banning children under 16 years old from using social media, in an effort to protect young people from harms such as exposure to violent content and cyberbullying.Christopher Luxonsaid on Tuesday the draft law would force social media companies to verify users were at least 16 before allowing them to create an account, or face fines of up to NZ$2m ($1.2m). Continue reading...

Renowned poet and author wins prize for series of New Yorker essays on suffering of Palestinians in GazaThe renowned Palestinian poet and author, Mosab Abu Toha, is among this year's Pulitzer prize winners.Abu Toha was awarded for a series of essays in the New Yorker documenting the lives and suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, where he has lived nearly all his life. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Charity says it is to scrap 14m-a-year specialist service as current arrangements are unaffordableMacmillan Cancer Support is to scrap its 14m-a-year specialist advice service, which helps tens of thousands of people every year, in what has been described as a betrayal of vulnerable patients.Macmillan, one of the UK's biggest and highest-profile charities, told staff and partners this week it planned to cease funding its specialist benefits advice services at the end of this year. Continue reading...

Arachne Press says Afonydd (Rivers) was inspired by success of A470: Poems for the Road/Cerddi'r FforddIts volume of bilingual poetry celebrating the A470 road, which zigzags through Wales, proved a surprise hit.Inspired by the success, an independent publisher is releasing another anthology in English and Welsh, this time focusing on the rivers that tumble through the country. Continue reading...

Commons leader had appeared to suggest Reform commentator was using a political dog whistle'No 10 has backed the cabinet minister Lucy Powell after she apologised for appearing to suggest it was a dog whistle" issue to discuss grooming gangs.Powell, the leader of the House of Commons, faced calls from the Conservatives to resign after she made the remarks on Friday night. Continue reading...

Former deputy prime minister told ABC he had not experienced any symptoms, but that a blood test had caught the disease in its early stages

Most people do not know soldiers from countries like Jamaica and Kenya, and Muslims, fought alongside British troopsThe British public is largely unaware of the contribution made by soldiers from Commonwealth countries such as Jamaica and Kenya to the second world war, research has found, as campaigners say greater recognition of the diversity of those who fought against fascism will strengthen national unity.Ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May, a FocalData poll for the thinktank British Future, which works to highlight integration, found there is a strong public appetite" for greater awareness and teaching in schools of the diversity of the war effort - but a lack of knowledge about the contribution of Black and Asian personnel. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed

Minor party will not win a House of Representatives seat and its performance in the Senate is still unknown after spending millions on advertising

Albanese's party is on track for at least 85 seats and the final tally could well be more. Plus: the major party vote continues to shrink

Cancer 360 will help collate patient information from spreadsheets, emails and records into single digital systemMillions of cancer patients have been promised faster diagnosis and treatment, with the rollout of a new technology across the NHS in England.The tool, called Cancer 360, is designed to bring cancer patients' data into one central system in order that doctors and nurses can prioritise those most in need and see them more quickly. Continue reading...

Presenter of ITV's Lorraine morning show says she expects to be totally fine' after surgeryTV presenter Lorraine Kelly has revealed she is having surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.The 65-year-old said in a post on Instagram that the operation was purely preventative". She said the procedure was going to be done using keyhole surgery, and that she had undergone scans earlier, and told fans she would be totally fine". Continue reading...

Liberal party supporters in shock as opposition leader forced to concede seat in Brisbane to Labor's Ali France

Despite a first term marred by inflation and rising energy bills, Albanese found new confidence in campaign overshadowed by Trump and a flailing opposition

Charlie Taylor says old, overcrowded jails in England and Wales were never designed for education and trainingThe cramped conditions of Victorian prisons in England and Wales are limiting the rehabilitation opportunities for thousands of offenders, an official watchdog has said.As the Guardian launches a visual investigation into the state of Victorian prisons in inner cities and towns, the chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, said 19th century jails could also be incredibly noisy and distressing" for autistic people. Continue reading...

Lydia Mugambe stopped young Ugandan woman holding down steady job and made her work as her maid, court toldA UN judge has been jailed for six years and four months after forcing a young woman to work as a slave in the UK.Lydia Mugambe, 50, was found to have taken advantage of her status in relation to the Ugandan woman in the most egregious way" while Mugambe studied for a PhD in law at Oxford University. Continue reading...

Creatures make up the bulk of seabirds' diet but are fished for commercial pig food

Met Service issues red warning amid deepening low pressure, while Europe experiences above average temperaturesStrong winds and flooding spread across New Zealand last week, with a state of emergency declared in Christchurch, after the country was battered by a destructive area of low pressure. A red warning, the highest warning level, was issued by the MetService (the national meteorological service).The area of low pressure quickly deepened in the Tasman Sea off the west coast of New Zealand and travelled eastwards, with the centre of low pressure moving across the northern island and creating very strong winds, particularly through the Cook Strait, the body of water that separates the two islands. The wind direction was a south-easterly to southerly, which caused the winds to strengthen as they were funnelled between the islands. Continue reading...

Labour face first electoral test since general election with more than 1,600 council seats up for grabs

Long-awaited costings of more than 200 policies show Coalition would gut long list of environment and clean energy programs if returned to power

Many countries impose a form of inheritance tax on deceased estates, but does Albanese's policy fit the bill?

Murder accused urged Simon Patterson to change his mind about not attending special meal', Victorian court hears

Politicians say Yoweri Museveni is prosecuting opponents on politically motivated charges before 2026 electionUgandan opposition politicians have accused the president, Yoweri Museveni, of attempting to quash dissent by prosecuting opponents on politically motivated charges in military courts in the run-up to presidential and legislative elections next year.The government is pushing to introduce a law to allow military tribunals to try civilians despite a supreme court ban on the practice. Continue reading...

Kyiv-based Centre for Civil Liberties says tortured inmates bypassed amid focus on territory and security guaranteesUkrainian and Russian civil society leaders have called for the unconditional release of thousands of Ukrainian civilians being held in Russian captivity, pushing for world leaders to make it a central part of any peace deal.Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Kyiv-based Centre for Civil Liberties, which won the 2022 Nobel peace prize, said most of the discussion on ending the conflict, led by Donald Trump's administration, focused solely on territories and potential security guarantees. Continue reading...

Of course she didn't. Gifted on climate policy, she used all six of her questions to call for another child abuse enquiryOn days like these, Keir Starmer might come to believe there is a God after all. Fair to say the prime minister has been under the cosh recently. His popularity ratings tanking as people continue to feel fed up that nothing still appears to be working as it should. The local elections on Thursday are unlikely to provide any joy for Labour with Reform ahead in several polls. Even the election of Mark Carney has been a mixed blessing. A reminder that some politicians get rewarded for taking a tough line on Agent Orange. The Lib Dems have declared themselves honorary Canadians.To cap it all, Tony Blair had just published a report on climate policy that even his best friends might consider to have been unhelpful". Tony is a former politician who is unable to go gently into the dark night. Eighteen years after stepping down as prime minister, he still yearns for relevance. Continue reading...

At least 11 civilians and security officials killed in Druze-majority areas around the capital on WednesdayAt least 11 civilians and security officials were killed in ongoing clashes in a town near Damascus on Wednesday, state media reported, the second consecutive day of fighting in Druze-majority areas around Syria's capital.Reports said fighting had started overnight in the town of Ashrafiah Sahnaya, south-west of Damascus, after unknown gunmen attacked a security checkpoint. An attack on the Druze-majority Damascus suburb of Jaramana a day earlier left at least 10 people dead, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Continue reading...

Pop singer's tour has been mocked online and she was criticised for taking commercial spaceflight, but she tells fans please know I am OK'Following criticism of her latest tour, new music and her trip to the edge of space on Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin craft, Katy Perry has written an emotional message explaining how the public opprobrium has affected her.Perry wrote the message under an Instagram post by a fan group, who booked a billboard in Times Square to congratulate her on the opening week of her Lifetimes tour. Continue reading...

Business owners will be able to apply for up to 20,000 for measures such as covered seating and mudproof car parksThe landscapes are as spectacular as the welcome is warm in the Welsh valleys, mountain villages and harbour towns, but the weather can, to put it mildly, be unreliable.In an attempt to counter a trend of visitors staying away due to the threat of chilly sogginess, the Welsh government is launching a million-pound weather proofing" fund for tourism businesses. Continue reading...

Critical care paramedic Christopher Wilkinson arrived at Westfield 30 minutes after Joel Cauchi attacked 16 people, killing six

Temperatures south Asians dread each year arrive early as experts talk of ever shorter transition to summer-like heatThe summer conditions south Asian countries dread each year have arrived alarmingly early, and it's only April. Much of India and Pakistan is already sweltering in heatwave conditions, in what scientists say is fast becoming the new normal".Temperatures in the region typically climb through May, peaking in June before the monsoon brings relief. But this year, the heat has come early. As far as Asia and the Indian subcontinent are concerned, there was a quick transition from a short window of spring conditions to summer-like heat," said GP Sharma, the meteorology president of Skymet, India's leading private forecaster. Continue reading...

Report follows inquest jury's conclusion that Jacqueline Anne Potter killed herself after mental health declineA coroner has expressed wide-ranging concerns about how the NHS cares for women during menopause after the death of a 54-year-old teacher who killed herself after a decline in her mental health.Jacqueline Anne Potter took her own life during overnight leave from an acute psychiatric unit in Somerset where she was being looked after because of mental health issues exacerbated by menopause. Continue reading...

Victorian supreme court judge tells jury that charges relating to Simon Patterson have been droppedThe trial of Erin Patterson for allegedly murdering her in-laws by serving them a lunch laced with death cap mushrooms has started in a Victorian court.Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in South Gippsland in 2023.Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Continue reading...

Opposition leader finds himself under siege as prime minister takes campaign into Brisbane and Labor plays nuclear mind games

Researchers have compared the monotreme's traits with the Kryoryctes cadburyi, an ancient water-dwelling creature that lived in Australia more than 100m years ago

Escalation from US military suggests previous restraints on causing civilian casualties have been relaxedI am the candidate of peace," Donald Trump declared on the campaign trail last November. Three months into his presidency, not only is the war in Ukraine continuing and the war in Gaza restarted, but in Yemen, the number of civilian casualties caused by US bombing is rapidly and deliberately escalating.Sixty-eight were killed overnight, the Houthis said, when the US military bombed a detention centre holding African migrants in Saada, north-west Yemen, as part of a campaign against the rebel group. In the words of the US Central Command (Centcom), its purpose is to restore freedom of navigation" in the Red Sea and, most significantly, American deterrence". Continue reading...

Phones, traffic lights, Spanish parliament and newsrooms all reportedly affected as metro stations are plunged into darkness

Acknowledgment, after long silence over deployment, comes as Russia claims it has recaptured Kursk regionVladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un have confirmed for the first time that North Korea has sent troops to fight for Russia in the war with Ukraine, with both leaders describing the soldiers as heroes".The acknowledgment comes amid claims by the Kremlin - contested by Ukraine - that North Korean forces helped recapture Russia's Kursk region. Continue reading...

Spravato, derived from a popular club drug and also known as esketamine, offers hope to tens of thousands of Australians living with chronic mental illness