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Ukraine military sets up positions on east bank of Dnipro river; France and Baltic states dismayed at Chinese ambassador comments

Amanda Spielman says for vast majority of schools ‘it’s a positive and affirming experience’The head of Ofsted has admitted that “a culture of fear” exists around England’s school inspections but said she had no reason to doubt the system of school gradings that has been blamed for the death of a headteacher.Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of schools in England, made the comments in her first interview since the death of the Berkshire headteacher Ruth Perry following a critical Ofsted report that abruptly downgraded Perry’s school from “outstanding” to “inadequate”. Continue reading...

Men of Bangladeshi origin say they cannot find new homes, after paying landlord to live in ‘humiliating’ conditionsUp to a dozen men who escaped a fatal fire in an overcrowded flat in east London described by one as being “worse than slums in Bangladesh” are facing homelessness from Monday because they cannot find affordable housing.In a case marking a new low for Britain’s housing crisis, they are among 18 students and workers of Bangladeshi origin that were squeezed into a two-bedroom flat in the Maddocks House council block in Shadwell. An e-bike battery caught fire last month, killing Mizanur Rahman, who only days earlier had moved into the flat that was packed with bunk beds. Continue reading...

A couple’s identity as Travellers, and thus their right to live on a plot near his farm, has been questioned by the actor’s lawyersThe spot is idyllic – a wooded West Country hillside with tumbling streams and banks of bluebells rising above a picture postcard Dorset town built of honey-coloured stone.But a planning dispute involving a showbiz star and a ‘new traveller’ family who have lived peacefully on their plot of land among the trees for more than two decades is disturbing the sylvan tranquility. Continue reading...

David Beckham and Prince of Wales among those paying tribute to Welsh club after Saturday’s historic victoryHollywood celebrities and fans have been celebrating Wrexham AFC’s glorious return to the English Football League in a comeback story that has captivated people across the globe.The club’s co-owner, Ryan Reynolds, paid tribute on social media to his beloved team, which will be returning to the EFL after a 15-year absence. Continue reading...

Parliamentary commissioner for standards urged to open inquiry that could pave way for former justice secretary’s constituents to launch recall petitionParliament’s standards commissioner is facing demands to open an inquiry into Dominic Raab’s conduct, while a local campaign has been launched calling for the former justice secretary to step down as an MP.The Observer understands that a complaint is being filed with Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, arguing that the revelations over Raab’s bullying of officials could amount to “serious breaches of the code of conduct for members of parliament”. Continue reading...

Producers of West End show Vardy v Rooney say surprise legal move to trademark a pun will be referred to in scriptA big publicity boost for a West End show can come from the most unexpected thing, but a copyright challenge to the title of the play must be among the most alarming. The producers of Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial were trying to establish this weekend whether they needed to make changes to the title of their play after Rebekah Vardy announced last week that she was the legal owner of the phrase “Wagatha Christie”.“We didn’t see it coming,” said Eleanor Lloyd, the show’s originator and co-producer. “But so far, after looking into it all in the last couple of days, I can see no reason why I can’t go on without changing the name of the show.” Continue reading...

The tradition of bashing pots and pans in protest has been revived, with ministers facing a cookware cacophony across the countryThe French have turned protesting into an art form. A country synonymous with revolution has given the world the “manure protest”, where tonnes of muck were dumped outside parliament; the “vegetable protest”, with carrots and rotten tomatoes spread on the steps of public buildings; and the “dairy protest”, in which gallons of milk were spilled. Earlier this month, opponents of Emmanuel Macron’s bill to raise the state pension age to 64 dumped gas and electricity meters outside Marseilles city hall.For the past week, furious French people have revived a much older form of protest: the casserolade, or “pots and pans protest”, after Macron pushed through the unpopular law. Continue reading...

As Khalifa Haftar’s influence emerges, analysts warn the area could be a battleground for multiple playersThe Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar helped to prepare the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia now fighting for control of Sudan, for battle in the months before the devastating violence that broke out on 15 April, the Observer has been told by former officials, militia commanders and sources in Sudan and the UK.The involvement of Haftar, who runs much of the eastern part of Libya, will raise fears of a long-drawn-out conflict in Sudan fuelled by outside interests. Analysts have described a “nightmare scenario” of multiple regional actors and powers fighting a proxy war in the country of more than 45 million people. Continue reading...

Government accused of creating ‘atmosphere of fear’ with plan to compel schools to inform parents if pupils question genderTeachers in England are warning that young people could be put at risk of harm and homelessness if the government presses ahead with new guidance compelling schools to inform parents if their child is questioning their gender.Union leaders accused ministers of trying to inflame a culture war around gender issues in schools to distract from their “appalling record on underfunding, pay erosion and teacher shortages”. All unions in England have rejected the government’s latest pay offer for teachers, and fresh strikes are planned for Thursday and Tuesday 2 May. Continue reading...

Joe Biden says US has retrieved personnel from Khartoum as fighting continues between rival armed groupsThe US military has evacuated embassy staff and families from Khartoum, according to Joe Biden, as other countries are also scrambling to get their nationals out of Sudan amid continued fighting.France’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that a “rapid evacuation operation” had begun, and that European citizens and those from “allied partner countries” would also be assisted, without giving further details. Continue reading...

As exodus of members continues, business chiefs say the lobby group ‘has run its course’ and ‘needs a total rethink’The future of the Confederation of British Industry is in the balance this weekend as one business leader warned its brand was “beyond repair”.A CBI board statement on Friday said there was demand for “far reaching change” after allegations of sexual attacks and harassment first revealed by the Guardian. The organisation has suspended key activities until June after an exodus of business members. Continue reading...

Tributes have flowed across Australia, with both politicians and entertainers sharing messages praising the late comedian

Fears that number of people turned away at May’s local elections over identity could be underestimatedPolice forces have been alerted to the risk of a spike in disputes and confrontations at the forthcoming local elections, amid concern that new voter ID rules will provoke rows in polling booths across England.Polling station staff are being trained to de-escalate heated situations expected to arise next month, when many more people than usual are likely to be turned away as a result of new identity checks. Continue reading...

A doctor was shocked to find no anti-allergy pens on board the train, though operator says law forbids it at presentA junior doctor is calling for lifesaving adrenaline auto-injectors to be carried on Eurostar after caring for a young child who suffered an allergic reaction on the service.Dr Raphaelle Debray, 26, who is French and works for the NHS, was en route to Paris when she responded to an appeal for a doctor. She requested the onboard medical kit and found it contained only some plasters and a defibrillator. In contrast, international guidelines state that commercial airlines should carry emergency medical kits, with equipment and medication including adrenaline. British Airways and easyJet said they carried adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) on all flights. Continue reading...

Prime minister welcomes move to let New Zealanders apply for Australian citizenship without becoming permanent residents first

Singh surrendered in Punjab town of Moga, says a Sikh leader, as police appeal to public for calmIndian police have arrested a separatist leader who revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland and the secession of India’s northern Punjab state, which has a history of violent insurgency.Amritpal Singh had been on the run since March after capturing national attention in February when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in the Punjab town of Ajnala with wooden batons, swords and guns to demand the release of a jailed aide. Continue reading...

Leaving welfare payments at current rate ‘unconscionable and grossly irresponsible’, says anti-poverty body

A satellite that issues a correction signal to most Australian farm machinery went down this week, leaving farmers in the lurch

Advocates say rules for ‘guests of size’ are inconsistent across Australian aviation, generating anxiety and unfair costs for those affected

Pat Cullen attacks health secretary’s attempt to prevent 48-hour action in England as ‘frightening for democracy’The leader of the Royal College of Nursing has said a legal attempt by the health secretary to block next weekend’s strike in England is “frightening for democracy and very frightening for trade unionism”.Pat Cullen, general secretary of the RCN, said it was “disgraceful” that Steve Barclay was attempting to thwart the strike via the courts, and said nurses would “not be bullied into silence”. Continue reading...

No 10 adviser urges political appointments in a radical plan following crisis over bullyingRadical plans to bring in more “politicisation” of Whitehall by allowing ministers greater powers to appoint their own civil servants – including some with overt political affiliations – are being considered by the government’s own adviser on the civil service.Writing in today’s Observer, the Conservative peer and former Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, who is expected to report shortly to Rishi Sunak, says that in order for ministers to get the best advice possible, we need “to be more robust and less mealy mouthed about ‘politicisation’”. Continue reading...

Russian defence ministry says it has made progress in heavily contested region. This blog is now closedA guided bomb hit the village of Orlykivka in Chernihiv in the early hours of Saturday.No casualties were reported by Ukraine’s operational command northern region on Saturday, after the bomb was dropped from a Russian SU-35 jet. Continue reading...

PM blamed both Dominic Cummings and his wife to disguise his own reluctance to take difficult decisions, author claimsBoris Johnson fell out with his former chief adviser Dominic Cummings after growing tired of being treated like a “young and inexperienced king” who needed to be kept in order, Michael Gove has revealed.The levelling up secretary, who is close to Cummings and was a figurehead of the Vote Leave campaign beside Johnson, said the pair fell out soon after the 2019 election because Johnson no longer wanted to be treated “as a tempestuous thoroughbred, with a strong whip and bridle to keep him in order”. Continue reading...

At least nine people reportedly killed and 60 injured in attack in town of SévaréAt least nine civilians were killed and more than 60 injured in a triple suicide bomb attack in the central Mali town of Sévaré early on Saturday, an official has said.“The blast destroyed about 20 houses in the neighbourhood. There are a total of nine dead and about 60 wounded, all civilians,” said Yacouba Maiga, a spokesperson for the regional governor. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed, you can read more on this story hereHugo Swire, a Tory peer, said he thought Dominic Raab was “too big a talent” not to be back “in some capacity” following his resignation over bullying accusations.Lord Swire told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:I think to lose somebody who has been a justice secretary, a lord chancellor, deputy prime minister and foreign secretary at this stage is very unwise.I think this is a career which has been brought prematurely to a temporary halt because I fundamentally believe that a talent such as Dominic will reappear in some place at some time.It is the government’s loss. I think he will be back in some capacity. Continue reading...

Lobbying group ‘run its course’ as top firms leave after Guardian revelations over alleged sexual misconduct

Expectant mothers are entitled to free medication, but errors and red tape in applying for maternity exemption certificates leave many with bills of hundreds of poundsA woman who suffered a miscarriage has been fined by the NHS for claiming a free prescription during her pregnancy.Sadie Hawkes lost her baby before she had received the maternity exemption certificate that entitled her to free prescriptions throughout her pregnancy and the first year after birth. She has now been sent a demand for £56.10 for medication issued the week before her miscarriage. She’s been told that she can’t apply for a certificate retrospectively as she is no longer pregnant. Continue reading...

Emergency veterinarians in Philadelphia save dog’s life after suspected accidental drug overdoseA poodle in Pennsylvania called Toodles was successfully revived with Narcan after an apparent accidental drug overdose, local animal welfare experts said.The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said they received a call last week from Blue Pearl Emergency Animal Hospital in Philadelphia saying a dog was brought to them showing symptoms of an overdose. Continue reading...

Violent criminals who served with the notorious Russian militia in Ukraine are terrorising the communities they return to

Asylum seekers are enduring conditions worse than prison as they wait in hotels for claims to be processedAsylum seekers have been forced to live for a year in windowless rooms smaller than prison cells, served food so dire it is blamed for causing diabetes, and have spent days in their underwear because they only have one change of clothes.These are the shocking conditions laid bare this weekend in a comprehensive report from the charity Migrant Voice, which took testimony from 170 asylum seekers staying in London hotels that are supposed to serve as short-term accommodation. Continue reading...

Staff wearing demon masks try to make competing babies cry, with the first to bawl declared the winner in a centuries-old traditionDozens of bawling Japanese babies faced off in a traditional “crying sumo” ritual believed to bring the infants good health, which returned for the first time in four years after the pandemic.Pairs of toddlers wearing ceremonial sumo aprons were held up by their parents and faced each other in the sumo ring at Sensoji Temple in Tokyo on Saturday. Continue reading...

Thomas Newsome, 36, charged with offences contrary to sections 2 and 8 of the act, Scotland Yard saysA serving member of the British armed forces has been charged by counter-terrorism police with offences under the Official Secrets Act.Thomas Newsome, 36, was charged on Friday with offences contrary to sections 2 and 8 of the Official Secrets Act 1989, Scotland Yard said. Continue reading...

As the Dominic Raab case has shown, allegations of bullying can be highly subjectiveDominic Raab, in his resignation statement, preferred to call it “direct critical feedback” and the “pace, standards and challenge” that he brought to his departments. His allies had previously defended him as someone who simply “expects people to be on their brief and puts them on the spot”.But in his report, Adam Tolley KC found that at times the politician had gone beyond merely demanding high standards of his staff, including instances in which he was “intimidating” or acted in a way that was “unreasonably and persistently aggressive”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Takeaway drivers claim they were instantly removed from company’s platform with little explanationTakeaway couriers across the UK have been thrown off the Just Eat app for alleged overpayments as small as £1.35, which many contest, according to a new report by campaign group Worker Info Exchange.Just Eat drivers, who in many cases are low-income migrant workers, described being instantly removed from the company’s platform – a significant hit to their livelihoods – with little explanation. Continue reading...

Father speaks out on 30th anniversary of Stephen’s murder as research shows continuing stop and search inequalityScotland Yard surrendered to the racist killers of Stephen Lawrence who are still walking free, his father has said, as he demanded police reopen their investigation and hunt them down.Neville Lawrence said the police decision three years ago to close the investigation into the remaining gang members who escaped justice for the 1993 attack was made because black life was viewed as cheap. Continue reading...

Island shuts 10,000 Russian bank accounts as US and UK put Cypriot lawyers and accountants under sanctions for enabling oligarchs including Roman Abramovich

More opt for longer loan deals and lower monthly payments as rents soar in cost of living crisisA standard mortgage used to run for 25 years but experts are reporting a growing trend for marathon loans spread over up to 40 years as first-time buyers and movers opt for lower monthly payments in an effort to bridge the gap between rising living costs and still-high asking prices.New figures show the number of first-time buyers opting for a mortgage term longer than 35 years more than doubled during 2022 to 17%. The number taking out a loan over 30 to 35 years also increased – from 34% to 38% – during the same period, according to the banking group UK Finance. Continue reading...

Nataliya Torkut likens Zelenskiy to Henry V at Agincourt as she visits Stratford-upon-Avon to mark playwright’s birthdayUkrainians need not only weapons but culture and art in order to survive the onslaught of war, says Prof Nataliya Torkut, head of the Ukrainian Shakespeare Centre.During a visit to the UK for Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations, the first time she has left Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, Torkut called for a greater awareness of the role of culture for people living through the trauma of war. Continue reading...

Police believe Blacktown location where baby was found was chosen at random and mother had no connection to the property

About 1,060 WWII prisoners died when the ship, which has now been found in the South China Sea, was sunk by an American missile in 1942

Nato chief ‘confident’ Ukraine is ready to retake more territory; suspect in Pentagon leaks posted information earlier than previously thought – report

Dominic Raab has quit over bullying findings that he dismisses as a ‘Kafkaesque saga’ – here is how the UK front pages are covering itDominic Raab has resigned as deputy prime minister after an official report found he had bullied civil servants. Let’s look at the reaction on the front pages.We begin with the Guardian which says “Raab quits in fury”. It reports that the investigation by Adam Tolley KC cited “abuse of power”, but that Raab believes himself the victim of “activist civil servants” trying to block the Conservative government’s work. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Filippo Grandi praises Australia’s refugee reset but is ‘very upset’ by UK moves to mimic its offshore detention policy

New data reveals the scale of how many Indigenous people were impacted by the disgraced funeral fund

Comité Champagne asks for destruction of shipment on grounds Miller High Life’s motto infringes champagne’s protected originThe guardians of champagne will let no one take the name of the bubbly beverage in vain, not even a US beer behemoth.For years, Miller High Life has used the “Champagne of Beers” slogan. This week, it became clear that for some the name has became impossible to swallow. Continue reading...

Putin visits troops in Ukraine; Kyiv marks Orthodox Easter; Lula criticised over peace efforts

RCN union hits back after health secretary attempts to prevent planned May Day strikeHealth secretary Steve Barclay has been accused by the Royal College of Nursing of trying to “bully and silence” nurses after the government issued legal papers in an attempt to block a planned May Day strike, describing it as unlawful.A “pre-claim” letter was issued in Barclay’s name on Friday, demanding the RCN cancel industrial action planned for 30 April to 2 May. Continue reading...

Raab resigns as deputy prime minister and justice secretary after report finds he displayed ‘persistently aggressive conduct’There is quite a contrast between the overnight briefing on behalf of Dominic Raab (see 9.06am and 9.24am). That could be explained by his allies talking complete rubbish to journalists. But a much more likely explanation is that last night Raab thought he could stay in office, but that by this morning – presumably after direct, or indirect, contact with Rishi Sunak – he realised that if he did not resign, he was going to sacked.This is not so much a resignation letter as a “resignation” letter. It reads as if it was written by someone pushed out.Mr Tolley concluded that I had not once, in four and a half years, sworn or shouted at anyone, let alone thrown anything or otherwise physically intimidated anyone, nor intentionally sought to belittle anyone.In setting the threshold for bullying so low, this inquiry has set a dangerous precedent. It will encourage spurious complaints against Ministers, and have a chilling effect on those driving changen on behalf of your government – and ultimately the British people.I am genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offence that any officials felt, as a result of the pace, standards and challenge that I brought to the Ministry of Justice. Continue reading...

Companies from John Lewis to NatWest quit membership body after Guardian revelations over alleged sexual misconduct