World news | The Guardian

Moscow announces move that will also bar 10 other UK government members and politicians

Emergency services on high alert in KwaZulu-Natal as search for victims continues, with almost 400 deadSouth Africa’s flood-ravaged east has been hit by another downpour of rain, after the catastrophic storm killed nearly 400 people and left tens of thousands homeless.Flood waters from the deadliest storm to hit the country in living memory engulfed parts of the coastal city of Durban earlier this week – tearing apart roads, sweeping away homes and those trapped inside them, and sinking heavy cargo containers. Continue reading...

After two weeks of relative peace, mayor of Kyiv warns residents who have left that it is not safe to return

In a Paris suburb, opinion is divided over who to vote for after the defeat of leftwing Jean-Luc Mélenchon

Scientist Emma Smart, 44, received treatment before being returned to custody over arrest at London protestA marine biologist held by police for more than 48 hours over a climate crisis protest was taken from her cell to hospital in an ambulance.Emma Smart, 44, one of nine scientists affiliated with Extinction Rebellion who were arrested at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), had gone on hunger and thirst strike to protest against the conditions in which she was being held. Continue reading...

Influences from Churchill to Tolkien are woven in to the Ukrainian president’s compelling video addresses

Health agencies warn of Kinder Surprise, Mini Eggs and Schoko-Bons after 70 cases in UK linked to outbreakKinder chocolate products linked to a salmonella outbreak should not be consumed over the Easter weekend, health officials have warned.A “rapid outbreak assessment” released by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said it had matched the same salmonella strain currently infecting people to samples taken from a factory in Belgium last December. Continue reading...

Tory MP hits out at ‘overly bureaucratic’ process for resettling refugees, saying visas took too long

Plane crashed as pilot tried to land at East Kimberley regional airport in Kununurra

Prime minister under pressure as Liberals split over Katherine Deves’ candidacy; Anthony Albanese promises federal Icac within months. This blog is now closed

NSW treasurer Matt Kean and long-time Liberal activist Walter Villatora call for Deves to be disendorsedScott Morrison is facing a mutiny over the Liberal party’s controversial candidate in Warringah, Katherine Deves, with intensifying calls for her to be dumped because of “hurtful and divisive” comments about transgender people.Liberal moderates have been concerned for some time that Deves’ candidacy would prove damaging to the Liberal party’s standing with centre-right progressive voters in key metropolitan contests. Continue reading...

Forms sent back via political parties can be used to harvest personal information about voters

Affected Cambridgeshire people told by company to assume items ‘have been mislaid in the network’The residents of at least two Cambridgeshire villages say they could have lost thousands of letters after their deliveries mysteriously stopped for almost three weeks. They have been left “hugely frustrated” and say Royal Mail has indicated to them that any missing items will never be delivered and should now be considered lost.At the start of March, people living in Great and Little Eversden – and possibly two other nearby villages – only a few miles from Cambridge, noticed their post had stopped arriving. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Alf Dubs, former child refugee, says sending asylum seekers to Rwanda is effectively ‘state-sponsored trafficking’

AMA chief to call on Anthony Albanese to ‘stand for health’, saying funding boost is urgent to alleviate pressure on medical system

The decision to remain can inspire local people to resist, but also have deadly consequences

Ukraine president claims up to 20,000 Russian soldiers have died; reprisals from Moscow expected in wake of sinking of flagship cruiser the Moskva

This live blog has now closed, for our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our new live pageThe UK’s Ministry of Defence has responded to reports of the apparent attack on and sinking of Russia’s Black Sea fleet’s flagship.The report, released shortly after 6am GMT, reads:Russia has admitted that the Slava-class cruiser Moskva has sunk. As flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, the Moskva served a key role as both a command vessel and air defence node.The Soviet-era vessel was one of only three Slava-class cruisers in the Russian navy. Originally commissioned in 1979, the Moskva had completed an extensive refit designed to improve its capability and only returned to operational status in 2021. Continue reading...

Journalist who sought safety in Britain still in fear for his life after his paper criticised President KagameA refugee who fled torture in Rwanda and was given asylum in the UK has criticised government plans to fly unauthorised migrants to his home country.The 42-year-old journalist told the Guardian that even though he has been granted refugee status here he remains in fear of being targeted by Rwandan government agents in the UK. Continue reading...

More weather warnings ahead as search continues for those hit by deadly storms in KwaZulu-Natal provinceSouth African police, army and volunteer rescuers have widened the search for dozens still missing five days after the deadliest storm to strike the city of Durban in living memory as the death toll rose to nearly 400.The floods, which affected nearly 41,000 people, left a trail of destruction and killed at least 395 people, said Sipho Hlomuka, the regional head of the disaster management ministry. Continue reading...

Ukraine braces for revenge attacks after Russian warship Moskva sunk; bodies of more than 900 civilians found in Kyiv region

Asylum seekers say there is no freedom in Rwanda and fear for their lives if sent to AfricaSmall boat arrivals on the Kent coast have expressed fears that they will be removed from the UK and transferred to Rwanda, after hearing the government’s announcement that asylum claims will be processed offshore.“If they send me to Rwanda, I will not go. I will die here, I will take my life,” Jemal, a new arrival from Eritrea, said. “Do you know how many thousands of miles I travelled to be here? How long I was in [the] desert …? To reach this point, to be here, we all had to make so many sacrifices. A lot of [people] lost their lives on the sea. I left my country now – I cannot go back to Africa.”In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Scott Morrison under pressure over integrity commission failure and $500,000 payout to ex-ministerial staffer

Data also reveals the government has fallen well behind its own targets for new dwellings

Gillian Triggs, assistant high commissioner at UNHCR, says plan is ‘symbolic gesture’ that will prove unworkableThe UN’s refugee agency has condemned Boris Johnson’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as “a symbolic gesture” that will be unworkable in practice.Speaking to the Guardian, Gillian Triggs, the assistant high commissioner at the UNHCR, said the proposed arrangement would only accommodate a few hundred people a year, making it extremely expensive as well as illegal and discriminatory. Continue reading...

Ahmad Khan’s conviction, Partygate and recent Conservative policies have swayed constituents to the left“Labour is definitely due a comeback now,” said Wakefield market stall owner Mohammad Javed. After coming to the area from Pakistan aged 16, he has spent the last four decades observing life in the town centre from his busy high street spot.“I’ve seen the rise and fall of this town, I know the locals, and I’m telling you – the Tories have outstayed their welcome.” Continue reading...

Diplomatic note believed to talk of ‘unpredictable consequences’ as US readies $800m of military hardware

Formation of citizens’ militia in Lod in central Israel follows spate of Palestinian attacks across countryJewish residents in a central Israeli city have formed an armed group they say is for self-defence, after a string of Palestinian attacks across the country sparked fears of a new wave of internal violence.The mixed city of Lod, near Tel Aviv, became the focal point of communal bloodshed that flared in Israel last year, with the government and police struggling to control clashes between Arabs and Jews. Continue reading...

Activists close some of the largest routes through capital in protest at continued use of fossil fuelsSeveral central London bridges, including Waterloo, Blackfriars and Westminster, have been shut down by protesting Extinction Rebellion activists.The group has carried out a series of protests this week demanding an end to fossil fuels. On Friday afternoon, activists staged a series of sit-ins on the bridges, cutting off some of the main traffic arteries of the capital. Continue reading...

Claim about long-term benefits disputed by MP Andrew Mitchell who describes reported cost of £30,000 a person as ‘eye-watering’Britain will save money in the “longer term” by sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda, a minister has said after the reported cost of about £30,000 a person was described as “eye-watering”.Defending the decision to fly out many of those who arrive on the Kent coast to a country more than 4,000 miles away, the Home Office minister Tom Pursglove said it would “crush” the business model of people smugglers. Continue reading...

Russia initially denied reports that warship sank, then later claimed it went down in stormy seas while being towed to portRussia’s Black Sea flagship missile cruiser, the Moskva, sunk while being towed to port after an explosion caused by an unexplained fire, the Russian defence ministry has said, after Ukraine said it had hit the ship with a missile or missiles.Although Russia did not confirm that Ukrainian missiles had hit the ship, early on Friday it struck what it described as a factory in Kyiv that made and repaired anti-ship missiles, in apparent retaliation. Continue reading...

Questions raised about how little-known ‘local lad’ with a colourful past came to be selected as Wakefield’s Tory candidateWhen Imran Ahmad Khan was selected as the last-minute Conservative candidate for Wakefield in the 2019 general election, he sold himself as a “local lad”. He made a big deal of being born at the local hospital, where his late father was a doctor and his mum a nurse, and educated at Silcoats, the town’s lesser private school.It was perhaps odd, then, that none of the local Tories seemed to have any idea who he was, with claims he had been “pushed” on to the constituency. He was a stranger even to Nadeem Ahmed, who had been the leader of the Conservative group of Wakefield council since 2014: “Wakefield is a close-knit place. I didn’t know anybody who knew him.” Continue reading...

Small breached section 44 of the Australian constitution by also holding New Zealand citizenship, but still plans to contest the upcoming election

ALP claims Michael Sukkar and Rachel Swift both imitated Peter Malinauskas’s ad’s distinctive style from SA state election

Former supreme court judge Anthony Whealy says Coalition’s explanation for not legislating a promised anti-corruption commission is ‘spurious’

With five-year contract extensions to keep them at Penrith until 2027, Nathan and Ivan Cleary can build the dynasty their club has always cravedPenrith’s ultimate successes have, historically, been fleeting. Not this time. The signing of star halfback Nathan Cleary and coach Ivan Cleary to long-term deals has set the Panthers up for sustainable security at the top of the premiership ladder. This may not be Melbourne Storm longevity but it is hard to see Penrith missing out on the top four anytime in the 2020s now the Clearys have locked themselves in as centrepieces.Amid a great deal of controversy in 2019, Nathan Cleary was reunited with his father Ivan, who left the Wests Tigers in acrimonious circumstances to return to Penrith for his second stint as head coach. It led to Phil Gould’s departure as Penrith’s executive general manager and left a great deal of angst among the Wests Tigers faithful that the driver of the bus had ditched the joint. It did net a remarkable third premiership for the Panthers last year though, the golden generation realising their potential. Continue reading...

The couple stopped off at Windsor Castle while travelling to The Hague in the Netherlands for the gamesPrince Harry and Meghan have visited the Queen at Windsor Castle on their way to the Invictus Games.The couple were travelling to The Hague in the Netherlands for the games, which begin on Saturday, and on Thursday visited the UK together for the first time since stepping down as senior working royals more than two years ago. Continue reading...

Couple’s relationship counsellor says Heard would ‘initiate a fight’ at times while ex-assistant says she was ‘belligerent and abusive’The dueling defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard dug further into the heart of an often toxic and violent relationship on Thursday as jurors heard from the couple’s marriage counsellor, Heard’s former personal assistant and Depp’s addiction specialist.Dr Laurel Anderson, who was employed by Depp and Heard as a counsellor to discuss their relationship, described “mutual abuse” between the two. She said that, on more than one occasion, Heard had initiated incidents to stop Depp leaving, stemming from her fear of abandonment, according to Anderson. She also said she had seen photos of Heard with bruises. Continue reading...

Law expert warns changing Australia Day status in employee agreements could lead to reduction in public holiday entitlement

Owner of Newtown property ordered to make repairs and clean three other boarding houses after council inspections

People fleeing persecution to be taken to stripped-back Hope guest house in Kigali, which has only 50 roomsAsylum seekers flown to Rwanda by the British government will be put up in a no-frills hostel a mile away from Kigali city centre.People fleeing war and persecution will be taken to a guest house, built in 2014, which only has 50 rooms available, although there are plans to expand the facility. Continue reading...

Politicians, legal experts and refugee groups condemn Johnson’s plan to ‘offshore’ Channel crossing crisisBoris Johnson’s plans to send unauthorised asylum seekers on a one-way ticket to Rwanda have been roundly condemned amid warnings that it will be challenged in the courts and could result in further deaths in the Channel.After the prime minister outlined plans to hand an initial down-payment of £120m to the Rwandan government in the hope that it will accept “tens of thousands” of people, politicians and refugee groups condemned the move as inhumane, unworkable and a waste of public money. Continue reading...

Therapist who saw Crouch and Babis Anagnostopoulos says marriage had become increasingly abusiveA Greek pilot accused of murdering his British wife, Caroline Crouch, as she slept in their Athens home, exerted “extreme control” over her, a court has heard.On day three of a murder trial that has gripped the nation, Eleni Mylonopoulou, a counsellor who had seen the pair over several months for couples counselling, testified that the young Briton had fallen victim to an “extremely manipulative” man. Continue reading...

PM insists east African country is safe and scheme will prove ‘very considerable deterrent’

Mother is unlikely to survive without medical intervention, leaving her young son orphaned, say doctorsMPs and a human rights group have called on the UK government to repatriate a young British boy and his gravely ill mother from a detention camp in Syria, after doctors said she was at risk of dying and leaving the child orphaned.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was reviewing the case of Zaid* and his mother, Maryam* – who was injured in an explosion in Syria in 2019 and left with shrapnel in her head – “as a matter of priority”. Continue reading...

The case will be sent to Chester crown court, where Hankey will be sentenced on 12 MayThe former world darts champion Ted Hankey has admitted sexually assaulting a woman. The 54-year-old appeared at Warrington magistrates court on Thursday. He spoke to confirm his name, age and address, and pleaded guilty to the charge.The court heard he was charged with intentionally touching a woman over the age of 16 on 10 September last year. Jonathan Wilkinson, prosecuting, said the victim was under 18. Continue reading...

Three months after Elnaz Hajtamiri was taken, investigators have not determined a motive and have not received ransom demandsOn a cold winter night, three armed men disguised as police officers arrived at a suburban home in a small Canadian resort town and knocked on the door, claiming that they had an arrest warrant for a 37-year-old woman who was staying there.After overpowering the homeowner, they seized the woman, Iranian-born Elnaz Hajtamiri, hauled her barefoot through the snow into a vehicle, and sped off into the dark. Continue reading...

Unions say aviation industry cannot cope with Easter travel crush after effects of Covid leave workforce depleted

Flooded catchments and sewage spills have forced the closure of harvesting areas across the state

Anti-mafia journalist from Palermo scoured Sicilian alleyways in 1970s and 1980s to expose brutal violenceThe celebrated Italian photojournalist Letizia Battaglia, best known for her work documenting the mafia and their victims in Sicily, has died aged 87.Armed only with her Leica camera and mounted on a Vespa, Battaglia scoured the alleyways of Palermo during the 1970s and 1980s photographing the victims of mafia murders and the internal wars between rival clans. As a result she received several death threats. Continue reading...