World news | The Guardian

Brisbane-based company oversees UK's floating barges that are to accommodate asylum seekers and which have drawn protests and raised concernsAn ethical fund manager will sell its stake in Corporate Travel Management over concerns the burgeoning Brisbane-headquartered company is profiting from the mandatory detention of asylum seekers in the UK.CTM gained recent prominence after securing a A$3bn (1.6bn) contract overseeing the UK's new asylum accommodation ships, including a 222-cabin barge moored in the port of Portland, Dorset. Continue reading...

Holidaymakers on the Greek island of Rhodes found themselves evacuated from hotels and sleeping in school halls as wildfires raged nearby. As they make plans to return home, residents and business owners are counting the cost of what will be an expensive recovery. Rachel Hall reportsThousands of British travellers landed in Rhodes expecting a holiday of sun, sea and relaxation in the warmth of one of Greece's most popular tourist islands. Instead they found themselves evacuated from five-star hotels and sleeping in school halls as firefighters battled with raging wildfires.The Guardian's Rachel Hall reports from Rhodes, where tourists are finding their way on to return flights and local residents and business owners are beginning the long and costly journey to recovery. Many are bemoaning what they describe as a slow response from the Greek authorities as volunteers step in to plug the gaps. Continue reading...

Latest victim is fifth person shot this week, fanning fears city's underworld gang wars are escalating

Ukrainian official says every type of weapon in use, including US cluster munitions, as troops push forward

Military group declares end to the regime', citing deteriorating security situation and bad governance'Soldiers in Niger say they have removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power, after armed troops earlier blockaded the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital in one of the world's most unstable nations.A group of soldiers appeared on the west African country's national television late on Wednesday, a few hours after the president had been detained. Continue reading...

Report says John Woodman bought influence' on Casey council and via donations to then Labor MPs Jude Perera and Judith Graley

Lewis, whose family owns Tottenham Hotspur FC, is accused of brazen' insider tradingLawyers for the British billionaire Joe Lewis have accused prosecutors of making an egregious" mistake, as the 86-year-old pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of securities fraud and conspiracy.Lewis, who heads the family that owns Tottenham Hotspur FC, was arraigned on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court with 16 counts of securities fraud and three of conspiracy to commit fraud, which prosecutors called a brazen" insider trading scheme to enrich his friends, lovers and employees, including two private jet pilots. Continue reading...

Esperanza Koren told London court she didn't know whereabouts of Bosco Sodi's paintingAn art dealer has been ordered to pay 111,000 over a missing abstract painting compared to a giant burnt digestive biscuit" by a judge in a London courtThe court heard that the piece by the Mexican artist Bosco Sodi - a round painting with a cracked surface built up using natural pigment, sawdust, wood pulp, natural fibres, water and glue - went missing after being loaned to the London art dealer Esperanza Koren in 2012. Continue reading...

Surrogacy is already illegal in Italy, while IVF is only available for heterosexual couplesThe Italian parliament has approved a bill criminalising people who go abroad to have children via surrogacy, a measure described as a disgrace".The bill, passed in the chamber of deputies with 166 votes in support and 109 against, is aimed only at Italians and envisages fines of up to 1m (856,690) and jail terms of up to two years for those who break it. Continue reading...

Court rules all potential victims must be assessed for support, after policy disqualified people with criminal convictionsA high court judge has ordered the home secretary to change a key part of a trafficking policy introduced just months ago.In an urgent hearing on Wednesday, lawyers representing trafficking victims said they were at risk of human rights violations such as slavery, servitude and forced labour if the policy continued. Continue reading...

Will Kerr has been suspended from duty with criminal and disciplinary investigations under wayThe chief constable of Devon and Cornwall is under criminal investigation over serious allegations of sexual offences, the police watchdog for Northern Ireland has announced.Will Kerr has been under investigation for several months over allegations dating back to his time as a senior officer in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). He is understood to have denied any wrongdoing. Continue reading...

Swedish government says Russia-backed actors' attempting to damage country's bid to join NatoSweden has been the target of a disinformation campaign by Russia-backed actors" attempting to damage the image of the Nato candidate country by implying it supported recent burnings of the Qur'an, its government has said.Sweden is right now the target of influence campaigns, supported by states and state-like actors, whose purpose is to harm Sweden and Swedish interests," the prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Former intelligence official says information came from multiple colleagues but couldn't go into specifics' at Congressional hearing into cover-up claimsFull report: US conducted multi-decade secret UFO program'Congressman Tim Burchett, who is co-leading the UFO investigation, also thanks the three witnesses slated to appear at today's hearing. We owe them a debt of gratitude," he says. Applause follows.Burchett goes on to say that the devil has been in our way through this hearing", and that he has run into roadblocks" from members of the intelligence community.This is an issue of government transparency. We can't trust a government that does not trust its people.We're not bringing little green men or flying saucers into the hearing. Sorry to disappoint about half y'all. We're just going to get to the facts. We're going to uncover the cover-up. Continue reading...

Ozempic and Saxenda among drugs being reviewed after reports of suspected adverse reactions in patientsA popular weight-loss drug is among those being reviewed in the UK after being linked to reports of suicidal or self-harming thoughts within patients.Reuters reports that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in the statement that it was reviewing a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, sold by the company Novo Nordisk.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 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

PM offered neither new information nor commitments to victims and bereaved families of infected blood scandal'Victims and family members have expressed frustration and dismay with Rishi Sunak for not committing to a compensation framework for those affected by the contaminated blood scandal.Before the prime minister's appearance on Wednesday at the public inquiry into the unparalleled treatment disaster, there were protests by campaigners carrying photos of bereaved loved ones and banners saying: Dying for Justice." Continue reading...

Domestic intelligence agency claims responsibility for first time for sabotage operation that damaged Kerch Bridge in October 2022

London-based free newspaper saved from administration by multimillionaire businessman

Shadow chancellor says Treasury should tackle cost of living crisis instead of attacking Dame Alison Rose, while Labour leader says she was right to resignQ: What is your view on the government's decision to put a barge for asylum seekers in Portland? It could deter tourists from visiting the town. Will you stop this, as they did in London?Starmer says he understands the concerns raised by the caller. Continue reading...

Events from first tweet by Nigel Farage to final announcement by bank chairman Howard Davies

Premier Peter Malinauskas says he is no longer willing to accept industry's assurances following footage allegedly showing man kicking and punching dog

Vault Cloud CEO tells inquiry whole-of-government tech contracts rigged in favour of multinationals

Chris Minns stands firm in refusing to commit to rail project as Labor claims costs will blow out by $17bn

Changing demographics are affecting nearly every part of society, while efforts to turn around the decline have so far had little impactEvery one of Japan's 47 prefectures posted a population drop in 2022, while the total number of Japanese people fell by nearly 800,000. The figures released by the Japan's internal affairs ministry mark two new unwelcome records for a nation sailing into uncharted demographic territory, but on a course many other countries are set to follow.Japan's prime minister has called the trend a crisis and vowed to tackle the situation. But national policies have so far failed to dent population decline, though concerted efforts by a sprinkling of small towns have had some effect. Continue reading...

Rare footage of mammals grouping offshore before they beached east of Albany sets event apart from previous strandings, experts say

Billionaire allegedly gave friends, employees and romantic partners information on companies in which he was investorThe billionaire owner of Tottenham Hotspur football club was charged with orchestrating brazen" insider trading by US federal prosecutors on Tuesday.According to Damian Williams, the US attorney for the southern district of New York, Joe Lewis gave friends, including his personal pilots, assistants and romantic partners, inside information from companies in which he was an investor. Continue reading...

Rise in ownership among pupils has sparked a wave of research into pros and cons of mobiles in education

Analysis finds isometric exercises that involve engaging muscles without movement the most effective for reducing blood pressureFor most people the very thought of doing a plank raises the blood pressure. But a study suggests it is actually the most effective way to reduce it.Researchers at Canterbury Christ Church and Leicester universities compared the efficacy of different forms of exercise on reducing blood pressure and found that isometric exercises" - which involve engaging muscles without movement such as wall sits and planks - were almost twice as effective compared with the government recommended exercise guidelines. Continue reading...

Trevor Reed has been taken to Germany for treatment; UN human rights chief rejects claims a US-supplied HIMARS missile from Ukraine was responsible

Country failed to collect and share data, masking issues and inequalities, according to editorial in British Medical JournalProminent public health experts have called on Canada to launch an inquiry into its Covid response, arguing that the country's failure to collect and share data masked issues and inequalities that - if properly addressed early on - could have saved lives.The call to action came alongside a scathing editorial in the British Medical Journal, titled The world expected more of Canada", which argues that Canada's overall impression of adequacy" conceals important inequalities. Continue reading...

After supreme court struck down affirmative action, legacy admissions scrutinized as race-based discriminationThe US Department of Education has opened an investigation into Harvard University's policies on legacy admissions, which give an edge to applicants with family ties to alumni.Top colleges' preferential treatment of children of alumni, who are often white, has been facing new scrutiny since the supreme court last month struck down the use of affirmative action as a tool to diversify college campuses. Continue reading...

Islamic State bombers killed 32 and injured more than 300 in attacks at subway station and airportSix men have been found guilty of murder and attempted murder for their part in the 2016 Brussels terrorist attacks that killed 32 people and injured more than 300.They include Salah Abdeslam, who is already serving a life sentence in France for his role in the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks which targeted the Bataclan theatre and France's national stadium, killing 130 people and injuring 350. He was arrested four days before the Brussels attack. Continue reading...

The perception red wall' voters don't care about the climate crisis is not backed up by evidenceRishi Sunak has made a calculation this week, after hanging on to Uxbridge in large part because of the Tories' anti-low emissions zone campaign, to row back on other green policies in the hope that it will create a dividing line with Labour at the next election.Yet his own version of David Cameron's fateful decision to cut the green crap", which added 2.5bn to energy bills over the subsequent decade by ending onshore wind projects, solar subsidies and energy efficiency schemes, may not be the vote winner some Tories believe. Continue reading...

Conor Gibson, 20, convicted of sexual assault with intent to rape, blunt-force trauma and strangulation of Amber, 16A man has been found guilty of the murder and sexual assault of his teenage sister, whose partly dressed body was found in woodland in Hamilton, near Glasgow.Conor Gibson, 20, was found guilty by a jury in Glasgow of attacking his sister Amber, 16, in Cadzow Glen in November 2021. Continue reading...

Holidaymakers booked into luxury hotels but sleeping in a sports hall feel let down by tour operators but are touched by the kindness of localsHave you ever watched Squid Game? This is how it feels." The words of one British tourist, among the last remaining of 700 holidaymakers put up in an evacuation centre in Rhodes after fleeing the raging wildfires, summed up the chaos and panic that many had experienced as dream holidays had gone up in smoke.Susan Johnson, 64, from Salisbury, had arrived in Rhodes on Saturday night for a luxurious stay in a five-star hotel, but after landing she had been bussed to Venetokleio sports hall, where she had spent the following four days. She was growing increasingly tired and frustrated and was in pain. We're still not sleeping at night," she said on Tuesday morning. You don't sleep properly." Continue reading...

A constitutional crisis is brewing, more protests are expected and PM looks weak despite victoryOne of the most extraordinary moments of Monday, a fateful day in Israeli history, came just before the first part of the governing coalition's contentious judicial overhaul was voted into law. Benjamin Netanyahu was sitting in the plenum of the Knesset building in Jerusalem sandwiched between his justice minister, Yariv Levin, the architect of the wide-ranging legislation, and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, its most vocal critic on the government's benches.The two fellow Likud members argued bitterly over Netanyahu's head as the longtime prime minister, never usually one to shy away from a fight, sat quietly between them. He may as well have not been there. Continue reading...

Interactive exhibits in 6m gallery aim to spark children's imaginations and an interest in engineeringThis one takes a bit more effort," said Lorna Hogger, energetically spinning a wheel to slowly lift rubber balls into a rollercoaster network of metal tubes high in the air. They whiz round and thud out and a lesson is learned about how complicated things are often simpler than they seem.Elsewhere there is a wind tunnel, a create-your-own hydrogen rocket, fun with marbles, and the chance to see how much better and brilliant everyone looks when filmed with an infrared camera. Continue reading...

Beijing announces former US ambassador has been removed from office after speculation about his whereaboutsChina's foreign minister, Qin Gang, who has not been seen in public for almost a month amid a mysterious absence, has been removed from office and replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi, China's top legislative body has announced.The sudden calling of a special meeting Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) with one day's notice, had fuelled speculation there may be answers about the disappearance of Qin, who was last seen in public almost a month ago. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Funding to Innowell in 2017 without competitive tender was for mental health app and followed months of lobbying by Prof Ian Hickie. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Hickie

Kyriakos Mitsotakis warns of difficult summer ahead as wildfires continue to rage and more tourists fly homeThe Mediterranean is a hotspot for climate change", the Greek prime minister has said, as more tourists boarded repatriation flights home and a firefighting mission ended in tragedy when a water-bombing plane crashed into a hillside.After a dip on Monday, temperatures were expected to reach 46C in some areas on Tuesday and weather models suggest the heatwave will be the longest on record in Greece. Continue reading...

US grocery chain tells customers not to eat Almond Windmill Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond CookiesTrader Joe's has recalled two of its own-branded cookies after a supplier alerted the boutique US grocery chain to suspicions of rocks" in the dough.In a recall announcement, the company warned customers that some batches of its Almond Windmill Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies may contain rocks", without elaborating on the size of the foreign material". Continue reading...

US Virgin Islands accuses executives of ignoring Epstein nymphettes' while bank says territory looked the other way'The US Virgin Islands unveiled new accusations against JP Morgan over the bank's ties to former client Jeffrey Epstein, including executives discussing how the disgraced late financier surrounded himself with nymphettes".JP Morgan countered that the US Virgin Islands was also to blame for allowing Epstein's sexual abuse of young women and teenage girls, saying the territory used its powers to enable these crimes.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Fulton county DA has identified multiple state election crimes in the 2020 election investigation, sources sayThe Fulton county district attorney investigating Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia in recent weeks has weighed several potential statutes under which to charge, including solicitation to commit election fraud and conspiracy to commit election fraud, according to two people briefed on the matter.The move by the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, to identify a list of potential charges marks a major juncture in the criminal investigation and suggests prosecutors are on course to ask a grand jury to return indictments next month. Continue reading...

Cerro Pelado fire burned in dry, windy conditions across 60 sq miles last year and was traced to burn of piles of forest debrisThe US Forest Service's own prescribed burn started a sprawling 2022 wildfire that nearly reached Los Alamos, New Mexico, the agency acknowledged Monday in a report published after a lengthy investigation.The Cerro Pelado fire burned in dry, windy conditions across more than 60 sq miles (155 sq kilometers) and crept within a few miles of the city of Los Alamos and its companion US national security lab. As the fire approached, schools closed and evacuation bags were packed before the flames tapered off. Continue reading...

Culture committee seeks explanation of how tabloid verifies stories and for details of internal investigationsThe Sun's editor has been asked to update MPs on internal inquiries into Huw Edwards and Dan Wootton, as the tabloid faces scrutiny over its reporting standards and internal culture.Victoria Newton has been asked to provide the House of Commons culture select committee with an explanation of how the Sun verifies stories, following questions over its reporting on Edwards. Continue reading...

Biggest trial in Belgium's history over deadliest peacetime attack that killed 32 is set to come to an endA jury is expected to give its verdict over Belgium's deadliest peacetime attack, the suicide bombings at a Brussels airport and busy subway station in 2016 that killed 32 people in a wave of violence in Europe claimed by the Islamic State group.Among the 10 defendants is Salah Abdeslam, who is already serving a life sentence without parole in France over his role in attacks that hit Paris cafes, the Bataclan theatre and France's national stadium in 2015. The suspects in Brussels were tried on charges including murder, attempted murder and participation in the acts of a terrorist group. Continue reading...

Macdonald is to create a new organisation to run the festival, after the collapse of its previous operator last yearTrainspotting producer Andrew Macdonald has been appointed chair of the Edinburgh international film festival in order to create a new organisation to run the festival from its 2024 edition onwards, after the abrupt collapse of its previous operator, the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) in October 2022.Isabel Davis, executive director of Screen Scotland said: [Macdonald] was one of the first to offer support when the previous organisation collapsed and with his customary vigour, [he] has already been instrumental in bringing people together to build an exciting new vision for what Edinburgh international film festival can become." Continue reading...

Whales grouped in pod off Cheynes beach before stranding event with wildlife officers hoping to rescue as many mammals as possibleAt least 50 pilot whales have stranded on Cheynes beach east of Albany in Western Australia.Almost twice that number of whales had been seen massing off the beach since Monday, according to the owner of Cheynes Beach Caravan Park, Allan Marsh. Continue reading...

Erin Mullavey was found dead in her Merrylands apartment on Easter Sunday, having suffered multiple stab wounds

Consumers buy fewer products in cost of living crisis but Unilever's revenues rise