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Three quarters say they feel undervalued and are thinking about quitting, charity warnsSchools will undergo a “crisis of support” without urgent action to improve pay and training for teaching assistants, a charity will warn in a report to be published this week.The NCFE, an educational charity that also provides qualifications for those in the teaching sector, carried out a snapshot survey of 150 teaching assistants (TAs) across the UK and found that three-quarters had thought about leaving in the past year. Only one in 10 felt it was a well respected and valued role. Continue reading...

National automotive body says poor data collection is limiting authorities’ ability to formulate an evidence-based response

The former leader of the Liberal Democrats does not believe party members have any appetite to repeat the experience of the Tory coalitionVince Cable, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats, has cast serious doubt on whether his party would agree to a full-blown coalition with Labour if the next general election results in a hung parliament.Cable, who was business secretary in the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition formed after the 2010 election, told the Observer that the “bad experience” of working with the Tories for five years may have put many in his party off the idea of a formal arrangement, even with Labour. Continue reading...

Rob Burley, a former head of the corporation’s live political coverage, lambasts Davie for waving through cuts and shedding experienced interviewersThe producer who was, until recently, at the heart of the BBC’s political coverage has criticised director general Tim Davie’s failure to “really understand journalism” and lamented fresh threats to the standard of the broadcaster’s current affairs analysis.Rob Burley claims that an element of the BBC’s core purpose, the interrogation of politicians and scrutiny of policy, is now being “pretty much thrown away”. Continue reading...

Fiona Fey, of popular choir Mediaeval Baebes, says her livelihood was threatened by noise abatement orderMusicians are facing a postcode lottery of noise complaints, industry leaders have warned, after a member of the classical chart-topping choir Mediaeval Baebes was handed a noise abatement notice for playing music in her flat.Fiona Fey was told she had created “excessive noise from the playing of musical instruments that is audible and detectable from your property” and that she must cease making any more “noise from the property in the form of playing loud music”. Continue reading...

The actor, now recovered, tells BBC’s Desert Island Discs he became ‘very sneaky’ about his drinking in the early 2000sSimon Pegg faced his own mission impossible, tackling both his addiction and eventual recovery, while working on the major Hollywood film franchise alongside Tom Cruise, he will explain in a revealing radio interview on Sunday morning.Speaking of a secret reliance upon alcohol that he hid while working on film sets in the early 2000s, Pegg admits: “You become very sneaky when you have something like that in your life.” Continue reading...

Familiar faces on the Tory right met in Bournemouth to pour scorn on the government. And they can certainly make the PM’s life harder• Read more: Tory anarchy breaks out as revolt looms on Brexit lawsIt was billed as the launch of a campaign to hand more power to Tory members. It was not, its organisers repeatedly insisted, a group aiming to reinstall Boris Johnson as party leader – or cause trouble for Rishi Sunak. It was about “taking back control” of the Conservative party for the grassroots.Yet as the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO) met for its inaugural gathering in a sunny Bournemouth on Saturday, it was less than 15 minutes after Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns had belted out the national anthem that Johnson’s name was first uttered on stage. Continue reading...

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Record-breaking rainfall hit Auckland in January, only to be followed by Cyclone Gabrielle ravaging the North Island in FebruaryThe New Zealand government is allocating NZ$1.1bn to help communities recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and flooding.The funds from the 2023 budget are to cover “basics” of rebuilding roads, rail and schools, as well as flood protection, the government announced on Sunday. Continue reading...

Former PM urges supporters to rally ‘at the end of your streets and villages’ and ‘sacrifice’ in push for immediate electionsPakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has called for nationwide “freedom” protests on Sunday after his brief arrest and detention last week triggered deadly unrest.The one-time cricket superstar – who has been tied up in dozens of legal cases since being ousted from power in April 2022 – was freed on bail on Friday after his detention was declared unlawful by the supreme court. Continue reading...

Treasurer says government won’t rule out adopting Peter Dutton’s proposal for social security recipients to be able to earn more before being penalised

Fans of song contest hail ‘a brilliant result’ as Perth synth metal rock band perform track Promise in Liverpool

Zelenskiy lands in Berlin to shore up support; Russian missiles strike home town of Ukraine’s Eurovision entry during song contest

Young voters demand change but military-appointed senate poses hurdle to a non-establishment candidate becoming prime ministerThais are voting on Sunday in an election that could lead to the defeat of the military-backed leader who has ruled Thailand for almost a decade.However, a skewed election system means the shape of the new government is “very unpredictable”, say analysts, and it is not clear if pro-democracy candidates will succeed in unseating the generals. Continue reading...

Loreen becomes only second person to win contest twice as Sweden claims seventh victory overallThe scandal though is that Georgia were robbed of a place in the final. Robbed, I tell you. A dramatic gothic ballad type affair with lots of creepy hands in the background on the screen reaching out for Iru, the song Echo would have been a great addition to tonight’s show. Don’t blame me, I voted for it.This tweet summed it up really. Continue reading...

Andrew Grech says action could be pursued if implications of SFSS loans were misrepresented to people when they signed up

University town of Ternopil, home of Tvorchi, targeted by missiles with two people injuredThe home town of Ukraine’s Eurovision entry came under fire from Russian missiles during the song contest on Saturday.Ternopil, the university home town of electronic music duo Tvorchi, was among the places targeted, according to Dame Melinda Simmons, the British ambassador to Ukraine. Continue reading...

It’s hard to see the PM’s talks with farmers, store chiefs and the (rumoured) odd TV star producing concrete proposalsFarmers throwing in the towel amid soaring costs and labour shortages and falling domestic production of some foods have resulted in repeated gaps on British supermarket shelves – much to shoppers’ chagrin.UK agriculture has had a torrid few years navigating the fallout from Brexit and the pandemic at a time when squeezed consumers are reassessing what they can afford to put in their shopping baskets. Continue reading...

Pat Cullen raises stakes in dispute with government after nurses reject earlier offer of 5%The head of the Royal College of Nursing union has called for a double-digit pay rise for nurses in England, raising the stakes in the long-running dispute with the government.Pat Cullen, the general secretary of the RCN, had previously told members to accept the government’s offer of 5% in March but it was rejected in a vote by 54% to 46%. Continue reading...

Dozens of rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, prompting airstrikes in return, in the half-hour leading up to the truceA ceasefire has taken effect in and around the Gaza Strip after five days of cross-border exchanges that have killed at least 33 Palestinians in Gaza and two people in Israel.The truce was due to take effect at 10pm local time (20.00 BST) on Saturday, Egyptian and Palestinian sources said. But, in the final 30 minutes before, dozens of rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel, prompting renewed airstrikes, AFP correspondents in the territory said. Continue reading...

Man is being held on suspicion of murder after death in south Wales and police say they are not looking for anyone elsePolice have begun a murder investigation after a 44-year-old woman was found dead at a house in south Wales.Emergency services were called to a property in Newport, Gwent at about 11.30am on Saturday following reports that a woman had been found unresponsive. Continue reading...

BAE Systems says dozens of cables intentionally damaged on Type 26 frigate HMS Glasgow in Scottish shipyardAn investigation has begun into an alleged incident of sabotage onboard a next-generation Royal Navy warship at a Scottish shipyard.Dozens of cables on HMS Glasgow, which is expected to enter into service in the late 2020s, were “damaged intentionally” according to BAE Systems, the main contractor responsible for the construction and fitting out of the ship. Work has now restarted on the vessel after the discovery of possible sabotage this week. Continue reading...

Only 12% of Britons polled pledged allegiance to the king in a ‘homage of the people’The anti-monarchy group Republic’s membership has almost doubled in a week following the high-profile arrest of its chief executive, Graham Smith, during last weekend’s coronation.The news comes as a poll reveals that almost nine in 10 Britons did not pledge allegiance to King Charles during the ceremony, despite being encouraged to do so by the archbishop of Canterbury. Continue reading...

Ex-ministers attack Rishi Sunak’s leadership as pro-Johnson wing calls for lower taxesRishi Sunak was losing control of an increasingly anarchic Tory party on Saturday as former cabinet ministers openly criticised the direction of policy under his leadership and dozens of backbench MPs plotted a new rebellion over Brexit.Amid recriminations over the heavy Conservative losses in recent council elections, and with pro-Brexit MPs incensed that Sunak’s government is dropping plans to shred more than 4,000 EU laws within months, discipline was at risk of completely disintegrating on the right of the party. Continue reading...

Russian reports suggest two warplanes and two helicopters downed on Saturday, though unclear if due to friendly fire or Ukrainian attacks

Measures being introduced in August labelled ‘deeply regressive’ and research suggests nurses and teachers could be among the worst affected• Read more: Martin Lewis: ‘Don’t call it a loan, this is a graduate tax’The government’s student loan reforms will benefit the country’s best-paid graduates at the expense of nursing graduates, teachers and other lower- and middle-income earners, new research reveals.Under the biggest reforms of student loans in England for more than a decade, many lower-paid earners face an increase in their total lifetime repayments of more than £30,000. Meanwhile, the highest-earning graduates will see their lifetime repayments fall on average by £25,000 compared with the previous arrangements, according to an analysis by the economic consultancy London Economics. Continue reading...

Pope Francis offers help repatriating Ukrainian children from Russia as Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets select leaders in Italy

Former prime minister steps up attacks on country’s military leaders as ministers plan to rearrest himThe crowds gathered peacefully, jostling outside the home of the man they call the “saviour of Pakistan”, hoping for a glimpse. Two days earlier, these same streets in the city of Lahore had resembled a warzone as tens of thousands of protesters violently took to the streets, ransacking buildings, burning cars, throwing petrol bombs and clashing with police, with several dying from gunshot wounds.On Saturday, however, there was calm. Late the previous night, former prime minister Imran Khan had finally returned to his home, following some of the most tumultuous days in the country’s recent history that saw him arrested on Islamabad high court premises by 100 paramilitary officers. He was detained for two days but then, to the surprise of many observers, was granted bail and allowed to walk free after his arrest was declared illegal by Pakistan’s supreme court. With Khan released, the violence eased. Continue reading...

Police data underlines fears for the safety of inmates and staff amid overcrowding and budget cuts as a result of Tory austerityNearly 1,000 rapes were reported to have taken place in prisons since 2010, exclusive data obtained by the Observer from police forces in England and Wales can reveal.A further 2,336 sexual assaults were reported to police in the same period, and experts warned that the true figure for both crimes may be far higher because not all attacks would be reported. Continue reading...

Former archbishop of York found to have failed to act on allegations of child sexual abuse by vicarThe former archbishop of York has been forced to step down from duties after failing to act on allegations of sexual abuse.John Sentamu last week rejected the findings of a report that found he failed to act on disclosures that a C of E vicar repeatedly raped a teenage boy in the 1980s. Continue reading...

Narendra Modi is preparing a campaign to reclaim items in UK museums and held by the royal family, such as the Koh-i-noorA leading writer on the British empire has said it is inevitable that Indian jewels and historical artefacts looted under colonial rule will be returned, amid reports that the country will begin a campaign to get them repatriated.Sathnam Sanghera, who authored Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain and fronted documentaries on the subject for Channel 4, said the latest demands are part of a series by former colonies reassessing their own time under empire. Continue reading...

Ward closures and flooding in dilapidated buildings in Epsom as one of 40 new hospitals pledged remains unbuilt

The quirky appeal of Rye Lane is threatened by developer’s 14 high-rise flats, say residentsThere’s a scene in Rye Lane, a film said to be breathing new life into romcoms, where the two main characters stroll past a body-popping white-haired man in a spangly Yves Klein blue cowboy outfit, then continue their conversation sitting in giant high heels outside a shoe shop.The moonwalking cowboy is an actor, but the shoe shop is real – one of dozens of outlets inside Rye Lane market giving Peckham the personality that inspired the film’s director, Raine Allen-Miller, to treat the south London neighbourhood as a character rather than mere scenery. Continue reading...

Move Forward party leader’s promise in election campaign to end political stranglehold chimes with younger generationWhen Pita Limjaroenrat took to the stage for his final big campaign event before Thailand’s elections, the cheers and screams were deafening. “Our time has come,” he told crowds of mostly young supporters in a packed stadium in Bangkok.Pita’s Move Forward party has built a large and loyal support base among young Thais who are fed up with the political status quo. At rallies, he is met with long lines of students and young people queueing for selfies. On TikTok, fans post images of themselves with a special filter that displays his face smiling and lurking in the background. Continue reading...

Cooper was arrested after going to aid of fellow protester in 1981 and went on to photograph Liverpool lifeThe Liverpool photographer Leroy Cooper, whose arrest led to the Toxteth riots in 1981, has died aged 62.Cooper, who was also a writer and activist, was arrested in front of protesters after he went to the aid of a fellow Liverpool resident in July 1981. Continue reading...

Clip online appears to show a man being restrained and then punched nine times in the faceA police officer in north Wales has been suspended from duty after appearing to punch a man nine times while arresting him.North Wales police said the action had been taken after the incident in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Victory deals blow to prime minister, who will seek third term in power at next year’s general electionIndia’s opposition Congress party has swept the Karnataka state elections, dealing a blow to Narendra Modi’s ruling party, which had fought hard to retain power.As votes were counted on Saturday, it became clear Congress had won an overwhelming majority in the state and the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) quickly conceded defeat. “People have rejected divisive politics,” said Pawan Khera, a Congress party spokesperson. Continue reading...

Most networks will have limited service as RMT members at 14 companies in England walk outPassengers faced a second day of disruption on Britain’s railways on Saturday as the union leader Mick Lynch insisted the 24-hour strike had not targeted the Eurovision song contest.Train crews are staging another 24-hour strike, immediately after Friday’s action by drivers, disrupting people travelling to Liverpool for the Eurovision final, as well as National League football fans heading to Wembley in London. Continue reading...

Witham MP expected to attack ‘those in power’ for sidelining party’s grassroots at conference of pro-Boris Johnson groupPriti Patel will attack the Conservative party leadership, blaming heavy local election losses on “those in power and control”, in a speech on Saturday.The former home secretary is expected to accuse the Tory leadership of having “done a better job at damaging our party” over the past year than Keir Starmer’s Labour party or leftwing campaign groups. Continue reading...

Police use pepper spray on crowds outside Parliament House, where a group of masked men performed the Nazi salute

Four-hour broadcast will feature taunts at Putin and a singalong of a Liverpool anthemThere will be rockets, soldiers and moustachioed men in their underpants lampooning Vladimir Putin as a “crocodile psychopath” – and that’s just the Croatian act.One of the most stridently political Eurovision grand finals in years takes place in Liverpool on Saturday night against a backdrop of a war in Ukraine that shows little sign of ending. Continue reading...

The Portuguese capital wins top spot ahead of budget-friendly eastern European destinations, according to new pollIn an annual travel survey which analysed typical tourist costs in 35 European cities, Lisbon has emerged as the best-value location for a city break on the continent – beating traditional budget-friendly eastern European destinations.The Post Office Travel Money City Costs Barometer found the Portuguese capital won the top spot ahead of runner-up Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital. Two other past winners – Krakow (third) and Athens (fourth) – complete the top four cities. Continue reading...

The senator told the premier Tasmanians have had a ‘bloody gutful’ over the stadium and ‘you can stick it up your bum’

Democracy Volunteers group says half of them appeared to be from minority ethnic backgroundsMore than 1% of voters, half of whom appeared to be from minority ethnic backgrounds, were turned away from polling stations because of ID requirements at the local elections, according to a group of democracy observers.Democracy Volunteers, a group of election observers, said it conducted snapshot surveys in 118 councils on 4 May. Continue reading...

Focus group of blue wall residents believes Sunak is ‘out of his depth’ and that Britain needs change nowBlue wall Conservative voters in Surrey are far from impressed with the government’s obsession with culture wars, and remain unrepentant for tactically backing the Liberal Democrats at last week’s local elections.The prime minister still looks “out of his depth”, uninspiring and unable to set out a straightforward vision six months in the job, according to a panel of Surrey residents who backed the Conservatives at the 2019 election. They believe “the country needs change now”, and the Tories need some time in opposition to sort themselves out. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Companies say a compensation scheme like the EU’s would drive up air fares in Australia

Predicted to make landfall on Sunday, preparations are under way for a partial evacuation of the camp in Cox’s Bazar

Russia admits to Ukrainian advances in Bakhmut; two Russian pilots killed as helicopter crashes in Crimea

The pair agreed to ‘step up’ dialogue to resolve outstanding trade issues and confirmed the review of China’s tariffs on Australian barley was ‘on track’