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Trump threatens to withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain – Europe live

In more serious news, the European Union’s mammoth trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur provisionally enters into force today, despite a pending court ruling on its legality, AFP noted. The agreement to create one of the world’s biggest free-trade zones was sealed in January after more than 25 years of intermittent negotiations. Together, the EU and Mercosur account for 30 percent of global GDP and more than 700 million consumers. But the agreement has, as AFP puts it, “proven divisive” in Europe, or, more accurately, it led to major protests in several EU countries in recent months. The application of the deal comes after the European parliament referred it to the EU’s top court in January, instead of giving it the green light, AFP noted. But the European Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed the deal today, saying it will “show the agreement’s tangibler benefits,” and insisting that “legitimate” sensitivities in the EU had been addressed.

Pakistan acting as backchannel as US and Iran inch towards deal, experts say

Pakistan is passing proposals between Iran and the US to keep talks alive behind the scenes and inch towards a peace agreement, officials and experts say. Pakistani officials say that they are conscious of the fact that at stake is not only regional peace, but the health of the global economy and the livelihoods of millions of the poorest people in the world – including in Pakistan, whose monthly energy import bill has almost tripled as a result of the war. Islamabad views the continuation of the ceasefire, in place for more than three weeks, as a major achievement. Tehran and Washington have said Pakistan remains the primary conduit for negotiation, and Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said on Wednesday he had been promised a revised offer from Iran to pass on. Pakistan’s role switched in recent days to a lower-profile but urgent task of running a backchannel, after momentum behind direct talks stalled. Islamabad believes the peace process can still make progress without a face-to-face meeting. Both Iran and the US hardened their positions after the breakthrough of getting them into the same room in Islamabad for an all-night negotiation session in April, the highest-level engagement between the two sides since the 1979 revolution. According to Tehran, those talks got close to a deal but the US abruptly walked out. Washington said Iran was not prepared to go far enough. An attempt to engineer a second round in Islamabad last weekend fell apart after the Iranian side refused to meet the US team, which was ready to fly in. US officials briefed this week that Washington was considering returning to war. Some voices in Iran have expressed frustration that Pakistan has not been able to hold the US to commitments given in the negotiations. Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US, said Pakistan was not only transmitting messages between the two sides. He said Islamabad’s intervention had led to an initial two-week ceasefire, and the US-Iran meeting with Pakistani officials as referees. Islamabad persuaded Trump to extend the ceasefire, he said, which now has no stated deadline. The next task was to convince both sides to simultaneously lift their blockades on the strait of Hormuz, he said. But Trump this week said the blockade was more effective than bombing, while Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, hailed a “new chapter” for the strait – suggesting neither side was about to back down. “Pakistan is playing a complex role as a mediator,” said Khan. “Iran is signalling that it is playing a long game, but America wants quick results.” Pakistan’s military chief spent three days in Tehran in April, meeting the country’s different power centres, while the prime minister worked on regional support for the peace process, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. Islamabad has enlisted countries as far afield as Japan to put their weight behind the diplomacy, and Pakistan’s foreign minister also spoke this week to Yvette Cooper, the UK foreign secretary. “The clock on diplomacy has not stopped,” said Tahir Andrabi, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign ministry, adding it would be helpful if the two sides spoke by phone in the absence of meetings. “The proposals old, new, not so new, not so old, are on the table.” The last Iranian proposal, which offered to reopen the strait of Hormuz but defer resolving the issue of the country’s nuclear programme, was passed through Pakistan. Trump said Iran had to commit to not acquiring nuclear weapons. Islamabad believes a deal remains within reach. But, it faces an Iran that is in danger of overplaying its hand, and a US administration that seeks total victory rather than a compromise. Unresolved on the nuclear front is agreeing a pause on Iran’s uranium enrichment and an arrangement for its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Regional diplomats with knowledge of the discussions said it should be possible to agree on a moratorium on enrichment of about 10 years – roughly in the middle of the negotiating positions of the two sides. In place of the US demand to hand over the highly enriched uranium, it could be sent to Iran’s ally Russia, a possibility discussed this week between Trump and the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. Tehran has not agreed to let go of the highly enriched uranium, or the right to enrich. Jauhar Saleem, formerly Pakistan’s top diplomat who is now president of the Institute of Regional Studies, a thinktank in Islamabad, said Iran’s apparent strategy of dragging out the negotiation, in the expectation of getting a better deal, was highly risky. But Washington also had to recognise that its pressure tactics had not worked on Iran over the years, he said. “It is not realistic that Iran would give in to all demands,” said Saleem. “An agreement has to be a win-win situation for both sides.”

Israel navy to release six Australians in Greece after intercepting Gaza flotilla

Six Australians who were detained by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) while attempting to transport aid to Gaza as part of a global flotilla are to be released on a Greek island, Israel’s foreign minister says. Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) are in Crete to provide consular assistance to Australians transferred there as part of the flotilla, a Dfat spokesperson confirmed. Twenty-two vessels were intercepted off the coast of Crete on Wednesday evening while travelling as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which left Italy on Monday. About 175 activists were taken off the ships by the IDF. A spokesperson for the flotilla alleged after detaining civilians, the IDF smashed boat engines and jammed communications. The flotilla spokesperson said the detained sailors were to be released on the island of Crete. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email More than 40 ships were continuing to attempt to sail to Gaza in the hope of delivering 500 tonnes of aid and volunteers to the strip, which remains under naval blockade by Israel. Posting to X, Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, said the IDF had “successfully blocked attempts to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza and the arrival of vessels from the provocative flotilla”. “All participants in the provocative flotilla who were taken off the vessels were taken off unharmed,” he wrote. “In coordination with the Greek government, the individuals transferred from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel will be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours. “We thank the Greek government for its willingness to receive the flotilla participants.” The Global Sumud Flotilla said the IDF’s actions were unlawful as the boats were intercepted in international waters hundreds of kilometres from Israel and accused Israel’s government of “piracy” and “kidnapping”. Of the 14 Australians participating in the flotilla, just two remain in communication. Australian citizen and member of Jews Against the Occupation, Anny Mokotow, who is en route to Gaza on board the Bye-Luby, said her boat had to participate in a search and rescue effort to find stranded boats and passengers after the flotilla was intercepted. “Many boats have been broken, engines destroyed and rigging cut,” she said. “Some like Tam Tam [one of the boats] have passengers. Others are unknown ... Political pressure needs to be put on [the] US, Australia, Greece and the rest of the world.” The Dfat spokesperson said they were liaising with authorities in Israel and Greece, including to confirm the detention of any Australians. “We understand people want to respond to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, but we continue to urge Australians not to join others seeking to break the Israeli naval blockade as they will be putting themselves and others at risk of injury, death, arrest or deportation,” the Dfat spokesperson said. “Australia has been part of the international call on Israel to comply with the binding orders of the international court of justice.” The previous Sumud flotilla in October 2025 resulted in seven Australians being detained by the IDF. Among the six Australians who are expected to be released in Crete are Newcastle climate activist Zack Schofield, University of Sydney student and Wiradjuri, Ngiyampaa and Wailwan man Ethan Floyd, Neve O’Connor, Dr Bianca Webb-Pullman, Surya McEwen and Cameron Tribe. Members of Schofield’s family addressed the media on Thursday and appeared at a snap rally demanding the safe passage of the vessels at Sydney town hall, expressing their fear for his safety and anger at the lack of Australian government intervention. His father, Peter Schofield, said he had last spoken to his son about 6am on Thursday when Zach said the flotilla was “surrounded by boats”. “Obviously, we were very concerned,” he said. “It’s sometimes been commented that this venture is symbolic, but it’s far more than symbolic. “Putting one’s life on the line, as indeed is the case with these people … is necessary and these people are making a big sacrifice in an effort to achieve change.” The foreign minister, Penny Wong, the Israeli foreign ministry and the Israeli embassy were approached for comment. The Times of Israel reported that “security sources” confirmed the Israeli navy began intercepting the flotilla late on Wednesday.

Friday briefing: How rising antisemitism is striking fear into the everyday lives of British Jews

Good morning. It is a terrible fact of life for British Jews that few were surprised by Wednesday’s knife attack in Golders Green, north London, in which two men were stabbed in an area home to a large Jewish community. A 45-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder. The incident is the latest in a string of antisemitic attacks, on people and property, that have struck fear into many British Jews in recent years. John Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, said many in the community are at “breaking point” and feel the UK is no longer a safe place for them to live. To discuss the attack and what life is like for British Jews amid rising hate crimes against the community, I spoke with Dave Rich, director of policy at the Community Security Trust, which supports Jewish safety in Britain, and the Guardian’s community affairs correspondent, Aamna Mohdin, who has been on the ground in Golders Green. But first, the headlines. Five big stories Iran | Iran’s supreme leader has broken his recent silence with a defiant statement hailing Iran’s control over shipping in the strait of Hormuz and vowing to guard the country’s nuclear and missile programmes. Environment | Governments have been asked to develop national “roadmaps” setting out how they will end the production and use of fossil fuels, after a landmark climate meeting involving nearly 60 countries. UK news | Winston Marshall, a former member of the band Mumford & Sons and the son of the GB News co-owner Paul Marshall, has said Britain should construct a mine-laden “floating wall” to stop small boat crossings on the Channel. Counter-terrorism | More and more young people are being drawn into the world of violent extremism, a senior police officer has warned, as a young neo-Nazi was convicted of planning a mass gun attack after being caught in an undercover MI5 sting. UK economy | The Bank of England has left interest rates unchanged at 3.75% but said the UK may need to brace for increases later this year, as “higher inflation is unavoidable” as a result of the war in the Middle East. In depth: ‘Extreme, hateful, violent attitudes have become normalised’ Wednesday’s attack in Golders Green was not a one-off. In March, volunteer-run ambulances operated by the Jewish community were set on fire in the north London suburb, the first in a series of arson attacks that include the firebombing of a synagogue and community symbols across the capital. And police have been investigating groups backed by the Iranian regime in connection with antisemitic attacks. In October last year, an Islamist terrorist drove a car into a synagogue in Heaton Moor, Manchester before stabbing worshippers on Yom Kippur, which left two men dead. This February, three men were convicted over a foiled IS-inspired terror plot to massacre Jews in Manchester. Jewish people now suffer the highest rate per capita of religious hate crime in England and Wales. The steady drumbeat of antisemitic incidents has brought fear into mundane, everyday tasks for British Jews. Some hide or remove symbols that might identify them as Jews. Others are too scared to go to particular areas, with a growing number contemplating leaving the country. As Jewish families sit down for Shabbat dinner this evening, many will reflect again on whether the UK is safe for them in the wake of another attack. “Antisemitism in the day-to-day boring stuff that never makes the news has become utterly normalised in the Jewish experience in this country,” says Dave Rich. “There is a growing frustration that not enough effective action is being taken to deal with it. That covers policing, government and the wider society, where extreme, hateful, violent attitudes and language have become normalised. When you speak to anyone from the Jewish community in Britain, there might be a level of shock, but nobody is surprised that attacks like this are happening.” Rich recalls a recent Passover dinner with friends who were reflecting on antisemitic interactions in their day to day life: a question at a night club over what one person “thought of the Jews”, another conversation with someone who was convinced “the Jews did 9/11”. “That’s now a normal part of the Jewish experience in this country,” he says. *** ‘Legitimised hatred’ Jewish people make up 0.5% of the UK population – and many at the moment feel vulnerable, targeted and alone, Rich tells me. Add to that their sense that the response to recent antisemitic hate incidents has been muted, and many Jewish people say it leaves them with the feeling that others simply do not care that Jews are being targeted. In particular, Rich highlighted antisemitism among those one would expect to be allies of minorities, people who would otherwise consider themselves progressive liberals, pointing out that too often legitimate criticism of Israel slips into hatred of Jews in the diaspora. “The 76-year-old Jewish man who was stabbed in Golders Green, he’s not a serving IDF soldier,” Rich says. “It’s ridiculous. There is an atmosphere of legitimised hatred – not criticism, not opposition, but hatred – towards Israel, not as a state and a government but as a nation and people, that has developed and taken root in liberal opinion and left-wing opinion. This atmosphere of hatred by definition is uncontrollable and generates more hatred and more attacks. And it slips very, very easily from hatred of Israel to hatred of Israelis to hatred of Jews.” Rich also identifies a particular issue with antisemitism among a small portion of British Muslim society, which must be delicately addressed. No doubt it helps that several leading British imams have condemned the Golders Green attack and expressed their solidarity with the Jewish community. “If you look at opinion polling … in Britain and in other countries, it consistently shows that levels of antisemitism are higher, significantly higher, among Muslim communities than they are in the population as a whole,” says Rich. “I have to stress, not most Muslims. And also not most of the antisemitism in society … but it’s far too high. “People are very nervous about raising this issue,” says Rich, and he is keen to stress that “there are genuine sensitivities because anti-Muslim prejudice is a real problem as well in this country, and there are extremist voices on the far right who will always try to exploit these issues”. But he argues the perception of this problem is inflated by avoiding it: “One of the ways that enables the far right to do that is if there is a vacuum because no one else is talking about these issues in an evidenced and measured and constructive way.” Rich points to a rise in antisemitic sermons in some UK mosques after the 7 October massacre in Israel by Hamas, and the subsequent war in Gaza. “We need measured, evidence-based, proportionate and effective policy measures, working with people in Muslim communities and across society as part of a broader counter-extremism effort,” he says. *** Actions, not words The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said the stabbings on Wednesday were “an attack on all of us”, urging swift action from the criminal justice system, and promised his government would do “everything in our power to stamp this hatred out”. The UK terrorism threat level was raised on Thursday to “highly likely”, its second-highest level, and the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has committed an extra £25m to increase security for Jewish communities. But many are unconvinced. Starmer was heckled during a visit near the site of the attack yesterday, with a crowd of around 100 people chanting “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer”. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has said Jewish Londoners want to see actions, not words, and said he was in discussions with the Met police to establish a new unit countering extremism in the capital. *** Shock and fear In Golders Green, many in the community expect another attack, says Aamna Modhin, who was on the ground after the incident. She said people in the leafy London suburb were in shock, gripped by fear, and were openly questioning their place in Britain, with families cordoned off from reentering their homes after the stabbing. “People I spoke with said this was an attack on Britain, not only Jews, and there was a sadness that the feeling wasn’t shared. There was also defiance. Others said to me that nobody was going to scare them off from wearing a star of David or a kippah in public,” she said. Mohdin points to chronic government underinvestment in community relations that have led to this point, saying that they have not taken cohesion seriously for more than two decades. Big reductions in funding for interfaith exchanges have helped foster distrust, leaving a gap for extremists. While there are no easy answers, the pockets of interfaith cooperation had to be encouraged and provided with more resource, she said. “Almost every religious and community group I speak with talks about their distress, isolation and loneliness,” says Aamna Mohdin. “A feeling that they have been abandoned by the government. What does that say about the British state right now?” What else we’ve been reading “Charm. Raw and honest entertainment,” is how Giffords Circus defines its appeal. Miriam Gillinson visits preparations for its “most dangerous show yet”. Martin If, like me, you’ll be finding time for at least one romcom this weekend, this piece by Hollie Richardson on how the genre is changing is a great read. Patrick It isn’t just Doctor Who that has missing episodes – Eurovision is starting a global search to try to recover footage of the 1956 and 1964 contests that are absent from the archives. Martin Melanie C is funny answering questions from readers on the Spice Girls, imposter syndrome and what kind of spice she would be. Patrick Sleek Italian furniture, Danish trade schools, Thai pocket parks and Namibian bikes all feature in the 2026 Monocle Design Awards. Martin Sport Football | Chris Wood scored from the penalty spot in the second half to hand Nottingham Forest a 1-0 win against Aston Villa in their Europa League semi-final first leg. Crystal Palace will carry a two-goal advantage into the second leg of their Conference League semi-final after a 3-1 away win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Golf | LIV Golf’s race to secure at least a watered down future is formally under way after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed it will cease to fund the breakaway circuit at the end of this year. Football | Scott Parker has left his position as Burnley head coach with immediate effect after the club’s relegation from the Premier League. The 45-year-old has departed by mutual consent. His assistant, Mike Jackson, will take interim charge for the final four games of the season. The front pages “PM vows to act against protesters ‘venerating the murder of Jews’” is the Guardian’s splash headline. “An attack on all of us” – that’s the Mirror. “Why was he free to roam the streets with a knife?” the Daily Mail asks, in relation to the suspect. The Express has a very long headline positing that antisemitism “reveals diseased minds and corrupt societies” and referring to the Holocaust. The Times runs with “UK terror threat ‘severe’ after antisemitic attacks”. The Green leader provides the Telegraph’s angle: “Met accuses Polanski of stoking tensions”. Top story in the Financial Times is “ECB and BoE warn of rate rises as Iran war takes toll”. The i paper carries “Rayner’s warning to Starmer: more and more young people are feeling hopeless”. “Mayday! for landlords” – the Metro refers to rental law reforms. Something for the weekend Our critics’ roundup of the best things to watch, read, play and listen to right now TV Widow’s Bay | ★★★★★ What do you do if you want your charming little island off the coast of New England to become the next Martha’s Vineyard, but it’s full of legends about local cannibalism, sea hags, clown killers, poison fog and boogeymen who slaughter teenage girls in their beds? And what if it is full of sea hags, poisoned fog and clown killers, which doesn’t bode well for the mythical status of the cannibalism and boogeyman tales. Such is the dilemma posed by Widow’s Bay for its mayor, Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), in a 10-part series that in the very best way defies categorisation. Horror may be its most obvious element, but it is so much more than that. Still, for fans of that genre, the writer-creator Katie Dippold and Hiro Murai, the director of the first five episodes, deliver the goods, lovingly covering most of the tropes. Lucy Mangan Games Forbidden Solitaire, PC | ★★★★★ In Forbidden Solitaire, lead character Will Roberta picks up an old 1990s game called, yes, Forbidden Solitaire, in a charity shop. He discovers that the game is a sort of narrative card-battler set in a haunted dungeon filled with monsters and treasure – and then you, the player, are transported from his computer desktop into the game. In order to progress through the cursed building, and to fight the various ogres, serpents and witches, you need to win rounds of solitaire. But of course, it’s more complicated than that. Compelling you forwards, from one battle to the next, is the game’s brilliant, incredibly authentic recreation of mid 1990s PC game aesthetics. Keith Stuart Theatre I Saw Satan at the 7-Eleven, Soho theatre, London | ★★★★☆ No one tells a story like Christopher Brett Bailey. One minute he’s buying eggs at a gas station and the next he’s careening down the highway with the devil, the car deliberately swerving to increase their body count. This live reading of his surreal 2023 novella is a free-wheeling piece of storytelling, vividly and viciously told. In a fringed leather jacket with snakeskin boots and his signature freshly electrocuted hair, Brett Bailey recounts with eerie calmness an accidental road trip with a Satan who is a has-been, a conspiracy nut, and with a bloated ego and a desire to shag anything that moves – plus some that don’t. Kate Wyver Film The Sheep Detectives | ★★★☆☆ Here is a murder mystery that’s like a cross between Babe and The Thursday Murder Club, in which instead of plucky underdog retirees solving crimes, it’s … sheep? With a touch of Watership Down somewhere in the mix, this film, for some, may be off-putting. Actually, it makes for a sweet-natured family comedy. Screenwriter Craig Mazin has adapted the bestselling book Three Bags Full by German crime author Leonie Swann, and the Despicable Me veteran Kyle Balda directs, shepherding a boisterous herd of live-action stars and digitally created woolly performers. Peter Bradshaw Today in Focus Will the Greens win over Hackney? Helen Pidd and Peter Walker on the local elections and why the Green party has surged in the polls Cartoon of the day | Ben Jennings The Upside A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad “That super sweet, cuddly, social temperament is still there,” said owner Amber Davidson-Orozco after her family had been reunited with their cat more than seven years after he went missing – thanks to a microchip and a chain of kindness. Dodger disappeared during a cross-country move from California, but was found as a stray and identified years later. “We always thought about him,” his owner said. When they were finally reunited in Georgia, Davidson-Orozco said for her children it felt like “a piece of their childhood had come back” – a reminder that some bonds don’t fade, even with time. Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday Bored at work? And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply

Danish treatment of Greenlandic mother may be ‘ethnic discrimination’, says UN

The United Nations has warned Denmark that the treatment of a Greenlandic mother whose newborn child was removed by Danish authorities as a result of controversial parenting competency tests “may amount to ethnic discrimination”. Keira Alexandra Kronvold’s daughter, Zammi, was taken away from her when she was two hours old and placed in foster care in November 2024 after Kronvold was subjected to so-called FKU (parental competence) psychometric tests. At the time, she was told that the test was to see if she was “civilised enough”. On Friday, Kronvold, whose case prompted widespread outrage and contributed to Denmark’s subsequent decision to ban the use of such tests, will go to the Danish high court in the latest attempt to win back custody of her child. She is understood to be one of dozens of Inuit women living in Denmark who remain separated from their children after undergoing the discredited tests. In a move that will raise pressure on Copenhagen, it has now emerged that Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, has written to the government asking it to answer questions about the treatment of Kronvold and other families with a Greenlandic background. Alsalem, who wrote the letter along with the UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples and the special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, said on Thursday she and her colleagues had reason to believe that “that violations of human rights have occurred”. Denmark ruled Greenland as a colony until 1953 and, despite the Arctic island’s largely autonomous status now, people of Greenlandic origin in Denmark say they are still subject to systemic discrimination. The FKU tests, which campaigners had criticised for years as culturally unsuitable for Greenlandic people and other minorities, were seen as a particularly striking example of this before they were abruptly ditched by the Danish government last May. In the letter, sent late last month, the UN officials say they expressed concern over the “disproportionate impact of FKU assessment on Greenlandic parents, which may amount to ethnic discrimination”. Alsalem added: “While we welcome the decision that such tests should not be used for Greenlandic parents in the future, those that have been subjected to decisions using the FKU assessment should have access to justice and remedies.” A year after the law was changed, Kronvold remains separated from her daughter, who is now nearly 18 months old and living with a Danish family. She is only allowed to spend short periods of time with her daughter under supervision. The UN officials said the decision to remove Kronvold’s children from her without consent “may be discriminatory and disproportionate”, citing the “apparent disrespect to her decisions regarding procreation and contraception choices over the years and which clearly has caused her enormous psychological suffering”. Alsalem said: “In this respect, we recalled the fact that Indigenous women and girls are often subjected to multifaceted and complex spectrum of mutually reinforcing human rights violations, including in the context of sexual and reproductive health services and childbirth. “Such intersecting forms of discrimination and violence experienced by Indigenous women and girls also disrupts their spiritual and cultural lives and impacts the very essence of their family units and social fabric of their communities and nations.” Alsalem said she would be following the outcome of Kronvold’s court case and how the Danish authorities responded before deciding on further action. “In the interim, I hope that the authorities give due attention to the concerns we have raised, particularly in relation to Denmark’s binding human rights obligations,” she added. For Kronvold, the consequences of her separation from Zammi have been devastating. “I am not allowed to be connected with my daughter as I should as a mother. She has to make a connection to the foster parents and it hurt me so much that she called them Mum and Dad,” she said. Kronvold hopes her case and the intervention of the UN will lead to change for herself and for other Greenlandic people who have been separated from their children by Danish authorities. FKU tests, she said, should be “erased”, and the law changed to better protect Inuit people. Kronvold’s lawyer, Jeanette Gjørret, from Stage law firm, who specialises in children’s rights, said the high court case was symbolic and could help other Greenlandic parents. “There are many parents who are in the same situation, so we want the high court to look at the case and see: was it [the use of the tests] right or wrong?” said Gjørret. Denmark held a general election in March and parties have not yet formed a government. In response to a request for comment, the Danish social affairs ministry confirmed the UN letter had been received but added: “Denmark is currently without a government and cannot respond to the inquiry at the present time.”

Trump administration says hostilities in Iran ‘terminated’ ahead of war powers deadline

A US-Iran ceasefire that began in early April has “terminated” hostilities between the two sides for the purposes of an approaching congressional war powers deadline, a senior official of the Trump administration said on Thursday. Donald Trump faced a deadline on Friday to end the Iran war or make the case to Congress for extending it, but the date was most likely to pass without altering the course of the war. “For war powers resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated,” said the official, describing the administration’s thinking. There has been no exchange of fire between the US armed forces and Iran since a fragile ceasefire began more than three weeks ago, the official added. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must terminate its military campaign at the end of the 60-day window, unless Congress has declared war or authorized the use of military force. Earlier, analysts and congressional aides had said they expected Trump to notify Congress that he planned a 30-day extension or to disregard the deadline, with the administration arguing the ceasefire marked an end to the conflict. But Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, testifying earlier on Capitol Hill, said the 60-day clock was in fact paused due to the current ceasefire. “We are in a cease-fire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses, or stops, in a cease-fire,” Mr. Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Democrats and critics have raised concerns with that interpretation, with Harold Hongju Koh, a Yale Law School professor who was a legal adviser to Barack Obama’s state department, telling the New York Times: “There is no pause button in the War Power Resolution.” It is a politically perilous time for Republicans, with public frustration mounting over the conflict and gas prices. The Republican Senate majority leader, John Thune, said he didn’t plan on a vote to authorize force in Iran or otherwise weigh in. “I’m listening carefully to what the members of our conference are saying, and at this point I don’t see that,” he said on Thursday. Republican senator Kevin Cramer said he would vote for an authorization of war if Trump asked for it, but he questioned if the war powers resolution – passed during the Vietnam War era as a way for Congress to claw back its power – is even constitutional. Another Republican, Lisa Murkowski, said in a floor speech on Thursday that she will introduce a limited authorized use of military force when the Senate returns from the one-week recess if the administration has not yet presented what she called a “credible plan”. “I do not believe we should engage in open-ended military action without clear accountability,” Murkowski said. “Congress has a role.” Other Republicans have said in recent weeks they would eventually like to see a vote. Against that increasingly fraught backdrop, on Thursday the Republican-led Senate again blocked a Democratic attempt to stop Trump’s war in Iran, rejecting a war powers resolution that would have limited the conflict until Congress authorizes further military action. The vote was 47-50, with two Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky – voting in favor and one Democrat – John Fetterman of Pennsylvania – opposing it. It was the sixth time this year that Democrats have forced a vote on a war powers resolution related to the war. All have failed, mostly along party lines. Adam Schiff, the resolution’s author, said Thursday’s vote was critical. Friday marks 60 days since the Trump administration notified Congress that it was carrying out strikes on Iran. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must terminate its military campaign at the end of the 60-day window, unless Congress has declared war or authorized the use of military force. Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, testifying earlier on Capitol Hill, said the 60-day clock was paused due to the current ceasefire with Iran, though Democrats and critics have raised concerns with that interpretation. The US Constitution says only Congress, not the president, can declare war, but the curb does not apply for operations the administration casts as short-term or countering an immediate threat. Trump’s Republican party holds a narrow majority in both chambers of Congress. Earlier this month, the House had also narrowly rejected another war powers resolution meant to curb military action in Iran. The resolution introduced by Greg Meeks, the top Democrat on the House foreign affairs committee, failed by a vote of 213-214, with one Republican member voting present. It required at least two more votes to pass, as tied votes fail in the House. In a sign that Democrats had solidified in opposition to the war, three congressmen who had voted against a previous resolution in March – Henry Cuellar of Texas, Greg Landsman of Ohio and Juan Vargas of California – voted in favor of this attempt. Jared Golden of Maine was the sole Democrat to vote in opposition, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky the only Republican to vote for passage. Ohio’s Warren Davidson voted present, after voting in favor last month. With Reuters and Associated Press

Australian hiker missing in Nova Scotia national park not heard from for two weeks

A search is underway in Canada for a 62-year-old Australian woman who was reported missing on Tuesday while hiking in a coastal national park in the country’s south-east. Denise Ann Williams was last heard from on 15 April, when she told family she was travelling to Chéticamp, a fishing village on the west coast of Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia. Her rental car, a Nissan Sentra, was found at the Parks Canada visitor centre at the start of the Acadian trail head, an 8.4km loop at Cape Breton Highlands national park. A local said on social media they “walk in the park every other day and her vehicle has not moved in probably two weeks”. The park, which hugs a rocky coastline, is known to contain moose, coyotes and black bears. The Acadian trail is described on its website as a track of “moderate” difficulty, with “elevation gain and some short, steep sections”. It is estimated to take between three and four hours to complete. Phone reception in the park is patchy. “Hike with friends and a solid walking stick,” the website advises. “If you choose to walk alone, tell somebody where you are going.” The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Inverness county said they received a call at about 9.30am local time on 28 April reporting Williams as missing. They released images of her in a bid for public help, along with a physical description describing her as “5-foot-4 with greyish blonde, shoulder length hair”. Police said Williams was believed to have been wearing a dark winter jacket, a powder-blue beanie (toque) with “Antarctica” on it, an orange and blue scarf and glasses. Air and ground search efforts were continuing on Friday, authorities said, with RCMP and Department of Natural Resources air services, police dog services, multiple ground search and rescue teams and many other agencies assisting police. Chris Bellmore, president of Chéticamp Search and Rescue, told CBC News on Thursday it is “very difficult terrain in Nova Scotia”. “We have very mountainous terrain here ... There’s a lot of water here and there’s actually still snow up here in the highlands and in some areas that makes it a bit of a challenge to search.” Nova Scotia police corporal Mandy Edwards told the ABC, Australia’s national broadcaster, that wildlife could be a danger in the area at this time of year, with bears coming out of hibernation. “Hopefully she’s encountered some people along the way who may recognise her from the photo that was released,” she said. “So our searchers will be looking at those clues and those tips from the public to help to direct their search.” Daytime temperatures in the park have ranged between zero to 14C, dipping as low as -5C overnight, with some lingering snow. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance to Williams’ family. “Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment,” a department spokesperson said. - with Australian Associated Press

북한 or 조선? South Korea debates what to call North Korea

On a mild spring morning in central Seoul this week, a room of academics and lawyers gathered to debate a question: what should South Korea call North Korea? The task sounds deceptively simple but the answer is far from straightforward, and has provided fodder for columnists in recent years. The answer could even have repercussions for South Korea’s constitutional position. This linguistic gap stems from South Korea’s view that the entire peninsula is its territory, and that the North is a rebel-held region awaiting reunification, rather than a separate state. It means South Korea calls its northern neighbour Bukhan (북한), or “north Han”, a variation of how the South refers to itself: Hanguk (한국), meaning “Han nation”, a shortening of Daehan Minguk (대한민국), the Republic of Korea. However, North Korea calls itself Joseon (조선), a shortened version of Joseon Minjujuui Inmin Gonghwaguk (조선민주주의인민공화국), or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It has traditionally referred to the South as Namjoseon (남조선), or “south Joseon”. But this position, rooted in the peninsula’s division and entrenched after the Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953, is now being tested. In recent months, unification minister Chung Dong-young has begun referring to the North by its official name of Joseon Minjujuui Inmin Gonghwaguk. In January, the minister declared that “the Lee Jae Myung government respects the system of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”. In March, he raised the possibility of calling inter-Korean relations “Han-Jo relations”, or Hanguk-Joseon relations. His ministry sponsored this week’s conference, a first step in gauging public opinion on whether to adopt the North’s official name. Kim Nam-jung, the vice-minister, opened the event by saying: “How we call our counterpart shows how we perceive them and what kind of relationship we wish to build.” He pointed to the experience of divided Germany, where East and West began using each other’s official names after the 1972 Basic Treaty, helping to expand exchanges and ease tensions. “When language and institutions that recognise and respect the other’s reality are supported,” he said, “we can break the cycle of confrontation and expand the space for peaceful coexistence.” Since taking office, President Lee Jae Myung has adopted a more conciliatory approach towards North Korea, based on respecting its system, rejecting unification through absorption and avoiding hostile acts. He has said the two sides are “not enemies”. In practice, the two Koreas already operate as separate states. Both are members of the UN, with different political systems, currencies and passports. Even language has diverged over time. Supporters of the shift in wording argue that Bukhan itself carries political weight. Kim Sung Kyung, a sociology professor at Sogang University, said calling the North “Bukhan” meant not recognising its statehood as an independent country. The term, she said, had accumulated “layers of hostility, danger, indifference and hatred” since 1950 in the context of anti-communist ideology. It was difficult to find any logical basis, she added, for arguing that using “Bukhan” for 80 years had helped unification. The legal implications remain contested. Kwon Eun-min, a lawyer at Kim & Chang, said that calling North Korea by its official name does not automatically constitute recognising it as a state, noting that the two Koreas have used each other’s official names in summits and signed agreements over the decades. The debate comes against the backdrop of North Korea’s own rhetorical shift. In December 2023, its leader Kim Jong-un declared that North-South relations were no longer those of “fellow countrymen” but of “two hostile states” in a state of war. Since then, however, Pyongyang has begun calling the South by its official name, Daehan Minguk, or its shortened form, Hanguk, instead of Namjoseon. But critics have pushed back hard. Song Eon-seok, a senior member of the opposition conservative People Power party, wrote on Facebook that the move was “a clear violation of the constitution” that would mean “recognising the North as a separate, equal state”. South Korea’s constitution declares in Article 3 that “the territory of the Republic of Korea shall consist of the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands”, while Article 4 enshrines a duty of “peaceful unification”. Critics argue that using the North’s official name contradicts both. Public opinion reflects a generational shift. According to the Korea Institute for National Unification, only 49% of South Koreans now say “unification is necessary” – the lowest level on record. No decision on the Bukhan vs Joseon debate is imminent. Even the spelling depends on which side you’re on: “Joseon” if you follow South Korea’s romanisation system, “Choson” in North Korean usage. But perhaps that is a debate for another day.