Shock in India after man takes remains of his sister to bank to prove her death 30. April 2026 (10:55) Jitu Munda says he was refused access to money in case highlighting ‘lack of humanity’ in Indian bureaucracyThe sight of a man bringing the remains of his dead sister to a bank in India after officials had refused to let him withdraw money without proof of her death has caused shock in India.Jitu Munda, 52, from the Indian state of Odisha, was captured on video carrying the remains of his recently deceased sister through the streets of Keonjhar and placing them outside the local bank. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least six Australian activists detained by Israel navy after Gaza flotilla boats intercepted 30. April 2026 (10:51) Spokesperson says just two out of 14 Australians remain in communication, after CCTV footage showed Israeli navy boarding vessels in international watersGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe family of a Newcastle man among at least six Australians onboard boats that were intercepted by Israeli navy personnel in international waters has issued a tearful plea for his safety and lashed out at the Australian government for not intervening.More than 50 boats set sail to Gaza from Italy on Monday as part of the Global Sumud flotilla in the hope of delivering 500 tonnes of aid and volunteers to the Gaza Strip, which remains under naval blockade by Israel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Last Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants to close, with loss of 3,800 jobs, Premier Inn owner says 30. April 2026 (10:46) Whitbread to call time on restaurants in UK and Ireland blaming higher costs and taxes for latest strategic resetPremier Inn owner Whitbread is to cut about 3,800 jobs in the UK and Ireland and shut its remaining Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants as it resets its five-year business strategy, amid tax rises and pressure from a US activist investor.The cuts will affect about 12% of Whitbread’s 30,000-strong workforce in the UK and Ireland working in its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants, which are usually located next to, or inside, Premier Inn hotels. The company said consultations with affected employees would begin immediately. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Masterpieces by Klimt, Matisse and Freud set for London’s most valuable auction 30. April 2026 (10:30) Sotheby’s said collection of billionaire Spurs’ owner Joe Lewis and daughter Vivienne expected to fetch more than £150m in June saleA major group of masterpieces by some of modern art’s biggest names is to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in what is expected to be the most valuable collection ever offered in London.The works, consigned by Joe Lewis and his daughter Vivienne – whose family owns Tottenham Hotspur – include paintings by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Amedeo Modigliani, Francis Bacon, Henri Matisse, Chaïm Soutine, Lucian Freud, and Gustave Caillebotte. Sotheby’s said the group is expected to realise more than £150m. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘We’re coming for you’: NT police search for suspect after body of missing five-year-old found 30. April 2026 (10:03) Mother of Kumanjayi Little Baby, whose body was found after five-day search near Alice Springs, says ‘it’s going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you’• Warning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have diedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice in the Northern Territory are searching for a man they suspect of murder after finding a body believed to be that of a five-year-old girl who went missing from Alice Springs on Saturday.The NT police commissioner, Martin Dole, told reporters the tragic discovery was made just before noon local time on Thursday, about 5km south of Old Timers town camp, where she was last seen. The girl’s family requested she be referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby, in line with cultural protocols. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai wins free speech award in Germany 30. April 2026 (10:02) Media tycoon honoured in absentia as critics decry his 20-year sentence under national security lawThe jailed media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai has been awarded Deutsche Welle’s freedom of speech award for his contribution to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.The German public broadcaster said on Thursday that Lai would be presented in absentia with the 12th iteration of the award on 23 June at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump administration urges countries to help citizens stuck in Syria as Australia maintains hardline stance 30. April 2026 (09:13) Syrian officials say a group Australians ‘awaiting a solution’ as Albanese government refuses to repatriate themGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Trump administration says it is in “active communication” with countries, urging them to repatriate citizens stranded in Syria, while the Australian government maintains its hardline stance towards Australian women and children detained since the fall of Islamic State.A group of four women, their nine children and grandchildren left al-Roj camp, in Syria’s north-east, last Friday in a bid to return to Australia, with reports on Thursday morning that the Albanese government’s refusal to help them has left them stuck in Damascus. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The $13bn World Cup: how the numbers stack up on Fifa’s 2026 balance sheet 30. April 2026 (09:00) The earnings from the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada will make it the most lucrative competition in the history of sport, even if some of the 48 competing countries say they are struggling to make ends meetA World Cup that Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, billed at the draw last December as “the greatest event that humanity has ever seen” will certainly be the most lucrative competition in sporting history.Fifa has spent the last few years upgrading its revenue projections, with the most recent financial report stating that the world governing body will make $13bn (£9.6bn) from the four-year cycle culminating in this summer’s tournament, almost $9bn of which will be brought in this year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sounds of hope in Kent as more nightingales join dawn chorus 30. April 2026 (08:53) Elusive nightingale ‘doing well’ at Northward Hill, Kent, but experts cite concerns around loss of habitatThe dawn chorus at RSPB Northward Hill in Kent is a riot of sound: the melodic robin, the two-tone cuckoo, the whitethroat’s scratchy warble. Even the garbling geese and mooing cows from the neighbouring Thames marshes add to the symphony.But in late April one energetic singer hogs the limelight. For a few weeks after arriving from West Africa, the nightingale spends the night – and early morning – in complex song. As it searches for a mate and marks its territory, its song is at times as sweet and tuneful as a soul singer, at others as frantic as a car alarm. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Oil price tops $120 a barrel after Trump warns Iran blockade could last ‘months’ 30. April 2026 (08:34) Oil markets spooked as US president appears willing to maintain US Navy blockade and Iran keeps strait of Hormuz all but shut The price of Brent oil soared above $126 a barrel on Wednesday, its highest level since 2022, after Donald Trump warned the US blockade of Iranian ports could last months and peace talks remained stalled.Surging more than 13% in 24 hours, Brent crude hit a record price since the war began on 28 February. Not since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has Brent topped $120, with the price then peaking at $139. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
