World news | The Guardian

Exclusive: Shadow chancellor says she wants to shatter last glass ceiling in politics' and improve women's position

Party removes support for Andy Brown, standing for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, after reported posts about novichok poisonings

Risk is that miscalculation leads to sudden conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which is far more powerful than HamasA warning from Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, that a decision on all-out war" with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is coming soon is almost certainly a fresh attempt at deterrence on his part - not least because both sides well understand how devastating full hostilities would be.The reality is that Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, is a more powerful adversary than Hamas in Gaza. It is estimated to have between 30,000 and 50,000 fighters available and a similar number in reserve - plus between 120,000 and 200,000 unguided missiles and rockets, plus attack and reconnaissance drones. Continue reading...

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un's agreement raises western alarm about possible Russian help for nuclear programmeThe Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, have signed a pact that includes a clause requiring the countries to come to each other's aid if either is attacked, a move that has raised western concerns about potential Russian aid for Pyongyang's missile or nuclear programmes.The inclusion of a mutual defence clause in their comprehensive strategic partnership, which Kim described as an alliance", will add to the west's alarm over growing economic and military ties between North Korea and Russia. The deal was finalised on Wednesday after hours of talks in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. Continue reading...

National Rally's Jordan Bardella insists he would need to govern free of partners if party wins parliamentary electionsJordan Bardella, the leader of the National Rally (RN), has said he will not accept the job of prime minister unless his far-right party wins an absolute majority in parliament because he would not have the freedom to act in the daily lives of French people" as he sees fit.Polls suggest the RN is on course to win the snap parliamentary elections called by Emmanuel Macron after the Eurosceptic, anti-immigration party's crushing victory in European parliament elections earlier this month. Continue reading...

Extraordinary and unique' ancient beach that was destroyed in AD79 disaster reinstated in southern ItalyAn ancient Roman beach that was buried by the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius has reopened to the public at Herculaneum archaeological park in southern Italy.The beach has been reinstated after conservation work in recent years restored its original level, including bringing back sand, which is aimed at giving visitors the experience of walking along the beach almost as it was before the eruption. Continue reading...

Sir Anthony Seldon leads analysis that concludes that equality, growth and the UK's standing in the world have all declined since 2010 Sign up to our Election Edition daily newsletterAnd here are some of the best pictures from yesterday's campaigning. As more voting people than ever appear poised to turn away from the Tories, Sunak appeared in several photographs with sheep and lobsters as he visited North Devon, held by the Tories since 2015. The Guardian's Archie bland named the sheep the Dubious photo opportunity of the day", after the sheep ran away:Starmer, meanwhile, appeared on LBC where he clarified that Premier League Football Clubs would not be subject to a 10% transfer tax to fund clubs lower down the pyramid. Let me just kill it dead, we're not looking at that," Starmer said. He also visited a tennis club and a pub in Reading West and mid Berkshire. Continue reading...

Independent candidate Akhmed Yakoob also said 70% of hell will be women' during guest appearance on Minted Minds YouTube seriesAn independent candidate standing in Birmingham said 70% of hell will be women" and joked about domestic violence on a podcast earlier this year, as polling suggests he is closing the gap with Labour.Akhmed Yakoob, who came third in the West Midlands mayoral election in May with just over 10% of the vote, is standing against Labour's Shabana Mahmood in Ladywood, one of the most deprived constituencies in the country. Continue reading...

Nobel prize winners and former Bank of England officials believe Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer can bring about desperately needed' change

Baby was treated at the scene by paramedics but died later in hospital, West Midlands police saidA seven-month-old baby girl has died in hospital after being bitten by a pet dog and suffering serious head injuries.Officers were called to a property in Shorncliffe Road, Coventry, shortly after 3pm on Sunday, West Midlands police said. Continue reading...

Some candidates complaining of lack of ministerial visits and money have turned to Boris Johnson for help

Scottish first minister says election is chance to reinforce the case for split and warns over Labour cuts

Decision to launch excessive deficit procedure' sets up collision course with post-election governmentThe European Commission has issued a reprimand to France for breaking EU fiscal rules before an election where the frontrunners are making lavish spending promises.The EU executive's decision to launch the excessive deficit procedure" against France is a blow to Emmanuel Macron - with a deficit well above the EU threshold - and also sets up a collision course with a post-election government potentially dominated by the far-right or the left coalition. Continue reading...

Iran-backed militant group fired more than a dozen projectiles into northern Israel, says Israeli army, day after Israel warned of total war' with group

It compares with 21.7% in the private sector which WGEA report says is due to more flexible working practice and more full-time work

Undercover shopping study on 14 common items part of move to provide transparency after Coles and Woolworths accused of price gouging

Consultant tells court he walked in on nurse apparently doing nothing to help newborn she is accused of trying to murderA senior doctor has told a jury he walked in on Lucy Letby watching a newborn girl suffer a life-threatening" collapse while apparently doing nothing to help her.Letby, 34, is accused of attempting to murder the two-hour-old baby by dislodging her breathing tube shortly after the infant's designated nurse left her side. Continue reading...

Country is among seven that could face fines as it heads for high-stakes vote this monthAnd here's the centre-right European People's party leadership in the European parliament for the next term.Here's more from Reuters on what the far-right National Rally's Jordan Bardella told reporters today about his views on Ukraine: Continue reading...

Members of public try to intervene during incident and Wiltshire police arrest two peopleTwo people have been arrested after Just Stop Oil activists sprayed orange powder paint over Stonehenge.Rishi Sunak condemned the incident, saying: This is a disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the UK's and the world's oldest and most important monuments." Continue reading...

PM says donor is genuinely contrite' as phone-in caller challenges him over businessman's remarks about Diane Abbott

Labour leader says Tories calling for amnesty on rule-breakers are out of touch with people who paid high price

Russian leader's visit to Pyongyang seen as a meeting of minds, but long-term military consequences are unclear

IOPC says Surrey police should investigate incident in Staines-upon-Thames after witnesses filed complaintsThe baby cow that was filmed being run over by police had gone on a rampage, ramming a police car and charging at and threatening people, the police watchdog has said.The incident last Friday was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which on Wednesday said Surrey, the force involved, should investigate complaints received. Continue reading...

Housebuilder aims to create 4,000 private rental homes in UK capital and south-east over next decade

Mackay public were earlier told to stay indoors while police searched for man allegedly involved in incident

Singer and saxophonist known for confrontational stage persona had experienced ill health for a number of yearsJames Chance, the singer-saxophonist whose squalling blend of funk, jazz and post-punk found a cult following in mid-1970s New York onwards, has died aged 71.His brother David Siegfried stated that he died on Tuesday in New York. No cause of death was given, but the musician's health had been in decline for several years" according to Siegfried. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Defamation trial judge found on balance of probabilities Lehrmann was recklessly indifferent to whether or not there was consent'

Energy minister's comments come as Nationals leader David Littleproud refutes deputy's claims plants won't be built if communities were opposed

Australian energy sector and industry groups warn of risk of cost blowouts and destroying private sector investment

Premier Jacinta Allan acknowledges the state's education department failed to listen when children spoke out

Egypt forcibly returned 800 Sudanese detainees in first three months of this year, Amnesty International reportsThe Egyptian authorities have used EU-funded security forces in a campaign of mass arrests and forcible deportations against refugees from the Sudan war, according to a human rights group report.Amnesty International found Egypt forcibly returned an estimated 800 Sudanese detainees between January and March 2024, who were all denied the possibility to claim asylum". Continue reading...

Jury finds 33-year-old drugged and fatally shot Mutten in the Blue Mountains in January 2022

Jewish MP Josh Burns says attack that saw Zionism is fascism' graffitied on his Melbourne office was politically motivated'

Abul Rizvi accuses major parties of short-termism', saying Labor's approach to immigration is unsustainable' while Coalition's would be pure chaos'

Coalition to push ahead with potential sites across Australia, but serious questions remain about viability and cost

The contaminants have also recently been found in testes and semen amid concerns about falling male fertilityMicroplastics have been discovered in penises for the first time, raising questions about a potential role in erectile dysfunction.The revelation comes after the pollutants were recently detected in testes and semen. Male fertility has fallen in recent decades and more research on potential harm of microplastics to reproduction is imperative, say experts. Continue reading...

Food Foundation says height of five-year-olds falling, child obesity up by a third and type 2 diabetes by a fifthChildren across the UK are getting shorter, fatter and sicker amid an epidemic of poor diets, food insecurity and poverty, according to a report warning that millions are facing a timebomb" of avoidable health conditions.The average height of five-year-olds is falling, obesity levels have increased by almost a third and the number of young people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has risen by more than a fifth, the report by the Food Foundation said. Continue reading...

Report finds that religious, historical and cultural references have been removed in crackdown by BeijingHundreds of Uyghur villages and towns have been renamed by Chinese authorities to remove religious or cultural references, with many replaced by names reflecting Communist party ideology, a report has found.Research published on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch and the Norway-based organisation Uyghur Hjelp documents about 630 communities that have been renamed in this way by the government, mostly during the height of a crackdown on Uyghurs that several governments and human rights bodies have called a genocide. Continue reading...

The Australian mining magnate can try to prove that Meta was negligent in allowing scam ads on Facebook, judge says

John Caudwell, the Phones4U founder, says he is rather despairing' about Conservatives after 51 years of supportA Conservative party donor who donated 500,000 to Boris Johnson's compaign in 2019 has announced he will vote for Labour in next month's general election.John Caudwell, who founded the mobile phone retailer Phones4U, made the announcement on Tuesday evening, in comments first reported by the Times and the BBC. Continue reading...

Aydos Sadykoy has a large YouTube following and is a strong critic of President Tokayev of KazakhstanA Kazkah opposition figure and prominent blogger with more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube has been seriously wounded in an attempted killing in Kyiv.Aydos Sadykov, who was granted asylum in Ukraine in 2014, was shot near his home. Continue reading...

Justice department charges 24 defendants and says long investigation reveals links between Sinaloa gang and China

Player Kings to reopen on Thursday and producers say they look forward to actor returning as soon as he is ready'Ian McKellen has said he is looking forward to returning to work" after falling from the stage during a performance of Player Kings, adding that he was hugely indebted" to NHS staff who treated him.The actor, 85, was portraying the Shakespearean character John Falstaff at the Noel Coward theatre in London on Monday when he lost his footing during a fight scene involving the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy. Continue reading...

Sign off on planning for a Lebanon offensive follows release of Hezbollah drone footage of Haifa in northern IsraelThe Israeli foreign minister, Israel Katz, has said a decision on an all-out war with Hezbollah was coming soon, as Israel generals announced late on Tuesday that they had signed off planning for an offensive into Lebanon.The escalating rhetoric, followed the release of video footage from a Hezbollah surveillance drone's overflight of the northern city of Haifa, which included images of sensitive sites and civilian neighbourhoods. Continue reading...

Billionaire owner's address comes amid turmoil over chief executive Will Lewis' involvement in UK phone scandalWashington Post owner Jeff Bezos has sent a memo to staff saying he is committed to maintaining the quality, ethics, and standards" of the newspaper amid an internal dispute that touches on executive hires and ongoing financial losses.The Amazon multibillionaire, who purchased the paper for $250m in 2013 and initially saw it return to profitability before a post-Covid readership and revenue collapse, addressed the staff in a communication that shores up the position of the Post's publisher and chief executive Will Lewis. Lewis, who joined the Post in early January, has come under pressure over his alleged involvement in Britain's long running press telephone hacking scandal. Continue reading...

Two officials assaulted and held while inspecting avocados in Michoacan in incident unconnected to industry'An attack on two employees of the US agricultural department prompted a temporary suspension of safety inspections on avocados and mangoes in Mexico, potentially disrupting a $2.4bn industry between the two countries.Ambassador Ken Salazar said in a statement that the two officials were assaulted and temporarily held by assailants while they were inspecting avocados in the Mexican state of Michoacan. Continue reading...

Pop star was arrested in New York and held overnight for a morning arraignment, police statement saysJustin Timberlake is facing a charge of driving while intoxicated in the Hamptons in New York, local authorities confirmed to the Guardian.The pop singer and actor was arrested early Tuesday in Sag Harbor and was released on his own recognizance - meaning without needing to post bail - after a brief hearing at the village courthouse, the Suffolk county, New York, district attorney's office said. Continue reading...

Channel 4 News special to address law, order and immigration with seven political figures

Russian president makes first visit to country in 24 years as anti-west relationship deepens

Party says plan would free up thousands of England hospital beds occupied by patients whose discharge has been delayed