Who is Erika Hayes? The first witness set to be called in Hunter Biden's trial - General news - NewsLocker (2024)

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is on trial for gun related charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Russia-Ukraine war live: EU accession talks to start soon, von der Leyen says, as Zelenskiy hopes for billions in aid

Ukraine has fulfilled all necessary reform requirements to join bloc, European Commission president says; recovery conference set to address Ukraine’s reconstruction needsRussian tactical nuclear drills were made necessary by the tensions in Europe and the hostile actions of the US and European powers, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.Peskov told a briefing that drills such as the ones Russia is carrying out together with Belarus were normal practice. Continue reading...

Tories would abolish main rate of self-employed national insurance, Sunak says as he launches Tory manifesto – UK politics live

Prime minister pledges to cut taxes including main rate of national insurance for self employedSign up for Election Edition, our UK general election newsletterMomentum, the leftwing Labour group set up when Jeremy Corbyn was leader, is not happy about Keir Starmer’s jibe about Corbyn’s manifesto.Labour’s 2019 manifesto was fully costed.
Keir should know, he stood on it as a member of the shadow cabinet.
How about stopping attacking your own side during an election @Keir_Starmer

French politicians in ‘national seduction’ campaign to form marriages of convenience before snap election – Europe live

Political leaders rush to form alliances before vote in France with far right saying they are ‘ready to govern’Around one in two voters took part in the European elections last week, with the latest data showing turnout almost static.According to figures released by the European parliament on Tuesday, the 2024 turnout was 50.93%, a tiny improvement on the 50.66% reported in 2019. Continue reading...

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Israel-Gaza war live: Hamas’ statement it accepts UN ceasefire resolution is ‘hopeful sign’, Blinken says

Senior Hamas official says it will accept the UN security council resolution calling for Hamas to agree to a three-phase hostage-for-ceasefire proposalIsrael’s military has said it has intercepted some of a barrage of about 50 projectiles fired towards the Golan Heights from the direction of Lebanon. In a statement the IDF said:Following the sirens that sounded in northern Israel a short while ago, approximately 50 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into the area of the cent

Revealed: drug cartels force migrant children to work as foot soldiers in Europe’s booming cocaine trade

Exclusive: Guardian investigation shows white powder trail linking hundreds of vulnerable African minors with ruthless gangsBeaten and tortured: the north African children paying a bloody price for Europe’s insatiable appetite for cocaineHundreds of unaccompanied child migrants across Europe are being forced to work as soldiers for increasingly powerful drug cartels to meet the continent’s soaring appetite for cocaine, a Guardian investigation has found.EU police forces have warned o

French far-right leaders hint at talks on election pact with Les Républicains

Any alliance with National Rally would be a departure for mainstream right, while left forms ‘popular front’Europe live – latest updatesThe French far-right leaders Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen have hinted they are in negotiations with members of the mainstream right to field joint candidates in the snap general election this month.As political parties scrambled to form alliances after Emmanuel Macron’s shock decision to dissolve parliament on Sunday, conservative le

Rail firm FirstGroup plans to expand cut-price Lumo services

Train and bus group applies for more ‘open access’ services as government attempts to increase competitionBusiness live – latest updatesBritish transport operator FirstGroup has applied for two more “open access” services outside the major train operating contracts as the government attempts to increase competition on the rail network and cut fares.Open access means the operator takes full commercial risk, running services on infrastructure owned by a third party, o

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Gary Glitter ordered to pay more than £500,000 to woman he abused

Disgraced paedophile pop star told to pay £508,800 in damages including for lost earnings and future therapy The disgraced paedophile pop star Gary Glitter has been ordered by a high court judge to pay £508,800 in damages to one of the women he abused.Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, is being sued after his 2015 conviction for abusing the claimant and two other young people between 1975 and 1980. Continue reading...

US elections 2024: seven key House races to watch

Democrats only need to flip a handful of seats to get back control of the lower chamber – here’s what to keep an eye onMuch attention has been paid to the rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in November, but the results of down-ballot elections will determine whether the victor in the presidential race will actually be able to implement his legislative agenda next year.With Republicans defending a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, Democrats only need to flip a h

Trump’s ‘Project 2025’ plot would take ‘wrecking ball’ to US institutions, key Democrat warns

Jared Huffman sounds alarm over extremist manifesto for second Trump term produced by Heritage FoundationThe blueprint for a potential second Donald Trump presidency known as Project 25 would take “a wrecking ball” to America’s democratic norms and institutions, a leading Democrat has warned.Representative Jared Huffman spoke to the Guardian ahead of the launch of a congressional working group designed to sound the alarm about the rightwing roadmap and ensure that Trump never h

Claims of rigged system by convict Trump and allies ‘threaten rule of law’

Ex-prosecutors and historians warn that Republicans’ parroting of ex-president’s wild allegations of political bias could erode trust and lead to violenceDonald Trump is posing new threats to prosecutors, judges and the rule of law in the US by ratcheting up vitriolic attacks on the American legal system, which many Republican allies and far-right media are loudly echoing, ex-prosecutors and historians said.Fears are growing that Trump’s conspiratorial screeds on his Truth Soci

Beefeater owner threatened with legal action over plan for 1,500 job cuts

Union claims Whitbread, which also owns Premier Inn, has not consulted properly with restaurant staffHundreds of workers from restaurants including Brewers Fayre, Table Table and Beefeater outlets are threatening their parent company Whitbread with legal action over alleged poor consultation on 1,500 planned job cuts and closures.The Unite union has written to Whitbread, which also owns Premier Inn hotels, saying it is considering launching employment tribunal claims for unfair dismissal. It say

UK unemployment is up, but wage rises make early interest rate cut less likely

Bank of England will want to delay rate reduction until level of pay increases easesUK unemployment rises by 138,000 as jobs market weakensBusiness live – latest updatesPrivate sector employers have cancelled job adverts and shed workers at a steady rate over the last year.According to the latest labour market data covering the three months to the end of April, the number of workers in the manufacturing sector was down from the same month last year. Continue reading...

PM says voters don’t want another climate election – as it happened

This blog is now closedCoalition won’t reveal 2030 emissions target unless it wins election, Peter Dutton saysGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastMurray Watt says the opposition has “started the new climate wars” after Barnaby Joyce and Keith Pitt, two senior Nationals, called for Australia to pull out of the Paris agreement. You can read more on this from Karen Middleton below:Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Watt said:We’re back to th

Canadian judge is latest to step down from Hong Kong’s top court

Beverley McLachlin’s decision comes after British judge Lord Sumption quit court of final appeal, condemning ‘impossible political environment’A former chief justice of Canada’s supreme court has announced she is stepping down from Hong Kong’s court of final appeal – the latest in a string of departures amid concerns about judicial independence from China.Beverley McLachlin, 80, said she would be leaving the territory’s top court when her term ends next

What constituency am I in? New boundary map for UK general election – and how changes may affect you

Boundary changes mean the 2024 British general election will be fought in altered seats. Enter your postcode to see a map of your constituency and how these seats would have voted in 2019UK general election opinion polls tracker: Labour leading as election loomsThe seats the Tories will lose if the polls are rightThe general election on 4 July will be fought across 650 new constituencies after boundary changes were approved by parliament.With only 77 constituencies remaining unchanged, the bound

Confused Coalition stance on 2030 emissions target risks ‘chasing away’ investment, Albanese says

Prime minister says there will be ‘regrettable’ consequences for global relationships after Liberal leader won’t commit to 2030 targetFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has accused Peter Dutton of being “afraid of the future” and risking “chasing away” investment in clean energy in Australia, after the opposition leader confir

Australian Border Force searched phones of 10,000 travellers in past two years, data shows

Exclusive: About one in four people stopped at border had some data copied from their devices by Australian Border ForceFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAustralian border force officers obtained passcodes to the devices of almost 10,000 people in the past two years, new data obtained by Guardian Australia reveals, with most people who were ordered to hand over their phones willingly providing the passco

Two people held in Australian immigration detention longer than necessary due to email mishaps

Commonwealth ombudsman’s report says another five people ‘inappropriately detained’ in 2022-23, though numbers are fallingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAt least two people were held in Australian immigration detention centres for longer than necessary after emails for their release were missed by staff, an independent watchdog has revealed.Another three people had been “inappr

Hong Kong is ‘slowly becoming a totalitarian state​’, says UK judge

​L​ord Sumption, who last week quit territory’s top court​, speaks out on ‘paranoid atmosphere’ under Chinese ruleA British judge has described the “paranoid atmosphere” in Hong Kong as he explained his decision to step down from the territory’s top court.Jonathan Sumption, along with another British judge, Lawrence Collins, last week resigned from Hong Kong’s court of final appeal (CFA). Continue reading...

Cranbrook School settles with former headmaster as he files complaint with ABC ombudsman

Nicholas Sampson claims Four Corners story that led to his resignation was ‘wildly inaccurate’ and ‘biased’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe former headmaster of Sydney’s prestigious Cranbrook School has lodged a “detailed complaint” with the ABC ombudsman after the broadcast of a Four Corners program about the school earlier this year.In a statement released

Drowned women were picnicking when freak wave swept them from rocks in Kurnell, Sydney police say

Sydney Malayalee Association confirms the identity of two women who died after being hit by wave while picnickingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe Sydney Malayalee community is mourning the deaths of two women who were swept out to sea by a large wave in the city’s south on Monday.In a post to Facebook, the Sydney Malayalee Association confirmed the identities of the two women as 35-year-old M

Four US academics stabbed in park during China visit, say US officials

Group from Cornell College were visiting a temple in Jilin city when they were attacked by a man with a knife, Iowa state representative Adam Zabner saysFour US college instructors teaching in China have been stabbed while visiting a public park, US officials have said.The tutors from Cornell College in Iowa were at the park in Jilin province, north-eastern China with a faculty member from Beihua University on Monday when the attack occurred, college president Jonathan Brand said in a statement.

Singapore Airlines offers $10,000 compensation to those injured in turbulence flight

The airline has said that anyone who sustained serious injuries on SQ321 last month could be entitled to a larger paymentSingapore Airlines has offered US$10,000 compensation payments to passengers who suffered minor injuries during a flight last month that hit sudden, extreme turbulence.On Tuesday, the airline announced that it had sent compensation offers to passengers who were on board flight SQ321 from London to Singapore on 20 May, which dropped 54 metres in altitude in less than five secon

How a far-right push in Europe triggered a shock election in France - podcast

The far right has made significant gains in the European parliament elections. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has responded with a high-stakes gambleAs the results of the EU elections came in, the shocks kept coming. In France, Germany and Italy the far right made serious gains. Just under a quarter of MEPs in the European parliament will be drawn from these parties. But outside the biggest countries the picture was more complicated – in some places, the centre parties held their g

Malawi soldiers search mountain forests after plane carrying vice-president goes missing

President speaks of ‘heartbreaking situation’ after aircraft carrying Saulos Chilima and nine others goes missing in bad weatherSoldiers are searching mountainous forests in northern Malawi after an aircraft carrying vice-president Saulos Chilima and nine others went missing on Monday.The plane carrying Chilima, former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri and eight others left the capital, Lilongwe, at 9.17am and had been expected to land 45 minutes later at Mzuzu international airport, about

Russia expels Austrian journalist after similar move by Vienna against Tass counterpart

Russia's Foreign Ministry on Monday said it has rescinded the accreditation of a correspondent for Austria's public broadcaster ORF and told her to leave the country in response to Austria's expulsion of a journalist for Russian state news agency Tass.The ministry said in a statement that Maria Knips-Witting was ordered to hand over her accreditation and instructed to leave "in the near future." Knips-Witting had been based in Moscow since January, according to ORF's website.WHATEVER HAPPENED TO

Orbán government takes victory lap, despite party's worst-ever performance in EU parliament race

The day after Hungarians voted in the European Parliament elections, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government declared a big win, but missing from the victory speeches was an acknowledgement that it was his party's worst performance in an EU election since Hungary joined the bloc 20 years ago.The lackluster showing can largely be attributed to the emergence of a new political force in Hungary — Péter Magyar, a former insider in Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition, who

Houthis claim 'American-Israeli spy network' members arrested

Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Monday they had arrested members of an "American-Israeli spy network" days after detaining at least 11 U.N. staffers along with others from aid organizations.Maj. Gen. Abdulhakim al-Khayewani, head of the Houthis’ intelligence agency, announced the arrests, saying the spy network had first operated out of the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa. Then after it was closed in 2015 following the Houthi takeover of the capital Sanaa and northern Yemen, they continued "their s