Alma Asinobi wants to break Guinness world record for shortest time to visit seven continentsIn 2019, Alma Asinobi, a Nigerian postgraduate architecture student, gave herself an ambitious goal after obtaining her first passport: to visit up to 16 countries every year.Then Covid-19 triggered a global lockdown, curtailing her dreams. Since restrictions were lifted, she has visited more than 30 countries and founded a travel agency, Kaijego. Continue reading...
Andrea Michelle Reyes was two when her mother took her from her father in Connecticut and fled the countryA woman who was abducted in Connecticut as a toddler has been found alive 25 years later in Mexico.Andrea Michelle Reyes was two years old when she was taken by her mother, Rosa Tenorio, in October 1999, according to a news release from the New Haven police department. Tenorio did not have legal custody of Reyes, who was in the care of her father at the time of the kidnapping, police said. Continue reading...
Fighting in Latakia is marked escalation by Bashar al-Assad loyalists against Syria's new Islamist-led governmentAbout 125 civilians have been executed by government security forces in north-west Syria during a rolling two-day battle with loyalists to the ousted Assad regime, a Syrian war monitor reported on Friday.The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), a human rights monitor considered independent and credible, documented large-scale field executions of men and young adults, without any clear distinction between civilians and combatants", in north-west Syria. Continue reading...
Criminals dressed as utilities repair teams dug up roads to access cables to power industrial-scale drug productionA group of eight criminals who dug up roads and diverted electricity to cannabis farms run by organised crime gangs have been jailed by a judge in Liverpool.The criminals used a legitimate company as cover and pretended to be workmen who were digging up the roads to repair utilities in a sophisticated operation", according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Continue reading...
Discovery in Jalisco is demonstration of country's crisis of forced disappearance related to organised crimeTwo hundred pairs of shoes have been found at a clandestine crematorium on a ranch in the Mexican state of Jalisco, in a disturbing demonstration of the country's crisis of forced disappearance related to organised crime.Warrior Searchers of Jalisco, a collective of relatives of the disappeared, found the crematorium following an anonymous tip-off, and the authorities have since confirmed the presence of burnt remains and empty bullet casings. Continue reading...
by Andrew Roth in Washington and Luke Harding in Kyiv on (#6VRWR)
US president says Russian counterpart doing what anybody else would do' as Ukraine faces escalating aerial attacksDonald Trump has said he finds it easier" to work with Russia than Ukraine and that Vladimir Putin wants to end the war", days after his administration cut off military assistance and intelligence to Kyiv.I'm finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. And they don't have the cards," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia." Continue reading...
Exclusive: union umbrella body calls for new cooperation agreement ahead of Keir Starmer's reset talks with BrusselsThe UK should forge much closer ties with Europe amid an increasingly volatile and unpredictable" global economy, Britain's biggest trade unions will argue as they push for new workers' rights across the continent.In its first major intervention on Europe in five years, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) will call for a much-needed" closer relationship with the EU, in a joint statement with European counterparts. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6VRVX)
Party chair and Lowe's fellow MP Lee Anderson issue statement alleging complaints by female employeesReform UK has erupted into open civil war after the party said its MP Rupert Lowe had received complaints about bullying and had made threats against the party chair, a day after Lowe criticised Nigel Farage for being messianic".Lowe responded with anger, saying there was no evidence to back up the bullying claims, and that it was entirely untrue" that he had made threats. He again criticised Farage, saying Reform was our party as much as it is Nigel's". Continue reading...
Ministers say unsustainable' rise in spending must be tackled but many backbenchers fear changes will not workDozens of backbench Labour MPs are unhappy with plans to cut billions from the rising welfare bill, with ministers holding meetings to convince them that the changes to disability benefits are necessary.Labour MPs told the Guardian there were deep concerns within the parliamentary party that the changes would take money from the poorest, which was not what they had entered government to do. Continue reading...
Officer who investigated Rhianan Rudd, who killed herself, tells inquest wider conversation' needed on such casesMI5 officers investigating a schoolgirl who went on to kill herself after being charged with far-right terror offences had complained of a lack of guidance on handling the growing number of such cases, according to internal emails heard at an inquest.A special evidence session in London heard that intelligence agents working on the case of Rhianan Rudd, who died at the age of 16, lamented the lack of national strategy in dealing with a proliferation of vulnerable young people holding violent far-right views. Continue reading...
First step by president to open discussions comes as Iranian government locked in dispute over negotiating with USDonald Trump has said he wants to negotiate a new deal with Iran to prevent its development of nuclear weapons and sent a letter to its leaders saying he hoped they would open talks.It is the first practical step taken by the US president to see if new negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme are possible. Continue reading...
IOPC to look again at Valdo Calocane's history after representations from victims' familiesThe police watchdog has reopened its investigation into previous assaults by the Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane, after representations from the families of the murdered victims.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) previously prepared a report that concluded Leicestershire police officers had failed to properly investigate an assault on warehouse workers by Calocane which could have stopped his murder spree a month later. Three officers were due to face a misconduct meeting but the force postponed this. Continue reading...
by Angelique Chrisafis in Paris, Mimi Ibrahim in Lond on (#6VRDJ)
Unexploded device found near Gare du Nord, France's busiest train terminal, halting Eurostar and other servicesA second world war bomb found on rail tracks north of Paris was successively defused on Friday after a day of transport chaos in which the Gare du Nord station, used by Eurostar trains from London as well as other high-speed and local services, was shut, roads were closed and dozens of residents were evacuated in the suburb of St-Denis.The unexploded bomb weighing 500kg was found in the middle of a set of tracks during overnight maintenance work in the early hours of Friday morning in the Parisian suburb, about 1.5 miles (2.5km) from the Gare du Nord. Continue reading...
Amen Teklay, a refugee from Eritrea, pronounced dead at scene on Wednesday night after suspected stabbingPolice in Glasgow have launched a murder inquiry after a 15-year-old Eritrean refugee was found dying after a suspected stabbing.Amen Teklay was discovered seriously injured on Clarendon Street in the St George's Cross area of the city late on Wednesday night and pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. Continue reading...
The strikes followed European leaders committing to a huge boost in defense spending. Plus, another of Elon Musk's Starship rockets explodes within minutes of take-offGood morning.Russia has carried out a vast wave of strikes across Ukraine, one day after the US stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv, including of advance warnings of attacks.Is European support for Ukraine unanimous? No - Hungary refused to endorse an EU statement that pushed back on Trump's Russia-friendly negotiating position.How has China retaliated? It has imposed tariffs of 10-15% on a range of US agricultural products. Continue reading...
Zou found guilty of raping 10 women in the UK and China, but police fear he may have attacked more than 50 womenNorthern Ireland's police chief has appealed to students who may have had concerns about the serial rapist Zhenhao Zou, who studied at Queen's University Belfast for two years.Jon Boutcher, the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said they had been unable to speak at the trial before Zou's conviction this week amid fears he may have drugged and attacked more than 50 women while in London. Continue reading...
The National Weather Service has lost about 10% of its staff, hitting offices prone to severe weather hardestAs deadly severe storms swept the US this week, recent Donald Trump administration staffing cuts have left key parts of weather monitoring and disaster preparedness systems severely understaffed, the Guardian has learned.March typically signals the start of a four-month tornado season across the eastern two-thirds of the US. Last year's tornado season was one of the most prolific on record, and this year's tornado season is getting off to an early active start. Continue reading...
Sixteen activists argued sentences had not adequately taken into account their conscientious motivationSix protesters jailed for their roles in various climate demonstrations have had their sentences reduced on appeal.The Just Stop Oil co-founder Roger Hallam was originally jailed for five years for agreeing to disrupt traffic by having protesters climb on to gantries over the M25 for four successive days. His sentence was reduced to four years. Continue reading...
Average property price dips to 298,602 in February despite analysts expecting rush before stamp duty risesUK house prices unexpectedly fell last month as concerns over the sluggish economy outweighed an anticipated rush of people trying to complete purchases before stamp duty increases in April.The average property price dipped by 0.1% in February to 298,602, having hit a record high in January, according to Halifax. Continue reading...
Exclusive: What appears to be a vast burial site found at former Rapid Support Forces base in Sudan, while rescued detainees speak of torture, starvation and deaths of fellow inmates
People in capital breathing much cleaner air, with significant improvements in capital's most deprived areasPeople in London have been breathing significantly cleaner air since the expansion of the ultra low emission zone (Ulez), a study has found.Levels of deadly pollutants that are linked to a wide range of health problems - from cancer to impaired lung development, heart attacks to premature births - have dropped, with some of the biggest improvements coming in the capital's most deprived areas. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6VRCH)
Exclusive: Nursing union says it continues to receive complaints about low pay, unfit housing and illegal feesMinisters are dragging their heels on an investigation into the mistreatment of migrant carers, the country's largest nursing union has said, as it continues to receive complaints about low pay, substandard accommodation and illegal fees.Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, has written to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, to urge her to speed up her promised investigation into the abuse of foreign care workers. Continue reading...
The producer of the world's most advanced chip technology is investing on US soil but some fear that could reduce the leverage Taiwan holds to ensure its future securityTSMC's chief executive, CC Wei, smiled broadly as he stood next to Donald Trump in the White House on Monday, announcing what he said was the biggest foreign direct investment on US soil in history. His company - the producer of most of the world's most advanced semiconductors - would boost its existing $65bn US presence by a whopping $100bn.For TSMC the deal meant they would avoid massive tariffs Trump had flagged for the global chip industry. For the US it mean tens of thousands of construction jobs, and the eventual development of crucial technology on US soil, far away from the threat of China taking control of it if it one day annexed Taiwan. Continue reading...
by Presented by Michael Safi; produced by Alex Atack on (#6VRAG)
Michael Safi travelled to north-east Syria to speak to IS foreign fighters imprisoned there. And discovered that a change in the US administration, and USAid funding cuts, means there is a growing fear of prison breaksA few weeks ago, Michael Safi travelled to north-east Syria, an area controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Here, suspected foreign fighters for Islamic State - including those from Britain - have for years been imprisoned without charge and with no idea of when they would be released.Few prisoners in the camp say they are IS members. Michael and fellow journalist, Will Christou, spoke to a former British surgeon from Leicester who told a surprising story of being tricked' into crossing into Syria from Turkey. They also met an Australian prisoner, who admitted to being an IS member, and whose family for years did not know his whereabouts. Continue reading...
Trump and Musk appear to make parallel efforts to distance tech billionaire from radical job slashing in governmentElon Musk is telling Republican lawmakers in private meetings that he is not to blame for the mass firings of federal workers that are causing uproar across the country, while Donald Trump reportedly told his cabinet secretaries on Thursday that they are ultimately in charge of hiring and firings at their agencies - not billionaire aide Musk.The two powerful figures appeared to be making parallel efforts to distance Musk from radical job slashing made over the last two months. This is despite the tech entrepreneur boasting about cuts, recommending the US delete entire agencies" and taking questions on the issue alongside the US president, then wielding a chainsaw at an event to symbolize his efforts - all amid legal challenges and skepticism from experts. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6VR7W)
Immigration status is denying children equal access to early years education and pushing families deeper into poverty'Tens of thousands of children in migrant and refugee families in the UK are being denied access to government-funded childcare because of benefit restrictions linked to their parents' immigration status, a report says.Having no recourse to public funds" (NRPF) means parents are not entitled to 30 hours of free childcare and are having to stay home to look after their young children instead of working. This is pushing families into poverty and denying their children the benefits of the early years education available to their peers, the report finds. Continue reading...
by Nadeem Badshah (now); Léonie Chao-Fong, Tom Ambro on (#6VQHP)
European Union chiefs outline plan to scale up Europe's defence amid clear and present danger' from Russia as Zelenskyy plans to travel to RiyadhNorwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store has been speaking in the country's parliament in the last few minutes, announcing plans to significantly" increase spending to help Ukraine defend itself.He warned that the country was facing the most serious security situation ... since the second world war." Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan, and Demion McTair in Kingstown on (#6VR7F)
Descendants of enslaved Africans and Indigenous people interned on Baliceaux in 18th century hail historic victory'Members of the Garifuna community are celebrating a historic and long-awaited victory" after the Caribbean nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) announced the purchase of a privately owned island where thousands of their ancestors perished from disease and starvation.The uninhabited island of Baliceaux has long held great significance for the Garifuna people, the descendants of enslaved Africans and Indigenous Kalinago and Arawak people. Continue reading...
by Agence France-Presse in Vatican City on (#6VR5Z)
Pontiff nearing three weeks in hospital in Rome after being admitted with respiratory problemsPope Francis has recorded and released an audio message thanking those who have been praying for his recovery, his voice breathless as he nears three weeks in hospital with pneumonia.I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square, I accompany you from here," Francis said in a message broadcast in St Peter's Square. Continue reading...
Armed men loyal to ousted dictator attack checkpoints in Latakia province in deadliest strikes so far against new governmentThirteen Syrian security officers have been killed in clashes with remnants of the Assad regime in the deadliest attack against the country's new authorities since the dictator was toppled.Armed men attacked checkpoints and security officers in the coastal town of Jableh and the countryside of Latakia province, as part of a premeditated" attack on Thursday, according to the provincial head of Syria's general security directorate, Mustafa Knefati. Continue reading...
Bank says it has fixed mobile and telephone service outages after people unable to make paymentsSantander has fixed the problems affecting its banking services after many customers were left unable to access their accounts.The bank apologised for any inconvenience caused" and said no customers would be left out of pocket" as a result of the outages. Continue reading...
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent defended the new administration's aggressive trade strategyBuying cheap products is not the essence of the American dream," Donald Trump's top economic official has declared, amid warnings that the US president's trade wars risk increasing prices.The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, defended the new administration's aggressive trade strategy on Thursday, two days after it imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico and hiked duties on China. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey, Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot on (#6VQZQ)
Ministers frustrated by failure to agree terms with Russian oligarch and court case may be only way to break impasseUK ministers are preparing to take Roman Abramovich to court in a final attempt to free up more than 2bn from the sale of Chelsea FC to spend as aid in Ukraine, the Guardian has learned.Officials say ministers have become increasingly frustrated by the failure to reach an agreement with the Russian oligarch about how the money should be spent and are now ready to fight him in the courts. Continue reading...
Police found boy, now 14, after responding to a burglary call and arresting his mother, who didn't have custody of himA boy who was allegedly taken by his mother, who didn't have custody of him, seven years ago from Atlanta was found last month in Colorado after the mother was arrested in an unrelated incident in suburban Denver, authorities said on Wednesday.Rabia Khalid, 40, was arrested on 23 February after sheriff's deputies were asked to investigate a suspected burglary taking place at a vacant home that was for sale, the Douglas county sheriff's office said. The deputies found two children in a vehicle outside the property and a man and a woman coming out of the home who initially told them they were working for a realtor, it said in a press release. Continue reading...
Jury was not told former soldier convicted of murder and now rape was interested in misogynist influencerLess than 24 hours before Kyle Clifford committed the triple murder that would leave his ex-girlfriend, Louise Hunt, her sister and mother dead, he searched the internet for misogynistic podcasts.What was not revealed to the jury - who have now found the former soldier guilty of rape, adding to his previous admissions of murder - was that the 26-year-old had listened to the influencer Andrew Tate. Continue reading...
House votes to censure Texas congressman for breach of proper conduct' for disrupting president's addressThe House voted on Thursday to censure Al Green for disrupting Trump's joint session address, with a handful of Democrats voting to condemn the Democratic Texas representative along with Republicans.The House voted 224-198, with 10 Democrats voting in favor of the censure, which accuses Green of a breach of proper conduct". Continue reading...
Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko denied they were part of a reported White House plot to remove Ukraine leader from powerUkraine's opposition leaders have confirmed they have held discussions with members of Donald Trump's entourage, but denied on Thursday they were part of a reported White House plot to remove Volodymyr Zelenskyy from power.Former president Petro Poroshenko said he had held talks with US representatives but added that he opposed Trump's demands for wartime elections. Poroshenko - who lost to Zelenskyy in the 2019 presidential vote - said a poll should only be held once martial law ends. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereLucy Powell, the leader of the Commons, defended the government's position on the new Sentencing Council guidelines (see 9.46am) during business questions in the Commons a few minutes ago.She was responding to the Conservative MP Luke Evans who said:When the law favours identity over principle, it ceases to be justice at all. Magna Carta taught us that.So will [Powell] ensure that the justice secretary comes to the house to ensure that under this government sentencing [doesn't] become about who you are, not what you have done?The sentencing guidelines were consulted on under [the Conservative] government last year. They were not ruled out. They were developed and consulted on under [the Conservative] government. The current justice secretary, the remarkable and formidable justice secretary, has made absolutely clear her position on that. And she's written to the Sentencing Council.So perhaps [Evans] might be better to refect on the actions of his own government, rather than attacking this one.Martin praised Starmer's leadership on the Ukraine issue in recent days. Referring to the challenging times" they were in, he said:You have borne the centre of gravity and stability to that situation which I think is appreciated, and I want you to know that.Martin said Northern Ireland has great untapped potential". Recalling what he and Keir Starmer were told during the breakfast meeting with business leaders, he said:It was interesting this morning, a number of business people said the greatest untapped potential is Northern Ireland, economically, very interesting.And that's something I think we can work on, move forward as two governments making sure we realise that potential for all those in Ireland and we do it in a kind of co-operative way and develop it as much as we possibly can.Martin confirmed that Ireland is increasing its defence spending.As we sit here today, I think we would all agree that the world is more uncertain and unstable than it has been for a very long time and there are huge benefits to strengthening our friendship and working together on geopolitical challenges. Continue reading...
Lynette Linton's successor at the new writing venue in west London promises to build on its bold legacyTaio Lawson has been appointed as the new artistic director of the Bush theatre in west London. He will succeed Lynette Linton, who is leaving after six years in charge of the venue which is known for nurturing new playwrights.Lawson, whose first season of work will be presented early next year, will also act as co-CEO in partnership with Mimi Findlay. He said he was honoured to be taking over at a time when the need for enduring original narratives is so important". Praising the work of Linton and associate artistic director Daniel Bailey, who has also stepped down, Lawson said he would build on their achievements and programme bold pieces that speak to our hearts and stimulate our minds, that both comfort and challenge us". Continue reading...
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