World news | The Guardian

Director of public prosecutions was considering ending pursuit of ex-ATO employee who went public with concerns about debt recovery tacticsCommonwealth prosecutors have refused to drop their pursuit of tax office whistleblower Richard Boyle, prompting a withering response from human rights lawyers, who say the case is “profoundly wrong and unjust”.For the past month, the commonwealth director of public prosecutions has deliberated on whether to drop the case against Boyle, a former Australian Taxation Office official who blew the whistle on the agency’s use of aggressive tactics to recover debts from small business owners. Continue reading...

The Electoral Commission inquiry into funding for No 10 refurbishment fills the front pagesDramatic scenes in Westminster and the Electoral Commission inquiry into the refurbishment of Boris Johnson’s flat fill the front pages of many British newspapers.The Guardian leads on the PM’s “fury” over the inquiry into what has become known as the “cash for curtains” affair. With sweeping powers to call witnesses and refer matters to the police, it reports the watchdog saying the investigation was necessary because it already believed there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect payments for renovations to the PM’s flat could constitute offences. Continue reading...

Funeral directors say up to 2,000 bodies await burial or cremation in warehouses at Prima Porta cemetery

Analysis: some in China see India’s crisis as a diplomatic opportunity but tensions from last summer remain highAs coronavirus rages across India, its neighbour China has made repeated offers of help. Some are asking whether this could be an occasion to ease the tense relations between the world’s two most populous countries following last year’s border skirmishes.China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said this week that Beijing was “ready to provide support and assistance to the Indian people at any time according to the needs of India”. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Delhi said it would “encourage and instruct Chinese companies to actively cooperate”. Continue reading...

Gareth Wild finished his ‘magnum opus’ by filling the last of 211 spots in the parking lot of Sainsbury’s in BromleyA man has completed a six-year challenge to park in every car parking space at his local Sainsbury’s.Gareth Wild, 39, from Bromley, south-east London, said he decided to take on the challenge after noticing his preference for certain spots. Continue reading...

Bill placing libel under criminal rather than civil law could see journalists jailed for three years for ‘misleading’ contentJournalists and social media moderators in Vanuatu could face up to three years in prison under a new bill that broadly criminalises threatening words, gestures and the “reckless” sharing of false statements.Changes to the criminal libel and slander provisions of the South Pacific country’s Penal Code Act mean that Ni-Vanuatu could now face imprisonment for “any representation that is untrue or misleading” on public platforms including “television, radio, internet websites, social networking sites and blog sites”. Continue reading...

More than 170 cultural figures from all EU member states and UK nations call on EU leaders to guarantee Scotland’s place in the bloc should it vote to separate from the UKDear heads of state and government of the EU, president of the European council, president and members of the European parliament, president and members of the commission,We are Europeans from across the continent and around the world. Naturally, we disagree about many things. But we all agree on this: we want the people of Scotland to know that Europeans everywhere would welcome them back in the European Union if this is their democratic wish. Continue reading...

Resolution Foundation says pandemic has highlighted pre-crisis flaws in welfare stateThe government needs to learn lessons from its furlough scheme and make earnings insurance a permanent feature of a radically reformed welfare system, a thinktank has said.The Resolution Foundation, which focuses on the needs of middle- and low-income households, said emergency action during the pandemic had protected living standards but also highlighted pre-crisis flaws in the welfare state. Continue reading...

Actor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in little-loved trilogy, says negative reaction was ‘quite difficult’While he may have been one of the biggest names in three of the highest grossing movies of all time, Ewan McGregor has said he found it “hard” when the Star Wars prequels were panned by critics and audiences.The actor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the little-loved episodes I, II and III from 1999 to 2005, told the Hollywood Reporter it was “hard they didn’t get well received”. He added: “That was quite difficult. They were universally not very much liked.” Continue reading...

It’s hard to convey the full depth and range of the trauma, the chaos and the indignity that people are being subjected to. Meanwhile, Modi and his allies are telling us not to complain

Foreign ministry claims it has established a connection between six Russian nationals and the explosionsBulgarian prosecutors have established links between six Russian nationals who spent time in Bulgaria and four explosions at arms depots in the EU country between 2011 and 2020.Moscow accused Bulgarian officials of trying to outdo authorities in Prague who allege that Russian secret services were behind an explosion in the Czech Republic in 2014. Continue reading...

Thursday: Crematoriums reportedly running out of wood as deaths pass 200,000. Plus: Josh Frydenberg rules out ‘sharp pivots towards austerity’ in May budgetGood morning. India’s Covid nightmare continues to dominate the headlines, while Josh Frydenberg promises more budgetary stimulus, and a legend of the moon landing dies. These stories and much more, in Thursday’s morning mail.India’s official death toll from the coronavirus has passed 200,000 after its worst day yet of the pandemic – recording 360,960 new cases, and with 3,293 deaths reported. The capital, Delhi, remains under lockdown, with crematoriums reportedly running out of wood and forced to assemble makeshift funeral pyres on public land. The real death toll is feared to be considerably higher, with authorities accused of skewing the data to downplay the scale of the tragedy. The B1617 variant that appears to be driving India’s deadly second wave has been called a “variant of interest”, a lesser level than the “variants of concern” from Brazil, the UK and South Africa. Continue reading...

Electoral Commission believes there are ‘reasonable grounds’ to suspect offences around renovation of 11 Downing StreetThe Electoral Commission has launched an inquiry that has the potential to imperil Boris Johnson’s premiership as the “cash for curtains” row increasingly engulfed the prime minister.With sweeping powers to call witnesses and refer matters to the police, the watchdog said its probe was necessary because it already believed there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect that payments for expensive renovations to Johnson’s Downing Street flat could constitute several offences. Continue reading...

Mexico’s electoral tribunal upheld ruling barring two candidates, including one accused of rape, for failing to file expense reportsMexico’s president has blasted a decision to disqualify two of his party’s gubernatorial candidates – including one accused of rape – describing the decision by Mexico’s electoral tribunal as “a blow to democracy”.“Democracy is respecting the will of the people,” said Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as Amlo, at his morning press conference on Wednesday. “In a democracy, it’s the people who decide. It’s the people who give orders.” Continue reading...

High court judge says law used by police to arrest government critic no longer existsZimbabwe’s high court has quashed charges of communicating false information levelled against the journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin’ono, saying the law used by police to arrest him in January no longer exists.Chin’ono, 50, has been detained three times since he backed banned anti-government protests on social media in July, when he was first arrested and charged with inciting public violence. Continue reading...

KitKat maker could move some production to Europe as GMB union warns ‘lives are being ruined’Nestlé is planning to cut almost 600 jobs in the UK, close a factory and switch production of some products to Europe.The Swiss-owned confectioner said it was considering closing its site in Fawdon, Newcastle upon Tyne, in late 2023, with the loss of about 475 jobs, with a further 98 to go in York. Continue reading...

Ex-Foreign Office minister says scale of cuts set out by Dominic Raab is ‘difficult to comprehend’UK aid to individual African countries is being cut by 66% this year and aid to the Indo-Pacific region by 68%, aid agencies have said on the basis of new figures provided by the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab.The scale of the cuts was described by a former Conservative Foreign Office minister, Liz Sugg, as “difficult to comprehend”. She said the impact on education was being likened by experts to “acts of violence against the world’s poorest women and girls”. Continue reading...

Prominent figure has been detained since April 2020 without charge and is accused of blasphemyThe United Nations has condemned Nigerian authorities for failing to release a prominent humanist accused of blasphemy, who has been detained for a year without charge.Mubarak Bala, the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested at his home in Kaduna state on 28 April 2020 and taken to neighbouring Kano, where calls for action against him had been made by religious figures. Continue reading...

Macron under pressure to harden terrorism laws amid growing row over security in run-up to election

Carmaker condemns latest ‘bossnapping’ by union activists, who held men for 12 hoursWorkers trying to block the sale of a Renault car parts factory held seven managers against their will for 12 hours in the latest “bossnapping” to hit French industry.Managers at the Fonderie de Bretagne, a foundry near the town of Lorient, in Brittany, north-west France, that has been put up sale, were held by union activists on Tuesday morning and prevented from going home until 10.30pm. Continue reading...

Inquest told Usman Khan’s family ‘didn’t turn a blind eye’ to warning signsLawyers for the victims of the Fishmongers’ Hall terrorist Usman Khan have repeatedly accused his family at an inquest in central London of ignoring his “nasty” nature and failing to challenge his extremism.Khan’s older brother, who cannot be named, insisted the family did all it could and was unaware of his violent record in prison. Continue reading...

Foreign Office says Britain ‘first out of the blocks’ with help but Labour calls it a drop in the ocean

Michael Scott gave false identity when being prosecuted alongside activists over anti-apartheid protest in 1972Senior Scotland Yard managers authorised an undercover officer to lie in court when he used his fake identity in a trial in which he was convicted of public disorder, an inquiry has heard.The managers have also been accused of ignoring ethical issues when they encouraged the undercover officer to spy on legally protected confidential discussions between campaigners and their lawyers about legal tactics. Continue reading...

Labour leader’s attack on PM came an hour after Electoral Commission launched inquiry into No 11 refurbishmentA furious Boris Johnson tried to fight off allegations he broke donation reporting rules, as Sir Keir Starmer branded him “Major Sleaze” in the “cash for curtains” row increasingly engulfing the prime minister.An hour after the Electoral Commission launched an investigation and said there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect payments for renovations to Johnson’s Downing Street flat could constitute several offences, the prime minister was accused of focusing on petty personal issues instead of the pandemic. Continue reading...

Critics of 2020 law allowing gay couples to marry gather 61,027 signatures to force national voteSwitzerland will hold a referendum on whether to push ahead with same-sex marriage after opponents forced the government to hold a binding vote on a 2020 law allowing gay couples to marry.The Swiss parliament passed a bill recognising same-sex marriage last December, several years after most other western European states. Continue reading...

Bar association and activists decry Beijing-type immigration act with ‘exit ban’ powersHong Kong has passed a new immigration law that includes powers to stop people entering or leaving the city, raising fears of Chinese mainland-style “exit bans” in the international business hub.The legislation sailed through a legislature now devoid of opposition, as Beijing has quashed dissent and sought to make the semi-autonomous city more like the authoritarian mainland after huge and often violent democracy protests. Continue reading...

With daring shows such as I May Destroy You and I Hate Suzie, there’s much to celebrate. But ITV will rightly feel aggrieved as Quiz and Des miss out

A sauce-splattered Singaporean signature dish that’s so good, you won’t mind the dry-cleaning bill afterwards – but what’s the definitive version?

The critics’ aggregator site has recently added a demurring 1941 write-up that wishes the Orson Welles film ‘let a little sunshine in’An 80-year-old pseudonymous review appears to have wrecked Citizen Kane’s 100% rating on reviews aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.A Twitter user pointed out the change in Citizen Kane’s rating, due to the addition of a negative review from 1941. It is not clear exactly when the change happened, but website Boing Boing suggested it must have been between 25 February and 15 April, after comparing archived screenshots. Continue reading...

Sandijs Dreimanis, 18, charged over incident in which armed police were dispatched to Sussex collegeA teenager has appeared in court following Monday’s armed incident at Crawley College.Sandijs Dreimanis, 18, was named by police and appeared in court on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...

Spaniards David Beriáin and Roberto Fraile, and Rory Young, a Zambian-born Irish citizen, ambushed by jihadistsTwo Spanish journalists and an Irish conservationist have been killed after they were ambushed by jihadists while on an anti-poaching mission in Burkina Faso.On Tuesday, Spain’s foreign minister, Arancha González Laya, said 44-year-old David Beriáin, a reporter, and 47-year-old Roberto Fraile, a photographer, were believed to have been murdered on Monday, after they were identified from an image provided by Burkinabe authorities. Continue reading...

Agency head Rosalind Croucher says she told Stoker ‘it is not for an assistant attorney general’ to give direction

Call comes as minister refuses to deny reports work at No 11 flat was originally funded by Tory donorsAllegations of Conservative cronyism and sleaze must be cleaned up, the shadow foreign secretary has said, as a government minister repeatedly refused to deny reports the prime minister’s flat refurbishments were originally funded by Tory party donors.Lisa Nandy renewed Labour’s attack on its political opponents as questions surrounding Boris Johnson’s financial affairs – and, therefore, his potential vulnerability to undue influence – refused to dissipate on Wednesday. Continue reading...

For many people, reading has been difficult this last year - but a breakthrough is always possible. Guardian readers describe the books that drew them in‘Reading about the hope in others’ hopeless lives kept me going’

Judge describes 42-year-old’s filming of dead and dying police officers after Melbourne crash as ‘heartless, cruel and disgraceful’Richard Pusey has been jailed for 10 months for his “heartless, cruel and disgraceful” actions in filming dead and dying police officers after a Melbourne crash.The 42-year-old had been pulled over for driving his Porsche at 149km/h along the Eastern Freeway when a truck crashed into the emergency lane on 22 April last year. Continue reading...

The fiasco of the Operation 8 counter-terror operation in 2007 looms over new laws and how police judge who or what poses a threatIn the early hours of an October morning in 2007, teams of armed police stormed Rūātoki, a lush green valley in the North Island of New Zealand. Equipped with new anti-terrorism powers, they stopped school buses, set up roadblocks, raided houses, arrested 18 people across the country, and detained many more in their homes for hours.“I was only 7 at the time,” Kunere Timoti, one of the children caught up in the raids told the New Zealand Herald. “I remember the bus stopping and then looking out my window… What I saw then will stay with me forever,” he said. Outside, a balaclava-clad man had a gun pointed at the bus. Whetumarama Purewa, who was six years old at the time, told The Hui that 10 years on from the raids, she still hasn’t forgotten. “I still feel hurt, I think all of us still feel hurt, we all still feel that trauma that they did to us. Not just to us – the things like they pointed guns at them and they didn’t even do anything wrong.” Continue reading...

Spain and Philippines join Cambodia and Fiji in restricting arrivals; England extends vaccines to those aged 42 and over

Wednesday: Government consultant made millions from environmental offset. Plus: two more Aboriginal deaths in custodyGood morning. Today we have more on the ongoing Covid crisis in India and a conservation offset controversy on home shores. Plus news about a singing fish and (not quite) explosive sex toys.An environmental consultant who holds interests in a property that made more than $40m selling conservation offsets to governments is part of a consortium that has made tens of millions of dollars more. Steven House is a former director of Eco Logical Australia, a firm that advised governments on major projects in western Sydney. He is also a director of Meridolum No 1 – a company that had made more than $40m selling offsets for infrastructure projects that Eco Logical, which employed two of Meridolum’s directors, provided offset advice on. The directors denied any suggestion of wrongdoing or conflict of interest and said they had made the appropriate declarations. But House holds interests in two other properties that sold a further $66.8m in offsets for developments in western Sydney between 2017 and 2019. The transactions involving these two properties are “deeply concerning and undermine public confidence in the whole offsetting system”, according to Chris Gambian, chief executive of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Continue reading...

Johnson faces growing disquiet after allegations he was loaned £58,000 from party funds while being seen to personally foot the billBoris Johnson is being urged by senior Tories to come clean about the funding of his flat refurbishment as it emerged that a former Labour chancellor refused to join a trust overseeing Downing Street upkeep out of concerns it could lead to a cash-for-access scandal.The prime minister faced growing disquiet from within his own party on Tuesday over allegations that he was loaned £58,000 from Conservative party funds while being seen to personally foot the bill for renovations of his Downing Street residence. Continue reading...

Students say one teacher ‘squared up to’ masked man and a support worker then grappled with intruderA heroic teacher and college worker have been praised for tackling and handing over to police a masked gunman who burst into a packed college allegedly firing a pistol, triggering panic and fear.An 18-year-old man remained in custody after the scare at Crawley college on Monday. Police revealed the suspect had a pistol firing blanks, with the melee leading to two college staff suffering minor wounds. Continue reading...

Experts cite examples of coronavirus spreading via airborne transmission including, in one case, by ‘faecal aerosols produced by toilet flushing’The latest coronavirus outbreak from hotel quarantine in Western Australia has focused attention on how the virus is transmitted. Hotel quarantine is supposed to be secure with returned travellers separated from each other. Staff and residents are meant to be regularly tested for Covid-19 and infection control procedures are supposed to be rigorous.Yet as Burnet Institute epidemiologist Prof Mike O’Toole points out, there have been 14 hotel quarantine leaks in Australia since November. So if infection control procedures are in place and people are kept apart, how is the virus that causes Covid-19 escaping? Continue reading...

Data shows 24% of patients had persistent ailments months after leaving a Moscow hospital

Health body says mass gatherings, low vaccination rates and more contagious variants all to blame for surge in cases

Cultural and creative businesses to be encouraged to take up residence as Square Mile adapts to new ways of working

Our Delhi correspondents pay tribute to the Indian journalist and Guardian news assistant, who has died of Covid

Jonty Bravery’s violent behaviour had reduced at the time of the attack, report finds

Tulip Siddiq MP says PM did not even send UK officials to recent trial where Iran jailed dual national for further yearBoris Johnson has been accused of a “dismal failure” in his diplomatic efforts after Iran sentenced Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to a further year in jail on top of the five-year sentence she has already served.Labour’s Tulip Siddiq, the British-Iranian dual national’s MP, questioned the effort the prime minister had put into releasing Zaghari-Ratcliffe, telling the Commons: “From where I’m standing, I’ve seen no evidence on the part of the prime minister so far. Continue reading...

Jamie Reuben’s involvement in bid supported by Boris Johnson raises more cronyism questionsAn investor in the planned takeover of Newcastle United that received high-level support from Boris Johnson last year is a major Conservative party donor who has personally funded the prime minister’s constituency office and leadership campaign.Jamie Reuben, 34, his father, David, and uncle Simon, who own the Reuben Brothers property development empire, were co-investors with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the financier Amanda Staveley, in the £300m bid to buy the Premier League club from Mike Ashley. Continue reading...

Inquest hears Usman Khan also sought out hate preacher Abu Hamza while in prison