World news | The Guardian

David Beckham shares video of former girl group singing their hit Stop at private club Oswald's in London, as Mel B hints at a tourThe Spice Girls have reunited for a rare performance featuring all five members - at Victoria Beckham's 50th birthday party, where they danced to their classic hit Stop.The party was held on Saturday at Oswald's, a private members' club in London, with the likes of Tom Cruise, Salma Hayek, Eva Longoria and Gordon Ramsay also attending. Continue reading...

Three men have been charged and police are searching for more after violence outside the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church in Wakeley following the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel

Voters back President Mohamed Muizzu's tilt towards China and away from traditional ally IndiaMaldives voters have backed President Mohamed Muizzu's tilt towards China and away from traditional benefactor India, with his party winning control of parliament in an election landslide.Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC) won 66 of the first 86 seats declared, according to the Elections Commission of Maldives, already more than enough for a super-majority in the 93-member parliament. Continue reading...

For the first time, government military spending increased in all five geographical regions, Sipri thinktank findsGlobal military expenditure has reached a record high of $2440bn (1970bn) after the largest annual rise in government spending on arms in over a decade, according to a report.The 6.8% increase between 2022 and 2023 was the steepest since 2009, pushing spending to the highest recorded by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) in its 60-year history. Continue reading...

First attack on US forces since early February comes day after Iraq's prime minister returns from US visitAt least five rockets were launched from Iraq's town of Zummar towards a US military base in north-eastern Syria on Sunday, two Iraqi security sources told Reuters.The attack against US forces is the first since early February, when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq stopped their attacks against US troops. Continue reading...

Labour leader uses Telegraph column to emphasise his patriotic stance, but some worry it may alienate ethnic minority votersKeir Starmer has written to all of Labour's general election candidates urging them to mark St George's Day with enthusiasm" and to fly the flag" across the country as he attempts to outmanoeuvre the Tories on national identity.The Labour leader is trying to reassure swing voters that the party has changed under his leadership after a perceived lack of patriotism under Jeremy Corbyn, who often appeared uncomfortable with British institutions and symbols and argued for a progressive patriotism". Continue reading...

Watchdog argues drug search powers should be boosted to fix system that is not fit for purpose' as home affairs department rejects multiple recommendations

Mark Rowley believed to still enjoy confidence of home secretary and mayor of London after incident at pro-Palestine protestThe Metropolitan police commissioner is expected to survive calls for his resignation over a video of an officer suggesting that being openly Jewish" was a provocation to pro-Palestinian protesters.A government source said that the home secretary, James Cleverly, retained full confidence in Sir Mark Rowley, and sources inside the Met rejected any suggestion that he was considering his position. Continue reading...

Conservative party inquiry found a pattern of behaviour' that had fallen below the standard expected of MPsThe former Conservative MP Mark Menzies is quitting the party and parliament after an internal inquiry found a pattern of behaviour" that had fallen below the standard expected of MPs.The MP for Fylde announced that he would not stand at the next election after the allegations that he misused campaign funds were referred to Lancashire police. Continue reading...

Muhammad* cannot afford legal action or 20,000 fees, with Rwanda deportation a threat if his wife and children join him

Some Tory MPs said to want concession as Home Office staff warn migrants marked for deportation will go underground'

Owner of X has used social media platform to bash judge in charge of investigations into former presidentThousands of diehard supporters of Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro have hit the streets of Rio to champion their embattled leader and celebrate the new hero of their far-right movement: Elon Musk.The tech billionaire has spent recent weeks using his social network X to bash Bolsonaro's arch-enemy, the supreme court judge Alexandre de Moraes. Moraes is responsible for several investigations into Bolsonaro that could land the ex-president in jail, including one examining the alleged coup plot that preceded the rightwing insurrection in Brasilia on 8 January 2023. Continue reading...

Contest being treated as a general election bellwether and some MPs fear complete annihilation' will spark further Conservative rebellionThe local elections on 2 May have long been regarded as a moment of high peril for Rishi Sunak, with the results likely to anticipate his party's fate at the next election.My colleagues are feeling very restless," admits one moderate Tory MP. Rishi needs to show us that the general election isn't already lost. If we lose the mayoralties in May then I'm afraid we could be on course for a total wipeout. It could be very dangerous for him." Continue reading...

Author also discusses prospect of second Trump presidency and writing about his stabbing in launch event for his book KnifeSalman Rushdie has warned young people against forgetting the value of free speech and discussed the very big and negative" impact of a second Trump presidency in a rare public appearance since his stabbing.The Indian-born British-American author of books including the Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children also discussed the attack in 2022 that left him blind in one eye during a Q&A at an English PEN event at the Southbank Centre. Continue reading...

As well as new women's-only record, race delivered largest ever number of participants and new charity fundraising highThe London Marathon's organisers have hailed another glorious day" on the streets of the UK capital after a series of records - including the women's-only world record - were broken.More than 50,000 finishers were forecast to have crossed the line by late on Sunday, another record, while the race director, Hugh Brasher, predicted that the race would raise more money for charity than any single-day event in history. Continue reading...

Kennet Properties sells off Thames Water land, whose owner, Kemble Water, has warned it would not be able to pay a 190m loanA development company that sells off land no longer needed by Thames Water has paid out a 14m dividend despite warnings that it could become engulfed by the embattled water group's financial woes.Accounts filed at Companies House show Kennet Properties paid out a 14.5m dividend during the year to 31 March 2023, despite the difficulties faced by the wider group, which is facing a potential administration. Continue reading...

Government auditors must look into claims of complicity in corruption on arms deals with UK, says Labour peerAlleged Ministry of Defence complicity in the national scandal" of bribery on arms deals in Saudi Arabia must be investigated by government auditors, a senior Labour politician has said.Peter Hain, the antiapartheid campaigner and peer, said in a letter to the National Audit Office (NAO) that a timely, targeted" investigation was now necessary after the conclusion of a major criminal trial. Continue reading...

Outcry over cancellation of Antonio Scurati's Rai talkshow appearance as note says move was taken for editorial reasons'A high-profile Italian author has accused Rai of censorship after his antifascist monologue was abruptly stopped from being aired, in what he called the definitive demonstration" of alleged attempts by Giorgia Meloni's government to wield its power over the state broadcaster.Antonio Scurati was due to read the monologue marking the 25 April national holiday, which celebrates Italy's liberation from fascism, on the Rai 3 talkshow Chesara on Saturday night. Continue reading...

Israeli leaders vow to oppose expected measures under Leahy law against the Netzah Yehuda battalionA unit of the Israel Defense Forces is facing US sanctions over its treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, even as Congress voted for $26bn in new emergency aid to Israel.According to reports in the Israeli media, US state department officials have confirmed they are preparing to impose sanctions on the IDF's Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has been accused of serious human rights violations against Palestinians. Continue reading...

Israel PM's comments follow reports that the US was planning measures against an IDF battalionAt least 34,097 Palestinian people have been killed and 76,980 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.An estimated 48 Palestinians were killed and 79 others injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry added. Continue reading...

Daniel Mookhey says absurd' carve-up of GST allocations means the state will almost certainly' lose its coveted AAA credit rating

Vcat suspends Bendigo doctor's supervision order over significant financial imposition' on one of region's last bulk-billing clinics

Exclusive: NHS cost threshold has not been raised by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence since 2004People with motor neurone disease have spoken of their devastation at a likely loss of access to a life-extending drug due to an NHS cost threshold that has not been raised since 2004.Tofersen has slowed the progress of the illness in trials but the chances of the drug being recommended for use in England and Wales are said to be slim. Continue reading...

Former federal senator Rex Patrick's 16-month tussle shows Treasury provided Jim Charmers with a range of policy options

Shareholder calls for softening of postal service's obligations after failed takeover bid by Czech billionaire for owner IDSOne of the top investors in Royal Mail's owner has said it is vulnerable to corporate predators", arguing that a recent takeover bid by a Czech billionaire significantly undervalues the company.Redwheel called for regulators to water down the UK postal service's legal obligations after Daniel Ketinsky's failed takeover attempt of its parent company International Distributions Services (IDS). Continue reading...

Celebrated painter went down the drain from the 1930s', claims Rebecca John in a new interviewThe granddaughter of Augustus John, Britain's most famous and successful artist of the early 20th century, has delivered a damning critique of his later works. Rebecca John, the leading authority on the artist, says in her first interview for two decades that most should have been burned. My grandfather went down the drain from the 1930s onwards, drank too much, lost his judgment, and took every opportunity to earn money from portraits of society ladies and the wives of notable men".From about 1900, Augustus John had produced beautiful drawings, stunning landscapes and portraits of great men including TE Lawrence, James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw and Thomas Hardy. He was even honoured in 1928 with a cover photo for Time magazine. But those artistic skills declined from the mid-1930s until his death aged 83 in 1961. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ex-double agent allegedly admitted to murder during training presentations to members of the security servicesVictims' families have reacted with anger after it emerged that a former British double agent in the IRA who allegedly admitted to murder while giving training presentations to members of the security services will not be prosecuted.The case had emerged during an investigation by officers into the activities of the British spy known as Stakeknife and a criminal file was passed to the prosecution service of Northern Ireland. Continue reading...

Closure of Work and Health Programme comes hard on heels of Rishi Sunak's bid to end the UK's supposed sicknote' cultureA major scheme to help disabled people into work has been quietly scrapped - just as the prime minister announced a crackdown on disability benefits.The 100m Work and Health Programme, operating in England and Wales, will end in the autumn, providers have been told, at the same time that Rishi Sunak wants to cut benefits for 420,000 sick and disabled people in an attempt to force them into work - a move that charities say would instead leave people destitute. Continue reading...

Students speak out after a pupil lost her legal challenge against a top London school after it brought in a ban to promote social cohesionIt was in year nine when Hanzla started praying in the playground during lunchtime at his secondary school in Birmingham, despite restrictions from his teachers.I'd find anywhere in the playground and get my friends to kind of make a circle around me - those friends were Muslims and non-Muslims - so the teachers would not find out," he said. A lot of the time it used to be raining and sometimes even snowing and the weather was cold." Continue reading...

The Italian city's attempt to help its sleep-deprived residents is denounced as a step too farMilan's leaders have been accused of waging war against ice-cream in their bid to combat wild nightlife" in the northern Italian city.Marco Granelli, the deputy mayor for public security, recently announced a proposal banning the sale of takeaway food after midnight in the city's popular nightlife districts. Continue reading...

Sweeping security measures designed to empower police and armed forces against organised crimeEcuadoreans will vote on Sunday in a referendum on a raft of unprecedented security measures designed to empower the police and armed forces in the fight against spiralling violence and organised crime.Voters must accept or reject 11 questions, mostly about security, in the plebiscite, which is being seen as a test of support for Ecuador's popular young president. Daniel Noboa who took office in November on the pledge to combat the surge in violent crime, put forward the poll to push through proposals to retake control of prisons and tame soaring homicide rates. Continue reading...

Katherine Anne Rose spent months documenting the Scottish charity, which welcomes and supports forcibly displaced people with the help of the local communityRefuweegee is a play on the words refugee" and weegie", affectionate slang for a Glaswegian. The charity was founded in December 2015 by Selina Hales, a Glasgow native who wanted to welcome displaced people in the city after seeing news coverage of Syrians escaping war and persecution and crossing into Europe. Glasgow has the largest refugee population in the UK outside London.The scale and reach of charities such as Refuweegee have rapidly grown over the last few years, in part due to the rising numbers of asylum seekers but also because of the generosity and involvement of the local community. The charity has expanded to a network of more than 200 volunteers across Glasgow.Refuweege merchandise with the charity's slogan: We're all fae somewhere.' Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese says vigil was to honour victims and mourn for all the years of joy they should have known'

Reynolds says if Higgins does not accept Justice Lee's findings on the claims of coverup and mistreatment ... it will have to be proved again in our trial'

Sixty four Tories and four independent MPs who lost party whip plan to stand down from the Commons amid dire polling for ConservativesA cohort of Conservative MPs standing down before the next election have netted jobs worth millions of pounds and have taken dozens of all-expenses-paid trips funded by foreign governments and lobbyists, the Observer can reveal.Sixty-four serving Tory MPs and four independent MPs who lost the Tory whip have announced that they plan to stand down at the next election amid polling that suggests their party may face an electoral wipeout. Continue reading...

New album The Tortured Poets Department flies off the shelves as Swift breaks record for most Spotify streams in a single dayTaylor Swift fans joined queues outside vinyl shops yesterday for the annual Record Store Day in the hope of securing a limited edition note from the desk of Taylor Swift".The handwritten" note came with a limited number of copies of the musician's latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, which was released on Friday. Continue reading...

UK debt advice charity warns that cost of living crisis and higher rents are pushing younger full-time workers into difficultiesA rising number of people in full-time work, including those in jobs such as nursing, have been seeking advice on debt, amid warnings that a growing cohort of younger workers is struggling to make ends meet.Figures seen by the Observer suggest rising rents and the use of credit to cope with the cost of living crisis in recent years are driving more full-time workers to seek help. Continue reading...

Coalition was previously fiercely critical of Labor's misinformation legislation, having campaigned to bin the bill'

Young men are forced to take part in conscript lottery, but the rich often avoid serving in armyEvery April in Thailand young men take part in a lottery to determine whether they will be forced to do military service. Pull out a red card and you are drafted for up to two years. A black card means you are exempt.When it was Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal's turn to draw a card this month, he refused, making a rare protest as a conscientious objector. If prosecuted, it is believed he could become the first person in Thailand to be imprisoned for avoiding the draft through civil disobedience. The offence carries a maximum sentence of three years. Continue reading...

Lucy Bradlow and Bronwen Bock say they would split official duties and make joint decisions if elected to the seat of Higgins

Defence minister says possibility of a collision between the two helicopters is being analysedOne person was dead and seven missing after two Japanese military helicopters crashed after possibly colliding while out to sea, officials said.A spokesperson for Japan's self-defence force said the crash took place late on Saturday and one person was recovered and later confirmed dead. Continue reading...

Columbia and Barnard chapters of nationwide group issue statement claiming flagrant disregard of shared governance'The Columbia and Barnard chapters of the American Association of University Professors have issued a joint statement condemning Columbia president Minouche Shafik's crackdowns on student-led pro-Palestinian protests.In the statement released on Friday, the chapters said: We are shocked at her failure to mount any defense of the free inquiry central to the educational mission of a university in a democratic society and at her willingness to appease legislators seeking to interfere in university affairs." Continue reading...

Labour leader accuses Conservatives of having denigrated some of our proudest national institutions' and stoking divisionsThe Conservatives have lost any right" to call themselves a patriotic party, Sir Keir Starmer has said.Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Labour leader said the Tories have denigrated some of our proudest national institutions" and he accused the party of stoking divisions that weaken our nation" if it means it strengthens their grip on power". Continue reading...

Turkish president says recent events between Iran and Israel should not allow Israel to gain ground' in GazaTurkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoan urged Palestinians to unite amid Israel's war in Gaza following hours-long talks with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on Saturday, his office said.Erdoan has failed to establish a foothold as a mediator in the Gaza conflict that has roiled the region, with the Hamas-run Palestinian territory bracing for a new Israeli offensive and a reported Israeli attack on Iran. Continue reading...

Despite having Australia's highest rates of domestic violence, particularly against Indigenous women, the NT only receives about 1% of federal funding, senators hear

Statement comes after Met police apologised for calling antisemitism campaigner openly Jewish'Being Jewish should never be seen as provocative", the government has said after a row over the policing of a pro-Palestine march.In a video released by Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), the charity's chief executive, Gideon Falter, who was wearing a kippah skull cap, was told by a Met officer at a pro-Palestine march last Saturday: You are quite openly Jewish, this is a pro-Palestinian march. I'm not accusing you of anything but I'm worried about the reaction to your presence." Continue reading...

Thousands of civilians flee as resistance fighters fight to flush out soldiers holed up at eastern bridge border crossingFighting raged at Myanmar's eastern border with Thailand on Saturday, both governments said, forcing 3,000 civilians to flee as rebels fought to flush out Myanmar junta troops holed up for days at a bridge border crossing.Resistance fighters and ethnic minority rebels seized the key trading town of Myawaddy on the Myanmar side of the frontier on 11 April, a blow to a well-equipped military struggling to govern and facing a test of battlefield credibility. Continue reading...

Queens Park Ladies under-12s finished top of division three of the Bournemouth Youth Football League with 18 wins, four draws and no defeatsA girls' football team has won a boys' league after going unbeaten all season, earning them the invincibles" title.Queens Park Ladies under-12s finished top of division three of the Bournemouth Youth Football League with 18 wins, four draws and no defeats. Continue reading...

Alarm grows over possible pension cuts as research suggests Jeremy Hunt tax cut announcement was blunder'Labour is to wage a new campaign to win over Tory-supporting pensioners in an attempt to neutralise one of the government's last remaining electoral strengths, amid evidence the Conservatives are now performing as badly among the age group as they did under Liz Truss's leadership.With less than a fortnight to go until local elections in England, which some Tories fear could trigger an attempt to topple Rishi Sunak, the Observer understands that Keir Starmer's top officials are reorienting their campaign after detecting alarm among pensioners over the impact a Conservative tax-cutting pledge could have on pensions and the NHS. Continue reading...

Biden administration to rethink counter-terrorism strategy after breakdown of pact allowing US forces on soil to fight jihadistsThe US will withdraw more than 1,000 military personnel from Niger in a move that will force the Biden administration to rethink its counter-terrorism strategy and amounts to a strategic victory for Russia.The decision comes a month after the west African country's ruling military junta revoked a security pact with Washington that had allowed American forces on its soil to help fight jihadist terrorism. Continue reading...