World news | The Guardian

In today's newsletter: Europe's leaders unveiled sweeping new defence spending pledges designed to satisfy Donald Trump and signal a new era of militarisationGood morning. The Nato summit that started last night in the Netherlands could hardly be better timed for Donald Trump: after declaring himself the saviour of world peace as Iran and Israel agreed a tentative ceasefire, he now intends to take a victory lap in Europe. European leaders, for their part, will be desperate for him to feel like he is getting his due.That is part of why member states signed up to a new defence spending commitment that Trump has long demanded - and part of why the UK is buying a squadron of US-made fighter jets to carry nuclear warheads. But as well as anxieties about the US's reliability, all of that also reflects Europe's recognition that it faces a serious new threat to the east.Iran | A classified assessment of US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities says they did not destroy two of the sites and likely only set back the nuclear program by a few months, according to two people familiar with the report. Donald Trump had claimed that they had totally obliterated" the facilities.Welfare | Keir Starmer has said the government will not shift on its welfare plans as ministers and party whips struggled to contain a growing Labour rebellion before next week's vote. By Tuesday night the tally of rebels stood at 123 Labour MPs.New York | Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist, stunned former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary, a remarkable upset that sets him on course for the city's mayoralty. The result will be viewed as a rebuke to the Democratic establishment, with wealthy donors and establishment figures like Bill Clinton supporting Cuomo.Climate | The UK can reach its net zero targets for 2050, and its interim carbon budgets for 2030 and beyond, the government's statutory climate advisers have reported. The Climate Change Committee also found that net zero would not destroy the UK economy, instead providing long term benefits.Health | Tobacco killed more than 7 million people worldwide in 2023. It remains the leading risk factor for deaths in men and ranks seventh for women, according to analysis presented at the World Conference on Tobacco Control. Continue reading...

First female opposition leader says she will personally try to recruit more women but is agnostic about party's approach

Rishi Sunak's ex-chief of staff lands role at Anthropic, which has memorandum of understanding on working with governmentA former chief of staff to Rishi Sunak who was made a Conservative peer has taken a job as external affairs" chief at an artificial intelligence company that he encountered while working at No 10.Liam Booth-Smith, who entered the House of Lords last year, has joined Anthropic, which recently signed a memorandum of understanding about working with the government on AI. Continue reading...

At least 600,000 relating to Horizon IT scandal remains unclaimed, with officials reluctant to recontact victimsPost office operators yet to claim compensation of at least 600,000 relating to the Horizon IT scandal have not been chased up by officials because the government did not want to harass" them with letters, it has emerged.In a report criticising the speed and handling of payouts after the Post Office scandal, the House of Commons public accounts committee (PAC) said the government is taking insufficient action" identifying all the operators eligible to claim some of the 1.7bn being paid out across four compensation schemes. Continue reading...

Consumer group's quarterly report examined the costs of 14 common items at 104 stores from four supermarkets chains

Falconio was killed while travelling in the Northern Territory with his girlfriend Joanne Lees in 2001 but his body has never been foundNorthern Territory police are offering a $500,000 reward for information on the location of the remains of British backpacker Peter Falconio, whose murder in the Australian outback more than 20 years ago captured worldwide attention.In July 2001, Falconio, then 28, was travelling Australia with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, on a remote stretch of highway about 300km north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory when he was pulled over by Bradley John Murdoch, who said their van might have an engine problem. Continue reading...

Journalist was taken off air three days into five-day contract in December 2023 after sharing Gaza post on social media

This blog is now closed. Our live coverage continues hereAs dawn broke in Israel and Iran, confusion reigned as to whether the two countries were still at war. Israelis, who fell asleep to the news that a ceasefire had been agreed to, woke up to four consecutive missile warnings, heading back and forth to the shelters as a missile hit a residential building in Be'er Sheva, killing three, according to the Israel fire and rescue centre.

Sumo wrestler Nicholas Tarasenko, 15, gets rare chance to break into professional ranks after winning amateur tournaments and learning JapaneseA teenager from Hull has arrived in Japan to pursue his dream of becoming a grand champion sumo wrestler, as only the second Briton to win a place at one of the ancient sport's professional stables.Nicholas Tarasenko, 15, left Yorkshire for Japan straight after finishing his GCSEs, to become the first British hopeful to join a stable since Nathan Strange - a Londoner who fought under the ring name Hidenokuni - in 1989. Continue reading...

Rights activists plan to march countrywide in honour of those killed during anti-government protestsKenyans plan to march countrywide on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the historic storming of parliament by protesters, to honour those killed during last year's anti-government protests, but there are fears that the march could escalate into unrest.Rights activists, family members of killed and missing protesters, and young Kenyans, who were the main drivers of last year's protests, have mobilised online and offline, with opposition leaders terming the day a people's public holiday" and the government warning against attempts to disrupt public order. Continue reading...

Daily average for watching all types of screen is now almost 7.5 hours, annual survey for IPA findsThe amount of time adults in Great Britain spend using their mobile phones has finally overtaken that spent watching TV, according to a report that calculates the daily average for watching all types of screen is now almost 7.5 hours.For the first time a typical person aged 15 or over spends longer each day on their mobile (three hours and 21 minutes) than on watching a traditional set (three hours and 16 minutes), the annual TouchPoints survey found. Continue reading...

Party big-hitters including Sadiq Khan urge PM to pause legislation as ministers and whips fail to contain rebellionKeir Starmer has said the government will stand firm on its welfare plans as ministers and party whips struggled to contain a growing Labour rebellion before next week's vote.By Tuesday night the tally of rebels stood at 123 Labour MPs, up from 108, plus 11 MPs from opposition parties, all from Northern Ireland. As Labour heavy-hitters waded into the row, there were fears inside government that the number would rise and scupper Starmer's changes to benefits. Continue reading...

Chronic exposure to inflammation may explain link to conditions including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, researchers sayLiving with an autoimmune disease may almost double the risk of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, a study suggests.The link may be explained by the chronic exposure to systemic inflammation that the autoimmune disease causes, researchers at the University of Edinburgh said. Continue reading...

Staff for premier Chris Minns and police minister Yasmin Catley to appear voluntarily after upper house president indicated warrants would be sought

Defense for 55-year-old music mogul indicates they do not intend to call any witnesses of their ownAfter more than a month of testimony from over 30 witnesses, the government rested its case in Sean Diddy" Combs's federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial on Tuesday afternoon.Shortly after, the 55-year-old music mogul stood up at the defense table and confirmed to the court that he would not be testifying in this case. Continue reading...

Prime minister deployed ministers to contain rebellion after more than 100 Labour MPs signed amendment to billWhen a prime minister is forced to deploy his cabinet to try to contain a rebellion, it is not a sign that things are going well. For one with a working majority of 165 MPs, it suggests that things are, in fact, going very badly.This was the scenario Keir Starmer faced on Tuesday after more than 100 Labour MPs signed an amendment to his welfare bill which could blow up his attempts to reform the disability benefits system. Continue reading...

Force says it disposed of papers last year despite forthcoming inquiry into scenes of violent policing in 1984Police have destroyed documents relating to the Battle of Orgreave in 1984 during the miners' strike, which is the subject of a forthcoming official inquiry.Northumbria police disposed of the papers less than a month before Rishi Sunak called last summer's election, which brought the Labour party into government with a longstanding manifesto pledge to hold an inquiry into the scenes of violent policing at Orgreave. Continue reading...

Despite Iranian missiles killing people and destroying buildings, many Israelis say they are happy with the current situation Live updates: Trump says it was great honor to stop war' after angry outburst at both sidesThe Iranian ballistic missile landed a little over an hour before the ceasefire was to take effect on Tuesday morning, crumpling the seven-storey apartment block in Beersheba, south Israel, killing four residents and wounding 30.Jessica Sardinas felt the blast 300 metres away in her safe room, where she had slept every night for the past 10 days. She had read the news of a ceasefire before sleeping, but did not believe it. Continue reading...

Shootings by Israeli forces raise death toll of such incidents in Gaza in last two weeks to more than 500At least 40 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza have died in new shootings by Israeli forces, local medics and officials said, raising the total killed in the last two weeks in such incidents in the devastated territory to more than 500.Though the fragile ceasefire declared between Israel and Iran has boosted hopes in Gaza that the 20-month-long war there might end soon, there were further Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday and reports of at least two incidents involving Israeli troops opening fire on civilians seeking humanitarian assistance. Continue reading...

The British Board of Film Classification has classified offline pornography for 40 years, but wants to extend its remitThe British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has held discussions with the government over extending its role to include the monitoring of online pornography.At the inaugural meeting of the Independent Pornography Review taskforce - which brought together politicians, police and charities to discuss how to regulate harmful content on the internet - the BBFC's president, Natasha Kaplinsky, said the organisation hoped to take on the task. Continue reading...

US president shares screenshot of congratulatory text message from Nato chief as he travels to summit in The Hague

Back in 2016, Dan prophesied about what the post-EU sunlit uplands would be like on this very day - no spoiler alert neededBliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be Dan was very heaven! O wondrous day. One of which dreams are made. Especially if you've been taking large quantities of hallucinogenics. The day forever named Daniel Hannan Day. We will never see his like again. With any luck. The Man with a brain the size of a Higgs Boson particle. You know it must be there somewhere but only the Large Hadron Collider can conjure it into existence for a nanosecond.Yet in that fleeting moment, Dan can achieve great things. Can share the marvels he has seen. For Dan's unique ability is to be wrong about almost everything, all the time. Failing is his niche talent and his fans applaud his every disaster. Triumph and recognition are his alone. For Dan has long since been rewarded for being the dimmest man alive with a peerage. Living proof that even halfwits and liabilities need not be excluded from the upper chamber. And where Dan leads, Toby Young and others follow. Continue reading...

The government's new security strategy said it has to actively prepare for potential wartime scenariosBritain needs to prepare for the possibility of being attacked on its own soil, the government has warned in its security strategy, laying out in stark terms the range of threats ministers say the UK now faces.Russia's military buildup and Iran's increasing attacks on dissidents abroad mean the country could soon find itself involved in a domestic war, the review says. Continue reading...

Retailer to ban goods from Israel, Iran and 15 other places it says are internationally recognised' for abusesThe Co-op is to stop sourcing goods from Israel, Iran and 15 other countries where it says there are internationally recognised" human rights abuses and violations of international law.The mutual, which operates about 2,300 grocery stores in the UK, has drawn up a list of about 100 products affected by the change, including Israeli carrots and mangos from Mali. Continue reading...

Activists threatened to fill the canal around the Scuola della Misericordia with inflatable crocodiles to block accessCampaigners in Venice have claimed victory after Jeff Bezos was reportedly forced to change the venue for his wedding celebrations in the city as his guests started arriving on Tuesday for the three-day jamboree.The main reception for the wedding of Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former TV journalist, was due to be held in the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a majestic 16-century building in the city centre. Continue reading...

A $50m pledge to revolutionise research into the disease has divided academics and public health experts

PM says current system is broken' and there is a clear moral case for change'

Nick Merriman's exit, for personal reasons, welcomed by some after redundancies and winter closures aimed at financial sustainability'The chief executive of English Heritage has stepped down, to relief from some staff angered by cost cutting under his watch.News of Nick Merriman's departure was welcomed by some heritage experts and others who had been adversely affected by his restructuring plans. Continue reading...

Forecaster warns of some showers and risk of isolated thunderstorms but mainly dry and warm weather expectedMusic fans are likely to avoid any major downpours or stifling heatwaves at this year's Glastonbury festival, forecasters have said.The festival in Somerset will see some scattered showers, sunshine, clouds, and temperature highs between 22C and 25C - but revellers can be fairly confident that they will avoid any heavy rainfall. Continue reading...

Nato plan to increase military spending overlooks risks to security posed by environmental breakdown and social decay, say economistsEurope risks choosing militarism over social and environmental security, economists have warned, as the head of Nato said all 32 members had agreed to increase weapons spending.Analyses drafted in anticipation of a Nato summit beginning on Tuesday warned of the opportunity cost that higher military spending would pose to the continent's climate mitigation and social programmes, which are consistently underfunded. Continue reading...

Jack Watkin, who featured in Rich Kids of Instagram, lured people to invest large sums on designer bags that failed to materialiseA fraudster who described himself as the Kardashian of Cheshire" persuaded people to invest thousands of pounds in luxury handbags that failed to materialise by flaunting his luxury lifestyle on social media.

Organisations say planned four-point rule will not properly take into account menstruation and other hygiene needs

Thomas White's family say his spending years in prison on IPP sentence without release date was psychiatric abuse'A prisoner driven to psychosis after being jailed for more than a decade under an indeterminate sentence has finally been moved to a hospital for a treatment after a six-year battle by his family and supporters.Thomas White was sentenced to a minimum of two years in custody under the imprisonment for public protection (IPP) scheme in 2012 for stealing a mobile phone, but remains in prison over a decade later. Continue reading...

Man jailed after using gadget in his car in London to message victims without being stopped by mobile networkA portable phone mast that blitzes every nearby mobile phone with credible-looking scam text messages is the latest weapon being used by fraudsters.The SMS blaster" lets criminals send out texts without the need for them to have obtained the victims' numbers and without being stopped by the phone networks' anti-spam measures. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed

Australia's most gas-reliant state takes a significant step to move households and businesses away from fossil fuels and cut energy bills

Former Liberal staffer accused of raping a woman after meeting her at a strip club in Queensland in 2021Bruce Lehrmann has sought to halt a rape case against him, claiming that police illegally obtained" his lawyers' phone calls.Lehrmann, 30, is accused of raping a woman twice during the morning of 10 October, 2021 after they met at a strip club the previous night in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...

Victorian woman, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder following a fatal mushroom lunch in Leongatha in 2023. Follow liveBeale turns to the good character" evidence in the case.He says the jury has heard evidence from a range of family and friends who said Patterson was a devoted mother and good daughter-in-law. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: The US president responds to Iran's limited retaliation by celebrating the end of the war, with Israel confirming agreement to proposalGood morning. After the United States attacked Iranian nuclear sites early on Sunday, the question was how Tehran would respond. Last night, we saw the beginnings of the answer - and, at least according to Donald Trump, the end of it.The retaliation came in the form of ballistic missile attacks on a US base in Qatar. While the Iranian authorities called the operation a mighty and successful response", no Americans were harmed - apparently by design. Trump described it as a very weak response", suggested that the Iranians had gotten it all out of their system'", and added: CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT'S TIME FOR PEACE!"Protest | UK home secretary Yvette Cooper has vowed to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws, after activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted two military planes. PA's lawyers said that Cooper's proposal was an attack on freedom of expression and assembly.Politics | Labour MPs have launched a significant rebellion against the government's benefit cuts with an amendment that could kill its welfare bill, spearheaded by senior select committee chairs and which sources say could be signed by up to 100 MPs.NHS | UK health secretary Wes Streeting has launched a national investigation into systemic" failures in NHS maternity services in England, saying maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing" and there is too much passing the buck".Ukraine | Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Russia, Iran and North Korea as a coalition of murderers" during a visit to London, where he held talks with Kier Starmer on how to put further pressure on Moscow to end the war. Ukraine's president has accused Tehran of being complicit in Russia's invasion.Music | U2 guitarist The Edge has officially become an Irish citizen, 62 years after moving from Britain to Ireland, in a step he said was long overdue". Continue reading...

US president likely to be in self-congratulatory mood, with most allies persuaded to sign up to defence spending targetDonald Trump was expected to fly into the Nato summit in The Hague on Tuesday to perform a victory lap. After decades of complaining about European defence spending, with the help of Mark Rutte, Nato's new secretary general, allies are ready to sign up to a target to raise, in most cases, core defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.On top of that, it is just a few days since the first major military intervention of Trump's second term - the bombing of Iran's nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan over the weekend - and hours since his declaration of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Continue reading...

Supermarket employees say they are left working solo on shop floor in smaller stores or when colleagues step awayCo-op staff have accused the supermarket of putting their safety and security at risk by having too few people on duty - with some saying they have been threatened while working alone on the shop floor.Despite a surge in theft, many report being left alone to pack online orders and manage self-checkouts and tills in some small stores. In larger outlets, staff say they can be left in the same position when a colleague takes a break or is managing deliveries. Continue reading...

A looming wage fight, the end of the coal boom and a shared equity scheme for first home buyers is on the cards

Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong said there had been disruptions to flights with temporary airspace closures in the region'

The Minns Labor government appears obsessed with keeping the state's AAA ratings - so citizens of New South Wales will just have to wait

Senior officer engaged in serious misconduct' in regional town when man was self-harming. He thought Aboriginal people tried to manipulate the system'

Financial position of Australia's most populous state then expected to improve with a projected surplus by 2027-28

This blog is closed, you can continue to follow our live coverage on our new blog here.Monumental damage" was done to all Nuclear sites" in Iran during the US attack on the country at the weekend, Donald Trump has said in his latest comments, after officials said the extent of damage done remained unconfirmed. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social the US president wrote:Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that - that is what this is. The US action was directed at specific sites central to Iran's nuclear program. We don't want escalation and a full-scale war.We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. As I have said for many days now, we are deeply concerned about any escalation in the region and we want to see diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation. Continue reading...

Alliance in best interests of Australia, UK and US, say lawmakers, after Trump administration announced 30-day review of pact

The English guitarist, who had been bedridden after a stroke in 2016, is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in NovemberMick Ralphs, singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of the classic British rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, has died aged 81.A statement posted to the band's official website on Monday announced Ralphs' death. Ralphs had a stroke days after what would be his final performance with Bad Company at London's O2 Arena in 2016, and had been bedridden ever since, the statement said. No further details on the circumstances of his death were provided. Continue reading...