The Guardian

Prosecutors say Anthony Odiong exploited his parishioners’ emotional dependency to engage in sexual conduct with themA Roman Catholic priest with ties to Texas and south-east Louisiana and criminally charged with abusing his position as a clergyman to pursue sex with three spiritually vulnerable female congregants faces being taken to trial on all of those cases at once.The Texas district attorney’s office prosecuting Anthony Odiong filed a motion seeking to consolidate the three cases in late March, ahead of a trial date that the Guardian understands has tentatively been set for 4 May. Prepared by McLennan county first assistant district attorney

The rescue of the air man from the F-15E fighter jet was announced by Donald Trump in a late night social media postMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe second crew member of a downed F-15E fighter jet has been rescued by US commandos overnight, ending a dramatic two-day search after the warplane crashed in south-west Iran.The crew member, a colonel and weapons systems officer, had sustained some injuries but was successfully extracted by US special forces, Donald Trump said in a social media post soon after midnight EST. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/iran-search-missing-us-crew-member-downed-fighter-jet-second-day Author : Dan Sabbagh in Jerusalem

Cornerstone of the UK’s Employment Rights Act ‘in danger of becoming a dead duck’, says Unite bossThe government has asked its new employment rights watchdog to reduce the regulatory burden on business, it has emerged, a request that worker advocates said risks turning the agency into “a dead duck”.The Fair Work Agency (FWA), which is being launched on Tuesday, is a cornerstone of Labour’s Employment Rights Act. It will bring together several existing labour enforcement bodies and its responsibilities will include policing the minimum wage, holiday pay and modern slavery. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/05/fair-work-agency-criticised-launch-dead-duck-employment-rights Author : Emiliano Mellino

Iran launches missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait after US president says regime will face ‘all hell’Search for missing US crew member of downed fighter jet enters second dayA former director of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has urged Gulf nations to prevent Donald Trump from turning the region into “a ball of fire”, after the US president’s latest threat to Tehran.Mohamed El-Baradei, who led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 to 2009, also tagged UN and European Union accounts, as well as French president Emmanuel Macron, in his posts online. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/05/middle-east-crisis-live-iran-israel-us-war-trump-strait-hormuz-missing-pilot-downed

Murder charge laid after missing woman’s body discovered in Victorian town of Little River, near MelbourneGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man is set to face court following his arrest as he tried to board an overseas flight after allegedly murdering a woman.The 67-year-old man was arrested at Melbourne international airport on Friday afternoon before he stepped onto an overseas-bound plane, Victoria police said. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/05/man-arrested-attempting-to-board-international-flight-at-melbourne-airport-after-allegedly-murdering-woman-ntwnfb Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date : 2026-04-04 23:58:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Alleged drunk driver in custody after 11 people transported by ground and two by air during Lao New Year paradeMore than 20 people were injured on Saturday after an alleged drunk driver plowed into pedestrians at a Louisiana parade celebrating the Lao New Year, according to KADN-TV (Fox 15).The driver, who has not been publicly identified, is in custody, according to a statement from the Iberia parish sheriff’s office. Some of the injuries are believed to be serious, authorities said. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/04/louisiana-parade-car-crash Author : Uwa Ede-Osifo Publish date : 2026-04-04 22:20:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs

Astronaut calls fellow Canadian Ryan Gosling’s movie ‘extraordinary’ ahead of Artemis II crew’s lunar fly-aroundThe new space movie Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling has gotten a rave review from more than halfway to the moon.Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said on Saturday that he and his Artemis II crewmates got to watch the film with their families before launching on the lunar fly-around. He said it was “a real treat” to view the movie while getting ready for his own space adventure. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/04/project-hail-mary-artemis-ii Author : Guardian staff and agencies Publish date : 2026-04-04 20:09:00 Copyright

Trump ordered data collection after raising concern about race being used as factor in college admissionsA federal judge on Friday halted efforts by the Trump administration to collect data that proves higher education institutions aren’t considering race in admissions.The ruling from the US district court judge F Dennis Saylor IV in Boston granting the preliminary injunction follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. It will only apply to public universities in plaintiffs’ states. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/04/judge-halts-trump-administration-demand-university-applicants-race Author : Associated Press Publish date : 2026-04-04 17:02:00 Copyright for syndicated

Matthew Rodriguez, 18, was apprehended in Pennsylvania in connection to shooting that killed Kaori Patterson-MooreA second suspect in the stray-bullet killing of a seven-month-old baby on a Brooklyn street was arrested on Friday, investigators said, two days after a shooting the New York police department (NYPD) commissioner called “a tragedy that truly shocks the conscience”.Matthew Rodriguez, 18, was apprehended in Pennsylvania by NYPD detectives working with US marshals, according to authorities. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/04/second-suspect-arrested-brooklyn-baby-killing Author : Associated Press and Guardian staff Publish date : 2026-04-04 15:09:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Crew members can now see the moon, which one described as ‘a beautiful sight’, from their spacecraft’s docking hatchThe Artemis II crew are now closer to the moon than the Earth, Nasa has said, as the four astronauts completed the third day of their flight to the moon.“We can see the moon out of the docking hatch right now. It’s a beautiful sight,” said an unnamed member of the crew, which Nasa shared in a post on X on Saturday morning. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/03/artemis-ii-astronauts-rocket-towards-the-moon-after-breaking-free-of-earths-orbit Author : Ashifa Kassam, Jessie Williams and agencies Publish date : 2026-04-04 12:36:00

Senior figures express concerns over medical union’s refusal of pay rise that is higher than offer to other NHS staffTrade unions have privately expressed qualms about the forthcoming doctors’ strikes, expressing frustration at the conduct of the talks and the demands of the British Medical Association.The BMA is pushing for a pay rise higher than the 3.5% offered to doctors by the government, with strikes planned for next week. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/04/trade-unions-bma-pay-talks-demands-doctors-strikes Author : Jessica Elgot and Rowena Mason Publish date : 2026-04-04 10:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Previously unreleased report obtained via freedom of information battle says Pezzullo exceeded ‘boundaries of normal public service practice’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former head of the Department of Home Affairs’ engagement with a Liberal powerbroker was “reckless”, “ill-advised” and beyond the boundaries of normal public service practice, a previously unreleased confidential report found.The independent probe led to the sacking of Michael Pezzullo as secretary of the Department of Home Affairs in November 2023 after it concluded he had breached the government’s code of conduct at least 14 times. This included using his power for

Ray Blanchette admits he may be a ‘little crazy’ as he outlines chain’s hopes of building 1,000 outlets globally“I am a little crazy maybe,” admits Ray Blanchette, a former TGI Fridays kitchen manager who has taken on the revival of the bar-restaurant chain’s UK business in the face of blasting industry headwinds.Blanchette’s family investment firm, Sugarloaf, rescued the Dallas-based parent business from administration in 2025. He then went on to pick up its UK arm in January after the local franchisee got into difficulties, retaining 33 UK restaurants but closing 16, with the loss of 456 jobs. Continue reading... Source

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing an area near where plane came down in south-western Iran; Israeli military strikes ‘Hezbollah infrastructure’ in Lebanon capitalUS F-15E jet confirmed shot down over Iran as Tehran releases wreckage imagesHello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran and its impact on the region, the world and the global economy.Iranian and American forces were racing each other early on Saturday to recover a crew member of the first US fighter jet to go down inside Iran since the start of the war.Tehran rejected a US proposal for

Budget proposal released on Friday outlines president’s desire to revive former federal prison in San Francisco BayDonald Trump is asking for $152m to restore Alcatraz, a former federal prison off the coast of San Francisco, according to a budget proposal released on Friday for the 2027 fiscal year.Last May, Trump first called upon the Department of Justice, the FBI and Homeland Security to rebuild the prison. He heaped praise on Alcatraz’s reputation in a Truth Social post. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/03/trump-alcatraz-prison Author : Uwa Ede-Osifo Publish date : 2026-04-04 00:09:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer says that his party ‘will make sure it never passes’Trump announces ‘fraud’ crackdown in Democratic statesSign up for the Breaking News US emailA reminder that my colleagues are covering the latest out of the Middle East at our dedicated live blog.This includes Donald Trump’s recent comments on Truth Social that “with a little more time” he could open strait of Hormuz. The president added that reopening the vital passageway would allow the US to “TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD.” Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/apr/03/trump-justice-department-bondi-blanche-epstein-latest-updates

Officials say other remains missing in first downing of US fighter plane since start of warMiddle East crisis – live updatesOne US service member has been rescued after a US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter was shot down over Iran, prompting a frantic effort to locate its two-strong crew, in the first such incident since the war began almost five weeks ago.US officials familiar with the situation said one crew member was still missing late on Friday, after Iranian state media released images of a tail fin and other debris accompanied by an initial claim that an advanced US F-35 had

Academics and youth workers say cuts to services, not social media, help explain recent unrest in south LondonIt started with a flyer sent around on Snapchat. Teenagers were invited to gather in a south London basketball court to celebrate the start of the Easter holidays. They were told to bring their own weed and laughing gas because it was going to be a late one.What followed in the hours after was chaos. Hundreds of young people came to the “link-up”, which happened last Saturday, and then gathered on Clapham High Street. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/03/experts-respond-to-mass-teen-meet-ups-clapham-london Author : Sammy

Petrol has risen 19% and diesel 35%, and in England the north has had the sharpest increasesFuel prices have risen faster in Northern Ireland than in any other UK region since the beginning of the Iran war.Analysis of official data shows that petrol has jumped by 19% in Northern Ireland since the end of February, and diesel is now 35% more expensive. The rises are among the largest in Europe. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/apr/03/fuel-prices-northern-ireland-surge-iran-war-petrol Author : Krystina Shveda and Olivia Lee Publish date : 2026-04-03 14:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Country is torn between those who hope for end to Tehran’s influence and those loyal to Islamic republicOf all the countries being pulled into the US-Israeli war on Iran, it is Iraq – a country that still bears the emotional and physical scars of the last time the Americans tried to reshape the region by force – where the conflict has exposed some of the deepest rifts.The war is dividing those who see the attacks on Iran as a way to end Tehran’s longstanding influence over Iraqi politics from the self-declared loyalists of the Islamic republic, and cutting through state

Anna Turley questions revised £25,000 figure for failed attempt to reach Chagos Islands on jet linked to billionaireLabour has queried Nigel Farage’s claim that a return trip to the Maldives on a private jet linked to a billionaire donor cost as little as £25,000 as the Reform leader attempted to reach the Chagos Islands.Farage initially recorded his two-day trip to the Maldives as costing £12,500 funded by Thailand-based Reform megadonor Christopher Harborne, before upgrading this to £25,000 in the latest register of interests. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/03/labour-challenges-farage-over-cost-of-private-jet-trip-to-maldives Author : Rowena Mason Whitehall editor Publish date : 2026-04-03 08:21:00

Iranian foreign minister criticises security council vote on military protection for shipping in the strait a ‘provocative action’Full report: Trump warns Tehran ‘more to follow’ after strike destroys Iran’s largest bridgeIran has said a second US F-35 fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, with the state news agency saying it’s unlikely the pilot survived, Reuters reports.The incident comes as Iran has been firing on targets across the Middle East, on Friday, including firing missiles at Israel and Bahrain, and setting alight an oil refinery in Kuwait with drone attacks. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/03/middle-east-crisis-live-trump-urges-iran-to-make-deal-after-bridge-strike Author : Wendy

People receive rehab only three to four days a week in hospital – and one to two days once they are discharged, data suggestsThe NHS is failing stroke patients and limiting their chances of recovery because of a shortage of rehabilitation care staff, health leaders have said.More people are surviving strokes than ever before in the UK. But their hopes of getting better are being dashed because of a lack of physiotherapists and other specialist staff, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Neurology. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/apr/03/nhs-rehabiliation-care-staff-shortage-stroke-patients Author : Andrew

Health minister Mark Butler says federal government is ‘not negotiating’ when it comes to removing price protections on common medicationsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia will not cave in to pressure from pharmaceutical giants and the Trump administration by removing consumer price protections on common medications, the health minister, Mark Butler says.Donald Trump imposed a new 100% tariff on branded pharmaceuticals imported into the US overnight, Australian time, trying to force manufacturers to agree to drug-pricing deals or commit to making their products domestically. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/03/australia-says-it-wont-raise-drug-prices-after-trumps-100-tariff-on-pharmaceuticals-imported-into-us Author : Tom McIlroy and

Ryan Bridge is co-founder of Raise the Colours, which has been criticised for anti-immigrant rhetoric The leader of a flag campaign group has been arrested on suspicion of causing religiously and racially aggravated harassment.Ryan Bridge is the co-founder of Raise the Colours, which has put up hundreds of union and Saint George flags across England and attracted criticism for spreading anti-immigrant rhetoric. He was arrested on Tuesday and released on police bail the following day. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/02/uk-flag-raising-group-leader-arrested-alarm-distress-raise-the-colours Author : Neha Gohil Midlands correspondent Publish date : 2026-04-02 22:41:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked