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It has long been suspected the Revolutionary Guards - specifically its Quds force - was responsible for recent terror attacks in London, Canada and across EuropeThe arrest by US authorities of an alleged Iraqi commander of an Iranian-backed militia group now accused of responsibility for 18 terrorist attacks in the UK, Europe and Canada since the beginning of the Iran war is an astonishing development - yet not the least bit surprising.According to a complaint unsealed on Friday in a federal court in Manhattan, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi is allegedly responsible for organising - among other operations - a string of recent firebombings of banks and other targets in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, an arson attack against a synagogue and a shooting at the US consulate in Toronto in March, as well as - most recently - a wave of attacks on mainly Jewish targets in the UK including places of worship and charities. Continue reading...

Once Upon a Time in Harlem, completed by relatives of William Greaves after his death, showcased at CannesIn 1969, the pioneering documentarian William Greaves wrote of his fury over the racially degrading stereotypes that white film producers threw up on American screens. It became clear to me that unless we black people began to produce information for screen and television there would always be a distortion of the black image,'" he said.Three years later, Greaves began work on what he considered the most important footage he ever shot: a feature documentary gathering surviving figures of the Harlem Renaissance to reflect on the movement they had built half a century earlier. Continue reading...

With Punta Marina residents loving or loathing the incomers, peacock rangers' have been appointed to defuse tensionsFederico Bruni was sitting on a bench, eating a piadina romagnola (flatbread sandwich) and minding his own business, when a peacock strutted up in the hope of a few crumbs. High-pitched squeals emanated from the direction of a disused military barracks across the road. That would be the call to love," Bruni said. The male peacocks are courting the female ones - we're in peak mating season."As another couple of peacocks wandered by, their iridescent trains sweeping the pavement behind them, this could be mistaken for a wildlife park. But the scene is Punta Marina, a seaside town on the Adriatic coast of Italy's Emilia-Romagna region that has been colonised by the birds, to the delight - or despair - of its approximately 1,000 residents. Continue reading...

Planning inspector backs council's rejection of development which was not exemplary, extraordinary, remarkable or distinctive, just tall'Celebrities including Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger have defeated plans to build a 29-storey tower on the banks of the River Thames.Jagger, along with fellow rockstar Eric Clapton, actor Felicity Kendal and comic Harry Hill, fought the developer Rockwell Property for two years over its plan to erect a 100-metre tower next to Battersea Bridge. If the tower had been built on the south bank of the Thames in south-west London, it would have rivalled the heights of the famous chimneys on Battersea power station. Continue reading...

Bill Cassidy raised ire of US president for voting to impeach after January 6 - so Trump is backing Julia LetlowThe power of Donald Trump's endorsement will be put to its latest test on Saturday, when Louisiana holds primary elections in which the US senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to impeach the president following the January 6 insurrection, then tried to make amends by casting the pivotal vote to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as health secretary, stands a chance of losing his party's nomination.An incumbent Republican running for a third term representing a deeply Republican state, Cassidy would normally be a shoo-in for re-election. But in January, Trump abruptly said that the US representative Julia Letlow should run against Cassidy and offered his endorsement, underscoring his continued willingness to seek revenge against anyone in the Republican party who has crossed him. Continue reading...

After death of his father, Reed Jobs is keen for his $1bn venture capital fund Yosemite to make a differenceI saw my dad have cancer when I was a kid, and unfortunately that happens far too often. And that really motivated me to try to transform outcomes for other people out there."Reed Jobs is talking about the death of his father, the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, to a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2011 at the age of 56, the experience that underlines his mission to make cancer a non-lethal, treatable disease. Continue reading...

Polyclass' of 6 million people consider themselves to belong to more than one social category, researchers sayMore than a third of Britons say they have changed social class, with upper-middle and upper-class people most likely to identify as belonging to more than one class, according to a survey.Working-class people were the least likely to say they had changed class or identified with more than one, with 70% saying they were in the same social category they were born into, the study by research firm Attest found. Continue reading...

Week of leadership jostling has left Keir Starmer looking vulnerable and short of time - even though no challenger has officially come forwardIt was a minute or so into his BBC interview on Friday morning, after being asked about moves" to remove Keir Starmer, that Steve Reed ran out of patience. There is no contest," he interrupted. Moves' mean nothing. People need 81 nominations to stand against the prime minister."The housing secretary, a close ally of Starmer and a founding member of the Labour Together thinktank that catapulted him to power, was right, of course: no one has formally challenged the prime minister, let alone ousted him. Continue reading...

Supporters at the Victorian state library protested against prosecutors dropping a manslaughter charge against the man accused of killing her

Firms do not offer cover for some models, or charge more than for equivalent petrol cars, research findsUK insurers are more hesitant to cover some hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) from China than cars from other countries, research suggests.While some drivers can save money by buying cars made in China, they may have more limited options to get insurance than those buying electric, hybrid and petrol cars from Europe, the US and South Korea. Continue reading...

Ahead of Nakba march, Sara Husseini says many feel they are being treated as suspects rather than victims of mass sufferingBritish Palestinians feel unable to speak openly about Israel's war on Gaza, the director of the British Palestinian Committee has said, amid what campaigners believe is a growing climate of hostility around Palestinian identity and activism in the UK.Some were afraid to wear Palestinian symbols at work or display Arabic jewellery and keffiyehs in public, Sara Husseini said. Continue reading...

US president calls Abu-Bilal al-Minuki most active terrorist in the world' and says he was eliminated in very complex mission'Donald Trump has said US and Nigerian forces killed the second in command" global leader of the Islamic State.Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield," the US president said on his Truth Social platform on Friday. Continue reading...

The US supreme court dealt a devastating blow to the 1965 Voting Rights Act when it ruled in Louisiana v Callais in April that states cannot consider race in redistricting. Southern states from Tennessee to Alabama have rushed to erase majority-Black districts, sparking chaos for the midterm elections. Kai Wright talks to Stacey Abrams, a voting rights activist and former Georgia house minority leader, about the fallout from the decision, and why, despite it all, she still believes the way forward lies in engaging more voters to participate in democracy. They have fractured communities and said we're going to scatter these seeds. Our job is to grow,' she saysSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Family and supporters had hoped the US president could help free the 78-year-old British citizen during summit talks in BeijingDonald Trump raised the case of jailed Hong Kong democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai in talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping but was told it is a tough one".Family and supporters of the 78-year-old British citizen had hoped the US president could help secure his release. Continue reading...

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi appeared in US federal court to face six terrorism-related chargesThe US justice department has arrested and charged an Iraqi national accused of involvement in nearly 20 alleged terror attacks and attempted attacks across the US and Europe.The wave of violence attributed to Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi has caused huge concern in many European countries but especially the UK, where Jewish community centres, charities, synagogues and other sites have been targeted in recent weeks. Continue reading...

Criticism of budget funding comes amid warnings the Australian National Audit Office will struggle to meet its targets for independent reviews

Politicians still care about traditional media, but winning over people spending more of their lives online is the challenge for modern MPs

Change reflects both transformation of US in Trump era and China's increasing confidence on world stageAsked before he departed for Beijing if he would raise with the Chinese president the case of Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy activist jailed in Hong Kong, Donald Trump said: I'll bring him up."But, the US president added: It's like saying to me, If Comey ever went to jail, would you let him out?' It might be a hard one for me." Trump was referring to James B Comey, a former FBI director and a frequent target of Trump's ire. Continue reading...

All 46 Council of Europe members sign agreement deplored' by human rights organisationsThe UK and 45 other European countries have signed an agreement that explicitly endorses plans to send unwanted asylum seekers to third country hubs.A political declaration from the 46 members of the Council of Europe, the body that oversees the European convention on human rights (ECHR), said states had an undeniable sovereign right" to control their borders. Continue reading...

Trump administration accused of cutting military's civilian harm program in light of US strike on girls school in IranThe Pentagon has quietly dismantled a program it is legally required to operate to prevent and respond to civilian deaths in US military operations, according to its internal watchdog.A report released by the department's inspector general concluded the US military no longer has the people, tools or infrastructure needed to comply with two federal statutes requiring it to maintain a functioning civilian casualty policy, and operate a Civilian Protection Center of Excellence (CP CoE). Continue reading...

Former election clerk who allowed unauthorized access to voting systems was convicted and sentenced to nine years

With third-highest number of books banned, state removes renowned work about slave trade from library shelvesA Tennessee school district has banned Roots, the author Alex Haley's groundbreaking novel and one of the most renowned and influential works about the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade.Knox county schools (KCS) took that step under a state law that has disappeared hundreds of titles from school libraries and alarmed advocates of free expression. Continue reading...

Prosecutors have described fatal shooting outside of DC's Capital Jewish Museum last year as calculated and plannedThe US justice department will seek the death penalty for the man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington outside a Jewish museum, prosecutors said in a court filing on Friday.Elias Rodriguez faces federal hate crime and murder charges in the killings of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim as they left an event at the museum last May. Rodriguez shouted free Palestine" during the shooting and later told police, I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza," according to his indictment. Continue reading...

Officials of Social Circle, population 5,000, file lawsuit over plan to turn warehouse into 10,000-capacity facilityOfficials in the small Georgia town of Social Circle have filed a lawsuit against federal immigration agencies over plans for a huge immigration detention facility, arguing the project threatens to overburden local services and damage the environment.The complaint, filed on Wednesday in US district court for the middle district of Georgia, accuses US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of moving ahead with the project without completing mandatory environmental assessments. Continue reading...

Statement following productive' talks in Washington comes as Israel launches strikes on southern city of TyreIsrael and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of their ceasefire after another round of talks in Washington, the US state department has said.It came after two productive" days of talks, and more negotiations would be held from 2-3 June, the department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. Continue reading...

At one stage the northern mayor looked to be locked out of parliament, again, but he is still only one step along the road to his No 10 ambitionsFor weeks, Andy Burnham's supporters had told MPs to hold the line", that he had a seat in parliament in his sights and that he would be a contender in any leadership contest. That was never the full truth.His path to No 10 - if he makes it - is littered with more failed attempts than almost any other politician. Two leadership contests, a block on a return in Gorton and Denton, and quite a few aggrieved MPs in the north west who have had to spend weeks batting off suggestions they will give their seats up for him. Continue reading...

Police investigate incident on Thursday after witness claims seeing Raise the Colours logo on side of vehiclePolice are investigating an incident where a man was run over by a van after a group of people were taking down union flags put up by Raise the Colours campaigners in Birmingham.A man, in his 30s, suffered a broken leg that required surgery. He remains in hospital after the incident on Thursday evening in the Birmingham suburb of Stirchley, police said. Continue reading...

Uganda also reports outbreak and health officials say cases were caused by Bundibugyo strain of virusAn outbreak of Ebola has killed 65 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, health officials said.There have been 246 suspected cases of the haemorrhagic fever reported so far in the conflict-hit Ituri province, which shares borders with Uganda and South Sudan. Continue reading...

Weinstein has been convicted of other crimes in the US and is already behind bars but move leaves rape charge in limboHarvey Weinstein's retrial in New York on a rape charge ended in a mistrial on Friday after the jury deadlocked in the closely watched criminal case that another jury had already failed to decide last year.The disgraced former Hollywood mogul has been convicted of other sex crimes on the US east and west coasts and is already in jail. But Friday's declaration of another mistrial leaves the New York rape charge in limbo after three trials. Continue reading...

Animal wedged upside down nicknamed lucky' Lucy after being freed with only superficial cut on footThere's a deer trapped in an escalator" was not a phrase anyone at Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk was expecting to hear when staff at a Marks & Spencer department store in central Norwich called last Tuesday.In Norfolk, deers often get themselves in trouble," said the sanctuary's founder, Wendy Valentine. They get stuck between walls and sheds, and in gates. It's quite common for deer to get trapped ... But trapped in an escalator' was a first." Continue reading...

Keir Starmer accuses Robinson of peddling hatred and division' and archbishop of Canterbury urges people to choose hope'Eleven foreign far-right activists have been blocked from entering the UK before a rally by Tommy Robinson supporters as Keir Starmer accused Robinson of peddling hatred and division".The archbishop of Canterbury urged people to choose hope" and faith leaders spoke out before the rally on Saturday, the second of its kind, after more than 100,000 attended one last year. Continue reading...

Autumn conference in Liverpool targeted for victorious homecoming but Reform UK to fight hard in byelectionAndy Burnham will push to become prime minister in time to address Labour's autumn party conference in Liverpool, his supporters have said.The Greater Manchester mayor cleared his first hurdle to becoming the candidate in the Makerfield byelection on Friday as Labour's ruling body gave him permission to stand for the seat. Continue reading...

Party's governing body allows Greater Manchester mayor to run for selection as candidate in MakerfieldAndy Burnham has cleared the first hurdle as he seeks to become an MP again after Labour's governing body said it would approve his request to stand in the candidate selection process for the upcoming Makerfield byelection.The Greater Manchester mayor still has two years of his term remaining, which means there will need to be a mayoral byelection if he stands. Under Labour rules, sitting mayors need the approval of the national executive committee (NEC) to stand for Westminster. He would also need to be formally selected. Continue reading...

UK government borrowing costs jump amid political uncertainty and oil price rise that fuelled inflation worries

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereMeanwhile, the Latvian president, Edgars Rinkvis, has begun political consultations aimed at finding a parliamentary majority capable of forming a new government after the collapse of prime minister Evika Silia's administration.Rinkvis's office posted a short video from the meeting on its social media. Continue reading...

Muscat silent about plans - opposed by US - to charge fee and demand details on nationality of all transiting shipsOman has been caught in geopolitical crossfire after Iran said it was coordinating with Muscat over the future management of the strait of Hormuz, including Tehran's plans - opposed by the US - for fees to be paid by commercial shipping to a new Iranian government agency.The Omani exclave of Musandam lies to the south of the contested waterway, which normally carries a fifth of the world's seaborne oil traffic but has been blockaded for 10 weeks since since the US-Israeli attack on Iran in February. Continue reading...

Bafta winner tells preview screening in Bristol there is not enough on television about the female perspectiveThe Bafta-winning actor Katherine Parkinson has lauded the television series Rivals for its radical" depiction of sex from a woman's perspective.Speaking at a preview screening in Bristol, where much of the series was filmed, Parkinson, who plays the romance author Lizzie Vereker in the show, said there were not enough examples on television of a woman's view of sex. Continue reading...

Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura leads action after Republican speaker rescinds promise to bring bill to voteDemocratic state representatives in Minnesota staged an overnight sit-in in their house chamber on Thursday after the Republican speaker failed to put a gun violence prevention bill up for a vote.Samantha Sencer-Mura, a Democratic representative from Minneapolis, first announced the plan on Wednesday from the floor of the state's house of representatives, giving the speaker, Lisa Demuth, a candidate for governor, 24 hours to give the bill a vote before the sit-in would start. Continue reading...

Crypto billionaire goes straight into top 10 on Sunday Times list, with Noel and Liam Gallagher among other first-timers

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Housing secretary Steve Reed says no one has numbers for challenge and Labour should row in behind prime minister

Exclusive: Contract changes mean Post Office outlets inside TG Jones stores would be easier to close, with up to 60 possibly affectedThe owner of WH Smith's former high street business is aiming to change contracts with the Post Office to make it easier to close outlets within its stores, increasing fears that communities will become postal deserts".TG Jones operates 180 post offices and it is understood that as many as 60 could be closed under a restructuring plan by Modella, the private equity group that renamed the WH Smith high street chain as TG Jones after buying it last year. Continue reading...

Members of radical Jewish groups scuffle with Palestinian residents, with both sides throwing chairs until being separated by policeIsraeli nationalists chanted death to the Arabs", may your villages burn" and Gaza is a graveyard" in a state-sponsored march through Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of the city's capture and annexation.The annual assertion of Jewish control over Palestinian East Jerusalem has grown more extreme in recent years, and Thursday's event culminated with the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, unfurling an Israeli flag in front of the al-Aqsa mosque, the holiest Islamic site in the city. Continue reading...

Backward' photo panned for display of patriarchy, signaling that women's voices don't matter in shaping global order'By the time Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met at Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Thursday, the bilateral had featured all the expected pomp and pageantry: a meticulously choreographed display of Chinese soldiers, children waving American and Chinese flags, and rows of senior officials and the US's top business executives.Conspicuously absent at the table, however, were women from either delegation - a stark visual that quickly drew criticism from observers who saw it as an unmistakable display of patriarchal power. Continue reading...

All 11 onboard survived after the plane made an emergency landing near the Bahamas

The 20,000 award for writers aged 39 or under goes to Joy Is My Middle Name, a collection about navigating race, addiction and womanhoodA debut poetry collection with themes including race, addiction and womanhood has won this year's Swansea University Dylan Thomas prize.American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney took home the 20,000 prize - awarded to writers aged 39 or under in honour of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, who died at that age - for her debut collection Joy Is My Middle Name. She was announced as the winner at a ceremony in Swansea, Thomas's birthplace. Continue reading...

Details of case in which group deny abusing girls for several years restricted amid dispute with media over transparencySix men have gone on trial at Bristol crown court accused of grooming and sexually assaulting vulnerable teenage girls in the city.They were allegedly part of a large group of men who abused girls over several years. All six men deny the charges against them, which involved multiple complainants". Continue reading...

Celeste Calocane gives evidence for first time at inquiry into Valdo Calocane's 2023 attacksThe mother of the man who killed three people in an attack in Nottingham in 2023 has told an inquiry that the mental health system is broken" and until there is a crisis no one listens to you".Valdo Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced to a suspended hospital order in January 2024 after killing students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, a 65-year-old caretaker, on 13 June 2023, and attempting to kill three others. Continue reading...

A judge set a $500,000 bond in the 1997 murder case headed for retrial after a supreme court decision

Government social care commissioner says system relying on exhausted unpaid carers to plug gaps in support