World news | The Guardian

Capture of rogue ship could open a new front against Moscow at a time when Russia's oil revenues are tumblingThe UK is threatening to seize a Russia-linked shadow fleet tanker in an escalatory move that could lead to the opening up of a new front against Moscow at a time when the country's oil revenues are tumbling.British defence sources confirmed that military options to capture a rogue ship had been identified in discussions involving Nato allies - though a month has gone by since the US-led seizure of a Russian tanker in the Atlantic. Continue reading...

Almost 1m UK households are hooked up to heat networks. None had protection from poor service or price hikes ... until last monthIf I could move, I would - to a place without a heat network. But I can't while this debt is hanging over me," says Anja Georgiou.The mother lives with her family in a rented flat in the River Gardens development in Greenwich in south-east London where, three years ago, residents were shocked to be presented with a surprise 200,000 bill for heating and hot water. Continue reading...

Prices paid for large estates not being disclosed on official register, land reform advocates sayLand reform campaigners are alarmed at the increasing use of a legal loophole that allows landowners to conceal the price paid for Highland estates from the public register.Andy Wightman, a land reform analyst, said the loophole meant the prices paid in more than 300m-worth of Highland property transactions were not disclosed on the register. Continue reading...

Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro on course for victory but gains by Andre Ventura's Chega could herald watershedPortuguese voters will return to the polls on Sunday for the final round of a presidential election that has been marked by a push to keep the far-right candidate at bay and overshadowed by deadly storms that have lashed the country in recent days.The moderate leftwing candidate Antonio Jose Seguro won the first round of the election, which was held on 18 January, taking 31.1% of the vote. Continue reading...

Reporters say relatives in Iran have been questioned and persecuted in an effort to curb coverage of unrestExiled Iranian journalists working for the BBC have been warned their movements are being closely monitored by the state, as they said their families in Iran were being interrogated and persecuted for their reporting.Journalists said family members had been threatened with arrest and the seizure of their assets unless their loved ones stopped reporting on Iranian unrest. Continue reading...

Special pods at Chester zoo helped conservationists breed and release more than 100,000 greater Bermuda snailsA button-sized snail once feared extinct in its Bermudian home is thriving again after conservationists bred and released more than 100,000 of the molluscs.The greater Bermuda snail (Poecilozonites bermudensis) was found in the fossil record but believed to have vanished from the North Atlantic archipelago, until a remnant population was discovered in a damp and overgrown alleyway in Hamilton, the island capital, in 2014. Continue reading...

Cyclone was expected to become a category-three system before it hit the Pilbara coast on Sunday

Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014 before Canada-China ties nosedived in 2018China has overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a Canadian official said on Friday, in a possible sign of a diplomatic thaw as prime minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing.Schellenberg's lawyer Zhang Dongshuo, reached in Beijing on Saturday, confirmed the decision was announced on Friday by China's highest court. Continue reading...

Deputy director of Russia's military intelligence agency shot several times in the stairwell of his apartmentA top Russian military official who plays a major role in the country's intelligence services has been taken to hospital after being shot in Moscow, state media has reported.Lt Gen Vladimir Alekseyev was shot several times on the stairwell of his apartment on Friday by an unknown gunman in the north-west of the city and is in critical condition, according to reports. Continue reading...

Thirteen state and federal NSW MPs appeal to police to allow planned march protesting against the visit

The case in Bangladesh, where Nipah cases are reported almost every year, follows two Nipah virus cases identified in neighbouring IndiaThe World Health Organization said on Friday that a woman had died in northern Bangladesh in January after contracting the deadly Nipah virus infection.The case in Bangladesh, where Nipah cases are reported almost every year, follows two Nipah virus cases identified in neighbouring India, which has already prompted stepped-up airport screenings across Asia. Continue reading...

Single-engine Cessna crashed into water at Long Bay near Goolwa South on Friday afternoon

Watergate reporter says colleagues and readers deserve more' after newspaper lays off hundreds of workersThe veteran Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward has said he is crushed" by the mass layoffs of hundreds of colleagues at the paper and said the impact would be felt by readers - noting both deserve more".I am crushed that so many of my beloved colleagues have lost their jobs and our readers have been given less news and sound analysis," Woodward said in his first public remarks on the cuts, which were shared on X. They deserve more." Continue reading...

Harper Dennis also charged with possession of offensive weapon after fatal stabbing in Leicester city centreA man has been charged with the murder of 20-year-old student Khaleed Oladipo in Leicester.Harper Dennis, 18, of North Road, West Drayton, London, has been charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, police said. Continue reading...

Podcaster claimed former prime minister not English because he is brown-skinned Hindu'Rishi Sunak has described himself as being British, English and British Asian" in a riposte to increasing racially charged language used by figures on the right.The UK's first British Asian prime minister was speaking after his identity was questioned in recent debate sparked by a claim by the podcaster Konstantin Kisin that Sunak was not English because he was a brown-skinned Hindu". Continue reading...

Opalite video reunites host and guests including Domhnall Gleeson and Lewis Capaldi from Swift's October chatshow appearanceGraham Norton's chatshow has long been an object of fascination for American stars, wowed by its combined star wattage, glasses of wine and Norton's own quick-witted, lightly saucy repartee - and Taylor Swift has now taken that fandom to another level.Norton has been cast in the music video for Opalite, the second single from her album The Life of a Showgirl to receive music video treatment after The Fate of Ophelia. Not only Norton, in fact, but the stars from the guest lineup who sat alongside Swift when she appeared in October 2025: actors Domhnall Gleeson, Greta Lee and Jodie Turner-Smith, and fellow chart-topping musician Lewis Capaldi. Continue reading...

Jake Lang, a pardoned January 6 rioter, posted a video of himself kicking down the sculpture at Minnesota's capitolThe far-right influencer and US Senate candidate Jake Lang has been arrested after recording himself damaging an anti-ICE sculpture at Minnesota's capitol amid the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's crackdown there.On 5 February, Lang, who received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump over his role in the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, posted a video on X of himself kicking down the sculpture, which was made from ice - as in, frozen water. His efforts changed it from reading Prosecute ICE" to Pro ICE", referring to the federal agency. Continue reading...

Although tech stocks and cryptocurrencies suffered recent falls, investors largely shrugged off geopolitical tensionsThe Dow Jones industrial average crossed 50,000 for the first time, as ballooning tech valuations, robust corporate earnings and hopes of lower interest rates drive it to new highs.Leading stock markets on Wall Street came under pressure earlier this week as technology stocks fell amid scrutiny of extraordinary levels of investment into artificial intelligence. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Material gathered was personally given to Josh Simons when chair of pro-Starmer thinktank, say sourcesA Labour minister commissioned and reviewed an intelligence report in 2023 on journalists investigating the thinktank that helped propel Keir Starmer to power, the Guardian has learned.The research was ordered and subsequently reviewed by Josh Simons, now a minister in the Cabinet Office, when he was chair of Labour Together, according to sources and documents seen by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Christopher Moynihan pleads guilty to misdemeanor charge over threats last October to kill congressmanA rioter who was pardoned by Donald Trump for the felony he was convicted of in the storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 has pleaded guilty to a harassment charge over threats to kill congressman and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries.Christopher Moynihan, 35, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge in a hearing in Clinton, New York, prosecutors said, and will be sentenced in April. His representative could not immediately be reached. Continue reading...

Material distributed in Gorton and Denton did not have legally required imprint stating it was funded by partyReform UK will face a police investigation in Gorton and Denton after admitting it sent out letters from a concerned neighbour" which did not state they had been funded and distributed by the party.Greater Manchester police confirmed it had received a report about the breach of electoral law and said it would investigate. The Electoral Commission said the omission was a matter for the police, stressing that failing to include an imprint in candidate election material is an offence". Continue reading...

Progressive Analilia Mejia maintains slim lead after votes seemed to be swinging for Tom Malinowski

Former minister and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser met disgraced financier before formal foundation of Global Counsel

Properties in London and Wiltshire targeted by officers investigating alleged leaks to late child sex offenderPolice are searching two properties connected to Peter Mandelson as part of an investigation into claims that he passed market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein.A Metropolitan police statement, which did not name Mandelson, said searches were taking place in Camden, north London, and Wiltshire. Mandelson has been living in a rented property in Wiltshire since being sacked as ambassador to the US over his links to the late convicted child sex offender. Continue reading...

Acts are alleged to have occurred in 2024 on set of TV drama The Cleaning Lady, which Busfield acted in and directedA grand jury in New Mexico has indicted the actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges, officials announced on Friday.Busfield was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, the Bernalillo county district attorney's office said in a statement.In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sasan Ghandehari reluctant to share details of $10bn trust in row with Christie's auction houseA high court battle over a Picasso painting has shone a light on the offshore financial structures of an Iranian-born businessman who paid for Nigel Farage's 50,000 trip to Davos.The details about Sasan Ghandehari, who funded Farage's tickets to the summit, emerged in court papers about a 4m claim brought by a British Virgin Islands firm, which has accused Christie's auction house of misrepresentation when it sold the art to it. Continue reading...

Two coins celebrating Queen Elizabeth II criticised for failing to resemble late monarchTwo Australian coins commemorating Queen Elizabeth II have been criticised for failing to resemble the late monarch.The $5 (2.56) and 50c (26p) silver coins, created by Royal Australian Mint to commemorate the centenary of the queen's birth, were released in an online ballot that closed on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Zubayar al-Bakoush is suspected in Libya attack resulting in deaths of US ambassador and three other AmericansThe US attorney general, Pam Bondi, announced on Friday the arrest of a key participant" in the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack that killed four US government officials, including the US ambassador to Libya, J Christopher Stevens.Bondi said the suspect, Zubayar al-Bakoush, was taken into US custody at 3am ET on Friday. We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law. He'll face charges related to murder, terrorism, arson, among others," Bondi told reporters at a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington DC. Continue reading...

We're closing this blog now, you can read more on this story hereNearly 60,000 unauthorised migrants and convicted criminals have been removed or deported from the UK since Labour took office, the Home Office has said.The announcement came amid claims that the government was promoting harmful stereotypes" by equating migration with criminality. Continue reading...

Officials, MPs and other insiders recall a need for clarity and Blair-era frisson before election - even if Sue Gray was wary

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereHundreds of protesters gathered in Milan on Friday to oppose the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and the closure of schools and streets in the city ahead of the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Games.Reuters reported that protesters - mostly students with signs reading ICE out" - assembled in Piazzale Leonardo da Vinci, in front of a building of the Politecnico University in the eastern part of the city. Continue reading...

Noel Gallagher and Harry Styles lead way, and sales of jeans in general rise faster than wider fashion marketThe UK was one of Levi's fastest-growing markets last year as British trend leaders from Harry Styles to Noel Gallagher and Grime Gran were spotted in the brand's kit.Lucia Marcuzzo, the managing director of the European operations at the US company famous for its denim jeans, said the revival of 1990s trends had boosted sales of its classic 501s. New trends such as baggy jeans and cinch styles, which can be adjusted around the waist, had also helped, as denim has found its way back into wardrobes. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereIt is the first time the US and Iran have sat down for face-to-face negotiations since June last year, when Israel launched attacks on Iran that sparked a war marked by tit-for-tat airstrikes, with the US also joining the fray. It effectively ended the US-Iran talks that were held in the weeks prior to the conflict aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement.More recently, Donald Trump has been threatening to strike Iran for more than a month and just last week warned that an armada" of US warships had reached the Persian Gulf. This recent clash began after Trump said he would strike Iran if it killed protesters during mass antigovernment demonstrations that swept the country last month. Human rights groups say thousands of people were killed during the brutal government crackdown on those protests. Continue reading...

Doron Almog has previously faced arrest warrants over allegations he committed war crimes in Gaza in 2002, which he denies

AA says long-awaited evaluations show schemes are a catastrophic waste of time, money and effort'

Spain and Portugal hit with torrential rain while flash floods in Morocco force more than 100,000 people to evacuateThe Iberian peninsula has been placed under severe weather alerts as Storm Leonardo continues to batter parts of Spain and Portugal with torrential rain and strong winds.Since Tuesday, the slow-moving system has brought widespread disruption, flooding and evacuations. In Grazalema, in southern Spain, more than 700mm of rain has fallen since Wednesday, roughly equivalent to the country's average annual rainfall. Continue reading...

Founding of diplomatic outposts in Nuuk comes after US made efforts to secure control of Arctic island

Labour Together allegedly hired company to look at Sunday Times and Guardian reporters after article about donationsA thinktank previously run by a Labour minister and the prime minister's chief of staff is alleged to have paid a PR firm to investigate journalists who were looking into its funding.Labour Together, once run by Morgan McSweeney and then by Josh Simons, now a Cabinet Office minister, hired APCO Worldwide to investigate journalists from the Guardian, the Sunday Times and other outlets and to identify their sources, according to claims in the Substack publication Democracy for Sale. Continue reading...

Macmillan announces latest instalment of popular Julia Donaldson tale featuring illustrations by Axel SchefflerThe Gruffalo family is to expand after the publisher of the popular children's stories announced a long-awaited third book about the beloved monster.The new tale, Gruffalo Granny, will be published on 10 September, Macmillan announced. Continue reading...

Property prices in January rose 0.7%, the fastest rate since November 2024 increase of 1.1%

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Analysis of nearly 500 tinned and chilled products finds 23% exceed government's voluntary salt targetNearly a quarter of all soup bought in supermarkets contains too much salt, with one brand containing more salt than two McDonald's cheeseburgers, according to research.Soup has long had a reputation for being a healthy choice for lunch. The analysis of nearly 500 varieties of tinned and chilled soups sold in supermarkets found that 23% contained too much salt. Continue reading...

Large majorities in six nations express antipathy to Trump's US and support European self-assertionWestern Europeans prize Europe's autonomy and values over transatlantic ties and will not give them up to placate Donald Trump, according to a poll suggesting opinions of the US have plunged to their lowest since YouGov began tracking them a decade ago.The US president's attempted Greenland grab has succeeded in turning Europeans solidly against his country, the pollster's latest survey found. Large majorities in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Great Britain all declared an unfavourable opinion. Continue reading...

Residents of New Zealand capital advised not to enter the water, collect seafood or walk their dogs on local beaches after wastewater plant failureA sewage leak in New Zealand's capital Wellington has been described by local authorities as an environmental disaster," with repairs to the city's wastewater treatment plant expected to take months.Residents of Wellington have been advised not to enter the water, collect seafood or even walk their dogs on local beaches. Continue reading...

Dozens of people have died, including two Australians, as record-breaking snowfall blankets the northDozens of people have died in Japan after record-breaking snowfall blanketed northern regions of the country, while officials warned that warmer temperatures could trigger a new wave of accidents.Authorities said 35 people had died in snow-related incidents across Japan since 20 January, with almost 400 injured, 126 of them seriously. Most of the deaths were among people who fell while trying to clear snow from their roofs or around their homes. Continue reading...

The four-year-old, from South Australia, was last seen playing outside home on family sheep station in the outback in September

The country's first female PM is the object of a personality cult revolving around everything from her outfits and snacks to her favourite pink penJust eight months ago, Japan's ruling party appeared to have reached the edge of the electoral abyss. It had lost a parliamentary majority for the second time in 15 months; its MPs were implicated in a long-running slush fund scandal; the then prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, was the target of factional plotting.But as voters prepare to brave freezing temperatures in this Sunday's lower house elections, the Liberal Democratic party (LDP) is expected to pull off a momentous victory. And the party's recovery from the disappointment of last year is largely down to one woman. Continue reading...

Officers attended Tuncurry property on Friday morning following reports of a home invasion, police say

Andrew Bell says it's regrettable' that former PM suggested judge had made a political judgment' regarding pro-Palestine protest in AugustThe chief justice of New South Wales has criticised former prime minister Tony Abbott for what he says was a regrettable, misconceived and ignorant attack on a judge's decision regarding last year's pro-Palestine Sydney Harbour Bridge march.Andrew Bell said in a speech on Thursday evening that Abbott's post on X in August last year threatened social cohesion. Continue reading...

There's an obvious reason for the delay. But the banks still need to compete on savings rates to finance their operations