Normal view

Received today — 17 May 2026 The Guardian World news

Sons of jailed Saudi scholars urge Cambridge to drop plans to train Riyadh staff

Exclusive: Families of men facing death penalty join opposition to proposals to run courses for defence ministry

The families of two scholars facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia have appealed to the University of Cambridge to drop proposals to run staff training courses for Riyadh’s defence ministry.

The Guardian revealed last week that Cambridge’s Judge business school has been authorised to offer “leadership development” and “innovation management” training for the Saudi defence ministry’s staff, despite internal opposition within the university over the kingdom’s record on human rights and academic freedom.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Chris Harris/Alamy

© Photograph: Chris Harris/Alamy

© Photograph: Chris Harris/Alamy

Big tobacco is exploiting fears of the illicit market to unwind health gains, Australian experts warn

Cigarettes kill 66 Australians every day, coalition says, criticising MPs who heard evidence from Philip Morris in secret

Big tobacco is exploiting fears of the illicit market to unwind longstanding health policies, leading health campaigners have warned, amid a parliamentary inquiry which took secret evidence from the cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris.

A coalition of 15 health organisations including the Cancer Council and the Heart Foundation, as well as health experts and researchers, have accused the industry of trying to reshape public debate to push for major cuts to government excise.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

© Photograph: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

© Photograph: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Printmaking skills of Manet, Van Gogh and more celebrated in Bath show Steven Morris
    Exhibition explores how artists mainly known for their paintings helped revive a skill that had fallen out of fashionThey may be best known for their vibrant oil paintings but an exhibition opening in the English West Country is focusing instead on the subtle printmaking skills of artists such as Édouard Manet, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.More than 50 prints created mainly by impressionists, post-impressionists and cubists are going on display at the Holburne Museum in Bath. Continue readi
     

Printmaking skills of Manet, Van Gogh and more celebrated in Bath show

17 May 2026 at 15:00

Exhibition explores how artists mainly known for their paintings helped revive a skill that had fallen out of fashion

They may be best known for their vibrant oil paintings but an exhibition opening in the English West Country is focusing instead on the subtle printmaking skills of artists such as Édouard Manet, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.

More than 50 prints created mainly by impressionists, post-impressionists and cubists are going on display at the Holburne Museum in Bath.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Karen Robinson/The Guardian

© Photograph: Karen Robinson/The Guardian

© Photograph: Karen Robinson/The Guardian

German minister defends decision to allow attempt to rescue whale Timmy

Humpback stranded on sandbank was unlikely to survive, experts had said, recommending it be left to die in peace

The German authorities have defended their decision to allow a risky rescue attempt of a stranded whale to go ahead, despite experts warning it was “inadvisable” because the animal was hurt and unlikely to survive.

The saga of the whale, known as Timmy, had gripped Germany since the beached humpback was spotted stranded on Timmendorfer beach, a sandbank in shallow waters near the coast, nearly two months ago.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock

Police arrest 43 during Unite the Kingdom rally and pro-Palestine march in London

Officers were allegedly racially abused at Tommy Robinson march, which failed to draw huge numbers it was hoping for

Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally failed to get the huge numbers it wanted to march through London, with police confident less than half joined his protest on Saturday compared with an event last year.

The far-right rally happened on the same day as a pro-Palestinian march, and the Metropolitan police said that 43 arrests had been made during the two events.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Andrea Domeniconi/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Andrea Domeniconi/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Andrea Domeniconi/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Top of Labour in row over EU as Nandy challenges Streeting’s remarks Kiran Stacey Policy editor
    Ex-health secretary’s allies rally to defend him after culture secretary calls his comments about rejoining bloc ‘odd’A row has broken out at the top of the Labour party over whether Britain should try to rejoin the EU after Wes Streeting said the country should eventually seek to regain membership.Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last week in protest at Keir Starmer’s leadership, kicked off a war of words after he argued on Saturday that Britain’s future lay back in the EU. Continue
     

Top of Labour in row over EU as Nandy challenges Streeting’s remarks

Ex-health secretary’s allies rally to defend him after culture secretary calls his comments about rejoining bloc ‘odd’

A row has broken out at the top of the Labour party over whether Britain should try to rejoin the EU after Wes Streeting said the country should eventually seek to regain membership.

Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last week in protest at Keir Starmer’s leadership, kicked off a war of words after he argued on Saturday that Britain’s future lay back in the EU.

Continue reading...

© Composite: Getty Images

© Composite: Getty Images

© Composite: Getty Images

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Met police officers accused of sleeping while on duty protecting royal family Matthew Weaver
    Unspecified number of officers from royalty and specialist protection team being investigated, force confirmsPolice officers accused of being asleep when they were supposed to be protecting the royal family at Windsor Castle have been placed under investigation.An unspecified number of officers from the Metropolitan police’s royalty and specialist protection team are being investigated after concerns were raised, the force confirmed. The Sun, which first reported the story, said up to 30 officer
     

Met police officers accused of sleeping while on duty protecting royal family

17 May 2026 at 13:57

Unspecified number of officers from royalty and specialist protection team being investigated, force confirms

Police officers accused of being asleep when they were supposed to be protecting the royal family at Windsor Castle have been placed under investigation.

An unspecified number of officers from the Metropolitan police’s royalty and specialist protection team are being investigated after concerns were raised, the force confirmed. The Sun, which first reported the story, said up to 30 officers were involved.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

© Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

© Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Shutdown of US’s largest commuter rail system enters second day amid strike Associated Press
    Disruption of Long Island Rail Road continues into second day after workers went on strike as Monday rush hour loomsThe shutdown of the Long Island Rail Road, North America’s largest commuter rail system, continued into a second day on Sunday after unionized workers went on strike for the first time in three decades a day earlier.The railroad, which serves New York City and its eastern suburbs, ceased operations just after midnight Friday after five unions representing about half its workforce w
     

Shutdown of US’s largest commuter rail system enters second day amid strike

17 May 2026 at 13:34

Disruption of Long Island Rail Road continues into second day after workers went on strike as Monday rush hour looms

The shutdown of the Long Island Rail Road, North America’s largest commuter rail system, continued into a second day on Sunday after unionized workers went on strike for the first time in three decades a day earlier.

The railroad, which serves New York City and its eastern suburbs, ceased operations just after midnight Friday after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off the job.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Meir Chaimowitz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Meir Chaimowitz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Meir Chaimowitz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

❌
The Guardian World news