Refuses

Mamata Banerjee says Narendra Modi’s party ‘forcefully captured’ election that ended her party’s 15 years in powerA political showdown is taking place in the Indian state of West Bengal as the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee – India’s most powerful female politician – has dramatically refused to resign after she lost elections to the prime minister’s party this week.On Monday, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) won an overwhelming victory in the state elections in West Bengal, where Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress party (TMC) have been in power for 15 years. Continue reading...

French publication Le Monde says Laure Ferrari ‘dodged’ question when quizzed over property purchase in ClactonNigel Farage’s partner, Laure Ferrari, has refused to confirm how she paid for a house in the Reform leader and MP’s constituency of Clacton, adding “there’s more than one way to pay for a house”.In an interview with French publication Le Monde, Ferrari was questioned over revelations in the Guardian that she had purchased a house in her name in Clacton after Farage had claimed to be the buyer. Continue reading...

Home secretary indicates Whitehall talks about returns programme, a move that would shock humanitarian groupsShabana Mahmood has refused to rule out sending rejected Afghan asylum seekers back to the Taliban-controlled country.The home secretary said she is “monitoring very closely” talks between Kabul and EU countries about a returns programme for refused claimants. She also indicated that “additional conversations” about Afghan returns were happening inside Whitehall. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Indonesia reports growing number of attempts by Chinese nationals to organise boat journeys, as Australian authorities refuse to reveal detailsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government has refused to reveal how many Chinese nationals have arrived in Australia by boat since 2024, saying that disclosing the figure may harm relations with other countries.However, reports by Indonesian police show that there has been a consistent trend of Chinese nationals attempting to reach Australia through Indonesia as an alternative to “zouxian”, or “walking the line” – the illegal migration route from Mexico to the US through the Darian Gap. Continue reading...

The right to protest is ‘fundamentally American’, says Bajun Mavalwalla who awaits trial and faces six years in prisonThis story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer CenterA US military veteran arrested on federal conspiracy charges after participating in a June 2025 protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told the Guardian he refuses to plead guilty and is ready to face justice. Continue reading...

• President Trump is suggesting he may delay his planned visit to China at month's end unless Beijing helps reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address soaring oil prices from the Iran war. • U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Monday in Paris with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for trade talks intended to pave the way for Trump's Beijing trip, with a U.S.-China tariff truce currently in place. • Trump's administration is seeking international assistance with naval escort efforts in the strait after initial unilateral approaches proved insufficient as oil prices escalated.

Austrian officials took action after airline ignored court order to pay €890 to unnamed womenBailiffs have boarded a Ryanair aircraft after the airline refused to pay compensation to a passenger whose flight was delayed.Austrian officials took action after the budget carrier ignored a court order to pay the unnamed woman €890 (£742) in legal costs and compensation for a delayed flight two years ago. Continue reading...

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced last week Spain would refuse US access to naval and air bases in southern Spain for strikes on Iran. Iceland and the Netherlands joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. These developments occur amid US-led coalition actions in the Middle East. The moves signal growing international divisions over the escalating conflicts.