World news | The Guardian

Locals hail pontiff's work in city's poorest neighbourhoods - but express sadness that he never came back as pope

Kylie Truswell-Mobbs made repeated attempts to give terminally ill David Mobbs a lethal overdose, prosecutors claim

The New Zealand First member's bill is a long shot to become law as it has to be selected at random from a ballot and then garner majority supportA populist party in New Zealand's governing coalition has introduced a bill to parliament that if enacted would define women and men by their biology, preventing trans women and men being recognised by law.The New Zealand First member's bill is a long shot to become law as it has to be selected at random from a ballot and then garner majority support in parliament. Continue reading...

Sam Mostyn would be appropriate representative', PM says as both party leaders step back from election campaign trail before third debate

In today's newsletter: He was an unpredictable leader unafraid to upset traditionalists, but was he really a liberal figure - and will his changes last?Good morning. On Sunday, after a 38-day hospitalisation, Pope Francis greeted crowds in St Peter's Square and wished them a happy Easter. At 7.35am yesterday, he died at the age of 88, of a stroke and subsequent heart faillure.He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised," said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is tasked with running the Vatican's day-to-day affairs until a new pontiff is chosen. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God."Benefits | Ministers are privately ruling out scrapping the two-child benefit cap despite warnings from charities that a failure to do so could result in the highest levels of child poverty since records began. Government sources said charities and Labour MPs hoping for a change are listening to the wrong people".Israel-Gaza war | Humanitarian agencies have rejected the findings of an Israeli military investigation that concluded the killings of 15 Palestinian medics and rescue workers last month were caused by professional failures". Jonathan Whittall, the UN's humanitarian chief for Gaza, said the report represented a lack of real accountability".Ukraine | Vladimir Putin has said for the first time in years that he is open to bilateral talks with Ukraine - having previously demanded that Volodymyr Zelenskyy be replaced before it could happen. Zelenskyy, whom the Russian ruler has falsely called an illegitimate president, meanwhile said Kyiv was prepared for any discussion to halt attacks on civilian targets.US universities | Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging it is trying to gain control of academic decision-making at Harvard". The move comes in response to a freeze on billions in federal funding over the university's refusal to accept demands including an attempt to enforce viewpoint diversity" in teaching.UK news | Almost 250 people have been imprisoned for breaching antisocial behaviour injunctions since 2020, with people being jailed for sleeping rough, begging, feeding birds and making a noise. Analysis by academics at York and Coventry universities found that more than half of people jailed had no legal representation at their hearings. Continue reading...

Disney+ series revisits killing of Brazilian man wrongly identified as a terrorist by Met police officers in 2005The mother of a man shot dead by police in a London Underground station after being mistaken for a terrorist has said everyone should watch" a new dramatisation of her son's killing.Jean Charles de Menezes was shot seven times by two police marksmen in Stockwell tube station on 22 July 2005. De Menezes was wrongly identified as one of the fugitives involved in a failed bombing two weeks after the 7/7 attack in London, which killed 52 people. Continue reading...

Officials and campaigners from around world pay tribute to pontiff who put environment at heart of his papacy

Campaigners say most common problem are sticky keys' that fails to record registration numbers correctlyThousands of drivers in England are being sent demands for up to 170 from private parking companies because of faulty ticket machines, campaigners have said.Many private car parks require motorists to input their vehicle registration when purchasing a ticket from a machine, which is supposed to ensure they do not receive a parking fine. Continue reading...

Pope Francis, an outsider Jesuit pontiff from Argentina, is being mourned across the globe - here is the front-page reaction in BritainThe death of Pope Francis has reverberated around the world, with the Catholic leader remembered by millions as a Jesuit pontiff who pushed for social and economic justice.Here is how the major British newspapers responded to the news. Continue reading...

Annual value of gas and electricity stolen from Great Britain's grids already estimated at 1.5bn

From Timor-Leste to PNG and the Philippines, millions of Catholics are marking the death of Pope FrancisThe death of Pope Francis has left millions of people in south-east Asia and the Pacific in deep mourning, as they remember a Catholic leader known for his humility, interfaith commitment and dedication to their region.In tiny Timor-Leste, where more than 95% of people are Catholic, Francis was the first pope to visit since its independence. Continue reading...

The balance between left and right in the upper house may not swing wildly, but even one or two seats changing hands could prove crucial

Sources says government is not going to find a way' to ditch cap despite predictions that child poverty levels will soarMinisters are privately ruling out scrapping the two-child benefit cap despite warnings from charities that a failure to do so could result in the highest levels of child poverty since records began.Government sources said charities and Labour MPs who were concerned that wider benefit cuts would push more families into poverty should read the tea leaves" over Labour's plans. Continue reading...

Maria Isabel Salvador tells security council the country could face total chaos' without necessary international aidHaiti, where rampant gang violence has surged in recent weeks, is approaching a point of no return" leading to total chaos", the UN special representative to the troubled Caribbean nation has warned.As gang violence continues to spread to new areas of the country, Haitians experience growing levels of vulnerability and increasing skepticism about the ability of the state to respond to their needs," Maria Isabel Salvador told the UN securitycouncil. Continue reading...

UK prime minister and Christopher Luxon expected to sign 30m weapons deal and extend training of Ukrainian troopsKeir Starmer will seek to strengthen the UK's defence ties with New Zealand when he hosts the country's prime minister on Tuesday.When he meets Christopher Luxon, Starmer will discuss extending a training programme for Ukrainian troops run by the two countries and agree a new 30m weapons deal. Continue reading...

Suzanne Cherry, 62, was fatally struck by a van that was being pursued by police in StaffordshireThree men have been charged with manslaughter after a woman was fatally struck on a golf course by a van following a police pursuit.Suzanne Cherry, 62, died in hospital on 15 April, four days after she was struck by a van at Aston Wood golf club in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Continue reading...

Nayib Bukele offered to exchange 252 Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador for 252 prisoners in VenezuelaVenezuela's chief prosecutor has accused El Salvador's president of being a tyrannical" human trafficker after Nayib Bukele offered to exchange the 252 Venezuelan migrants deported to his country's prisons by Donald Trump for the same number of political prisoners in Venezuela.Bukele made the offer on Sunday night in a message addressed directly to his authoritarian counterpart Nicolas Maduro. I want to propose a humanitarian agreement that includes the repatriation of 100% of the 252 Venezuelans who were deported, in exchange for the release and delivery of an identical number ... of the thousands of political prisoners that you hold," El Salvador's leader posted. Continue reading...

Visit to New Delhi by VP and family has to navigate tensions over visas for Indian tech workers and farmers' hostility to lowering tariffsIndia's prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the US vice-president, JD Vance, have hailed significant progress" in negotiations toward a bilateral trade agreement, a deal that could help India avoid sharp tariff hikes announced by President Donald Trump.Vance, accompanied by second lady, Usha Vance, and their children - Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel - landed in the Indian capital earlier on Monday for a four-day visit combining high-level negotiations with family sightseeing. They were received at the airport by railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Vance stood under a red canopy that shielded him from the blazing sun as soldiers saluted and a military band played the US anthem. Continue reading...

Sun and showers will alternate this week and temperatures will return to the seasonal averagePack an umbrella, sunglasses and a warm coat is the message from forecasters who have said the weather is expected to be changeable this week with rain continuing across the UK after the previous dry spell.Much of the country will have alternating sunny spells and showers over the next few days and temperatures will be within the seasonal average of 14C (57F) to 18C (64F). Continue reading...

Customers at SkiStar resort in Salen, one of Sweden's largest, say they deserve a partial refundOutraged skiers in northern Sweden claim they should have been given a discount after finding more mud than snow on the slopes at a popular ski destination.Visitors complained of slush, water and damaged equipment because there was insufficient snow for skiing. Continue reading...

Ola Raji's sisters ask public for support in finding killers of 21-year-old, who was shot and stabbed in PeckhamThe family of a 21-year-old student who was shot and stabbed while cycling home after watching a football match 10 years ago has renewed an appeal for the public's help to find those responsible.Ola Raji had spent the evening at a friend's house watching a Champions League match between Bayern Munich and Porto before he was killed in Peckham, south London on the night of Tuesday 21 April 2015. Continue reading...

Official claimed Jose Hermosillo, who was visiting Arizona, was without the proper immigration documents'Immigration officials detained a US citizen for nearly 10 days in Arizona, according to court records and press reports.As the NPR affiliate Arizona Public Media, first reported, 19-year-old Jose Hermosillo, a New Mexico resident visiting Arizona, was detained by border patrol agents in Nogales, a city along the Mexico border about an hour south of Tucson. Continue reading...

Pope's death was confirmed Monday morning and political and religious leaders are sharing expressions of mourning

Lawyers urge government to protect veterinarian whistleblowers whose role is to monitor animal welfare and food safety for the US and EU

Cody Hochstenbach says the scheme in his country has driven up home prices and weighs heavily on taxpayers

Ronen Bar, head of Israel's internal security service, says he was also asked to spy on anti-government protestersThe director of Israel's internal intelligence agency, Shin Bet, has alleged that Benjamin Netanyahu fired him for refusing to pledge his loyalty to the prime minister over the courts and use the agency to spy on anti-government protesters.The continuing battle between Netanyahu and Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet, has pushed Israel to the brink of a constitutional crisis, after the supreme court blocked a decision by Israel's cabinet to dismiss Bar from his post - the first Shin Bet head ever to be fired. Continue reading...

Four representatives join effort to challenge the Trump administration's refusal to facilitate the immigrant's release

Chaotic cuts to CDC hit expert leadership and programs that surveil, test and research sexually transmitted diseasesThe Trump administration's cuts to a sexually transmitted infection lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) comes as some states, such as Wisconsin, announce enormous increases in syphilis.Syphilis mitigation is just the latest example of work in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that will be affected by the lab's closure, as the Trump administration discards expert leadership and programs that surveil, test and research STIs amid chaotic government cuts. Continue reading...

The US vice-president's brief audience with the late pontiff came despite deep disagreements in recent monthsNot long before what would turn out to be his final public appearance, a blessing of the crowds who had gathered for Easter Sunday mass in St Peter's Square and an unexpected popemobile tour of the piazza, Pope Francis received a devout if perhaps unlikely visitor.Among the last people to see and speak to the pontiff in the hours before his death early on Monday morning was the US vice-president, JD Vance, a zealous, albeit comparatively recent, convert to Roman Catholicism. Continue reading...

Death of 267th head of Catholic church triggers period of global mourning and Vatican conclave of cardinals to elect successor. Plus, are Michelin stars a blessing or a curse?Good morning.Pope Francis, the pontiff revered by millions of Catholics around the world, whose popular appeal reached far beyond his global congregation, has died at the age of 88.When did he last appear in public? He appeared yesterday at the Vatican's St Peter's Square. The pope, 88, came out in a wheelchair and waved from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica saying to the crowds: Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter." However, his Easter address was delivered by a clergy member. The pope was then driven around the square.How has Trump reacted? The president downplayed the first incident, describing it as glitch". But the latest news is likely to add to growing criticism of the former Fox anchor's ability to manage the Pentagon, a massive organization, which operates in matters of life and death around the globe. Continue reading...

UK government expected to sell remaining stake in bailed-out bank in coming weeksThis week, NatWest will hold its last annual shareholder meeting before returning to full private ownership, with the government expected to sell its remaining stake in the bailed-out bank in the coming weeks.The bank, formerly known as Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), will host shareholders on Wednesday at its sprawling Gogarburn campus in Edinburgh, the 350m complex that became a symbol of the excesses that led to RBS's 46bn bailout in 2008. Continue reading...

Campaigners say extremely vulnerable women' are having to travel hundreds of miles to visit English clinicsCampaigners have warned Scottish ministers that they are failing in their legal and moral duties as growing numbers of extremely vulnerable women" have to travel hundreds of miles south because they cannot access later-term abortions in Scotland.Not one of Scotland's 14 regional health boards provide abortion care after 20 weeks except in the specific cases of foetal abnormality or threat to a woman's life. This is despite the Scottish government promising to rectify this explicit inequality" three years ago, and abortion being legal on broad grounds until 24 weeks across the UK. Continue reading...

Hugh Kirsch's case one of wave of evictions of vulnerable residents caused by crisis in adult social care fundingA pensioner with severe learning disabilities who was a victim of one of the most notorious care home abuse scandals of recent years has been told he faces eviction over a dispute about who pays for the costs of his state-funded care.The family of Hugh Kirsch, 66, said they had been warned he would have to leave his supported home because the council that funds his care refused to increase fees in line with costs and his care provider could no longer afford to subsidise the price. Continue reading...

As a cardinal under the age of 80, the Ukrainian-born priest will be one of the select few Catholic leaders to gather in the Vatican for the papal conclave

Darren Henley says regional arts leaders do not have same newspaper coverage as those in the capitalThe chief executive of Arts Council England has launched an impassioned defence of the organisation, claiming it has suffered because of London-centric" media coverage.Darren Henley, who saw in his 10th anniversary as Arts Council England CEO last week, told the Guardian there was an imbalance in media coverage. Continue reading...

Thousands of digital natives' to be taught social skills, as employers say they are too afraid to speak on phoneThousands of gen Z students in Greater Manchester are to learn soft skills" such as empathy and time-management in a UK-first trial aimed at teaching everyday but essential" tools.The pioneering programme will teach young people how to thrive in the workplace after employers said digital natives" were too afraid to speak on the phone or do job interviews. Continue reading...

More than 47,000 anonymous pamphlets distributed in Wentworth area, which includes Bondi Beach, Darling Point, Double Bay and Rose Bay

Heat spreads eastwards into the Baltics and western Russia, although colder air will sweep in by the weekendAfter a spell of record-breaking heat last week, eastern Europe and western parts of Russia will experience further unseasonable warmth in the next few days. The burst of mid-spring warmth began during the middle of last week, when temperatures climbed to the high 20s celsius in eastern Germany and Poland. By Friday, the northern coastal town of eba in Poland recorded a maximum temperature of 29.6C (84.2F), nearly 20C above the town's April average.By the end of the week, the heat had spread eastwards into the Baltics and western Russia, bringing record-breaking temperatures there during the day and overnight. In Lithuania, four stations climbed to above 29C on Friday, smashing the country's April maximum temperature record of 23.1C, set 66 years ago in 1959. Neighbouring Latvia and Estonia also set new national April temperature records late last week, registering maximum temperatures of 28.4C and 28.8C respectively. Continue reading...

AEC receives complaints after unauthorised pamphlets distributed in Wentworth. Follow the day's news live

Human rights experts voice alarm as refugees expelled by the US, not welcomed by Bhutan and rejected by NepalWhen Narayan Kumar Subedi received a call from his daughter in the United States three weeks ago, he expected to hear news of his two children's life abroad, perhaps even plans for a long-awaited reunion. Instead, he was told his 36-year-old son Ashish, a Bhutanese refugee resettled in the US, was being deported.Ashish had been caught in a domestic dispute that led to police involvement. After several days in detention without proper legal support, he was caught up in Donald Trump's migration crackdown and deported to Bhutan. Continue reading...

Regions in eastern Ukraine were under air raid alerts starting minutes after midnight on Monday, with the alerts gradually extending westUkraine issued air raid alerts for Kyiv and the country's eastern half as blasts shook the city of Mykolaiv early on Monday, authorities said, hours after the one-day Easter ceasefire" declared by Vladimir Putin came to an end.Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the Russian president's unilateral Easter ceasefire declaration as a fake PR" exercise and said Russian troops had continued their drone and artillery attacks across many parts of the frontline on Sunday. Continue reading...

Opposition expected to use final two weeks of the campaign to focus on the traditionally safe grounds of national security, crime and defence

Guardian analysis finds seven MPs have worked at least 300 hours since July in outside employmentA total of seven MPs have spent on average one working day a week on second jobs since the start of the 2024 parliament, with additional gigs as TV presenters, lawyers and consultants.A Guardian analysis of self-declared working hours found the seven had worked at least 300 hours since July - the equivalent of eight hours a week, in outside employment averaged across the parliament - totalling more than 3,000 hours between them. A further seven MPs had worked at least five hours a week on a second job. Continue reading...

Exclusive: There were 380 safeguarding referrals of victims of hate crimes from January 2023 to August 2024The Home Office is recording an average of 10 assaults a day on asylum seekers in its care, according to internal government data, amid harsh government rhetoric on those crossing the Channel.Figures reveal that there were 5,960 referrals of assaults upon asylum seekers while in the care of the Home Office between January 2023 and August 2024. There were also 380 referrals of victims of hate crimes to their internal safeguarding hub during this period.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

CAA data shows flights departed more than 23 minutes late last year, with Birmingham and Manchester second and third-worstLondon Gatwick is the UK's worst airport for flight delays, official figures showed, with air traffic control issues blamed for continuing disruption.In 2024, flights departed on average more than 23 minutes late from Britain's second-biggest airport, according to data from the Civil Aviation Authority. Continue reading...

Venezuela's chief prosecutor hits back at cynical' offer by neofascist' Salvadoran leader and demands rights for Venezuelan prisonersEl Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, has proposed sending 252 Venezuelans deported from the US and imprisoned in his country to Venezuela, in exchange for political prisoners" held by Venezuela.On Sunday, Bukele asked that the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, hand over 252 of the political prisoners you are holding" under his proposed deal. Continue reading...

Kaninhop emerged from Sweden but has won popularity across the globe. Some of its keenest devotees gathered in Sydney for four tension-filled events

Incendiary letter by Moscow's envoy says Australians should be more concerned about US bases on their soil than a Russian base in Indonesia

The child died after becoming trapped between rocks at South West Rocks on Sunday afternoon

Defence secretary says lessons from Ukraine highlight need for homegrown supply chainBritain is set to significantly increase its weapons production in order to no longer rely on importing from the US and France.This comes as British and European defence companies move away from buying US-made weaponry and equipment due to concerns over president Donald Trump making the country an unreliable military partner. Continue reading...