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A cabinet split over military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews and large street protests demanding the release of hostages are threatening the prime minister’s grip on power. Bethan McKernan reports from JerusalemAs the war in Gaza approaches its seventh month, tens of thousands of protesters in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities in Israel have demanded the release of hostages held in Gaza and called...

Beijing dismisses chorus of concern from western governments over punitive new law as slanderChina has accused western governments and the United Nations of slander after they criticised Hong Kong’s new national security law, which was rushed through the city’s pro-Beijing parliament this week.The law, known as Article 23, covers newly defined acts of treason, espionage, theft of state secrets, sedition and foreign interference. Critics...

Civil liberties network says in states where far-right parties influence power, rule-of-law deterioration risks becoming systemicThe rule of law is declining across the EU as governments continue to weaken legal and democratic checks and balances, a leading civil liberties network has said, highlighting in particular a sharp rise in restrictions on the right to protest.Berlin-based Liberties said in its annual report, compiled with 37...

Voters told to swamp polling stations all at once and spoil ballots, after two days of dye attacks, fires and Ukrainian cross-border strikesRussians vote in final day of presidential election – live updatesCritics of Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin regime have called for massive protests at Russian polling stations on Sunday, the final day of a presidential election that is guaranteed to cement his...

The government’s commissioner for countering extremism said the marches are an ‘environment for radicalisation’As on previous Saturdays in the past six months, there were two marches taking place in London today. The first, a gathering of tens of thousands of full-throated, flag-waving supporters of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza gathered at Hyde Park Corner at noon, and shuffled peaceably and patiently in the sunshine...

Exclusive: Dame Sara Khan warns that framing demonstrations as Islamist extremism is ‘far-fetched and untrue’A UK government adviser on social cohesion has described attempts to portray protesters on pro-Palestinian marches as extremist as “outrageous” and dangerous.Dame Sara Khan, who is carrying out a review of the resilience of the UK’s democracy for Michael Gove, said such claims risked further dividing the country. Continue reading...

Debate has begun on Article 23 – legislation designed to bring laws closer to those of mainland ChinaHong Kong’s government has released the draft text of a new national security law that would further tighten control on the city and bring its laws closer in line with mainland China.The law, known as Article 23, is a domestic piece of legislation defining and penalising crimes...

Organiser suggests PM consider own MPs’ behaviour after speech about rise in ‘extremist disruption’Pro-Palestine protests are to continue across the UK on Saturday after Rishi Sunak’s warning that democracy was being targeted by “extremists”.In an address to the nation on Friday, the prime minister spoke about “forces here at home trying to tear us apart”, in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks by...

Two groups are striking for better working conditions and investment in Germany’s underfunded public transportAt first sight, the gathering in an office complex in east Berlin resembles a self-help group. But the public transport workers and climate protesters sitting in a semi-circle introducing themselves have been thrown together, they say, to fight for a common cause.“Hello, my name is Erdogan. I’m a bus driver...

Turnout of 38.5% or less predicted despite moves to make voting easier and allow more candidatesA majority of Iran’s angry and disillusioned electorate are predicted to stay away from parliamentary elections on Friday, viewing the process as a masquerade of democracy intended to give legitimacy to a regime that has failed to deliver on living standards, the environment and personal freedom.In repeated speeches, the...

James Cleverly considering longer notice periods for large demos in England and Wales, says policing ministerUK politics live – latest updatesThe home secretary, James Cleverly, is considering further tightening the law around demonstrations, including a requirement for protesters to increase the amount of notice they give police before large demonstrations, a cabinet minister has said.Extending the notice period from the current six days to...

French president greeted by whistles from hundreds of demonstrators as some clash with policeHundreds of protesting farmers clashed with police in Paris as Emmanuel Macron toured the annual agricultural fair on Saturday. The French president had opened the fair as angry farmers blew whistles and shouted insults.Riot police initially kept the protesters at a safe distance as he toured the fair, tasting honey from...

Safa Aeli was charged with taking part in protests that erupted following death of 22-year-old after her arrest for allegedly flouting strict dress rules for womenThe uncle of Mahsa Amini, the young Iranian-Kurdish woman whose death in custody sparked months of protests, has been sentenced to more than five years in jail for his criticism of the government in 2022, rights groups have said.Safa...

Feira de Acari is closed down by the mayor after claims that gangsters used it to sell stolen goodsManoel Ribeiro has never known a world without Rio de Janeiro’s best-known flea market, the Feira de Acari.The swarming suburban bazaar was founded outside his home in 1970, the year of his birth. It existed in 1993 when the market trader was shot nearby during an...

China ‘threatens relatives in Tibet’ to exert control over activists in exile, with greater transnational repression at Tibetan new yearThousands of Tibetans around the world have been subjected to spying, blackmail and threats against family members still living in Tibet, according to a new report.The Chinese government’s repressive policies in Tibet continue to be documented, but the new report by the Tibetan Centre for...

Chancellor says protests are ‘strong sign in favour of democracy’ as demonstrators gather in Berlin, Dresden, Hanover and other citiesAbout 200,000 people have taken to the streets of Germany in further protests against the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).Protests on Saturday also took place in Dresden, Mainz and Hanover in a sign of growing alarm at strong public support for AfD. Continue reading...

Met police ban face coverings in Westminster as organisers accuse force of bowing to political pressureMiddle East crisis – live updatesHundreds of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators are expected to march through central London on Saturday in the UK’s first national demonstration since the UN’s international court of justice ordered Israel to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide in Gaza.Organisers have said...

Court rules not enough evidence provided to prove defendants failed to comply with section 14 order at anti-fossil fuel rallyGreta Thunberg and four others charged with public order offences over a protest in London have been cleared after a judge ruled that they had no case to answer.Thunberg was charged alongside Christofer Kebbon, Joshua James Unwin, Jeff Rice and Peter Barker with “failing to...

First cameras were torn down by someone calling themselves Fleximan – now traffic calming measures are being targetedRenzo Bergamini, the mayor of Gualtieri, was on his way to buy the newspapers on Tuesday morning when he noticed something was amiss with one of the two speed humps positioned on the town’s ring road.“I saw that the sections of the hump were slightly misaligned,” he...

Towns and cities empty during protest on anniversary of military takeover and arrest of Aung San Suu KyiCities and towns across Myanmar have come to a standstill as people took part in a silent strike to signal defiance against the military junta on the anniversary of the 2021 coup.Three years since the military detained political leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, its grip on...

Reports of at least a dozen cases of femicide since start of year prompt protests across the countryProtests against femicide have taken place across Kenya after a rise in killings this month.Reports of at least a dozen cases of femicide since the start of the year have prompted public outrage, debate and demonstrations across the country, including in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. Continue reading...

Trial of local activist provokes one of largest reported demonstrations in country since Ukraine invasionHundreds of protesters have clashed with police in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan in a rare display of public outrage after a court convicted a local activist and sentenced him to prison, according to media reports and rights groups.The unrest on Wednesday – one of the largest reported demonstrations since...

For some farmers already struggling, paying for more of their pollution is a step too far. Germany is the latest country to see anger boil overThe columns of tractors that have blocked roads in Germany, causing chaos in cities and headaches for commuters, are the latest wave in a growing tide of anger against efforts to protect Europe’s nature from the pollution pumped out...

About 1,700 officers on duty in UK capital to police demonstration on day for action involving 30 countriesMiddle East crisis – live updatesThousands of people marched through central London on Saturday to show solidarity with Palestine and to reiterate calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.Demonstrators met on Queen Victoria Street before making their way along Fleet Street towards Parliament Square. The protest, part of...