Protests

President says he had to choose ‘one side or the other’ after breakdown of relations between ministry and military leadersUkraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has defended his decision to dismiss the country’s popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, and confirmed reports that relations had broken down between the ministry and the country’s top army leadership.Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv with the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy said there had been a “challenging dialogue” between Fedorov – widely seen as a reformist and moderniser – and the military’s commander in chief, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi. Continue reading...

Pop star, whose parents are Kosovan Albanian, expresses admiration for demonstrations, which are entering their sixth weekAlbania’s “flamingo revolution” has won its most prominent supporter yet after the pop star Dua Lipa expressed admiration for the protest movement against a Trump family-backed resort in the Balkan state.As demonstrations against the €1.6bn (£0.85bn) real estate project entered a sixth week, the London-born singer, who was partially raised in Pristina, home to her Kosovan Albanian émigré parents, described the civic unrest as “inspiring”. Continue reading...

Royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion hears from professor whose office was occupied by protesters Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Jewish professor has told the royal commission into antisemitism the University of Melbourne needs to show it doesn’t “tolerate misbehaviour” after the expulsion of two pro-Palestine student activists who occupied his office was overturned.Steven Prawer, a professor of physics, said on Tuesday that he had not known at the time if it was a “terrorist attack”. Continue reading...

Innocent man lynched by mob in West Bengal as police killing of suspect further escalates tensionsProtests have engulfed the Indian state of West Bengal after the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl, the subsequent lynching of an innocent man and the police killing of one of the accused.Outrage erupted on Sunday after the body of a missing girl was recovered from a pond in a town just outside the state capital, Kolkata. Continue reading...

Demonstrations at 18 sites set up as radical transformation plan put to board of Europe’s biggest carmakerVolkswagen’s proposal to slash up to 100,000 jobs and close factories faces a major test on Thursday as formal proposals are put to the supervisory board at Europe’s biggest carmaker, with protests planned at all plants in Germany.IG Metall, the influential staff union, has organised demonstrations involving shop stewards and union council members at 18 sites, including the company’s headquarters. It warned the chief executive, Oliver Blume, that he cannot “pass the buck for failures of recent years on to the workforce”. Continue reading...

Amnesty International says Albanese has opportunity to ‘reaffirm mutual commitment’ to rule of law as thousands in diaspora expected at stadium eventGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Australia in three years has sparked calls for the federal government to raise human rights concerns, as excitement builds within the nation’s Indian diaspora.Modi’s visit begins on Wednesday evening and marks his third since becoming prime minister. It will see him return to Melbourne after more than a decade, with a stadium event expected to attract more than 20,000 people. Continue reading...

Incidents involving California state senator Scott Wiener and New York congressman Dan Goldman underscore Israel-Palestine conflict’s role in US electionsTwo recent incidents involving US congressional candidates on opposite coasts have blown up into major controversies, underscoring how the Israel-Palestine conflict has transformed US elections – and illustrating how aggressive protest tactics can spark backlash that overshadows the issues activists meant to highlight.Scott Wiener, a gay Jewish state senator and trans rights advocate who is currently the frontrunner in the race to replace the longtime representative Nancy Pelosi in California’s 11th district, said he felt forced to leave last week’s annual trans pride march in San Francisco after a group of people ran up to him at a local park where the event was taking place, surrounded him and screamed at him over his positions on Israel’s war on Gaza. Continue reading...

More than 2,000 anti-foreigner protesters march through Durban city centre as the arbitrary deadline passes for undocumented migrants to leave the countrySouth Africa was holding its breath on Tuesday as mass anti-immigration protests were held across the country. They come after a weeks-long campaign against foreigners that has seen at least four killed and tens of thousands fleeing for safety.In the coastal city of Durban, where violence had been expected, the streets were unusually quiet and shops were shuttered as tension hung thick in the air. Continue reading...

Government fears repeat of anti-migrant violence in 2008 that led to looting and resulted in deaths of 62 peopleSouth African authorities have deployed police units to towns and cities around the country before planned demonstrations against undocumented foreign nationals.Security personnel were seen patrolling the central business district in Johannesburg, the economic capital, where many shopkeepers decided not to open on Tuesday. Trucks and other assets belonging to the South African National Defence Force were also present, according to local media reports. Continue reading...

Next250’s Declaration of Interdependence, a new art gallery that features Americans’ collective values and hopes for the future, will open in McPherson SquareThousands are expected to gather a block away from the White House today to unveil their vision for America’s future.At the Next250 All of US rally, held a week before the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, organizers will launch their Declaration of Interdependence, an art installation featuring the collective values they believe should define the next 250 years of America’s story. The pledge – a take on the Declaration of Independence, the country’s founding text – aims to build a country where everyone can earn a living wage, have access to green spaces and feel safe in their communities, activists said. Continue reading...

• Iran's economy nearly stagnated in 2025, recording a marginal growth rate of only 0.2% while non-oil GDP experienced a contraction. • The slowdown is attributed to a series of conflicts, including a 12-day war with Israel in the summer and a 40-day conflict involving the U.S. and Israel in the winter, alongside January's nationwide protests. • Long-term structural crises, including severe international sanctions, chronic corruption, mismanagement, and declining investment, have further crippled economic activity.

Spain’s leading festival of photography showcases the work of more than 300 visual artists in nearly 100 exhibitions across the countryPhotoEspaña, Spain’s leading festival of photography, held its official opening in Madrid this month and by September nearly 100 exhibitions will have showcased the work of more than 300 visual artists in the capital and across the country. Loosely corralled under the theme of reimagining, the exhibitions feature work by major figures in Spanish and international photography and less well-known emerging artists.From the series Invisible Line. Photograph: Alejandro Cartagena Continue reading...

Bulldozers sent in to clear roadblocks that have stifled the country as farmers and Indigenous groups protest against conservative president Bolivia’s president declared a state of emergency on Saturday and deployed soldiers and bulldozers to raze anti-government roadblocks that have paralysed the country.For more than six weeks, unions, Indigenous groups and coca farmers have marched through cities and blocked roads across the country with rubble, logs and debris in protest against the conservative government. Continue reading...

• Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his support and encouraged the England national team to "dare to dream" ahead of their participation in the 2026 World Cup. • The tournament is set to take place across North America, with specific environmental protests already being planned to coincide with England's match in Mexico. • This gesture highlights the political significance and national expectation surrounding the team's performance in a major global tournament.

Don Berthiaume, Trump nominee for inspector general at justice department, pressed by senators amid confirmationDonald Trump’s nominee to serve as a top independent watchdog at the Department of Justice has refused to call the January 6 insurrection an “attack” during questioning by US senators.Don Berthiaume, a career justice department employee who has been serving as inspector general at the agency, faced senators as part of his confirmation process to take up the role permanently on Wednesday. Continue reading...

• Activists from an 11-party alliance held a protest march in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on June 15, 2026. • The demonstration targeted India's border actions, specifically citing "push-ins," torture, and border killings. • The event highlights escalating tensions and human rights concerns regarding the management and security of the India-Bangladesh border.

About 1,000 people demonstrated for and against show in north London synagogue promoting sale of property in IsraelAbout 1,000 people protested for and against a show promoting the sale of property in Israel on Sunday, with police making 14 arrests.Those opposed to the event, which was held in a north London synagogue, claimed it was also selling property in land illegally occupied by Israel and is part of an expansionist plan to drive out Palestinians. Organisers denied this was the case. Continue reading...

Event to go ahead at an undisclosed location after Moonee Ponds restaurant cancelled at the eleventh hourFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne Nation has been forced to move a planned fundraising event to an undisclosed location in Melbourne, after the venue decided not to hold it due to planned protest activity. The event was due to be attended by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce.A spokesperson for the party told Guardian Australia on Friday that it would move the fundraiser from Giorgio Casa, a bistro in Moonee Ponds, after Victorian police “did express concern about protest activity at the event”. Continue reading...

• Gen Z students across Asia, particularly in India, are facing an intensifying "examination hell" characterized by extreme academic pressure and a lack of viable job opportunities. • The situation is highlighted by recent "cockroach protests," where students use provocative imagery to symbolize their feelings of being insignificant and discarded by the system. • This crisis matters as it reflects a systemic failure where high educational attainment no longer guarantees employment, leading to widespread mental health struggles and social unrest.

• Protesters have blockaded ballot counting centers for six days as of the 10th, demonstrating against a ballot-paper shortage during the June 3 local elections. • The ruling party is facing significant pressure as the "Jamsil protests" continue, specifically concerning public sentiment regarding "fairness" among the 2030 age demographic. • In response to the unrest and systemic failures, the ruling party has signaled a commitment to implement sweeping reforms of the National Election Commission.

• Members of the "Cockroach Janta Party" organized a rally in New Delhi to lead youth protests against the current educational administration. • The demonstrators are demanding the immediate resignation of the education minister following a series of exam scandals. • The movement symbolizes a widespread loss of faith among India's youth regarding the integrity and fairness of the national examination system.

• The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) launched a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. • The demonstration centers on grievances regarding the NEET 2024 paper leak and alleged irregularities within the CBSE One Mark Question (OSM) system. • Activist Sonam Wangchuk supported the movement, emphasizing that systemic change is required across all Indian institutions, not just within education.

Connor Bishop, 24, Reece Robinson, 21, and Noah Etherington, 18, charged with violent disorder after sentencing of Vickrum DigwaThree more people have been charged with violent disorder after protests in Southampton earlier this week over the murder of Henry Nowak.Connor Bishop, 24, of Southampton; Reece Robinson, 21, of Havant; and Noah Etherington, 18, of Havant, were to appear at Southampton magistrates court on Friday morning, Hampshire police said. Continue reading...

Protest over killing of Nowak and his treatment by police was attended by several far-right leaders, anti-immigrant influencers and known fascistsSome of those who attended a protest in Southampton on Tuesday night were ordinary members of the public, appalled at the killing of Henry Nowak and his treatment at the hands of the police – who handcuffed him after a false accusation of racism by his killer, Vickrum Digwa.But the protest, which turned violent, was also attended by several far-right leaders, anti-immigrant influencers and known fascists. Eleven police officers and a police dog were injured as protesters threw bricks and bins at riot officers. Two people have been arrested. While the violence occurred after many of the speakers at the protest had left, some leading figures could be seen in clashes with riot police. Continue reading...

Conservation groups say work has begun in protected coastal area, while prime minister insists project will bring jobs and investment Protests in Albania over a proposed luxury resort backed by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are set to intensify after opponents rejected an offer from the country’s prime minister “to discuss solutions”.Thousands took to the streets of Tirana for a third straight day on Wednesday, some of them brandishing inflatable flamingos in a nod to feared environmental damage, amid mounting calls for the project to be blocked. Continue reading...

Sarah Jones says guidance that black and white suspects should be treated differently gives ‘wrong impression’Anti-discrimination guidance to police that black and white suspects should be treated differently “gives the wrong impression”, according to the policing minister, who said protesters involved in overnight violence in Southampton should not be allowed to shape the reaction to the murder of Henry Nowak.Two people were arrested after unrest in Southampton after the sentencing of the 18-year-old’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, who told police attending the scene of the stabbing in the city on 3 December 2025 that he had been the victim of a racist attack. Continue reading...

Visits were canceled after detainees began hunger strike, which prompted heated protests outside detention centerFamily visitation at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center is being restored to at least part of the facility, New Jersey’s governor and US homeland security officials confirmed on Sunday morning, after a week during which heated demonstrations at the site were met with aggressive policing tactics.Meanwhile, families of detained immigrants grappled with conflicting information about exactly whom among them would get visitation after the announcement from governor Mikie Sherrill and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). And local officials by Sunday had also indefinitely imposed an overnight curfew beginning at 9pm for a blocked-off area including Delaney Hall. Continue reading...

A day after ICE officials pepper-spray senator, tensions ramp up outside facility on fifth day of hunger and labor strikeChaos breaks out at New Jersey immigration detention center – in picturesProtests against immigration enforcement at a facility where detainees are on a hunger and labor strike erupted in fresh violence on Tuesday night as federal officers sprayed chemicals and charged demonstrators outside the jail in New Jersey.Following hours of relative quiet, a day after masked and armored Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel pepper-sprayed US senator Andy Kim, tension ramped up again outside the Delaney Hall facility on the fifth day of the strike. Continue reading...