World news | The Guardian

Top east Asia diplomat says US also in talks with Vanuatu and Kiribati on proposed embassies, amid concerns about China’s presence in region

Four-concert limit cap blamed for stopping Sydney hosting artists such as Foo Fighters, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel and Beyoncé

PM says he will make coronation allegiance pledge to King Charles III, with whom he had an ‘insightful and rewarding’ audience

Investments in Bristol and Santo Tomas in the Philippines will be worth £100m and £166m respectivelyDyson has revealed plans to build a new battery factory in Singapore, alongside investments by the maker of vacuum cleaners and dryers in technology centres in the UK and the Philippines.The company, run by the billionaire Sir James Dyson, said the investments in Bristol in the UK and Santo Tomas in the Philippines would be worth £100m and £166m respectively. The Singapore investment will be significantly larger. Continue reading...

Writers Guild of America calls first work stoppage in 15 years as industry grapples with streaming boomHollywood productions have ground to a halt after thousands of film and television writers went on strike following the breakdown of last-minute pay talks with major studios.The Writers Guild of America (WGA) called its first stoppage in 15 years after failing to reach an agreement on higher pay, pitting its 11,500 screenwriters against old-guard companies, such as Universal, Paramount and Walt Disney, as well as tech newcomers, such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple. Continue reading...

Nuria Piera, known for her investigations into corruption, was targeted three times, Amnesty International saysOne of the Dominican Republic’s most prominent investigative journalists was targeted using spyware made by NSO Group, according to a new report released by Amnesty International.Nuria Piera, who is well known for her investigations into corruption, was hacked three times between 2020 and 2021, according to Amnesty’s forensic analysis of her mobile phone. The revelation marks the first confirmation that NSO’s military-grade spyware, Pegasus, has been used to target journalists in the Dominican Republic, making it the third Latin American country – after Mexico and El Salvador – where such abuse has been discovered. Continue reading...

Seven others taken to hospital with stab wounds after serious altercation in the early hours of Sunday morningA man has been charged with the murder of a 32-year-old man in an incident near a nightclub in Cornwall where several people sustained stab injuries, police said.Michael Allen died of stab wounds after a serious altercation close to the Eclipse nightclub in Bodmin in the early hours of Sunday, to which the police were called. Continue reading...

New fraud strategy responding to web- and phone-based scams will result in recruitment of 400 new ‘specialist investigators’Ministers have announced a clampdown on the use of cold calls to sell financial products and on technology which allows mass texting of numerous phones as part of a strategy to combat fraud, now the UK’s most common crime.The new fraud strategy, a response to the massive growth of web- and phone-based scams, will alsoresult in what was billed as 400 new specialist investigators across police and the National Crime Agency recruited as part of a revamp for how the the crime is investigated. Continue reading...

Republican states fighting Joe Biden’s plan falsely said they’d be financially impacted by the scheme, debt forgiveness group claimsNewly uncovered documents show that the Republican states fighting Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan have made false claims that they will “suffer injuries”, or rather, be financially impacted by the scheme, a debt forgiveness campaign group has claimed.The supreme court case that will decide the fate of Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, Nebraska v Biden, rests on one of the plaintiffs, Missouri’s state attorney general, who claims Mohela – as the higher education loan authority of the state of Missouri is known – will be financially affected by the plan for the worse. Continue reading...

James Cleverly urges British nationals still wanting to leave the war-torn nation to make their way to Port SudanThe final UK evacuation flight is expected to take off from Sudan on Wednesday, the foreign secretary has announced.James Cleverly urged British nationals still wanting to leave the war-torn nation to make their way to Port Sudan. Continue reading...

Head of civil service Simon Case faces fresh questions after ministers fail to publish outcome of inquirySue Gray is refusing to cooperate with a government inquiry into her departure from Whitehall amid concerns that the investigation is politically motivated and not based on any official process.Simon Case, the head of the civil service, faced fresh questions over his handling of the controversy after ministers failed to publish the outcome of the inquiry despite widespread briefing that it would find she had broken the civil service code. Continue reading...

Ex-Fox News anchor shown referring to fans as ‘post-menopausal’ and unnamed woman as ‘yummy’ in clips released on TuesdayLeaked video published on Tuesday showed the fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson describing an unnamed woman as “yummy”, referring to his fans as “post-menopausal” and attempting to discuss sexual technique with British journalist Piers Morgan.The first two remarks were previously reported by the New York Times. The clips were released by Media Matters for America, a progressive watchdog that on Monday released other video in which Carlson derided the Fox Nation streaming service. Continue reading...

Thousands line route as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney join men’s and women’s teams on open-top bus tourRyan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Wrexham AFC’s staff and players celebrated the team’s promotion with an open-top bus parade on Tuesday evening.Thousands of fans lined up along a 3.5-mile route in the north Wales city as three buses left from the club’s Racecourse ground carrying the team that won the National League title and promotion back to the English Football League after a 15-year absence. The women’s side also clinched promotion to the Genero Adran Premier by winning their playoff final. Continue reading...

Many are already camping to get a good spot before thousands expected to line the Mall arrive to catch a glimpse of King Charles

The civil service is ‘a team without a captain’, argues Anthony Seldon. But can Sunak stomach ousting Case before the election?Senior civil servants have been asking whether Simon Case can survive at the top of Whitehall for almost as long as he has been in post.From his oversight of No 10 during the Partygate scandal to his role in the Richard Sharp affair, Case’s name has cropped up in almost every controversy to have dogged Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak over the last two years. When a top official repeatedly becomes the story, more often than not that means their days in the job are numbered. Continue reading...

Oliver Dowden says process ‘involved interviewing relevant persons’ but Sue Gray chose not to take partMomentum, the Labour group set up to promote Jeremy Corbyn’s agenda when he was party leader, claims that Keir Starmer could end up like Nick Clegg if he abandons his promise to abolish tuition fees.Responding to what Starmer said on this this morning (see 9.01am), Momentum spokesperson said:This move wouldn’t just fly in the face of party democracy and the wishes of Labour Students. It would be a betrayal of millions of young people in desperate need of hope. The Labour leadership should learn from Nick Clegg’s failure, not repeat it.

Home Office claims timing of new powers, taking effect days before king’s coronation, is coincidentalOfficial warning letters have been sent to anti-monarchists planning peaceful protests at King Charles III’s coronation saying that new criminal offences to prevent disruption have been rushed into law.Using tactics described by lawyers as “intimidatory”, the Home Office’s Police Powers Unit wrote to the campaign group Republic saying new powers had been brought forward to prevent “disruption at major sporting and cultural events”.Protesters who block roads, airports and railways could face 12 months behind bars.Anyone locking on to others, objects or buildings could go to prison for six months and face an unlimited fine.Police will be able to head off disruption by stopping and searching protesters if they suspect they are setting out to cause chaos. Continue reading...

Commander of Ukraine ground forces underlines importance Kyiv attaches to holding Bakhmut as preparations continue for a counterattack. This live blog is closed

Monty Python star said his ‘dearest wife’ died ‘peacefully’ a month after the pair celebrated their 57th wedding anniversarySir Michael Palin has announced the death of his wife, Helen, after 57 years of marriage.Palin, 79, described his wife as “the bedrock of my life” and said they first met while holidaying in the seaside town of Southwold, Suffolk, and he fictionalised the encounter in a 1987 BBC drama titled East Of Ipswich. Continue reading...

Naturalist is suing three men over claims he fraudulently solicited donations for tiger charityClaims that Chris Packham fraudulently solicited donations for a charity that rescued tigers are among an “enormous amount of puerile, offensive and damaging material” published about him, the high court has heard.The prominent naturalist has alleged that Dominic Wightman, the editor of the online site Country Squire Magazine, as well as the writer Nigel Bean and a third man, Paul Read, libelled him in nine articles that referred to his involvement with the Wildheart Trust, which runs a wildlife sanctuary on the Isle of Wight. Continue reading...

Paul Nthenge Mackenzie faces charges of terrorism, murder, kidnapping and cruelty towards childrenA Kenyan religious cult leader accused of inciting followers to starve to death is facing additional charges including terrorism and child trafficking.Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who set up the Good News International Church in 2003, appeared in court in Malindi on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Giving evidence for first time, Lucy Letby described herself as qualified to look after those in critical careLucy Letby had “always wanted to work with children” and was “distraught” when she was accused of harming babies on the tight-knit neo-natal unit where her colleagues were like a “little family”.Giving evidence for the first time, the nurse told Manchester crown court she prided herself on being “very competent” and was “devastated” when she was removed from the unit at the Countess of Chester hospital in July 2016. Continue reading...

While the rightwing press claim to have uncovered a reignited love for the monarchy, polls paint a more complex pictureLast week, a poll suggested British public support for monarchy was at a historic low. Days earlier, another said nearly four in 10 young adults wanted an elected UK head of state.But this week, other surveys – covered prominently in right-leaning newspapers – claim to have uncovered a reignited love for and loyalty to the monarchy. A look behind their headlines, however, shows a more complex story. Continue reading...

College of Policing, covering England and Wales, looking at the crime after study shows 25% of offenders go on to carry out serious attacksPolice are to formally review whether they should take indecent exposure more seriously amid emerging evidence that people who commit such crimes can escalate their offending, the Guardian has learned.It comes after it was revealed Wayne Couzens, the then-Metropolitan police officer who raped and murdered Sarah Everard, had committed a series of offences where he had exposed himself before the murder.

Survey finds exhaustion and low morale among school nurses as they face increasingly complex caseloads

Sex scene in Bruno Le Maire’s book provokes ridicule and anger among opposition politiciansAn explicit sex scene in a newly published novel by the French economy minister has left the government facing fresh accusations it is not listening to the concerns of the country just as it tries to contain anger over the unpopular rise in the pension age.The toe-curling sexual descriptions in the novel, Fugue Américaine, written by the economy minister, Bruno Le Maire, have angered opposition politicians and inspired anti-government slogans and graffiti at street demonstrations as the government struggles to contain the political crisis over Emmanuel Macron raising the minimum pension age to 64. Continue reading...

Woman accused of murdering seven babies cries as she tells court she never harmed a child in her careLucy Letby cried as she described in court the “sickening” moment she was accused of murdering several babies, saying: “My whole world just stopped.”The nurse denied harming any children and said she was “devastated” at being accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill 10 others. Continue reading...

Study confirms government lacks basic data on pesticides and other chemicals in the environment

Albanese government risks being unfavourably compared to the Morrison government if it does not raise the payment for all, the key independent says

Increase equivalent to $3,200 a year for tenants, with relief ‘unlikely’ in the short term as demand continues to outstrip supply

The Stand comedy club said key operational staff were unwilling to work with Joanna Cherry

US estimates 20,000 Russian soldiers have died in five months; Black Sea grain initiative talks scheduled for Wednesday Continue reading...

Plan comes amid waves of media layoffs and closures, including shuttering of BuzzFeed NewsVice, the global news publisher and TV company that was once valued at nearly $6bn (£5bn), is reportedly close to filing for bankruptcy.The company, whose assets include Vice News, Motherboard, Refinery29 and Vice TV, has been involved in sale talks with at least five companies in an attempt to avoid filing for bankruptcy, according to the New York Times. Continue reading...

Minority-focused company the Upsetters says play Dismissed will challenge ‘ethical absolutes’ around problemIn a cramped rehearsal room tucked among the City of London’s gleaming towers last week, a new theatre company wrestled with an urgent contemporary dilemma: how should adults respond to children who carry knives?Not far from the lodgings where William Shakespeare wrote his “problem plays”, a cast assembled by the Upsetters, a minority-focused drama company, workshopped a scene set in a secondary school office where teachers talked to a mother about allegations that her son had brought in a “zombie killer” knife. The atmosphere was tense.Dismissed by Daniel Rusteau runs at the Soho theatre from 16 May to 3 June 2023 Continue reading...

Flake and Crunchie chocolate products among those potentially contaminated with bacteriaSix Cadbury-branded desserts including Flake and Crunchie chocolate desserts have been recalled by their manufacturer over fears they could be contaminated with listeria.The dairy company Müller, which produces the desserts, said it was recalling various batches as a precaution, all of which have a use-by date of either 17 or 18 May. Continue reading...

White House announces transfer of three C-130 aircraft and two coastal patrol vessels during Washington visit of President Ferdinand Marcos JrPresident Joe Biden has said the US is “ironclad” in its commitment to defending the Philippines, including in the highly contested South China Sea where Philippine vessels have reported continued harassment by China.Biden hailed the two countries’ “deep friendship” as he hosted Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos in the White House on Monday. “We are facing new challenges and I couldn’t think of a better partner to have than you,” Biden told Marcos before their meeting. Continue reading...

Describing daughter as ‘happiest person you could ever meet’, Colin and Lorna Sturrock reveal she had been expecting baby boyThe parents of Marelle Sturrock, the pregnant primary school teacher who was killed in Glasgow last week, have paid tribute to their daughter as “the happiest person you could ever meet” as they revealed she had been expecting a baby boy.Sturrock, 35, was found dead at her home in Glasgow at about 8.40am on Tuesday 25 April. Continue reading...

Several people killed outside East Nile hospital as civilian groups step in to help people caught in conflictFierce street fighting, including the use of heavy weaponry and artillery fire, has consumed centralKhartoum as worsening violence tests a deteriorating ceasefire.Volleys of airstrikes and sounds of gunfire were audible in Khartoum’s twin city, Omdurman, overnight as clashes raged throughout the capital, and were particularly heavy in areas around major government and military infrastructure in the city centre. Continue reading...

Olabisi Abubakar ordered to remain in clinic in south WalesA mother who starved her three-year-old son to death by causing him to join her in a religious fast when she was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia has been detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act.Olabisi Abubakar’s mind was “thrown off balance” by the Covid lockdown and concerns about her immigration status and she began denying herself and her child, Taiwo, food, hoping fasting and prayers would save the world from coronavirus. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer says party will set out ‘fairer solution’ to funding university fees in coming weeks

Oil and gas company beats analysts’ forecasts, with profits reaching $5bn in first three months of year

Accounting firms offer extra training on face-to-face presentations and in-person meetingsTwo of the UK’s big four accounting firms are giving extra training to younger recruits after finding that those who spent large parts of their education remote working during Covid lockdowns struggled with communication and teamwork tasks.Deloitte and PwC said they were offering newer recruits training on skills that may have been neglected during the pandemic such as giving face-to-face presentations and participating in in-person meetings. Continue reading...

Bill retains harshest measures of legislation adopted in March, including death penalty for certain same-sex actsUganda’s parliament has passed a mostly unchanged version of one of the world’s strictest anti-LGBTQ bills after President Yoweri Museveni asked that certain provisions from the original legislation be toned down.Despite some changes, the bill retains most of the harshest measures of the legislation adopted in March. Those include the death penalty for certain same-sex acts and a 20-year sentence for “promoting” homosexuality, which activists say could criminalise any advocacy for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer citizens. Continue reading...

Hermann Hauser says UK chip designer rules could seek secondary listing in London laterBrexit “idiocy” is partly to blame for Arm’s decision to choose New York over London for its stock market listing, but a secondary listing in the UK at a later date would make sense, according to a co-founder of the Cambridge-based chip designer.Arm’s parent, the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, has officially filed for a US-only listing, in a blow to the UK government, which has lobbied hard for a London listing. Continue reading...

The cavernous club in an old Rotherhithe printing factory closed on Monday amid regeneration of the area. Its operators explain how they intend to keep the party goingAfter six years in which it’s established itself as London’s most ambitious and visually impressive new venue for electronic music, post-industrial superclub Printworks – a hulking 6,000-capacity complex in Canada Water, once home to the printing presses of the Daily Mail and Evening Standard – closed its doors for the final time on Monday night.Like countless inner-city club closures in recent memory, this was a decision prompted by the commercial demands of gigantic property developers: over the next four years the 53-acre site in which Printworks sits will be flattened and rebuilt by developers British Land and AustralianSuper, transforming it into a glittering array of upscale shops, restaurants, offices and luxury flats. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Fires more than quadruple since 2020 after surge in popularity of battery-assisted travelFires sparked by faulty e-bikes and e-scooters have injured at least 190 people in the UK and killed eight, the Guardian can reveal, as a surge in public enthusiasm for battery-assisted travel is matched by a more than quadrupling in blazes since 2020.Overheating lithium-ion batteries create fierce fires, releasing toxic smoke, and are now occurring at the rate of at least six a week in the UK, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Fire and electrical experts are warning riders against buying batteries in less regulated online marketplaces, particularly from China, and are urging greater precautions when charging. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Michaelia Cash, who was a guest on the show, says Cory Bernardi’s comparison of voice proposal to apartheid South Africa ‘in no way reflects my view’

Adnan, who was affiliated with the Palestinian militant Islamic Jihad group, was found unconscious in his cell early on TuesdayMilitants in the blockaded Gaza Strip have launched rockets at Israel in response to the death after a hunger strike of a well-known political figure affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.Khader Adnan, a 44-year-old father of nine from near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, was found unconscious in his cell in the early hours of Tuesday after an 87-day-long hunger strike during which he refused medical treatment, the Israeli prison authority said. He was transferred from the maximum-security detention facility in the central Israeli city of Ramle to a local hospital, where he was declared dead. Continue reading...

Victoria Sinclair tells coroner of strong reaction to toxins before Natasha Lechner’s death

Vivek Murthy urged public officials to treat isolation with the same urgency as substance abuse or tobaccoThere’s an ailment linked to increased heart attacks, depression, diabetes, crime and premature death in the US, and it’s impacting people no matter where they live or who they are: loneliness.US surgeon general Vivek Murthy released an advisory on loneliness and isolation on Tuesday and urged people and public officials to treat the matter with the same urgency as other serious conditions such as obesity or drug abuse as it continues to surge, affecting approximately half of the people living in the US. Continue reading...