World news | The Guardian

Focus group sceptical that replacing Keir Starmer would improve party's fortunes, with some drawn to Reform or the Greens

Open letter criticising invitation to Nigel Farage warns of association with racism and inflammatory rhetoric'Political leaders have been invited to a rally opposing antisemitism on Sunday, with British Jews hoping the silent majority" will join them for a million mensch march" across central London.The prime minister, Keir Starmer, is considering attending the Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism rally, which is backed by more than 30 Jewish groups, while the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to speak. Continue reading...

NSW police called to incident in Maroubra amid reports of offensive comments made at under-12s game

Ceremony organisers taking event procedures extremely seriously' after broadcast of racial slur in FebruaryUsually the most scrutiny at the glittering Bafta TV Awards is reserved for the stars' outfits on the red carpet and the winners' acceptance speeches.But this Sunday those behind the show will be watching with bated breath and taking the event extremely seriously" after changes were made to how TV coverage of Bafta's awards ceremonies is handled after the broadcast of racially offensive words during February's Bafta film awards. Continue reading...

Fraudsters exploit confusion or anxiety over new IHT rules by offering a safe haven' for savings potsThe caller pitches a great deal. Shift the moneysaved in your pension and reinvest it in a scheme overseas where you can avoid it being caught under next year's changes to the UK's inheritance tax (IHT) system.From April next year, any money left in a defined contribution pension after your death, which is most workplace and all private pensions, will be pulled into the IHT net. Continue reading...

Revolutionary Guards issue warning as Trump awaits Iran's response to Washington's latest proposal for peace dealIran's Revolutionary Guards have threatened to target US sites in the Middle East if its tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported on Saturday, as Washington was left waiting for Tehran's response to its latest negotiating position.Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships," the force said, a day after US strikes on two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed

Exclusive: Queensland MP says I think everybody should be thinking about their political future' after devastating result for Coalition

US leader enters talks with superpower rival from vulnerable position, but will be hoping for economic wins amid turbulent backdropIf all goes to plan over the next few days - and that is a big if - Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit with Xi Jinping, China's leader.The trip will mark the first time a US president has visited China in nearly a decade. The last visit was also made by Trump, during his first term, in 2017. Continue reading...

Florida wildlife commission investigating cause of incident that left passengers with burns and traumatic injuries

Broderick was serving a life sentence in California over killings and last month transferred to a medical centerBetty Broderick, who became infamous for the 1989 killings of her former husband and his new wife in a case that shocked the country and inspired movies and books, has died at the age of 78 while still serving a life sentence.Representatives from the California department of corrections and rehabilitation confirmed to NBC News that Elizabeth A Broderick was moved from the California prison where she had been transferred to a medical center on 18 April. She died on the following Friday. Continue reading...

One man critically injured following incident in Arnold and suspect is being held on suspicion of attempted murderA man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after five people were struck by a car in a town centre in Nottinghamshire, police have said.One man suffered life-threatening injuries and remains critically ill in hospital while four other men sustained less serious injuries after the incident in Arnold shortly before 1.10am on Saturday. Continue reading...

US transportation secretary announces The Great American Road Trip amid transportation crises and rising fuel pricesSean Duffy, the US transportation secretary, hauled his family into a van for a wholesome, seven-month trek across the nation, which was filmed for an upcoming reality TV program, he told Fox News on Friday.The revelation drew immediate blowback as tone-deaf", from critics who pointed toward various crises that have recently hammered the country's transportation sector. Continue reading...

In just a few weeks homelessness has killed a baby, a young mother and a student,' head of advocacy group says, calling for more investment in upcoming budget

Passengers evacuated safely after person jumped perimeter fence and walked on to runway, airport spokesperson saysA Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a person on the runway of Denver's international airport during takeoff, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate, authorities said.The plane, headed to Los Angeles, reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff" at about 11.19pm on Friday, the Denver airport's official X account wrote. Continue reading...

Catherine West says she will try to get the necessary signatures herself to trigger a leadership contest

Jubilation in Budapest as new leader invites people to step through gate of regime change'The pro-European centre-right leader Peter Magyar has been sworn in as prime minister of Hungary, marking the official end to Viktor Orban's 16 years in power.Saturday's ceremony - during which Magyar had invited people to join him to write Hungarian history" together and step through the gate of regime change" - comes a month after his opposition Tisza party won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer set to face challenge as former minister says she will trigger race if no cabinet minister comes forwardMPs from Labour's left are expected to urge Ed Miliband to consider a leadership bid in the coming days, as Keir Starmer faced the prospect of a definite challenge from his MPs next week.Following grim results for Labour in elections on Thursday, former minister Catherine West said that if no cabinet ministers went public by Monday, she would launch a bid to end the impasse. Continue reading...

Adam Bedoui, 20, and Abdelkader Amir Bousloub, 21, guilty of religiously aggravated harassmentTwo men have been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment after filming antisemitic TikTok videos in north London.Officers were called to reports of a hate crime involving a group of men allegedly harassing members of the Jewish community on Clapton Common at about 9pm on Thursday, the Metropolitan police said. Officers arrested five men in Hackney after the incident, it added. Continue reading...

Tyrone Scott, who didn't think he had a hope in the election, wants to help the Greens rebuild community cohesion' in HackneyYou would expect most political candidates who pull off a shock win to celebrate their victory, maybe with a glass of bubbly and excitement for the challenges of elected office ahead. But on Friday, as thousands of new councillors celebrated their triumphs, some surprise victors were less than pleased.Green party handlers apologised to one newly elected councillor in Finsbury Park, north London, put down as a paper candidate", who pulled off an unexpected win. You're going to be great, we'll support you," they said, according to the Islington Tribune. Continue reading...

Disregard from UK Labour and struggling public services are just some of reasons behind astonishing' collapse

A company Trump has used for work at his Virginia golf course was awarded $6.9m to paint the iconic attractionDonald Trump's latest beautification plan for Washington DC - the restoration of the 2,000ft-long reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial - has met been with claims that a $6.9m contract to carry out the project was hastily handed out to a company that renovated a swimming pool at the president's Virginia golf course.The New York Times reported that the no-bid contract for the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool was given to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, based in New Canton, Virginia, on 3 April - despite company records' showing it has not previously been awarded a federal contract. Continue reading...

Brown to advise on global finance, while Harman will focus on social and economic improvements for women and girls

From devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales to councils and mayoralties in England, find out what happened in your area

Parent company of president's Truth Social platform generated only $870,000 even as net sales were up 6%The parent company of Donald Trump's Truth Social platform - one of the president's preferred communications channels - lost nearly $406m in the first three months of the year while generating a little over $870,000 in revenue, according to financial filings.The Trump Media and Technology Group's quarterly report for January to March 2026 showed that while net sales were up 6% year over year, the company took sizable losses related to other investments. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Tim Grattan-Kane says similar crimes still happening with rise of drink spiking in overstretched system as ITV releases drama on caseThe police officer in charge of solving the case of the black-cab rapist" John Worboys says similar crimes could still be happening today as the criminal justice system is close to exploding".Tim Grattan-Kane was the senior investigating officer of the team who arrested Worboys in 2008 after they pieced together the accounts of numerous women who had reported being given drugged champagne by a London taxi driver, who then assaulted them. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closedThe interior minister of Spain told Reuters on Saturday that Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands have confirmed they will send planes to repatriate nationals from their respective countries aboard the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak.The European Union is sending two more planes for the remaining European citizens, and the US and UK have also confirmed planes and contingency plans for non-EU citizens.A total of 8 cases, including 3 deaths, have been reported as of Friday. Six of these cases cases are confirmed as Andes virus and four patients are currently hospitalised.One case previously reported as suspected hantavirus has now been reclassified as a non-case after testing negative for Andes (ANDV) virus.A man who disembarked in Tristan da Cunha on 14 April is currently stable and in isolation. He is currently a probable case until laboratory confirmation.Passengers who travelled on the same flight from St Helena to South Africa along with one of the confirmed cases have been contacted - 75 of those contacts have been identified in South Africa, of whom 42 have been traced by national authorities and are currently under monitoring. Continue reading...

Denmark's king asks Troels Lund Poulsen to form government after PM struggles to gather supportThe king of Denmark has asked a centre-right politician to try to form a new government after the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has failed to put together a ruling coalition.The announcement on Friday night shook the political establishment as Frederiksen has been a staple of Danish politics for decades. Her left-leaning party, the Social Democrats, won the plurality of votes in parliamentary elections in March. Continue reading...

Simply hanging on could be a disaster for Iranians, while Trump needs to resolve this economic crisis he createdExchanges of fire between Iran and the US demonstrate the serious instability of the situation in the Middle East. Though the US strikes late on Thursday were just a love tap", according to the US president, Donald Trump, the reality is that neither side can continue the high-stakes standoff in the strait of Hormuz indefinitely.The US and its ally Israel demonstrated a comprehensive military superiority over Iran - taking minimal casualties in the 38-day war - but Washington has both failed to translate that into strategic dominance and allowed Iran to take control of the strait, driving up the oil price. Continue reading...

New York's Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brushed off question about run for presidencyThe New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez answered a question about potentially running for higher office in 2028 by declaring: My ambition is to change the country."The Democrat delivered that remark at a political forum in Chicago on Friday amid widespread belief that she is positioning herself to run for the White House in 2028 or challenge her party's leader in the US Senate, fellow New Yorker Chuck Schumer. Continue reading...

Moscow blanketed in heavy security despite last-minute announcement of three-day ceasefire with Ukraine

Woman recovered after volcanic eruption on remote island, while operation to find two missing Singaporeans goes onRescuers have recovered the body of an Indonesian woman who was caught in a volcanic eruption on Mount Dukono on Indonesia's remote island of Halmahera, officials have said.Search operations continued on Saturday for the bodies of two Singaporeans. The dead hikers were among 20 who set out to scale the 1,355-metre (4,445ft) volcano in defiance of safety restrictions and became stranded when Dukono erupted early on Friday, spewing a thick ash column about 6 miles (10km) into the air. Continue reading...

Florida agreement grants US president control of licensing and merchandising at renamed airport, analysts sayIt was a week in which one prominent name in aviation, Spirit Airlines, disappeared, killed in the company's own admission by high fuel prices resulting from Donald Trump's war in Iran.Within days, however, another moniker was already flying high in industry circles: the president's own. Continue reading...

Mohamed Bulbul arrested in Mogadishu after covering case of woman allegedly being tortured in prisonA journalist who covered the case of a woman who said she was being tortured in prison was detained and beaten with pistols by Somali authorities, along with two others, for his reporting for the Guardian.Mohamed Bulbul was arrested with the journalists Abdihafid Nor Barre and Abdishakur Mohamed Mohamud on Friday evening while in a restaurant in the centre of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. They said they were assaulted by members of Somalia's US-trained counter-terrorism police unit and taken to be questioned by police. All three were released in the early hours of Saturday morning. Continue reading...

David Farley wins One Nation's first lower house seat after Coalition vote collapses and Angus Taylor says Liberals will take hard lessons' from result

Organizers, including Selma foot soliders, say ruling is latest chapter in long battle over Black disenfranchisement in USThe supreme court's recent decision to gut the Voting Rights Act is an affront to everyone who marched, bled and died to make that law possible, civil rights activists said.When we look at the supreme court's action against the Voting Rights Act, it's really a kneecap - a way to discriminate, to silence voters who fought so hard for this right," said Sheyann Webb-Christburg, who, at eight years old, marched with civil rights leaders in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. Continue reading...

PM's wife, accompanying him to the polls, follows a long line of women to mobilise the jacket when stakes are highNot a white flag but a cream blazer was what Victoria Starmer chose to wear to accompany her husband, the prime minister, to vote on Thursday morning. She follows in a long line of women who have mobilised the power blazer at high-stakes moments.Starmer's, which looks much like a 1,690 ivory Alexander McQueen crepe design, comes hot on the lapels of another. In episode one of the new series of Amandaland, Amanda wears a beige double-breasted iteration in a high-stakes fictional moment: to give a toe-curling talk about her (not shallow) lifestyle brand Senuous as part of careers week at her kid's school. Earlier in the week, the Princess of Wales launched the Foundations for Life report wearing a creamy beige high-waisted Roland Mouret suit. Continue reading...

Diplomatic efforts continue despite fighting in and around contested strait of Hormuz in recent days

Labour party loses more than 1,400 English council seats and crashes out in Welsh and Scottish parliament votes UK politics live - latest updatesKeir Starmer, the British prime minister, is facing increasing pressure to set a date for his departure after elections across much of the country resulted in massive losses for his ruling Labour party.With the bulk of results now counted after voting on Thursday, Labour had lost more than 1,400 representatives from English councils, the local government structures that deliver many neighbourhood services. Continue reading...

Food and Drug Administration commissioner's decisions have hurt staff morale and put his job in crosshairsDonald Trump has signed off on a plan to fire Marty Makary, the commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, after a series of high-profile agency decisions put the FDA head in the crosshairs of the White House and Republican lawmakers.Makary's tenure at the FDA has been marked by several controversial decisions on drugs and vaccines amid plummeting staff morale over layoffs and the appointments of divisive officials. Recent political clashes include abortion, drugs and vaping, but decisions to pull back publications on the safety of shingles and Covid vaccines, among other immunization decisions, have also rocked public health. There have also been concerns about the transition from two clinical trials to one, the commissioner's new priority review vouchers and data-free" regulatory decisions. Continue reading...

Judges have been fired or taken buyouts, and those remaining say they toe the government lineDavid Koelsch, a former immigration judge based in Maryland, was in Minneapolis visiting his mother and sister the day Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents. He drove to Nicollet Avenue, parked a few blocks away, and walked toward the scene.I didn't go there to protest. I didn't bring a sign. I didn't bring anything. I just went to stand and bear witness," Koelsch said. Continue reading...

Charlotte Proudman's comments follow trial of Christopher Trybus, who was acquitted of all charges against wife Tarryn BairdA barrister has suggested that a dead woman was put on trial" in the case of Christopher Trybus, who was cleared of manslaughter by a jury.Charlotte Proudman's comments came after Trybus was found not guilty by a jury of eight women and four men, who deliberated for more than 40 hours. He was acquitted of all charges: manslaughter, coercive and controlling behaviour and two counts of rape. Continue reading...

Public frustration gave the SNP a muted victory, while Labour tied with Reform for second and the Greens claimed a seismic' resultLong before the final votes were counted in Scotland, veteran Labour politicians said it was a defeat made in Downing Street.When the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, strode into the Glasgow count arena on Friday afternoon flanked by sombre-faced activists, the scene was a mirror image to the same venue in 2024, when his resurgent party won 36 seats from the Scottish National party, playing a significant part in Keir Starmer's landslide victory. Continue reading...

Samuel Whitsed, 27, is believed to have travelled from Victoria to hike Bibbulmun Track near outskirts of Perth

Israeli PM says he has full coordination' with US president amid reports that Washington no longer consults himBenjamin Netanyahu interrupted an uncharacteristically long silence over the Iran conflict this week with a video commentary insisting he had full coordination" with Donald Trump, with whom he spoke almost daily".The insistence that all was rosy in the US-Israeli relationship followed weeks of reports in the domestic press that Israel was no longer being consulted over the Iran conflict, and even less over Pakistani-brokered peace talks. Such is the scepticism over Netanyahu's trustworthiness among the general public and independent press that the immediate reaction among observers to his video statement was speculation that the reality could be even worse than they had imagined. Continue reading...

Norway's energy minister says country has a responsibility' to address shortfalls caused by wars in Ukraine and Middle EastIn case of any doubt about Norway's commitment to maintain - and expand - its production of gas and oil offshore, the energy minister, Terje Aasland, has a pithy response: We will develop, not dismantle, activity on our continental shelf."This week, to the alarm of environmental campaigners, he announced that three gasfields off the country's southern coast would reopen by the end of 2028 - nearly three decades after they closed - to meet a shortfall caused by the impact of the war in Ukraine and disruption to supplies from the Middle East. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is preferred choice of new leader for 42% of those surveyed

Fears over a natural disaster or cyber attack are pushing households into contingency planning, Link survey showsMillions of Britons are prepping" for a potential major disruptive event" by keeping a stash of cash at home, stockpiling tinned goods or ensuring they have a battery-powered torch close to hand, new data suggests.With war raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, extreme weather becoming more frequent, and warnings that the UK's critical infrastructure is at risk from cyber-attacks and power outages, many people feel the world has become a more dangerous and chaotic place. Continue reading...

About 30 people - nearly all men - have expressed an interest in taking on the far-right National Rally in next year's ballotAt a Paris meeting hall this week, hundreds of leftwing voters braved a rainstorm to gather chanting: Unity! Unity!"They were celebrating the 90th anniversary of France's Popular Front, a leftwing alliance that was formed in the 1930s amid fears that the far right could take power. But their concerns were more immediate. Continue reading...

Unprecedented operation' under way to receive MV Hondius off Tenerife to assess and repatriate those onboard What is hantavirus?