The Guardian

Reform score victories including their first mayoral race and taking Runcorn with six votes in byelectionLocal elections 2025: full mayoral and council results for EnglandReform win Runcorn with just six votes in blow to LabourIs Farage’s quest to rid Reform of ‘amateurism’ paying off?Reform UK has won three of the first five wards declared at Northumberland County Council, with Labour and the Conservatives picking up one each, PA reports.There are 67 seats on the council, with the Conservatives defending 33, Labour 18, the Liberal Democrats four and Greens two, while there were 10 independent councillors. Continue reading... Source link :

Runcorn win was much bigger than polls implied suggesting overall effectiveness of ground campaignResults come in from across England – follow it liveFor the last few months, Nigel Farage has been promising to professionalise his Reform UK party, saying its general election result of five seats had been hampered by the party’s “amateurism”.Friday’s narrow victory in the Runcorn and Helsby byelection suggests his strategy is starting to bear fruit. Not only did the party win a seat in which it came a distant third less than a year ago, but it did so with a much bigger swing than implied

The soft, undecided and swinging voters are at an all-time high in Australia, while support for the centre-left Labor and conservative-leaning Coalition is lowSee all our Australia 2025 election coverageMore than 18 million Australians will head to the polls this Saturday to choose between the incumbent centre-left Labor party and its conservative-leaning Liberal/National Coalition challenger.But about one in three voters will brush off the major contenders – led by the current prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton – in favour of someone else altogether, in an election marked by a cost of living crisis and the

Australian woman has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her Leongatha home in 2023. Follow live updatesWho are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom murders trial?‘Important you’re all there’: Erin Patterson urged husband to reconsider skipping mushroom lunch, murder trial hearsMandy questions Simon about a conversation he had with his father, Don, on 30 July when he was hospitalised after the mushroom lunch.Mandy says at this point Don had been “distressed, physically for a long period of time”. Continue reading... Source link :

Kosmos 482, weighing 500kg, was meant to land on Venus in the 1970s but it never made it out of orbit because of a rocket malfunctionA Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus in the 1970s is expected to soon plunge uncontrolled back to Earth.It’s too early to know where the half-ton mass of metal might come down or how much of it will survive re-entry, according to space debris-tracking experts. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/may/02/soviet-era-spacecraft-kosmos-482-uncontrolled-return-earth-next-week Author : Associated Press Publish date : 2025-05-01 23:14:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Latest poll shows Albanese on track for minority government. Follow today’s news livePolls tracker; Election guide; Interactive seat explorerParty policies; Micro parties explained; Full election coverageListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBlue signs will once again populate outside a battleground seat early voting centre after the Liberal Party won a last-minute court order preventing the local council from limiting it to one per candidate, Australian Associated Press reports.Dozens of the party’s A-frame signs were removed from outside an early voting centre at Kew in the

Waltz’s deputy will also be leaving after losing confidence of officials, according to two people familiar with the matterUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and his deputy, Alex Wong, will be leaving their posts after they lost the confidence of other administration officials and found themselves without allies at the White House, according to two people familiar with the matter.The exit of Waltz and Wong marked the conclusion of a fraught tenure. In March, Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, to a Signal group chat that shared sensitive information about US

Labour face first electoral test since general election with more than 1,600 council seats up for grabsIs your council up for election and what’s at stake?One of the signs that Bluesky is functioning as a decent alternative to Elon Musk’s X is the fact that it has become a decent source for #dogsatpollingstations. Here are some of the nicer pictures I have seen there this morning.The Metropolitan police has confirmed that counter-terrorism police are investigating footage that appears to show Irish language rap band Kneecap calling for politicians to be killed, and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.On April 22, we

Lawyers for hundreds of survivors argue Gregory Aymond should be questioned under oath about role in the clergy abuse crisisA group of attorneys representing clergy abuse survivors is ramping up pressure to get the archbishop of New Orleans, Gregory Aymond, under oath before a judge decides whether to kick the church out of bankruptcy.Lawyers for hundreds of survivors filed a motion Wednesday to end the church’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a day before the fifth anniversary of a case that’s paid none of about 500 survivors but has cost the archdiocese around $45m in legal and professional fees. Continue reading...

US president claims economic slowdown ‘nothing to do with tariffs’ as his former challenger attacks his record and backers in major speechKamala Harris says ‘courage is contagious’ in major speechProtesters are expected to rally nationwide on 1 May with a focus on workers’ and immigrants’ rights in the latest round of demonstrations against Donald Trump and his administration.May Day, commemorated as international workers’ day, comes after two massive days of protests in April – 5 April’s hands off rallies and 19 April’s day of action – drew millions to the streets across the country. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/may/01/donald-trump-tariffs-immigration-economy-ukraine-us-politics-live-updates

Wall Street Journal article saying headhunters were contacted branded ‘absolutely false’ by chair Robyn DenholmTesla has denied a report that its board sought to replace Elon Musk as its chief executive amid a backlash against his rightwing politics and declining car sales.Robyn Denholm, the chair of the board at the electric carmaker, said in a statement on Tesla’s social media account on X: “Earlier today, there was a media report erroneously claiming that the Tesla Board had contacted recruitment firms to initiate a CEO search at the company. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/01/tesla-denies-report-claiming-board-looked-to-replace-elon-musk Author : Lauren Almeida Publish date

US treasury secretary Scott Bessent says agreement shows both sides’ commitment to ‘lasting peace’ while Ukraine PM Shmyhal calls it ‘good, equal and beneficial’Full report: US and Ukraine sign minerals deal that solidifies investment in Kyiv’s defense against RussiaUS secretary of state Marco Rubio, who has threatened to step back from his mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine over the past week, has called the minerals deal a “milestone in our shared prosperity and an important step in ending this war”. In a post on X he wrote:Thanks to @POTUS’s leadership, today the U.S. and Ukraine signed the Reconstruction Investment

Coalition leader had flagged changes to the curriculum as recently as Sunday, claiming aspects taught children to be ‘ashamed of being Australian’Election 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignPolls tracker; Election guide; Interactive seat explorerParty policies; Micro parties explained; Full election coverageListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastPeter Dutton says the Coalition has no proposals to reform what students are taught in schools, despite earlier claiming children were being “indoctrinated” and pledging to changes to the curriculum.The Liberal leader had previously backed concerns about a

Victorian woman has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in South Gippsland in 2023Here’s a recap of what we heard on day two of Erin Patterson’s trial.The prosecution has told jurors that Patterson had invited her estranged husband, Simon, and his relatives to her house in July 2023 to discuss “medical issues” she had and how to break the news to her two children.Nanette Rogers SC, the prosecutor, said Patterson had told them she had cancer, but the prosecution allege she did not have cancer,

Coalition claims it will save $10bn more over four years compared with Labor. Follow today’s news livePolls tracker; Election guide; Interactive seat explorerParty policies; Micro parties explained; Full election coverageListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastDutton’s Wednesday night visit to KooyongLast night, Peter Dutton was in the inner Melbourne seat of Kooyong, held by independent Monique Ryan. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/may/01/australia-election-2025-live-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-campaign-policies-economy-inflation-cost-of-living-coalition-labor-ntwnfb Author : Krishani Dhanji Publish date : 2025-04-30 21:39:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Oklahoma case is part of a broader push to erode separation of church and state, and a test of role of religion in schoolsThe US supreme court’s conservative majority seemed open to establishing the country’s first public religious charter school as they weighed a case Wednesday that could have significant ramifications on the separation of church and state.The Oklahoma state charter school board approved the application for St Isidore, a Catholic virtual charter school. The ACLU and other groups filed suit, as did Republican attorney general Gentner Drummond. The state supreme court sided with Drummond, ruling that the US and

Aomar Aït Khedache, 68, told court he was in part driven by taste for easy money after armed robbery of reality TV starA retired restaurant-owner alleged to have been the ringleader of an armed robbery of American reality TV star Kim Kardashian in Paris, has told a court he was in part driven by a taste for easy money.Aomar Aït Khedache, 68, known as “Old Omar”, has admitted to police that he took part in the robbery in which Kardashian was tied up and held hostage at gunpoint in her Paris hotel bedroom during Paris fashion week in 2016. But

US president angrily pushes ABC interviewer to agree with him about edited photo of Kilmar Abrego García, telling him ‘you’re not being very nice’People in the US: share your recent experiences of receiving Social Security benefitsDonald Trump promptly claimed this morning that the contraction in the US economy had nothing to do with his tariff wars, repeated his habitual claim that this is all somehow his predecessor Joe Biden’s fault, and predicted the economy would boom when tariffs kicked in. He wrote on his Truth Social platform:This is Biden’s Stock Market, not Trump’s. I didn’t take over until January 20th.

US official tells international court of justice hearing that it backs Israel’s stance on the agency, which says Israel has abused detained staffThere is now a live feed from the international court of justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where the US is giving evidence (see 8.52am). You may need to refresh the blog to see it.An Iranian man convicted of espionage and intelligence cooperation with Israel was executed on Wednesday, Iranian state media reported. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/apr/30/houthis-yemen-us-uk-strikes-israel-icj-gaza-middle-east-crisis-live-updates Author : Amy Sedghi (now) and Martin Belam (ealier) Publish date : 2025-04-30 11:53:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to

The former prime minister called on the government to change course on climate changeDale Vince, the founder of the renewable energy company Ecotricity and Labour party donor, has accused Tony Blair of talking “nonsense” on net zero policy. In a statement he said:This from Tony Blair is net zero nonsense. He talks of growing fossil demand from China, when in fact it has peaked. He says we need less focus on renewable energy and more on carbon capture - one is cheap and abundant and prevents carbon emissions, the other is an incredibly expensive way of trying to deal with

Leaked documents indicate Harita, owner of key nickel mine in Indonesia, did not reveal water contaminationOne of Indonesia’s largest nickel-mining companies, which supplies a mineral critical to the global electric car industry, did not tell the public that local drinking water was polluted, according to documents seen by the Guardian.Indonesia has become the world’s biggest producer of nickel, used in the production of wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicle batteries. But observers have voiced concerns that regulatory oversight in the country has failed to keep up with the rush to develop mines to satisfy booming global demand. Continue reading...

Temperatures south Asians dread each year arrive early as experts talk of ever shorter transition to summer-like heatThe summer conditions south Asian countries dread each year have arrived alarmingly early, and it’s only April. Much of India and Pakistan is already sweltering in heatwave conditions, in what scientists say is fast becoming the “new normal”.Temperatures in the region typically climb through May, peaking in June before the monsoon brings relief. But this year, the heat has come early. “As far as Asia and the Indian subcontinent are concerned, there was a quick transition from a short window of spring conditions

At least 28 people charged in federal court as civil liberties groups condemn ‘enhanced militarization’ of border landsThe US Department of Justice has begun the first criminal prosecutions of migrants for entering a newly declared military buffer zone created along the border with Mexico, according to court filings, Reuters reports.At least 28 migrants were charged were charged in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Monday for crossing into the 170-mile-long, 60ft-wide militarized buffer zone patrolled by active-duty US troops. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/29/migrants-charged-us-mexico-border Author : Robert Mackey Publish date : 2025-04-30 01:30:00 Copyright for syndicated content

The US president has confirmed he’s aware that Anthony Albanese is keen to talk to him about tariffs – and says he’s planning to place a call. Follow today’s news livePolls tracker; Election guide; Interactive seat explorerParty policies; Micro parties explained; Full election coverageGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastDutton yesterday cut short a press conference when asked about his previous comments critical of the media in the preceding days.Asked about the pictures that went viral from Monday, when the tour bus carrying his campaign media got wedged on a Sydney street, Dutton praised the Murray’s

US president will curb some duties on foreign parts in domestically manufactured cars, administration saysBusiness live – latest updatesDonald Trump unveiled plans to water down his sweeping tariffs for US carmakers on Tuesday by curbing some duties on foreign cars and parts, granting a reprieve to an industry that warned his strategy would hike costs for American manufacturers by tens of billions of dollars.Carmakers subject to a 25% tariff on imports will not be subject to other levies Trump has imposed, for example, on steel and aluminum. US automakers will also be allowed to apply for tariff relief on a