Woman raped by two men while a third filmed ordeal after she became separated from friends on night outThree men have been found guilty of repeatedly raping a woman on Brighton beach in a cynical, predatory and callous" attack after she became separated from her friends on a night out.The woman was targeted by the men as she was incapacitated in the early hours of 4 October last year, the trial at Hove crown court was told. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Officials warn department will lose access to database of 26,000 verified cases by cutting fundingThe Foreign Office unit tracking potential breaches of international law by Israel in Gaza and more recently Lebanon has been closed because of cuts within the department, the Guardian can reveal.The decision to shut the international humanitarian law cell follows a review by Olly Robbins, the permanent secretary at the Foreign Office dismissed last week by the prime minister over the Peter Mandelson scandal. Continue reading...
The merger will still require governmental approval and could be delayed by a lawsuit seeking to block itShareholders of Warner Bros Discovery voted overwhelmingly" to approve the company's $110bn merger with Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS News, on Thursday.But shareholders voted against generous proposed compensation packages for WBD executives, including a $550m payout to the outgoing chief executive, David Zaslav. Continue reading...
British foreign secretary told to impose new measures, with ruble-pegged cryptocurrency A7A5 being supported in countryMore than 20 MPs and peers have called on the foreign secretary to take action against institutions and individuals in Kyrgyzstan allegedly facilitating large-scale Russian sanctions evasion.They urged the UK to levy personal sanctions against three top Kyrgyz officials for their alleged role in facilitating Russian sanctions evasion more broadly, and more specifically for allowing Kyrgyzstan to host infrastructure supporting the cryptocurrency A7A5. Continue reading...
Move comes after Hungary and Slovakia dropped opposition following reopening of the Druzhba oil pipelineMeanwhile, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Kyiv will seek to receive the first tranche of the 90bn European Union loan by the end of May, or early June.This is strengthening of our army," he told reporters in a WhatsApp chat, reported by Reuters. Continue reading...
Rosemarie Milsom, who formed and runs Newcastle writers festival, will take over from Louise Adler after the literary festival imploded over invitation to Randa Abdel-FattahIn January, as the implosion of Adelaide writers' week made headlines around Australia and the world, Rosemarie Milsom was watching closely.The Adelaide festival board, which oversees AWW, had overridden the literary festival's director, Louise Adler, and disinvited the Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah over past comments she'd made about Israel and Zionism. This decision resulted not in a quieter, less-controversial festival as the board members may have hoped, but a boycott by 200-odd writers, the resignation of Adler - followed by the whole board - a potential defamation lawsuit against the South Australian premier and the collapse of AWW. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan in Kingston and Demion McTair in K on (#7555G)
Bills are response to election petitions challenging Godwin Friday and fellow politician's eligibility to be MPs because of dual citizenshipThe St Vincent and the Grenadines government has delayed a controversial effort to amend a section of the country's constitution that the opposition says renders the prime minister ineligible for his position in parliament.Two bills, among six listed for the parliament session on Tuesday this week, were aimed at clarifying a section of the 1979 constitution governing the citizenship eligibility of members of parliament. Continue reading...
State's strict gun policies heralded as data shows 35% reduction in homicides between 2022 and 2024California officials are touting a historic three-year decrease in homicides and gun violence that has led to the state's lowest number of killings on record.The number of homicides in California decreased by 35% between 2022 and 2024, with 2,304 deaths reported in 2022 and 1,768 in 2024, according data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The dip in homicides was most pronounced for teenage and young adult Black and Latino males, who have historically faced the highest risk of being killed or injured by gunshot wounds. Suicides, the most common type of gun deaths, also fell to record lows, according to the report. Continue reading...
Order to speed hallucinogen research hailed as threshold moment' but concerns remain over access and protectionsThe scene seemed so far-fetched you could be forgiven for thinking you might be hallucinating.On the weekend in which psychonauts celebrate Bicycle Day" - the anniversary of the first LSD trip - Donald Trump was in the Oval Office double-checking that he was correctly pronouncing the name of a lesser-known psychedelic, ibogaine, as he signed a landmark executive order to accelerate research into hallucinogens, and to increase access. Continue reading...
Brand, who will be tried in October over allegations of rape and sexual assault, tells podcast he slept with 16-year-old when he was 30Russell Brand said he had exploitative" consensual sex with a 16-year-old girl at the height of his fame.The comedian, actor and podcaster, 50, will be tried in the autumn over allegations of rape and sexual assault made against him by six women. Brand denies all the charges, which date from 1999 to 2009. Speaking about his past actions in an appearance on the YouTube show of the US journalist Megyn Kelly, Brand described himself selfish" and an exploiter of women". Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#754YC)
At least 18 people hurt after crash involving two local services north of Denmark's capitalTwo trains have collided head-on in Denmark, injuring at least 18 people, five of whom are in a critical condition.The crash happened on Thursday morning at a level crossing at Isterodvejen, near Hillerod, a town about 19 miles (30km) north-west of Copenhagen. Emergency services received a report of the collision just before 6.30am. Continue reading...
FoI data reveals that 438 people with criminal convictions were given licences in Wolverhampton, UK's taxi capital'More than 150 people convicted of violent crimes were granted taxi licences last year by Wolverhampton city council, dubbed the UK's taxi capital", data has revealed.The Guardian obtained data via a freedom of information request that revealed 438 people with criminal convictions were last year granted taxi and private hire driver licences by the West Midlands local authority - which has issued far more taxi licences than any other authority. Continue reading...
by Sarah Marsh Consumer affairs correspondent on (#75531)
Reductionprocedures and implant removals reflect shift toward comfort and more active lifestyles, surgeons sayBreast reductions and implant removals have overtaken enlargements for the first time, data shows, as experts link the shift to more active lifestyles.The latest annual audit from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) shows there were 4,761 breast enlargement procedures in 2025, down 8% on the previous year. Continue reading...
Judge's repeal of Trump ban on gender-affirming care for children a meaningful win for patients', experts sayA federal judge overturned the Trump administration's ban on gender-affirming care for children on Saturday, decrying Robert F Kennedy Jr's wanton disregard" for the law that causes very real harm to very real people".It's another loss for Kennedy's agenda as secretary for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the second Trump administration - an agenda that has focused on restricting healthcare, including vaccines, abortion and gender-affirming care. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Brussels seeks to stall awarding of contract to firm fronted by US president's lawyer in letter seen by GuardianThe EU risks a confrontation with Donald Trump after it sought to stall the awarding of a lucrative Balkans pipeline contract to a company fronted by his personal lawyer, documents seen by the Guardian show.Brussels has clashed with Trump over trade, Ukraine and military spending, but the intervention in the Southern Interconnection pipeline project appears to mark the first time it has challenged a commercial venture by those close to the president. Continue reading...
Analyst who worked on Internet Watch Foundation report says content exists across all social media platforms' and is very easy' to findThe number of commercial child sexual abuse websites has doubled in a year as experts say that criminal gangs are making huge profits" from online sexual exploitation.According to data collected by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), 15,031 commercial child sexual abuse sites were found in 2025, compared with 7,028 found in 2024, a 114% increase. Continue reading...
Savitha Prakash, a first-generation immigrant running in local elections in Harrow, says Reform UK aims to put Britain first'Savitha Prakash, an NHS doctor living in the London borough of Harrow, believes there are similarities between the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, and India's prime minister, Narendra Modi. He's [Modi] one of those people, like Nigel, he walks the talk. He made [a] difference to the country," said Prakash, who chairs Reform UK's branch in Harrow.In particular, the 47-year-old said Farage and Modi - who have each been accused by their critics of scapegoating marginalised communities - were focused on putting the needs of the majority first. Continue reading...
Industry groups dismayed at hints policy will not be in king's speech, as touts make huge sums from BBC Radio 1 eventKeir Starmer has been urged to honour his pledge to ban ticket touting, amid fears that the policy will be left out of next month's king's speech, potentially costing fans hundreds of millions".Music industry groups called on the prime minister to act as fresh evidence showed that professional ticket traders" had targeted BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend next month, making huge mark-ups through sites such as Viagogo and StubHub. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#754ZZ)
Exclusive: Labour MP calls on DVLA to take action, saying speeding, hit and runs and other crimes are going unpunishedMore than 18,000 vehicles are being used in the UK without proper records of where their owners live, it has emerged, part of what a Labour MP has called an increasing problem of ghost owners" who cannot be held accountable for their driving.According to a freedom of information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, 18,260 vehicles were listed in its records as being registered to the DVLA's own address, meaning the owner's location was not known. Continue reading...
Retailer WH Smith joins supermarket in warning on effects of Middle East conflictSainsbury's has warned that profits could fall this year as the conflict in the Middle East squeezes customers' budgets and pushes up business costs.The supermarket group said the conflict will impact both our customers and our business" and it was unclear how large the effect would be. Continue reading...
All signs point to a record-low performance for Labour in May in what will be a moment of high jeopardy for Keir StarmerLabour is on track for its worst local election performance, data analysed by the Guardian shows, in a blow that will pile further pressure on Keir Starmer's leadership.Barring a drastic change in fortunes, Labour's vote-share could fall to historic lows across elections for councils in England and devolved parliaments in Wales and Scotland on 7 May, with big gains for Reform, the Greens and nationalist parties, according to recent polling. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: As political tensions rise abroad and economic pressures mount at home, Donald Trump faces a shifting landscape that is testing the loyalty of his Maga supportersGood morning. Starting a war of choice that is rapidly spiralling out of control, poll ratings at a second-term low, and a cost of living crisis intensifying for millions.Any conventional US president would be in big trouble. But Donald Trump is not a conventional president, and normal rules do not seem to apply to him. More than a third of Americans continue to believe he is doing a good job despite the global chaos he has unleashed.UK politics | Keir Starmer was looking increasingly isolated over the Peter Mandelson scandal as the Guardian learned of concerns around the cabinet table, a senior minister refused to say the dismissal of Olly Robbins was fair and several mandarins called for Robbins to be reinstated. One Labour MP called on Starmer to quit.Middle East | Iranian forces seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the shipping waterway.West Bank | Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, were killed in the occupied West Bank after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school, witnesses and local officials said. Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a journalist after rescuers were blocked from accessing the building where she was buried under rubble because of further Israeli fire, according to several witnesses.UK news | Britain's high military dependence on the US is no longer tenable" and the UK has to become increasingly independent of the special relationship, a former Nato chief has said.Palantir | The Metropolitan police has held talks with Palantir that could lead to the London force buying the US spy-tech company's AI technology to automate intelligence analysis for criminal investigations. Continue reading...
Six candidates clashed over homelessness and cost of living crisis in first debate since Eric Swalwell's exit - with a clear frontrunner still yet to emergeSix candidates vying to become the next governor of California sparred on Wednesday in the first debate since the already topsy-turvy race was plunged into upheaval by the sudden collapse of former congressman Eric Swalwell's campaign after sexual assault and misconduct allegations.With a clear frontrunner still yet to emerge, the unusually wide-open race to replace the outgoing governor Gavin Newsom in the heavily Democratic state has left nearly a quarter of voters undecided ahead of the 2 June primary. Continue reading...
Campaign is said to be first time Labour-affiliated Unison is lobbying en masse against a key party policyMigrant workers and the UK's largest union will carry out a mass leafleting campaign in Shabana Mahmood's Birmingham constituency to protest against a planned change in immigration policy.The Labour-affiliated Unison union says the changes will adversely affect migrant care workers. About one-third of all care workers and one-fifth of all NHS workers are migrants. Continue reading...
by Adam Fulton, Coral Murphy Marcos, Aneesa Ahmed, To on (#753ZG)
This blog is now closed. Follow our new live blog on the Middle East crisis hereIf you're just joining us, here's the main news of the day. It is 9.30am in Tehran, 9am in Jerusalem and Beirut, and 2am in Washington DC.Donald Trump unilaterally said he is extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan's request while awaiting a unified proposal" from Tehran, even as the US military maintains its blockade of Iranian ports.Trump made the announcement as ceasefire talks looked increasingly uncertain with a two-week truce set to expire on Wednesday. Both countries had said they were prepared to resume fighting if no deal is reached.Trump said he would extend the ceasefire until such time as [Iran's] proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other".Trump later claimed in a Truth Social post that Iran is collapsing financially" and was losing $500m every day that the strait of Hormuz is effectively closed.Iran has yet to decide whether to join the negotiations in Pakistan, a foreign ministry spokesman said earlier on Tuesday, and will only take part if Tehran believes the discussions would yield results.A container ship has reported being fired at by an IRGC gunboat, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. The incident occurred 15 nautical miles north-east of Oman. The vessel sustained heavy damage" to its bridge, the master of the ship said. All crew members were reported as safe.Shares were mixed in Asia as markets waited to see if the US and Iran may resume talks. Brent crude edged higher to $98.51 a barrel, while US benchmark crude fell 0.4% to $89.29 a barrel.One person was killed and two others wounded in an Israeli drone strike overnight on the outskirts of al-Jbour in Lebanon's western Bekaa Valley, Lebanese state media reported. Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire on Friday.Since the war started, fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon, the Associated Press reported. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 US service members throughout the region have been killed.Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened to prevent oil production in the Middle East if the Islamic republic faced attacks launched from its Gulf neighbours' territory. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#754VE)
Government advisers call for review of rules that cause loss of household income when a child takes up job trainingYoung people from disadvantaged backgrounds are abandoning valuable job training opportunities because of a little-known welfare apprenticeship penalty" that can leave their families out of pocket by as much as 340 a week.The problem is caused by benefit rules that classify a 16-year-old apprentice as an independent worker" who no longer requires parental support. As a result, the parents' child benefit and child and disability elements of universal credit are withdrawn. Continue reading...
There are now 3,110 billionaires but analysis shows deep structural acceleration' in wealth creation around worldThe number of billionaires in the world could reach nearly 4,000 by 2031, figures suggest, as the super-rich accumulate wealth at an accelerating rate.There are now 3,110 billionaires globally, according to analysis by the estate agent Knight Frank. This is forecast to rise by 25% over the next five years, taking the total to 3,915. Continue reading...
by Damien Gayle Environment correspondent on (#754VF)
Commons committee heard from residents of Yorkshire town with the highest levels of forever chemicals' in UKOn 15 January, members of the House of Commons environmental audit committee (EAC) visited Bentham, the North Yorkshire town that has the highest levels of Pfas contamination in the UK.Colloquially known as forever chemicals", Pfas (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) do not naturally degrade or decompose. This persistence gives them special properties with useful applications in both industrial and consumer products. Continue reading...
Government aims to move TV and radio funding under state control, which critics say undermines independenceJournalists at the Czech Republic's public broadcasters have said they are prepared to go on strike unless the government of the billionaire prime minister, Andrej Babi, backs down on its plan to scrap licence fees and move funding under state control.In what the journalists see as a threat to their independence, the government wants to replace the current system, in which households pay fees directly to public service media, with direct funding from the state budget. Licence fees are cancelled," the culture minister, Oto Klempi, declared last week. Continue reading...
Exit of John Phelan, navy's top civilian official, comes a week after Pete Hegseth fired army's top officerThe Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the navy's top civilian official, John Phelan, the secretary of the navy, is leaving his job.In a statement posted to social media, Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Phelan was departing the administration, effective immediately". Continue reading...
NHS struggling to cope with record numbers, which Cancer Research UK says puts progress on survival rates at riskThe number of people in the UK being diagnosed with cancer has reached a record high, with one person diagnosed every 80 seconds, a report reveals.Cancer Research UK found that more than 403,000 people were being diagnosed with the disease each year, largely due to a growing and ageing population, as people are more likely to develop cancer as they get older. Continue reading...
Disclosures come after firm tightened rules on insider trading, including candidates betting on own campaignsBefore he announced his Senate candidacy, a political hopeful in Virginia did something not so unusual in this day and age: he logged on to a prediction market exchange and wagered money that he would run. Then he ran. Then he bet on that too.The candidate and trader was Mark Moran, a former FBoy Island contestant who went viral recently for his campaign launch video. Investigators with Kalshi, the federally regulated prediction market exchange, found he placed two trades on their platform, the first in a market asking which individuals would seek public office in 2026, the second after he formally entered the race. Continue reading...
Journalists Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj were both caught in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, with the former trapped under rubble for hoursIsraeli strikes in southern Lebanon wounded one journalist and left another trapped under rubble on Wednesday with rescuers temporarily blocked from reaching her by ongoing Israeli fire, Lebanon's health ministry, a senior military official and press advocates said.Israel's military said in a statement it had received reports that two journalists were injured as a result of its strikes, and denied it was preventing rescue teams from reaching the area. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#7549Z)
Independent review into Bristol Brunel academy finds Damien Egan visit was postponed over safeguarding concernsAn independent inquiry into a Bristol secondary school that found itself at the centre of a media storm after postponing a visit by a local Jewish MP has found no evidence of antisemitism or influence from lobby groups.Damien Egan, the Labour MP for Bristol North East and vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel, was due to visit Bristol Brunel academy (BBA) last September to talk to students about democracy and his work in parliament. Continue reading...
Scott, who represented Atlanta suburbs since 2003, had qualified to run for a 12th term before his deathDavid Scott, a Georgia congressman and moderate Democrat representing Atlanta's southern suburbs since 2003, has died at the age of 80.Scott's health had been an open question in recent years, prompting calls for his retirement. He had not spoken on the floor of the House of Representatives in two years. Continue reading...
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