World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

Joe Hockey issues new warning of razor gang's cuts to pensioners
The great North Korean picture show video
William and Kate get hip in the city of churches
Legal community has grave concerns over new push for mass data collection
US warns Russia over Ukraine as Moscow announces military exercises
Begging ban: Perth city council pushes to outlaw beggars in city centre
NSW gas bills set to flare up, adding $224 a year to average household bill
Queensland government wants to hear from you on debt (as long as you agree)
Strike fighters give Australia ability to project massive air power
North Korean health system crumbling as shortages and sanctions bite
South Korean ferry disaster company targeted in raids
MH370: more powerful sonar needed in plane search, says Australia
Australia's asylum policies repeatedly criticised by UN officials at conference
Pirates hijack oil tanker and steal millions of litres
No-fly list used by FBI to coerce Muslims into informing, lawsuit claims
Ukraine president blames pro-Russian separatists for killing of politician
Pakistan army demands TV channel closure over assassination dispute
Does US evidence prove Russian special forces are in eastern Ukraine?
Fighter planes: Australia 'already has' the $12.4bn to pay for stealth jets
Indians say criminal justice system cannot cope with rape cases
President Obama tours Washington mudslide area pictures
Israel will have to run Palestine if peace talks fail, Mahmoud Abbas warns
Elizabeth Warren reopens White House wounds in new book
North Koreans shown Kim Jong-un childhood photos - video
Mongolian herds

Joe Hockey issues new warning of razor gang's cuts to pensioners

Posted: 23 Apr 2014 01:04 AM PDT

Bill Shorten accuses the government of 'cynically trying to soften the ground for massive cuts to pensions'

The great North Korean picture show video

Posted: 23 Apr 2014 01:00 AM PDT

Behind the scenes of the propaganda movie industry: documentary film-makers Lynn Lee and James Leong followed the making of an anti-Japanese propaganda movie meant to glorify North Korea's 50 year-old Songun or 'military first' campaign. These excerpts from their documentary, The Great North Korean Picture Show, reveal the determination of cast and crew to please the Pyongyang regime. Watch the full film here Continue reading...

William and Kate get hip in the city of churches

Posted: 23 Apr 2014 12:55 AM PDT

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, focused on youth during a visit to Adelaide in South Australia on Wednesday. The couple, without baby George, visited the suburb of Elizabeth, where they were hosted by Northern Sound System, a youth development facility

Legal community has grave concerns over new push for mass data collection

Posted: 23 Apr 2014 12:47 AM PDT

Senate inquiry told extensions to surveillance powers should be rebuffed unless they are 'necessary and proportionate'

US warns Russia over Ukraine as Moscow announces military exercises

Posted: 23 Apr 2014 12:31 AM PDT

US secretary of state John Kerry expresses deep concern over 'lack of positive Russian steps to de-escalate' crisis Continue reading...

Begging ban: Perth city council pushes to outlaw beggars in city centre

Posted: 23 Apr 2014 12:22 AM PDT

Criminalising panhandlers is not the answer, says peak housing body for the homeless

NSW gas bills set to flare up, adding $224 a year to average household bill

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 11:36 PM PDT

Independent pricing tribunal blames rising export demand and carbon tax for price rises, while Labor pushes for domestic reservation policy

Queensland government wants to hear from you on debt (as long as you agree)

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 10:53 PM PDT

An online questionnaire canvassing options for reducing the state's debt has received 16,000 submissions, but none of those will question the underlying premise

Strike fighters give Australia ability to project massive air power

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 10:50 PM PDT

Maintaining superiority in the air was behind the governments decision to spend $12.4bn on the F-35 jets

North Korean health system crumbling as shortages and sanctions bite

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 10:31 PM PDT

Patients said to be taking methamphetamine as medicine because drugs are too expensive despite promise of universal healthcare

Our new North Korea network: follow the Guardian and our partners for unique reporting and analysis

South Korean ferry disaster company targeted in raids

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 09:41 PM PDT

Authorities investigate head of Yoo family, which ran Sewol service, as recovery of bodies enters second week

MH370: more powerful sonar needed in plane search, says Australia

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 08:52 PM PDT

Defence minister says system that found Titanic may be brought in as robot mini-sub finds no sign of wreckage so far

Australia's asylum policies repeatedly criticised by UN officials at conference

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 08:20 PM PDT

UNHCR criticises boat turnbacks and Cambodia resettlement plan, and claims Australia is not cooperating with investigation

Pirates hijack oil tanker and steal millions of litres

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 07:58 PM PDT

Japanese ship boarded in Malacca Strait and diesel pumped into waiting vessels before raiders fled taking three crew with them

No-fly list used by FBI to coerce Muslims into informing, lawsuit claims

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 07:00 PM PDT

Case highlights plight of people wrongfully added to database who face lengthy, secretive process to clear their names

Ukraine president blames pro-Russian separatists for killing of politician

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 05:44 PM PDT

Oleksandr Turchynov says 'terrorists' killed Vladimir Rybak, while self-styled mayor of Sloyvansk says it is work of ultra-nationalists Continue reading...

Pakistan army demands TV channel closure over assassination dispute

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 05:32 PM PDT

Geo News accused of libel, after allegations the military's main intelligence agency had ordered its star journalist killed Continue reading...

Does US evidence prove Russian special forces are in eastern Ukraine?

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 03:55 PM PDT

The state department seems convinced by photographs collected by Ukraine's government that analyse the weapons, dress and beards of 'green men' appearing with paramilitaries in eastern cities

Ukraine's acting president calls for relaunch of anti-terror operation

Fighter planes: Australia 'already has' the $12.4bn to pay for stealth jets

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 03:50 PM PDT

PM to announce purchase of 58 US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, which he says will bring 'significant economic benefits'

Indians say criminal justice system cannot cope with rape cases

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 03:32 PM PDT

Survey finds nine in 10 say the crime is a 'very big problem', while three in four say laws too lax and police not strict enough Continue reading...

President Obama tours Washington mudslide area pictures

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 03:15 PM PDT

Tuesday marks the one-month anniversary of the Oso mudslide that killed a confirmed 41 people. Two are still on the missing persons list

Israel will have to run Palestine if peace talks fail, Mahmoud Abbas warns

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 02:55 PM PDT

Stark warning follows reports Palestinian president may disband Palestinian Authority if talks end by 29 April without extension Continue reading...

Elizabeth Warren reopens White House wounds in new book

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 01:37 PM PDT

Massachusetts senator reveals frustration with Obama over Wall Street reforms and describes clashes with Tim Geithner

North Koreans shown Kim Jong-un childhood photos - video

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 01:27 PM PDT

A crowd of North Koreans was treated to a rare viewing of photographs of their leader Kim Jong-un as a child. At the end of a concert airing the first meeting between Kim and the country's air force, the big screen showed a chronological documentary of the family dynasty including a child Kim Jong-un, met by rapturous applause from the audience Continue reading...