The Guardian

Bulgaria’s first ever win in European song contest delivers ray of hope at turbulent time after years of political instability Bulgarians have rejoiced in their country’s first victory at the Eurovision song contest as fans welcomed home the singer whose party anthem Bangaranga proved an unexpected breakthrough hit. “Dara is yet more proof that Bulgaria can win,” declared the new prime minister, …

Cigarettes kill 66 Australians every day, coalition says, criticising MPs who heard evidence from Philip Morris in secret Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Big tobacco is exploiting fears of the illicit market to unwind longstanding health policies, leading health campaigners have warned, amid a parliamentary inquiry which took secret evidence from the cigarette manufac…

Humpback stranded on sandbank was unlikely to survive, experts had said, recommending it be left to die in peace German authorities have defended their decision to allow a risky rescue attempt of a stranded whale to go ahead, despite experts warning it was “inadvisable” because the animal was hurt and unlikely to survive. The saga of the whale, known as Timmy, had gripped Germany since the beache…

Exclusive: Families of men facing death penalty add to opposition to proposals to run courses for defence ministry The families of two scholars facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia have appealed to the University of Cambridge to drop proposals to run staff training courses for Riyadh’s defence ministry. The Guardian revealed last week that Cambridge’s Judge business school has been authorised…

Exhibition explores how artists mainly known for their paintings helped revive a skill that had fallen out of fashion They may be best known for their vibrant oil paintings but an exhibition opening in the English West Country is focusing instead on the subtle printmaking skills of artists such as Édouard Manet, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. More than 50 prints created mainly by impressionis…

Tommy Robinson’s march fails to draw huge numbers it was hoping for Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally failed to get the huge numbers it wanted to march through London, with police confident less than half joined his protest on Saturday compared with an event last year. The far-right protest came on the same day as a pro-Palestinian march, and the Metropolitan police said that 43 arrests ha…

Unspecified number of officers from royalty and specialist protection team being investigated, force confirms Police officers accused of being asleep when they were supposed to be protecting the royal family at Windsor Castle have been placed under investigation. An unspecified number of officers from the Metropolitan police’s royalty and specialist protection team are being investigated after co…

Carmakers aim to expand into UK defence sector, exploiting spending boom by Nato countries Jaguar Land Rover and General Motors are considering an expansion into UK defence via a £900m military contract, as carmakers seek to exploit a spending boom by Nato countries racing to rearm. The manufacturers are among a group of automotive firms vying to make thousands of 4x4s for the armed forces to rep…

Disruption of Long Island Rail Road continues into second day after workers went on strike as Monday rush hour looms The shutdown of the Long Island Rail Road, North America’s largest commuter rail system, continued into a second day on Sunday after unionized workers went on strike for the first time in three decades a day earlier. The railroad, which serves New York City and its eastern suburbs,…

Campaigners say symbolism of Magyar inauguration must translate into real change for Roma rights after years of Orbán discrimination The clutch of young Roma boys in black bow ties were lined up beneath the ornate arches and royal frescoes of Hungary’s dazzling parliament. Moments after Péter Magyar was sworn in, bringing an end to Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power, the young musicians launched in…

After record losses last year, beekeepers report a warm winter has led to bees ‘waking up earlier’ this year After a series of record-breaking US heatwaves , the 2026 bee swarm season in North America has started 17 days earlier than last year, pushing beekeepers to adapt to a rapidly shifting season while raising new questions about how honeybees are responding to the climate crisis. According t…

Experts say slashed funding and growing misinformation are some of the greatest challenges facing public health The hantavirus outbreak, while unlikely to spark the next big pandemic, is shining a spotlight on the ways public health has deteriorated in the US: its ability to test for rare diseases, its expertise on outbreak prevention and response, its ability to battle misinformation and restore…

French police fire teargas and UK shops close for safety reasons as hundreds queue for Royal Pop timepiece The launch of limited-edition Swatch watches descended into chaos in several European cities and New York, with French police firing teargas to restore order at a store near Paris. Hundreds of people waited through the night from Friday into Saturday – and in some cases for several days – ho…

Lisa Nandy told the BBC she did not understand ‘sudden focus on Europe’ from Labour leadership hopeful UK politics live – latest updates The UK culture secretary has dismissed calls for Britain to re-enter the European Union as “odd”, a day after her former cabinet colleague Wes Streeting said the country’s future lies back in the bloc . Lisa Nandy criticised the former health secretary on Sunday…

Union representative concerned about safety as workers rush to finish repainting DC pool before 250th celebrations Workers renovating one of Washington DC’s most historically symbolic sites in a project ordered by Donald Trump may be risking their safety as they race to finish on time for the US’s 250th anniversary celebrations , a union monitoring the site has warned. Trade union scrutiny has fo…