Latest articles

The GuardianScandalSouth Africa
South Africa has long been a symbol of liberal progress. This week’s anti-immigrant protests end that | Zanele Mji

South Africa has long been a symbol of liberal progress. This week’s anti-immigrant protests end that | Zanele Mji

Across the world, political uncertainty is being exploited to fan the flames of hatred. Now, the very principles that make South Africa great are at riskThis week, South Africa has been rocked by protests that have caught the world’s attention. These have been led by campaigning against what they describe as a crisis of illegal immigration. But to understand these protests, it’s key to view them as part of a broader conservative nationalist turn, as has been seen across countries in the west.For the past two months, these groups have marched through townships and city centres demanding identity documents from African foreign nationals, ordering non-citizens to close their businesses and calling on undocumented migrants to vacate the country. They declared 30 June as the deadline for immigrants to leave and as the date of a nationwide shutdown.Zanele Mji is a writer, investigative journalist and podcaster based in JohannesburgDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our section, please .

1h ago
The GuardianScandalSouth Africa
‘They will attack me if I stay’: immigrants in South Africa flee for safety amid violence and anti-foreigner protests

‘They will attack me if I stay’: immigrants in South Africa flee for safety amid violence and anti-foreigner protests

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.

2d ago
The GuardianWellnessLondon
Britain's apology for the scandal of forced adoption can never heal the pain for people like me | David Batty

Britain's apology for the scandal of forced adoption can never heal the pain for people like me | David Batty

An estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976. I was one of themAfter my adoptive father died in November last year, my adoptive siblings found a short story by Enid Blyton among his possessions. was read to us as children to explain the circumstances of my adoption. It follows a nice middle-class couple whose domestic bliss is marred by childlessness, prompting them to go to a “very kind lady” who helps them to find a “chosen baby” instead. In its foreword, Blyton advises adoptive parents to tell the tale to their adopted child “again and again … so that to him ‘adoption’ means something lovely”.The “chosen child” narrative, where parents tell adoptees they were specially picked, helped to shape the still widespread public perception of adoption as unambiguously altruistic. But it has also long been criticised by adult adoptees for masking the trauma of separation from their original parents. Reading Blyton’s saccharine story, I was struck by its glaring omissions. There is no mention of how the boy, who is unnamed until he is adopted, came to be put up for adoption; nor any suggestion that he once had another family and identity. There is no recognition of his first mother or her loss, only the loneliness of the prospective adoptive mother. The woman from the adoption agency also tells the couple that if this child isn’t the one they really want, she will find another one – as though she’s running a baby market.David Batty is a news editor and writer for the GuardianDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our section, please .

2h ago
The GuardianHumanityUnited Kingdom
‘Stain on our history’: Starmer issues government apology over forced adoption scandal – UK politics live

‘Stain on our history’: Starmer issues government apology over forced adoption scandal – UK politics live

Between 1949 and 1976, an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers and placed for adoption in England and WalesStarmer said what happened to the mothers, and their children, should never have happened. He said:What happened to them, and to tens of thousands of mothers, children, and families, should never have happened. It is a stain on our history.Mothers, many young, vulnerable, and without support were coerced, bullied, or misled into feeling that they had no choice but to have their children taken away from them. What a thing to do.I have to confess, as I said to them this morning, I found it hard to read the testimonies and to hear their stories.I find it particularly hard, as a dad. How much harder it must have been for them to go through that, to set out their testimonies and tell their stories over and over again.

3h ago
The GuardianHumanityUnited Kingdom
Keir Starmer issues formal state apology over forced adoption scandal

Keir Starmer issues formal state apology over forced adoption scandal

After decades of campaigning by those affected, PM says state ‘did not do enough to protect’ mothers and childrenKeir Starmer has formally apologised for the British state’s role in historic forced adoptions after decades of campaigning by mothers and children affected.The government said the “state did not do enough to protect mothers, children and families”, that it “failed to prevent harm from continuing” and that it bore responsibility for funding and legitimising the system that allowed the adoptions to take place.

6h ago
The GuardianPublic PolicyUnited Kingdom
Starmer to issue formal apology to mothers and children harmed by historic forced adoption policies – UK politics live

Starmer to issue formal apology to mothers and children harmed by historic forced adoption policies – UK politics live

Between 1949 and 1976, an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers and placed for adoption in England and WalesKeir Starmer is making his statement to MPs now.He starts by saying he met mothers and adult adoptees affected by the forced adoption policies in Downing Street this morning. They are in the gallery watching, he says.I have to confess, as I said to them this morning, I found it hard to read the testimonies and to hear their stories.I find it particularly hard, as a dad. How much harder it must have been for them to go through that, to set out their testimonies and tell their stories over and over again.I welcome today’s long-overdue apology for the state’s role in the historical forced adoption practices that coerced and traumatised mothers and children for decades. While an apology should have been made years ago, I am pleased that the day some campaigners feared would never come has finally arrived …When the committee published our report earlier this year, we were clear that an apology must be unequivocal, must be co-produced with and reflect the experiences of survivors, and must commit to offer them meaningful and ongoing support … Today’s apology is an important milestone, but it is only a first step.

6h ago
The GuardianHumanity
Fears of Catholic schism as defiant sect ordains ultra-conservative bishops

Fears of Catholic schism as defiant sect ordains ultra-conservative bishops

Consecrations by Society of Saint Pius X bring automatic excommunication for bishops – and crisis for Pope LeoA rebel group of ultra-conservative Catholics has defied Pope Leo by ordaining bishops without his consent, which they declared a “sacred duty” despite it causing their automatic excommunication.In a ritual-filled ceremony on Wednesday, streamed live from the Swiss village of Ecône, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) went ahead with the consecrations of four bishops, one from Switzerland, one from France and two from the US.

1d ago
HaaretzHumanityIslamic World
Erased Israeli Settlers' Brutal War on Palestinian Communities in the West Bank

Erased Israeli Settlers' Brutal War on Palestinian Communities in the West Bank

Erased Israeli Settlers' Brutal War on Palestinian Communities in the West BankScroll downCredit: Avishay Mohar, B'TselemHagar ShezafShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppThese images appear again and again – from the ground, from the air, and on maps: dozens of Palestinian communities wiped off the landscape, while illegal Israeli settler outposts continue to spread across the West Bank.Since October 7, 2023, this phenomenon has intensified significantly. Unlike the war in Gaza, there is no discussion in Israel about ending this parallel campaign of dispossession.

6h ago
The GuardianScandalNorth West England
Andy Burnham says ‘nothing off table’ in case of Rochdale grooming gang leader

Andy Burnham says ‘nothing off table’ in case of Rochdale grooming gang leader

Labour leader-in-waiting wants to close loophole preventing deportation of sex offenderAndy Burnham will explore “all possible options”, if he becomes prime minister, to close a legal loophole that prevented the deportation of a “vile” Rochdale grooming gang leader.In his first significant intervention as Labour leader-in-waiting, Burnham said nothing would be “off the table” in the case of Shabir Ahmed, 73, who is expected to be on Thursday.

1d ago
The GuardianHumanityUnited Kingdom
Rochdale grooming gang ringleader cannot be deported, victims told

Rochdale grooming gang ringleader cannot be deported, victims told

Provisions in Immigration Act prevent Shabir Ahmed, due to be released, being sent to PakistanThe ringleader of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang is due to be released from prison this week and cannot be deported from the country, his victims have been told.Shabir Ahmed, 73, known to his victims as “Daddy”, was convicted of multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls in 2012.

2d ago
The GuardianGeneticsUSA
‘Beautiful blobs’: synthetic life a step closer as scientists make cells using lab-made DNA

‘Beautiful blobs’: synthetic life a step closer as scientists make cells using lab-made DNA

Tiny, quivering spheres designed to feed and multiply raise prospect of artificial organisms to make drugs, food and fuelResearchers claim they are closer to creating life from scratch after building tiny, quivering blobs that use lab-made DNA to feed, grow and multiply in a dish.The synthetic cells were made from chemical compounds and are believed to be the first to demonstrate the complete cell cycle of growth, genetic replication and splitting to produce the next generation.

1d ago
The GuardianWellnessUnited Kingdom
Former physio tells Maddy Cusack inquest Sheffield United were struggling to support women’s team

Former physio tells Maddy Cusack inquest Sheffield United were struggling to support women’s team

Francesca Carr says move to full-time status felt ‘rushed’Cusack was found dead at her home in September 2023Sheffield United did not have sufficient resources in place during the summer of 2023 to look after their women’s team players, their former physio has told an inquest into the death of Maddy Cusack.Cusack was found dead at her family’s home in Derbyshire on 20 September 2023, at the age of 27, just weeks into United’s first season since switching to training on a full-time basis. Francesca Carr, who worked as the women’s team physio between 2021 and 2024, told the court that the club’s transition from part-time to full-time status felt “rushed” and staff were carrying out multiple roles beyond their remit, such as making lunch for the team.In the UK and Ireland, can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the on 988, chat on , or to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at

19h ago
The GuardianWellnessUnited Kingdom
Maddy Cusack’s eating habits changed after manager’s comment, girlfriend tells inquest

Maddy Cusack’s eating habits changed after manager’s comment, girlfriend tells inquest

Grace Riglar fights back tears giving evidenceCusack called Sheffield United omission a ‘personal attack’The girlfriend of the late Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack has told an inquest that Cusack’s former manager Jonathan Morgan called her a “psycho” and that her eating habits changed after he allegedly made a comment referencing her weight.Grace Riglar, who played for Sheffield United for one season alongside Cusack, fought back tears multiple times during an emotional and lengthy evidence session at Chesterfield coroner’s court on Tuesday. At one stage she had to take a break while being cross-examined by lawyers representing Sheffield United.

1d ago
The GuardianElectionsUSA
Democratic socialists ride wave of momentum in primaries from New York to Colorado

Democratic socialists ride wave of momentum in primaries from New York to Colorado

Surging membership and pro-Palestinian activism reshape debate on how campaigning movement governs in officeInside a Brooklyn industrial garage turned underground event venue, local leaders of the Democratic Socialists of America urged hundreds of mostly young people last month to avoid complacency. Sure, City had a democratic socialist representative in the , and just elected a democratic socialist mayor. But they had so much more to do.“If we only elect Zohran, we only elect AOC, our project will have been a failure,” Gustavo Gordillo, co-chair of the city’s DSA chapter, told the assembled crowd. “Our ambitions are so much higher than just a position in government. We want to transform the world.”

21h ago
The GuardianElectionsUSA
Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeats 15-term incumbent in Colorado House primary

Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeats 15-term incumbent in Colorado House primary

Twenty-nine-year-old beat Representative Diana DeGette in deep-blue Denver districtThe democratic socialist Melat Kiros unseated long-serving US representative Diana DeGette in Colorado’s primary elections held on Tuesday, after a campaign in which support for Israel became a wedge issue among voters.The Associated Press reported that Kiros had defeated DeGette for the Democratic nomination in the deep-blue first congressional district centered on Denver. The victory of Kiros came a week after New York voters unseated two Democratic congressional incumbents and replaced a third who was retiring with on standing up to Israel amid that it was carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

1d ago
The IndependentHumanityEngland
White working class pupils failed by English education system, inquiry finds

White working class pupils failed by English education system, inquiry finds

Download our app An independent inquiry has concluded that the education system in England is "not set up to serve white working-class children and families," identifying them as the lowest-performing large demographic in the school system. The inquiry, commissioned by Star Academies and supported by the Department for Education, highlights a "white working-class disadvantage gap," noting that only 36% of white British pupils on free school meals achieve a Grade 4 or above in English and Maths GCSE, significantly lower than their non-free school meal peers.

3d ago
The GuardianHumanity
Pope Leo pleads with ultra-conservative sect not to ordain own bishops

Pope Leo pleads with ultra-conservative sect not to ordain own bishops

Pontiff warns that defiance by Society of Saint Pius X would be ‘schismatic act’ Pope Leo has made a last-ditch attempt to persuade a rebel group of ultra-conservative Catholics to abandon plans to without Vatican approval, calling the “schismatic act” a “sin of extreme gravity”.The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), founded in the Swiss village of Ecône in 1970 to oppose liberalising reforms in the Catholic church, plans to ordain four new bishops at its seminary there on Wednesday.

1d ago
The GuardianAIUSA
OpenAI ‘in early talks to give 5% stake to US government’

OpenAI ‘in early talks to give 5% stake to US government’

CEO Sam Altman argued move would share benefits of AI and it would involve other firms doing similar, report saysOpenAI is reportedly in early stage talks to give a 5% stake in the ChatGPT developer to the US government as artificial intelligence companies attempt to smooth relations with Donald Trump’s administration.The OpenAI chief executive, Sam Altman, has argued that giving the US public a financial stake in the company is the best way to share the benefits of AI, according to the Financial Times, which cited two unnamed people familiar with the discussions.

9h ago
The GuardianCrime & SafetyMalta
Maltese businessman paid hitmen €150,000 to kill Daphne Caruana Galizia, jury hears

Maltese businessman paid hitmen €150,000 to kill Daphne Caruana Galizia, jury hears

Yorgen Fenech, heir to property empire, on trial for alleged involvement in murder of journalist, which he deniesOne of Malta’s wealthiest businessmen plotted to kill the investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, paying €150,000 (£130,000) for three hitmen to carry out the murder, a jury has heard.Yorgen Fenech, the 44-year-old heir to a property empire that includes the Hilton Malta hotel and casino, is on trial for the 2017 murder.

20h ago
The GuardianScandalMalta
Businessman accused of ordering Daphne Caruana Galizia murder stands trial in Malta

Businessman accused of ordering Daphne Caruana Galizia murder stands trial in Malta

Yorgen Fenech, who denies all charges, appears in court more than nine years after the journalist’s deathThe businessman accused of ordering the murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia goes on trial on Wednesday, more than nine years after her death in a car-bomb attack that sent shockwaves through Europe.Yorgen Fenech, the heir to a property empire worth hundreds of millions, is one of seven men prosecutors accused of involvement in the killing, and the last to face trial.

1d ago
The GuardianScandalUSA
Ex-CIA head sues Trump administration to preserve records of inquiries into him

Ex-CIA head sues Trump administration to preserve records of inquiries into him

John Brennan demands record preservation to enable his defense if he’s indicted over ‘phantom criminal conduct’The former CIA director John Brennan sued the on Wednesday, demanding a court order that would require officials to preserve records from investigations that he says are targeting him for “phantom criminal conduct”.Brennan said in the lawsuit that the records would be essential for him to mount a defense on vindictive prosecution grounds in the event of a future indictment brought by the administration.

21h ago
The GuardianWar & Conflict
AFP assessing allegation of Gaza war crimes committed by Australian citizen serving in IDF

AFP assessing allegation of Gaza war crimes committed by Australian citizen serving in IDF

Claims against Israel Defense Forces battalion include deliberate targeting and destruction of residential buildings in 2023 and 2024 without military justificationGet our , or Australian federal police investigators are assessing a brief detailing alleged war crimes committed by an Australian citizen serving in the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza.A 61-page brief has been handed to the AFP by the Australian Centre for International Justice detailing alleged war crimes committed by an IDF battalion in Gaza across 2023 and 2024.

2h ago
The GuardianHumanityHaiti
‘It was a massacre’: Haiti gangs carry out mass killings across the country

‘It was a massacre’: Haiti gangs carry out mass killings across the country

The Guardian has found evidence of a massacre that left at least 70 civilians dead as the country’s security forces struggle to control even the main roads to the capitalIt is 2am when the gunshots begin. The neighbourhood in rural Haiti is asleep. “Pow, pow, pow – quick gunfire coming towards us from all directions,” says Merçide Daniel, a 45-year-old mother of four. “It was the Gran Grif gang coming to take over our neighbourhood and turn it into a base.”Dozens of men wearing civilian clothes and bandanas, with rifles slung around their necks, swarm through the village, shooting indiscriminately.

4h ago
The GuardianScandalUSA
Trump hijacked US’s 250 anniversary to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’, congressional report says

Trump hijacked US’s 250 anniversary to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’, congressional report says

House Democratic subcommittee report outlines web of alleged corruption, wire fraud and pay-to-play schemesDonald Trump staged a hostile takeover of the US’s to enrich political allies, harvest voter data and promote Christian nationalist ideology, according to a congressional investigation released on Thursday.The interim report, “From Vanity to Insanity: How the White House Cheated the American People Out of Their 250th Birthday”, outlines a web of alleged corruption, wire fraud and pay-to-play schemes orchestrated through a shadow corporation embedded within the .

7h ago
The GuardianHumanitySudan
Sudan’s RSF committed crimes against humanity in El Fasher, Amnesty says

Sudan’s RSF committed crimes against humanity in El Fasher, Amnesty says

Report accuses paramilitary force of crimes including ethnic cleansing in systemic campaign against civiliansThe Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during its seizure of El Fasher last year, Amnesty International has alleged.Many of the crimes, including murder, torture, rape, enslavement and sexual slavery, were carried out as part of a widespread and systematic attack against civilians and amounted to crimes against humanity, the human rights organisation said released on Wednesday.

1d ago
The GuardianSportsGermany
Football Daily | What next for Germany as Paraguay and penalties fuel more World Cup pain?

Football Daily | What next for Germany as Paraguay and penalties fuel more World Cup pain?

When Germany crashed out of the 1998 World Cup – a – the DFB hit the factory reset button. Youth coaching was overhauled, as was the scouting system designed to spot the talent, and it was made compulsory for the 18 top teams in the country to build performance centres. Euro 2000 came too soon for any meaningful impact on the German national team – the defending champions finished bottom of their group – but the wheels were in motion. , and a generation of footballers later, Germany would again be world champions in 2014. “At least 10 players who are involved in the national team today we would have never found otherwise,” swooned Dietrich Weise in 2015, a key figure in the earlier revamp. “Think of Toni Kroos. He hails from a small place in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. No one would have looked at him.”It looks bleak for upcoming games, For who is replacing Reece James? It should have been Quansah, Instead might be Konsa … Will England be shot down in flames?” – Nick Smith.The Memory Lane image of Claudio Gentile taking down Maradona (yesterday’s full email), made me realise what this tournament has been missing: pantomime villains. Uruguay teams of yesteryear would proudly collect their red cards in the first 10 minutes of vital World Cup games, not the last. Even Portugal have become hard to hate, given how mean-spirited you have to be to scorn a group of young men helping an elderly gent across the pitch” – Justin Kavanagh.Re: soccer (Daily letters passim): The great Sir Matt Busby, whose Proper Football credentials need no AI verification, titled his autobiography ‘Soccer at the Top’. Let’s move on: there are far more important reasons to berate Americans, like the disgusting stuff that passes for chocolate over there” – Antony Crossley.Fair play to Germany for consistently boycotting the round of 16 during World Cups in countries with questionable human rights situations. Gotta respect that! – James Vortkamp-Tong.If the James Bond franchise is looking for a name for their new villain, may I recommend ?” – Krishna Moorthy.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version,.

2d ago
The GuardianStage ArtsFrance
Far-right French mayor causes outrage after barring staging of play about migrant

Far-right French mayor causes outrage after barring staging of play about migrant

Playwright says decision is warning of what may happen if National Rally runs country amid accusations of cultural censorshipIn Anglo-French playwright Alexis Michalik’s play Passeport, a young man has been beaten and left for dead in the notorious Calais refugee camp known as ‘the Jungle’.When he wakes up, he has no idea who he is – and his only possession is a blue Eritrean passport containing the name Issa. With two others from the camp he decides to leave, but not to take the perilous Channel crossing to the UK but instead to try to integrate into France and obtain the necessary papers to remain.

6h ago
The GuardianHumanity
‘I pray for a miracle’: the African women held for years in India’s detention centres

‘I pray for a miracle’: the African women held for years in India’s detention centres

Rounded up in raids and with no access to lawyers, 22 women including trafficking victims and refugees speak of filthy conditions and beatings while stuck in legal limboNine months without the that keep her alive has caused Mary’s* health to decline. For 29 years, the Kenyan mother of four had managed her HIV. Now she is being held indefinitely in an immigrant detention centre in India, it is becoming a death sentence.Her legs are swollen and distended, her blood pressure has soared, and she has collapsed from weakness. “If I don’t get my tablets, I may become bedridden. And then no airline will take me home,” Mary says, speaking by phone from inside the facility.

8h ago
The GuardianDiplomacyBosnia & Herzegovina
Europe and US on collision course over next high representative for Bosnia

Europe and US on collision course over next high representative for Bosnia

Diplomats from around world meet in Sarajevo in second attempt to agree on top envoy, as US pushes for its choiceDiplomats from around the world are due to meet in Sarajevo on Tuesday in an attempt to resolve a deep rift between the US and Europe over a top envoy appointment that could have a powerful influence on the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Disagreement has erupted over who should become the next high representative for the international community, a post with significant powers, in an overt test of political wills. The Trump administration is assertively pushing a business-driven agenda, potentially at the expense of Bosnia’s delicate postwar political balance.

2d ago
The GuardianWar & ConflictEastern Europe
At least 21 dead as Russia launches massive drone and missile attack on Kyiv

At least 21 dead as Russia launches massive drone and missile attack on Kyiv

More than 70 missiles fired at Ukraine capital as Russia faces fuel shortages after strikes against its oil refineriesAt least 21 people were killed and dozens injured overnight in Kyiv, local authorities said, in what the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, called the worst Russian attack on the capital during more than four years of air assault on Ukraine.Russia used nearly 500 drones and more than 70 missiles in the hours-long attack on Kyiv and other parts of the country in the early hours of Thursday. Loud explosions shook the capital for several hours as waves of drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles came towards it and Ukraine’s air defence attempted to shoot them down.

2h ago
The GuardianDiplomacyEurope
German prosecutors accuse Kyiv of ordering 2022 Nord Stream sabotage

German prosecutors accuse Kyiv of ordering 2022 Nord Stream sabotage

Indictment against alleged leader of gas pipeline attack claims former Ukrainian army officer was directed by stateGerman prosecutors have accused Ukrainian “state authorities” of ordering the 2022 explosives attack on the linking Russia with Europe, a charge likely to ignite tensions between Kyiv and Berlin, its biggest military backer.The sabotage in the Baltic Sea by a team of assailants almost entirely destroyed the seafloor infrastructure of the key source of Russian gas to Germany.

3h ago
The GuardianScandalUSA
Anger as report says Trump hijacked US anniversary to serve own agenda – US politics live

Anger as report says Trump hijacked US anniversary to serve own agenda – US politics live

Newly-released congressional report says president hijacked United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’The sound of booming through the badlands of North Dakota could only mean one thing: Donald Trump’s 250th anniversary travelling circus had reached a remote corner of America more familiar with bison, wild horses and bighorn sheep.The US president visited Medora on Wednesday to dedicate a $450m library and museum honouring , the 26th president, in the region where he roamed as a cowboy and big-game hunter in the 1880s.

6h ago