Vice-president's war doubts and his boss's desperation to reopen Red Sea look like a weak deck against bolstered opponentsAs JD Vance arrives in Islamabad to negotiate a peace deal with Iran, his first high-profile assignment of the war looks to be a poisoned chalice.Vance, a vocal opponent of US wars in the Middle East gone quiet since the beginning of the current military campaign, will now face off with Iranian negotiators who feel emboldened by their new control of the Hormuz strait and their resilience in the face of the largest US-Israeli onslaught in history. Vance's presence at the talks as vice-president will make it the highest-level meeting since the Iranian revolution of 1979. Continue reading...
Adams was granted citizenship and a passport from Balkan country by a special decree from the republic's presidentEric Adams has obtained citizenship and a passport from Albania, according to reports on Friday from the Balkan country which received effusive compliments from him during a visit there months earlier.The Albania Daily News first reported that the former New York City mayor had requested both and was granted them by a special decree from the republic's president, Bajram Begaj. A spokesperson for Adams confirmed that development in a statement distributed to the news media, and it was evidently chronicled in Albania's official government journal. Continue reading...
WilmerHale, the law firm examining Leon Botstein's communications with Jeffrey Epstein, said review is ongoing'Bard College's president, Leon Botstein, told his staff at a meeting this week that there was no way he could have known that Jeffrey Epstein - who was a convicted sex offender during their interactions over the years - was actually reprehensible" and predicted he would soon be cleared of any hint of impropriety about their relationship, according to sources who witnessed the remarks.The liberal arts college's board of trustees hired in February the white-shoe law firm WilmerHale to independently investigate communications between Epstein and Botstein. Continue reading...
Triumphal arch would be 250ft tall, featuring a 60ft golden Lady Liberty, at the foot of Arlington Memorial BridgeThe Trump administration on Friday released new renderings of the triumphal arch the president wants to install in Memorial Circle at the foot of the Arlington Memorial Bridge.As part of Donald Trump's legacy-building quest during his second term in office, the so-called Arc de Trump" would stand 250ft tall, feature a 60ft golden Lady Liberty, and include a viewing deck. The phrase One Nation Under God" would stretch across the top of the structure, according to the latest plans from Harrison Design. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#74VR9)
Relacorilant, typically used to treat Cushing's syndrome, could improve outcomes in platinum-resistant casesA drug originally used to treat a rare disease could extend the lives of patients with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer, according to a clinical trial.Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer occurs when the disease progresses within six months of starting platinum-based chemotherapy. This form of chemotherapy is different from other types because it uses compounds that contain platinum to destroy cancer cells by preventing them from dividing. Continue reading...
Vehicle veered into a ravine on island of La Gomera while transporting a tour group for a boat excursionA man has died and 27 people are in hospital after a bus carrying British passengers crashed in the Canary Islands, local officials have said.The incident happened at 1.15pm local time on Friday when the vehicle veered into a ravine on the GM-2 highway near the town of San Sebastian de La Gomera. Continue reading...
Social media post names no names but criticizes attempts to use religion to glorify US war in Middle EastPope Leo XIV on Friday offered a new criticism of war, in a social media post that named no names but appeared to hint at the Trump administration leadership harnessing Christian nationalism to glorify the US and Israel's war against Iran.God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs," Leo wrote on his official X account. Military action will not create space for freedom or times of #Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples." Continue reading...
President's post on Truth Social is in keeping with a pattern of using shocking video to sow fear about immigration and justify mass deportationBesieged by questions about his war on Iran and his wife's statement on Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump tried to shift the national conversation back to his immigration crackdown by posting a graphic, distressing video of a woman in Florida being killed last week by a man he described as an illegal immigrant" from Haiti.The video, taken by a surveillance camera outside a Fort Myers gas station, showed a man identified by authorities as a Haitian immigrant using a hammer to bludgeon to death the woman, who was reportedly a clerk at the gas station. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#74VQA)
Conservatives disowned Derek Bullock in 2023 after he allegedly used racial slur to call for people of Pakistani heritage to be shotA Reform UK candidate for next month's council elections was twice disciplined by the Conservatives over alleged offensive or racist comments, while another shared conspiracy theories about Covid, it has emerged, as the full slate of candidates was confirmed.More than 5,000 council places in England are being contested on 7 May, along with several mayoralties, and elections for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, in a significant test for all the major parties. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#74VQC)
PM pushes back after Trump's threats to leave alliance and says European members must do more in light of Iran warKeir Starmer has said it is in the best interests of the US to stay in Nato and that Europe must do more to support the alliance in light of the war in Iran.The British prime minister, speaking at the end of a multi-stop trip around the Gulf to discuss the tentative ceasefire and options to fully reopen the commercially vital strait of Hormuz, pushed back against Donald Trump's threats to leave the defence alliance. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#74VQD)
Rebels put forward amendments to courts bill in attempt to stop government plans to cut back on jury trialsLabour MPs are hoping to hijack plans to cut back on jury trials in England and Wales by proposing specialist courts for sexual offences with fixed dates for trial.Those behind the amendment want to block the wider plan to stop thousands of cases being potentially eligible for jury trials - a measure ministers say is needed to cut court backlogs - and they say the specialist courts alone could still solve much of the problem. Continue reading...
by Presented by Lucy Hough with Betsy Reed; producer on (#74VMZ)
Melania Trump made a surprise appearance at the White House on Thursday to announce that she never had a relationship' with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.Her address has seemingly put Epstein back on the political agenda when focus had been firmly on the US and Israel's war in Iran.The intervention came at a difficult time for her husband, Donald Trump, as the fragile ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran seemed to be at risk of falling apart, and as US lawmakers are raising the alarm over the president's mental stability.Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian US editor, Betsy ReedJonathan Freedland on Politics Weekly America with the Guardian's Washington bureau chief David Smith on whether Trump could be forced out of office - listen here or wherever you get your podcasts Continue reading...
The men, sent to the southern African country in July, have been denied in-person counsel for nine monthsFour men deported by the US to Eswatini and denied in-person legal counsel for nine months while detained in a maximum security prison have the right to see a local lawyer, Eswatini's supreme court ruled.The men, from Cambodia, Cuba, Vietnam and Yemen, were sent to the small southern African country in July despite having no connection to the country, as part of Donald Trump's administration's efforts to ramp up deportations. Continue reading...
Prime minister says conversation with US president on Thursday night focused on need for practical plan' to open strait of HormuzTony Blair, the former Labour prime minister, has joined those saying the government should allow drilling for oil and gas in the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields in the North Sea.Both applications were approved by the last Conservative government, but then overturned by a court ruling. Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, has to make a decision about the revised applications operating in a quasi-judicial capacity, which means he has to follow due process and can't take the decision purely on political ground.The current debate [on energy policy] is deadlocked between two incomplete responses. The government argues the answer is to accelerate Clean Power 2030, focusing on decarbonising the electricity system as quickly as possible. The opposition argues that the answer is to expand domestic oil and gas production. Both positions contain elements of truth, but neither addresses the core strategic problem: outside the power sector the UK economy remains overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels, and electricity is still too expensive to support mass electrification.The UK is caught in a self-reinforcing high-cost, low-electrification trap. High electricity costs suppress demand, slowing the uptake of electric vehicles, heat pumps and industrial electrification. Weak demand growth, in turn, means that the fixed costs of the system - from networks to long-term contracts - are spread across a smaller base, keeping prices high. The result is a system that is too expensive to electrify and therefore remains dependent on fossil fuels and exposed to global shocks ...The first of these vital measures will ban anyone from possessing or publishing harmful pornography that shows incest between family members, and sex between step or foster relations where one person is pretending to be under 18.A further amendment will criminalise the publication and possession of pornography where an adult is roleplaying as a child.This government is uncompromising in our mission to protect women and girls online, and we have taken action to stop tech firms from publishing this abusive content.In February, we told platforms that they must remove reported non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours.I greatly welcome the government's plans to fully address harmful pornographic content such as incest, step-incest and the mimicking of child sexual abuse. This content that is freely and widely available online is deeply harmful, normalising child sexual abuse and abusive relationships within families ...Today the government has answered our calls for change, and I am delighted that once again the UK is leading the way on regulating this high harm industry. Continue reading...
Tania Warner and her seven-year-old daughter were detained in Texas facilities deemed unsafe and degrading'When Tania Warner and her seven-year-old daughter, Ayla, were released after nearly three weeks of detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Canadian mother's joy at regaining her freedom was tempered by the knowledge of the many families who remained incarcerated.They were wonderful people. I just loved them and I cried so hard when I left, I just wanted to take them all with me," she said. Continue reading...
Study that reportedly found reduction in ER visits and hospitalizations being reviewed by Jay BhattacharyaA Trump administration appointee has delayed publication of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that shows benefits related to the Covid vaccine, leading to concerns that the administration is engaging in behind-the-scenes tactics to undermine vaccines.Research by CDC scientists found that the Covid vaccine cut the likelihood of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for healthy adults last winter by about half, according to reporting from the Washington Post. The acting CDC director, Jay Bhattacharya, reportedly delayed the report's publication due to concerns surrounding the research's methodology. Continue reading...
by Aamna Mohdin Community affairs correspondent on (#74VDG)
Campaigning in Newcastle before next month's local elections shows the rise of the far right, the climate and cost of living are concerning voters as much as the Middle EastMohammed Suleman, a self-described straight-talking Geordie", doesn't love politics. The taxi driver and businessman prefers to focus on community initiatives. But when the time came, he voted Labour as the lesser of two evils.Then came the war in Gaza. Continue reading...
Designer said to be considering options for his 40% stake in fashion house ahead of negotiations with bank lendersStefano Gabbana left his post as chair of Dolce & Gabbana at the start of this year, the design house he co-founded with his then partner, Domenico Dolce, in 1985 has said.The Italian luxury fashion house said Gabbana had tendered his resignation, effective as of 1 January, as part of a natural evolution of its organisational structure and governance". Continue reading...
Lee Milne sentenced to eight years in landmark case after being found guilty of culpable homicide of Kimberly MilneA man convicted of killing his wife, who took her own life after repeated domestic abuse, has been jailed for eight years in case seen as a significant legal milestone.Kimberly Milne, 28, died when she jumped from a bridge in July 2023. Her estranged husband, Lee Milne, was found guilty of culpable homicide last month after a trial at the high court in Glasgow.In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org Continue reading...
by Alice Fowle and Maggie Shopova for MetDesk on (#74VBE)
Powerful storm brings destruction, while temperatures soar in Vietnam and torrential rain lashes South KoreaSevere Tropical Cyclone Maila, currently in the Solomon Sea, is expected to continue moving south-westwards over the coming days. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Maila had peak sustained winds of 115mph (185km/h), with gusts up to 160mph on Thursday, making it the strongest cyclone recorded this far north in the Solomon Sea.The storm has caused widespread damage across the Solomon Islands, particularly in Western, Choiseul and Isabel provinces, where schools, clinics and homes have been damaged. The government is prioritising humanitarian assistance after about 120 people were displaced and almost 73,000 people affected overall. Continue reading...
Stars including Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, David Byrne and Addison Rae also head to the desert for the first of two sold-out weekends of live musicJustin Bieber is set for a major live performance comeback at this year's sold-out Coachella with rainy weather set to be a possible spoiler.The Canadian singer will face his biggest live stage since he abandoned his 2022 tour over health concerns. Bieber was experiencing full paralysis" on one side of his face after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. I wish this wasn't the case but obviously my body is telling me I gotta slow down," he said at the time. Continue reading...
PM appears to draw comparison between Russian and US leaders and calls for plan to restore shipping through strait of HormuzKeir Starmer has said he is fed up" with the effect that Donald Trump's actions in the Middle East are having on the British public, while appearing to draw a comparison between the US president to Vladimir Putin.Speaking to ITV's Robert Peston on Thursday, the prime minister said: I'm fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy, businesses' bills go up and down on energy because of the actions of Putin or Trump across the world." Continue reading...
Texas city believes loose rules and low taxes will make the US's biggest banks come running - can it pull it off?As the warm sun rises over the Dallas skyline, SUVs and pickup trucks whiz past an unassuming construction site that is helping cement the city's Texas-sized financial ambitions.Nestled between towers claimed by Bank of America and JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs has cordoned off 800,000 sq ft for a new Dallas campus able to host more than 5,000 staff. But the $700m (530m) project is more than a regional expansion plan by one of America's largest banks. It is another win for the lobbyists behind Dallas's Y'all Street" - the Texan city's aggressive push to steal New York's financial crown. Continue reading...
How much fuel does Australia have left today, and when could we run out? Track how much petrol and diesel prices have risen near you in Sydney, Melbourne and across the country.
by Presented by Jonathan Freedland, with David Smith, on (#74V65)
This week, despite securing a temporary ceasefire with Iran, there were calls from both the left and the right to invoke the 25th amendment of the US constitution to remove Donald Trump from office.Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian's Washington bureau chief, David Smith, about the various ways Congress could remove Trump from the White HouseArchive: ABC News, Fox News, Tucker Carlson, France 24 Continue reading...
Feuding parties and crumbling public services damaging public's faith in Stormont, 28 years on from Good Friday agreementThe Good Friday agreement appeared over Northern Ireland like a sunburst - a miracle of political leadership that consigned the Troubles to history.Signed on 10 April 1998, it ushered in an era of peace that endures and is held up as a model for resolving conflicts around the world. Yet Northern Ireland will mark the agreement's 28th anniversary on Friday with gloom. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvolgyi in Budapest on (#74V67)
Former Viktor Orban loyalist and his Tisza party have enjoyed meteoric rise as opposition movement growsAs a child growing up in Budapest, Peter Magyar had a poster of Viktor Orban - at the time a leading figure in the country's pro-democracy movement - hanging above his bed. Orban was one of several political figures that adorned his bedroom, Magyar told a podcast last year, hinting at his excitement over the changes sweeping the country after the collapse of communism.Now Magyar, 45, is the driving force behind what could be another momentous political change in Hungary: the ousting of Orban, whose 16 years in power has transformed the country into a petri dish for illiberalism". Continue reading...
by Jonathan Yerushalmy, Lucy Campbell, Adela Suliman, on (#74TCA)
This live blog has now closed. Our coverage of the Middle East crisis continues hereThe UK foreign minister, Yvette Cooper, has said Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire agreement. In other remarks now being reported by Reuters, Cooper added that shipping through the strait of Hormuz must be toll-free.Amid ceasefire talks, Tehran has proposed fees or tolls on vessels to safely pass through the strait. Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested the US and Iran could collect tolls in a joint venture, while the White House said the priority was reopening the strait without limitations.And my principles and values made sure that our decisions were that we wouldn't get involved in the action without a lawful basis, without a viable, thought-through plan." Continue reading...
Hawaii Volcanoes national park closed due to eruption of one of world's most active volcanoes, located on Big IslandAmber lava exploded over 200 meters into the air as Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, located on Hawaii's Big Island, erupted on Thursday.Lava fountains began to erupt from the volcano after 11 am local time, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). On Thursday evening, plumes of smoke and lava pouring downslope were observable on a livestream camera. So far, the episode has produced 3.6 million cubic yards of lava, USGS said. Continue reading...
by Presented by Nosheen Iqbal with Lanre Bakare; prod on (#74V62)
Lanre Bakare on the UK government's decision to revoke Kanye West's visa after Wireless festival booked him as a headlinerWhen Kanye West was announced as the headliner for Wireless festival in London this summer, the backlash was immediate.He'd been on a campaign of four or five years of antisemitic trolling," Lanre Bakare, the Guardian's arts and culture correspondent, tells Nosheen Iqbal. Embracing neo-Nazi imagery, pushing out far-right conspiracy theories about Jewish people." Continue reading...
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