World news | The Guardian

Participants in charity’s year-long inquiry describe being ignored and feeling patronised and dehumanisedSystemic racism within UK maternity care is risking the safety of people from Black, Asian and mixed ethnicity backgrounds, often with devastating consequences, according to a report by the childbirth charity Birthrights.More than 300 people with lived and professional experience of racial injustice in a maternity setting gave evidence to an expert panel chaired by Shaheen Rahman QC, a barrister who specialises in clinical negligence, as part of the charity’s year-long inquiry into the issue. Continue reading...

After narrowing during pandemic, analysis suggests FTSE 350 CEOs will collect 63 times average median pay at their companiesThe gap between the pay of bosses and employees will widen again this year after narrowing during the pandemic, research suggests.FTSE 350 chief executives are expected to collect 63 times the average median pay of workers at their companies , according to the High Pay Centre thinktank, which campaigns for fairer pay structures. Continue reading...

‘Staggering milestone’ calls for urgent international action to address underlying causes of conflict, persecution and the climate crisis, says high commissioner for refugeesThe UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said the global number of forcibly displaced people has passed 100 million for the first time, describing it as a “staggering milestone”.The UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, said the grim new statistic should act as a wake-up call for the international community and that more action is needed internationally to address the root causes of forced displacement around the world. Continue reading...

Boxer Anthony Joshua among those to contact Raheem Bailey, who suffered racial and physical abuse from fellow pupilsSport stars including boxer Anthony Joshua have sent messages of support to an 11-year-old boy who lost a finger while trying to escape from school bullies.Raheem Bailey, from Abertillery in south Wales, was attacked by a group of children on Tuesday, according to his mother, Shantal. Continue reading...

Driver’s details shared on social media after allegedly running over ducklings near Stoke-on-Trent as other drivers waited for them to crossPolice have urged the public against any vigilante actions after the registration of a driver who allegedly ran over a brood of ducklings was published online.Staffordshire police confirmed it is investigating a Facebook post which claimed that at least three ducklings were killed on Friday at a roundabout in Trentham near Stoke-on-Trent. The post claimed they were killed by the driver of a white transit van who allegedly ignored other drivers who were waiting for the ducks to cross the road. Continue reading...

Close contacts of those infected with rare disease offered vaccines and told to isolate for up to 21 daysPublic health officials are to announce more UK monkeypox cases on Monday, as efforts ramp up to contain the first multinational outbreak of the virus that has led to cases in at least 14 countries.The unusual outbreak of the rare disease has sparked a wave of contact tracing and testing, with the closest contacts of confirmed cases – such as partners and people in the same household – offered a vaccine and told to isolate at home for up to 21 days. Continue reading...

Protest came before premiere of Holy Spider, based on story of man who killed at least 16 women in IranProtests about women’s safety have taken place at the Cannes film festival for the second time in a matter of days, after a group invaded the red carpet at a premiere of a film about the killing of sex workers.About 12 women went on to the red carpet before the screening of Holy Spider, carrying a banner with the first names of 129 women killed in France since the last time the festival was held. Continue reading...

Katharine Birbalsingh says move to decolonise English curriculum could mean Shakespeare replaced with black and female authorsThe headteacher of a school described as the strictest in Britain has warned that William Shakespeare will disappear from classrooms as schools in England come under pressure to decolonise and diversify the curriculum.Katharine Birbalsingh, the controversial headteacher at Michaela community school in north London, said Shakespeare had already been “lost” in many places in the US and cautioned: “We are following America in this way.” Continue reading...

‘What did I just read?’ responds one women’s rights activist to comment on Twitter of Preston Conservatives’ Jonty CampbellA Conservative local election candidate has caused outrage after a post on his account said 16-year-old girls smell “buttery [and] creamy”.On Saturday a post on the Twitter account of Jonty Campbell, who has stood for the party in Preston on a number of occasions, said: “Here’s the thing with girls 22 or under, they smell massively different to a girl of 28. Girls aged 16 to, say 23, have this buttery, creamy, slightly sweet smell that is unbelievably magnetic.” Continue reading...

Analysis: addressing the sobering reality is a challenge for ministers, the NHS and society as a whole

Analysis: the party’s stunning election result – likely winning three seats in Brisbane – built on a years-long grassroots strategy

Former Nationals leader says he was ‘very popular’ in inner city and that mixed messages on net zero emissions ‘didn’t help’

Liberal strategists believed Victorians wanted to send Daniel Andrews a message. Instead voters swung away from them in several blue-ribbon seats

Despite dozens of deals to pay Australian news publishers for content, social media company has left out SBS and the Conversation

Hassan Sayad Khodayari was shot five times in his unarmoured vehicle outside his homeUnidentified gunmen on a motorbike have killed a senior member of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard outside his home in Tehran.The corps gave only scant detail about the killing, which occurred in broad daylight in the heart of the Iranian capital, but blamed it on “global arrogance”, typically code for the US and Israel. Continue reading...

Islanders fear government’s €9 a month travel pass will encourage a ‘stampede of visitors’Anti-capitalist protesters have called on Germans to take advantage of a heavily discounted public transport pass to “storm” a holiday island frequented by the rich and famous.Sylt, an island off Germany’s North Nea coast, is seen as one of the more sought-after destinations for those holding the €9 a month ticket being introduced from 1 June. Continue reading...

Tory MP claims ex-colleague, found guilty of sexually assaulting 15-year-old boy, is victim of ‘serious miscarriage of justice’The Conservative MP Crispin Blunt has again defended his former colleague Imran Ahmad Khan, claiming Ahmad Khan’s conviction for sexual abuse was “a serious miscarriage of justice”.Ahmad Khan was found guilty last month of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008. He subsequently stepped down as the MP for Wakefield. Continue reading...

Department says previously announced option of serving arrivals to UK with notices while living in community has not been usedAll the asylum seekers whom ministers want to send to Rwanda have been placed in detention centres after arriving in the UK on small boats, the Home Office has confirmed.When the government announced its controversial plans last month to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, officials said some of those issued with notices of intent that they would be offshored would be served with the notices while living in the community and would have 14 days to appeal against the decision. About 100 asylum seekers are thought to have been issued with notices of intent so far. Continue reading...

Faced with threat of national action, government says it will consider imposing ‘minimum service levels’Unions have pledged to fight ministers’ “desperate” proposals to force staff to work should a national rail strike be called.With ballots on industrial action across Network Rail and 15 English train operators closing this week, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said the government would consider imposing “minimum service levels”, effectively curtailing the right to strike. Continue reading...

Francis O’Grady writes to Insolvency Service, which is investigating the sacking of almost 800 crewThe head of the Trades Union Congress has written to the Insolvency Service calling for it to disqualify the directors of P&O Ferries after they sacked nearly 800 crew without notice.In a letter seen by the Guardian, Frances O’Grady, the TUC’s general secretary, said the Insolvency Service should “initiate disqualification proceedings against the directors of P&O Ferries Division Holdings Limited”. Continue reading...

Classic images and unpublished shots by photographer Gered Mankowitz join treasure trove of pictures set for radical image makeoverBritish photographer Gered Mankowitz has an archive that spans 60 years, capturing an extraordinary array of stars that include Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Slade, Elton John and Kate Bush. Now, he hopes that vast treasure trove will be given a new lease of life after selling the lot to a company that plans to use digital technology to turn the images, among other things, into three-dimensional works of art.Mankowitz is the latest high-profile photographer to sell the rights to his images, after a similar move by well-known musicians: Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen are among many who have sold their recording and songwriting rights for large amounts of money. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese to be sworn in ahead of Quad meeting; Scott Morrison praises ‘great foundation’ of church as speculation over next Liberal leader begins; Labor hopeful of forming majority government; nation records 20 Covid deaths. This blog is now closed

After four years in immigration detention, the election would produce an all-or-nothing result for the Tamil asylum seekers

Residents of former PM’s hometown continue to have mixed feelings about sculpture after eggingIt may have been a week since the residents of Grantham were surprised by the appearance of a long-anticipated statue of Margaret Thatcher, but the dust is showing no signs of settling just yet.After an arduous four-year process, the £300,000 statue was quietly placed on its 10ft plinth last Sunday morning when few people were around, and was egged within hours. Continue reading...

Incoming MP for Fowler Dai Le says decision to parachute Keneally into diverse electorate was a ‘slap in the face’ to locals

Analysts question Home Office strategy after it emerged that a review of its Prevent programme was pushing for a focus on Islamist threatsGovernment advisers on extremism have openly questioned the direction of the Home Office’s counter-terrorism programme after it emerged last week that a review was advocating a crackdown on Islamist extremism rather than the threat of the far right.They questioned why the review of the Prevent strategy carried out by William Shawcross at the behest of the home secretary, Priti Patel, should refocus on Islamism at a time when Prevent referrals over the ideology have fallen to 22%, while a quarter now relate to far-right extremism. Continue reading...

Digital wizardry and academic sleuthing have helped recreate a cultural treasure severely damaged in the conflict in 1922In June 1922, the opening battle of Ireland’s civil war destroyed one of Europe’s great archives in a historic calamity that reduced seven centuries of documents and manuscripts to ash and dust.Once the envy of scholars around the world, the Public Record Office at the Four Courts in Dublin, was a repository of documents dating from medieval times, and packed into a six-storey building by the River Liffey. It was obliterated when troops of the fledgling Irish state bombarded former comrades who were hunkered down at the site as part of a rebellion by hardline republicans against peace with Britain. Continue reading...

The outgoing PM’s wife chose a surprising designer, the French got sassy and Sky News struggled through election night

Anthony Albanese and his senior leadership and economics team will be sworn in on Monday as PM-elect declares he wants to ‘change the country’

Micro party picks up 2-7% in most states and Northern Territory amid surge in cannabis consumption in Australia

Russian state-linked bank pursuing financier for millions over alleged fraud is not on UK sanctions list

From the swearing in of Anthony Albanese and his ministers, to department ‘red books’, the public service is ready for the transition

Mothers shocked by the cost as charities urge government to step in

Foreign secretary tells Richard Neal, chair of the US Congress ways and means committee, that she cannot let the Brexit impasse drag onLiz Truss is resisting pressure from a close ally of Joe Biden not to rewrite the Brexit deal’s Northern Ireland protocol, saying she will not let the impasse “drag on”.The foreign secretary is facing concerted pressure from senior US politicians on the issue. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives, has already warned that she could endanger any hopes of a free trade deal with America. Continue reading...

Morrison visited Horizon church on Sunday morning where he quoted Bible verses to the congregation

Tim Wilson and Josh Frydenberg maintain theoretical path to victory despite being thousands of votes behind

Over 100mm of water fell across multiple catchments with communities warned of potential isolation by floodwaters into next week

Rains inundate thousands of villages and trigger landslides in north-east Bangladesh’s worst flooding in nearly two decadesHeavy rains have caused widespread flooding in parts of Bangladesh and India, leaving millions stranded and at least 57 dead, officials say.In Bangladesh, about 2 million people have been marooned by the worst floods in the country’s north-east for nearly two decades. Continue reading...

Joe Biden among those banned after signing $40bn aid package for Ukraine; Finnish president says he held ‘open and direct’ talks with his Turkish counterpart. This blog is now closed

Labour says it is ‘simply staggering’ department authorised the move amid a cost of living crisisTreasury bosses have been criticised for authorising £500,000 of taxpayers’ money to be spent on focus groups and polls amid the cost of living crisis.Deltapoll, an independent public opinion consultancy firm, was selected to carry out the work with an option to extend the contract for another year which would take the potential total cost to £1m. Continue reading...

Rival fans threw flares and clashed with police inside the Olympic stadium in AthensPanathinaikos beat PAOK 1-0 to clinch the Greek Cup on Saturday in a match marred by crowd trouble as rival fans threw flares and clashed with police inside the Olympic stadium.Violence broke out an hour before the match was due to start as spectators began arriving at the stadium, delaying the kickoff. Continue reading...

‘We do not make policy through mob rule,’ home secretary will say as she urges MPs to back bill that criminalises obstructing trafficPriti Patel will tell MPs that “we do not make policy through mob rule in this country” as she urges them to give their support to the new public order bill.It represents the home secretary’s latest attempt to introduce measures that have previously been blocked by the House of Lords as part of the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill. Continue reading...

Labour’s Peter Dowd puts pressure on Home Office to do more for families affected by tragedyA Labour MP, who suffered the tragic death of his daughter in a hit-and-run accident, has called for improved victim support from the Home Office after the harrowing experience.Bootle MP Peter Dowd said he will never get over the death of his daughter, Jennifer, 31, who was killed in an incident near the Labour MP’s Merseyside home in September 2020. Continue reading...

84-year-old who was ousted last year boards plane for Turkey to receive medical treatmentGuinean ex-leader Alpha Conde boarded a plane for Turkey on Saturday after the junta that toppled him authorised his travel abroad for medical treatment, officials said.The 84-year-old Conte, who was ousted last year, has been allowed to travel out of respect for his “dignity and integrity” and for “humanitarian reasons”, the junta’s governing body said. Continue reading...

Civil service head will carry the can, amid row over claims that No 10 tried to interfere with Sue Gray’s findingsBoris Johnson is expected to scapegoat the head of the civil service Simon Case this week in a desperate effort to save his own job, as both men face stinging criticism in a report into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.The long-awaited findings of the senior mandarin Sue Gray will, according to several sources, lay particular blame on Case, the UK’s most senior civil servant, for allowing a drinking culture to develop in which rule-breaking parties became commonplace during lockdowns. Continue reading...

Ukrainian leader tells TV station ‘there are things that can only be reached at the negotiating table’

Grenfell United criticises Home Office papers outlining reason for retaining policy against inquiry recommendationsBereaved relatives of the Grenfell Tower blaze have said they are “enraged” by government plans to keep the controversial “stay put” policy instead of adopting an inquiry recommendation.Grenfell United has criticised new Home Office papers which outline its reasons for retaining the policy – meaning that residents of most buildings should wait for rescue services rather than leaving in the event of a fire. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese arrives for speech; Scott Morrison to step down as leader after conceding defeat; ‘Liberal family suffered a terrible day,’ Peter Dutton says; Labor claims Reid; Zoe Daniel claims victory in Goldstein; Allegra Spender wins Wentworth from Dave Sharma. This blog is now closed

With many supporters still bearing the scars of the 2019 election loss, it was only when the Western Australian results streamed in that they dared to dream

Labor leader pledges to implement Uluru statement and to end climate wars, while Scott Morrison says he will stand down as Liberal leader after defeat