The Israeli director of No Other Land has criticised a Florida mayor’s efforts to evict a local cinema after it screened his Oscar-winning documentary about Palestinian displacement in the West Bank, saying: “Banning a film only makes people more determined to see it.” Steven Meiner, the mayor of Miami Beach, has issued a draft resolution … Read more
The Trump administration has called on the Pentagon to provide military options to ensure the country has full access to the Panama canal, two US officials told Reuters on Thursday. Donald Trump has said repeatedly he wants to “take back” the Panama canal, which is located at the narrowest part of the isthmus between North … Read more
The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, said on Thursday he would vote for a Republican-written bill to fund federal agencies through September and avert a government shutdown. Schumer’s comments suggest that his members are prepared to provide the necessary votes to clear a procedural hurdle ahead, allowing the seven-month spending measure to advance to a … Read more
New details have emerged in the death of a northern California man who was killed by a piece of excavating equipment during a city sweep of what officials have referred to as an illegal dumping site. James Edward Oakley, a 58-year-old man who lived on the streets of Vallejo, was found dead at the site … Read more
The S&P 500, a key US stock market index, closed in correction territory on Thursday as the volatility of Donald Trump’s trade wars rattled investors. The index closed more than 10% down from its 19 February peak as Wall Street approaches the end of a second week of pressure. The technology-focused Nasdaq Composite also closed … Read more
Syria’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has hailed the start of a “new history” for his country, after signing into force a constitutional declaration regulating its five-year transitional period and laying out rights for women and freedom of expression. The declaration comes three months after Islamist-led rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad’s repressive government, leading to calls for an … Read more
With tears in their eyes, mothers of children who died in Brazil’s worst environmental disaster – the 2015 Mariana dam collapse – demanded justice for their loved ones as submissions in their London lawsuit came to an end. Nineteen people were killed when the Mariana dam in south-eastern Brazil collapsed and unleashed a wave of … Read more
Police investigating the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby worked have widened their inquiries to include gross negligence manslaughter by senior staff. Cheshire constabulary says it has expanded its inquiry into the Countess of Chester hospital despite growing questions around Letby’s convictions. The former nurse is serving 15 whole-life prison terms after being convicted of murdering … Read more
Since Labour won power last July, Keir Starmer has repeatedly affirmed his deep affection for the NHS, close family ties to it, intention to “fix” it – and also his determination to change it. In a speech last September, he said the health service in England is in such dire straits that “it’s reform or … Read more
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Welcome Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Catie McLeod will be at the controls. Kevin Rudd has vowed to keep fighting for exemptions from US tariffs, but told … Read more