• Lancashire town locked down ‘after grenade donated to heritage centre’

    Emergency services corden off large area of Darwen while army bomb disposal unit removes and destroys grenadeA town centre in Lancashire was placed in lockdown on Saturday, with British army bomb disposal experts forced to remove and destroy a grenade.It is understood that a member of the public had donated items to a heritage centre in Darwen which included the grenade. Continue reading...

  • Australia pledges $100m in military assistance to Ukraine as Richard Marles visits

    The deputy prime minister says Australia remains committed to Ukraine’s war effort as it struggles to hold back Russian advancesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government has announced a new $100m assistance package for Ukraine, which includes munitions and military equipment, during a visit to the country by the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles.Australia’s package will include $50m in military assistance, including $30m towards uncrewed aerial systems, and $15m towards other high-priority equipment such as combat helmets, rigid hull inflatable boats, boots, fire masks and generators.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

  • Payslip wars: Australian jobseekers suffer harassment in ‘a crazy system that doesn’t work for anyone’

    Private job providers can claim public money when jobseekers find work. But they need their payslips to do so, and some resort to extreme methods to get themGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA former employee of one of Australia’s biggest job network providers has spoken up about the extreme methods they use to claim public money when jobseekers find employment.One researcher called the process – supposedly designed to help people enter the workforce or increase their hours – a “crazy system that doesn’t work for anyone”. Continue reading...

  • Tory staff running network of anti-Ulez Facebook groups riddled with racism and abuse

    Investigation finds groups hosting Islamophobic attacks on London mayor Sadiq Khan, white supremacist slogans and antisemitic conspiracy theoriesConservative party staff and activists are secretly operating a network of Facebook groups that have become a hotbed of racism, misinformation and support for criminal damage.An investigation has identified 36 groups that appear to be separate grassroots movements opposing the expansion of ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) schemes to reduce air pollution. They do not say they were set up by the Conservatives as part of a coordinated political campaign. Continue reading...

  • SNP split from Greens boosts Keir Starmer’s election chances, say Labour insiders

    As first minister Humza Yousaf fights to stay in power, sources believe fallout from defunct coalition could help Labour win seats at general electionAn increasingly bitter split between the SNP and the Greens has brought even more Scottish parliamentary seats into play for Keir Starmer, Labour figures believe, amid a desperate fight by the first minister, Humza Yousaf, to stay in power.Yousaf has already refused to rule out a Holyrood election as he faces damaging no-confidence motions this week. On Saturday he wrote to the leaders of Scotland’s political parties in an attempt to find “common ground” following his decision to axe a coalition with the Scottish Greens that had propped up his government. Yousaf maintained that it would be a “poor choice” for the Greens to back a no-confidence motion in his minority government. Continue reading...

  • Baltimore teacher accused of using AI to create fake, racist recording of principal

    Dazhon Darien arrested over fake recording of principal complaining about students and faculty membersA high school athletics director suspected of using artificial intelligence to create a fake, racist recording of a principal in Baltimore has been arrested by police.Police arrested 31-year-old Dazhon Darien of Pikesville high school on Thursday after an investigation into an AI-generated recording which featured the duplicated voice of the school’s principal, Eric Eiswert. Officers allege that Eiswert was investigating Darien in connection with the potential mishandling of school funds when the latter man purportedly created the recording. Continue reading...

  • Sunak: rise in asylum seekers in Ireland proves Rwanda plan ‘having impact’

    UK PM points to Irish deputy PM’s claim that threat of being deported led people to cross border from Northern IrelandAn increase in asylum seekers heading to to Ireland proves that the Conservative party’s Rwanda plan is working, Rishi Sunak has claimed.In an interview with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips that will air on Sunday morning, the prime minister said the “deterrent is already having an impact because people are worried about coming here”. Continue reading...

  • UK weighing sending troops into Gaza to distribute aid

    Risk-filled mission to escort aid from US-built floating pier into combat zone under consideration in defence ministryBritain’s defence ministry is considering sending troops into Gaza to escort trucks of aid being driven off a giant floating pier built by the US military, a UK defence source has said.The pier is due to be completed next month in the eastern Mediterranean, and then it will be pushed towards the Gaza shore. But the US president, Joe Biden, has pledged that American forces managing the project will not set foot on land there. Continue reading...

  • Iraq makes same-sex relations punishable by up to 15 years in jail

    Amendments to anti-prostitution law also enable courts to sentence trans people to three years in prisonIraq’s parliament has passed a bill making same-sex relations punishable by up to 15 years in prison, in a move condemned as an “attack on human rights”.Transgender people will also be sentenced to three years in jail under the amendments to a 1988 anti-prostitution law, which were adopted during a session attended by 170 out of 329 lawmakers on Saturday. Continue reading...

  • Rageh Omaar says he was ‘determined to finish’ after becoming unwell on air

    ITV’s international affairs editor became unwell while presenting News at Ten on Friday and is recovering at homeRageh Omaar has thanked everyone for their “kindness and good wishes” as he recovers at home on Saturday after being treated in hospital.The ITV News international affairs editor was presenting the News at Ten on Friday evening when he appeared shaky and to be having difficulty reading the news bulletins. Continue reading...