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Russian foreign minister rejects request and says US must not ‘make a fuss’ over arrest of Evan GershkovichAntony Blinken, the US secretary of state, called for Russia to free the detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich in a rare phone call with his Moscow counterpart since the start of the war in Ukraine.The American’s plea was rejected by Sergei Lavrov, who responded by saying that US officials and media outlets must “not make a fuss” or try to politicise the plight of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Labour says record number of disclosures before Easter recess is effort to evade accountabilityLabour has accused ministers of being “desperate to avoid scrutiny” after government departments published a record number of “transparency disclosures” over a 48-hour period before parliament rose for the Easter break.The Cabinet Office website shows that 150 documents were released over 30-31 March, more than in the previous 44 days and beating the previous record, set exactly a year ago, when there was a data dump of 120 documents just before the recess. Continue reading...

Inquiry to focus on whether emergency state-backed UBS takeover breached criminal lawSwitzerland’s federal prosecutor has launched an investigation into whether last month’s state-backed takeover of the stricken bank Credit Suisse by its bigger rival UBS broke Swiss criminal law.The office of the attorney general said it was looking into potential breaches by government officials, regulators and executives at the two banks who thrashed out an emergency merger over a frantic weekend in mid-March to prevent a wider financial meltdown. Continue reading...

Itamar Ben-Gvir says force will focus on Arab unrest as police chief voices concerns and opposition figures denounce it as ‘militia’Israel’s government has authorised the establishment of a national guard proposed by the far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who said it would focus on Arab unrest, as political rivals accused him of setting up a sectarian “militia”.The previous government had begun moves to set up an auxiliary police force to tackle internal political violence after pro-Palestinian protests in mixed Jewish-Arab areas during the Israel-Gaza conflict in May 2021. However, that government ended before the force was finalised. Continue reading...

Home secretary refuses to give a deadline for when her controversial policy for asylum seekers will beginSuella Braverman has been unable to confirm that the first promised deportation flights to Rwanda will take off this summer, as the controversial policy continues to face scrutiny in the courts.The home secretary, whose officials briefed that plans were on track during her trip to the African country last month, played down the prospect of the flights going ahead shortly. Continue reading...

Natalie Rabey, who relies on power-hungry machines to help her breathe, is campaigning for solar power for Victoria’s public housing

The national housing report, released on Monday, says rising interest rates have reduced supply of new homes

The Grattan Institute report recommends 10 changes to superannuation taxation that could save the budget billions a year

Malcolm Turnbull says the party’s future rests on its ability to move back to the centre

Volunteer detectives could look again at all 13,000 cold cases on National Crime Agency’s missing persons unitMissing persons investigations going back decades and cases of unidentified remains across the UK will be freshly investigated under a new pilot scheme.The programme, by the charity Locate International, will be limited initially to a small number of police forces. But the National Police Chiefs Council has said it could be extended nationwide, bringing in volunteer detectives from around the world to reinvestigate all 13,000 cold cases on the National Crime Agency’s UK missing persons unit. Continue reading...

Sakamoto was one of Japan’s most successful musicians, acclaimed for work in Yellow Magic Orchestra as well as solo albums and film scoresRyuichi Sakamoto, the Japanese musician whose remarkably eclectic career straddled pop, experimentalism and Oscar-winning film composition, has died aged 71.As a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra alongside Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto created joyous and progressive electronic pop in the late 1970s and early 1980s, alongside solo releases. He acted alongside David Bowie in the 1983 film Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and composed its celebrated theme, the first in a series of film scores including Oscar-winning work in 1987 with David Byrne and Cong Su for Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor. Continue reading...

Robert Bonnier has counter-sued against Candy’s claims of fraudulent misrepresentation and global freezing ordersThe property tycoon Nick Candy is locked in a bitter legal dispute with a former business partner in which they have traded allegations about each other’s conduct and financial worth.The Tory donor’s firm Candy Ventures Sarl (CVS) is pursuing a claim for alleged fraudulent misrepresentation against the social media company Aaqua and its boss, Robert Bonnier. Bonnier was once seen as one of the City’s hottest young entrepreneurs as chief executive and founder of online business directory Scoot, which was valued at more than £2bn at the height of the dotcom boom but ended up being bought out for £5m. Continue reading...

Attack near western city of Homs early on Sunday was Israel’s third in recent daysFive Syrian soldiers were wounded in the latest Israeli airstrike on Syria, the state news agency Sana reported on Sunday, while Iran said two Revolutionary Guards officers had died in earlier attacks.Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian territory during more than a decade of civil war, primarily targeting Iranian-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions. Continue reading...

Signed by 38 senior news figures from around the world, the letter criticises the Kremlin’s ‘anti-press’ detention of Evan GershkovichMore than three dozen editors of news organisations from across the world have signed a letter condemning the detention of the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.An experienced reporter of Russian affairs, Gershkovich was working in the city of Yekaterinburg when he was detained. The Kremlin claimed he had been spying and had been caught “red-handed”. However, the Wall Street Journal vehemently denied the allegations against him while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also condemned the arrest. Continue reading...

Le Monde and Libération correspondents sent home in junta’s latest move against media from former colonial powerBurkina Faso has expelled correspondents from Le Monde and Libération, the newspapers said on Sunday, the latest move the junta running the west African country has taken against French media.Burkina Faso, where two coups took place last year, is battling a jihadist insurgency that spilled over from neighbouring Mali in 2015. Continue reading...

Home secretary points to ‘particular combination of factors’, but Labour says ministers need to ‘start doing their actual job’Suella Braverman has denied Brexit is responsible for delays at the port of Dover after some passengers said they had been queueing up to 14 hours to have their passports checked.Extra sailings were being put in place overnight with hopes of clearing the backlog by lunchtime on Sunday, after a critical incident was declared at the port on Friday. Continue reading...

Diplomats add their voices to Japanese campaigners in demanding LGBTQ+ rights as Hiroshima prepares to host the G7 summitAkane Kousaka and her partner live in fear of the day when one of them falls ill or is injured in an accident. The LGBTQ+ couple have a “partnership certificate” issued by their ward office in Tokyo, but it comes with none of the legal guarantees afforded married heterosexual couples – including the right to visit a spouse in hospital.“We might be able to get special permission, but we shouldn’t have to rely on other people’s goodwill … it’s not right,” Kousaka told the Observer. Other countries were leaving Japan behind, she added. Continue reading...

Campaigners’ anger as 1,173 held despite ministers’ pledge to scrap legislationMore than 1,000 homeless people have been arrested for sleeping rough or begging since the government pledged to scrap the nearly 200-year-old Vagrancy Act, new figures show.Freedom of information responses from 29 police forces across England and Wales show officers have arrested 1,173 people since 2021 for offences under the archaic 19th-century act including “vagrant being found in or upon enclosed premises” and “begging and wandering around”. Continue reading...

Elizabeth Siddal, immortalised in the painting by John Everett Millais, is finally being judged for her art at a new Tate exhibitionShe is immortalised as the drowning Ophelia in John Everett Millais’s celebrated 1850s painting and as the auburn-haired model for several pre-Raphaelite artists in the mid-19th century. After dying prematurely aged 32, Elizabeth Siddal was marked down for decades as a depressive and laudanum addict, and was portrayed as such in Ken Russell’s 1967 BBC film Dante’s Inferno – named after her husband, Dante Gabriel Rossetti.More recently, she has been mythologised in several TV dramas and novels – even as a vampire victim. Continue reading...

An astonishing degree of media attention was lavished on a seemingly humdrum ski collision. What made it so compelling?America and the wider world are not exactly wanting for dramatic headlines. Barricades were erected in New York after Donald Trump’s indictment on criminal charges, in Ukraine a bloody and brutal war grinds on, and in France riots have rocked the government.Yet, for much of the last two weeks, an astonishing degree of media attention was focused on a small mountain town in Utah for a ski-vacation legal drama that played out against a civil court setting. Continue reading...

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The queen and warrior who led a revolt against the Romans is enjoying a national resurgence as a symbol of rebellionAt the Roar Women’s Festival in Colchester last month, a very special agony aunt was in attendance: Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni, leader of an uprising against the occupying Roman forces and legendary British heroine.One attendee asked for advice on how to deal with cat-callers in the street. Boudicca was both practical and very on-brand: “You must get the attention from other people passing by, and if no one helps you… burn them all!” Continue reading...

Emboldened by victories at home, some of the most prominent American anti-abortion groups are exporting their tactics overseasAnti-abortion groups are stepping up efforts to spread US-style abortion politics to the UK, ramping up spending with the ambition of shaking up political life beyond American borders.Fresh off their historic victory in bringing about the end of the constitutional right to abortion in the US, these groups are importing familiar tactics, including public protests and demonstrations, anti-abortion counseling centers or so-called “crisis pregnancy centers”, and the cultivation of ties with clerical leaders. Continue reading...

Former Scottish first minister says she needed more privacy and accounts of her life on social media were ‘much more glamorous and exciting’ than realityThe former first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has said the need to seek more privacy in the wake of internet rumours was “part of the reason” for her resignation.Sturgeon surprisingly resigned as leader of the Scottish National party in February, citing the funeral of independence activist Allan Angus as the moment that cemented her decision. Continue reading...

If the former Labour leader runs against the party he has served for a lifetime, the electoral history of defecting MPs is not in his favourJeremy Corbyn’s political career has come full circle. He first entered parliament by defeating his predecessor as Islington North MP, Michael O’Halloran, who had split with the Labour party and stood against it as an independent in 1983. Four decades later, Corbyn is now the Islington North MP rumoured to be plotting a run against his former party.Even by the standards of our turbulent era, the last eight years have been an extraordinary rollercoaster ride for Islington North’s longest- serving representative. A triumphant outsider in the 2015 leadership contest, who nearly beat the odds again in the 2017 election, he resigned after electoral disaster in 2019, and was then ejected from his party by his successor, Keir Starmer. With his exile now officially confirmed, Corbyn must decide if he is willing to run for office against the party he has served for a lifetime. Continue reading...

Labour’s ex-leader has yet to decide if he will contest the next election as an independent. His allies and the voters of his long-held seat in Islington North debate his chancesAfter Labour’s NEC passed a motion last week preventing Jeremy Corbyn from standing as a Labour candidate in Islington North, the party’s former leader put out a statement which said: “I will not be intimidated into silence. I have spent my life fighting for a fairer society on behalf of the people of Islington North, and I have no intention of stopping now.”The implication seemed to be that he would stand as an independent at the next general election, thus setting up a dramatic ideological battle between Keir Starmer’s party machine and the hard left rallying around arguably its most successful leader in British history. Apart from the political spectacle, that scenario creates a crisis of conscience for many Labour members in the constituency that Corbyn has represented for 40 years. Continue reading...

The effects of head trauma on athletes are well documented. Finally, a UK study is examining the long-term brain health of females abused by their partnerThe violence began long before Freya Doe* married at 18 – and it quickly escalated. “It was what I thought love was,” she says, speaking on Zoom from her home in the US. On one occasion, her husband punched her in the face, threw her off a porch, and repeatedly slammed her head on the ground. He threatened her with one of the several guns he owned then strangled her until she lost consciousness. When she came to, he was talking on the phone, saying: “I finally did it. I finally killed the bitch.”Blood vessels in her eyes had burst. She was in hospital for a week. Twenty-two X-rays were taken of her head, neck, back and chest. “I was told the migraines would go away. They didn’t,” she says. Continue reading...

Observer investigation finds many local authorities have extensive backlogs to fix hazards such as falling ceilings and leaking roofsThousands of council housing tenants in England have waited more than a year for repair work on their homes to be completed, according to data compiled by the Observer.Concern at the dilapidated state of social housing has risen in recent years amid a series of reports and scandals. Freedom of information (FoI) requests to councils in England found that many local authorities have extensive backlogs of repairs. Continue reading...

Victorian premier reveals it was his decision not to invite media on his four-day mission to China

As anger mounts over headteacher’s suicide, group bids for judicial review into inconsistencies of rulings by watchdogSenior school leaders are attempting to launch a judicial review against Ofsted on behalf of the whole sector, amid claims that schools feel “powerless” to challenge unfair or inconsistent inspection judgments, the Observer has learned.What Ofsted has called the “outpouring of anger” from schools across the country over the suicide of Berkshire headteacher Ruth Perry in January, after the inspectorate downgraded her school, has shown no signs of abating. Continue reading...

Federal Liberal leader says ‘we have to learn the lessons and rebuild’ after losing Victorian byelection

Law must be strengthened, says home secretary, so professionals like teachers and carers face ‘full force of law’ if they fail in their duty to protectThe home secretary is to spell out new requirements for people working with children in England to report signs or suspicions of sexual abuse.The government is expected to set out details of plans in the coming days to tackle grooming gangs and better protect children. Continue reading...

Authorities say both deaths were in response to threats: a man grabbing a police officer’s gun at al-Aqsa mosque, and a car ramming near Beit UmmarA man was killed by Israeli soldiers after a West Bank car ramming on Saturday, the army said, in an escalation threatening to end a relative lull during the holy month of Ramadan so far.The Palestinian’s death came less than 24 hours after an Arab Israeli allegedly snatched a gun from a police officer at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound and fired it before being shot dead. Continue reading...

Minns will call on the next Liberal leader to make the same commitment, as vote counting continues after state election

‘Absurd and destructive’ that Russia chairs security council , says Zelenskiy; top US general Milley says Ukraine unlikely to expel Russian forces this year Continue reading...

Country’s chief justice says unveiled women will be prosecuted ‘without mercy’ after defianceTwo women have been arrested in Iran for not covering their hair in public after having a tub of yoghurt thrown over them.Video footage that went viral on social media showed two female customers being approached by a man who engages them in conversation. Continue reading...

School holiday delays of up to 14 hours blamed on ‘French border processes and sheer volume’Extra sailings are to run overnight at the Port of Dover to try to clear a backlog that left passengers stuck in Easter school-holiday traffic for hours on Saturday.A spokesperson for the port, which declared a critical incident on Friday, said it was hoping to clear the backlog by lunchtime on Sunday as some travellers said they had been held up for 14 hours. Continue reading...

Anti-monarchist claims the official portraits of the head of state are ‘scandalous’ at the time of spending cutsMinisters have been accused of “losing the plot” after setting aside £8m to offer every public body a free portrait of King Charles.In a move that drew criticism amid complaints of shrinking budgets across Whitehall and local government, Oliver Dowden, the cabinet office minister, said it was part of plans to celebrate the new reign and bring the nation together. Continue reading...

Charity medic, hotelier and ‘danger tourist’ reportedly arrested by Taliban’s secret police in JanuaryThree British men including a charity medic and a self-styled “danger tourist” are being held in custody by the Taliban in Afghanistan, it has been reported.The Mail on Sunday said Kevin Cornwell, a 53-year-old charity medic, and another British national who manages a hotel for aid workers in Kabul, who has not been named, were detained by the Taliban’s secret police in January. Continue reading...

A growing cohort of pandemic-era homebuyers are also unable to refinance because they no longer meet lenders’ standards

Comedian broke down in tears live on air as he told listeners his friend was involved in serious road accidentFrank Skinner told listeners to his Saturday radio show that his friend and former co-host Gareth Richards is fighting for his life after a car crash.The 66-year-old comedian and broadcaster broke down in tears as he revealed that Richards was in a “very big road accident” on Monday. Continue reading...

Artists open centre in area of east London where they have lived and worked for decadesEvery creative person yearns for a room of their own. But for the stars of Britain’s contemporary art world, it seems that now only a venue of their own will do. Last weekend it was Tracey Emin in Margate; on Saturday morning it was the turn of the veteran duo Gilbert and George.“It is very exciting to see so many people,” said George Passmore, 81, after the gates swung wide at 10am to let in an orderly queue of first visitors. “Most amusing,” added his lifelong collaborator – and, since 2008, civil partner – Gilbert Prousch, 79. “They will all keep coming along, we hope.” Continue reading...

Top Ukrainian official criticises the ‘symbolic blow’ of Russia assuming the rotating presidency. This blog is now closed

Sadai Banowan violated ‘laws and regulations of the Islamic emirate’, says local Taliban officialA female-run radio station in Afghanistan’s north-east has been shut down for playing music during the holy month of Ramadan, a Taliban official said.Sadai Banowan, which means women’s voice in Dari, is Afghanistan’s only female-run station and started 10 years ago. It has eight staff, six of them female. Continue reading...

The last time Moscow held the post was in February 2022, when its troops launched invasion of UkraineA top Ukrainian official has criticised the “symbolic blow” of Russia assuming the rotating presidency of the United Nations security council.Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, wrote on Twitter on Saturday: “It’s not just a shame. It is another symbolic blow to the rules-based system of international relations.” Continue reading...

Theatres such as now-closed Oldham Coliseum vital for northern working-class people, says actorChristopher Eccleston has said it would be impossible for him to become an actor in today’s world, in an impassioned interview after the closure of Oldham’s Coliseum theatre.The British actor spoke about how the closure of the historic theatre would affect the acting community and people from working-class backgrounds. Continue reading...

Man was killed near al-Aqsa mosque after allegedly firing officer’s gun, in what police describe as terrorist attackA man detained by Israeli police near a flashpoint mosque compound in Jerusalem grabbed an officer’s gun and fired it, prompting the unit to shoot him dead, the force said on Saturday, describing the incident as a terrorist attack.The incident overnight at the edge of al-Aqsa mosque complex, an icon of Palestinian nationalism, came at a high point of Muslim attendance for the holy month of Ramadan. Continue reading...

Despite the arrest, Thames Valley police are currently treating the death as unexplainedA 61-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a woman was found at a marina in Reading, Thames Valley police have said.Despite the arrest, the police are currently treating the death as unexplained. Continue reading...

Police in Karachi say nine women and three children dead after crush outside factory during Ramadan alms-givingPakistani police have arrested eight people in the southern port city of Karachi after a crush killed 12 people at a Ramadan food and cash distribution point a day earlier.Hundreds of women and children rushed to collect free food and cash outside a factory in an industrial area of the city on Friday. Business-owners during the Islamic holy month often hand out cash and food, especially to poorer people. An initial report from the police said nine women, aged between 40 and 80, and three children, aged between 10 and 15, had died in the crush. Continue reading...

Fortysomething ‘disillusioned surburban’ voters with little time for politics are key to winning big majority, Labour Together group claimsKeir Starmer needs to win over “Stevenage Woman” to reach Downing Street, senior Labour figures have been told, after being briefed that a group of socially conservative, predominantly female voters have become critical in the party’s quest for a stable parliamentary majority.Senior figures from Starmer’s team were last week privately presented with analysis that a segment of suburban voters – full-time workers in their early 40s who have children and who have become disillusioned with politics – hold significant power in the seats the party needs to win. Continue reading...