World news | The Guardian

The Princess of Wales is the latest person in the public eye to find there are questions about the security of their health historyMedical records are meant to be sacred, the preserve of the dedicated professionals treating a patient, but the Princess of Wales is not the first to find herself at the centre of allegations that they have been plundered for gossip.The former prime minister Gordon Brown told the Leveson inquiry into media conduct that he believed a story in the Sun about his son Fraser's diagnosis with cystic fibrosis in 2006 could only have come from leaked medical records. Continue reading...

Varadkar announces decision to resign as taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael party for personal and political' reasons

Russia tortured and arbitrarily detained people in occupied country, creating climate of fear' and suppressing Ukrainian identity, UN report saysRussian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's proposals to use revenues from frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine amount to banditism and theft, reports Reuters.The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has said he will propose the EU use 90% of revenue from Russian assets frozen in Europe to buy arms for Ukraine via the European Peace Facility fund. Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister reiterates his intention to launch a ground offensive but cautions over timingUnicef has published a video during which spokesperson James Elder has visited what remains of the Nasser hospital medical complex in Gaza after five months of Israeli bombardment and the ground offensive there.Visibly emotional, during the video Elder says:The last time I was in this hospital there were thousands of people taking shelter there. I mean, look at this place. Sorry, I need a minute.Medical staff would do 36 hour shifts. These incredible people, running, giving incredible care, to every single child with the wounds of war who needed it. Extraordinary medical staff. Continue reading...

Investigation asserts that detention centre staff had key to cell in which men were being held but did not open door to let them outA new report has challenged the official version of events during a fire in a Mexican migrant detention facility that killed dozens, alleging that staff could have let the men out of their cell, but instead decided - or were told - not to.The fire in Ciudad Juarez broke out on 27 March 2023, when detainees started a fire to protest conditions at the facility. But as the flames spread, the men were left in a locked cell as smoke filled the building, until firemen arrived. Forty men were killed, and another 27 survived, with life-altering injuries. Continue reading...

Exclusive: supreme court judge says it is a cause for concern' if public policy is considered over individual merits of a caseA Victorian supreme court judge has raised concerns an increased focus on crime may be causing authorities to take a more conservative approach" when it comes to assessing bail suitability for children.In a decision published earlier this month, supreme court judge Rita Incerti granted a 16-year-old Aboriginal boy bail after he had earlier been denied by a magistrate at Bendigo children's court.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Exclusive: Victorian senator criticises lack of monitoring of royal commission recommendations and demands tangible and achievable action'

University of Adelaide study finds potential lamb deaths from heat stress could increase from 2.1m to 3.3m per year under a 3C rise

Aemo reports that Victoria's total available gas supply will drop by 48% from 2024 to 2028

The state rescinded its decision over Carmichael mine fly-in, fly-out jobs but it's unlikely to be the end of the dispute

Latest legislative crackdown on dissent and international collaboration likely to scare off some businesses, say criticsHong Kong was once Asia's world city, a global financial hub and business gateway to China. But the passage of new national security laws is the latest sign that the door is closing.On Tuesday, article 23 was unanimously passed by Hong Kong's unicameral, opposition-free parliament. The law covers newly defined acts of treason, espionage, theft of state secrets, sedition and foreign interference. Continue reading...

Jewish Voice for Peace and the Auschwitz Memorial among those defending Oscar winner amid backlash over words at ceremonyJewish figures are speaking out in support of Jonathan Glazer amid a backlash over the Zone of Interest director's Oscar speech, with some calling his words honest and brave".While accepting the award for best international film, Glazer said he refuted his Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people" in Gaza and Israel. His speech drew applause in the Dolby Theatre but was quickly condemned by groups such as Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and this week hundreds of Jewish Hollywood figures signed an open letter denouncing it. Continue reading...

Former chief executive says there would have been strong commercial reasons in the context of the pandemic' for choosing to outsource the roles

Maria Caulfield says police have been asked to look at' whether staff at London Clinic tried to access Princess of Wales's recordsStaff at the London Clinic could face enforcement action, including fines and prosecutions, if they are found to have accessed the Princess of Wales's medical records, a government minister has said.The health minister Maria Caulfield told Sky News it was pretty severe and serious stuff to be accessing notes that you don't have permission to". Continue reading...

Lawmakers in more than a dozen states have considered efforts to give legal rights and protections to embryos and fetusesLawmakers in more than a dozen states have considered efforts to endow embryos or fetuses with legal rights and protections since the start of the year, and at least three states have advanced such fetal personhood" legislation since February, when an Alabama supreme court decision ruling that frozen embryos are extrauterine children" unleashed national outrage.The Alabama state legislature responded to the repercussions of that ruling - which led several of the state's in vitro fertilization (IVF) providers to halt their work - by passing a bill to protect providers' ability to offer that treatment. Yet, just hours after the legislature passed those protections, Republicans in the Iowa statehouse passed a fetal personhood bill that amends state law to criminalize causing the death of an unborn person". Continue reading...

Motion passed by 75 union members expresses outrage over way Chris Oliver-Taylor and senior executives damaged the public's trust in our capacity to report without fear or favour'

Saudi Arabia is likely to host the 2034 tournament, but a Guardian investigation has revealed there are already a high number of unexplained' migrant worker deaths in the Gulf kingdom

Laws include mandatory pre-commitment requirements, gambling breaks and an enforceable casino code of conduct

Home being sold after supreme court ruling in dispute with Aung San Suu Kyi's estranged brother, with the price reportedly set at tens of millions of dollarsNo bidders have appeared at an auction in Myanmar for the sale of the home of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, for which the starting price was reported to be in the tens of millions of dollars.The family property on Yangon's Inye Lake was up for auction by order of the supreme court, after a years-long legal battle between Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in a 2021 coup, and her estranged brother Aung San Oo. Continue reading...

Justice Michael Lee to hand down decision after considering 15,000 pages of transcript and hours of CCTV footage in case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson

At least one person is believed to have made attempt to see Princess of Wales's notes while she was at the London ClinicAn investigation has reportedly been launched at the London Clinic over claims staff tried to access the Princess of Wales's private medical records while she was being treated there.At least one member of staff tried to access Kate's notes while she was a patient at the private hospital in central London in January, according to the Mirror. Continue reading...

Damning report on long-term care system blames uneven funding and a lack of a plan for failureThe government has brought adult social care in England to its knees" with years of uneven funding and a woefully insufficient plan" to fill thousands of staff vacancies, MPs have said in a damning report on a system that provides long-term care for 835,000 people.The public accounts committee said chronic underfunding, rising waiting lists and patchwork funding" has placed sustained pressure on local authorities, and the government is falling short on Boris Johnson's promise in 2019 to fix the crisis in social care once and for all". Continue reading...

Report criticises government agencies for not working together and says the estimated $6.9bn cost of the event was overstated'

Six-week adjournment granted for Travis Profke, 40, who is accused of spray-painting graffiti on Queensland Woolworths store

European Union joins chorus of criticism of Article 23, which includes harsh new penalties for offences such as insurrection, sedition and espionageThe European Union has sounded the alarm over Hong Kong's new national security bill, saying it had the potential to significantly" affect the work of the EU's office and the territory's status as a business hub.On Tuesday Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously passed the new bill only two weeks after it was first presented, fast-tracking a major piece of legislation that critics say further threatens the city's freedoms. Continue reading...

America's top doctor says governments' failure to better regulate social media is insane'

Final year students from Goresbrook school talk about housing, higher education and social media - as well as hopes and fears

Critics say move could undermine local democracy by making forums optional for councillors and staff

Parliamentary motion from New Democratic party passed with support of Liberals, Bloc Quebecois and Green partyCanada will halt future arms sales to Israel following a non-binding vote in the house of commons. The foreign affairs minister, Melanie Joly, told the Toronto Star her government would halt future arms shipments. It is a real thing," she said on Tuesday.The decision follows a parliamentary motion, introduced by the New Democratic party (NDP), that called on the governing Liberals to halt future arms exports to Israel. The New Democrats, who are supporting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority government, have expressed frustration with what they see as his failure to do enough to protect civilians in Gaza. Continue reading...

Some collectors want the tackiest items imaginable, but for others they are heartfelt reminders of the pastFor Caroline Walker, 65, holiday fridge magnets aren't merely practical souvenirs holding up the shopping list but meaningful little reminders" that bring her back to a time or place in her life. The first in her collection was a little magnet from Dnipro, Ukraine. It was a gift from the leader of a group of Ukrainian students to whom she taught English. I look at it now and I wonder where they all are, if they're OK, how many of them died, how many of the boys are fighting," she says.Walker is among dozens of people who contacted the Guardian to share their emotional response to holiday fridge magnets in light of a new study conducted by Liverpool University that suggests these objects may also provide an important means of accessing happy - and not so happy - memories of past trips. Continue reading...

New minimum wage law to be brought in two years after P&O Ferries replaced hundreds of workers with low-cost crewCross-Channel ferry operators will be required to pay their crew at least 9.95 an hour after France implemented a new minimum wage law aimed at preventing the exploitation of seafarers.The move comes two years after P&O Ferries caused outrage on both sides of the Channel by sacking almost 800 workers and replacing them with low-cost crew. Continue reading...

Reform party leader Richard Tice says he expects BBC to change its editorial guidelinesThe BBC has apologised for referring to Reform UK as far right" in a news report.The apology related to coverage of the Liberal Democrats' spring conference by the broadcaster, which said it had removed a sentence from an article that did not adhere to its editorial standards. Continue reading...

Initiative to boost supplies as standoff in US congress continues and arms from EU fall shortThe Czech Republic says it is on the verge of delivering thousands of extra artillery shells to Ukraine, just weeks after it announced an initiative to source the much-needed supplies from outside the EU.Its foreign minister, Jan Lipavsky, said it had so far secured 300,000 shells and that the ammunition would provide a vital few months' breathing space" on the frontline. Sources added that the first deliveries would come before June. Continue reading...

Leonard Farruku, 27, died in a suspected suicide on barge for asylum seekers and his relatives want an independent inquiryThe family of Leonard Farruku, who died in a suspected suicide last December on the Bibby Stockholm barge used to accommodate asylum seekers, have said that the British government should be held responsible for his death.The family has launched legal action against the government to force a decision over holding an independent investigation into the death. Lawyers for the family said they took the decision after the government failed to respond to three letters sent to it last month. Continue reading...

BBFC survey finds sexual violence remains main area of concern while views on some drug use have easedThe British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has introduced stricter guidelines for sex scenes and nudity in 12 and 12A productions, saying the public are concerned about the amount of explicit content to which young people are being exposed.In the BBFC's first major audience research for five years, sexual violence remained the biggest area of concern. Continue reading...

Russia attacking Ukraine with drones, guided bombs and missiles, says president; Kaja Kallas says spending should rise to over 3% GDPThe EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has said he will propose that the EU uses 90% of the revenues from Russian assets frozen in Europe to buy arms for Ukraine via the European Peace Facility fund, Reuters reports.Borrell told reporters in Brussels he would propose that the remaining 10% be transferred to the EU budget to be used to boost the capacity of the Ukrainian defence industry. Continue reading...

Police investigate theory animals killed by people who set dogs on hares and livestream chase for gamblersIt was a typically tranquil day at the community shop in the picture postcard village of Broughton on the banks of the Wallop Brook in Hampshire. Delicious breads and tempting cakes were being delivered - the store prides itself on supporting local suppliers - while a stream of customers, including villagers and groups of walkers and cyclists who know it is as an ideal stopping off point, kept the volunteers busy.The scene that greeted the shop workers a few days ago could hardly have been more different, after the battered remains of about 50 hares and two birds of prey were dumped in the early hours outside the shop. Blood was smeared on the windows and the bodies of a kestrel and barn owl jammed in the door handles. Continue reading...

Documents seen by the Guardian list hundreds of incidents, including Unrwa workers allegedly being blindfolded and beaten

David Neal says government failed to publish his report on conditions for asylum seekers in east Africa country

Sofa retailer warns profits will be 10m lower than hoped as DIY group says conditions remain challenging'The furniture retailer DFS and the DIY group Wickes have warned of weak demand for high-cost household goods as consumers continue to cut spending in the cost of living crisis.DFS, which specialises in selling sofas, said annual profits would be 10m lower than previously hoped and sales would come in up to 65m below expectations, adding that demand had weakened significantly" over the past two months. Continue reading...

Process in Croydon East, which was suspended last year after suspected data breach, resumed last weekA Labour parliamentary selection contest in London is being investigated by the police over allegations of computer misuse" after a suspected data breach.The party's selection process in the new Croydon East constituency was suspended last year amid complaints that local members' data provided to some candidates was inaccurate. Continue reading...

Little action has been taken on issue at one of UK's most notorious jails, Independent Monitoring Board saysBlack prisoners are disproportionately subjected to the use of force inside one of Britain's most notorious jails, a report has found.The annual report of the Independent Monitoring Board, a statutory body that monitors the treatment of prisoners, found that from June 2022 to May 2023, black prisoners in Wormwood Scrubs were subjected to 43% of use-of-force incidents although they formed just 27% of the prison population. Continue reading...

Wealthy are willing to pay more than double the standard price of 170,000, says luxury carmakerThe luxury carmaker Bentley is cashing in as more of the world's richest people opt to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on levels of personalisation that we've never seen before", the company has said.While households all over the world struggle with inflation and the continued impact of the global energy crisis, its chief executive, Adrian Hallmark, said that our customers can still afford our cars", even if some were hesitating before committing. Continue reading...

Getty Images flags second royal photo days after storm over image of Princess of WalesA second photograph of members of the royal family has been flagged by a global picture agency after it was discovered to have been digitally enhanced at source".Earlier this month, five international picture agencies that initially distributed an image of the Princess of Wales to mark Mother's Day issued so-called kill" notices to withdraw it, sparking a huge wave of commentary, speculation and even conspiracy theories. Continue reading...

Willyama High School at Broken Hill set to be rebuilt, education minister Prue Car says

Richard Colbeck says PwC International must clarify reports it took control of Australian firm after tax leaks scandal

Death of 13-year-old boy has put spotlight on juvenile crime and the plight of children left behind by rural migrant workersThe killing of a 13-year-old boy in northern China last week, for which three boys are in police custody, has triggered a heated discussion in the media on juvenile crime and the plight of children left at home by migrant workers.Police arrested three boys and took them into custody after they allegedly bullied and killed the junior high school student in the small city of Handan, in Hebei province, on 10 March, and then buried him in a shallow pit, state media reported. So far, no charges have been laid. Continue reading...

Force responds to scathing NSW law enforcement conduct commission report, dismissing four of 19 recommendations

The special minister of state claims some cross-benchers agree with banning big money, just not theirs'

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