Condemn

Planning permission has been sought for three additional military sites Home Office plans to use three more former military sites to house thousands of asylum seekers have been condemned as “arrogant”, “costly” and “a political fix” by refugee charities and local stakeholders.Planning permission is being sought to build “basic” accommodation at MOD Bicester in Oxfordshire, RAF Barnham in Suffolk and RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, a statement said. These new sites could house 3,750 claimants, the government has claimed. Continue reading...

Elon Musk is a beneficiary of America’s lopsided prosperity – does the country have any appetite for redistribution?As Barack Obama’s presidency was coming to a close, Jason Furman, then chairman of the president’s council of economic advisers, laid out the strides his administration had made to curb the nation’s exorbitant income inequality in “the largest investments in reducing inequality since the Great Society”.Indeed, by the end of 2016, taxes and transfers cut the share of income accruing to the richest 1% of households by just over a fifth, according to estimates from the congressional budget office (CBO), more than under any government since at least Jimmy Carter’s. They raised the slice of income going to the poorest fifth from 3.9% to 7.9%, the highest share since at least 1979.Eduardo Porter is a journalist focused on economics and politics. He writes the newsletter Being There on Substack Continue reading...

Exclusive: health professionals, survivors and politicians voice concerns in open letter over comments by Fatima Maadi Bio, who denies supporting the practiceThe first lady of Sierra Leone has denied that she supports female genital mutilation amid rising anger around her perceived approval of the practice.But in an exclusive response to the Guardian, Fatima Maada Bio, the wife of President Julius Maada Bio, also said she would not openly condemn FGM until she saw “reliable data” that the practice was harmful. Continue reading...

Conservatives accused of attack on ‘crucial safeguards’ and of fostering ‘climate of hostility’ towards judiciaryRefugee groups and lawyers have described Conservative proposals to strip judges of their powers to rule on asylum seekers’ appeals against deportations as “an attack on the concept of justice and equality under the law”.In a speech on Tuesday, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said a Conservative government would quit the European convention on human rights (ECHR) and abolish the judicial tribunal system that claimants use to appeal against their removal. Continue reading...

Josh Hokit’s comment, made after the match at the White House, was condemned widely, but not by the presidentDonald Trump is facing growing pressure to condemn an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor who used a White House appearance to push a sexist, racist and transphobic conspiracy theory about former first lady Michelle Obama.At a UFC event on the south lawn on Sunday, the US president’s 80th birthday, Josh Hokit, a fighter, shouted into the microphone in front of Trump: “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” Continue reading...

Hilary Benn says 16 people arrested and 12 police officers injured during second night of disorderThe Northern Ireland secretary has condemned “racist thuggery” in Belfast after a second night of violent anti-immigration protests, in which 16 people were arrested and 12 police officers were injured.Hilary Benn said during the violence, which followed a serious knife attack on Monday, people were stopped in their cars to be asked where they come from and were targeted because of the colour of their skin. Continue reading...

‘If you are targeting people on the basis of the colour of their skin how else can you describe them?’ said Hilary BennFull report: Police use water cannon against rioters in Northern IrelandGavin Robinson MP, DUP leader, has said borders into the UK need “protecting” more. Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Ulster, he also said that he believed that there was “less” violence last night than on Monday.Of the violence, he said: “You cannot raise your concerns about damage to British values and then behave in such an unBritish way, Continue reading...

Trucks with billboards showing the phrase and Allan wearing a black pointed hat have been seen around Melbourne for about six weeksFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJulia Gillard and Anthony Albanese have joined a chorus of politicians criticising a truck-mounted billboard featuring Victorian premier Jacinta Allan alongside the phrase “ditch the witch”.The billboards, which have been seen travelling through Melbourne for about six weeks, also ran AI-generated images of Allan wearing a black pointed hat and with warts on her chin, in between advertisements for a brothel. Continue reading...

Historians and campaigners accuse US defence secretary of desecrating memory of soldiers who fell in NormandyThe US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been accused by historians and rights campaigners of “grotesque stupidity” and desecrating the memory of the soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy after he sought to link immigration to the D-day anniversary, saying that Europe was facing a different “invasion” of its shores.Speaking in north-west France on Saturday to mark the 82nd anniversary of the D-day landings, Hegseth seized on the moment marking the wartime liberation of Europe to reiterate the US administration’s longstanding attack on European immigration policies. Continue reading...

Draft treaty claims sexual and reproductive health and rights are an existential threat to the African familyAn African treaty that rejects longstanding international human rights obligations moved a step closer to becoming policy this week as governments across the continent met in Ghana.The draft African charter on family, sovereignty and values, seen by the Guardian, asserts that African values and culture are under attack from “foreign ideologies” and urges states to withdraw from any agreements that do not align with the principles of the charter, including the 2003 Maputo protocol, which promotes gender equality and protects the reproductive and health rights of women and girls. Continue reading...

• Qatar has formally condemned Iranian attacks on civilian targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, labeling the actions a "grave violation" of national sovereignty. • The State asserts that these strikes breach the 1949 Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, specifically the principles prohibiting indiscriminate attacks on civilians. • This diplomatic response highlights the regional instability caused by unprovoked aggression and the urgent need to protect non-combatants from the consequences of armed conflict.

Sarah Jones appeals for calm after rioting over the death of Nowak, who was handcuffed while dying from stab woundGood morning. Keir Starmer spoke for many people yesterday when he said that he felt “sick” watching the video of Henry Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying, while a police officer who had been told Nowak had committed a racist assault ignored Nowak saying he had been stabbed. Starmer’s was a good faith response to the tragedy, which saw Nowak’s killer jailed for life on Monday.But there have been plenty of bad faith responses to the murder too, which culminated in rioting in Southampton last night. Here is our overnight story about yesterday’s events. Continue reading...

Community leaders express disgust at Vickrum Digwa over murder of Henry Nowak amid fears of rise in racial tensionsAmandeep Singh, an educator with the charity Basics of Sikhi, is proud of his community’s deeply-rooted place in British society.“We’re a community that has probably been celebrated as one that is very successfully integrated into the British value system,” he said. “We’ve worn kirpans for hundreds of years and since we’ve been invited to settle in this country,” he said. Continue reading...

Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker, who have both been accused of propagating antisemitism, barred from visiting for eventThe UK is failing to protect freedom of speech, prominent activists have said, after the government banned two leftwing US political commentators from entering the country to attend speaking engagements.Cenk Uygur, the host of the Young Turks online political talkshow, and Hasan Piker, who runs his own hours-long stream each day, were both due to appear at SXSW London, while the former said he had also been due to speak at an event run by University of Oxford students. Continue reading...

France has requested an emergency meeting of the UN security council, after the Israeli military captured the medieval Beaufort castleEuropean leaders have condemned Israel’s expanding incursion into Lebanon, after its military captured the medieval Beaufort castle and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed to push even deeper into the country.France’s president Emmanuel Macron called for an end to fighting, saying “nothing justifies the major escalation under way in south Lebanon”. The country’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, has requested a meeting of the UN security council for Monday. Continue reading...

Democrats allege that conservative groups may be propping up campaign of Maureen Galindo for House seatUS politics live – latest updatesA Democratic House candidate in Texas is facing bipartisan condemnation and accusations of antisemitism after she said she wanted to turn an immigration detention facility into a “prison for American Zionists” if elected – leaving Democrats scrambling to ostracize her from the party and alleging that conservative groups may be propping up her campaign.Maureen Galindo is running against Johnny Garcia in next week’s Democratic primary for Texas’ 35th congressional district, which covers parts of San Antonio and portions of the surrounding counties. The district was once solid blue and is currently represented by a Democrat, but the race remains highly competitive after being made much more favorable to the GOP following Texas Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting efforts last summer. Continue reading...

• Saudi Arabia issued a "vehement condemnation" of coordinated drone attacks targeting the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait on May 11, characterizing the strikes as a dangerous escalation threatening regional security. • Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Kuwait attack a "flagrant violation of international law" and emphasized the threat to regional stability posed by the hostile drone strikes. • The attacks signal a dangerous broadening of the Middle East conflict, with multiple Gulf Cooperation Council members targeted simultaneously, raising concerns about maritime trade and oil infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Stone being paid $50,000 a month to ‘rebuild’ relations between Washington and Myanmar’s military-backed governmentUS lobbyist Roger Stone, a longtime friend and ally of Donald Trump, has been condemned for accepting $50,000 a month to “rebuild” relations between Washington and Myanmar’s military-backed government.Myanmar’s leaders have been internationally isolated since seizing power in a coup in 2021, and have repeatedly been accused of atrocities that may amount to war crimes. Activists say the military rulers, which recently held widely condemned “sham” elections, are now trying to reassert themselves abroad. Continue reading...

Russian attack on gas facility in Poltava region kills three energy firm employees and two emergency service workersVolodymyr Zelenskyy has accused the Kremlin of “utter cynicism” for killing five people in overnight strikes at the same time as seeking a truce so it can stage a military parade in Moscow.Three employees of the state energy firm Naftogaz were killed in an initial attack on a gas facility in Ukraine’s central Poltava region, and two emergency service workers died at the scene in a follow-on bombing. Thirty-seven people were injured in the strikes. Continue reading...

Police forcibly broke up protest outside hospital where federal immigration agents took detainee for evaluationSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and other local officials on Monday condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal officers dragged a man out of a hospital building where he had been taken following an arrest, prompting a crowd of protesters to gather outside, where they clashed with police.The incident over the weekend has also drawn scrutiny from critics questioning the New York police department’s response at the scene, in relation to New York City’s sanctuary laws, which bar local police from assisting federal immigration authorities in civil immigration enforcement. Continue reading...

PM said the repost was ‘disgraceful’ after Green leader apologised and said he had shared tweet ‘in haste’Keir Starmer has condemned Zack Polanski as “disgraceful” and unfit to head a political party after the Greens leader shared a social media post critical of the way police tackled the suspect in the Golders Green stabbings.The prime minister said any criticism of the police involved in the arrest was unfair on officers having to make split-second decisions in a moment of potentially grave danger. Continue reading...

Israeli foreign ministry denounce ‘shameful act’ after footage shows man pushing woman to the ground and kicking herA video of an attack on a French Catholic nun and archeological researcher in Jerusalem has caused widespread revulsion and has been denounced as a “shameful act” by Israel’s foreign ministry.In the video, a man runs up behind the nun as she walks down a street and pushes her over with force, so that the victim comes close to hitting her head on a block of stone. After walking away a few paces, the attacker, who appears to be Jewish, returns to kick the nun as she lay on the ground and only stops when a passerby intervenes. Continue reading...

Republican Chris Carr accused of trying to revive bid for governor with indictment – ‘the last gasp of a dying man’Georgia’s top law enforcement official has drawn accusations of using the weight of his office to lift his own political fortunes by bringing a new indictment against protesters of the Atlanta police training center known as Cop City.Amid bluster about “holding the line against antifa”, Georgia attorney general Chris Carr announced charges against three activists late last week even as his bid to become Georgia’s Republican nominee for governor limps along, with less than double-digit support in polling ahead of a 19 May primary. Continue reading...

Star tells awards ceremony: ‘I disagree with everything that this administration stands for, but there’s no place for the kind of violence we saw two nights ago’In the wake of the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner, George Clooney used an awards-show speech to make a plea against “hatred and corruption and cruelty and violence”.Clooney was speaking at an event at the Lincoln Center in New York, where he was given Film at Lincoln Center’s annual Chaplin award, which “recognises an individual’s significant contribution to cinema”. Continue reading...

• The Philippines formally protested on Monday what Manila characterized as 'provocative and illegal' Chinese Coast Guard operations near Second Thomas Shoal, accusing Beijing of obstructing Philippine supply missions. • Philippine Defense Secretary stated that Chinese vessels used water cannons against Filipino boats, damaging equipment and endangering personnel conducting routine resupply operations to occupied Philippine outposts. • The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command reaffirmed commitment to freedom of navigation operations, with Pentagon officials stating they will continue sending naval assets through disputed waters to assert international law compliance.

• China's military conducted unannounced exercises Friday involving naval destroyers and fighter jets near Taiwan's east coast, hours after the US approved a $619 million weapons package for the self-governing island, defense officials on both sides confirmed. • The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued formal diplomatic protests, characterizing the US arms sale as a violation of the one-China principle and warning of "serious consequences" for continued military support to Taiwan. • Taiwan's defense ministry said it is prepared to defend against any military aggression and praised the US commitment; regional analysts warned the escalating military posturing raises risks of unintended conflict.

Uncle Jack Pearson, an army captain, says heckling ‘not in the Anzac spirit’ after welcome to country booed in Sydney, Melbourne and PerthIndigenous speakers booed while Ben Roberts-Smith attends separate Gold Coast eventMarcia Langton: The AFL bans disruptive racists. Surely police can do the same for morons who boo welcome to countryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIndigenous leaders have condemned people who booed welcome to country speeches at Anzac Day dawn services across the country, with an army captain stating “racism is a cancer”.Elders who spoke at services in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth on Saturday morning were booed following a campaign by Fight for Australia, the group formerly known as March for Australia, which has previously staged major anti-immigration rallies. Continue reading...

The Rev Catherine Hutton says ‘hate cannot drive out hate’ after protesters gathered to demand information about suspectsThe minister of a church near the scene of an alleged gang-rape in Epsom has condemned the “intimidating” protest involving hundreds of people gathering in the Surrey town to demand information about the suspects from police.A woman in her 20s is believed to have been assaulted outside Epsom Methodist church in Ashley Road after leaving Labyrinth nightclub on Saturday between 2am and 4am, according to Surrey police. Continue reading...