World news | The Guardian

Nicola Packer, 45, was prescribed medication but was accused of believing she was more than 10 weeks pregnantA woman has been cleared of illegally terminating a pregnancy, after taking abortion pills during lockdown.Nicola Packer, 45, took the pills at home in November 2020. She had been prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol after a remote consultation. Continue reading...

South Korean skincare retailers want to capitalise on viral sales of beauty ranges by opening stores across the UKKorean beauty products are moving from phone screens to UK high streets as social media drives sales of skincare with the help of eye-catching ingredients such as snail slime and salmon sperm.Retailers are looking to capitalise on the TikTok and Instagram trend for skincare and makeup ranges from South Korea - known as K-beauty - by opening physical stores and launching brands in a push to get consumers to pick up products that havegone viral online. Continue reading...

Likes of Lyse Doucet and Jonathan Dimbleby say they have at times turned away from current affairsShe is perhaps the UK's most prominent war correspondent, broadcasting from the world's toughest regions, interpreting its most intractable and bloody conflicts. Yet, like many others when the news agenda is so tough, even Lyse Doucet has said she finds herself tempted to turn off.I just want to say as a broadcaster that even though I'm on one side of the microphone and you're on the other, that I too have been turning away from news and listening to Radio 3 instead of Radio 4, because the news is difficult," said Doucet, the BBC's chief international correspondent, as she picked up an award last week. We all think: Oh, it's so depressing. It's so gloomy.'" Continue reading...

RTE asks European Broadcasting Union to discuss matter after 72 former contestants call for Israel's exclusionIreland's public broadcaster has asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for a discussion about Israel's inclusion in the Eurovision song contest, as 72 former contestants called for the Israeli broadcaster Kan to be banned from next week's event in the Swiss city of Basel.The director general of Ireland's RTE, Kevin Bakhurst, said in a statement on Wednesday that he was appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages". Continue reading...

Matildas captain shares Instagram post welcoming couple's first childSam Kerr and her partner, Kristie Mewis, have announced the birth of their first child.In an Instagram post on Thursday, the Matildas captain wrote: Our little man is here, Jagger Mewis-Kerr." Continue reading...

Northern Territory senator switches from Nationals to Liberals where she believes she can be more effective' in fighting for best interests of all Australians'

Suspicious activity ruled out after investigation into blaze that left London hub and homes without power

Grammy-nominated and chart-topping singer says he has no fear' of illness in kidney and lungBrad Arnold, the frontman with chart-topping US rock band 3 Doors Down, has been diagnosed with stage four cancer.The singer said he has kidney cancer that has spread to his lungs. He discovered the illness after feeling unwell in recent weeks, then I went to the hospital and got checked out and actually got the diagnosis that I had a renal carcinoma that had metastasised into my lung". Continue reading...

Follow today's news live

Exclusive: Announcement comes at time of change for party as deputy leader Zack Polanski launches leadership bid with eco-populism' vision

No 10 says prime minister will give update later after Donald Trump said he was ready to announce major trade deal'Keir Starmer will make a statement on trade talks with the US on Thursday amid reports the UK has reached an agreement with Donald Trump.The agreement, which the two leaders are expected to unveil later in the day, is likely to focus on lowering US tariffs on specific products, such as British steel, aluminium and cars. Continue reading...

Jury in Western Australia finds two men guilty of 15-year-old's murder and another guilty of manslaughter

Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a lunch she served at her Leongatha home in 2023. Follow live updates

A nine-year-old boy is believed to have died in the fire while girls aged four and seven died later in hospital from critical burns

The forecast said low growth would place the Bank of England in difficult position ahead of next interest rate decisionSlow growth and persistent inflation will wreck Rachel Reeves' budget plans and increase the likelihood of further tax rises in the autumn, according to forecasts by a leading economic thinktank.The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said the UK was on course to suffer a long period of stagnation, cutting tax receipts and forcing the chancellor to balance the books only months after a tough budget in March that reduced welfare benefits. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Charity posts several senior corporate roles, months after saying it faced tough financial climate'Macmillan Cancer Support has come under fire after launching a recruitment drive for a series of senior corporate roles just months after axing a quarter of its staff.The Guardian revealed in February that more than 400 workers had been let go as the charity reduced its workforce by 26%, downgraded its helpline and scrapped its 100-year-old hardship scheme that provided millions of pounds in grants to the poorest cancer patients. Continue reading...

Labor's Sarah Witty is projected to take back the seat which has been held by the Greens since 2010

On the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war in Europe, survivors, including veterans from both sides, remember what happenedEighty years ago today, on 8 May 1945, the second world war in Europe came to an end with the unconditional surrender of Germany's armed forces. The number of people who remember the war - and how it finished - decreases every year, even as European security feels ever more precarious.Here, seven people, aged between 85 and 100, from Estonia, Poland, Britain, Germany and Romania, talk to the Guardian about their memories.Dorothea is a passionate supporter of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans and recently launched its Our Heroes Fund, to raise money for future trips for veterans to the continent and across the UK. Continue reading...

Events to take place against backdrop of Ukraine conflict, rises in defence spending and US foreign policy shiftSolemn ceremonies will be held at war memorials in towns and villages across France on Thursday as the country honours its dead and marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, a public holiday this year, as it is every year.In Paris, the president, Emmanuel Macron, will lay a wreath at the foot of Charles de Gaulle's statue, walk up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, rekindle the eternal flame at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and inspect the troops. Continue reading...

After a 2016 high court ruling, the conviction rates 10- to 13-year-olds in NSW have plummeted, report finds

Three Liberal-run councils deny coordinated crack down as dozens of homeless are issued notices or moved on

Home secretary says raids across UK last weekend reflected some of biggest terrorism threats in recent yearsIsrael's embassy in London was the target of an alleged terror plot involving a group of Iranian nationals who were detained by police after a series of dramatic raids across England on Saturday, sources have told the Guardian.Four men remain in custody and are being questioned by police on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act targeting what police and politicians have so far only been willing to describe publicly as specific premises". Continue reading...

Security minister says US delegation wanted classification for PCC and Comando Vermelho to aid immigration policyThe Brazilian government has rejected a request by the US state department to designate two major criminal gangs as terrorist organizations, according to Mario Sarrubo, Brazil's national secretary of public security.Sarrubo said the request was made on Tuesday during a meeting between US and Brazilian officials in Brasilia. Continue reading...

Officials say the likelihood Lily and Jack Sullivan are still alive after disappearing in Nova Scotia on 2 May is very low'Nearly a week after two young children went missing in rural Nova Scotia, Canadian police say they are beginning to scale back search efforts given the low" odds the children are still alive - and that they are not ruling out the possibility of foul play.Since Friday, more than 160 searchers with drones and canine units have scoured the thickly forested region of Pictou county in search of Lily Sullivan, six, and Jack Sullivan, four. Continue reading...

Open roles include engineers and manufacturing operators as firm prepares to ramp up productionBritish Steel has said it will hire more than 180 new employees, as it prepares to ramp up iron and steel production for the first time since its government rescue.The company has started recruiting for 165 roles in Scunthorpe and a further 17 at its operations in Teesside and Skinningrove, to support production at its two blast furnaces. Continue reading...

Cardinals will be back for more votes tomorrow with up to four rounds of voting

Cardinals begin locked-in selection process amid throng of pilgrims and peaceful protest for women's rights in church

Cynthia Diekema and husband were paddling in mouth of river when startled animal thrashed and capsized canoeAn alligator killed a Florida woman after tipping over a canoe she and her husband were paddling, in what investigators say appeared to be an accidental encounter.The attack happened on Tuesday afternoon near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee, south of Orlando, the Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) said. It's near the same location as a March alligator attack in which a woman was bitten on the elbow while kayaking. Continue reading...

Central bank says uncertainty has increased' as it opts to maintain benchmark interest rate for third time in a rowThe Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold and called out growing dangers in the US economy amid Donald Trump's erratic rollout of an aggressive trade strategy.Jerome Powell, the US central bank's chair, cautioned that the president's tariffs are likely to lift prices, weaken growth and increase unemployment if maintained. Continue reading...

All-out war is unlikely but shifting of goalposts amid Gaza and Ukraine conflicts suggests Kashmir crisis could escalate

Fears raised of escalating conflict after statement accusing India of igniting an inferno' in Kashmir and Punjab

Homeland security secretary says people without ID yet can take domestic flights after additional identity checksMost airports around the United States operated smoothly Wednesday as new Real ID requirements took effect because travelers without the updated document were still allowed to move through security easily.Those without the IDs were given flyers informing them that going forward they would need to present Real ID or other federally accepted ID for air travel within the US. Continue reading...

India claims to have attacked camps associated with a militant group in Pakistan - but what is its relationship with Islamabad?

Liam LaFavers ordered $4,200 worth of Dum-Dums for friends, but his mother was eventually able to get a refundA Kentucky mom found herself in a sticky situation when her eight-year-old son ordered 70,000 Dum-Dum lollipops on her phone.On Sunday, Holly LaFavers noticed a $4,200 charge on her bank account, only to realize her son Liam had placed a bulk order for the candy via her Amazon account. Continue reading...

Jefferson Griffin had fought in courts to try and overturn 734-vote loss to Democrat Allison Riggs in NovemberThe Republican candidate for a state supreme court race in North Carolina has conceded the election after more than six months of contesting the results.For months, Jefferson Griffin, currently judge on the North Carolina court of appeals, had fought in courts to try and overturn his 734-vote loss to Allison Riggs in November. Last month, the North Carolina supreme court said that more than 1,300 voters who had successfully cast ballots had to prove their eligibility or else they would be thrown out. On Monday, a federal judge blocked that ruling and ordered state election officials to certify the election. Continue reading...

Chewy's owner was detained and a bulk amount of methamphetamine was discovered in vehicle, officials sayPolice in Ohio were surprised to discover a pet raccoon called Chewy with a meth pipe in its mouth during a traffic stop in the town of Springfield.In a statement, Springfield Township police department said that one of its officers, Austin Branham, made the stop after spotting a vehicle whose owner had an active warrant and a suspended driver's license. Continue reading...

Complaints of people who were infected, and their relatives, include criticisms that scheme is slow, flawed and complexPeople infected as a result of the contaminated blood scandal, and their relatives, say they have been re-traumatised" by delays to - and flaws in - the compensation scheme.At a special hearing of the infected blood inquiry, which published its final report in May last year, victims and campaigners lined up to castigate the government's handling of compensation. Continue reading...

Cheryl Tweedy, who has son with late One Direction star, appointed administrator of fortune along with lawyerThe late One Direction star Liam Payne has left behind a 24.3m fortune after dying without a will.Cheryl Tweedy, his former partner and mother of his son, Bear, is legally responsible for Payne's money, property and possessions after being named an administrator for his estate. Continue reading...

Former chancellor says he does not expect the Conservatives to die out as a party but he says it is a possibilityKeir Starmer starts by saying rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain. The government is enouraging de-escalation, he says.He says tomorrow the nation will fall silent to commemorate VE Day. The armed forces protect our freedom, he says. Continue reading...

More than 20 experts call on countries to act or witness the slaughter of innocents'

Ministry of culture tells Sotheby's it would be participating in continued colonial exploitation' if sale of gems goes aheadThe Indian government is seeking to repatriate ancient gem relics linked to the Buddha's remains after halting their sale at an auction in Hong Kong.Sotheby's postponed the sale of the Piprahwa gems, due on Wednesday, after the ministry of culture threatened to take legal action against the auction house in Indian and Hong Kong courts and through international bodies for violations of cultural heritage laws". Continue reading...

Internal government forecasts obtained by the Guardian reveal truly shocking' effects of planned cuts

Non-binary British actor tells podcast that recognition for women in the entertainment industry should be preserved - but doesn't know how to address gender non-conforming actorsThe Last of Us star Bella Ramsey has said awards shows should preserve separate prize categories for male and female entertainers.The British star, who identifies as non-binary, said it was important to distinguish performers, as a lot of women wouldn't get nominated" if there was one category for all actors. Continue reading...

Ticket website also faces uncertainty over hit to foreign travel and government plan for UK rail booking systemThe online rail ticket retailer Trainline has warned of headwinds", including the expansion of London's contactless travel zone and economic uncertainty denting foreign travel.Shares in the London-listed company tumbled by as much as 8% on Wednesday, before recovering slightly to a fall of 4%, despite reporting surging profits for the year to 28 February. Continue reading...

Podcasts and puzzles get a boost as part of mobile first' strategy with 1m daily active users of appThe Guardian has relaunched its mobile app to deliver more personalised, visual content and boost the prominence of podcasts, as part of a mobile first" strategy.A dedicated tab for podcasts has been introduced to help users discover and listen to new episodes via a new in-app player, while users can also listen to all articles using a text-to-speech feature. Continue reading...

Campaigners welcome church move making it first major denomination in UK to adopt neutral positionCampaigners in favour of assisted dying have welcomed moves by Scotland's largest church to take a neutral stance on a new bill to legalise the practice.Members of the Scottish parliament are to hold their first vote next Tuesday on a private member's bill to legalise assisted dying in Scotland, after months of assessment by a backbench committee. Continue reading...

Poor start to year comes after bounceback in last three months of 2024 fizzled out

UK's largest ever collaborative touring project' will involve institutions pooling their resources and sharing expertiseA 5m project in which 20 museums will share their collections and expertise with each other could revolutionise the touring model in the UK.Going Places has been developed by Art Fund, the charity that secures art for public collections while providing financial support for museums, and will involve local people when the nationwide project launches in May 2026. Continue reading...

Research also finds many trapped in abusive relationships and unable to afford sanitary products and other basicsWomen who have fled war are being forced into sex work in the UK because of the extreme poverty of their living conditions here, while almost half cannot afford sanitary products, according to research.In a report looking at the impact of the Home Office's near-total ban on employment for people seeking asylum, the charity Women for Refugee Women has found that 10% of women interviewed have been forced into sex work in order to survive, in many cases to feed their children, while 38% were forced into abusive relationships or situations. Almost half could not afford basics like sanitary products and about 80% could not afford clothes, public transport or phone credit. Continue reading...