World news | The Guardian

Former Young Liberals president Alex Dore compares push to Liberal party putting a trade union boss into a leadership position

Acknowledgement of extreme distress' amid fallout from Joshua Dale Brown charges comes as premier defends childcare safety review appointment

New code, backed by police and families of victims, calls on outlets not to approach bereaved within first 48 hoursSurvivors of terror attacks and the families of those killed are among those calling on the media to adopt tighter guidelines on reporting the incidents, after some found out their loved ones had died from reporters on their doorstep.A new reporting code backed by policing and media figures calls on outlets not to approach bereaved families within the first 48 hours after their loss and to instead make their inquiries via the police. Continue reading...

Winnie Byanyima tells the Guardian she considered resigning when Donald Trump cancelled Pepfar fundingThe head of the global agency tackling Aids says she expects HIV rates to soar and deaths to multiply in the next four years as a direct impact of the seismic" US cuts to aid spending.Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAids, said that if the funding permanently disappeared, the world faced an additional 6 million HIV infections and 4 million Aids-related deaths by 2029. Continue reading...

Union representing minicab drivers claims livelihoods have been damaged and calls for systemic change'Transport for London is facing an unprecedented" legal challenge from the union representing Uber and other minicab drivers over claims that delays in issuing licences have damaged their livelihoods.TfL has previously apologised for delays in licensing but drivers and their union, the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB), say they are launching the legal action because of systemic and continuing problems with licensing for this group of drivers. Continue reading...

Battery electric car sales rose 34.6% in first six months of the year after strongest June for overall car sales since 2019British electric car sales rose by a third in the first half of 2025 after the strongest June for overall car sales since before the Covid pandemic.The number of battery electric car sales rose 34.6% to 224,838 units in the first six months of the year, according to preliminary data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group. Continue reading...

Support is lowest in France, Spain and Poland, while 21% back authoritarian rule under certain circumstancesOnly half of young people in France and Spain believe that democracy is the best form of government, with support even lower among their Polish counterparts, a study has found.A majority from Europe's generation Z - 57% - prefer democracy to any other form of government. Rates of support varied significantly, however, reaching just 48% in Poland and only about 51-52% in Spain and France, with Germany highest at 71%. Continue reading...

The rapper faced charges often levied at mafia bosses. Anna Betts explains what the jury heard, and Andrew Lawrence tells Nosheen Iqbal what the verdict means for the music mogulSean Combs - or Puff Daddy, P Diddy or Love", as he has been known - was a superstar for decades. He leveraged his work as a rapper into a career as a hip hop mogul. His parties were legendary, filled with A-list celebrities and famous for being wild.Then, last September he was charged with horrifyingly serious offences; one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. An eight-week trial ensued. Continue reading...

Man allegedly fired shots during hours-long standoff at rural house

Number looking to move to urban centres up 16% in first five months of 2025 compared with same period in 2015With the rise of home working and surging house prices in many urban areas, one might have assumed that British cities had lost some of their appeal to homebuyers over the past decade, but it turns out the opposite is the case.An analysis of the first five months of this year shows the number of would-be first-time buyers in Great Britain looking to move to cities is up by 16% on average compared with the same period in 2015. Continue reading...

Islamic leaders, in power since 2021, announce development after talks with Russian ambassador in KabulAfghanistan's government has said that Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its rule, calling it a brave decision".The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after ousting the foreign-backed government and have imposed an austere version of Islamic law. Continue reading...

Coventry South MP, who lost whip last year, surprises some in Corbyn's Independent Alliance with news of formal plansMP Zarah Sultana, suspended from Labour, has announced she is resigning from the party to join Jeremy Corbyn's Independent Alliance.Sultana declared she will co-lead the founding of a new party" - even though, while there was an agreement in principle to form one, the timing and leadership had not been settled, the Guardian understands. Continue reading...

Fire on island being fanned by gale-force winds, with blazes also raging on mainland Greece and in other parts of EuropeA wildfire fanned by gale-force winds has forced the evacuation of about 5,000 people on the Greek island of Crete, authorities and hotel association officials have said, as large swathes of continental Europe baked in a punishing early summer heatwave linked to at least nine deaths.About 230 firefighters, along with 46 fire service vehicles and helicopters, were battling the blaze on Thursday after it broke out 24 hours earlier near Ierapetra, on the south-east coast of the island - the country's largest - threatening to engulf houses and hotels. Continue reading...

Health secretary banks on resulting efficiencies to reduce number of frontline workers in 10-year health planWes Streeting has staked the future of the NHS on a digital overhaul in which a beefed-up NHS app and new hospital league tables are promised to give patients unprecedented control over their care.A dramatic expansion of the role of the NHS app will result in fewer staff than expected by 2035, with Streeting banking on digital efficiencies to reduce the number of frontline workers, a move described as a large bet" by industry experts. Continue reading...

Early-morning negotiations proved enough to persuade hardline House conservatives to back bill in 218-214 vote

Brazilian president meets Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner at her flat in Buenos Aires after regional summitBrazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has eschewed a one-on-one meeting with the Argentinian president, Javier Milei, during a trip to Buenos Aires, instead opting to visit Milei's political rival, former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who is under house arrest.Lula was in the Argentinian capital on Thursday to attend the Mercosur summit. Continue reading...

Photographer Job Garcia, a US citizen, seeks recompense after reportedly being tackled and thrown to the groundA US citizen is seeking $1m in recompense from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies after being arrested by officials last month when filming an immigration raid at a Home Depot store.Job Garcia, a 37-year-old a photographer and PhD student at Claremont Graduate University, was tackled, thrown to the ground, arrested and detained for over 24 hours, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (Maldef) said. The advocacy group is representing Garcia. Continue reading...

Fears raised that those without immigration details on computer systems could become undocumented as Home Office digitises recordsUp to 200,000 people who have lived in the UK legally for decades are at risk of being caught up in a Windrush-style scandal because the Home Office does not know their whereabouts or have their details on government computer systems.There are fears that some in this group will face a serious risk of being left undocumented as the Home Office converts immigration records from paper to digital. Continue reading...

Martyn Oliver says he knows of property values shooting up by 15,000 after schools were graded as outstandingHouse prices in England could be put in turmoil by the government's scrapping of headline school grades such as outstanding or inadequate, according to Ofsted's chief inspector.Speaking at an education conference, Martyn Oliver said parents and schools had become familiar with headline grades after 30 years of use, saying he knew of house prices shooting up by 15,000 after nearby schools were graded as outstanding. Continue reading...

The actor, best known for his collaborations with Quentin Tarantino, was found unresponsive in Los AngelesThe actor Michael Madsen has died aged 67 at his home in Malibu, according to authorities and his representatives. No foul play is suspected, the sheriff's department confirmed, after deputies responded to the Los Angeles county home following a call to the emergency services on Thursday morning.He was pronounced dead at 8.25am. In an email, Madsen's manager, Ron Smith, confirmed his client had died from cardiac arrest. Continue reading...

No 10 wrongly assumed the 2024 intake would do as they were told, now it fears they have gained a taste for rebellionAs Labour officials sounded warnings to Downing Street last month about the scale of the rebellion against the government's welfare bill, one concern was particularly stark: many of the supposedly loyal 2024 intake were among the rebels.Officials were told not to worry, however, sources have told the Guardian. Many of those MPs had been personally selected at the general election by Morgan McSweeney and other senior advisers to Keir Starmer. Continue reading...

Maj Gen Mikhail Gudkov personally promoted by Putin and had previously led one of Russia's most notorious brigades

Democratic leader spoke for more than eight hours to rail against Trump's sweeping tax-and-spending billThe Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries broke the record for the longest House floor speech ever on Thursday after he spoke for more than eight hours to delay a vote on Donald Trump's signature tax-and-spending bill.Early on Thursday, after a marathon night of arm-twisting, cajoling and pressure by tweet, House Republicans said they were finally ready to vote on Trump's $4.5tn tax-and-spending package - a colossal piece of legislation the president wants passed by Friday, the Independence Day holiday. Continue reading...

Manufacturer sends pun-packed letter asking for exhibit to be removed because of the clue in the nameIt could be described as a storm in a teacup but the humble Jaffa Cake is once again at the centre of controversy after McVitie's asked a biscuit museum to pull the snack from a display.The manufacturer took issue with the orangey treat being showcased in a museum devoted to biscuits because, for VAT purposes anyway, it is officially a cake. This fact was settled long ago in a legal battle with the taxman. Continue reading...

Labour peer says he is deeply ashamed' his party is backing moves to ban groupStreeting says he has to go to the Commons to make a statement to MPs.But first he introduces Rachel Reeves, saying that she has put an extra 29bn into the NHS.It is thanks to her leadership that we've seen interest rates in our country fall four times. It's thanks to her leadership that we see wages finally rising faster than the cost of living. And it's thanks to her leadership we have the fastest growing economy in the G7.If Australia can effectively serve communities living in the remote outback, we can meet the needs of people living in rural England.If community health teams can go door to door to prevent ill health in Brazil, we can do the same in Bradford. Continue reading...

The 32-year-old was granted asylum in 2014, but lost his refugee status because of his recordAustria has returned a Syrian with a criminal conviction to his birth country in what it described as the first such deportation since the fall of the Assad regime.The deportation carried out today is part of a strict and thus fair asylum policy," Austria's interior minister, Gerhard Karner, said in a statement. Continue reading...

Paul Kohler criticises Sadiq Khan after spectators face delays, cancellations and overcrowding on trainsWimbledon's MP has condemned travel chaos that left tennis fans facing cancellations, severe delays and overcrowding as an international embarrassment".Paul Kohler, the local Liberal Democrat MP, said fans from across the world had struggled to get to SW19 this week because of repeated problems on London Underground's District line. Continue reading...

Former journalist and adviser to Callaghan government, 77, was pulled from water on TuesdayThe Labour peer David Lipsey has been found dead after swimming in the River Wye in Wales, police have said.Officers were called to the village of Glasbury on Monday after concerns were raised about the safety of a man who was last seen swimming in the river. Continue reading...

Combs remains jailed awaiting sentencing as more than 50 civil cases alleging abuse and assault move forwardAfter two months, the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean Diddy" Combs came to a close on Wednesday with a mixed verdict. The jury acquitted the 55-year-old music mogul of the most serious charges - racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking - but found him guilty on the two lesser counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.Still, this verdict marks only one chapter in Combs's mounting legal battles. Combs, who remains incarcerated at the Metropolitan detention center in Brooklyn, is now awaiting sentencing and faces a growing number of civil lawsuits against him alleging sexual assault and abuse. Continue reading...

Melissa McIntosh calls for gender-balanced candidate pools along the lines of system that transformed Britain's Conservative party

Israel's bombardment of Gaza is destroying heritage and history and culture', says curator Aye Goknur Shanal. Her show is trying to protect and preserve'

Sources say no complaint has been made to police - with expectation that garment will turn up'Lauren Sanchez packed 27 designer dresses for her wedding to the billionaire Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, in Venice last week, but left with only 26 after one went missing.The couple, who are now honeymooning in Taormina, Sicily, were wed during a star-studded three-day celebration in the lagoon city. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereby Annie Kelly, Hoda Osman, Geneva AbdulTributes have been paid to one of Gaza's most senior doctors who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Continue reading...

Thirty-five people have been rescued after ferry travelling from Java sank, killing five, rescue agency saysRescue teams were racing to find dozens of people missing after a ferry sank in rough seas late on Wednesday on its way to the Indonesian resort island Bali, killing five people.The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, which was carrying 65 people, sankas it sailed to Bali from Indonesia's main island, Java. All passengers were Indonesian, the transport ministry said. Continue reading...

Diplomats and officials say bloc willing to accept 10% tariffs, but talks may go down to wire before Wednesday deadline

Broadcaster admits making mistakes before and during punk duo's show in which they chanted death to the IDF'The BBC has said it was wrong to believe the punk duo Bob Vylan were suitable for live streaming with appropriate mitigations" for their performance at Glastonbury festival, despite ranking them as high risk" before the event.In a statement signalling there would be repercussions for those blamed for the failure, the corporation said any musical performances deemed to be high risk would now not be broadcast live or streamed live. Continue reading...

PM says work in England will focus on prevention, with early diagnosis, community hubs and lifestyle measures

Report by Francesca Albanese singles out companies such as Palantir and calls for prosecutionsThe UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories has called for sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel and for global corporations to be held accountable for profiting from genocide" in Gaza.A report by Francesca Albanese to the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday points to the deep involvement of companies from around the world in supporting Israel during its 21-month onslaught in Gaza. Continue reading...

Inspector finds force has made significant improvements' in how it treats victims of sexual exploitationGreater Manchester police are investigating more than 1,000 grooming gang suspects, as a new report found the force was trying to provide a better service to those who have experienced sexual exploitation".The force has made significant improvements" in how it investigates grooming gangs and other types of child sexual abuse offences, according to the report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services. Continue reading...

Such a move would discourage investment and lead to further increases in prices, says chief executive Alex BaldockThe boss of Currys, the UK's biggest electrical goods retailer, has urged the government not to increases taxes on retailers this year, saying it would damage investment and force prices to rise.Alex Baldock, the retailer's chief executive, said: We urge government not to make a further contribution to the tax burden as that would further dampen investment and increase prices in an inflationary way. Continue reading...

ORR rebuffs bids from three companies, saying additional services would increase risk of delays and cancellationsSir Richard Branson's hopes of returning Virgin trains to the west coast mainline have been dashed after the UK rail regulator rejected its application amid concerns over delays and cancelled journeys.The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has rebuffed three applications for the route, which connects London to Glasgow and serves big cities including Birmingham. Virgin, East Coast Trains (known as Lumo) and Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR) all lost their bids. Continue reading...

Health secretary says the drugs are the talk of the House of Commons tea rooms' as he vows to widen access to jabsWeight loss injections are the talk of the House of Commons tea rooms" and widely used by MPs, the health secretary has said as he pledged to widen public access to them.Speaking as the government launches a 10-year-plan for the NHS, Wes Streeting said access to weight loss injections such as Ozempic and Mounjaro should be based on need and not the ability to pay". Continue reading...

Lee Jae-myung shows no sign of grandeur, cutting very different figure to impeached predecessor Yoon Suk YeolSouth Korea's president, Lee Jae-myung, has given his first big press conference, a month after winning an election in a country shaken by a brief declaration of martial law imposed by his now-impeached predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol.Everything about the event seemed designed to signal a break from the defensive, isolated style of previous Yoon administration. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer says Downing Street should have engaged more with Labour MPs and repeats support for Rachel ReevesKeir Starmer has admitted No 10 didn't get the process right" in handling the government's controversial welfare bill this week and says he shoulders the blame.Looking to repair some of the damage done by Labour's 11th hour climbdown on the central plank of its welfare changes, Starmer said the government would reflect on its mistakes. Continue reading...

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ACCC says asking e-commerce platforms to act is more effective than traditional enforcement, given operators are mostly overseas and difficult to identify

Brent Wyndham - who was acquitted of murder and manslaughter - fired on JC within 17 seconds of exiting his vehicle in Geraldton, inquest ruling says

Wesley Enoch tells ABC RN the artist's work was not about glorification of terrorism and says Sabsabi is incredibly peace-loving'

Legislators from the Freedom party, which presents itself as the voice of ordinary people, top the parliamentary rich listAustrians have poured scorn on far-right MPs for topping the list of highest earners in the country's parliament, accusing the purported champions of the working class of hypocrisy over their lucrative side hustles.A report based on mandatory income declarations for 2024 revealed this week that MPs from the anti-immigration Freedom party (FPO), which came in first in the September general election, to be cashing in most with supplementary earnings. Continue reading...