World news | The Guardian

Warning comes at a critical time as Republicans in Iowa will gather for caucuses that mark official start of 2024 presidential electionBernie Sanders, America's leading progressive politician, has issued a stark warning to Joe Biden at the start of presidential election year: be more aggressive in addressing the anxieties of millions of struggling voters or risk handing back the White House to the anti-democratic demagogue Donald Trump.In an interview with the Guardian from his home base in Burlington, Vermont, Sanders urged the Democratic president to inject more urgency into his bid for re-election. He said that unless the president was more direct in recognising the many crises faced by working-class families his Republican rival would win. Continue reading...

Police arrest four men and a boy alleged to be connected to the Finks motorcycle gang and a series of arson attacks on tobacco stores

This blog is now closed. See all our our coverage of the Middle East crisis here

Marius Gustavson, 46, known as eunuch maker', allegedly oversaw lucrative' UK body modifications groupThe ringleader of an extreme body modifications group who was known as the eunuch maker" claimed 18,500 in disability benefits after willingly having his leg amputated, a court heard.Marius Gustavson, 46, was the mastermind of a lucrative" and widespread" extreme body modifications enterprise in which procedures - including the removal of genitals - were filmed and streamed on his pay-per-view website, the Old Bailey was told. Continue reading...

Bar Council chair Sam Townend KC says parliament should consider formal regulation of growing practiceParliament should consider formal regulation of the growing practice of private prosecutions to ensure the power is not abused, the chair of the Bar Council has said.Sam Townend KC said a review of private prosecutions should be launched in response to the Post Office scandal, in which about 3,500 postmasters were accused of theft, fraud and false accounting, and more than 700 prosecuted in cases brought by the organisation.Gather evidence of the alleged crime, possibly using a private investigator.Hand over evidence to a lawyer, who will review whether there is sufficient evidence to bring a criminal prosecution.Make an application at a magistrates court to bring a private prosecution. This will be reviewed and either granted or rejected by a district judge.The CPS may review the case at any time if the case is referred by the defendant, the private prosecutor or the court. The CPS can take over cases, either to proceed or discontinue.If you proceed privately, the case will (eventually) be heard in court.At the end of the case your lawyers can apply for costs to be reimbursed from the defendant and/or the public purse. Continue reading...

With Palestinian plight supercharging movement, restraint may only come with regional pressure on resources

UK prime minister also signs multi-year security treaty with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, calling it a strong signal to Putin'Rishi Sunak made a 2.5bn commitment to Ukraine's defence on Friday during a visit to Kyiv, and pledged that the UK would not falter at a time when military aid from the US has stalled.Sunak met the country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, embracing him warmly, and addressed Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. The two leaders held talks and signed a new UK-Ukrainian security treaty. It guarantees that the UK will give swift and sustained" help should Russia attack Ukraine again. Continue reading...

Jade Robertson of Perth-based Little Lies was thrilled to discover the star's latest foray into affordable fashionTaylor Swift has filled a blank space in her wardrobe with a 58 dress from a Scottish fashion house, leaving its owner gobsmacked".Swift was spotted wearing the olive-green mini dress in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday night while out for dinner with actors Blake Lively and Zoe Kravitz at the pizzeria Lucali. Continue reading...

Reed Wischhusen targeted former classmates and work colleagues, as well as Avon and Somerset policeA warehouse worker obsessed with mass killings has been jailed for life after being found guilty of plotting to carry out revenge" attacks at his old school, a police headquarters and his workplace.Reed Wischhusen's targets included former classmates whom he believed had bullied him, colleagues who mocked him, and Avon and Somerset police officers after the force refused him a firearms licence. Continue reading...

State hit by blizzards three days before Republican caucus as candidates cancel events and schools and businesses closeCandidates and caucus-goers faced extra challenges in Iowa on Friday as a second major snow event in a week hit the state, three days before Republicans are due to kick off their presidential nomination process for the critical election year.According to the National Weather Service in Des Moines, most of Iowa could expect significant, possibly record snowfall, high winds stoking blizzard conditions. Continue reading...

Attitude of organisation and its legal representatives is a disgrace', David Davis says, as Horizon IT inquiry continuesThe Post Office's leadership has been accused of showing contempt for victims after its lawyers informed a public inquiry into one of the nation's worst scandals that it was not reasonable to expect them to leave no stone unturned" in revealing its wrongdoing.The inquiry into the false convictions of 900 post office operators was further told that it was unrealistic for the lawyers representing the Post Office and responsible for handing over internal documents to continue to work during the evenings and over weekends". Continue reading...

House speaker had said he would recall parliament at weekend if necessary for update on Houthi-targeted attacks

With no recorded cases since 2017, the archipelago has had a long journey to become free of the disease, which killed 608,000 people globally in 2022Cape Verde has become the fourth country in Africa and the 44th in the world to eliminate malaria.Africa has the highest number of cases of the mosquito-borne disease in the world. In 2022, 94% of the 249 million cases globally and 95% of deaths were recorded on the continent. Continue reading...

Arienne Childrey is second trans woman accused of violating a rule requiring people disclose past legal names on election documentsA second transgender woman's attempt to run for public office in Ohio was challenged under a decades-old law that requires candidates to disclose previous legal names on election documents.Arienne Childrey, a Democrat vying for a seat in the Ohio house of representatives, learned late last week that the head of her county's Republican party, Robert Hibner, asked the local board of elections to reject her campaign petition. Continue reading...

The allies have launched strikes for the first time since the group began targeting shipping in the Red Sea. Plus, the European royals taking on the climate crisis

Storm Finn tracks north-east from Texas towards the east coast, while EU report confirms 2023 was warmest yearIncreasingly cold conditions have swept western parts of the US this week, while tornadoes and flooding have inundated eastern areas.An area of low pressure named Storm Finn tracked north-east from Texas towards the east coast early this week. As a result, tornadoes hit south-eastern states, at least 12 of which were in Florida and caused significant damage to many homes. Continue reading...

Investigator Stephen Bradshaw admits lawyers offered lesser charges as part of company's efforts to protect its court casesAn investigator accused of acting like a mafia gangster" when securing false convictions against post office operators has admitted softer charges were offered in exchange for silence over the culpability of the Horizon IT system.In several instances, the accused were told they could avoid a jail sentence if they kept quiet about the accounting system's faults, as part of an aggressive strategy by the Post Office to protect their cases as they pursued them in the courts. Continue reading...

Sadiq Khan says cardboard steering wheels could bring to life driverless train experience for childrenIt is already the most in-demand spot on the London transport network, but plans to install stickers and cardboard steering wheels in driverless Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trains could intensify the scramble for its front seats.London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has said the trains, in which tens of thousands of Londoners have sat pretending to be the driver, could now include a steering wheel and stickers mimicking control panels to make the experience more realistic. Continue reading...

Film from Walk the Line producer will tell story of singer who became a rare successful woman in male-dominated 1970s rock scenePop singer and actor Selena Gomez is to portray the massively successful US singer Linda Ronstadt in a new biopic.Currently in pre-production, the film is being produced by James Keach, who has worked on a number of music-related film projects including producing Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line and documentaries on Ronstadt, David Crosby and Glen Campbell. Also producing will be John Boylan, Ronstadt's manager. Continue reading...

Footage of a tiger shark caught in drum lines being euthanised renews debate about shark control measures used since the 1960s

Secret service agents allegedly beat up Nikola Sandulovi after he apologised for crimes against ethnic AlbaniansThe family of a Serbian opposition leader who was allegedly beaten up while in detention by the country's secret service say he has been left partly paralysed by the attack.In an assault that has fuelled fears about the future of democracy in the country, Nikola Sandulovi's family say he was taken from his home on 3 January after making an apology for crimes committed by Serbs against ethnic Albanians during the Kosovan war of independence in 1988 and 1989. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed.

Two men, including 26-year-old arrested in Cartwright, are expected to be charged with conspiracy to murder, drug and firearm offences

Separate study finds women who are depressed in pregnancy more likely to die prematurelyThe number of women who have died during pregnancy or soon after has risen sharply to its highest levels for 20 years, prompting concern from experts.The maternal death rate increased to 13.41 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies between 2020 and 2022, according to figures published by the MBRRACE-UK investigation into maternal deaths in the UK. The figure was 8.79 in the period 2017 to 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 counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Police called to Haverfordwest address on Wednesday morningA person has been arrested following the death of a child in west Wales.Officers were called to an address on Upper Market Street in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on Wednesday morning, Dyfed-Powys police said. Continue reading...

Move is designed to draw line under scandal but legal experts say it must never be seen as a precedent'Hundreds of post office operators are to have their convictions quashed by parliament within months in an unprecedented move designed to draw a line under one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history.Senior lawyers said, however, that the decision to pass a bill overturning so many court verdicts was constitutionally extraordinary and risked undermining the independence of the judiciary if it was seen as a precedent for future cases. Continue reading...

Fulton county district attorney ordered to testify in case involving her top prosecutor Nathan Wade and his wife Jocelyn WadeFani Willis, Georgia's Fulton county district attorney who brought election interference charges against Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants, has been subpoenaed in a divorce case involving a special prosecutor she hired in the Trump case.A process server delivered the subpoena to Willis's office on Monday, according to a court filing reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the subpoena. The subpoena requests Willis to testify in the divorce case involving her top prosecutor Nathan Wade and his wife Joycelyn Wade. Continue reading...

Stars including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr, Brian Cox, Sarah Snook and Ayo Edebiri will all be in competitionOppenheimer, Succession and The Bear lead this year's Screen Actors Guild nominations, recognising the best performances on the big and small screen.Christopher Nolan's hit biopic scored nominations for Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr and the larger cast up for best ensemble. Often seen as the biggest award of the night, the latter category also includes American Fiction, The Color Purple, Killers of the Flower Moon and Barbie. Continue reading...

Martin Sellner, member of the Identitarian Movement, reportedly spoke of re-migration' ideasPoliticians from Germany's far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, including a personal aide to its leader Alice Weidel, met the head of the rightwing extremist Identitarian Movement and neo-Nazi activists to discuss a masterplan" for mass deportations in the event of the party coming to power, it has been reported.The meeting, which was first reported on Wednesday by the investigative outlet Correctiv, took place last November at a countryside hotel on the outskirts of Potsdam. It is likely to feed a fraught debate over whether the AfD should be banned due to growing concerns that it poses a fundamental threat to German democracy. Continue reading...

Yarl was shot in the head and arm last year after he rang the doorbell to the wrong house while trying to pick up his brothersA Black teenager who was shot by an elderly white man after ringing the wrong doorbell when picking up his siblings has secured a spot on Missouri's all-state band, less than a year after suffering a traumatic brain injury from the shooting.Ralph Yarl, who is 17, was shot in the head and arm by Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old homeowner in Kansas City, Missouri, in April last year after going to the wrong house to pick up his twin brothers. The case reignited debate in the US over race and gun violence issues. Continue reading...

UK Advertising Standards Authority rules ad featuring partial nudity must not appear againA Calvin Klein advertisement featuring the British singer has been banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority, on the grounds that it presented her as a stereotypical sexual object".The poster featured the singer with a shirt draped across her body, revealing part of one breast and the side of her buttocks, along with the caption Calvins or nothing". Continue reading...

Storming of TV station by gunmen follows jailbreak by gang leader and declaration of state of emergency

Inflation means project 8bn-10bn more expensive than 2019 estimate, MPs told

Guardian analysis finds top recipients of pro-Israel contributions in last elections were centrist Democrats who defeated progressives in primariesCongress members who were more supportive of Israel at the start of the Gaza war received over $100,000 more on average from pro-Israel donors during their last election than those who most supported Palestine, a Guardian analysis of campaign data shows.Those who took more money most often called for US military support and backed Israel's response, even as Gaza's civilian death toll mounted, the findings show. The analysis, which looks at positions taken during the war's first six weeks, does not prove any particular member changed their position because they received pro-Israel campaign donations. However, some campaign finance experts who viewed the data argue that donor spending helped fuel Congress's overwhelming support for Israel. Continue reading...

Royal College of Physicians urges government to introduce new law amid rising damp, mould and leaks in social housing

BoM forecasts show communities hit hard by recent floods may see more wild weather and flash flooding in coming days

Exclusive: Documents show shift in transport policy influenced by unfounded fears about loss of freedom of movement in 15-minute cities'Ministers decided to prioritise driving over active travel because of worries among ministers about 15-minute cities", documents seen by the Guardian show.They indicate that a significant shift in transport policy was guided at least in part by conspiracy theories. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed.

As Queen Margarethe steps down, Caroline Jones recalls how Denmark expressed its gratitude to her grandfatherDuring the second world war, Richard Dewing made a trip from his home in England across the North Sea to become the allies' head of mission to Denmark. His goal? To prevent the occupied country, which had been neutral until the Nazis invaded in 1939, from turning into a battlefield.Maj Gen Dewing liaised with locals, kept the peace, became friendly with the Danish royal family and, upon hearing that surrender was imminent, helped mastermind the liberation of Denmark. Continue reading...

Many of those affected are frustrated their cause is not getting the same attention as the Post Office Horizon scandalPeople affected by the contaminated blood scandal have called on ministers to also address their fight for compensation alongside government moves to fix the injustice suffered by sub-post office operators.The ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office has led to public uproar over the hundreds of people who were wrongly convicted of alleged theft, fraud and false accounting based on the Post Office's flawed Horizon IT system and action is being taken to look at ways of speedily quashing convictions and ensuring everyone is compensated. Continue reading...

Study of European electoral data suggests social democratic parties alienate supporters by moving towards the political centreAdopting rightwing policies on issues such as immigration and the economy does not help centre-left parties win votes, according to new analysis of European electoral and polling data.Faced with a 20-year decline in their vote share, accompanied by rising support for the right, far right and sometimes the far left, social democratic parties across Europe have increasingly sought salvation by moving towards the political centre. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. See all our coverage of the Middle East crisis hereHere is a photograph issued of the meeting between Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, and the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, in Tel Aviv.During the public portion of the meeting Herzog said a lawsuit filed in the international court of justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in its Gaza offensive was atrocious and preposterous".Actually our enemies, Hamas, in their charter, call for the destruction of our nation, the state of Israel - the only nation state of the Jewish people.We will be there at the international court of justice and will present proudly our case of using self-defence under our most inherent right under international humanitarian law. Continue reading...

The teenager, charged with using a hunting knife to kill boy in north London on New Year's Eve, will face a plea hearing on 26 MarchA 16-year-old boy wept in court as he was told he could face a life sentence if convicted of murdering Harry Pitman on New Year's Eve in north London.The boy, who is from north London and cannot be named because of his age, is charged with using a hunting knife to kill Harry, also 16, as a crowd gathered to watch a fireworks display on Primrose Hill. He was also charged with carrying an offensive weapon in a public place. Continue reading...

David Cameron's superficiality allows him to hover above the surface, floating on bland meaningless generalisationsMaybe it's all down to Botox. A daily dose of a hundred tiny needles. Or perhaps, in some dusty attic back in Chipping Norton there's a portrait that is visibly ageing by the hour. A mirror image of the Picture of Dorian Gray.Most former world leaders look like shit after six years in the job. The pressures of work ravage their face. Tony Blair looks like a hollowed-out skull. Even after three years, Boris Johnson looked like Boris Johnson. That bad. But David - make that Lord - Cameron is the remarkable exception. His complexion is still a glossy puce. Barely a wrinkle to be seen.John Crace's book Depraved New World (Guardian Faber, 16.99) is out now. To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy and save 18% at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply Continue reading...

Judge says former Los Angeles-area gang leader can serve house arrest with electronic monitoring ahead of June trialA judge set bail on Tuesday at $750,000 for a former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with orchestrating the killing of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur in 1996 and said he can serve house arrest with electronic monitoring ahead of his trial in June.Court-appointed attorneys for Duane Keffe D" Davis told the Associated Press after the hearing in Las Vegas that they believe he can post bail. They had asked for bail of not more than $100,000. Continue reading...

Commission's proposal backed by Co-op party aims to expand existing scheme with sixfold increase in purchasesVacant pubs, shops and community centres put up for sale in England could be offered to local groups to buy first under take back control" plans being explored by Labour before the general election.Under the proposals, local groups would be given the right to buy" much-loved community assets when they come up for sale, with financial backing from the state and an exclusive 12-month period in which to make their offer. Continue reading...

Bridget Phillipson says unique number to link school, health and council data would stop childrens' needs falling through gaps'Children in England should be given a unique number to link their records held by schools, health visitors and councils, allowing governments to harness artificial intelligence and data-mining to improve standards, according to shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson.In a keynote speech, Phillipson also praised former Conservative education secretary Michael Gove for his high expectations, in contrast to the merry-go-round" of ministers that have followed him. Continue reading...

More than 200 flood warnings remain in force as country told to brace for freezing conditions next weekA blast of cold weather from the Arctic is expected to bring more wintry conditions to the UK at the start of next week, the Met Office has warned.There could be snow, especially in the north of Britain, but the south is also expected to be colder than average, the forecaster said. Continue reading...

Brazil president hosts summit amid criticism that easing of crackdown had allowed outsiders to return to forest areasThe Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has insisted his government must not lose the war" against the environmental criminals devastating Indigenous lands in the Amazon after claims that thousands of illegal miners were resisting eviction from the country's biggest such territory.After taking power last January, Lula made expelling an estimated 20,000 gold and tin ore prospectors from the Yanomami Indigenous territory a top priority after four years of Amazon destruction under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. Environmental special forces and federal police teams were sent deep into the region's remote jungles as part of a supposedly historic crackdown. Continue reading...

Rachel Meade was reported to regulator after sharing gender critical beliefs onlineA social worker who was suspended after sharing gender critical beliefs online has won her claim against her employer for discrimination.A tribunal panel found that Westminster city council and Social Work England had discriminated against Rachel Meade on the basis of her protected beliefs under the Equality Act 2010. Continue reading...