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School district says DHS agents, seeking five students in first through sixth grades, were barred from enteringImmigration officials attempted to enter two Los Angeles elementary schools this week, but were turned away by school administrators. The incident appears to be the Trump administration's first attempt to enter the city's public schools since amending regulations to allow immigration agents to enter sensitive areas" such as schools.At a Thursday press conference, the Los Angeles unified school district superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, confirmed that agents from the Department of Homeland Security were seeking five students in first through sixth grades. Continue reading...

Move comes after professors sued and alleged investigation violated their constitutional free speech rightsThe US House education and workforce committee withdrew an investigation into Northwestern University's law school clinics after professors there sued and alleged that the inquiry violated their constitutional free speech rights.The professors secured what amounted to a legal victory for them on Thursday, when the House committee withdrew its investigative requests with respect to the university and its law school's Bluhm Legal Clinic program on Thursday. Continue reading...

Department seeks instances of bias, with emphasis on Christianity, that may have occurred under BidenThe state department is ordering staff to report colleagues for instances of anti-Christian bias" during the Biden administration, part of Donald Trump's aggressive push to reshape government policy on religious expression in his first months back in office.The internal cable, obtained by the Guardian, establishes a short seven-day window for employees to report perceived religious discrimination committed by state department officials, with particular emphasis on Christianity. Continue reading...

Actor claims working with Oscar nominee on set of thriller Girl is one of the all time worst experiences' of her lifeBella Thorne has accused fellow US actor Mickey Rourke of bruising her genitals with a metal grinder on the set of a movie that they filmed together during what she described as one of the all time worst experiences" of her career.In a story on her Instagram account on Friday, Thorne alleged that the episode was part of a broader campaign to humiliate her while they collaborated on the 2020 thriller Girl. She wrote: This fucking dude. GROSS" and relayed the account in writing over a copy of a BBC article reporting that Celebrity Big Brother's producers had reprimanded him for aiming homophobic comments at the singer JoJo Siwa while they competed on the reality show. Continue reading...

Vanessa Brown called police response in Cobham, Surrey, a complete overreaction' that left her catatonic'A history teacher has said she was arrested and blocked from seeing her daughters after she confiscated their iPads.Vanessa Brown, 50, described her unspeakable devastation and trauma" after spending seven-and-a-half hours in a cell on 26 March after a claim that she had stolen two iPads. Continue reading...

Parliament recalled on Saturday for emergency vote to pass bill taking assets into public control

Closing submission from Gavin Millar KC says actor's legal team tried to portray an elaborate conspiracy theory'Noel Clarke has been shown to be precisely the man" depicted in the Guardian's articles accusing him of sexual misconduct, vindicating its journalism, the high court has heard.In closing submissions in the former Doctor Who actor's libel claim against Guardian News and Media (GNM), Gavin Millar KC said Clarke had been forced to come up with an elaborate conspiracy theory" to try to rebut the overwhelming evidence" against him.Over 15 years, he used his power to prey on and harass female colleagues.He sometimes bullied female colleagues.He engaged in unwanted sexual contact, kissing, touching or groping.He engaged in sexually inappropriate behaviour and comments.He was involved in professional misconduct.He took and shared explicit pictures and videos without consent, including secretly filming a young actor's naked audition. Continue reading...

Kimberley Cookson, 22, faces one count of gross negligence manslaughter for Noah Sibanda's deathA nursery worker from Dudley has been charged with manslaughter over the death of a 14-month-old boy.Noah Sibanda, described by his parents as a beautiful, happy and easy-going little boy", died after an incident at Fairytales Day Nursery in Bourne Street in Dudley on 9 December 2022. Continue reading...

Average man from Derbyshire' shocked to find photo of tattoo celebrating child's birth was used to deport migrantsA British man was shocked to discover that a photo of his tattoo was included in a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document used to identify alleged members of a notorious Venezuelan criminal gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA).Earlier this week, 44-year-old Pete Belton, who lives in the English county of Derbyshire, told the BBC that he was stunned to find a photo of his forearm tattoo featured in a DHS document among nine images of tattoos intended to assist in detecting and identifying" TdA members. Continue reading...

Call to prioritise reset with Europe comes after top adviser to Trump downplays prospect of US tariffs being reduced

Exclusive: Action comes five years after lack of legal recognition for humanist marriage in England and Wales was ruled discriminatoryTwo couples are taking the government to court over its failure to legalise humanist marriage in England and Wales five years after a ruling that the lack of recognition was discriminatory.Engaged couples Terri O'Sullivan and Edd Berrill, from Coventry, and Nicole Shasha and Rory Booth, from Leicester, are preparing to go to court in their fight to be married in line with their humanist beliefs. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Zahid Safi, who is running in Melbourne seat of Bruce, listed as last author on 2021 Senate submission which says victims of Afghanistan war not based on ethnicity'

In a single stroke, Donald Trump undid a century of US trade liberalisation -then, tried to pause it. What changed his mind?

Judge passes suspended sentence on Lisa Davenport, who smothered Barrie Davenport in 2022 in an act of mercy'A woman who killed her terminally ill father has been spared an immediate prison sentence, with the judge saying he had taken a merciful course".Dr Lisa Davenport, 55, smothered Barrie Davenport, 88, with a pillow at his home in Banbury, Oxfordshire, in October 2022. Continue reading...

California music festival to see record highs and headlining sets from Lady Gaga, Post Malone and Green DayStars such as Lady Gaga, Charli xcx, Ed Sheeran and Missy Elliott will face blazing temperatures this weekend at an unusually hot Coachella festival.The California-based festival will soar to potentially record-breaking highs of 103F (over 39C) in its first of two consecutive weekends, around 10-20 degrees higher than what's typically expected at this time of year. Continue reading...

Kremlin is also quoted as saying the pair will talk about Ukraine and may discuss Putin's meeting with Trump'Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov has offered an update on talks and commitments made in Brussels, as he posted about Germany's declaration it would offer 11bn in further military help to Ukraine up to 2029.He said:The deliveries from in 2025 will help us defend our skies (IRIS-T systems with missiles, PATRIOT missiles) and strengthen our positions on the battlefield (Marders, Leopards, artillery systems). Thank you, Germany, for standing by our side. Together, we will ensure a just and lasting peace in Europe. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lawsuit says unconstitutional' order violates right to share information with court's chief prosecutorDonald Trump's executive order imposing sanctions on the international criminal court (ICC) is facing a legal challenge from two US human rights advocates who argue it is unconstitutional and unlawful".In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Friday, the advocates said the order had forced them to stop assisting and engaging with the ICC out of fear the US government would punish them with criminal prosecution and civil fines. Continue reading...

HBO renewed Mike White's hit drama before third season aired and rumours abound about luxury settings and return of starsYou've only just got home from a holiday when you start planning the next one. So it is with the super-rich spa satire The White Lotus. The gunsmoke is still clearing from the finale of the third season but speculation is rife about where the HBO hit will head next.This week's climax of Mike White's drama might have divided critics, but it was still group chat-dominating, column inch-gobbling TV, notching its highest ratings yet. The show was renewed for a fourth trip before the third had even aired, with White reportedly pitching HBO execs his next idea while still filming in Koh Samui. Buzz is now building about the next chapter, expected on our screens in late 2026. Continue reading...

Social media, and specifically #CondimentTok, is fuelling trend, with everyone from Meghan to Heinz getting in on the actWhen the Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle brand As Ever launched last week, the 14 raspberry spread in keepsake packaging" - AKA a jam jar - sold out within half an hour. If the price seems a little eye-watering for something you could easily make at home, there is one thing Meghan got right: our appetite for condiments - from preserves to chilli oils and hot sauces - is bottomless. With the continuing rise of little treat culture, condiments that hover around the 10 mark have become the new lipstick effect".Delli, an online retailer for independent brands, has doubled its condiment sales in the past year, with bestsellers including a 10 croissant butter" and a 6.99 Malaysian Chinese chilli oil. Waitrose reported an 18% rise in condiment sales in the last month, with the Ottolenghi range of green harissa paste (5) and miso pesto (4) both up 13%. Marks & Spencer is echoing this uptick in premium condiments, with sales of truffle mayo (3.25 as opposed to 1.50 for their classic mayo) up 10% on last year. Now a range of swicy" (sweet and spicy) condiments including gochujang mayo, hot honey sauce and peach and jalapeno relish are in development. Continue reading...

Step is requirement for restructuring country's debt, including new IMF programmeZimbabwe has started to make compensation payments to white former farm owners, 25 years after Robert Mugabe's government began confiscating land.The government paid $3.1m (2.3m) to a first batch" of 378 farms, the ministry of finance said in a statement on Wednesday, the first payout under a 2020 agreement to pay $3.5bn in compensation. Continue reading...

Senate finds efforts by Saudi Arabia and others to meddle in US policy growing in scope, sophistication and reach'The Trump administration has weakened tools the US government uses to combat foreign-influence campaigns, even as covert attempts by Saudi Arabia and other malign actors" to influence American policy are growing in scope, sophistication, and reach", according to a new Senate report.The report, which was written by Democratic staff on the Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations and is expected to be released today, follows a Senate investigation into the controversial proposed takeover of the PGA Tour by the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. Continue reading...

Emmanuel Lidden pleaded guilty to two charges after buying uranium and plutonium from US-based science website

Elzbieta Olszewska had previously been told she faced deportation after mistakenly filling in form online

Exclusive: Government source confirms action at nine establishments including one near Windsor CastleHundreds of people seeking asylum are to be removed within weeks from nine hotels across England as the Home Office seeks to show that it has got to grips with the issue.The crackdown will include the closures of a hotel in a village near Windsor Castle after claims of community tensions and racism, and hotels in the West Midlands and Cheshire that have been targeted by far-right activists. Continue reading...

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Exclusive: Police confirm report of two offensive signs targeting Bruce MP Julian Hill, who is gay, hung on overpass bridge

Vice-chancellors urge Office for Students to provide more clarity to protect students and academics from abuseA ruling by the higher education regulator for England on freedom of speech breaches at the University of Sussex has sparked anxiety in the sector, as vice-chancellors scramble to review their policies to avoid potential violations.Two weeks after the Office for Students (OfS) handed out a record 585,000 fine, many university leaders are still not clear what it means in practice. Continue reading...

Taiwan launches first such prosecution, alleging the captain of the Chinese-crewed Hong Tai 58 dropped anchor near an undersea cable that then damaged itProsecutors in Taiwan charged, for the first time, a Chinese ship captain with intentionally damaging undersea cables off the island in February, after a rise in sea cable malfunctions alarmed Taiwan officials amid tensions with China.Prosecutors say the man was captain of the Chinese-crewed Hong Tai 58, registered in Togo, which Taiwanese authorities detained after suspecting the ship had dropped anchor near an undersea cable off southwestern Taiwan, allegedly damaging it. Continue reading...

PM reaches out to opposition leader as Brisbane teenager, 16, charged with commonwealth offence

Exclusive: Opposition leader says he has no choice' but to challenge Yoweri Museveni's regime, despite threats and previous attacksThe musician turned opposition leader Bobi Wine has said he will stand again against Uganda's authoritarian leader, Yoweri Museveni, in next year's presidential elections. Despite being jailed, attacked, shot, and facing threats of violence, including from Museveni's son, Wine said he felt he had little choice but to try to advance the hope for change that was energising Ugandans, especially the young.We cannot just give the election to General Museveni," he said, in an interview with the Guardian. Continue reading...

Central Bedfordshire's report into Storm Henk fails to mention the rapid expansion of the built environmentEven though sunshine records are being broken at the moment, the nightmares for those whose homes were affected by record rainfall earlier this year continue and seem unlikely to end.Local authorities have a statutory duty to review what happened when floods occur and properties are damaged. One such authority was Central Bedfordshire council (CBC), in the middle of the government's growth corridor between Oxford and Cambridge. Its recent report into Storm Henk, which caused widespread flooding in January, said the cause was heavy rain on saturated ground overwhelming drains, sewers and streams. Continue reading...

Opposition under pressure to release secret modelling and costings revealing how it plans to downsize the public service by 41,000 jobs by 2030

Exclusive: Jewish Council of Australia's Sophia Kagan says she was told there were protests planned against the screening of No Other Land in Elsternwick

After hottest 12-month period on record, a high-pressure system brings above-average temperatures across WA, Victoria, SA and NSW

Case of incorrect embryo transfer at Brisbane clinic raises custody questions that could set a legal precedent in Australia, lawyers say

Israeli forces killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and civil defence workers in southern Gaza on 23 March. Bethan McKernan reports on the emerging evidence of what happenedIsraeli forces shot dead 15 Palestinian paramedics and civil defence workers on 23 March and buried them in a mass grave in the Tel al-Sultan district of Rafah.The Israeli military claimed their vehicles had been advancing suspiciously" and without headlights or flashing emergency lights. Continue reading...

Benchmark S&P/ASX 200 falls 2.4% after another sell-off on Wall Street overnight triggered by changes to the US tariff regime

Cesar Hernandez opens fire and hits Abigail Reyes, leader of unit focused on arresting US citizens on the run in MexicoA US fugitive has shot and killed a Mexican police officer in the elite international liaison unit - known as the Gringo Hunters" - which specialises in arresting US citizens on the run in Mexico.Mexico has long been seen as a place to escape US law enforcement. The Gringo Hunters was set up in 2002 to cooperate with US authorities, and have since arrested more than 1,600 fugitives. Continue reading...

Family of five and pilot were onboard the helicopter when it crashed into the Hudson River

Effort for new award category was lead by Fall Guy director David Leitch, who was also a stuntman for Brad PittAfter many years of impassioned calls for an Oscar recognizing the art of the stunt, the film academy has decided to give it an official award.An achievement in stunt design prize will be added starting with the 100th Academy Awards, which will recognize films released in 2027, the film academy said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Daughter of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, 79 and 75, says they have no idea' why they have been in jail for two monthsAn elderly British couple taken captive by the Taliban have been interrogated 29 times since they were imprisoned more than two months ago, and still have absolutely no idea" why they have been incarcerated, their daughter has said.No charges have been brought against Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife, Barbie, 75, who ran school training programmes and were arrested alongside an American friend, Faye Hall, as they travelled to their home in Bamyan province, in central Afghanistan, in February. Continue reading...

Visit came after prince spent two days at the high court appealing the government's decision to strip him of security protectionPrince Harry has visited amputees and wounded military personnel at an orthopaedic clinic in Ukraine, after spending two days at the high court in London appealing against the government's decision to strip him of his security protection while he is in the UK.The prince, 40, met with wounded veterans at the Superhumans Centre in Lviv, which treats and rehabilitates injured military personnel and civilians, including children, affected by the war. Continue reading...

Veteran Tory, who retired as an MP last year, is on list of honours due to be published this weekMichael Gove is among those to be awarded a peerage in Rishi Sunak's resignation honours list.The veteran Conservative politician and editor of the Spectator, who retired as an MP at the last election, is understood to be on the list due to be published as soon as Friday. Continue reading...

Thirty-five arrests after hundreds of barbershops and other businesses raided in UK money-laundering investigationPolice have frozen bank accounts containing more than 1m after uncovering cannabis farms and evidence of modern slavery during raids on more than 250 barbershops and other high street businesses.In a three-week crackdown on high street crime, known as Operation Machinize, the National Crime Agency (NCA) targeted cash-intensive" businesses that it believes are linked to money laundering. Continue reading...

Marco Rubio provides two-page memo to judge who asked government for evidence against Columbia student activist

Unite, the union representing the workers, has called the government's approach during the strike a disgrace'Bin workers will be balloted on a new deal to end the strike in Birmingham, although Unite has attacked the government and council's approach to the dispute as a disgrace".Unite, whose bin worker members in the city have been on strike since last month, criticised the government for constant attacks and briefings against these low-paid bin workers" which it branded frankly a disgrace". Continue reading...

Steve Bray, who regularly protests by playing music outside parliament, is in court after allegedly flouting a police banOn a traffic island in Westminster, he played a song titled Brexit Tragedy' to the tune of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, serenading MPs with the words: We all live in a Brexit tragedy, a Brexit tragedy, a Brexit tragedy."Now, the anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray has apologised after hearing in court that his music made Suella Braverman's chief of staff feel exhausted", intimidated" and harassed". Continue reading...

Prada has secured Versace at a 180m discount amid market turmoil and after months of speculationPrada has agreed to buy the Versace fashion brand for 1.25bn ($1.38bn) from the fashion conglomerate Capri Holdings.It comes after months of speculation about a potential deal to combine the two Italian fashion houses and, more recently, rumours that the acquisition was set to collapse after market upheaval in response to President Trump's tariff policies. Continue reading...

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, to stand trial for plotting multiday slaughter carried out by 10 Islamist gunmenA Pakistan-born Canadian citizen wanted for his alleged role in the deadly 2008 Mumbai siege has landed in New Delhi after his extradition from the United States.Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, arrived at a military airbase outside the Indian capital under heavily armed guard late on Thursday, and will be held in detention to face trial. Continue reading...

Philippa Baskwill, who worked on child protection, found to have weighed down laptop keys with phoneA detective working on child protection, who was found to have weighed down the keys on her laptop to give the impression she was working at home, has been sacked without notice for gross misconduct after a disciplinary hearing.Suspicions were raised when keystroke data - the record of the number of times the keys had been struck on the keyboard - revealed DC Philippa Baskwill had pressed the keys on her laptop nearly 3 million times in a single month - compared with the 80,000 to 200,000 average of her colleagues, the hearing was told. Continue reading...