World news | The Guardian

Education secretary asks UK watchdog to look into nursery practices, including non-refundable deposits and add-onsBridget Phillipson, the education secretary, is ordering a competition review of hidden childcare charges amid concerns parents are being hit with extra charges, despite the government's flagship expansion of funded childcare hours.Phillipson has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) asking it to examine practices including non-refundable deposits and compulsory add-ons. Continue reading...

Assault hits water facility, market, residential buildings and schools, killing at least four and injuring dozensRussia used its powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile for a third time in Ukraine as part of a massive attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region that killed at least four people and injured about 100.Russia hit the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region with the missile, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said. He described a heavy Russian assault that also hit a water supply facility, burned down a market and damaged dozens of residential buildings and several schools. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader claims counter-espionage experts' suggest state-sponsored hackers are behind the disclosure of 5m giftNigel Farage is under mounting pressure to provide evidence for his claim that a state-sponsored Russian hack was behind the disclosure of the 5m gift he received from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.Reform UK claimed over the weekend that analysis of Farage's phone by counter-espionage experts" suggested that Farage's phone, email and bank accounts were compromised by hostile actors, almost certainly linked to Moscow, using spear phishing tactics", before the Guardian revealed details of his undeclared gift last month. Continue reading...

Exclusive: prison multinational MTC uses a minimalist staffing model' that critics say is putting detainees and staff in serious danger

Regulators and gambling harm advocates have been closely watching the rise in popularity of Polymarket and Kalshi

Former justice secretary Alex Chalk KC says figures Channel 4 obtained show the horror show' in the systemAlmost 60,000 arrest warrants were issued for defendants who skipped court in England and Wales last year, up nearly 50% since 2020 in further evidence of the horror show" in the criminal justice system.The figures, obtained in an investigation by Channel 4's Dispatches to air on Friday, also show that more than 30,000 failure-to-appear warrants are outstanding, meaning that tens of thousands of criminals could be on the run after being charged. It is unclear how many have more than one warrant to their name. Continue reading...

Boys, aged 15, given youth rehabilitation orders for two separate attacks against two girls in HampshireA judge's decision not to jail the teenage boys who raped two girls has been described as a rock straight in my face" by one of their victims.Southampton crown court heard the two boys, both aged 15 at the time, raped the teenage girls in two separate attacks that occurred on 26 November 2024 and 17 January 2025 in Fordingbridge, Hampshire. Continue reading...

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US imposed sanctions on nine judges and a prosecutor after ICC issued arrest warrants for members of Israeli cabinetA former prosecutor at the international criminal court has called for an EU-wide statute blocking what she describes as thuggish" and bullying" US sanctions imposed on members of the court that are designed to send the court into oblivion.In February 2025, the US imposed sanctions on 11 ICC officials, including nine judges and the chief prosecutor as well three Palestinian organisations, in response to the ICC decision in 2024 to issue arrest warrants for members of the Israeli cabinet, including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue reading...

Rightwing commentator says she is hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket and claims she was misled by promoter Rocksman

Temperature reaches 30.5C in Kent as amber health alerts issued before bank holiday temperatures riseThe UK has recorded its hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching 30.5C in Kent as forecasters warned more extreme heat could follow over the bank holiday weekend.The temperature in Frittenden also marked the first time since 2012 the UK has reached 30C in May, according to the Met Office. Continue reading...

Xi Jinping urges authorities to spare no effort' in rescue operation after explosion in northern Shanxi provinceAt least 82 people have been killed in a gas explosion at a coalmine in northern China's Shanxi province, in the country's worst mining disaster in 17 years.The explosion happened on Friday at 7.29pm (12.29 BST) while 247 workers were underground at the Liushenyu coalmine in Qinyuan county, the state media agency Xinhua reported. Continue reading...

Guests on Only in Monroe included Jack White and Jeff Daniels, with appearances by Steve Buscemi and EminemAfter his last appearance on CBS as host of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert continued his television hosting duties -on a public access show in Michigan.Colbert on Friday night hosted Only in Monroe in Monroe, Michigan, just one day after signing off from The Late Show. Colbert had been the host of The Late Show since 2015 and his tenure came to an end this week after CBS canceled the 33-year-old network staple, due to a financial decision" by CBS's parent company, Paramount. Continue reading...

First responders hospitalized and decontaminated after four people were found apparently overdosingThree people died and 18 first responders were sickened by exposure to fentanyl in a rural New Mexico home this week, New Mexico state police said.Police initially found four people unconscious at the home in Mountainair, 90 miles (145km) east of Albuquerque. Two were declared dead at the scene and a third died at a hospital. Continue reading...

Wait times of more than two hours reported at terminal for cross-Channel ferry to FranceFrench police have temporarily suspended extra EU border checks at the port of Dover as thousands of holidaymakers face long delays in the hot weather.Waiting times of more than two hours were reported at the terminal in Kent for the cross-Channel ferry to France. Continue reading...

New strain of virus, aid cuts, and cultural norms around burials and touch add to difficulties in stemming outbreakThe warnings from aid groups and healthcare workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been stark, their calls for coordinated international action impassioned.As the country reels from the return of the Ebola virus, there is growing concern that its fragile healthcare system will struggle to cope with an outbreak that experts say goes well beyond the number of confirmed cases. Continue reading...

People killed in strikes across multiple locations after child and six paramedics die in attacks a day earlierIsrael has carried out overnight strikes on Lebanon's Bekaa valley and the southern province of Tyre, killing at least four people and reducing buildings to craters.The strikes on southern Lebanon continued on Saturday morning, hitting close to Lebanese army barracks, killing a man on a motorcycle in the town of Nabatieh, and killing and wounding people in the town of Chehabiyeh, where the death toll is not yet known. Continue reading...

As Canada tightens asylum rules, refugees reuniting with family say they were turned over to ICE and jailed for months after failed border claimsAs each day in US detention passes, Markens Appolon can feel the life he had dreamed of slipping away.The 25-year-old fled Haiti to escape the rampant gang violence that upended his university studies in economics, and planned to join family in Montreal. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Desperate' man, in hiding after returning in a lorry, says he knows of 18 others from scheme who live in Britain covertlyAn asylum seeker sent from the UK back to France under the one in, one out" scheme has covertly returned to Britain and is now in hiding, the Guardian has learned.In the first interview with a one in, one out returnee living under the radar in the UK, the man told the Guardian his situation was desperate". Continue reading...

Prewar US gas prices averaged about $3 a gallon nationally - kiss that number goodbye for 2026Sorry, US drivers, but don't expect pump prices to return to prewar levels any time soon, even if the US and Iran agree to a lasting peace deal tomorrow.As the war with Iran enters its third month, drivers have become infuriated by rising gas prices - and inflation - and Donald Trump is facing a historic backlash in the polls. The president promised recently that relief will be swift once the war ends. I see it going down very substantially when this is over, I think very rapidly too, at levels that you've never seen," he said. Continue reading...

Former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn says firms must offer more flexibility and mental health supportAn anxious generation" of young people is struggling to adapt to the outdated world of work, according to the government's jobs adviser.Alan Milburn, a former Labour health secretary, will say this week in a report that businesses must adapt by offering more flexibility and mental health support for young people to stave off an economic catastrophe." Continue reading...

As Europe's leading donor countries slash budgets, the result could be more than 11.5m preventable deaths, report suggestsCuts to foreign aid budgets by the UK, France and Germany could contribute to more than 11.5 million preventable deaths by the end of the decade, according to a new report, which warns that Europe is abandoning its role as a pillar of global health and development.Three separate studies within the report reveal the extent to which the nations have slashed their foreign aid budgets, and illustrate the impact worldwide. UK official development assistance (ODA) spending is projected to fall by 45% between 2020 and 2026, Germany's by 37% between 2023 and 2026, and France's by 30% over the same period, according to the research.This report was a collaboration with European newspapers El Pais and Le Monde Continue reading...

Chancellor's measure to help families save money during summer holidays won't make any difference'Cutting tax on children's meals is a political soundbite" that will make little difference to families or businesses, restaurateurs have said.This week, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, announced a temporary reduction in VAT on the children's menu in restaurants from 20% to 5% between June and September, in order to help families with the cost of living crisis and offer a boost to the hospitality sector. Continue reading...

US-backed board has put sole blame for stalled ceasefire on militant group despite Israel not fulfilling its obligations, analysts sayThe top diplomat from the Board of Peace has blamed Hamas for the stalled ceasefire, but critics have said the US-backed board's lack of even-handedness in implementing the truce risks a return to war.The high representative for Gaza", Nickolay Mladenov, told the UN security council on Thursday that Hamas was the principal obstacle" to the ceasefire's continued implementation because it refused to accept verified decommissioning, relinquish coercive control and allow a genuine civilian transition". Continue reading...

Chancellor's allies urge MPs to back her if Keir Starmer is replaced, saying she is only candidate to safeguard UK's financesRachel Reeves has launched a rearguard action to save her job as chancellor, telling friends she would like to stay in the post even under a new prime minister.The chancellor's supporters have been urging MPs to back her if Keir Starmer is replaced later this year, saying she is the only candidate who can safeguard the country's finances. Continue reading...

Paperwork supplied by Andrew Crowley, 46, found to be made using printing methods 25 years too modernA fraudster who tried to sell fake ancient statues to Sotheby's was foiled when his bogus accompanying paperwork was found to be written with printing methods that were 25 years too modern, a court has heard.Andrew Crowley, 46, asked the auctioneers to value three Cycladic figures and one Anatolian stargazer statuette that he had inherited from his grandfather, Southwark crown court in London was told on Friday. Continue reading...

Living archive' will mark loss of Northumberland landmark with storytelling, sound and sculpture using saved woodA new artwork will transform preserved wood from the felled Sycamore Gap tree into a living archive" after a public vote.The community arts charity Helix Arts and George King Architects were named winners of the vote on Saturday, after being shortlisted for a National Trust commission in March. Continue reading...

Exclusive: New biography uncovers Frank Hawking's papers in which he lamented that his son had little initiative'In exploring the physics and geometry of the universe, Stephen Hawking became a world-renowned pioneer of black hole theory, writing the bestselling book A Brief History of Time, which has sold more than 13m copies, and inspiring people to look up at the stars and not down at your feet".But, during Hawking's student years and as he approached adulthood, his father was deeply concerned about how his son would turn out. Frank Hawking lamented that he hangs round the house with little initiative and does not study much", according to previously unknown diaries that he had written partly in code. Continue reading...

Councils fix a pothole every 17 seconds - but getting on top of the repair backlog would cost 18.6bn. Why is it so hard to solve a problem that drives the nation crazy?Marsh Street in the historic centre of Bristol is a modest little stretch of road with an office block at one end, a Thai restaurant at the other, and an almighty mess in between.Along its length of 200 metres or so, the tarmac surface of the road is pockmarked with many dozens of cracks, patches, divots and holes. In some spots where the surface has worn away, three or more layers of road structure are exposed beneath. What is a bouncy enough ride in a bus or car is even more of an assault course for cyclists, a number of whom weave carefully down its length as they cut through the city centre. Continue reading...

Prime minister launches impassioned argument in favour of much-maligned reforms announced in last week's federal budget

A 42-year-old fled from police before being involved in a two-vehicle crash in Sans Souci, police say

Iran has threatened to impose tolls on shipping, while US demands that Iran hand over its highly enriched uranium may be deferred. Is there an end in sight?Qatar has rushed a team of mediators to Tehran in a sign that talks to open the strait of Hormuz, in return for the lifting of US sanctions and asset freezes, are reaching a climax.The aim would be to sign a memorandum of understanding on the strait that would lead to 30 days of talks on Iran's nuclear programme - so deferring discussion of the US demand that Iran hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Continue reading...

Michael Agzarian was charged despite internal legal advice that the images were political satire', court hears

Former general Petr Pavel says Moscow's testing of alliance's eastern flank should be met with firm lineThe Czech president, Petr Pavel, has urged Nato to show its teeth" in response to Russia's repeated testing of the alliance's resolve on its eastern flank, suggesting a range of options including switching off its internet, cutting off its banks from global financial systems and shooting down jets that violate allied airspace.Speaking to the Guardian in Prague, Pavel called for decisive enough, potentially even asymmetric" responses to counter Moscow's provocative behaviour against the alliance or risk the Kremlin intensifying its actions. Continue reading...

Alberta premier calls for referendum on secession after judge ruled initiative to force binding vote invalidThe Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has said that Alberta is essential" to the country's future, hours after the province's leader moved the oil-rich region closer toward a referendum on independence.Separatists in the western province spent months collecting signatures seeking to trigger a binding October vote on seceding from the nation. Continue reading...

Secretary of state suggests July meeting of alliance will be fraught as US demands help in strait of HormuzDonald Trump is disappointed that Nato allies refused to become more actively involved in attacking Iran, the US secretary of state has said, setting up what could become a fraught summit of the alliance in July.Marco Rubio, meeting with foreign ministers of the military alliance, emphasised that he expected the rift would be discussed at the July meeting in Ankara, making the summit one of the more important" in Nato's 77-year history. Continue reading...

Backlash grows among European staff against radical cuts to pay off Covid-era debt, with some accusing council of colonial attitude'The historic Palacete building at 31 Paseo del General Martinez Campos in Madrid's upmarket Chamberi district has been home to the British Council in Spain for about 70 years.About 5,000 students each year pass through its 35 classrooms, learning English, attending exams, and forging cultural ties with the UK. Over the years that is hundreds of thousands of Madrilenos (people from Madrid), while it also serves as a centre for the expat community. Continue reading...

Andy Burnham talks up his local credentials and says: This is not business as usual, this is not more of the same'On transport, Burnham says I like my buses" (they were taken back under public control in Greater Manchester in 2023) but he was woeful about the cost of rail journeys.364 is the cost of an anytime return from Wigan North Western to London Euston. So how can people here connect with the capital and all of the opportunities it's got, if they cannot afford those train fares? We need to use rail re-nationalisation to reduce those train fares and make them affordable to people again.Change to the economy, change to education, change to housing, change to transport, change to care, and yes, to make it all possible. Change to politics. Continue reading...

Jane Fonda, Bruce Springsteen and Joe Biden are among the names paying tribute to host of cancelled late-night showShare your favorite memories from The Late Show With Stephen ColbertCelebrities, politicians and New Yorkers have paid their respects to Stephen Colbert as The Late Show aired its final episode on Thursday.The long-running chatshow, which started back in 1993, was cancelled last year by CBS, purportedly because of a financial decision. But many believed it was a result of the network's increasing closenesss with Donald Trump, whom Colbert regularly criticised. Continue reading...

This is a change byelection,' says Labour mayor as he launches bid for Makerfield seat and lays out policy views

Judge says it is disappointing' there will have to be retrial of prisoners accused over Lostprophets singer's deathThe jury in the trial of two prisoners accused of murdering the disgraced former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has been discharged for legal reasons.The judge at Leeds crown court told jurors on Friday that there would be a retrial. Very reluctantly, I'm going to discharge you and the case will have to be retried," said Mr Justice Hilliard. Continue reading...

Temperatures expected to reach as high as 33C in southern England or Midlands on Monday

British army is 80-90% short of drones as military exercise aims to build on European defence strategyDeep in Charing Cross underground station, in the disused terminus of the Jubilee line, a secret Nato command bunker has this week been discreetly at work. Dozens of mostly British soldiers were engaged in a war game defending Estonia from a Russian invasion in 2030, unbeknownst to commuters and tourists bustling above.The secret chambers are behind two sets of normally locked, metal double doors. A red glow at the bottom of the escalator beyond is the first sign of troops below; next are mocked up newspaper covers pasted over ageing adverts. A British Nato force has deployed to Estonia they blare, in response to a Russian massing of troops on the border. Continue reading...

Targeting of foreign activists drew global outrage from governments that have not acted on violence against Palestinian detaineesIsrael's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has made abuse of detained Palestinians something of a macabre calling card, celebrating cruelty publicly and often on video.During his time in office, violence including rape, extreme hunger and humiliation have been normalised in Israeli jails. Rights groups say detention centres have become torture camps" for Palestinians. Continue reading...

Italy's president leads tributes to campaigner who spent four decades promoting sustainability and local cuisineCarlo Petrini, the journalist who founded the Slow Food movement in protest against the arrival of the first McDonald's in Italy, has died aged 76.Petrini, who had been diagnosed with prostrate cancer in recent years, died in his home town of Bra in northern Italy's Piedmont region. He had led Slow Food, which since 1986 has campaigned against fast-food culture by promoting sustainability and local cuisine, as president until 2022. Continue reading...

Temperatures across Portugal, Spain, France and the UK are expected to exceed 30C on Friday and into next week

Almost 19m drivers expected to hit roads over long weekend, with heaviest traffic likely to be on Friday and SaturdayAn especially hot late May bank holiday weekend is expected to bring even more traffic to the roads than usual at the start of the half-term break taking place in parts of the UK, motoring organisations have warned.With temperatures forecast to pass 30C in places by Monday, coastal roads are predicted to be among the busiest, with long queues expected towards seaside resorts and the Port of Dover, where delays in border checks are compounding the holiday rush. Continue reading...

US secretary of state says president would like a negotiated agreement with Havana but likelihood is not high'The US president, Donald Trump, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Thursday again raised the spectre of military intervention in Cuba, a renewed threat that takes on greater weight a day after the administration announced criminal charges against Raul Castro, the island's former leader.Other presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years, doing something," Trump told reporters when asked about Cuba during an event in the Oval Office. And it looks like I'll be the one that does it. So I would be happy to do it." Continue reading...

Hung Cao's comments are latest blow to Taipei after Donald Trump recently cast doubt over US's enduring supportUS arms sales to Taiwan have been paused" to ensure the US military has enough munitions for its Iran operations, according to Washington's acting navy secretary, in the latest blow to Taipei after a series of comments by Donald Trump.When asked at a congressional hearing on Thursday about a $14bn (10.4bn) weapons packageawaiting Trump's signoff for months, Hung Cao said: Right now we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury [the Iran war] - which we have plenty." Continue reading...

Keith Ervin, 59, was charged with assault after he told a student God - you're hot' at a public meeting in AprilAn east Tennessee school board member who told a teenage girl, God - you're hot," on video at a public meeting in April has been charged with assault.State prosecutors on 18 May charged 59-year-old Keith Ervin under a Tennessee statute that outlaws intentionally or knowingly [causing] physical contact with another [that] a reasonable person would regard ... as extremely offensive or provocative". Continue reading...