The Guardian

Twelve dead as southern and central areas also suffer travel disruption, electricity outages and evacuations Heavy, prolonged rainfall in southern and central China has resulted in weather warnings for flash flooding, landslides and waterlogging. The band of rainfall spanned 1,000km (620 miles) and steadily moved eastwards across the regions on Tuesday. It was a slow-moving band of rain, formed f…

Andy Burnham expected to address supporters in the morning as he officially launches campaign to be Labour candidate for Makerfield Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. Andy Burnham is set to officially launch his campaign as the Labour candidate in the Makerfield byelection this morning, as he seeks a return to parliament after nine years. Continue reading...

The military alliance’s chief tried to manage expectations after Donald Trump said he would deploy 5,000 troops to Poland For what it’s worth, we should hear from the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, soon as he’s expected to arrive at the Nato ministerial any moment now. Maybe he can offer a bit more clarity on the US deployment to Poland, after the host, Sweden’s Maria Malmer Stenergard, conc…

Party apologises for posts by Chris Kennedy about attack on Jewish ambulances and says he has withdrawn for personal reasons The Green party’s candidate for the Makerfield byelection has withdrawn from the ballot less than 12 hours after being announced. Chris Kennedy was announced to be running in the seat for the Greens on Thursday morning, but nine hours later the party said he had dropped out…

Figure comes amid rising cost of pensions as bond market jitters take monthly debt interest to £10.3bn Business live – latest updates The UK borrowed more than expected in April as high inflation drove up the cost of pensions and benefits, amid concern over the Iran war and political uncertainty adding to debt costs. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said public sector net borrowing – the …

The Kusuma Neolithic Hall, based on Durrington 68 site, will allow visitors to ‘step back in time’ into the lives of those who built the stone circle It may have been a place for ceremony or a barn for pack animals. It could have been a place for weary labourers to rest their heads. Or perhaps there was no building at all. English Heritage has unveiled a 7-metre-high reconstruction of what a 4,50…

US secretary of state says president would like a negotiated agreement with Havana but likelihood ‘is not high’ The US president, Donald Trump, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Thursday again raised the spectre of military intervention in Cuba, a renewed threat that takes on greater weight a day after the administration announced criminal charges against the island’s former leader, Raú…

Gardeners tending to allotments were terrified to see animal roaming wild after mauling one of its keepers – but critics have long been concerned A tiger on the loose among garden allotments. Panicked residents summoning armed police ill-equipped to deal with a dangerous predator. And, behind it all, Germany’s self-proclaimed “Tiger Queen” and her private menagerie. In startling scenes over the w…

In today’s newsletter: As ​the polls tighten a​​round Benjamin Netanyahu, the coming months may redefine Israel’s political order without resolving its most entrenched conflicts Good morning. On Wednesday, Israeli legislators took the first steps towards dissolving parliament and calling fresh nationwide elections. Leading leftwing Knesset member Yair Golan hailed it “the beginning of the end of …

Up to 70% of girls may be in early or forced marriages but law now makes divorce impossible if husbands disagree Child marriage appears to have been legally recognised for the first time by the Taliban in Afghanistan, as activists say “shameful” new laws make it almost impossible for girls and young women to seek divorce against their husbands’ will. There are no official statistics on forced and…

Thames Valley police believe more witnesses may be out there in inquiry into alleged misconduct in public office by former prince Police investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor want witnesses to contact them if they believe they have information about alleged sexual misconduct, corruption, fraud or the sharing of confidential information involving the king’s brother. In a sign of the potential e…

Company founder Steven Marks says US stores will close as it can no longer justify cost of trying to break into crowded market Guzman y Gomez is closing its US business after failing to establish itself in a market already rich with Mexican food, confirming the American country’s reputation as a “graveyard” for Australian fast food companies. The Mexican-themed chain told shareholders on Friday t…

President says reality star a ‘big Maga person’ but backing may prove more hindrance than help in deep-blue bastion US politics live – latest updates Donald Trump’s endorsement is typically a boon for candidates seeking elected office – a show of support, or disapproval, from the president has proved significant in races across the US this year. But Trump’s recent comments on the Los Angeles mayo…

Federal minister Tanya Plibersek says the group will face same repercussions on arrival in Australia as previous returnees Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The last remaining Australian women and children left stranded in the al-Roj detention camp have reportedly left north-east Syria for Damascus, ahead of an expe…

Cancellation, which avoids embarrassment for Trump, is latest signal of diminishing congressional support for war House Republicans canceled a scheduled Thursday vote on a war powers resolution aimed at ending the US war with Iran, a measure that likely would have advanced had the vote been held. The cancellation, which avoided political embarrassment for Donald Trump, is the latest signal that c…