World news | The Guardian

The prime minister Keir Starmer is hoping to push forward on policy following a bruising week for his leadershipKemi Badenoch has said that Keir Starmer just received a stay of execution" yesterday. Speaking to reporters on a visit this morning, she said:[Starmer] is in a very dangerous place. The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the quiet bit out loud.Labour MPs and the Labour party have lost confidence in their leader, but the MPs are too scared of losing their jobs, so they're not going to call an election, and they've given him a stay of execution. The sad thing is that the country is suffering from not being governed at all. Continue reading...

The 12-year-old was stabbed by a stranger as he walked home from school in January 2025Justice Choudhury KC is back from his deliberation and will make a decision about whether or not he will lift the reporting restriction shortly.Leo Ross's foster family is in court this morning to hear the judge pass his sentence, due this afternoon. Continue reading...

Seamus Culleton describes conditions as torture' as he pleads with taoiseach to raise his case with Donald TrumpAn Irish man who has been held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for five months despite having a valid work permit and no criminal record says he fears for his life and has appealed for help from Ireland's government.Seamus Culleton said conditions at his detention centre in Texas were akin to torture" and that the atmosphere was volatile. I'm not in fear of the other inmates. I'm afraid of the staff. They're capable of anything." Continue reading...

Schumer and Jeffries says White House proposal is incomplete and insufficient' as prospect of deal recedesDonald Trump has done a number of U-turns on the Epstein files since his campaign in 2024.The president wants the latest batch of files to be the last, but Democrats are pushing for 3m more to be released. Continue reading...

Head of army says potential peacemakers' being trained, in what would be first outside force in Gaza since 1967Indonesia has said it is preparing to send up to 8,000 troops to Gaza to be part of a peacekeeping force under Donald Trump's Middle East plan.The announcement by the army chief of staff, Gen Maruli Simanjuntak, makes Indonesia the first country to deliver a specific commitment to the international stabilisation force (ISF) envisaged as part of the second phase of the Trump plan. Continue reading...

It is time for Europe to wake up ... If we do not decide for ourselves, we will be swept away," the French president saidMeanwhile, Romanian foreign minister Oana oiu spoke at Chatham House in London last night, saying Europe should never be naive when it comes to Russia" and be clear-eyed about the lessons that history has taught us" on Moscow's intentions.In a wide-ranging speech, she reiterated Romania's support for Ukraine, saying mockingly that we are four years into a war that was announced by Russia [that it would be] won in three days." Continue reading...

CS Venkatakrishnan dismayed by depravity and corruption' revealed in Epstein files as he announces profits

Exclusive: only matter of time until decrepit ships cause spill bigger than Exxon Valdez disaster, analysts sayDecrepit oil tankers in Iran's sanctions-busting shadow fleet are a ticking time bomb", with a catastrophic environmental disaster only a matter of time", maritime intelligence analysts have warned.Such an oil spill could be far bigger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster that released 37,000 tonnes of crude oil into the sea, they said. Continue reading...

Pressure mounts on oil and gas company as it aims for turnaround under new chief executive

Palestinian boy has been in the West Bank since 2022 but is still registered as a resident in the strip where ban appliesAn Israeli court has rejected an appeal to allow a five-year-old Palestinian boy with an aggressive form of cancer to enter Israel for life-saving treatment, citing a government policy that bars residents registered in Gaza from crossing the border, even when they no longer live there.In a ruling issued on Sunday, the Jerusalem district court dismissed a petition seeking permission to transfer the child from Ramallah to Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv for a bone marrow transplant - a procedure unavailable in either Gaza or the occupied West Bank. The boy has been in the West Bank since 2022 where he was receiving medical care unavailable in the Gaza Strip. His doctors have determined that he urgently requires antibody immunotherapy. Continue reading...

Teacher who ran school outside Paris was a formative influence on generations of comedians and actors including Helena Bonham Carter and Emma ThompsonMaster clown Philippe Gaulier, the influential founder of France's Ecole Philippe Gaulier, has died aged 82. Gaulier taught the art of clowning for decades and his students included Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson, Rachel Weisz and Geoffrey Rush.Gaulier died on Monday due to complications from a lung infection. He had a stroke in 2023 and, since then, had received warm words of encouragement from all over the world", according to a statement made by his family. He seemed especially happy to receive letters and messages from his former students. Teaching was his passion and purpose in life." Continue reading...

With medication largely unaffordable in the country, experts hope community support and a change in diet could reduce soaring type 2 diabetes ratesA return to the traditional lentil and rice dishes that have nourished generations of Nepalis could save them from a diabetes epidemic prompted by the influx of western junk foods, doctors have said.In a country where one in five of those over 40 has type 2 diabetes, the foods enjoyed by their grandparents have showed remarkable results in reversing the condition. Continue reading...

Persistent wet weather is affecting farmers, builders, sports, wildlife - and damaging roads and homesFeel like it hasn't stopped raining?" the Met Office asked on Monday. For some places, the forecaster said, it really had rained every day so far this year.People who live in parts of Devon, Cornwall and Worcestershire have been dodging deluges or showers for 40 days - the same number of days that it rained in the Bible's Noah's ark story, the same number of soggy days you can expect if it rains on St Swithin's Day, according to folklore. Continue reading...

Scientists find underwater acoustic project to stop fish being sucked into cooling systems could save 44 tonnes a yearScientists have found that plans to use a fish disco" to deter migratory marine life from the nearby Hinkley Point C nuclear reactor could help save 90% of fish from the power plant's water intake pipes - but the solution is set to cost its developer 700m.EDF Energy, which is building the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Somerset, said research it commissioned from scientists at Swansea University had found that using an acoustic deterrent system helped to ward off the vast majority" of fish it tagged for the experiment. Continue reading...

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Jann Alhafny says she feared there could be a stampede or that she might suffocate after she was allegedly pushed to the ground

Push discussed in private talks and echoes tactic of then-Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull used against Peter Dutton

Any officers who acted unlawfully should face prosecution for actions, Muslim groups say

Many in red wall' seat of Josh Simons, a staunch ally of the PM, have had enough of Labour - and its leaderAs he rose to his feet in the Commons in September 2024, the incoming Labour MP Josh Simons echoed Keir Starmer's promise to deliver.Unless working people like those I am so proud to represent feel change and unless we in this chamber demonstrate humility and honesty and act with integrity and with respect, they have no reason to believe in democracy," he said. Continue reading...

Israel's security cabinet has approved plans that pave the way for more settlements in the occupied Palestinian territoryA White House official has reiterated Donald Trump's opposition towards Israel annexing the West Bank, after Israeli plans were announced that would pave the way for more settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.The measures, announced on Sunday, included allowing Jewish Israelis to buy West Bank land directly, and extending greater Israeli control over areas where the Palestinian Authority exercises power. It was unclear when the new rules, approved by Israel's security cabinet, would take effect but they do not require further approval. Continue reading...

Charity to also offer activities for young families and host NCT volunteer-led sling and buggy walks at selected sitesThe great stone circles, abbeys, castles and manor houses that English Heritage manages acted for centuries as places to meet and mingle.Now in an effort to tackle parental isolation, the charity is tapping back into this sense of community by introducing bonding benches" at many of its most famous sites. Continue reading...

Politicians who attended protest against visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog say police actions against demonstrators were wildly inappropriate'

Christian charity executive, Lauren Mastrosa, pen name Tori Woods, found to have written novel that sexually objectifies children'

Helen Pidd follows the twists and turns on Monday as the prime minister fought to keep his jobOn Monday morning, the prime minister was preparing to reset relations with MPs after the resignation of his chief aide, Morgan McSweeney.Just before midday, news broke that Tim Allen, Keir Starmer's director of communications, had resigned. By lunchtime, it emerged that Anas Sarwar, Labour's leader in Scotland, was preparing to hold a press conference calling on Starmer to stand down. Continue reading...

Four Corners reported comments by Marcus' alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State

Former nanny Scarlett Pavlovich filed suit in three US states alleging author assaulted her in New Zealand in 2022Federal judges have dismissed three lawsuits accusing the bestselling fantasy author Neil Gaiman of sexually assaulting his children's nanny in New Zealand four years ago.Scarlett Pavlovich filed a lawsuit against Gaiman and his wife, Amanda Palmer, in Wisconsin in February 2025, accusing Gaiman of multiple sexual assaults while she worked as the family's nanny in 2022. She filed lawsuits against Palmer in Massachusetts and in New York on the same day she filed the Wisconsin action. Continue reading...

Government contractor stripped custody suites in England and Wales of motivational murals deemed too welcoming, report saysA government contractor has been accused of being petty and vindictive" after tearing down brightly coloured artworks carrying motivational messages that were intended to improve the conditions for people held in court cells.The decision by Serco to remove the artworks, commissioned to cheer up court custody areas that are often underground and bleak", is revealed in the annual report of the Lay Observers, independent members of the public who monitor court custody and escort conditions. The report draws on 759 visits to court custody suites across England and Wales, representing almost 2,000 hours of monitoring. Continue reading...

Schitt's Creek and Home Alone star died aged 71 in January after being rushed to hospital due to breathing difficultiesCatherine O'Hara, the Emmy-winning actor and beloved star of the series Schitt's Creek and the 1990 hit movie Home Alone, died from a blood clot in her lungs, her death certificate revealed Monday.The death certificate released by the Los Angeles county medical examiner's office also listed rectal cancer as an underlying cause. Continue reading...

UK projects will allow local areas to control and profit from renewable power generation, says energy secretaryThe UK government is pledging to spend up to 1bn on community-owned green energy schemes in an effort to combat growing scepticism and resistance to renewables and grid upgrade projects.Ed Miliband, the UK energy secretary, said the new funding was intended to help democratise the energy system, increase the wealth and financial independence of local communities, and potentially cut some local energy bills. Continue reading...

Prime minister addresses parliamentary Labour party amid Mandelson scandal fallout

Keir Starmer's future as prime minister suffered another major blow when the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, called for him to go. With the cabinet rallying around him, the PM seems to be safe for now, but for how much longer? Pippa and Kiran look at what might happen next

Allies of leading candidates keen to tout credentials but others despair at options at top of Labour party Revealed: Rayner for leader' site briefly went live in January

Cap-busting tax hike will be embarrassing for the party, which has made low council tax a priorityReform-led Worcestershire county council is likely to issue England's largest council tax rise this April after it was given special permission by the government to increase it by up to 9%.Worcestershire is one of a handful of authorities whose requests to be allowed to increase local rates above the standard 5% cap from April have been accepted by ministers. Continue reading...

Under proposed changes in response to Bondi terror attack, only Australian citizens will be able to obtain a gun licence, with no cap on number of weapons

Exclusive: Cabinet secretary Chris Wormald is expected to follow Morgan McSweeney and Tim Allan out the doorThe most senior civil servant in Downing Street is negotiating his exit as part of a wider shake-up of Keir Starmer's operation after one of the most dramatic 48 hours of the prime minister's time in office, sources have told the Guardian.Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary, is understood to be negotiating the terms of his departure from No 10, which would make him the third senior member of staff to leave in recent days. Continue reading...

Peter Schofield tells staff he will leave the department for personal reasonsThe government's top welfare official is to step down after his department's handling of a longstanding benefits failure that plunged thousands into debt and became known as the carer's allowance scandal.Sir Peter Schofield, the permanent secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, announced to staff on Monday that he is to step down in July for personal reasons. Continue reading...

Release into Helman Tor reserve marks historical first for keystone species hunted to extinction in UK 400 years agoShivering and rain-drenched at the side of a pond in Cornwall, a huddle of people watched in hushed silence as a beaver took its first tentative steps into its new habitat. As it dived into the water with a determined plop" and began swimming laps, the suspense broke and everyone looked around, grinning.The soggy but momentous occasion marks the first time in English history that beavers have been legally released into a river system, almost one year after the government finally agreed to grant licences for releases. Continue reading...

Mountbatten-Windsor suspected of forwarding reports to child sex offender when he was government trade envoyKing Charles has expressed his profound concern" over allegations about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and will stand ready to support" the police if approached over the claims, Buckingham Palace has said.Thames Valley police confirmed on Monday they were assessing claims that Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential reports from his role as a government trade envoy with the child sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2010. Continue reading...

While the herd is yet to move against Keir Starmer, many believe his tenure may be coming to an endWhen Boris Johnson resigned as the British prime minister in 2022, he explained that the politicians who had once loyally supported him had turned against him.This had sealed his fate. The herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves," he said. Continue reading...

Prosecutor claims Juan Pablo Guanipa was re-arrested due to non-compliance with terms of releaseOne of Venezuela's most prominent opposition politicians, Juan Pablo Guanipa, has been detained by security forces just hours after being released from prison, as the South American country's leaders sent mixed signals about their commitment to political reform after Nicolas Maduro's downfall.Guanipa, who is a close ally of the Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado, emerged from nearly nine months' detention on Sunday - one of at least 35 political prisoners to be freed over the course of the day. Continue reading...

The media mogul and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong for national security offences. His family has described the sentence as heartbreakingly cruel', given the 78-year-old's declining health. Lai was convicted in December on charges of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, after pleading not guilty to all charges. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian's senior China correspondent, Amy Hawkins - watch on YouTube Continue reading...

Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to Nato, responds to criticism in the Munich Security Conference report

Tom Homan suggested that a widespread approach to immigration operations would lose public supportTom Homan - the Trump administration's border czar" sent to Minnesota in January after federal agents fatally shot two US citizen protesters - warned last year that the government's aggressive, widespread approach to immigration enforcement would cost it public support.Homan made the observation in an interview with NBC in June for the forthcoming book Undue Process, by the network's homeland security correspondent, analyzing the immigration policy of mass deportation that Donald Trump has pursued during his second presidency. Continue reading...

Detentions of senior Reformists Front figures follow criticism of the authorities' handling of recent protestsThe head of Iran's Reformists Front, the organisation instrumental in securing the election of the country's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has been arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in a move that is likely to exacerbate tensions over the handling of recent street protests.Azar Mansouri, the secretary general of the Islamic Iran People party, had expressed deep sorrow at protesters' deaths, and said nothing could justify such a catastrophe. She had not in public called for the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to resign. Continue reading...

Sarwar tells press conference: The distraction has to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change'

As Rayner for leader' site goes live, here are previous instances of politicians jumping the gun

Exclusive: angelaforleader.co.uk domain also registered - but MP's team dismiss unfinished site as fake' that was created without her knowledgeAn unfinished website claiming to launch Angela Rayner's Labour leadership campaign was published temporarily in January, prompting further speculation that the former deputy prime minister could be gearing up for a contest to replace Keir Starmer.The Guardian was alerted to the website, which appeared to be under construction, by a source in the IT industry - before the US Department of Justice's latest release of documents on Jeffrey Epstein threw the UK government into disarray. It was published, seemingly by accident, on a staging site", before being removed from the internet. Continue reading...

Thinktank analysis suggests Japan campaigns to prolong the carbon industry in Australia and hinder move to clean energy

Australia needs a balance between protecting the privacy of donors and preserving the transparency of how political parties are funded

Grace Tame and Lidia Thorpe address crowds in Sydney and Melbourne as NSW Labor backbencher says police reaction totally over-the-top'