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Five years after near-total ban on abortion, campaigners say Sunday's elections will be critical to see if promised change happensPoland's presidential elections are a historic, groundbreaking" chance for Donald Tusk's centrist party to show it was not trying to deceive women" when it promised to change some of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws, campaigners have said.Voters across Poland will head to the polls on Sunday in the first round of the elections to replace Andrzej Duda, the current president who is aligned with the former rightwing government and has veto power over legislation. Continue reading...

The delegations - not due to include Zelenskyy or Putin - are comprised of a mix of high-profile Ukrainians and lesser-known Russians

Eighteen-year-old great-granddaugher of late Labour MP faces 20 years to life in prisonThe 18-year-old great-granddaugher of a late Labour MP is being held in prison in Georgia on suspicion of drug offences.Bella Culley was believed to have gone missing in Thailand before she was detained 3,700 miles away in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, on Saturday. Continue reading...

Lawmakers seek to strike down earlier amendment and ban most abortions with exceptions for rape and incestSix months after Missouri voters approved an abortion-rights amendment, Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday approved a new referendum that would seek the amendment's repeal and instead ban most abortions with exceptions for rape an incest.The newly proposed constitutional amendment would go back to voters in November of 2026, or sooner, if the Republican governor, Mike Kehoe, calls a special election before then. Continue reading...

Ivan Espinosa says UK plant will not be hit by cost cuts as Japanese firm reveals seven factories to close

Rock'n'roll legend makes series of blistering speeches on stage in Manchester, targeting corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration'Bruce Springsteen has made a series of rousing, splenetic speeches castigating Donald Trump and his administration, calling the president unfit" for office.In what amounts to one of the most sustained attacks on Trump and American lawmakers from a cultural figure, he made the speeches on stage in Manchester, as he opened his Land of Hope and Dreams tour with the E Street Band.There's some very weird, strange and dangerous shit going on out there right now. In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now. Continue reading...

MP hits back after Royal College of Psychiatrists refuses to support bill in its current form before Commons vote

Police reiterate suspicion arson was politically motivated, as confronting' new footage released to assist investigation

Prevalence of hybrid over fully remote roles dashes hopes of greater geographical spread of talentThe post-pandemic shift to greater home working among highly skilled professionals has failed to level up Britain's economy and help struggling regions as many had predicted it would, according to academic research.Hybrid working - where workers split their time between the workplace and another remote location such as home - has surged since the height of the Covid pandemic, yet is mostly available to older, high-skilled professionals based in London and other major cities. Continue reading...

Liberal candidate tells supporters in chat called Goldstein blue tsunami' that narrowing vote highlights EXTREME necessity for scrutineers to be available'

Ukrainian president says if Russian leader does not arrive it will indicate that he does not want to end the war'

Union says universities blaming budget deficits for job cuts while pushing executive salaries into the stratosphere'

Home secretary says PM talked about strength in diversity, after criticism from MPs over island of strangers' rhetoricThe home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said the prime minister's words were completely different" to those used by Enoch Powell in his infamous rivers of blood speech, amid criticism within the party of the rhetoric used to launch the government's immigration crackdown.A number of MPs criticised Keir Starmer when he said the UK risked becoming an island of strangers" if steps were not taken to address integration. Speaking on Tuesday, Cooper said that Starmer had also praised the contribution of migrants. Continue reading...

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Some backbenchers already thought PM had moved too far right on issue but aides say aim is to make system fairer'We must never accept the Tory or media narrative that often scapegoats and demonises migrants," Keir Starmer wrote in 2020. Problems of low pay, housing and public services are not caused by migrants - they are caused by a failed economic model."Much has changed since Starmer was running to be leader of the Labour party - not least, that as prime minister he now has a broader electorate to keep on side. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Failure to act sends message our safety is optional', says coalition of LGBTQ+, faith and mental health organisationsThe Labour government's continued delay in delivering its promised UK-wide ban on so-called conversion practices is disappointing, dangerous and sends the message that the safety of LGBTQ+ people is optional, according to campaigners.In a strongly worded statement, Saba Ali of the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition, said their message to the government was clear: Stop the delay and deliver the promise. It's been seven years since a ban was first pledged, yet LGBT+ people are still being subjected to degrading, abusive practices while the government dithers. Continue reading...

Pope urges media to end polarisation, reject the paradigm of war and to use artificial intelligence responsibly

Cowper was the first Australian to score a triple-century against England on home soil

Steve Carell's mouth outshines even Tina Fey in Netflix comedy while billionaire Barry Diller comes outMore by happenstance than planning, perhaps, the Met Gala, which took place in New York on Monday night, struck a note that seemed stridently to oppose Donald Trump. The theme of the evening, devised to advertise the Costume Institute's new exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, was Black dandyism - an apparently defiant push back against Trump's executive order removing initiatives to promote, so called under-represented groups'." Even if the theme had been planned before Trump's re-election, it was surely great to see. Continue reading...

Leo says evil will not prevail' as he addresses crowd of 100,000 pilgrims and tourists in St Peter's Square

The Bank of England has voted to cut the cost of borrowing, reducing the base rate to 4.25%. Here's what it means for you

Court also hears from nurse who says triple murder accused told Leongatha hospital staff I don't want any of this' in relation to treatment for suspected poisoning

Collector of Expo memorabilia had a ticket to the 1940 Grand International Exposition of Japan, which was postponed indefinitely due to the warA man was admitted to the World Expo in Japan using a ticket to the 1940 Grand International Exposition of Japan, an event that was called off as war escalated, organisers said.Tickets for the Grand International Exposition of Japan in Tokyo were released in 1938 but the event was postponed indefinitely as Japan became embroiled in the second world war. Continue reading...

Jayson Gillham had sued MSO claiming it cancelled concert over his pro-Gaza views but orchestra argued he was not an employee

Joseph Gaerlan tells court he received distress call during his lunch break warning there's lots of blood, you need to hurry'

Foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp tells top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas he believes Israel is in breach of rights obligations linked to trade agreementThe Dutch government, seen as one of Israel's most loyal allies in the European Union, is calling for an urgent review of the EU Israel association agreement, the basis for the EU-Israeli free trade agreement, the Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp told the Guardian.Veldkamp described the Israeli ban on the supply of aid into Gaza as catastrophic, truly dismal" and in clear breach of international humanitarian law. Continue reading...

South Korea passes annual tally for 2024 already, as Vietnam and Thailand continue to battle outbreaksSouth Korea has recorded the highest number of measles cases in six years, adding to concerns that low vaccination rates combined with international travel are contributing to further outbreaks elsewhere in the region.The country has confirmed 52 cases so far this year, exceeding the 49 recorded for the whole of 2024, the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said this week. It is the highest figure since 2019, when 194 cases were recorded. Continue reading...

State's top cop - who was first woman to hold position in NSW history - expected to step down on 30 September

UAE insists it does not provide arms to paramilitary group as Sudanese ambassador recalledSudan's security and defence council has declared that it will break diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates over its alleged backing of the paramilitary Sudanese Rapid Support Forces.During a televised speech on Tuesday, Sudan's defence minister, Yassin Ibrahim, said Sudan was severing diplomatic relations with the UAE" and recalling its ambassador, claiming the Gulf nation had breached Sudan's sovereignty through its RSF proxy", which has been fighting the army in a bloody civil war since April 2023. Continue reading...

James Timpson says he will fight normalised' sexual harassment, bullying and racism within prison serviceSexual harassment, racism and bullying have become normalised" in jails and probation offices across England and Wales, the prisons minister has warned, as he announced a plan to overhaul a toxic culture of cover-up" among senior staff.James Timpson said one in eight of HM Prison and Probation Service's (HMPPS) 65,000 staff say they have been bullied. Sexual assaults on female staff have led to arrests while black and Asian staff have faced repeated racist comments amid a vacuum of pastoral care". Continue reading...

Former Scottish first minister expresses concern about interim advice from EHRC

Several paid roles at party are not in office despite Nigel Farage's comments promising no more work from home'Reform UK has been accused of hypocrisy after it emerged the party is advertising several jobs offering home working despite promising a clampdown on the policy.The party's leader, Nigel Farage, told reporters he hoped to emulate Elon Musk's department of government efficiency" (Doge), which has attempted to slash federal spending in the US, after a record performance in the local elections last week. Continue reading...

Vivienne Stern says universities face critical moment' amid reports students from abroad could be targeted for restrictionsNew proposals to crack down on student visa applications in order to reduce asylum claims will make the financial crisis facing beleaguered UK universities considerably worse", the government has been told.Ahead of the publication of an immigration white paper, there have been reports that student visa applications from nationalities considered likely to overstay and claim asylum in the UK could be targeted as part of a new government crackdown. Continue reading...

Donald Trump said the Houthis don't want to fight any more', following air raids by the US, Israel and the UKThe US will halt its bombing campaign against Yemen's Houthis after Donald Trump claimed the Iran-aligned group had agreed to stop targeting shipping in the Red Sea.The halt - announced by the US president during an Oval Office meeting with Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, came on a day in which Israel claimed its jets had fully disabled Yemen's main airport, including three civilian aircraft on the ground, in retaliation for a missile strike on Sunday that hit within the perimeter of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. Continue reading...

Radio 4's Today programme did not include responses from Home Office and Buckingham Palace to stitch-up' claimsThe BBC has admitted to a lapse in our usual high editorial standards" over its coverage on Radio 4's Today programme of the broadcaster's recent interview with the Duke of Sussex.The admission came after it failed to include responses from the Home Office and Buckingham Palace to allegations made by the duke. Continue reading...

Ministers claim sale in Hong Kong is unlawful and are demanding repatriation of sacred relics buried in third-century BCThe Indian government has issued a legal notice to halt the unethical" auction of ancient gem relics, which it said should be treated as the sacred body of the Buddha.Its Ministry of Culture said the auction of the Piprahwa gems in Hong Kong this week violates Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions", and demanded their repatriation to India for preservation and religious veneration". Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereIn his interviews this morning Wes Streeting, who is seen as a Blairite, said that if the Labour government did not deliver change for voters, it would be out. (See 9.08am.) According to Politico, at a conference in Los Angeles yesterday, Tony Blair made the same argument himself. Talking about progressive parties generally, he said.If you end up just being the managers of the status quo and the status quo isn't working for people, they're going to put you out.Two senior backbenchers have confirmed to The Independent that they are calling meetings with fellow parliamentarians to discuss ousting the Conservative Party leader.We cannot continue as we are and she [Ms Badenoch] is just not up to the task," one of the MPs said ...To those few @Conservatives now briefing journalists that another leadership election is the answer I say, if after four leadership elections and utter disarray amongst MP's over the last five years, another leadership election is what they believe the public voted for, then they are deluded.This election result was frankly the second signific tremor after the first devastating political earthquake last year. It underscored the level of anger too many Conservative voters still had for our mistakes and failures. Not to mention the terrible behaviour of too many Conservative MPs at times appearing to care more for their careers than the lives of those they were sent to serve.Conservative voters haven't forgotten. Continue reading...

Carmakers say there needs to be more focus on smaller, affordable vehicles in Europe as SUVs gain popularity

UK system makes it a real outlier' among liberal democracies, according to study examining 62 countriesThe UK has one of the most difficult voter registration processes among liberal democracies, according to research that examined 62 countries.Requirements to actively register to vote, meet strict deadlines before polling day and cast a ballot at specific polling stations make the UK a real outlier internationally", academics at the University of Manchester found. Continue reading...

The draft bill is modelled on Australian laws and would force digital platforms to verify the age of users or face heavy finesNew Zealand's prime minister has proposed banning children under 16 years old from using social media, in an effort to protect young people from harms such as exposure to violent content and cyberbullying.Christopher Luxonsaid on Tuesday the draft law would force social media companies to verify users were at least 16 before allowing them to create an account, or face fines of up to NZ$2m ($1.2m). Continue reading...

Renowned poet and author wins prize for series of New Yorker essays on suffering of Palestinians in GazaThe renowned Palestinian poet and author, Mosab Abu Toha, is among this year's Pulitzer prize winners.Abu Toha was awarded for a series of essays in the New Yorker documenting the lives and suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, where he has lived nearly all his life. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Charity says it is to scrap 14m-a-year specialist service as current arrangements are unaffordableMacmillan Cancer Support is to scrap its 14m-a-year specialist advice service, which helps tens of thousands of people every year, in what has been described as a betrayal of vulnerable patients.Macmillan, one of the UK's biggest and highest-profile charities, told staff and partners this week it planned to cease funding its specialist benefits advice services at the end of this year. Continue reading...

Arachne Press says Afonydd (Rivers) was inspired by success of A470: Poems for the Road/Cerddi'r FforddIts volume of bilingual poetry celebrating the A470 road, which zigzags through Wales, proved a surprise hit.Inspired by the success, an independent publisher is releasing another anthology in English and Welsh, this time focusing on the rivers that tumble through the country. Continue reading...

Commons leader had appeared to suggest Reform commentator was using a political dog whistle'No 10 has backed the cabinet minister Lucy Powell after she apologised for appearing to suggest it was a dog whistle" issue to discuss grooming gangs.Powell, the leader of the House of Commons, faced calls from the Conservatives to resign after she made the remarks on Friday night. Continue reading...

Former deputy prime minister told ABC he had not experienced any symptoms, but that a blood test had caught the disease in its early stages

Most people do not know soldiers from countries like Jamaica and Kenya, and Muslims, fought alongside British troopsThe British public is largely unaware of the contribution made by soldiers from Commonwealth countries such as Jamaica and Kenya to the second world war, research has found, as campaigners say greater recognition of the diversity of those who fought against fascism will strengthen national unity.Ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May, a FocalData poll for the thinktank British Future, which works to highlight integration, found there is a strong public appetite" for greater awareness and teaching in schools of the diversity of the war effort - but a lack of knowledge about the contribution of Black and Asian personnel. Continue reading...

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Minor party will not win a House of Representatives seat and its performance in the Senate is still unknown after spending millions on advertising

Albanese's party is on track for at least 85 seats and the final tally could well be more. Plus: the major party vote continues to shrink

Cancer 360 will help collate patient information from spreadsheets, emails and records into single digital systemMillions of cancer patients have been promised faster diagnosis and treatment, with the rollout of a new technology across the NHS in England.The tool, called Cancer 360, is designed to bring cancer patients' data into one central system in order that doctors and nurses can prioritise those most in need and see them more quickly. Continue reading...