World news | The Guardian

Analysis: Key questions answered about report into Downing Street lockdown breach claims

Process to be eased to exempt applicants with special expertise from case-by-case assessment

RMT calls out 4,000 members in protest at TfL plans to cut 600 posts to reduce costsLondon Underground station staff will stage a 24-hour strike on Monday 6 June, the day after the platinum jubilee holiday weekend, in a dispute over job cuts.The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has called 4,000 members out on strike in protest at Transport for London’s plans to cut 600 posts to reduce costs. Continue reading...

Ministers and deacons to be allowed to opt in to officiate at same-sex weddings, ending centuries-old banThe Church of Scotland has voted to allow same-sex marriages, after fresh warnings that its historical opposition had increased the church’s decline towards irrelevance.The church’s general assembly, its decision-making body, voted by 274 to 136 on Monday to allow its ministers and deacons to opt in to officiate at same-sex weddings, ending a centuries-old prohibition. Continue reading...

Maria Zakharova says idea book is about totalitarianism is ‘one of the biggest global fakes’, in claim disputed by Russian translator

Allegations against Manchester City footballer include seven alleged rapes, one attempted rape and one sexual assaultThe Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has pleaded not guilty to nine counts of sexual offences, including seven alleged rapes, against six women.The France international entered not guilty pleas to the allegations when he appeared at Chester crown court on Monday. Continue reading...

PM’s spokesperson says No 10 officials suggested meeting, after conflicting briefings about who sought it

Countries affected by loss of grain from Ukraine could help escort ships, says Gabrielius LandsbergisLithuania has called for a naval coalition “of the willing” to lift the Russian Black Sea blockade on Ukrainian grain exports.The Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, proposed the plan during talks with the UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, on Monday in London. Continue reading...

Retailer launches £300m share buyback as it retains most of sales increase during Covid pandemicB&Q owner Kingfisher has said it is managing inflationary pressures amid “resilient demand” for DIY despite the cost of living crisis in the UK and other markets.The retailer, whose other UK brand is the hardware trade supplier Screwfix, said sales had remained at elevated levels seen during the coronavirus pandemic, and that it was confident enough about its outlook to launch a £300m share buyback. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese has spoken to the British prime minister on his flight to the Quad meeting in Tokyo after being sworn in, along with four senior ministers; Monique Ryan says ‘work begins anew’ after Josh Frydenberg concedes; Dave Sharma concedes Wentworth; nation records at least 11 Covid deaths. This blog is now closed

Guards say arrests linked to Israel made after shooting of Hassan Sayad Khodayari outside his homeIran will avenge the killing of a Revolutionary Guards colonel who was shot dead in Tehran, President Ebrahim Raisi has said.Col Hassan Sayad Khodayari was killed on Sunday outside his home by assailants on motorcycles. Iran blamed “elements linked to the global arrogance”, its term for the US and its allies including Israel. Continue reading...

A colleague at childcare centre where Lynette Dawson worked tells court she saw bruises in January 1982

In a blistering attack in Perth, the Western Australia premier also took aim at Peter Dutton, labelling him a conservative ‘extremist’

Russian embassy asked to pick up bill to repair tribute to Russian president’s hero, gifted during 2003 visitA statue of Peter the Great in Deptford, south London, that Vladimir Putin’s government gifted to the UK has been damaged in an attempted robbery, leaving a diplomatically awkward repair bill of thousands of pounds.Millennium Quay, the owners of the Thames-side housing estatethat surrounds the statue, suggested the Russian embassy could pick up the tab. The embassy has not responded to requests for comment. Continue reading...

Root-and-branch review calls for five-year, £2.6bn programme to reform a system that is under ‘extreme stress’An urgent multibillion-pound overhaul of children’s social care in England is needed to transform the life chances of thousands of vulnerable young people and reform a system that is spiralling out of control, a government-commissioned review has concluded.The author of the report, Josh MacAlister, said failure to tackle major problems in children’s services would lead to record numbers of youngsters entering care within a decade, at huge cost to families and the taxpayer. Continue reading...

Ahead of meeting with Biden, Kishida and Modi in Tokyo, Anthony Albanese warned Australia would always stand up for its values against ChinaAnthony Albanese will fly to Tokyo on Monday to take part in the Quad leaders’ meeting, just hours after being sworn in as the new Australian prime minister and warning that relations with China would remain “difficult”.The Labor party defeated the Coalition government, led by Scott Morrison, on Saturday. It is not yet known whether the Labor party, which Albanese leads, will reach the 76-seat majority needed to govern in its own right. Continue reading...

Museum’s deputy director had told Unesco meeting contested treasures ‘were not all hacked’ from Greek templeThe dispute over the Parthenon sculptures has deepened after Greece rejected a claim by the British Museum that much of the statuary, removed at the behest of Lord Elgin, was retrieved “in the rubble” around the monument.The assertion, made at a Unesco meeting on Friday, added a new twist to the long-running cultural row and came only days after it emerged that the UK was willing to discuss Greece’s demand for the ancient carvings to be reunified with other treasures in Athens. Continue reading...

Analysts say election of Albanese government will not ‘shift the dial’ on economic forecasts

MP who held ultra-marginal seat of Bass says party needs to abandon culture wars and return to basics

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