World news | The Guardian

Trump stirs controversy by calling Afrikaners, minority descended from Dutch colonists, victims of a genocide'

Sean Combs's racketeering and sex-trafficking trial had plenty of cameras but few if any demonstrations or protestsOutside the southern district courthouse in Manhattan, at least a hundred members of the media gathered on Monday as the high-profile racketeering and sex-trafficking trial of Sean Diddy" Combs begins.Passersby could see dozens of cameras and crew members; perhaps surprisingly, there were few, if any, demonstrations or protests. Rows of cameras in front of the courthouse on both sides of the street could be seen pointed at the entrance. Continue reading...

American soldier Edan Alexander meets family at Israel border after masked fighters hand him over to Red CrossHamas has freed the last living US citizen it held in Gaza, soldier Edan Alexander, in a unilateral move Donald Trump described as a good faith step" towards ending the war and bringing home all remaining hostages.The release of 20-year-old Alexander, a dual national serving in the Israel Defense Forces who spent 584 days in captivity after he was seized from his base on 7 October 2023, was agreed with little Israeli involvement beyond practical coordination on the ground. Continue reading...

Prime minister's island of strangers' speech was likened to rhetoric of Enoch PowellKeir Starmer has defended his plans to curb net migration after an angry backlash from MPs, businesses and industry to a speech in which he said the UK risked becoming an island of strangers" without tough new policies.The rhetoric was likened by some critics to the language of Enoch Powell, and the prime minister was accused of pandering to the populist right by insisting he intended to take back control of our borders" and end a squalid chapter" of rising inward migration. Continue reading...

UK Foreign Office criticised by campaigners as Ahmed al-Doush given sentence for charges thought to relate to deleted tweetA British national arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges that appear to relate to a deleted tweet has been jailed for 10 years, according to British lawyers and campaign groups representing the family.Ahmed al-Doush was arrested in August and, while it is understood that UK Foreign Office officials were allowed into the Saudi court for his hearing, the British government has been criticised for a lack of action since his arrest. Continue reading...

The US president will not visit Israel on a trip to the Middle East and his envoy has reportedly said Netanyahu's government is drawing out the warTrump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff didn't mince his words. In a meeting late on Sunday with former hostages and relatives of those still held in Gaza, he told them Israel is drawing out a war the US wants to end, local media reported.On the eve of the release of Edan Alexander, the last living American being held by Hamas, Witkoff spelt out the gulf between his boss and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue reading...

Kurdistan Workers' party says it will dissolve its guerrilla forces, months after call to do so from its jailed leaderA Kurdish militant group whose attacks and insurgency against Turkey have spanned more than four decades has declared it will disarm and disband, after a call from its jailed leader earlier this year.The Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) announced the decision to dissolve its guerrilla forces, heeding a watershed announcement from Abdullah Ocalan three months ago. Continue reading...

PM unveils new policies meant to drive down net migration by end of this parliamentQ: If you want to grow the economy, won't these plans make it harder because it will be more difficult for people to get UK citizenship?Starmer says he does not accept the argument that high immigration is always good for growth. The last government had high immigration but stagnant growth.I promise that [net migration] will fall significantly, and I do want to get it down by the end of this parliament, significantly. Continue reading...

Former president of nation re-elected as mayor of city of Davao despite his enforced absenceFormer Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has been re-elected as mayor of the city of Davao, the family's stronghold, despite being imprisoned thousands of miles away in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.With more than 60% of returns in, Duterte, 80, had an insurmountable lead of 405,000 votes - far ahead of his nearest competitor who trailed on 49,000, according to unofficial results from the election commission published by local media. Continue reading...

US president tells White House press conference he would fly to Turkey to join talks if I thought it would be helpful'Pope Leo then says that one of the most important challenges he sees is how to promote communication that can bring us out of the Tower of Babel in which we sometimes find ourselves, out of the confusion of loveless languages that are often ideological or partisan."Curiously, he then turns to artificial intelligence, which he hails its immense potential," but also warns that it requires responsibility and discernment in order to ensure that it can be used for the good of all, so that it can benefit all of humanity."Let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred, let us free it from aggression.We do not need loud, forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice." Continue reading...

Zelenskyy had no choice but to accept Putin's invitation to talks, diplomats say

More buyers enter the market as auction clearance rates rose to 70% in the week following the election, figures show

Groundbreaking Swiss-Cameroonian curator would have been the first African woman to head up the art eventKoyo Kouoh, the groundbreaking Swiss-Cameroonian curator who was to become the first African woman to head up the Venice Biennale, died suddenly on Saturday, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa announced.It is with profound sorrow that the trustees of Zeitz MOCAA announce the sudden passing of Koyo Kouoh, our beloved executive director and chief curator, on Saturday, 10 May 2025," said the museum in a statement on Monday. Continue reading...

Officials in the city, where last year's competition was held, say it is too big an event to do every two yearsThere are still several days to go until the Eurovision final in Switzerland, but the Swedish city of Malmo has already pre-emptively said it does not want to host the event again next year if the country's hotly tipped sauna-themed entry wins this year's contest.The song - called Bara bada bastu (Just sauna) - is top of the streaming charts in Sweden and Finland on Spotify and is a favourite to win Saturday's final in Basel. Continue reading...

Ministers say investigation proves Russian intelligence servies were behind shopping centre blaze last year

Officials hail fewer homicides as rights advocates call for body-worn cameras to improve police accountabilityJamaican officials have hailed a sharp reduction in murders but rights campaigners warn that tackling crime should not come at the expense of accountability amid an alarming" rise in fatal police shootings.Already burdened with the highest homicide rates in the region, Jamaica has recently struggled with a surge in gang-related violence. But the number of murders per capita has been falling this year, with a marked decline between January and April. Continue reading...

Countries to lower reciprocal tariffs by 115% as US treasury secretary says neither side wants a decoupling'. Plus, meet the TV and film stars who didn't even actGood morning.China and the US have agreed a 90-day pause to the deepening trade war that has threatened to upend the global economy, with reciprocal tariffs to be lowered by 115%.What does the 90-day pause apply to? Donald Trump's tariffs ultimately escalated to 125% on Chinese imports, with Beijing responding with equivalent measures. With the new deduction, Chinese duties on US goods will be lowered to 10%, while the US tax on Chinese goods will be lowered to 30% (as the US tariffs include a 20% rate imposed by Trump before the latest trade war).Was there any immediate reaction? China's yuan jumped to a six-month high on the signal that the trade war would be paused. Up to 16m jobs were at risk in China, according to some estimates, while the US faced rising inflation and empty shelves thanks to dizzying tariffs on the biggest supplier of US goods.When was the last time the two leaders spoke? They have not spoken directly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and there have been no publicly known talks between Moscow and Kyiv since March 2022, shortly after the war began. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Minority ethnic patients in most deprived areas more likely to face asthma emergency, analysis showsPeople from minority ethnic backgrounds in the most deprived areas of England are up to three times more likely to need emergency treatment for asthma than their white counterparts, analysis has found.Analysis of NHS statistics conducted by the charity Asthma and Lung UK found that Asian people with asthma from the most deprived quintile in England are almost three times more likely to have an emergency admission to hospital than their white counterparts. Black people with asthma in the most deprived quintile are more than twice as likely than their white counterparts to be admitted to hospital. Continue reading...

Six-month-old Palestinian girl's painfully emaciated body symbolised starvation in GazaSiwar Ashour was born into war and hunger and has known nothing else. She is now in real danger of dying without ever having known a moment of peace or contentment.The six-month-old Palestinian girl, whose painfully emaciated body symbolised the deliberate starvation of Gaza when she appeared on the BBC this week, was only 2.5kg when she was born on 20 November last year. Continue reading...

Two dozen fasting students also press university system to divest from weapon manufacturers in list of demandsAround two dozen California State University students began a hunger strike last week to protest starvation in Gaza due to Israel's aid blockade, marking the latest act of political protest on college campuses.The strikers - students from San Jose State, Sacramento State, San Francisco State and CSU Long Beach - began their fast on 5 May Continue reading...

Member for Stafford Jimmy Sullivan responds with defiant statement accusing Labor MPs of cheap political move' against him

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High court case to test whether ministers have illegally supplied Israel parts that may be used to attack PalestiniansPreserving the British role in the F-35 jet fighter programme takes precedence over the need to comply with UK laws on arms export controls, or any UK obligation to prevent a genocide in Israel, UK government lawyers will argue in court this week.The long-awaited high court case will test whether ministers have broken the law by continuing to supply parts for the F-35 programme that may be used by Israel to attack Palestinians in Gaza. The four-day case starts on Tuesday and has taken nearly a year to come to court. Continue reading...

The 28-year-old died last week from injuries he suffered near the city of Izium in eastern Ukraine, according to reports

Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns will be up against Zack Polanski, who is calling for eco-populism' mass movement

Exclusive: Waveney Valley MP and North Hereforshire MP likely to go up against party's deputy leader Zack Polanski

PM has named his new frontbench, including Michelle Rowland as the new attorney-general, after a factional brawl over positions

Health worker describes 40-year-old as compliant' and diligent' patient but recalls 2020 phone call and a possible warning sign' of mental health relapse

Former leader had been due to visit in October but trip was cancelled when it coincided with David Lammy's trip to BeijingFormer Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Britain this week at the invitation of British politicians, a trip that comes as London is trying to improve ties with Beijing and China ramps up efforts to diplomatically isolate the island.Britain, like most countries, has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the economic and political exchanges between the two sides have increased as Beijing ratchets up military threats to force Taipei to accept its sovereignty claim over the democratic island. Continue reading...

Amelia Hamer could only secure small primary vote swing towards Liberals in Kooyong, while Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown holds inner-Brisbane seat of Ryan

Senate race will be key to future of Sara Duterte as she faces impeachment trial, while her could become mayor despite being detained in The HagueMillions of Filipinos began voting on Monday in a midterm election widely seen as a referendum on the explosive feud between President Ferdinand Marcos and impeached vice-president Sara Duterte.Workers in the capital, Manila, were busily setting up polling stations on Sunday for a race that will decide more than 18,000 posts, from seats in the House of Representatives to hotly contested municipal offices. Continue reading...

ABC programme is designed to give clinicians more confidence to take swift action in an emergencyAn NHS programme to boost maternity safety and prevent brain injuries during childbirth is to be rolled out across England.The avoiding brain injuries in childbirth (ABC) programme is designed to help maternity staff better identify signs that a baby is in distress during labour so they can act quickly. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer abandons idea foreign workers generate growth in favour of language reminiscent of Nigel Farage

Keir Starmer says system will be tightened up' in all areas, following sharp rise in support for Reform UK in elections

Police say other passengers sustained serious injuries in single-vehicle crash near WokinghamA child has died after a minibus overturned on a motorway slip road, police have confirmed.The single-vehicle crash occurred on the M4 eastbound junction 10 exit slip road on to the A329M, near Wokingham in Berkshire on Sunday afternoon, Thames Valley police said. Continue reading...

The show is called public service television at its best', while Marisa Abela and Lennie James are among other winners

Ukrainian president proposes face-to-face meeting after Russian leader suggests two sides hold talks in TurkeyVolodymyr Zelenskyy has challenged Vladimir Putin to meet in person for peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday, in a dramatic gambit after a weekend of diplomatic flurry.His comments came after Putin rejected a demand from Ukraine and European allies to sign up to a 30-day ceasefire, but said Russia was ready for direct negotiations with Ukraine. Putin said delegations from the two countries should meet on Thursday in Turkey. Continue reading...

Talks described as positive by US but Iran will not back down from its right' to enrich uranium for energyIran and the US have ended a fourth round of talks on a surprisingly upbeat note, despite the two sides appearing far apart on the central issue of a uranium enrichment programme on Iranian soil.The talks in Muscat, Oman lasted four hours and were described as positive by the US side. The Iranian foreign ministry said the talks had been difficult but detailed to better understand each side's positions". Continue reading...

Celebrations held in both countries while Kashmir residents beg for long-term solutions over disputed territoryIndia and Pakistan have both claimed victory after a ceasefire was declared over the weekend, which brought the two nuclear-nations back from the brink of war.After days of escalating clashes that culminated in both sides launching missile and drone strikes on each other's major military bases - the closest they had come to full-scale war in decades - the ceasefire between India and Pakistan was declared by Donald Trump on Saturday evening. Continue reading...

White paper proposes ban on recruitment from abroad despite care sector relying heavily on foreign workersUnions and care providers have accused the government of putting services at risk after it confirmed plans to shut down the overseas care worker visa route.The long-awaited immigration white paper, to be published on Monday, includes measures to ban new recruitment from abroad for care roles, as part of a wider effort to reduce legal migration and prioritise UK-based workers. Continue reading...

About 300 families may not have been told whether children carry trait for genetic disorders such as sickle cell diseaseHundreds of families in Nottinghamshire have potentially been left unaware of whether their babies may be carriers of certain genetic blood disorders, the second such NHS error to come to light since the start of this year.About 300 families whose children were born between 2004 and September 2024 in Bassetlaw and mid-Nottinghamshire were identified by the NHS as being affected. Continue reading...

Mitch Hutchcraft swam the Channel, cycled to India and ran to Nepal, covering 8,000 miles, to raise money for charityA former Royal Marine has completed the world's longest triathlon", which he started in the UK eight months ago and finished at the summit of Mount Everest.Mitch Hutchcraft, from Cambridgeshire, travelled more than 13,000km (8,077 miles) in 240 days by swimming, cycling, running and trekking before reaching the world's highest peak on Sunday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: RCN's Nicola Ranger says nurses could bare our teeth' as they seek restoration of lost earningsNurses deserve a 25% pay rise and may go on strike again unless ministers dramatically improve their completely unacceptable" 2.8% offer to NHS staff, the profession's leader has said.Prof Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said nurses wanted full restoration of lost earnings and could bare our teeth" in pursuit of that goal. Continue reading...

Exclusive: David Lammy asks BBC bosses to draw up tightened budget amid criticism move could harm UK's global influenceDavid Lammy is asking BBC bosses to draw up tens of millions of pounds' worth of cuts to the World Service as part of the spending review, as the fallout continues from Keir Starmer's decision to slash the aid budget.Sources have told the Guardian the Foreign Office has asked the BBC to draw up a budget of up to 70m a year lower than bosses say it needs over the next few years, and well below inflation. Continue reading...

The rapid rise in advertised rents grabs headlines but it's only a small part of the market, an expert says, and for most renting households there is no crisis

General Keith Kellogg has reacted to the Russian president's suggestion for talks with Ukraine on ThursdayOn Saturday morning, local officials in Ukraine's northern Sumy region said Russian shelling over the past day had killed three residents and injured four more.Another civilian died on the spot on Saturday as a Russian drone struck the southern city of Kherson, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Continue reading...

New pontiff also urges a ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza and welcomes truce between India and PakistanPope Leo XIV has called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and pleaded for an end to global conflicts, which he likened to a third world war in pieces".In his first Sunday address at the Vatican, the new pontiff urged an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza and the release of all hostages. He also welcomed the truce between India and Pakistan and referenced the end of the second world war in 1945. Continue reading...

Man, 56, from Richmond, London, detained on suspicion of manslaughter, after death of James Messham, 60, of West SussexA second man has been arrested in connection with the death of a 60-year-old man onboard a cruise ship.James Messham, from Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, died after an altercation" on the MSC Virtuosa as it was in British waters on Saturday 3 May during a short trip to Belgium. Continue reading...

Despite owners and networks forsaking journalistic independence, Trump continues to threaten journalistsIn the telling of Donald Trump and his Republican colleagues, the US media is fake news, stocked with radical-left monsters" who are guilty of illegal" reporting on the president.The reality is different. Continue reading...

Essex airport says problem affected check-in, baggage and security systems on Sunday morningPassengers flying out of London Stansted airport on Sunday morning experienced large queues, delays and some missed flights after an IT problem affected check-in, baggage and security systems.Images posted on social media showed long queues and although the issue was said to have been resolved, passengers were advised to stay in touch with their airlines as some flights faced possible delays. Continue reading...