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The 49-year-old disability advocate is the first person to unseat an opposition leader at an election

Soaad Al Shawa had been barred from spending final days with her family, who fled Damascus to settle in GlasgowA Syrian grandmother who is dying of cancer has been given permission to come to the UK to spend her final days with the grandchildren she has never met, after a Home Office U-turn.The government had wanted to bar Soaad Al Shawa, who has liver cancer and has been given just weeks to live by doctors, from travelling to spend her last days with her daughter Ola Al Hamwi, son-in-law Mostafa Amonajid and their three children aged seven, five and one. Al Shawa has only been able to communicate with her grandchildren on video calls. Continue reading...

People Power party trail in polls in election called after President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed for trying to impose martial lawSouth Korea's conservative People Power party has picked former labour minister Kim Moon-soo as its candidate for the 3 June presidential election, which was called after the removal of Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed attempt to impose martial law.Kim will face the liberal Democratic party's candidate, Lee Jae-myung, who has led each of the declared conservative candidates by large double-digit margins in polls. Continue reading...

Focus on Reform or reassure the left - Keir Starmer's next move could define his premiershipIn a week of difficult local elections, there was a special guest in No 10 to give a pep talk to staff: Arsene Wenger, the former manager of Arsenal, beloved of the prime minister. Keir Starmer has sought his advice before, on the importance of building a team. And they have faced some common challenges, rebuilding their clubs and parties from low ebbs to extraordinary success.Now Starmer may face a similar challenge - and criticism - to Wenger in his later years: whether he can adapt his tactical rigidity when results start to suffer. Continue reading...

Today on World Press Freedom Day, there are warnings that US attempts to withdraw from promoting independent journalism will have far-reaching effectsAs Donald Trump's executive order in March led to the shuttering of Voice of America (VOA) - the global broadcaster whose roots date back to the fight against Nazi propaganda - he quickly attracted support from figures not used to aligning themselves with any US administration.Trump had ordered the US Agency for Global Media, the federal agency that funds VOA and other groups promoting independent journalism overseas, to be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law". The decision suddenly halted programming in 49 languages to more than 425 million people. Continue reading...

Unlike the traditional snags sold to raise funds for schools and churches that host polling booths, these are prepared at democracy sausage stores'

Point Blank, a collection of 97 paintings of emotional resonance' by the singer-songwriter, will open at the Halcyon Gallery in MayAfter the success of this year's biopic A Complete Unknown, a whole new generation has learned about the lyricism, nasal vocal style and often-frustrating nature of Bob Dylan.And this month they will get the chance to discover he is also a painter, as the songwriter exhibits a series of original artworks - created with emotional resonance" - in London. Continue reading...

Success of hard-right party is a sobering day' for Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch, UK papers report after a populist wave sweeps England'Saturday papers in the UK were dominated by the Reform party's victory at the polls, in which it gained an MP at Labour's expense and won a string of local councils.A jubilant Nigel Farage said his hard-right populist party had now supplanted the Conservatives and pledged that Reform-run councils and mayoralties would block asylum seeker accommodation and dismantle equalities programmes. Continue reading...

USDA had suspended funds for child nutrition program after state said it would not bar trans girls from girls' sportsThe Trump administration has agreed not to freeze funds to Maine schools, a win for a state that was targeted by the president over its support of transgender rights.In a settlement disclosed on Friday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it would halt all efforts to withhold funds for a child nutrition program in Maine. The USDA had suspended those dollars after Maine officials said the state would not comply with Donald Trump's demands that trans girls be barred from participating in girls' sports. Continue reading...

Syria says at least one civilian killed in latest strikes, while most Druze leaders rebuff Israeli protectionIsraeli warplanes have carried out a series of airstrikes outside Damascus and across Syria, after warnings from Israeli officials that the country would intervene to protect the Syria's minority Druze sect.The airstrikes targeted a Syrian military site in the Damascus suburb of Harasta, as well as hitting unknown targets in Deraa province in south Syria and Hama province in north-west Syria. At least one civilian was killed and four people were injured as a result of the Israeli bombings late Friday night, according to Syrian state media. Continue reading...

After losing personal security challenge, Duke of Sussex says he wants to make peace as he does not know how long Charles has to liveThe Duke of Sussex has said it is impossible" for him to bring his wife and children back to the UK after losing his legal challenge over personal security, and revealed he would love" a reconciliation with his family.In an emotional interview with the BBC, Prince Harry said his father, King Charles, would not speak to him because of the security stuff", but said he wanted reconciliation as life was precious" and he did not know how long his father, who has been diagnosed with cancer, had left to live. Continue reading...

The National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency are assisting with an inquiry, the group saidThe Co-op has apologised after hackers accessed and extracted data relating to a significant number" of its customers from one of its systems.The group, which owns more than 2,000 grocery stores and more than 800 funeral parlours and offers legal and financial services, said hackers had been able to access personal data including names and contact details relating to an undisclosed number of the mutual's current and past members - of which there are more than 6.2 million. Continue reading...

Authorities say pickup truck and tour van collided about 16 miles from park entrance and both vehicles caught fireA pickup truck and a tour van collided on a highway leading to Yellowstone national park, leaving seven people dead and eight others injured, Idaho state police said.The crash happened just before 7.15pm on Thursday near Henry's Lake state park in eastern Idaho, police said in a press release. The state park is roughly 16 miles (26km) west of Yellowstone. Continue reading...

Duke of Sussex's team had argued he was singled out' for inferior treatment' when security was downgraded in 2020The Duke of Sussex has lost a legal challenge over the level of taxpayer-funded security he is entitled to while in the UK, allowing the government to proceed with a bespoke", and cheaper, level of protection for his family.Three senior judges at the court of appeal rejected Prince Harry's claim that he had been singled out" for inferior treatment" and that his safety and life were at stake" after a change in security arrangements that occurred when he stepped down as a working royal and moved abroad. Continue reading...

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Rubio calls Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif threat to US national security' and says support for groups could lead to chargesThe United States has designated a powerful Haitian gang alliance, whose members have taken control of almost all the capital city as a transnational terrorist group".The criminal coalition known as Viv Ansanm (Live Together), and another faction, the Gran Grif gang, which in October took responsibility for a shocking massacre of at least 115 people in the agricultural town of Pont-Sonde, were both covered by the move on Friday. Continue reading...

Incoming chancellor must now decide whether to ban flourishing far-right party amid widespread discontent

Benjamin Netanyahu says strikes intended to deter Syria's new leadership from any hostile move against the DruzeSyria's new rulers have angrily denounced raids launched by Israel's air force against unidentified targets near the presidential palace in Damascus, warning of a dangerous escalation".Israeli officials said the attacks were intended to send a message to the Syrian government after days of bloody clashes near Damascus between pro-government militia forces and fighters from the Druze minority sect. Continue reading...

Hard-right party wins byelection with 17-point swing from Labour and adds more than 500 council seats

Daniel Graham tells court it was suggested he accept responsibility because I have mental health issues'One of the two men accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree has denied being responsible and said he was asked to take the blame because he had mental health issues.Daniel Graham said his co-defendant, Adam Carruthers, was responsible for felling the tree next to Hadrian's Wall. Continue reading...

Federal law prohibits president from directing or influencing the IRS to investigate or audit an organization

Nicola Packer tells court she had feared hospital staff wouldn't help me' if they knew she had taken abortion pillsA woman on trial accused of having an illegal abortion has said she told hospital staff she had miscarried as she feared them knowing the truth would affect the level of care she received.Nicola Packer, 45, took abortion medicine during the Covid lockdown in November 2020, after being prescribed the pills in a remote consultation with a registered provider, a jury at Isleworth crown court heard. Continue reading...

Liberal PM will also meet with US president on Tuesday amid tensions over threatened annexation and tariffsKing Charles has accepted an invitation to open Canada's parliament on 27 May, in an historic honour that matches the weight of our times", the country's prime minister, Mark Carney, said on Friday.In his first news conference since an election dominated by Donald Trump's threats to Canada's sovereignty, the prime minister also confirmed he would meet the US president at the White House on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Analysis finds government stats for Black and Asian adults in England are in error due to outdated guidanceA million ethnic minority adults are wrongly classified as weighing below the thresholds for being overweight or obese due to official figures not using up-to-date guidance, a leading charity has warned.Analysis by Nesta has found that, while official statistics class 64% of adults in England as being overweight or living with obesity, the correct figure should be 67%. Continue reading...

Soaring cryptocurrency values after Trump election has put pressure on financial regulator to take tougher lineThe UK financial regulator is preparing to ban retail investors from using borrowed funds such as credit card balances to invest in cryptocurrency as it seeks to overhaul supervision of the fast-growing digital assets market.

Guardian Australia spoke to a range of people all across the country to ask about their lives and perspectives ahead of Saturday's ballot

Labor's confidence going into Saturday's election is tempered by gnawing anxiety about the underlying polling data

Labor's goal of retaining majority government remains on knife-edge as opposition leader confident he can pull off a surprise win

Duke of Sussex loses legal challenge over the level of taxpayer-funded security he is entitled to while in the UK

British Medical Association says move comes after union was unable to reach agreement with Wes StreetingThousands of resident doctors in England will be balloted for strike action over pay, raising the threat of a summer of stoppages, the British Medical Association has announced.The move comes seven months after they accepted a 22.3% pay rise over two years, for 2023-24 and 2024-25, bringing to an end one of the longest and bitterest disputes in recent NHS history. Continue reading...

Farage says his party has overtaken Tories after securing byelection victory, mayoralty and council seats

Backbenchers accuse PM and his team of complacency about Runcorn contest and criticise No 10's policies

Appeal court backs ruling against home secretary's redefinition of when police could put limits on protestersCivil rights campaigners have hailed a huge victory for democracy" after the court of appeal upheld the quashing of a key anti-protest regulation they said was introduced unlawfully.The government had appealed against a high court ruling that the previous Tory home secretary, Suella Braverman, did not have the power to redefine serious disruption" as more than minor" in the law concerning when police could impose limits on protests. Continue reading...

The 1m increase on last year compounded by part-closure of west coast mainline on Sunday and MondayA warm and sunny May bank holiday weekend is expected to bring a million more drivers out on the roads than last year, with the part-closure of Great Britain's main rail line on Sunday and Monday likely to aggravate the situation.Congestion is set to peak with the temperatures on Friday afternoon, when getaway drives and commuter traffic coincide. Continue reading...

Co-leaders say party is being publicly discredited and criminalised' by intelligence agency's move to change classificationElsewhere, TikTok has been fined 530m for violations of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation after the Irish Data Protection Commission's inquiry into its data transfers to China.DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said in a press statement:The GDPR requires that the high level of protection provided within the European Union continues where personal data is transferred to other countries.TikTok's personal data transfers to China infringed the GDPR because TikTok failed to verify, guarantee and demonstrate that the personal data of EEA users, remotely accessed by staff in China, was afforded a level of protection essentially equivalent to that guaranteed within the EU. Continue reading...

A poll on unnecessarily crude terms, good news on a male contraceptive - and the restorative nature of a solo trip to IkeaYouGov, which you might have thought would be otherwise occupied as byelection season comes upon us, has released the results of a poll revealing which swearwords people in the UK find most-to-least offensive. I shall not go into details here in a family newspaper. Suffice it to say, the one you'd expect is in first position, and arse" is - ahem - bringing up the rear. Continue reading...

Government stake reduced to less than 2% while bank's profit of 1.8bn beats analyst forecasts by 200m

State education department secretary apologises after thousands of students and parents caught in unacceptable' situation

DNC to campaign against Trump's one, beautiful bill' to reduce public spending by at least $1.5tn to pay for tax cutsDemocrats plan to put the squeeze on four of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress as the GOP gears up to pass a massive bill that may slash the social safety net to pay for tax cuts.The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday announced the Fight to Save Medicaid", a pressure campaign that aims to derail the bill's passage in the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold only a three-seat majority. Continue reading...

Doncaster mayor warns prime minister after Farage's rightwing party deals blow to Labour in Runcorn and Lincolnshire

Ibtisam Ghalia and her four children are just one of the families living on brink of starvation with no sign of an end to blockadeEvery day, Ibtisam Ghalia and her four children count their remaining stocks of food. These are meagre: a kilo or so of beans, a bag of lentils, a little salt, some herbs, spices, and enough flour for half a dozen flatbreads cooked on a griddle over a fire of wood splinters, waste plastic and cardboard.In the two months since Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza, stopping food, medicine, fuel and anything else from entering the devastated territory, Ghalia's cupboard" has slowly diminished. Continue reading...

Latest poll shows Albanese on track for minority government. Follow today's news live

Roberts-Smith argues his unsuccessful defamation case against McKenzie and Nine newspapers should be retried because of a miscarriage of justice'

Runcorn win was much bigger than polls implied, suggesting overall effectiveness of ground campaign

Result will heighten government's fears it could lose scores of MPs to Nigel Farage's party at next general election

Charities say the judgment creates a legal framework that simply cannot uphold the dignity' of trans peopleFourteen national LGBTQ+ charities have written to Keir Starmer seeking an urgent meeting to discuss what they describe as a genuine crisis for the rights, dignity and inclusion of trans people in the UK" after the supreme court's ruling on biological sex.The UK supreme court ruled last month that the terms woman" and sex" in the Equality Act 2010 referred only to a biological woman" and to biological sex", with subsequent advice from the equality watchdog amounting to a blanket ban on trans people using toilets and other services of the gender they identify as. Continue reading...

Manufacturer Incat built Hull 096 to run between Buenos Aires and Uruguay, dubbing it the most complex' project it has ever undertakenAn Australian boatbuilder has launched what it describes as the world's largest battery-power ship, describing it as a a giant leap forward in sustainable shipping" and the most important" project it has ever done.Incat, a manufacturer based in Tasmania, constructed the ship - called Hull 096 - after being contracted by the South American ferry operator Buquebus to build a vessel to run between the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, and Uruguay. Continue reading...

After Europe's biggest blackout in over 20 years, experts warn that while such incidents are rare, no grid is infallibleEurope's biggest blackout in over 20 years on the Iberian peninsula unleashed hours of chaos for people in Spain, Portugal and parts of France earlier this week. But in the aftermath it has raised a common question for governments across the continent: could the same happen here?Europe's political leaders and energy system operators have given assurances that such blackouts are extraordinarily rare, and that European power grids are some of the most stable in the world. Continue reading...

Joan Partridge, in Redditch, is collaborating with cosmetics firm after post showing her beauty routine went viralAt 103 years old, dispensing pearls of wisdom is second nature to Joan Partridge. But even she was surprised when a video of her applying rouge found an appreciative audience of almost 200,000 on TikTok.I do my makeup every day, every morning, I think it is your confidence," said Partridge, who is the eldest resident at Millcroft care home in Redditch, Worcestershire. Since the video went viral, Partridge has caught the attention of a cosmetics company which is keen to collaborate with her. Continue reading...