The Guardian

Drug diversion schemes cut reoffending rates more than prosecution, study says

Exclusive: Research in England shows people a third less likely to reoffend under decriminalisation-style schemesDrug diversion schemes led by police that steer people away from the criminal justice system and into treatment and education services are significantly more effective in reducing reoffending than prosecution, according to a new analysis.Researchers examined outcomes across 13 English police forces and more than 62,000 criminal incidents over the past four years, finding that people w

general  6h ago

The Guardian

Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers

Appearance of a western reef heron in north Wales is unlikely to be the last, as heating temperatures mean species can survive Britain’s winter, say expertsIt is a tropical bird typically encountered between west Africa and India, but last week a western reef heron arrived in north Wales in what is believed to be the first ever sighting in the UK.The heron was first spotted in Foryd Bay at the weekend before flying to nearby Caernarfon harbour where it fed among the boats. Continue reading...

general  7h ago

BBC World

The costs and challenges facing the 2026 World Cup

The World Cup officially kicked off this week - but alongside the football, there are questions around heat, cost, the environmental impact and travel restrictions.

general  8h ago

The Guardian

Public control of water and energy at heart of Burnham agenda, sources say

Exclusive: Greater Manchester mayor ‘serious’ about taking over ‘essentials of life’ if he becomes PM, a move critics say could cost taxpayer billions A decade-long project to bring water and energy into public control will lie at the heart of Andy Burnham’s agenda should he become prime minister, according to sources close to the Greater Manchester mayor.Several close allies of Burnham have said he wants to take over broad swathes of UK utilities in an effort to improve performance and potentia

general  8h ago

The Guardian

How doing a wash while you watch the World Cup at 2am could cut energy bills

Change in viewing habits offered by match times at 2026 tournament could mean using cheaper off-peak powerWatching late-night or early hours football could provide UK households with a practical opportunity to cut their energy bills, as even just doing the washing when cheaper electricity rates apply can net a decent saving.At a time when energy costs are back at worrying highs, research by E.ON Next shows the potential to save money on a time-of-use tariff – in this case, its Next Smart Saver d

general  8h ago

The Guardian

Protesters clash outside One Nation fundraiser while Labor says opposition parties will ‘give us chaos’

Victoria police confirm no formal arrests were made during the protests in South Melbourne on Friday nightGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastProtesters have clashed with Pauline Hanson supporters, with one man given a move on notice outside a Melbourne venue hosting a One Nation fundraiser on Friday.Michael Nelson, who was convicted of offensive behavior and fined last week for disrupting a Melbourne Anzac Day dawn service, was restrained by officers outside the South Mel

general  9h ago

The Guardian

Swiss wait to hear result of ballot on capping population at 10 million

The far-right proposal would require the government to put restrictions in place to limit the population by 2050 A national ballot on an unprecedented far-right proposal to limit Switzerland’s population to 10 million concludes this weekend, amid warnings of devastating consequences for the country’s economy if voters back the initiative.A “yes” vote would require the Swiss government to take steps to cap the population at 10 million by 2050, enacting tough restrictions on family reunification,

general  9h ago

The Guardian

Jessie J’s triumphant return puts lucrative Chinese market in spotlight

Other western acts have attempted to crack country’s music scene since singer’s breakout success in 2018One week after announcing she was “cancer free”, the British pop star Jessie J did what any recovering patient would do and travelled thousands of miles around the world to perform for an audience of more than a billion people.On 29 May, the singer-songwriter, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, belted out a stage-rattling rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way on the stage of Singer, a hugely po

general  9h ago

The Guardian

‘Fast-track’ regulation could expose Britons to harmful chemicals, say campaigners

Exclusive: Fighting Dirty taking legal action against government over proposal it says could import weaker standardsAn environmental campaign group is taking legal action against the government over proposals that it claims could fast-track chemical hazard classifications from other countries with lower standards into UK law.Fighting Dirty claims proposals to change the classification and labelling of potentially hazardous chemicals could result in the UK weakening standards on cancer-causing su

general  9h ago

The Guardian

Riots and racism: why is the UK burning?

Claims of two-tier policing and uncontrolled immigration may not be borne out by the facts, but that has not stopped them being played up for political endsAs the people of Glengormley, on the northern edge of Belfast, tidied up and prepared for more violence in the midst of what has been described as a modern-day pogrom, a court 500 miles away in Southampton, on the south coast of England, started to deal with its own outbreak of thuggery.The trigger for this week’s riots in the Northern Irish

general  9h ago

BBC World

Married at First Sight Australia stars not told partners had drug and violence convictions

Stars of the hit TV show say they did not know their on-screen husbands had previous convictions.

general  9h ago

BBC World

US kills leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang in airstrike, Trump says

Niño Guerrero was killed in a "swift and lethal kinetic strike," the US President wrote in a social media post.

general  10h ago

NY Times World

A Family Ravaged by Land Mines in Myanmar

Bu Ri lost a leg to a mine in Myanmar decades ago. More recently, six other members of his family have suffered a similar fate or worse, in a sign of the devastation wreaked by civil war.

general  10h ago

NY Times World

Should Switzerland Cap Its Population at 10 Million? Voters Will Decide.

One of the world’s richest countries is about to hold a referendum on a measure that would curb migration and most likely the economy. It is being sold in warm tones.

general  10h ago

The Guardian

Dutch far-right party pays damages to court artist after changing image with AI

Geert Wilders’ PVV altered sketch of jailed Syrian brothers to make them look more menacingA Dutch court artist has received damages after an MP for the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) used one of her drawings without permission and manipulated it with AI to make the subjects look more menacing.Petra Urban, a court artist for 19 years, was shocked to discover a drawing she had made last year of two Syrian brothers jailed for the murder of their sister had been reworked and used in a video on I

general  10h ago

The Guardian

Trees may store less planet-heating carbon than hoped, study suggests

Photosynthesis does not always result in wood growth, a key factor in carbon dioxide sequestrationTrees may not be able to store as much planet-heating carbon as hoped, a study suggests, with researchers finding photosynthesis does not always lead to wood growth.Scientists studied 137 sites across the US and found trees stopped growing months before the point in the year at which photosynthesis stopped. Continue reading...

general  10h ago

BBC World

Anthropic suspends new AI tools over US government security concerns

Anthropic's Claude Fable 5, released publicly this week, sparked concerns about cybersecurity and hacking.

general  10h ago

BBC World

Warner Bros $111bn sale to Paramount approved by US justice department

The approval marks a key development in the merger that will reshape media, allowing the continue of the takeover of the Hollywood studio, which owns CNN and HBO.

general  11h ago

WSJ World News

Trump Says U.S. ‘Executed’ Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Gang Leader

The president said the U.S. strike was coordinated with the government in Caracas.

general  11h ago

The Guardian

Woman in critical condition after shark attack at Coogee beach

A woman in her 30s is being transported to hospital with arm and leg injuries after the attack at the Sydney beachA woman in her 30s is being treated for injuries after being bitten by a shark at Coogee Beach on Saturday.A spokesperson for NSW Ambulance said the woman was in a critical condition with arm and leg injuries. Continue reading...

general  12h ago