The Guardian

Many observers believe North Korean leader has decided daughter Kim Ju-ae will succeed him, but others say gender politics could block her path to power When North Korea’s ruling party held a top-level meeting this month there were predictable boasts of unstoppable nuclear development and, more unexpectedly, a suggestion by Kim Jong-un that his country and the US “could get along” – provided that…

Landslide in Niscemi in January tore away entire slope of town and carved 4km chasm Firefighters in Sicily have rescued about 400 rare books from a library in Niscemi that hangs on the edge of a mudflow, after a devastating landslide in January tore away an entire slope of the town and carved a 4km chasm. The library stands on the lip of the precipice gouged out by the landslide, with part of the…

Exhibits pay homage to Ukrainians’ resilience and bring home the reality that war is going on in Europe Descending into the windowless basement of a second world war air-raid bunker built for civilians in central Berlin is arguably an eerie enough evocation of what it means to endure life in a conflict. But in a modern twist, before they have even walked into the first room of the city’s new Ukra…

More than 350,000 people expected to turn out on Saturday for blockbuster lineup of music and culture events Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Mardi Gras annual parade, Bad Bunny and Grace Jones will headline a bumper nightlife lineup in Sydney on Saturday that will draw more than 350,000 people and test the city’s security and transport systems. Sydney’s Mardi Gras…

Health minister says cluster of infections at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred hospital was not publicised to avoid ‘unnecessarily scaring people’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The New South Wales health minister has denied “covering up” a deadly fungal outbreak at one of Australia’s largest hospitals, saying it was not publicised to avoid “unnecessarily scaring people”…

Hannah Spencer elected as party’s first MP in northern England, as Labour sees a 25.3% drop in vote compared to 2024 Follow our UK politics live blog The Green party has pulled off a landmark victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection in a significant blow to Keir Starmer. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green party councillor, was elected as the party’s first MP in northern England after ov…

Treasurer says ‘not unusual’ for his department to examine options but stresses that no decision has been made Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Albanese government has again opened the door to reforms to negative gearing as it weighs up potentially sweeping tax changes to raise revenue and help address the hous…

Turnout in Gorton and Denton byelection over 47%, with 36,903 verified votes cast as Greens, Reform and Labour contest the seat Welcome to our continuing coverage of the crucial Gorton and Denton byelection. Counting is now underway in what is set to be a three-way contest for the seat in south-east Manchester after one of the most unpredictable byelections in years. Continue reading...

Federal Aviation Administration bars flights around Fort Hancock after reported use of anti-drone military laser The Federal Aviation Administration barred flights on Thursday in an area around Fort Hancock, Texas, after congressional aides told Reuters a military laser-based anti-drone system was believed to have accidentally shot down a US government drone. The FAA and Pentagon did not immediat…

Graeme Kearns, chief executive of Foundation Theatres, says: ‘Our job in theatre is to absolutely defend the right to tell stories about culture’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The head of the theatre hosting the Shen Yun dance troupe in Sydney says the company would not be intimidated to pull the shows by any “o…

Hash Tayeh flags appeal to Victorian civil and administrative tribunal finding over phrase used at Melbourne rally last year Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A prominent pro-Palestine protester racially and religiously vilified Jewish people when he chanted “All Zionists are terrorists” at a Melbourne rally, a Vict…

Study shows lower risk for multiple myeloma as well as pancreatic, prostate, breast and kidney cancers Vegetarians have a substantially lower risk of five types of cancer, a landmark study on the role of diet has revealed. The research, using data from more than 1.8 million people who were tracked over many years, found that vegetarians had a 21% lower risk of pancreatic cancer, a 12% lower risk …

Lead plaintiff, now 20, says use of social media made her anxious and strained relationships with friends and family The young woman at the heart of the landmark trial about the addictive nature of social media testified for the first time on Thursday, saying she got hooked on YouTube starting at age six and Instagram at nine. By the time she was 10, she said she had become depressed and was enga…

Escalation of violence between the volatile neighbours makes a Qatar-mediated ceasefire appear increasingly shaky Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces early Friday, Afghanistan’s government spokesperson said, hours after Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in the latest escalation of violence between the volatile neighbours that made a Qatar-m…

Democracy Volunteers says it saw 32 cases of apparent collusion – the highest levels in its 10-year history An election observer group has raised concerns over people appearing to collude on voting in the Gorton and Denton byelection. Democracy Volunteers, an organisation founded by Dr John Ault, and supported by the Conservative peer and psephologist Prof Robert Haywood, deployed four accredited…