World news | The Guardian

Private hospital operators expect boom in self-pay to continue for at least next three to five yearsGrowing numbers of Britons are paying for private medical treatment because of the record delays people are facing trying to access NHS care, a report has revealed.They are using their own savings to pay for procedures that involve some of the longest waiting times in NHS hospital, such as diagnostic tests, cataract removals and joint replacements. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogThe US is reportedly seeking to seize a superyacht suspected of belonging to a Russian oligarch that is docked in the Pacific island nation of Fiji.A restraining order filed on Tuesday by Fiji’s director of public prosecutions and seen by Reuters showed the vessel arrived in Fiji a week ago after leaving Mexico 18 days earlier and crossing the Pacific. Continue reading...

Covid restrictions to ease further in both states from Friday, with Victoria confident it has reached peak of Omicron wave

Penny Wong accuses Coalition of mishandling situation, raising concerns of a potential Chinese military presence in South Pacific

AEU president backed funding announcement but criticised lack of timeline, while noting Coalition had offered ‘nothing at all’

Shadow defence minister Brendan O’Connor says cancellation of $1.3bn SkyGuardian program demands explanation

Moscow is luring mercenaries from Syria, Libya and elsewhere in effort to capture as much as possible of eastern UkraineRussia has deployed up to 20,000 mercenaries from Syria, Libya and elsewhere in its new offensive in Ukraine’s Donbas region, sent into battle with no heavy equipment or armoured vehicles, according to a European official.The official said the estimates of mercenary involvement on the ground in eastern Ukraine range from 10,000 to 20,000 and that it was hard to break down that figure between Syrians, Libyans and other fighters recruited by the Russian mercenary company, the Wagner Group. Continue reading...

Former UN officials say body could be doomed if secretary general does not play a bigger role in mediating for peace in Ukraine

Labour leader accuses prime minister of dishonesty, as senior Tory joins those urging him to quit

Prime minister addresses MPs ‘with all humility’ repeating apology for breach of lockdown rules

Party believes being visible and knocking on doors is helping it win votes from ‘complacent’ rivalsStanding on the doorstep of his terrace house in Brunshaw, a few minutes’ walk from Burnley football club’s stadium, Turf Moor, Vic is perhaps not many people’s idea of a typical Green voter. For one thing, he was formerly a Conservative. There’s also the fact he’s 85.“They’re working hard all the time. It’s not just at elections you hear from them,” Vic says, having just promised his support to Alex Hall, who hopes to become the Greens’ second councillor in the ward on 5 May. “The other parties take you for granted.” Continue reading...

Auctioneer says destruction of red Gibson guitar at 2009 Paris festival was ‘cult moment’ in music historyA guitar belonging to Noel Gallagher, which was damaged backstage at an Oasis concert on the night they broke up, is due to be sold at auction next month.Although the guitar was later repaired, the destruction of the red Gibson ES-355 backstage at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009 was a “cult moment” in music history, according to Jonathan Berg, a co-founder of the Artpèges gallery, which is holding the auction. Continue reading...

Centrist’s backers say voters still need convincing his policies are best for them ahead of presidential runoffSenior political allies of Emmanuel Macron have lined up to warn against complacency in France’s presidential race, saying the incumbent is not certain to win despite polls indicating his lead over his far-right challenger, Marine Le Pen, is widening.“The game isn’t done and dusted and we certainly cannot draw the conclusion … that this election is already decided,” the French prime minister, Jean Castex, told French radio, five days before Sunday’s second round runoff. Continue reading...

Platinum jubilee invitation said to have been issued to Harry and Meghan after low-key visitAfter last week’s face-to-face meeting with the Queen, and hot foot from their weekend success at the Invictus Games, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have now reportedly been invited to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the platinum jubilee.Whether Harry and Meghan will choose to take up the invitation and fly to the UK for the June celebrations is not yet known. The duke is still involved in legal action with the Home Office over security for him and his family while in the UK. Continue reading...

Governor of Kreminna says Ukrainian troops have withdrawn after being attacked ‘from all sides’

Brandon Lewis defends colleagues as Boris Johnson prepares to face MPs

Volodymyr Zelenskiy says ‘battle for Donbas’ has begun as Russia mounts anticipated offensive in the eastern part of Ukraine

Testimony of ex-SAS commander, called by Roberts-Smith, contradicts previous witnesses called by newspapers about Whiskey 108 operation

Volodymyr Zelenskiy strikes defiant note as rocket and artillery fire targets 300-mile frontline in region

Officers in Donetsk say spies pass on coordinates or photographs of targets via Telegram in exchange for cash

The Tories made huge gains in last year’s local elections but could be punished for scandals and the cost of living crisisOver the past two months, the Labour candidate, Adrian Hughes, has knocked on more than 1,000 doors in Upper Gornal and Woodsetton in north Dudley before May’s local elections.The most marginal ward in a historically marginal council, it was won by the Conservatives last year by 82 votes when there were five candidates on the ballot paper. This year there are only two options: red or blue. Continue reading...

Writer of The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe forced to defend characters’ accents after social media criticismIt has had rave reviews for the quality of its writing and acting but for many local people there has been a problem with ITV’s “canoe man” fake death drama: the accents.“Why is it that ITV thinks people from Teesside speak with a geordie accent?” asked one disgruntled viewer. “Insulting!!!!” Continue reading...

Government seeks to capitalise on trend after rapper Milli eats dish on stage at US music festivalBangkok’s famous Mae Varee mango sticky rice shop has barely kept up with demand over recent days. At one point, so many delivery drivers had lined up outside to collect orders that the police arrived, concerned that their bikes were blocking the traffic.“Yesterday we needed to close the delivery orders from time to time because we couldn’t prepare [the rice] in time,” said Naparom Suntiparadorn, whose family own the shop. On Sunday, delivery orders were six or seven times higher than usual. Continue reading...

Two explosions rock boys' school in Kabul as students were coming out of their morning classesAt least six people have been killed and 11 wounded by two bomb blasts at a boys’ school in the Afghan capital, with social media showing grisly images from the Hazara Shia neighbourhood.The number of bomb blasts in the country has declined significantly since the Taliban ousted the US-backed Afghan government in August last year, but the jihadist Islamic State group has claimed several attacks since then. Continue reading...

Record number of Australians enrol to vote; nation records 18 Covid deaths. This blog is now closed

A former curator praises donation for The Fox: NGV Contemporary to make up for public funding shortfalls

Online greetings card and gifts company says no customer payment data is at riskThe online greetings card and gifts business Funky Pigeon has stopped taking orders after being hit by a cyber-attack last week.The company said it was writing to all customers from the past 12 months to inform them of the hack, saying no payment data was at risk and it did not believe account passwords had been affected. Continue reading...

Opposition says it will establish new appeals process and reduce spending on consultants and private law firms

Government says refugees will be stopped at border, even if they have become New Zealand citizens

Election statement also calls for a special intake of Ukrainians and a wider reassessment of refugee policies

Opposition last year committed to scrapping the cashless debit card and says continued use of basics card will be voluntary

Possible thunderstorms forecast for parts of Australia’s east over the coming days, as conditions gradually clear in Victoria

Guardian understands advertising regulator is likely uphold complaint against firm’s claims about ‘hot or cold’ gamesOnline casinos face a crackdown on exploiting gamblers’ superstitions, after the advertising regulator launched an investigation into one firm’s claims about certain games being “hot or cold”.The Guardian understands the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is likely to uphold a complaint lodged seven months ago against PlayOJO, which advertised a feature last year that offered gamblers a “unique chance to see the games on winning streaks”. Continue reading...

The UK prime minister leaves a trail of scandals, U-turns and law-breaking as he reaches his milestoneTuesday marks 1,000 days since Boris Johnson first began working in Downing Street on 24 July 2019. When he came to power, many warned that UK was in for a bumpy ride. He promised to defy the “the doubters, the doomsters and the gloomsters”, but since then his premiership has exceeded even the gloomiest, most doom-laden fears of his doubters and detractors.Here is a list of some of the most notable scandals, U-turns and examples of law breaking. Continue reading...

Embattled Liberal candidate for Warringah says she worked with Tasmanian senator Claire Chandler on ‘Save Women’s Sport’ legislation

Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta the frontrunner in a ballot widely seen as key to the nation’s political stabilityAsia’s youngest nation of Timor-Leste will hold the second and final round of its presidential election on Tuesday, with Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta the clear frontrunner in the poll.Ramos-Horta, who received 46.5% of votes in the first round last month, is up against incumbent president “Lu Olo” Guterres, who got 22.1%, in a ballot widely seen as key to the nation’s political stability. Continue reading...

The 63-year-old singer says he’s ‘absolutely crushed’ but only experiencing mild symptoms so farCrowded House frontman Neil Finn has tested positive for Covid-19, postponing the rest of the band’s Australia tour just hours before their next show.The 63-year-old New Zealand singer said he was “absolutely crushed”, having tested positive on Monday morning. Continue reading...

Mobile trucks target areas with highest death rates in effort to reach those living with undiagnosed diseaseNHS leaders are urging people to attend vital lung cancer check-ups as figures reveal almost two-thirds of those invited are not coming forward.The NHS targeted lung health check service offered in some parts of England aims to help diagnose cancer at an earlier stage when treatment may be more successful. Current and former smokers aged between 55 and 74 are invited to speak to a healthcare professional and, if they have a higher chance of developing lung cancer, are offered a scan of their lungs. Continue reading...

Labour leader criticises failing system as quarter of cases in England and Wales dropped for lack of evidenceVictims of crime are giving up on ever getting justice, Keir Starmer has warned, as Labour underlined official figures that show a quarter of reported crimes in England and Wales are being dropped for lack of evidence, with victims deciding not to support further action.The party leader promised to restore faith in law and order, saying that more than a decade of Conservative governance had left the justice system on its knees. And he accused the prime minister, Boris Johnson, of further undermining public confidence by personally breaking the law and then refusing to resign. Continue reading...

The disturbances came on the third anniversary of the murder of the journalist Lyra McKeeA crowd at a dissident republican parade in Northern Ireland has attacked police with petrol bombs after a paramilitary-style march in Derry, prompting widespread condemnation.The disturbances on Monday came on the third anniversary of the murder of the journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot by the New IRA in 2019. Continue reading...

PM may get away with his rule-breaking but Labour and Lib Dems are still keen to force a confidence voteWhen Boris Johnson takes to the dispatch box on Tuesday, for the first time in weeks, his allies will roar their support – an attempt to immediately dispel any questions about confidence in his leadership.While the prime minister might appear at times contrite for breaking Covid laws during England’s first Covid lockdown, he is expected to maintain that at the time he did not believe he was doing anything wrong. Continue reading...

Unhappy MPs feel poor results would help their cause, but No 10 believes he has ‘crossed Rubicon’ and will cling onTory MPs are considering the aftermath of dire local election results as their next chance to oust Boris Johnson, with the prime minister preparing to apologise for his Partygate penalty.However, Downing Street is feeling bullish that Johnson has “crossed the Rubicon” after receiving his first fixed-penalty notice earlier this month, and will cling on in the face of further charges. Continue reading...

Federal government urged to provide compensation, as minister says families can apply for state-assisted or ‘pauper’ funerals

UK home secretary attacks critics of plan to give unauthorised asylum seekers one-way tickets to African countryPriti Patel has defended plans to send unauthorised asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda, saying critics of the scheme have failed to offer any alternative solution to the migration crisis.The proposal, announced last week, has been widely condemned as inhumane, illegal, unworkable and prohibitively expensive. Critics have included Conservative MPs and peers, the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) and a former and the current archbishop of Canterbury, who said, in his Easter Sunday sermon, that the scheme “does not stand the judgment of God”. Continue reading...

Private providers accused of making ‘obscene’ profits out of some of society’s most vulnerable children

A worker in the sector claims local authorities cost taxpayers money by going for the cheap option first

Keith Grayson’s death was confirmed in a statement released through Hot 97, the radio station where he hosted The Drama HourThe pioneering hip-hop artist Keith Grayson, who performed as DJ Kay Slay and worked with top stars, has died of complications from Covid-19.Grayson’s death at 55 on Sunday was confirmed by his family in a statement released through New York radio station Hot 97, where he hosted The Drama Hour for more than two decades. Continue reading...

Country appears more divided than ever along Hindu-Muslim lines – and for many, Modi’s BJP is to blameThe procession had begun peacefully. Marching through the streets of Delhi’s Jahangirpuri district on Saturday, the crowds had gathered to celebrate the Hindu festival of Hanuman Jayanti. But the peace did not last long. As the evening drew in, a section of the parade clad in saffron, the signature colour of Hindu nationalism, began to brandish swords and pistols, and loudly shout provocative communal slogans.Ignoring previous agreements between Hindu and Muslim residents for the procession to avoid passing by a local mosque, they charged toward it. Continue reading...