World news | The Guardian

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

A trucking company has apologised for the debris, which it says spread over a couple of kilometres' on the M1 causing traffic chaos before 5am Friday

Musician whose hits also included the satirical anthem Supermodel from the Clueless soundtrack died early on ThursdayJill Sobule, the singer-songwriter whose hits included the satirical anthem Supermodel from the Clueless movie soundtrack and the groundbreaking single I Kissed a Girl, has died in a house fire at the age of 66.Sobule's body was found in a home in Woodbury, Minnesota, on Thursday. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor reveals further twist to efficiency drive, stating a Dutton government would move people around appropriately to meet the needs of regional areas'

Police say three passengers have been taken to hospital with serious injuries after crash near Point Lonsdale

On the eve of the federal poll, the famed 36-year-old Darwin saltwater croc tips a Peter Dutton victoryOn the eve of Australia's national poll to determine its next leader, two hunks of meat were dangled above a murky pool.Attached to one line, the picture of prime minister, Anthony Albanese. Upon the other, the man who would dethrone him, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton. Continue reading...

Three-metre shark was found on sand bank near the coastal town of Ardrossan in South Australia

UKHSA says people in most deprived areas almost twice as likely to be admitted to hospital as those in least deprivedPeople in the most deprived areas of England are almost twice as likely to be admitted to hospital as a result of infectious diseases than their least deprived counterparts, according to a major study.The report, by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), analysed NHS and government data to look at the state of health inequalities in England due to infectious diseases and environmental health hazards. Continue reading...

Police horses Yvonne and Snaffles on the mend after dog escapes owner's control and nips at their legsMembers of the public captured a bulldog which was trying to bite the legs of two police horses while they were out on patrol in London.Metropolitan police horses Yvonne and Snaffles were being ridden by officers when the out-of-control canine began nipping at their legs. Continue reading...

First mayoral race results expected around 2am with important Runcorn and Helsby byelection result about an hour laterPolls have closed across England for local and mayoral elections, as well as a key parliamentary byelection, with the first results due to be announced within hours.It is the first full-scale electoral test for Keir Starmer since the general election, and could have notable repercussions for Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, as well as to a lesser extent for the Liberal Democrats and Greens. Continue reading...

World Liberty Financial's USD1 will be used to close MGX's investment in world's biggest crypto exchangeA stablecoin launched by Donald Trump's World Liberty Financial cryptocurrency venture is being used by an Abu Dhabi investment firm for its $2bn investment in crypto exchange Binance, one of World Liberty's co-founders said on Thursday.World Liberty, which aims to allow people to access financial services without intermediaries like banks, said in March it would launch USD1, a dollar-pegged stablecoin backed by US treasuries, dollars and other cash equivalents. Continue reading...

Long-awaited document, which could be published as soon as Friday, is expected to make difficult readingA long-awaited assessment of the impact of assisted dying legislation will put a price on administrating the procedure for the first time and is expected to conclude it will save parts of the NHS money by accelerating the deaths of terminally ill people.The Whitehall document, which is expected as soon as Friday, is likely to make difficult reading for both sides of the campaign, government sources have suggested. Continue reading...

State department certifies licence for $50m or more' in defence hardware and services after minerals deal signedThe Trump administration will approve its first sale of military equipment to Ukraine since Donald Trump took office, in an indication that the minerals deal signed by the two countries this week may open a path to renewed weapons shipments.The state department has certified a proposed licence to export $50m or more" (37.6m) of defence hardware and services to Ukraine, according to a communication sent to the US committee on foreign relations. It would mark the first permission of its kind since Trump paused all Ukraine-related military aid shortly after taking office. Continue reading...

Daniel Graham, 39, told police he was being framed as part of a dispute and did not have skills to cut the tree downA man accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian's Wall told police he was being stitched up" and did not have the skills to do it in the first place.A jury at Newcastle crown court heard police interviews with Daniel Graham, 39, in which he also said he had no idea what he was doing on the night the tree was felled, which took place a month earlier. Continue reading...

Ahead of a London theatre run in May, Ultravox singer says 1985 charity gig probably couldn't happen today because of low attention spansSitting in the royal box at London's Wembley Stadium, just shy of the 40th anniversary of the Live Aid concert that he helped make happen here, Midge Ure ponders its legacy. We created a monster," he says. And it had to happen."The two Live Aid shows in London and Philadelphia on 13 July 1985, featuring performances by U2, Queen, David Bowie and more, form the core of the stage musical Just for One Day. Today, it was announced that it will transfer to London's West End in May, after short runs at London's Old Vic in 2024 and Toronto earlier this year. Continue reading...

Trump administration suspended delivery of US military aid to Ukraine in March but is now set to restore exportsUkraine and the US signed a long-awaited minerals deal last night, signaling a major step forward in bilateral relations. But the full text of the agreement, including key details on the contentious small print issues that dragged out negotiations, has yet to be made public.Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal suggested yesterday that the process of ratifying the agreement could start today, with party consultations. Expect more details to emerge. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Black Sabbath frontman details training he is doing to ensure he is fit to play all-star reunion gig in JulyAmid concerns about his health, Ozzy Osbourne has insisted he will perform in July at what is being billed as his final concert, fronting the original lineup of Black Sabbath.Speaking along with his bandmates to the Guardian's Alexis Petridis in an interview to be published on Friday, he said: I'll be there, and I'll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up." Continue reading...

Fanny Wilkinson designed 75 parks in the capital, the first UK female landscape gardener to be paid for her workShe was a proto-feminist pioneer who blazed a trail for female gardeners and changed the face of London by creating green lungs" in the capital for Victorians suffering from pollution and overcrowding.Now a charity is seeking to shine a light on Fanny Wilkinson, the UK's first professional female landscape gardener, by unveiling the first ever statue of the suffragist at one of the 75 London parks she designed more than a century ago. Continue reading...

Costings announcement follows the high-profile withdrawal of artist Khaled Sabsabi's appointment as Australia's Venice Biennale representative

Australia shipped 57m tonnes of coal for burning in overseas power plants between October and December last year, the most recorded for a three-month period

Ahead of federal election, parties have also reported arson threats and alleged attempts to intimidate diaspora communities

Stacey Hyde, 32, had an incredibly difficult period of time' and died from bulimia, coroner concludedA woman who was jailed for life for murdering a violent man when she was 17, spending five years in prison before a successful appeal, suffered exploitation and abuse after she was freed, her inquest has been told.Stacey Hyde faced drug and alcohol issues after her release and the coroner who heard her inquest concluded she had died of bulimia. Continue reading...

Demonstrators were forcibly removed as two shareholders disputed energy company's claim of aggressive disruption'The owner of the Drax power plant has abandoned its annual shareholder meeting after a confrontation with activists who staged a protest against burning trees to generate electricity.The Guardian understands that between 10 and 20 activists were forcibly removed from the London venue after challenging the board of the FTSE 250 energy company on its use of woody biomass at its North Yorkshire power plant. Continue reading...

Retailer pulls all job postings from its website after attack as experts try to restore services

Lawyers for hundreds of survivors argue Gregory Aymond should be questioned under oath about role in the clergy abuse crisisA group of attorneys representing clergy abuse survivors is ramping up pressure to get the archbishop of New Orleans, Gregory Aymond, under oath before a judge decides whether to kick the church out of bankruptcy.Lawyers for hundreds of survivors filed a motion Wednesday to end the church's Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a day before the fifth anniversary of a case that's paid none of about 500 survivors but has cost the archdiocese around $45m in legal and professional fees. Continue reading...

Figures show a 290% rise in mortgage borrowing, but approvals for new home purchases fell for the third monthA rush to get property purchases over the line before last month's stamp duty rise pushed UK mortgage lending to a four-year high in March, official data shows.Bank of England figures show that the then-imminent changes to stamp duty in England and Northern Ireland triggered a 290% surge in mortgage borrowing. Separately, Lloyds Banking Group, one of Britain's biggest home loan providers, reported that 27 March was its busiest day ever for mortgage lending. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Fathers planning protest with babies in London on 11 June to highlight UK's rubbish' statutory leave, least generous in EuropeBritish fathers are being urged to join the world's first Dad strike" to protest about the UK's statutory paternity leave, which campaigners say is the least generous in Europe.Fathers are planning to protest with their babies outside the Department for Business and Trade in London on 11 June in an effort to force the government to improve leave for dads and non-birthing partners. Continue reading...

Firefighters have rushed to control wildfires that have injured several people and prompted the military to deploy troops to helpWildfires continued to threaten swaths of forest and fields in Israel on Thursday, though firefighters successfully reopened the main road linking the country's two principal cities.Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, declared a national emergency after the fires broke out on Wednesday along the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, prompting police to shut the route and evacuate thousands of residents from nearby communities. Continue reading...

Motorist held in Osaka on suspicion of attempted murder after seven children hurt walking home, local media sayPolice in the Japanese city of Osaka have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder after he drove his car into seven schoolchildren, local media said.The children were walking home from school when the suspect appeared to deliberately drive the car at them on a quiet residential street at about 1.30pm local time (0530 BST), according to the public broadcaster NHK. Continue reading...

Shares rise on promises to return 2bn to investors through buybacks and dividends, and more hotel openingsProfits at the Premier Inn owner Whitbread have fallen after it was hit by higher costs and a drop in UK bookings, but shares rose on the promise of a share buyback and more hotel openings.Britain's largest hotel group, which owns 852 hotels in the UK and 61 in Germany, reported a 14% fall in adjusted pre-tax profit to 483m for the year to 27 February. Revenues dipped by 1% to 2.9bn, as revenue per available room in the UK was down by 2%. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Britain is key financial hub for destructive fossil fuel mega-projects, according to researchBanks in the City of London have poured more than $100bn (75bn) into companies developing carbon bombs" - huge oil, gas and coal projects that would drive the climate past internationally agreed temperature limits with catastrophic global consequences - according to a study.Nine London-based banks, including HSBC, NatWest, Barclays and Lloyds are involved in financing companies responsible for at least 117 carbon bomb projects in 28 countries between 2016 - the year after the landmark Paris agreement was signed - and 2023, according to the study. Continue reading...

Executive order cites national security to strip bargaining rights from more than 1 million federal workersThe Trump administration is seeking to strip collective bargaining rights from large swaths of federal employees in a test case union leaders argue is part of a broader attack on US labor unions that could land before the US Supreme Court.A Trump win would deliver a severe blow to labor unions in the US. Some 29.9% of all federal workers were represented by labor unions in 2024 compared to 11.1% for all US workers. Continue reading...

CCTV footage released by court shows Amy Scott walking up an escalator, then starting to run when she sees Joel Cauchi

McKenzie was also questioned over his communications with Roberts-Smith's ex-wife, Emma Roberts, and her friend Danielle Scott

Chief finance officer says it remains vigilant' as it sets aside more money than expected to cover possible bad debtProfits at Lloyds Banking Group have fallen as the high street bank set aside more money than expected to deal with possible bad debts arising from Donald Trump's trade war.The group, whose brands include Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, reported a 4% increase in net income to 4.39bn compared with the same period last year, but its pre-tax profit slipped by 7% to 1.52bn, mainly due to higher costs and impairment charges. Continue reading...

British government's push for tournament to be at Trump-owned venue in Scotland is likely to seek favor with USThe British government's attempts to curry favor with Donald Trump by nudging golf executives to host one of the world's most prestigious golf tournaments at a Scottish venue owned by the US president could ultimately lead to a violation of the US constitution, ethics experts have warned.The Guardian reported this week that officials in British prime minister Keir Starmer's government have asked senior executives at R&A, which organizes the Open championship, whether they would host the golf championship at the Turnberry golf resort in 2028. Continue reading...

Exclusive: WeChat ad narrow-cast to Chinese-Australian community spruiks Scott Yung's independent thinking'

Revival of the profoundly moving' Irish pub drama will open at the Olympia theatre in Dublin before arriving in London this autumnBrendan Gleeson will make his West End debut this autumn in a revival of The Weir, directed for the first time by its playwright Conor McPherson.Gleeson, whose films include The Banshees of Inisherin and Paddington 2, described McPherson's play as profoundly moving, inspiring and ultimately hopeful". He will play one of the four men sharing stories in a remote Irish pub with a woman who has newly arrived in the area. Continue reading...

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Australian woman has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in South Gippsland in 2023. Follow live updates

In some seats, preferences will make all the difference - and it's not as simple as left or right. Explore what happened in your area in 2022

All eyes on Reform as 24 councils, six mayoralties and a parliamentary byelection are contestedPolling has opened across England in a series of local, mayoral and parliamentary races that will be the first major electoral test of Keir Starmer's Labour government.The elections cover 24 councils across England, as well as six mayoralties and a byelection in the formerly Labour-held seat of Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sun reporter also wrote that former MP must die', according to claims in newly disclosed documentRebekah Brooks, the chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's UK company, took a deeply concerning interest" in the phone-hacking campaigner Tom Watson while one of her journalists wrote that he must die", according to claims in a newly disclosed court document.Referring to a potential place for Watson on a parliamentary committee looking into unlawful behaviour, Brooks allegedly told Will Lewis, the then general manager of News Group Newspapers (NGN) - who is now the chief executive and publisher of the Washington Post - in June 2011 to pass on a message that the company would go for broke if watson on - and downing street need to be warned". Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: With more than 1,600 council seats and key mayoralties in play, Reform UK eyes its first chance at governanceGood morning. You may not be terribly excited about today's local elections in England, but let me tell you: a significant cadre of political dorks are swivel-eyed with anticipation.In play today are more than 1,600 council seats in 37 councils, six mayoralties, and a byelection in Runcorn for good measure. Those choices will give us the first real-world measure of how the public's view of the parties has shifted since the general election - and for Labour and the Conservatives, it's likely to be a very stern test indeed.US news | The US's economy has shrunk in the first three months of Donald Trump's second term, triggering fears of an American recession and a global economic slowdown. Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.3% in the first quarter of the year, and comes alongside a huge fall in consumer sentiment, which dropped 32% in April.Climate crisis | Tony Blair has faced a storm of criticism over his claims that the political case for phasing out fossil fuels is doomed to fail". As Downing Street officials accused Blair of undermining Keir Starmer on a key issue, his thinktank issued a statement saying that the government's net zero policy was the right one".Ukraine | The US and Kyiv have signed an agreement to share revenues from the future sale of Ukrainian minerals and rare earths, sealing a deal that Donald Trump has said will provide an economic incentive for the US to continue to invest in Ukraine's defence and its reconstruction after he brokers a peace deal with Russia.Health | Scientists have used living human brain tissue to mimic the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, in a breakthrough that will accelerate the hunt for a cure. The groundbreaking move could make it easier to test new drugs and boost the chances of finding ones that work.UK news | Video footage of what prosecutors say is the moment the Sycamore Gap tree was felled has been shown to the jury in the trial of the two men accused of illegally cutting down the famous tree on Hadrian's Wall, which stood in a gap in the wall for over a century. Continue reading...

Wrack, whose appointment as NASUWT chief faced legal challenge, condemns ludicrous' efforts to undermine himThe head of a teaching union has said he plans to stay in post despite a ludicrous" and coordinated" attempt by political enemies to undermine his position.Matt Wrack, whose appointment as general secretary of the NASUWT led to a week of legal challenges and the reopening of nominations for the post, said he would stand in a new election as the nominee of the union's executive.Dismissed claims he does not have enough experience to lead a teaching union, saying neither do many secretaries of state or senior civil servants".Reassured members that he would not merge the union with the National Education Union and denied claims that he was friends with the NEU's general secretary.Said he had never downplayed antisemitism, as claimed by reports, saying: I'm not a Zionist but I believe in a two-state solution." Continue reading...

New work says novelist, who was a censor during second world war, may been employed to look for coded messagesIt is an irony that she herself would have revelled in: Barbara Pym, the author who punctured the social strictures of 20th-century Britain, worked as a censor during the second world war.But research suggests that rather than just poring over the private letters that must have helped hone her talent, she may have also been working for MI5. Continue reading...

Jacob Vadakkedathu criticises Coalition plan to cut 41,000 positions in the capital, saying that's why we need a Liberal senator from Canberra'

Outage occurred between Maibara and Gifu-Hashima stations after the snake appeared to have climbed an electricity poleJapan's busiest bullet train line was brought to a halt on Wednesday after a metre-long snake wrapped itself around a power line, shorting the electricity supply and stranding hundreds of passengers.Shinkansen trains running between Tokyo and Osaka were brought to a standstill by the snake, with news reports showing footage of people inside trains waiting for services to resume. Power did not appear to have been cut inside trains, with lights and air conditioning still functioning, according to passengers. Continue reading...

Coalition leader had flagged changes to the curriculum as recently as Sunday, claiming aspects taught children to be ashamed of being Australian'

Denys Shmyhal says agreement leaves Kyiv in full control of its infrastructure and natural resources