World news | The Guardian

McSweeney, who masterminded landslide 2024 election win, resigns as PM's chief of staff after Mandelson revelations

Experts say the term addiction' is be overused and, for social media use, could be difficult to proveForthcoming legal proceedings against Meta and YouTube are frequently referred to as the social media addiction trials", but whether these platforms are truly addictive is still the subject of scientific debate.The lawsuits were brought against Meta, YouTube (Google), Snap Inc and TikTok by plaintiffs alleging these platforms severely damaged their mental health when they were children. Snap and TikTok settled the first case to go to trial, brought by a woman known as KGM, now about 20. The remaining defendants, Meta and YouTube, were set to go to court this week, but the trial was delayed because Meta's senior attorney became ill. Continue reading...

Former culture minister Jack Lang resigns from Arab World Institute in Paris and is also subject of tax investigationJack Lang, a former French culture minister, has resigned as head of Paris's prestigious Arab World Institute after revelations of his past contacts with the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the launch of a financial investigation by French prosecutors.The 86-year-old resigned on Saturday night before he was due to attend an urgent meeting called by the French foreign ministry to discuss his links to Epstein. Continue reading...

Longtime aide has said he takes full responsibility' for advising PM to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador

Exit polls point to public endorsement of new prime minister on day of blizzards and freezing conditionsJapan's conservative governing party is on course to dramatically strengthen its grip on power after exit polls predicted a landslide victory in Sunday's elections, in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.The Liberal Democratic party (LDP) was projected to win between 274 and 328 seats out of a total of 465, according to an exit poll by the public broadcaster NHK, well above the 233 it needed to regain the majority it lost in 2024. NHK projected a supermajority for the LDP and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation party, which will ease Takaichi's legislative agenda. Continue reading...

Arrests follow discovery on Friday of magistrate and her mother in a garage in south-east of countryFrench authorities have arrested five suspects after a magistrate and her mother were held captive last week for about 30 hours in a cryptocurrency ransom plot.Four men and one woman were detained, three overnight and two on Sunday morning, the Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran told Agence France-Presse. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Campaign group calls on institutional shareholders to vote against re-election of bosses overseeing net zero row-backBank chairs who water down their lenders' climate commitments this year could face embarrassing shareholder revolts as campaigners try to hold bosses to account for environmental backtracking.ShareAction, a campaign group for responsible investment, will be issuing detailed reports to pension funds and asset managers in the coming weeks, outlining whether 34 of the world's largest lenders are sticking to their climate goals. Continue reading...

One MP who now considers a spill inevitable says accepting shorter suspensions for rogue Nationals senators was a significant backdown

Expansion of space operations comes as ADF entering most challenging strategic environment since second world war', minister says

Research suggests surging costs under Morrison government's job-ready graduate scheme and axing of dozens of subjects largely to blame

Blaze probably caused by candles at makeshift tribute near Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, say policeA memorial for the victims of a deadly fire at a new year party in Switzerland itself caught fire early on Sunday, probably sparked by candles left burning inside, police have said.It was a makeshift tribute to the 41 people killed and the 115 injured in the fire that erupted in the early hours of 1 January at Le Constellation bar in the ski resort town of Crans-Montana, which was packed with mainly teenagers and young adults. Continue reading...

Northern leaders urge government to support proposal as Manchester mayor says a London bid wouldn't be right'The north of England is seeking to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games to boost a region left out of the national story".Northern leaders have written to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, urging the government to back a multi-city games spanning an area with a population of 15 million people. Continue reading...

Labour faces a battle to hold on to its 13,000 majority, with the Greens the bookies' favourite and Reform hoping to gain from split vote on leftAs Nigel Farage cut the ribbon on Reform UK's byelection headquarters in Greater Manchester this week, Labour's candidate, Angeliki Stogia, sat tearfully in a cafe nearby.Politicians do not often show their emotion but for Stogia, who arrived in Britain as a student from Greece in 1995, this is personal. I am angry," she said of Farage's party. I am very, very angry. How dare they come here and spread this division?" Continue reading...

While Quebec parties have long sought independence, the secret meetings by unelected Albertans with US officials have been branded treasonous by someA separatist push for a referendum on independence from Canada. Meetings with foreign officials perceived to be sympathetic to their cause. Accusations of treason and sedition.Ahead of a 1995 referendum, leaders of Quebec's independence movement made a string of provocative overtures to foreign governments, including a trip by the province's premier to France. In a move that outraged anglophone Canada, the mayor of Paris gave Quebec's Jacques Parizeau a welcome befitting a national leader. Continue reading...

Puerto Rican superstar promises the world will dance' in all-Spanish half-time gig that comes as Trump agents wage deadly crackdownFor 13 minutes on Sunday night, Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara will pulse with reggaeton, Latin trap and Caribbean rhythms as Bad Bunny headlines a historic Super Bowl halftime performance, primarily - or perhaps entirely - in Spanish. The Puerto Rican megastar, whose songs fuse the raw energy of musica urbana, Boricua pride and resistance politics, has promised a huge party".At a moment when masked federal agents are sweeping through American cities, rounding up long-settled immigrants, legal residents and even US citizens, Bad Bunny's presence on the grandest stage in US sports offers a striking contrast - a joyful celebration of pride and solidarity for millions of Latinos. Continue reading...

Pressure grows on Keir Starmer as Labour peer reported to have received payment worth three months' salary when he quit in September

Antonio Jose Seguro tipped to beat populist Andre Ventura with support of mainstream politicians on left and rightThe centre-left Socialist candidate, Antonio Jose Seguro, is heavily favoured to defeat the far-right populist Andre Ventura in Portugal's runoff presidential election on Sunday, in a vote that will test the depth of support for Ventura's brash style of politics.Recent opinion polls suggest Seguro will collect twice as many votes as Ventura in the head to head between the two top candidates in last month's first round of voting, when none of the 11 runners captured the more than 50% of the vote required for victory. Continue reading...

Jeff Bezos's axing of more than 300 jobs at the storied newspaper has renewed fears about the resilience of America's democracy to withstand Trump's attacksThe email landed in Lizzie Johnson's in-tray in Ukraine just before 4pm local time. It came at a tough time for the reporter: Russia had been repeatedly striking the country's power grid, and just days before she had been forced to work out of her car without heat, power or running water, writing in pencil because pen ink freezes too readily.Difficult news," was the subject line. The body text said: Your position is eliminated as part of today's organizational changes," explaining that it was necessary to get rid of her to meet the evolving needs of our business". Continue reading...

Thousands of women with life-changing complications still in limbo two years after call for financial redressThe government's failure to respond to calls for a compensation scheme for women harmed by pelvic mesh has been described as morally unacceptable" by campaigners.Thousands of women were left with life-changing complications after receiving transvaginal mesh implants, with some unable to walk or work again. Continue reading...

Propping up operations at Scunthorpe site, still legally owned by Jingye, now costs over 1.2m a day - so what are the options?British Steel was losing 700,000 a day last year when its Chinese owner announced plans to shut the steelworks at Scunthorpe. After Jingye rejected support to buy raw materials, the UK government stepped in with emergency legislation to take control of the plant.But that was not the end of the crisis. The cost to the government of propping up British Steel is now more than 1.2m a day. Yet the 359m bill, the latest disclosed to parliament last month, may only be the start. Continue reading...

Laws to be introduced this week include up to two years in prison for distributing, displaying or reciting prohibited phrases to harass or offend

Wind gusts up to 170km/h could develop as cyclone forecast to make landfall between Exmouth and Onslow on Sunday night

Deal sees all former Nationals frontbenchers suspended from shadow ministry until March

State transport minister says ebikes modified to exceed 25km/h speed limit will be confiscated by police and end up as a twisted wreck'

Palestine Action Group march planned from Sydney Town Hall to state parliament in breach of public assembly declaration

Resolution Foundation finds one in three carers from poorer families unable to work because of responsibilitiesA growing unsung army" of 1 million people with full-time caring responsibilities needs better support, according to a report that found one in three unpaid carers from poorer backgrounds were unable to work because of their duties.The trend is the result of an ageing society and rising ill-health and disability concentrated in the poorest half of the country's working-age families, the Resolution Foundation's research found. Continue reading...

They offer independence, reduce emissions and congestion. But they are also endangering lives

Met Office forecasts more rainfall to continue UK's 37-day run, and flooding expected especially in south-west England and MidlandsThe unrelenting rain is expected to continue on Sunday and into next week with dozens of flood warnings in place across Great Britain.The Environment Agency (EA) has issued 85 warnings for England, meaning flooding is expected, mainly concentrated in the south-west and Midlands. Continue reading...

Departure comes days after newspaper laid off nearly one-third of staff, including more than 300 journalistsWill Lewis, the Murdoch media veteran who took over as publisher and chief executive of the Washington Post in early 2024, announced abruptly on Saturday evening that he is leaving the company.His departure comes just three days after the Post laid off nearly one-third of its entire staff, citing the need to cut costs and reposition the money-losing publication. Lewis, who did not appear on the all-staff meeting during which the cuts were announced, has faced criticism for his absence and leadership. Continue reading...

Eight children including two infants among dead in vehicle carrying displaced people, says Sudan Doctors NetworkA drone attack by a paramilitary group has hit a vehicle carrying displaced families in central Sudan, killing at least 24 people, including eight children, a doctors' group said on Saturday.The attack by the Rapid Support Forces took place close to the city of Er Rahad in North Kordofan province, according to the Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks the country's war. The vehicle was transporting displaced people who fled fighting in the Dubeiker area, the group said in a statement. Among the dead children were two infants. Continue reading...

Wilma Spence's father was an Anzac buried in a part of the Gaza War Cemetery bulldozed by the IDF

Progressive organisation will focus on combating far-right groups and pushing for policy wins in the lead-up to the 2028 election

Clive Foster says action needed now to deliver justice to UK residents who had been wrongly classified as illegal immigrantsThe Windrush commissioner has warned of a hurry for justice" as more victims of the scandal die without redress, while stakeholders call for a public inquiry and legislative changes amid fears that a Reform government could stall progress toward justice.Speaking on the sidelines of a people's inquiry symposium for those affected by the Windrush scandal, Rev Clive Foster said action was needed now" to deliver justice for those British residents whose lives were upended after being wrongly classified as illegal immigrants. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Site takes a cut of subscriptions to content that promotes far-right ideology, white supremacy and antisemitismThe global publishing platform Substack is generating revenue from newsletters that promote virulent Nazi ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism, a Guardian investigation has found.The platform, which says it has about 50 million users worldwide, allows members of the public to self-publish articles and charge for premium content. Substack takes about 10% of the revenue the newsletters make. About 5 million people pay for access to newsletters on its platform. Continue reading...

Irish politicians condemn use of Shannon airport by private jet en route to Israel, owned by Trump donor Gil Dezer

Proceedings briefly halted after audio from The Rest Is History broadcast over the courtroom speakersAs the highest court in the UK, the supreme court is usually the forum for proceedings of the utmost gravity. But last week, one hearing was momentarily interrupted by an unlikely and comic intervention.As one legal professional addressed the bench, the voice of Tom Holland, host of the popular podcast the Rest is History, boomed out through the court's microphone system, delivering a satirical impersonation of the late US president Jimmy Carter. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closedAmid mounting speculation that Keir Starmer could quit over the Mandelson scandal, Gordon Brown has described the prime minister as a man of integrity" but said he faced a serious" challenge to remain in his role.Police officers probing accusations relating to Peter Mandelson's links with Jeffrey Epstein have concluded their search of two properties connected to the Labour peer in London and Wiltshire.Met police said its investigation will take some time" and that a significant amount of further evidence gathering and analysis" was needed.The Liberal Democrats have urged the Financial Conduct Authority to immediately investigate Mandelson, saying his apparent decision to leak highly confidential government information to Epstein may have led to insider trading.Brown said the alleged leaks put Britain at risk" and could have caused huge commercial damage".The Metropolitan police has provided an update on the searches of two properties linked to Mandelson. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Disclosures show figures cited by council leader rested on unfunded ideas listed briefly in budget papersReform UK's flagship council has been accused of telling a blatant lie" after its claim of nearly 40m in savings on net zero was found to be based on hypothetical projects for which there was no documentation.Kent county council, which has a 2.5bn annual budget, is one of 10 where Nigel Farage's party has outright control and is seen as a test case for whether the insurgent party can govern competently. Continue reading...

UK reduces funding by a third despite pledges to tackle hunger, with critics warning the move will cost lives

Party says it has received advice that 2013 investigation of allegations against peer was flawed in several respects'The Liberal Democrat peer Chris Rennard has been suspended from the party amid a new investigation into sexual harassment allegations.The party said it had received advice that a 2013 inquiry into the claims made by four women against Lord Rennard was flawed in several respects". Continue reading...

Darin Smith, who was outside Capitol on January 6, decried as Senate mulls nomination as state's top federal prosecutorA Republican former state lawmaker with no experience trying cases, a record of opposing LGBTQ+ rights, and who was outside the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection, is awaiting Senate confirmation to become the top federal prosecutor in Wyoming.Donald Trump first nominated Darin Smith as Wyoming's US attorney last year, and the judiciary committee advanced him in a party-line vote in January. Democrats have condemned Smith, saying he lacks the experience necessary for the job and threatens to impose a discriminatory approach to federal law enforcement in the state where gay college student Matthew Shepard's 1998 murder galvanized the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Continue reading...

The documents confirm what many have long assumed: elites live by their own special rules and codes of immunityThe millions of Jeffrey Epstein files dumped last Friday by the US Department of Justice will provide journalists, conspiracy theorists and interested members of the public with months of reading. And what they will read is enraging.What makes these files so infuriating, however, is not just Epstein's horrific predatory behavior, which is well-known, but the more mundane examples of elite conduct that the documents continue to expose. They vividly illustrate a world whose existence many everyday people, whether fevered with visions of the Illuminati or just jaundiced by banal anti-establishment cynicism, already suspected exists: an informal global club of powerful, ultra-rich people who all seemingly know each other, help one another out, and protect each other from the consequences of their depravity. Continue reading...

NFU warn it could take years to restore Brexit losses despite efforts to smooth negotiations on farming and other elements of UK-EU resetExports of British farm products to the EU have dropped almost 40% in the five years since Brexit, highlighting the trade barriers caused by the UK's divorce from the EU in 2020.Analysis of HMRC data by the National Farmers' Union shows the decline in sales of everything from British beef to cheddar cheese has dropped by 37.4% in the five years since 2019, the last full year before Brexit. Continue reading...

Critics say law will disproportionately affect immigrant communities and those who speak limited EnglishAs of 6 February, people in Florida are no longer be able to take driver's license examinations in any language other than English, the Florida department of highway safety and motor vehicles (DMV) said in a statement.Before the change, exams for noncommercial driver's licenses were offered in multiple languages, including Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese, while the commercial learner's permit and commercial driver's license knowledge exams were both offered in English and Spanish. Now all driver's license knowledge and skills testing will be conducted in English. Continue reading...

Peaceful demonstrations force a delay in measures aimed at improving revenue collection but which many fear will be fatal for small tradersDemonstrations across Malawi's four main cities during the past week have achieved a delay in the introduction of a new tax regime that business owners claim will cripple their livelihoods.Tens of thousands had signed petitions which this week were presented to tax officials and on Monday thousands of small traders shut up shops and businesses to hold protest marches in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba and Mzuzu. Continue reading...

Chalk artwork sold for record price at a New York Sotheby's auction with proceeds going to the Panthera charityA tiny chalk drawing of a lion by Rembrandt recently sold for the record-setting price of $18m in New York City to benefit the conservation of big cats.After selling at a Sotheby's auction Wednesday, Young Lion Resting shattered the previous mark for the most expensive drawing by the 17th-century Dutch painter ever auctioned: the $3.7m Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo. Continue reading...

Catastrophic failure of safeguarding' highlighted by fact Zuber Bux's lay practice is legal, campaigners sayA doctor who was struck off over a reckless" circumcision that risked killing a toddler is still performing the procedure as a layperson, the Guardian can reveal.Campaigners say Zuber Bux's private circumcision business highlights a catastrophic failure of safeguarding", as alarm grows about the absence of regulation of the procedure. Continue reading...

Boy, 15, also charged with possession of bladed article on education premises, after incident at school on ThursdayA pupil who allegedly assaulted a teacher at a school in Milford Haven has been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article on education premises.Dyfed-Powys police said the 15-year-old boy had been remanded in custody and was scheduled to appear at Swansea magistrates court on Saturday. The senior investigating officer, DCI Matthew Briggs, said: We are continuing to support the victim whilst they recover from this traumatic event. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Daisy Cooper says ex-minister could have abused trading laws' when sharing state information with Jeffrey EpsteinThe Liberal Democrats have urged the UK's financial regulator to immediately investigate Peter Mandelson, saying his apparent decision to leak highly confidential government information to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein may have led to insider trading.In a letter to Nikhil Rathi, the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Daisy Cooper, the MP for St Albans and the Lib Dems' deputy leader, said it was crucial" to determine whether Mandelson or those he shared information with had profited from accessing market-sensitive and confidential material" in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Continue reading...

Tests on both versions of Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata were unable to detect brushstrokes of 15th-century masterAn analysis of two paintings in museums in the US and Italy by the 15th-century Flemish artist Jan van Eyck has raised a profound question: what if neither were by Van Eyck?Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, the name given to near-identical unsigned paintings hanging in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Royal Museums of Turin, represent two of the small number of surviving works by one of western art's greatest masters, revered for his naturalistic portraits and religious subjects. Continue reading...