The Guardian

Electoral alliances expected to play vital role in number of contests including Paris and Marseille Voting is under way in France in the second round of local elections – seenas a bellwether for next year’s presidential race – with cities including Paris and Marseille in the balance and both the radical left and far right hoping for gains. Most of France’s 35,000-odd communes elected their counci…

Unpaid carers say they remain ‘in limbo’ as DWP continues to pursue discredited repayment bills MPs have threatened to launch a fresh inquiry into the handling of the carers allowance scandal after unpaid carers spoke of being “stuck in limbo” by the government’s response. The warning came amid concerns over delays in Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plans to offer redress to tens of thousa…

Labor’s Peter Malinauskas secures at least 32 seats while Pauline Hanson’s party outpolls Liberals and could become de facto opposition One Nation will win at least one South Australian lower house seat, and is leading in a handful of others, as the Liberals consider “sobering lessons” from Saturday’s thumping election loss to Labor. One Nation’s electoral success came as federal MP Barnaby Joyce…

‘Problem-solving’, child-focused courts to replace adversarial hearings, with earlier intervention to cut delays Family courts are “not good enough” and have treated women and children unfairly for decades, a government minister has said. Announcing a major overhaul of the family justice system in England and Wales that will play a central role in “rebalancing” the family courts, Alison Levitt sa…

Donald Trump’s ‘little excursion’ is likely to have long-term effects, from oil prices to inflation to growth, say experts In the days after the US and Israel first bombed Iran, financial markets bet the economic fallout from Donald Trump’s “ little excursion ” in the Middle East would be short-lived. “There are risks from higher oil prices longer term. But this is a tail risk,” one US-based fund…

Cyber experts say influence operations in ‘asymmetric’ campaign to intensify moral pressure on US and Israel Iran has radically overhauled its social media strategy in an all-out information war launched by the country’s Islamic rulers in response to US and Israeli military attacks. Cyber experts say Iranian foreign influence operations have gone into overdrive as part of an “asymmetric” campaign…

National referendum is being seen as a de facto confidence vote on the government – and the polls are neck and neck In the run-up to a referendum in Italy on a government quest to overhaul the judiciary, a campaign flyer circulated online quoting Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, taking aim at judges and feminists. “Judges block the deportations of rapists. Where are the feminists? Vote yes – t…

Trump tells Iran to reopen strait to shipping or face destruction of its energy infrastructure, as Tehran launches its most destructive attack yet on Israel The United Arab Emirates said it was responding to incoming aerial attacks from Iran on Sunday . “UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran,” the defence ministry said in a statement, adding tha…

Energy minister says war on Iran creating ‘uncertain environment’ but insists government doing ‘all the preparatory work’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Six oil ships bound for Australia have been cancelled in recent days but the federal government is not yet considering any drastic measures, the energy minister,…

People in hard-hit areas of Oahu and Maui told to evacuate with still more rain expected over the weekend As Hawaii endures its worst flooding in more than 20 years, officials urged people in hard-hit areas to “LEAVE NOW”. That warning early on Saturday came after heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, and still more was expected over the weekend. …

Victims of army drone attack on East Darfur health facility included children and medical personnel A strike on a healthcare facility in Sudan has killed 64 people and wounded 89 more, the World Health Organization reported on Saturday. The UN’s humanitarian office in Sudan had earlier said it was “appalled by the attack on a hospital in East Darfur yesterday, reportedly killing dozens, including…

Israeli air defence systems fail to intercept at least two projectiles during attacks on cities of Arad and Dimona Middle East crisis live – latest updates Iranian ballistic missile barrages wounded about 100 people in southern Israel on Saturday, striking the cities of Arad and Dimona after air defence systems failed to intercept at least two projectiles. Among the injured were a 12-year-old boy…

Weakening system expected to bring severe weather across parts of NT already saturated from recent rains and flooding. Follow live updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Welcome to another Sunday Guardian live blog. We’ll continue to bring you the latest on Tropical Cyclone Narelle, which crossed the Northern Territory coast early this morning as a severe category th…

First responders report 33 injured at multiple sites in Dimona, including a 10-year-old boy in serious condition Middle East crisis live – latest updates An Iranian missile has hit the Israeli town of Dimona, home to a nuclear facility, in what Iran said was retaliation for strikes on its own nuclear site at Natanz. Dimona hosts a facility just outside the main town widely believed to possess the…

Outrage mounts after president posted on Truth Social he was ‘glad’ former FBI director and special counsel had died Donald Trump has been condemned as a “vile, disgusting man” and a “sick human being” after gloating over the death of Robert Mueller, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Mueller, a decorated Vietnam war veteran who led a politically explosive investigati…