Latest archive: Apr 13, 2026 Open archive calendar
Australia news live: Sydney to get first new cathedral in more than a century; Qantas flight circles off coast for nearly three hours
The Guardian World

Australia news live: Sydney to get first new cathedral in more than a century; Qantas flight circles off coast for nearly three hours

Irish architect Niall McLaughlin will lead the design of the Roman Catholic cathedral in the suburb of Waitara Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Sydney is getting its first new Roman Catholic Cathedral in more than a century, part of a massive 7.7-hectare integrated precinct in the northern suburb of Waitara. Irish architect Niall McLaughlin, winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Royal Gold Medal, will lead the design. The new cathedral is expected to be a unifying force for more than 250,000 Catholics in more than two dozen parishes in the Diocese of Broken Bay, stretching from the lower north shore to the Central Coast. Continue reading...

I do not fear Trump, says Pope Leo after US president calls him ‘weak’
I do not fear Trump, says Pope Leo after US president calls him ‘weak’

Leader of Catholic church says he will continue to speak out against war after president’s extraordinary criticism Middle East crisis – live updates Europe live – latest updates Pope Leo said he did not fear the Trump administration and would continue to speak out against war after Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against him in which he said he did not think the Chicago-born pontiff was “doing a very good job”, while also suggesting he should “stop catering to the radical left”. In remarks that have been widely criticised, the US president used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticise Leo while he flew from Florida to Washington on Sunday night, then continued in comments on the tarmac to reporters. “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” he said. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 6 hours ago
Republican Tony Gonzales to step down from Congress amid expulsion threat
Republican Tony Gonzales to step down from Congress amid expulsion threat

Gonzales, who admitted affair with aide who later died by suicide, says he will file retirement from office on Tuesday US politics live – latest updates Representative Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, announced on Monday he was stepping down from Congress after acknowledging an extramarital affair with a staffer. Gonzales, who was facing a growing threat of expulsion by his colleagues, admitted last month that he had an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 6 hours ago
Middle East crisis live: Donald Trump claims Iran ‘wants to work a deal’ and confirms blockade of strait of Hormuz
Middle East crisis live: Donald Trump claims Iran ‘wants to work a deal’ and confirms blockade of strait of Hormuz

US president claims Iran ‘called this morning’ and says blockade of ships transiting the strait has begun Circling back to Donald Trump’s coming naval blockade, the US military said it would block all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 10am ET on Monday (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT) , effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz. “The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” US Central Command said on X. This is like a game of chicken. It’s who caves first. The Iranian regime is hoping that Trump will cave. Today, he showed he’s not.” Continue reading...

The Guardian World 6 hours ago
Texas man accused of throwing molotov cocktail at Sam Altman home charged
Texas man accused of throwing molotov cocktail at Sam Altman home charged

FBI alleges Daniel Moreno-Gama, 20, captured on camera throwing explosive device outside home of OpenAI chief A Texas man was charged with hurling a molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and attempting to set fire to the AI firm’s headquarters. Daniel Moreno-Gama, 20, was captured on surveillance video throwing an incendiary device outside Altman’s San Francisco residence, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation affidavit filed in federal court on Monday. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 6 hours ago
‘Little progress’ in stopping drug drones at HMP Manchester, watchdog says
‘Little progress’ in stopping drug drones at HMP Manchester, watchdog says

Chief inspector for England and Wales says prison remains in ‘precarious state’ more than year after urgent notification The Prison Service has made “very little progress” in enforcing a formal demand to stop drones from delivering drugs into one of its worst performing jails, a watchdog has concluded. Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales, said HMP Manchester remained in a “precarious state” after a failure to fix broken windows and install security to stop contraband being delivered to gangs. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 6 hours ago
Cultural venues in England to share £130m under Arts Everywhere scheme
Cultural venues in England to share £130m under Arts Everywhere scheme

Galleries, theatres, museums and libraries to benefit from largest cash injection into the arts for a decade More than 100 cultural venues, museums, and libraries will share £130m extra funding as part of the largest cash injection into the arts for a decade, ministers have announced. The investment forms part of the Arts Everywhere Fund, a £1.5bn package to support cultural infrastructure projects over the course of this parliament, which was announced by the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, earlier this year . The fund aims to save more than 1,000 arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 6 hours ago
NSW promises more fast chargers and electric trucks in revamped EV policy
NSW promises more fast chargers and electric trucks in revamped EV policy

Premier Chris Minns says policy will give road users a ‘real alternative’ that’s cheaper than petrol Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Electric truck development and building more stations to charge them will be core pillars of a state’s revamped electric vehicle strategy designed to ease the pressure of rising fuel costs. The New South Wales government unveiled its 2026 EV strategy on Tuesday in an effort to give confidence to motorists hesitant about switching from their increasingly pricey petrol cars. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 6 hours ago
Democrat Eric Swalwell to resign from Congress over sexual assault allegations
Democrat Eric Swalwell to resign from Congress over sexual assault allegations

Decision comes after House ethics committee announced it had opened an investigation into congressman Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, said on Monday he would resign from Congress following multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct that ended his bid for governor. Swalwell was a facing a growing chorus of bipartisan calls for him to step down or face an expulsion vote, a day after he announced that he would suspend his campaign for governor of California. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 7 hours ago
US starts naval blockade of Iranian ports after deadline passes
US starts naval blockade of Iranian ports after deadline passes

Iran warns Americans they face higher pump prices due to prohibition imposed on Monday evening Middle East crisis – live updates The US blockade of ships using Iranian ports in the Gulf began on Monday evening, turning the six-week-old conflict between the US-Israeli coalition and Iran into a test of economic endurance. US Central Command (Centcom) made no formal announcement of the start of the blockade but had said it would take effect at 5.30pm Iranian time (3pm UK time) on Monday, and would apply to any ships entering or departing Iranian ports or coastal areas, while ships using non-Iranian ports would not be impeded. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 7 hours ago
Taking Tylenol during pregnancy has no link to autism, new study finds
Taking Tylenol during pregnancy has no link to autism, new study finds

Trump has pushed unfounded claims of Tylenol use in pregnancy being tied to ‘a very increased risk of autism’ Taking acetaminophen – known in the US by the brand name Tylenol – during pregnancy has no effect on later autism diagnoses, according to a sweeping new study from Denmark published on Monday. The Trump administration has targeted Tylenol use in pregnancy as a major cause of autism in children, which appears to have led to a drop in pregnant people taking the pain reliever. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 9 hours ago
Bahamas police again question US man over disappearance of wife at sea
Bahamas police again question US man over disappearance of wife at sea

Brian Hooker says wife Lynette fell overboard from dinghy but family members have cast doubt on that account Police in the Bahamas on Monday were set to again interview a US man who said his wife fell overboard from their boat. In a statement on Sunday to the Guardian, Brian Hooker’s attorney, Terrel Butler, said: “The police have requested another interview with [Brian Hooker] tomorrow.” Continue reading...

The Guardian World 10 hours ago
Brazil’s former spy chief who fled country arrested by ICE agents in US
Brazil’s former spy chief who fled country arrested by ICE agents in US

Alexandre Ramagem fled country after he was sentenced to 16 years for his role in plotting military coup in Brazil When Brazil ’s former president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison for an attempted coup, six other members of his cabinet were also found guilty and all began serving their sentences – except for one. Days before the verdict, Alexandre Ramagem, Bolsonaro’s former spy chief, fled by car to Guyana and boarded a flight to the United States, where he has remained ever since. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 11 hours ago
Vance’s bad week: vice-president risks becoming face of two Trump foreign policy failures
Vance’s bad week: vice-president risks becoming face of two Trump foreign policy failures

Orbán is out in Hungary and talks have failed to end the war in Iran – ill-fated road trip has been setback for Maga aims Shortly before JD Vance’s ill-fated week crisscrossing the world, Donald Trump asked him during a private Easter brunch about how the Iran negotiations were shaping up. “If it doesn’t happen, I’m blaming JD Vance,” Trump said to laughs in the room. “If it does happen, I’m taking full credit.” The joke at Vance’s expense contained an unfortunate nugget of truth: this is not an administration that rewards failure. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 11 hours ago
Colombia to cull up to 80 hippos descended from Pablo Escobar zoo
Colombia to cull up to 80 hippos descended from Pablo Escobar zoo

Dozens of feral pachyderms linked to drug kingpin to be killed because of threat to native species and villagers Colombian officials have authorized a plan to cull dozens of hippos descended from animals brought to the country in the 1980s by Pablo Escobar, after the feral beasts displaced native species and threatened local villagers. The environment minister, Irene Vélez, said the decision was reached because other methods to control their population had been expensive and unsuccessful, including neutering some of the animals or moving them to zoos. Vélez said that up to 80 hippos would be affected by the measure. She did not say when the hunting would begin. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 11 hours ago
Orbán’s defeat holds lessons for US: ‘Autocrats may rise, but are not invincible’
Orbán’s defeat holds lessons for US: ‘Autocrats may rise, but are not invincible’

Stunning loss of rightwing populist in Hungary carries symbolic significance for opponents of Donald Trump For US Democrats seeking rays of light in the dark landscape of Donald Trump’s authoritarian onslaught, illumination has arrived from the unlikely source of Budapest. Viktor Orbán’s stunning defeat in Hungary’s general election – ending 16 years of unbroken rule for his governing Fidesz party – carries symbolic and psychological significance for American politics out of all proportion to the central European country’s modest size and distance from the US. Continue reading...

The Guardian World 12 hours ago
Jorginho calls Chappell Roan security incident a ‘misunderstanding’
Jorginho calls Chappell Roan security incident a ‘misunderstanding’

Flamengo footballer previously accused pop star’s security of aggressive behavior to his 11-year-old stepdaughter The Chappell Roan security incident raises a bigger question: what do celebrities owe their fans? The Flamengo footballer Jorginho has clarified his comments on last month’s incident between his 11-year-old stepdaughter and a security guard in Brazil, calling his previous claims against Chappell Roan “a misunderstanding”. “I made my initial statement in the heat of the moment, after hearing that my child and wife had been approached by an adult male security guard in an intimidating way,” Jorginho wrote on Instagram. “I reacted as any father would. My priority is, and always will be, protecting my family, and that is exactly what I did.” Continue reading...

The Guardian World 12 hours ago