World news | The Guardian

Inquiry into sexual assault claims did not establish that chief prosecutor's actions amounted to misconduct, judges adviseThe international criminal court's governing body is expected to meet on Monday to assess the advice of a panel of judges who have challenged the findings of an investigation into the chief prosecutor, Karim Khan.Last year a UN inquiry into the allegations about Khan's behaviour is understood to have established a factual basis for claims of misconduct against him. The senior British lawyer has been accused by a complainant of sexual abuse. Continue reading...

US president's backing comes as Hungary's PM faces toughest election campaign of 16 years in officeDonald Trump has endorsed Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, who faces his toughest electoral challenge next month since taking power 16 years ago, as Europe's far-right leaders gather for a grand assembly" in Budapest.In a video message, the US president told the national-conservative Cpac Hungary conference in the capital on Saturday that Orban, who has been trailing in the polls behind a centre-right rival for more than a year, was a fantastic guy". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Allowing US tech firm to analyse intelligence in name of tackling fraud raises fresh concerns over privacy

AI analytics firm has become influential in Whitehall, and FCA deal gives it yet more access to data

Witnesses describe coordinated raids in which homes and vehicles were set on fire and several Palestinians injured

Shadow justice secretary had called Trafalgar Square event an act of domination'James Cleverly has said he disagrees with his Conservative frontbench colleague Nick Timothy that public Muslim prayers are an act of domination, as another senior Tory called for the party to respect the right to worship.Kemi Badenoch has defended Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, after he posted images of mass prayer at a Ramadan event on Monday evening in Trafalgar Square, calling it an act of domination" and straight from the Islamist playbook". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Townsville lawyer and former detective Darren Robinson's appointment by attorney general Deb Frecklington has brought back a lot of trauma' for Indigenous community

The phrase should evoke optimism, positive expectations about the future, trust and belonging. That seems almost out of reach in a chaotic worldOne term has already become the well-intentioned weasel word of 2026: social cohesion". A phrase that can be dropped into speeches, inquiries and legislation, its meaning shape-shifts depending on the audience. Is it about glue" or the rule of law? About community resilience or countering fear? Does it mean finding places of real exchange, or shutting up and getting on?Although it has been in the political lexicon for years, the terror attack that targeted Jewish people celebrating Hanukah in Bondi last December brought social cohesion to the fore as an urgent problem to solve. Continue reading...

University polling and focus groups found sharpest increase in those worried about national security was cohort aged 18 to 24Nearly half of Australians believe a foreign military will attack the country within five years, as anxiety over national security issues rises sharply, a new study suggests.The Australian National University's National Security College report found that two-thirds of those polled in 2026, including an increasing number of teenagers and young adults, were worried about national security issues. Continue reading...

Leveraging Australian gas exports to ensure we get oil in return is among the offbeat ideas we could be hearing more about

Heather Danae Lewis who was one of 30 people charged in Minnesota church protest showed she did not attend eventFederal prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against a woman accused of participating in a controversial January protest at a Minnesota church after the woman apparently did not attend the event at all.Prosecutors notified a federal judge they intended to drop charges against Heather Danae Lewis, who was one of 30 people charged in connection with an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest that disrupted a service at Cities church in St Paul. Officials have charged the protesters with civil rights crimes, saying they interfered with the right of the congregants at the church to exercise their religious beliefs. The media professional Don Lemon, who was at the event reporting on the protest, was among those charged. Continue reading...

Three cases previously confirmed reclassified by UK Health Security Agency after further testingThe number of confirmed meningitis cases linked to the Kent outbreak has fallen from 23 to 20.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Sunday that three cases previously thought confirmed had been downgraded after further testing. Continue reading...

There are flooding rains in Hawaii, rare snow in Alabama and a severe heatwave in the west coast

Israeli air defence systems fail to intercept projectiles during attacks on southern cities of Arad and Dimona

Leon Panetta calls president naive' over strait of Hormuz closure and says the chickens are coming home to roost'Donald Trump is stuck between a rock and a hard place" after three weeks of war in Iran and sending a message of weakness" to the world, Leon Panetta, a former US defence secretary and Central Intelligence Agency director, has told the Guardian.Panetta, who served in the Bill Clinton and Barack Obama administrations, recalled that national security officials were always keenly aware of Iran's ability to create an energy crisis by blocking the strait of Hormuz. That very scenario is now unfolding, leaving Trump with no exit strategy beyond wishful thinking. Continue reading...

Steve Reed says UK is not going to be dragged into this war' after Israeli warnings that Iranian missiles could hit Europe

Scott Peyton left the Lafayette, Louisiana, diocese after priest admitted to abusing his son and was excommunicated months laterA Louisiana man who resigned as a Roman Catholic deacon after a priest molested his son and then was excommunicated from the church entirely by his local bishop is asking global church leaders to inform him of the fate of his appeal against the prelate's decision, something that was supposed to be resolved more than a year earlier.In a letter to the Vatican entity in charge of clerical discipline, a canon - or church - law attorney representing Scott Peyton asserts that his case is nuanced and requires careful consideration". To the extent that the delay reflects such diligence, he is grateful," said the letter to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), prepared by Dawn Eden Goldstein on 3 February and obtained recently by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Figures seen by the Guardian show the two peers each attended just 1.12% of sessions in past four yearsEvgeny Lebedev's longstanding commitment to being the most relaxed member of the House of Lords has come under threat from another peer, Ian Botham, with both recording identical attendance rates of 1.12% over the past four years.According to Lords records seen by the Guardian, Lebedev and Botham - who were both appointed by Boris Johnson - each managed to make it to seven of the 625 sessions of the upper house that took place from the start of 2022 to the end of 2025. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Rebecca Harris promotes latest Crewkerne Gazette skit, created by Joshua Bonehill-Paine who says he is Tory memberThe Conservative party's chief whip has been condemned for promoting AI-generated footage created by a notorious far-right figure who was jailed for hate crimes against Jewish people.Rebecca Harris reposted the latest skit by the Crewkerne Gazette, which depicts Kemi Badenoch and her shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, as characters in the gangster film Scarface. Continue reading...

Unpaid carers say they remain in limbo' as DWP continues to pursue discredited repayment billsMPs have threatened to launch a fresh inquiry into the handling of the carers allowance scandal after unpaid carers spoke of being stuck in limbo" by the government's response.The warning came amid concerns over delays in Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plans to offer redress to tens of thousands of carers who were unfairly issued with overpayment bills based on discredited official guidance. Continue reading...

Electoral alliances expected to play vital role in number of contests including Paris and MarseilleVoting is under way in France in the second round of local elections - seenas a bellwether for next year's presidential race - with cities including Paris and Marseille in the balance and both the radical left and far right hoping for gains.Most of France's 35,000-odd communes elected their councils in the first round last Sunday, but in municipalities where the contest is tighter, including most large urban areas, the second round will be decisive, with electoral alliances playing a key role. Continue reading...

Labor's Peter Malinauskas secures at least 32 seats while Pauline Hanson's party outpolls Liberals and could become de facto oppositionOne Nation will win at least one South Australian lower house seat, and is leading in a handful of others, as the Liberals consider sobering lessons" from Saturday's thumping election loss to Labor.One Nation's electoral success came as federal MP Barnaby Joyce downplayed racism and bigotry accusations against the party before likening a ban on migration from Muslim countries to buying cattle that just don't work". Continue reading...

Cyber experts say influence operations in asymmetric' campaign to intensify moral pressure on US and Israel

Problem-solving', child-focused courts to replace adversarial hearings, with earlier intervention to cut delaysFamily courts are not good enough" and have treated women and children unfairly for decades, a government minister has said.Announcing a major overhaul of the family justice system in England and Wales that will play a central role in rebalancing" the family courts, Alison Levitt said often brutal legal showdowns will be replaced with a problem-solving", child-focused model. Continue reading...

Donald Trump's little excursion' is likely to have long-term effects, from oil prices to inflation to growth, say expertsIn the days after the US and Israel first bombed Iran, financial markets bet the economic fallout from Donald Trump's little excursion" in the Middle East would be short-lived.There are risks from higher oil prices longer term. But this is a tail risk," one US-based fund manger said after the airstrike killing Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. History has shown time and time again that geopolitical flare-ups like this tend to be short-lived. This one should prove to be no exception.'' Continue reading...

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National referendum is being seen as a de facto confidence vote on the government - and the polls are neck and neckIn the run-up to a referendum in Italy on a government quest to overhaul the judiciary, a campaign flyer circulated online quoting Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, taking aim at judges and feminists. Judges block the deportations of rapists. Where are the feminists? Vote yes - there will not be another opportunity," it read.The flyer, posted on the Facebook page of Meloni's Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist roots, was subsequently removed. But its tone has defined a campaign dominated by inflammatory rhetoric rather than meaningful debate. Continue reading...

This blog is now closedCircling back now to Diego Garcia, Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean - but neither of them hit, according to news reports citing US officials.The Wall Street Journal said one of the missiles failed in flight, and that a US warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other, citing two US officials. It could not be determined if an interception was made, one said. Continue reading...

Energy minister says war on Iran creating uncertain environment' but insists government doing all the preparatory work'

People in hard-hit areas of Oahu and Maui told to evacuate with still more rain expected over the weekendAs Hawaii endures its worst flooding in more than 20 years, officials urged people in hard-hit areas to LEAVE NOW". That warning early on Saturday came after heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, and still more was expected over the weekend.Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu's North Shore, a community renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail. Continue reading...

President attacks Radical Left Democrats' after homeland security funding bill again sinks in Senate

Victims of army drone attack on East Darfur health facility included children and medical personnelA strike on a healthcare facility in Sudan has killed 64 people and wounded 89 more, the World Health Organization reported on Saturday.The UN's humanitarian office in Sudan had earlier said it was appalled by the attack on a hospital in East Darfur yesterday, reportedly killing dozens, including children, and injuring more". Continue reading...

First responders report 33 injured at multiple sites in Dimona, including a 10-year-old boy in serious condition

Outrage mounts after president posted on Truth Social he was glad' former FBI director and special counsel had diedDonald Trump has been condemned as a vile, disgusting man" and a sick human being" after gloating over the death of Robert Mueller, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).Mueller, a decorated Vietnam war veteran who led a politically explosive investigation into Trump, died on Friday aged 81, triggering a callous reaction from the US president. Continue reading...

Labor should urge Australians to rethink purpose of super, Tracey Burton says, so country's $4tn in superannuation could help plug funding shortfalls

Amid a surge in fuel prices and fear of shortages, SA police chief signals officers might stop investigating drive-offs' unless service stations install prepaid pumps

Yvette Cooper says government wants swift resolution to war after two missiles directed at military base at Diego Garcia

Family says Mueller, who also examined Russian interference in 2016 election that Trump won, passed away last night'Robert Mueller, the former special counsel who investigated Russian interference in 2016 and links between Donald Trump and Moscow, has died. He was 81.In a statement from Mueller's family, relayed by the New York Times on X, said With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away last night. His family asks that their privacy be respected." Continue reading...

Mark Robinson, who ran for North Carolina governor in 2024, tells podcast he had obsession' with porn and sex

Videos of Labour's Al Carns include him talking about his time as a marine and challenging a firefighter to pull-up contestLabour minister Al Carns has claimed thousands of pounds on parliamentary expenses for promotional videos including one showing him doing pull-ups at a fire station in competition with a firefighter.The veterans minister and former Royal Marine, who is tipped by some MPs as a leadership hopeful, claimed about 3,000, approved by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), for the production of 17 videos that show him interacting with local businesses. Continue reading...

Michael Smith, 52, charged after flooding platforms with thousands of AI songs and boosting them with bots

Footage shows US musician struggling with field sobriety tests he calls really hard' before his 2024 arrest in New YorkJustin Timberlake struggled to perform field sobriety tests requiring him to walk a straight line and stand on one leg after the pop star was pulled over in New York's Hamptons in 2024 by police officers who suspected him of driving drunk, according to video footage released on Friday.Timberlake tells officers at one point: These are, like, really hard tests." Continue reading...

Venezuelan-born dancer posts emotional video saying she plans to take on new projects in other areasStrictly Come Dancing's longest-serving female professional dancer, Karen Hauer, has quit the show after 14 years.In a video posted on Instagram, Hauer said it was the right time to close this chapter and take on new projects in other areas I'm passionate about". Continue reading...

Joe Kent, who left Trump administration over Iran war, tells Megyn Kelly facts are on my side' amid FBI investigation

Autopsy reveals James Jimmy' Gracey's injuries consistent with repeatedly hitting breakwater's rocks, Spanish media reportA University of Alabama student who was found dead in Barcelona after going missing while vacationing evidently fell into the sea on accident in view of surveillance cameras - and an autopsy revealed injuries on his body that were consistent with having repeatedly struck a breakwater's rocks.Such details about James Jimmy" Gracey surfaced in the Spanish media as a spokesperson for police in Barcelona told the Associated Press that all signs point" to the 20-year-old's death as having been inadvertent. Continue reading...

Some in cabinet in despair over possible impact of war begun by Donald Trump, who branded Nato allies cowards'

Labor secures landslide win, but One Nation vote tops 20%, leaving Liberals devastated and eating into ALP territory in outer suburbs

The Woman's Hour host, who has died aged 75, could talk about hydrangeas, campaign against domestic abuse, then tear a strip off a politician - all within a few minutesBefore she took over Woman's Hour in 1987, Jenni Murray was a presenter on the Today programme. She had joined the BBC in Bristol in 1973, and became a TV reporter and presenter for South Today, so arrived with solid news credentials. But Today in the 1980s was inveterately sexist - the guys took the politics, the women mopped up the rest - that the format was just too small for her.Woman's Hour, on the other hand, was absolutely reshaped in her image: there was no preconception of tone, and nothing was too serious or too light for it. Murray, who has died at the age of 75, could tear a strip off a politician, talk about hydrangeas, then campaign against domestic abuse, all within a few minutes. She was instinctively open and generous about her personal experience, but never solipsistic - an incredibly fine balance. Continue reading...

FoI request reveals no evidence of testing despite ministers hailing agreement as key to delivering AI-led public service reformWhen the UK government signed a memorandum of understanding with OpenAI, the tech firm behind ChatGPT, the partnership was hailed as one that could harness artificial intelligence to address society's greatest challenges".But eight months on from the fanfare of that announcement, the government has yet to hold any trials involving the firm's tech. Continue reading...

Exclusive: War has led to 5m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in two weeks and is draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combinedThe US-Israel war on Iran is a disaster for the climate, according to an analysis that finds it is draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined.As warplanes, drones and missiles kill thousands of people, level infrastructure and turn the Middle East into a gigantic environmental sacrifice zone, the first analysis of the climate cost has found the conflict led to 5m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in its first 14 days. Continue reading...