World news | The Guardian

More rain is expected to lash NSW as BoM issues severe weather and flash flood warningsAnother wet and stormy weekend is ahead for New South Wales with widespread rain and thunderstorms expected to batter much of the state.The heaviest downpours of up to 200mm are forecast to hit the South Coast and Illawarra, prompting widespread flash flood warnings. Continue reading...

Administrators tell creditors meeting they are moving heaven and earth' to secure a future for grounded airline

Lawyer for Elon Musk's company tells federal court notice from watchdog was manifestly inadequate'

Shadow health secretary says party will not accept just any MP after Natalie Elphicke's move to Labour UK politics live - latest updatesLabour's Wes Streeting has said he has spoken to more Tories considering a defection to the opposition, but insisted the party would not accept just any MP after the former Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke crossed the floor.The shadow health secretary said Elphicke, who is due to appear alongside the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, in her Dover constituency on Friday, had switched sides with a purpose" and not out of personal ambition", defending the move amid a backlash from some Labour MPs. Continue reading...

Hunters reportedly find five Rwandan men in mangroves on Saibai Island, a known crocodile habitatAs the UK government continues its push to forcibly remove asylum seekers to Rwanda, a group of Rwandan nationals has claimed asylum in Australia after arriving by boat on a remote island.The five men arrived in Australia by an unconventional route, reportedly flying into the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to be granted visas on arrival, before travelling thousands of kilometres east to Indonesia's Papua province, where they crossed the land border it shares with Papua New Guinea (PNG). Continue reading...

Meanwhile, federal opposition calls for Australia to actively vote against admitting Palestine as a full UN member. Follow the day's news live

Government will require that the five men who claimed asylum will not be sent to a country where they face persecution

Historic alehouse frequented by a Manic Street Preacher and All Black rugby players reconstructed on edge of Welsh capitalFor more than a century and a half, the Vulcan Hotel served dockers, railway workers, artists, sports stars, gamblers and dreamers and the demolition in 2012 of this beloved, spit-and-sawdust Cardiff pub felt like a bereavement.Twelve years on, the pints are about to flow and the pickled eggs served again after a painstaking project to move the old alehouse brick by brick to a new site and reopen it as a working pub. Continue reading...

Ten's legal team had argued Lehrmann should pay all its costs because suing The Project for defamation was deliberately wicked and calculated'

The singer and entertainer says he had loaned the woman money for a business after the pair met for dinner

Albanese government has already telegraphed budget will include $566m over 10 years to map Australia's soil and seabed for gasfield exploration and $100m to speed up environmental approvals

High court dismisses challenge from Iranian asylum seeker, ruling that detention is lawful if non-citizens refuse to cooperate in deportation process

Israeli prime minister says country can stand alone' but later says he hopes US and Israel can overcome differencesBenjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Israel will stand alone and fight with our fingernails" in defiance of US threats to further restrict arms deliveries if Israeli forces proceed with an offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, was speaking on Thursday after Israeli and Hamas delegations left the ceasefire negotiations in Cairo. It was unclear whether the talks had broken down or simply paused. Hamas said early on Friday that the ball is now completely" in Israel's hands, while Israel has claimed that Hamas' version of a deal fell far short of its requirements. Continue reading...

Thompson was the last surviving member of the group after the death of guitarist Wayne Kramer in FebruaryDennis Thompson, the drummer for influential Detroit rock band MC5, has died at the age of 75.Thompson, who was the last surviving member of the group after the death of guitarist Wayne Kramer in February, died in a Michigan nursing home on Thursday. He had been recovering after a heart attack in April, his son Chris McNulty told Detroit News. Continue reading...

Troubled airline had earlier cancelled flights to Australia and New Zealand, citing maintenance' requirementsThe Pacific Island country of Vanuatu has put its national carrier Air Vanuatu into voluntary liquidation, after it cancelled flights to Australia and New Zealand, leaving tourists stranded.The airline had cited extended maintenance requirements for its aircraft when it cancelled its flights through to Sunday. Continue reading...

Senate inquiry finds axed scientific programs, toxic workplace culture and a trouble-plagued icebreaker among problems

Exclusive: One detainee recorded as being involved in over 3,000 incidents' in a year - an incredibly unfeasible' scenario, FOI documents say

Leading cultural figures including Margaret Atwood sign statement in support of rapper who criticised Iranian regimeMore than 100 figures from the worlds of music, culture and human rights activism - including Coldplay and Sting - have signed a statement calling for the release of the Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi who has been sentenced to death in Iran after protesting in support of women's rights.The 33-year-old, who was a vocal supporter of the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran was sentenced to death by a court in the city of Isfahan on 24 April, according to his lawyer. Continue reading...

Thousands had marched against the country's inclusion in Saturday's final but Eden Golan's entry was voted throughIsrael has made it through to the final of the Eurovision song contest, setting the stage for a tense and politically charged event in Malmo on Saturday.At Thursday's second semi-final in Sweden's third largest city, viewers from the competing countries backed the Israeli singer Eden Golan as one of the 10 entries to progress. Continue reading...

In unearthed deposition, Lawrence Hecker pleaded the fifth 117 times, but still provided damning details of decades-long predatory behavior

There is more than one way to help people who are on income support,' treasurer says when suggesting rebates and concessions could be boosted

Pop star thrills Paris crowds with songs from newest album The Tortured Poets DepartmentTaylor Swift has added her newest album, The Tortured Poets Department, to an already packed setlist as she returned to The Eras Tour after a two-month break.Swift had described TTPD as new works reflecting events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time - one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure". In Paris on Thursday night she put it more succinctly: Female rage, the musical." Continue reading...

Labour leader to promise to divert 75m to fund specialist force against smugglers using counter-terror powersKeir Starmer will promise to rip up the government's Rwanda scheme and divert 75m to fund hundreds of new specialist officers to tackle people-smuggling with new counter-terror powers.At a speech on Friday in Dover - the home of Natalie Elphicke, who defected to Labour this week after criticising Tory failures on border security - the Labour leader will call the government's plan an insult to anyone's intelligence" and say the gangs that run this sick trade are not easily fooled".Create a new post of border security commander to oversee the unit, working across Europe and with multiple agencies on enforcement and intelligence.Recruit hundreds of additional special investigators, intelligence agents and cross-border police officers.Expand stop and search powers for use against those suspected of people-smuggling.Use Serious Crime Prevention Orders, enforced on terrorists pre-conviction, to shut off the bank accounts and internet access of suspected smugglers.Extend seizure warrant powers normally reserved for terrorism to include organised immigration crime. Continue reading...

Plans for head of border security with access to home secretary will not satisfy all critics of Labour's immigration policiesKeir Starmer's border plans, announced after a giddy week of political triumphs, attempt to address some of the deep structural problems within the Home Office.Paid for with 75m from the existing budget for the Rwanda scheme, the plans echo recommendations handed to Priti Patel two years ago: employ a single border security head who is given direct access to the home secretary. Continue reading...

The music star's major neurocognitive disorder' given as reason by a Los Angeles judge for a two-person conservatorshipA judge found Thursday that Beach Boys founder and music luminary Brian Wilson should be in a court conservatorship to manage his personal and medical decisions because of what his doctor calls a major neurocognitive disorder".At a hearing, Los Angeles superior court judge Gus T May approved the petition filed by the 81-year-old Wilson's family and inner circle after the death of his wife in January, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, who handled most of his tasks and affairs. Continue reading...

Alan Miller to go to death in September as state rejects warnings that gas-mask method represents cruel and unusual punishmentAlabama has scheduled its second execution of a death row prisoner using the novel technique of nitrogen gas, brushing aside objections that the procedure is a form of cruel and unusual punishment banned under the US constitution.Barring last-minute judicial moves, Alan Miller, 59, will be put to his death on 26 September, after an execution date was set on Thursday by the state's Republican governor Kay Ivey. Should it go ahead, the anticipated killing would be exceptional not only as only the second time that nitrogen has been used in the US, but also because Miller has already been subjected to a botched execution, which he survived. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Operation Safeguard confirmed by Ministry of Justice after damning report on conditions in one of UK's biggest jailsThe government has formally triggered a crisis measure to ease prison overcrowding by using police cells to house inmates.The confirmation of Operation Safeguard by the Ministry of Justice follows a decision to consider releasing some prisoners 70 days before their sentences were due to end. Continue reading...

Linda Thomas-Greenfield will no longer speak at Xavier University of Louisiana after students angered by US ceasefire vetoes at UNXavier University of Louisiana has canceled Saturday's planned commencement address by the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, after news of her appearance sparked outrage among some students.Students were outraged over Thomas-Greenfield's invitation to speak because of their opposition to the past positions by the US on the war in Gaza. Continue reading...

Bestselling author of Lace and Superwoman turned her attention to helping people overcome anxiety about mathsShirley Conran, the author of Lace and Superwoman, has died aged 91, her son the designer Jasper Conran has announced.The bestselling queen of the bonkbuster" was also the founder of the Maths Anxiety Trust, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to help people who experience anxiety or fear when faced with maths problems. Last week Conran was awarded a damehood in her bed in Charing Cross hospital in London for her services to mathematics education. Continue reading...

Woman died of wounds in street after stabbing in broad daylight on Burnt Oak Broadway, EdgwareDetectives have arrested a man on suspicion of murder after a woman in her 60s was stabbed to death in broad daylight in a north London street.The Metropolitan police said they were called at about 11.50am to Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, to reports of a stabbing and found a woman wounded in the street near to a bus stop. Continue reading...

Encampments at 15 institutions protesting Israel's war in Gaza lead to concern for safety of Jewish studentsUniversity leaders should take personal responsibility" for protecting Jewish students on campus, Rishi Sunak said to vice-chancellors during an antisemitism roundtable hosted at Downing Street.Sunak told the meeting of 17 higher education institutions from England and Scotland, along with Jewish student and community groups, that it was imperative for universities to remain bastions of tolerance, where debate takes place with respect for others and where every student feels safe". Continue reading...

Lawyers helping detainees say they have been told that dozens have gone on hunger strike in detention centre near Heathrow

CEO of consortium that walked away from bid said he should have closed deal for Spectator magazine right away'The US businessman who fronted a UAE-backed consortium's failed 600m attempt to buy the Telegraph group has said he should have taken a different approach to the deal and immediately snapped up the Spectator magazine, after the takeover collapsed under political pressure.Jeff Zucker, a former CNN chief executive, now runs RedBird IMI, which last week announced it was walking away from its planned deal for the newspaper group after saying the transaction was no longer feasible" because of new legislation that would block foreign states from owning newspaper assets in the UK. Continue reading...

Fresh row erupts over Forbes's conservative views on equality - but appointment is approved by narrow majorityThe Scottish Greens have voted against Kate Forbes becoming Scotland's new deputy first minister in a fresh row over her conservative views on equality.Ross Greer, a Scottish Green MSP, said that as a gay Christian he was unable to support a minister who feels there is something wrong with us" and said all seven Green MSPs would oppose her appointment. Continue reading...

Farmers on the brink' after record rains, phasing out of EU subsidies and price volatilityBritish farmers are considering walking away from their farms as the recent record run of wet weather has left the sector on the brink", rural bodies have warned.The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the Soil Association raised concerns over the perilous situations facing many in their industry, with profits being squeezed and extreme weather driven by the climate crisis putting financial and mental strain on farm owners. Continue reading...

Newest Labour MP apologises for comments about Charlie Elphicke's victims amid criticism of her admission to partyLabour's newest MP has apologised for defending her ex-husband and casting doubt on his victims' testimonies after he was convicted of sexually assaulting two women.Natalie Elphicke, the MP for Dover who defected from the Conservatives on Wednesday, said she condemned Charlie Elphicke's behaviour towards other women and towards me". Continue reading...

Court says irregularities in Colombian singer's 2018 tax return did not indicate intent to defraudA Spanish court has shelved an investigation into an alleged tax fraud by the Colombian pop star Shakira, putting an end to her legal woes in the country where she once lived.Prosecutors had opened the case in July, alleging she had used a network of companies, some in tax havens, to cheat the tax office out of 6.6m (5.7m) in 2018. Continue reading...

Experts issue warning after finding global average concentration in March was 4.7ppm higher than same period last yearThe largest ever recorded leap in the amount of carbon dioxide laden in the world's atmosphere has just occurred, according to researchers who monitor the relentless accumulation of the primary gas that is heating the planet.The global average concentration of carbon dioxide in March this year was 4.7 parts per million (or ppm) higher than it it was in March last year, which is a record-breaking increase in CO levels over a 12-month period. Continue reading...

After the Guardian expose there is pressure on ministers to save people from a system described as setting carers up for a fall'It has been a month since the Guardian revealed the shocking scale of the carer's allowance overpayments scandal, and the misery and despair it has inflicted on tens of thousands of unpaid carers. The issue is not going away - but what happens next?The story has since spread: from the House of Commons to the sofas of daytime TV and the bulletins of BBC news, accounts of the trials and tribulations of carers who do part-time work on top of caring duties have triggered disbelief and outrage and generated calls for reform across the political spectrum. Continue reading...

About 50% of earnings alerts' for carer's allowance overpayments not looked at by staff, figures reveal Will DWP act on carer's allowance scandal?Tens of thousands of unpaid carers are at risk of debt and criminal prosecution because their cases are lying unchecked on a government alert" database of people being overpaid benefits, according to new figures.Officials are aware of the mounting number of instances where UK carers are at risk of racking up overpayments that can in some cases lead to crippling debt, but for the past five years have chosen not to investigate all cases.. Continue reading...

As prosecutors prepare to retry the ex-movie mogul, court will consider California's request over 2022 rape convictionHarvey Weinstein appeared in a New York City courtroom on Thursday as authorities consider California's extradition request to serve his pending sentence for a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles.The 16-year sentence Weinstein received in 2023 for raping a woman at a 2013 Los Angeles film festival had been on ice while he served time behind bars in New York after being found guilty of rape in Manhattan in 2020. But the Empire state conviction was overturned late last month, negating its 23-year sentence. Continue reading...

Marius Gustavson, 46, was involved in procedures that were little short of human butchery', UK court heard How eunuch maker' livestreamed extreme body modifications

Police arrested 32 people in Amsterdam, with university occupations continuing in Netherlands, Belgium and Spain

Turkey's trade ban with Israel will remain until a permanent ceasefire and humanitarian aid flows are secured, says minister

Vladimir Putin marks second world war Victory Day as relations with west spiral towards crisisSouth Korea's position remains it will not supply lethal weapons to any country, president Yoon Suk Yeol said on Thursday, when asked if Seoul was prepared to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.Yoon also said his government intended to continue managing relations with Moscow to pursue economic cooperation and mutual benefits" even though the two countries' ties have become uncomfortable" since the start of the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

New first minister says case for Scottish independence best made by creating vibrant economy'John Swinney has axed the post of minister for independence, in a clear signal to Scottish voters that his government is focused on their immediate cost of living concerns before the general election.The post, held by Jamie Hepburn, was created by the previous first minister, Humza Yousaf, a year ago, with the main responsibility being publishing a series of papers on how different aspects of government would operate under Scottish independence. With no referendum imminent, opposition parties criticised the publications as a waste of taxpayers' money. The 13th in the series, on justice in an independent Scotland, was published last month. Continue reading...

Comments made after Charlie Elphicke jailed for two years criticised be new colleagues in Labour partyHaving seen a fuller version of what Ben Houchen, the Conservative Tees Valley mayor, said on BBC Radio Tees this morning, I have beefed up the post at 10.16am and changed the headline. Houchen did says Rishi Sunak ultimately had to take the blame for the state of chaos" the Tory party is in.Victoria Prentis, the attorney general, told the Commons that Britain continues to view its arms sales to Israel as legal a day after US president Joe Biden warned he would pause the delivery of bombs because they had been previously used to kill Palestinian civilians.I can say that the foreign secretary has reviewed the most recent advice from the IHL cell, and that has informed his decision that there isn't a clear risk that the items exported from the UK might be used to commit or to facilitate a serious violation of IHL. That leaves our position on export licences unchanged, but that position is kept under review. Continue reading...

Fears of biggest UK outbreak in 20 years as 2,793 cases reported to end of MarchThe UK may be experiencing its biggest outbreak of whooping cough in two decades, with five infant deaths reported in England between January and March.According to the latest data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on Thursday, cases of whooping cough continue to increase, with 1,319 confirmed in March. This brings the total number of confirmed cases during the first quarter of 2024 to 2,793 - although because mild cases are easily confused with other respiratory illnesses in the early stages when the infection can be tested for, the true number of cases is likely to be much higher. Continue reading...

The actor said that making movies by a small number of female film-makers was not cause for celebration. You're like, OK, cool. You've chosen four'Kristen Stewart has chastised Hollywood's efforts at gender equality, saying that the industry clapping itself on the back for an embrace of female film-makers feels phony".Speaking to Porter magazine for the release of Love Lies Bleeding, a violent romance set in the world of female bodybuilding, Stewart said much of the high-profile greenlighting of female stories was lip service. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Man who spent 17 years in prison after wrongly being convicted of rape says he will shout from the rooftops' for UK law reformAndrew Malkinson says he could have been spared 20 years of darkness and despair" if the jury system had not been changed to allow majority verdicts.Malkinson was exonerated of rape last summer, two decades after a jury wrongly convicted him by a majority of 10 to 2. Continue reading...