Heart-shaped note found in socks bound for Luigi Mangione, prosecutors say | Brian Thompson shooting

Someone tucked a heart-shaped note of encouragement into socks packed for Luigi Mangione to wear to court recently in the case surrounding the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, prosecutors said in a court document released on Wednesday. Writings and words on bullets recovered from the scene reflected Mangione’s alleged hostility toward health insurers and corporate America. … Read more

Pick for German agriculture minister withdraws after activists storm farm | Germany

The conservative pick for German agriculture minister has withdrawn his candidacy after animal rights activists stormed his farm, prompting cross-party condemnation. Günther Felßner, a farming lobbyist who had won the backing of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), said his wife was “in fear of life and limb” when activists climbed on to the cattle … Read more

OBR warns of Trump tariff uncertainty as it downgrades UK growth | Office for Budget Responsibility

Rachel Reeves must cope with lower growth and higher borrowing costs this year, as the Treasury’s independent forecaster said the global economic situation was more unpredictable and could worsen in 2025. In a report to coincide with the chancellor’s spring statement, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said the economic outlook was “more challenging” and … Read more

Bolsonaro must stand trial over alleged coup attempt, Brazil’s top court rules | Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro will stand trial for allegedly orchestrating a violent plot to seize power through a military coup, after the country’s supreme court decided he should face criminal prosecution. The ruling leaves the far-right populist, who governed Brazil from 2019 until the end of 2022, facing political oblivion and a possible jail … Read more

Netanyahu repeats threat to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas does not release hostages – as it happened | Israel

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu repeats threat to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas does not release hostages Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated threats on Wednesday to seize territory in the Gaza Strip if Hamas failed to release the remaining hostages it still holds. “The more Hamas continues in its refusal to release our hostages, … Read more

New revelations from US Signal leak put Trump officials’ claims into doubt | US national security

The disclosure by the Atlantic of further devastating messages from the Signal chat group used by the Trump administration’s most senior security officials has nailed the lie that nothing that threatened the safety of US servicemen and women was shared on the group. After the vague and evasive assertions by Trump officials at Monday’s Senate … Read more

‘I thought I was going to die’: director Hamdan Ballal recounts attack by settlers in West Bank | West Bank

During an attack on Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal on Monday, Israeli settlers were aided by two Israel Defense Forces soldiers who beat him with the butt of their rifles outside his home and threatened to kill him, the film-maker has said. In an interview with the Guardian, Ballal, one of the four directors of … Read more

Aboriginal women are scared to seek help for fear their children will be taken, report finds | Indigenous Australians

Briana* was just starting to get a handle on the unpredictability of feeding, bottles and all that comes with a newborn when she received an email informing her she had lost custody of her three-month-old son. Days later, child protection authorities took her child. With him, they took many of the milestones the 36-year-old first-time … Read more