World news | The Guardian

In Washington DC speech, shadow foreign secretary says Labour will always work with US, whoever wins'David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, has set out in a Washington DC speech his credentials as a British foreign secretary capable of working with a Trump presidency, saying he gets the agenda that drives America First", and insisting he would seek to find common cause" with Donald Trump.He vowed a Labour government will always work with the United States, whatever the weather and whoever wins" and in government he said he would work in the national interest. Continue reading...

Bernard and Ann McDonagh admit five joint charges of fraud after not paying at four restaurants and one takeawayA couple from south Wales have admitted carrying out a string of dine and dash" offences, racking up large bills for food and drink before leaving without paying.Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, from Port Talbot, admitted five joint charges of fraud and will be sentenced at Swansea crown court this month. Continue reading...

MP says many in party think rightwing Tory defector is vile', while shadow minister says: Are we welcoming Farage next week?'Keir Starmer is facing shadow cabinet anger for welcoming into his party a rightwing Conservative MP who has repeatedly attacked Labour over migration.Natalie Elphicke became on Wednesday the second Tory MP in two weeks to cross the floor of the Commons, dealing another major blow to Rishi Sunak. Continue reading...

Edel Hsieh, who is linked to HyperVerse CEO, alleges police tortured him into signing a false confessionAn American cryptocurrency entrepreneur locked in a legal dispute with the CEO of the collapsed crypto fund HyperVerse has been detained in Dubai and alleges police have tortured him into signing a false confession, the Guardian can reveal.Edel Hsieh, 43, from California, was first arrested in March at Dubai's airport while attempting to fly to London. Police beat him during his interrogation, he said. Continue reading...

Move would mark significant pivot in relations as pressure builds on Israel to pull back from attackUS officials have signalled to Israel that more arms shipments could be delayed if the Israeli military pushes ahead with an offensive in Rafah, Gaza, in what would mark the start of a major pivot in relations between the two countries.Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, confirmed on Wednesday that the Biden administration had paused the supply of thousands of large bombs to Israel, in opposition to apparent moves by the Israelis to invade the city. Continue reading...

Influencer served legal papers in relation to allegations of rape and sexual assault made by four British womenAndrew Tate has been served with civil proceedings papers at his home in Romania in relation to allegations of rape and sexual assault made by four British women.Lawyers representing the women said the alleged victims were bringing a case against the self-professed misogynist influencer" at the high court in the UK, after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to prosecute him in 2019. Continue reading...

Home secretary announces closure of Russian diplomatic premises after pattern of malign activity' in Britain and EuropeRussia's defence attache is an undeclared military intelligence officer" who will be expelled from the UK amid an escalation of sanctions, the home secretary has said.James Cleverly also announced on Wednesday the removal of diplomatic status for several Russian-owned premises and told MPs the moves followed a pattern of malign activity" across Britain and Europe. Continue reading...

Announcement comes after Swinney is sworn in as seventh first minister for everyone in Scotland'Kate Forbes, the former finance secretary who stepped aside last week allowing John Swinney to stand unopposed for the Scottish National party leadership, has been appointed deputy first minister.The announcement came after Swinney was sworn in as Scotland's seventh first minister at the court of session on Wednesday morning, after his nomination by MSPs at Holyrood, where he pledged to be the first minister for everyone in Scotland". Continue reading...

Natalie Elphicke said she was defecting to Labour due to broken promises of Rishi Sunak's tired and chaotic government'PMQs starts in just over 20 minutes, and today there will be particular interest in the mood on the Conservative benches. Rishi Sunak has actively embraced the theory that the local election results show Labour is not on course to win an overall majority, but this is based on a projection that has been widely dismissed as unrealistic.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.It's an issue of humanity and I think you've got to show equivalence. I condemn unequivocally the actions of Hamas on Oct 7; those 134 hostages must be released. At the same time I condemn unequivocally the actions of the IDF and Netanyahu; 34,000 people have perished including 14,000 children.It's utterly wrong and an insult to those victims to equate the brutality of Hamas to the legitimate military measures that Israel is taking in defence of its people and nation. Continue reading...

Anna Haholkina tells of shock and says no one from deputy Italian PM's League sought her for permissionA woman whose photograph was used in a poster campaign by Italy's far-right League, a member of Giorgia Meloni's ruling coalition, has said she will consult lawyers, describing the images as racist".Anna Haholkina, a Ukrainian-Italian model who lives in Rimini, said she was shocked to see her face on the posters that have sprung up in Milan in recent weeks as the League, which is led by the deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, intensifies its anti-Islam stance in the run-up to next month's European elections. Continue reading...

Vocalist, guitarist and producer for bands such as Nirvana and Pixies suffers heart attack at his recording studioSteve Albini, the vocalist, guitarist and producer who helmed a series of the most esteemed albums across the US alternative music scene, has died aged 61 from a heart attack suffered at his recording studio. Staff at his studio, Electrical Audio, confirmed the news to Pitchfork.As well as fronting the bands Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac, who all pushed at the boundaries of post-punk and art-rock, Albini also produced - or, to use his preferred term, engineered - albums by Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. He was noted for his DIY and punk ethos, resisting streaming services and refusing to take royalties from the recordings he produced for other artists. Continue reading...

Dover MP, who claimed her now former husband's seat in 2019, has been criticised in the past by Labour

Passengers waited more than three hours for passport checks on Tuesday, as the country's 270 electronic gates malfunctionedThousands of passengers were left waiting in queues for more than three hours at airports, on Tuesday evening, after a nationwide failure of the electronic passport gate technology system.Nearly all major British airports were affected as the country's 270 e-gates, the automated facial recognition systems at the border, were closed for more than four hours. Continue reading...

Three people charged under Public Order Act in relation to slow march in west London last yearThree Just Stop Oil supporters have appeared in what is thought to be the first trial brought under wide-ranging powers introduced last year to curb protest.Phoebe Plummer, Chiara Sarti and Daniel Hall were charged with breach of section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023 after taking part in a slow march blocking traffic in west London in November. Continue reading...

Activists call move absurd', as Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Museveni, is accused of torture and abusing criticsSenior British government officials have congratulated the newly appointed head of the Ugandan army, a man accused of torture, in a move that has been called absurd" and disappointing".Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's new chief of defence forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, received a congratulatory letter from Britain's most senior military officer, Adm Sir Tony Radakin, at a meeting with the British high commissioner, Kate Airey, and the British defence attache. Continue reading...

Sticking together' is vital as world becomes more dangerous, says Adm Sir Tony Radakin on Washington visitBritain's most senior military commander has called on the US to stay strong, stick together, and see through" conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as he appealed against future American isolationism on a trip to Washington DC.Adm Sir Tony Radakin said at a conference he believed the world is undeniably becoming more dangerous" and invoked memories of D-day to justify potential future US engagement in struggles against authoritarian regimes. Continue reading...

Several Russian diplomatic premises that UK believes have been used by Russian intelligence also closedThe Kremlin also said that it valued its relations with North Korea, when asked about a report that Russia has been shipping refined petroleum to North Korea at levels that appear to breach a cap set by the United Nations Security Council.We value our bilateral relations with North Korea and intend to further develop them in all possible areas," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Continue reading...

Rafah's mayor says city stands on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe' as pressure builds on Israel to pull back from attackThe Biden administration paused the supply of thousands of large bombs to Israel last week in opposition to apparent moves by the Israelis to invade the Gaza city of Rafah, US officials have confirmed.The US president, Joe Biden, has been trying to head off a full-scale assault by Israel against the southern city, where battles raged on the outskirts on Wednesday, once again displacing Palestinians. Continue reading...

Commitment of Ursula von der Leyen's party to fighting destructive forces is in question, say signatoriesA row has broken out among political parties in Europe after the centre right group to which Ursula von der Leyen belongs refused to sign a letter condemning the far right and a spate of attacks on politicians in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Ireland.The open letter calls on von der Leyen to reject any normalisation, cooperation or alliance with the far right and radical parties" and denounces a physical assault on the German centre-left politician Matthias Ecke. Ecke was seriously injured" after allegedly being attacked by four young men while putting up campaign posters. Continue reading...

Aberdeen-based firm listed on FTSE 250 knocked back unsolicited approach from Dubai-based Sidara

Israel to keep mid-level' negotiators in Cairo; key crossing for humanitarian aid closed on Sunday after Hamas shelling attackIsrael was reopening the Kerem Shalom crossing on its border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, reports the Reuters news agency citing a statement from the Israeli agency in charge of it said.According to the statement, aid trucks routed through from Egypt were already undergoing security inspections there. Continue reading...

Shalina Patel's book highlights stories traditionally left out of the textbooks, particular those of women and people of colourAdults need to revisit their history lessons to learn where their blind spots" are after schools failed to thoroughly teach them about colonialism and empire, according to a leading history teacher.This is the aim of a new book, The History Lessons, by the award-winning teacher Shalina Patel, which spotlights the historical figures and stories left out of the textbooks - in particular those of women and people of colour - to challenge entrenched narratives. Continue reading...

Franziska Giffey was injured when a man struck her from behind with a heavy object in a local libraryA 74-year-old has been detained in Germany, after Franziska Giffey, a Berlin senator and former city mayor, was injured when a man struck her from behind with a heavy object in a local library.Reuters reported, citing police, that the suspect was previously known to law enforcement for hate crime and unspecified incidents against state security, and was also believed to have mental health issues. Continue reading...

MP for Dover criticises Rishi Sunak's tired and chaotic government' and failure to keep our borders secure'

Incident involving Boeing 767 jet operated by FedEx comes amid intense scrutiny of troubled planemakerA Boeing cargo plane has been forced to land at Istanbul airport without its front landing gear, in the latest setback for the embattled planemaker.Nobody was hurt in the incident, in a flight operated by the delivery company FedEx, according to Turkey's transport ministry. Continue reading...

European debut to take over venues, galleries, clubs and spaces with focus on continent's creative talentSouth by Southwest, the creativity festival based in Austin, Texas, that has hosted the likes of Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg and Amy Winehouse, is launching a London edition next year.Known as SXSW, the multi-day event, which has been running for almost four decades, celebrates new ideas and innovators across the culture, science and tech industries. Continue reading...

Aslef drivers have embarked on a three-day strike over pay and conditions; Sweden's Riksbank cuts rates for first time in eight yearsFrance's Alstom has announced a 1bn capital raise to help cut debt as the world's second largest trainmaker struggles with delayed orders amid concerns about the future of its Derby factory.The Paris-listed company plans to raise 1bn from investors which it hopes to complete by September as well as a 750m bond issue, as part of a 2bn deleveraging plan to cut debt. Continue reading...

Recommendation comes after two days of hearings and nearly 300 submissions from health, education, pharmaceutical and other sectors

Vincent Morgan charged with murder of Lisa Welford, 47, who died after being rescued from river in AprilA trial date has been set for a man charged with the murder of a woman who died after being rescued from a river in North Yorkshire.Lisa Welford, 49, was pulled out of the River Derwent in Malton on the evening of 24 April and was taken by ambulance to hospital where she was later pronounced dead, North Yorkshire police said. Continue reading...

Councillor Mohamad Hussein says his decision was made in line with my religious beliefs'. Follow today's news live

Tim Pallas' comments come after government delayed Melbourne Airport rail project by four yearsThe battle over a rail line to Melbourne's airport has escalated, with Victoria's treasurer threatening to consider building a train station at Avalon Airport if the four-year stoush continues.Tim Pallas told reporters on Wednesday he was no longer playing games" with the operators of Melbourne Airport, after delaying the long-awaited project by at least four years in the state budget. Continue reading...

British actor who played Kevan Lannister in hit fantasy series diagnosed with cancer five months agoThe British actor Ian Gelder, who played Kevan Lannister in the hit fantasy series Game of Thrones, has died aged 74.During a career spanning decades, he was a familiar face on screen with roles in Torchwood, His Dark Materials, Doctor Who, Snatch, and The Bill. Continue reading...

Exclusive: 1,871 possible trafficking or modern slavery victims left open to exploitation after falling out of UK system, FoI data revealsHundreds of children identified as potential victims of trafficking are being abandoned by the Home Office and left vulnerable to exploitation, new data reveals.Released following a freedom of information (FoI) request, figures show that in 2022, 1,871 children identified as possible victims of trafficking or modern slavery dropped off the UK government system conceived to support them once they turned 18. Continue reading...

Steve Christou claims ban has overwhelming' community support despite petition opposing the ban gaining almost 10,000 signatures in less than 24 hours

Increase in cases reflects changing mood across continent towards Chinese threats, say expertsAs China's president, Xi Jinping, arrived in Serbia for the second leg of his European tour, authorities across the continent were grappling with a wave of allegations about Chinese spying.On Tuesday, meanwhile, the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, revealed that a malign actor" had compromised British military payroll records, with reports pointing the finger at China. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: As an assault on a key route for aid is underway, we look at how the humanitarian crisis will unfold and the prospects for a ceasefire Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Israel has threatened to expand its military operation in Rafah after it seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing - which was the key remaining land route to get desperately needed aid into Gaza, where millions of people are suffering an escalating humanitarian crisis.The Israeli military said it had taken operational control" of the border with Egypt in a precise and limited operation", but gave notice that it will soon be followed by an extreme force" ground offensive that the UN warns could lead to the slaughter of civilians". The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has begun dropping flyers on relief camps in Rafah, ordering Palestinians - many of whom have already fled the conflict, sometimes several times - to immediately evacuate.Israel-Gaza war | Joe Biden's administration paused a shipment of weapons to Israel last week in opposition to apparent moves by the Israelis to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a senior administration official has said. Israel has launched a major military offensive against Hamas forces in Gaza's southernmost city, seizing control of a key border crossing and cutting off most aid a day before indirect talks on a ceasefire deal are due to restart.US | Donald Trump's criminal trial entered a new stage on Tuesday with testimony from Stormy Daniels, an adult film star at the center of his hush-money scandal. Daniels told jurors that she had a sexual liaison with Trump in 2006 that left her nervous and ashamed.Scotland | The new Scottish National party leader John Swinney will become Scotland's seventh first minister after winning the backing of MSPs. Swinney won the vote eight days after Humza Yousaf announced his departure.Health | The Cass review absolutely" did not set an unfairly high bar for evidence, its author has said, as she addressed significant misinformation" about her assessment of healthcare provision for gender-questioning young people in England and Wales.Garrick Club | The men-only Garrick Club in London has finally voted to allow women to become members, 193 years after it first opened its doors. 562 members (59.98%) voted in favour and 375 (40.02%) against, in a private meeting where several hundred members spent two hours debating whether to permit women to join. Continue reading...

Explicit image allegedly sent to 19-year-old by NSW police officer Glen Coleman who was handling her sex-crime complaint, jury hears

Kim Ki-nam was known as the North Korean Goebbels' in the South due to his role as head of propaganda departmentKim Ki-nam, the propaganda chief who served all three generations of North Korean leaders and cemented their political legitimacy, has died, official media have said.Kim Ki-nam died on Tuesday aged 94 from multiple organ failure, official KCNA news agency reported. Continue reading...

Gaza solidarity encampment claims property destroyed, items stolen and students threatened and harassed

Lawyers for Ben Cohen provide police with evidence of social media users on X and other platforms falsely linking him to Bondi Junction stabbings

Exclusive: Litigation such as that spearheaded by Alan Bates could become harder if advice from senior figure at Labour peer's Global Counsel given effectThe advisory firm founded by Peter Mandelson has worked for a campaign that critics say would stifle mass lawsuits such as that taken recently by post office operators against the Post Office.The Labour peer, who has advised Keir Starmer, serves as president of Global Counsel, a strategic advisory company that he established and part owns. Continue reading...

Paintings identified as fake using cutting-edge technology are tip of the iceberg' specialist Dr Carina Popovici saysA Monet" and a Renoir" are among up to 40 fake paintings that are being offered for sale on eBay, according to research by a leading expert.Dr Carina Popovici, a specialist in authenticating artwork, said she applied cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology to pictures advertised on the online platform and was shocked to discover that many had a high probability" of being not authentic". Continue reading...

Severe thunderstorms bring hail and structural damage, with tornadoes hitting cities including Kalamazoo and Battle CreekTornadoes that hit Michigan on Tuesday evening ripped the roof off a FedEx building in Portage, partially collapsing the structure and trapping 50 people inside, Kalamazoo county authorities said. Elsewhere in the state, thousands of residents are without power and face a deluge of hail and tornado warnings amid severe thunderstorms.TAKE COVER NOW," the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids warned in a post directed at Portage residents on their Facebook page. Continue reading...

Brett Andrew Button had all 10 manslaughter charges withdrawn and admitted to dangerous driving charges over the June 2023 crash

Students have set up encampments in universities across continent as they call for ceasefire in Israel-Gaza war

The hairless cats live on average for just 6.8 years, while a Burmese could survive to be 14, according to researchThey may sound ancient but you should avoid a sphynx cat if you want a pet to grow old with, research suggests.Experts have revealed how many years on average domestic cats in the UK have left to live based on their current age. Continue reading...

Treasury committee says debanking' and use of personal guarantees for loans is putting small businesses at riskUnfair banking practices and damaging" financial regulators are harming small businesses and putting innovation and growth at risk, parliament's Treasury committee has warned.

The parents of Callum and Jake Robinson travelled to Mexico to identify the bodies of their children

Jury hears from adult film star on 13th day of ex-president's criminal trial in New York

Group includes 11 US citizens, including five minors, but tens of thousands of people remained detained five years after defeat of ISThe United States has repatriated two dozen western citizens, half of them Americans, from Islamic State prison camps in north-eastern Syria where tens of thousands have languished.The operation is the largest ever of US citizens and comes as rights groups warn of dire conditions in the camps still in use some five years after the ultra-violent extremist movement lost its last territory in Syria. Continue reading...