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Stuart Prior, who was elected in Essex last week, allegedly celebrated the rape of Sikh woman and called Muslim people rats'A Reform UK councillor has resigned days after being elected, after he allegedly celebrated on social media the rape of a Sikh woman in the Midlands, declared white people the master race" and called Muslim people rats".Stuart Prior was elected as a councillor for Essex county council last Thursday, winning 2,404 votes, the highest total of any candidate in the ward. Continue reading...

Month was one of driest Aprils on record with rainfall 23% less than average, according to Met Office figuresOne of the driest Aprils on record for central and southern England has left river levels below normal, raising fears of drought in some areas over the summer.The latest UK hydrological survey - which tracks river and groundwater levels - suggests central and southern England and eastern Scotland will experience notably low river flows over the next three months, raising concerns about water shortages if dry weather persists. Continue reading...

Jimmy Fallon will produce show, which will begin filming over the summer, based on New York Times' hit word gameSavannah Guthrie is to present a TV game show based on the New York Times' hit word game Wordle, the newspaper announced Monday.It will be the first new onscreen venture for the host of NBC's Today show since her return in April after the disappearance two months earlier of her mother. Continue reading...

French woman taken to Paris in serious condition while American flown to Nebraska is asymptomatic, say officials

The bloc's foreign policy chief said recent remarks from the Russian leader suggested the war may be coming to an endRussian affairs reporterThe EU on Monday dismissed Vladimir Putin's suggestion that the Kremlin-friendly former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder could serve as a European mediator in peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Britain expected to be allowed to keep ban on live animal exports, sources say, in fillip for Keir Starmer

Federal lawsuit against OpenAI says alleged gunman had extensive conversations with chatbot over monthsThe family of one of two people killed in an April 2025 shooting at Florida State University (FSU) has filed a federal lawsuit against the ChatGPT creator, OpenAI, alleging that the suspected gunman carried out the attack with input and information provided to him during conversations with ChatGPT over a period of months, and specifically in the days leading up to the shooting".The lawsuit, first reported by NBC News, was filed on Sunday in Florida's northern federal district court by Vandana Joshi, the widow of Tiru Chabba. Chabba was killed alongside the university dining director, Robert Morales, in the mass shooting on 17 April 2025 that also wounded five others. Continue reading...

Kevin Gonzalez, 18-year-old who had terminal colon cancer, died shortly after reuniting with his parents in MexicoA Chicago-born teen who advocated for his parents' release from US immigration authorities' custody while fighting terminal cancer has died shortly after reuniting with them in Mexico, his family has told media outlets.The parents of 18-year-old Kevin Gonzalez had been taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Arizona in mid-April after they crossed the US border from Mexico without permission in an attempt to see him in Chicago as his health waned. Gonzalez since then traveled to be with relatives in Mexico, and in recent days he had publicly pleaded for them to be released from ICE custody so they could be with him as he battled metastatic stage four colon cancer. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer says agitators' will be blocked from attending Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom eventSeven people hoping to attend a far-right rally in central London on Saturday have been blocked from entering the country by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood.Keir Starmer, the prime minister, promised on Monday to block far-right agitators" hoping to attend the Unite the Kingdom event on 16 May organised by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Continue reading...

Vice-president is accused of misusing public funds and threatening the lives of President Marcos Jr and his wifeThe Philippine vice-president, Sara Duterte, has been impeached over allegations she misused public funds, amassed unexplained wealth and threatened the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his wife, in a case that could complicate her presidential ambitions.Duterte, the daughter of the detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, was impeached by an overwhelming majority of lawmakers in the House of Representatives, which is dominated by allies of Marcos. Continue reading...

Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas says Kremlin-friendly former German chancellor cannot be considered impartial

Levels of Pfas in northern gannet eggs in Canada fell up to 74% over 55-year period of studyLevels of some of the most dangerous Pfas compounds have dramatically fallen in Canadian seabird eggs, which the authors of a new peer-reviewed study say illustrates how regulations are effective.Researchers looked at Pfas levels in the eggs of northern gannets in the St Lawrence Seaway basin over a 55-year period. Pfas levels shot up from the 1960s through the peak of the chemicals' use in the late 1990s and early aughts, then fell. Continue reading...

Address was billed as make-or-break amid mounting speculation of a challenge. Has he done enough to hang on?

Influential IPPR proposes capping rents at whichever is lower of consumer price inflation or wage growth

Data from University of Toronto suggests Canadians are avoiding US cities during the second Trump administrationA new research tool that tracks cell phone activity has found a 42% drop in visitors from Canada to big metropolitan areas in the US that is much higher than official border-crossing data, suggesting Canadians during the second Trump administration are avoiding US cities in particular.Researchers from the University of Toronto said the tool showed a year-over-year median decline of approximately 42% in Canadian visits to US metropolitan areas - significantly higher than official border-crossing data, which showed a roughly 25% decline". Continue reading...

Senator Chris Van Hollen and other Democratic lawmakers are embracing a policy that hardly benefits the middle classSoul-searching within the Democratic party is to be expected after its loss in the 2024 election. Donald Trump's edge over Kamala Harris in voters' perceptions of economic competence (perplexing though it now appears following a year of erratic policymaking) was bound to inspire a call to rethink the party platform.Yet the second-guessing is steering the Democrats down a dangerous path to embracing a tax-cutting strategy that risks defeating the project to enable a healthier, more equitable society. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Human rights group warns of deep collusion' between criminals and officials in some parts of countryState actors are involved in disappearances in Mexico at an alarming" rate, according to a report from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).The sweeping investigation, to which the Guardian was given exclusive access, presents a dire picture of the crisis of disappearances in Mexico, where more than 130,000 people have gone missing, mostly in the last 20 years since the government declared its war on drug cartels. Continue reading...

Ingram is accused of killing Sophie Quinn, her new boyfriend and her aunt in Lake Cargelligo, about 450km west of Sydney

Temperatures soar in California and Arizona, while deluge continues across Western and Northern CapeHeat is expected to intensify across western parts of the US and Mexico this week as a ridge of high pressure pushes temperatures well above the seasonal norm. Daytime highs are forecast to reach 10-15C above average in some areas.The US National Weather Service has issued heat advisories for parts of California and Arizona, with extreme heat warnings in force on Monday and Tuesday in places such as Palm Springs, where temperatures could reach 40-43C (104-110F). More broadly, temperatures are expected to climb into the high 30s celsius before the heat shifts eastwards towards the midwest later this week. Continue reading...

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Twenty-two people from MV Hondius cruise spend first day isolating in self-contained flats in Merseyside

Warsh would succeed outgoing Fed chair Jerome Powell as Trump continues his push to influence the US central bank

The MV Hondius, the cruise ship hit by an outbreak of a virus that has left three dead, reached the Canary Islands on SundayOn a dusty hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the south of Tenerife, groups of tourists and locals are gathered to witness one of the island's best new attractions.Some are gazing through binoculars while others are taking photos on their phones of a vessel only a few hundreds metres away, anchored near the Granadillo commercial port. Continue reading...

Paul McCartney hails plans for 3 Savile Row, which include access to rooftop where the band played their final gigThe address may not sound familiar, and the street name is best known as the heart of British tailoring. But 3 Savile Row is one of the most iconic buildings in British pop and rock: the former home of the Beatles' record label Apple Corps, and the location of the band's final public performance when they took to its rooftop in 1969.Apple Corps has now re-acquired the building in Mayfair, central London, and plans to open it to the public as a new tourist attraction in 2027. Continue reading...

Chances of Starmer remaining in No 10 appear to be diminishing as about 40 Labour MPs call on him to quit

Keir Starmer's party lost out to Reform and the Greens, with no respite in Scotland, Wales or England. These maps show the scale of the historic results

PwC survey reports fast fall in consumer confidence with people worried about Iran war's impact on economy and personal financesBritish households are bracing for a new cost of living crisis, as the impact of the Middle East conflict dampens confidence in the economy and personal finances, a survey has suggested.Consumer confidence in the UK has dipped over the last three months at the fastest rate since June 2022, when inflation in the UK was soaring as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the spike in commodity prices. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: The outbreak aboard a luxury cruise ship offers a stark reminder of how easily a deadly pathogen can hitch a ride across borders, and how fragile global preparedness remainsGood morning. This is Michael Segalov - as of today, I'll be popping up into your inboxes from time to time.There'll be no shortage of infighting, intrigue and briefing in Westminster this week, as the dust settles on the government's disastrous election results. We'll be bringing you the latest on backbench MP Catherine West's (likely futile) attempt to topple Keir Starmer, alongside the rest of the fallout.UK politics | Keir Starmer faces a fight for his political life in the next 24 hours as potential Labour leadership rivals from Wes Streeting to Angela Rayner position themselves for a contest.Iran conflict | Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian response to a US peace proposal as totally unacceptable", on a day the ceasefire showed signs of fraying as drone strikes were reported around the region and Benjamin Netanyahu warned the war was not over".UK news | Labour has accused Nigel Farage of attempting to dodge scrutiny as the Reform leader continued to face questions over the 5m gift he received from a crypto billionaire shortly before the last general election.Business | The full nationalisation of British Steel is expected to be announced in the king's speech this week, a year after the government took over the daily running of the loss-making business from its Chinese owner.Health news | Experts have called for a four-day week in the UK as research suggests those who work longer hours are more likely to be obese. Continue reading...

Kawsar Ahmad, 53, also known as Abbas, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, did not apply during brief hearing

Station will be first to be given full GBR branding and will directly link city's Biomedical Campus to London, Brighton and Stansted airportThe delayed Cambridge South station will finally open in late June - and become the first station to be given full Great British Railways branding, the government has announced.The station sits beside the city's Biomedical Campus, Europe's largest medical research centre, and will connect it with direct trains to London, Brighton and Stansted airport, as well as up to nine trains an hour to the centre of Cambridge itself. Continue reading...

Members of minority communities in Birmingham and elsewhere fear results could lead to rise in hostile rhetoricConceding defeat at the election count at Birmingham's Utilita Arena on Friday, the outgoing Labour leader of the city council, John Cotton, made a plea. What I would encourage the next administration in this city to do, whatever form that administration takes, is that it ensures it champions the diversity of this city," he said.Labour's 14-year rule of the local authority had come to a crashing end, with Reform emerging as the largest party with 22 councillors so far, followed by the Greens on 19, albeit both parties a long way off the 51 needed for a majority. Continue reading...

Senior academics describe the Judge business school's proposal to provide services and training as horrifying'Cambridge University's business school is seeking to provide leadership development" and innovation management" to Saudi Arabia's defence ministry despite concerns over its government's record on human rights and climate change, the Guardian has learned.Cambridge's leadership has approved a proposal by the university's Judge business school to form a memorandum of understanding" with the ministry for services and training, after an initial introduction by the UK's Ministry of Defence. Continue reading...

Liberal frontbencher says he has no interest' in forming a coalition with Pauline Hanson's party - a day after suggesting he might be open to it

Minister defends preparedness against novel threat after officials detonate device suspected to be from UkraineAuthorities in Greece have intensified investigations into how an explosive-packed drone ended up in waters off the west of the country.An inquiry, involving specialised military teams, broadened at the weekend after bomb disposal experts detonated the unmanned device at sea. Continue reading...

Ex-Parramatta council chief executive Gail Connolly and other staff allegedly targeted people for reprisals, while some workers were surveilled

Actor and comedian speaks publicly for the first time since his 42-year-old daughter died by suicide in FebruaryMartin Short has spoken for the first time about the death of his daughter, Katherine Short, saying her death has been a nightmare for the family".Katherine died in February aged 42, at her home in the Hollywood Hills. The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office confirmed she died by suicide.In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

US president expresses ire at Tehran's reported demands, as drones strike Gulf nations and Israel warns war not over'Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian response to a US peace proposal as totally unacceptable", on a day the month-old ceasefire showed signs of fraying as drone strikes were reported around the region and Benjamin Netanyahu warned the war was not over".The Iranian counter-proposal was passed to Washington through Pakistani mediators. Continue reading...

Countries such as US and Mexico that have longer hours also have higher obesity rates, research findsThose who work longer hours are more likely to be obese and cutting how much time you spend working could help you keep the weight off, research suggests.International research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul compared working patterns and obesity prevalence for 33 OECD countries from 1990 to 2022. The study found that countries such as the US, Mexico and Colombia, which have longer annual working hours, also had higher obesity rates, even though northern European countries consume more energy and fat on average than those in Latin America. Continue reading...

Writing by Narges Mohammadi, arrested 14 times for activism, offers a disturbing insight into treatmentIn an exclusive extract of writing smuggled from prison in Iran, the Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has described the torture" of solitary confinement, and her systematic medical neglect by the prison system.The writing from the past decade will be part of a soon to be published memoir that gives a rare and alarming insight into the treatment of Mohammadi, who is in critical condition. It details beatings, constant interrogations, deprivation of medical care and long stretches in solitary confinement during her numerous imprisonments. Continue reading...

1st Lt Kendrick Lamont Key Jr was participating in largest military exercise among US, Nato allies and African nationsA search team recovered the body of a US soldier who went missing near a cliff during a training exercise in Cap Draa, Morocco, the US Army said on Sunday.Moroccan searchers found the remains on Saturday in the water within a mile (1.6km) of where the soldier went missing on 2 May, the army said in a statement. Continue reading...

Britons among passengers and crew taken off vessel and put on flights to 10 countries as part of two-day operationDozens of passengers and crew from countries around the world have been evacuated from a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak.British people were among those taken off the ship as part of a two-day operation that began on Sunday in Tenerife. They were put on chartered flights back to the UK, where they will enter hospital quarantine in Merseyside. At about 9pm on Sunday, a plane carrying 22 UK citizens landed in Manchester, it was reported. Continue reading...

Ukraine president says Russian army is not complying' with the US-mediated truce and is not even really trying to'Russia has been conducting assault operations on the Ukrainian frontline in breach of a three-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.The Russians are continuing assault activity in sectors key for them," Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, said in his evening address. On the frontline, the Russian army is not complying with the ceasefire and is not even really trying to." Continue reading...

Peter Magyar strikes radically different tone to predecessor but questions remain about how he will lead the countryMoments after he was sworn in as Hungary's prime minister, Peter Magyar apologised to those who had been maligned by the state during Viktor Orban's time in power as questions continue to swirl over what lies ahead for the country as it launches into a new era.Magyar used his first speech as prime minister on Saturday to address the many in Hungary who had paid a personal price for speaking up about the steady erosion of rights under Orban and his Fidesz party. Continue reading...

Safety board says it is gathering information about plane evacuation after person on the runway hit in DenverThe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is collecting information about the evacuation of a Frontier Airlines aircraft after the jet struck and killed a person on the runway during departure from Denver international airport.The flight, which was headed from Denver to Los Angeles international airport, reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 pm on Friday", according to a statement posted on the airport's official X account. The individual has not been publicly identified. Continue reading...

Party leader has been vocal about its gains in London and there is a feeling that its losses could have been worseBy any sane person's reckoning, the Conservative party had a night to forget in Thursday's local, mayoral and devolved elections. It lost about 500 councillors in England and ceded control of three local authorities to Nigel Farage's Reform UK - losing to the rightwing upstarts in England, Wales and Scotland. Why, then, is Kemi Badenoch hailing these results as proof that the Conservatives are coming back" - and why do many Tory MPs appear to agree with her?The Conservative leader was vocal on Friday about the eye-catching gains her party made in politically atypical London, where the Tories won back the totemic council of Westminster, took the most seats in Wandsworth council and saw off the threat from Reform in Bexley and Bromley. Continue reading...

Soldiers dropped oxygen supplies and medical aid to Britain's most remote overseas territory What is hantavirus?Paratroopers landed on a golf course covered in rocks" to supply medical personnel and oxygen to Britain's most remote overseas territory as it deals with a suspected hantavirus case, an army commander has said.The UK Health Security Agency confirmed on Friday that a British national had disembarked from the cruise ship MV Hondius to the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where they live, with a suspected case of hantavirus. Continue reading...

Catherine West issues ultimatum for PM as ex-minister Josh Simons joins calls for prime minister to quitAt the start of her programme Laura Kuenssberg addressed Catherine West and Bridget Phillipson who were sitting waiting for the main interviews.Kuenssberg told West she wanted a cabinet minister to challenge Keir Starmer. She said she was sitting next to one of them. What was her message to her?Well, there's nothing stopping Bridget from standing. Why are all the men better than the women? We do need some senior women to step forward and to challenge for what is going to be a really difficult two and a half years between now and the general election, and also to take us into that second term.I love you dearly, Catherine, but I just disagree on this one. Continue reading...

Officials reportedly drafting legislation likely to safeguard Britain's last blast furnaces and save thousands of jobsThe full nationalisation of British Steel is expected to be announced in the King's speech this week, a year after the government took over the daily running of the loss-making business from its Chinese owner.The steelmaker, which employs 3,500 people at its plant in Scunthorpe, came under government control last April amid fears that its owner, Jingye, was planning to shut down the site. Continue reading...

Rhun ap Iorwerth says he hopes to work with other parties and press the UK government for extra powersThe leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has vowed to form a stable minority government in the Senedd and said he would seek out mature cooperation from all opposition parties.Ap Iorwerth said his administration would press the UK government for extra powers over policy areas such as policing and justice and focus on results rather than engaging in political rows with Westminster. Continue reading...

Zsolt Hegeds's celebrations since the election of Peter Magyar have sparked joy across the countryAs Hungary's Peter Magyar took office, ousting Viktor Orban after 16 years in power, the daylong event on Saturday was laced with symbolism, from the return of the EU flag to parliament to the ringing out of the European anthem, Ode to Joy.But it was the 56-year-old tipped to be the new health minister - and more specifically, his dance moves - that may have become the most potent symbol of Hungary's new political era. Continue reading...