World news | The Guardian

President says Belgrade ‘has not nor will it’ send Kyiv arms, after leaked Pentagon paper claimed Serbia had agreed to send weaponsThe Serbian president says his country has not sold arms to Ukraine and would not do so, after a leaked Pentagon report said Belgrade had agreed to provide arms to Kyiv, according to foreign media reports.“Serbia has not nor will it export weapons to Ukraine,” Aleksandar Vučić told reporters on Thursday, according to the Beta news agency. Continue reading...

Acting PM rejects discriminating against children and says leadership qualities are not linked to sexual orientation

Union to announce result of vote on Friday after its leaders recommended that ministers’ offer be acceptedNurses in England will go back on strike this month if RCN members reject ministers’ latest pay offer, with officials saying the result of the three-week ballot is too close to call.The Royal College of Nursing will announce the results of its vote on Friday after a lengthy consultation period in which many members have opposed the recommendation of union leaders to accept the government’s proposed deal. Continue reading...

Promoter claims ‘catastrophe’ has cost it more than £88k and accuses British government of hypocrisyKey members of a Ukrainian state orchestra were refused visas to play a series of concerts in the UK this month in a “catastrophe” that the promoter claims cost it more than €100,000 (£88,000).The Khmelnitsky Orchestra was due to tour the UK this month with two shows: The Magical Music of Harry Potter, and The Music From the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit andThe Rings of Power. Continue reading...

Benjamin Netanyahu’s rightwing policies are emboldening attacks on 2,000-year-old community, says Catholic regional leaderThe head of the Roman Catholic church in the Holy Land has warned in an interview that Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government has made life worse for Christians in the birthplace of Christianity.The Vatican-appointed Latin Patriarch, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said that the region’s 2,000-year-old Christian community has come under increasing attack, with the most rightwing government in Israel’s history emboldening extremists who have harassed clergy and vandalised religious property at a quickening pace. Continue reading...

Former senior minister accuses home secretary of undermining party for sake of her own leadership ambitionsMore senior Conservatives have hit out at Suella Braverman’s “racist rhetoric”, accusing her of undermining the party for the sake of her own leadership ambitions.Pressure was mounting on Rishi Sunak on Thursday to intervene to protect the party’s reputation after the home secretary stoked renewed anger by criticising police for confiscating a set of racist dolls displayed in an Essex pub. Continue reading...

US president calls for Westminster government to work more closely with Ireland and Northern IrelandChris Philp, the policing minister, has published an article in the Telegraph today explaining the changes being introduced to the way that police record crimes in England and Wales. The changes are being introduced following recommendations from the National Police Chiefs’ Council.Philp says:Firstly, we are dropping the requirement for police to record some crimes twice or more, reintroducing the previous “principal offence” rule. This will remove multiple entries on the database which effectively re-record the same incident many times.Accurate crime recording is vital, and these changes will better reflect victims’ experience. Recording crime does not equate to investigating crime and the police will continue to pursue all offences involved in the incident.Accurate records of crime must be kept, and crimes will be recorded. These changes to the crime-recording rules will enable police to target and focus investigations and provide victims the service they deserve.Ambulance response times for all types of emergencies have got longer, including for life-threatening illnesses and injuries, but remain below record levels.Meanwhile around one in 10 people arriving at major A&E departments are having to wait more than 12 hours before being admitted, transferred or discharged – the first time data of this kind has been published. Continue reading...

Jack Teixeira led Thug Shaker Central online group and is facing arrest in Massachusetts, say reportsThe man believed to be responsible for the leak of hundreds of US defence documents that have laid bare military secrets and upset Washington’s relations with key allies is reported to be a 21-year-old air national guardsman based in Massachusetts.Jack Teixeira was the leader of an online chat group who uploaded hundreds of photographs of secret and top secret documents, according to the New York Times. The online group called itself Thug Shaker Central, made up of 20 to 30 young men and teenagers who shared their love of guns, racist memes and video games. Continue reading...

Charity ‘dismayed’ over incident at Croome Court in Worcestershire, and Capability Brown memorial also vandalisedThe National Trust has been left “dismayed” by the scrawling of blue crayon over a two-centuries-old statue in Worcestershire.On Saturday, bright blue markings were discovered all over the face, arms and torso of a statue at Croome Court designed by the renowned sculptor John Bacon. Continue reading...

Rapist and murderer’s escape sparked outrage over competence of country’s police and criminal justice systemA fugitive rapist and murderer who left a burnt corpse in his cell during a jailbreak has returned to prison in South Africa after fleeing to Tanzania.The case has embarrassed authorities and sparked fresh outrage over the competence of South Africa’s police and criminal justice system. Continue reading...

The Big One in Blackpool was more terrifying than usual when it halted close to its 235ft summit on TuesdayOne of Britain’s most terrifying – or thrilling – rollercoasters became even more terrifying and less thrilling when the ride was halted metres from the summit because of sudden winds.It meant passengers had to disembark the Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and be escorted back down the ride’s dauntingly steep emergency stairs. Continue reading...

London gallery will be latest institution to offer after-hours events when it reopens in June after a £35m refurbishmentIf gazing at paintings in the hushed surroundings of an art gallery isn’t your thing, perhaps cocktails, live DJ sets and quirky fashion shows are. In which case, head straight to that art gallery.This week the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in central London announced that when it reopens in June after a £35m refurbishment, a new bar will serve cocktails and small plates long after its display areas have closed. Continue reading...

Charles Michel says higher bills due to demands of Covid pandemic and Ukraine war after use of private jets comes under scrutinyThe president of the European Council, Charles Michel, has denied running up “extravagant” travel bills, after his use of private jets came under scrutiny.Michel, who is responsible for organising EU summits, said his travel bill was higher than his predecessors because of the demands of representing Europe on the world stage during the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Ausra Plungiene disappeared after leaving home in Prestatyn on Tuesday morningA body has been found in the search for a woman who went missing while walking her dog, police have said.Ausra Plungiene, 56, from Prestatyn, north Wales, was last seen on Tuesday when she is believed to have left for a walk with her dog, Eyora, at about 10.30am but failed to return home. Continue reading...

Appeals to pay for private care linked to waiting lists or cost of living crisis have soared since Covid pandemicThe number of Britons crowdfunding for private medical care has soared since the Covid-19 pandemic, as NHS waiting lists continue to reach record lengths.Figures provided to the Guardian by GoFundMe, a website that helps people raise money, show 84% more medical crowdfunders mentioning “waits” or “waiting lists” were launched this March than in January 2019, before the pandemic.

The video, which has been removed from the ABC’s YouTube channel, had 127,000 views by the time Bruce Lehrmann’s claim was filed

Advocates fear court’s decision rejecting Coalition-era policy could result in a hasty legislative fix

Voice will not result in obligations on the executive or parliament, Anne Twomey says in submissions to inquiry

Data sharing between platforms could limit effectiveness of social media app’s ban from government devices

Residents of Leonora in country WA say the opposition leader was more interested in discussing the cashless debit card

Officers and former officers found guilty of ‘gross misconduct’ over texts, including some making fun of Katie Price’s disabled sonEight serving and former Metropolitan police officers have been found guilty of “gross misconduct” over discriminatory and offensive messages they shared, including some that made fun of Katie Price’s disabled son, Harvey.The officers – seven men and a woman – were found to have sent sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic and disablist comments in a WhatsApp group called “Secret Squirrel Shit” between 2016 and 2018. Continue reading...

Family says she was ‘an outstanding innovator of the Swinging Sixties’ and died peacefully at homeMary Quant, the British designer who made the miniskirt fashionable, has died aged 93.A statement from her family to the PA news agency said she “died peacefully at home in Surrey, UK this morning”. Continue reading...

Police, coastguards, lifeboat crews and volunteers joined search after person reportedly swept into seaA body has been found washed up on a beach after an extensive search operation around Brighton Palace pier during heavy winds.The search began just before 4pm on Wednesday after reports that a person had been swept into the sea as Storm Noa lashed the south coast. Continue reading...

Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean will headline North America’s largest music festival, which returns this weekend in Indio, CaliforniaMusic fans will return to the desert this weekend for the 22nd edition of Coachella, with Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean set to headline.It’s a return to normal pacing for North America’s largest music festival, which resumed last April after two years away and several false starts owing to the pandemic. While last year was marked by concern over organizers’ removal of mask and vaccination restrictions two months before the festival, the pandemic has receded farther into the background for this year’s rendition, which is expected to draw about 125,000 people daily to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Continue reading...

Piran Ditta Khan was extradited from Pakistan two days ago over alleged killing of police officer in Bradford in 2005A 74-year-old man accused of murdering PC Sharon Beshenivsky has appeared in court more than 17 years after the officer was shot dead during an armed raid at a travel agency in Bradford.Piran Ditta Khan appeared at Westminster magistrates court in London on Thursday, after being extradited from Pakistan two days earlier and taken into custody at a West Yorkshire police station, where he was charged with killing the officer. Continue reading...

Dozens of mostly sub-Saharan Africans have drowned in region in recent weeks trying to reach EuropeAt least 25 people have died after a boat carrying people from sub-Saharan Africa towards Europe sank off the coast of Tunisia.Fifteen bodies were discovered on Thursday, the Tunisian coastguard said, after 10 were recovered on Wednesday following the shipwreck the day before off the coastal city of Sfax. Continue reading...

Tory peer says she has told father not to walk home alone from mosque as she is worried about backlash against British MuslimsThe former Conservative chair Sayeeda Warsi has said she has warned her father not to walk home alone from the mosque, fearing a backlash against British Muslims from what she termed “racist rhetoric” from the home secretary, Suella Braverman.Lady Warsi told BBC News that she was concerned about the language used by Braverman about both small boats and grooming gangs. Continue reading...

Cease and desist letters mean cases often don’t reach court, say experts, amid calls for law to be reformedA rise in cease and desist letters being issued to survivors of sexual assault is having a chilling effect on women who speak out about sexual violence, the shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding has said.Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Yardley, alongside leading women’s rights experts and lawyers, has said that the threat of legal action is being used to silence women. They say cease and desist letters in some cases are the first step to filing a defamation claim in the civil courts. Continue reading...

Party indicates it would have left governing partnership with SNP if Yousaf had not instigated judicial reviewThe Scottish Greens have indicated they would have walked away from their governing partnership with the SNP if the first minister, Humza Yousaf, had not challenged the UK government’s veto on Holyrood’s plan to change gender recognition laws in Scotland.However, the Scottish Conservatives have accused the new SNP leader of “making the same mistakes as Nicola Sturgeon”. Continue reading...

Breakthrough hailed as highly effective R21 vaccine is cleared by west African country but questions remain over fundingGhana has become the first country to approve a highly effective malaria vaccine developed at Oxford university in the UK.The R21/Matrix-M vaccine, the first to exceed the World Health Organization’s target of 75% efficacy, has been cleared for use by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority in children aged 5-36 months, the group at highest risk of death from malaria. Continue reading...

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Deputy leader says she did not share ad about child sexual abuse convictions because she was spending Easter with familyLabour’s deputy leader has refused to endorse a controversial attack advert from the party, but said it had served its purpose by drawing attention to the government’s “failure” to crack down on crime.Angela Rayner claimed she had not shared the ad on social media since it was posted last week because she had been spending Easter with family, and denied it was because she was “holding her nose” owing to personal reservations. Continue reading...

The actor was shooting a film in Atlanta when he was taken ill; his daughter Corinne posted: ‘He is on already his way to recovery’The family of Jamie Foxx revealed on Wednesday evening that the actor has been hospitalised in Atlanta following a “medical complication”.“We wanted to share that my father Jamie Foxx experienced a medical complication yesterday,” Foxx’s daughter, Corinne Foxx, posted in a statement on Instagram. “Luckily due to quick action and great care he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time.” Continue reading...

Sira Elkheir, 21, has faced court charged with accessing data about a man who allegedly had teeth forcibly removed

Traditional owners call opposition leader’s claims ‘insulting’ and Labor demands he stop using the town as ‘a political football’

Court told human remains appear to be from a ‘number’ of people but no record of their origins has been found

New national study to be launched to document deterioration in basic reading and writing skills, particularly in Tasmania

The independent review will examine delivery models, project governance and passenger impactsSydney’s ongoing Metro program will undergo a major review after it was revealed the cost of the project has already blown out by $21bn.After taking over the program from the previous government, the NSW premier, Chris Minns, said it has been plagued by cost overruns and significant time delays. Continue reading...

Post-Brexit rules on touring under fire as it emerges Trigger Cut may have been turned away due to not being full-time musiciansA German punk rock band that was refused entry to the UK because of “opaque and confusing” post-Brexit rules may have been turned away at the border because they are not full-time professional musicians and have day jobs, the Guardian has learned.Trigger Cut, a three-piece from Stuttgart, should have been on a seven-date tour of the UK this week, but were refused entry by UK border guards at Calais last Thursday. Continue reading...

Don Farrell has dismissed talk of any Australian policy shift after breakthrough reached on barley exports

Assistant treasurer Stephen Jones says targets will be set for Australian Tax Office to recover estimated $5bn in unpaid superannuation

Programme is for people aged between nine and 24 who are experiencing extreme social withdrawalSouth Korea is to offer reclusive youths a monthly living allowance of 650,000 won ($490) in order to encourage them out of their homes, as part of a new measure passed by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The measure also offers education, job and health support.The condition is known as “hikikomori”, a Japanese term that roughly translated means, “to pull back”. The government wants to try to make it easier for those experiencing it to leave the house to go to school, university or work. Continue reading...

Mint collection of historical Canadian stamps and rare set from Laos were given to royals as state giftsThe royal family appears to have appropriated two sets of stamps that were official state gifts, incorporating them into an extraordinarily valuable private stamp collection that King Charles inherited from his mother.The gifts, a mint collection of historical Canadian stamps and a rare set of stamps from Laos, were formally given to the royal family as state gifts. They appear to have been subsumed into the royal philatelic collection (RPC), a private trove of rare stamps estimated to be worth at least £100m. Continue reading...

Resources minister warns concentration of the market that includes rare earths in China poses a strategic challenge

At 3.5% the unemployment rate remains near its lowest since the mid-1970s

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US documents reportedly describe private conversations between António Guterres and his deputy, including on Black Sea export grain dealThe US felt UN secretary general António Guterres was too sympathetic to Russia’s interests when renegotiating the Black Sea grain deal, documents from the leaked Pentagon files reportedly suggested.The report emerged as the Kremlin warned on Wednesday that the outlook for extending the deal beyond 18 May was “not so great” because Russia’s own such exports still faced obstacles. Continue reading...

The party’s latest ad campaign launches personal attacks on Rishi Sunak. What’s behind its new ruthless approach?Labour’s new attack ad campaign came as a shock, even to some senior members of the party. Its social media strategy ahead of next month’s local elections started with a highly personal attack on Rishi Sunak, suggesting he somehow does not think adults who sexually assault children should go to prison. It was followed by another ad focusing on the Sunak family’s taxes.It’s a marked change from Keir Starmer’s previous approach of emphasising his personal integrity and insisting he wants to bring honesty back into politics. So what’s changed? The Guardian’s deputy political editor, Jessica Elgot, explains what it says about the party’s confidence, unity – and the threat posed by Sunak. And she tells Hannah Moore whether it could mean the next general election will be be the most ruthlessly fought yet. Continue reading...

Trial set down for 6 November for former military lawyer accused of leaking classified Australian defence information to journalists

A Sydney woman in her 80s died earlier this month from tetanus, acquired from a minor leg wound