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Todd Blanche says 31-year-old suspect will be charged with assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer

Acting attorney general says suspect was believed to have been targeting top Trump administration officialsThe gunman who tried to breach the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington DC on Saturday night is believed to have been targeting Donald Trump and senior members of his administration, the acting US attorney general, Todd Blanche, said on Sunday, although his exact motive has not yet become clear.The suspect, who is in custody after being subdued by members of law enforcement as he rushed through the hotel venue, could be charged with trying to assassinate the US president, Blanche said. Continue reading...

Leaders of Canada, Mexico and UK denounce political violence and express thanks Donald Trump and guests are unharmed

Deepening sense of deadlock despite regional diplomacy as Washington and Tehran show no signs of compromiseHopes of a breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the US faded further on Sunday, amid a deepening sense of a deadlock in the nearly two-month-long conflict despite intense regional diplomatic activity.Washington and Tehran appear unwilling to moderate rhetoric or make concessions, and there are no negotiations scheduled that might bring the war to a definitive end. Continue reading...

Message on private Facebook group for staff said: I dumped them all in a bin. They can sack me!'Royal Mail is investigating allegations that a postal worker claimed to have dumped" Reform UK campaign leaflets in a bin ahead of Thursday's local elections.A post on a Facebook group for Royal Mail staff said: My DO had reform party's D2D today. I dumped them all in a bin. They can sack me! Idgaf!" Continue reading...

Extreme weather likely to continue after devastating homes and endangering millions in US south and midwestAt least one person was killed after a very powerful tornado struck northern Texas on Saturday night, as extreme weather continued to devastate homes and put millions across the south and midwestern US at risk, with wildfires also raging on in parts of Georgia.Officials from Wise county in Texas said the storm reached the area at around 10pm and caused significant damage across multiple neighborhoods. In addition to the confirmed death, six people were treated or transported by emergency responders to be treated for storm-related injuries. Continue reading...

Law enforcement agencies name Cole Tomas Allen as Trump posts video of man sprinting through checkpoint

Millionaire funded operation called pure animal cruelty' after environment minister sent threats on social mediaFinal preparations are reportedly under way for a millionaire funded plan to tow a sickly humpback whale into the North Sea.The 12-tonne whale, nicknamed Timmy, has been stranded on the Baltic Sea coastline for almost a month. A barge resembling a giant steel aquarium will attempt to transport Timmy 400km (248 miles) towards the North Sea, and then hopefully back to the Atlantic Ocean from where it is believed to have arrived. Continue reading...

Pesident presses case for controversial $400m project following White House correspondents' dinner shootingThe shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel gives new urgency to the project to construct a 1,000-seat ballroom at the White House, Donald Trump claimed after the incident on Saturday night.The US president pressed the case for his controversial ballroom initiative at the press conference he held at the White House on Saturday and a social media post on Sunday, after an armed attacker was arrested as he rushed towards the Hilton's ballroom, where Trump was attending the White House Correspondents Association's annual dinner. Continue reading...

Alex Greenwich says inquest crucial to understand what failures led to Bikram Lama's death and avoid similar deaths

Prime minister says his job is not at risk over Mandelson vetting as allies back him against claims of wrongdoingKeir Starmer has said he will lead Labour into the next general election, as his Downing Street allies denied claims of any wrongdoing over the appointment and vetting of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.It has been a bruising week for the prime minister after the Guardian revealed that he appointed the former Labour grandee despite vetting officials recommending that he be denied security clearance. His handling of the row was called into question, including his swift decision to sack the Foreign Office chief Olly Robbins. Continue reading...

Police say incident in Dunmurry in which no one was hurt shows murderous intent still exists' in paramilitariesMurderous intent and capability" still exists within paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, officers have said after a car exploded outside a police station on the outskirts of Belfast.Detectives said they believed the New IRA was involved and are treating it as attempted murder. Continue reading...

Special session comes after Virginia voted to redraw maps and as Trump pressures Republicans to protect House majorityFlorida begins a special session on Tuesday in what may be the last front of the redistricting war before the 2026 election, with Republicans trying to redraw maps to pick up more seats in Congress.Lawmakers enter the session in Tallahassee cloaked in mystery, with no preview of a proposed map to consider and no clear path for Republicans to increase their representation in what appears to be a hostile year for their party. Continue reading...

Shooting reveals how political violence has become feature of American life on a night dedicated to press freedomAhead of this year's White House correspondents' dinner, conversations centered on the role of the media and freedom of the press as journalists prepared to dine with the president.Instead of a speech stacked with heated barbs against the media, the event ended like many in the US do: with gun violence. Continue reading...

Researchers find alarming' effect on fertility across global species from simultaneous exposuresSimultaneous exposure to toxic chemicals and climate change's impacts likely generates an additive or synergistic effect that increases reproductive harm, and may contribute to the broad global drop in fertility, new peer-reviewed research finds.The review of scientific literature considers how endocrine-disrupting chemicals, often found in plastic, coupled with climate change's effects, such as heat stress, are each linked to reductions in fertility and fecundity across global species - including in humans, wildlife and invertebrates. Continue reading...

Prime minister has shed trusted staffers but can still turn to many genuine friends in and out of governmentGiven that the signs of an embattled premiership are all around - defensive-sounding interviews insisting he will be in post at the next election; a rush of stories about supposed cabinet plotting - now, more than ever, Keir Starmer needs real allies. And here, at least, there is something to feel positive about.If you talk to most Labour MPs, Starmer most likely will not lead Labour into the next election. He may even not remain in No 10 much beyond a set of Scottish, Welsh and local English elections on 7 May, which are expected to be disastrous for his party. Continue reading...

Liz Conmy's death is a profound loss', Democratic party affiliate says following crash shortly after takeoffA small plane crashed just after taking off from Crystal airport north of Minneapolis on Saturday, killing a North Dakota state legislator and the pilot, authorities said.Liz Conmy, a North Dakota state representative from Fargo, was killed in the crash, her colleague, state senator Tim Mathern, told the Star Tribune. Continue reading...

Experts fear losing ground to virus even as the end of the HIV epidemic is in sight, and say decline in infant testing is particularly concerning'The US government released likely the last report from Pepfar (President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) earlier this month and the chief science officer announced his resignation days later as the US moves to a patchwork of individual partnerships with each country, potentially driven by resource extraction.While more leadership with other countries has long been the goal with global HIV efforts, experts fear the US is moving too quickly without being able to monitor its efforts as well as it has done with Pepfar for more than two decades. They fear losing ground to the virus even as the end of the HIV epidemic is in sight. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Investigation into campaigning materials for local polls in May challenges tactical voting claimsElection leaflets are providing grotesque" information about how to vote tactically in the May elections, using national polling data, dodgy" bar charts and doorstep surveys to support claims about parties' chances of winning.Leaflets distributed by local politicians across England are claiming that either only their party can win, or another party can't win here" when there is no good evidence to show that's true", a Full Fact investigation for the Guardian has revealed. Continue reading...

Buckingham Palace says talks taking place in light of gunman's attempt to storm dinner attended by Trump

No indication grandmother knew what Markel Lee, 17, was suspected of doing, and she later identified him to police

Men in tuxedos and women in dresses dove under tables, like a scene from a dozen Hollywood movies, but now it was happening to me

Prime minister says you never hear from ... the people who are supportive, loyal and just want to get on with the job'Keir Starmer and the Labour party continue to fight to maintain control in the aftermath of the Mandelson controversy. Starmer spoke to the Sunday Times about how he believed that the vast majority of Labour still supports him and that his party can still win in May.Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, took to the morning shows to defend Starmer and Labour, noting that in his work abroad and campaigning around the country, Mandelson is rarely mentioned and that particularly during a town hall yesterday with constituents, Peter Mandelson didn't come up once". People are more worried about the impact of the Middle East on their energy bills," Jones said.Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said that if Starmer doesn't resign, Labour backbenchers and ministers should develop a backbone and get rid of him".SNP also called for Starmer's resignation on Sunday in response to a Daily Mail story quoting Labour insiders as saying that the prime minister was considering sacking chancellor Rachel Reeves. Keir Starmer is living on another planet if he thinks he can save his skin by sacking everyone else," said Kirsty Blackman, SNP chief whip.Kirsty Blackman, SNP chief whip, responded on Sunday to a Daily Mail story quoting unnamed Labour insiders as saying that Keir Starmer is considering firing chancellor Rachel Reeves in a cabinet reshuffle in the aftermath of the Mandelson scandal. Continue reading...

This live blog is closed. Follow our new live blog hereCNN anchor Wolf Blitzer said he was within a few feet of the shooter, and called into CNN to describe his observations.Blitzer said he saw a very, very serious weapon. He starts shooting, and I happened to have been a few feet away from him. As he was shooting, of course, the first thing that went through my mind: is he trying to shoot me? And I don't think he was trying to shoot me, but I was very close to him as the gunshots were fired and he was very, very scary. But I'm OK, now." Continue reading...

Calls for more security measures after man, 51, arrested over alleged assaults at Prince of Wales hospital

Exclusive: Samaritans call for mandatory training for firefighters amid rise in incidentsSuicide-related callouts to fire and rescue services in England have tripled in the last decade, with Samaritans now calling for mandatory training for firefighters, who they say are struggling to deal with the increase in traumatic incidents.New figures show that fire services in England attended 3,250 suicide callouts in the year ending September 2025, the equivalent to 62 callouts a week. This was up from 997 callouts in 2009-10 when records began.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Discrepancy in forecasts raises questions over government planning for net zeroOne vision of the UK's future involves a decarbonised economy powered by clean, renewable energy. Another involves making the UK an AI superpower.The government departments responsible for these two visions do not appear to have agreed on their numbers. Continue reading...

Health secretary's power grab' to override Nice comes amid growing concern move may be illegal and benefit big pharmaDozens of MPs are opposing Wes Streeting's decision to award himself power to dictate what the NHS pays for drugs amid growing concern the move may be illegal.Thirty-one MPs have signed a House of Commons motion voicing their disapproval of the health secretary being handed the power to override the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's (Nice) judgment on how much the NHS should spend on individual medicines. Continue reading...

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Opposition leader doubles down on immigration policy and defends preferencing One Nation over independent in Farrer in ABC interview

The rival superpowers are ramping up preparations for a crewed lunar landing nearly six decades after the first moon walkThe world watched earlier this month as Nasa sent four astronauts around the moon - but to actually land on the surface the US is once again in a space race, this time with China. And China may well win.Both countries plan to build inhabited lunar bases - the first settlement on another celestial body - as well as searching for rare resources and using the deep space environment to test technology for future crewed missions to Mars. Continue reading...

President says incident, in which Secret Service agent was saved by bulletproof vest, was totally shocking to me'

US president and first lady were unharmed and suspect is being charged with two counts of felony firearms and assault charges

Soaring cost of building materials, lack of affordability and planning bottlenecks are some of the obstacles thwarting housing targetAt South and City College in Birmingham, dozens of young people clad in hi-vis vests and hard hats are building mini-walls and plastering half-formed rooms.Some weave in and out of stacks of bricks with wheelbarrows, while others use spirit levels to check the walls are straight and flat. In a few days time, these walls will be demolished and the plastering scraped away, for a new class to come in and try their hands. Continue reading...

Lawmakers and reporters in shock after Washington press event abruptly ends following gunshots

Killhouse is based on real-life story of civilian couple saved from battlefield by Ukrainian drone operatorsIt is being billed as Ukraine's answer to Saving Private Ryan, updated for an age of drones.The war movie Killhouse is an action thriller which shows off the latest in battlefield technology. Released this week, it features cameos by figures well known in Ukraine, including the nation's former military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. One missing person is Donald Trump. The film is conveniently set in 2024, when Washington and Kyiv were allies. Continue reading...

Footage posted online shows police telling people they were being removed due to suspicion they would interrupt ceremony

This blog is now closedWe have some images coming through the newswires of Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, speaking with Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, and other officials in Islamabad this morning.Araghchi arrived in Pakistan last night. He wrote on social media that his trip would focus on bilateral matters and regional developments". Continue reading...

Chief property and security officer Ian Collard set to submit written answers to foreign affairs committee questionsA key figure in the row over Peter Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to Washington will not appear before a parliamentary committee of MPs to give evidence.Emily Thornberry had requested that Ian Collard speak to the foreign affairs committee (FAC) on Tuesday, but confirmed on Saturday that he would submit written answers instead.Whether he felt under pressure to deliver Mandelson's clearance, after Robbins said there was an atmosphere of pressure" and constant chasing" from Downing Street.Whether he had seen the cover form for Mandelson's vetting by UK Security Vetting (UKSV), the agency responsible for checks on candidates for sensitive posts, in which it had ticked two red boxes - meaning they had high concern" and recommended clearance denied or withdrawn".If he was asked by anyone in the Foreign Office, Downing Street or the Cabinet Office for advice about whether Mandelson required vetting for the post given that he was a member of the House of Lords.If he advised on how Mandelson should be treated during the period between his appointment being announced and his clearance coming through. Continue reading...

Al-Qaida-linked group JNIM claims responsibility for strikes on airport in capital, Bamako and four other citiesIslamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali's capital and other cities on Saturday in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years.The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako's international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali on its website, Az-Zallaqa. It said the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Report shows cost of first appointment rose $20 in one year, with steeper rises in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania

Pair, believed to be mother and son, recovered from water but died at scene in Elthorne Park, EalingA woman and her young child have died after getting into difficulty" in the water at a park in west London, police said.Officers were called to Elthorne Park in Ealing just before 4.30pm on Saturday, where a woman and her son were recovered from the water, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

French president cites joint military aid to Cyprus as proof of Europe's ability to defend itself during trip to AthensEmmanuel Macron has spoken up for Europe's ability to defend itself, saying a mutual assistance clause, enshrined in the EU treaty, was unambiguous and not just words".The French president said the pact had already been proved in action when several member states sent military aid to Cyprus after a drone attack against a British airbase on the island on 28 February. Continue reading...

Klaudia Zakrzewska, 32, was hit at about 4.30am in Soho in incident that left 58-year-man with life-changing injuriesA social media influencer has died six days after a car hit her and other pedestrians outside a nightclub in London, police said.Klaudia Zakrzewska, 32, was injured in Argyll Street, Soho, at about 4.30am on 19 April and was pronounced dead on Saturday. Continue reading...

Officers continue with inquiries after West Midlands police confirm deaths of boys aged one and threeA woman has been arrested after a house fire in Wolverhampton on Friday in which a one-year-old and three-year-old boy died, West Midlands police have said.Emergency services were called to the property in the south of the city at about 8.30pm on Friday, with first responders attending from West Midlands police fire and ambulance services. Continue reading...

Enzo Bettamio alleged to have stabbed Kamonnan Thiamphanit in April 2024 at a property in BayswaterA teenager has been charged with murder over the death of a 27-year-old woman after his extradition from the United Arab Emirates to the UK.The charge relates to the stabbing of Kamonnan Thiamphanit, which took place at a property in Bayswater, west London, on 6 April 2024. Continue reading...

Extra social media checks brought in amid growing threat to politicians from extremistsThe security company that provides bodyguards for MPs has tightened its vetting processes after it sent a bodyguard with far-right links to protect a politician who was under threat from extremists.Mitie, which has a 31m contract for the work, is updating its CPO (Close Protection Operative) vetting processes to include regular social media checks. There will also be random checks on the social media activity of those already taken on. Continue reading...

The court sided with a Canadian hiker who deliberately challenged the order imposed to curb spread of wildfiresAs wildfires raged across Nova Scotia last summer, the Canadian province made a simple plea to residents: stay away from the woods.As the situation deteriorated, authorities turned the request into a prohibition: anyone caught hiking under the shade of the forest canopy faced a C$25,000 fine - a figure more than half the average worker's yearly salary. Continue reading...

Dnipro bore the brunt of the attacks but Odesa and Kharkiv were also targeted in largest onslaught for several daysRussian drone and missile strikes across Ukraine killed at least seven people overnight, including five in the city of Dnipro, Ukrainian local authorities have said.Reports say that at least 34 people have been injured in the strikes, which lasted practically all night", according to the Dnipropetrovsk regional head, Oleksandr Hanzha. The bodies of four people were found in the ruins of a house destroyed in the attacks, and workers continued to search for bodies on Saturday morning. Continue reading...

Some familiar, arcane terms are returning to the fore as the Tories study the tactics Labour used against Boris JohnsonThe lexicon of a British parliamentary scandal is arcane.As Keir Starmer fights to remain prime minister, he has had to respond to a humble address", had his judgment picked over during an emergency opposition day debate" and now faces the ignominy of a privilege motion". Continue reading...