World news | The Guardian

Authorities should take a harm reduction' approach, removing excise for a period and making vapes more available, experts argue

Lord Falconer says protest group may have done other things' to warrant expected proscription by home secretaryThe spray-painting of aircraft at an RAF base by a pro-Palestinian group would not provide the sole legal justification for banning it, according to a former justice secretary.The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, is expected to move to proscribe Palestine Action in the coming days after an incident on Friday at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Continue reading...

Business and leisure centre in Brent was Europe's biggest Black-led community project when it opened in 1980sThe future of London's Bridge Park complex, a prominent location for Britain's Windrush generation, hangs in the balance as campaigners hope Historic England will save it from councillors' decision to close it within weeks.Bridge Park community leisure centre in Stonebridge, north-west London, was Europe's largest Black-led community enterprise when it opened in the 1980s and is cherished for its part in Black British history. Continue reading...

Strikes hit uranium enrichment sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan; Iran says US has blown up diplomacy'

Guardian reporting reveals confusing and contradictory events surrounding death of Abelardo Avellaneda DelgadoA 68-year-old Mexican-born man has become the first Ice detainee in at least a decade to die while being transported from a local jail to a federal detention center, and experts have warned there will likely be more such deaths amid the current administration's mass deportation" push across the US.Abelardo Avellaneda Delgado's exact cause of death remains under investigation, according to Ice, but the Guardian's reporting reveals a confusing and at times contradictory series of events surrounding the incident. Continue reading...

An exhibition explores the authors' love of theatre, highlighting the dramatic impact of his worksAs a sliding doors moment, it leads to arguably one of the greatest what if?" questions in literary history. Passionate about the theatre, Charles Dickens, then just 20, wrote to the famous Covent Garden theatre actor-manager George Bartley seeking an audition, saying he believed he had a strong perception of character and oddity, and a natural power of reproducing in my own person what I observed in others".Bartley responded saying they were producing the Hunchback" and arranging an appointment. Dickens planned to take his sister, Fanny, to accompany him singing on the piano. Continue reading...

Funds for service in England and Wales in short supply', health secretary says after MPs vote to legalise procedureWes Streeting has voiced doubts over whether the NHS can afford to establish an assisted dying service, after MPs passed a bill to legalise the procedure last week.The health secretary was previously a supporter of assisted dying but switched sides last year, expressing concerns about the ethics of offering such a service before significant improvements could be made to the NHS. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Systemic risk' to cybersecurity after devices worth more than 1m a year are taken or lostThousands of UK government laptops, phones and tablets worth more than 1m have been either lost or stolen, freedom of information disclosures have revealed, triggering warnings of a systemic risk" to the nation's cybersecurity.The Department for Work and Pensions recorded 240 missing laptops and 125 missing phones in 2024; while in the first five months of this year the Ministry of Defence recorded 103 missing laptops and 387 missing phones. The Cabinet Office, which coordinates government activity, lost or had stolen 66 laptops and 124 phones in 2024. Continue reading...

He knows my name,' says California Democrat, as Newsom condemns US vice-president and challenges him to debateJD Vance's decision to refer to California US senator Alex Padilla by the name of a terrorist conspirator showed how unserious" the Trump administration is, the lawmaker has said of the vice-president.He knows my name - he knows my name," Padilla told MSNBC's The Weekend on Saturday, 12 days after the FBI forcibly removed him from a 12 June news conference hosted by US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem amid anti-immigration and customs enforcement (Ice) protests in Los Angeles. Continue reading...

Elon Musk's autonomous robotaxis slated to hit the streets of the Texas capital on Sunday after delayed launchAustin, Texas is set to be the first city worldwide to see Tesla's self-driving robotaxi service on its roads. Elon Musk, CEO of the electric carmaker, has said he is tentatively" planning to roll out a small number of these autonomous vehicles on the streets of the Texas state capital on Sunday.Details about the company's robotaxi service have been scant since its unveiling in October of last year, and its launch has been delayed. Musk has told reporters that there may be fewer than a dozen cars in Austin on Sunday and that the vehicles will stick to specific neighborhoods. Some analysts believe that the robotaxis will only be available to employees and invitees initially. Continue reading...

With reports of violence against women and girls increasing, a group of officers are guarding large-scale London events this summerIn the hours leading up to Dua Lipa's first headline show at Wembley stadium the stifling heat was as striking as the colours. Fans resplendent in costumes inspired by their idol milled around the concourse, and groups of women took selfies, jigging with excitement.But among the jollity, specialist Met Officers interspersed in the crowd were on the hunt for something different: We're here to spot predatory men." Continue reading...

This blog is now closed

Former adviser to Penny Wong argues Australia should make clear we are a country that stands up ... for the rules-based order'

Exclusive: Joe Booth, 23, says he has PTSD after arrest in which seven officers entered his flat when he was in bedThe Met police operation in which officers raided a Quakers meeting house also resulted in the arrest of an autistic climate activist at his supported accommodation, the Guardian can reveal.Joe Booth, 23, was in bed when seven police officers arrived at the flats for vulnerable adults in New Barnet, north London, to arrest him on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Continue reading...

Victims of other injustices are treated better, says founder of bittersweet' Windrush DayA founder of Windrush Day has called for a public inquiry into the scandal amid this year's bittersweet" celebrations of Black Britons and their contribution to national life.Patrick Vernon, who campaigned for the national day for nearly a decade before the government adopted it, said the mistreatment, detention and removal of Black Britons wrongly accused of being in the UK illegally had not been treated seriously enough. Continue reading...

Labour makes funding centrepiece of its industrial strategy in bid to counter Reform's surge in so-called red wallThe government will present a 275m investment in technical training and apprenticeships as the centrepiece of its long-awaited industrial strategy, in a direct challenge to Nigel Farage's growing influence in England's manufacturing heartlands.The package, announced by the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, on Sunday, includes funding for new technical excellence colleges, short courses in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital manufacturing, and major capital upgrades to training providers across England. Continue reading...

Iran's foreign minister urges US not to join war after a night of strikes from both Tehran and Israel

UK prime minister criticises band's inclusion in festival lineup after Liam Og O hAnnaidh allegedly displayed flag supporting HezbollahKneecap's Glastonbury festival performance next Saturday is not appropriate", Keir Starmer has said.Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday after allegedly displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah and saying up Hamas, up Hezbollah" at a gig in November last year. Continue reading...

Senior military figures targeted overnight as talks between Iran and Europe in Geneva end with no breakthrough

LNP member for Mermaid Beach says absence of legislative power to remove tents set up in his electorate is unacceptable'

People report waiting hours in hot carriages after fault near Loughborough Junction brings some services to haltScores of UK passengers were forced to evacuate trains and walk along the tracks on Saturday after some services were halted due to a fault on the hottest day of the year so far.Videos posted on social media showed people walking on the tracks beside Thameslink trains near Loughborough Junction station in south London. Continue reading...

Man allegedly surveilled RAF Akrotiri and was planning imminent terrorist attack, according to reportsA British man has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and terrorism offences in Cyprus.He allegedly surveilled the RAF Akrotiri base on the island and is suspected of having links with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, local media reported. Continue reading...

Revelation marks second time crossbench peer may have broken Lords rules against lobbyingA member of the House of Lords lobbied the government to get financial support worth millions of pounds for a commercial deal he was steering, documents reveal.It is the second time that Richard Dannatt, a former head of the British army, has potentially broken parliamentary rules that forbid lobbying. Continue reading...

Prosecutors weigh possibility that the Chinese student, who treated his victims as sex toys', could face further actionSerial rapist Zhenhao Zou is facing a second trial with police and prosecutors preparing to charge the Chinese student with a second round of offences.Zou, 28, is already serving a minimum 24 years for attacking 10 young women in London and China. Continue reading...

Witnesses say some of those onboard hurled themselves out to escape flames as reports say fire started from torch in balloon's basketAt least eight people have died after a hot-air balloon carrying more than 20 people caught fire and plunged through the sky in Brazil's deep south.Footage posted on social media showed the moment the multi-coloured aircraft fell to earth, engulfed in flames, in the state of Santa Catarina on Saturday morning. At least two of the balloon's occupants can be seen plummeting to the ground as the fire spreads. My God!" one witness can be heard gasping as the basket hurtles towards the ground. Continue reading...

Vessel to be transported to port where investigators will try to find cause of fatal sinking during stormSalvage teams in Sicily say they have lifted Mike Lynch's superyacht fully and finally out of the water" for the first time since it sank last year during a storm, killing seven people including the tech tycoon and his teenage daughter.The rusting hulk of the Bayesian, which ran into trouble off the coast of the Italian island in August last year, has been slowly raised from the seabed over the last three days. Covered with algae and mud, it was visible clear of the sea in the holding area of a yellow floating crane barge, a witness told the Associated Press. Continue reading...

Syarhei Tsikhanouski arrested shortly after announcing candidacy in rigged 2020 election won by LukashenkoOne of the leaders of Belarus's opposition movement, Syarhei Tsikhanouski, has been released from jail after being pardoned following almost five years behind bars.His wife, the exiled politician Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, who took over the opposition cause after his jailing, on Saturday shared a video of him smiling and embracing her after his release. Continue reading...

Budget retailer had a pre-tax loss of more than 51m last year and is struggling to lure back customers amid stiff competition from rivalsIt's not actually that cheap any more. It's kind of lost its appeal because everything is not a pound."Samantha, a shopper outside Poundland's Luton retail park outlet who is heading off to B&M to find some better deals, sums up the feelings of many of her fellow bargain hunters and a central problem facing the new owner of the budget retailer. Continue reading...

David Litt's new book It's Only Drowning centres on an improbable friendship and how shared experience provides a neutral ground for connectionWhat do men want? Democrats need to know after their election drubbing by Donald Trump and the manosphere" last year. They have responded by commissioning Speaking with American Men", a strategic plan that will study the syntax, language and content that gains attention and virality" in online spaces.News of the two-year $20m project reinforced critics' view that Democrats have become the party of an aloof, college-educated liberal elite whose pursuit of working class men resembles a Victorian explorer wielding a butterfly net. Which makes the publication of David Litt's book, It's Only Drowning, a timely contribution to Democrats' ongoing post-mortem. Continue reading...

Islamabad says US president helped resolve India conflict but critic says Israel's sugar daddy in Gaza' not candidate for any prizePakistan has said it will recommend Donald Trump for the Nobel peace prize for his work in helping to resolve the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.The move, announced on Saturday, came as the US president mulls joining Israel in striking Iran's nuclear facilities. Continue reading...

Campaigner, who has terminal cancer, hopes bill will make it past any potential obstacles in the LordsThe assisted dying bill, if it becomes law, will remove the burden of seeing a loved one die in pain, the campaigner Esther Rantzen has said, insisting its backers have got right the balance between helping those who ask for it and protecting vulnerable people.The terminally ill adults (end of life) bill cleared the Commons with a majority of 23 votes on Friday, but must yet be debated by the Lords before returning to the Commons for consideration of any amendments they may make. Continue reading...

People locators, 3D weapon blueprints, tactical planning - all accessible on the web for potential attackers or terroristsA rash of recent assassinations have brought on congressional scrutiny and concern among law enforcement agencies who are wary of an age of political polarization turning deadly.But experts say the violence is as much a byproduct of the times as it is the easy accessibility to DIY murder tradecraft, evident in some high-profile slayings of late. Continue reading...

American involvement is not guaranteed to secure Israel's objectives - and may lead to unintended consequences

Singer trains underwater like Frank Sinatra once did and scientists say it may be useful in maintaining vocal prowessFrank Sinatra did it his way, taking to the pool to boost his vocal prowess, and it seems Rod Stewart is singing from the same songsheet. Now scientists say the approach might not be somethin' stupid.Stewart, 80, is still entertaining fans with his raspy vocals and energetic stage performances and earlier this month he revealed that as well as running and playing some football, swimming also played a key part in his campaign to stay forever young. Continue reading...

Commuters share their views at the junction with the highest number of cycling accidentsIt's 8am in Clapham, the area of south-west London where young professionals and well-off homeowners are crammed into 2 sq miles of buzzy high streets, a leafy common and rows of terraced houses.The popularity of the neighbourhood lies in its proximity to the city centre. A 4-mile hop to central London makes for an easy journey to work, especially for one kind of commuter: cyclists. Continue reading...

Health organisations have written to Keir Starmer urging him to force drinks producers to include warningsCans and bottles of beer, wine and spirits should explicitly warn drinkers that alcohol causes cancer, an unprecedented alliance of doctors, charities and public experts have said.Warning labels would tackle shockingly low" public awareness in the UK that alcohol is proven to cause seven forms of cancer and 17,000 cases a year of the disease, they claim. Continue reading...

A deal freezing frontlines would be unacceptable for Serhiy Serdiuk, who was taken to Georgia in handcuffs with his family after refusing to teach the Russian curriculumEarlier this year, Serhiy Serdiuk was deported from Russia, along with his wife and daughter. He was given a 40-year ban from re-entering the country.Serdiuk's home town of Komysh-Zoria, in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, was part of the territory occupied in the first weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion in spring 2022. According to Moscow, it is now part of Russia. And because Serdiuk, the headteacher of a local school, refused to work for the new authorities, they decided he had no place living there. Continue reading...

A viral video of a barbershop blow-up prompts tales of shear panic. Tell us about your worst haircut experience in the commentsA tradie went viral this week after blowing up at a barber who he claimed left him with a lopsided buzz cut.The tradesman insisted on paying for the allegedly substandard haircut before storming out. The exchange has sparked a conversation online, with some saying they would never be brave enough to complain and others recounting their worst haircut experiences. Continue reading...

The last in a series of increases to employers' minimum contribution from 9% over more than a decade will come into effect on 1 July

Adult websites back online after court suspended decision requiring platforms based in the EU to verify users' agesMajor adult websites Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube were back online in France Friday after a court suspended a decision requiring pornographic platforms based in the European Union to verify users' ages.The three platforms' owner, Aylo, based in Cyprus, had made its websites unavailable in France in early June as a protest against the French decree. Failure to comply could have lead to sanctions including fines or the blocking of the websites. Continue reading...

Israeli military chief says difficult days' ahead as salvo of ballistic missiles trigger air raid sirens across countryIsrael's military has warned of a prolonged war" with Iran as the conflict entered its second week with no sign of stopping, as Israeli forces targeted Tehran and other areas while an Iranian missile attack wounded many people in the Mediterranean port city of Haifa.The Israeli military said its aircraft destroyed Iranian surface-to-air missiles in southern Iran, as well as killing a group of Iranian military commanders responsible for missile launches. According to the IDF, the strikes prevented launch of missiles scheduled for later on Friday evening. Continue reading...

Trump had set a deadline for diplomacy - but few expected the Israeli sucker punches that have left Tehran reeling

Home secretary plans to proscribe group that broke into Brize Norton, effectively branding it a terrorist organisationThe pro-Palestine group that broke into RAF Brize Norton sparking a major security review is expected to be banned by the government next week in a move which will anger campaigners.Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, is planning to proscribe Palestine Action, effectively branding it a terrorist organisation. Continue reading...

Leaked document marks significant moment in relations with ally but stops short of calling for immediate sanctions

Basically a whole shelf of a mountain came loose' said one person who fled the scene in Banff National ParkTwo people have been killed and another three injured when a major rockfall crashed onto a group of hikers on a popular Rocky Mountain trail in western Canada.The accident happened on Thursday near the Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park, about 225km (140 miles) north-west of Calgary, Alberta. The area is known for its natural beauty and is particularly busy in summer. Continue reading...

A driver who got stuck on the Spanish Steps in Rome is the latest in a series of similar vehicular misadventuresThe 1969 caper The Italian Job spawned a Hollywood remake, helped drive the cool-factor of the Mini and launched decades of dad-jokes about bloody doors being blown off. It may also have inspired one driver who got stuck trying to travel down the Spanish Steps in Rome this week.The film ended with Michael Caine teetering on the edge of a cliff in a coach, claiming to have a great idea". In Rome, the 80-year-old's navigational error on his way to work ended with emergency services having to bring in a crane to winch his vehicle off the Italian capital's landmark. Continue reading...

Proposal would cover uranium enrichment and ballistic missile programmes and aim to end terrorist funding

Fears grow of drought as well as hunger as medics report more killings by Israeli forces of Palestinians seeking aid

Organisers seek an extra 40,000 for a memorial to Mary Clarke, the first suffragette to die for women's rightsThe campaign to commemorate the first suffragette to die for women's rights is facing a funding crisis.Mary Clarke, who was the sister of Emmeline Pankhurst, helped found the Women's Social and Political Union and was imprisoned three times. Continue reading...