World news | The Guardian

New minister for Indigenous Australians says after a decade of divisive political discourse ‘this is an opportunity for unity and for leadership’

Disruption caused by surge in post-pandemic holidays could have been avoided, arts minister saysThe travel industry should have been better prepared for a surge in post-pandemic holidays, a government minister has said, after scenes of travel chaos in airports ahead of the half-term break.The arts minister, Stephen Parkinson, a former adviser to Theresa May, said that disruption was causing “a lot of distress” for people who had not been able to get away for several years because of the pandemic. Continue reading...

Anne Longfield says poverty hasn’t been tackled well enough, as teaching unions in England urge chancellor to expand free mealsThe former children’s commissioner for England has called for free school meals to be expanded to all families on universal credit, while acknowledging that poverty hasn’t been tackled in this country “well enough”.Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Anne Longfield, who is chairing a year-long commission on young lives, said that she has supported the extension of free school meals to all families on universal credit for “some time”, adding that this was something that Marcus Rashford and Henry Dimbleby had also called for. Continue reading...

Winner of the inaugural Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment award says she saw mainstream culture did not represent her, so she created her own spaceTanzila Khan does not like people feeling too sorry for themselves – or for her.“I don’t like sob stories or tragedies,” said Khan, who is a disability and women’s rights campaigner in Pakistan. “I’m not saying they don’t exist – we can all face adversity – but I think we need a more positive approach to solving problems. I wanted to present people with disabilities in a more positive way. Continue reading...

ReAmped Energy chief executive says he would rather people were ‘getting better deals’ amid soaring wholesale prices

Government officials must replace words such as ‘e-sports’ and ‘streaming’ with approved French versionsFrench officials on Monday continued their centuries-long battle to preserve the purity of the language, overhauling the rules on using English video game jargon.While some expressions find obvious translations – “pro-gamer” becomes “joueur professionnel” – others seem a more strained, as “streamer” is transformed into “joueur-animateur en direct”. Continue reading...

Economic crisis is becoming health crisis as the country is unable to afford to import essential suppliesChandrapala Weerasuriya can’t remember when he last took his medication. The 67-year-old retired businessman, living in Sri Lanka’s Gampaha district, has always relied on a drug to keep at bay his hereditary nervous condition, which makes him dizzy and unable to walk.But since his prescription recently ran out, he cannot get another supply. The drug is simply not available in Sri Lanka any more. Continue reading...

‘We assume it’s someone local who likes the food’ says Binley Mega Chippy owner as visitors flock to West Midlands takeawayQuite why it started, nobody is entirely sure.What is clear, however, is that an unsuspecting chip shop in the Midlands can now claim to have “gone viral” thanks to the social media site TikTok. Continue reading...

UK-based firm issued with winding-up petition by suppliers owed millions of poundsMissguided, the online fashion specialist, has called in administrators after failing to secure a rescue bid.The Guardian understands that administrators from Teneo were appointed on Monday after the company was issued with a winding-up petition by clothing suppliers who are owed millions of pounds. About 140 jobs are at risk. Continue reading...

Composer lived in Villa Verdi near Busseto for 50 years and it has been run as a museum while owners arguedA country house lived in by Giuseppe Verdi for 50 years is being put up for sale, ending a long-running squabble among the Italian composer’s heirs.Verdi, famous for compositions including La Traviata, Aida and Otello, built Villa Verdi on land he owned in Sant’Agata di Villanova, a hamlet near his home town of Busseto in the Emilia-Romagna region, in 1848. It was initially inhabited by his parents before Verdi moved in with his second wife, Giuseppina Strepponi, in 1951, remaining there until his death in 1901. Continue reading...

Justin Welby, who was diagnosed with pneumonia on Thursday, was due to preach at St Paul’s Cathedral on FridayThe archbishop of Canterbury will miss the service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign this week after being diagnosed with pneumonia and testing positive for Covid.Justin Welby had been due to preach at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday. Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York, will take his place. Continue reading...

The musician’s action comes in response to a Rolling Stone article by minister Robin Swann defending his department’s response to the pandemicVan Morrison has issued legal proceedings against Northern Ireland’s Department of Health and its minister Robin Swann over an opinion piece written for Rolling Stone magazine.In September 2020, Morrison released three anti-lockdown songs, with lyrics that accused scientists of “making up crooked facts”. Continue reading...

Medina, who set up the Bristol School of Acting, takes over next spring as Tom Morris steps down after more than a decadeBristol Old Vic has appointed Nancy Medina as its new artistic director and successor to Tom Morris, who is stepping down after 12 years in the role.Medina said she felt a sense of awe and excitement at leading England’s oldest working theatre, where she will take up the post full-time in spring 2023. “It will be a great honour to listen, reflect and engage with the people of Bristol and together imagine what the future of theatre and the arts can be in this shining city of the south-west,” she said. Continue reading...

Education ministry orders publisher to rectify illustrations of children deemed inappropriateChina’s education ministry has ordered a state-owned publisher to rectify a school textbook that went viral owing to what social media users described as “tragically ugly” and inappropriate depictions of children.The mathematics books published by the People’s Education Press contain illustrations of people with distorted faces and bulging pants. Boys are seen grabbing girls’ skirts and one child appears to have a leg tattoo. Continue reading...

Former member of government’s ethics watchdog urges Conservative MPs to challenge PM’s revisionsBoris Johnson is “abusing the ministerial code” by redrafting it to reduce the potential sanctions for ministers who break rules, a former member of the government’s ethical standards watchdog has said, urging Conservative MPs to challenge this.Jane Martin, formerly the local government ombudsman who served on the committee on standards in public life for five years until December 2021, said Johnson had wrongly used a report by her committee as a spur to weaken the code. Continue reading...

Tasmanian MP says having an independent Speaker ‘would send a powerful and positive message’ after voters elected large crossbench

‘High potential individual’ route will allow eligible individuals to come to Britain without a prior job offerGraduates from the world’s top 50 non-UK universities can apply to come to Britain through a new visa scheme.Ministers hope the “high potential individual” route, which launches on Monday, will attract the “brightest and best” at the beginning of their careers to work in the UK. Continue reading...

Chancellors urge review of two-year visas as overseas graduates say three-year offer would be more attractiveInternational students would be more likely to consider studying in the UK if they were allowed to stay and work for three years instead of two, a survey suggests.Foreign students have been able to stay on and work in the UK for two years after completing their course since 2019, when the government reinstated the two-year post-study work visa after years of pressure from universities. Continue reading...

Annual global survey of attitudes to democracy finds many countries maintain positive views of Russia

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereRidge asks Rudyk whether she feels safe. She says she does in the UK, where she is currently visiting and meeting with politicians. Rudyk talks about hearing air raid sirens and attacks on cities in Ukraine.“The threat and the fear is still there ... I will go back home, because this is the fight we have to put up and we have to win. I dream of the day that all Ukrainians will feel safe. They will be able to sit with their hands on their lap and think ‘we are okay now.’ Continue reading...

Newly completed Crossrail project has also seen more than 2m journeys across the entire network, Transport for London saysMore than 1m journeys have been made on the central section of London’s Elizabeth line in the first five days of its opening.Across the entire railway – which spans from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east – more than 2m trips have been made, Transport for London said. Continue reading...

Rebounding demand and a string of last-minute flight cancellations have compounded half-term travel woesHolidaymakers are facing flight cancellations and the prospect of delays on the road as half-term starts and the UK gears up for an extended bank holiday weekend.The June half-term traditionally heralds the start of the summer tourist season, and this year comes amid rebounding consumer demand for leisure breaks following the relaxation of UK Covid travel restrictions. Continue reading...

Work is part of a series painted by the artist while he stayed at Savoy hotel with views across the ThamesAn “iconic work” by the impressionist master Claude Monet that has been in the same family for more than 70 years is expected to sell for at least £24m ($30m) next month.Waterloo Bridge, Effet de Brume is one of 41 paintings by Monet of the bridge across the Thames. In terms of capturing light and atmosphere, this painting is “what he was striving for – it is a masterpiece of this body of work”, said Keith Gill, the head of impressionist and modern art at Christie’s in London, which is selling the work. Continue reading...

A suppressed report commissioned by the government has concluded that the roots of the Windrush fiasco lie in immigration legislation from 1950 to 1981

Mental health treatment for Mohamad Ikraam Bahram expected to be probed by coroner this year

Russian forces are hitting largest city in Donbas still held by Ukraine ‘200 times an hour’ causing huge damage

Comedian says BBC approach is better as the focus is on the story being pitched rather than whether it will sellSir Lenny Henry has criticised the way streaming services commission content, saying: “They want to know if it is going to sell before they think it’s going to be any good.”The comedian, who has been appearing on TV screens for almost 50 years, thinks the BBC has a better approach to commissioning. He said the broadcaster (“thank God!”) listens to the story that is being pitched and says: “We think this will be quite an interesting story to tell: you should tell that story.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: legislation has been designed to reduce the UK’s non-white population, according to leaked government paperThe origins of the Windrush scandal lay in 30 years of racist immigration legislation designed to reduce the UK’s non-white population, according to a leaked government report.The stark conclusion was set out in a Home Office commissioned paper that officials have repeatedly tried to suppress over the past year. Continue reading...

This year’s event saw much greater participation by women, disabled people and ethnic minorities after a concerted drive by organisersThe mass cycling event billed as the London Marathon on two wheels has returned after a Covid-enforced hiatus – with a new destination and, organisers say, a field of riders notably and deliberately more diverse than in previous years.RideLondon, launched in 2013 as a weekend of cycling events covering both elite sport and mass participation, has proved hugely popular, but was cancelled in 2020 and last year due to the pandemic. Continue reading...

Brandon Lewis ‘absolutely confident’ investigation was independent and she was not lobbied to alter detailsA senior minister has disputed claims Sue Gray was pressured to water down her report into law-breaking parties across Westminster, saying he is “absolutely confident” the investigation had been entirely independent.Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, dismissed suggestions that senior figures in Downing Street pushed for detail about the so-called “Abba party” in Boris Johnson’s flat during lockdown and staff members’ names to be stripped out. Continue reading...

Pete Lewin’s Newfoundlands also provide emotional therapy for veterans and young people with disabilities“All you can hear is the water and the dogs paddling. That’s it, there’s nothing else,” said student paramedic Abigail Walker after emerging from Stanton lakes in Leicestershire, where she had been swimming with three Newfoundland dogs. “Until you’ve done it, I don’t think you realise how calming it is.”It was her first time trying a type of emotional therapy pioneered by Pete Lewin, a paramedic who travels the country helping emergency services staff deal with trauma with the help of his pack of canines. Continue reading...

Exclusive: sources say most have hosts ready under Homes for Ukraine scheme but have heard nothing

Presidential frontrunner is former leftist guerrilla Gustavo Petro in country ruled for decades by the rightColombians head to the polls today in a presidential election that may give the conservative South American country its first ever leftwing leader and first black vice-president.Frontrunner Gustavo Petro, a former M-19 guerrilla fighter and senator, faces several rivals, but his main challenger is Federico Gutiérrez, the former mayor of Medellín – Colombia’s second city – who leads a rightwing coalition with close ties to the incumbent government of President Iván Duque. Continue reading...

Thousands of Roma will soon be making their way to Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria, but they must contend with new police powersThe city of Durham is on traditional routes to Appleby Horse Fair, when 10,000 Travellers from all over Europe descend on the small town in neighbouring Cumbria. Now it is the first city to offer sanctuary on church land to this community, in a move designed to counter legislation that will give police new powers to move on encampments.Durham’s diocesan synod, which has agreed unanimously to the move, hopes the scheme will be rolled out nationwide. Continue reading...

People in the Kent seaside town – a popular bolthole for wealthy Londoners – see no justice in the chancellor’s payoutPeter Robinson stared out to sea and shook his head. “It’s not on. They don’t need more money.”The “they” in question are the thousands of second-home owners that have converged on Whitstable in recent years. According to the 68-year-old, 40% of all the houses on Albert Street, where he has lived for two decades, are now second homes. Continue reading...

The outcome of Russia’s attacks on the Donetsk and Luhansk areas will determine the fate of the rest of Ukraine

Ukraine pleads for heavy weapons as Russia advances in the east, claiming to have captured strategically important LymanUkraine is urgently pleading for heavy weapons to repel Russian forces in the eastern Donbas region, as relentless Russian artillery and airstrikes threaten to turn the tide of the war and support for Kyiv’s continued defiance among some west European allies appears to be slipping. Ukrainian officials say they urgently need advanced US-made mobile multiple launch rocket systems, which are capable of striking targets up to 300km away, to halt Russian advances in Luhansk and Donetsk.Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has conceded that not all the land that Russia has seized since it annexed Crimea in 2014 can be recaptured militarily. While he is certain his country will take back the territory Russia has claimed since its 24 February invasion, he said other territory could not be recovered by force. “I do not believe that we can restore all of our territory by military means. If we decide to go that way, we will lose hundreds of thousands of people,” he said.Russia’s defence ministry claims to have captured the strategically important city of Lyman and several other smaller towns and encircled Sievierodonetsk, which Ukraine denies. Zelenskiy said in a Saturday night television address that conditions in Donbas were “indescribably difficult”, and thanked Ukrainian defenders holding out in the face of the onslaught.At least six superyachts linked to UK-sanctioned Russian oligarchs have “gone dark” on ocean tracking systems, vanishing from the global maps used to locate marine traffic. The owners of these yachts will almost certainly realise they are at risk of being targeted in a global hunt for the assets of Russia’s super-rich.Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has scrapped the upper age limit for military recruits in the face of mounting losses in Ukraine, Tass reported. UK intelligence estimated this month Russia had lost about a third of its ground forces.Officials in the south-eastern port city of Mykolaiv said at least one person was killed, and at least six injured, in Russian shelling. Two rounds landed in courtyards of high-rise buildings, and one shell fell close to a kindergarten, CNN reported.Boris Johnson and Zelenskiy discussed concerns over food supplies in a phone call. A Downing Street spokesperson said Johnson told Zelenskiy the UK would continue to support Ukraine’s armed resistance, including by supplying equipment. She added that the UK was involved in “intensive work … with international partners to find ways to resume the export of grain from Ukraine to avert a global food crisis”.Putin spoke to French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz and, according to the Kremlin, he told them that continuing arms supplies was “dangerous”, warning “of the risks of further destabilisation of the situation and aggravation of the humanitarian crisis”. Russia said it was willing to discuss ways to make it possible for Ukraine to resume shipments of grain from Black Sea ports.Spain is sending a battery of surface-to-air missiles and about 100 troops to the Nato forward presence mission in Latvia, joining about 500 compatriots already present in the Baltic state, El País reported. Continue reading...

Scientist says explosion of mosses ‘almost like a rainforest’, as council tries to lower risk of falls

Olivia* complained to hospital and regulator about her treatment and feels disempowered by the process

Lawyer acting for families says it is ‘happening more than people would believe or understand’

Partygate and U-turns on tax are ‘undermining message’, say Conservative MPs as more call for him to quitBoris Johnson has plunged the Conservative party into an acute identity crisis as a result of Partygate and U-turns over tax policy, senior Tories warned last night, as more MPs called for him to resign as prime minister.Former Tory leader Iain Duncan-Smith told the Observer his party had been left with an “enormous identity problem” because it had raised taxes instead of cutting them under Johnson and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, undermining a core Tory message that had helped win it successive general elections. Continue reading...

The programme, organised by Kings Assembly church in Rivers state, aimed to ‘offer hope’ to those in needA stampede at a church charity event in southern Nigeria on Saturday left 31 people dead and seven injured, a shocking development at a programme that organisers said aimed to “offer hope” to those in need.The stampede at the programme organised by the Kings Assembly pentecostal church in Rivers state involved many people who were seeking assistance, according to Grace Iringe-Koko, a police spokesperson. Continue reading...

Fire crews battled the blaze on the 85ft yacht for hours as witnesses reported minor explosionsA superyacht estimated to be worth £6m has sunk after firefighters battled to extinguish a fire on the vessel while it was moored in a marina in south-west England.Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) said there was approximately 8,000 litres of fuel on the 85ft boat that led to people being evacuated from the marina in Torquay. Continue reading...

Brick Lane author says fear of winning Bad Sex award loomed over writing of latest book, Love MarriageThe Brick Lane author Monica Ali has said she was “terrified” to write the sex scenes in her most recent novel, Love Marriage, with the fear of being nominated for the Bad Sex awards looming over her as she wrote.In an event at the Hay festival in Wales, the 54-year-old writer told the audience: “There’s all sorts of pitfalls to writing sex scenes – you might end up using words like ‘throbbing’, ‘thrusting’, ‘member’”. Continue reading...

Move is an apparent attempt to win support from Brexit voters in seats Tories fear losingBoris Johnson will reportedly announce the return of imperial measurements to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee, in an apparent attempt to garner support among Brexiter voters in battleground seats which the Conservatives are in danger of losing.Britain currently uses a mix of imperial and metric measurements, with speed limits in miles per hour and milk and beer bought in pints. Continue reading...

It would have been unimaginable for previous leaders, but polls suggest the prime minister is in serious danger of losing his constituencyCould Boris Johnson lose his seat at the next general election? It’s a question that would have been risible for any other prime minister, but defeat in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency is not unthinkable.The local elections in London earlier this month saw a substantial swing towards Labour. A YouGov poll this weekend suggested Johnson would lose his seat if an election were held tomorrow. Electoral Calculus, which analyses national polling data, is also tentatively favouring a Labour win in the west London constituency. Continue reading...

Orange Order parade in Belfast comes after Covid-19 pandemic postponed last year’s celebrationsMore than 10,000 people gathered at Stormont to celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland.While political deadlock remains, people at the centenary event were upbeat and in a relaxed mood as they fanned out across the grounds of Stormont to celebrate the past, present and future of Northern Ireland. Continue reading...

Families fleeing war are increasingly relying on charity as rising energy costs hit household budgetsA London host of a Ukrainian family has written to her local food bank “begging for help” because rising energy costs mean she can no longer afford to feed her new guests.The Ukrainian family, now coming to a food bank in Euston, north London, every week, is among a growing number of recently arrived refugees from the war-torn country relying on handouts to survive, according to charities. Continue reading...

The hunt is now on for missing exhibits from the event that helped to transform a post-industrial cityHow does an operational railway, an entire rotunda or indeed a three-metre-tall working sculpture of a floating tap manage to go missing? For five months over the spring and summer of 1988, each enjoyed a home on Glasgow’s riverside alongside hundreds of other rides, attractions and exhibits, as part of the city’s garden festival. But then, in the mists of time, they disappeared.Now an online project appealing to the public and an archaeological dig, which starts this weekend, will attempt to uncover the whereabouts of these long-lost objects. Continue reading...

Vessels with ties to Russian oligarchs hit by sanctions are no longer reporting their position to an automatic global locatorIn the sparkling azure waters of Antigua, the gleaming £95m superyacht Alfa Nero could be seen at anchor last week by sightseers enjoying the Caribbean coastline. But few of the tourists who spotted its sleek black hull would have appreciated that it was quite a find.Since the invasion of Ukraine, the superyacht, which is linked to the Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev, has vanished off the global tracking maps used to locate marine traffic. Continue reading...