World news | The Guardian

Man worked as assistant to Maximilian Krah, top candidate in European parliament elections, say prosecutorsAn aide to a German far-right politician standing in the European elections in June has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, German prosecutors have said.The man, named only as Jian G, was accused of sharing information about negotiations at the European parliament with a Chinese intelligence service and of spying on Chinese opposition figures in Germany, federal prosecutors said. Continue reading...

Commissioner expresses grave concern after Rishi Sunak's asylum policy passes parliamentary stagesThe Council of Europe's human rights watchdog has condemned Rishi Sunak's Rwanda scheme, saying it raises major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law".The body's human rights commissioner, Michael O'Flaherty, said the bill, expected to be signed into law on Tuesday after passing its parliamentary stages on Monday night, was a grave concern and should not be used to remove asylum seekers or infringe on judges' independence. Continue reading...

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Anthony Albanese responds to X owner who criticised Australian authorities demanding videos of a Sydney church stabbing be removedAustralia's prime minister has labelled X's owner, Elon Musk, an arrogant billionaire who thinks he is above the law" as the rift deepens between Australia and the tech platform over the removal of videos of a violent stabbing in a Sydney church.On Monday evening in an urgent last-minute federal court hearing, the court ordered a two-day injunction against X to hide posts globally containing the footage of the alleged stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel on 15 April. The eSafety commissioner had previously directed X to remove the posts, but X had only blocked them from access in Australia pending a legal challenge. Continue reading...

Despite eventual visa backflip by authorities, ABC's south-Asia correspondent Avani Dias left after being made to feel so uncomfortable'

Videos on social media show helicopters flying in formation when one clipped another and both crashedTwo Malaysian navy helicopters have collided in mid-air during a rehearsal for a parade, killing all 10 crew members on board, the navy has said.The incident occurred at the Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak at 9.32am on Tuesday (0132 GMT), the navy said in a statement. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: After months of wrangling, Parliament passed the government's controversial plan to tackle small boats Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First Edition Continue reading...

In move seen by the opposition as an attempt to de-sinocise Taiwan, the ruling party is pushing ahead with plans to rid the island of monuments to the dictatorTaiwan's government has pledged to remove almost 800 statues of Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese military dictator who ruled the island for decades under martial law, but whose legacy remains a point of contentious debate.In 2018 the government established a transitional justice committee to investigate the rule of the former generalissimo, who was president of the Republic of China (ROC) - in China and then in Taiwan - until his death in 1975. Among its recommendations was to remove the thousands of statues from public spaces. Continue reading...

International Energy Agency says 17m vehicles will be sold this year, up more than 20% compared with 2023Electric and plug-in hybrid car sales will jump to a new global record in 2024 despite slowing growth in some markets, according to forecasts from the influential International Energy Agency (IEA).The Paris-based forecaster said that 17m battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will be sold in 2024, up more than 20% compared with 2023. Continue reading...

Government claims no appropriate location could be found for long-mooted second facility

Plan to expand Ruaha national park has been beset by allegations of abuse, leading bank to withhold final $50m of $150m budgetThe World Bank has suspended financing intended to develop tourism in southern Tanzania after allegations of killings, rape and forced evictions.The bank began investigating last year after being accused of enabling abuses around Ruaha national park, which was due to double in size as part of a World Bank-supported programme. Continue reading...

The 36-year-old Cairns man was shot dead by police while stopped on the Bruce Highway near Colosseum on Monday morning

Climate groups criticise nine-year agreement with Tamboran Resources, while chief minister says it will provide competitively priced gas' for the territory

Drag star celebrated with massive support at home after taking top prize in the long-running US reality showA drag queen has sparked national celebration as the pride of Taiwan" and won praise and congratulations from the island's president after winning RuPaul's Drag Race at the weekend.On Saturday, the long-running, Emmy award-winning US reality show, in which drag queens compete in challenges including lip-sync performances, revealed the winner of its 16th season as Nymphia Wind, the drag personality creation of Leo Tsao, a 28-year-old Taiwanese designer. Continue reading...

While conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have captured global attention, the civil war in Sudan has been largely ignored. That can't be allowed to continue, says the Guardian's Nesrine MalikWith so much of the world's attention on the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, one of the worst humanitarian crises of recent times is playing out almost unnoticed. Sudan's civil war erupted in April 2023 and has led to tens of thousands of civilian deaths and a mass displacement of up to half of the country's population.As Nesrine Malik tells Helen Pidd, the battle between the Sudanese Army and rebel militia the Rapid Support Forces is finely balanced, with the effect that neither side has enough strength to win the conflict decisively and so no end is in sight. Continue reading...

In court submissions, Ten's lawyers argue Lehrmann should indemnify the network for its legal costs, estimated at $8m

Comments come as US state department report finds that Gaza war has had negative impact on human rights in IsraelThe US secretary of state has rejected the idea that Washington might have a double standard" when applying US law to allegations of abuses by the Israeli military in Gaza, while suggesting that examinations of such charges are ongoing.In general, as we're looking at human rights and the condition of human rights around the world, we apply the same standard to everyone. That doesn't change whether the country is an adversary, a competitor, a friend or an ally," Antony Blinken told a news conference as he announced the department's annual human rights country reports. Continue reading...

Celebrity fashion designer, who recruited couriers to transport bags from her native Colombia to US on commercial flights, receives 18-month sentenceA leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the Sex and the City TV series has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.Nancy Gonzalez was arrested in 2022 in Cali, Colombia, and later extradited to the US for running a sprawling multiyear conspiracy that involved recruiting couriers to transport her handbags on commercial flights to high-end showrooms and New York fashion events - all in violation of US wildlife laws. Continue reading...

Lawyers prepare for legal battles on behalf of individual asylum seekers challenging removal to east Africa

Bill could become law this week as end of parliamentary ping-pong in sightQ: Do you think you will be able to implement this without leaving the European convention of human rights?Sunak says he thinks he can implement this without leaving the ECHR.If it ever comes to a choice between our national security, securing our borders, and membership of a foreign court, I'm, of course, always going to prioritise our national security. Continue reading...

Inquest into death of Todd McKenzie in Taree siege finds benefits of mandating the devices far outweigh any difficulties'

A separate police force will report on failures relating to sixth murder suspect, Matthew White, who was never prosecutedAn independent police force will review the Metropolitan police's handling of new evidence relating to the murder of Stephen Lawrence 30 years after his death, the mayor of London has said.It comes after the Met commissioner, Mark Rowley, apologised to Stephen's mother, Doreen Lawrence, for not fulfilling a promise to answer questions stemming from a BBC investigation into the murder of the 18-year-old in 1993. Continue reading...

PM pledges equipment including 400 vehicles, 1,600 weapons and 4m rounds of ammunition, plus 500m in funding

Exclusive: analysis shows increase of a third in two years, prompting claim of deprioritising women's health'The government has been accused of deprioritising women's health" as analysis shows that almost 600,000 women in England are waiting for gynaecological treatment, an increase of a third over two years.There are 33,000 women waiting more than a year for such treatment, an increase of 43%, according to Labour analysis of data from the House of Commons library. Continue reading...

As final parliamentary debates get under way, PM acknowledges dropping spring start to policy despite earlier promises

Teenager charged with attempted murder of two fellow pupils and staff member at Devon boarding schoolA teenager who attacked two fellow pupils with a hammer while they were asleep at a private school boarding house had researched serial killers and what happened to children found guilty of murders, a jury has been told.The boy, who was 16 at the time, sent one of his alleged victims an image of a character from the horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre holding a hammer, Exeter crown court heard on Monday. Continue reading...

Stephen Dymond was found dead at his flat in Portsmouth in 2019, seven days after filming for ITV programmeA man who died after appearing on the Jeremy Kyle Show felt that life was not worth living" and had considered jumping out of the taxi on his way home, an inquest has heard.Steve Dymond was found dead at his flat in Portsmouth, Hampshire, seven days after filming for the ITV programme in May 2019.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Rivals had feared P&O could challenge legislation closing loopholes that allowed low wagesP&O Ferries seafarers have been told they will benefit from new French legislation that could double their pay, in what appears to be a significant U-turn by the controversial ferry operator.The move comes more than two years after P&O enraged the UK and French governments by sacking 786 workers and then taking advantage of a legal loophole to hire replacements on pay rates of below the minimum wage. Continue reading...

Bruges court heard how defendant had condition called auto-brewery syndrome sometimes brought on by intestinal problemsA Belgian man has been acquitted of drunk-driving because he has auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), an extremely rare condition whereby the body produces alcohol, his lawyer has said.Anse Ghesquiere said on Monday that in another unfortunate coincidence" her client worked at a brewery, but three doctors who independently examined him had confirmed he had ABS. Continue reading...

Trio include Donald Mackenzie, who is planning to sell shares worth up to 150m in private equity firm's listingThree co-founders of CVC Capital Partners, the private equity firm that bought up and then sold Formula One, have built up a combined 2.6bn (2.2bn) fortune, according to the company's prospectus published in the run-up to its stock market float.Donald Mackenzie, 66, holds 7% of CVC's shares that would be worth just over 1bn if the company achieves its 15-per-share price target when it lists its shares on the Amsterdam stock market on Friday. He is planning to sell shares worth up to 150m in the initial public offering (IPO), the company said in the prospectus. Continue reading...

Member states warned at meeting not to be complacent but ministers stop short of pledging Patriot missilesEU ministers have been warned against relaxing" support for Ukraine but stopped short of new pledges to supply air defence systems Kyiv is urgently seeking to defend itself against relentless Russian bombardment.The Ukrainian government has said it is running out of US-made Patriot air defence missiles as Russia intensifies attacks on infrastructure and cities. Continue reading...

Christopher Berry, 32, and Christopher Cash, 29, accused of providing prejudicial information to a foreign stateA parliamentary researcher who was arrested last year on suspicion of spying for China has been charged along with another man with espionage offences.Christopher Cash, 29, who had access to parliament through his work for an organisation set up by Conservative MPs, is to appear in court on Friday after he and Christopher Berry, 32, were charged under the Official Secrets Act. Continue reading...

Clive Myrie and Reeta Chakrabarti appear to lead the field, having frequently stood in for Edwards since his suspension last yearHuw Edwards' resignation will allow the BBC to formally start the process of appointing a replacement lead presenter for the coveted News at Ten slot.Since Edwards' suspension in July 2023, various presenters have filled in. Continue reading...

Foreign and defence heads stopped short of concrete offers over system that Kyiv values mostA new US package of military aid to Ukraine will not change the situation on the frontlines, where Russia has the upper hand, the Kremlin said.The Russian armed forces are improving their positions at the front ... The money allocated and the weapons that will be supplied will not change this dynamic," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Continue reading...

Residents return to site in search of bodies of loved ones following withdrawal of Israeli forces last monthHaaretz reports that Israeli security forces have arrested two people suspected of carrying out a car ramming in Jerusalem. Three people are reported to have been injured.Aharon Haliva, who was the general in command of the IDF's military intelligence directorate on 7 October, has resigned over the failure of Israel's military to prevent the attack inside southern Israel by Hamas that day, according to Israeli media reports. Continue reading...

Corporation says newsreader has left after 40 years of service to allow all parties to move forward'The newsreader Huw Edwards has resigned and left the BBC, the corporation has said.A BBC spokesperson said: Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC. After 40 years of service, Huw has explained that his decision was made on the basis of medical advice from his doctors. Continue reading...

Justices to consider constitutionality of punishing people for sleeping outside as western states seek to address encampmentsA case that could significantly change how US cities respond to the growing homelessness crisis has reached the supreme court as record numbers of people in America find themselves without a permanent place to live.The justices on Monday will consider a challenge to rulings from a California-based appeals court that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. Continue reading...

Ex-nurse found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others at Chester hospitalLucy Letby has renewed her attempt to appeal against her convictions for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others at the Countess of Chester hospital.The former neonatal nurse is serving 14 whole-life prison terms after being found guilty of the offences following a 10-month trial at Manchester crown court last year. Continue reading...

Girl delivered via emergency caesarean section as woman lay dying from head injuries in Rafah

Maj Gen Aharon Haliva is first senior figure to step down over role in deadliest assault in country's history

Anticyclonic conditions have allowed temperatures to reach 35-45C across much of the countryMexico has been undergoing its first heatwave of the season. The heatwave started on Sunday 14 April, when Mexico City saw a new date record with a high of 32.9C, surpassing the previous record of 32C from 1998.Anticyclonic conditions over the region have been responsible for this heatwave by inhibiting cloud formation, allowing temperatures to rise significantly. These conditions persisted through much of last week, allowing temperatures to reach 35-45C across much of the country. Continue reading...

Environmentalists fear focus on economy may undermine country's climate transition - one of most radical in EuropePortugal has been among Europe's more ambitious countries in terms of climate action, but the rise of the far right in recent elections could threaten the positive steps the country has taken.At the end of 2023, Portugal broke records as it went for six consecutive days relying solely on renewable energy. But national elections in March this year marked a significant shift in the political landscape, with the far-right party Chega (Enough) making a major breakthrough. Having more than quadrupled its number of MPs from 12 to 50, Chega now holds considerable sway in the 230-seat parliament, where it could influence legislation. Continue reading...

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An unidentified man is dead after the police shooting at Colosseum on Monday morning

Use of deadly nitazines is on the rise in Australia and a suite of measures is needed to prevent more fatalities, former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark says

Suppliers boast to undercover reporters about promoting illegal nitazenes, on SoundCloud and XLethal synthetic opioids linked to more than two deaths a week in the UK have been advertised for sale in thousands of posts on social media, an investigation has found.Suppliers boasted to undercover BBC reporters posing as dealers about how easy it was to use social media to promote nitazenes, an illegal group of drugs several times more powerful than heroin. Continue reading...

Product made from used nappies will go on sale in shopping centres after sterilisation, bleaching, and deodorisingA company in Japan has started selling the world's first horizontally" recycled nappies, as the country's ageing society undergoes a shift in demand for children's diapers to those for older adults.Unicharm, based in the south-western prefecture of Kagoshima, put the adult and baby nappies on sale this month in shopping centres in Kyushu - one of Japan's four main islands - in collaboration with local governments, the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Registrars at University Hospitals Sussex NHS trust say they were physically abused by colleague, whom others also accused of bullyingManagers at a hospital where police are investigating dozens of deaths promoted a consultant surgeon months after they allegedly assaulted junior doctors during surgery, the Guardian can reveal.Two female registrars at the University Hospitals Sussex NHS trust in Brighton sent written statements to the trust's chief medical officer in March 2022 detailing how they were allegedly assaulted by the surgeon in separate incidents as they helped to operate on patients, leaked documents reveal. Continue reading...

Saleh Ahmed Handule Ali, now 33, had indefinite leave to remain in UK, but Home Office failed to keep a recordA refugee who left the UK on holiday as a teenager in 2008 has been stranded in east Africa for the last 16 years in a case that senior judges have described as extraordinary".Saleh Ahmed Handule Ali, now 33, arrived in the UK at the age of nine in April 2000 with his mother and two younger siblings from Somalia. They came to join Ali's father, who had been granted refugee status by the UK government. The family were also recognised as refugees by the Home Office and Ali was given a travel document in 2004 under the refugee convention, which was valid for 10 years. Continue reading...

Junior stock exchange has lost 70 companies in past 12 months as UK market's status faces scrutinyThe number of companies delisting from London's junior stock market has risen sharply in the last year, adding to concerns about the future of the City's financial sector.In the past 12 months the number of companies on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) has fallen by 70 to 738 at the end of March, according to London Stock Exchange Group data. That is a drop of 9%, and is significantly more than the drop of 25 companies the year before. Continue reading...