The Guardian - World News

Australia co-sponsored resolution affirming support for sovereignty and security of Gulf states. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australia has condemned Iran’s indiscriminate attacks on Gulf states and Jordan, joining with many other like-minded nations at an urgent debate at the United Nations. The UN urgent debate focused on a resolution brought by a group of countries to discuss Iran’s “recent military aggression launched by Iran against Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates” and the “targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives”. We reiterate our call for Iran and its proxies to cease all such attacks immediately. Australia stands in solidarity with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Jordan and affirms support for their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, including by co-sponsoring their resolution, we recognise the profound impact that Iran’s actions are having on civilian populations in the region... Australia continues to call on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, to protect civilians, including humanitarian personnel. Continue reading...

Tehran skeptical of president’s offer – and troop deployments for potential ground operations suggest claim of imminent end to war not credible Somewhere between the strait of Hormuz and the screens of Bloomberg terminals around the world, the standard laws of cause and effect appear to have been suspended for Donald Trump’s war in Iran. Trump this week soft-launched his latest Iran peace talks – which he has said must be accepted or “we’ll just keep bombing our little hearts out” – with few details or proof that anyone in the Iranian regime was willing to listen to him. The ultimatum was described as “maximalist” by Iran and quickly derided as a non-starter by analysts and former government officials. Continue reading...

Members call for reparatory justice as landmark resolution aims for ‘political recognition at the highest level’ The United Nations has voted to describe the transatlantic chattel slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” and called for reparations as “a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs”. The landmark resolution passed on Wednesday was backed by the African Union (AU) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom). It had been proposed by Ghana’s president, John Dramani Mahama , who said: “Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of millions who suffered the indignity of slavery.” Continue reading...

Reform’s ability to fundraise is hobbled in a move that draws attention to donations from an overseas billionaire Reform UK are no doubt the biggest losers from the government’s emergency measures to overhaul political donations. Labour MPs are absolutely delighted that No 10 is at last bringing in changes that will hobble Reform’s ability to raise money from its Thailand-based mega-donor, Christopher Harborne, at the same time as making the electoral system fairer in the eyes of the public. Continue reading...

Ha Nguyen McNeill testified before House committee about airport wait times amid DHS funding shutdown Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that airports across the country are experiencing the “highest wait times in TSA history”, as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enters its sixth week. At a House homeland security committee hearing, Ha Nguyen McNeill said her agency has been shut down for 50% of the fiscal year so far – a stretch that includes last year’s record-breaking 43‑day lapse in federal funding. She told lawmakers that by Friday, TSA employees will have missed $1bn in paychecks as a result of the closures. Continue reading...

Cuts to family planning aid are linked to an 11% increase in deaths during pregnancy and childbirth in some countries When Republican presidents win power in the US there is a stark consequence for many pregnant woman around the world – a significant rise in maternal mortality as aid is withdrawn, a new study has found. Global family planning aid typically drops under Republican presidents and then rises again by 48% once Democratic presidents are elected, the research, published in BMJ Global Health , finds. Continue reading...

Senate nominee in Texas James Talarico says ‘Christian nationalism kills’ in response to Brooks Potteiger remark James Talarico, the Texas Democratic state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, has said he forgives Pete Hegseth’s pastor for praying for his death. On Tuesday, Texas’s popular Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat pushed back against comments from Brooks Potteiger, the defense secretary’s closest spiritual adviser , who said: “We want him crucified with Christ.” Talarico said on X: “Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills. You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you. I love you more than you could ever hate me.” Continue reading...

New unitary councils will replace 43 county and district councils, in latest round of local government overhaul Fifteen new councils will be created in the south and east of England under the latest round of a major local government overhaul, aimed at boosting economic growth and accelerating mass housebuilding plans. The new unitary councils will replace 43 counties and districts across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Hampshire, with hundreds of councillors’ roles axed. A decision on future arrangements for East Sussex and West Sussex has been delayed. Continue reading...

France’s National Rally missed key targets in local elections ahead of next year’s seismic presidential vote – and the mainstream is doing OK elsewhere, too • Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up here The Rassemblement National is not invincible. A year out from a make-or-break presidential vote, that might be the main lesson (though there are others, which may prove more significant) from last weekend’s local elections in France. What’s more, news elsewhere – Giorgia Meloni’s referendum defeat in Italy, Janez Janša beaten in Slovenia, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán in trouble, the left bloc largest in Denmark – might suggest the rest of Europe’s far right are not having it all their own way, either. But let’s focus first on France – if only because while local elections are rarely a wholly accurate guide to future national outcomes, these ones seem to provide some pointers – and the stakes in the country’s next major election are vertiginously high. Continue reading...

Former Olympic rower to lead corporation as it hammers out future funding model with government Matt Brittin, Google’s former top executive in Europe, has been named the BBC ’s next director general. Brittin, who stepped down as Google’s president in Europe, the Middle East and Africa last year, will replace Tim Davie at a crucial time for the corporation, as it hammers out its future funding model with the government. Continue reading...

Industry fears strait of Hormuz closure could disrupt shipping of crucial parts for UK and German North Sea projects • Business live – latest updates A string of large offshore wind projects in Europe are facing potential delays as the Iran war threatens to disrupt shipping of crucial parts manufactured in the Gulf. Industry sources are concerned that components ordered from suppliers in the United Arab Emirates could become trapped if shipping remains effectively blocked through the strait of Hormuz . Continue reading...

Man credited with cooling Greenland tensions with Donald Trump is poised to play central role in any coalition deal Europe live – latest updates At the end of a long, gruelling night for the biggest parties on the right and left, there was one veteran of Danish politics who came out of Tuesday’s general election with a smile on his face – and a pipe in his mouth. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the two-time prime minister whose Moderates party is not aligned with the country’s left or right-leaning political blocs, is poised to play a central role in any coalition deal reached in the coming weeks . Continue reading...

Greater London Authority seeks £6m refund for uncompleted fire safety work on destroyed Spectrum Building UK politics live – latest updates People who lost their homes when a tower block in Dagenham burned down say they are being made to pay for the building’s fire safety works after the government demanded its money back. Former leaseholders of the Spectrum Building, a seven-storey block of flats which was demolished after a major fire in August 2024, said it was “absolutely outrageous” the Greater London Authority (GLA) was seeking to reclaim £6m for the safety works because the blaze meant they were never completed . Continue reading...

Rising inflation and unemployment mean effects of Iran war could be even worse than the post-Covid cost-of-living crisis Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast As diesel prices make history by passing $3 a litre in nearly every capital city around the country, the stresses of high fuel costs are beginning to show. Truckies are warning they will go out of business if they can’t renegotiate their contracts with customers; farmers are warning the same, telling families that food in our supermarkets could soon cost more. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Labor bill recognising all animals as sentient and raising care requirements won’t be introduced before state election Warning: This article contains graphic content Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A bulldog trapped on a balcony, forced to live among its own faeces. A corgi kept in similarly squalid conditions, surrendered by its owner after community outrage. A Maltese shih tzu beaten with a metal pole – its attacker spared jail. These are the kinds of animal cruelty cases the Victorian government promised to target with new laws almost a decade ago. But Guardian Australia can reveal those reforms have been shelved indefinitely. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Indonesia reports growing number of attempts by Chinese nationals to organise boat journeys, as Australian authorities refuse to reveal details Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Australian government has refused to reveal how many Chinese nationals have arrived in Australia by boat since 2024, saying that disclosing the figure may harm relations with other countries. However, reports by Indonesian police show that there has been a consistent trend of Chinese nationals attempting to reach Australia through Indonesia as an alternative to “zouxian”, or “walking the line” – the illegal migration route from Mexico to the US through the Darian Gap. Continue reading...

Businesses ranging from vegetable growers to miners warn of disruption from rising petrol prices and lack of supply Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Independent petrol station operators and miners are urging the federal government to crack down harder on major fuel wholesalers hoarding supply and withholding deliveries from smaller operators. Amid growing disruption from the Iran war , smaller operators are running out of fuel, including in rural and regional areas. Outlets that buy petrol on the spot market, and do not operate with longstanding contracts for fuel supply, have asked for extra help, including from the government’s new fuel supply tsar. Continue reading...

Human Rights Watch and others say they have documented use of weapon in civilian areas, which some argue is illegal When the M825-series 155mm artillery projectile airbursts, expelling its felt wedges containing white phosphorus, it leaves a distinctive knuckle-shaped plume. That is how Human Rights Watch (HRW) researchers said they were able to verify that Israel was again using the notorious weapon over south Lebanon, reigniting accusations that it is breaking the laws of war. The New York-based rights group said it had verified and geolocated eight images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions exploding over residential areas in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor in the opening days of Israel’s assault during the war on Gaza. Continue reading...

Iran conflict could see shortages not just in fuel, but fertiliser and fossil fuel resins – used to make milk bottles Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Farmers say Australian consumers could pay more for everyday staples for the next year at least as a result of the US-Israel war on Iran. But the CEO of dairy farmer cooperative Norco, Michael Hampson, says a six to 12 month disruption to food supply is likely a best-case scenario, depending on the strait of Hormuz reopening soon and global petrochemical supply chains beginning to stabilise. Continue reading...

Legislation subject to MPs’ approval but will be backdated due to urgency of threat to UK democracy, says minister UK politics live – latest updates Political donations from British citizens living abroad are to be capped at £100,000 a year from Wednesday, in a move that is likely to limit further funding from Reform UK’s Thailand-based mega-donor, Christopher Harborne. In a hugely significant move, the government said it would introduce the strict cap, as well as a temporary ban on donations in cryptocurrency, in its new representation of the people bill. Requiring third-party campaigners to declare donations all year round, not just election periods, and allowing funding only from permissible donors. More stringent checks on the source of funds from political donors, bringing it more into line with know-your-customer checks in the financial services industry. Preventing donations from shell companies by ensuring funding is from post-tax profits rather than revenue. Requiring foreign consultant lobbyists to join the official register, from which they are currently exempt because they do not charge VAT. Banning foreign-funded political adverts outright. Continue reading...

Tristan Roberts, who expressed misogynistic views and had fascination with American Psycho, carefully planned attack An 18-year-old man who expressed misogynistic views and had a fascination with the horror film American Psycho has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years and six months for killing his mother with a hammer. Tristan Roberts carefully planned the crime, researching methods of killing and how to avoid being caught before buying potential weapons such as knives, hammers and an axe. Continue reading...

UK urged to tackle transnational repression, as dissidents say Beijing has targeted them with tax bills and other threats “I didn’t feel safe, even though I’m not based in Hong Kong any more,” said Christopher Mung Siu-tat after getting tax bills from Hong Kong authorities. “The regime can reach me by their long arms wherever I am.” Siu-tat, the executive director at the Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, a UK-based NGO, fled Beijing’s sweeping national security laws years ago. The letters are the latest example of a series of transnational repression (TNR) tactics the 54-year-old has faced in recent years. Continue reading...

In highly unusual move, Metropolitan police have released full transcript of call made by PM’s then chief of staff UK politics live – latest updates Morgan McSweeney did not disclose that he was Keir Starmer’s chief of staff when he reported the theft of his phone , according to a transcript released by the Metropolitan police. McSweeney, who left the No 10 role in February, told police it was a government phone when he reported it had been snatched, minutes after the theft in central London. He told police the iPhone had a tracker on it, according to the transcript of the emergency call minutes after it happened. But he did not explain the sensitivity of the phone’s contents, records of the call suggest. Continue reading...

Change raises age limit from 35 and removes barrier for entry for recruits who have a legal conviction for cannabis Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox The US army has raised the maximum enlistment age to 42 years old and scrapped a barrier for potential recruits who have a legal conviction for marijuana or drug paraphernalia possession. People aged up to 42 can now enlist in the army, the army national guard and the army reserves, according to the new US army regulation , lifting the previous ceiling of 35 years old. Continue reading...

Pressing tasks for new director general also include an expiring royal charter, and finding a new top team Matt Brittin may have only just been announced as the new BBC director general, but his inbox is already overflowing. Here are his immediate challenges: Continue reading...

Move comes after judge voided Kennedy’s ACIP picks, leaving key flu, Covid and RSV vaccines in limbo Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Amid upheaval to the US vaccine advisory committee Robert Malone, the former co-chair and controversial figure who has opposed vaccines, says he has been pushed out and will not be involved in any future decisions. The move comes after a federal judge stayed the appointment of 13 members of the advisory committee on immunization practices (ACIP), essentially invalidating their roles on the committee and the decisions they have made. Those new advisers were all hand-picked by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr , after he fired the previous 17 members of the ACIP in June – but the judge ruled they were unqualified and not selected properly. Continue reading...

Legislation initiated by far-right Otzma Yehudit party drew mounting criticism from opponents and rights groups as it moved through the Knesset Middle East crisis – live updates Israel’s parliament has advanced a contentious bill to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of terrorism to its final vote, after the Knesset’s national security committee approved the measure on Tuesday. The legislation, initiated by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party led by the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has drawn sharp criticism from opponents who warn it would mark a significant escalation in Israel’s penal policy. Members of Otzma Yehudit have worn noose-shaped pins in support of the bill. Continue reading...

Neither Mette Frederiksen’s leftwing bloc nor rightwing parties won a majority in Tuesday’s election Europe live – latest updates Denmark is braced for lengthy and challenging coalition talks after neither Mette Frederiksen’s leftwing bloc nor the rightwing parties managed to get a majority in Tuesday’s election. After a bruising night for her Social Democrat party, which despite remaining the biggest party in the Danish parliament had its worst general election since 1903, the prime minister went to Amalienborg palace on Wednesday morning to submit her government’s resignation to the king. Continue reading...

The woman was arrested at routine ICE check-in and separated from two children, aged 18 months and four Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A Venezuelan mother of two who was allegedly trafficked to the US has been unlawfully detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) and could soon be deported, according to her lawyers. The woman has applications in process for asylum and a visa designed for victims of trafficking. Continue reading...

In House depositions, disgraced financier’s associates say they were not contacted after his 2008 plea deal Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Jeffrey Epstein’ s accountant and his attorney have both said that federal government investigators never interviewed them about the late financier’s crimes and their work with him, according to deposition videos released by the House of Representatives’ oversight committee. Richard Kahn, Epstein’s accountant, and Darren Indyke, Epstein’s lawyer, said in hours of closed-door interviews with the committee that they did not witness, nor were involved in, any wrongdoing relating to Epstein, who died in 2019 after being charged with child sex trafficking. Continue reading...

President also held on to record from his first term so sensitive only six people had access, says letter from leading Democrat on House judiciary committee Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. The White House says Donald Trump “did nothing wrong”, amid reports that he showed off a classified map on a 2022 flight to his New Jersey golf club. Violence continued across much of the Middle East a day after Donald Trump said the US was in “very good” talks with Iran to end the war in the region soon. Iranian barrages targeted Israel, Gulf Arab states and northern Iraq on Tuesday, while Israeli and US warplanes continued to carry out strikes across Tehran and on other targets in the Islamic Republic. More here . Democrats managed to flip a seat in the Florida state house in the district that is home to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Emily Gregory, a Democrat, defeated Republican Jon Maples, who had an endorsement from the US president, in the special election in Florida’s 87th state house district. The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening, with Gregory, a public health expert and small business owner, leading by more than 2 percentage points. More here . Donald Trump on Tuesday swore in Markwayne Mullin as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while Senate Republicans unveiled a compromise that would restart funding to most of the agency but appears to exclude reforms to immigration enforcement Democrats have demanded. More here . Donald Trump has described voting by mail as “cheating” at an event in Memphis, Tennessee, just days after casting a mail‑in ballot himself. “Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating. I call it mail-in cheating, and we got to do something about it all,” the US president said on Monday, in remarks to a roundtable on his administration’s crime taskforce. More here . Workers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are reeling from the White House’s deployment of immigration law enforcement into airports as TSA workers enter their sixth week without pay as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown continues. More than 400 TSA workers have quit since the shutdown began in February, with major US airports reporting high call-out rates among workers, leading to longer security wait times. More here . The California governor, Gavin Newsom, backtracked on earlier remarks likening Israel to an “apartheid state” in a new interview with Politico published on Tuesday. In the interview, the Democrat, who is widely expected to launch a presidential bid in 2028, said that when he used the term three weeks ago, he meant it to apply to Israel’s future should it continue on its present trajectory. More here . Continue reading...

Ruling linked to takeover of Autonomy in 2011 comes two years after tech tycoon died in superyacht disaster The estate of the late British tech tycoon Mike Lynch has been ordered to pay £920m to the technology company Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) two years after he died in a superyacht disaster. The ruling by London’s high court said the estate was liable to pay the sum as compensation, costs and interest for the acquisition of Lynch’s firm Autonomy by Hewlett-Packard (HP), after a UK legal ruling in 2022 that he duped the US company into paying £8.2bn for the software firm . Continue reading...

The US is recklessly spreading economic havoc among global friends and foes while suffering little harm itself To shield ordinary Indians from the war in Iran, the government in Delhi redirected supplies of liquefied gas to Indian families, for which it is the main cooking fuel, limiting supplies to the plastics industry. The Nepalese government rationed gas and the Philippines trimmed the government workweek to four days. Bangladesh closed universities and rationed fuel. They have been hardest hit by Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz . Economies in Asia import over a third of the energy they consume, on average. Korea imports four-fifths; Japan nine-tenths; Thailand 55%. Most of this comes from the Gulf. About 80% of oil and oil products transiting through the strait in 2025 was destined for Asia, according to the International Energy Agency. But traffic through its waters has collapsed by 90% . Continue reading...

Idris Robinson says Texas State violated his constitutional rights over off-campus talk seized on by pro-Israel activists Philosophy professor Idris Robinson has sued Texas State University officials, asserting that the school violated his constitutional rights by ending his contract after he gave a talk on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict off-campus in another state where a fight broke out, the Guardian has learned. Perhaps in part because Robinson did not introduce himself as connected to Texas State at the event, it took several pro-Israel social media accounts a year to identify him and launch a campaign to get Robinson fired, targeting the school’s leadership and accusing him of being a terrorist and inciting violence. Continue reading...

Lawmakers say moratorium on construction would buy time to create strong, federal guardrails for AI Amid an unprecedented energy crisis and the rapid buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure, progressive lawmakers have unveiled a new policy to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters. The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders , an independent senator from Vermont, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , a New York Democratic representative, on Wednesday morning, aims to ensure the AI boom protects the environment and communities, and benefits workers instead of harming them. A temporary ban, the lawmakers say, would give the US government time to create strong federal safeguards for AI, which is “affecting everything from our economy and wellbeing to our democracy, warfare and our kids’ education”. Continue reading...

Prime minister will be expected to remain as caretaker and told supporters she was ‘ready to take on the responsibility’ of role for next four years Speaking at the debate, Frederiksen confirms she has submitted her government’s resignation as it is clear the outgoing three-party government will not have enough mandates to continue. But she stresses the urgency of the task to form the new government, as “the world is not waiting for us out there and it has only become more unsettled since the election was called.” Continue reading...

Ministers will publish review by Philip Rycroft, which will make recommendations relevant to all the political parties, today The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published council tax statistics for England . It says: The average band D council tax set by local authorities in England for 2026-27 will be £2,392, which is an increase of £111 or 4.9% on the 2025-26 figure. This includes all precepts including adult social care and parish precepts. Keir Starmer promised to ease the cost of living and freeze council tax, yet families now face back-to-back hikes and a total council tax take rising by £2.6bn- another broken promise. Continue reading...

Wael Sawan says energy shortages on way if strait of Hormuz does not reopen to oil and gas shipping Europe could face energy shortages and fuel rationing as soon as next month without a reopening of the strait of Hormuz, Shell’s chief executive has warned. The boss of Europe’s biggest oil company said it was working with governments to help them address the oil and gas supply crisis, which has already led to energy rationing in Asian countries. Continue reading...

Government’s pilot ban for under-16s accompanies consultation as peers vote on Australia-style restrictions Hundreds of UK teenagers will trial social media bans, digital curfews and time limits on apps under a government pilot, which will run alongside a consultation to decide whether the UK should ban access to social media for the under-16s. During the test, led by the UK government, a proportion of 300 teens across all four nations of the UK will have their social apps disabled, “mimicking the enforcement of a social media ban at home”. Continue reading...

Tony Burke says decisions about permanent stays should be ‘deliberate decisions of the government, not a random consequence of who booked a holiday’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Iranian tourists will be banned from entering Australia for the next six months after the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, triggered tough new immigration laws over concerns visitors may not be able to return to Iran. The ban could apply to up to 7,200 Iranians with valid tourist visas – though some may still be given the chance to enter the country under special consideration. Continue reading...

Susie Wiles was on plane and witnessed event, according to files shown to House judiciary committee Federal prosecutors examined whether Donald Trump showed a classified map to people on his plane after his first term, including to his now White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles , according to justice department materials produced to the House judiciary committee. The incident was described in a 13 January 2023 briefing memo prepared for the then attorney general, Merrick Garland – roughly six months before special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump with retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club. Continue reading...

Report by Verdant says rooting out waste, fraud and tax avoidance would save money that could help improve public services A “Doge of the left,” could save up to £30bn a year for taxpayers by rooting out waste, fraud and tax avoidance, according to the first report from a new green thinktank. Launched amid growing interest in the future manifesto of Zack Polanksi’s Green party, the Verdant thinktank will be co-chaired by James Meadway, a former adviser to Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell, and civil society campaigner Deborah Doane. Continue reading...

Triple J signed off with the hip-hop anthem Express Yourself while other radio and TV networks filled the air with BBC broadcasts, re-runs and soothing music Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here Broadcasters had warned their audiences that the ABC would look “a bit different” on Wednesday – and as the clock struck 11am, they weren’t wrong. As more than 2,000 ABC staff walked off the job for the first time in two decades in protest of their working conditions, the public broadcaster’s news channel switched over to the BBC . Sign up to get Guardian Australia’s weekly media diary as a free newsletter Continue reading...

February annual rate in line with analysts’ expectations but outlook has shifted because of effects of conflict Business live – latest updates The UK inflation rate held steady at 3% in February, before Donald Trump’s Iran war drove up global energy costs, threatening a renewed price jump. Official figures showed the consumer prices index (CPI) remained at the same level as the previous month , in line with economists’ expectations but still well above the government’s 2% target. Continue reading...

Constituents’ frustration with Richard Tice reflects growing problem for party and its leaders’ climate-sceptic stance “The worst part of it was the smell,” says Audrey Crook, 58. A full-time carer who lives with her 20-year-old son, Crook woke up at 11pm one night to find a foot of flood water on the ground floor of her home. “It was like black water. It had sewage and everything in it, it was absolutely disgusting.” Crook’s home – along with more than 30 others on Wyberton West Road and Park Road in Boston, Lincolnshire – was flooded in January last year when heavy rain swept across the region, raising river levels and exceeding flood defences. Continue reading...

Storm is not likely to make a direct hit on Perth, though the city may experience heavy rainfall on Friday and Saturday Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Tropical Cyclone Narelle was again intensifying into a severe storm off Western Australia’s Kimberley coast on Wednesday with communities in the state’s world heritage-listed Shark Bay preparing for a potential direct hit on Friday night. Narelle had made a rare trip for a cyclone system by forming in the Coral Sea off Queensland and maintaining structure all the way west to the Indian Ocean, where it was expected to build into a major category four system. Continue reading...

Grammy winner seeks more than $20m in damages over mistranslation of The Lion King chant A Grammy-winning South African composer who wrote and performed the opening chant in Circle of Life for Disney’s The Lion King is suing a comedian for allegedly damaging his reputation by intentionally misrepresenting the song’s meaning on a podcast and in his standup routine. Lebohang Morake’s lawsuit accuses the Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Mwanyenyeka, known as Learnmore Jonasi, of intentionally mistranslating the chant, which launches the 1994 movie and is central to staged versions as well as Disney’s 2019 remake. Continue reading...

Andrew Roth on why the war on Iran is unpopular with the US public and what it means for Maga insiders Andrew Roth, the Guardian’s global affairs correspondent based in Washington DC, says reporting on the US and Israeli war on Iran gives you “whiplash”. “We’re so used to going into these kinds of wars and conflicts where there’s a massive plan for what’s going to happen six weeks from now, six months from now,” he tells Michael Safi. Continue reading...

Wes Streeting set to hail result as proof of progress, but Britons remain frustrated with long waits for GP hospital care Public satisfaction with the NHS has risen for the first time since 2019, but people remain deeply frustrated with stubbornly long waits to receive GP, A&E or hospital care. The proportion of voters in Britain satisfied with the way the NHS runs has increased from the record low of 21% seen last year to 26%. At the same time dissatisfaction with the health service fell 8% – the biggest drop since 1998 – although it remains high at 51%. Only 22% are satisfied with A&E and dentistry. GP services and hospital care score better, but only 36% and 37% are satisfied with them. Just 50% are satisfied with the quality of care the NHS provides and just 16% think it will improve over the next five years. Satisfaction with social care is just 14%. Continue reading...

New Mexico hails ‘historic’ win after jury finds firm misled consumers over safety and enabled harm against users A New Mexico jury on Tuesday ordered Meta to pay $375m in civil penalties after it found the company misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and enabled harm, including child sexual exploitation, against its users. This is the first bench trial to find Meta liable for acts committed on its platform. Continue reading...