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Lizzie Annis wins best newcomer and Arthur Hughes wins best Shakesperean performance as actors with disabilities take two prizesPatsy Ferran has been named best actress at the Critics’ Circle theatre awards for her performance as A Streetcar Named Desire’s Blanche Dubois – a role that she took over as an 11th-hour replacement.Lydia Wilson had been cast in the production at the Almeida theatre in London in 2022 but when she withdrew for health reasons, Ferran was parachuted in with just days to prepare. The play, starring Paul Mescal as Stanley and Anjana Vasan as Stella, has transferred to the West End where it runs until May. Ferran was nominated for best actress at the Olivier awards, where Rebecca Frecknall’s production of the Tennessee Williams classic was named best revival earlier this month. Continue reading...

Thousands of homes across Australia are listed on short-stay websites but councils’ call to action is ‘piecemeal approach’ to housing crisis, experts say

Bill Shorten wants to stop practices that treat people like ‘cash cows’ as he reveals taskforce had 1,700 tipoffs in a month

New organisation will represent about 30% of British Jews who are affiliated to synagoguesTwo bodies representing progressive Judaism in the UK have joined forces to give their movement greater reach and a stronger voice.The Movement for Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism announced on Monday that they will put aside 120 years as separate organisations “to create one single unified progressive Jewish movement for the UK”. Continue reading...

Charges against David Stansbury relate to three alleged incidents in 2009 reported to police in 2020A serving police sergeant has been accused of raping a woman while he was on duty more than a decade ago.Sgt David Stansbury, 42, is due to appear before magistrates in Devon on Wednesday (19 April) where he faces three rape charges. Continue reading...

Commonly known as Hemedti, the general of the Rapid Support Forces rose through ranks of Janjaweed in 2003-05 warThe story has it that Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo – known universally as Hemedti or “little Mohammed” – first became a fighter in the Sudanese Arab Janjaweed militia in Darfur after an armed attack killed dozens of members of his family.A secondary school dropout turned camel trader, the general and deputy head of state whose Rapid Support Forces [RSF] are now battling the Sudanese army forces loyal to army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, is also widely feared. Continue reading...

Newcastle court convicts 15-year-old who armed himself before stabbing strangerA 15-year-old boy who went out with a knife “hoping” to stab someone has been found guilty of murdering another schoolboy in Gateshead.A jury at Newcastle crown court on Monday found the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, guilty of the murder of Tomasz Oleszak, 14. Continue reading...

Refuge warns of risk to abuse survivors, many of whom keep secret second phonesPeople at risk of domestic abuse have been advised to turn off any mobile device they want to keep hidden next Sunday, as ministers prepare to launch the first nationwide test of a new emergency alert system.The warning will cause people’s phones and tablets to produce a siren-like sound. But there are fears the test, which takes place at 3pm on Sunday, could give away the location of secret devices. Continue reading...

Britain misses out on building second Ineos vehicle, after company chose France for original modelIneos, the company founded and run by the British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will build an electric version of its new Grenadier off-road vehicle in Austria.The electric version of the 4x4 will be developed with the Canadian car parts manufacturer Magna and production is scheduled to start in 2026. Continue reading...

PM says students in England will not be forced to study subject at A-level as he defends plan to make it compulsory until 18

Former Italian PM, who had been having breathing problems, is showing improvement, says doctorThe former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has left intensive care at a hospital in Milan where he spent 12 days being treated for a lung infection and leukaemia.The 86-year-old has been transferred to another ward at the San Raffaele hospital as a result of the “constant improvement” of his condition, his medics said. Continue reading...

Vladimir Kara-Murza’s harsh sentence is the longest yet given to political opponent of Vladimir Putin

Experts say more peer-reviewed research is needed to understand the full impacts of the virus

ACT chief justice publishes reasons for maintaining suppression orders in a newly released judgment

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Nostra Property Group enters into agreement to complete multiple dwelling projects

S4 Capital boss says it’s almost ‘business as usual’ after keyhole surgery to remove tumourSir Martin Sorrell has revealed that he had keyhole surgery to remove a tumour in February, and will undergo further preventive cancer treatment.The veteran advertising boss, who is executive chair of the digital-led ad group S4 Capital, said he is back almost to “business as usual” after “successful keyhole surgery”, and will continue working, in a statement to the stock market on Monday. Continue reading...

Government, wagering giants and NRL examining merits of English Premier League deal to voluntarily phase out shirt sponsorship

WHO warns some hospitals in Khartoum short of blood and other critical supplies to treat wounded and clashes enter third day

Treasurer says he will engage with opposition and crossbench on legislative changes around central bank

Court told Alexander Csergo was paid to prepare reports on Australian defence arrangements, but lawyer says documents were ‘not necessarily sinister’

Brasília encounter, like Brazilian president’s recent trip to China and offer of peacemaking in Ukraine, is part of diplomatic resetRussia’s minister of foreign affairs, Sergei Lavrov, is due to arrive in Brasília on Monday for talks with his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, in the latest of a series of bilateral encounters likely to ruffle the US.Lavrov arrives just as Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, returns from a state visit to China, and both missions are part of a diplomatic reset Lula has pursued since returning to power this year, as he strives to recover Brazil’s international reputation after his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, dismantled Brazil’s established tradition of cooperation. Continue reading...

Daniel Andrews warns of ‘very difficult measures’ in May budget as government works to get state finances on track post-Covid

Anti-monarchy group Republic says issue is ‘urgent’ given forthcoming coronation of King CharlesThe campaign group Republic has accused the BBC of a lack of impartiality in its coverage before the coronation of King Charles, accusing the broadcaster of failing to hold the monarchy to account.In a letter to David Jordan, the BBC’s director of editorial and policy standards, the Republic chief executive, Graham Smith, said the complaint was “particularly urgent in light of the forthcoming coronation”. Continue reading...

Campaigners say underinvestment in NHS is forcing patients to seek private treatment if they can afford itOne in eight Britons have paid for private health services in the last year, amid frustration with delays in getting NHS treatment and a growing willingness to buy care using salary or savings.New research by YouGov found that another 27% of people had considered going private, for themselves or a loved one, but decided against it, often because they couldn’t afford it.33% of those who had used private healthcare instead of the NHS had done so for the first time.53% went private “so I could be seen more quickly”.most (48%) paid for non-urgent care, such as a diagnostic test or operation. Continue reading...

Bannau Brycheiniog national park also ditches fiery logo as it embarks on plan to tackle climate and biodiversity crisisThe name and logo is familiar to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit every year to climb the peaks, explore the fast-flowing streams and rivers and unwind in the towns and villages.But from Monday the Brecon Beacons national park is dropping its English language name and scrapping its logo of a fiery greenhouse gas-emitting beacon as it launches a plan designed to tackle issues in the park created by the climate and biodiversity emergencies. Continue reading...

Guardian investigation also reveals stark differences between forces in approaches to recording complaintsSexual misconduct and racism claims against officers are proportionally higher in some English forces than at the Metropolitan police, a Guardian investigation has found, as new figures also revealed starkly different approaches to recording.Three forces – Essex, Suffolk and Staffordshire – had, by proportion, more officers under investigation due to allegations of racism than the Met, according to the snapshot of investigations covering the period of late January and early February. Continue reading...

Premier says government will not proceed with public inquiry as it could affect investigation being conducted by commission

Relationship between ACT police and DPP ‘beset by tension’, first public hearing told

From fights at the Bodyguard musical to wild drunken antics at comedy clubs and even heckling at the opera, performers and theatre staff say crowds are getting out of hand. What’s going on?From drunken revellers singing over emotional ballads at jukebox musicals to an opera-goer heckling a child performer, there has been a growing number of news stories since the pandemic about people behaving badly at entertainment venues. Then came the headlines about the police being called to the Bodyguard musical to quell an actual fight.So what, exactly, is happening to British audiences, which are stereotypically seen as polite and even repressed? Theatre critic Alice Savile tells Nosheen Iqbal about her recent wild nights out at the theatre, and how front-of-house staff are finding it hard to cope. We hear from usher Bethany North on the abuse she’s experienced. Continue reading...

Li Shangfu travelled to Moscow where he said ties between the countries ‘surpass military-political alliances of the cold war era’Vladimir Putin and China’s defence minister Li Shangfu have vowed to deepen military cooperation between China and Russia after the men met in Moscow over the weekend.Li, who met the Russian president on Sunday on his first trip overseas in the role, said China was willing to work with Russia to have close strategic communications between their militaries. Continue reading...

The men have been charged with kidnapping offences after a couple was allegedly abducted in the Sydney suburb of Fairfield

Investment fraud amounts for biggest share at $1.5bn, followed by remote access and payment redirection rorts

Mark Lang died in hospital after being injured in incident on 28 March while out delivering parcelsA delivery driver who was allegedly hit by his own van that had been stolen has died in hospital, police have confirmed. Mark Lang, 54, suffered serious injuries following the collision in North Road, Cardiff, on 28 March.Lang, of Cyncoed, was delivering parcels in Laytonia Avenue in Cathays, Cardiff, before the incident. Continue reading...

Intense fighting in middle of eastern city as Russia claims advances; Sloviansk death toll rises to 11 while Russian shelling also kills two in Kherson

Animal Rising says 68 people still in custody, as RSPCA calls for review of three horse deaths at Aintree festivalMore than 40 animal rights activists have been de-arrested after protesters stormed the Grand National, according to the campaign group Animal Rising.Merseyside police said 118 people had been arrested following the disruption that caused a 14-minute delay to the world’s most famous steeplechase on Saturday. Continue reading...

Conference for sociologists hears how visitors often fail to challenge the police and can have limited access to detaineesOversight of how people who have been arrested and detained in custody cells at police stations in England and Wales are treated is inadequate to deter misconduct by officers, a conference has heard.The independent custody visitors scheme is supposed to allow members of the community to check on the treatment and welfare of detainees, 15 to 20 of whom die in police custody each year, a disproportionate number of them Black.Visitors failing to report back to detainees when asked to make enquiries on their behalf.Visitors not being permitted to monitor police interviews with detainees, nor monitor the welfare of detainees waiting to be booked in – the stage at which Sean Rigg died.Limited scope for their findings to be made public.Visitors not viewing themselves as independent, with many assuming detainees were guilty. Continue reading...

Head of insurance market floats idea of giving government bespoke flood and drought coverThe head of Lloyd’s of London has offered to strike a world-first deal with the UK government to help the NHS meet unexpected increases in costs triggered by major events such as another pandemic.John Neal, who runs the world’s largest insurance market, where 76 firms operate, floated the possibility of providing bespoke insurance contracts to the struggling health service, as well as government cover for floods or droughts caused by the climate crisis, when he met the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, for the first time last month. Continue reading...

Three of agency’s workers killed amid two days of violent clashes between army and paramilitariesViolence has been reported across Sudan for a second day as fighting continued in the capital and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said it was temporarily halting all operations in the country after the deaths of three employees in the Darfur region.It followed a day of deadly battles between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that left at least 56 people dead and nearly 600 wounded in Khartoum. Sudan’s army launched airstrikes on a rival paramilitary force’s base near the capital in an effort to reassert control over the chaotic country. Continue reading...

Foreign minister says foreign and defence policies are both essential for making the country stronger and more influential

Ethically Enhanced website sold Hubba Bubba-flavoured vapes containing cannabidiol, as owner of bubble gum brand considers legal action

Turnitin claims its device is 98% accurate but some institutions are concerned about not having enough time to make a decision

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says latest attack brings the number of foragers killed since February to 200Suspected Islamic State fighters killed at least 26 people in Syria on Sunday, a war monitor said, the latest in a spate of attacks targeting people foraging for desert truffles.The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “civilians and at least 10 pro-regime fighters” were among “the 26 people killed in an attack by Islamic State fighters while they were collecting truffles in the desert east of Hama”. Continue reading...

NHS Providers urges government to ‘come to the table’ as RCN union leader says stoppages could continue until ChristmasMinisters are facing pressure to tackle an escalating wave of NHS strikes, after the organisation representing NHS trusts warned that planned stoppages by nurses that could last until Christmas were “not sustainable” for the health service.With nurses due to be balloted on new strikes after voting to reject what the government called a “full and final” pay offer, the head of the main nursing union said Steve Barclay, the health secretary, did not seem willing to listen. Continue reading...

The longest-running production in Germany, restaged for a new generation of theatregoers, is a curious mixture of 80s nostalgia and politics … with great tunesThe four men dressed in widow’s weeds of black bombazine had hardly stepped on to the stage when the first yelps of delight rippled through the audience at Berlin’s Grips theatre, an intimate 360-seat venue in the west of the city. By the time the quartet in drag have locked arms to kick up their heels, the mixed-age crowd is clapping in time to the oompah beat.The Wilmersdorf Widows song is to Volker Ludwig’s musical Linie 1 (Line One) what All That Jazz is to Chicago, or Time Warp to The Rocky Horror Picture Show: the catchy showstopper that brings the house down. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Experts say sensitive information could potentially have been harvested and used for targeted election interferenceThe voting intentions of millions of Britons in local authority wards across the country could have been at risk of misuse as a result of a glitch in the Labour party’s main phone-banking system, the Guardian understands.Experts had warned that the sensitive data could potentially have been harvested via an automated programme and used for targeted election interference by campaign groups or even hostile states. Continue reading...

Wall Street Journal reporter on espionage charges jokes about prison food in letter homeEvan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, has said in his first direct communication to his parents in the US that he is not “losing hope”, and joked in the letter about the quality of the prison food.Gershkovich, 31, became the first American journalist to be detained in Russia on spying charges since the end of the cold war when he was detained in the city of Ekaterinburg, 1,100 miles (1,800km) east of Moscow, on 29 March. Continue reading...

Pressure mounts over health and economic pledges as Sunak campaigns to shore up Conservative heartlands in poll test• Read more: NHS crisis deepens as nurses plan ‘mega strike’A prolonged NHS crisis stoked by further strikes risks derailing Rishi Sunak’s local election plans amid Tory concern that the prime minister is already facing pressure over flagship pledges on health and the economy.The prime minister will head to the south-east this week as he attempts to shore up Tory heartland seats where traditional supporters had been put off by the chaos of the Johnson and Truss regimes. However, opposition parties have reported findings that the NHS remains the most salient issue among soft Tory voters. Continue reading...

Party’s leader says he wants a ‘strong showing’ in Scotland, where it holds just one Westminster constituencyLabour must win back significant numbers of parliamentary seats in Scotland if it is to be seen as a legitimate UK-wide government, Keir Starmer has said.Speaking on a BBC Radio 4 programme about politics in Scotland after the recent turmoil in the Scottish National party (SNP), including the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister, Starmer said this was an important aim for his party. Continue reading...

Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions remind many of first steps taken by ‘illiberal’ governments in Budapest and WarsawAt the height of the protests in Israel over Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned judicial changes early last month, a Polish minister gave a revealing radio interview in Warsaw.“Of course, we are talking with Israel, and to some extent we shared our experiences in this regard,” said the deputy foreign minister, Paweł Jabłoński, when asked for his views on the proposed Israeli laws. Continue reading...