World news | The Guardian

Israeli PM brushes aside warnings that assault on Gaza's southernmost town would be a human catastrophe'

Escalation of conflict causing tensions within community and fears about war spreading to IranIranians living in the UK have described deep divisions in the community since the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.The deadly attack by Hamas in Israel on 7 October and the subsequent bombardment of Gaza have led to tense conversations among British Iranians, they say. Continue reading...

Feira de Acari is closed down by the mayor after claims that gangsters used it to sell stolen goodsManoel Ribeiro has never known a world without Rio de Janeiro's best-known flea market, the Feira de Acari.The swarming suburban bazaar was founded outside his home in 1970, the year of his birth. It existed in 1993 when the market trader was shot nearby during an armed robbery and lost the use of his legs. Continue reading...

Debate gains traction as evidence grows on negative impact of social media use on mental health of young peopleMany parents of digitally obsessed teens must have wished they could bin their smartphones. As evidence mounts about the risks of social media, there is a growing public clamour to protect children better - with some now even calling for a ban.The debate in the UK took on a fresh resonance in recent days after Esther Ghey, the mother of the murdered teenager Brianna, added her voice to those highlighting the dangers of smartphones. Continue reading...

With Republicans blocking US military aid, if Europe does not plug the gap Ukraine risks slow-motion defeatUkraine began 2024 on the defensive - and Kyiv's battlefield prospects are dimming further as Republicans in the US Congress appear increasingly to be intent on blocking future military aid. If Europe does not plug the gap, Ukraine risks slow-motion defeat from 2025.A simple figure sums up the problem. Ukraine is once again being outgunned in this near two-year war: the current estimate is that Russia is firing 10,000 artillery shells a day to Ukraine's 2,000, a dismal ratio that may yet worsen in the absence of future US gifts of ammunition. Continue reading...

The literary department at the London theatre is renowned for taking risks with untried playwrights, but is now under threatThe Royal Court is known for putting the names of emerging playwrights up in lights for the first time, but is the voltage now dimming for Britain's best known path into theatre writing? The Royal Court's literary department is struggling to survive as the venue on London's Sloane Square, renowned for staging risk-taking shows over 60 years, makes swingeing cuts in order to keep going.As a younger writer, all I wanted was to have a play on at that theatre, so I'd like other new writers to have the same chance," said Timberlake Wertenbaker, whose acclaimed 1988 play Our Country's Good was first staged at the Royal Court. It would be a disaster if we lost this theatre though ... so I understand that preserving the venue is the main thing." Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak said legacy cases had been cleared, but torture victims and others fleeing persecution feel forgottenWhen Saba* converted to Christianity, she knew she could no longer stay in Iran. As a disabled woman and a victim of religious persecution, to remain would mean being killed", she told the Observer, her voice cracking with emotion. She fled in secret, claiming asylum in the UK in autumn 2022. I was scared," she said. I only wanted to arrive in a safe place."Since then, Saba has been waiting for her asylum application to be processed. The waiting is terrible. I have nightmares that I am being killed, I wake up screaming. I am visually impaired and have kidney disease. The stress affects my health - my hands and feet shake and go numb." Continue reading...

Prime minister says there needs to be an explanation' after former deputy prime minister was seen lying on a Canberra street swearing into his phone

Man succumbs to serious injury suffered during fall while skiing, with paramedics declaring him dead at the scene

Clinics de-listed people without warning, forcing them to go private or find another NHS practicePatients across England who failed to visit their dentists since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic have been systematically barred by some clinics from getting NHS treatment.Dental practices across the country informed patients they could no longer get NHS treatment, citing non-attendance over a period of two years or more that included lockdown. Continue reading...

Sha'ban al-Sayed, whose mentally ill civilian son entered Gaza in 2015, says he has found allyship among families of kidnapped IsraelisIn Israel it's impossible to miss the faces of the 130 or so Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas: they are plastered across walls, hung from balconies, and digital versions are now screensavers on passport reading machines at the airport. Bring them home now!" the posters say. The families' rallying cry is repeated everywhere, chanted at demonstrations and printed on restaurant receipts and the shells of supermarket eggs.The fate of the captives seized on 7 October has gripped Israeli society. One face that does not appear among the rows of missing people is that of Hisham al-Sayed, a 36-year-old Israeli Bedouin held by Hamas almost completely incommunicado for the last nine years. Continue reading...

Teenagers are coerced into committing crime for someone else's benefit, according to social justice groupsAlmost half of the victims of criminal exploitation in the UK are British boys aged under 18, according to a report calling for new laws to acknowledge them as victims of modern slavery.The analysis, by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) thinktank and the charity Justice and Care, found that criminal exploitation is the most common type of modern slavery occurring in the UK in the past four years. Continue reading...

Young people with complex needs face long waits for places because providers fear negative watchdog reportsSome care homes in England are refusing to take children with complex needs because they are worried it might affect their Ofsted inspection ratings, fuelling concern that vulnerable young people in the social care system are having to wait months or even years for a stable home.Last month, an Ofsted report said nine out of 10 councils often struggle to find homes for children with complex needs, with some local authorities having to resort to unregistered placements as an alternative to registered care homes. Continue reading...

Prime minister says the opposition wants to wind back any reforms that are in the interests of working people'

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Tributes flow for pioneer and doyen' of industry who has died at the age of 81

State media report all men aged 18-35 and women 18-27 must serve for up to two years and up to five years in a state of emergencyMyanmar's junta has declared mandatory military service for all young men and women, state media said, as it struggles to contain armed rebel forces fighting for greater autonomy in various parts of the country.All men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 must serve for up to two years, while specialists like doctors aged up to 45 must serve for three years. The service can be extended to a total of five years in the ongoing state of emergency, state media said on Saturday. Continue reading...

Jailed leader says he has support to form next government but analysts say results only suit the armyImran Khan's political party has declared it intends to form the next government after claiming a shock election victory, despite efforts by the opposition to take power in a backroom coalition deal.Even as results showed that candidates backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party run by the incarcerated former prime minister Khan, had won the most seats, by Saturday night there was still little clarity on who would be forming the next government in Pakistan, adding to a climate of political turmoil. Continue reading...

Actor says seats costing 150 are driving away young people and risk keeping theatre elitist'Actor Andrew Scott has suggested cheap theatre tickets should be put on a sale rack" so that young people can see West End productions without having to spend 150.The actor, known for television roles such as the hot" priest in Fleabag and Moriarty in Sherlock, has won two Olivier Awards for his theatre work. Continue reading...

MPs find Treasury-affiliated bodies have engaged Horizon firm since damning 2019 high court judgmentThe Japanese technology company Fujitsu, whose flawed technology for the Post Office led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters, is confirmed to have held contracts worth more than 3.4bn linked to the Treasury since 2019.Figures published by the Commons' treasury committee show 1.4bn of contracts were awarded to Treasury-affiliated organisations after a high court ruling in December 2019 over the company's software. The judgment found that bugs, errors and defects" in Fujitsu's Horizon system could cause shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts. Continue reading...

The monarch paid tribute to support groups for those with the disease and thanked the public for their good wishesKing Charles has spoken of his lifelong admiration" for cancer charities and offered heartfelt thanks" for messages of support received since he was diagnosed with cancer.The king added that it was heartening" that the announcement of his illness had helped shine a light on organisations supporting cancer patients and their families. Charities say the public focus on cancer has allowed them to highlight issues they had previously struggled to get attention for. Continue reading...

Dinosaur-like creature that can cut through bone rescued from Urswick Tarn, near UlverstonIt's been named Fluffy, but its spiky appearance and nasty bite" means only the brave - or the foolish - would attempt to offer this particular turtle a cuddle.The dinosaur-like creature, an alligator snapping turtle that can cut bones and is native to swamps and rivers in southern parts of the US, was rescued from a tarn in Cumbria on Monday. Continue reading...

Solo flyer airlifted to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after hitting tree in back garden of house in Bodffordd, AngleseyA pilot who crashed his plane into a garden in Wales has been airlifted to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.The unidentified pilot, who was alone in the plane, ploughed down into a tree" in the back garden of a house in Bodffordd, a small village in Anglesey, north Wales. Continue reading...

Senior Conservative says party has descended into death spiral' as poll losses set to fuel fresh attacks on Sunak's leadershipConservative MPs on Saturday night predicted fresh attacks on Rishi Sunak's leadership within days, as they accused their own party of surrendering to Labour without a proper fight in two formerly safe Tory seats where byelections will be held this week.MPs from across the party complained that losses in Wellingborough and Kingswood on Thursday had already been priced in", as one senior figure said defeatism had set in, with the party having descended into a death spiral". Continue reading...

The species can climb waterfalls and reaches back to Gondwanaland - but there are fears polluted runoff has proven fatal

The speed of recent pivots reveals there is genuine concern that people are uneasy about the Games amid rising housing and cost of living pressures

Katalin Novak stepped down after pardoning a man convicted of helping cover up sex abuseThe Hungarian president has announced her resignation over her decision to pardon a man convicted of helping cover up a sex abuse case at a children's home as the controversy posed a challenge for Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban.The pardon decision was made last year but only caught the public's attention over the past days after a report by the local news site 444.hu, which was met with outrage, leading Hungary's opposition to call for Katalin Novak to step down. Continue reading...

The Covid boom in pet ownership has led to operators offering plenty of pet-friendly accommodation. But is it really such a good idea?Go on holiday without your best friend? For growing numbers of dog owners, it's unthinkable.Holiday operators have seen a big jump in guests booking accommodation that accepts dogs in recent months, and the trend is set to accelerate this year. Continue reading...

Leaders pay respects to former taoiseach of 1990s rainbow coalition' as he is laid to rest in DunboyneThe former Irish taoiseach John Bruton has been described as a humbling and unassuming" man at his state funeral, attended by senior political figures including the president, Michael D Higgins, and the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.Ministers, TDs and parliamentary ushers were among those who attended the service at Saints Peter and Paul's church in Bruton's home town of Dunboyne, County Meath. Continue reading...

Country faces uncertainty after strong performance by independent candidates loyal to former PM Imran KhanPakistan's army chief has told feuding politicians to show maturity and unity" after an election failed to produce a clear winner, leaving the military's favoured party having to cobble together a coalition in order to rule.The country faces days of political horse-trading after a strong performance by independent candidates loyal to the jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, scuppered the chances of the army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from winning a ruling majority. Continue reading...

Tributes paid to 66-year-old musician after Hertfordshire police confirmed he died in collision last weekThe bassist Derrick McIntyre, who was part of the band Jamiroquai and lent his strings to songs by Emeli Sande, Will Young and Beverly Knight, has died in a car crash aged 66.Tributes have been paid to the musician after Hertfordshire police confirmed that McIntyre died in a collision on Friday 2 February involving five cars. Police said McIntyre died at the scene and that two people were taken to hospital. Continue reading...

Student reportedly killed in the northern city of Saint-Louis while security forces and demonstrators clash in DakarSecurity forces and protesters have clashed in Senegal's capital and other cities in the first widespread unrest over the delay to a presidential election that constitutes the one of the country's most significant political crises to date.Riot police in Dakar fired teargas, stun grenades and what appeared to be rubber bullets at large crowds of protesters who set up roadblocks, burned tyres and threw stones. Continue reading...

Jilumol George, 38, of Uckfield, appears at Brighton magistrates court charged with attempted murderA 38-year-old woman has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after two children were victims of a suspected poisoning.Emergency services were called to a property in Hunters Way, Uckfield, East Sussex, on Thursday, where the two children, aged nine and 13, and a woman aged 38 were taken to hospital for treatment. Continue reading...

Debt Management Office figures show lasting impact of mini-budget that spooked financial markets, says Labour's Angela RaynerCash-strapped local authorities across the UK took out massive 50-year loans at soaring rates of interest in the aftermath of Liz Truss's catastrophic mini-budget, according to official figures that reveal more about the long-term cost to the public of her 49 days in office.Figures from the government's Debt Management Office show that after the budget on 23 September, 2022, announced by Truss's chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, 24 50-year loans of between 590,000 and 40m were taken out by councils at interest rates of up to 4.77 %, over the rest of thatyear. Continue reading...

More than a million civilians sheltering in Gaza's last place of relative safety brace for all-out assault

Inquiry launched into death of woman, 39, who was found unconscious after waiting seven hours to see doctorAn investigation has been launched after a woman died days after being found unconscious underneath her coat while waiting in A&E for seven hours.The 39-year-old woman is understood to have first attended A&E at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on the evening of 19 January complaining of a severe headache. She was triaged and then observed by nurses three times. Her case was escalated but she was not seen by a doctor before being discovered. Continue reading...

Measure has been proposed for inclusion in election manifesto amid rising health concerns for young peopleLabour is considering a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children if it wins power in the general election, it has been reported.The proposal has been put forward for inclusion in the party's manifesto, according to Sky News, as concern grows about health risks to young people from high-caffeine products. Continue reading...

Ian Patrick, who has also worked for Lib Dems' Paddy Ashdown, takes private secretary role as prince returns to dutiesThe Prince of Wales has appointed a former diplomat as his private secretary, as he returns to royal duties after his father's cancer diagnosis.Ian Patrick, who has also worked for the former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown, would take up the role, Kensington Palace said. Continue reading...

With everything from E coli to heavy metals and petrochemicals on the soles of our shoes, western etiquette is changingShoes on or off indoors? It's a long-running debate and one those in favour of removal appear to be winning - thanks to a greater awareness of germs. British and American etiquette takes the lead from Asian and Scandinavian culture as guests at dinner gatherings and house parties are increasingly leaving their shoes at the door.Experts attribute the change to younger people being increasingly conscious of germs. Gabriel Filippelli, professor of earth sciences at Indiana University, says the first time he encountered this was with his son and his girlfriend, who live in Chicago and have a no-shoes policy at home. Friends' kids also have this. I think it's inspired by an increased awareness that the bottom of your shoes are really gross." He too now operates a strict shoes-off-at-the-door policy. Continue reading...

Trade union announced new action after it said ministers had failed to meet deadline to improve pay offerA planned strike by junior doctors in England later this month could be called off if NHS bosses give permission for further time for negotiations, the British Medical Association has said.The trade union for doctors and medical students announced the strikes after it said the government had failed to meet the deadline to put an improved pay offer on the table". Continue reading...

Met deploys boat along section of river after Ezedi was seen on CCTV leaning over the railings of Chelsea BridgePolice have begun searching an area of the River Thames for the body of the Clapham chemical attack suspect.Abdul Ezedi is believed to be dead after going into the Thames after he was seen on CCTV leaning over the railings of Chelsea Bridge in west London on the night a woman and two girls was attacked with a corrosive substance, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Man, 47, in custody after officers called to address in Great Baddow on Friday afternoonDetectives have launched a murder inquiry after the death of a woman in her 60s in Chelmsford, Essex.Police said they had been called to Dorset Avenue in Great Baddow at about 2.30pm on Friday after reports of a suspicious male". Continue reading...

PM renews promise to cut taxes a day after revelation that he paid effective tax rate of 23% on his 2.2m incomeRishi Sunak has said he is up for the fight" as the Conservatives continue to lag far behind Labour in the polls.In an interview with the Times, the prime minister said hard work ought to be rewarded with tax cuts and that he would slash taxes as soon as it was responsible to do so". Continue reading...

It's beyond ridiculous' say campaigners in England - rules state that nobody in hospital should be required to attend in personMental health inpatients have been told to attend jobcentre meetings relating to their benefits claims, including one claimant who was told to turn up for a work-related appointment, the Observer can reveal.Three patients at Forston clinic, an NHS mental health inpatient service near Dorchester, were told to attend meetings in recent months - sparking complaints from the local Citizens Advice branch, which has an adviser based at the clinic. Continue reading...

Man also faces terrorism charges over shooting of DCI John Caldwell last year in attack claimed by New IRAA 44-year-old man has been charged with the attempted murder of the police officer DCI John Caldwell in Northern Ireland, police said.Two men fired several shots at Caldwell in February last year, leaving the veteran police officer seriously wounded. Continue reading...

Annual letter from Teachers' Pensions, which administers scheme for DfE, asks about new relationshipsPartners of retired teachers who have died are repeatedly being asked to confirm whether they are in a new relationship, in a process described as humiliating and intrusive" by teaching unions.Those who fail to reply promptly face losing their dependant's pension. Continue reading...

China threatens relatives in Tibet' to exert control over activists in exile, with greater transnational repression at Tibetan new yearThousands of Tibetans around the world have been subjected to spying, blackmail and threats against family members still living in Tibet, according to a new report.The Chinese government's repressive policies in Tibet continue to be documented, but the new report by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is the first to investigate the widespread targeting of exiles in countries including the US, India, France, Australia and Canada, researchers say. Continue reading...

Three children among the dead, governor says, after strike on petrol station causes burning fuel to spray out, igniting 14 housesSeven people, including three children, were killed in a Russian drone attack on a petrol station in the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, the regional governor said on Saturday.Unfortunately the death toll from the occupiers' attacks on Kharkiv has risen to seven," Oleg Synegubov said on the Telegram social network. Continue reading...

West End even more packed than usual with big-name talent, but insiders say star casting is not only route to successful productionsThere is dream theatre casting - and then there is persuading Spider-Man to play Romeo. The news this week that Tom Holland, the megastar 27-year-old (Instagram followers: 66 million) at the heart of Marvel's web-slinging franchise will be appearing in a pulsating" new West End production of Shakespeare's tragedy has redefined hot ticket" ahead of its opening on 11 May.There are no details yet on his Juliet, or even a date for when tickets will go on sale, but with more than 3m likes of Holland's post announcing the show, it's fair to say the director, Jamie Lloyd, can be confident of a hit. Continue reading...

Julian Spalding says work by artists such as David Hockney could hang alongside old masters in bicentenary yearThe former director of three of Britain's most important museums has called for the National Gallery to lift its longstanding cut-off date of about 1900 for its collection because it suggests painting died then as a great art form".Julian Spalding, who has headed public collections in Sheffield, Manchester and Glasgow, argued the National Gallery could, in its bicentenary this year, resuscitate the great art of painting" by hanging pictures by David Hockney and other great artists" alongside old masters. Continue reading...