US president calls media horrible people' after CBS correspondent Norah O'Donnell put to him segments of the suspected gunman's alleged manifestoDonald Trump spoke with CBS correspondent Norah O'Donnell in an interview that aired Sunday night on 60 Minutes describing his ordeal at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner when shots rang out.A gunman opened fire at the Washington Hilton hotel Saturday night, though he did not breach the basement-level ballroom where Trump was sitting at the time. The president described the events in an even tone, saying that he did not feel particularly alarmed as they unfolded. Continue reading...
Michael Jackson biopic has shrugged off controversy, bad reviews and a troubled production to take $217m worldwide, including $97m in North AmericaMichael, the big-budget Michael Jackson biopic, has shrugged off bad reviews and a troubled production to launch with a $97m opening in North American theaters, contributing to its enormous $217m (160m, A$303m) worldwide box office and shattering the record for the biggest biopic opening of all time.The film, a highly authorised portrayal of the king of pop" that was co-produced by the Jackson estate and stars Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson, took $120.4m internationally and $97m domestic - combining to surpass Oppenheimer's $180.4m worldwide opening weekend in 2023 and Bohemian Rhapsody's $124m in 2018. Continue reading...
by Adam Fulton, Marina Dunbar, Lucy Campbell and Vivi on (#7577F)
This blog is now closed. See our latest full report on the shooting at the White House correspondents' dinnerDonald Trump took to Trump Social on Sunday to repeat his statement from the night before in which he said the shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner was why a White House ballroom was necessary.What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE," Trump wrote.It does appear the suspect was targeting members of the administration ... We don't have specifics yet about particular members of the administration, except that we do understand that that was his goal and his target. Continue reading...
The Israeli government and Hezbollah have traded blame over breaches to the truce, which is set to run for several more weeksLebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country's south killed 14 people on Sunday, the deadliest day since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into force over a week ago.The health ministry said the dead on Sunday included two women and two children, adding that 37 other people were wounded. Israel said one of its soldiers was also killed. Continue reading...
Widely dispersed wind farms and solar panels are harder to target than fossil fuel power stations, Michael Shanks saysRenewable energy will boost the UK's national security and make the country more resilient against potential aggression or sabotage, the government's energy minister has said.Michael Shanks said widely dispersed wind farms and solar panels were much harder to target than large-scale fossil fuel power stations. They are also not vulnerable to supply shocks, such as the current oil crisis caused by the US-Israel war on Iran and the soaring gas prices that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Continue reading...
Car bomb kills Sadio Camara at home during coordinated assaults by rebel groups including West African al-Qaida affiliateMali's defence minister was killed in an attack on his residence, the government said on Sunday, a high-profile fatality during coordinated assaults staged the previous day by insurgents including the West African affiliate of al-Qaida.A car laden with explosives driven by a suicide attacker drove into Sadio Camara's residence in the town of Kati, the spokesperson, Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, said in a statement read out on state television. A firefight ensued, and Camara sustained injuries from which he later died in a hospital, Coulibaly said, adding that Mali would observe two days of mourning. Continue reading...
Peers and campaigners say proposal for three-year window to impose controls breaks promise of quick actionPeers will vote on Monday on a government move that could delay action on children's access to social media for up to three years, which has triggered a backlash from campaigners and senior figures in the Lords.Ministers tabled an amendment to the children's wellbeing and schools bill that would allow them to wait before introducing new restrictions, Critics warn it risks watering down earlier commitments to act within months and could result in only limited interventions such as parental controls rather than sweeping measures on access. Continue reading...
Police say incident in Dunmurry in which no one was hurt shows murderous intent still exists' in paramilitariesMurderous intent and capability" still exists within paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, officers have said after a car exploded outside a police station on the outskirts of Belfast.Detectives said they believed the New IRA was involved and are treating it as attempted murder. Continue reading...
Deepening sense of deadlock despite regional diplomacy as Washington and Tehran show no signs of compromiseHopes of a breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the US faded further on Sunday, amid a deepening sense of deadlock in the nearly two-month-long conflict despite intense regional diplomatic activity.Washington and Tehran appear unwilling to moderate rhetoric or make concessions, and there are no negotiations scheduled that might bring the war to a definitive end. Continue reading...
by Aletha Adu, Jessica Elgot and Pippa Crerar on (#75788)
Talk among MPs shifts from whether PM could be removed to possible processes for transition' as frustration growsLabour figures from across rival factions have begun circulating informal proposals for an orderly transition" of power away from Keir Starmer, the Guardian understands.MPs have shifted discussions from speculating about whether the prime minister could be removed to how - including timelines, potential triggers and the mechanics of forcing a leadership contest. Continue reading...
Darren Jones suggests cost of energy, food and flights will remain high after de-escalation and Hormuz strait reopensThe UK faces higher prices for food and fuel for at least eight months after the war in Iran ends, a minister has said.
Message on private Facebook group for staff said: I dumped them all in a bin. They can sack me!'Royal Mail is investigating allegations that a postal worker claimed to have dumped" Reform UK campaign leaflets in a bin ahead of Thursday's local elections.A post on a Facebook group for Royal Mail staff said: My DO had reform party's D2D today. I dumped them all in a bin. They can sack me! Idgaf!" Continue reading...
Millionaire funded operation called pure animal cruelty' after environment minister sent threats on social mediaFinal preparations are reportedly under way for a millionaire funded plan to tow a sickly humpback whale into the North Sea.The 12-tonne whale, nicknamed Timmy, has been stranded on the Baltic Sea coastline for almost a month. A barge resembling a giant steel aquarium will attempt to transport Timmy 400km (248 miles) towards the North Sea, and then hopefully back to the Atlantic Ocean from where it is believed to have arrived. Continue reading...
Pesident presses case for controversial $400m project following White House correspondents' dinner shootingThe shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel gives new urgency to the project to construct a 1,000-seat ballroom at the White House, Donald Trump claimed after the incident on Saturday night.The US president pressed the case for his controversial ballroom initiative at the press conference he held at the White House on Saturday and a social media post on Sunday, after an armed attacker was arrested as he rushed towards the Hilton's ballroom, where Trump was attending the White House Correspondents Association's annual dinner. Continue reading...
Special session comes after Virginia voted to redraw maps and as Trump pressures Republicans to protect House majorityFlorida begins a special session on Tuesday in what may be the last front of the redistricting war before the 2026 election, with Republicans trying to redraw maps to pick up more seats in Congress.Lawmakers enter the session in Tallahassee cloaked in mystery, with no preview of a proposed map to consider and no clear path for Republicans to increase their representation in what appears to be a hostile year for their party. Continue reading...
Shooting reveals how political violence has become feature of American life on a night dedicated to press freedomAhead of this year's White House correspondents' dinner, conversations centered on the role of the media and freedom of the press as journalists prepared to dine with the president.Instead of a speech stacked with heated barbs against the media, the event ended like many in the US do: with gun violence. Continue reading...
Researchers find alarming' effect on fertility across global species from simultaneous exposuresSimultaneous exposure to toxic chemicals and climate change's impacts likely generates an additive or synergistic effect that increases reproductive harm, and may contribute to the broad global drop in fertility, new peer-reviewed research finds.The review of scientific literature considers how endocrine-disrupting chemicals, often found in plastic, coupled with climate change's effects, such as heat stress, are each linked to reductions in fertility and fecundity across global species - including in humans, wildlife and invertebrates. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#757AB)
Prime minister has shed trusted staffers but can still turn to many genuine friends in and out of governmentGiven that the signs of an embattled premiership are all around - defensive-sounding interviews insisting he will be in post at the next election; a rush of stories about supposed cabinet plotting - now, more than ever, Keir Starmer needs real allies. And here, at least, there is something to feel positive about.If you talk to most Labour MPs, Starmer most likely will not lead Labour into the next election. He may even not remain in No 10 much beyond a set of Scottish, Welsh and local English elections on 7 May, which are expected to be disastrous for his party. Continue reading...
Liz Conmy's death is a profound loss', Democratic party affiliate says following crash shortly after takeoffA small plane crashed just after taking off from Crystal airport north of Minneapolis on Saturday, killing a North Dakota state legislator and the pilot, authorities said.Liz Conmy, a North Dakota state representative from Fargo, was killed in the crash, her colleague, state senator Tim Mathern, told the Star Tribune. Continue reading...
Experts fear losing ground to virus even as the end of the HIV epidemic is in sight, and say decline in infant testing is particularly concerning'The US government released likely the last report from Pepfar (President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) earlier this month and the chief science officer announced his resignation days later as the US moves to a patchwork of individual partnerships with each country, potentially driven by resource extraction.While more leadership with other countries has long been the goal with global HIV efforts, experts fear the US is moving too quickly without being able to monitor its efforts as well as it has done with Pepfar for more than two decades. They fear losing ground to the virus even as the end of the HIV epidemic is in sight. Continue reading...
by Alexandra Topping Political correspondent on (#7578B)
Exclusive: Investigation into campaigning materials for local polls in May challenges tactical voting claimsElection leaflets are providing grotesque" information about how to vote tactically in the May elections, using national polling data, dodgy" bar charts and doorstep surveys to support claims about parties' chances of winning.Leaflets distributed by local politicians across England are claiming that either only their party can win, or another party can't win here" when there is no good evidence to show that's true", a Full Fact investigation for the Guardian has revealed. Continue reading...
Prime minister says you never hear from ... the people who are supportive, loyal and just want to get on with the job'Keir Starmer and the Labour party continue to fight to maintain control in the aftermath of the Mandelson controversy. Starmer spoke to the Sunday Times about how he believed that the vast majority of Labour still supports him and that his party can still win in May.Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, took to the morning shows to defend Starmer and Labour, noting that in his work abroad and campaigning around the country, Mandelson is rarely mentioned and that particularly during a town hall yesterday with constituents, Peter Mandelson didn't come up once". People are more worried about the impact of the Middle East on their energy bills," Jones said.Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said that if Starmer doesn't resign, Labour backbenchers and ministers should develop a backbone and get rid of him".SNP also called for Starmer's resignation on Sunday in response to a Daily Mail story quoting Labour insiders as saying that the prime minister was considering sacking chancellor Rachel Reeves. Keir Starmer is living on another planet if he thinks he can save his skin by sacking everyone else," said Kirsty Blackman, SNP chief whip.Kirsty Blackman, SNP chief whip, responded on Sunday to a Daily Mail story quoting unnamed Labour insiders as saying that Keir Starmer is considering firing chancellor Rachel Reeves in a cabinet reshuffle in the aftermath of the Mandelson scandal. Continue reading...
by Rick Goodman (now) and Lauren Gambino (earlier) on (#75721)
This live blog is closed. Follow our new live blog hereCNN anchor Wolf Blitzer said he was within a few feet of the shooter, and called into CNN to describe his observations.Blitzer said he saw a very, very serious weapon. He starts shooting, and I happened to have been a few feet away from him. As he was shooting, of course, the first thing that went through my mind: is he trying to shoot me? And I don't think he was trying to shoot me, but I was very close to him as the gunshots were fired and he was very, very scary. But I'm OK, now." Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#75756)
Exclusive: Samaritans call for mandatory training for firefighters amid rise in incidentsSuicide-related callouts to fire and rescue services in England have tripled in the last decade, with Samaritans now calling for mandatory training for firefighters, who they say are struggling to deal with the increase in traumatic incidents.New figures show that fire services in England attended 3,250 suicide callouts in the year ending September 2025, the equivalent to 62 callouts a week. This was up from 997 callouts in 2009-10 when records began.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 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Health secretary's power grab' to override Nice comes amid growing concern move may be illegal and benefit big pharmaDozens of MPs are opposing Wes Streeting's decision to award himself power to dictate what the NHS pays for drugs amid growing concern the move may be illegal.Thirty-one MPs have signed a House of Commons motion voicing their disapproval of the health secretary being handed the power to override the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's (Nice) judgment on how much the NHS should spend on individual medicines. Continue reading...
by Oliver Holmes, and Alastair McCready in Taipei. Gr on (#75759)
The rival superpowers are ramping up preparations for a crewed lunar landing nearly six decades after the first moon walkThe world watched earlier this month as Nasa sent four astronauts around the moon - but to actually land on the surface the US is once again in a space race, this time with China. And China may well win.Both countries plan to build inhabited lunar bases - the first settlement on another celestial body - as well as searching for rare resources and using the deep space environment to test technology for future crewed missions to Mars. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent and Kr on (#75746)
Soaring cost of building materials, lack of affordability and planning bottlenecks are some of the obstacles thwarting housing targetAt South and City College in Birmingham, dozens of young people clad in hi-vis vests and hard hats are building mini-walls and plastering half-formed rooms.Some weave in and out of stacks of bricks with wheelbarrows, while others use spirit levels to check the walls are straight and flat. In a few days time, these walls will be demolished and the plastering scraped away, for a new class to come in and try their hands. Continue reading...
Killhouse is based on real-life story of civilian couple saved from battlefield by Ukrainian drone operatorsIt is being billed as Ukraine's answer to Saving Private Ryan, updated for an age of drones.The war movie Killhouse is an action thriller which shows off the latest in battlefield technology. Released this week, it features cameos by figures well known in Ukraine, including the nation's former military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. One missing person is Donald Trump. The film is conveniently set in 2024, when Washington and Kyiv were allies. Continue reading...
by Rick Goodman (now); Marina Dunbar,Taz Ali, Hamish on (#756KR)
This blog is now closedWe have some images coming through the newswires of Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, speaking with Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, and other officials in Islamabad this morning.Araghchi arrived in Pakistan last night. He wrote on social media that his trip would focus on bilateral matters and regional developments". Continue reading...
Chief property and security officer Ian Collard set to submit written answers to foreign affairs committee questionsA key figure in the row over Peter Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to Washington will not appear before a parliamentary committee of MPs to give evidence.Emily Thornberry had requested that Ian Collard speak to the foreign affairs committee (FAC) on Tuesday, but confirmed on Saturday that he would submit written answers instead.Whether he felt under pressure to deliver Mandelson's clearance, after Robbins said there was an atmosphere of pressure" and constant chasing" from Downing Street.Whether he had seen the cover form for Mandelson's vetting by UK Security Vetting (UKSV), the agency responsible for checks on candidates for sensitive posts, in which it had ticked two red boxes - meaning they had high concern" and recommended clearance denied or withdrawn".If he was asked by anyone in the Foreign Office, Downing Street or the Cabinet Office for advice about whether Mandelson required vetting for the post given that he was a member of the House of Lords.If he advised on how Mandelson should be treated during the period between his appointment being announced and his clearance coming through. Continue reading...
Al-Qaida-linked group JNIM claims responsibility for strikes on airport in capital, Bamako and four other citiesIslamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali's capital and other cities on Saturday in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years.The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako's international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali on its website, Az-Zallaqa. It said the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group. Continue reading...
Pair, believed to be mother and son, recovered from water but died at scene in Elthorne Park, EalingA woman and her young child have died after getting into difficulty" in the water at a park in west London, police said.Officers were called to Elthorne Park in Ealing just before 4.30pm on Saturday, where a woman and her son were recovered from the water, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...