World news | The Guardian

Some users wonder whether new pope has had Chicago's favorite liqueur Malort while others reference The BearThe internet exploded with humor and Chicago pride on Thursday following the historic announcement that Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old American clergyman from Chicago, has been named the new pope.Now known as Pope Leo XIV, Prevost has become the first clergyman from the United States to lead the Roman Catholic church, ending the Vatican's longstanding opposition to the idea of a US pontiff. Continue reading...

The film-maker, whose credits also included many Madonna music videos, died of brain cancerDirector James Foley, whose credits included Glengarry Glen Ross and the Fifty Shades sequels, has died aged 71.According to the Hollywood Reporter, his death was confirmed by his representative who said he died peacefully in his sleep earlier this week following a years-long struggle with brain cancer". Continue reading...

Pakistan tried to hit Indian-administered Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan, according to India, which reported no losses'

Prince Harry and King Charles will need to put past grievances to one side if they are to move on from their estrangementFor most families, fallouts and squabbles are a regular occurrence. But what happens when those rifts deepen to an estrangement, such as appears to have beset the royal family and the Beckhams, and how can relationships be rebuilt?According to the following psychologists and psychotherapists, family reconciliation requires both sides taking accountability for their behaviour and not letting past grievances and trauma block efforts to meaningfully re-engage with estranged relatives. Continue reading...

City official says it will not comply with request seeking to impose Donald Trump's rollback of diversity measuresA city official in Stockholm has said the municipality has no plans to comply after one of its offices received a letter seeking to impose Donald Trump's rollback of diversity measures, in what is believed to be the first such missive sent to a foreign government.It's so bizarre," said Jan Valeskog, Stockholm's vice-mayor for planning. It's our political priorities that count, not the ones from this embassy or any other embassies." Continue reading...

The deal definitely puts the UK in a better position, but its impact on the wider economy might be limited

Car exports will face 10% tariffs while levies on steel and aluminium are cut to zero

Mauritshuis in The Hague says guarantees would be needed of artworks' safety amid uncertainty caused by US funding cutsA leading museum in the Netherlands has said it is reconsidering lending works from its collection to museums in the US amid the uncertainty wreaked by Donald Trump's funding cuts and ideological impositions.Martine Gosselink, the director of the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, whose collection includes Vermeer's Girl With a Pearl Earring and Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, said the turmoil had left her team wary of lending pieces to the US. Continue reading...

Commemorations take place across the UK and Europe against backdrop of Ukraine conflictAnother from the Guardian archive:St Peter Port, Guernsey Continue reading...

Office for Students says declining international student numbers will lead to more cuts on campusUniversities in England have experienced a fall in income for the third year in a row, according to the higher education regulator, as it warned that declining international student numbers would translate into more cuts on campuses.The Office for Students' (OfS) annual financial health check found that many universities were trying to repair budget deficits by slashing building and maintenance spending as well as cutting courses and staff, with the sector expected to sell off more than 400m worth of land and property this year. Continue reading...

Chinese leader describes talks as friendly and fruitful' during visit for Victory Day commemorationsXi Jinping and Vladimir Putin exchanged warm words in the Kremlin on Thursday during a grand ceremony welcoming the Chinese leader for his 11th visit to Russia, ahead of a military parade to mark 80 years since the end of the second world war.After nearly four hours of talks, Xi described his meeting with his Russian counterpart as in-depth, friendly and fruitful". Continue reading...

Nicola Packer, 45, was prescribed medication but was accused of believing she was more than 10 weeks pregnantA woman has been cleared of illegally terminating a pregnancy, after taking abortion pills during lockdown.Nicola Packer, 45, took the pills at home in November 2020. She had been prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol after a remote consultation. Continue reading...

South Korean skincare retailers want to capitalise on viral sales of beauty ranges by opening stores across the UKKorean beauty products are moving from phone screens to UK high streets as social media drives sales of skincare with the help of eye-catching ingredients such as snail slime and salmon sperm.Retailers are looking to capitalise on the TikTok and Instagram trend for skincare and makeup ranges from South Korea - known as K-beauty - by opening physical stores and launching brands in a push to get consumers to pick up products that havegone viral online. Continue reading...

Likes of Lyse Doucet and Jonathan Dimbleby say they have at times turned away from current affairsShe is perhaps the UK's most prominent war correspondent, broadcasting from the world's toughest regions, interpreting its most intractable and bloody conflicts. Yet, like many others when the news agenda is so tough, even Lyse Doucet has said she finds herself tempted to turn off.I just want to say as a broadcaster that even though I'm on one side of the microphone and you're on the other, that I too have been turning away from news and listening to Radio 3 instead of Radio 4, because the news is difficult," said Doucet, the BBC's chief international correspondent, as she picked up an award last week. We all think: Oh, it's so depressing. It's so gloomy.'" Continue reading...

RTE asks European Broadcasting Union to discuss matter after 72 former contestants call for Israel's exclusionIreland's public broadcaster has asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for a discussion about Israel's inclusion in the Eurovision song contest, as 72 former contestants called for the Israeli broadcaster Kan to be banned from next week's event in the Swiss city of Basel.The director general of Ireland's RTE, Kevin Bakhurst, said in a statement on Wednesday that he was appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages". Continue reading...

Matildas captain shares Instagram post welcoming couple's first childSam Kerr and her partner, Kristie Mewis, have announced the birth of their first child.In an Instagram post on Thursday, the Matildas captain wrote: Our little man is here, Jagger Mewis-Kerr." Continue reading...

Northern Territory senator switches from Nationals to Liberals where she believes she can be more effective' in fighting for best interests of all Australians'

Suspicious activity ruled out after investigation into blaze that left London hub and homes without power

Grammy-nominated and chart-topping singer says he has no fear' of illness in kidney and lungBrad Arnold, the frontman with chart-topping US rock band 3 Doors Down, has been diagnosed with stage four cancer.The singer said he has kidney cancer that has spread to his lungs. He discovered the illness after feeling unwell in recent weeks, then I went to the hospital and got checked out and actually got the diagnosis that I had a renal carcinoma that had metastasised into my lung". Continue reading...

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Exclusive: Announcement comes at time of change for party as deputy leader Zack Polanski launches leadership bid with eco-populism' vision

No 10 says prime minister will give update later after Donald Trump said he was ready to announce major trade deal'Keir Starmer will make a statement on trade talks with the US on Thursday amid reports the UK has reached an agreement with Donald Trump.The agreement, which the two leaders are expected to unveil later in the day, is likely to focus on lowering US tariffs on specific products, such as British steel, aluminium and cars. Continue reading...

Jury in Western Australia finds two men guilty of 15-year-old's murder and another guilty of manslaughter

Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a lunch she served at her Leongatha home in 2023. Follow live updates

A nine-year-old boy is believed to have died in the fire while girls aged four and seven died later in hospital from critical burns

The forecast said low growth would place the Bank of England in difficult position ahead of next interest rate decisionSlow growth and persistent inflation will wreck Rachel Reeves' budget plans and increase the likelihood of further tax rises in the autumn, according to forecasts by a leading economic thinktank.The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said the UK was on course to suffer a long period of stagnation, cutting tax receipts and forcing the chancellor to balance the books only months after a tough budget in March that reduced welfare benefits. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Charity posts several senior corporate roles, months after saying it faced tough financial climate'Macmillan Cancer Support has come under fire after launching a recruitment drive for a series of senior corporate roles just months after axing a quarter of its staff.The Guardian revealed in February that more than 400 workers had been let go as the charity reduced its workforce by 26%, downgraded its helpline and scrapped its 100-year-old hardship scheme that provided millions of pounds in grants to the poorest cancer patients. Continue reading...

Labor's Sarah Witty is projected to take back the seat which has been held by the Greens since 2010

On the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war in Europe, survivors, including veterans from both sides, remember what happenedEighty years ago today, on 8 May 1945, the second world war in Europe came to an end with the unconditional surrender of Germany's armed forces. The number of people who remember the war - and how it finished - decreases every year, even as European security feels ever more precarious.Here, seven people, aged between 85 and 100, from Estonia, Poland, Britain, Germany and Romania, talk to the Guardian about their memories.Dorothea is a passionate supporter of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans and recently launched its Our Heroes Fund, to raise money for future trips for veterans to the continent and across the UK. Continue reading...

Events to take place against backdrop of Ukraine conflict, rises in defence spending and US foreign policy shiftSolemn ceremonies will be held at war memorials in towns and villages across France on Thursday as the country honours its dead and marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, a public holiday this year, as it is every year.In Paris, the president, Emmanuel Macron, will lay a wreath at the foot of Charles de Gaulle's statue, walk up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, rekindle the eternal flame at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and inspect the troops. Continue reading...

After a 2016 high court ruling, the conviction rates 10- to 13-year-olds in NSW have plummeted, report finds

Three Liberal-run councils deny coordinated crack down as dozens of homeless are issued notices or moved on

Home secretary says raids across UK last weekend reflected some of biggest terrorism threats in recent yearsIsrael's embassy in London was the target of an alleged terror plot involving a group of Iranian nationals who were detained by police after a series of dramatic raids across England on Saturday, sources have told the Guardian.Four men remain in custody and are being questioned by police on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act targeting what police and politicians have so far only been willing to describe publicly as specific premises". Continue reading...

Security minister says US delegation wanted classification for PCC and Comando Vermelho to aid immigration policyThe Brazilian government has rejected a request by the US state department to designate two major criminal gangs as terrorist organizations, according to Mario Sarrubo, Brazil's national secretary of public security.Sarrubo said the request was made on Tuesday during a meeting between US and Brazilian officials in Brasilia. Continue reading...

Officials say the likelihood Lily and Jack Sullivan are still alive after disappearing in Nova Scotia on 2 May is very low'Nearly a week after two young children went missing in rural Nova Scotia, Canadian police say they are beginning to scale back search efforts given the low" odds the children are still alive - and that they are not ruling out the possibility of foul play.Since Friday, more than 160 searchers with drones and canine units have scoured the thickly forested region of Pictou county in search of Lily Sullivan, six, and Jack Sullivan, four. Continue reading...

Open roles include engineers and manufacturing operators as firm prepares to ramp up productionBritish Steel has said it will hire more than 180 new employees, as it prepares to ramp up iron and steel production for the first time since its government rescue.The company has started recruiting for 165 roles in Scunthorpe and a further 17 at its operations in Teesside and Skinningrove, to support production at its two blast furnaces. Continue reading...

Cardinals will be back for more votes tomorrow with up to four rounds of voting

Cardinals begin locked-in selection process amid throng of pilgrims and peaceful protest for women's rights in church

Cynthia Diekema and husband were paddling in mouth of river when startled animal thrashed and capsized canoeAn alligator killed a Florida woman after tipping over a canoe she and her husband were paddling, in what investigators say appeared to be an accidental encounter.The attack happened on Tuesday afternoon near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee, south of Orlando, the Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) said. It's near the same location as a March alligator attack in which a woman was bitten on the elbow while kayaking. Continue reading...

Central bank says uncertainty has increased' as it opts to maintain benchmark interest rate for third time in a rowThe Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold and called out growing dangers in the US economy amid Donald Trump's erratic rollout of an aggressive trade strategy.Jerome Powell, the US central bank's chair, cautioned that the president's tariffs are likely to lift prices, weaken growth and increase unemployment if maintained. Continue reading...

All-out war is unlikely but shifting of goalposts amid Gaza and Ukraine conflicts suggests Kashmir crisis could escalate

Fears raised of escalating conflict after statement accusing India of igniting an inferno' in Kashmir and Punjab

Homeland security secretary says people without ID yet can take domestic flights after additional identity checksMost airports around the United States operated smoothly Wednesday as new Real ID requirements took effect because travelers without the updated document were still allowed to move through security easily.Those without the IDs were given flyers informing them that going forward they would need to present Real ID or other federally accepted ID for air travel within the US. Continue reading...

India claims to have attacked camps associated with a militant group in Pakistan - but what is its relationship with Islamabad?

Liam LaFavers ordered $4,200 worth of Dum-Dums for friends, but his mother was eventually able to get a refundA Kentucky mom found herself in a sticky situation when her eight-year-old son ordered 70,000 Dum-Dum lollipops on her phone.On Sunday, Holly LaFavers noticed a $4,200 charge on her bank account, only to realize her son Liam had placed a bulk order for the candy via her Amazon account. Continue reading...

Jefferson Griffin had fought in courts to try and overturn 734-vote loss to Democrat Allison Riggs in NovemberThe Republican candidate for a state supreme court race in North Carolina has conceded the election after more than six months of contesting the results.For months, Jefferson Griffin, currently judge on the North Carolina court of appeals, had fought in courts to try and overturn his 734-vote loss to Allison Riggs in November. Last month, the North Carolina supreme court said that more than 1,300 voters who had successfully cast ballots had to prove their eligibility or else they would be thrown out. On Monday, a federal judge blocked that ruling and ordered state election officials to certify the election. Continue reading...

Chewy's owner was detained and a bulk amount of methamphetamine was discovered in vehicle, officials sayPolice in Ohio were surprised to discover a pet raccoon called Chewy with a meth pipe in its mouth during a traffic stop in the town of Springfield.In a statement, Springfield Township police department said that one of its officers, Austin Branham, made the stop after spotting a vehicle whose owner had an active warrant and a suspended driver's license. Continue reading...

Complaints of people who were infected, and their relatives, include criticisms that scheme is slow, flawed and complexPeople infected as a result of the contaminated blood scandal, and their relatives, say they have been re-traumatised" by delays to - and flaws in - the compensation scheme.At a special hearing of the infected blood inquiry, which published its final report in May last year, victims and campaigners lined up to castigate the government's handling of compensation. Continue reading...

Cheryl Tweedy, who has son with late One Direction star, appointed administrator of fortune along with lawyerThe late One Direction star Liam Payne has left behind a 24.3m fortune after dying without a will.Cheryl Tweedy, his former partner and mother of his son, Bear, is legally responsible for Payne's money, property and possessions after being named an administrator for his estate. Continue reading...

Former chancellor says he does not expect the Conservatives to die out as a party but he says it is a possibilityKeir Starmer starts by saying rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain. The government is enouraging de-escalation, he says.He says tomorrow the nation will fall silent to commemorate VE Day. The armed forces protect our freedom, he says. Continue reading...