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Consumers are being ‘misled’ into believing dairy cattle graze in fields, says animal rights campaignSome of the UK’s biggest food firms are accused of misleading consumers after buying their milk from intensive industrial dairy units despite using images to promote their products that show cows grazing in green fields.Tens of thousands of dairy cattle in England are kept in hangar-style sheds with no or very limited access to pasture. They will typically be milked three times daily, often on large electronic rotating milk parlours, producing up to 32 litres of milk each day. Continue reading...

Labour leader ‘could not believe what he was reading’ when he saw letter saying Jewish, Irish and Traveller people not subject to racismKeir Starmer says he could not believe what he was reading when he first saw the letter that Diane Abbott wrote to the Observer suggesting that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people were not subject to racism for “all of their lives”.Abbott, who was Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow home secretary, wrote that although people “with points of difference” suffer prejudice, they had not suffered the same racism as black people. Continue reading...

Government to extend powers to target fakes and fraudstersCold calls offering financial products will be banned as part of a government crackdown on fraud following evidence that millions of people are being targeted each week.Once the ban is in force, anyone being offered phoney cryptocurrency schemes or fraudulent insurance can assume they are a scam. Continue reading...

The symbol of antisocial behaviour is back in the limelight as one London borough outlaws itIt’s not hard to spot a hoodie in Romford in east London – hooded tops have become almost as ubiquitous as jeans around the UK. So a new rule banning anyone from putting up their hoods in the town centre’s shopping areas has not gone down well with some.“It’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” says Mohamed Amraoui, a 24-year-old prison officer. Continue reading...

Shadow secretary for culture calls for root and branch review of top appointmentsMinisters are facing fresh demands to bolster the independence of the process to find the next BBC chair after claims that “cronyism and sleaze” have damaged the role and the corporation’s reputation.The government has been pressed to depoliticise the appointment of the job after the resignation of Richard Sharp, a Tory donor. He quit after an independent investigation found he had failed to reveal critical information about his role in facilitating a loan for then prime minister Boris Johnson when applying for the job. Continue reading...

Staff warn vulnerable children may be harmed as they struggle to find placements after 28 homes given deadline to shut by chainOne of the UK’s largest for-profit care chains has been accused of failing dozens of vulnerable children by shutting 28 residential homes, with staff warning they are struggling to find placements for all the children.Outcomes First Group, which is owned by private equity firm Stirling Square, is planning to close a string of children’s homes across the Midlands and southern England by 5 May. The homes are understood to accommodate more than 60 children, placed in the care of the private group by councils including Bristol, Cheshire and Enfield in London. Continue reading...

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With concern among allies seemingly growing, there is a lot riding on an imminent counter-assault on the Russians in the south

Abdalla Hamdok, who resigned in January last year, says conflict could spiral into bigger crisis than Syria, Yemen or LibyaSudan’s former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok has warned that the conflict in the turbulent African nation could deteriorate to one of the world’s worst civil wars if it is not stopped early.More than 500 people have been killed since battles erupted on 15 April between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commonly known as Hemedti, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Continue reading...

Federal scheme and its regional and family equivalents allow people to buy houses with deposit as low as 5%

Sarra Eljak and Mustafa Abbas missed the last flight as 220km trip to airbase was too dangerous for their childrenA couple who both work for the NHS missed the last UK evacuation flight out of Sudan on Saturday, believing the journey to be “too dangerous”.The doctors must now find an alternative means of fleeing the war-torn country. Continue reading...

Leader pledges a radical, reforming Labour government with aid to first-time buyers and a revamp of tuition fees among the party’s targets• Read more: ‘I want Labour to be the party of home ownership,’ says StarmerKeir Starmer today pledges to lead a radical, reforming Labour government that is bolder than Tony Blair’s on public service reform, as he announces plans to accelerate housing building and get more young people on to the property ladder.In an interview with the Observer before Thursday’s local elections, the Labour leader insists he will more than match Blair for radical ideas on overhauling public services including the NHS. “This will be a bold and reforming Labour government bringing about real change that I hope will be felt through the generations,” Starmer said. Continue reading...

With local polls on Thursday, the Labour leader must convince voters his party can fix the Tories’ mistakes – and make bold, eye-catching pledges• Read more: ‘I’ll be bolder than Blair on public service reform,’ says StarmerKeir Starmer is being shown around the Royal Crown Derby factory in the east Midlands city, and the reasons for choosing the venue are clear. We are days away from crucial local elections on Thursday and the coronation of King Charles III will take place two days later.The visit has been carefully choreographed to convey messages about respect for tradition, and how Labour has changed. A big party media team is up from London and their attention to detail is impressive – reminiscent of New Labour before the 1997 general election. Continue reading...

British subjects asked to form a ‘chorus of a million voices’ and make oath of loyalty while watching serviceMembers of the public watching the coronation on television, online and in parks and pubs will be invited to swear aloud their allegiance to the monarch in a “chorus of millions of voices” to be known as the Homage of the People.People around the UK and abroad will be invited to say the words “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to your majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God”, in a declaration that replaces the traditional homage of peers. Continue reading...

Nearly 1,900 have been evacuated, says UK government, but final flight has yet to leave KhartoumBritons are feared to have been stranded in Sudan following reports that the country’s armed forces had prevented a number of people from reaching the last rescue flights out of the war-torn country on Saturday.On Saturday night, it was announced that 1,888 people on 21 flights have been evacuated from Sudan – the vast majority of them British nationals and their dependents – but the last flight was yet to leave despite being scheduled to depart at 6pm. Continue reading...

Drugs have previously been detected in other research but wastewater results suggest increasing consumption

Opinium poll shows slump in personal ratings of Rishi Sunak, with 26% approving of his performance and 44% disapprovingLabour’s lead over the Conservatives stands at a commanding 18 points, according to the last Opinium poll for the Observer before a huge set of local elections.With more than 8,000 council seats across 230 authorities in England up for election on Thursday, the Tories had been hoping that polls would tighten as they attempt to avoid heavy losses in both the red wall of old Labour seats and the blue all – south-eastern seats where, traditionally, they have been strong. Continue reading...

Warm weather expected to continue over bank holiday weekend, and sunny day expected for King’s coronationEngland, Wales and Northern Ireland celebrated the hottest day of the year so far on Saturday, and temperatures were expected to rise further over the bank holiday weekend. The Met Office recorded a high of 20.2C in Pershore, Worcestershire.In Northern Ireland, temperatures peaked at 20C at Castle Derg, while in Wales, 19.2C was recorded in Llysdinam. Continue reading...

Investigation reveals that at least 440 people appear to have been abandoned in the weeks before the worst Channel disaster in 30 years• Read more: ‘Horror beyond words’: how Channel distress calls were ‘ignored’Hundreds of vulnerable migrants were abandoned to their fates after the UK coastguard “effectively ignored” reports of small boats in distress during the days leading up to the worst Channel disaster in 30 years when at least 27 people died, an Observer investigation suggests.

Moscow-installed governor in Sevastopol says blaze, attributed to Ukrainian drone strike, now under control

People fleeing fighting in Khartoum left waiting for days at sparsely staffed crossing after costly and dangerous journeysThousands of people have fled fierce street battles in central Khartoum for Sudan’s borders, waiting for days in the open air to enter Egypt or walking hundreds of miles to cross into South Sudan.Rana Ameen, a 23-year-old engineering student, said she and five members of her family had paid the equivalent of £475 per person to travel to the border crossing with Egypt, almost 600 miles (1,000km) away. Continue reading...

Five children among dead as toll from Russian missile attacks across Ukraine rises to 26; five EU countries agree on Ukrainian grain transit deal

Campaigners commemorate mammal that drew large crowds in Norwegian capital last summer before being put downA bronze sculpture has been unveiled in Norway of the walrus nicknamed Freya, who gained global attention last summer after basking in the Oslo fjord until officials euthanised her.The lifesize sculpture depicts Freya lying on her side on the rocky shore of Oslo’s Kongen marina, not far from where the real 600kg mammal last summer drew large crowds as she chased ducks and swans, and rested on boats that struggled to support her bulk. Continue reading...

Advice comes despite charity’s warning that social media figure is fuelling shocking growth of misogyny in schoolsTeachers are being advised by the government not to discuss social media influencer Andrew Tate, the “king of toxic masculinity”, with pupils – despite schools reporting a rising tide of misogyny and sexual harassment from boys as young as nine.One small charity, Diversify, based in Rotherham, which runs school workshops about inclusion, receives about 25 calls a week from primary and secondary schools across England who want help dealing with sexual harassment and “shocking misogynistic incidents”. Many cite the influence of Tate, who is under house arrest in Romania for suspected human trafficking and organised crime. Tate’s TikTok videos tell boys that a woman belongs to her boyfriend; girls who don’t stay at home are “hoes”; and rape victims must “bear responsibility” for their attacks. Continue reading...

Some women are turning to escort work to meet basic housing costs, charities warnWomen are increasingly being forced to engage in “survival sex” because of the cost of living crisis amid worsening conditions for Britain’s most vulnerable.Charities warn rising costs paired with years of underfunding mean women, including those with trauma and mental health issues, are having to turn to sex in exchange for housing or to meet other basic needs. Continue reading...

Longtime associate Peter Hawkings announced as successor after sale of brand last November to Estée LauderThe American fashion designer Tom Ford is retiring from the eponymous brand he co-founded in 2005, after its sale to Estée Lauder last November.Ford’s longtime associate Peter Hawkings will succeed him as creative director, while Guillaume Jesel becomes chief executive and president, taking over from Domenico de Sole, the brand’s other co-founder. Continue reading...

Comedian behind Matilda musical says texts would need to be repeatedly updated to keep up with modern sensibilities

South Cambridgeshire council plans further 12 months of scheme plus pilot for refuse workersThe first UK council to experiment with a four-day working week is expected to extend the trial after analysis showed it was “overwhelmingly positive” for staff health and wellbeing without denting performance.About 450 mainly desk-based employees of the Liberal Democrat-led South Cambridgeshire council embarked on the three-month pilot in January. They could choose to take Monday or Friday off and were expected to work more productively in the remaining four days. Their pay was not affected. Continue reading...

Chair says small changes could make big difference to cultural and educational interests on both sides of ChannelAn influential House of Lords committee is urging the government to start working with EU capitals to remove Brexit barriers that block musicians, young people and professionals working easily in Europe.After six months of research and evidence from 40 witnesses the European affairs committee says it has identified 72 areas where small changes could make a huge difference in areas of cultural and educational interests on both sides of the Channel. Continue reading...

Scattered showers and storms over the weekend expected to raise rainfall totals with potential for strong winds around Illawarra to Eden coasts

The trio attended Bruce Springsteen’s concert and made a last-minute dinner reservation at the Palace Hotel’s Amar restaurantStaff at a Barcelona restaurant were left amazed when a mysterious last-minute booking turned out to be for the former US president Barack Obama along with film director Steven Spielberg and singer Bruce Springsteen.After dining on Thursday evening at the Palace Hotel’s Amar restaurant, the trio posed for a photograph with employees. The picture was posted on Instagram by staff member Pol Perello and captioned: “Pleasures that this job brings you!!” Continue reading...

Yemeni authorities said ‘suspicious’ and unresponsive ship opened fire, while ship manager reports clash with piratesArmed guards aboard a yacht once owned by the late Welsh actor Richard Burton have fired on approaching ships in the Gulf of Aden, prompting an intense gunfight. Yemeni authorities said the guards mistakenly opened fire on a Coast Guard vessel but the ship’s manager insisted they had clashed with pirates.The shooting reportedly killed one Yemeni Coast Guard member and wounded another person in a hail of gunfire – the guards are said to have shot as many as 200 rounds of ammunition. The incident shows the danger faced by both shippers and security forces in the waters off the Arab world’s poorest country, even as it remains crucial for global commerce. Continue reading...

Wikimedia UK says it will not carry out age verification if required to do so by the billWikipedia could be made inaccessible to UK readers due to issues over complying with the online safety bill, a charity affiliated with the website has warned.Lucy Crompton-Reid, the chief executive of Wikimedia UK, warned the popular site could be blocked because it will not carry out age verification if required to do so by the bill. Continue reading...

Scotland’s Police Investigations and Review Commissioner has been asked to look into the killing of Glasgow teacherScotland’s police watchdog has been ordered to launch an investigation into the murder of a pregnant teacher in Glasgow after finding the body of her fiance in a reservoir days later.The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) said it had been instructed to carry out the probe after the death of Marelle Sturrock, who was found at her home on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Four main teaching unions could unite after ‘months of stonewalling’ from education secretary Gillian KeeganAll state schools in England could be closed by “unprecedented” coordinated strikes involving all four teaching unions, after their leaders vowed to increase pressure on the government to improve its pay offer.In a joint press conference, the leaders of the four major education unions said they wanted to send a message to the education secretary that she needed to resume negotiations over pay and school funding. Continue reading...

Investigation that led to Sharp’s resignation has shed light on the process that got him to the top job

Blue Mountains among the regions examining advice from state’s Independent Planning Commission

Casting of black actor in upcoming docudrama has angered groups in Egypt who say it is ‘a falsification of Egyptian history’She was Egypt’s last Pharaoh, a legendary leader who according to popular belief ended her life by allowing a deadly cobra to bite her breast.But more than 2000 years after her death, the woman who had love affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony has ignited a modern-day controversy over race and representation. Continue reading...

Li Shangfu arrives in Delhi for summit as situation along 2,100-mile ‘line of actual control’ remains on knife-edgeIndia’s defence minister has accused China of border aggressions that that have “eroded the entire basis” of their relationship, as negotiations between the two nuclear powers remain at a stalemate.On Thursday, China’s defence minister Li Shangfu landed in Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. It is the first visit to India by a Chinese minister since 2020, when 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died in clashes along the Himalayan border in Ladakh and the two sides came the closest to war for almost 70 years. Continue reading...

Changes to include introduction of plain packaging and ban on certain flavours, in line with suggestions from product watchdog review

Tamica Mullaley told committee into missing or murdered Aboriginal women and children her child would still be alive if officers ‘did their job right’

Matildas captain will join delegation including Anthony Albanese, Nick Cave and Adam Hills at London ceremony next week

Campaign groups say rooftop panels could save households $750 a year, and bring benefits of renewables to all Australians

Apra analysis shows improvement on last year but 44% of so-called ‘choice funds’ is generating returns below expectations

With a big castle and even bigger beach, Bamburgh tops the annual Which? poll, followed by Dartmouth and Portstewart, while old favourites prop up the tableNorthumberland’s historic and dramatic coastal village of Bamburgh, with its sandy beach backed by an imposing 900-year-old castle, has been voted Britain’s best seaside destination for the third year running.Its golden sand, grassy dunes and commanding Anglo-Saxon castle secured the top spot for the north-east coastal town. Continue reading...

City gets ready for ‘world’s first heavy metal dance experience’ celebrating the music of Ozzy and Co“This is definitely the first time I’ve asked dancers to pirouette and headbang in the same sequence,” said the choreographer Pontus Lidberg after rehearsals at Birmingham Hippodrome.Minutes earlier, the room had been filled with the sound of heavy guitar riffs, pounding drums and screeching synths, a far cry from the twinkling notes of the Nutcracker that ballet dancers are more accustomed to. Continue reading...

Eurovision and FA Cup final to be hit by strikes which are likely to stop all trains running at affected companies

International human rights body calls for immediate and urgent action to halt movement of children from Ukraine by Russia. This live blog is closed

Police search for partner David Yates after body of 35-year-old, who was pregnant, foundA murder investigation has been launched into the death of a pregnant teacher as officers search for her partner, Police Scotland has said, confirming that her unborn baby had also died.The body of Marelle Sturrock, 35, who was due to give birth in the summer, was discovered on Tuesday morning at a property in the Craigton area of Glasgow. Continue reading...

Health secretary defends court action as Pat Cullen says government decision could make nurses more determined to vote for further strike action. This live blog is closedMaclean tells MPs that the last Labour government required photo ID for voting in Northern Ireland. She claims fears that this would lead to people being disfranchised did not materialise.Earlier, in response to opposition claims that the policy was all about voter suppression (reducing the chance of non-Tories voting), she said Labour required party members to provide photo ID when they turned up to vote to select a Labour candidate. Continue reading...