The Guardian

Chemicals known to affect brains of common garden birds, and to kill unborn chicks, found in most feather samples Conservationists have called for restrictions on pet flea treatments after research found songbird feathers widely contaminated with substances that can damage the birds’ brains and kill unborn chicks. Almost every feather sample tested from five common species of UK garden birds cont…

Scott Trust identifies priorities for communities in Jamaica and US Sea Islands with plans to allocate millions of pounds We asked what repairing the harm of enslavement would look like. This is what we found The owner of the Guardian has announced the next phase of its 10-year restorative justice plan to address and atone for the news organisation’s historical links to transatlantic enslavement.…

Boy, 17, charged after footage showed bottle of liquid set alight and thrown through window of Kenton united synagogue in Harrow A 17-year-old boy has been charged with arson after an attack on a synagogue in north-west London. The teenager, a British national from Brent, north-west London, who has not been named because of his age, is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday. Co…

Sacked Foreign Office permanent secretary says he was under pressure from Downing Street over appointment of US ambassador UK politics live – latest updates The sacked senior civil servant Oliver Robbins has said he was subject to “constant pressure” when he arrived in the Foreign Office to get Peter Mandelson in post as soon as possible. He said the Cabinet Office urged the Foreign Office to all…

The hearing marks a key hurdle Kevin Warsh must overcome in order to succeed Jerome Powell when his term ends on 15 May Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Reserve will commit to protecting central bank independence on interest rates at a crucial confirmation hearing later today. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Donald Trump’s labor secretary, r…

Ashkan Thibodeaux, five years old, saved his kid brother Wyatt after he fell into ‘icy water’ of creek they were exploring Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A five-year-old Minnesota boy reportedly jumped into frigid water after his younger brother fell in on Easter Sunday to successfully rescue him – and has subsequently had to fight for his life at a …

Wilson is being sued for defamation by actor Charlotte MacInnes over social media posts alleging a sexual harassment complaint Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Rebel Wilson was labelled “nuts” by a PR team she allegedly hired to create websites attacking a co-producer of her directorial debut, a court has heard. The Pitch Perfect actor directed, co-produced and acted i…

The Kissing Booth’s Joey King and Game Of Thrones’ Maisie Williams star alongside the original cast members as the next generation of the cursed Owens family Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email The midnight margaritas are officially back on the menu. Within 24 hours of its debut, the first official teaser for Practical Magic 2 has surged into the Google Trends top 10, attracting millions …

Representatives from EU countries are meeting in Luxembourg today This is not entirely unexpected and, as explained earlier, it is still hinging on the Druzhba pipeline restarting in the next 24 hours, but it definitely sounds like there are growing reasons for optimism among the EU’s most senior leaders. Could the loan, agreed in December but held up by Hungary and Slovakia, be finally released …

Police seek warrant for Bang Si-Hyuk over allegations he illegally gained millions in investor fraud scheme South Korean police are seeking to arrest Bang Si-Hyuk, the chair of the agency behind the K-pop band BTS, as they expand an investigation into allegations that he illegally gained more than $100m (£74m) in an investor fraud scheme. The Seoul metropolitan police agency confirmed it had aske…

Robbins was forced out as Foreign Office permanent secretary over the Mandelson vetting revelations in the Guardian Donald Trump seems to be conducting his relationship with Keir Starmer chiefly by online trolling at the moment. He was at it again overnight, with a post on his Truth Social network saying that, when Starmer appointed Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US, it was a “really bad pi…

Zayne Jason William McMillan’s lawyer says client’s tirade was antisemitic but claims he ‘does not consider himself racist against Jewish community’ A man seen mimicking the Bondi beach terror attack before making slurs against Jewish people has been jailed. Zayne Jason William McMillan, 23, was heavily intoxicated when he and a friend went to Bondi beach, six weeks after the shooting, in which 1…

In today’s newsletter: Our diplomatic editor on whether permanent peace is possible – or whether there will be a new escalation in the conflict Good morning. The Gulf is stuck in limbo between war and peace. Despite a ceasefire deal between the US and Iran, both sides have ramped up threats once again. A lasting end to the violence feels possible, but so does a renewed round of fighting – and mor…

Iranian official stresses no decision made on taking part, as US vice-president JD Vance is set to travel to Islamabad for negotiations JD Vance to lead US delegation in Pakistan if Iran agrees to talks Donald Trump has said retrieving uranium from Iran will be a “long and difficult” process in the wake of the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities last year. “Operation Midnight Hammer was a co…

Experts say attacks, also carried out by settlers, are leading girls to quit school and enter early marriages Israeli soldiers and settlers are using gendered violence and sexual assault and harassment to force Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank, human rights and legal experts say. Palestinian women, men and children have reported attacks, forced nudity, invasive and painful …